Adventures Dailies Folk

Landed

January 28, 2012 – 2:03 AM

Pretty much what it LA looks like from the plane (c/o: TG Daily)

About forty minutes flying in to Los Angeles, you are greeted by an aerial view of rocky terrains, deserts, (what looked to me as) solar farms and block after block of gray little boxes. Trees are spaced every few blocks, unlike back home where there are lush landscapes covered in green not too far from the city. If they say the Philippines is in bad shape in terms of forest cover, I think this part of the states will clearly put up a stiff competition. It is instead a sprawl of concrete from coast to in-land. The good thing though is that every thing seems a lot cleaner, a lot more organized… But then again, these are just first impressions.

I live about 45 minutes away from LAX. The drive was seamless, freeway after freeway. On the road, my mom put the radio on at KIIS FM, which is not a surprise. I suddenly remembered my good old days as a disc jock and getting samplers from the station – music imports of hits. In fact, stations like KIIS make hits which trickle down to the rest of the world. Somehow it came full circle, being in the place of the hit maker. I then asked my mom what she considers driving music. Apart from listening to KIIS, she was in to a lot of old stuff, not surprisingly. But that’s cool.

When I put on my mom’s CD, her friend who accompanied her was surprised that I didn’t mind the music. According to her, I wasn’t even born at the time. True. I explained I have a WIDE taste in music and didn’t mind listening to some oldies when I’m in the mood.

Welcome to America, Kim.

Here’s the soundtrack of my ride to my new home. I have to say, yesterday’s weather was perfect. It’s true what they say, it’s always sunny in…you know where I am.

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Airplane mode

January 22, 2012 – 1:45 AM

I won’t be surprised if people grow skeptical about my departure for the US. When are you REALLY leaving? In fact, I already have my first customer. My friend Miko drawled out the other day, “LEAVE ALREADY!” Fine. Even my mother and brother complained. They think I have no interest in leaving anymore. Sure. I have no interest in making use of an immigrant visa which cost an arm and a leg, caused me brief psychological distress and waited for nearly three years for. I am just that kind of girl, eh?

airplane_window_seat

Window seats are the best! (Source: Click-through)

So I admit: I have been stalling lingering but I’m slowly being coaxed to the thought of being on a plane to a lalaland. The best part of my mental picture of this trip is the actual plane ride. I love riding planes despite the crappy airplane food in some trips I’ve been on and the even crappier music they have on-flight. But for now, let me emphasize on the latter. SERIOUSLY. If you are a point person from any particular airline – especially a certain flag carrier I’m quite familiar with – please, please, PLEASE consult someone on the music you play on board. Including but not limited to the choice of channels for your in-flight music “radio”, I’m not sure what you call it. What is up with all the eighties jazz music? I don’t mean to be an elitist, but honestly, have y’all not heard of music from at least the likes of Buddha Bar? Come on. Or even more tasteful post-rock alternative music NOT adult radio for the young and hip like moi. Consider that in-flight you are not allowed to use your ipod or any electronic device which carries one’s music of choice. That could be 13 hours on the plane in my case. Acceptable. But please, please, PLEASE care to accommodate different demographics when it comes to music and films.

Okay, so now I’m done with my rant.

What kind of music would I want to hear on a plane anyway? Naturally the kind of music that convinces me I’m going to live through the flight!

Anyway, this playlist is in no way my recommendation on what constitutes I’m-gonna-live-after-this-flight music. But I sure would be pleasantly surprised if I hear this music on the plane.

MGMT – Time to pretend [ Download ]

La Roux – In for the kill [ Download ]

Hooverphonic – Mad about you [ Download ]

Jonsi – Tornado [ Download ]

Hey Ocean – California [ Download ]

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Electronic Rant

Habits and a rant which sprung from Lykke Li’s cover of The Knife (AHH!!! OMG!!!)

January 16, 2012 – 11:56 AM

Wow, I got to give myself a pat in the back for my fifth post this year! (Check my track record.) It’s hilarious, really. So goes the title of my post. I don’t want to speak too soon but I’m liking the habit of spending about a few minutes to an hour just to sit down and write a post. These days I go through my day looking for inspiration as to what music I’d be sharing on this blog. I realized, it’s something that I like to do with…pretty much everyone.

I’m just surprised that my passion for music – which I’ve taken for granted for some time – is still in me and has in fact grown stronger. Plus, living and breathing music has helped me deal with the separation anxiety that’s been creeping up on me lately.

Swedes are so flexible! (c/o: Beatsperminute)

Now, for the good part of this post. I found a gem in YouTube just by checking some other stuff by Lykke Li, an artist Kat got me in to. And boy, am I in to this artist. A bit of context: Last week I grew ecstatic when I found out that she’s from Sweden. I’ve written here before about how totally gaga I am about music imports from Sweden namely The Knife, The Cardigans, Fever Ray and Robyn. All over the world, the Swedes are especially known for the most impressive metal music to ever grace the ears of metalheads everywhere. What people fail to realize is that Sweden is likewise on the cutting edge of pop, electro-pop, electro-clash-pop and other permutations of this particular genre. A music genre which frankly, the rest of the world attributes to the whole of EUROPE as though it is a big chunk of land with no musical diversity whatsoever. YES, all of these great electro bands do come from Europe but not ALL OF THEM from the same country. And I’m sure a lot of you do not care, but once you can tell the nuances then you get to appreciate that each country has a distinct flavor to offer.

It just so happens that of all the music that came out of Europe, it was Sweden’s music which captivated me the most. Therefore, I stand by my statement back in 2010 that Sweden is my Music MECCA! It is an absolute must in my lifetime for me to embark on a music pilgrimage to Sweden. And I hope by the time that materializes, the bands I adore are still playing – I don’t CARE if they play in a big stadium or a small pub. I DON’T GIVE A DAMN. I want to bask in Robyn’s ringing voice live. I want to hear The Cardigans play a set, regardless if I don’t understand a word they say in between. If I could just watch the Dreijer twins of The Knife perform just one show – ONE SHOW – then I will die HAPPY.

I have to admit that today’s fill is a bit on the strong end but I can’t help it, all thanks to Lykke Li.

So back to Lykke Li.

You know this video I’m about to share is not the best quality I could find but it has caught my imagination.

I can imagine myself in the crowd of Lykke Li’s concert, feeling the anticipation of the next song. Then the riff of The Knife’s “Silent Shout” comes on. I go mental. My delirious scream will be drowned out by an army of music minions clinging on to every beat, every bass line, every fucking synth!

And then the decrescendo. Lykke Li’s haunting voice emerges and sings, “Until we bleed”.

Magic.

I look forward to watching concerts like this in the first world! Geez, I have trouble containing myself. Over and out.

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Adventures Folk Music Playlists Pop

Out-of-town-ness Pt. 2: Five years from now

January 12, 2012 – 11:39 AM

My mission for today: I had to take a two-hour trip to another city to meet up with with an old friend. We talked about life, work, friends and inevitably, love (or lack thereof). We initially planned a sit-and-go – that is to meet up for an hour and head back to our lives. If he didn’t leave in an hour he’d miss the bus to a barge that would take him home and I would miss a free ride back to my next “pitstop”. An hour just wouldn’t cut it for me so…I made an executive decision: I convinced him myself to spend the night in the city.

To which he agreed, before realizing the consequence. He later realized that we had roughly about 12 hours to kill.

“So where are we going?” I asked him.

“I don’t know…” he said, as panic crept up in his expression.

“But you’re supposed to know this city better than I do!”

He looked dumbfounded.

I got up and went to the counter of the coffee shop. Shortly after I asked a few questions, I went back to our table and started packing up.

“Uh…where are we going?” he asked me.

“Trust me.”

“Do you know where we’re going?”

“I think so.”

In the jeep, my friend looked uncomfortable.

“Looks like I’m taking you out of your comfort zone.” I said to him.

He nods.

We finally reached our destination. It is a quaint place in the other side of town called, “The Strip”. Literally. There’s a sign that says so.

We found a place where we could have a warm cheap-ass meal and we decided to have a few drinks.

Over drinks the man could barely hold his alcohol. And then he said, “This is so new to me and yet you do this all the time…these spontaneous trips. My life, on the other hand, is summarized like this: work and home…” After a few more drinks and some issues sorted, he drawls, “You know, I haven’t talked like this with anyone in eight months!”

I just smiled. Mission accomplished.

We capped the night in a corner store with a videoke coin-slot machine. He dedicated the songs, “Puff the magic dragon” and “Leaving on a Jet plane” to me. I understood why he picked the latter song…but PUFF THE MAGIC FRIGGIN DRAGON?! The former on the hand, if taken literally, is a fucked up song about this dragon who eventually lost his friend which prompted him to become a recluse. Gee.

Never too old for videoke.

We exited when the table next to us started singing Aegis. On our way out he said to me, “Let’s meet here five years later. Same place.”

I’m writing this down to remember and also because he snores like an ox. Damn it. I guess I’m going to have to sleep it off in the bus.

Note to self: Tomorrow is my last pitstop before I head back to homebase. I think it’s just about the right time.

For tonight’s playlist, I thought I’d pepper it with a bit of nostalgia. As I always say, things are a lot more memorable when you experience them in a new place. If you happen to have a listen, try doing so somewhere new, somewhere outside your comfort zone. Take your laptop outdoors or load the song in your player and listen to it while you drive your way to work or school. Hopefully…hopefully, you’ll remember this post even after five years.

Eva Cassidy – Fields Of Gold [ Download ]

Adele – Hometown Glory (Hotel Cafe Live) [ Download ]

Peter, Paul & Mary – Puff The Magic Dragon [ Download ]

Paul Simon – Love And Hard Times [ Download ]

Sean Lennon – Tomorrow [ Download ]

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Adventures Dubstep Electronic Foreign Indie Playlists

Out-of-town-ness

January 11, 2012 – 1:29 PM

I just love the feeling of being out of town. It opens your eyes to a lot of things. Over the past few days I’ve had a sampling of various types of hospitality. I’m pleased to have met the friendliest people from the different towns I’ve visited. By friendly, I mean you end up dancing together after having just met that day. There’s no shade of pretentiousness in the way they extend their fun and good will. Then there are those people whose town has been through the most devastating disaster, be it caused by nature or man, but manage to smile and laugh with you. These places and people are inspiring.

If you want to search yourself look for inspiration. Simply, travel.

On the road. Where the heck am I?

On the road I’ve been listening to some tunes that are completely off-tangent from what people usually find me listening to. It’s a mix of post-punk with classic bass licks, dubstep, electro-pop, post-punk, and a few…chipmunks?! No, seriously. It has upped my mood tremendously so have a listen if you want some cheer. Traveling is supposed to refresh your perspective…revitalize you. Today’s playlist sort of represents that.

Recommendation: For ideal listening, grab all the songs by right clicking and save target/link as an mp3 file. Play in the order suggested here and if you know how to set up crossfade on your music player, set it at 8. Enjoy!

Starfucker – Girls just want to have fun (cover) [ Download ]

League – Golden Maps [ Download ]

Get People – Away [ Download ]

Kastle – I know [ Download ]

Cassius – I love you so [ Download ]

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Rain and music

January 9, 2012 – 1:09 PM

Lately, I’ve been thinking about what music would perfectly accompany rain. Then I stumbled upon the website www.rainymood.com which basically plays the sound of rain in the background while you go about your business in your computer. I found this to be the perfect way to simulate that mix of rain and music. Go on. Try it.

I love the rain and it always puts me in a pensive if not sedate mood. It never fails to relax me. Unfortunately, for some of us it doesn’t. I realized this when I was talking to a friend who was one of the survivors of the flash floods that occured last month in Northern Mindanao. The sound of rain makes her nervous and keeps her from getting any shut eye. What more now that the rainy season kicked off early this year?

Our environment will always have a hand in activating emotions in our brain. It varies in each person, depending on their experience of such stimulus. Sometimes we just can’t help it. Memories make fleeting moments permanent. We often find ourselves slaves to our good and bad memories of things.

Everything is perspective. This is how we become resilient. There is hope. Donate NOW.

Walking in the rain will never be the same again for the survivors of Typhoon Sendong. (Photo by: REUTERS)

Giselle Rosselli – Small People [ Download ]

The Honey Trees – To be with you [ Download ]

Blondfire – Oceans [ Download ]

Ashley Chambliss – A little more of you [ Download ]

Gnarls Barkley – Crazy (Basement Jam) [ Download ]

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Dailies Electronic Foreign Genre Mainstream Music Playlists

Hello, 2012! And a playlist to cap off 2011.

January 1, 2012 – 1:07 AM

Excuse my self-deprecation, but I do hate myself for leaving this website parked in the internet for nearly six months. And given my track record in the I-promise-to-update-regularly department, I have come to my senses and decided not to make such silly promises. Could it be that lowered expectations indicate maturity? Perhaps.

Speaking of maturity, this blog is going on six years. That’s more than half a decade! I’ve had my ins and outs with the world of music. Wish I had the time and energy to tell you what it’s been like for me over the year (musically), but I’d much rather “look forward” to new happenings so to speak.

Though if I’d put the whole year 2011 in retrospect I have only this to say: it was the year of heartbreak for me.

Fuck Love

An ironic piece of art which supposedly means "Fuck Love".

No, this won’t turn in to one of those sappy posts wherein I vent about my sorry romantic travails. After all I find that hardly necessary given that I’ve dumped most of my emotional garbage in my other blog. This blog is about music, so music it shall be.

Fact: Music saved my life in 2011. Every time something tragic happened, there would always be a soundtrack to lift my spirits. And vice-versa. Simply put, music was such a big part of my life last year.

I spent somber afternoons with Chet Baker crooning/trumpeting in my player while I wandered the city alone. 2011 was also the year I got in to artists like Crystal Castles, Kavinsky, M83, Thieves like us, to name but a few. Thanks to them, I began accomodating eighties-influenced synth-pop which turns out to be an acquired taste for a lot of us. While on facebook, I established a group named “Kim’s Music Party” which grew into a 100+ strong social network, allowing every member to share the music that they’re currently hooked to. AND thanks to this group, a few members got me in to a genre called “Chill wave”. For weeks on end I would not stop listening to bands like Washed Out and Toro Y Moi. Brilliant! Just what I needed to get in to a meditative mood.

Then toward the BER months of 2011 I found myself spontaneously belting Adele’s heart-wrenching ballad, “Someone like you” (harmonizing with my friend, Rodge, no less). I remember doing so in the shower, in random drunken nights and even in the morning IN a train WITH lots of people quietly making their way to daily business.

Adele Smoking

I just had to pick this photo of Adele smoking since I think she's cool like that.


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My “I don’t want to think about you” playlist

July 26, 2011 – 8:38 AM

I haven’t updated in a long time. I know. But I thought this should be the right time since I want to come up with something music-related which would serve some purpose too.

Music has a way of evoking memories and emotions. Even sensations whether pleasant or otherwise. Depending on your emotional state, songs have a way of bringing you back to thoughts that you’d rather not think about. Arguably, all songs are sentimental when you let yourself.

This playlist in particular has sentimentality all over it But the intended effect is this: it’s nearly impossible not to think of someone when you’re trying not to think of them so you might as well invite emotions that will make the feeling go away. Hate is always a nice place to start, then you move on to anger, bitterness and indifference. The first song I thought of was this:

Just got to love how Joan Jett brings out all the stupid emotions and make that type of torture sound fun! I’m thinking of another classic now. Something from the late great Micheal Jackson and the Beatle that never dies, Paul McCartney.

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Foreign Genre Latin Music

Marching on

March 27, 2011 – 12:24 AM

It’s been ages since I updated. I am finally making time to write because I lost my wallet and I want to just stay home and listen to music all day.

This’ll just be a quick update.  A friend once told me, when you’re feeling down, play music that grins.

There used to be a time I thought bebop was precisely that kind of music but then after some experimentation, I think LATIN music is the music of a happy expression.

If not happy, it is the music of great sex.  Which isn’t so bad either.

Here’s to March.

 

Note: Left click to listen or right click then save target as.

Thierry Robin - Rumba bo vesou

Rodrigo Y Gabriela – Tamacun

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Electronic Foreign Genre Indie Music

Sweden is my music capital!

July 18, 2010 – 5:34 AM

I can’t begin to describe why I think I should relocate to Sweden. Perhaps the first line of this song will explain: “I’m in love with your brother”.

Sweden is my music mecca, I know it.

The Knife – Pass this on (Live)

The Knife – Pass this on

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