A-Mei (
PHOTOS: JULES QUARTLY, TAIPEI TIMES
Maybe Tomorrow (
A-Mei (
Jay Chou (
Common Jasmine Orange(
Even before its release Jay Chou's (
A Moving Sound (
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 (
Shades of My Mind (
Formerly a member of the LA Boyz, Stanley Huang's (
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 ... (
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 (
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 (
Won Fu (
The maestros of comedic jangle pop, Won Fu (
Monkey Insane (
Our Generation (
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 (
Tripoets (
Mixtape (
Local rap trio the Tripoets (
On April 26, The Lancet published a letter from two doctors at Taichung-based China Medical University Hospital (CMUH) warning that “Taiwan’s Health Care System is on the Brink of Collapse.” The authors said that “Years of policy inaction and mismanagement of resources have led to the National Health Insurance system operating under unsustainable conditions.” The pushback was immediate. Errors in the paper were quickly identified and publicized, to discredit the authors (the hospital apologized). CNA reported that CMUH said the letter described Taiwan in 2021 as having 62 nurses per 10,000 people, when the correct number was 78 nurses per 10,000
May 5 to May 11 What started out as friction between Taiwanese students at Taichung First High School and a Japanese head cook escalated dramatically over the first two weeks of May 1927. It began on April 30 when the cook’s wife knew that lotus starch used in that night’s dinner had rat feces in it, but failed to inform staff until the meal was already prepared. The students believed that her silence was intentional, and filed a complaint. The school’s Japanese administrators sided with the cook’s family, dismissing the students as troublemakers and clamping down on their freedoms — with
As Donald Trump’s executive order in March led to the shuttering of Voice of America (VOA) — the global broadcaster whose roots date back to the fight against Nazi propaganda — he quickly attracted support from figures not used to aligning themselves with any US administration. Trump had ordered the US Agency for Global Media, the federal agency that funds VOA and other groups promoting independent journalism overseas, to be “eliminated to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law.” The decision suddenly halted programming in 49 languages to more than 425 million people. In Moscow, Margarita Simonyan, the hardline editor-in-chief of the
Six weeks before I embarked on a research mission in Kyoto, I was sitting alone at a bar counter in Melbourne. Next to me, a woman was bragging loudly to a friend: She, too, was heading to Kyoto, I quickly discerned. Except her trip was in four months. And she’d just pulled an all-nighter booking restaurant reservations. As I snooped on the conversation, I broke out in a sweat, panicking because I’d yet to secure a single table. Then I remembered: Eating well in Japan is absolutely not something to lose sleep over. It’s true that the best-known institutions book up faster
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