Filipino Master Rapper Francis M Passes Away

Filipino rapper known for his hit songs "Ito Ang Gusto Ko," "Meron Akong Ano," "Kaleidoscope World" and others, passed away earlier today (March 06, 2009), after succumbing to leukemia, a condition he battled for the last eight months.


He leaves his wife, Pia Arroyo, and eight children Unna, Nicolo, Francis Jr., Isabella, Elmo, Arkin, Clara, and Maxene Magalona. He was only 44.

51st Annual Grammy Awards Winners

Album of the Year:
Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, Raising Sand

Best Rap Album:
Lil Wayne, Tha Carter III

Best Male Pop Vocal Performance:
John Mayer, “Say”

Record of the Year:
Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, “Please Read This Letter”

Best New Artist:
Adele

Best Rock Album:
Coldplay, Viva la Vida

Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals:
Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, “Rich Woman”

Song of the Year:
Coldplay, “Viva la Vida”

Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group:
Sugarland, “Stay”

Best R&B Album:
Jennifer Hudson, Jennifer Hudson

Industry Icon Award:
Clive Davis

Producer of the Year, Non-Classical:
Rick Rubin (Death Magnetic, Home Before Dark, Mercy, Seeing Things, Weezer)

Best Rock Song:
Bruce Springsteen, “Girls in Their Summer Clothes”

Best Rock Instrumental Performance:
“Peaches En Regalia,” Zappa Plays Zappa, Featuring Steve Vai & Napoleon Murphy Brock

Best Metal Performance:
Metallica, “My Apocalypse”

Best Hard Rock Performance:
The Mars Volta, “Wax Simulacra”

Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals:
Kings of Leon, “Sex on Fire”

Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance:
John Mayer, “Gravity”

Best Alternative Music Album:
Radiohead, In Rainbows

Best Pop Vocal Album:
Duffy, Rockferry

Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals:
Coldplay, “Viva la Vida”

Best Female Pop Vocal Performance:
Adele, “Chasing Pavements”

Best Pop Instrumental Album:
Béla Fleck and the Flecktones, Jingle All The Way

Best Pop Instrumental Performance:
Eagles, “I Dreamed There Was No War”

Best Spoken Word Album (Includes Poetry, Audio Books):
Al Gore, An Inconvenient Truth (Beau Bridges, Cynthia Nixon and Blair Underwood)

Best Contemporary R&B Album:
Mary J. Blige, Growing Pains

Best R&B Song:
Ne-Yo, “Miss Independent” (Mikkel S. Eriksen, T.E. Hermansen and S. Smith, songwriters)

Best Urban/Alternative Performance:
Chrisette Michele Featuring will.i.am, “Be OK”

Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance:
Al Green Featuring Anthony Hamilton, “You’ve Got the Love I Need”

Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals:
Al Green Featuring John Legend, “Stay With Me (by the Sea)”

Best Female R&B Vocal Performance:
Alicia Keys; ” Superwoman”

Best Male R&B Vocal Performance:
Ne-Yo, “Miss Independent”

Best Rap Song:
Lil Wayne Featuring Static Major, “Lollipop” (D. Carter, S. Garrett, D. Harrison, J. Scheffer and R. Zamor, songwriters)

Best Rap Song Collaboration:
Estelle Featuring Kanye West, “American Boy”

Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group:
Jay-Z and T.I. Featuring Kanye West and Lil Wayne, “Swagga Like Us”

Best Rap Solo Performance:
Lil Wayne, “A Milli”

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album:
Natalie Cole, Still Unforgettable

Best Country Album:
George Strait, Troubadour

Best Country Song:
Sugarland, “Stay” (Jennifer Nettles, songwriter)

Best Bluegrass Album:
Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder, Honoring the Fathers of Bluegrass: Tribute to 1946 and 1947

Best Country Instrumental Performance:
Brad Paisley, James Burton, Vince Gill, John Jorgenson, Albert Lee, Brent Mason, Redd Volkaert and Steve Wariner, “Cluster Pluck”

Best Country Collaboration With Vocals:
Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, “Killing the Blues”

Best Male Country Vocal Performance:
Brad Paisley, “Letter to Me”
Carrie Underwood John Shearer/Getty Images

Best Female Country Vocal Performance:
Carrie Underwood, “Last Name”

Best Reggae Album:
Burning Spear, Jah Is Real

Best Hawaiian Music Album:
Tia Carrere and Daniel Ho, Ikena

Best Contemporary Folk/Americana Album:
Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, Raising Sand

Best Traditional Folk Album:
Pete Seeger, At 89

Best Traditional Blues Album:
B.B. King, One Kind Favor

Best Contemporary Blues Album:
Dr. John and the Lower 911, City That Care Forgot

Best Long Form Music Video:
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, “Runnin’ Down a Dream”

Best Short Form Music Video:
Weezer, “Pork and Beans”

Best Classical Album:
Weill, Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny

Producer of the Year, Classical:
David Frost

Best Classical Crossover Album:
The King’s Singers, Simple Gifts

Best Classical Contemporary Composition:
John Corigliano, composer, Mr. Tambourine Man: Seven Poems of Bob Dylan (JoAnn Falletta, conductor)

Best Classical Vocal Performance:
John Corigliano, Mr. Tambourine Man: Seven Poems of Bob Dylan

Best Small Ensemble Performance:
Spotless Rose, Hymns to the Virgin Mary

Best Chamber Music Performance:
Elliott Carter, Pacifica Quartet, String Quartets Nos. 1 and 5

Best Instrumental Soloist Performance (Without Orchestra):
Gloria Cheng, Piano Music of Salonen, Stucky, and Lutoslawski

Best Instrumental Soloist(s) Performance (With Orchestra):
Hilary Hahn, Schoenberg, Sibelius: Violin Concertos (Esa-Pekka Salonen, conductor)

Best Choral Performance:
Sir Simon Rattle, “Symphony of Psalms”

Best Opera Recording:
Weill, Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny

Best Orchestral Performance:
Shostakovich, “Symphony No. 4,” Bernard Haitink, conductor (Chicago Symphony Orchestra)

Best Engineered Album, Classical:
Traditions and Transformations: Sounds of Silk Road Chicago

Best Electronic/Dance Album:
Daft Punk, Alive 2007

Best Dance Recording:
Daft Punk, “Harder Better Faster Stronger”

Best Contemporary R&B Gospel Album:
Kirk Franklin, The Fight of My Life

Best Traditional Gospel Album:
The Blind Boys of Alabama, Down in New Orleans

Best Southern, Country or Bluegrass Gospel Album:
Gaither Vocal Band, Lovin’ Life

Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album:
CeCe Winans, Thy Kingdom Come

Best Rock or Rap Gospel Album:
TobyMac, Alive and Transported

Best Gospel Song:
Kirk Franklin, “Help Me Believe”

Best Gospel Performance:
Mary Mary, “Get Up”

Best Latin Jazz Album:
Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra, Song for Chico
George Carlin Paul Schiraldi

Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album:
The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Monday Night Live at the Village Vanguard

Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group:
Chick Corea and Gary Burton, The New Crystal Silence

Best Jazz Instrumental Solo:
Terence Blanchard, soloist, “Be-Bop”

Best Jazz Vocal Album:
Cassandra Wilson, Loverly

Best Contemporary Jazz Album:
Randy Brecker, Randy in Brasil

Best New Age Album:
Jack DeJohnette, Peace Time

Best Comedy Album:
George Carlin, It’s Bad For Ya

Best Polka Album:
Jimmy Sturr and His Orchestra, Let the Whole World Sing

Best Contemporary World Music Album:
Mickey Hart, Zakir Hussain, Sikiru Adepoju and Giovanni Hidalgo, Global Drum Project

Best Traditional World Music Album:
Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Ilembe: Honoring Shaka Zulu

Best Zydeco or Cajun Music Album:
Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys, Live at the 2008 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival

Best Native American Music Album:
Come to Me Great Mystery—Native American Healing Songs

Best Norteño Album:
Los Tigres del Norte, Raíces

Best Banda Album:
Joan Sebástian, No Es de Madera

Best Tejano Album:
Ruben Ramos and the Mexican Revolution, Viva la Revolucion

Best Regional Mexican Album:
Mariachi Los Camperos de Nati Cano, Amor, Dolor Y Lágrimas: Música Ranchera

Best Tropical Latin Album:
José Feliciano, Señor Bachata

Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album:
45, Jaguares

Best Latin Pop Album:
Juanes, La Vida…Es un Ratico

Best Musical Show Album:
In the Heights

Best Musical Album for Children:
They Might Be Giants, Here Come The 123s

Best Spoken Word Album for Children:
Bill Harley, Yes to Running!

Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s):
Natalie Cole, “Here’s That Rainy Day” (Nan Schwartz, arranger)

Best Instrumental Arrangement:
Peter Gabriel and Thomas Newman, “Define Dancing” (From Wall-E) (Thomas Newman, arranger)

Best Instrumental Composition:
“The Adventures of Mutt” (From Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull)

Best Surround Sound Album:
Mussorgsky, Pictures at an Exhibition; Night on Bald Mountain; Prelude to Khovanshchina

Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical:
MGMT, “Electric Feel,” Justice Remix (Justice, remixers)

Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical:
The Raconteurs (Joe Chiccarelli, Vance Powell and Jack White III), Consolers of the Lonely

Best Historical Album:
Art of Field Recording, Volume I: Fifty Years of Traditional American Music (Documented by Art Rosenbaum)

Best Album Notes:
Miles Davis, Kind of Blue: 50th Anniversary Collector’s Edition (Francis Davis, album notes writer)

Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package:
In Rainbows

Best Recording Package:
Metallica, Death Magnetic (Bruce Duckworth, Sarah Moffat and David Turner, art directors)

Best Song Written for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media:
Peter Gabriel and Thomas Newman, “Down to Earth” (From Wall-E)

Best Score Soundtrack Album for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media:
James Newton Howard and Hans Zimmer, The Dark Knight

Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media:
Juno

In Love with Lazy

I love you Lazy! Nah, this is not about the sloth that I am most days. I’m referring to THE band whose bossa covers of Floyd music totally blew me away.


Okay, I’m not ashamed to say that I listen to bossa music, the type that conjures birds tweet-tweeting in a lazy, laidback late afternoon, lounging on a couch outdoors, staring into the heavens, lost in the soothing sax, drumbeats, funky and soulful guitar pluckings, and the lustrous voices of the female artists that make the experience all the more pleasurable. If you’ve seen my ruggedly debonair self ambling the walkways of Makati and Taguig, you’d think I probably have loud rock music playing on my earphones (not to say that I don’t; in fact, I am to recommend Mudvayne’s new album in a future blog). But with ageing I guess (hehe), I started spanning my musical horizon to include such genres like chillout and bossa, music that sadly only a handful of people appreciate. So imagine the smile I had on my face when I got hold of an album where rock, bossa, and chillout were fused in a 12-track gem I so highly recommend.

Lazy, whose members are from the now defunct chillout band Supreme Beings of Leisure, wonderfully rendered classic hits from the iconic Pink Floyd into bossa and chillout covers in the irresistible album that is FLOYD: A Chillout Experience. I’d have to admit that I am not a big fan of these granddaddies of Brit rock (one of my brothers is, though); I am only familiar with some of their songs--Hey You, Wish You Were Here, Another Brick on the Wall, and Comfortably Numb. But hearing FLOYD, I was to become a convert, both of Pink Floyd and Lazy, the latter of course being the culprit for my recent bossa/chillout music overload.


Floyd: A Chillout Experience, like most covers/revivals, included in its roster the best of Pink Floyd music. Lazy made the songs their own in that they were able to infuse their musicality with Floyd’s and the result is nothing short of a chillout experience. How Jailyn sang the songs (notably in Comfortably Numb and Hey You), with the Latina-like accent and that whispery voice of hers, eargasmic. The lyric-less that is The Great Gig in the Sky, smashing. The funky Money, the soulful Mother, the atmospheric Another Brick in the Wall--everything in the album spells auricular pleasure. I never thought I’d chance upon a bossa album, one that could be on loop mode on my music player, since Bossa N’ Chicago.

I am so into everything Lazy now, both the proper noun and the adjective (hehe). This rather explains why one weekend I was not able to join friends for a cup of coffee after smorgasbording [sic] and finding myself a sloth in bed. I tried my best to be there, trust me, but... (lol). Blame Lazy!

You can listen to the album here. For more info, visit their MySpace profile.

Listen to Oasis' New Single, "The Shock of the Lightning," before it's officially released September 29th

England's (former?) '90s rock luminaries are back in the music scene as they are slated to make available their seventh studio album "Dig Out Your Soul" this October 7th. The carrier single, written by guitarist and vocalist Noel Gallagher, is called "The Shock of the Lightning," a demo which has retained it's energy, as Noel himself puts it in an interview. Are the hit makers of Champagne Supernova, Stand by Me, and the likes redeem their waning popularity and what once was an expansive fanbase (the author included) during the '90s with their "Dig Out"? You be the judge of that. Stream and download by clicking on the title.

The Shock of the Lightning

I'm all over my heart's desire,
I feel cold but I'm back in the fire,
Out of control but I'm tied up tight,
Come in, come out tonight..

Comin' up in the early morning,
I feel love in the shock of the lightning,
I fall into the blinding light,
Come in, come out, come in, come out tonight..

Love is a time machine,
Up on the silver screen,
It's all in my mind,
Love is a litany,
A magical mystery,
And all in good time, and all in good time,
And all in good time..

I got my feet on the street but I can't stop flyin',
My head is in the clouds but at least I'm tryin',
I'm out of control but I'm tied up tight,
Come in, come out tonight..

There's a hole in the ground into which I'm fallin',
So God's speed to the sound of the poundin',
I'm all into the blinding light,
Come in, come out, come in, come out tonight..

Love is a time machine,
Up on the silver screen,
It's all in my mind,
Love is a litany,
A magical mystery,
And all in good time, and all in good time,
And all in good time..

It's all in my mind,
Love is a time machine,
Up on the silver screen,
And all in good time, and all in good time,
And all in good time..

Slipknot Releases Fourth Studio Album "All Hope Is Gone"

Woo, heavy metal band Slipknot just released their fourth studio album, All Hope Is Gone, last August 20th in Japan and today everywhere else. This promises to be their heaviest offering yet since their eponymous debut album, their second Iowa, and Vol: 3 (The Subliminal Verses). Two songs from this, the carrier single All Hope Is Gone and Psychosocial, have been playing on rock stations months before the album was made available in record stores, with the latter peaking at the 10th spot on the U.S. Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks. The reception for the album by industry critics have all been positive, with some giving one or two stars short of getting a perfect review. I'm listening to the album as I speak (er blog), and I couldn't hide my auricular satisfaction at having gotten an earful off its entirety just as it is released. Hmm, share or not, share or not? What the heck. Stream the entire album here. If you know your way around, you might even be able to DL it.
All Hope Is GonePsychosocial

The Boyce of YouTube

Thanks to YouTube and to the wonders of their video-sharing format, Boyce Avenue is fast becoming a household band. With their brand of acoustic, covering mostly pop and urban tracks that one wouldn't have thought to be rendered any other genre, they've won the hearts of listeners from all over and they're continuously getting converts if the number of "hits" or "views" on YouTube is any indication.

With the success of that, the Boyce have compiled their smashing YouTube hits in one cd compilation aptly dubbed "YouTube Sessions." The album contains the following covers:

01. Before It's Too Late
02. Umbrella - Rihanna Cover
03. Lovestoned (I Think She Knows) - Justin Timberlake Cover
04. Without You Here
05. So Small - Carrie Underwood Cover
06. Apologize - One Republic Cover
07. Beautiful Girls (Stand By Me) - Sean Kingston
08. No One / Tattoo (medley) Alicia Keys & Jordin Sparks
09. Hate That I Love You - Rihanna & Neyo
10. Shadow Of The Day
11. Hear Me Now
12. Say - John Mayer
13. No Air - Jordin and Chris Brown Duet
14. What Hurts The Most - Rascal Flatts
15. With You - Chris Brown
16. Untitled
17. Sweetest Girl
18. On My Way
19. So Much Time
20. Find Me
21. Bleeding Love - Leona Lewis Cover
22. Take You There
23. Keep Holding On - Avril Lavigne Cover
24. Because Of You - Neyo Cover

If you haven't yet heard of them, I guess now is the right time to stream their music. Listen to it here.

Feel Our Nature

I’m on to another album recommendation, that of Jose Gonzales’ “In Our Nature.” I wrote about and featured his debut album on a blog posted last December (here), and since then, I’ve been incessantly streaming his music, because after some hook-and-crook searches, I got a copy of the album and was then blown away by select tracks from that; Heartbeats in particular.

I’ve been listening to “In Our Nature” for a few days now, even putting it on my WMP while editing or captioning files. I wanted to “feel” the music first before I decide to feature it, and feel I have: the acoustic-indie-folk feel that only Mr. Gonzales gets to deliver. It may be a challenge bringing other people to music made this way, what with commercialized ones competing with each other for listenership on the airwaves, but at least we tried. His music can be both relaxing and insightful, and you’ll be lost in your own thoughts while having “In Our Nature” in the background. The strings just have that effect on you. I particularly like listening to it while hitting the covers, the stereo on semi-max volume and with the lights turned off. I don’t care if I awaken my neighbors at 1:00 in the morning, but I have heard neither complaints or violent reactions from them. Makes me think I have them converted as well. Weheh.

“Teardrop,” an acoustic Massive Attack cover, and “Cycling Trivialities” are stunners. Stream the album here.

The Heart of Within Temptation

I am having an earload of Within Temptation’s 2007 release “The Heart of Everything.” I must say that the band, this time, has made songs that pass the mainstream’s connotation of what music is (read: radio material). This is particularly true with their first single “What Have You Done Now?” something that will give Evanescence a run for their money.

I’ve heard of the band since 2001, but I failed to really give my full and undivided attention to the four albums they had produced since 1997. I’ve been hearing then that they were the band that influenced such acts like Evanescence and Lacuna Coil, probably because of the similarities in their music and being one of the first female-fronted bands producing this genre: symphonic/metal/gothic rock. Now Within Temptation is slowly breaking through the international music scene (point of reference: America), unlike their previous efforts that only became biggies in their homeland, The Netherlands, Europe and again some Asian countries. This makes me deduce that we Asians have better tastes. LOL.

I recently got hold of “Enter” and “The Heart of Everything,” and the latter would have to go to the select list of albums with songs I listen to (and like) from track one till the end. The band also goes to my list of female-fronted bands I definitely dig, alongside Kittie, Lacuna Coil, and Flyleaf.

Stream “The Heart of Everything” here.

NZ Marked the Spott

Working in the radio industry for a year or so, I was introduced to a rather unfamiliar band from Down Under's little neighbor, New Zealand. I guess having a program director that is really into rock music and a radio station that has at-par playlist (at least during our time), getting to know the band and liking their music was just meant to happen. Back then, we used to get CD samplers from our US counterparts, bringing up-and-coming bands and artists a venue to have their songs played in our airwaves, especially during our once-a-week, three-hour rock program called "The Overload."

When our station began exchanging passé CD players for computers, all songs from our CD library were uploaded and converted to MP3s, and I got a hell of a fun time ripping them on blank CDs to add to the library of my own, and that included my all-time fave from the band, "Blank," and their massive hit "Nil By Mouth." But given the quality you get from affordable blank CDs, it became frustrating playing songs that skipped every now and then.

Leaving my CDs back home (and losing some of them), I tried researching for the band's songs online; somebody might have posted streaming links or even URLs to have them downloaded. After close to an hour of surfing, I finally hit the spott, and as a bonus got to download the entire album which I happily uploaded on Multiply for others to be able to stream. The download gave me the opportunity to listen to all of their songs, and I must say that the guys of Blindspott deliver.

During websurfing, it's unfortunate to note that, other than NZ and Australia and some parts of Asia, the band had not really broken through mainstream, dousing any chance for rock aficionados to sample Blindspott's music. It's unfortunate to note, too, that the band had already disbanded after only two albums. Be that as it may, their music is brought to the fore again because of bloggers (like me) who rally to reintroduce them once more. That being said, stream their eponymous debut album here.

Of Serj Tankian and SOAD

By now I guess everybody knows that the heavy metal band System of a Down is on a hiatus. According to the band’s bassist in 2006, Shavo Odadjian, “it would probably last three years.” But he added that they would not be splitting up. That’s a relief, if they really will be reunited in the future, for the legions of SOAD fans out there. But it seems that the band’s (un)timely break from the music scene did not even take much of a toll, and I just have to thank Serj Tankian for that.


Serj Tankian, the band’s talented vocalist, released a solo effort in the last quarter of 2007. For the uninformed, his album is unmistakably System, with songs reminiscent of the band’s last two offerings, Mesmerize and Hypnotize. Everybody would have thought the same, deducing to a point that “Elect the Dead” is new SOAD material, just like most did between bands like the now-defunct Mayfield Four and Alterbridge or Soundgarden and Audioslave or Tool and APC (the list goes on). Listening to the album felt like the hiatus was just a rumor unfounded, and it was (for me at least) from the beginning track “Empty Walls,” the first song I ever heard off the album, to “Gratefully Disappeared.” But when the last track ends and you’re just left with a quaint static, it dawns on you that it is not SOAD. It is just Serj.

Artists going solo would make some to deduce that things may not be working out for the members of the band. After all, it’s hard to pit together four or more people each with different backgrounds and musical influences in one room. Certainly, if the efforts are not collective, they surely wouldn’t be able to come out with anything worthwhile to listen to. If this was the reason behind the hiatus (read: breakup) of SOAD, that surely is a letdown. The band has (or had) come a long way from their self-titled album released in 1998 to their last in 2005, and I could listen to all five on continuous play and the pleasure I get won’t wane a bit.

I guess I have Serj in the meantime reminding me of the music of SOAD even if John, Daro, and Shavo are no longer in the background, accompanying him behind each song found on “Elect the Dead.” It will be great seeing them together back again in three years or more or whenever they plan to sit down again, settle their differences(?), and produce an album. But Serj Tankian is here (and with an album at that!), and I hope his solo efforts will not be the only mementos of the SOAD that was.


Stream “Elect the Dead” here.

Music 101: S.C.I.E.N.C.E

I must say I enjoyed tremendously Incubus’ “S.C.I.E.N.C.E.” In fact, I’m listening to it still. Honestly, I only know so little from the album, considering that being an Indie band in the ‘90s, I’ve heard hardly any songs from their sophomore offering, except for “A Certain Shade of Green,” which received some airtime in local radio stations in Zamboanga. It was only when they joined the commercial bandwagon that the band became a household name.


Experimental, no holds barred, an album made not to conform to standards set forth by label sharks and the like. These are what separate Indie music, and Incubus’ S.C.I.E.N.C.E., from all the rest. Brandon Boyd and his motley crew of talented musicians were able to do songs as they see fit, mess around with their material (in a good way), and let everything transform to great music from there. This album reminds me of the superb music that RATM released around the same time, although at times funky and soulful.

I made mention in some blogs before that when an artist becomes so popular, they seem to lose a bit of their luster, the luster that fans hold dear because they know that they are only but a few of those who follow the music of these guys. This may or may not be the case with Incubus now, but wherever their musicality takes them, old and new fans alike are behind them, from "Fungus Amungus" to "Light Grenades" and beyond.

Now that they’re coming, I’ll be looking forward to hearing songs from their sophomore album more than ever.

P is for Puscifer

Maynard James Keenan, lead vocals for Tool, did it again, making another side project as successful--um, I take that, no way yet to tell for me--as A Perfect Circle. All rise for Puscifer.

Got an earful of what I believe is their third single called “Momma Sed,” and what a nice song. You still hear the familiar Tool-ish Keenan on the vocals, but this time, the arrangement is not like those we normally find from Tool or APC albums.

Shame, shame, but I haven’t heard the first two releases off their “V is for Vagina” album (lack of a better title?), so I could not make a love-this! deduction on the band or of their songs. But just the thought of Keenan and Tool and APC is enough to have me scavenging for Puscifer music.

Another album hunt? Go!



“Momma Sed”

Wake up, son of mine.
Momma got something to tell you.
Changes come.
Life will have its way
with your pride, son.
Take it like a man.

Hang on, son of mine.
A storm is blowing up your horizon.

Changes come.
Keep your dignity.
Take the high road,
Take it like a man.

Listen up, son of mine.
Momma got something to tell you.
All about growing pains.
Life will pound away
where the light don't shine, son.

Take it like a man.
Suck it up, son of mine.
Thunder blowing up your horizon.

Changes come.
Keep your dignity.
Take the higher road.
Take it like a man.

Momma said life awaits
like a kidney stone.
It's just a broken heart, son.
This pain will pass away.

A Dose of Rage

I've been listening to Rage music lately. Their eponymous debut album is one of my favorites ever. I just love every track on it, especially "Know Your Enemy." There is a particular line in that song that I just couldn't get out of my head. It's when everything suddenly shifts to great drum beats by Brad Wilk then Zack de la Rocha singing: I've got no patience now/So sick of complacence now/I've got no patience now/So sick of complacence now/Sick of sick of sick of sick of you/Time has come to pay... Then screams to us afterwards to know our enemies! Bliss, bliss, bliss. He-he. We babes of the '90s have a lot to be thankful for as music-wise, in my opinion, the greatest rock songs came from that era.
Know Your Enemy

Rediscovering the Music of José González

This guy, José González, was namedropped by a former colleague from the office, Camoi. I remember she sent a link for a video of one of González' live performances and mentioned something like "him being her new love." And hearing his "Veneer" album and raving about his brand of folk-acoustic music, now I know the reason why.

My interest to rediscover this guy's music was really piqued when a work batchmate, Edsol, recently posted on his Multiply videos for some of González' songs--a cover of Massive Attack's "Teardrop" (astig!), "Hand On Your Heart," and two others I forgot. When I began streaming "Veneer," his voice sounded familiar to me, and I soon learned why when I found this little bit of info while researching for his profile on the net: He was one of the voices behind Zero 7's "Futures," a song from one of the chillout/downtempo bands I listen to.

I'm yet to find a CD of his debut album, but as of now I'm content with just audiostreaming his music online (here). Great stuff, the reason why I blogged about his music here. I only decide, by the way, to feature or rave about albums when most, if not all, of the songs on the tracklist give me that auricular pleasure that only a handful get to ever do, and "Veneer" is one of them. I have never heard of anybody else producing this kind of music, and this is enough reason for us to support Indie more. I know I'm not alone with this. Down with commercial music!

"Heartbeats" is a standout.

Bossa N' D'Sound

Woot. Finally got a copy of Bossa N' D'Sound after blogging about being on a cd haunt for it (related entry here). What sets this cd apart from other Bossa N' [Artist Name Here], is that the renditions are done by D'Sound themselves. The album for me is like the band's Greatest Hits collection; however, the selections are done bossa-style (and I'm not complaining). It's just nice to hear D'Sound songs we're familiar with--Tattooed on My Mind, Smooth Escape, Talkin' Talk, People are People--as well as others done for a particular niche of listeners--us--who appreciate bossa music. Get a copy. This is one album that is great to listen to with a hot cup of coffee, with the lights dim, on a cozy bed, and the volume set max. Bossa N' D'Sound, it's a great find.

In the meantime, you can listen to the full album here.

Sidenote: I've been exposed to a lot of music genres, subtypes, what have yous ever since I worked in the radio industry for some time, and I first discovered bossa when I spun for the station's jazz program. The Girl from Ipanema and Aguas de Marco are the songs that really introduced me to this type of Brazilian music. Now we have a lot of bossa artists and albums out there that with all the commercialism this genre is getting, it's fast (sadly) becoming a fad, and to think this has been around since the late '50s. Fad or not, bossa music is here to stay. Thumbs up to Sitti for spearheading the bossa movement in the country.

Bossafied: Swooning Over "Bossa N' Chicago"

I'm Bossafied. I just got a copy of “Bossa N’ Chicago,” and I just fell in love with this album. I have “Bossa N’ Roses,” “Bossa N’ Marley,” and “Bossa N’ Bread” too. I liked “Roses,” but when I found out about this, this became the new favorite Bossa album. The latter two, I really was not that hooked to the renditions because, with “Marley,” I am not that familiar with most of the tracks (I only know “Waiting in Vain” and “Redemption Song”), and with “Bread,” although I’ve heard most of their songs from my childhood years, the covers were too upbeat compared to the slow tempo that Bread songs are known for.

It’s a shame, though, that the Bossanized “Chicago” album can’t be found online and that the artists who sang the songs are not mentioned and are labeled as just “Various Artists.” This does not give justice to the voices behind these great tracks. I must say that most of the songs are mainstream radio material. If only I were back in my DJ’ing job, no doubt about it, I’d squeeze in some of these songs into the playlist. Try getting a copy and be ready to be Bossafied from the opening track till the end. “Will You Still Love Me?” is a personal favorite. Click here to listen to this album.

Heard a preview of “Bossa N’ D’Sound” and I’m currently on the album-haunt for this. I hope I get a copy.

Corrine Bailey Rae

Corinne Bailey Rae, wow. Another British breakthrough artist. Who would have thought that she would win the hearts of people around the globe with her own fusion of pop, jazz, and blues? Hearing the songs found on her eponymous debut album will give one that soothing, smooth-listening "feel." She has this distinct sound that just gets to you, reminiscent of Erykah Badu, Mary J. Blige, Norah Jones, and even Macy Gray. Too bad she wasn’t able to bring home a Grammy or a Brit statuette for all the nominations that she got. But hey, awards are all superficial. It’s the joy the music brings to listeners like us that counts. Go Corinne!

Click here to check out the album.

Snow Patrol Remixes Run (Jacknife Lee Chillout Mix)

Having heard Snow Patrol’s chillout version of “Run” on 1Club.FM, I told myself that I just had to get a copy of that song—but all efforts proved futile. Well, that was then. Thankfully, browsing through the music pages of Multiply users (I know seeing my little thumbnail of a pic on their profile pages probably raised an eyebrow—who the f#@k), I finally found this song and then downloaded it to my heart’s content. Wehehehe. So I’d like to share it to everyone. Mind you, the album from which this song was taken from—Ministry of Sound - Chillout Sessions Vol. 7—is a potpourri of first-rate chillout/lounge favorites. Yay, I’ll download everything.

Snow Patrol is one of the few international bands out there that managed to break into mainstream music (read: having found an audience worldwide). Hailing from Ireland, these guys have become a household name since the release of their debut single “Run” that made it’s way to all imaginable chart shows. Now their latest offering, “Chasing Cars,” has been featured on “Grey’s Anatomy,” which, thanks to the show's massive popularity, increased the bands fan-base and dinero. Wehehehe.

Click to be redirected to my Multiply page where this song is found.

Timeless: A Review

Who the f*@$k is Sergio Mendes? Well, he’s the guy who gave that groovy concoction of a song, “Mas Que Nada” released in 1966 and heard being played on the radio again thanks to the modernized arrangement and the added hip hop flair by the Black Eyed Peas (more notably by will.i.am) thereby reintroducing Sergio to the younger generation (read: US).

This album is a staple for people who love listening to funky/upbeat jazz and hip hop/rap as this is a fusion of both. Even for people who are not into jazz/hip-hop, the more than one hour is worth it.

Songs that stand out personally include Berimbau/Consolacao, Banananeira, Let Me, E Menina, and my downtempo-like favorite Timeless performed by Erykah Badu. Check the album out. And gee, the cover makes a good Tee print. Prolly will make one out of it.