The artist I choose for this week is: Vienna Teng.

I discovered Vienna Teng in 2007. I was browsing through Youtube I managed to stumble upon a ballet dancing video that used one of her songs; “Passage”. I remember thinking that it was the most beautiful and the saddest song I have ever heard in my life. Saying it touched me would be an understatement because this song made me cry like a baby the first 20 times I heard it. Its lack of music and sole concentration on Vienna’s enchanting voice makes even your eyebrow hairs stand and the heartbreaking lyrics will have you gasping with tears during the first 20 seconds of the song. I was wrong, however, to associate Vienna with heartbreak because as soon as I got a hold of her other songs, I realised that as well as having the ability to make you cry in a matter of seconds, she can also make you smile. Vienna is a truly deeply talented artist whose songs will give you chills and whose voice will make your heart flutter. I honestly think of her as one of the best singers in the whole wide world.

And it’s no surprise that not only does she have a heavenly voice, but she plays the piano so excellently she’ll have you hating her for having that much talent. Most of her songs are just a combination of her magnificent singing and beautiful piano skills. Her songs are the type you’d want to listen to to relax, feel good about yourself, and if you’re having a bad day: to cry your eyes out.

My favourite songs of hers are; “Passage”, “Gravity”, “Homecoming (Walter’s Song)”, and “The Atheist Christmas Carol”. Of course, I can honestly say all the other songs I haven’t mentioned are definitely worth the listen and are also beautiful.

I was glad to find many HD songs of hers on Youtube. I do hope – as I am sure – that you will enjoy these songs.

If you liked Vienna Teng, then check out her official website.

Or follow her on Twitter.

The artist I choose for this week is: Holly Brook.

I discovered Holly Brook sometime around January 2009 while listening to my Last.fm recommendations (back when it was free!!!). I remember because I was in Stockholm at the time visiting my sister when I first heard my favourite song of hers; “Still Love”. I was blown away by her beautiful voice at first, then I started to listen to the lyrics and I fell in love wholeheartedly. Her voice is just…  indescribable, almost! And her songs are so soft and calm. It took me a day to get her whole album -“Like Blood Like Honey”- and mere minutes to fall in love with each and every song on it.

“Like Blood Like Honey” is extraordinarily catchy to say the least. It’s the kind of album you’d wanna listen to after a rough day or a bad break-up. The lyrics are deep and moving and the music just kind of takes you somewhere else. It was like one day I didn’t know who Holly was, and the next she was #7 on my Last.fm top artists. #7 of 597 artists in total. That’s quite an achievement.

My favourite songs of hers are “Like Blood Like Honey”, “Still Love”, “Heavy”, “Saturdays” and “What I Wouldn’t Give”.  And the lyrics I love the most are:

You drank a bit down
Spilled the rest of it in me
And that’s the minute I let go
Your direction
With the bending of the light
If I remember it right
It carried on just fine
But tonight I will cry myself to sleep

From “Still Love”

Now I’ve come to cry
Shed your skin to rest my naked eye
And criticize
All that I implore
Seems to be one foot outside that door
Coming between me and waking

From “Heavy”

You want to catch your breath
You want to get out
but as you surface you don’t really know how
How to live upon the solid ground
Well sometimes it’s just easier to let yourself drown

From “Like Blood Like Honey”

I hope you enjoy these videos… I couldn’t find that many HQ ones on Youtube:

If you like her, then visit her Official Website.

Or follow her on Twitter.

The artist I choose for this week is: Brooke Fraser.

I discovered Brooke Fraser in January 2009 through a former friend of mine. We were chatting on MSN and she happened to be listening to one of her songs and she insisted I give it a listen too. That song was “Scarlet” and it’s an understatement to say that the song sent major shivers through my spine. The lyrics seemed to speak out to me at the time and the beautiful piano in the background had a goose-bumping effect on my body. It was a perfect song in every way, flawless in every aspect; lyric-wise, music-wise, and voice-wise. Suffice to say I had this song on repeat for about… 4 days. And by the end of these 4 days I was too addicted to her soothing voice to stop at only one song. I went along and got both of her albums on my iTunes. It didn’t take too long for Brooke to get to #2 on my last.fm Top Artists, beating everyone but the unbeatable Miz Fiona Apple.

What struck me about Brooke Fraser the most is probably her voice. She sounds like an angel! Her voice is soothing, beautiful, and tantalizing to say the least. And it sounds almost effortless. When I listen to her I feel almost as though she were whispering these words to me. Her lyrics (which -SURPRISE- she writes herself!) are so beautiful and easy to relate to. And her piano skills can only be described as amazing. Ergo, she is perfect in every single way.

It’s hard for me to pick just one favourite song. Or five, even, for that matter. So I’m just going to go ahead and say all the songs I love by her. “Scarlet”, “Mystery”, “Hymn”, “The Thief”, “Faithful”, “Love, Where Is Your Fire?”, “Without You” and “C.S. Lewis Song”.  And my favourite album between the two (“Albertine” and “What To Do With Daylight”) is probably “Albertine”.

Here are a few of my favourite lyrics:

You, sing me to sleep
Talk down my walls
Look through my windows as I wait
You could be the thief
I give the key to

From “The Thief” in “Albertine”.

Shut your eyes tightly
Clench your fists ’til they almost bleed
Cautiously, lightly
Gently expose what’s underneath

And all you feel now
Is the scarlet in your day
Even it’s real
You can’t stay…

From “Scarlet” in “What To Do With Daylight”

There’s distance in the air
And I cannot make it leave
I wave my arms ‘round about me
And blow with all my might

I cannot sense you close
Though I know you’re always here
But the comfort of you near
Is what I long for

From “Faithful” in “Albertine”

And now for the best part; the HD videos:

If you like her, then go ahead and check out her official website: http://www.brookefraser.com/

Or follow her on Twitter: http://twitter.com/brookefraser

ENJOY! ~