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Top 10 Local Album Releases for 2004

The Daymakers PHOTOS: JULES QUARTLY, TAIPEI TIMES

A-Mei (張惠妹)
Maybe Tomorrow (也許明天)
A-Mei (張惠妹) veered away from pop standards last year and chose instead to mix it up with a blend of heavy rock riffs, mild dance loops and moody love ballads. The result was Maybe Tomorrow (也許明天), an album that left fans and the music press alike aghast and led to A-Mei being labeled a "has been." It might have been a far cry from the cutesy drone Mando-pop that made her a household name, but the album was certainly not a dud. A smorgasbord of musical elements ranging from power-pop, post-rock and even swing/rockabilly, it proved that far from being a "has been" A-Mei is in fact still very much in charge of the local music scene and one of the few who have dared to be different.

Jay Chou (周杰倫)
Common Jasmine Orange(七里香)
Even before its release Jay Chou's (周杰倫) fifth album,Common Jasmine Orange (七里香) had taken Asia by storm. Record stores and online shopping sites in the region reportedly received pre-release orders of 1 million copies. The album proved that along with being a poster boy for a generation, the shy singer/songwriter is a genuinely talented recording artist. The crux of the album may have been rap-based, yet instead of sticking to solely to one specific genre Taiwan's favorite musical son blended plenty of pop, blues and aesthetic elements of world music into the material in order to create his dream-like never-never land of common jasmine oranges.

Chang Fei

A Moving Sound (聲動劇場)
Pacu's Trip
The first full-length CD from popular multimedia performance troupe, A Moving Sound, Pacu's Trip was a blend of instrumental ethnic harmonies, atmospheric ambiance and highly distinctive vocal techniques. Be it the African drumming, Gypsy/Middle Eastern tinged vibes, Aboriginal-styled sounds or off-center and Tom Waits-like cabaret, Pacu's Trip exposed listeners to an eclectic collection of sounds that aroused, amused and bemused.

Stanley Huang (黃立行)
Shades of My Mind (黑的意念)
Formerly a member of the LA Boyz, Stanley Huang's (黃立行) Shades of My Mind (黑的意念) was his sixth solo album and one that could see him pick up at least one Golden Melody Award this year. Huang took his dance-oriented brand of mainstream hip-hop to new heights and packed the album with heavy guitar riffs and pulsating electronica-fused numbers, plus a few more sentimental slushy Mando-pop tunes for his younger fans. An intense and complex listen from the get-go, if more local acts chose to emulate Huang instead of opting for the more mundane, then it would lift a rather drab music scene out of the doldrums.

Zayin
Zayin
Zayin's self-titled debut might not have set local pop charts ablaze, but it was one of the most memorable albums to be released by a genuine "band" in 2004. The combo's ability to blend fiery rock riffs with pop and mainstream hooks gave the album both plenty of clout and staying power. Comparable to material by US rockers Third Eye Blind in many respects, Zayin's debut should pave the way for bigger and better things and this in turn could set the combo up for at least a nomination in the "Best Band" category at this year's Goldden Melody Awards.

The Daymakers
Here Comes Happiness ... (興奮來了 ...)
Fronted by Texan twins, JT and JD Long and with Canadian national Jason Copps on drums, Ilan based expat combo, The Daymakers, made a splash last year with its debut mini-album, Here Comes Happiness ... (興奮來了 ...). For a while you couldn't even turn on the television without seeing the trio performing a song or aping it up in front the camera. With musical inspiration ranging from early Weezer to Elvis Costello and Green Day-like rudimentary four-chord power-punk, the trio's jerky sound and cutesy and comedic lyrics proved addictive. The pulsating surf punk instrumental number Secret Agent (間諜), however, was highlight of the fantastic self produced debut.

Chang Fei (張菲)
When I Fall in Love.
Love him or loath him, you have to hand it to TV host and master of the natty one-liner, Chang Fei (張菲) for having the chutzpah to attempt to pass himself off as Taiwan's answer to Vic Damone last year. And although When I Fall in Love shouldn't be taken too seriously it does warrant a round of applause. Chang's somewhat dubious command of the English language meant that at times he sounded like an inebriated bloke at a Karaoke bar rather than a respected and talented all-round entertainer, but this didn't spoil the fun. The backing musicians were spot-on and Chang's renditions of Percy Faith's Theme from A Summer Place and the Frankie Valli hit, Can't Take My Eyes off You were possibly two of the greatest sing-a-longs from a Taiwanese artist ever to go on

record.

Won Fu (旺福)
Won Fu (旺福)
The maestros of comedic jangle pop, Won Fu (旺福) returned to record store shelves last year with a self-titled and long awaited follow-up to 2003's excellent debut, Same Name, Same Sex (同同姓). Full of typical Won Fu happy-go-lucky sounds and tongue-in-cheek lyrics, the album was a harmoniously riotous listen from start to finish. The four-piece's ability to switch and swap musical techniques, speeds and styles once again came into play and the tune's simple hooks and riffs were all so addictive that the melodies remained buzzing around inside your head long after the album had finished.

Monkey Insane (潑猴)
Our Generation (我們的世代)
Monkey Insane successfully merged trappings of old-school hip-hop with nu-metal and electronica and become Taiwan's answer to Linkin Park-cum-Limp Bizkit overnight on the release of its debut longplayer last year. Gnarly guitar, thumping bass lines and electronics-tinged vibes meant that Our Generation (我們的世代) took no prisoners from the off and Monkey Insane went straight for the jugular and numbers such as the sterling piece of hardcore hybrid hip hop/nu-metal Come On. All of which made Monkey Insane pretty hard to ignore even with the use of industrial strength earplugs in 2004.

Tripoets (參劈)
Mixtape (聽說)
Local rap trio the Tripoets (參劈) independently released debut, Mixtape (聽說) was without doubt one of the best underground rap albums to come out of Taiwan last year. It was so good in fact, that even if you had no particular fondness for rap it remained almost impossible to find fault with the Tripoets nonvolatile style of the genre. The trio rapped lyrical about education, youth culture and life over a backdrop of vibrant, well-produced and agreeable backing tracks that ranged from acid jazz to soul, reggae and, of course, more traditional hip-hop vibes. Mixtape (聽說) was a great listen and a fine example of local underground rap at its mellowest and rhythmical best.

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