I’m joining the Mindanao Bloggers Summit

• Author: Kim
• Filed under: 'Ze Think Tank, Events, Mindanao, Music, Radio
• Date: Sep 4,2007

God the apologies are really getting tired so let’s head right on to a quick update.

The DJ Thing
I’ve recently found a new home in a new radio station. Migrated from U.R. to Killerbee - things are so different, you know. I’m technically still a trainee, as it is, I’m not getting paid for it. But hey, I’m getting my 4-hours already so that’s all that matters to me right now and I guess I don’t mind doing it pro-bono till further notice. I don’t want to seem like I’m taking advantage of the fact that one of the most prominent DJ’s of the station just left and that supposedly the station misses one jock, but you know, the way Killerbee runs their thing, I feel like that I have so much more to learn.
Read the rest of this entry »

Oh God, I’m back! (With tons of explaining to do…)

• Author: Kim
• Filed under: 'Ze Think Tank, Adventures, Events, Foreign Artist, Local Artist, Local Scene, Mindanao, Music, Places
• Date: Jul 20,2007

I have been going around Mindanao and have had little time to be in front of the computer in the most comfortable blogging position (which I argue is absolutely necessary, as I’m sure some of you might agree)! Moreover, I have been struggling to get some music back into my system at late since the climate of my career has not been very flexible on that extent. Seriously, I make an effort! I try to steal time to listen to Smashing Pumpkin’s newest album entitled, Zeitgeist, their come-back album with a sound reminiscent of old goddamn school 90’s rock. If you’re a purist and you’re about to start dissing grunge, close this window right this instant!

Anyway.

It’s been an interesting month, thus far. And I can say the same thing about the previous month. I went to Cagayan to check out the music scene there and quite frankly, I was impressed. My heart bled over the fact that the Cagayan music scene seems more enthusiastic and more, shall I say, formidable compared to Davao’s. Not that I’m dissing our locals, no no. My point is, I wish the scene here would grow in terms of musical taste, and maybe even music support.
Read the rest of this entry »

Going back to Rock music

• Author: Kim
• Filed under: 'Ze Think Tank, Davao, Events, Foreign Artist, Indie, Local Scene, Mindanao, Music, News, Playlists
• Date: Jun 17,2007

I’m currently under Rock Rehab - kind of my made up term for this period of time I’ve decided to lock myself away from all other types of music except of course, Rock. This involves hours worth of listening to Rock-only playlists with artists like Radiohead, The New Pornographers, The Decemberists, Wolfmother, Deftones, The Metric, Frank Zappa and the inescapable 70’s jangle rock of Steely Dan (mind you, this is just to name a few). I’ve come up with a pretty eclectic array of artist to be listened to probably up until the end of this month.

I guess at this point, you might be asking why?

Read the rest of this entry »

In hindsight and foresight

• Author: Kim
• Filed under: 'Ze Think Tank, Music
• Date: Jun 9,2007

Southisms [dot] com is almost turning a year old. The story began when a blogger friend, who used to be my Math tutor, asked me one day if I would like to write about music on a dot-com. And this question is pretty easy to answer, since as most of you know, I do everything for the “glam” of it. So I came aboard the Blog Davao network hoping to spend the entire year being able to give my web visitors a piece of my mind when it comes to music. It’s been an eccentric year in music for me and it’s been interesting writing about it every now and then.

So as forms of improvement, I’ll probably have my Music staples up by the end of next week. Meanwhile, the about me page is updated. On to another year ahead for Southisms!

It’s possible!

• Author: Kim
• Filed under: 'Ze Think Tank, Foreign Artist, Music
• Date: Jun 3,2007

Okay, I’m an Apple fan stuck with a PC and that’s frustrating enough. And since one of the best parts of having a Mac is to achieve that aesthetics so easily missed even in the (what Mac users accuse) copycat interface of Microsoft Vista, I decided to spend the entire night last night attempting to give my PC that Mac look. And guess what? Call me a poser or poseur but get a load of this…

Read the rest of this entry »

Attention Davao City slickers! Need your help.

• Author: Kim
• Filed under: 'Ze Think Tank, Food, Foreign Artist, Local Artist, Music
• Date: May 22,2007

See, my girlfriend is a vegan.

Let’s just put that it’s not really easy getting around the city when we start asking ourselves, “Where do we eat?” Ordinarily, it’s hard enough answering the question as a meat-lusting individual with so many spots to choose from. But what happens when you not only know what place to choose, you consequently have not too many options to begin with?

My dilemma really is that I’m such a darling and I want to, as much as possible, keep my vegan dearest happy, since as she said more times than I can count that perhaps aside from yours truly, food makes her really, really happy.

But first before I start begging for specific advice about this, you might be asking yourselves what a vegan is? Or what veganism is per se.

Read the rest of this entry »

ALAVET!

• Author: Kim
• Filed under: 'Ze Think Tank, Foreign Artist, Mainstream, Music, Music Videos
• Date: Apr 24,2007

Here’s a video of Alanis Morisette’s cover of The Black Eyed Peas‘ song “My humps”. I’m shunning comments about how much a lot of people dislike this song. I just think it’s ridiculously brilliant. It’s a parody of how insipid songs, videos and pop culture can get. And the touch that Alanis put in to it just underscored feminist undertones. ALAVET!

House, House and the Homeless.

• Author: Kim
• Filed under: 'Ze Think Tank, Foreign Artist, Music, Playlists
• Date: Apr 18,2007

The past few weeks have been eventful thus far, and just as I was about to create a post plugging my friend’s new coffee shop, “Yellow hauz” (quaintly spelled that way, reflective of the playful personality of the owner), I do however feel that Ria of http://mydavaocity.com has more than adequately put what I wanted to say. So check out that link if you want an objective perspective of what a real connoisseur thinks about the place. If it came from me, I’d wax poetic about the place. I practically live there (here - because, hey! See what I mean?) these days.

So moving on, since this blog is mainly a Music blog, let’s get to the second chunk of this post which is to discuss my love-hate thing going on with “House” music. Read the rest of this entry »

Beach music?

• Author: Kim
• Filed under: Compilations, Music
• Date: Apr 7,2007

Having been reminded of my “contract” which Andrew (of http://www.alleba.com/blog) and Ria (of http://politics.alleba.com) is well aware of, I am about to make a post even without really giving it much thought. But let’s see, I asked around and my misheard my muse saying “Beach” when she actually meant “Bleach” for possible keywords that’ll spark the content of this post. Not such a bad idea. It is after all summertime.

Let’s see.
Read the rest of this entry »

I don’t want to come off a music snob (Best of 2006)

• Author: Kim
• Filed under: Compilations, Music
• Date: Dec 30,2006

What I meant by a best of 2006 list has a lot to do with the best of what I ended up listening to over the year, not necessarily albums that were released in ’06. I must say, I’ve been trying to come up with this list since last week and I realized it’s a pretty tough list to make especially since I have been ridiculously hooked to a lot of artists over the year thanks very much to my lovely music fiend friends Khayriyyah Mod Hanafiah, Naly Phong, Nathaniel James Salisipan, Jeremy Lu and the Internet.

[photopress:B00000DFRU_01__AA90_SCTHUMBZZZ_V35679563_.jpg,full,alignleft]Afghan Whigs, The - Now I have to make reference to my dear friend J. Lu, who calls them, aptly, “White guys who sing like they’re black soul”. Whatever that’s supposed to means, it makes a lot of sense hearing it. But the stranger part about The Afghan Whigs is that they manage to be that and sound sorta 90’s. Yeah, sorta. A load of whatever to something that sounds pleasant.

[photopress:B000E11568_01__AA90_SCTHUMBZZZ_.jpg,full,alignleft]Belle and Sebastian - These kids never fail me. They released a few EPs - which I can’t wait to get my hands on - before letting out their 2006 happity-dabbity album release, The Life Pursuit. I’m falling in love with the 60’s again thanks to them. Go folk revival/jangle!

[photopress:B000GFLAI0_01__AA90_SCTHUMBZZZ_V36943362_.jpg,full,alignleft]Bob Dylan - Modern Times is so apropos and Dylan shows pro form. Period. There are some things new artists have got to pick up from ol’ Bob. He’s getting raspier these days but - dude, Old School is Cool!

[photopress:B0001KL5NA_01__AA90_SCTHUMBZZZ_.jpg,full,alignleft]Broken Social Scenee - One of my mom’s Christmas gifts happen to be a copy of their album, Beehives and I guess she knows me well enough. I’ve been waiting for these guys since the 2005 album came out and I’m dying for some new material. No… hungry. Jesus, I can’t adequately put how much I love BSS since I found out about them.

[photopress:B000AOJHZA_01__AA90_SCTHUMBZZZ_.jpg,full,alignleft]Clap your hands and say yeah! - Correct me if I’m wrong, but they’re white noise. Or not. Or maybe. Beats me. But they sound so good, good and so fucking good, who cares?

[photopress:B000HKDEEW_01__AA90_SCTHUMBZZZ_V59841508_.jpg,full,alignleft]Decemberists, The - Picaresque was quite a treat at 2005 but 2006 with The Crane Wife out tipped the balance letting The Decemberists achieve musical supercoolness. I love the actual reference to that old Japanese tale about the wife of a man plucking her own feathers so that she could weave silk clothes. You must know the story. Man gets too greedy so the crane wife is driven away, never to return. I hope the “never to return” part won’t happen with these guys.

[photopress:B000EZ902A_01__AA90_SCTHUMBZZZ_V56234497_.jpg,full,alignleft]Feist - What is it with Leslie Feist and all those Canada-only releases?! (Refers to the album Open Season) I need my copies, okay? Feist has the most Enchanting voice. Hint of folk and soul. You will fall in love with her and not just because you’re dyke.

[photopress:B00006BTCA_01__SCTHUMBZZZ_.jpg,full,alignleft]Interpol - And since no one thought they could get any better, they took the initiative. Kye, you are indeed a good friend. I was listening to this album over the summer and it was so goddamn perfect at that time. Haha, figures I’m too hooked up with the epic Obstacle 1 & 2. And the fact that post punk bands actually have something to write about!

[photopress:B0000029DD_01__SCTHUMBZZZ_V38736151_.jpg,full,alignleft]Jeff Buckley - He is definitely missed. I’m really a sucker for skinny, sweaty guys playing the guitar. Especially if these skinny, sweaty guys can really sing.

[photopress:B000FWHVKA_01__AA90_SCTHUMBZZZ_V65003357_.jpg,full,alignleft]Knife, The - I kid you not, The Knife is so fucking awesome. It’s my current obssession and for starters you might want to listen to Heartbeats which is yet another creative way of singing about sex. We’re talking about an indie electro-pop and GOD-knows-what music. And by the way, did I mention that I am a music snob and that I didn’t just like them just because they were no. 1 at Pitchfork media but because I took the labor of actually listening through the whole goddamn album. Goes to show that Silent Shout is getting the attention it deserves.

[photopress:B000B66H64_01__AA90_SCTHUMBZZZ_.jpg,full,alignleft]Metric, The - You know I had to listen to The Metric after listening to BSS because not only does Emily Haines have rocking vocals in their BSS song Swimmers but as it turns out, their kind of music is almost exactly what I had in mind for effective songwriting. Although a lot of people might argue that structure is no fun but I’d like to say that structure is structure just so you can remember what you’re singing to easier. And what I can sing or would love to sing, I probably like.

[photopress:B0000DFZZA_01__SCTHUMBZZZ_.jpg,full,alignleft]Nelly Furtado - Surprised? I’m talking about her album Folklore of course, the second more modest release (definitely underestimated next to the first and the most recent third release). You’ll be surprised at how Nelly is capable of a sensinble kind of pop, although, I suppose this is a trait people overlook when you get to see how gorgeous she is on video while she’s grinding mindlessly. Point is, if she can manage to be some music schizo, then she may have a lot more racked up in her. Oh yeah, and kudos to her single, All good things come to an end, that showed up in her third album. Although I like the unreleased version more with Chris Martin whining in the background, just because, heh.

[photopress:B000HIP4I8_01__SCTHUMBZZZ_V41133725_.jpg,full,alignleft]Sean Lennon - He looks so much like his dad! Come on people, is that all you ever see of Sean Lennon? The dude has worked up enough musical charisma to deserve his own platform without having to mention his parents The John and The Yoko. Friendly fire does have a touch of Lennon sensibility that we can also see in his father. This album is made up of what songwriting used to stand for before people got too cryptic or too simplistic. Good record.

[photopress:B0009R1T7M_01__AA90_SCTHUMBZZZ_.jpg,full,alignleft]Sufjan Stevens - I have a love-hate thing going on with this guy because when I check him out in YouTube he seems so gay. But Damn, I’m like hands down with Illinois. For me, it is definitely the best album of 2006, no questions asked.

***

[photopress:B000ESSTMO_01__AA90_SCTHUMBZZZ_V55663618_.jpg,full,alignleft]By the way, Jewel is out with a new album. Goodbye, Alice and Wonderland revives what Jewel is best at - a lot of folk, a lot of melody and no more tacky-sounding RnB. This is the same Jewel I knew covering the Rolling Stone’s Wild Horses and can I just say…finally you she came in to her senses! Here’s to maturity. Goodbye, Alice and Wonderland welcomes Jewel back home.