MUST LISTEN: Sunbathing​/​Stargazing​ (EP) by The Arctic Flow

First EP love for the new year is from the one-man band The Arctic Flow. Listening to Sunbathing​/​Stargazing in January makes you wanna fast track to summer and get some legit tan. I noticed that the surfpop influence is more evident on this new ep as compare to his previous release. Perhaps, a gradual departure from his straight-up dreampop sound. It still sounds dreamy, though, but with more sun. Listen to the EP below and don't skip a track!

Favorite OPM Songs of 2013 List

2013 is probably one of the best years in local Filipino music. From genre defying sounds to risky mainstream pop songs, OPM has never been this diverse. Every day there are new bands being discovered or new songs being released. It’s insane! Sometimes, I couldn’t keep up already.

So, here’s a list of my favorite tracks from Filipino artists of 2013 (in no favorable order).

Ang Bandang Shirley - Polygonal Graphs
Although I haven’t heard the crowd favorite Tama Na Ang Drama, I declare that this is the best track from that album.


The Strange Creatures – Stargazer
Sweet and dreamy. I cannot wait for this band’s other releases next year. More of this please!


Slow Hello – You Know It’s You
Sob. I cry every time I listen to this song. It’s so beautiful, I loop this track from their recently released album Audio Baby a million times. :’(


No Rome - Dance with Me
This might sound a bit too late for the chillwave bandwagon but the 17 year old No Rome made it sound relevant to my ears. I just love how it makes me wanna go to the beach and…yeah, dance in the moonlight :p


Sheila and the Insects - Pretty Loser
The comeback single of the Cebu-based band. What happened to the new album, guys?


Moscow Olympics – Alphonsine
Everything about this band is a fave!


The SLEEPYH3ADS - Nights without You
This is such an unexpected sound from these guys. Such fragile and just gives you that feels.


Tradewinds Sailing Club - Marina Bay
#justhittheplaybutton


Spazzkid – Getting To Know You (wow Such Shoegaze Version)
40 winks was my initial fave from Spazzkid’s Desire album but this particular version of Getting to Know You changed my mind.


Always - Spirit Ocean
These kids know their indiepop!


Gio Puyat feat Kaye Matriano - Oh Hey
The great things we discover on Facebook. This track gives me such feel good vibes every time it plays on my itunes.


Bee Eyes - Someone Else
#instafave These guys just released this song a few days ago and it’s so good that it has to be on this favorite list.


Yeng Constantino - Chinito
I would be the last person to listen to Yeng Constantino. Not a big fan of her and her music but this track. This track!!!


Sarah Geronimo – Ikot-ikot
The pop princess’ finest!

Calm your pits

Thirteen awesome tracks you need to hear this week! MINKS have this lovely demo. You need to also check this amazing indie-pop band from Indonesia called The Silent Love. The Mary Onettes track is one of my faves here. Rogue Wave is back i think with a new album soon and their new song is pretty catchy.

End of the World Mixtape

Here's a playlist for this Friday's festivity. hahaha

 

PLAYLIST:
End of the World (Skeeter Davis cover) - Girls
Wrath of God - Crystal Castles
Sing for Absolution - Muse
We Will Become Silhouettes - The Postal Service
Last Days on Earth - Tears For Fears
World I Need You, Won’t Be Without You (Proem) - How to Dress Well
It's a War - Blackbird Blackbird
Tornado - Jonsi
The Beast - Austra
Who Will Save Your Soul - Jewel
Jesus etc. - Wilco
No Sound But The Wind - Editor
I Fought In a War - Belle & Sebastian
After the Bombs - The Decemberists
I Saved the World Today -  Eurythmics
Everybody's Gone - The Clientele
New World - Bjork
The End Has No End - The Strokes
Looking for Astronauts - The National
The Other Side - David Gray
Say Hello To Angels - Interpol
Happy, The End - The Innocence Mission
Outro - M83
Apocalypso - Mew
Everything Will Flow - Suede
What a Wonderful World - The Innocence Mission

Hurry up, we're still dreaming

In the mood for some dream-pop? Lemme share some of these haze-inducing tracks that I gathered from my inbox and other sites :)

Glaciers - BC

The Gentle Isolation - This Song

GOVS - I've Never Seen a Ghost

The Arctic Flow - Friend for Summer

LISTEN TO THE WHOLE ALBUM!!!

The "Infinite" Playlist

Dear Friend,

I know it's been a while since I've posted something on my blog and that's because I was too busy trying to participate. Well, not really. I dont want to put into details but let's just say that our Internet provider is such a rip-off. Hahahaha! Yeah, so that's me doing my own version of Charlie, the main character from the novel-turned-film The Perks of Being a Wallflower which I watched for like 4 or 5 times already. Crazy, I know, but it's just so good. Well, for me at least. I also read the book and it made me loved it even more. Prolly one of the reasons why I loved it so much is because of it's awesome music which is a big part of the story. It's set on the early 90's when grunge music was starting to pickup what's left of the new wave era and mixtapes were a form of love letters. In the film, the main characters exchange mixtapes which gave me the best nostalgia of my teen years. I never really gave anyone a mixtape when I was a teenager because I didnt think people would appreciate my chosen songs. I just made them for myself  to make it easier to listen to my faves without the hassle of  changing cassette tapes and fast-forwarding to the tracks.  I wish I could post some photos of my early mixtapes but my teenage memorabilia were all drenched in Ondoy flood :( Anyway, I have not loved a soundtrack since Garden State and Wallflower's is just spot on. 

This is not a review of the soundtrack but rather a rundown of my favorites from the film. Let's start with Cocteau Twins' Pearly-Dewdrops' Drops from The Spangle Maker EP. In the film, Sam (Emma Watson) told Charlie (Logan Lerman) that she used to listen to the worst Top 40's until she heard this certain old song. When she mentioned Pearly-Dewdrops' Drops, my heart skipped a bit. I knew she was talking about a Cocteau Twins song! It's one of my faves from the band. And when the song played during the last days of highschool scene, I died. I just couldnt believe Cocteau Twins will be part of a movie soundtrack.
 
'The Innocence Mission!,' I shouted in my head when their song Evensong played during this Homecoming Dance scene. I havent heard The Innocence Mission in a film since Empire Records and I couldnt be happier to hear them again.
 
One of the standouts is The Smiths' Asleep which was Charlie's favorite song. You cant go wrong with The Smiths.
 
One of my favorite scenes was the Winter Formal dance particularly when Charlie slowly walked his way to the dance floor to join his friends and Dexy's Midnight Runners' Come On Eileen was playing. So adorable! I thought the Save Ferris version was the original, though.

 

And of course, David Bowie's Heroes. They call it the "tunnel song." Such classic track that's fitting for this amazing film. It's the kind of song which you sing with your friends in a roadtrip and then you will realize that you all feel infinite. WTF!!!??? hahaha

 

Crowded House, XTC, Sonic Youth, Galaxy 500, L7, New Order are also heard on the film. If you liked the songs on this post and you havent seen or read The Perks of Being a Wallflower, then go ahead and "participate." You'll love the film as much as you'll love the songs.

#justhittheplaybutton

Just want to share you these amazing tracks I got from my email! Hope you like em too! :p


Cool Rainbows - Reality and a Clue 
This is my fave from this set! Check out his music here 

Couldnt decide which track to post from this band so here's the entire album stream! If you like Letting Up Despite the Great Faults and The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, you gonna dig this band.


Letting Up Despite Great Faults - Visions

Speaking of Letting Up Despite the Great Faults, here's a new track from their upcoming album Untogether.

HUSH! - There's Something in the Stars Tonight

Here's another shoegaze sweetness. The vocals kinda sound like Rico Blanco


Alpaca Sport - I Was Running


CHAPPO - What Are You Kids On?

Sorry, I just had to include this photo. hahaha! It's from the bands NSFW music video for Hell No, but the track below is much better :p


Young Cairo - Ghost


Trails And Ways – Mtn Tune


Van She - Jamaica


The Presets - Ghosts

MIXTAPE: The End of Summer

DOWNLOAD HERE

MUST LISTEN: Cinderella by Bluebell

JUST HIT THE PLAY BUTTON!!!

The Cardigans, I Miss U!!!

Did a little spinning at TODAYxFuture in CubaoX last Wednesday for the Strict Rules of Polite Society night and felt totally nostalgic when I played The Cardigans' Black Letter Day. The Cardigans was my first taste of "indie-pop" band when I was discovering music other than the Spice Girls in grade school. I didnt even know that their sound was called twee/indie-pop until I discovered the whole scene when I was in senior high. This song made them popular in 1996...

Lovefool was the first single from their album First Band on the Moon and it was used as the official soundtrack of Baz Luhrmann's Romeo+Juliet. It was the only song that I knew from The Cardigans until they got featured on Jude Rocha's show where they play music videos from a certain band/artist's videography. It was then I first saw/heard my future favorite song Rise & Shine...

This track was part of their debut album Emmerdale.

And Sick & Tired

also this track called Celia Inside... awwww super love

On the same show, they also played Carnival...

from their album Life.

Also in this album is one of my favorites Daddy's Car. It's such a nice track for road trips. Well, because it's about road trip...around the world. hehe

Their albums were well received in their home country Sweden and some parts of the world especially in Japan and were starting to have some followings in the US. Then they got a record deal under Mercury Records in the States, released their third album First Band on the Moon...

 Released Lovefool, performed on the original Beverly Hills 90210

covered Black Sabbath's Iron Man and became an instant hit!

After a few years of hiatus, they came back with a new album and a new sound which was far from their usual twee. Gran Turismo was released.

Fans were shocked with the drastic change of The Cardigans' music. It was edgier and more rock oriented with a little bit of electronic. And on the video of the first single My Favorite Game, we see Nina Perrson wearing too much raccoon makeup while driving violently on a freeway.

This was not The Cardigans that I loved but I learned to like their new sound. Erase/Rewind was an awesome song...

Then, another album was released. This time, it's quieter than its predecessor.

The mood of Long Gone Before Daylight was very singer/songwritter folk-pop type. And as a fan, again, I learned to love it. How could you not like Nina's boho look and her long, black hair?

and one of my faves on this album is this track called And Then You Kissed Me. *swoooon*

Another album was released but it didnt get that much of attention...

but i super love the carrier track of this album and its title- I Need Some Fine Wine and You, You Need To Be Nicer. It's kinda naughty, no?

Ok, so this is pretty much getting longer and longer. All I wanna say is I really miss this band and i am still hoping for some new materials from them. Or at least a tour here in Manila pleeeeezzz!

You are a shapeshifting terror

Here's something to cool down our hot Manila summer. The Ice Choir gives us a taste of what we should expect from their debut LP Afar out July 31. I dont know if they can be considered as an 80's revivalists or what but Teletrips sounds like a new wave-ish R&B track. Sounds good to me :)

Hey Now, Now!!!

Good morning and I love this song so much! This is the carrier track from Now, Now's sophomore album Thread.

Meet Me In The Morning

I dunno but this song by Judson reminds me of the early 90's alternative/triphop/dreampop sound ala Dubstar. Meet Me in the Morning is from Judson's album Drink the Wine. Thanks to Christopher Ewing for sending this in! Awesome direction man. Love the girl! You can download this track here

BAND CRUSH: Team Me!

Recently obsessing with this band from Norway called Team Me and boy, their debut album To the Treetops! is the happiest I've heard this year. Their brand of music has that gleeful charm of twee but with more compact sound and orchestration.

I love that their music is very accessible and people who dont appreciate indie stuff might give this band a second chance. I specifically love the song Show Me. Why? i dunno. I just love it. It's catchy, dancey, poppy and all that beautiful adjectives.

also this closing track Riding My Bicycle (from Ragnvalsbekken to Sørkedalen)! LOVVVEE!!

And this cover of Patrick Wolf's The Magic Position.

ALBUM STREAM: Lightships' Electric Cables

Have I got the perfect summer record here or what?! Teenage Fan Club's Gerard Love is streaming his album under a new band called Lightships and its got lovely tunes perfect for this hot Manila summer. You can pre-order Electric Cables here and it will be out on 2 April under Domino.

Tracklist:

1. Two Lines

2. The Warmth of the Sun

3. Muddy Rivers

4. Sweetness in Her Spark

5. Every Blossom

6. Silver & Gold

7. Girasol

8. Stretching Out

9. Photosynthesis

10. Sunlight to the Dawn

NEW MUSIC: Bloody Mary (Nerve Endings) by Silversun Pickups

Just received the new track from Silversun Pickups! Bloody Mary (Nerve Endings) is off of their upcoming album Neck of the Woods out May 8. Lead singer/guitarist Brian Aubert told Spin magazine that the songs sound "like a horror movie." Well this lead track is rather wholesome than scary and a lil less dark than their 2009 release Swoon. But let's see what this new album could offer. Love the song. How bout you?:p

MUST LISTEN: Need Your Love by The Temper Trap

Dont expect a Sweet Deposition from The Temper Trap's new single Need Your Love. But if you're into epic rock songs which you can sing with thousands of people in an arena, then this one's your new anthem. I liked it. Surprisingly. I think i will revisit their Conditions album before their self-titled follow up to be released this year.

You make me blurry...so blurry inside

This new Of Montreal song is probably one of their best works and I've been listening to it since I got it from my email last week. I never thought the guys from Of Montreal could make such delicate and sensitive music. Feminine Effects is part of the split 7" with Deerhoof titled A Filthy Fifth to be released on Record Store Day by Polyvinyl Record Co.

A Summer Mixtape 2012

DOWNLOAD HERE!

Here's last year's playlist

The Cranberries are back, alright!

The Cranberries just released their new album Roses today then Garbage next week! 2012 is going to be the year of the comebacks! WOHOO! Check out The Cranberries' carrier single Tomorrow and I must say, it's going to be part of my summer playlist. Sucha bright and sunny track. It kinda sound like The Sundays. Excited to hear the other tracks from the album! Oh! and yeah they are coming here in the Philippines this April! More info here