K-pop? Nah. B1A4? Yes, please.

I have never been on the k-pop bandwagon. Although I have some favorite Korean songs, most of them were from movie or drama soundtracks, e.g. Goong, The Classic, Sungkyunkwan Scandal. Through the years, I've only had two favorite singers, Kim Jeong-hoon and Lee Hong-ki, and never bothered to look for more.

One of the reasons may be because these k-pop groups are more of the louder autotuned hip hop or techno types, which are not really my genres. I'm also not a fan of celebrities who look and feel rehearsed. You could say that these are my impressions of k-pop and their idols in general.

Enter B1A4

B1A4 from left: Gongchan, Sandeul, Jinyoung, Baro, Shinwoo

Last month I watched Love in the Moonlight and got interested in one of the supporting actors. Usually when I watch a film, I check out the cast, and from the ones I liked, check some of their other works. This actor's name is Jinyoung, and he's a singer, a member of a group called B1A4. Because I wanted to hear how he sounded, went straight to YouTube, and voila!

Well, I was not really impressed. His voice was fine and unique, but a little high pitched, not exactly my taste. Then I checked out his group. The first one I saw was a dance practice video. I didn't know these existed in the k-pop world. These should have been available in the 80s and 90s so we didn't have to see just segments of the dance steps in music videos, but I digress.

First video I saw was called Lonely:



These were some of my thoughts while watching: crazy kids; nice song; love the choreography; that tall guy is the best dancer (his name, Shinwoo); what a nice-looking bunch!

Then I showed the video to my sister. After the song ended, she stayed on, although she was supposed to be doing laundry. So we picked another dance practice, this time Solo Day. The song quality was consistently good. It was something you can sing along and dance to. The dance steps looked so fun that I promised myself I would try to copy when nobody's around. It was nothing like the usual techno/hip hop k-pop music I hear, but something that was actually k-"pop".

When the dance ended there were more behind-the-scenes clips of the boys playing around. Then suddenly one of them belted out a song in what was an undeniably glorious voice that my sister and I exclaimed at the same time (see video clip below). Even in that short song, we could tell he was special. Wow!



To make the long story short, I became an instant B1A4 fan (or bana – I just can't with these bizarre k-pop terms). It's been a week and I cannot stop listening to their albums on spotify and watching videos about them. I was fortunate enough to have the house to myself one day. Two hours and two drenched shirts were spent trying to follow dance moves without much success. I had the worst pamaol (muscle aches) for the next two days.

Here are some things I learned about this group: 1) their leader Jinyoung (that actor I talked about) has been their main composer and producer since 2014; 2) Sandeul, the main vocalist, is a singing contest king; He is also currently considered by kpopvocalanalysis.net (2016 ranking) as the third best k-pop idol vocalist (read their very detailed vocal analysis of Sandeul); 3) WM, their agency, gives them freedom to do their own thing.

And here are some things I love about them:

Melody. Like I've always said from previous blog posts, for me melody is the first important thing in a song… and B1A4 makes good melodies. Their albums are really easy to listen to that non-k-pop fans might be able to appreciate. They do, however, have some electronic songs on their albums, but are calmer and more melodic than the usual. Then again the keyword is melody. Their strength lies in catchy tunes c/o the charismatic leader, and in ballads---because Sandeul!

Versatility. Aside from the cheerfully wholesome dance pop, pop/rock, and ballads, their songs have hints of other genres including acoustic, hip hop (c/o Baro, in-house rapper and beatboxer, and Shinwoo who also tries his hand at composing), reggae, funk/jazz and soft rnb/soul.

"Dili na sila maniguwang (They will never grow old)," said my father.

Personalities. I don't know how other groups are, but B1A4 look innocent, sweet and hilarious when they are together. They remind me of my favorite Taiwanese group, 5566, in that they never run out of things to laugh about. They make even the most ordinary things fun.

Playing before the radio show.

Although always playful, the boys are definitely very down-to-earth and natural, not trying to act cool or sexy. Professionally and personally, especially when they talk about life in general, they are very mature. They take work seriously and always think of ways to improve. They love their fans, respect their elders and each other. It's amazing how the other four look up to their leader, and how everyone looks after each other. They're like real brothers, which is enviable for a friendship.

Talent. Sandeul's voice. Jinyoung's composition. Baro's rap and beatboxing. Shinwoo's dance moves (Although after several viewings, I now find Sandeul to be almost as good and effortless as Shinwoo. While Shinwoo is more freestyle and grace, Sandeul is all about precision and poise. Gongchan, the youngest, is a close third.) Gongchan is said to be good at math! Lol I don't know what else to say except that Gongchan has his moments. Given more time and training, he could still develop his already beautiful soft tone and vibrato. Every one of them also pursue acting.

Below is a video of Sandeul in a duet singing contest:



Looks. Have you seen them? Probably the most good-looking k-pop idol group. And before I forget, they make beautiful music videos. (link to Youtube playlist of their MVs)

Alright I've finally written it all down. I felt the need to so I can move on with my life, ha! And my sister is getting tired of hearing Korean songs. But, they're just too adorable and highly underrated… so spread the love because they truly deserve more recognition.

I'm pretty late in the fandom, so I wish for them several more years of great music and good time together. I still want them to improve as singer-songwriters and mature as artists. Honestly, they should write an acapella song. That would be interesting.

MIKA

Mika helps design his album covers
with his illustrator sister.

Where was I in 2007? Why didn't I hear about this beautiful man and his music? The first time I remember seeing Mika was from a music video with Ariana Grande called Popular. However the video was too interesting that I didn't pay any attention to the song itself.

Two weeks ago I was having a Boyzone marathon on Youtube (including their ghost-hunting adventures in Edinburgh) and came across Gave It All Away again, one of their last with Stephen, and such a heartbreaking song. I looked up the album details in Wikipedia because I knew Boyzone didn't write their own music. That was when I saw Mika's name, one word. He wrote Gave It All Away. I got curious so then searched for his other works. And man was I glad to have done that albeit ten years late!

I have always been looking for artists who make happy-sad, upbeat, and inspirational songs that have great melodies. I'm a melody type of person; that's what first catches my attention. So these are basically what I like about Mika: his music, his falsetto voice is a welcome relief from all the screaming these days, his personal style, but most of all his personality.

Some compare him to Freddie Mercury...and it shows, musically, sometimes. (Although no one can compare.) Personally, he reminds me of Gary Cherone, lead singer of the band Extreme of More Than Words fame, who by the way made an excellent  performance of Queen's songs in the 1992 tribute concert for Freddie (Highly recommended if you're a big fan of Queen; YouTube is your friend.). But then it may just be the hair.

Here are some of Mika's more famous songs:



I listen to his full albums on Spotify and don't skip any songs. Why? Because Mika's music is like the sum of all things my generation listened to growing up. It sounds both familiar and new. Some of his musical influences can clearly be heard: from the Beatles, Queen, Michael Jackson, disco, to others reminiscent of 80s and 90s pop/rock. In fact there was one song that I was sure to be TLC. My brother also likened some songs to emo/punk of the early 2000s.



We have the same birth year! Lol I like finding gems my age.



Really, where have all the good guys (slash gays) gone? The music scene today has a shortage of superstars, like those really great ARTISTS we grew up listening to in the 80s and 90s. Honestly, for someone with Mika's talent, I don't understand why he's not more popular.

Mika is one of those rare composers who write about taboo topics, too. Storytelling is obviously one of his notable strengths. And if there is one thing more memorable than his melodies, it's the characters and experiences he tells you about.

(Bonus Boyzone Trivia: In that same album I mentioned earlier (Brother), Matt Hales a.k.a. Aqualung also wrote a song. Then Ollie Jacobs of Arkarna produced the one written by Mika. Both of these guys are favorites!)

Gangsta Issues

At Church today, the woman in front of me let her son play on her mobile while the priest was having his homily. The boy played with volume, so I told him to turn the volume down. I really, really, really don't like it when this happens. It makes me mad and sad at the same time. I can't count how many times I have reprimanded people, especially kids and teenagers who are playing with their mobile phones on masses.

So I sat back on my seat, then see the lady beside me texting! Riiiight...Was it okay I surrendered?

* * * * * *

Yesterday, I received an email from my American client. So she finally heard about the president, unfortunately she thought he was scary. So I wrote her an email, my first long one, to explain what's really happening here. It was my first defense of the president, and hopefully the last. It's getting harder by the day to defend him. I just wish he would stop talking.

She sent her reply this morning. She liked the long exchange and said it made her know me a little better. :)

* * * * * *

I love this rare photo of them laughing. Precious!

MUSIC. I had a 90s RnB and Hip hop September! I had on repeat music by Color Me Badd and Bone Thugs-n-Harmony. In fact I'm still under the BTNH spell, immersing myself with their life stories and music. There's this exhaustive, not to mention extremely long, article about BTNH's history called MACHETES DIPPED IN RUM: The Oral History of Bone Thugs-n-Harmony. It's so worth checking out! I also watched this documentary, TV One's Unsung on Bone Thugs-N-Harmony.

New York Undercover

Actually, the reason I got the BTNH bug was because of TV One's Unsung series, the Hollywood version. I saw this Unsung Hollywood episode about New York Undercover, the TV series I used to watch on ABC 5 (now TV 5 in the Philippines) mid-90s. I forgot how much I loved that show! Then, while I was browsing Unsung's other episodes, I found the feature on BTNH.

#TindogDavao

I was planning to post personal updates that Friday night. But then, at about 10:45 PM, I received a call from my sister. I don't have television, so I mostly rely on the internet for news. She wanted to confirm if the explosion was true, so I looked it up on FB. Apparently, this is where I get most of the news updates nowadays. The first things I saw were video clips from witnesses of people running away from something and then the aftermath. So it was true. The first reports included an exploding tank as a possibility, but the next day the ASG owned up to and later disowned it, saying an ally was behind the blast. I really hope the authorities get to the bottom of this.

All I can do now is say prayers for the victims and also pray for our leaders especially the president and his daughter. He is old and isn't getting much sleep while Sara is pregnant, and they still do what they do best and that is be with the people in times like these. May the Lord guide us all!

I'm currently listening to this song:


Buffalo Springfield - For What It's Worth
There's something happening here
what it is ain't exactly clear
there's a man with a gun over there
telling me i got to beware
i think it's time we stop, children,
what's that sound everybody look what's going down

There's battle lines being drawn
nobody's right if everybody's wrong
young people speaking their minds
getting so much resistance from behind
i think it's time we stop, hey,
what's that sound every body look what's going down

What a field-day for the heat
a thousand people in the street
singing songs and carrying signs
mostly say, hooray for our side
it's time we stop, hey, what's that sound
everybody look what's going down

Paranoia strikes deep
into your life it will creep
it starts when you're always afraid
you step out of line, the man come and take you away
we better stop, hey, what's that sound
everybody look what's going down
stop, hey, what's that sound
everybody look what's going down
stop, now, what's that sound
everybody look what's going down
stop, children, what's that sound
everybody look what's going down

Love is a burning thing

I have a new favorite actor. Last night I watched two period movies, both of which happened to star Matthias Schoenaerts. This man:

I realize he looks a bit like David Wenham, aka Faramir.

The first one's an adaptation of Thomas Hardy's Far from the Madding Crowd. As always, the English countryside looked stunning. The story, however, was obviously rushed (because you can't fit in everything from the book --- the usual reason). Though I haven't read the book, the essential parts were there. Now would I read it? I'm not quite sure as I haven't gotten over my first Hardy novel yet, though it was the lightest of his writings. I can't stand reading about fickle women. I'm talking about you, Fancy Day!




The second film was also based on a novel, written during World War II by Irène Némirovsky, a French writer of Jewish origin, who was arrested and died in Auschwitz. The notebook containing the novel was kept by Némirovsky's daughter, Denise, but was never read for thinking that it might be her journal, until 1998. Suite Française became a bestseller in 2004.

"If you want to see what people are truly made of, you start a war." ~says Ruth Wilson's character

Great Cast: Michelle Williams, Kristin Scott Thomas, Ruth Wilson, Sam Riley




Then today I found this song, which reminds me so much of what I saw last night. It's "Song for Zula" by Phosphorescent.

Some say love is a burning thing
That it makes a fiery ring
Oh but I know love as a fading thing
Just as fickle as a feather in a stream
See, honey, I saw love. You see, it came to me
It put its face up to my face so I could see
Yeah then I saw love disfigure me
Into something I am not recognizing

See, the cage, it called. I said, "Come on in"
I will not open myself up this way again
Nor lay my face to the soil, nor my teeth to the sand
I will not lay like this for days now upon end
You will not see me fall, nor see me struggle to stand
To be acknowledged by some touch from his gnarled hands
You see, the cage, it called. I said, "Come on in"
I will not open myself up this way again

You see, the moon is bright in that treetop night
I see the shadows that we cast in the cold, clean light
My feet are gold. My heart is white
And we race out on the desert plains all night
See, honey, I am not some broken thing
I do not lay here in the dark waiting for thee
No my heart is gold. My feet are light
And I am racing out on the desert plains all night

So some say love is a burning thing
That it makes a fiery ring
Oh but I know love as a caging thing
Just a killer come to call from some awful dream
O and all you folks, you come to see
You just stand there in the glass looking at me
But my heart is wild. And my bones are steam
And I could kill you with my bare hands if I was free

James Walsh - Man on the hill

This song was on my play list for the whole month of May. I just can't get enough, especially on my way to bed.


I've been a fan of James and his band Starsailor since college and I don't recall anyone who shared this admiration for their music. Only my siblings knew because they were forced to =). My cousin, every time he sees my tapes (yes, cassette tapes), never failed to ask what they were about. But it always ended there, and he never got to hear them. Starsailor is a huge influence and I never would have known wonderful music artists like Tim and Jeff Buckley, Gram Parsons and the Flying Burrito Brothers, Dion and Nick Drake if it weren't for them.

The song Man on the hill was first released as a free download on his website. That's how I got my copy. It's from James Walsh' first solo EP Live at the Top of the World.

Below is the first video I uploaded to youtube. It's from the Love is Here (Live) DVD. Though it's not my video, it wasn't removed by the rightful owners. Starsailor even posted it to their official Myspace account back in the day. This live performance is one of my favorites because it shows the singer's vocal range. By the way, I've never seen them live, but based on my videos and youtube, Starsailor is great live!

Mad about Madness

 Madness by Muse

I love this Muse-ic! It has elements of Queen's "I want to break free", electronic rock, and a beat anyone should dance to. The LXD could definitely rock this song.

Les Miserables

SM Cinema gave me a copy of this poster yey!

From the day it was first announced, I have been one of those who followed its developments. I was thrilled when these three got cast: Jackman, Hathaway and Redmayne. Finally a musical that was meant for them! I got pissed when Taylor Swift was once chosen for Eponine, but let's all forget that ever happened. Got excited & goosebumps when the trailer was released and impatient with its release date here. Then January 17 happened.

But let me tell you first what I know. I've read the novel way back in college for one humanities class and although I've forgotten a whole lot of details (it was unabridged), the main characters and different story lines are still fresh from memory. At that time, I also watched the 1998 movie, Liam Neeson's non-musical version. As for the musical I haven't seen, well, two words: Lea Salonga.

I hoped to watch the movie with my college classmates, whom I shared Les Mis classes with. But then I also wanted to go with my high school friend who happens to have a voice made for musical theater. Who do I choose? The first one who calls of course. My high school friend texted me Thursday morning. How could I refuse?

So on to the movie. As expected Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway were perfect. I was amazed they looked tired and older just like how anyone who carries a lot of burden would be. Sacha Baron Cohen was surprisingly good. I didn't know he had that voice in him. Helena Bonham-Carter on the other hand was her usual self. It felt like going through Sweeney Todd again. If that's any good or bad is for you to decide.

Samantha Barks as Eponine was sweet and fine (voice not nearly as good as...) though I wished she didn't smile too much. Amanda Seyfried's voice was not powerful enough, which I guess suits her role (but that note wow!). Her voice reminds me of the animated Snow White, a fragile damsel in distress. The third person in the love triangle, Eddie Redmayne as Marius, had a wonderful deep voice. But what's even better are them barricade men combined. I especially loved Aaron Tveit's doomed Enjolras and that young, clear and determined voice. And his performance, I wonder why he's not getting any more exposure. It was really good. I would gladly join him in his battle and...live.

Did I forget someone? Oh yes, Mr. Russell Crowe, who I first saw in The Quick & the Dead. I can only imagine what he would have done if it wasn't a musical. I really wish he did better, but it seemed singing occupied most of his brain that his acting felt distracted. You see, when I think of Javert I get Geoffrey Rush's annoyingly obsessive rule of law but also his conflicting conscience. Crowe should have been a little irritating because of his character not because of his unchanging expressions or of his singing. Speaking of his voice, it was not bad. It's also not a match. It's what I call bungol (deaf) like something you would hear from underwater.

For a novel that long, it is understandable when characters and details are left out. But it was extraordinary how this film (or the musical) managed to reduce the whole book in a comprehensive and complete form. Complete in a sense that all of the most important themes and characters I could remember where given enough time on screen...hmm except Sister Simplice, but we can assume she was that nun who nursed Fantine. It was very fast paced, yes. But my companion who hasn't read the book understood the story well. I need only mention some other details like what a wonderful priest the Bishop was, what happened to Valjean's business and things like that.

What surprised me though was Grantaire's reaction to Gavroche's death. I thought I missed that in the book, but no. Apparently, the creators of the musical took the liberty of adding this brotherly relationship and it was one heck of a moment to remember. Aside from that, my other favorite scenes were Valjean's "Bring him home", "Red and Black", "Empty chairs at empty tables" by Marius, and Javert awarding little Gavroche a medal.

I have complaints, too, on close-ups, focus and camera shake. I felt like I was watching through a 50mm lens. But let's not delve into that. The movie was exceptional. It was a timely piece on what history has to offer, brilliant young men & women always dying first before people make some changes and take action. It centered on the themes of conversion and forgiveness, remarkably embodied by Valjean through the help of one kind act by the Bishop. And in the end, it was the Bishop himself who welcomed him to His kingdom.

The Hobbit starts today

I wanted to review the book first before watching the movie, but someone borrowed it, promised to return in two weeks, and for some reason, the book still isn't here. So I'll just have to enjoy the movie then without being familiar with most of the dwarves. And today I am giving The Hobbit photos and links for you to enjoy!

First look at Bard and Legolas in the third(?) movie There and Back Again.
I'm still waiting for a still of Lee Pace as King Thranduil.

A featurette:

And finally a link to the end credits song for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey by Neil Finn, a founding member of the New Zealand band Crowded House. You can listen to the song at Rolling Stone's website.

Gary Cherone: Words & Music

I love it when rock stars go against the status quo.

Cherone

Eddie Vedder, lead singer of Pearl Jam and a personal favorite of mine because of his solo work, is a vocal pro-choice activist. He had this to say about abortion:

"I feel like I know every angle of this issue," said Eddie Vedder. "I know the adoption angle; I know what it's like to be fifteen and be in a situation and have to make a decision. Terminating pregnancy is not an easy thing." —Eddie Vedder, Rolling Stone 11/12/98 #799

I'm a fan of his music, but that's about it. And since I'm not very good with words, it is a great relief that another man of the rock world took a different stand. Gary Cherone, lead singer of the band Extreme of More Than Words fame, wrote two open letters to Vedder. This one below is a reply to Vedder's quote above:

What About the 98.6 Degree Angle?

Another Letter to Eddie Vedder

by Gary Cherone
 
The vast majority of people who support abortion
take that position with the firm conviction
that life does not begin at conception
That being said...

If one personally felt "terminating pregnancy is not an easy thing"
but was the right of the individual to make that "decision"

Is the life within the mother's womb a human person?

If the answer is no, it is not a human person
Why would one feel it "is not an easy thing" to do?

If the answer is yes, it is a human person
Why would one advocate "terminating" it?

If the answer is I don't know, if it is, or isn't a human person
How many more "decision(s)"
would one make in an uncertain "situation"?

If the unborn is not a human person
No justification for abortion is necessary
However...
If the unborn is a human person
No justification for abortion is adequate.

Nearly all arguments for abortion
are based on the faulty premise
that the unborn are not fully human.

Respectfully,
Gary Cherone
(1/22/2001)

 ***

The first open letter also in full below. I really like the way it's written, its rhythm and words, much like good music.

An Open Letter to Eddie Vedder

When is a woman not a woman?

Therein lies the only clear refutation of a woman’s rights.
A woman’s rights —
seems a mere tautology, a redundant catch phrase.
Are not rights self evident?
Intrinsic assumptions of the inalienable?
So, when is a woman not a woman,
a right not a right?

When she doesn’t exist.

When does a woman become a woman?

Is it when
her first ballot has been cast?
Or when
she graduates from her class?

Is it when
she makes a wish on her sweet sixteenth?
Would I be amiss if it were her first kiss?

Is it when
she’s diagnosed by the boy next door?
Or as ambiguous as the cutting of the cord?

Is it the time
it takes to travel the distance through the canal?
Or when
she’s kicking and becomes viable?

Is it when
her sex is discovered by a sonogram?
Or after eight weeks when
the changes in her body will be mainly in dimension?

Is it when
her brain waves are detected after 40 days?
Or is it around three weeks when
her primitive heart beats?

Can there be only one true line of demarcation?
One finite measurable point in time that differentiates
life from non-life?
Womanhood from non-womanhood?
Rights from no right?

Is it the moment of conception —
that point when all of the above is set in motion?
That precise moment when
"a separate human individual, with her own genetic code,
needing only food, water, and oxygen, comes into existence"?

Indeed,
It is at that point,
"like the infant, the child, the adolescent,
that the conceptus is a being who is becoming,
not a becoming striving toward being.

She is not a potential life,
she is a life with great potential".
She is not the mother,
she is an other —
a somebody other than the mother.

A woman,
however beautiful, however complex when fully grown,
begins life as a single cell, a zygote —
that stage in human development through which we all pass.
She fulfills "the four criteria necessary to all life —
metabolism, growth, reaction to stimuli, and reproduction.
Her genetic makeup is established at conception,
determining to a great extent
her own individual, physical characteristics":
her eyes, her hair, her skin color, bone structure, her gender.

So let us not be confused,
"she did not come from a zygote — she once was a zygote.
She did not come from an embryo, she once was an embryo.
She did not come from a fetus, she once was a fetus".
She did not come from a little girl — she once was a little girl.

When is a woman not a woman?
The answer is absolute, non-negotiable.
To argue against would be to ignore the innate,
the fact of the matter.
The answer can never be a matter of opinion or choice.
This is not a metaphysical contention.
This is biology 101.
The answer is scientifically self-evident —
as inherent as the inalienable.

Therefore,
the ability to pursue happiness
is contingent upon liberty —
her liberty,
and her freedom is solely dependent upon
the mother of all human rights...

the right of life.

Respectfully,
Gary Cherone
(June 1999)

***

All of this is a result of listening to Extreme's music for a whole week!

Credits to Libertarians for Life and Rock for Life.

Music for Films

My entry for a re-imagined CD cover for Brian Eno's Music for Films, a 1978 album consisting of 18 short instrumental tracks. Didn't win, but I loved the winning entries especially Arya Bakhsheshi's. Well-deserved! Below is the simply perfect original cover.

Michael Province and the gang

I just love this kid! Ever since I saw him in the 3-part series The World's Greatest Musical Prodigies (although it only included 3 countries), along with composer Alex Prior, little pianist Zhang Xiaoming, violinist Simone Porter and cellist Nathan Chan who all seemed professional for their age, I've started looking for classical music, something I've always been deficient in.

Some of the kids Alex chose were not the best based on the auditions. Aristo was the better pianist and his improvisations were very impressive. But like Alex, I was drawn to Zhang Xiaoming. The program was an inspiring one nonetheless.

Porter, Province and Chan performing in Singapore. photo by D. Province

with Julia Abueva of the Philippines/Singapore.

Once

Last night I was in music video heaven. Finally, I've seen the movie Once. After that, however, I couldn't sleep until about 3AM. The title is about how we always wait for the perfect moment before doing something we want, how we wait for the right time. "Once" we have this, "once" we get that. But when is the right time? So last night, while waiting for sleep to take over, I wrote some unfinished poems and melodies --- about Tom the retarded moon man (The Stand), and straight lines (sounds ridiculous ^^) --- which I still hope to complete.

I've read another trivia about originally casting Cillian Murphy to play the Guy. That must mean he can sing, right? And he can! I wonder what he would have done for the character. But from what I've seen, the movie made you focus on the characters, their story, and the music. Cillian Murphy might have partly added a distraction. My father said it would be hard to make him look rugged and disheveled.

One more thing. Look what I found:

That's Sitting Bull in Oirland!

Rediscovering Arkarna

My brother and I have been having Arkarna on replay the past months. While we were both fans of the 90s hit So little time, we really didn't know any other song from them aside from Life is free. But last year I stumbled on their youtube video for Rehab and haven't looked back since. I really thought they were alternative rock, but I was bombarded with a lot of electronic tracks, which I don't remember liking, but not this one.

This is my favorite track from The Family Album:

Insomnia

sorry this is the only video I could find

Really nice review here: Arkarna - Fresh Meat (1997) Album Review

Human Nature - People Get Ready

Human Nature: one of the best boybands of the 90s! =)

People get ready
There's a train a-coming
You don't need no baggage
Just a-get on board
All you need is faith
To hear the diesel hummin'
You don't need no ticket no no
Just thank the Lord
People get ready
For the train to Jordan
It's picking up passengers
From coast to coast
Faith is the key
Open the doors and board on
There's room for all
Amongst who love the most

And here they are live:

Have a blessed Sunday!

Jamie Libera

This is me making fun of my sister and her obsession with anything choral. =p

Her name's Jamie and she was part of the University of Mindanao Chorale when it won the NAMCYA 2009 competition. Anyone here sings in the shower? I do and I sing songs with lyrics. My sister does, too, but you'll only hear ooohs and aaahs from her.

This idea came while we were sorting through CDs in a store. We got hold of Libera's Christmas album and I started making fun of her, telling that I could make her an album cover. But in all fairness, she was very game.

Music: Ryan McAllister

To celebrate Christmas, I am sharing Ryan McAllister's music. He's just released a Christmas single called "My name is Blitzen" which can be downloaded for free.

Ryan McAllister is a Canadian musician who was the lead singer of the band Dakona. I loved their song "Good" that's why when I found out they split I still followed his music. There are other free singles on his website and Bandcamp page so you can check him out. In the meantime, here's my favorite song:

Merry Christmas!

Life Everlasting

When the longest of rest only makes you more weary
When the Brightest of suns only makes you feel cold
When the blackest of nights comes in to surround you
There will be a light and you got to grab hold

There’s a place in the life everlasting
Where the Father will sit by the side of the Son
And after this desert has dried up the water
The river will flow and the river will run

When the song that you sing feels worn out and tired
When the baby that’s born already feels old
When the blackest of nights comes in to surround you
There will be a light and you got to grab hold

There’s a place in the life everlasting
Where the Father will sit by the side of the Son
And after this desert has dried up the water
The river will flow and the river will run

Until the moon turns red
Until the kingdom comes
Until justice shines it’s light over everyone
Until it all goes right in a world gone wrong
You got to hold on

There’s a place in the life everlasting
Where the Father will sit by the side of the Son
And after this desert has dried up the water
The river will flow and the river will run

I know you’re tired cause you’ve come so far
Still you’ve got a long way
You’ve got a long way to go

© Ryan McAllister

All the wild horses

Watercolor is hard and my handwriting is a mess. I tried using the dip pen for the lyrics of Ray Lamontagne's song All the wild horses, but the ink started to blot. I guess it had something to do with the paper being wet before.


But thank goodness for image editors I can erase the text. The second image is an edited version with the full lyrics of the song.
My father says the horse is fat. =) I'm not very good with shading that's why it looks like he doesn't have any muscles.

listen to the song

Dreaming with Allo Darlin' & Monster Bobby

This song always makes me smile :)



If you've followed Weirdsister College, the sequel to Worst Witch, you might recognize Monster Bobby as the actor who played Nick Hobbs.

again :)

Rainy Days and Nick Drake

It's been raining again for quite some time. The skies are gray and the air is cold. You know what completes days like these? Nick Drake. Especially since I'm by myself at home.

I first heard (or read) of Nick Drake the day Heath Ledger died (may he rest in peace). That was three years ago. Heath wanted to make a documentary about him. Maybe I listened to some of his songs, I can't remember. I was not paying attention. But I was definitely struck by how young he died. Yet I moved on.

Then last August came. It was my own folk festival. I discovered and rediscovered music artists: from Ray Lamontagne, Damien Rice, to newer ones Fleet Foxes and Joshua Radin. And an independent artist, whose name I forgot, pointed me to Nick Drake again. This indie artist mentioned Nick as one of his two influences. I remember thinking that his name sounded familiar. When I checked him on wikipedia, I was very sure I've seen him before.

This time I listened, really listened. It was the kind of attention a lot of great and unheard of musicians need. And he stayed in my playlist at work for weeks. I later found out about the AT&T commercial. In a way, his music helped me through an otherwise uninspiring job.

After a month, I had a Mojo magazine with him on the cover and a dream to take photos like Keith Morris did. And this blog eventually resurrected.

Most of his fans might have the album Bryter Layter as favorite. It was mine, too, for a while. But Pink Moon grew on me. It was raw and melancholic, like his own soul was exposed. Melancholy is not necessarily sad. Nick's lyrics might be depressing, but his songs are uplifting. "Depressingly uplifting" may well describe his music that when I listen to them, I come back to myself. When I hear them, I am home.