Aia de Leon, former vocalist of Imago, has found a new voice in electronic dance music. She has partnered with Nights of Rizal, an independent electronic music producer/songwriter for a fresh new beat. Here is her latest take on the OPM scene. Check it out!
Here’s the Soundcloud link for streaming and downloads: http://bit.ly/13NDbTo
Here’s another download link for mediafire: http://bit.ly/15mm1Ii
Closer Than Ever
by Nights of Rizal Featuring Aia De Leon
Monty Macalino – Vocals; Guitars
Paga Manikan – Guitars
Poch Villalon – Bass
Shan Regalado – Drums
Matilda seldom does gigs these days that when they do have one, I make it a point to go. I once asked Meh if Matilda has disbanded and she responded with: “No, everyone just thinks so and we don’t get get invites to play but we are very much alive!” or something to that effect. So I get excited every time they have a gig.
Meryl Antonio-Reyes and I go as far along as I do with Dan Ramon Geromo of The Discoball, back to our college days when we were all sophomores at U.P. Diliman and we bonded through The U.P. Repertory Company. I was really happy to come and watch them play again.
Charms Tianzon – vocals
Guitars – Meryl Antonio-Reyes
Bass – Yvette Tunguia
Drums – Jovi May Reyes
We were all sitting in our respective “offices”, mine under the stairs, Lia in her designated sofa space, and H on the dining table, when we heard this song playing on Lia’s tablet. It’s a pretty catchy tune, and more often than not, it’s the music that I hear and never the lyrics of a song. H says, “I like that music Lia. Great music choice,” so I go over and look at her tablet to see what’s playing, because earlier she was just singing along to Umizoomi videos on YouTube. And I see the cartoons and hear the “dumb ways to die” lyrics. The mother in me says, “Uh-oh, what is this song about? Masquerading in great, catchy tunes and adorable animation, BUT what is the message?” So we google.
Details are found here from huffingtonpost.
“Well, this is definitely the most precious way to convey the message, “Don’t stand in front of a train, idiot.”
Australian Metro put out this twee-soaked, very creative animated music video listing things that end in tragedy that are just as preventable as being careless around trains — like using your private parts as piranha bait and taking your helmet off in outer space. The song is by a band called Tangerine Kitty, of course, and can also be downloaded here.
This is a message that anyone living in a city with public transportation should listen to.”- Huffingtonpost
You can listen to it here on soundcloud.
Watch the animated video at dumbwaystodie.com
Enjoy all the scenes from the video as animated GIF’s on the tumblr dumbwaystodie.tumblr.com
This song and video is now going viral and I can only say thanks Lia for finding this, you are amazing! Though wait, I might have to re-think about what this does to 3-year old minds.
Last week, after my shoot at the Wilfrido Ma. Guerrero Theater for Dulaang U.P.’s The Seagull, I found myself at 70s Bistro where Banda ni Kleggy, Paraluman, Callalily and supposedly 6Cyclemind, were playing. I really wanted to be at Route 196 because it was on my way back to our house, but that night, The Dawn was playing and all I really needed was to sit quietly in some table in some corner and just be by myself, and squeezing in among a crowd of The Dawn fans wasn’t going to let that happen.
I am an absolute Chekhov fan, and I was so moved, (notwithstanding comments and a probable review, or maybe just a slew of my own thoughts on the play, the word “review” being too constricting), that I felt I needed some time to process that theater experience.
Although I found the Filipino version not as compelling as the English version, something that I attributed to the failure of the acting ensemble, and therefore, I was not as depressed as the week before, I still felt that I needed some music as a fitting end to the evening. It was a choice between UpDharmaDown at Route 196 and reggae night with Jeck Pilpil & Peacepipe with Coffeebreak Island at 70s Bistro.
I’m friends with CBI so that was one point, and I needed a reggae band for a friend’s friend’s wedding, two points, so off I went.
I arrived at 70s Bistro in the middle of heavy rains, and there was just enough people in the bistro for me to be comfortable enough to take pictures.
Jeck Pilpil & Peacepipe came up first because Jun hadn’t arrived yet.
In support of Earthdance Manila 2012 and our friends who were participating in it, we went to Arts in the City at Bonifacio Global City on that September evening. I wanted to support as a volunteer but I had my daughter with me, so we just participated in the event. Lia had a great time in the Galactic Room with Diyosa and all the indigenous instruments and the artists and performers who were just jamming and hanging out. It was so much fun!
Click here for more photos of the event from Diyosa’s Facebook.
We went around the bazaar and bought all kinds of things. But mostly, we ate a lot! It was more of a food trip than anything else. (I’ve taken to wearing my newest favorite shoes everywhere.)
Just like some of my friends, if not most, I followed American Idol Season 11 closely from day 1 til the very end. I did the same for The Voice too, since I became a fan of Dia Frampton and developed a girly crush on Adam Levine and Blake Shelton, both at the same time, but that’s beside the point. Maybe I just had too much free time the past months but I have to blog about how much I loved that song by Phillip Phillips.
Settle down, it’ll all be clear
Don’t pay no mind to the demons
They fill you with fear
The trouble it might drag you down
If you get lost, you can always be found
Just know you’re not alone
Cause I’m going to make this place your home ♪ ♪ ♫ ♪
I always say I’m a fan of country music. So perhaps that’s one reason. Another is that, I’m always looking for “home” and in the process, I’ve made more homes than what is conventional.
That being said, I am reminded of my favorite Dia Frampton song, Homeless, from her studio album, Red.
Hands touch, eyes meet, I remember perfectly the night we fell in love.
Everywhere we go is home baby home, home is you’re with me
Everything we touch is love, baby love, love is all we need
Is all we need, is all we need.
I don’t need a roof over my head while I’ve got your hands
To shade the sun away from my face
I don’t need a space to call my own, to scatter records on my floor,
You’re my secret place.
Skip to 1:29 to get the song started, though why would you do that, when there is just amazing Dia cuteness for those first minute and a half.
If you would rather just listen to the music, here is a link to that video.
Yes, I’m also a Jessica fan, what after all those goosies-inducing (we’re all using “goosies” now as per JLo) performances, and most especially that duet with Jennifer Holliday, but really, we didn’t mind that much that she did not win. We love her no matter what and it IS American Idol after all.
As a side story, I loved the following articles on the Jessica Sanchez vs Phillip Phillips hulaballoo.
I especially love that last article. Wow, amazing, an entire scientific paper on why Phillip Phillips won! I can’t but help I did the paper myself! The graphs were just amazing (big wide eyes here)
All those being said, I’m not bitter about all this. I like them both, and really, now, I don’t care anymore. There is no place in music for that kind of bitterness, is just what I think.