The greatest selection from this week’s global music scene, be it new or old, chosen by your resident Nokia Conversations music maestro, DJ Brewatune. See what else you can find at  Nokia Music Store.‪

AKB48 – Peelgreems

AKB48 have nailed the Japanese pop scene lid shut with a blast of pop reality, mixed in with some delightful dashes of western blue grass melody. Culturally, Japan is almost  spiritually connected to this outfit’s music. And this video highlights the youth and vibrancy that its music scene offers. AKB48 produce an enchanting foray into the world of a young girl, full of life. It’s a carefree approach that the entire youth of today have in common, that feeling of freedom and uncaged philosophy.

To buy this track or listen to a clip go to the Nokia Music Store.

Udo Lindenbery – Cello feat Clueso

A girl with a Cello… it’s the tale of a musician who strives for her place in the sub-culture of Germany’s live music scene. She strives and pushes, but ends up playing to the city, not its people. Her passion is reciprocated by Lindenberg, who’s video illustrates a live performance and the passion they share through their own music. Flamenco stylings can be detected in this masterful performance to a packed Hotel Atlantic, Hamberg, for German MTV Unplugged.

To buy this track or listen to a clip go to the Nokia Music Store.

Kary Ng – Here we Are

Discover a beautiful voice in the form of Kary Ng, a passionate and powerful alto turned solo princess. Imagine yourself on a deserted beach, far away from mainstream society. She produces easy flowing wisps and melodic curls over a blissful piano. The beautiful scenery reflects how Kary feels about the world. Amid the splendour and grace of mother nature, she reflects that everyone has stresses and strains in their lives. But she urges us to put all that in perspective. Despite everything, we live in a beautiful world. 

To buy this track or listen to a clip go to the Nokia Music Store.

LMAFO – Sexy and I know it

These boys don’t even know the meaning of the word “huge”, their cheekiness and appetite for cocky makes them a cut above the rest. Their alternative videos have gone viral on YouTube and Vimeo. So 100 million+ people cannot be wrong, right? Entering the mainstream with possibly this summer’s biggest party tune, LMAFO have achieved the mega fame they rightly deserve. This is an electro vibe that would zap your dog. There’s no escape from feeling the rhythm. Not everyone could pull off that robot headset though!

To buy this track or listen to a clip go to the Nokia Music Store.

 Nightwish – Storytime

Take metal, crank it up horror-style and amplify it by 11. What more could you want from a rock outfit. The tone may not be to everyone’s taste, but who cares! What a laugh these guys must have filming. They’re nuts! Metal bands are the innovators of crazy rock, the inventors and owners of  an attitude that screams “I couldn’t give a rats!” But if you listen to the lyrics, this band of others have a tale to tell. As a group, they are tight, the drumming is spot on and sets the tone right from the off.

To buy this track or listen to a clip go to the Nokia Music Store.

Nokia

The Nokia Asha 501 has been launched for less than twenty-fours hours, but it’s already the talk of the town. Hardly surprising when you consider how dramatically it’s reshaped the smartphone landscape. Whether it’s the striking design, the brand new Nokia Asha platform, the ingenious Fastlane feature or the smarter internet, there really is plenty to get excited about. But rather than take our word for it, check out some of the first reactions from around the web.

 Forbes

“…the Asha 501 is possibly what an iPhone might look like when the “i” stands for “India”, rather than “I have money to burn”. In fact, it calls back in many ways to Nokia’s first serious current-generation smartphone concept, the Meego-driven N9.”

Engadget

“It’s a cute little thing that’s completely dwarfed by the behemoth proportions of modern smartphones…It’s no surprise, then, that even the smallest hands will find it easy to hold and manipulate. Despite the boxy design and sharp angles, the 501 has comfortable curves in all the right places.”

 CNet

 “It has a fun, vibrant, plastic design and a supercheap price tag of $99.”

 Gartner

“Asha 501 shows what you can achieve when you design bottom up rather than strip down features to hit the right price point… Dual SIM with hot swap is very important to users but what is most striking on this device is the user interface.”

Tech Crunch

 “Nokia’s Smarterphone buy yields first fruit: $99 touchscreen Asha 501 polishes S40 With Fastlane view for recent apps, contacts.”

The Telegraph

 ”The new $99 Asha 501 aims to make smartphones even more affordable for the developing world.”

  Tech Radar

 “One of the benefits a featurephone provides is battery life and the Asha 501 is no different with Nokia claiming it will be good for 47 days of standby, and 17 hours of talk time on one charge – something today’s smartphones can only dream of.”

 ZDNet

 “…for most users the distinction between smart and feature phones will be irrelevant so long as they can get hold of the apps they want — and Nokia said applications are already available or in development for the Asha platform including Facebook, Foursquare, and LinkedIn.”

 Slash Gear

 ”The Asha 501 does what Nokia would argue only it can: distill the build quality and usability of a Lumia into something with the mass market reach of an Asha.”

 The Nokia Asha 501 is clearly making a big impression amongst the tech world’s movers and shakers, but what do you think about the latest bold addition to the much loved Asha family? Let us know in the comments below.

Nokia