Chart Performance: Third Day

Third Day gets their third Top 10 album in the US, as 'Move' debuts at #9.  In 2005, 'Wherever You Are' peaked at #8, while in 2008, 'Revelation' peaked at #6.  Third Day is a Christian rock band.

Chart Performance: Shakira

Shakira scores her fifth Top 10 album in the US, as 'Sale El Sol' debuts at #7.  Below are her previous Top 10 albums -

2001 - Laundry Service (#3)
2004 - Live and Off the Record (#4)
2005 - Fijacion Oral Vol. 1 (#4)
2005 - Oral Fixation Vol. 1 (#5)
2010 - Sale El Sol (#7)

There's Hope For OPM Because of Yeng Constantino

Since I don't really follow local reality TV shows, I don't know much about how she became famous. Anyhow, I first met her in Katy Perry's concert last year, when Abby, my friend took a picture of us, with her. She said, 'Oh, this is Yeng Constantino'. Yes, I've heard of her at that time but had no idea about what kind of music she does.


Fast forward this year and my New Year's resolution to listen to more OPM, I discover the genius of this girl! She's a very good songwriter and singer as well! I'm not surprised this song became a hit! The video and the song are both cute! It does help that the lyrics talk about something many people can relate with! I've had my own jeepney love stories too back in the day. Just goes to show how intuitive Yeng is as a songwriter.

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Why Piolo Pascual, Christian Bautista and Sarah Geronimo Should Just Become Hotel Lounge Singers

They have a huge TV station backing them up. They have talent and they have stage presence. But as singers, they are very lazy. Or maybe their management is. It's irritating that with what they are capable of doing, what they just opt to do is do covers of songs which were already fine in the first place! And the worst part is they make good money from it! But does it do anything to forward the cause of OPM. I don't think so. No wonder the kids today would rather listen to Korean bubblegum pop music! Who wants to listen to a rehash of 'Terminal' or 'I Remember The Girl' or 'Love Will Keep Us Together'? The 'oldies' who are managing their careers! I bet their concerts are snoozefests! Better to just watch a hotel lounge singer do those songs. At least they're not lazy!

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You Can't Get More OPM With Tanya Markova

While Piolo Pascual, Christian Bautista and Sarah Geronimo lazily release cover versions of songs and make bundles of money from it, Tanya Markova continues to blaze the trail with another cute and funny pop song, which you can really sing along too! I have been singing along to this song for two months now! I love the videos of these guys! Talagang pinag-iisipan! They also have catchy choruses! There is definitely hope for OPM and Piolo, Christian and Sarah have no part in it!

More of My Favorite Songs from Lisa Stansfield's 'Real Love'

As I was listening to her CD again, I became reacquainted with some of the songs that I really liked from this CD, and there are several of them, most of them unreleased as singles! From Real Love, only 'Change' and 'All Woman' were released as singles but she has lots of good songs in this one.

One of those gems is 'Symptoms of Loneliness and Heartache', a fast-paced song which I also used to dance to in my room when I was alone -



Another gem is 'It's Got to Be Real'! It's starts off low and quiet and then blasts with those fantastic horns and that rousing chorus, "It's got to be real!!"



Finally, this is my most favorite song from this album - the sexy, sultry and classy 'Time To Make You Mine'. Here's a live version of the song!

Revisiting the Past: Lisa Stansfield's Real Love

I have always been a big fan of Lisa Stansfield and I love her voice and the way she sings!  I am currently listening to this CD again because I pulled it out randomly from my huge CD collection.  It is one of the most played CDs in my collection! 

Anyhow, here are my favorite songs from this CD.  First is 'Make Love To Ya'.  I think  this is my most favorite track from this CD.  I love the dance beat and I used to dance to this song when I felt low or sad.

Below is a live version of this song.  I really hope she visits Manila again. I did see her live a long time ago. I hope she comes back!






Another song I used to groove to in this CD is 'Soul Deep'. This is funky dance music and her live version here is just as cool!

My OPM Pick of the Week: Letter Day Story - Paano

Too bad I missed their show at Eastwood yesterday since we went swimming, but hopefully, they do more shows in the future. I guess I'll just have to watch their Facebook announcements from time to time. This is their new single and one of my five favorite songs in their latest CD.

M.I.A.'s XXXO Is Just An Awesome Dance Song!

When I first heard this song, I immediately liked it and I was not surprised at all to see M.I.A.'s name attached to it. Ever since her debut, she has shown considerable talent in songwriting and in the way she arranges her songs. She definitely has something to say!

Why You Should Not Get On The Wrong Side of Taylor Swift!

If I were a boy, I would be very careful when I go out and date Taylor.  If I end up on her right side, I might get a happy song in her next album.  BUT, if I get on her wrong side, yikes, I might get a really nasty song on her next album!!  But you really have to hand it to her!  I have heard just two tracks from her new album, but I love them both already.  This girl can really write!!  She's articulate about her feelings and her melody is cool!  And she's reall being a girl, so grounded as to where she is right now in her life.  I will be very excited to see how her albums turn out when she gets married!

The Hazards of Autotune

Yes, you can hear almost everyone using them now, from Kanye West to Rihanna, and it does help in making the singer sound much much better, but in a way, it's shortchanging the fans!  I know that there are singers and there are performers.  Madonna is a performer, Charice would be the singer.  In my book, anyone who has to rely on non-singing things to make them more interesting would be a performer, and there's nothing wrong with that!  Fans anyway, will always gravitate to the most interesting performer or singer.  The reason why I say it's shortchanging the fans, is that, when they hear the artist sing it live.....that's when the discrepancies come out - which can be a bit of a letdown.  Anyhow, for me, if you're a performer like Lady Gaga, I'm after the spectacle of your live show.  But if you're a singer in my book, better preserve that voice of yours, otherwise, you're headed where Whitney Houston is right now - a legacy of fine singing but no more voice to sing it live.

Charice as one of the Grammy Awards 2011 Best New Artist Nominees!

October is normally the cut-off date for eligibility in next year's Grammy Awards, so that got me thinking that our own Charice, should be eligible to be nominated in next year's Grammys!  First off my head was the prestigious Best New Artist Award which I think she's eligible for!  It would really be cool if she gets into the top five slots. 

For now, on top of my head, only Eric Church comes to mind in that category and maybe Taio Cruz or Jay Sean.  Anyhow, the music academy has such a big voting block so it would be really interesting if they put Charice in the Best New Artist category!

A nomination for Best R&B Vocal Collaboration or Best Pop Group or Duo Vocal Performance would also not be farfetched for her and Iyaz for her song Pyramid.

Well, we'll have to wait for January when the Grammy music academy announces their nominations.

Good luck Charice!  I think you'll get that nomination girl!

Chart Performance: Jay Sean

Jay Sean scores his fourth Top 10 in the UK this week, as '2012', his collaboration with Nicki Minaj, debuts at #9.  Below is a list of his Top 10 hits in the UK -

2004 - Eyes On You (#6)
2004 - Stolen (#4)
2009 - Down (with Lil Wayne (#3)
2010 - 2010 (with Nicki Minaj) (#9)

Chart Performance: N-Dubz

N-dubz scores their fifth top hit in the UK, as 'Best Behaviour' debuts at #10 this week.  Below is a list of their top 10 songs in the UK -

2009 - I Need You (#5)
2009 - Number 1 (with Tinchy Stryder) (#1)
2009 - I Got Soul (as part of Young Soul Rebels) (#10)
2010 - We Dance On (with Bodyrox) (#6)
2010 - Best Behaviour (#10)

Chart Performance: The Beatles

The Beatles returns to the UK Top 10 album charts this week with two albums.  The remastered version of 1962-1966 reenters at #6 while the remastered version of 1967-1970 reenters at #4.  The former album was originally released in 1973 and peaked at #3 while the latter album, released in the same year, peaked at #2. With their return to the Top 10 of the UK album charts, their chart span between Top 10 albums is now 48 years!  Impressive!  They have 26 Top 10 albums in the UK. 

Below is the list of their Top 10 albums in the UK and their peak positions -

1963 - Please Please Me (#1)
1963 - With the Beatles (#1)
1964 - A Hard Day's Night (#1)
1964 - Beatles For Sale (#1)
1965 - Help! (#1)
1965 - Rubber Soul (#1)
1966 - Revolver (#1)
1966 - A Collection of Beatles Oldies (#7)
1967 - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Band (#1)
1968 - The Beatles (#1)
1969 - Yellow Submarine (#3)
1969 - Abbey Road (#1)
1970 - Let It Be (#1)
1973 - 1962-1966 (#3)
1973 - 1967-1970 (#2)
1977 - Love Songs (#7)
1977 - The Beatles at the Hollywood Bowl (#1)
1982 - 20 Greatest Hits (#10)
1994 - Live at th BBC (#1)
1995 - Anthology 1 (#2)
1996 - Anthology 2 (#1)
1996 - Anthology 3 (#4)
1999 - Yellow Submarine Songtrack (#8)
2000 - 1 (#1)
2003 - Let It Be...Naked (#3)
2006 - Love (#3)

Chart Performance: Pixie Lott

Pixie Lott gets her sixth Top 10 hit in the UK this week, as Bright Lights, her collaboration with Tinchy Stryder, debuts at #7 this week.  Below are her Top 10 hits in the UK -


2009 - Mama Do (Uh Oh Uh Oh) (#1)

2009 - Boys and Girls (#1)
2011 - All About Tonight (#1)
2011 - What Do You Take Me For (with Pusha T) (#10)
2012 - Kiss the Stars (#8)
2012 - Bright Lights (with TinchyStryder) (#7)

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Mourning the Death of the Walkman

It was confirmed today that the iconic cassette players, which had the same impact on global society and pop culture in the ‘80s as iPods have had in the last decade, will no longer be manufactured.  The news was announced by Sony spokesman Hiroko Nakamura, who said the company ceased production of the once ground-breaking portable music player in April. Sales are set to end once the last batch disappears from stores.

Of course, thirty years ago, the idea of being able to carry your entire collection in your pocket would have been ridiculous.  But now we can do that.

Anyhow, I would like to say my own tearful goodbye to the walkman.  I did own one till about 1993, since I had to use it to record my interviews, till of course, that really smaller version came.  However, a lot of my favorite music came with the Walkman - Michael Jackson's 'Thriller', Men At Work's 'Who Can It Be Now', Billy Joel's 'An Innocent Man' and Culture Club's 'Karma Chameleon' are just some that come to mind.  And of course, the summers of my youth were not complete without me carrying my Walkman while walking along the beach or around that track field where we used to run.

But, I guess, it's was just part of the advancement of our music technology and it was undisputably a part of that era.  Life has to go on and we can't be stuck in the past.  I'm just wondering how we'll carry our music in 2040.

My Favorite Track in Body Combat 45

It's not surprising that the track I like in the new release is the most pop-sounding! Stan Walker is the Australian Idol 2009 winner, so no surprise there that his song is bubblegum pop! Love it!

Country Gem: Eric Church - Smoke A Little Smoke

I actually don't smoke and don't drink either, unless there's some social event.  However, I like this song by Eric Church and I'm sure he'll get a nomination for Best New Artist in next year's Grammys.  I like his song, 'Smoke A Little Smoke' because it's actually just to take a break from work and do what makes you happy. As the singer sings -


"Want a little more right, and a little less left
Little more right now, a little less what's next
Act like tomorrow's ten years away
And just kick back and let the feelin' flow
Drink a little drink, smoke a little smoke"


Throw caution to the wind once in a while and don't be too uptight!

Country Gems: George Strait - The Breath You Take

I've seen people post the chorus of this song and I just want to acknowledge the guy who sings this song with those beautiful lyrics.  George Strait is considered one of the kings of country music and he outdoes himself once again with this song.  Maybe another Grammy in 2011?  This is the complete chorus of his song, 'The Breath You Take' -


"Life’s not the breaths you take
The breathing in and out
That gets you through the day
Ain’t what it’s all about
Ya just might miss the point
Try’n to win the race
Life’s not the breaths you take
But the moments that take your breath away"

David Foster Keeps His Hits Coming and Coming and Coming

David Foster's concert last night was probably the most fun the guy had in a long time, and he said it over and over again to all of us!  It was fun for us too since, aside from him, there were several hitmakers in their own right who made his show possible.  As he said, if only he can sing like those guys, he could do the show himself, but God had other plans for him

He actually opened the show with his instrumental version of the Love Theme to St. Elmo's Fire.  This song was very memorable for me since I was third year high school when this song came out and everytime I was feeling low or unhappy, this song was one of those things that would lift me up, maybe due to the beautiful way the strings were arranged. I actually prefer the instrumental version (which was the US hit) than the one where somebody sings a vocal.  He also does one more instrumental before he introduces the first act.
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The first group to perform were the Canadian Tenors and well, their voices were just ok and didn't really impress the very picky Pinoy audience.  I was surprised though that they sang Hallelujah. Almost everyone I like seems to have a version of this former UK #1 song!  Even Justin Timberlake has a version of the song!  Anyhow, I learned later on that Leonard Cohen wrote it so, no surprise there!

Natalie Cole came in next and her musicality shone through once again tonight.  When she sang 'Miss You Like Crazy', David got to experience for the first time (according to him), a whole coliseum sing along with the singer!  And that gave me goosebumps too since the venue had the ability to keep the sound intact so no wonder the performers love it!  She also does Unforgettable where she got to work with David, and her version tonight was really classy, as usual.

American Idol winner Ruben Studdard performed next and he's a very good vocalist, but I guess what he lacks is the connection with the fans, I mean, this guy really needs to have real fans if he wants a career, otherwise, he should just sing in a hotel.  His performance is flawless though and he's a deserving Idol winner.  I'm just surprised all those who voted for him didn't bother to follow up in building this poor guy's career.

In the next segment of the show, David went down to the audience and picked randomly, people in the audience and asked them to sing!  I'm sure it was nerve-wracking for everyone down there but anyhow, he picked five different people.  The first one sang 'Because You Loved Me' then he picked three girls who did a lively version of 'Pyramid'.  After that, the fun part begins.  When he goes to the right part of the audience, he sees the audience point to a guy in the front, and that guy happened to be Randy Santiago.  And Randy went upstage with David and he did Wildflower.  After that, David goes to the left part of the audience and the audience again were pointing to a woman, who turned out to be Pilita Corrales. And she did a fantastic version of 'Dahil Sa Iyo'!  This woman is a real national treasure and should be conferred National Artist.  Her version was accapela and I'm sure she was caught offguard when asked to sing, a real trouper.  Finally, David returns to the right side of the audience again, and spots Arnel Pineda, who joins him in the stage.  He asks Arnel to sing 'Hard Habit to Break' which Arnel does wonderfully. Right then and there, Peter Cetera comes out and surprises Arnel who kneels down and says 'I'm not worthy'.

Peter Cetera did mostly Chicago's hits and the crowd just sang along with him, song after song!  The song which David produced for him solo was 'Glory of Love' and that was his last song, before Charice came out.  He was just in awe of Charice's talent and tonight I realize why.  David Foster's songs, especially for the female vocalists, are virtual vocal gymnastics. It's like, if you don't have the voice, do not sing my songs.  Simple as that.  Any other singer who has to go through Charice's set tonight will have to have the pipes for it (and yes, many of our Filipina singers could actually do that - I'm thinking Regine, Lani, Dulce), so I know why we aren't surprised anymore.  And Charice hit her notes, perfectly, from All By Myself, to I Will Always Love You and To Love You More.  She was so comfortable onstage she was like a veteran, holding her own with some of those real veterans.  And David really wishes her well and had a lot of nice things to say about her.

The encore song was a mini-tribute to Michael Jackson and David confesses that he wished he cherished more his experiences with Michael since like most of us, he too was shocked that he left us so suddenly.  They then did a version of The Earth Song which was fitting really, since the end of the song is a rousing chorus! 

As the show was going on, I realized David had worked on three albums which won 'Album of the Year' honors in the Grammys! 1991 with Natalie Cole's Unforgettable, then 1994's The Bodyguard and then 1997 with Celine Dion's 'Falling Into You'.   Impressive!! 

Chart Performance: Kenny Chesney

Kenny Chesney has eleven top 10 albums in the US.  Seven of them went all the way to #1.

2002 - No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems (#1)

2004 - When the Sun Goes Down (#1)

2005 - Be As You Are (#1)

2005 - The Road and the Radio (#1)

2006 - Live: Live Those Songs Again (#4)

2007 - Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates (#3)

2008 - Lucky Old Sun (#1)

2009 - Greatest Hits II (#3)

2010 - Hemingway's Whiskey (#1)

2012 - Welcome to the Fishbowl (#2)

2013 - Life on a Rock (#1)

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Chart Performance: Zac Brown Band

Zac Brown Band's second #1 and third top 10 album in the US, Uncaged, slips to #6 this week, after debuting at the top last week.  Here are his top 10 albums in the US -

2008 - The Foundation (#9)

2010 - You Get What You Give (#1)

2012 - Uncaged (#1)

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Toby Keith Makes It A Dozen with Clancy's Tavern

Toby Keith's latest album, Clancy's Tavern, returns to the US Top 10 this week at #8.  It has already peaked at #5.  This is his twelfth Top 10 album in the US, and one-fourth of them went to #1.  What's notable about Toby is that, he's had a Top 10 album for the past 10 years.  That's pretty impressive!  Below is a list of his Top 10 albums -

2001 - Pull My Chain (#9)

2002 - Unleashed (#1)

2003 - Shock N Y'all (#1)

2004 - Greatest Hits (#3)

2005 - Honkytonk University (#2)

2006 - White Trash With Money (#2)

2007 - Big Dog Daddy (#1)

2008 - That Don't Make Me A Bad Guy (#5)

2008 - 35 Biggest Hits (#2)

2009 - American Ride (#3)

2010 - Bullets in the Gun (#1)
2011 - Clancy's Tavern (#5)

CHART PERFORMANCE: Big Time Rush

The soundtrack to Big Time Rush debuts at #3 this week.  This is the first Top 10 US album from that show.

CHART PERFORMANCE: The Band Perry

The Band Perry scores their first US Top 10 album as their debut album debuts this week at #4.

CHART PERFORMANCE: Sufjan Stevens

Sufjan Stevens gets his first Top 10 album in the US, as The Age of Adz debuts at #6.

CHART PERFORMANCE: For We Are Many

The metal band For We Are Many gets their first US Top 10 album this week, as 'All That Remains' debuts at #10.

My Favorite New Song This Week - Labrinth - Let The Sun Shine

This song debuted at #3 a few weeks ago in the UK charts, but I only heard it this week. I love the positive message of the song and I love its beat too! I don't know much about this singer though but I think he already has two top 10 songs in the UK, not bad for a newbie!

Album Review: B.o.B. Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray



This debut album of B.o.B. has already spawned three worldwide Top 10 hits, 'Nothin' On You', 'Airplanes' and 'Magic' - and those singles are actually the most commercial and strongest ones in his album.  They are fantastic collaborations with very talented people like Eminem and Hayley Williams.  I like B.o.B.'s album and it does not alienate a pop fan like me.  Here are my other favorite songs in his album -

1.  The Kids -  He should release this song. It will surely become his fourth Top 10 hit.  I heard though that this was just a remake of a Vampire Weekend song, but it's a good version!  Janelle Monae sounds great in it!

2.  Ghost In The Machine - I like this kinda ballad-ish rap song.  B.o.B. sings alone in it.  I like the melody and it can be a possible single release.  I read that it was played in a Gossip Girl episode!  The lyrics are interesting, that's why they used it!

3. Don't Let Me Fall - Another good ballad in his album, which I think is worthy of release! I like how the chorus sounds!



Chart Performance: Labrinth

Labrinth's fifth UK Top 10 hit Beneath Your Beautiful, his collaboration with Emeli Sande, stays at #4 this week.  It debuted at #1.  Below are his Top 10 hits in the UK
 

2010 - Let the Sun Shine (#3)

2010 - Pass Out (with Tinie Tempah) (#1)

2010 - Frisky (with Tinie Tempah) (#2)

2011 - Earthquake (with Tinie Tempah) (#2)

2012 - This Time (#4)

2012 - Beneath Your Beautiful (with Emeli Sande) (#1)

CHART PERFORMANCE: Phil Collins

Phil Collins drops six notches to #10 this week after it debuted at #1 in the UK charts, with his new album, 'Going Back'.  This is Phil's 5th #1 album in the UK and his 7th Top 10 - both as a solo artist.  Another impressive achievement is that Phil Collin's span between #1 albums has now stretched to an impressive 30 years!  His first solo #1 album, Face Value, was released in 1981.  Below is the list of his Top 10 albums in the UK -

1981 - Face Value (#1)

1982 - Hello, I Must Be Going (#2)

1985 - No Jacket Required (#1)

1989 - ...But Seriously (#1)

1993 - Both Sides (#1)

1996 - Dance Into the Light (#4)

2010 - Going Back (#10)

Among his CDs, I have No Jacket Required and ...But Seriously.  The latter is one of my all-time favorite albums since it marked my third year in university and some of its songs have become memorable since it happened during that time in my life. One song in particular, 'I Wish It Would Rain Down', was one of my comfort songs at that time, since I was going through a difficult time in my studies.  I heard that this is an album of Motown remakes.  Unfortunately, I am not into remakes, so I might not get a copy of this one.  Give us new material, Mr. Collins.  I am more interested in new material rather than a rehash of the classics.

Joe McElderry's 'Classic': His Second UK Top 10 Album

Joe McElderry has four top 10 songs in the UK, 'Ambitions' which peaked at #6 and three other songs which all went to #1 - 'The Climb', 'You Are Not Alone' and 'Everybody Hurts', the latter two songs being part of collaboration with the X-Factor finalist and Helping Haiti, respectively.

This week, he gets his third top 10 album, as Here's What I Believe, debuts at #8.   His first album, Wide Awake, peaked at #3, while Classic, which he released in 2011, peaked at #2.

Chart Performance: Cliff Richard

Cliff Richards scores his 25th Top 10 album in the UK, as 'Bold As Brass' debuts at #3.  This becomes his highest charting album in 17 years!  He also becomes the first artist I know who has at least, one Top 10 album in the UK, for the past six decades.  His first Top 10 album came in 1959.  These are his Top 10 albums in the UK -

1959 - Cliff (#4)
1959 - Cliff Sings (#2)
1960 - Me And My Shadows (#2)
1961 - Listen to Cliff (#2)
1961 - 21 Today (#1)
1962 - 32 Minutes and 17 Seconds With Cliff Richards (#3)
1963 - When In Spain (#8)
1965 - Cliff Richard (#9)
1966 - Kinda Latin (#9)
1976 - I'm Nearly Famous (#5)
1977 - Every Face Tells A Story (#8)
1979 - Rock 'N Roll Juvenile (#3)
1980 - I'm No Hero (#4)
1981 - Wired For Sound (#4)
1983 - Silver (#7)
1987 - Always Guaranteed (#5)
1989 - Stronger (#7)
1991 - Together With Cliff Richard (#10)
1993 - The Album (#1)
1998 - Real As I Wanna Be (#10)
2003 - Cliff At Christmas (#9)
2004 - Something's Going On (#7)
2006 - Two's Company The Duets (#8)
2009 - Reunited - Cliff Richard and the Shadows (#4)
2010 - Bold As Brass (#3)

Chart Performance: Magnetic Man

Magnetic Man scores his first Top 10 album in the UK this week as his self-titled album debuts at #5. 

Chart Performance: Alter Bridge

American rock band, Alter Bridge, gets their first Top 10 album in the UK this week, as AB III, debuts at #9.

Chart Performance: Belle and Sebastian

Scottish indie band, Belle and Sebastian, scores their third Top 10 album in the UK this week, as Write About Love, debuts at #8. This equals the peak position of their previous release, The Life Pursuit, in 2006.  Their first Top 10 album came in 2000, when Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like A Peasant, peaked at #10.

My Favorite Track in Body Jam 54: Toni Braxton - Make My Heart

I was very happy to know that this song was used in the new Body Jam release. This is my favorite track from Toni Braxton's last album, 'Pulse' and it was also my 'happy song' sometime in June. A 'happy song' is something I play when I get into those senti or melancholic moods. Its vibrant beat and funky sound is perfect and was a good way to start off this new Body Jam release!

My Favorite OPM Song This Week: Don't Say You Love Me by Krissy and Ericka

I am posting first the original version of this song. This was one of my favorite songs of the 90's - a cute, breezy duet which was so enjoyable to sing along too.

Fast forward a decade later, a Pinoy act called Krissy and Ericka just remade the song, and it's a little bit more acoustic, but still the video is cute, and there's a cute guy there too!

My Favorite OPM Song This Week: Miguel Escueta's 'We Belong Together'

I normally do not like remakes but surprisingly, I like Miguel Escueta's version of Mariah Carey's big hit, 'We Belong Together'.  It's quite laidback and this version is driven by Miguel's guitar playing.  It's quite refreshing to hear the song without the vocal gymnastics which is common in Mariah's songs.

Album Review: My Five Favorite Songs From Letter Day Story's 'Sama-Sama'

I bought this group's CD on the strength of their first single, 'Sama-Sama', a vibrant rock song with a perfect college vibe.  Interestingly, I immediately was hooked with group's sound, as I was listening to their other songs in my Ipod.  Their playing is solid and their arrangements sound really professional, considering how young the group is.  Anyhow, aside from 'Sama-Sama', I am going to pick five other songs which I liked from their CD.  This is ranked according to how much I like the song.

1.  Isang Umaga - I really hope they release this as their next single.  It's a fantastic duet with Jaq Dionisio of Kissjane.  Imagine that!  Two of my favorite bands now, jamming together!  I love the buoyant beat and it's actually perfect as a wake up song in my alarm clock!  I especially like how the song builds up to the end into something like a stadium sing-along song.  The lyrics are just as appropriate too - definitely something I would've rocked to if I were much much younger - i.e. when I just started working, and that was ages ago!

2.  Kung Maibabalik - another song worthy of release, and this time, it's a duet with Yeng Constantino, who herself is a very talented singer-songwriter.  This was one of the first songs that I immediately noticed when I was first listening to the CD. It does help that this band's lead singer has a wonderfully expressive voice which blends perfectly with Yeng's.  I haven't listened closely to the lyrics, but as the title suggests, regret is written - and sung - all over it!

3.  Nababaliw - the album has some really strong ballads and this is one of them.  Great lyrics, good melody and wonderful guitar playing. 

4.  Ikaw Pa Rin - a song which hews closely to their lead single, the song reminds me of a Green Day song, when that band was still playing punk rock style.  The song also has a sing-along type of chorus, which could work well when played live.

5.  Paano - another ballad which they could release as a single, great lyrics and the arrangement feels like you're pining for something, like a love lost.

One thing I notice also in this album is the clear enunciation of the words by the lead singer.  Most lead singers just garble with the pronunciation of the lyrics of thier song, but the lead singer of this band sings very clearly, which is good!