_berg loves pizza_

End-of-the-Month Catch-Up Post

Before we usher in the -ber months, lemme give u big dose of songs that i was going to post at various points for july and august but didn’t get to. These aren’t leftovers, don’t ever see them that way… I just never got around to putting them up for various reasons. So… here we go:

Little Jackie – “The World Should Revolve Around Me” >>> Catchy, poppy, and kinda fun with slight hiphop and soul influences sprinkled throughout, this song could be huge given the right amount of support from the duo’s record label and radio stations everywhere. Their debut album The Stoop is good, one of the stronger releases of the year. The female half of this duo is Imani Coppola, who actually had a top 40 hit back in the late 90’s (or was it early 2000’s?), the title of her song i can’t remember anymore. Listen to this ditty: [here]. Buy the album [here]

The Ting Tings – “Great DJ” >>> I ignored them for a while, but lately I can’t escape their song “That’s Not My Name” from radio stations over here. Its so catchy that I gave their debut album We Started Nothing a listen. Surprisingly, its very good. Didn’t know what I was missing… heck this is one of my favorite albums of the year… so fun. This is the set’s opening track and the first single which was released earlier this year. Listen [here]. Buy the album (recommended!) [here]

Ben Folds feat. Regina Spektor – “You Don’t Know Me” >>> I like both of these artists, so naturally I was excited when I found out they’re both on the same track. This is from Ben Folds’ new album Way To Normal out in mid-September in the UK. Quirky and fun track to bop your head to. I’ve been jamming to this for the past two months and haven’t grown tired of it yet. Listen [here]. Buy the album [here]

Marit Larsen – “If A Song Could Get Me You” >>> If you don’t recognize the name, then its probably better that you don’t know from which musical duo this girl used to belong (*cough*m2m*cough*). My my how she has grown. While her old partner Marion went on trying to pretend that she’s angry, Marit has gone down to churning out quite the delectable bunch of folk/alt-pop gems that has earned her industry respect, especially in her home turf of Norway. This is the first single from her second solo album due out later this year. Ain’t the title irresistible? You don’t have to resist it, listen [here].

The Verve – “Love Is Noise” >>> I don’t know much about the band except that Richard Ashcroft is their lead singer and that they had a huge hit back in the mid-to-late 90’s with “Bittersweet Symphony”. Fast-forward to a decade later and they’ve decided to regroup and release a fourth album called Forth. This was the first single released back in July. I didn’t know what I was missing… I had it for a long time but ignored it til it got played on my ipod while on shuffle. Dont know if its just me, but I get a sonic-sounding U2 vibe from it. If you haven’t heard this already, listen to it [here]. Buy the album [here]

Ingrid Michaelson – “Be OK” >>> Fresh off of the unexpected success of her previous single “The Way I Am”, Ingrid will be releasing an album called Be OK on October 14th… a benefit project featuring a mix of previously unreleased tracks, live songs, and covers. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the album will go to the Stand Up to Cancer organization, a group focused on research to finding cures to various types of Cancer. This title track right here is bound to make your day sunny with its uplifting vibe and sheer simplicity. Check it out [here]. Buy the album [here] or the single via itunes [here]

Matt Wertz – “5:19″ (New Version) >>> Singer-songwriter Matt Wertz has made it onto a major label and is releasing several of the tracks on his previous album onto the new one along with four new tracks. The new album is called Under Summer Sun, duo out September 16th. This here is the first single, a spruced up version of one of my faves off of his previous CD, “5:19″. I wish him all the best on his quest for success (wow that rhymed). “With one eye on the clock, and one on the phone… its 5:19 and I’m feeling alone…” Gotta love that voice! Listen to the song [here]. Buy the album (recommended!) [here]

Lene Marlin – “What If” >>> What is this song doing here? it’s from 2005 haha. But its new to me so what the heck. I lost track of Lene over the years and wasn’t aware that she released a new album back in ‘05. I’m a casual fan because of her songs “Unforgiveable Sinner” and “Flown Away” among others. This right here is just ear candy. Another Norwegian female artist… who would’ve guessed. And there’s another one coming further down below. This was one of the singles from Lene’s 2005 album Lost In A Moment. Listen to the song [here]. Buy the album [here]

Jars of Clay – “Closer” >>> One of my all-time favorite bands is still churning out great songs after 13 years… here’s an electronic-sounding single off of their new EP called Closer. It’s the title track and I love it! Very nice chorus. I always… ALWAYS… love their lyrics, Dan Haseltine is one of my idols. Listen to this cool new track [here]. Purchase the awesome new digital EP (recommended!) [here]

Pete Murray – “Saving Grace” >>> He’s an Australian singer-songwriter… don’t know anything else about the guy. I’ve heard a few of his songs before. They were good but didn’t really stick to me. This new one though, I like a lot. Must be the very simple structure, sing-along-y melody, and the sound of the harmonica. Listen to the song [here].

Maria Mena – “All This Time (Pick-Me-Up Song)” >>> Here’s the third Norwegian female artist for this bunch… one of my favorites, Maria Mena. I don’t know why she’s not more popular the world over, her songs are fantastic and quite distinctive. She gives off sort of this Alanis-y vibe without the angst. Girls will find comfort in her songs, heck I’m not a girl but I love these songs haha. Her new album Cause and Effect comes out in October. This is the first or second single off of the album (depending on where you’re from). Check out the song [here].

Dido – “Don’t Believe In Love” >>> Finally, she’s back!!! Her new album Safe Trip Home will be out in early November and the first single a few weeks before that. This one here is the first single and its yet another one of her signature songs that doesn’t do much upon first impression but oh lordy does it creep up on you slowly when you listen to it a couple more times. Before you know it, its stuck in your head. Mind-control anyone? [Here] it is. Also, another one of the new songs from the release and is available for free on her website until September 7th. Go there now and download “Look No Further” before the offer expires. [click here] Pre-order the new album [here]

Zac Brown Band – “Chicken Fried” >>> Let’s end this bunch on an upbeat note with a feel-good country song from the first ever new artist signing to Live Nation Artists… after the groundbreaking deals that the organization has made with superstars Madonna, U2, and Jay-Z. Who are these guys? I have no clue, but they must be good based on the above-mentioned info. Zac Brown Band is based in Georgia and their soon-to-be widely available album The Foundation was produced by Keith Stegall. I love this because it sounds like 90’s country. Check out their other songs on their myspace page. Don’t let the song’s title scare you haha! This is my favorite song right now. “You know I like my chicken fried, cold beer on a friday night, a pair of jeans that fit just right, and the radio up…” . Listen to it [here].

Whew! I’m spent… i’ll catch y’all on the other side… peace!

Three Ballads

[Luis Fonsi y Laura Pausini - Todo Vuelve a Empezar] You read that right, it’s a Spanish song bwahahaha! I do listen to latin pop, I’m a fan of Luis Fonsi mainly because of his smooth voice and passionate delivery although I am aware that he has done some cheesy songs in the past… quite a number of them. And I like Laura Pausini, too! She’s Italian but she also sings in Spanish… I am in awe haha. The song is from Luis’ new album called Palabras del Silencio which came out this week (last Tuesday). The album is career-defining for him because it is his first one to bear only his compositions and no one else’s. He also gets credited as a co-producer for the album so hurray for him. I don’t know which among the songs is the single so I posted this one in keeping with the theme (ballads, duh) and because I like this. oh so good. Buy Luis Fonsi’s superb brand new album [here] via Amazon.com.

[Jon McLaughlin - Smack Into You] I’m a fan of the guy, love the voice. Looks like he’s trying to appeal to the mainstream instead of the AC/AAA crowd with this new album. OK Now is the album’s name and it drops October 7, 2008. And this song right here has a 90% chance of becoming a hit because its written and produced by the super-team of Tricky Stewart and The-Dream. I don’t know if this is the second official single off of the new album or just an AC only single (for now anyway) since it was sent for adds to that format awhile ago. Nice build-up this one has… so get ready to melt! Pre-order Jon McLaughlin’s new album [here] via Amazon.com.

[Faith Hill - A Baby Changes Everything] This is Faith’s new single… a big, epic, but good-hearted ballad… grandiose-sounding that it doesn’t sound country at all… hehe as if that’s a new thing with Faith. This is the only original track on her upcoming Christmas album Joy To The World out September 30th. Christmas is starting early this year… maybe that’s not such a bad thing. The other 10 tracks on the CD will be covers of traditional and popular Christmas ditties of old. I like this, I’m not ashamed to admit it anymore. I like big ballads, as long as I don’t hear them over and over and over like I did earlier today when my officemate at work kept playing Whitney Houston’s “One Moment In Time” over and over on her computer… deep inside I had a nervous breakdown that I almost threw a fit and was about to throw an old typewriter on her damn computer. sheesh. Go buy Faith’s album when it comes out or you can pre-order it [here] via Amazon.com.

Is pop making a comeback?

10 Conyo-mandments

Sorry for my non-Filipino-speaking/ reading/understanding visitors but this entry is not entirely in English.

I’m like so cheap for this entry dahil I only made copya this post from a contact sa aking multiply account, noh? And he also only made copya this one from one of his friends. But anyway, i made super tawa kasi when i made basa this one kanina lang so heto shhhhwwwwish kopya at repost agad. so enjoy sa mga hindi pa naka-make read nito, owwkay? apir!

10 Conyo-mandments by Gerry Avelino and Arik Abu

1. Thou shall make gamit “make+pandiwa”.
ex. “Let’s make pasok na to our class!”
“Wait lang! I’m making kain pa!”
“Come on na, we can’t make hintay anymore! It’s in Andrew pa, you know?”

2. Thou shall make kalat “noh”, “diba” and “eh” in your pangungusap.
ex. “I don’t like to make lakad in the baha nga, no? Eh diba it’s like, so eew, diba?”
“What ba: stop nga being maarte noh?”
“Eh as if you want naman also, diba?”

3. When making describe a whatever, always say “It’s SO pang-uri!”
ex. “It’s so malaki, you know, and so mainit!”
“I know right? So sarap nga, eh!”
“You’re making me inggit naman.. I’ll make bili nga my own burger.”

4. When you are lalaki, make parang punctuation “dude”, ‘tsong” or “pare”
ex. “Dude, ENGANAL is so hirap, pare.”
“I know, tsong, I got bagsak nga in quiz one, eh”

5. Thou shall know you know? I know right!
ex. “My bag is so bigat today, you know”
“I know, right! We have to make dala pa kasi the jumbo Physics book eh!”

6. Make gawa the plural of pangngalans like in English or Spanish.
ex. “I have so many tigyawats, oh!”

7. Like, when you can make kaya, always use like. Like, I know right?
ex. “Like, it’s so init naman!”
“Yah! The aircon, it’s, like sira!”

8. Make yourself feel so galing by translating the last word of your sentence, you know, your pangungusap?
ex. “Kakainis naman in the LRT! How plenty tao, you know, people?”
“It’s so tight nga there, eh, you know, masikip?”

9. Make gamit of plenty abbreviations, you know, daglat?”
ex. “Like, OMG! It’s like traffic sa LRT”
“I know right? It’s so kaka!”
“Kaka?”
“Kakaasar!”

10. Make gamit the pinakamaarte voice and pronunciation you have para full effect!
ex. “I’m, like, making aral at the Arrhneo!”
“Me naman, I’m from Lazzahl!”

I theeeenk yoooow. bow.

Something For Next Weekend (Rhythmic Mix 3)

My mood right now: PISSED! Sooooooooooo p*ssed off i could burn down a house or two! (But I won’t do that, I’m not that kind of guy.) I’ll keep the reasons for it to myself for now coz I don’t wanna piss on your day, too. Sorry… too much negative energy. So… moving on.

This mix was supposed to be posted last Thursday and called “Something For The Weekend” (Friday and Saturday). But I got a little distracted with other things. Hence I’m just posting it now and calling it Something For Next Weekend instead. Tiny problem solved! Nothing super-dancey, just something to bob your head or grind your body or swing your hips to while enjoying your favorite cup of latte or doing your exciting house chores.

1. [Dre and Chris Brown - Flying Solo (Final Destination)] A snippet of this song leaked months ago and people went crazy coz it was that HOT! We were all expecting it to be part of Chris Brown’s Exclusive: The Forever Edition re-release, but it didn’t show up there. People were also arguing who Chris’ duet partner was on this one. Some said it was a guy from vocal group One Chance, others said it was singer/writer/producer Johnta Austin. False! Its actually writer/producer Andre Merritt (using the monicker Dre) who has written stuff for the likes of Omarion and Marques Houston. He’s trying to launch a singing career and has already recorded songs with the likes of Chris Breezy (above) and Keyshia Cole, among others. To the fans, the wait is finally over coz here we have the complete track in its full awesome hotness!
2. [N.E.R.D feat. Julian Casablancas and Santogold - My Drive Thru] Funky Neptunes production that features fast-rising star Santogold. Even though this song does not appear on N.E.R.D’s current album Seeing Sounds, you can purchase that cd [here].
3. [T.I. feat. The-Dream - Like I Do] T.I. could have a potential huge crossover pop smash worldwide with this one if they decide to release this as a single. The hook is so smooth. It’s from his upcoming album Paper Trail. Pre-order/buy Paper Trail [here].
4. [Dontae feat. Syience - They Don't Make 'Em] An old-school style r&b jam designed to make the ladies melt.
5. [Brandy - Right Here (Departed)] Brandy collaborates once again with long-time friend and producer Rodney Jerkins for another sizzlin’ Darkchild track. The result is this soulful bangin’ number, the first single off of Brandy’s upcoming 5th studio album Human due out November 11, 2008.
6. [Craig David - Are You Up For This] Craig goes back to the style that got him discovered in the first place, garage-style updated to fit today’s sound. This has already received a lot of positive response from listeners… could be the song that gets Craig back to the level of popularity he used to have.
7. [John Legend feat. Andre 3000 - Green Light] This leaked months ago but only now made it to a post here. It’s a very very different sound for John, but its the good kind of different. Upcoming new album comes out in the fall.
8. [Mario - I Choose You] Its another Stargate production… okay, I’m not really sure but that’s the vibe I’m getting because of the all-too-recognizable drum machine beating pattern in the background. But its actually pretty good and very melodic. Had it come out before the likes of “With You” and “Tattoo” stormed up the charts, this would have been HUGE! But now I’m not so sure… I don’t think this is a single though, don’t even know if it will make Mario’s new album. That aside, nice track.
9. [Ciara feat. Ludacris - High Price] Does not give the best first impression but its a grower because of the beat. Ciara’s new album Fantasy Ride comes out this fall.
10. [Kevin Rudolf feat. Lil Wayne - Let It Rock] Could be a crossover smash waiting to happen. Don’t know the guy though. I’m not even surprised Lil Wayne is on this, he’s everywhere right now… he’s on two songs in this mix even.
11. [T-Pain feat. Lil Wayne - Can't Believe It] The second appearance of Lil Wayne on here, and T-Pain at that… they seem to be inseparable. This is a slow jam that I surprisingly like considering I’m not a fan of both rappers. It’s from T-Pain’s upcoming album Thr33 Ringz.
12. [Chris Brown - Glow In The Dark (Ready For Love)] Previously unreleased Chris Brown tracks are leaking online left and right… there are now enough of them to actually make one full album. The thing is, the songs aren’t even bad… even better than some of the songs that made his albums. This one here, I just love… its so sexy it’s almost Prince-like in quality (sorry if I offended Prince fans with that comment). The electric guitar at the end just sends this song to a whole ‘nother level. Jam!
13. [Lil Eddie - City of My Heart] Another Lil Eddie track that I like. Jeez this singer/writer/producer should be making hits left and right by now.
14. [Michelle Williams - Stop This Car] Please buy Michelle’s album when it comes out in October! She made a hot pop/r&b/dance record… a good one. So Unexpected! Pre-order/buy Michelle’s Unexpected album [here].
15. [Ne-Yo - In The Way] Whether this makes the album (Year of The Gentleman) is still up in the air. But the song’s quite lovely. A mid-tempo pop/r&b gem. Pre-order/buy Ne-Yo’s new album [here].

That’s it for now. Whew! I’ve calmed down a bit now. I’ll be back later. Enjoy the music! and if you like them, buy them (of course)!

photos from flickr by poopoorama

Hold On, Hold On To Yourself…

… for this is gonna hurt like hell…

A couple of posts below this is a brand new Sarah McLachlan song. It made me want to hear more from her so I took out her old albums from the shelf and started playing them one by one in the cd player. I had flashbacks aplenty with a lot of her songs, from moments during my freshman and senior years of high school, the bittersweet summer of 1999, Christmas of 2000, the months away from home in 2004, etc. I realized that in a way, I’ve bottled up some of my emotions in these songs to be tucked away somewhere that hearing them all over again releases those feelings to a certain extent. Maybe its Sarah’s voice or her melodies that breed familiarity every time she comes on through the speakers or my headphones… I get sad.

So… I was driving on my way home today and “Hold On” came on, the version from The Freedom Sessions EP and Fumbling Towards Ecstasy (Legacy Edition). I recently read about the story of how this song came about. During a performance for VH1 Storytellers back in the day (view here), Sarah said this about the song:

“This is a song, basically um, another one of those few and rare occasions where a song came out very quickly and easily. It was from pure emotion. Um, I was watching a, a documentary called ‘A Promise Kept’, it was made in Canada. It was about this woman who uh, discovered her fiance was HIV positive and basically the story followed her and her husband. They got married, and he got progressively sicker and she took care of him right up until the end, and she was telling her story with just such, y’know, beautiful clarity and honesty and uh, it just, it struck home in a way that I, I couldn’t really describe except by writing this song and I really feel like it’s a, sort of a, something that came out of me through her. This is called ‘Hold On’.”

There’s a very sad aspect to the story, but in the end the song’s really about trying to find comfort during a time when you’re about to lose a loved one to death. I always thought it was just about holding on and getting through times of hell but now that I knew more about it, it weighed much much heavier for me. I have not heard this in years and in those years I’ve lost a lot of loved ones. So with this song in the background and the images of their faces in my mind and of memories I had with them… my heart sank.

” Oh God – if you’re out there won’t you hear me?
I know that we’ve never talked before.
Oh God – the man I love is leaving
Won’t you take him when he comes to your door..“

If you’re going through this, hold on. My heart goes out to you…

photos from flickr by netmitt and jgfranks

Songs For You, Truths For Me

Twelve brand new songs await eager fans (including yours truly) of British soul crooner James Morrison whose second album comes out in late September 2008. The set will be called Songs For You, Truths For Me, to which James says on his myspace blog “I chose that because I just feel that all the songs are honest, it’s the only way I write successfully…. everything else doesn’t quite make it for me. So here we are again with my life, my family and friends and all the things and places that surround me, songs but also truths written from the heart.” Featured on the new album are collaborations with grammy-winning producer Mark Taylor, OneRepublic frontman Ryan Tedder, and Nelly Furtado who did guest vocals on one of the songs. The first single is called “You Make It Real”, was written for his girlfriend to which James was quoted saying “This song says, as beautiful as it is in the midst of this bent reality, you need someone who makes sure you stay grounded, someone you can rely on.” What a sweet chap! I’m excited for the new album… he’s one of my faves! Here’s a live performance of the song from his official website, and an mp3 rip of the video while we wait for the official release of the single. Enjoy!!!

mp3 rip from video/live performance: [James Morrison - "You Make It Real"]

Sarah McLachlan gets Closer as Jack’s Mannequin searches for The Glass Passenger

OMG! A new Sarah McLachlan song has surfaced!!! It’s called “U Want Me 2″. Except for the annoying Usher-ization of the title, there’s nothing to smirk at here. Its another gorgeous ballad about the good, the bad and the ugly of love, something that Sarah’s been musing about for the past twenty years of her career. The song is one of two new songs on her upcoming greatest hits release Closer: The Best of Sarah McLachlan due out October 7th via Arista. The compilation will feature 16 songs, with an expanded edition also getting released featuring a second disc of music (details for which are not yet available as of this time). No news yet of a full new album of songs… sigh, how long are we fans gonna have to wait? At least we get two new ones from her this year.

listen: [Sarah McLachlan - "U Want Me 2"]

pre-order the album here: Closer: The Best of Sarah McLachlan (via Amazon)

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Jack’s Mannequin is a piano rock band from Orange County, California. Fronted by Andrew McMahon, originally of Something Corporate, the band was formed in 2004 and released their debut album Everything In Transit in August of 2005 to positive response from fans and critics alike (my favorite song from that album has got to be “Rescued“… what an awesome song). Andrew was diagnosed with late stage acute lymphoblastic leukemia in June 2004 but has made a full recovery. Because of that, he has become an inspiration to thousands of fans around the world (me included). The band’s second album The Glass Passenger will finally see the light of day on September 30, 2008 after several release date changes. Here we have the record’s first single, called “The Resolution”… brilliant lyrics as always. Grab a copy of the CD when it comes out! (mp3’s are great, but nothing beats holding the real CD and its book inlet in your hands.) So go buy some music from the music shops!

listen: [Jack's Mannequin - "The Resolution"]

So… what do you think?