My Moon My Man by Feist

I bought Feist's new album na! Fuck yeah!

Slated to come out on May 1, I was surprised to see it out in the record store I frequent. So without any hesitation, I picked it up, walked to the counter and bought the damn disc.

Listening to Feist is addicting. My Moon My Man is no exception.

I saw the video about a couple of weeks back, with Feist walking back and forth a walkalator (is that what you call an escalator that just goes back and forth?) in an airport (?). Sexy ng boses. Astig.

I wish Feist (or somebody with a Feist-y voice) would sing me to sleep every night.

Song Rating: *****

---

Links:
My Moon My Man by Feist video
My Moon My Man by Feist alternate video

So What by Miles Davis

Continuing on with my jazz trip the past few weeks...

So a couple of nights ago, I dreamt I was a world class trumpeteer. Yeah! Hayop! And I was playing on stage, with an orchestra, and I was the soloist for one of the main performances. And the song we were performing was the classic So What by Miles Davis. Yeah! Topak na panaginip hahaha

The song is actually a great song for a master improvisator, as backed by the suave bass and piano, you can just go crazy. You can just freakin' blow into your trumpet (sounds kinda sexual, doesn't it) and just do whatever with your fingers. That is, if you really knew how to play the trumpet.

But in my dream, I did know how, and got a standing ovation for it. Too bad, I had to wake up and stop reveling in all the adulation. Shit. Fuck. At least, kahit sa panaginip, I was Miles for a day.

Song Rating: *****

My Favorite Things by John Coltrane

In the world of jazz, there are a few names synonymous with the genre itself. Miles Davis, Charles Mingus, Thelonious Monk among others. And of course, how can you forget John Coltrane.

Coltrane was an amazing saxophonist and an improv master. He had the uncanny ability to play with the music with a devil may care style with surprising results.

He also did My Favorite Things from the movie The Sound of Music which only help cement the song's status as one of the classics. The album version of the song stretches to the 13 minutes, but you don't get the feeling of being too tired when listening to it (unlike songs from Miles Davis' Bitches Brew).

It certainly is one of those songs that you've got to hear at least once in your life. Don't miss out on this.

Song rating: *****

Anak by Freddie Aguilar

Just came back from taking out our American customer to one of the local bars here in China. There was a Filipino band playing when on two separate occasions, the two Hongers I was with requested that I request Anak by Freddie Aguilar. So, ok I did.

Our American customer actually knew the song from his travels to the Philippines, and even knew that anak meant child.

Two of the Mainlanders I was with recognized the melody because of a Chinese version of the song.

So all in all, five non-Filipinos somehow knew the song. And because of the wide recognition from all over the world (thus immortalizing the song as classic), I hereby give this song 5 stars.

Song rating: *****

Simple X by Andrew Bird

I've read much critical acclaim from Andrew Bird releases in the past (especially his 2005 release 'Andrew Bird & the Mysterious Production of Eggs'), but I just didn't have the time to check it out. Anyway, seeing his latest album, Armchair Apocrypha, I decided to have a go.

Simple X, my favorite track in the album, blends together dreampop and indierock, along with a hint of electronica. The song reminds me of Made Up Love Song #43 by the Guillemots released about a year back. Anyway, vocals eerily sound like Thom Yorke of Radiohead fame, which is actually a very good thing.

I also read that this is actually a remake of the song Simple Exercises by Dosh. I tried to compare the two songs and came to the conclusion that you'd be better off not hearing the original (unless if a whole lot of ambient noise is what you fancy).

Song Rating: *****

---

Link: Simple X by Andrew Bird MP3. Link courtesy of *sixeyes

The World Is Our Playground and We Will Always Be Home by Updharma Down

I know, another updharmadown song, but this band is just too good that their music has been making it's rounds and moooore rounds in both my office computer and my ipod, I just couldn't get enough of it. A perfect blend of sound.

The song starts off with a guitar key.... like a siren.. that gets louder and louder.. like an alarm. Enter soulful Armi.. with "You're my sunshine... my occassional rain.." The beat actually sounds like it came from a drum machine or it was created by a synthesizer, but astoundingly, this was all analog. Nothing digital here. AMAZING how they achieved this sound. Maybe it's because of Ean's Drum and Bass influence.

First heard this song because it was sent to me by my friend who actually looks up to this band and boy was I glad he sent this song to me while I was in China. This was actually the track that sold me to the album.

Listen to when: You wanna recall what it's like to be a Child :D

**Renewed formatting I will now omit the Listen to when portion and just add *'s. since it's easier and at least actually RATING a song would prove more useful, don't you think?

Ratings go as high as 5 *'s and as low as ZERO. :)

Thanks