Christian Bautista Tops My OPM Myx Countdown Votes This Week

Christian Bautista tops my OPM Myx Countdown Votes this week, September 28, 2012.  This song is his collaboration with the 80s band Neocolours.

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

#1 Christian Bautista and Neocolours - Sasabihin (4 votes per day)

#2 Erik Santos - Hindi Na Magbabago (3 votes per day)

#3 Giniling Festival - Tsong Boypren Mo Pokpok (2 votes per day)

#4 Sabrina - Sa Bawat Paghinga (1 vote per day)

Florence + the Machine Tops My Personal Countdown This Week

Critics' darling Florence + the Machine finally get a #1 song in my personal countdown this week with Spectrum.  The song zooms from #4 to #1.

Here are my ten favorite songs for the week ending September 28, 2012 -

#1 Florence + the Machine - Spectrum (#4)

#2 Psy - Gangnam Style (RE)

#3 Taylor Swift - We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together (RE)

#4 Frank Ocean - Thinking About You (NEW)

#5 Pastor Charles Jenkins & Fellowship Chicago - Awesome (RE)

#6 Ne-Yo - Let Me Love You (RE)

#7 Sakanaction - Yoru No Higashigawa (NEW)

#8 Muse - Madness (RE)

#9 Jason Nelson - Shifting the Atmosphere (NEW)

#10 Gocho - Si Te Digo La Verdad (RE)

Chart Performance: Grizzly Bear

Grizzly Bear is an American indie rock band and this week, they get their very first top 10 album in the US, as Shields debuts at #7.

Chart Performance: The Avett Brothers

The Avett Brothers' first top 10 album in the US, The Carpenter, slips to #9 this week after debuting at #4 last week.  The band hails from North Carolina.

Chart Performance: Ben Folds Five

Ben Folds Five get their first top 10 album in the US this week as The Sound of the Life of the Mind debuts at #10.

Wilson Phillips Concert Setlist for Manila

I'm very excited to see the Wilson Phillips concert here in two weeks!  Here's their concert setlist for the show!

1) Release Me
2) It's Only Life
3) Daniel (Elton John cover)
4) California Dreamin'
5) God Only Knows
6) Wouldn't It Be Nice
7) You Won't See Me Cry (absolutely beautiful job on this song)
8) Already Gone
9) You're In Love
10) Dedicated To The One I Love
11) Dancing Queen/Does Your Mama Know (Medley)
12) Impulsive
Encore
13) In My Room
14) Hold On

Thanks for Moon River, Mr. Andy Williams

I just learned that Andy Williams died today. His song Moon River was one of Papa and Mama's favorite songs and among the 'old songs' they would play, this was one of my favorites! This song always gives me goosebumps because of Andy's fantastic voice. Years later, I read Breakfast at Tiffany's (written by Truman Capote, one of my favorite gay icons) and bought its DVD version. Well, the Holly Golightly in the book is a bit different from the Audrey Hepburn I saw in the movie. Audrey's Holly just had way too much class than Truman envisioned in his heroine.

Jessica Sanchez considers herself ‘100-percent Filipino’

When Jessica Sanchez was still starting out in American Idol earlier this year and when they announced her as Mexican-Filipino, my brother Vic told me, how can she be Mexican, one look at her and you can really say she's Filipino through and through.  There's just no trace in that face of hers that would say she's Mexican (although we're no experts as to how ordinary Mexicans look).  Turns out the 'Mexican' in her is not by blood but by affinity since her stepfather who adopted her is Mexican, so it was just fitting to label her as such. 

However, I really don't understand all these debate labeling our Filipino brethren abroad as half-Filipinos or not really Filipinos.  Technically, yeah, but blood ties to ones homeland is not easily extinguished and even if they are far away, their parents try their best to share to their children a little of their being Filipinos.  There are Filipinos who have totally erased their being Filipinos from their personhood, but I don't think Jessica's family has done that.  I think her being Mexican-Filipino adds to her cachet since the US celebrates diversity in race.  And there's no denying her talent.  A friend of mine saw her concert last week and he said she really had that incredible voice!


Jessica Sanchez considers herself ‘100-percent Filipino’

Concert Memories: Pussycat Dolls, June 12, 2009

Here are some pictures which I took when the Pussycat Dolls had their concert here in Manila three years ago.  The Pussycat Dolls put on a great show that night.  The songs that I remember particularly were Bottle Pop and Stickwitu!  However, since there was still no MOA Arena at that time, we had to suffer outside watching it on the hot concrete of the MOA Parking Area.

Chart Performance: The Killers

The  Killers get their fourth #1 album and fifth top 10 album in the UK this week, as Battle Born debuts at #1.

2004 - Hot Fuss (#1)
2006 - Sam's Town (#1)
2007 - Sawdust (#7)
2008 - Day and Age (#1)
2012 - Battle Born (#1)

Concert Reviews: Maroon 5 and The Wanted

Maroon 5 has always been a fantastic live performer so I am not surprised that they played a solid show that night.   Unfortunately, I missed their concert this time around because of the Cosmo Bachelors Bash.  Anyhow, the memories of their show May 2011 should suffice for now.

The reviewer's comments on The Wanted's performance are also spot-on!  I was there and I too was impressed at how great the boys sounded.  We don't really expect our boy bands to sound great live because they can wing it just by their looks, but not the boys of The Wanted!  They cornered eight of my ten favorite songs for last week!! That's how I was so impressed with them!

No-frills music, frenetic energy

Chart Performance: Psy

 

Psy becomes the first Korean act to go to #1 in the UK charts with his song, Gangnam Style.  The song has already become a worldwide hit thanks to Youtube and thanks also to its quirky dance steps.  This week, the song slips to #9. 

The same song storms the US charts and peaks at #2.  This week, it falls down to #10.  

Unfair Competition From Foreign Singers

 I agree with some points being raised by the writer and I believe foreign acts especially of musicals should be classified as singers and not only as actors, to protect our local actors guilds.  They do the same thing in the US and the UK, so it's just par for course here.

Also, this article got me thinking as to how to budget 50% of my concert budget on local artists!  Really very difficult to do haha since I watch so many foreign acts.  I computed how much I spent this year, and it's a very lopsided 95% to 5% ratio with the former being for foreign acts.

But, I can still change that, and I will consciously change that.  I do spend a lot already for local classical artists like the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra and our opera singers.  I think I can do the same for the concert acts.  

Unfair competition

Chart Performance: Amanda Palmer and the Grand Theft Orchestra

Amanda Palmer and the Grand Theft Orchestra get their very first US top 10 album this week, as Theatre is Evil, debuts at #10.

Chart Performance: ZZ Top

ZZ Top gets their seventh top 10 album in the US this week, as La Futura, debuts at #6.  The band also stretches their chart span to an impressive 40 years, from their first top 10 album to their latest.  Here are their top 10 albums in the US -


1973 - Tres Hombres (#8)
1975 - Fandango! (#10)
1983 - Eliminator (#9)
1985 - Afterburner (#4)
1990 - Recycler (#6)
1992 - Greatest Hits (#9)
2012 - La Futura (#6)

How OPM Can Win My Concert Budget Back

I have been reading several distressing articles in the newspapers recently about how our local artists are once again being clobbered by the influx of foreign acts these past few years and how they feel that they're being shortchanged by the unequal treatment.

These artists have been pleading for the locals (that's us) to also support OPM.  But since the market for music right now is so fluid and it's globalized like all the other businesses, our local artists really have to compete and be world class, if they want to get money from regular concert buyers like me!

I have already seen 27 shows or concerts this year (from January to September 2012), but only three of them were by OPM artists - Gary Valenciano's show in the Music Museum, Markki Stroem's show in Music Museum and the joint show of Giniling Festival, Jurassic Pards and Robin Nievera.  Probably the only local act that I see more than once in a year, is our Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra - and our opera singers - since we've had a bevy of operas this year!  I have seen Rachelle Gerodias sing more times this year than, say Sarah Geronimo, whom I've never seen live, for the simple reason that I don't like her and I don't like her music.  It really all boils down to a matter of taste.

But I love OPM and I consciously try to discover as many OPM artists as I could and buy, really buy their CDs - and not just download them for free.  So I am giving them some tips as to how they can let me part with my hard-earned moolah -

#1  I love pop music so it's fairly easy to make me like you.  Your music doesn't have to be artsy-fartsy.  You know how mababaw I am?  My #1 favorite song for this year (as of this week) is Carly Rae Jepsen's 'Call Me Maybe'.  The first time I heard this song (way way before it became famous), I was immediately hooked, so much so that I used it during our fashion show - way before people were humming to it!  I just loved it. It was cute and it was the perfect pop song.  So there.  I am mababaw and as long as the melody is cute and catchy, I'm for it.  I don't even care much for the lyrics.  Case in point - Foster the People's Pumped Up Kicks!  Listen to the lyrics of that song - it's terrifying - but the beat is just so catchy - I love it!!

#2  I don't really like it when our local singers do covers.  It just turns me off.  It tells me that you are tamad and you want to be famous the easy way - do a cover of a famous song!  I actually didn't like Sarah Geronimo before because I only hear her do other people's songs, which was irritating!  I finally saw how good she was when she did 'Kung Siya Ang Mahal' which really floored me!  I began to like her, but sadly, her discography is still littered with so many remakes and she also sings remakes in her concerts - so well, booorrrinnggg!! So she'd never get my concert money.  She'd have to do a concert that is 90% original songs of hers before I will part with my 4000 pesos to watch her.  Otherwise, my friend Sofia can sing just as well as her and I can watch her for free whenever we do karaoke.

#3 You'd have to be yummy like Markki Stroem before I'd part with my 4000 pesos to watch you.  And Markki sings jazz - and I love jazz!!  So he fits my bill perfectly!! And he does original compositions, so bravo!!

#4  No one is producing local artists that is interesting to me!! Here is the list of local artists I'd love to see live -

a.  Siakol
b.  Kiss Jane
c.  Christian Bautista
d.  Markki Stroem
e.  Emanuelle
f.  Miguel Escueta
g.  Kamikazee
h. Itchyworms
i.  Pops Fernandez
j.  Tanya Markova
k.  Giniling Festival
l.  Jurassic Pards
m.  Krissy & Ericka
n.  Never the Strangers
o.  Gracenote

#5  Gary V's show at the Music Museum was a visual delight but local artists don't have to put too much gimiks in their show.  What's important for me is that they come out with an interesting setlist where they sing the songs I like and sing it as close to the original version as possible.

#6  Use the social networking websites to advertise their gigs.  Facebook was pretty helpful for me to see Chris Cantada earlier this year.  I in turn discovered Giniling Festival and Jurassic Pards - two very interesting bands!  

The only OPM artist I'll be watching before the year ends is Christian Bautista.  I just hope some of those I mentioned above will have gigs before the year ends!

Rico Blanco Continues to Top My OPM Myx Countdown Votes

Rico Blanco's Amats continues to be the most requested OPM song in my personal countdown for the week ending September 21, 2012.  Here are the four songs I am voting for the OPM Myx Countdown this week -

#1 Rico Blanco - Amats (4 votes per day)

#2 Giniling Festival - Tsong Boypren Mo Pokpok (3 votes per day)

#3 Emanuelle - Sandali Lang (2 votes per day)

#4 Christian Bautista / Neocolours - Sasabihin (1 vote per day)

The Wanted Tops My Personal Countdown This Week

Due to their concert here in Manila last Friday, the British boy band has peppered my personal countdown with some of their songs.  They put eight songs into my top 10.  Their hit, Chasing the Sun, tops my list at #1.  It's the band's very first #1 song.  

Florence and the Machine's Spectrum also reenters at #4 after it was played in the venue that night.  Coldplay's Paradise also enters at #8 after the boy band sang it as part of their Coldplay medley.

Here are my favorite songs for the week ending September 21, 2012 -

#1 The Wanted - Chasing the Sun (NEW)

#2 The Wanted - Gold Forever (NEW)

#3 The Wanted - Heart Vacancy (NEW)

#4 Florence + the Machine - Spectrum (RE)

#5 The Wanted - Lose My Mind (NEW)

#6 The Wanted - Lightning (NEW)

#7 The Wanted - Invincible (NEW)

#8 Coldplay - Paradise (NEW)

#9 The Wanted - Warzone (NEW)

#10 The Wanted - I Found You (NEW)

Chart Performance: Little Big Town

The American country music group Little Big Town's second top 10 album in the US, Tornado, slips to #5 this week after peaking at #2 last week.  In 2012, The Reason Why became their very first US top 10 album.  It peaked at #5.

Discovering the Quirky Music of Sakanaction

It has only been three weeks that I've decided to follow the Japanese music charts - and in that span of time, I didn't really find anyone interesting to listen to - until I heard this quirky band Sakanaction!  Unfortunately, I could not read Japanese so it's really pretty hard to decipher their videos in Youtube.  I guess I'd better get a copy of this band's CD when I'm in HK.  I'm sure HMV there has a copy of their CD, especially these two songs I have featured here.

Enjoying Britney as an X-Factor Judge

I've been watching snippets of the X-Factor, the US version in Youtube these past few days and I'm pretty impressed as to how Britney Spears has been conducting herself.  I think she's doing a fine job just telling these people who audition what she really thinks of them, talent-wise.  I actually didn't expect much from her but seeing her pretty serious about the job is quite a far cry from the Britney that imploded years ago during her divorce.  I'm sure after a few seasons here, and with a ready cachet of new and younger fans, I won't be surprised if she releases new material - something to look forward to, definitely!

Chart Performance: Dave Matthews Band

The Dave Matthews Band's twelfth top 10 album in the US, Away From the World, slips to #4 after debuting at #1 last week.  It's also their sixth #1 album in the US

1996 - Crash (#2)
1997 - Live At Red Rocks 8.15.95 (#3)
1998 - Before These Crowded Streets (#1)
2001 - Everyday (#1)
2001 - Live in Chicago 12.19.98 at the United Center (#6)
2002 - Busted Stuff (#1)
2002 - Live at Folsom Field, Boulder, Colorado (#9) 
2004 - The Gorge (#10)
2005 - Stand Up (#1)
2006 - The Best of What's Around (#10)
2009 - Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King (#1)
2012 - Away From the World (#1)

If I Were at the Maroon 5 Concert - Never Gonna Leave This Bed

Wow!  Adam still sounds so fantastic!!  I think because of the great acoustics at the Araneta Coliseum, his version here sounded much much better than the one I recorded in their show last year at the SMX Convention Center.

Never Gonna Leave This Bed is actually my most favorite song from the band so it really gave me goosebumps just listening to them here!!

Keane's Setlist for their Manila Concert

Well, this is the setlist that Keane is going to perform on their concert here on October 2, 2012.  I am really forward to seeing them play!!

• 1. You Are Young
  2. Bend and Break
  3. Day Will Come
  4. Nothing in My Way
  5. Spiralling
  6. We Might as Well Be Strangers
  7. The Lovers Are Losing
  8. Silenced by the Night
  9. Everybody's Changing
  10. Stop for a Minute
  11. The Starting Line
  12. Your Eyes Open
      (Tom Solo Acoustic)
  13. Strangeland
      (Snippet)
  14. On the Road
  15. A Bad Dream
  16. Disconnected
  17. This Is the Last Time
  18. Somewhere Only We Know
  19. Is It Any Wonder?
  20. Bedshaped
  21. Encore:
  21. Sea Fog
  22. Sovereign Light Café
  23. Crystal Ball
  24. Encore 2:
  24. Under Pressure
      (Queen & David Bowie cover)

Chart Performance: Pet Shop Boys

The Pet Shop boys return to the UK top 10 at #9.  It's their 14th top 10 album in the UK.

1986 - Please (#3)
1987 - Actually (#2)
1988 - Introspective (#2)
1990 - Behaviour (#2)
1991 - Discography (#3) 
1993 - Very (#1)
1994 - Disco 2 (#6)
1995 - Alternative (#2)
1996 - Bilingual (#4)
1999 - Nighlife (#7)
2001 - Release (#7)
2005 - Fundamental (#5)
2009 - Yes (#4)

2012 - Elysium (#9)

Chart Performance: Two Door Cinema Club

Two Door Cinema Club is a three-piece indie rock band and this week, they get their first top 10 album in the UK as Beacon debuts at #2.

Chart Performance: Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan's 34th top 10 album in the UK, Tempest, debuted at #3 last week.  Seven of these albums also went to #1.  He also extends his chart life to an impressive 50 years 

1963 - The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan (#1)
1964 - The Times They Are A-Changin' (#4)
1964 - Another Side of Bob Dylan (#8)
1965 - Bringing It All Back Home (#1)
1965 - Highway 61 Revisited (#4)
1966 - Blonde on Blonde (#3)
1967 - John Wesley Harding (#1)
1967 - Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits (#6)
1969 - Nashville Skyline (#1)
1970 - Self Portrait (#1)
1970 - New Morning (#1)
1974 - Planet Waves (#7)
1974 - Before the Flood (#8)
1975 - Blood on the Tracks (#4)
1975 - Basement Tapes (#8)
1976 - Desire (#3)
1976 - Hard Rain (#3)
1978 - Street Legal (#2)
1979 - Slow Train Coming (#2)
1979 - Bob Dylan at Budokan (#4)
1980 - Saved (#3)
1981 - Shot of Love (#6)
1983 - Infidels (#9)
1989 - Oh Mercy (#6)
1995 - MTV Unplugged (#10)
1997 - Time Out of Mind (#10)
1997 - The Best of Bob Dylan Vol. 1 (#6)
2000 - The Essential Bob Dylan (#9)
2001 - Love and Theft (#3)
2006 - Modern Times (#3)
2007 - Dylan (#10)
2008 - The Bootleg Series Vol. 8 – Tell Tale Signs: Rare and Unreleased 1989–2006 (#9)
2009 - Together Through Life (#1)
2012 - Tempest (#3)

In the US, the same album becomes his twentieth top 10 album.  This week, Tempest slips from #3 to #8.  He also has five #1 albums. 

1965 - Bringing It All Back Home (#6)
1965 - Highway 61 Revisited (#3)
1966 - Blonde on Blonde (#9)
1967 - John Wesley Harding (#2)
1967 - Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits (#10)

1969 - Nashville Skyline (#3)
1970 - Self Portrait (#4)
1970 - New Morning (#7)
1974 - Planet Waves (#1)
1974 - Before the Flood (#3)

1975 - Blood on the Tracks (#1)
1975 - Basement Tapes (#7)
1976 - Desire (#1)
1979 - Slow Train Coming (#3)
1997 - Time Out of Mind (#10)
2001 - Love and Theft (#5)
2006 - Modern Times (#1)
2008 - The Bootleg Series Vol. 8 – Tell Tale Signs: Rare and Unreleased 1989–2006 (#6)
2009 - Together Through Life (#1)
2012 - Tempest (#3)

Chart Performance: Amelia Lily

Amelia Lily is a British pop singer whose very first UK top 10 hit, You Bring Me Joy, peaked at #2.  This week, the song slips to #10.

After 18 long years, Sting returns to Manila

Yes, I was in the ULTRA 18 years ago to watch his show and the only thing I could remember was how badly the hair of the guys smelled which of course, made me avoid stadium shows because some people just don't use shampoos!!  Anyway, surely with the ridiculously expensive concert ticket prices concerts here are priced at - I'm sure the audience that would be watching his show at the MOA have money to buy a sachet of shampoo and conditioner....By the way, I checked his setlist and it includes many of his hits....I just don't know how he'll arrange them - well youtube should help us with that....

After 18 long years, Sting returns to Manila

Chart Performance: Cat Power

Also known as Chan Marshall or by her stage name Cat Power, is an American singer-songwriter, musician and occasional actress and model.  This week, she gets her very first top 10 album in the US with Sun, debuting at #10.

Chart Performance: Lecrae

American Christian rapper, Lecrae, gets his very first US top 10 album this week with Gravity, which debuts at #3.

Chart Performance: Imagine Dragons

Imagine Dragons is a four-piece rock band based in Las Vegas, Nevada.  Their very first top 10 album in the US, Night Visions, has peaked at #2.  Radioactive is their first top 10 hit in the US.  It has peaked at #7.

Chart Performance: Matchbox 20

Matchbox 20 has five top 10 albums in the US.

1996 - Yourself or Someone Like You (#5)
2000 - Mad Season (#3)
2002 - More Than You Think You Are (#6)
2007 - Exile on Mainstream (#7)
2012 - North (#1)