BEAT GENERATION

RANTS & RAVES ON MUSIC & CULTURE (published every Saturday in Manila Standard Today's Life & Entertainment)

Sunday, October 5, 2008

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Thursday, July 12, 2007

THE BEST OF BIG SCREEN MUSIC

THE BEAT LIST

Don’t you just love listening to famous movie theme songs? Better yet, grab the whole soundtrack. It let’s you reminisce memorable scenes from the film. On a more serious note, fans also relate to the film through these songs. “Sound of Music” from the legendary film of the same title is probably the most iconic of all themes. It’s been a motivator for young musicians of all time. In the ‘90s, rap star Coolio’s “Gangsta’s Paradise” from the high school drama Dangerous Minds (starring Michelle Pfeiffer) was a hit among students and yuppies. Here are more notable soundtracks for your auditory pleasure. Sorry, guys, we’re not including Sharon Cuneta’s ‘80s flicks in our list…

1. Moulin Rouge
The soundtrack of the Academy-award winning musical featured Christian Aguilera in a bad hair day. Kidding aside, Aguilera’s rendition of the dance song “Lady Marmalade” with other pop stars Li’l Kim, Mya and Pink was a huge success. Overall, the musical talents behind the Australian film proved cannes cannes and pop music can go together. The two-volume soundtrack features an eclectic lineup like "Nature Boy" by David Bowie, "Because We Can" by Fatboy, interesting renditions of Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and Madonna’s “Like A Virgin.” What appealed to us most are the sweet duets between lead actors Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman. The stars actually sang classic love songs like "Your Song," "One Day I'll Fly Away" and "Come What May."

2. Batman Forever
The Grammy Award-winning theme song “Kiss From A Rose” by UK star Seal is a classic in the making. It’s got a dark tune for a love song. That’s what fans love about the song. It really matched the film Batman Forever. Another popular song from the superhero soundtrack would be U2’s "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me," which had an oddly entertaining animated video. To make the film more pop, they included songs by Brandy, Method Man, Massive Attack and The Flaming Lips, among others.

3. The Devil Wears Prada
This compilation is very gay. Since the movie is about fashion, the soundtrack must have fabulous tracks. Who would ever disagree about Madonna’s “Vogue” being in the playlist? The movie is even popular for having good music, with songs like “Jump” by the queen of pop, Alanis Morissette’s “Crazy,” “Beautiful” by Moby and “City of Blinding Lights” by U2.
4. Jerry Maguire
Who would forget the famous lines “Show me the money!” and “You had me at hello.” Perhaps, Jerry Maguire is one of the films that have the most famous lines. In terms of music, it’s got the ultimate emotional soundtrack. We highly recommend Bruce Springsteen’s folk love song “Secret Garden” and Nirvana’s darker “Something In The Way.” Like most Cameron Crowe films, music was a vital part of this hit. Some of the interesting songs here are "Pocket Full of Rainbows" by Elvis Presley “Magic Bus” by The Who performing "Magic Bus" and Bob Dylan’s "Shelter from the Storm." It’s a grand folk fest!

5. Clueless
“Sex. Clothes. Popularity. Is there a problem here?” was its famous tagline. We say
“Whatever!” It is a ground breaking teen comedy. But we just care about its famous soundtrack. We still remember the air head classic “Supermodel” by Jill Sobule and the jock song “Rollin’ With My Homies” by Coolie. Other big hits from the selection are “The Ghost In You” by Counting Crows and “Fake Plastic Trees” by Radiohead.

6. I Am Sam
Although it’s not really a hit among Pinoys, I Am Sam’s official soundtrack is known as a successful Beatles tribute compilation in 2001. The film is about a mentally retarded father, played by Sean Penn, who fights for custody of his daughter. Feel goods covers from some of the best artists of today comprise the tribute. Sarah McLachlan performs an acoustic version of “Blackbird,” while Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder sings "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away." Other notable revivals are Mother Nature's Son" by Sheryl Crow, "Golden Slumbers" by Ben Folds and "Let It Be" by Nick Cave.

Saturday, June 30, 2007

6 SIZZLING ARTISTS...

THE BEAT LIST
Being sexy is definitely a plus in show business.

“Heck, it’s the only thing that matters,” says one music fan.

The point is we all love to watch a luscious artist strut her stuff onstage. The sexy factor completes the whole commercial package. This is evident in the success of recording stars like Gwen Stefani, Nelly Furtado and Robin Thicke. They’ve actually crossed over from alternative to a sexier pop and RnB.

Sometimes, being a li’l dirty works too. Just take a look at today’s top group Pussycat Dolls. They started out by dancing showgirl moves in performances. Now, they’ve just finished their own talent search, Search for the Next Pussycat Doll.

For some artists though, it doesn’t quite work. The worst flop would probably be Jewel’s pop album 0304. The Texas girl is way better as folk singer. Other fans say they don’t really like Hilary Duff’s new “mature” look in the latest album Dignity. They’d love it if she gains more weight.

But many pop stars have rocked the global charts with their sultry chart-toppers. Who wouldn’t forget songs like “I’m A Slave For You” and “Toxic” by Britney Spears, “Livin’La Vida Loca” by Ricky Martin and “Stars Are Blind” by Paris Hilton? Yes, they’re not the best singers in the world. But admit it. They’re very entertaining.

1. "Que Hiciste” by Jennifer Lopez
J. Lo is on top of our sexy list. With the release of her first Spanish album Como Ama una Mujer (How A Woman Loves), the Latin sensation proved to be a pacesetter in fashion and dance music. Men just salivate over her new video “Que Hiciste” (What Have You Done) shot in the Las Vegas desert.


2. “Big Girls Don’t Cry” by Fergie
Fergie is another Hollywood item with lovely lady lumps. This Black Eyed Pea was recently voted top 10 in Maxim’s Hot 100 Women. If that’s not enough, she’s been dating one of today’s sexiest actors, Josh Duhamel (Transformers and Las Vegas).

"I have had lesbian experiences in the past. I won't say how many men I've had sex with—but I am a very sexual person,” she says in an interview with Mirror.co.uk.

Check out the pop star’s latest slow jam “Big Girls Don’t Cry”

3. “I’m A Flirt” by R. Kelly
Amid all the lawsuits and sexual allegations, there’s no stopping the RnB singer. R.Kelly, famous for his carnal-themed songs, recently released his eighth solo album Double Up. His latest video "I'm a Flirt (Remix)", which features rappers T.I. and T-Pain, shows a lot of steaming dancers and models. This is a current favorite among hip-hop fans.

4. “Girlfriend” by Avril Lavigne
This song is too bubble gum pop. But a lot of viewers like the Canadian star’s new fashion in the video. It shows Lavigne dancing and seducing a college guy. Not bad for the sexy vegan.








5. “Summer Love” by Justin Timberlake
He’s still bringing the sexy back. Although this song’s not as catchy as “What Goes Around Comes Around” and “Sexy Back,” JT still has the groove. The Prince of Pop and Cosmpolitan’s “Sexiest Man Alive” has recently opened his own label Tennman Records.

6. “Do You Know?” (The Ping Pong Song) by Enrique Iglesias
Of course, this song has the Enrique Iglesias trademark. It’s a very emotional song where a man begs for a woman’s love. The video obviously shows another romantic side of the sexy Latino. Iglesias is every woman’s man: gorgeous and sensitive.






Who's gettin' horny? haha

Saturday, June 23, 2007

POST YOUR PARTY PICS HERE

If you have interesting photos from gigs and parties, we (me and a team of photographers) can post 'em here at BEAT GENERATION. Just email your photos to cultcreations@gmail.com. The best photos may just be published. So, keep 'em coming. For bloggers, you can post your links as comments and we'll check out your photos and entries.

While you're at it, send us some kickass stories, scoops or announcements. They might just be published too! Youtube fanatics can also share crazy videos online by posting the video links as comments. BEAT GEN wants to entertain more music and culture fanatics. Keep on blogging!

If you also want us to cover your gigs and parties, small and big, just post a comment for the author.

Here are some of the scoops taken from gigs...

Bamboo Live at Panagbenga '07

Steve Porter at Warehouse 135

MANILA GETS REWIRED




Thanks Adrian for recommending






We hope to see everyone at Rewired. I'd love to hear more of the future sounds...




All the best!

NAKAKAHILO!



Thanks to anjowee for suggesting this awesome video! Nakakahilo siya pero very minimalistic. Galing...

Found out that Digitalism is a composed of German DJs Jens Moelle and Ismail Tuefekci. The duo has been making music together since '04.

They've remixed tracks of Daft Punk, Depeche Mode and The Cure. They released their debut album Idealism last May. "Pogo" was released as a single in the same month.

Aliw ang eurotechno.

Tuesday, June 19, 2007

9 MUSIC VIDEOS WORTH WATCHING

THE BEAT LIST

In the age of YouTube, we’re not just supposed to watch music channels and anticipate videos that interest us. Gone were the days when teenagers were glued to music stations and their oddly entertaining shows. In fact, MTV started reality shows when it aired The Real World and Road Rules in the ‘90s. There were shows for every music fanatic, from rockers to clubbers to hip-hoppers. But after recently tuning in to MTV and Myx, we realized there’s been a lack of creativity going on. And where did Channel V go? We’re still lucky to have the Internet. Sites like myspace.com, mtv.com and youtube.com let us watch music videos worth our time.

1. “Umbrella” by Rihanna featuring Jay-Z
This girl has indeed grown up. We surely love the Bajan RnB singer’s new video with rap star Jay-Z. Rihanna looks sizzling hot in “Umbrella” where she flaunts her showgirl moves. The best part is when she dances with black ballet shoes and umbrella. With the release of her third album Good Girl Gone Bad, which rocked the Billboard charts, Rihanna has definitely made her mark.



2. “Sundo”by Imago
“Sundo” should win “best video of the year,” if such award still exists in the country. After rocking the charts with the teenybopper “Taralets,” Imago proves to be on top of other bands with this emotional song. Imago’s music perfectly matches the well-photographed video shot in Pinatubo.



3. “Thnks Fr Th Mmrs” by Fall Out Boy
Monkeys rule the world in this video. But admirers of Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz will drool over the band’s latest offering, “Thnks Fr The Mmrs.” You better checkout the video to find out why. Clue: shirtless.



4. “One Look” by Kjwan
Another rock band popular for their kick ass videos is Kjwan. In “One Look,” frontman Marc Abaya and the rest of the band portray as fans grinding to the song of a younger Kjwan. Seriously, the teenagers who played the role of the band fit the bill. This video showed Kjwan to be the pinaka-poging band in the land.

5. “Rehab” by Amy Winehouse
This British badass is the hottest singer in the US. Amy Winehouse awed viewers with her bohemian fashion sense, sultry voice and a song that talks about not-wanting-to-go-to-rehab. That’s not much of a role model. But we do love her big hair.



6. “Love Today” by Mika
The Lebanese sensation knows how to do business. When asked about his sexuality, he remains to have no comment. That’s how he intends to stay on top of the US market. “Love Today” shows the energetic Mika dancing to a song that reminds us of Freddie Mercury. At least we know who his idol is.



7. “Love Team” by Itchyworms
The song is a hit. No doubt about it. The best way to make its video is to cast Gerald Anderson and Kim Chiu. Of course, that’s what they did. Need we say more?



8. “Sunburn”by Sandwich
Although the video wasn’t well photographed, we like the idea of girls lining up to get a tan from the boys of Sandwich. It’s a cool story for the song “Sunburn.” And this video is still perfect for our lost rainy season. Who can still take the scorching heat?!



9. “Never Again” by Kelly Clarkson
The American Idol screams a lot in this song. But we love the schizophrenic scenes in her new video. Those broken-hearted are simply inspired by the story where Clarkson kicks her ex’s butt.



What are your fave videos?