Word Vomit: Catching Up

Six months and a million internal debates after, I finally found the time, courage, and will to update this blog. Although, I don't think it matters that much since nobody seems to be following this anyway. (LOL!) And it's totally fine! I'm already content having an online journal that I can peruse whenever the struggling writer in me says so.

I really want to say A LOT OF THINGS. But I don't know where to start. I don't even know what is worth sharing anymore. For the past months I've been on hiatus, I went through a great deal of challenges. There were days when all I wanted to do is give up. Give up on my dreams. Give up on people. Give up on myself. For the past six months, I think I cried more than I should have allowed myself to. It's tiring and annoying.

BUT I always try to rise, to keep going; for I know there will be better days. NO, I can always CHOOSE to make each of my days the best, as if it's my last. :)

To give you an idea of what I'm really trying to say, listen to these songs (Haha!):

Arms by Christina Perri


Wrecking Ball by Miley Cyrus


Say Something by A Great Big World and Christina Aguilera


That is because I sing my feelings better than actually talking about them. ;)

Here's to hoping I'll be able to write more and more this year!

Boats and Birds are Little Things With or Without You

I know, I know! My recent blog posts have been about me and my musical adventures! But, don't worry I've got articles (not about me this time) coming up soon! ;) In the meantime, let me share what my friends and I have recently covered.

Gregory and the Hawk's Boats and Birds is one of my favorite songs ever. Its lyrics --

If you'll be my star
I'll be your sky
You can hide underneath me
And come out at night
When I turn jet black
And you show off your light
I live to let your shine

But you can skyrocket away from me
And never come back if you find another galaxy
Far from here where there's more room to fly
Just leave me your stardust to remember you by

-- are just so poetic and its melody is just so heartwarming. So, when Popoy played the song on guitar randomly one night, my heart gave a mini heart attack and I had an epiphany: I MUST sing this song no matter what! Below is one of my dreams coming true.



Ate Abby and I obviously don't like Little Things by One Direction. We loathe it so much we did not post a draft version of the cover! Finally, we have the FINAL version complete with rhythm and lead guitars!



And we even have a video of this cover!



Yup, we definitely hate One Direction. And I hope you get the sarcasm of the previous statement.

Also, Ate Abby, Popoy, and Paolo covered U2's With or Without You! And I love it! Their harmonies are so ear-catching I had an eargasm!

New Cover Songs from Super Shangkee and Friends

Because my friends and I love music so much, we try our best to cover some of our favorite songs. Recently, we added a few songs to our collection. Go ahead and listen and enjoy!

Little Things - Abby and Trisha (One Direction Cover)


Modern Nature - Edsel and Abby (Sondre Lerche Cover)


Ho Hey - Trisha and Abby (Lennon and Maisy Cover)


Of course, thank you to our guitarist/sound mixer, Popoy!

Super Shangkee and Friends Cover Lennon and Maisy's 'Telescope' - UPDATED WITH VIDEO

Ever since I can remember, my friends (especially the fabulous Queenie) have been bugging me to make a recording and post it on YouTube or Soundcloud. Since I've been singing for most of my life, it   totally makes sense. But laziness and all other excuses have been keeping me to do what the cool kids do: Post their audio recordings online. 

Finally, after "x" years of planning, my friends and I recorded an outdoor jamming session and here's the result!  

Thank you very much Abby (harmony), Popoy (guitar), and Edsel!


UPDATE:

Below is the video of our cover! Woot!

Christmas Albums You Should Have in Your Playlist this Season

Before I give you some of the must-listen Christmas albums this year, let me share a secret. Not so long ago, I discovered the gem that is NoiseTrade. Since then, I have been downloading FREE music from the artists themselves (with the option to leave some tip) through this awesome website! As a big (yet broke – yeah shameless here) music fan, discovering new artists and being able to download their songs for free is a HUGE thing for me.

So, I thank you, NoiseTrade and all the artists who support your movement. Dear readers, if I were you, I will definitely check out its site and look for other albums like the ones below.

Ladies and gentlemen, add these albums to your Christmas playlist now!

A Very Rosie Christmas by Rosie Thomas
With a contagiously cheery opening song "Why Can't It Be Christmas Time All Year", Rosie Thomas's A Very Rosie Christmas makes you really wish this season will never be over. Seriously, this song is so addictive it can be a refreshing replacement to all the other candy pop Christmas songs we always hear on the radio every single year. It's the new "All I Want for Christmas is You", IMHO, TBQH.




Silver & Gold by Sufjan Stevens
If you want to hear something eccentric this Christmas season, then better grab Sufjan Stevens's Silver & Gold album. I definitely like all the songs from this album that I can't choose a favorite. The songs are all fun and catchy and unexpected! I'm surely playing this album on Christmas Day while opening my gifts or something.



This album actually features 58 original and cover songs that you can check out here:


Songs for Christmas by Branches
If you're a big fan of folk/country music, Branches's Songs for Christmas album should be in your playlist this season. This group's version of "O Holy Night" made me teary-eyed, and its cover of "O Come All Ye Faithful", "O Come O Come Emmanuel", and "Silent Night" are equally impressive. "Go Tell It on the Mountain" is actually my favorite song from this album. It's dancey, fun, and festive, a kind of song that you want to play when with family, friends, and loved ones.




Over the Rhine by Snow Angels
Jazzy and soulful, Over the Rhine album by the Snow Angels adds some sultry drama to your Christmas eve. I particularly love "All I Ever Get for Christmas is Blue" and its bass parts. Actually, I love all the bass parts of the whole album. With this album glaring in your speakers, your Christmas will definitely not be blue.

Sharing Music: Lines by Said the Whale

Vancouver-based indie rock band, Said the Whale, is my latest music discovery. And, its song Lines from the New Brighton EP is definitely an instant pick-me-upper. 

With a catchy melody and hard-to-forget harmony, Lines will definitely cheer up your day and leave you humming for more. 

Listen to the full New Brighton EP here: 

Also, here's the band's latest album, Little Mountain

Visit http://saidthewhale.bandcamp.com or http://www.saidthewhale.com for more information about the Juno Award-winning band. 

Current Happy Song: Move on the Sun

Don’t worry cause you’re never alone / You’ll always have a friend in the sun / And even though you might just get burned / At least that you learned

I want to thank Joseph Gordon-Levitt and his open collaborative company, hitRECord, for producing this amazing song by The Morning Hollows and some other amazing collaborators. Move on the Sun has been my happy song since the first time I heard it some few weeks ago.

Because it never fails to make me smile every single time, I'm going to endlessly share it to every single person I know! I'm just spreading the good vibes! As what most people who've already heard the song say, it's really impossible to feel unhappy when listening to Move on the Sun!

The song is part of a 15-track album of the same name that features 78 contributing artists from JGL's company. Aside from Move on the Sun, the album also features a song titled, Why Am I So Dizzy? written and performed by the founder himself.

Interested? You can get a digital copy of the album through Bandcamp or iTunes. It is also available in double-vinyl LP, free digital download included, through hitRECord's store.

Visit http://www.hitrecord.org/moveonthesun for more information on the album.

Meanwhile, you can listen to the rest of the album here:

Cray, this post sounds like an ad! :P Don't get the wrong idea! I'm not directly connected with JGL or hitRECord or anyone featured in the album, although that would be seriously awesome...

I just really love the song and the rest of the album too much I just cant help but promote it. :) I hope you love it, too! And if you do, pay it forward and share the happiness to everyone you know.

A Music Video Party

I missed a lot of music video releases the past weeks. Let me make up for that by having a music video party! Confetti, please.

Clara C - Fish 

Clara's music video are always a little bit whimsical and Fish is no different. I actually expecting something more related to the song in a literal sense and some great underwater scenes. But, I have no complaints with the actual MV, TBQH. And Mike Chang is here, JSYK. :D

Lana del Rey - National Anthem 
Lana del Rey aka the Queen of Instagram pretends to be Marilyn Monroe and Jackie Kennedy in one music video with rapper A$AP Rocky as the President JFK. Well, you know the story. And I love it, I love it. Btw, loving all your clothes in this vid, gurl. Werk.

Super Junior - Sexy, Free, & Single 

Their title song is definitely so much better than last year's Mr. Simple. It was too simple for the gods that are Super Junior. Aside from the song, I super love the set of this MV, especially that minimalist white set with the curved side. Does it even matter?! My flawless BBs are back and nothing in the world matters right now. Everything else is irrelevant.

2NE1 - I Love You


I like the "sensitivity" this song has. I like its melody especially at the beginning. It's like Go Away minus the angst. But after last year's I Am the Best, it's definitely much more tamer. I have a feeling that this is not really their song for the year. It's more of a taste of what is about to come.

Clara C Unveils MV Teaser for 'Fish'

YouTube sweetheart Clara C releases the music video teaser for Fish, the first single from her upcoming sophomore album featuring Glee star Harry Shum, Jr..

I love Fish! Ever since I heard the song during Clara C's show here in Manila last December 1, 2011 at the Music Museum, I have been waiting for this day to come! To fully comprehend what I really feel right now, watch this clip (Thanks eibrum!):

Fish will be available on iTunes on June 25th!

Florence + the Machine Unveils 'Breath of Life' OST for Snow White and the Huntsmen

I fell in love with Florence + the Machine ever since I heard Dog Days are Over. Then, when I heard Shake It Out and Spectrum, I know I'll never reach the ground. With their new song for the soundtrack of Snow White and the Huntsmen, Florence and the Machine brought me to cloud nine.

Breath of Life is haunting. In fact, it is terrifying. I love how it sounds so classical with the grand choir and the orchestra but Florence's voice just makes it even more enthralling. Her voice is epic that it matches the classical sound of the choir and the orchestra yet it is so distinct that she still overpowers them all. Plus, adding the hiphop beats was genius since it made the song more relevant and modern and different from all the classical OSTs that we usually hear.

If I were a spy or an assassin, I would definitely play this song when plotting for someone's demise, which is actually what this song is all about, given Florence wrote this song with the Queen's perspective (her desire for youth that she literally sucks out the life out of young women) in mind.

Can I just say how solemn and calm her speaking voice is? Her speaking voice is so prim and proper yet her singing voice is so strong and commanding.