Sam Concepcion Shakes Up Indonesia

First was Christian Bautista, who even did a movie in Indonesia.  Now, it's Sam Concepcion's turn!  Apparently, based from what I see trending on Twitter, the young singer has gained a lot of new Samsters in that HUGE archipelago!  Good for him!  Napakatalented talaga ng Pinoy!  Our performers are now bringing their talents worldwide!

Eurovision 2012 Winner Lorren Brings Euphoria to My Personal Countdown

Dance music once again tops my personal countdown this week, thanks to the trance dance music of Sweden's Loreen in Euphoria!  Here are my top 10 favorite songs this week -

#1 Loreen - Euphoria (#2)

This is Loreen's first #1 song in my personal music countdown, although many other Swedish artists have made it to #1, the last being Robyn - another Swedish dance meister!

#2 The Cast of The Book of Mormon - Hello (#1)

It's not unusual for Broadway tunes to top my personal music countdown list.  Hairspray's You Can't Stop the Beat was the last one to do that!

#3 Azealia Banks - 212 (#3)

One of the grooviest rap songs this year - and done by a woman! Tres cool!

#4 Josh Turner - Time Is Love (#4)

My favorite country song this year!  Sang like a true country classic!

#5 Gary Barlow/The Commonwealth Band/Military Wives - Sing (#7)

Brought tears to my eyes when they sang this during the Jubilee! Simple song but beautifully sung!

#6 Jurassic Pards - Mahal Ko Si Yaya (NEW)

From the band which we became fans after watching their live set at B-Side at the Collective.

#7 Giniling Festival - Hipon (NEW)

Giniling Festival was the other band that impressed us during their live gig at the B-Side.

#8 Maroon 5/Wiz Khalifa - Payphone (NEW)

Maroon 5 is on a roll with another hit!  Pop heaven at its best!

#9 Philip Phillips - Home (NEW)

It's been ages already since this year's American Idol final but it's only this week that Philip Phillips song which he sang there enters my personal countdown.  He sounds like Mumford and Sons here - and I mean that as a compliment!

#10 Kenny Chesney/Tim McGraw - Feel Like A Rock Star (#10)

One of my favorite country songs this year!  And sung by country royalty at that!
 

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Lovin' This Video from Azealia Banks

The only other video I love this year is Carly Rae Jepsen's Call Me Maybe, which I discovered months ago,  Just can't go over the gay twist in the end! And Holden Nowell is tres chaud!!

Now check out this video of Azealia Banks and yes, there's another cute guy in it - cute nerdy WHITE guy - the total antithesis of Azealia with her BJ ready lips!  Love this video and love Azealia!

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Chart Performance: Luke Bryan

American country singer Luke Bryan has six top ten albums in the US, including two #1 album.

2009 - Doin' My Thing (#6)

2012 - Spring Break 4: Suntan City (#9)

2012 - Tailgates and Tanlines (#2)

2013 - Spring Break: Here to Party (#1)

2014 - Crash My Party (#1)

2014 - Spring Break 6: Like We Ain't Ever (

Chart Performance: Smashing Pumpkins

The Smashing Pumpkins, that's Billy Corgan and a new line up, got their seventh top 10 album in the US this week, as Oceania debuted at #4.  Bellow are their top 10 albums in the US -

1993 - Siamese Dream (#10)

1994 - Pisces Iscariot (#4)

1995 - Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness (#1)

1998 - Adore (1998)

2000 - Machina I/The Machines of God (#3)

2007 - Zeitgeist (#2)

2012 - Oceania (#4)

Chart Performance: Fiona Apple

I was very surprised to discover that Fiona's first two albums, Tidal, and When the Pawn, did not even reach the top 10 in the US (#15 and #13 respectively).  However, Extraordinary Machine reached #7 and her latest, The Idle Wheel debuted at #3 this week, giving her her second top 10 album in the US.  Welcome back Fiona!!

Discovering Jurassic Pards

One of the joys of concert watching, especially in the local concert scene, is that I get to discover new acts whom I've never heard of before.  It kinda takes me out of my comfort zone, especially if the act that I discover plays something which is not normally in my pop-filled countdown.

One of those acts is local hard metal band Jurassic Pards!  They're such a joy to watch!  The night we watched them in B-Side at the Collective in Makati, the lead singer wore a jeepney sign saying Alabang Sucat and wore this really large dark-rimmed glasses, a really nice green jacket and a cap.  And I think the band used a special microphone since they really sounded awesome!  I mean, you can really hear the lyrics of their song!  Grabe!!  

And the lead singer's voice was topnotch!  Talagang shriek kung shriek!  And he played with his voice too producing some 'sound effects'.  Admittedly, both Mahtab and I became their fans that night!  To think they were the first band to perform pa ha!  Although they only played about four songs to a very sparse audience - kami lang at ni Mahtab ang audience dun that night - it was a worthy effort kasi they made some new fans kahit papano!

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My OPM Myx Countdown Votes This Week - Jurassic Pards

 (For the week ending June 22, 2012)

Once in a while, I stray from the countdown and vote for songs that are not yet in it, so that it truly reflects what I am listening to right now.  It happens this week as Jurassic Pards and Giniling Festival have songs in my countdown which are not in the official OPM Myx Countdown.  I don't know how it affects the countdown though, if it does but I just go my way.

Here are my votes for the OPM Myx Countdown this week -

#1 Jurassic Pards - Mahal Ko Si Yaya (4 votes per day)

#2 Giniling Festival - Hipon (3 votes per day)

#3 Emmanuelle - Happy (2 votes per day)

#4 Toto Sorioso - Himala Ay Nawala (1 vote per day)

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Guilty Pleasures: Shirtless Gary Barlow

He's already a mature Daddy right now but once upon a time, Gary Barlow, lead singer of Take That, used to be one hot guy!  I do still find him hot even right now!  It's a good thing he's still doing new songs, this time with the Military Wives. 

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The Book of Mormon's 'Hello' Tops My Countdown This Week

More than two weeks after seeing this year's Tony Awards, I am still enthralled by the performance of 'Hello' by the cast of The Book of Mormon, so much so that it is now the #1 song in my personal countdown.  Here are my top 10 favorite songs this week -

#1 Cast of The Book of Mormon - Hello (#2)

The song debuted at #2 last week and this week, moves up to #1.

#2 Loreen - Euphoria (#5)

This year's Eurovision song winner moves three places to #2 and has a good chance of topping my personal list next week.

#3 Azealia Banks - 212 (#10)

#4 Josh Turner - Time Is Love (NEW)

I love country music but it's only this week that two country songs are in my personal countdown.  Josh Turner's latest hit debuts high at #4 this week.

#5 Chris Cantada - Scarred (#1)

#6 Edwin McCain - Shooting Stars (#3)

#7 Gary Barlow / The Military Wives / The Commonwealth Band - Sing!

Gary Barlow returns to my personal countdown list this week with Sing - a song he sang with The Military Wives in the jubilee celebration of England's Queen more than a week ago.

#8 Kenny Chesney / Tim McGraw - Feel Like A Rock Star  (#7)

#9 Madonna - Gang Bang (RE)

#10 fun. - Some Nights (#4)

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Chart Performance: Josh Turner

Country singer Josh Turner gets his fourth top 10 album in the US this week as Punching Bag debuts at #4.  Below are his top 10 albums in the US

2006 - Your Man (#2)

2007 - Everything is Fine (#5)

2010 - Haywire (#5)

2012 - Punching Bag (#4)

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Chart Performance: Rush

Rush's twelfth top 10 album in the US, Clockwork Angels peaked at #2 and this week, it slips to #10.  This is the fourth consecutive decade that Rush puts a top 10 album in the charts and extends their chart span to an impressive 33 years from their first top 10 album to their latest.

1980 - Permanent Waves (#4)

1981 - Moving Pictures (#3)

1981 - Exit Stage Left (#10)

1982 - Signals (#10)

1984 - Grace Under Pressure (#10)

1985 - Power Windows (#10)

1991 - Roll the Bones (#3)

1993 - Counterparts (#2)

1996 - Test For Echo (#5)

2002 - Vapor Trails (#6)

2007 - Snakes and Arrows (#3)

2012 - Clockwork Angels (#2)

Albums Chart Performance: Usher

Usher's sixth top 10 album and fourth #1 album in the US, Looking 4 Myself, slips to #9 this week.  Below are his top 10 albums in the US -

1997 - My Way (#4)

2001 - 8701 (#4)

2004 - Confessions (#1)

2008 - Here I Stand (#1)

2010 - Raymond v. Raymond (#1)

2012 - Looking 4 Myself (#1)  

In the UK, the same album has peaked at #3 and this week, slips to #8.  It's Usher's fifth top 10 album in the UK.

2001 - 8701 (#1)

2004 - Confessions (#1)

2008 - Here I Stand (#1)

2010 - Raymond v. Raymond (#2)

2012 - Looking 4 Myself (#3) 

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