Pulse.ph : MUSIC + CULTURE
February 26th, 2007
February 23rd, 2007
To track the career of LL Cool J is to watch a 17 year-old rap phenomenon from the mid-1980s turn into a 38 year-old elder statesman of the genre. “2 decades and ain’t a damn thing’s changed,†he proclaims on this album’s third track “My Favorite Flavor,†and in one verse, the seemingly immortal rapper captures the question on most skeptics’ minds: In a storied career marked by a handful of significant albums surrounded by lackluster releases, can a rhymer who is still in essence a party rapper continue to not just contribute to today’s gritty, hard hitting, in your face hip-hop sound but influence it as well? Younger hip-hop enthusiasts may not get it at first glance. In truth, LL Cool J’s lyrics, when compared with those of other greats such as Tupac Shakur, Jay-Z and Rakim’s, seem rather plain and slow, and the album is littered with songs that are limited and unimaginative. “Preserve the Sexy†is cheesy and bland, a typical call-and-response song between a suave-talking LL Cool J and a sassy Teairra Mari that almost sounds like a dirty old man trying to convince a kolehiyala to let him take her home, and “Ooh Wee†is mediocre at best, with awkward devices (“You’re so hard to read I’m illiterate/But I’m ready for the graduation…â€) that sound funny over a standard, run-of-the-mill R&B groove, while “Down the Aisle†is amateurish, a wedding band song at best that scares one into thinking that the rap icon resorted to the unthinkable and decided to steal from Keith Martin’s “brilliant†repertoire. It may be unfair, though, to compare LL Cool J’s work with the gritty, hostile, and dirty bravado that most rappers today exhibit, from Eminem’s poking macabre to DMX’s upstart, violent themes because he came from a remarkably different, more playful, flirtatious party rap era. In a world of trigger-happy gangstas, fast-talking hustlers and raunchy, sleazy pimps, LL Cool J strikes a more composed, almost romantic figure. “Control Myself,†the leadoff single, is catchy and smoldering, doing just enough to pique the interest of itchy feet aching to dance. Flashy and catchy in its mediocre wordplay, “Control Myself†is followed by the remarkable yet very different “Favorite Flavorâ€â€”a sunny track that shows composed, measured but dominating cadences as LL Cool J brilliantly flips through various metaphors of flavors and taste, enhanced by the remarkable, indescribable sound that Mary J. Blige’s voice lends to any song she sings on. The most important lesson that LL Cool J tells us in this flawed but remarkable album bearing his real name is that speed, technique and strength, although amazing and awesome features, are not as important to hip-hop as being able to tell a story. Whether the suave, laid-back figure that J cuts is a function of his age and era or vice versa, you seldom see J swear, threaten or intimidate, but he is always able to narrate. “Freeze,†though limited, becomes more significant when set beside the touching, powerful “I’ve Changed,†where a repentant LL pleads with a woman who he cheated on to take him back, and Ryan Toby evokes the passion of Ron Isley in a touching chorus that almost weeps out of your speakers. “Best Dress†is LL Cool J’s tribute to single women, poignant and unique in its simple, slow rhythm and delivery that cups your face and looks you in the eye as it speaks. LL Cool J’s two best tracks, though, are the thumping, hyperactive “What You Want†and the very different “#1 Fan.†“What You Want†is a spirited collaboration that shows J at his top speed, which though when put beside Jay-Z or Twista is like a Civic being compared to a Porsche, amazes you with how easily he switches gears and cadences without overshadowing the Philadelphia rapper Freeway. Whereas “What You Want†suckerpunches you, “#1 Fan†draws you in with an enchanting, humorous story about a beautiful Hispanic woman seducing LL Cool J, with the verse “Tu que fan numero uno, and I’ll do anything to prove it…†swaying over a highly charged latin groove as we watch J slowly slip into temptation and find ourselves following him slowly. It is not the perfect hip-hop album by any means, and perhaps the generation gap will be too wide for LL Cool J to bridge, no matter how many crunches he does and how much he tries to update his sound without compromising his intrinsic value. However, this is probably as good as any LL Cool J album for the novice hip-hop fan to pick up to see why LL Cool J has been in this game for so long. He has to be doing something right to have lasted 22 years.
February 22nd, 2007
According to Popjustice, the “first completely amazing pop record of 2007″ is by none other than Groove Armada and Mutya Buena! That’s right, the London-born, half-Filipina ex-Sugababe Mutya Buena. Popjustice says: “Its lyrical concerns are driving fast, listening to Prince, sitting at some traffic lights and seeing your boyfriend pull up next to you with another, rubbish girl in his passenger seat. We are not sure about the environmental ethics of two-car households but they make for AMAZING pop records. ” “It sounds VERY 1980s. It sounds VERY 2010s. It sounds like a Number One.” Pinoy pride, yay!
February 22nd, 2007
MIKE AND MICK MAKE A VIDEO: OUTERHOPE’S “SKY HIGH BLUE”
When Outerhope first released their debut album Strangely Paired in late 2005, I was one of the first people to get a copy, and I have their pleasing ear candy to blame for my new appreciation for softer, gentler music. I also totally admire them for recording and producing their album by themselves (it was later on that they signed a distribution deal with Terno Records), and appreciate the entire indie vibe that siblings Micaela and Mike Benedicto—who are, essentially, Outerhope—have successfully cultivated. So when I learned that they were releasing a video for their song “Sky High Blue,†I wanted to be around to applaud them. It wasn’t really, specifically a video launch, it was just timed together with the January 31 installment of Terno Inferno at Saguijo (which happens every last Wednesday of the month). Outerhope is just generally low-key, so launching the video would have to be low-key also. The video itself is low-key as well, but quite charming. Again, shot and edited entirely by Mike and Mick in their house, it’s a paper doll puppet show, with two paper dolls, one a boy, and one a girl who kind of slightly looks like Mick. It starts with the paper dolls lying on a vinyl record spinning on a turntable, so mesmerizing right away. For the rest of the video, the dolls are actually “Trying to find you baby while you walk around in circles…†It’s not a stop-motion animation video, as the dolls, held aloft by string and other “secret†contraptions, are filmed moving against backdrops of a scale model house made of paper, keyboards and what seems to be the cover of their album. It reminds me of that Sesame Street sketch where David and Maria agree to meet at the park, one is above the bridge while the other is below the bridge, both having an internal monologue that goes, “Did Maria/David say to meet her/him above the bridge? Or below the bridge?†and they change positions and still don’t find each other. The video is somewhat like that, but cuter. The other bands that performed at the launch/Terno Inferno were Blazing Bulalakaws, Swissy, Daydream Cycle and Ang Bandang Shirley. I missed the sets of Blazing Bulalakaws and another band, but the rest of the show seemed to have a theme—dreamy pop bands with dreamy girlish singers. Swissy is, if I’m not mistaken, a balikbayan from Australia, who sings Sundays-esque original tunes. Terno Recording’s newest artist, she plays guitar while she sings and is backed by local boys Alsey Cortez on bass and Ean Mayor from Up dharma Down on drums. Ean also jammed with her on a song that she claimed is usually done by just her and her guitar; this time, Ean cranked up his sampler and gave the poignant ballad a morbid edge, kind of like The Sundays meets Massive Attack. Outerhope followed Swissy, showing their video on a portable screen just before their set. With Joon Guillen as their regular live guitarist, the Benedicto siblings were also joined that night by Ang Bandang Shirley’s Zig Rabara and Owel Alvero on drums and bass respectively. Micaela added lyrics to the originally instrumental “Learning to Rollerskate,†changing the vibe of the song, which they also did when they ended their set with “the full band version of ‘Sky High Blue’,†making them sound punk rock. I hadn’t seen Daydream Cycle in a while and I thought it was just me. Turns out, they hadn’t been gigging in a while, as Kathy Meneses greeted the crowd with, “We miss Saguijo. We miss playing.†Seems like all the bands were changing the dynamic of their usual sound that night, though Daydream Cycle didn’t really mean to: sampler/grooveboxer Bogs Jugo’s equipment was, er broken? To what extent I have no idea, but it basically means he left his digital gear at home and played drums—actual drums, yes—instead. The vibe was totally different: the dreaminess that suffuses Kathy’s voice seemed to have lessened somewhat, but still, the live drums actually work well. It was like Dream Pop Rocks Out Night at Terno Inferno! The last band of the evening was Ang Bandang Shirley, who played a lengthier than usual set because, as Owel quipped, “we’re the last band of the night, we can play as long as we want.†I really like Ang Bandang Shirley’s songs and songwriting sensibilities, but as a live band, they’re still rather raw and need to work out their kinks more in rehearsal. But even with their rawness, I love their songs, especially “Habulan/Patintero.†Plus I enjoy that they have fun just performing, raw or not. Outside, Mick and Mike (and even various people not in their band) were giving away Outerhope buttons. I got a button with the girl paper doll on it, someone saw it pinned to my jacket and handed my boyfriend a button with the boy paper doll, saying, “Now, go walk around in circles.†You can find the video online, but we warn you, this song causes major LSS. Photo of Outerhope video by Joon Guillen, gig photos by Joelle Jacinto. Official Outerhope site here. Terno Inferno happens every last Wednesday of the month.
February 20th, 2007
Will be at the Bamboo presscon this Friday at Greenhills. Got any questions you want me to pass on? The band’s coming out with a new album packed with cover versions (or, as they are sometimes called, remakes). Unlike Rivermaya, who also recently came out with an album of covers, these guys decided not to concentrate on a particular genre or time frame when they chose their material. The choices are pretty interesting. You could also describe them as all over the map. And maybe a little nutty. “What? What?!” Joelle said, as I rattled off song titles. You’ve probably already heard their version of Buklod’s “Tatsulok.” For their upcoming release, they also did Seal’s “Prayer for the Dying,” Carole King’s “So Far Away,” Anak Bayan’s “Probinsyana,” Paul Simon’s “Fifty Ways To Leave Your Lover,” and Pearl Jam’s “Alive.” Bamboo have proven themselves a hit commercially and critically (I was one of the judges in the last Awit Awards that chose to shower them with honors) — it will be fun to see what they do with this diverse array of material. UPDATE: Saw the album at Music One; apparently it became available just today (Wednesday, February 21). Striking orange-and-black cover — no images, just text. 2 CDs, Php 299. They were playing “Probinsyana” when I was there.
February 19th, 2007
There’s a new band in town, and I for one cannot wait to see them perform live! It’s an all-girl group that counts among its members the incredible Katwo Librando of Narda, the amazing Kris Dancel of Cambio, and the supercool Myrene Academia of Sandwich/Imago. Holy CRAP. Here’s an excerpt from Katwo’s Livejournal, the entry entitled “the duster is an awesome”: “oh yes. ang GANDA ng duster. it’s an all-girl band i have with kris, myrene and ristal (manager ng stonefree, the cutest girl in the whole world) plus darryl (i think that’s how her name’s spelled haven’t met her yet), and i’m not just saying na maganda siya kasi i’m part of it, pero OMG, alavet. ang ganda ng mga songs, courtesy of raims and lourd, and playing it live was AWESOME. myrene was playing the synths for the first time and she is a golden goddess. and kris is amazing on the guitar. and ristal was just great with her beats. singing with kris is SUCH AN HONOR, our voices actually blend pretty well. basta, hanep lahat. i haven’t been excited like this for a loooonnggg time. and that just means so much to me. i’m really really really giddy over this.” According to the SaGuijo schedule, Duster will be performing on Play4Serve night, February 27, Tuesday, along with some little-known bands like Sandwich, Imago, Daydream Cycle, Teeth and Pedicab. Vin Dancel’s new band, Peryodiko, will be playing too! And by cosmic alignment, February 27 also happens to be the opening night of Strange Maps, an exhibit at SaGuijo’s second floor gallery featuring artworks by the immensely talented Lala Gallardo in collaboration with… well, me. So go to the exhibit opening at 7 PM, then head downstairs afterwards for the bands. See you there!
February 19th, 2007
Went to Megamall. Saw a Lani Misalucha live performance slash album promo thingie. New face. New body. I love science.
February 16th, 2007
You’ve probably heard of Vin Dancel. I don’t mean the bald, sando-wearing meathead from XXX, though the resemblance is sometimes uncanny, but the frontman of the five-member band called Twisted Halo, formed seven years ago. Their music was enough to speak for itself, and critics and fans alike foamed at the mouth in awe over the group’s raucous three-guitar format and “crazy-eye†stage antics (that’s Diego Castillo’s endearment in quotes). The band’s sonic sensibilities, evident on the seminal spoken-word track “Untitled #4†(off their debut EP Twisted Halo), had mild traces of Fugazi—tenacious yet fun. Moreover, the controversial group made itself more known in a roundabout, punk rock way. In their acceptance speech for the NU107 In the Raw Award in 2001, Dancel wasn’t necessarily jumping with glee. The lawyer-musician was agitated, crying foul about an alleged copyright infringement that a major film outfit committed by using their anti-hazing anthem “Brad.†The now-popular howl resounded with rage: “We will not take this sitting down!†Several photo-ops, interviews, radio guestings, and Admit One (the band’s house production) appearances after, Dancel and the rest of the Haloed ones settled out of court and got a public apology from the film outfit in major newspapers (albeit buried in obituaries and what-not). More importantly, they made an indelible imprint in the gigging circuit, touching both fans and fellow indie colleagues with pep talks about the beauty of, well, independencia. Twisted Halo’s first full LP—In Loving Memory of the Fearless Exploits of the Bolo Brigade— launched in January 2004, was a critical breakthrough, boasting of tracks like their signature number “Breakable,†the Joey Ayala homage “‘Asan Na?,†and guitarist Jason Caballa’s livid vocal debut “Closed, Captioned.†(Moreover, the CD sleeve folded out to reveal an Amorsolo painting lang naman.) By this time, the personnel consisted of Dancel, Caballa, guitarist Joey Odulio, bassist Buddy Zabala (who replaced Jal Taguibao), and Monmon Lopez (who replaced Ichot Cruz). Zabala later left to pursue work with The Dawn and was replaced by Nix Puno, while good ol’ jolly Monmon was replaced by the celebrated Cagayan de Oro skinsman Abe Billano, who did the drumwork for Nuncyspungen and the live incarnation of dongabay (yes, one word, all lower-case letters). The final line-up was able to arrange enough songs for a second LP, with most of them helping to assemble a workable demo, rumored to bear the working title Independencia, featuring new gig favorites such as “Undress†and “Nyssa.†And then, the unthinkable happened. On May 25, 2006, Dancel sent one of his standard text spams, inviting friends and fans alike to go watch his band in its final performance, thanking everyone for seven years’ worth of commitment and devotion. A video for the Bolo Brigade single “Public Service Announcement†was also launched on the said date, and the five-some bid the stage goodbye with an emotionally rousing eighteen-song set. “Dumating ‘yung point na ‘yung Halo, naging bagahe na sa ‘ming lahat, ta’s hindi na siya masaya. I think, somewhere along the way, we forgot what it was all about; guilty ako du’n. Hindi na siya tungkol sa tugtugan at a point,†Dancel shared while chewing on some greens. The real world set in for Dancel after Twisted Halo, and he decided to take a full-time day-job to support his adorable family, which includes a son who has started going to school. The Dancel itch (no, not that kind), however, wouldn’t let up. “The first three weeks after nag-disband ‘yung Halo, nararamdaman ko na nu’n ‘yung kati na magsulat uli. Tapos, hinahayaan ko lang, kasi, before that, ‘pag nagsusubok ako, parang pilit, parang hindi natural,†the singer mused, and I could imagine a man fresh from divorce, trying to survive singlehood but somehow still ending up at the same places he used to visit with the ex: the same restaurants, the same kind of movies, the same books. To further obscure chances of closure, Dancel’s (actual) exes (musical, not romantic) made him an offer hard to refuse: the rights to the Twisted Halo name, perhaps with a different lineup, and the right to perform the songs intended for the defunct band’s sophomore disc. However, Dancel’s resolve was steadfast: “Hindi, eh, kasi ‘yung mindset ko nu’n, para sa Halo ‘yun, eh. Sabi ko, ‘Hindi, ayoko na, eh. Tapos na, eh’.†In June, 2006, a full month after Twisted Halo called it quits, Vin finally let go, finishing the first of a string of new songs, quelling the tunesmith’s thirst as soon as he’d felt it. The track was called “Pikit,†a sort of existentialist lament with beautifully rhyming couplets in Filipino. It almost seemed like the singer was exorcising himself: “Sa isang saglit ay babalik; nagdarasal nang nakapikit.†In an open letter that unintentionally mirrors the Eraserheads’ “Para sa Masa,†Dancel summons: “Mapapatawad mo kaya ako, kung iwanan ko nang sandali ang mundo mo? At bumalik sa kung saan ako huling nangarap nang gising, at nadama kong totoo ang ihip ng hangin.†The metaphors were warm, hinting at a reclusive figure who has cut himself off from the rest of the world for a long time and has finally decided to come home. Vin actually sounds sweet in this sample track, employing his middle range to great results, as opposed to his passive-aggressive approach to Twisted Halo’s material. (Yes, I can hear you all chanting song titles like “Hiram,†“Asan Na?,†“No. 36,†and all those other “soft†Halo tunes in protest. Yeah, we’ll get there, don’t worry.) Four months after the fact, Dancel set a personal record and now had, at his disposal, ten new songs. “Nu’ng sinusulat ko siya, pare, nakangiti ako. Weird,†he shared further. On December 12, 2006, I released my first book of poems, Vocalese, at Conspiracy. Along with my band, the über-talented Benedicto siblings from Outerhope, and the larger-than-life Cynthia Alexander, I also asked Dancel to play a couple of songs. The milieu turned out to be extremely apt: Dancel previewed, for the very first time in public, “Pikit†and another tear-jerker called “Tayo,†echoing the musical themes of Gary Granada and Joey Ayala, who are resident performers at the said bar-cum-arts venue. “Mas kumbinsido ako sa kanya [the new songs]; mas satisfied ako sa kanya, kasi wala na akong iniisip na banda. Nagsulat lang ako. Hindi na ako nag-iisip ng ‘Ma-tri-trip-an kaya nila? What are they gonna say about it?’†Jason Caballa, who now plays guitar for dunk (dance punk) band Pedicab, was in the audience, so speculations of vicious animosity should just get hurled out the window right this minute. The guitarist-cum-music journalist reportedly even noted to Kris Gorra-Dancel that his ex-singer’s new songs could stand well on their own, and that employing a band was perhaps unnecessary. Vin, however, was looking in the opposite direction. The now-free agent asked Bolo Brigade producers Buddy Zabala and Raimund Marasigan if they’d be interested in producing his new batch of songs—which he intended to compile in an album—although the musical arrangements were still in limbo. The production powerhouse-of-two echoed to the singer what they had previously told his younger brother Ebe Dancel about Sugarfree’s Tala-Arawan: “Ayaw na naming mag-produce for you. Go to The Source na,†they apparently alluded, in almost-audible capitals, to Robin Rivera, humanities professor and long-time Eraserheads producer. Vin asked the good teacher, who later reportedly said, “A band will just muddle up these songs. Since you’re going the other way, why not go all the way?†Zabala echoed the sentiments of their studio mentor; Marasigan, however, thought otherwise, insisting that a band would help energize the material. Twisted Halo’s former figurehead decided to take the median of all the warring propositions: he would enlist a band, but his songs (and not the musicians) would have to take the lead. Dancel briefly considered taking the Kings of Convenience/ Simon and Garfunkel route with star guitarist Kakoy Legaspi, but was hindered by format similarities with Legaspi’s bar stint with Bridge singer Johnoy Danao (they were called, uhm, Johnoy and Kakoy). He expanded the hypothetical lineup in his head to include, besides Legaspi, Buddy Zabala on bass, the Chillitees’ Dan Gil on keyboards, and Sun Valley Crew’s Dex Aguila on drums. Despite these fine musicians’ respect and love for the man, however, realities and priorities set in, and this hypothetical lineup failed to materialize. Out of the blue, in early January 2007, when Dancel got invited by Bagong Lumad drummer Noe Tiu to play for Bicol Express (a benefit gig for victims of typhoon Reming), what greeted audience members at 70s Bistro was a different crew altogether, easily the serious musician’s dream assembly: keyboardist Inky de Dios (Indio-I, Brigada, Ten), bassist Simon Tan (Wdouji, Affinity, Skarlet), the come-backing drummer Abe Billano, and, perhaps most surprisingly—as Luis Katigbak already mentioned in our Pulse.ph blog—Niño Avenido (Greyhoundz, Happy Meals, Out of Body Special), not on bass, but on guitar! (That’s my first exclamation point in several months, and I’m breaking the dry spell for a damn good reason.) “Pare, sa totoo lang, hindi ko alam ang mangyayari sa banda na ‘to. Ang gusto ko lang mangyari, magawa siya nang tama,†the singer-songwriter confessed with visible dread, which he instantly dispelled himself by saying that the musical possibilities with his present lineup are, to say the least, endless. Capping a great band with a great name was a different challenge altogether. Dancel finally accepted that his long-running choice for a band name—“Manongâ€â€”just didn’t slide well. “Ang panget daw, para daw pang-D.O.M.,†came the chuckles. Thoughts of using his own name (like Dong Abay, Cynthia Alexander, or, erm, Bamboo) also got discarded. “Ang ganda kasi ng pangalan ko, eh, so dapat g’wapo rin ako; kailangan tisoy ako! Kaso, hindi, eh! Walang audio-visual lock!†The singer then referred to the songs themselves for inspiration, and, realizing that they were basically stories of the everyday and the everyman, decided to call his band Peryodiko. The music veered towards basic folk in structure, and the lyrical content is, well, lyrical, yet highly familiar. Dancel isn’t necessarily conversational in the Peryodiko pieces, but he is way more accessible, and his chord choices have more color: the kind of notes that make you sick in the gut, not with disgust, but with pleasant surprise, like getting jolted by a surprise visit from a crush. You know that pseudo-chummy part in Love in the Time of Cholera, where love was being melodramatically compared to, uhm, cholera? It was supposed to be chummy, at least in principle, but the jagged, broken reality of the malady turned love into something that’s almost painfully undesirable. Vin is no cunning linguist (haha), but his lyrics evoke some beautiful, unnamable feeling, that feeling of being on the verge of recovery (from what, I don’t know). Some of these numbers, such as the painful “Kumapit Ka Tuwing Lunes,†practically serve as three-minute therapy sessions: “Kumapit ka sa sarili mo. Maniwala: may pag-asa pa. Hangga’t ika’y humihinga, ang lahat ng ito’y lilipas din.†There is a new clarity in the man whom we all found to be someone who’s vaguely, generally agit about things. A friend from Rock Ed told Dancel, upon hearing the Peryodiko songs, “‘Eto ‘yung mga songs na pinag-uusapan ng mga magkakaibigan after ng twelve midnight—‘pag tapos na ‘yung chit-chat at nag-die down na ‘yung ingay.†The songs, however, are not devoid of politics, despite the ironically sunny exterior: “Mas introspective siya, eh. Tungkol pa rin sa struggle, pero it’s more personal, along the lines of ‘Miron’.†Traces of Vin’s other formative listening, apart from punk—Crosby, Stills, and Nash, Joey Ayala, some James Taylor—are evident in his comeback songs, where the fury is more contained, if not absent altogether. Going soft? Nah. People see Vin Dancel as a champion of independent music, and he remains eloquent about this, despite reported efforts of him offering the Peryodiko material to a major label. “Ang wish ko lang, sana maging sustainable. Sa ‘kin naman, ‘di ba, lagi kong sinasabi sa ‘yo, it’s always about two things: empowerment and sustainability. It can’t be just about empowerment, kasi kung abono ka na nang abono, parang, pare, ‘di na siya nakakatuwa,†Dancel shared with some anxiety; obviously, the DIY ethic remains close to his heart, despite its self-flagellating nature. “Dati’y ‘di naman ganito. Kathang-isip lamang ba ang gulo?†Dancel sings in “Tayo,†and I started to realize that what the man was able to craft in a four-month span could serve both as existential fodder and as soundtrack to a pa-morning-an drinking binge (a great, great deal, if you ask me). One knows that you can’t talk straight to an angry man (he’ll invariably scream at you and maybe break china). Vin, however, is ready to talk. He’s hoping you are, too. Aldus Santos sings, writes songs, and plays studio guitar for The Purplechickens. Vocalese, his first book of verses, is out now at select bookstores. Visit the site for a complete listing of outlets. With acknowledgements to Vin and Kris Dancel. Photos courtesy of mightydacs98 and mechapinoyboy from the Twisted Halo mailing list. Vocalese launch photo of Vin Dancel by Grace Mirandilla.
February 12th, 2007
Why is it that when people do full remake albums, it usually comes off as really sad and trite, but when it’s Lani Misalucha, it’s okay? Better than okay, even, as her latest album, the self-titled Lani Misalucha, feeds on the guilty pleasure centers of your brain but leaves you with a surprisingly positive vibe. I’m thinking it’s because Lani Misalucha is really great at what she does, and despite her producers’ past attempts at giving her commissioned original compositions for her earlier albums, fans go to her concerts to hear her now infamous Whitney Houston medley. We all watch American Idol, we know by now that nobody pulls off Whitney Houston well (most of the contestants who try to sing her hits usually get a “That was absolutely horrendous…” from Simon), and as we’re sitting in our dens, we shrug and say, “But Lani Misalucha can sing Whitney Houston in her sleep.” On this album, though, she only sings one Whitney Houston song, and it’s not one of her big hits, either, it’s “Hold Me,” that song that goes, “Hold me in your arms…” oh, you’d know the song when you hear it. The album is made up mostly of songs you may have heard on the radio, on a bus, in passing, without ever really knowing the artists, nor ever forming the notion to buy their respective albums. Like I’ve heard “Very Special Love” lots of times before, but I had to Google to find out that it was originally by Maureen McGovern. And someone named Stephanie Mills sang “Never Knew Love Like This Before.” (Of course, this could be because my tastes admittedly run in a different direction.) She also has low profile songs by Michael Jackson (“Someone in the Dark”) and Stevie Wonder (“All Is Fair in Love”). Some songs are those that are always being remade, like the Melissa Manchester-penned “Come In From The Rain,” which was first made popular by The Captain and Tenille, then recorded by the composer herself, Diana Ross and Shirley Bassey, among others. There’s also “Never My Love,” originally by the Addrisi brothers’ Association, and which we know from the Kathy Troccoli version—the song also has versions by 5th Dimension, the Four Tops, Etta James and Barry Manilow. A surprising addition to the tracklist is Heart’s “These Dreams”—while that almost ethereal quality in the original is lost here, Lani’s version is quite classy. Ah, and there’s a Christmas song, Martin Nievera’s “Christmas Won’t Be The Same Without You,” I think because it was released over Christmas. Notice that all the songs are slow and somber? Not really the kind of songs she can let loose on, as people are used to. That said, I’m curious about why this album is her self-titled album, since usually self-titled albums are supposed to represent the artist and what she/he/they stand for. For someone who is known to astound with her vocal fireworks, she’s surprisingly mellow on her self-titled album. Was the self-titling due to another reason, or is Lani Misalucha really a somber person? She does show off in “Hold Me,” Luther Vandross’ “Always and Forever,” and Natalie Cole’s “I Live For Your Love”; her vocal improvisations towards the ends of the songs are goosebump-inducing. I’m not a big fan of most of the songs on the album, but I really appreciate Ms. Misalucha’s musicality and wondrous voice. Actually, I believe she even sings some of these songs better than the originals. I do really love her take on Astrud Gilberto’s “A Certain Sadness”—she sings it as if it were her own, poignant yet confident. And she should. She’s Lani Misalucha.
February 8th, 2007
So I just finished reading Seb Hunter’s Hell Bent for Leather: Confessions of a Heavy Metal Addict, and I loved it. You could say it does for heavy metal what Steve Almond’s Candyfreak does for candy: that is, serve as a highly entertaining introduction to — and immersion in — a subject that may or may not be considered book-worthy by the general public, but which matters a great deal indeed to a certain slightly unhinged subculture. More to the point, these books are good enough that, for at least a short while, they make the author’s particular obsessions our own as well. (Interestingly enough, Steve Almond also wrote a book called My Life in Heavy Metal. But it’s just a collection of short stories.) As a book of this sort, though — funny, autobiographical, informative, opinionated — Hell Bent for Leather is the superior read, as there are no embarassing stabs at lyrical profundity and Bigger Subjects. When Hunter does stray from delivering amusing anecdotes and observations to hit us with something more serious, he does it matter-of-factly, but with genuine impact, as when he relates the aftermath of a bad acid experience, or tosses off a line about the desperate redemptive power of a sliver of hope. Described as “half memoir, half Heavy Metal primer,” Hell Bent works great bits like “How to Dress Metal” (which includes a sidebar on metal band logos), a guide to Thrash/ Death/ Speed/ Black Metal (“Slayer couldn’t do a ballad if you sprinkled their breakfast cereal with ecstasy and sleeping pills and locked them in a room with just harps.”), and a gallery of electric guitars into its autobiographical narrative, which in itself would have been engaging enough. Even at over 300 pages, Hell Bent seems to end too abruptly, even though it does end at the logical point: with the rise of grunge and the death of the metal scene (and another death, much closer to home, as well). As soon as I turned the last page (I got the special “P.S.” edition, pictured here, which has 16 extra pages of “insights, interviews and more” — yay!), I hit the Net to find out what Hunter — who I had never heard of before — is up to now. Apparently he’s written another book, called ROCK ME AMADEUS: Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Handel, which suggests that his musical tastes have shifted, or expanded at least. Also, he has a website, where you can, among other things, download mp3s by his bands, which adds a whole ‘nother dimension to your Hell Bent for Leather experience. I have to admit, when I was reading Hell Bent, I imagined from his self-deprecating descriptions that his bands would sound much, much worse. Um, not that the music is universe-conquering genius or anything. For a taste of Hunter’s heavy metal insights, read his 10 Steps to Heavy Metal Stardom. (Regarding #10, I will say that his assessment of Justin Hawkins’ quick-witted banter is spot on, having had the pleasure of interviewing The Darkness’ lead singer for a local magazine a couple of years ago. He had no qualms about dissing the UK music press, Quentin Tarantino, or, indeed, anyone.)
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