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.

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.

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.