Black Bear

Black Bear.

I discovered Andrew Belle through MySpace about four or five years ago, just as when the website is in its most competitive state when Facebook started to become popular. His relaxing tunes along with his unique voice, indie-alternative point of view got my attention as i'm usually drawn to this genre. The lyrics of his EP 'All Those Pretty Lights' were genuine that it certainly punches right through. It is a perfect playlist for my driving and everyday commute at that time as if i'm drawn back from the outer world, and all that surrounded me was the songs, as if the world has tapped into my iPod and set up the speakers all around. It might sound a bit sad and cheesy but that was what I felt at that certain moment. Early morning trips to the hospitals during my nurse internship was made less stressful, even when 'Signs of Life' was played. I somehow managed to lose the tracks in my computer and eventually my iPod so I shamelessly asked him via email to send me a link to the free download of his EP to which he politely did. Talk about being generous. The same sound was not compromised for his LP 'The Ladder' which did not disappoint. 

Now, a new LP titled 'Black Bear' will be released come August 20th. A preview of which I was privileged to hear through Paste Magazine's website. The album has this sort of an electronic-ish vibe that can be felt through some the percussion beat though not as direct and pronounced as Coldplay's Mylo Xyloto and still adhering to his notable sound. The first track 'Dark Matter' definitely set the mood for the whole album. 'Pieces' has his signature sound, with layers and pulses of instruments. 'Santa Fe' has this upbeat tempo, and reminiscent of Bon Iver with his melodic falsettos. But my favorite track is 'The Enemy' probably because of its earnest lyrics, piano chords that eventually ascends into guitar riffs and then fades out as if to leave you wandering. Full track listing below:

1. Dark Matter

2. Pieces

3. Sister

4. Black Bear

5. Wants What It Wants

6. Details

7. Santa Fe

8. The Enemy

9. Many Lives

10. I Won't Fight It

*To preorder the album you can visit Andrew Belle's iTunes, and his website www.andrewbelle.com

Memories

Memories.

That's the most precious thing that you can hold on forever. That is unless, you have a problem with retaining it. Maybe selective, trauma, or through a progressive disease that involves the state of the mind which I fear runs through my genetic makeup. The ultimate question is: Will I have it? Being a nurse and having this medical background will surely help me identify early manifestations of the disease that is Alzheimer's but not enough to fully diagnose it especially at my young age. 

I started to have nightmares of me completely losing my memory of my whole existence. I'm not sure but maybe it's been triggered by watching too much movies involving this phenomena and instances of forgetting the simplest of things that I started worrying. Not so much as the scenario where I forgot the actual memory but regaining what was lost. I'm not very good at writing, and to keep a journal / diary of my own will be very hard to track so I decided to frequent this blog and post as much as I can, even the most insignificant and random thoughts. Will do no harm eh? My last post here was two years ago, so my future self will have to make up to the former and in-betweens here, if this will be the last resort. I'm considering this as my note to self, only public and uninhibited. So let's begin!

-FV

"We need not fit any cookie-cutter mold, we are our own. Leave those crippled-minded social conformists drown in their own shits."

Coldplay's 'Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall' splits fans over the net

In fashion, you're as good as your last design, In culinary, you're as good as your last dish, or so I heard. Is the same ring true when it comes to music? I am a Coldplayer at heart, and since been waiting for the new album after Viva La Vida. More than 2 years have gone and it seems that the gap is closing in. On midnight, June 4th (Manila time) the band released a new single titled 'Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall' courtesy of coldplay.com. I was sure that the new song will definitely be different from all the others the way it was previewed in teasers. But never have I thought of the song has this feel of some sort of electronica (though not as pronounced as Owl City's or Postal Service's). So to justify my preconceived judgment of the track, which was a bit confusing, I went over to  www.coldplaying.com where the truest, hardcore fans of the band gather in cyberspace. And then voila! I found the site to be infiltrated with hatred from one side and agreement from the opposite one. I then rummaged through hundreds of comments only to find more and more words of disappointment from many members of the site. It is of course not unusual to compare the track to more prevailing, established songs that put the band in the music industry. While change is inevitable, it usually is hard to see what one's intention when our own judgments are clouded by our own norms we ourselves create for them, like society often points a finger to where one goes. I had a feeling I was becoming a record label controlling the band as puppets for my show, which was typical in the now setting in the industry. So I detached the strings I had, and dug deeper beyond my superficial judgment, with that I listen into it once again, then another, then one more, until the time I came to my senses. They were once again honest individuals as I heard them playing unto their hearts' desires. The ooohhs and aaahhs came perfectly timed throughout the song, the riffs became more distinct, the upbeat tempo matched the lyrics. I no longer hear electronica. I was able to see through, hear with my ears shut for songs like Fix You, Sparks, VLVD, and acknowledged the single as a great track. Lower your guards down and listen to it again, now with open mind... and heart. And then afterwards, you can tell me perhaps what it looks like ....or tastes like ;)

The Sun Sets 2

The sunset signals the end of the day for most, but the start for me... for my odyssey, at least. It is a great delight to have this sight on your window 32,000 feet above sea level from an airplane. And my admiration for sunset grew larger than ever. It is often sensual this phenomena, that I feel like I'm flying, (not that I'm actually in an aircraft), but bare... one with the wind. The bed of clouds is my earth that I walk through. And the never ending horizon as the space that I move within. 

And just as I gave up chasing the sun a few minutes after, that my good friend completely succumbed to rest, letting our eyes wander the dark, searching for a ray of light. They say that the lights are all up, but when you're already at the top, there are always some light that is above you. Most of us fails to notice it, when we are clouded by the illusions of life. Some of us are aware of it, but continually reaches for higher grounds, not knowing their tanks are empty, and in the end comes crashing down. The humble few, knows its limitations and follows the guiding runway lights, back home.

Mighty Unicorn

Dreams are where all your subconscious thoughts gathered, then threaded to form a weird story, that is much like watching a movie off a pirated DVD, skipping at most parts, and could not tell which is point A to B. I remember dreaming that I'm dreaming, and how crazy is that? They say that during our sleep, we always dream, of things unresolved, random images, places, etc., and only remember at least few of them or completely none when we woke up. I had my share of weird dreams, like all of you do, I'm sure. 

At least 6 years ago (or so I thought), I've dreamt of wild creatures like monkeys with fish heads, and dogs with feathers like chicken, basically 'real' animals torn apart to form new breeds... monsters, I must say. But there is just one normal looking creature, the Unicorn, all poised and elegant, like she's the Queen of the jungle. All of the 'creatures' were looking at her as if the entire animal kingdom was looking at Simba when baptized, marking the territory with exuberant power. And then as if a movie was done, all came black.... Dream over.  We were given a figurine of it, a year later, that was mounted on the table in our living room as centerpiece, which reminded me of the same dream every time I laid eyes on it. It was less regal, as if it was one-eight blooded. Days went passing by and had to leave my small town to go somewhere big and pursue college. I almost forgot the dream I had of this mighty creature, but every time I went back during vacations, it all starts rolling out the clip of the same scene, not as vivid as the the first time, but distinct enough to know how long is its horn, how dreamy its eyes were. One vacation, I found no sight of it on the table, I wasn't quite sure at the time if my mother's feng shui that made it relocate itself. I asked my mother to save myself from straining my back searching for it, and said it was placed at a box behind the fridge. Shocked as I may, found pieces of the hind legs and a cut tip of the horn. I wasn't very emotional about it, it was just the memory of the omnipotent Unicorn that shook me to the fact that there is a moral value of this dream after all, at least for my own. 

I found the biggest substitute there is for this Unicorn, God. I am not that religious, much more of a spiritual guy. But there is a chill (and guilt) I felt when I've thought about this before (it still gives me, every now and then). I totally went out the jungle of college, not knowing that I'm allowing myself to trail ahead without God by my side. I don't say that I forgot all about Him and throw Him out, believe me. It's just the amount of gratitude I have then when I was young and later when in college. I used to thank Him every day I woke up, and all of it that there is in my life. Like all of the weird creatures, in some days, we wear the smile of a monkey or the pleading eyes of the pussycat. And we should everyday look up to Him, give Him the best version of us, and simply be thankful. It'll be a shame to find your faith broken like a unicorn figurine that's been hiding behind all that lavishness and bountiful fridge of cakes and ice creams. The Unicorn figure still sits in the box, in the dark, but never will it shatter further into pieces anytime soon.

Polarized