Music video: Metric's "Synthetica" - iPad Video Cover by Nguyen-Anh Le

Happy New Year!  I went back to the iPad to make this latest video.  "Synthetica" is the title track off Metric's latest album (2013).  It's a great song with powerful lyrics, rocking guitars, and cool synth sounds.  Click here or on the pic above to view on YouTube.

I had planned to work on a different song by a different band.  But some interesting things happened last month (November).  Through a friend of the band, Metric discovered my A Capella cover of "Gold Guns Girls."   They shared my video via Twitter and Facebook, and in two days, 8000 viewers had seen it.  It went almost viral!  Well not that viral - maybe "bacterial" haha.  Metric also invited me to meet them backstage at their show in Chicago (see above).  I had never met a band backstage before.  They were so nice and fun to talk to.  I felt a little flattered having this awesome band ask little ole me about my home video.  It was a bit ironic since it was their song in the first place haha.  So.... I thought I would pay tribute to Metric by doing another cover of their songs (my 3rd Metric cover), one off their new album.  And voila - Synthetica!

I've done several videos on the iPad already.  In fact, music was the primary reason for buying an iPad originally.  So what's different about this one?  The big thing is that "Synthetica" is a guitar rock song.  My previous videos were almost entirely synths.  It is pretty cool using the guitar and bass instruments on GarageBand.  GarageBand put a lot of effort into making lots of guitar effects and amps, so you can choose how clean or dirty, reverb, delay, wah wah, flanger, etc.  The acoustic guitar sounds are pretty nice too.  The iPad interface allows you to just tap to play chords, or you can play notes like on a real fingerboard.  One limitation, however, is that you can't play frets up the fingerboard - I think only the first 7-8 frets are accessible, while most electric guitars have at least 22.

After the bridge of the song, I switched to a real instrument - an electric guitar!  My buddy Chris wanted to trim his lineup of guitars.  So I acquired his Ephiphone Les Paul Standard, which he had some nice custom work done on, including fancy Seymour Duncan pickups.  It's a beautiful guitar, and it plays very well.  I thought I'd show off the guitar with my own guitar solo on Synthetica - hopefully it was somewhat worthy of Metric's Jimmy Shaw! :)

Enjoy!  Happy New Year!

Music Video: Daft Punk's "Get Lucky" - A one-man band cover by Nguyen-Anh Le

I know, I know - everybody has covered "Get Lucky." You may be sick of the song by now, since it's been the hottest song all summer.   It's a fun and catchy song though - makes you just want to bounce around, wherever you are.  Listen to my cover!!!  Your life will change once you do it!!! :)

I've been a Daft Punk fan for years.  I missed seeing them live at Lollapalooza 2007, but one day...  I'm glad they departed from their heavy DJ set to a more full band with instruments.  Pharrell Williams's guest vocals on this track are great, and Nile Rodgers on the guitar was amazing.  If you didn't know, Nile Rodgers founded the classic 70's disco band Chic ("Freak Out!").  No wonder "Get Lucky" has such a great disco groove.  Pharrell has been all over the music scene, though mostly as a producer and songwriter.  He sounds pretty darn good for someone who doesn't sing lead vocals often!  Some trivia: Pharrell and his production group The Neptunes had previously collaborated with Daft Punk, on a remix of "Harder Faster Stronger Better" :)

Doing a cover that everyone else has done can be tough.  How do you make it unique?  How can it be special?  At least I have the "one-man band" approach (although there are a few great ones of these already).  I wanted to keep it strongly disco.  But more layered than Daft Punk's version, which is a little sparse.  I couldn't sing nearly as well as Pharrell or play guitar nearly as well as Nile... but I had other instruments to work with.  So my cover ended up with:

• A faster tempo (120 bpm)
• A more prominent bass line
• A cool super disco bridge & outro
• Lots of keyboards - including my cool Keytar!
• An entertaining music video :)

Here it is!  Enjoy!  You can either view it directly on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIl7msQKgGk or view it embedded below.

France 2013: Normandy, WWII, and Memorial Day

Happy Memorial Day in the USA!  Normally I think of the summer and barbecuing on Memorial Day.  But today is cold and rainy.  And my France experience is still on my mind.  It's only fitting that I write about Normandy and its WWII D-Day sites today.  Visiting these places certainly made me remember and honor those of us who have served for our countries.

The Normandy coast sits on the English Channel.  England is directly north.  Although it's not the closest place in France from England (Calais is), the Allies chose Normandy as its target for the D-Day invasion.  Five areas of coastline (known as Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword Beaches), were the landing points for the Allied troops.  For the rest of the story, go watch Saving Private Ryan :)

Normandy Coast Towns

The drive along the Normandy coast was relaxing.  There are a bunch of small seaside fishing towns.  Each one had some kind of memorial or museum dedicated to WWII.  I don't remember all the towns we went through, but it was all nice.  Too bad it was cold and rainy that day.  I would have enjoyed sitting on a pier and eating some seafood...

Perhaps the best scenic view of the Normandy coast was at Arromanches, pictured above.  Cliffs overlook the town on both sides, so you can get a great view.  There's a memorial/museum area here too.  Arromanches was the site of the WWII Mulberry Harbor, a portable temporary harbor built by the Allies to unload troops and supplies in order to win Europe back from the Nazis.  In the photo, the four objects in the water are remnants of the Mulberry Harbor.  There are some great WWII photos of the harbor in the museum onsite and on the internet (follow the link above).

Omaha Beach

When it comes to D-Day, Americans probably remember Omaha Beach the most.  Unlike the other beaches which were fairly easy to overtake, Omaha Beach was nasty.  It overlooked bluffs rising up to 150 ft.  German fortifications covered the beach.   Needless to say, thousands of people died on those beaches that day.  Once again, refer to Saving Private Ryan for more detail - its Omaha Beach invasion scene was amazing.

Today, there isn't much to see at Omaha Beach.  The area is a big memorial park now.  Almost all the fortifications are gone.  If you walk out a bit, you can see some bomb craters and perhaps a few remnants of the battle.

The main thing to see at Omaha Beach is the American Cemetery.  About 10,000 soldiers are buried here.  Makes you think about life a bit when you visit.  Thanks again to all those who have served.

It's crazy to think that the Nazis had a good chance of defeating the Brits and conquering all of Europe.  I was born a couple generations later, so the feeling wasn't the same as those who lived through it.  But seeing a few things sends a shiver down your spine.  On this trip, we had a long layover in Berlin and visited some of the landmarks there too.  They have a nice outdoor exhibit on the rise of the Nazi party in Germany.  And below is the Holocaust Memorial in Berlin - a tribute to the millions of Jews who were systematically persecuted and murdered by the Nazis.

Caen

There are a few bigger cities in the Normandy area.  One of them is Caen.  We stayed at a hotel there.  Caen was a major site in WWII during the Battle for Normandy (which started on D-Day). A significant portion of Caen was destroyed and was later rebuilt.  However, the medieval core of the city remains intact.  Below is the Chateau de Caen, or Caen Castle.  It was built by William the Conqueror, who led the Norman invasion to conquer England in 1066.  Across the street is the Church of St. Pierre, located across the street from the castle.  There are a few other churches you should see if you go there - Abbaye aux Hommes and Abbaye aux Dames - but we got lost and couldn't find a parking spot....

Related Links:

• France 2013 Trip Overview 
• France 2013 photos on Flickr - slideshow
• France 2013 photos on Flickr
• Travel at the Disco Palace 

France 2013: Le Mont St. Michel

Le Mont St. Michel is a very unique combination of characteristics: island, mountain, castle, monastery, medieval town, geological phenomenon, architectural marvel, and a place of legend.  Built sometime around 700-800 CE, the town and its fortifications have served a strategic role in the region over the centuries.  Le Mont has a special place in the hearts of the French.  Many songs, stories, and movies have referred to it.  I've personally wanted to visit it since I was young.  Finally seeing it in person was amazing.

Le Mont is located in a shallow bay in Normandy (northwestern France).   It is classified as a "tidal island," which means it is surrounded by water when the tides are high.  During low tide, you can walk over from the mainland.  Just don't get caught when the water rises; the water level goes up quickly, and the quicksand can be deadly!

Inside Le Mont St. Michel

There's a single road that connects the island to the mainland.  The road gets lots of traffic - 3.5 million tourists and Christian pilgrims visit the town every year.  They are currently renovating the area, changing the water flow with a new dam and building a new raised road leading to the town. There are a few small but expensive hotels on the island itself. We stayed on the mainland, however. It was much cheaper, and you can just walk or take a bus over to the island.

When you first enter the island, you walk through the tiny medieval town. Less than 30 people officially live on the island today. Le Mont has never had more than 1500 inhabitants over its entire history. The town probably had some interesting shops back in the day - carpenters, blacksmiths, etc. Today, it is only for tourists: souvenirs, food, and lodging. You need no more than a couple hours in town and less than a day at the site in general.

The fortifications of Le Mont are quite impressive. The island is completely surrounded by city walls. The central core of the mountain is situated at the top of the mountain and covered with more walls. Imagine launching projectiles from a catapult from the top!

The top of the mountain is reserved - for God!  There's a Gothic-styled Benedictine Abbey up there.  It is dedicated to Michael the Archangel. To get there, you need to walk up a bunch of stairs, but the view is amazing.  You can also pay a fee to tour the Abbey, but we chose not to do it.

The Tides

Perhaps the most unique aspect of Le Mont is the tidal flow.  I'm not aware of any other landmark in the world that is sometimes part of the mainland and sometimes an island.  It just takes about 60 minutes for high tide to cause the town to be completely surrounded by water.  We climbed the steps to the abbey and watched the tidal phenomenon happen.

#1: 7:22pm

#2: 7:46pm

#3: 7:58pm

#4: 8:14pm

Related Links:

• France 2013 Trip Overview 
• France 2013 photos on Flickr - slideshow (many photos still to be uploaded)
• France 2013 photos on Flickr (many photos still to be uploaded)
• Travel at the Disco Palace 

France 2013: Trip Overview

Bonjour, messieurs et madames!  I just got back from a très magnifique, two-week trip to France.  Unlike my typical trips with friends, this one was a family vacation.  My parents just had their 40th anniversary, and I wanted to take them on a trek in Europe while their health was still in good shape. 
Our trip was spent entirely in northwestern France.  It was the second time in France for all of us. Aside from Paris, all the places we visited were new to us.

Trip itinerary & blog article index:

1) Flew in to Paris (A). With a long layover in Berlin
2) Normandy coast (B): The historic sites of the WWII D-Day invasion
3) Le Mont. St. Michel (C): The medieval city built on an island mountain (photo at top of this article)
4) Loire Valley (D): Region filled with beautiful chateaux (castles/mansions) built by French royalty
5) Chartres (E): Home of the beautiful gothic Cathédrale de Chartres.
6) Paris (F): 4+ days wandering the most beautiful city on the planet

As I write more, I will link to blog articles on the above locations. 

Here are maps of our trip.  The one on the left is a macro view, showing where we were in relation to France overall.  The one on the right shows more detail on the specific locations.

Getting Around

We rented a car to travel to all these locations. It was a great experience. The Normandy coast has a lot of small sites that you can visit, so having our own car allowed us to visit them at our own pace. The car was great for the Loire Valley too, since there are 10-20 chateaux you could visit. We planned around the big chateaux(Chambord, Chenonceau, Villandry); for the rest, we played it by ear. The French countryside was beautiful too. We really enjoyed driving through all the small towns and peaceful country roads.

When you rent a car in Europe, most cars you get are manual transmission. I was the sole driver, and I can only drive an automatic. So I reserved an automatic for a lot more money... but hey, it was a "premium class" rental - so they gave us a BMW 5 Series! What an awesome car for a road trip! The photo above is me with the BMW, in front of Chambord, the most grand of the chateaux in the Loire Valley. It also came with an excellent built-in GPS system, which saved us from getting lost many times.

Driving in Europe has its good points and its bad points. On the bright side, highway driving is great. Everyone is taught to drive very well, it seems. You rarely see slow drivers in the passing lane. People move aside to let faster drivers pass. And you don't see clueless cell-phone users cluttering up the roads. On the other hand, driving in cities and towns can be a pain! The streets are very small and crowded, and directions aren't marked clearly. Parking spots are tiny too. Most cars are very small compact and sub-compact cars; our BMW was quite a behemoth on the roads! Luckily, I managed not to hit anyone or anything...

The one place I did not drive in was Paris. Driving in Paris, just like any of the world's largest cities, is a complete mess! No way! We took public transporation instead. The metro and bus systems in Paris were excellent. Trains ran very frequently and were comfortable (and not smelly and rickety like Chicago's El hehe). The bus system was great too. Although the buses ran less frequently than the trains, there were more buses, and they covered lots of ground. It was nice to gaze out the window and admire the beauty of Paris during the bus rides. Tip to travelers: you can buy a "Mobilis" ticket that gives you unlimited train & bus rides in central paris for the great price of 6,60 EUR. Or a 5-day "Paris visite" card.

The French

Everyone seems to be curious how the experience was when dealing with the French.  I guess they get a bad rep in the States hehe.  Actually, just like my previous time in France, the French were great.  The French, on the whole, have a great sense of taste - whether it's in architecture, food, or fashion.  They are well-read, cultured, and have a good sense of what's going on in the rest of the world.  I think where Americans sometimes rub the French the wrong way is either from being ignorant ("I'm American, I don't care who you are") or not showing interest ("I don't want to try your food, where's the McDonald's?").  If you're gonna visit their country, you just need to be open to their ways.  The French are very proud of their culture and seem to want to share its greatness with you.  We had a great time talking to the locals.  All three of us can read and speak French too, so it made things much easier.  Many were impressed that these strange looking Asian visitors could speak their language.  But even if your French is poor, you get a lot of points by simply trying to speak their language.

Conclusion

It was a great trip!  Hmm, I think every trip is a great trip :)  We saw a lot, experienced a lot, and had spent some good family time together as well.  More blog articles and photos to come!

Lollapalooza 2012 Cover Medley

Finally, a new music video!  It's a big one - an 11-song medley of covers from Lollapalooza 2012!  I played "one-man band" covers of the songs (vocals, guitar, keys, synth bass & drums), and I arranged them all together.  And I filmed a fun video to go along with it.  You'll want to sit down to view this video - it's almost 13 minutes long!

To view a bigger version, you can click the "full screen" button in the video above.  Or you can open the video's YouTube page.

I love Lollapalooza.  If you aren't familiar, Lolla is a music festival held in Chicago every summer.  It's such a great venue, and so many great bands come to play.  Most of the music is considered Alternative/Indie or Electronic.  You get to see big famous bands, up-and-coming stars, as well as less-known artists.  I really wanted to see Metric, Florence + The Machine, and Justice.  On the other hand, I "discovered" bands like Temper Trap and Chairlift at the festival.

Here's the tracklist:

1. Red Hot Chili Peppers: "Under the Bridge"
2. Florence + The Machine: "No Light"
3. The Temper Trap: "Fader"
4. Metric: "Sweet Sympathy"
5. The Black Keys: "Howlin' For You"
6. Chairlift: "Amanaemonesia"
7. Franz Ferdinand: "Take Me Out"
8. Neon Indian: "Polish Girl"
9. Passion Pit: "Take a Walk"
10. M83: "Midnight City"
11. Justice: "D.A.N.C.E."

Making the Medley

I've never done a medley before.  Creating this medley was an ambitious project.  I started it in August 2012 and finished six months later!  Well most of the delay was from other distractions, but this project did involve a bit of work.  I'll talk about the challenges in several aspects: arranging, performing, and production.

Arranging. When you do a medley, you first need to figure out which songs could fit.  Good thing there were so many good songs from great bands to choose from.  You also need to arrange the songs in some reasonable order.   Finally, you also need to match the rhythms and key signatures/chords between the songs. 

• I had to throw a few songs out.  For example, I really wanted to play "Bruises" by Chairlift, but the song was way too fast to fit with the rest of the medley.
• "No Light" is a great song, but the slow, syncopated rhythm of the main part didn't fit anywhere (the medley was either fast rock or disco).  So I decided to perform only the song intro.
• As discussed in the video, I had to put all the rock songs in the first half, then transition to all the disco/dance songs.  The rock songs in the medley go much faster (~160-170 bpm) than the disco songs (~120-130 bpm, if I recall correctly).  Rock beats are different from disco too.  Rock beats are in pairs: down/up down/up, whereas disco is all even: down down down down (that's why disco is also known as "four-on-the-floor."  "Take Me Out" provided the perfect transition that accomplished exactly what I needed.
• Another cool transition was from "Howlin' For You" to "Amanaemonesia."  I couldn't stand to play "Howlin' For You" for too long, and I thought it would be cool to make a little fun of it by playing the riff on the keys.  So that's what I did.  It

Performing.  Although it's just one music video, I had to learn to sing and play 11 songs.  I performed vocals, guitar, and keys on all the songs.  The bass and drums were synthesized.  Lucikly, most of the guitar and key parts weren't too difficult for me.

• Guitar.  "Howlin' For You" required some blues lead play on the guitar, something I've never tried before (I HATE BLUES!!! hehe).  The fast tempo required some fast picking on some songs like "Take Me Out".  The one super difficult part was the intro to "Under the Bridge."  I learned it, but I realized my play wouldn't be good enough to record.  So I abandoned that idea.  
• Keys. About half the songs had significant keyboard parts.  There were a couple cool keyboard riffs in the medley, in "Amanaemonseia" and "Take a Walk."  My favorite keyboard thing was the keyboard part show on the bottom half of the "Amanaemonesia" video.  I improvised that entire part one day - you won't find it on the original Chairlift track! :)
• Vocals.  I'm terrible at remembering song lyrics.  I always forget the words of my favorite songs that I've been singing for decades.  I did many recording takes in this medley because I messed up the lyrics haha.  Singing is not my forte; a couple songs were a bit challenging for me.  I probably set the key of a couple songs too high ("Fader" and "Polish Girl" in particular).  But I needed them to be played at those keys so the medley would transition well.  I probably would have sounded better if I had tuned those songs down a step or two.  One nice thing about pushing myself was that I was able to sing some notes I was previous unable to hit :)

Production.  When you do a 13-minute video of yourself playing music, you MUST come up with something interesting.  Otherwise your viewers would fall asleep or click elsewhere hehe.  So I tried to spice up the video a bit.

• I tried to incorporate Visualizers into the video.  These are software programs that create cool graphics that adapts to the music that is played.  I use a few Visualizers: Aeon (used the most), a couple by Wowlabs, and the default iTunes Visualizer.  Oh yeah, I used the Desktop Aquarium screen saver too.
• I try to learn something new with video production every time I do a new video.  This time, the big thing was using keyers.  You may know this as "green screen" work.  This was super fun.  It allowed me to superimpose myself singing/playing over other videos and photos.

 I hope you enjoy the video!