"The Days Of Wine And Roses"

Hello,

It's been a rainy weekend and tomorrow will be a busy day,A special day for me i must say...Im gonna be turning a year older (It's my B-day!) & also im going to the Terno Au Go Go gig happening at the Marikina Shoe Expo in Araneta Center Cubao with some of my friends & i want to catch Soul Connection there along with Juan Pablo Dream!But now im listening to the lovely melodies of "Sunshine Smile" by these adorable bunch of dreamy lads who are playing great music eversince i heard them,Populardays.

The band is composed of Charles Manjares (see:Soft Pillow Kisses/Superminty) (vocals/lead guitars),Erick Lucas (vocals/rhythm guitars),Ian Gacutan (bass guitars) and Jan Paul Tatad (see:Soft Pillow Kisses) (drums).They have been playing music which is comparable to the music of Adorable,Popsicle,Slowdive,The Ocean Blue & other dreamy acts.Regulars of the Buzznights production and still unearthing their lovely demos to their cult following and i really must say that they are on their track as they win the In The Raw award given by radio station NU 107 back in 2002.

As of now they are still playing regularly & creating new songs of passion and some call it "indiepop" but other's says "it was shoegaze?"... but in my own it was just a splendid and great music...

You can listen to them Here or download their songs Here

I will enclosed the day with a smile in my face as i just learned that the debut LP of Freeheat will finally see the light of the day...The debut LP "Back On The Water" is scheduled to be released on March 28 and for more news & info on the release you can check the full info Here

See/Buy some of their releases Here

"The Best Is Yet To Come"

Hello,

Whew!I've been caught up by the sudden flush of rain along with my friend Joey when we met our other friend,Kaloy near the ABS-CBN compound...Im totally freakin wet!But it's ok as i got home already & Im happy to hear some great music...In a way that i was like in the early part of the 90's UK scene (i miss that!) & hearing these great band is a dream come true which i felt how come that those new bands does not sound like these instead of...Ahhh!!!

I was quickly jumping up and down again,feeling old again and hearing those great songs again...blue skies...come down on me?Well,i was impressed on how these band has been playin' those dreamy guitar lines & i just said to myself that i want more!All these shamblingness is caused by a band named Cerulean.

Yup,it sounds familiar (as it was also a titled of an LP of another great band,The Ocean Blue) but hey they really are great!Formed by Rick Bolander (vox/guitar),Noel Kelly (guitar) & Dave Cerwonka (drums) in Los Angeles.They are joined by studio bassist Will Bongianni in making those etherial pop gems.Often compared to post-punk graduates The Chameleons,The Comsat Angels,Echo & The Bunnymen,The House Of Love up to early 90's dreampop makers Ride,Swervedriver,Adorable,early Catherine Wheel,Pale Saints,Etc. which is a willing testament to their defining sound.Add to that,Their current new & lovely LP "No Sense In Waiting" was produced by the great & former Mighty Lemon Drop kid,Dave Newton.

They have released their debut LP "Skylight" back in 1999 then followed shortly by their sophomore,"Brighter/Still" in 2002.A couple of years followed before their groundbreaking EP,"Fractions" shows up in 2004 which received a lot of praise from their followings along with music critics worldwide.

"No Sense In Waiting" was released last year in the much lauded music press & followed by a massive tour.It features the band at it's finest which i really loved from the busting & ringing guitar of opening track "Quiet Release" which was actually a louder song match with Bolander's antic lyrics.I also loved "Like Fading Stars" with it's very dreamy keyboards swerving along the rhythmic guitars then followed by my fave track "Here Is Hoping" with it's drum beating to my heart!This 3rd LP of them is one of the highlight of these US based band with UK leanings on their mighty sound,lovely & entertaining i must say!.More!More!More!.

So sit down & relax...

Cerulean - "Rings Of Light"
Cerulean - "Very Happy With"
Cerulean - "Quiet Release"
Cerulean - "Here Is Hoping"

Buy their music/products Here

Also i just known that the coming new LP (as said in the current newsletter) by these great pop stalwarts,The Charade will be released this year with a tentatively titled "A Real Life Drama".Here's the tracklisting:

A Tough Decision
My Song To You
Music Makes Me Sick (sometimes)
September
Dressed In Yellow And Blue (unofficial Germany 2006 Swedish World Cup Soccer song)
Faith
Love Always Happens So Fast (Real Life Drama)
Sunny Winter Afternoon
Impatience Blank
Love Trap
Stockholm July 2005
Rain On Your Parade

Looking forward in hearing & seeing these great release & more info Here

"You'll Never Be That Young Again"

Hello,

Been back after a busy week & a hectic one though...In a week im gonna turn a year older (ah!!!those were the days...im getting old...) while the whole nation is rejoicing!Thanks to Manny Pacquiao who just went away with the boxing crown,You can read the whole story Here.

Also, Im surprised to hear that David Byrne had came to pay a visit (or he has a project going on?) in the country last month.You can read the adventures & escapades he encountered in the Philippines Here.By the way...I am busy uploading some links & I'll be adding some stuff in the coming month's plus a preview of some bands & brand new faves!.In the past days i am serving my taste on a lot of Swedish pop & acts (some are already mentioned on other sites & blogs) which really got me tinkling to my brain..."In every minute of every day,They are (Swedes) producing some of the best nor brightest ideas ever made in an art called music".A lot of acts have been sprouting on their native P!O!P! land which is quite impressive!.

I want to list down some new Swedish acts which caught my attention & im gonna start up the hit list with the band who hails from Gothenburg,My Enemy.Formed during the peak hours of 2004 with it's guilty parties consisting of Helena, Samira and Leonel.They play groovy laptop based pop with a twist of lo-fi mentality,A bit of Saint Etienne on tweezers.As of press time...They have just released a music video for "Khreis" which is also released as a single.Check them out if you had a slow time wishing that your day would be on a hilltop...Maybe you want to go with the flow of chiming synths & laptops?Check them out:

My Enemy - "Khreis"
My Enemy - "My Time Coming"

How many times can you be on a portal?I wish that portal can go directly to my own fave band or interest...or maybe i just need Thirdimension.They were formed way back 1995 but still kicking great guitar pop mix with melancholic vocals reminiscent of Ian McCulloch,Chris Martin (i need to say this...at some point they are monotomous) at present.Composed of BJÖRN STEGMANN (songwriter/lead vocals/acoustic guitar/conjurer of hi-fi),MARKUS SLIVKA (electric guitar/backing vox/keyboards/misc instruments),MARTIN ROSENGREN (electric bass/backing vox) & BJÖRN WICKENBERG (drums/backing vox/percussion).Signed to Hidden Agenda/Parasol & with 2 LP's on their belt back it up with a wide arrayed appearances on various compilations,Thirdimension is on their way to another future...bright i might guess.

Thirdimension - "Between Us"
Thirdimension - "Hundred Miles An Hour"

Setting up the climax was a band led by Isak Klasson,The dissonant but charming Speedmarket Avenue.It all started when i heard "He's A Rebel" which strike me like a neon ball that bump to my head.With it's jangly guitars and upbeat chorus (no wonder as the producer of the LP,Fredrik Norberg is a member of jangle popsters,Popsicle).Their debut LP,"I'm Going To Let My New Swiss Army Knife Answer To That" is one of those records which buggles with pure pop mannerism filled with songs that happens in every day life like "Leave.Now." & "Here To Folow" which i find myself quite relating to the subtle lyrics it provides...An LP full of surprises & if you want a balance sound then go reflenished your ears along Speedmarket Avenue!

Speedmarket Avenue - "He's A Rebel"
Speedmarket Avenue - "I Can Tell By Her Eyes"

In the meantime,I'll take a nap...Maybe...a sleep...

Buy Swedish releases/records @ Popkonst/Labrador/Poppolar/Hello! Surprise!

"A Hundred Words"

Hello,

A busy weekend is at face as fiesta in our town is underway...Inviting old friends & high school sweethearts is a must but im sure music is the main concern and im planning on what songs am i gonna play on that coming special day,Wooosh!!!

Getting back on the normal high note of putting up those stuff & I wanna say thanks to all the guys who write to me on the article "Filipino Blood,English Heart" and for letting me know some of the forgotten bands & i will update it in a couple of days.I may have stressed myself a bit cause i was suffering from a stomache ache a couple of days ago & thank God i was OK now as i listen to these madly missed band,The Beloved.

Originally a quartet whose sound drew inspiration from psychedelia & guitar pop and at some point,C86.Throughout its fluid existence,The guiding force behind the group remained vocalist Jon Marsh who formed the band The Journey Through (which was very New Order'ish) at Cambridge University with Steve Waddington and Tim Havard with the addition of Guy Gausden in November 1984 after which the group renamed itself The Beloved and gradually evolved into a moody dance outfit not dissimilar to New Order.

In 1986 the band issued their first single,The guitar inflicted gem,"A Hundred Words".After the single was released a series of releases followed including the EP "Happy Now" and the double A-sided single "Surprise Me"/"Forever Dancing" and the 1987 compliation "Where It Is" on the Flim Flam label but none garnered any significant critical or commercial success.Consequently, Gousden and Havard exited in 1987 at much the same time Marsh and Waddington were falling under the sway of London's burgeoning rave community which was sweeping England back then.After first re-emerging with the ambient-styled single "The Sun Rising" the band then scored an international hit with "Hello",A bubbling techno exercise which name-checked many of the group's influences.In 1990 the duo issued a pair of albums,"Happiness" and "Blissed Out" (a remix of its sister release) which achieved significant success both in and out of clubs. A long layoff followed...

And when the Beloved returned in 1993 with the energetic LP,"Conscience",Waddington had been ousted in favor of Marsh's wife Helena resulting in a more pop-oriented flavor.After another three-year absence they released "X",A foray back into club culture.In 1997 they released "Single File" which was a compilation album and a bunch of new remixes of "The Sun Rising".

Here are a some of their tunes back on those heydays:

The Journey Through - "A Search" (demo December 1983)
The Beloved - "A Hundred Words" (Peel Session January 1985)
The Beloved - "Jennifer Smiles" (demo late 1988)
The Beloved - "Franny" (from the unreleased LP on Flim Flam)
The Beloved - "A Happy Man" (from the unreleased LP on Flim Flam)

More on Here including some remixes/demos/Peel Sessions and the unreleased LP on Flim Flam label (which is very GOOD!!!)

For more info check them out Here

Buy their releases Here

"Silent Sigh City"

Hello,

It's another sunny day as me & my friend were walking down the stretch of a shopping mall and another fine day to watch a movie but my time would not permit me as i still have to rushed to my friend's place to bring him some rough Cd-r's & a lay-out of compilation that we are planning to release in the middle of the year (hopefully...).

When i dropped already to his crib,I put some music on the stereo by this very cinematic but quite ambivalent band which brought to mind some music from those classic musicals of the 40's up to the 60's,With it's pop leanings mix with cabaret & film scores...A band named Heist.

Formed in 1998 by Mike Targett (vocals/guitar),Allison Thomson (vocals/trumpet) (she also plays in The Actionettes),Hannah Sless (vocals/violins),Tony Oudot (drums) and Tricia Reid (bass) in London at the dawn of Britpop's downfall.With it's swinging 60's psychedelic sound,The band debuted with the 4 track EP,"Defectors" on Super 8 Recordings.It was followed by their proper LP,"Friday Night At The Trabi Races" which garnered excellent reviews in the UK & across Europe.Their latest release was "A Shopkeeper Will Not Appear" which is a bit poppier than their previous effort to date with it's melancholic vocals mix with harmonic violins & guitar drama.Here are a couple of their songs to chill on:

Heist - "If"
Heist - "Weekend"

More info/news on them Here

Buy their releases on Amazon or direct Here

Remember the jangly days of Postcard Records,Creation,C86,Sarah & whole lot more?Just mix it with the new world order of indie-pop and you'll get these great but hard to see band called The Silent Boys (remember them?).They have been playing cool music in the past decades & have been on various compilations ("Seven Summers" on Tweenet Communications/Kindercore,"Will There Be Time For Tea?" on Morgan Leah and "You Thought It Was The End Of The World When The Rain Ruined Your Hair" on Firestation Records) and they have released their highly acclaimed debut,"Beauty Tips" back in 2004 to the janglepop hungry fans all over the globe.

If you loved Felt,McCarthy,Mighty Mighty,Brideshead,Den Baron,The Go-Betweens,Adorable,New Order,Echo & The Bunnymen and other fine acts,You'll loved them!But hey wait!It's not endin' there as the long wait is over,The band has just released a new LP!Yes,not a single song nor a best of but a NEW LP full of jangly P!O!P! tunes titled "Wishing Well Eyes" still on Walrus Records.With it's founder and leader Wallace Dietz leading the way & the two other permanent members of the band still on board (bassist and lead guitarist) John Suchocki and (drummer) John Morand,The Silent Boys will be ringing our heads with their guitar oriented pop songs!

For more info & To hear some snippets of their works,Visit them Here

Buy their releases at Tweekitten or Tonevendor mailorder or Direct from Here

"Completely And Utterly"

Hello,

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!It's been a busy year & I am hoping these time it will be a fruitful one...And my hopes were heard...In celebration of the great C86 tape (whoa!It's been 20 years!) Cherry Red is releasing a compy by one of the great and sadly missed band of that music scene,The Chesterfields titled "Electric Guitars In Their Hearts" which will be released this month & a great stuff to kick the year off...

Formed in Yeovil,Somerset,England back in 1984 & signed to the legendary Subway Organisation label.This 27 track compilation is the first to cover the whole of the band's career.After having 4 Independent chart hit singles, including the highly rated "Ask Johnny Dee",Their debut album "Kettle" was released in 1987 and reached No 5 in the Indie Charts - two more albums,"Westward Ho!" and "Crocodile Tears" followed over the next two years."Flood",their 2nd LP appeared in 1994 on the Viny Japan label."Electric Guitars In Their Hearts" also features a previously unreleased version of "Glad For You",with Rob Ellis (PJ Harvey),Clare Mactaggart (Portishead) and Andy Strickland (The Loft).Here's the tracklisting:

Shame About The Rain / Completely And Utterly / Ask Johnny Dee / Sweet Revenge / Best Of Friends / Two Girls And A Treehouse / Nose Out Of Joint / Love Mountain / Oh Mr Wilson / What's Your Perversion / Pop Anarchy / Sob Sob Story / Everything A Boy Could Ever Need / Goodbye Goodbye / Last Train To Yeovil / Let It Go / Lunchtime For The Wild Youth / Alison Wait / Blame / Male Bimbo / Fool Is A Man / Down By The Wishing Pool / Glad For You / Fountain Of Youth / Hangover Eve / Something Happening /The Berlin Walk

More info on them Here

It seems that a lot of interest has been garnered on the whole C86 scene as the previous re-issues of The Loft,The Dentists,The June Brides,The Flatmates,Etc and now The Charlottes.Cherry Red is having a full blasts as it brings one of the classic pioneers of long gone era,Another compilation titled "Liar:The Best Of" will also be released this month.The
Charlottes were formed in Huntington in Cambridgeshire in 1988 and were usually tagged alongside the likes of The Primitives and The Darling Buds of the post C86 era but sonically were more attuned to the fx driven wall of sound pioneered by My Bloody Valentine.Their debut single "Are You Happy Now?" received much support from the fanzines of the time (House of Dolls,Pop Eats Apathy) and was said to be a twee classic by Dave Simpson of Melody Maker.

They were signed to Subway Organisation label in February 1989 and this resulted in the mini album "Lovehappy".Steve Lamacq of the NME gave the album 9 out 10 and declared The Charlottes to be "altogether more sexy than Kylie".Just as impressed John Peel interviewed the band for his Cambridgeshire show and they later recorded a 4 track session for him at Radio 1 which was repeated.The band split from Subway and signed a deal with Cherry Red their first release being the EP "Liar".This was promoted by a short tour and the making of a video which received exposure from MTV’s more alternative shows.In December 1990 Simon Scott left the band to join Slowdive who were on the Creation label.Cherry Red then released the existing tracks the band had recorded under the title "Things Come Apart" in 1991.The Charlottes left behind a small but impressive legacy... This release includes all their studio recordings.Here are the tracklisting:

Are You Happy Now / Cold / Stubborn / See The Danger Shine / Everything To Me / In My Hair / Love Happy / Love In The Emptiness / Be My Release / Could There Ever Be / Liar / Prayer Song / See Me Feel / By My Side / Mad Girls Love Song / Beautify / Love In The Emptiness (alt version) / Were Going Wrong / Blue / Venus

More info on them Here

Im looking forward in many re-releases this year & bring back those shambling days again!!!

Buy those releases Here