Clammbon

Technically this song is a remix by Nujabes of a Clammbon song - so it's a good thing. Nujabes is amazing (R.I.P.) and check out his stuff. But this post will focus on Clammbon, another amazing alternative pop band from Japan. I think this group has a lot of character in their sound. At times it's jazzy, at others just pop, rock, techno and altogether fusion. The singer is also very unique as well (though personally I can only listen so long myself). They've got a large discography with lots of different sounds throughout, so it's worth an exploration.

Катя Chilly (Katya Chilly) - Молодая (Molodaya)

(http://pivni.livejournal.com/)

 To introduce Katya Chilly, let's remark on what genres wiki has to represent her: Folk, New Age, Dance, Pop, Rock, and Jazz. What does that sound like? Well, I suppose Katya is another one of those genre-defying artists that I love. She comes from the Ukraine and sings in Ukrainian as well (which is a little different as many Ukraine artists uproot to Russia and sing in Russian). The most striking thing about Katya's music is her voice. She often sings in a very high, operatic style which greatly contrasts the sometimes folk, pop, rock, whatever music beneath. She also sings other songs in a more traditional style (very reminiscent of Bulgarian folk singers like Le Mystere Des Voix Bulgares). From what I know, she is pretty well known in the Ukraine, mainly beginning from her collaboration with a very popular Uk. band (whose name escapes me). She apparently has released quite a few albums, none of which I own (maybe I ought to go try looking again, as her popularity seems to have grown since I last researched her) but I do have one of her singles Pivni ("Roosters"), which I absolutely love and really demonstrates her unique style. I think something also ought to be said of her songwriting style which is also very commendable.

Another one of her songs that I really love is Молодая or "Young."

I have the lyrics and a proper translation:


Ой петрівняя зозуленько, ой!        (Oy petrivnyaya zozulenko, oy!)
Oh cuckoo bird, oh (she refers to the bird which is singing on a particular day which is a religious holiday if I am not mistaken)
Та не літай рано по діброві, ой!        (Ta ne litay rano po dibrovi, oy!)
Do not flit in the grove in the morning
Такая... молодая...        (Takaya... Molodaya)
So.... young

Та не куй рано по діброві, ой!        (Ta ne kuy rano po dibrovi, oy!)
And do not coo in the grove in the morning, oh!
Не збуди мене, мене молодої, ой!        (Ne zbudi mene, mene molodoyi, oy!)
Do not wake my young self up, oh!
Бо єсть у мене кращі тебе, ой!        (Bo est' u mene kraschi tebe, oy!)
Because I have better than you, oh!
Що збудять мене раніш тебе, ой!         (Scho zbudyat' mene ranish tebe, oy!)
Who will wake me earlier than you, oh!

Молодая! молода-я! молодая!
Young! I am young !! Young!

Here also is a remix of her song Krashen Vecher. Her singing live of the original is also worth checking out on Youtube.