MV : "Wittalai lhai jai" by Vit Hyper (alternative MV)

Love this song! I don't like this version of the MV as much as the other one but... well its still the same great song!

CD : Vit Hyper - wid chanid pised

Vit, of Thai rock group Hyper (hence the name), released a new solo country rock album earlier this year, headed by the fantastic song "wittalai lhai jai" which was one of our favourite songs of the year (actually it was #2) and also had a great MV (pic from which is below). The song has an infectious melody and a great chorus driven by Vit's low smooth vocals.

That wasn't the only highlight, "kuen nee mai glub" is among the other great tracks on here, its a very well crafted album and Vit is another guy who looks great with dreadlocks.

Rating : 8/10

Click here to get this CD

MV : "Mar jark din" by Tai Orratai

New song! New album (which i got yesterday) and its fantastic!

Top 10 Thai Country Chart (26/12/07)

For the last time this year our top 10 Thai country songs of the week...

1) kuen nee mai glub - VIT HYPER (2)
2) say saeng - JOB SABYE HEART (-)



3) loog khong poh - BEW KALAYNEE (10)
4) kid wah hai mhar mun gin - JANET KIEW (1)
5) chae waeb - LOOKPUD PIMCHANOK (-)
6) wilmarn sungkasri - GOLF SIRIKWAN (4)
7) ber toh khon ngao - JUKKAJUN WUNWISAR (5)
8) satree sri Siam - PARN THANAPORN (6)
9) toh nah toh tar - SEAR NAPAT (7)
10) korb kun tee ruk gun - LUANG KAI (8)

MV : "Mai mee mue tue" by Kratae

Kratae's second album is out now and of course we hope to get it soon, this is off her debut album from earlier this year.

New Releases (20/12/07)

• Tai Orrathai - mar jark din (5th album)
  
  
  
  
• 5 Sao Fever - mae hai mar (debut)
  
• Kunta Na Nakorn - happy happy (debut)
  
• Sayun Sunya - Sayun 2 leelar vol.2
• Sayun Sunya - Sayun 2 leelar vol.3
• Sayun Sunya - Sayun 2 leelar vol.4
• Pong Poothai - bao baan terh aok huk
• Vit Hyper - wid chanid dee ded (compilation)
• Kratae - khong kwan jark sao tae (2nd album)
• Bunchoo Numchoke - alai pratard panom
• Fah Pragaidao - yhark jah chat (debut)
• Non Polyiem - earn khwun hai mae (debut)
• Gaew Yolladar - sai tar mud jai (debut)

MV : "Tarng din tarng dao" by Nong Wi Soopitra (Sieng Issan)

I got a VCD of Sieng Issan songs today and it includes this cool but sad song...

Top 10 Thai Country Chart (19/12/07)

Our top 10 Thai country songs this week.

1) kid wah hai mhar mun gin - JANET KIEW (4)



2) kuen nee mai glub - VIT HYPER (-)
3) mai chai fan tum taen mai dai - TAKKATAN CHOLADA (3)
4) wilmarn sungkasri - GOLF SIRIKWAN (9)
5) ber toh khon ngao - JUKKAJUN WUNWISAR (7)
6) satree sri Siam - PARN THANAPORN (8)
7) toh nah toh tar - SEAR NAPAT (1)
8) korb kun tee ruk gun - LUANG KAI (2)
9) nhoo ror poh yok - MINT NICHA MAKHARMWHARN (6)
10) loog khong poh - BEW KALAYNEE (-)

MV : "Toh hah nae tur" by Tai Orratai

Tai Orratai's latest CD has just come out and we have ordered it already, until it arrives lets enjoy this Tai "oldie"...

Best of 2007 (3) : Top 5 CDs

And finally in our review of the year here are our top 5 favourite CDs of the year.

1) Various - Duay ruk dae kroo salah

What a great collection of songs by Grammy's female luktung singers! There is Tai Orratai with her fabulous "Khor kae roo kao" and Praewa Patcharee's "Jeb tee tong jai" plus other great songs from the likes of Takkatan Cholada and Ratchanok Srilophan.



2) Takkatan Cholada - tanon kon fun

So many wonderful songs on this album, her second. It includes the fantastic Mai chai fan tum taen mai dai, one of the best songs i heard all year.



3) Prik Wharn - fan nai fhun

Best song this year was "Chai kon raek" by Prik Wharn, a sledgehammer of a country torch ballad, sung by a young lady who appears to like strumming her guitar in an armchair placed in a field. Rest of the album isn't bad either.



4) Tai Orratai - pasa ruk jark dokyah

Tai Orratai, whose voice has the ability to take you away from current reality and transport you into a world of woe, lost love, sacrifice and dancing for coin.



5) Sear Napat - kum diew tee kao jai

Sear has a great voice and has an album full of powerful country ballads here.



Others we liked...

Janet Kiew - thank you tee ruk
Suchada - aok huk rueng khum khum
Vit Hyper - wid chanid pised
Morgan - Morgan

Best of 2007 (2) : Top 10 Songs

Our best 10 songs this year.

1) chai kon raek - Prik Wharn



2) wittalai lhai jai - Vit Hyper
3) pieng soang rao - Bew Kalaynee
4) mai chai fan tum taen mai dee - Takkatan Cholada
5) nhai wah jai mai jai aorn - Nui Suweenar
6) chun mai dai ngoe - Sear Napat
7) jeb tee tong jai - Praewa Patcharee
8) plai tarng kong - Takkatan Cholada
9) poo chai jai rai - Golf Sirikwan
10) kaew ror phee - Tai Orratai

Best of 2007 (1) : Top 5 Music Videos

These, in our opinion, are the top 5 music videos in Thai lukthung this year.

1) Kratae - perd jai sao tae



How can it be any other video really? Kick boxing on an underground train? Excellent! The choreography of the dancing and fighting matches the music perfectly.

2) Takkatan Cholada - mai chai fan tum taen mai dai



This video really tugs the heart strings, she thinks the guy she loves loves her too, she runs up the stairs to see him... but the guy has got back with his ex. Heartbreak!

3) Tai Orratai - kho khae ru khaow



Always loved this video both for the triple view of Tai and the sequence when Tai switches places with the girl to sing to that dumb dude.

4) Ajareeya Bussada - ploi pai tung jai ruk



The bit where the guy reaches up to Leew and she thinks he loves her again but then he just adjusts her hair. The expression on Leew's face... well its true heartbreak!

5) Pee Saderd - jee hoi



Fantastic dancing girls and magical weirdness going on. Job done!

CD : Janet Kiew - thank you tee ruk

We like Janet Kiew, with her less-than-smooth voice and sassy image you can tell she has "lived a bit". This album is a great fusion of rock and other western music with lukthung. Such as on the title track opener, a fast song that brings in various elements to produce a great dance song. Following on it the straight power ballad "Kid wah hai mhar mun gin", a kind of song Janet's voice really suits.

One of the best examples of the fusion is "Rorb nee jud hai kon nah tar dee" which starts off with razor-sharp rock guitars, switches to lukthung and then into a rap! Totally excellent.

Rating : 8.5/10

Click here to get this CD

MV : "Satree sri Siam" by Parn Thanaporn

This is a really popular song right now, i prefer the other version of the MV though.

Top 10 Thai Country Chart (12/12/07)

Our top 10 Thai country songs this week.

1) toh nah toh tar - SEAR NAPAT (7)
2) korb kun tee ruk gun - LUANG KAI (1)
3) mai chai fan tum taen mai dai - TAKKATAN CHOLADA (2)



4) kid wah hai mhar mun gin - JANET KIEW (-)
5) som chai 2007 - JINTARA POONLAP (3)
6) nhoo ror poh yok - MINT NICHA MAKHARMWHARN (6)
7) ber toh khon ngao - JUKKAJUN WUNWISAR (10)
8) satree sri Siam - PARN THANAPORN (-)
9) wilmarn sungkasri - GOLF SIRIKWAN (9)
10) huk koy ploi knao - JOOM CHANIDA (4)

MV : "Sao porn porn" by Sear Napat

Sear Napat is one of our favourite new artists this year, this is a song off her excellent debut album.

MV : "Hua jai muk ngai" by Pee Saderd

Love the tempo changes in this song!

CD : Morgan - self-titled

Morgan's debut album from late last year, and how cool they look especially the singer with his dreadlocks! This is a good hard country rock album and starts off with the excellent power ballad "roob chua tua dum" with it's organ backed chorus that really puts a shiver down your spine. Another highlight is the next track, the driving rocker "tum prue dee" with it's rousing chorus and hard edged guitars.

Another song we liked later on in the album is "ruk dean" and there are a number of other good tracks. This is a recommended album.

Rating : 7/10

Click here to get this CD

MV : "Sob tar" by A Tattakorn & Mai Saowapar

Whatever happened to Mai Saowapar? I liked her debut (which i will review at some stage) from late 2005, but no full album since. She did do a couple of tracks on some RS compilations this year of which this is one...

MV : "Sorn tai hua jai" by Suchada

A great song off Suchada's album.

CD : Suchada - aok huk rueng khum khum

Former beauty queen (i'm sure i read that somewhere!) Suchada released this, her debut last year on RS. It starts off with the great title track, like a number of songs on here its a well sung lukthung song with rock influences. Similarly "mai pra dub" and "kluen tai narm". These songs are great examples of country rock. Driving rhythms and powerful hooks. "Sorn tai hua jai" is a faster paced song with a great chorus.

As well Suchada sings some more lukthung-ish songs and these also are very well done. Suchada has a really nice clear voice. This is a very good album.

Rating : 7.5/10

Click here to get this CD

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MV : "Song jai nah glai chit" by Tai Oratai

A song from Tai Oratai's 2006 album. Its amazing how her songs can strike a chord with you.

MV : "Khon lah fhan" by Carabao

Great song from the ultimate Thai band.

Top 10 Thai Country Chart (06/12/07)

Our top 10 Thai country songs this week.

1) korb kun tee ruk gun - LUANG KAI (3)
2) mai chai fan tum taen mai dai - TAKKATAN CHOLADA (1)
3) som chai 2007 - JINTARA POONLAP (6)



4) huk koy ploi knao - JOOM CHANIDA (5)
5) sood huk porn porn - PRAME PREEYAGORN (8)
6) nhoo ror poh yok - MINT NICHA MAKHARMWHARN (-)
7) toh nah toh tar - SEAR NAPAT (-)
8) wittalai lhai jai - VIT HYPER (2)
9) wilmarn sungkasri - GOLF SIRIKWAN (-)
10) ber toh khon ngao - JUKKAJUN WUNWISAR (-)

MV : "Sao tai pai ruk" by Sathika Supunsa

More great dancing, this song is a bit older and by Sathika Supunsa.

MV : "Mai pluem" by Kratae

She is a great dancer! And that pink glove keeps swapping sides doesn't it?

CD : Jintara Poonlap - mor lum sa orn 5

Lets go back a few years to one of Jintara Poonlap's older albums. This was the first mor lum album i ever got and i have recently been listening to it again a lot. Its a great album that starts off with the terrific "Nam tha yard kang pra tard na koon" with it's superb organ and infectious energy. Thats just one of a number of great morlum tracks on here. Jintara is in great voice as always.

Our second favourite track however takes us into lukthung territory, "Koo dee pilchai" is a great slow song with superb backing including lots of deep saxophone.

Rating : 7.5/10

Click here to get this album on VCD

MV : "Khor tua pai roang hai" by Lookpud Pimchanok

Song from the debut album of a new Nopporn singer, for some reason i meant to get her CD but never got around to it, no doubt i will get it sooner or later!

MV : "Yorm ngoe" by Stamp

The band Stamp produce some good songs and good videos, here is one.

CD : Tai Orratai - pasa ruk jark dokyah

Before we go further we had better admit that Tai Orratai is our favourite singer but we will try and be unbiased. This album is brilliant anyway, bias or no bias! Released earlier this year this is Tai's latest album. It contains a number of wondefully sad and romantic lukthung songs starting with the opening track "kaew ror phee" and the heart warming "tueng dunk yung huang mae" where Tai tells us that even if she becomes famous she still thinks of her Mom... ahhh. Tai's voice is as good as always, she has an uncanny ability to take you away on an emotional journey as you listen to her sing... or something like that.

That is not to say the album is perfect, its a bit one paced, though thats probably because Tai's voice is not that suited to faster songs. The only real fast song is "sao rum wong" but even in the MV for that one Tai still looks miserable. But then again Tai manages to put her emotion into her songs wonderfully well so why not continue in that vein, though a bit more variety would be good. Lets hope Tai can smile a bit more on future albums!

Rating : 9.5/10

Click here to get this CD

MV : "Duay jai tee ruk kun" by Tai Orratai

Beautiful song from Tai Orratai's latest CD.