By Clarence Yu
Contributor

I’ve been very lucky to have a sixth sense when it comes to getting a hold of good music.

In these days of downloading music, I rarely buy CD’s, and if I do, they are from bands that in my mind deserve a slot in my CD case drawer.

Journey is one of those bands. When a friend advised me of his impending trip to Manila I immediately requested him to find me a copy of their latest release, Revelation, which is available only at Wal-Mart Stores in North America. Much of my interest stemmed from news that their new lead singer was Arnel Pineda of the Philippines.

I am one of the lucky ones to have possession of it at this time, and would like share my thoughts on the band in general and a personal review on the new album.
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By Nekesa Mumbi Moody
Associated Press

Britney Spears
“Blackout”
Jive Records

JUST when it seemed safe to write off Britney Spears as a punchline only capable of entertaining people through tabloid escapades, she goes and gets all musically relevant on us.

“Blackout,” her first studio album in four years, is not only a very good album, it’s her best work ever — a triumph, with not a bad song to be found on the 12 tracks.

Granted, a Spears rave should be put in its proper context — it’s not like we’re talking Bob Dylan here. Spears is a lightweight singer who only flourishes when she has great songs and great producers to supplement her minimal vocal talent.

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By Rito Asilo
Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines—With finger-snapping beats and a sassy vocal arrangement, Bituin Escalante opens her latest CD, “Ur Luv Thang,” with the groovesome track, “Let Go.” The lush music reverberates with a sexy and unconventional tempo that reminds listeners that Bituin’s latest album is not one of your run-of-the-mill, commercial releases. Ironically, this OPM compilation doesn’t sound Pinoy at all!

In a season of slim pickings from the local music industry, Bituin’s independently-produced album, “Ur Luv Thang,” is nothing short of a treat: The 12-song compilation is coated with a musically succulent hybrid of blues and jazzy tunes, all written by Dan Gil — it’s no wonder why some cuts follow through with similar groove patterns and vocal requirements. Even more pleasantly surprising, there are no revivals here, as is customary with most local releases.

Musical ennui

In her previous offering, the singer-stage actress dished out a memorably frolicsome song, “The Only Two People in the World.” Her independently-produced collection boasts of even more lusciously delivered numbers — an aural respite from the local recording industry’s current musical ennui.

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By Erwin Oliva
INQUIRER.net

“I NOW have a better appreciation of silence,” I jokingly told Filipino video artist Tad Ermitano after 90 minutes of an “assault” on my senses.

I was at Mag.net Cafe in Bonifacio High Street one quiet evening on July 24. My friend and fellow tech journalist Jing Garcia sent me a text message inviting me to a gig. He did not give any details. He just told me to come over. I agreed. On our way to the place, he revealed that Tad and eight other sound artists have gathered to play in public. Sound art is not your everyday music. To help you understand it, let’s get back to my story. But here’s a video clip I took for iVDO of one of the sound artists, Lirio “Elemento” Salvador, plays his “turnplate,” an instrument he created.

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I WAS floored when I first heard Tuck Andress play “Man in the Mirror” on his guitar. As one of my occasional music buddies would always say, “That music made my head spin!”

So when I stumbled upon Filipino guitar player Jerome Rico’s Guitar Shop album recently, I experienced deja vu. You see, in my itsy bitsy book of guitar greats, there are those who play guitar, and those that can play mind-blowing guitar. Tuck and now Rico are the latter. I can listen to both all night and, I can assure you, you’ll never get bored.

Guitar Shop is composed of covers and original arrangements of known classics. As this blog by Oliver Oliveros reveals, Rico’s jazz influence is evident.

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