Orianthi : Believe - An Album Review

At the young age of 24 years old, Orianthi had literally done it all. She opened for Steve Vai, jammed with guitar legend Santana, backed American Idol Carrie Underwood and shared the same stage with the King of Pop, the late Michael Jackson.


Now she is here to conquer the world stage with her very own album - Believe!!

Download her album HERE or try this LINK.

1. According To You
This song open with a really nice bass riff. Then the drums and the unique guitar play came in. The climax is the chorus where the octane- fuelled guitar play comes in. There are parts of guitar solos where Orianthi literally shredded the guitar with her amazing fingers!! I swear that my jaw was hanging when I saw that shredding! The lyrics are very true to my heart also. It focused on self confidence and thrashing the negativity out of one's life. Very addictive opening song!!

Follow this link to watch her very very awesome play!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RK14Bu3ET-s

Ratings : 9/10

2. Suffocated
The opening was calm and quiet. Then be surprised by a very powerful guitar jam. Again, the bass riff is very unique. We can all see how powerful Orianthi's voice is in this song. This one is definitely a screamer song!! Apart from all those, the signature shred makes any guitar lover go crazy!!

Ratings : 8/10

3. Bad News
The introduction was a rhythmic bass riff. The guitar play, again, is awesome. I can almost imagine her sliding her fingers along the seductive hum of the electric guitar. The very nice drum play makes me want to jump to this music. The guitar solos in this one are slower than the previous two songs but the energy of the album is still climbing!!

Ratings : 8.5/10

4. Believe
This song is different from the previous four songs. The opening were slower. It is as if the arrangement of the music is taking a break from the insane jamming. This is one song where I wasn't distracted by the amazing instrument play to actually pay attention to the lyrics. I love the lyrics!! Maybe because I can relate to the lyrics. This is a positive break up song (Not that I am in a break up but this is one hell of a pick-me-up song!!) I find myself singing to the lyrics "I wanna believe in love, I wanna believe in something bigger than the two of us. I wanna breathe again, I wanna go back to the days where I had my innocence! I wanna believe again!" One hell of a pick-me-up song after a depressing day eh? The ending guitar riff is one amazing shredding!!

Ratings : 9/10

5. Feels Like Home
This song opens with guitar shredding. I expect some energetic rock-the-world guitar play. But the song shifted to a little acoustic, a little country style. Yet, Orianthi did not lose her ROCKER touch by infusing touches of electric guitar here and there. This song is some sort of a mid-album break where the music is slightly slow-paced. Listeners can listen to the lyrics and feel the music. It actually feels raw and real.

Ratings : 8/10

6. Think Like A Man
Get ready for some ROCKING!! This song actually sounds like something from ACDC!! I guess Orianthi is influenced by classic rock too! The electric guitar play is amazing. It sounds like a roller coaster ride where one moment you are listening to a low bass note and the next moment you are listening to a high note! And I can imagine the slides and hammering along the fretboard. The solo part is an insane fretplay!! Besides, this song is also full of attitude and girl power!!

Ratings : 8.5/10

7. What's It Gonna Be
Again, this song sounds like ACDC to me!! But the bass play and the shredding is really good!! The drums really set the mood for the song and the bass set the perfect jamming mood for this song. I so feel like playing air-guitar to this song!! Orianthi shows off her powerful vocals again in this songs!! To my novice ears, I think Orianthi hit several really good notes!! She is not screaming but her voice is strong enough to deliver that message of What's It Gonna Be?

Ratings : 7/10

8. Untogether
A mixture of acoustic and electric fretplay opened the song. A rather slow song compared to the rest. Orianthi shows that she not only can sing rock songs, but also carry a song that sounds a little like blues. And this is one song that is a little mellow and sad, but she doesn't lose her stylo attitude rocker chic sense. I also love the lyrics of the song. It was raw and sounds really personal. The solo shredding again, perfectly convey the message of the song, as if she is in pain but she has to let go of the relationship. The guitar play actually sounded mournful but melodious at the same time. Very beautifully arranged!!

Ratings : 8.5/10

9. Drive Away
This song is a little blues but nonetheless one good song. The opening is soothing and calm. Then Orianthi's trademark guitar shred came in somewhere in the chorus. This song is pretty much similar to the previous song, with the same sadness, the same mellow feelings. The acoustic guitar sounds as if her heart is broken. But the electric guitar juxtaposition her pain and passion against the mellow acoustic arrangements. Certain effects were used to perfection in this song. Again, impressive emotional guitar shredding!!

Ratings : 8.5/10

10. Highly Strung
This one is purely electric guitar playing the whole 4.08 minutes!! As the name of the song suggested, this is one highly strung music!! The play was fantastic. The distortion effects were pretty heavy here. The shredding and fretplay were also heavily employed here. It sounds like some video game soundtrack but this one is filled with energy and packed with enthusiasm! A few elements of classic rock influence here. PERFECTION!!

Ratings : 8/10
PS : Ben, I so hope to see you play like this!!

11. God Only Knows
This is one very nice closing song. Acoustic opening with her powerful voice. Then blues guitar play brings the emotion out of the song. Drums and beats are great too. This song actually sounds sad. Dedicated to her mentor, the late Michael Jackson? Or perhaps someone closer to heart? A slow song but still one hell of a closing song!!

Ratings : 9/10

Orianthi is the new ROCK GODDESS on my ROCK ALTAR!!! LOVE HER to the max!!
Thank you Ben, for introducing me to this amazing chic!! I so want to play like her now!!

Inglorious Basterds - A Review

This is a remake of the 1977 classic of Inglorious Basterds by the genius Quentin Tarantino. Expect something with the likes of Kill Bill and Grindhouse. But this one is one hell of a movie!!


The movie is divided into 5 chapters. In the first chapter, we saw the Jew Hunter killing Jews in a dairy farmer's house. And there was a survivor, Shoshana, amidst all the shootings. Then in Chapter Two, we were introduced to 8 Jewish American soldiers lead by Lt. Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt) who pride themselves as the Inglorious Basterds. They sneaked into France and kill Nazis by brutally battering them and cutting scalps off their heads. After each attack, the Basterds left one survivor with a Swastika carved onto their forehead to tall the story. Then we were shown the juxtaposition of Adolf Hitler scolding his subordinates for letting these Basterds run wild. Chapter 3 shows Shoshana who now lived the life of Emmanuelle Mimouex, a cinema owner. An egoistic sniper-turned-actor Nazi made it possible for the premier of "National Pride" to be held in Shoshana/Emmanuelle's cinema, totally unaware of her plans. In Chapter 4, Operation Kino was introduced where the Basterds intend to burn down the cinema along with Germany's 4 most important officials, including Adolf Hitler. The Basterds were totally unaware of Shoshana's plan and were helped by double agent Bridget von Hammersmark (Diane Kruger). Chapter 5 was the grand finale with the Revenge of the Giant Face where everything was blown to pieces. The movie ends with Lt Aldo Raine craving a Swastika on the forehead of the Jew Hunter who betrayed his own country.


I love the way the story was told. It provided an alternative reality where the Basterds actually killed Hitler and all the high ranked officials, thus end the war. And also, the chapter angle is almost like Kill Bill, with some comical relieves here and there. Also, Tarantino's trademark blood and gore!! Not as gory and bloody as Kill Bill but more like Grindhouse. The plot is pretty much unpredictable and the lines got me laughing all the way!! In terms of cinematography, this is really a good one!!


This one is also a star- cast movie, with the appearances of Brad Pitt, Diane Kruger, Eli Roth and many other remarkable foreign actors whose names I can't spell. The performances by these actors were superb!! Brad Pitt's accent was funny and convincing at the same time. Diane Kruger's portrayal of a German actress with convincing poise and accent is really nice to watch. Eli Roth played the Jewish Bear to perfection, with his fierce and emotionless straight face.


However, I didn't quite enjoy the soundtrack. It mimics the oldies, like really those 60's or 70's movie soundtrack. The use of trumpets and pipes annoys me. And sort of spoils the movie at really nice parts.


Overall, this is one movie with many interesting twists and turns. Even if the movie stars a bunch of unknowns also I think it will be one good production.

Ratings : 7.5/10. Worth watching for the humour and the quirky punchlines!!

O So Happy

I am officially done with ALL my assignments!!

Thank you Levnn, Yang Kiat, Ming Tze and Chun Xian for the great time during all the Moral assignments... It was cool!! And the photo-taking was funny...
Ming Tze, thanks for the "plastic surgery"...


Thank you Nicole, Kumutha, Zarry, and Wei Cheng for the fun times in Pengajian Malaysia Assignment. It was insane to stay up so late. And thank you Zarry for the late night BURGER!!!

Thank you (again) Nicole, Kumutha and Wei Cheng for Computer Systems Assignment. This was the craziest ever. Everything printed and bound only saw got mistakes... Haha... But it was fun, laughing at our own carelessness and sleepiness!!

Pre Lady Gaga Days

A friend shared this video with me and I really enjoyed it.

This beautiful lady here is Stephanie Germanotta, also known as Lady Gaga. This is pre- Lady Gaga. I actually love her more this way. Her amazing voice, her powerful play, her amazing showmanship. No flashy props, no mismatched clothes, no weird dance steps.



Maybe I am the sentimental person who loves pianos and a beautiful voice kinda stuff than fast-beat heavily digitalised songs.

My Sister's Keeper - A Review

I heard of the book but yet to read it. After watching the movie, I want to read the book now.

The movie opened with a narration of Anna Fitzgerald (Abigail Breslin) on her sister Kate's (Sofia Vessilievi) leukemia. Then we moved into the Fitzgerald's lives where Sara's (Cameron Diaz) main aim in life is to keep Kate alive. Kate was diagnosed with a rare leukemia when she was young. Sara and Brian decided to artificially conceived another child, Anna, to make Anna Kate's donor child. Anna's purpose was to supply Kate with blood cells, bone marrow and other biological substance to keep Kate alive. This was until Anna was 11 years old and she decided that she had enough. She filed a petition against her parents for medical emancipation. She refused to give Kate her kidney. The story then tells us of the pain and point of views from all the Fitzgeralds. Brian felt tired and sympathizes Anna, Sara fighting to keep Kate alive, Kate's pain and her memories with her family and friends, Jesse's neglect, Anna's feelings...


This movie is one spiritual and emotional movie. It speaks of parents burying their own child. It speaks of the feeling of welcoming death after a long battle. It speaks of love between two similar souls. It speaks of family responsibilities. It speaks of human rights. It speaks of many many things that normally we would not notice unless something happens. To Kate, a simple embrace, enjoying sea breeze, going to prom, kissing, is like an act of charity from God to her. And Anna, willingly doing everything for her sister.

This movie touched my heart in many places. The family went through the pain of a disease destroying not only one life, but the lives of the entire family. I admire Sara for her strength to accept and fight fate. I also admire Anna's bravery of standing up for her sister and doing what is right. This movie is very real, very personal and very raw in feelings.


I smiled when I saw Kate going to prom with Taylor. I winced when I saw Kate vomitting blood. I laughed when the Fitzgerald sisters enjoyed each other's company. I felt glad when I saw Taylor being there for Kate when she had chemotherapy. I cried when Taylor died. I cried when Kate speak of death. I cried when Kate told Sara that it's ok to let go. I cried when Kate died. But the movie doesn't end with a sad ending, but a meaningful lesson and hope.

Ratings : 8.5/10. This is a movie that teaches us to stop, look and feel before life slips from our fingers. Watch it with your heart and I assure you will feel what I felt.


PS : This movie is of heavy weight star casts with likes of Cameron Diaz, Abigail Breslin, Joan Cusack, Alec Baldwin, Thomas Dekker, and so many more remarkable actors. The acting is really of quality!

The Ugly Truth - A Review

The Ugly Truth was highly recommended by some friends of mine. I watched it. Touche. The movie is actually not bad.


The movie opened with award winning producer Abby (Katherine Heigl) being totally committed to her job, to the point that it scared men away. Then she was given the ultimatum of raise the show's ratings or axe the show. Her boss invited her arch-enemy, local talk show celebrity Mike Chadway (Gerard Butler) to be a guest in her show. Abby was reluctantly embroiled in a series of challenges, including having Mike teach her how to attract her hot neighbour. At the end of the day, the neighbour loved Mike's version of Abby, Abby got her dream guy, Mike fell in love with Abby, Abby fell in love with Mike. After a battle of wits and tongue, two local news celebrity did the cliche hug and kisses in front of a national live telecast. Ratings went up like crazy and ta-da... THE END.


The plot is relatively simple and predictable. But the chemistry of the two main characters is the fire of this entire movie. Katherine Heigl once again, picked up her role of a romantically- challenged workaholic. Then Gerard Butler played his role of a flawed guy who came and swept her off her feet. The settings of various scenes were brilliant too. The passionate dance, the passionate kiss in the elevator, and my personal favourite, kissing in a hot air balloon with the entire city as a background. Katherine Heigl looked fantastic in every dress or shirt she wore. And Gerard Butler was absolutely dashing, even in a simple T shirt. Kudos to the wardrobe department!!

I also love certain funny scenes in the movie. Like the part where Mike perfectly predicted the timing and the phone call between Abby and her then- crush. Also, the vibrating undies (WTH?!?!?!) and cumming for dinner. The idea itself was pretty disgusting. But Katherine Heigl is really good. She portrayed it with such humour and style, it was pretty funny and convincing at the same time.


This is a believable romance story about two person who started as enemies and ended up in the same bed. I actually like how to story went even though it is rotten cliche...


Ratings : 6.5/10. Definitely better than The Proposal!

The Proposal - A Review

I watched The Proposal a few days ago. It was somewhat like what I expected.


The Proposal was mainly about Margaret (Sandra Bullock) who was like the Dragon Lady of Devil Wears Prada, minus the beautiful fashion. Andrew (Ryan Reynolds) was her assistant editor, which in reality, was her personal slave. Margaret got to shout at practically everyone until she found out that she would be deported back to Canada due to her expiring visa. Thus, she whipped up the clever plan of marrying Andrew to be an American citizen to keep her job. Andrew, wanting to have serious advancement in his job, agreed to the plan and brought her back to his hometown in Alaska for his grandmother's birthday.


Truth was, Andrew was being extremely modest about his family. He was like royalty in Alaska. And Andrew's family treated Margaret with such care and love that her icy heart melted to the family warmth. And you guessed right, Andrew and Margaret fell in love. Then, like all movies of this kind, Margaret felt guilty and told everyone that the marriage was bogus and she gave up her career to be deported back to Canada. But Andrew, realising that he loved her, actually ended up marrying her.


The plot was rather predictable. The acting was mediocre. Nothing on the soundtrack stands out particularly. The whole Andrew character stands out as too perfect to be true. And sorry to say, Bullock's potrayal of Margaret was not remotely interesting. She just wasn't Iron Lady enough.


But I have to credit the script writers on certain aspects of the movie. The lines are rather humorous. Scenes like Ramone the Exotic Dancer and when Andrew and Margaret slammed into each other naked were really funny. The scene where Margaret fell into the sea and Andrew did a "knight rescue damsel in distress" thing was simply sweet!!


Overall, this movie is very much of a fairytale for me. Like I mentioned before, the "Andrew" character is like the perfect guy, too perfect to be true. Plus, Ryan Reynolds playing this perfect guy? It is like the lethal combination of physical, sexual, intelligence and emotional cocktail in the same guy!

Ratings : 6/10. Romantic fairytale. Be warned. If you are looking for a guy based on "Andrew" perfect image, be sure to be disappointed.

无题

我的世界，
顿时，
时间停留了。。。

我被夹在黑白世界里，
只可以从小窗望到外面的彩色世界。。。

他说，
为何不打破那道墙，
让自己看到更多色彩？

我可能一直都在找着那锤子，
让色彩融入自己的世界。

那锤子呢？

Lust and Love

Lust is something that you look at for the first time and instantly feel attracted to.
Love is something that you may not like at first sight, but the more you look at it, the more you feel attracted to it.

Lust is when you try on a new dress and feel like you are made for each other.
Love is when you open your closet and found that old sweater of yours that smells like home.

Lust is when you walk into a boutique and try on every dress or shoe that may suit you.
Love is when you walk back into the same boutique, look at the same dress, and feels that it suits you.

Lust is the thrill of trying on more and more dresses and ended up buying all.
Love is the excitement of trying on more and more dresses and ended up buying THAT dress.

Lust is walking with new shoes, thinking how it will go with the rest of your wardrobe.
Love is walking with new shoes, thinking how the rest of your wardrobe will go with your shoes.

Lust is the onset of a shopping binge.
Love is the onset of an enjoyable trip in discovering sense and style....

~~Today, my friends and I went boutique shopping in Ipoh. We actually walked the whole street of Ipoh Garden and everyone, except Vee, bought something we love. I don't know what put me to work, but I suddenly felt inspired to write a nonsensical poem on lust and love in the Shopping Theory (which is completely based on my own perception and may be bogus...)

To my friends, THANK YOU FOR THE GREAT TIME TOGETHER!!

And...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NICOLE SUM LI KHENG!!

Drift Away

This guy probably play better with his feet than both my hands!!

Storm by Lifehouse

Lifehouse is one of my all-time favourite bands because of their very sentimental and meaningful style. I was first introduced to this band when I started downloading drama OSTs in Form 2 or Form 3. Since then, I've fallen in love with their sweet serenade that sounds so melancholy but full of hope at the same time.

I am addicted to this song now.
The acoustic and live versions are very much more filled with feelings.
Not to mention lead singer Jason Wade has the voice of an angel.

This is so far the BEST live versions I've listened to...



See how Jason commands the crowd with his beautiful voice? And I so love the guitarist who played the effects to perfection, and the bassist who definitely sets the mood for the song, and the drummer that definitely defines the rhythm of the song!!

I had goosebumps listening to this live performance and I knew it is good stuff!!


I feel like learning this song... But definitely I can NEVER sing like Jason... Who can be my singer?

I Have Seen The Rain

This is a collaboration between Pink and her dad, Mr Jim Moore. Mr Moore wrote this song during the Vietnam war. I love the song simply because it is simple yet very meaningful.

Pink harmonised the song perfectly. And the guitar play is very melodious too... I just wish that Mr Moore sang louder... Stage fright perhaps? Haha...

Enjoy~

I have seen the rain
I have felt the pain
I don`t know where I`ll be tomorrow
I don`t know where I`m going
I don`t even know where I`ve been
But I know I`d like to see them again

Spend my days just searching
Spend my nights in dreams
Stop looking over my shoulder baby
I stopped wondering what it means.
Drop out, burn out, sold your home
Oh they said I should`ve been more
Probably so if I hadn`t been in that crazy damn Vietnam war

I have seen the rain
I`ve survived the pain
Oh I`ve been home 30 years or so
And I`m just stepping off of the plane

Spend my days just searching
Spend my nights in dreams
Stop looking over my shoulder baby
I stopped wondering what it means.
Drop out, burn out, sold your home
Oh they said I should`ve been more
Probably so if I hadn`t been in that crazy damn Vietnam war

We have seen the rain together
We survived the pain forever
Oh it`s good to be home again
It`s good to be with my friends
Oh it`s good to be home again
It`s good to feel that rain

Miss Invisible

I had this song for a while. I was checking out my old external hard drive today and I found this song. Now I am addicted to it!!

Dedicate to all the people who feels like the song.
You are not alone. There are other Mr/Miss Invisible around too...



I feel this song because at this moment, I am feeling a little negative. Maybe due to stress or something... But the thing is... I am your average girl. A face you see and won't notice. A name you read and won't remember. A smile you look at and won't care.

I pray that tomorrow will be a better day. I hope that tomorrow I can find that potential hidden within me.

PS : Today I did something that I feel terribly guilty of. I had NEVER quitted anything before. But this time. Wake up call... I finally know my limits. Millions apologies to those who I've disappointed.

Acapella~~

YY introduced me to this cool dude who did an acapella all by himself...

As usual, YouTube is one video leads to another...

So here, I share the few that I love most...





By the way, I think screwed up MUET... And I have THREE mid terms next week... Not to mention my other commitments... I AM SO DEAD~~~

I finished tabbing Love Story meets Viva La Vida... Though it sounds super weird with the Viva La Vida part... Maybe I will redo that part...

Ciao~~

Rest In Peace

I received news at about 9pm that there were three UTAR students feared drowned at Kampar Waterfall. I didn't bother much about the news. I only started following the news when I knew that they were swept by strong current at around 5pm, when it was raining heavily in Kampar. Also, some of my friends knew the victims personally.

At about 11pm I started praying for their safety and checking news feeds non-stop. At 11.42pm, a fellow UTAR First Aider who was at the scene confirmed James' death. Moments later, Yew Shy Gin was found dead.

It is 1.04am now. I had been praying for hours for the safety of the remaining victim. At about 12.50am, news of survivor Yew Ghim Chnieh found was spread. I was overjoyed for the miracle. Alas, my hopes were shattered when a friend told me that he passed away in the hospital.

I don't know these three victims personally. But to quote from a friend of mine,

"Each human we talk to, we met and we interacted. WE are linked in ways that one might not see the linkage. But IN this life, although we had just met not long ago but YOU have changed each and every single one YOU meet. Believe me... You have made a change to all the people around you..."

This sudden lost of so many lives made me realise just how fragile life is. I might have seen their faces on Friday. I might have gave them a stranger's smile when I was walking to the cafeteria. And yet, their lives are lost just like that. Reminds me to appreciate people around me. Because I might be the next one to meet my Maker.

Another friend of mine asked me to say a prayer for the lost souls and I chose the Lord's prayer. I am not a Christian and am not very familiar with prayers. But I do know that this is a general prayer and it was often recited at sea to those who perished in the waters.

I dedicate this to thy souls.

Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come,

your will be done,

on earth as in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

Forgive us our sins

as we forgive those who sin against us.

Save us from the time of trial

and deliver us from evil.

For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours

now and for ever. Amen.

May you rest in peace.

Fight For Kisses

Found this video in Facebook. Thanks Sang Jok for sharing...



Scary if babies can do that? Hahaha...