cd reviews for april
these reviews were published in the april issue of mabuhay inflight magazine. since not all of us are taking pal flights out of town, or out of the country, for that matter (not that i'm endorsing it; it's just a gig to keep me busy), i'm posting it here.i'm looking for other cds to review for the next issues. if you want to recommend some names, new or old, drop me a line. thanks.
i really have a lot of stuff going on in my life, like art directing gigs, new writing gigs, and of course, who can forget THE thesis. but all of these are tentative yet, no real progress on my part, so i can't really spill any beans yet. i'm still waiting for holy week to pass before i can start flexing my muscles and getting to work. so in the meantime, i'm just hitting the cardio booth in my nearby gym, and lifting weights at the same time to the beat of hed kandi on my mp3 player. (hed kandi's my new obsession right now, as well as stéphane pompougnac and café del mar. i highly recommend them to anyone craving for a summery sound without having to listen to the mass-produced cliche'd ibiza shit)
to my graduating friends: my warmest congratulations! you deserve it. let's go out and celebrate your welcome emancipation into the real world. hehe. call me.
xananana
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Sitti / Café Bossa
(Warner Music)
On its first spin, Sitti's debut disc sounds very familiar, like a song at the tip of your tongue. In Café Bossa, the economist-turned-model-turned-singer starts her mojo on in old and comfortable territory with the Astrud Gilberto classic "Girl From Ipanema." She adds bossa flourishes to D' Sound's "Tattooed On My Mind," Julia Fordham's "Invisible War," Frank Sinatra's "Fly Me To The Moon," and the Lighthouse Family's "Lost In Space." Aware of the dangers of being predictable, Sitti mixes it up midway with her cheeky medley of The Carpenters' "Close To You" and Basia's "Half A Minute." But Café Bossa's true gem lies not in the covers, but in its two originals. The cozy folky sound of "Samba Song" and "Para Sa Akin" (For Me) are a welcome shout-out to OPM (Original Pilipino Music) greats Ryan Cayabyab and Apo Hiking Society. Because of its ear-friendliness, its refreshing nuances and just because the camera loves Sitti (check out her album photos), Café Bossa looks primed to take over the food chain. Hence the question: Will bossa nova be the new acoustic? Will she be a genre trailblazer like acoustic singer Paolo Santos, only prettier? We can't tell for sure. But the arrows of Café Bossa do point to that direction.
Green Day / Bullet In A Bible
(Reprise)
"Why are there no clouds in the sky?" asks Green Day bassist Mike Dirnt while waiting backstage. Answers drummer Tré Cool: "Because God wants to watch his favorite band again" Maybe it's not just God, but the planet as well. The band's first live album, Bullet In A Bible, is a testament to how Green Day has turned into the biggest punk band in the world. Recorded during the band's two-night run at England's Milton Keynes National Bowl in June 2005, this CD/DVD set essentially starts with front man Billie Joe Armstrong, Cool and Dirnt doing a reprise of tracks from their Grammy-awarded disc American Idiot, while making a show of their political activism by throwing barbed statements at war and "the redneck agenda." The second half puts the band in greatest-hits mode, with trademark songs like "Basket Case" from Dookie, "Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)" from Nimrod, and "Minority" from 2000's Warning. True to their roots, Billie Joe fuses punk antics to their trademark rock opera in "King for a Day," wearing a crown and cape while sampling Eric Idle's "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" and Lulu's "Shout." Not everything is represented in Bullet (No "She," "Jaded," “Maria”or "Homecoming"?) Despite this, Bullet is a pretty solid album that sees the band's jagged path to massive commercial success without having to deny their punk roots. For a band that's been on for 16 years, they prove that the punk attitude was never a publicity stunt, but proof of their artistic integrity.
Maharlika Singers / The Best Of Pilipino Folk Songs
(Tech To Sound Records/Synergy Music)
First released in 1998 to mark the country's centennial, The Best of Filipino Folk Songs is a collection of local folk songs that, in a nutshell, represent this country's upbeat, laidback demeanor to music. And it is not too shabby either; the Maharlika Singers provide a flawless, snappy vocal delivery that offers references to popular music genres, while staying true to the original arrangements of the songs. A highlight is "Pandangguhan," (The Candle Dance/ Fandango) a native Tagalog song that adopts a rap-like flourish. "Sinisinta Kita" (I Love You) is a cheeky Tagalog song that boasts of staccato arrangements, snappy vocal delivery and smart lyrics. Of course, any folk song collection won't be complete without the staples: the Ilocano "Atin Cu Pung Singsing" (I have a ring), "Ti Ayat Ti Maysa Nga Ubing" (For the Love of a Child) and "Manang Biday" (Old Sister Biday), the Waray "Dandansoy," and the Tausug "Sarung Banggi" (One Night). The drum programming and synthesizers distract in places to the entire experience. But talent is talent and the Maharlika Singers deliver successfully.
Various Artists / Favorite Philippine Folk Songs
(Alpha)
Filipino folk songs sound good when they're done right. In the case of Favorite Philippine Folk Songs, they sound majestic. The 16-track affair mostly features a re-mastering of the Filipino folk staples with a twist - artist credits belong to Filipino greats like Nora Aunor, Lirio Vital and Freddie Aguilar. The album sleeve, curiously, does not advertise; perhaps not to distract the viewer from the entire cultural experience. But even if you don't try, you can feel Nora Aunor assuming a playfully cheeky personality when she sings "Paruparong Bukid" (Butterfly) and "Leron, Leron, Sinta" (Leron, Leron, my love) or Freddie Aguilar's wailing guitar in "Ang Dalagang Pilipina" (Filipina girl). The album's instrumentation also helps to the experience, making the songs sound classic, but timeless. It's not just a sonic cultural trip. It's a trip down memory lane. If all works well, this can replace your lounge music too.
1 Comments:
hi, dano! i miss you so much. let's get together soon. over coffee or beer! hehehe. anyway, our batch is planning a galera trip on april 26-28. hope you can come with us! i've invited ieth too.=)
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