CD : Pleng ruk grarb tuk mae

This is a compilation released last year, to coincide with Thailand's Mother's Day probably as the theme of the album is songs to Mum. However where i live its Mother's Day this weekend so why not review it now... This Grammy compilation includes a number of their big stars though no Tai Orratai song which is unfortunate. It does include Got Jakkapan though. Now (don't hate me) but i don't really like his songs, i find them a bit too over produced and this is typical of his work. A rich voice, a good tune but the production is a little too... lush for my tastes.

Praewa Patcharee pops up next and this is my favourite tune on the compilation, she hasn't released many songs so they are always welcome. A jaunty song with a cute mid-tempo and a sweet half-spoken chorus. She says she would rather spend her mother on her Mum than herself, ah how could anyone not smile at that? Mike Piromporn's song is also well done. Oddly enough the tune by my favourite artist of those on the CD, Takkatan Cholada is a bit disappointing. The song is OK but compared to some of her other work a bit average. Pee Saderd's song is also not his best. Though Ratchanok Srilophan's tune is not bad. One of the highlights is the uptempo and very dancable tune from Dok-or Aor Toongtaung, it has some great music on the track especially keyboards. A good compilation then, maybe a bit patchy but those patches are real good.


Praewa Patcharee

Rating : 8/10

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MV : "Kon nun khong jai...pen ai dai boh" by Tai Orratai

Another track off Tai Orratai's latest CD.

Thai Country Chart (27/02/08)

1) nung ngorn tee rong ngarn - Tai Orratai (2)
2) mai lhor tae ruk jing - Arid Waamak (1)
3) suk kon bon fah - Sai Nawawan (6)



4) hua jai lum aieng - Pure Pure (new)
5) kor luk duay dai mai - Takkatan Cholada (new)
6) aiy jung - Fon Tanasoontorn (3)
7) sao lard pro - Sao Mard Mega Dance (4)
8) yhark luemai long - Prame Preeyagorn (new)
9) krung sood tai - Luang Kai (5)
10) mai suay luek dai - Janet Kiew (7)

MV : "Sai tar mud jai " by Gaew Yolladar

The title track from Gaew Yolladar's debut album.

CD : Tai Orratai - song jai mar klai chid

Tai Orratai's CD from the summer of 2006 and it's classic Tai. The title track starts us off with a typical slow and emotion packed tune with Tai's atmospheric vocals. "Yah kid yhung lhai" ups the tempo. Now Tai sometimes does struggle a bit with faster songs, this one isn't too bad and has a good rolling beat. "Bork jai yung ngai dee" is back to classic Tai. Starting off with guitar chords that head off to infinity and then into soaring slow vocals.

"Nang baeb ngarn boon" ups the tempo again and is one of the best songs on the CD. Tai's vocals struggle a bit in the verses but the chorus is glorious and the song roars along driven by a tasty horn section. Its the high point of the CD, after that it all becomes a bit anonymous. Songs like "Nah jor ror sai" for example are pretty good with their sparse but melodic tune and atmospheric vocals though not that memorable. The songs are often good on this CD but the CD as a whole isn't quite there. Don't let the unevenness put you off though, this is well worth having.

Rating : 8.1/10

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MV : "Wun nee kid tueng chun rue yung" by Mai Saowapar

I wonder when Mai will release another album? Here is a song from her CD released a couple of years ago anyway.

MV : "Rong hai kon diew" by Fah Pragaidao

Song off Fah's debut CD that was released at the end of 2007.

New Releases (22/02/08)

• Carabao - nhoom bao (new version)
• Bua Bunchitar - fhun khong poh kum khor khong mae (debut)
  
• Wichien-Summao - toey kread
• Tuk Siriporn - ruk ter samer (greatest hits)
  
• Zildy Mind - dancer gra pook look (debut)
  
• Sunaree - Buntuek Chewit Sunaree Vol.1.
  compilation acoustic album
• Jernjern Boonsoongnern - phee suer ratree

• Jernjern Boonsoongnern - chun gor pen pooying kon nueng
• Tunwa Rasritanu - rang jai jark mae
• Satien Tummuer - hua jai puen din
• Various - Grammy : loog thoong salub mike
• Talar Saynanikom - pleng dung arom dee vol.1 - mai gin sen

MV : "Suk kon bon fah" by Sai Nawawan

Dao Roong Loog Thoong Thailand A1!

Thai Country Chart (20/02/08)

1) mai lhor tae ruk jing - Arid Waamak (1)



2) nung ngorn tee rong ngarn - Tai Orratai (new)
3) aiy jung - Fon Tanasoontorn (4)
4) sao lard pro - Sao Mard Mega Dance (5)
5) krung sood tai - Luang Kai (2)
6) suk kon bon fah - Sai Nawawan (new)
7) mai suay luek dai - Janet Kiew (4)
8) khor tua pai roang hai - Lookpud Pimchanok (7)
9) ghoe harng harng - Vit Hyper (8)
10) mar la woey - Kraetae (6)

MV : "Ror pen khon tud pai" by Takkatan Cholada

How can this girl always be so utterly brill?!

CD : Pure Pure - ruk mai chai itim

Pure Pure is a nice looking girl and her album starts off in the best way... with an ice cream jingle! But it is the title track which is about ice cream. The track itself has a nice acoustic base to it and is horn and guitar led. Not a bad tune, Pure Pure's vocals don't set the world alight but arn't bad. "Nhung loong nhung roang" is a fast guitar led track with spoken sections. Again it is OK without being world beating.

Things slow down for "Hua jai lum aieng" which has some good feel to it and lovely flute and keyboards understated in the background. Pure Pure's vocals sound better on tracks like this, she has a warmth to her vocal tone that suits the slower song. This is my highlight of the album. Later tracks like "Lod spec" just seem to come and go without leaving that much impression though "Ror" is another good slower song with tasty saxophone.

Overall the album is a bit patchy with a few highlights but a fair few forgettable moments too, but not a bad debut.

Rating : 7/10

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Fon Tanasoontorn wallpaper

I found this nice wallpaper for Fon Tanasoontorn on the Sure Audio website. Click for the full size version. Enjoy!

MV : "Kon phu ka deung deung jai" by Jintara Poonlap

An older song from the peerless Jintara.

CD : Ratchanok Srilophan - kien fhun wai karng fa

Going back a couple of years we revisit GMM artist Ratchanok Srilophan, who has only released this album so far back in 2006. Ratchanok's vocals are great : clear and crisp and the overall feel of this album is fairly understated, a little sparse but also warm. Thats not to say its a brilliant album though, its fairly good but lacking in that "oomph" to really get it going.

Anyway the album starts off with the sweet slow title track, "Kum lung jai kwan toong" ups the pace slightly and has a nice melody but is still a bit sparse. "Fan pleng mue archeep" is a full tempo song but again is still a bit sparse compared to some albums. Her best song is "Sunya gub jai" which came off the later "Duay ruk dae kroo sa-lah" compilation though.

But returning to her own album, its not bad but could be better. Personally i found the album pass me by a bit without me really taking it in, her vocals though are good and deserve better.

Rating : 7/10

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MV : "Sri ton dai" by Sao Mard Mega Dance

Enjoying as we are her current album here is a song from one of her older albums.

Thai Country Chart (13/02/08)

1) mai lhor tae ruk jing - A-rid Waamak (new)
2) krung sood tai - Luang Kai (1)
3) aiy jung - Fon Tanasoontorn (new)
4) mai suay luek dai - Janet Kiew (3)
5) sao lard pro - Sao Mard Mega Dance (new)
6) mar la woey - Kraetae (2)
7) khor tua pai roang hai - Lookpud Pimchanok (8)
8) ghoe harng harng - Vit Hyper (6)
9) nak ruk nuk lah - Bew Kalaynee (4)
10) lod spec - Pure Pure (9)

MV : "Nung ngorn tee rong ngarn" by Tai Orratai

This is off Tai's new CD.

CD : Sao Mard Mega Dance - sao lard pro

Sao Mard Mega Dance, so is that her real name or is her name Sao Mard, i hope the former as thats cool. Of course the most heralded song is "Sao lardpro", a rollicking romp of a song and for an album called by "mega dance" one of the few dance songs on here! Though when the tempo does increase the effect is great.

The vocals are hard edged and the backing much more lo-fi than some artists. "Thao boh yoo suan thao" is a key example of this, it sounds very much like a song on Takkatan Cholada's recent album but while Takkatan's version is slick and has sweet sounding chorus this version is much simpler with the chorus led by guitars not female harmonies. Both versions are great to be honest (the songs appear to have different titles though confusingly).

Most songs on this album are slow with some terrific saxophone on tracks like "Narm tar nah mike". Sao Mard's vocals suit faster songs better i think personally but she does a good job throughout this enjoyable album.

Rating : 7.7/10

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MV : "Ruk tud ton" by Dao Mayuree

Bit of an "oldie" here... but dancing + thunder & lightning? Yes!

CD : Tai Orrathai - mar jark din

Tai Orratai's new album (well a couple of months old now) and highly anticipated it is too, so is it any good? Its very good indeed but you won't be surprised by that. The stand out track is the opening one and title track, "Mar jark din", the sort of big sweeping slow song Tai excels at. A tale of the harsh city life and missing the friendly country life. Overall though this album is lighter than her last one. On a few tracks here Tai actually sounds happy!

On "Aow jai chuay der ai" (the MV of which Tai does a beautiful dance) and "Sil-la-pin loog jarng" are both faster tempo tracks and both feature shouty choruses. Another faster track is "Nung ngorn tee rong ngarn" with it's jaunty beat, not an easy song to sing but Tai pulls it off, though the lyrics seem a bit clumsy, maybe trying to fit in too many words!

"Keb kwarm lhai jai pai chai tee auen" and "Kon nun khong jai...pen ai dai boh" are back to traditional Tai Orratai territory : slow songs about problems with love. Tai's vocals sound as good as usual though maybe the sound mix is a little off here and there and the backing a little high but these are just niggles. It has great songs, great vocals, great music... its great period.

Rating : 9.3/10

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MV : "Aiy jung" by Fon Tanasoontorn

This song by Fon Tanasoontorn is one of my current favourites. Actually her new CD is very good.

Thai Country Chart (06/02/08)

1) krung sood tai - Luang Kai (4)
2) mar la woey - Kraetae (1)
3) mai suay luek dai - Janet Kiew (3)
4) nak ruk nuk lah - Bew Kalaynee (7)
5) khon sode prajum concert - Takkatan Cholada (2)
6) ghoe harng harng - Vit Hyper (9)
7) tanakarn narm tar - Jintara Poonlap (5)



8) khor tua pai roang hai - Lookpud Pimchanok (new)
9) lod spec - Pure Pure (new)
10) i kook kook - Kunta Na Nakorn (6)

MV : "Ruk roey ta lay" by Karnjana Masiri

"Oldie" by Karnjana Masiri.

Pics from new Fon Tanasoontorn CD

Some scans from the booklet of the new Fon Tanasoontorn CD "Reak tee ruk dai mai".

MV : "Sin lapin loog jarng" by Tai Orratai

Off Tai's new CD, the video is a little cheesy but how can you resist police women singing into their batons?!

New Releases (01/02/08)

• Bew & Anda & Luang Kai & Bao Wee - pee bao sao nui (duets album)
• Fon Tanasoontorn - reak tee ruk dai mai
  
• Yui Yardyer - loog thoong kanarn tae
• Kat Rattikarn - ruam pleng ruk (compilation)
  
  
  
  
• Noo Metre - Metre loog thoong (compilation)
• Twin Soul - karng kwarng kor