August Rush (Movie Review: 3 out of 5)

You don't have to be a music lover to enjoy this movie. However, you must be prepared to accept all the freaky coincidences and odd circumstances that play around the main protagonist of the film.

The hero (August Rush, aka Evan Taylor) is an orphan who is driven to find his birth parents. He's a music prodigy who has the "gift of listening to the world". Thanks to this gift, he is reunited with his family at the end.

It's a modern day fairy tale of sorts -- we have a young boy who gets thrown into a cruel/nasty world (aka New York City). But thanks to his musical talent, he meets people (like a character named "Wizard") who either helped or exploited him along the way. But August stays true to himself and his dream does come true.

Jen loved the film while I found it just okay. It's a feel good movie with a nice soundtrack, but there are better "feel good" movies out there. The only point that I found interesting were the movie's attempt to portray the "underground society" of New York through the eyes of children. We see the flaws and the issues of the child welfare system and how many runaway kids get used and exploited off the streets. August was lucky that he had the magical talent to get himself out of the gutter. I pity the other kids who got left behind.

Best Songs of 2007

Here's my top ten list of best songs of 2007. Last year was a great time for music, and if the pattern continues, it looks like 2008 will also be good for music fans.

Here's some interesting observations from the song list. Nine out of the ten songs had lead female vocals (Hugh Grant being the exception, and he's not even a genuine recording artist). There was only one American song in the top ten (the one by Rihanna). And four out of the ten were either remakes or heavily influenced by an older song.

You can also check out my previous 2006 and 2005 lists. Happy listening!

10. Pop! Goes My Heart - Hugh Grant

When the movie 'Music and Lyrics' opened with Hugh Grant in full 80's look performing the music video to this song, I knew I would like the rest of the film. It's a song that is made to match the look and feel of that era. And parodies a lot of the old 80's music video style.

9. Girlfriend - Avril Lavigne

Surprisingly catchy and infectious. Angst-ridden, yet at the same time having a lot of positive self-affirmations. My favorite part is the short rap solo and the line where she sings "Hell yeah, I'm the motherf___ princess".

8. Don't Save Me - Marit Larsen

I have endured my fair share of ridicule and mockery from friends after admitting that I was a big M2M fan. And Marit, the blonde girl, was always my favorite of the two. So when I heard that she had released her first solo album, I was eager to check out the new songs. This is the first single from the album and was a huge hit in her native Norway. It has a lot of the M2M qualities we like, but in Marit's personal style. You can interpret the lyrics as being about the split with her M2M partner and best friend Marion Raven.

7. Shut Up and Drive - Rihanna

This is a guilty pleasure of mine. Rihanna samples New Order's Blue Monday bass and rhythm parts to create a hit song. I love it when new artists take sequences from 80's songs and adapt it to today's pop music. Most of the time, they end up ruining the old songs, but Rihanna actually does it well, duplicating the successful formula she used previously in SOS (which sampled Soft Cell's Tainted Love). Shut Up and Drive is a fast paced, energy-driven song. Rihanna's attractive physical assets displayed in the music video certainly helps enhance the appeal of the music.

6. Only a Fool - Marit Larsen

I really like Marit's voice in this one. And she does a lot of unconventional things in this song, such as the use of an instrument/sound effect that sounds like a whistle, as well as adding a banjo and harmonica to the list of instruments. This sounds very much like a children's song combined with many bluegrass and country elements. Cute and good song.

5. Everything's Just Wonderful - Lily Allen

This is a song that speaks to the thirty-something batch with which I belong to. We are faced with enormous pressure to be more responsible, get a good paying job, pay for the mortgage, stay thin, be a good taxpaying citizen, stay within the norms of society and play the same game that everyone plays. Then when asked by our friends and relatives "How's everything going?", we reply "Oh, everything's just wonderful" with only a hint of sarcasm and bitterness. And that's what this song is all about.

4. Selfish - Sunset Daze

The original 'Selfish' by The Other Two was my top song back in 1994, when I used to share yearender lists with fellow dangerousreviewer Roehl and other friends. So I was very excited to discover this remake. I only found it by accident from one of the mix collection CDs I bought early this year in my goal of updating myself with the popular songs I had missed from the Philippines the past three years.

The added background vocal blending is a great enhancement to the original. It's also good to know that some of the younger people hearing this song for the first time will also rediscover the original version by The Other Two. It's a tribute to good 90's music. It also symbolizes to me my own reconnection to family and friends I haven't seen in several years.

3. I Didn't Know I was Looking for Love - Sitti

You're probably familiar with the EBTG (Everything But the Girl) version of this song, which is one of my favorites. But after hearing Sitti's bossa nova version, I think I'm starting to like it more than the original! I was with my brother and mother at Rockwell Mall when I first heard this playing in the background. I immediately asked my brother if he knew who the singer was. He didn't know, but he mentioned that bossa nova music was getting really popular in the Philippines and that it probably came from one of those new artists specializing in that genre, in this case, Sitti.

Of all the songs in the list, I feel this is the one with the most staying power and could easily have been my #1 pick as I'm still not tired of listening to it. The music and vocals have a relaxed yet playful style to it. This is how you remake a song, you take its essential qualities, and add your unique spin on it. Looking forward to more Sitti releases.

2. Oh My God - Mark Ronson/Lily Allen

Get ready for a real treat if you haven't listened to this yet. This is an overpowering, high energy song featuring Lily Allen's singing and Mark Ronson's musical arrangement. I was amazed when I first heard this, it has almost everything I want in a song. It builds up to a point where you almost feel that it's going out of control, then recomposes itself before the dramatic trumpet solo. I listened to it repeatedly last summer while working out and taking long walks in the hot sun.

It's a remake (and improvement) of the original Kaiser Chief song of the same name. Definitely check out the other tracks in the Mark Ronson album if you're a fan of song remixes.

1. Single - Natasha Bedingfield

This is hands-down the best song of the year. 'Single' has powerful vocals, one of the best bass lines produced in a song, fantastic lyrics, and an extremely addictive quality. The song is about proclaiming your independence, not only in terms of relationships, but also with regards to your individual liberation from the norms of society. Without question, 'Single' is the top single of 2007.

Best Songs of 2006

Here are my picks for best songs of last year, 2006. I've only got five that are memorable, because it was kind of a sparse year for good music. This is a year late, but I wanted to post this before I finalize my top song picks for this year. You can also check out my 2005 song list.

5. Wind It Up - Barenaked Ladies

While I was underwhelmed with their latest CD 'Barenaked Ladies are Me', I did enjoy the last song in the album 'Wind It Up'. The video is good too - a funny and oddly inspiring story about a rock star making a comeback in the national air guitar tournament.

4. Fidelity - Regina Spektor

Here's a nice feel-good song with catchy vocals and melody. It's memorable because I first saw the video in the middle of the night when I couldn't sleep, and thought it was fantastic. A couple of weeks later, I heard it again while browsing in a bookstore and it just had a good mood to it.

3. Unwritten - Natasha Bedingfield

One of the most played songs on radio for the year. This is a great motivational song - especially with the excellent lyrics combined with Natasha Bedingfield's powerful voice. My favorite part is when the gospel choir sings along in the chorus. It's about deciding and writing your own future and enjoying the present moment.

2. SOS - Rihanna

When I first heard this on the radio, I immediately noticed the Soft Cell 'Tainted Love' background loop, but on a new song. Who is this Rihanna and why is she stealing from Soft Cell? I was determined not to like this new song, but after repeated listens I had to admit that it was growing on me and I was starting to like Rihanna's new spin on an 80's new wave sampling track. After a couple of months, I was hooked. It's also good workout music.

1. O Valencia - The Decemberists

It was on a dark and cold November night that I saw The Decemberists play this song on Letterman. The music and singing struck me as something very unique, and the lyrics were romantic and tragic in an epic sort of way. It transported me momentarily to a different time and place - where true love exists and lingering feuds are settled the old fashioned way. O Valencia had that magical, innocent aspect to it, which you don't see much of these days. And this is why it's my top song of the year.

Marit Larsen - Under the Surface

This is Marit Larsen's solo debut album. You may remember her as the blonde girl from M2M. I've gotten my fair share of ridicule in the past for being an M2M fan, but what can I do, they make good music.

At the young age of 24, with this album, Marit has established herself as a certified pop star with an extraordinary ability as a composer. The songs have catchy melodies, witty lyrics, and that x-factor that differentiates it from what you usually hear on the radio. You'll find yourself thinking how unique and refreshing each song is to listen to.

The individual tracks focus on a specific feeling and make a point. It's a combination of pop, country, folk and have a little bit of that M2M feel. It's clear to see that among the two M2M girls, Marit is the better composer and musician. She avoids the formulaic top 40 radio style by cleverly incorporating whistles, harmonica, claps and other cool sounds in her songs.

'Only a Fool' is my favorite song in the CD. It's the one making heavy use of the harmonica, hand claps, and whistles, and is a hybrid pop/folk song with country-style lyrics. Without listening to lyrics, you'll think it's a happy feel-good song, but listen clearly to the words, it's actually a sad and angry song.

"Don't Save Me" is the most commercial-friendly hit, staying number one in the Norwegian radio charts for several weeks. This comes closest to the traditional M2M sound only with a bit more edge. It's a angst-filled angry song disguised as a happy one. I like it because of its undertones on the M2M breakup. If you think about it, it seems to be directed towards her former M2M partner and best friend Marion Raven, who first went solo after getting a million dollar recording contract leaving Marit behind. I imagine this to be her feelings regarding the breakup.

'Under the Surface' is a haunting ballad with a slow Broadway-like melody. At first it sounds like your traditional boring love song. But there's a twist - she suspects her partner still holds feelings for someone from his past. And this thought dominates the rest of the song and she ends up sounding more desperate and obsessive with this realization. This may be the deepest and scariest song in the album.



Overall, this is a beautifully made CD filled with future classics from a rising star. You need to check this out.

Rating: 4/5 * * * *
From the better half of M2M

Barenaked Ladies - Barenaked Ladies Are Me

(Update: OK, maybe I was too hard on this CD. Been listening to it again, 'Wind it Up' sounds better and better the more you listen to it. It has that edge, especially after reading the lyrics and watching the video. Wind it Up will end up as one of this year's best songs. -rob)


Also known as BLAM, 'Barenaked Ladies Are Me' is BNL's latest release. Now I had extremely high expectations with this one, as I do with all new Barenaked Ladies albums. These guys write some of the most creative, kickass songs I've ever heard. And I could always relate past significant events and emotions with some Barenaked Ladies or CAKE song. I was expecting to be blown away with this one, like all their past albums.

Alas, it didn't happen. I went through it once, thought it sounded nice, but nothing really remarkable, then stashed it away. Waited a few weeks, then listened to it again thinking I might have some new insight to the songs that didn't occur to me before (as was the case with their album 'Maroon'). Still no change, it was just an unremarkable album, nothing special.

I'm not discounting the fact that a year or two from now, I'll pick it up again and "get it". But I don't expect that to happen. Here's why, this CD seems to lack a certain edginess, that punch, that intensity that was present in their previous work. I'm guessing the band has matured to the point where things are good, everyone is content, life is comfortable, and it reflects in their music. There's still a bit of that quirky lyrics and hidden meanings, but much less than before.

Another possible reason for easy-going nature of this album is that the band is now producing their own work. So they have full creative control over the music process. This can be good or bad depending on how it goes. It's good because we get to hear the original unblemished songs that the band intended us to listen to. But it can also be a disadvantage because you lack that creative input from the record label that has a feel of what sells and what doesn't. I'm not usually a fan of the record industry, as evidenced by all the flat, prefabricated music being played today on the radio. But there is probably some positive effect with having some constructive feedback from the label on what works and what doesn't. With BLAM, the band has all grown up and is learning to be on its own without adult supervision.

Due to this, I'm confident that the Ladies will learn from their mistakes and create a more meaningful, intense batch of songs the next time around. This was just a rare off-day.

We also learned here that Steven Page and Ed Robertson, the two frontmen are still the best songwriters and singers. The CD features a couple of other songs written and sometimes sung by Jim Creeggan (bass guy) and Kevin Hearn (keyboards, multi-instrument guy). Not that their songs were bad, I guess they were ok, just not my type. And maybe an acquired folk taste is necessary to appreciate them.

Two songs are passably good here: 'Bank Job', a song about a botched bank robbery, and my personal favorite 'Wind It Up', a country-type song with its catchy "wind it up" chorus. The rest aren't particularly memorable. Don't get me wrong, it's still better than most of the music out there, but I expect more from one of my all-time favorite bands, Barenaked Ladies.

Rating: 2/5 * *
A little uninspired, lacks emotion.

Leigh Nash - Blue on Blue

After the news several years ago of the break up of Sixpence None the Richer, my fantasy scenario has been a Leigh Nash solo album. And that's exactly what we get with Blue on Blue, her first solo work. Fantasies do come true.

I'll get straight to the point. I'm a bit disappointed with the songs. They are good, no doubt about it, her wonderful voice is prominently displayed. The music is clean and thoughtfully engineered with clean instruments and sweet ballads. But it lacks something. Instantly after listening to the CD several times, I knew that it wasn't up to par with the previous Sixpence None the Richer songs. They lack the edge, the punch, the subtle religious angst that were present in Sixpence. They were too sweet, too radio-friendly, took too little chances. They came across more like traditional love songs and lullabies.

I think part of the reason was that Ms. Nash just gave birth and was focused on raising a family during the recording of this album, and thus lost some of that musical edge. Now some of you are probably thinking that the old Sixpence songs aren't really known for angst and anger, and you're probably right because their more popular hits 'Kiss Me' and 'There She Goes' were kind of laid-back and sweet sounding. It is their other lesser known hits that had that element of bitterness and hint of anxiety that made me appreciate the band. To get an idea what I mean, check out their songs Angel Tread, as well as 'Paralyzed' from their Divine Discontent album. There was always that hint of religious rebellion and spark from Leigh Nash that made her so attractive.

I count two good songs here: 'Ocean Size Love' has some of her best singing and a couple of great parts. Another good one, and my favorite track of the album is 'Cloud Nine' where they speed up the tempo and show a bit of a killer instinct, like the old Sixpence style. The first three songs are pleasant-sounding and meant to match a certain mood that I couldn't fully relate while listening to them. The rest are average ballads that she carries well with her voice.

So I'm a bit let down, but that's ok, because this solo album was a first good step. And she has some other good stuff coming up which I'll write about as soon as I get my hands on them. If you want a preview of future Leigh Nash music, check out her website and myspace page (love her versions of those Christmas songs). And if you haven't seen the video of Breathe Your Name yet, you're in for a treat. It's one of my favorite videos of all time.

Rating: 3/5 * * *
Too sweet, lacks the Christian angst.

Great Musical Experiences

Ever listened to music and felt a tremendous surge of inspiration - when the music took a greater meaning and had a life of its own? You were transported to this wonderful place where the individual sounds and lyrics brought a personal surreal experience. Here are some of my favorite musical experiences of all time to the best of my memory, arranged in chronological order.

CAKE/Juliana Hatfield - Rock n' Roll Lifestyle, Universal Heart-Beat

Rock n' Roll Lifestyle was the first CAKE song I heard. I remember thinking it had a very unique, honest feel to it. In the first place, there was more talking than singing, and some chorus chants in the background. Great lyrics too such as: "And how long will the workers keep building him new ones… (chant) as long as you're drinking those red white and blue ones." I felt I was entering a new undiscovered musical era.

There was this other song that was a minor hit on the same station that played Rock n' Roll Lifestyle. It was Juliana Hatfield's Universal Heart-Beat, which had equally disturbing lyrics: "Beauty can be sad. You're proof of that. When the damage is done, you're damaged goods." Combined with extending a single syllable "heart" to fill in an entire verse. I kept thinking of these two songs for the duration of 1995, which coincided with the first time I was out of school. There was just something cool about both songs.


Lizards Convention - Wooden Heart, Rock the Boat

A short time after, this small Singaporean band composed of teenagers had a minor hit across southeast asia - Wooden Heart, a remake of the Elvis Presley song. I was also pleasantly surprised to hear that their other song 'Rock the Boat' (also a remake) was as good or even better than their radio hit Wooden Heart. What made this a great listening experience was that it brings back memories of the time I spent playing basketball with co-dangerous review roehl and a bunch of fun guys. We also started having cable at home where I could watch and enjoy WWF wrestling. And see my favorite tag teams The Body Donnas and The Quebecers, in action.


Barenaked Ladies - Stunt: One Week, It's All Been Done, Call and Answer, Alcohol

I remember seeing the music video of the Barenaked Ladies singles One Week and It's All Been Done. At first I was amazed at the versatility of the band. For instance, it had two lead singers, Steven Page and Ed Robertson. They could rap in One Week, and belt out a corny old fashioned song in It's All Been Done, complete with hand claps, and whoo hoo hoo's. I got their CD of course, which opened up an entirely new musical experience. I remember listening to their song Alcohol and thinking "now that's a song I can relate to".

New Radicals/Jennifer Paige - You Get What You Give, Technicolor Lover, Crush, Sober

The year was 1999, a particularly carefree and prosperous time. We didn't worry about terrorism, or global warming, or nuclear weapons… just this little thing called Y2K that could result in worldwide destruction but could be fixed in software. The year also was the source of one of the best surreal listening experiences I had, courtesy of the (now disbanded) New Radicals and Jennifer Paige. Their songs epitomized the emotions of that era.

You Get What You Give has a nice uplifting, yet slightly rebellious message. Technicolor Lover - the unreleased song is a guilty pleasure of mine, as well as Paige's Crush, which I felt was overplayed, yet still retained its fresh quality. Sober could probably be one of the most underrated songs ever made, and the best music video ever made.

Barenaked Ladies - Maroon: Conventioneers, Sell Sell Sell, Baby Seat

When I first heard Maroon, Barenaked Ladies' follow up to Stunt, I was disappointed. It didn't have the catchy stuff that their previous album had. So I gave it one or two listens, and promptly stashed the CD. Only to uncover it several years later. That's when I "got it". And it's now my most favorite BNL album so far. To really appreciate it, you have to listen closely to the lyrics. I love the song 'Sell Sell Sell' because it's so over the top, in a ridiculously exaggerated way, describing in vivid detail the whole situation of the song.

CAKECAST - CAKE Finally Does Europe

This was a fantastic listening experience! Probably the best, most surreal listening I've had so far. Here's what happened. CAKE was supposed to go to Europe for a couple of live concerts. Then 9/11 hit, and their whole Europe tour dates were canceled. So to fix this, they played a live concert freely available via yahoo on the internet.

By this time, it had been more than five years since I first heard Rock n' Roll Lifestyle. And I had forgotten about CAKE. But I gave this a try, and the floodgates opened. I loved the songs. I loved how honest and sarcastic John Mccrea could be in the webcast. And of course I heard all the songs released by the band that I've missed all this years. I remember listening to the webcast from the office late at night, then coming home close to 12 midnight, feeling all pumped up.

Suzanne Vega - Caramel, World Before Columbus, Thin Man, Stockings

I only remembered Suzanne Vega from her hits Tom's Diner and Luka. They were ok songs, but nothing really remarkable about them. That changed completely after I listened to her Retrospective - Best of Suzanne Vega collection, along with the Nine Objects of Desire CD. I didn't realize that such rich songs with great lyrics, some of them dark, some of them amusing, existed. Although this particular set from Nine Objects reminds me of a sad, empty time in my life, I still love these songs for the imagery they give.

David Benoit/Smash Mouth - Then the Morning Comes

How can the same song sound so different, yet so good in both its instrumental (Benoit) and singing (Smash Mouth) forms? And for some reason, I felt like I could totally relate to Smash Mouth's lyrics, as if it was a wake up call to get up and make a comeback from obscurity.

Barenaked Ladies - Gordon: Hello City, Box Set

Ironically, the first Barenaked Ladies CD released was the last one I bought. This completes my BNL collection. To my surprise, I had another enjoyable time listening to this one, in particular the two songs Hello City and Box Set. Hello City is actually a hate song directed towards a particular city that the band performed in which they weren't treated well. Amusing because it sounds 'feel-good', yet filled with sarcasm. And my favorite song in this one is Box Set which describes how the band will eventually fade into obscurity. They tell the story of how they will release their complete collection on a single box set. The lyrics mention "Disc one it's where we begun, it's all our greatest hits" which is kind of self-fulfilling as BNL released their greatest hits CD with the title: "Disc One - all our greatest hits".

Frente - Horrible, Jungle

I remember many days of driving in the rain and darkness during the rainy season listening to Frente. First of all, Angie Hart has probably the most attractive female vocals in history. Second, these are excellent 60's-style songs, but made with an edge to it. The songs are all about depression, self-hate, jealousy, low self-esteem, only sung in Angie Hart's angelic voice. Is this good or what?

Barenaked Ladies/Frente - Footprints, Let the Sunshine In

Footprints came from Barenaked Ladies' first Christmas CD. Only a few songs were good, but I felt that Footprints stood out. There are several interpretations to the song, but I prefer my own interpretation that it is a song about a stalker in Christmas time. That thought alone qualifies the listening as a surreal experience in my book. It was during this time that I played Frente's 'Let the Sunshine In' repeatedly. Even though it had nothing to do with Christmas, it felt like a Christmas song.

Suzanne Vega - Knight Moves

Listening to this song puts me in another world and sends chills across my skin. It's a very honest song, one in which many thoughts are jumbled up. There is pleading, negotiating, reasoning out, and a lot of random ideas blurted out. Suzanne Vega described it as coming from many of the conversations she had with friends and acquaintances in the city.

Tears For Fears - Call Me Mellow, Everybody Loves a Happy Ending

Tears for Fears makes a triumphant comeback! I was instantly blown away with their single Call Me Melow. It felt Beatle-esque, yet unique, with booming vocals and a rich array of instruments to back up Orzabal's voice. The song Everybody Loves a Happy Ending will take over your thoughts and inspire you to do greater things than you thought you could accomplish. OK maybe I'm overselling the song a bit, but check out these lyrics: "Wake up you're on your own agenda. Give up the great pretender. With baby eyes of green. Wake up you're holding on to nothing. You know you're only bluffing. As dead as autumn leaves."

What bothered me was that none of the singles amounted to a radio hit in the US. These were fantastic, one of a kind songs, yet were largely ignored. This was when I realized that no longer were the Top 40 hits on radio a reliable measure of good music. I had to search and find on my own the music I really liked. A new era in what was once popular music.

CAKE - Pressure Chief: No Phone, Carbon Monoxide, Tougher Than it is, Guitar Man

This was the highlight of 2004 for me. Strange that a music CD would be a highlight, but it was. I had super-high expectations for CAKE's Pressure Chief, being four years since their last album and the CAKECAST. And to my amazement it even exceeded my expectations.

Two factors made this a great listening experience. I was out of town for a whole week for work, leaving the day the CD had arrived. I rushed to get in a couple of listens before taking off. It was also a particularly stressful week out, making coming back to Pressure Chief much more enjoyable. Another factor was seeing CAKE live in concert a week or so after the CD was out. I didn't realize there was that many CAKE fans who knew and loved the lyrics and songs that were a part of me. This made it more special. All in all, this ranks up there with CAKECAST.

Minnie Driver/New Order/Weezer - Complicated Man, Krafty, Beverly Hills

Last year was kind of a boring year, but a couple of underrated artists more than made up for it with their unique brand of music. I was excited to hear Krafty by New Order. It was like the 80's new wave tune reinvented for modern times. Again, I was disappointed that it didn't become a hit on radio. Beverly Hills by Weezer did become a minor hit, and had that good loser lyrics and catchy tune. Finally, the surprise was Minnie Driver (yes, the actress) performing this bonus single on Carson Daly called 'Complicated Man'. Wow, what a song. I'm still not tired of listening to this threesome of unique 2005 songs up to now.

Now you know the greatest musical experiences I've had so far. To save on space, I neglected to mention a few that were equally memorable. Maybe I'll write about them next time.

What Not to Miss

We're more than halfway through this year and I'm a bit worried. Why? Because so far I have yet to hear a truly great and memorable song for 2006. If this trend continues I won't have a 'top 5' song list at the end of the year. We had a couple of great new songs released last year, but this year seems pretty barren.

I've also read only a handful of books, so I've got to catch up in order to have enough to make a 'best books of the year' list. This is my fault as I've been preoccupied with some urgent stuff the first half of the year. I should have more reading time this second half. I've got a huge backlog piled up and plan to order some more books soon.

Movie-wise, this has been a pretty mediocre year, just like last year. I have yet to watch a good movie and I don't want to waste any more cash on watching films that don't do it for me. I've got my hopes pinned on 'Lady in the Water', M. Night Shyamalan's first movie since 2004. This looks like a good one. Al Gore's 'An Inconvenient Truth' looks interesting too, a must-own DVD as well as book.

What makes me excited is that a couple of my favorite bands are releasing new CDs within the next few months.

Suzanne Vega released her "Live at Montreux" live concert DVD late last year, and I just got it a month ago. Haven't listened to it yet, but I will shortly. She is also reportedly working on her next album, which I am excitedly awaiting.

CAKE has a new album coming up! Alas, it's also a live concert CD, but that's good enough. They are looking for suggestions as to which live recordings should be included in the release. I'm hoping they include a live 'You Part the Waters' and 'Italian Leather Sofa' together with their staple songs. You can get all the latest CAKE news from their site (they also have an advice column, check it out).

Now for some great news, yes Barenaked Ladies, after a long three year wait, will be releasing their new album 'Barenaked Ladies Are Me' this September. The first single 'Easy' is already out. Yay!

By some coincidence, both CAKE and BNL have split from their recording studios, electing to go independent. I am both excited and fearful at the same time as it isn't easy to promote and publicize your own music. Having two of my favorite bands take this unconvential indy route gives me a greater stake in seeing independent music producers becoming successful.

What else, there's this plan for Angie Hart, former lead singer of Frente, to go solo. I read about it in her blog (yes she has a blog, and it's your typical personal journal at that). Having Ms. Hart with the angellic voice go solo would be a dream come true for many long suffering Frente fans.

Here's the best news yet. This is something I've been pulling for for a long time. Remember Sixpence None the Richer? They disbanded right? Never hear any music from them again. Hold on, because Leigh Nash is back! Yes she is recording a soon to be released album, most likely out by this year. Some samples of her new songs are also available. What a pleasant surprise.

My fantasy scenario is for CAKE, Barenaked Ladies, Suzanne Vega, Angie Hart, and Leigh Nash to all release new albums late this year. My CD player will be playing nonstop until Christmas. 2006 will go from a barren year to one of the best years for music.

Cathy Dennis - Into the Skyline

I was a big fan of Cathy Dennis back in college. She was the early 90's queen of pop, best known for her hit songs 'Too Many Walls' and 'Touch Me'. This is a review of her second album 'Into the Skyline' which didn't quite match the popularity of her initial singles. I had the original cassette tape and acquired the CD version just over a month ago (actually I had bought a used CD copy several years before but stupidly left it behind at home, so I had to buy another copy).

True, this was a very important CD to me as I considered her music as very influential to my growing up as the songs come attached to many memories. One of the fun parts about being a fan is having to endure the ridicule of the Pearl Jam/Nirvana/Spin Doctors crowd (although I actually also liked The Spin Doctors back then) which were plentiful back then. Ahhh... the good ol' days.

I felt a tinge of apprehension as I opened the case and started re-listening to the old songs. I was afraid I may no longer appreciate her music as I did back then. Or that they wouldn't sound as good as before. The mark of a good artist is when you listen to the same songs many years later they still retain their power and have the same effect to you as they did when you first heard them. And the good news was, that Cathy Dennis magic was still there.

There are two types of songs in this album: the pop/dance tunes, and the ballads. Though 'Into the Skyline' will be remembered for its singles 'You Lied To Me' and 'Irresistible', its best kept secret will be its wonderful ballads. 'Being With You' is feel-good, sugary sweet. 'Moments of Love' is rich, cool, and haunting. While 'Our True Emotions' is the song that I only appreciated after being more than a decade older.

The pop/dance songs such as We've Got To Fight, You Lied To Me, and Irresistible are nice nostalgia plays. I hate to admit this, I've always been inspired the lyrics to We've Got To Fight: "We've got to fight... for what's right... in this world." It reminds me that we've got to keep striving for good even when things are bad.

But my new favorite song here is 'Change Will Come'. I liked this back in college, but it wasn't exactly my favorite. I remember back then during periods when my prospects weren't so good, and when I felt down on my luck. But I would hear this song and know that 'Change Will Come'. It's as relevant today as it was back then. A great inspirational song.

I know that I'm out of place
But I know you're just wasting time
Your life is your own to waste
But I won't have you wasting mine

Change will come
If you believe
Change will come
Do you hear me
Everybody's sayin' change will come

What good is the quick escape
When the problem is here inside
Life can be a better place
If you'll only believe in time

Change will come
Through you and me
Yeah
Change will come
Do you hear me
Everybody's sayin' change will come

She's no longer active in singing, but she's been very active composing one hit song after another. What do 'Toxic' (Britney Spears), Can't Get You Out of My Head (Kylie Minogue), 'Never Had a Dream Come True' (S-Club 7), as well as the American Idol theme song have in common? They were all composed by Cathy Dennis. Now what I want to see is a recording comeback.

Rating: 4/5 * * * *
Irresistible

The Revenge of Retro

At the start of this year, I had two main predictions: (1) This would essentially be a boring year where nothing happens, (2) All things retro will make a comeback.

You could say that prediction #1 was more of wishful thinking on my part. I had enough excitement the past few years and for a change, wanted a quiet easy-going next twelve months.

But prediction #2 was more of a hunch based on some perceived trends where we seemed to be going back to simpler, older stuff, as much of our pop culture had gotten too complicated. Plus, it was also a bit of wishful thinking as by now, most of you know I am a huge retro fan (as are many of my closest friends).

Firstly, I was mildly pleased to see Martina Hingis make a tennis comeback this year. She even has a chance to win the French Open. I think I stopped watching tennis after both she and Michael Chang retired.

We also get to hear a lot more of the europop music that was very popular in the 80's. They still don't capture the mainstream (much "popular" music we hear on the radio is still crap), but at least it is a step in the right direction. European-based music is where it's at, I believe. It's like a cycle, where they peaked in the late 80's, then lying low for a decade or two before eventually returning. I want to see a new British invasion.

But the 'aha' moment for me was when the underdog Nintendo Wii turned out to be the biggest hit in the last E3. Gamers lined up for hours to get a chance to try out the simpler, more fun Wii, with its simple yet innovative controller. I also liked that the new Nintendo will allow us to download and play all the old school Nintendo games. So now you can play old school Excitebike and the newer ExciteTruck on the same system! Plus, it looks like Duck Hunt will be getting a makeover too. What's amazing is that gamers love it. I hope this encourages game developers to focus more on fun and less on graphics and shooting.

Another good thing is the upcoming release of Will Wright's Spore. You may remember Will Wright as the creator of SimCity and The Sims. His new game encompasses the evolution of a new species. You start as a small organism, evolve into a land creature, form tribes, develop new technology and skills, conquer the planet, and eventually colonize the stars. Spore has the potential to be the most amazing game ever made.

Couch Entertainment is going retro too. I have recently cut down my TV in favor of listening to podcasts over the internet. A podcast is essentially an online radio show. This reminds me when I was younger, I would listen to the radio every school night. My favorites were the call-in talk shows where hosts and people discuss the issues of the day. I also liked this radio station (RK 96 if I remember), where the DJs actually discussed the songs that are played. Plus, every Friday was 'retro night'. Now it seems strange to have a retro night back in the 80's when we were essentially in a retro era. Still that was a great time. And I was very disappointed when one of the local stations here that used to play 80's songs all weekend switched to a new programming format that had limited new wave play.

Even the Internet seems to be in a renaissance phase. You've got all these great websites (youtube.com, pandora.com and others) that allow you to discover great music and catch up on a lot of the oldies that were fun to listen to before and still great to listen to now. I will post some of my youtube favorites in a future article.

Retro is back, man. And it's only going to get better in the future. Especially when an entirely new era of 'retro' takes hold, and we find ourselves once again reliving the old retro while living in the new one.

Basia on Broadway

This is essentially Basia's greatest hits performed live complete with band and backup singers. It was recorded back in 1994 on Broadway.

This brings me back to the time when Basia was at the top of the recording industry. Everyone remembers the massive hits 'Time and Tide' and 'Promises'. For me that was a rich and bizarre era in music, when a few jazz-inspired songs made it to mainstream.

She pulls out all the stops in this performance, with an all-female chorus backup, blaring trumpets, concert piano, and drums. This is the CD you play when you want to show off your stereo system. This is live music of very high quality.

Here are a couple of my favorite performances in this album:

Copernicus - This is the opening number and sets the tone of the entire album. It is an extremely fast song which jumps all over the place. Sounds a lot like the opening of a show or musical play.

Cruising for Bruising - Great voice, Basia sings in a low key the majority of the song. One thing I like about her is that she can sing low and powerful at the same time.

Third Time Lucky - One of the great melodies and cute background vocals. This live version also sounds better than the original studio recording.

Baby You're Mine - The song has a soft bossa nova guitar background and smooth tempo. I enjoyed the low/high pitch blending. This is probably the catchiest song in the album which you will find yourself humming to long after you stop listening.

Promises/Time and Tide - You already know these songs. The studio recordings sound better than the live ones, particularly for Time and Tide. But they are still Basia staples and fun to listen to.

Take Him Back Rachel - I've never heard this song before. I love it! It has a great title and I like straightforward simple lyrics. Plus it drones on and on with the 'take him back Rachel' part. Makes me wish I knew a Rachel that broke up with a friend of mine, so I could sing this to her.

Until You Come Back to Me - As they played the intro to this song, one excited Basia fan shouted out the title. One of her more popular tunes and an instant classic. This probably sounds better live.


Two of my favorite Basia songs weren't included here, notably 'Go For You' and 'Waters of March' (you know this as the Ayala Center song). I admit they probably wouldn't showcase her live singing abilities, but still it would be nice to have them in this compilation.

All in all, great CD, high quality feel-good music. Future generations will no doubt rediscover Basia.

Rating: 4/5 * * * *
Fun listening and top quality.

Cover Songs Even Better Than The Original

Good songs don't fade away - rather, they are remade and repackaged in a different form for the newer generations to enjoy. Artists will frequently cover a popular oldie and make it their own. And people listening to the cover song for the first time may actually think it's an entirely new composition.

Some cover songs are dreadful. They don't add anything new to the original and frequently even ruin what was once a classic. The A-Teens remakes of the ABBA hits is one good example of this. It pains me to hear good songs being remade into bad ones.

Then there is that rare breed of cover song that improves on the original. These are remakes that add flavor and sometimes provide a different angle on a popular song. A great remake has the magic of the original, while at the same time adding an edge to it. These are cover songs that end up surpassing and eventually supplanting the original. Here is a list of better-than-original remakes:


Don't Make Me Over - Sybil
(original song by Dionne Warwick)

Here's one cover I enjoy listening to. It adds an emotional punch to the original through Sybil's melodic voice that lingers on the chorus. It ventures into unfamiliar territory by blending slightly off key vocals to produce a totally unique sound. It moves an established R&B hit into smooth jazz territory.


Wooden Heart - The Lizards Convention
(original song by Elvis Presley)

I'm amazed at the creativity that this small Singaporean band displayed in totally revising and remaking an Elvis original. They sound like different songs altogether. In my opinion, the original was kind of lackluster, but I guess The Lizards saw something in it, and revised the tempo, gave it a female voice, and made it into a kickass ballad worth remembering.


I Will Survive - CAKE
(original by Gloria Gaynor)

Most people think this is CAKE's way of mocking the original Gloria Gaynor rendition. But John McCrea actually said in an interview that he liked the original 'I Will Survive' and this was his way of paying tribute. There are several key differences between the two. The original was a song about positive resolve and liberation, while the remake is actually kind of down, sarcastic and even angry. The original was a disco hit that closely matched its fancy tempo, while CAKE's doesn't even try to match the vocals to the music, lagging by half a step the entire song. The original had nice clean lyrics. While CAKE modified it slightly with the line "I should have changed my fucking lock" which I felt was more appropriate. CAKE's version added an edge to a 70's classic, and succeeded in creating something totally new.


Don't Leave Me This Way - The Communards
(original by Thelma Houston)

OK, the original Thelma Houston version is pretty good too. I enjoy them both. In fact, this is one of my favorite songs of all time in any form, whether sung disco-style like the original, 80's new wave style like The Communards, or even karaoke-style sung by complete strangers. The Communards added their own twist to it by singing falsetto the entire way while at the same time upping the feel-good energy factor by a couple of notches. The music video is good too.


Tainted Love - Soft Cell
(original by Gloria Jones)

Bet you didn't know this was a remake. I didn't know either. In fact, I confess I haven't heard the original version. But I'm still 100% sure that Soft Cell's Tainted Love rendition will be better. Why? Because this stands as one of the best new wave songs ever made. It also contains the best synthesized riffs in music history - a killer intro followed by 'Sometimes I feel I've got to.... run away, I've got to... get away...' It was also sampled in Rhianna's Rescue Me SOS, nice.


When You Say Nothing At All - Ronan Keating/Alison Krauss
(original by Keith Whitley)

This is debatable because there are times when I think the Keith Whitley country original is superior to its remakes. But I do like the Ronan Keating and Alison Krauss versions. Keating punctuates it with a slightly off-key, irish accented chorus which adds emotion and depth to the song (plus it sounded great in the movie Notting Hill). Alison Krauss had the sweeter all around melodic vocals that is easy to fall in love to.


I'll Always Love You - Vina Morales
(original by Michael Johnson)

I'm going to commit sacrilege and and say that I liked Vina Morales version of this timeless classic better than the original. OK, OK, I know in the grand scheme of things, Michael Johnson's original will probably be judged better by almost everyone. In fact I know some people who feverently detest the Vina Morales remake, calling it an insult to the original tune, and I understand their viewpoint. Johnson's version was more heartfelt, emotional, sad, matching the mood of the lyrics more accurately. In contrast, Vina's version was happy, cheerful, cute, and in no way matched the lyrics. In fact it made no sense to sing it this way because this was a song about a breakup. It just doesn't match up. However, I like irony and contrasts in my music, and this gave a good vibe, so I'm picking it.


Have I missed any other good cover songs?

The Best Songs of the New Millenium (Part 3 of 3)

The past two weeks, I've posted a bunch of songs that I thought were the best of the best of this decade so far. If you haven't read them yet, check out part 1 and part 2.

I've also forgotten some songs which deserved to be on the list, perhaps maybe in the top ten. One noteworthy song is 'Breathe Your Name' by Sixpence None the Richer. This was my top song for 2002. Did I mention that Leigh Nash looks stunning in the music video? A departure from her traditional Christian girl look. One other track to check out is 'Out of my League' by Stephen Speaks, I love the lyrics of that song.

Alright, here are the top five songs of the decade so far. In other words, the best songs that were released from the year 2000 up to the present. I've gone over the list numerous times, changing the order of the rankings more than once, evaluating each song meticulously to make sure I got it right. My top 3 picks are mostly even with each other, and each is a number one song in its own right. Depending on how gracefully these songs age, we could reorder them again when we come to the end of the decade.

One last thing, I reserve the right to be biased as it makes life more interesting.


5. Nobody's Fool - Avril Lavigne

I didn't take Avril Lavigne's first CD seriously. I thought she was a passing fad, popular at the moment, but easily forgotten. This song proves me wrong. And I also feel a little silly for making this number five but what the heck, it's one of my personal favorites. She raps, she sings, the song makes you feel good while listening to it, and it's about liberation and empowerment (I guess targeted for teenagers, but I'll ignore that just so I can enjoy this). Unexpectedly good and very underrated track.

4. No Phone - CAKE

This is from CAKE's latest CD and one of their best songs yet. I must warn you, the tune is extremely addictive and catchy. You will find yourself chanting over and over again to yourself "no phone". This song also has special meaning to me, as it captures my dislike for cellphones and its influence over modern society. No phone, no phone, I just want to be alone today. It just captures my whole emotion of despondence coupled with a lack of caring. Ten years from now, this song will be even ten times better.

3. Complicated Man - Minnie Driver

I was blown away with this song the first time I heard Minnie Driver sing it live on a late night talk show. I didn't even know she could sing. This song is very cool. Imagine an 80's style melody, combined with Driver's easy jazz type vocals, topped with some modern flair and interesting lyrics. By the way, I'm still looking for the complete lyrics to this song and for it be properly released as a single, rather than a bonus track in a Japanese Import CD. More than a year after first hearing it, I'm still not tired of listening. Plus I love murmuring the opening line of the song: "You turned out to be an ass like me..."

2. Then the Morning Comes - Smash Mouth

For some reason, I entirely missed hearing this masterpiece by Smash Mouth back in 2001. I heard the David Benoit instrumental version first, thinking this was some fine piece of work by Benoit. Only later to find out that this was actually an original Smash Mouth tune. To paraphrase Jim from The Office, I'm in love with this song. I wanna be more than friends with 'Then the Morning Comes'. It comes close to musical perfection. First of all, the singing and melody are extremely catchy and unique. You haven't listened to anything close to this. The lyrics are also something special, check this out:

You are you foe
Your friend
You are the paparazzi
You are the tragedian

Here's my favorite part:

And when it comes it moves so slow
Kinda like it's saying I told you so
Looking back before she goes
Tomorrow's gonna hurt

The words are kind of tough to decipher, and I guess it will mean different things to different people. Fortunately, I can personally relate to the lyrics. It's like it was describing my life in this decade. It's not often you get a song that is cool and personal at the same time. Makes me wonder why this isn't the number one.

1. In The End - Linkin Park

I'd like to congratulate Linkin Park for creating one of the best pure kickass songs ever made. This is a song about anger, betrayal, and revenge - in that precise order. It has every negative emotion you can find and that's why it's so good. The rap part is cool and calculating, the singing is intense and emotional. There's a story that's told that has a beginning and an ending. One of the best parts is the part where the lead vocal sings the same verse twice: "I've put my trust in you, pushed as far as I can go..." The first time is quite mellow, almost pleading. Then it repeats the same line, but this time with a more furious tone of voice. Same verse, entirely different meaning, pure genius. This song will age well over the next decades and will grow into a classic. And its popularity matches its quality which is a rare thing for a hit nowadays.

There you have it, the best songs of the new millenium. We're just about past the halfway point of this decade and I'm predicting the best song of this current time is still yet to be written.

The Best Songs of the New Millenium (Part 2 of 3)

Last week I posted a list of songs that were released this decade that didn't make my top 10 best songs of the new millenium.

In compiling the list and ranking the songs, I came to realize that we actually have some pretty good songs released this decade. Only the truly good songs last, and the bad or fad songs are easily forgotten. The decade isn't over yet and I'm hoping we get lots more good stuff in the next five years.

In ranking the songs, I give plus points to those that were released earlier over those which were released just last year. This is in order to overcome any recent euphoria I felt towards newly released songs. For example, 'Krafty' is still pretty fresh in my mind so I may be a bit biased in favor of it. This makes the rating process more difficult. I tried hard to go back to the time when I first heard those songs released earlier this decade, and try to recall how I felt at the time. Mainly, those emotions I felt determine the ultimate rating. Actually it felt good recalling those older songs, it was like being in a time machine wherein I would go back to my thoughts and feelings at the time.

So without further ado, here are numbers six to ten:

10. Call Me Mellow - Tears for Fears
This song and the CD it came with was one of my favorites from 2004. It was very new and different to all the packaged stuff that was being played on the radio. Very refreshing sound, feel-good lyrics, and a Beatles 60's rythym.

9. Beverly Hills - Weezer
This will be a future sports anthem classic. Expect to hear this in NBA games and school events (in fact I heard it being played once in one of this year's NBA playoff games on TV). This could replace Queen's 'We Will Rock You' as the ultimate cheer song. And by the way, I like the lyrics, it describes how I feel about myself and the simple thought me and my friends had when we were in college.

8. Don't Call Me Baby - Madison Avenue
I bet you didn't expect this to be here. I thought this song captured the carefree spirit of the start of the new millenium. And it kind of reminds me of those yuppies who gather around Makati on Friday nights. The song is catchy, funny and was just right for the time. Too bad, the group Madison Avenue no longer exists. I can predict this song will be remade ten years from now and become an even bigger hit.

7. Me, Myself and I - Vitamin C
I have a confession to make. Yes, I own a Vitamin C CD. And when I first heard this on the radio I thought this song kicked ass. Then after thinking about it for a while, I thought I liked it only because I felt pretty good about myself the time I listened to it. But no, this song is really good. Extremely addictive pure pop music.

6. Krafty - New Order
This song is great because it is a throwback to 80's music and proves that New Order is better than ever. I listened to it over and over without getting tired of it. This will be a classic and will get even better the next few years. Good lyrics, good melody, good use of synthetic instruments, and just makes you feel good listening to it. It gives you a liberating outlook on life.


Up next: the top 5 songs of the new millenium and the shocking conclusion to the series.

The Best Songs of the New Millenium (Part 1 of 3)

Lately I've been listening to a lot of songs from the 80's and 90's. I always wondered why music from previous decades tend to be better than the current hits played on the radio. Then it hit me. The reason why old songs always sound better is due to natural selection - only the best songs from the past survive. True quality music has a long shelf life. It will be popular many years, many decades after it is released. In contrast, many songs are popular for a short time but don't have any nutritional value so they disappear fast and are forgotten. We only remember the really good songs and forget the bad ones. This is why old music always sounds better.

That said, I decided to undertake my most ambitious project ever for dangerous reviewers. I will play visionary and attempt to predict those songs from this decade will last the test of time. That is, which songs from the first decade of this new millenium will I fondly look back on 10, 20 years from now and proclaim them to be 'classics' from the past. The goal is to create a top 10 list of great songs released this decade (2000 to the present). And I'm actually gonna rank them from number ten to the number one song of the decade.

Due to the fairly ambitious scope, this will be a three-part series. So in this post, I merely list those songs that did not make the cut. These are songs I thought were noteworthy, some I consider excellent work, yet not top ten material. The next two parts will cover my ultimate top ten.

(Note: I reserve the right to be biased, it makes life more interesting.)


Songs that didn't make the cut, in no particular order:

All the Small Things - Blink 182
Circles Round the Moon - Geri Halliwell
Everybody Loves a Happy Ending - Tears for Fears
When It's Over - Sugar Ray
Follow Me - Uncle Kracker
Breathless - The Corrs
The Way I Am - Eminem
Answer the Phone - Sugar Ray
Boom - P.O.D.
The Reason - Hoobastank
Angel - Shaggy
Here's to the Night - Eve 6
Clint Eastwood - Gorillaz
Something to Talk About - Badly Drawn Boy
Complicated - Avril Lavigne
Widow's Walk - Suzanne Vega
Give Me a Reason - The Corrs
Butterfly - Crazy Town
Seasons in the Sun - Westlife
Beer for my Horses - Toby Keith and Willie Nelson
Soak up the Sun - Sheryl Crow
All the Things She Said - T.A.T.U.
Maybe Katie - Barenaked Ladies
Look What You've Done - Jet
This Love - Maroon 5
How You Remind Me - Nickelback


Coming up: The bottom half of the top ten.

Sunday Morning Coffee

Sunday Morning Coffee is a collection of instrumental tracks compiled by Chip Davis that serves the purpose of setting the mood or background music. This is one of my favorite CDs in my collection. It covers different moods occuring on a Saturday or Sunday morning. I like it because it evokes old feelings of romance, peace, and inspiration in me when I listen to it while sipping a warm cup of tea by myself or with friends (I guess you could also call it 'Sunday Morning Tea' or something).

Here's the album intro on the inside CD jacket which sums it up nicely:

"Day Parts" is a term applied to various parts of the day by the broadcast business. They have names for various day parts like "Early morning drive", etc. Back in my days as a jingle writer, I used to have to compose music that fit various formats and moods, and quite often in a very wide variety of styles. Several years ago, I thought it would be neat to have an album for different parts of the day to sort of "score our lives" like one might a movie.

There are a couple of standout tracks here. I like how each song has a brief intro written about it on the CD booklet. For example, here's the intro for 'Sunday Morning Coffee' composed by Chip Davis himself. It's probably the best track on the album, and kind of reminds me of the lovely actress Meg Tilly.

This piece was brewed on the morning (Sunday... of course) after my little peewee daughter, Kelly Lynne, was born. It was a fresh morning with yellow sunlight and the warm feeling of a new life starting.

Here's the intro for 'Sunday Sonata':

You work your job all week, you work your yard all Saturday, and Sunday... well, Sunday has already been proclaimed a day of rest, so let's not feel guilty about it. This tune is about sitting on the front porch, with a steaming cup of java, softly strumming a guitar. Or if you don't own a guitar, a Sousaphone will suffice.

I particularly like 'My Secret Lust', the bad boy track in this compilation. Heck this is how I feel most Sunday mornings!

This song is "the other" kind of Sunday morning. You've had a miserable work week and Saturday night you indulged in a little too much snake-bite juice. So here you are on a Sunday morning, taking coffee and aspirin through an I.V., thinking "there has to be more to life than this... If I only had a new sail boat... or a glamorous job... or that sexy barmaid... or... "______" (fill in your own "secret lust").

Here's another good one, the intro to 'Coffee with Carla':

This is the picture perfect Sunday morning: your significant other sits close by, wrapped in a terry cloth robe; the soft sunlight warms your shoulders and peace rises with the steam off your coffee. Life moves in a slow motion waltz, and the sleepy feeling is occasionally broken by small crescendos; the laugh from a comic strip... the ring of the phone... the furnace blowing up...

Of course if you've had too much coffee, you end up with too much caffeine in your system, which results in the hyperactive final track 'Morning Blend', the second best one on the album:

It wasn't baroque, so I didn't fix it. However, I thought that a little intermingling of styles would make this cut (cup?) a little more interesting. I ground this out on a Sunday too.

The result is a refreshing cup of musical enjoyment.

Rating: 4/5 * * * *
Inspiring and relaxing.

Cute But Good Love Songs

I've never really understood this madness they call romantic love. All I know is it makes people do good and stupid things. Anyway here's a list of my favorite cute but good love songs:


5. Wooden Heart - The Lizards' Convention

An improvement over the Elvis original. Your traditional feel good romantic tune.

There's no strings upon this love of mine
It was always you from the start


4. Separate Lives - Stephen Bishop

Ouch. The original Stephen Bishop version has much more emotion and impact than its more popular Phil Collins counterpart. The singer vividly describes feelings of hurt and isolation after a devastating breakup.

You called me from the room in your hotel
All full of romance
For someone that you met
Telling me how sorry you were
Leaving so soon
And that you miss me sometimes
When you're alone in your room
Do I feel lonely too?

You have no right to ask me how I feel
You have no right to speak to me so kind
Someday I might
Find myself looking in your eyes
But for now we'll go on living
Separate lives


3. The Longest Time - Billy Joel

I love this song. It captures exactly the feelings of being in love. Hearing this brings back fond memories that you know will always be there.

Oh, oh, oh
For the longest time
Oh, oh, oh
For the longest time
If you said goodbye to me tonight
There would still be music left to write
What else could I do
I'm so inspired by you
That hasn't happened for the longest time

Who knows how much further we'll go on
Maybe I'll be sorry when you're gone
I'll take my chances
I forgot how nice romance is
I haven't been there for the longest time
I had second thoughts at the start
I said to myself
Hold on to your heart
Now I know the woman that you are
You're wonderful so far
And it's more that I hoped for


2. Out Of My League - Stephen Speaks

This reminds me of a girl I admired from afar that I never got the courage to talk to because I was so intimidated with her whole mystique. And though nothing ever happened, you're still thankful for the butterflies and wonderful feelings you went through whenever she was there. Those uncertain emotions of swimming in that strange sea, being high up looking down on the land. Perhaps someday...

It's her hair and her eyes today
that just simply take me away,
and the feeling that I'm falling further in love
makes me shiver but in a good way.
All the times I have sat and stared, as she thought fully thumbs through her hair.
And she purses her lips, bats her eyes and she plays with me, sitting there slack jawed and nothing to say.

Cause I love her with all that I am,
and my voice shakes along with my hands.
Cause she's all that I see, and she's all that I need, and I'm out of my league once again.

It's a masterful melody,
when she calls out my name to me.
As the world spins around her she laughs rolls her eyes and I feel like I'm falling but it's no surprise.

Cause I love her with all that I am,
and my voice shakes along with my hands.
Cause it's frightening to be swimming in this strange sea, but I rather be here than on land.
Yes, she's all that I see, and she's all that I need, and I'm out of my league once again.


1. Go For You - Basia

Not your typical Basia song and one of the quirkiest love tunes ever written. Describes that moment when you start to lose it, not wanting to show weakness by falling over yourself, yet being unable to control your feelings of love.

I'm through with love
It's only a madness
I'm finished with this
This moment was never my joy
Who needs a heart break
Don't want anybody to call my own
But when you're near
The sweetest sensation
Takes over my heart
I feel like I'm losing control
These moments of weakness
Allow me a glimpse of heaven

It could be so good
I'm wishing anew
Or why should I resent something I've always missed
What's the point in my pride
if I cannot deny
that I could really go for you
What's the point in my pride
if I cannot deny
that I could really go for you

Rare But Good CDs

Ever had a CD you love that hardly anyone has heard of? Here are a couple of my most treasured CDs in the collection. It's likely that any of them will be found in retail music shops. Their recording labels have either closed or discontinued new releases. Here's the list:

5. Marc Almond - The Stars We Are
I was a big Marc Almond fan in high school so this was the very first cassette tape I bought with my allowance. If you haven't heard his two songs: 'Bitter Sweet' and 'The Very Last Pearl', then you're in for a real treat. These are two of the best little-heard new wave songs ever and it evokes wonderful memories every time I hear them. Sixteen years later, I finally acquired the CD version and the music is still as good as it was back in high school.

From 'The Very Last Pearl':

Well I've seen the sights of New York
I've seen day become night
I've seen the Brooklyn Bridge
All covered in lights
I've dived to the depths
I've scaled the heights

Call me romantic
Call me deluded
I've had it all

I've seen a Mediterranean night
The ships on the sea
The most beautiful eyes in the world
And the saddest eyes in the world

Call me romantic
Call me deluded
But I didn't care at all

4. Frente! - Labour of Love EP
I had to scrounge through the amazon used CD resellers to get this rare Frente release. What makes this CD 'rare but good' is that it contains two little-known Frente songs that I consider some of their best work: 'Not Given Lightly' - a cute love ballad, and 'Paper, Bullets and Walls' - a folksy, angst-ridden, quirky song. Nicely done Frente. But what we really need is a new Angie Hart release.

We also reviewed it previously on dangerousreviewers.


3. For the Kids (various artists)
A children's CD makes the list? You bet! Well, this is a children's CD with some kickass covers of popular kiddie tunes song by none other than three of my favorite bands. There's a CAKE cover of 'Mahna Mahna', a Barenaked Ladies version of 'Lalalala Lemon', and a rendition of 'Good Night Children Everywhere' by Sixpence None the Richer. Add to that, the very best version of 'Rainbow Connection' I've heard, performed by Ms. Sarah Mclachlan herself. This ain't no kids album.


2. The Other Two - The Other Two and You
The Other Two are Gillian Gilbert and Stephen Morris, two of the lesser-known New Order band members who recorded an album on the side. And what an album it is! This was released sometime in 1994, when the popularity of new wave music had all but passed. I remember hearing the single 'Selfish' on the radio and thinking 'Holy.... new wave lives on!'. This song has string instruments, synth, cool vocals, and a smooth beat. One of my all time faves.

From 'Selfish':

Someone I hate,
she think she's great unless you state the obvious.
You're next to me, entirely let's wait and see

Someone like you, selfish it's true
All you can do it's play to see entirely you disagree

No sense of reason, you think it's true
Why did you have to believe them?
No sense of reason,
What do I have to do?
There's no one else
You're deceiving

The rest of the album is good too because of the high musical quality of tracks such as 'Innocence', 'Movin On', 'The Greatest Thing' and others. How can you not like a song that has 'The Greatest Thing' as its title? This album is the greatest thing. Well, maybe the second greatest thing, especially after you read my number one pick.

From 'Innocence':

It’ s not the city or this town
I’m not the only girl that needs your affection
To satisfy this need that you’re the same boy now and that’s what I want

Since the very start you took control of my heart
And in the very end you pretended to be my friend
But you could never see the innocence in me
The innocence in me

By the way, I intend to get their follow-up album Superhighways in the near future if I can find it.


1. The Lizard's Convention - Here's a Funny Fish, Hurrah!

This is the ultimate rare but good CD. No longer sold in stores after its japanese distributor, Pony Canyon folded. I still have the original CD I bought in the mid-90's when the group had a minor hit in some parts of Asia with their cover of the Elvis Presley song 'Wooden Heart'.

The Lizard's Convention is a Singaporean band composed of Leon Lim, Adrian Loo, and lead singer Kristine Oehler who has one pretty unique singing voice. Its two cover songs 'Wooden Heart' and 'Rock the Boat' are superior over the originals. You've got to hear Kristine's rendition of these songs, absolutely amazing. It has a power and chatty friendliness that is hard to describe.

And who can resist other cool tracks titled 'The Goat that Haunted Me', 'Pleasant Song', 'If Cows Grew on Trees', and 'La Di Da'. Very cool songs. Kids will love 'em because they are sweet sugary pop melodies that are immediately appealing to the senses. Adults will love 'em because this is high quality music performed by people who love creating music.

Shortly after The Lizard's Convention's brief bout with fame, the group kind of disappeared. They had troubles with their recording label, was forced to record their follow up albums on their own, each band member going their own separate way. I can't even find their mysterious second CD titled 'Quarkstar' (if anyone has seen it or has it, please leave a comment). Such a pity as this little-known Singaporean band was pretty good. We want more Lizards Convention!



If I can continue to collect more hidden gems such as these in the next ten years, I will be a very content man.

Suzanne Vega - Songs in Red and Gray

Visualize some of the most beautiful music you will ever hear. Imagine the most meticulously arranged compositions layered with Suzanne Vega's rich vocals and you have what is arguably her best work. Songs in Red and Gray is Suzanne's latest album released way back in 2001 - a masterpiece of lyrical and melodic proportions.

Most of the songs were written five years after Nine Objects of Desire and more importantly some time after Ms. Vega's divorce from her husband, Mitchell Froom. So I kind of expected this to be a brooding, sad, angst-filled compilation. Not so. Some of the tracks can even be described as light-hearted and uplifting.

My personal favorite musical piece in this CD is Widow's Walk wherein the singer describes her situation metaphorically to that of being widowed, but looks ahead to a better future:

Consider me a widow boy
And I will tell you why
It's not the man, but it's the marriage
That was drowned

So I walk the walk
And wait with watchful eye out to the sky
Looking for a kind of vessel
I have never found

This is the most powerful song in the CD and an instant classic. I hope they make an instrumental version of this with a true orchestra to capture the rich layers and full beauty of the music.

Another fantastic song is the aptly titled Last Year's Troubles, an interesting take on how we romanticize and glorify century-old villains such as pirates, thieves, and other rascals. Now these were downright evil and nasty people in their time, yet we look back at them fondly, retelling history to a more sentimental, quixotic, unrealistic degree. I also suspect the whole song is a metaphor to letting go of a troublesome year that has past. This is one of my favorite songs lyrically.

Last year's troubles are so old fashioned
The robber on the highway the pirate on the seas
Maybe it's the clothing that's so entertaining
The earrings and swashbuckling blouses that please

Look at all the waifs of Dickensian England
Why is it their suffering is more picturesque?
Must be cause their rags are so very Victorian
The ones here at home just don't give it their best

Last years troubles they shine up so pretty
They gleam with a luster they don't have today
Here it's just dirty and violent and troubling
Etc. etc.

Other tracks are more of the songwriter's editorial take on her predicament. For instance, 'Soap and Water' is a letter from a mother to her young daughter. 'If I Were a Weapon' seems to be about some sort of emotional blackmail with the weapon in this case being the tool of the extortionist.

It's as if Suzanne combined all the best parts of her previous work. She put together the folk sound of her earlier CDs, together with the style and arrangement of Nine Objects of Desire. If this album had a weakness, it would be that it could sound too over-engineered, too carefully arranged, leaving the human touch distant from the listener. But this is a very minor nitpick. If you like finely produced, high quality easy listening music, this one is for you.


Rating: 5 out 5 stars * * * * *
One of the best

The Best New Music of 2005

Compared to last year, 2005 was a quiet year for music. I spent most of my time catching up with older songs I've missed rather than listening to new ones. Nevertheless here are my favorites of 2005 in order:

6. Guitar Man - CAKE

This is CAKE's tribute and remake of Bread's 70's classic. Think of it as cake and bread coming together. I have to admit I enjoyed the new version better than the original though I like them both. CAKE captures the emotion of the original song, while adding its own distinct tempo and voice. And if you liked 'Guitar Man', then you'll enjoy the Friends and Lovers: Songs of Bread CD.


5. Trouble With Dreams - Eels

I was intrigued with this song when I first heard it. It wasn't like anything I listened to before. Put together that xylophone-like piano intro with drum, violin and raspy voice for a dream-like composition that will haunt you. Add the catchy tune, a lot of contradictory pauses, and you've got one of the most unique songs of the year.


4. Beverly Hills - Weezer

A future staple in sporting events, Weezer hit a home run with this one. This song is high energy from the intro to the chorus. An acceptable substitute to caffeine. I haven't heard a good loser song like this since Beck.


3. Come As You Are - Mindi Abair

I loved this soft guitar/saxophone instrumental piece the instant I heard it on the radio. Mindi Abair is one of the best new composers in the business. I imagine that the message of this song is to avoid pretension, embrace the natural, and just come as you are. Blending of guitar and sax is inspired. High-quality music.


2. Krafty - New Order

Great Scott, new wave lives on! I couldn't believe it at first that the 80's band New Order was still active and churning out great songs such as this one. Krafty captures the carefree happy spirit in us and has a positive uplifting message. Fantastic!


1. Complicated Man - Minnie Driver

I really didn't care much for Minnie Driver until I heard her sing Complicated Man on Carson Daly. You can't help but like this song, the lyrics, catchy twangs in the melody, and extremely addictive. Imagine the best parts of several distinct songs rolled into one 80's-country-pop tune. I smile when I realize that Complicated Man, our #1 song this year, was just a bonus track from the japan import CD of an actress turned pop artist.

Happy Listening!