Sali Oguri On Modern Rock Top 10 Chart

Um...Sali, you've drastically changed your look! No, no, I'll explain. My Broadjam fans probably already know this but I've been on and off the Broadjam Top 10 Rock: Modern Rock chart for a few months now, and it's kind of wild because the song I charted with isn't mine (though I did co-write some of the music) and is in Japanese. It's a wonderful world where a song in a language most people don't understand could be loved anyway. But I'm like that, too, loving songs in languages I don't speak. Some of my favorite songs are in foreign languages and some songs I've learned to sing have been in Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, German and I'll say I have only attempted French and Albanian because my pronunciation seriously needs work!

So if you're interested in hearing a song that sounds like it was written for an anime soundtrack but really rockin', please check out Namida No View Finder by artist Fred Kimmel (my producer, owner of WUJ Productions) here--Namida is currently at #3. While we're here, congratulations to Fred because his song, Gone, Gone, Gone is #1 today! So check 'em both out (charts are moving in real time and standings may be different by the time you log on).

Thanks to all of our fans--You make it happen for us!!

Art In Fashion: Ruben Toledo

Ruben Toledo, Vivienne Westwood for Paper 1998

(Image: from FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology) http://www3.fitnyc.edu/museum/)

Country Western Chic and a Mystery Solved!

What's with the photos of Edie Sedgwick? I guess I just like her. I'm kinda looking forward to the movie about her that's coming out this year.

OK--Just to reassure myself that I'm not imagining the overwhelming Wild Wild West trend that I've been going off about, the NYTimes confirmed that Western is "back" en vogue in this 3/21/06 article.

Remember my post about how TAXI (independent music A&R company that signs artists to labels) kept saying in their rejections that the current trend is "cool and airy" and I need to tap into that aesthetic with my music? Eureka! Here's a site I found that pretty much uses the same words to describe the current trend in fashion, per chance on a website for a mall in Alabama. Note how similar the clothes are to what we've been seeing in the pages of top fashion magazines, from crochet to long tiered skirts. Behold the new cool and airy aesthetic.

One singer got on the ball--Michelle Branch is singing Country with a new band, The Wreckers. The album, 'Stand Still, Look Pretty' will be released in May. I believe it's part of a huge movement to bring Country back into the Pop mainstream full force. Read about the Wreckers here.

So how big is your belt this season?

Recording With Jazz Great Yoshiaki Masuo

Earlier this year, I was blessed with the opportunity to record with a legendary jazz guitarist named Yoshiaki Masuo on one song for an album scheduled to be released sometime this year. Masuo (as we lovingly call him) is known for having played with Sonny Rollins. What I remember about working with Masuo aside from his mind-blowing musical proficiency is his beautiful character. Like many people I've met who are involved in music at that level, he's a kind and sensitive person who's completely professional in his demeanor and goes out of his way to create good vibes for everyone involved. You can see in this photo the totally infectious smile of his that lights up a session. What a memory, what a delight. This is a photo taken of us at The Studio located in Soho, NYC. Clockwise from upper left: me, engineer Eiji Takasugi, jazz guitarist Yoshiaki Masuo, lyricist Mrs. Shirley Masuo. Yoshiaki Masuo is scheduled to tour in Japan starting in May--please check out Yoshiaki Masuo's official website for details. (Photo by Wuj)

Private Dreams Made the Earth Chart On Broadjam!

It must be an April Fool's Day joke on me! LOL! Link from below:

Broadjam Earth Top 10

Thank you all for your undying support over these past few months that I've been on Broadjam. If I've come this far, it's only because of people who have taken the time to listen, to review, to keep the hype going, to care. I'm honored and glad to have my songs up on the coolest indie music site on the net through which my life has been enriched in unexpected ways. Most of all, I feel fortunate to have in some way connected with people from around the world who share this passion for music.

Shout-outs: Sand (¡Ombligo!) who was the first person to lend a helping hand in setting up my mp3s online, Wuj, Roy Elkins, Robin (Now Smell This), Paula (PA on Delphi), Katie (Scentzilla!), people who actually bought CDs and downloads and all the fabulous perfumistas who have bought my product and/or said only the kindest things about me and my perfume. If you wanted to buy and couldn't, I thank you for your heart--I feel your love.