Dispatches by Adrian Conoza

I heard this in the end of the movie Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter , though I haven't viewed the movie entirely. But I really like this song, the last track from the rock band's album, Living Things . Full of emotion, energetic in electronica, and strong in rock. I felt with this because sometimes I did feel powerless with regards to situations and people around me.

Here's another great piece from the synthpop trio I do like. Their sound is reminiscent of the 80's atmosphere, especially that it was a time when electronic music, specifically synthpop, grew very much and caught much attention. I usually heard this on Jam 88.3 while doing schoolwork. As I sought for any meaning of the song, I realize that there are many interpretations, and sometimes music is released that way—leaving the listeners to interpret it themselves.

Another house music single I saw and heard on Australian Network's music program  rage.  Obviously, Lana del Rey's vocals express a low mood, yet they contrast with the energy brought by Cedric Gervais's remix, which is what I really like in this . And so, another nice blend of electronic dance music is made. Again, it's the technique of house that I appreciate here.

When before I've been into 80's music and present alternative music, now I've included 2 different genres. Thanks to 2 different radio stations I've been listening to recently. 98.7 DZFE : The Master's Touch dzfe.febc.ph Last year, I started frequently listening to 98.7 DZFE, making it my background music while doing schoolwork, especially when I stayed wide-awake until dawn and when I took a week-long semestral break. Before, I didn't listen much to classical. But with 98.7, I listen more and more. Before, I thought I wouldn't get to listen to this station, though I know it already as a child. Now, I got myself to listen. DZFE helped me to further appreciate this kind of music, as well as jazz (initially) and church music (e.g.: "A Mighty Fortress"). The difficult thing, I guess, is knowing the titles. Unlike modern music, you may listen and take note of the lyrics, then search it on the Net. In classical, you have to pay attention whenever an ann...

Fourth year opened me to classical music, from the lessons at the MAPEH textbooks to the broadcasts of 98.7 DZFE. I was introduced to many musicians and composers who made their mark in music, including Claude Debussy. He made this piece; actually, a piece of another piece(called "piano suite"). It's a piece which I remember hearing in my younger days, playing from a Reader's Digest giveaway CD entitled Enchanting Moments , which I consider as a child as a compilation of very sad melodies. Then, when I was a senior, aside from knowing Debussy in a textbook, I saw Google celebrating the musician's 151st birthday , with this dramatic tune, accompanied by a night-themed animation. How wonderful classical music can depict moods and paint pictures (in our minds)—like a calm and lovely mood inspired by the moonlight in the middle of the night. This is, I claim, the first classical piece I know and appreciate.

Disco is revived in this pop and R&B single by Justin Timberlake, who is very well-known to most of us. As a music reviewer noted, this another "moving" song has some similarity with a Michael Jackson record. "Take Back...", then, is another piece of deriving formerly-used elements and stringing them together with modern ones into good music. Here I remember dancing, since it's disco—revived/modern disco. And so I remember gatherings like a turn-over ceremony, a.k.a. prom, where I dream of mixing the songs throughout the night. This just tells me there is still a very very wide room for retro music in me. Good thing "retro" is revived in music like this.

Something "novelty" and local. So upbeat and very funny. In my native terms, a sort of " kwela ". I remember this song being used for a part of a dance performance of our section (and of another) for the convocation activity of our batch, which took place before our report cards—with first quarter grades—were issued to us. Though many may not like these kind of sounds because it's pop-ish, I find it good hearing something inciting positive vibes like this modern Pinoy hit, which even utilized a Simon -like drum device.

For sure, many of us know Macklemore because of his hit single "Thrift Shop", which even garnered the No. 1 spot in Triple J's Hottest 100 in 2012. But I like this one better. It was almost an anthem for me as a senior. The piano riff, the trumpet fanfare, the fast-rap of Macklemore blended with a chorus of Ray Dalton, and the impressive and vibrant bridge ("And all the people say!") are what make this song so moving.

Before I even knew that this song is entitled "Intergalactic", I've heard it, especially the robotic-voiced lines "Intergalactic, planetary, planetary, intergalactic". I finally knew the song after looking into some of the songs at an Australian radio station's—Triple J's— Hottest 100 of the Past 20 Years in 2013. This is the 100th track. Some research informed me that this piece consisted of many samples and elements derived from other musical pieces. "Intergalactic" now looks like a jigzaw puzzle for me.

Picture credit: time.com People often see the youth as bringers of a good future, and a good future does await for each and every youth; though sadly it isn't much accessible to some. Young people are the ones who start to learn about life, both in and out of school. They also begin to see, experience, and learn different things. Yet, they are also exposed to the ruinous and mind-altering world in front of them. I have fears about my generation, fears about my fellow youth including the ones nearest to me. Here they are: Picture credit: time.com 1. I fear that the youth will pose, and be exposed, on sexually explicit media. Prostitution has just gone into print and video. The youth take off their dignity as much as something (or everything) is taken off them for the craving of maladjusted eyes, impure hearts, and defiled minds. No matter how much celebrities say " Hindi naman masyadong bastos ", it is still vulgar. However a female may be hailed for her figure—just to be ...

Here is another fresh treatment to house music, from a French duo named Justice. I've discovered this while playing SongPop on Facebook, and I observe that this is something different, especially that it incorporates an orchestral intro. That's a figment of the concept of the album (entiled Cross , stylized as  †)   where "Genesis" is track #1; the concept is an "opera-disco album". I find this as house music that is really different from the usual beats and drops.

(You may know that this song has some curses. Thankfully, there's a clean edit of it, though this lacks completeness.) This is one of the remarkable tracks of my fourth year soundtrack. First, I like the way it flows from near-spoken-word lines to a lonely chorus to a pumped-up rap from De La Soul to another lonely chorus synced with guitar effects... Next, I used this song in a Trigo pair project. My classmate (chosen by draw lots) made the video, and I wrote the lyrics. I used this song as the template, thanks to another classmate who has "Feel Good" on his phone. Lastly, I actually heard of the notable bassline and the childlike-uttered words "feel good" back when I was very young. And finally, I know what is the title of this song I've heard several times on radio.

I've been into constant reading since second year, thanks to my so-called sanctuary—a secondhand bookstore with branches at a mall near my house and a mall near my high school campus. My interest for books and literature greatly increased throughout high school. I've discovered prominent authors and brilliant works. I unearthed old books that I consider as treasures. This great inclination made me hunt for more books. I became attracted by the stories and ideas inside the thick and thin stacks of print, bounded by either a thick material or a thin carton. I've been amused whenever I saw a good book that I thought interesting or essential to read. So from time to time, I have purchased many books. These books formed a small library in my room. I've even counted them before, and they amounted to around hundreds. The books I've bought stacked up, and, overtime, are left unread. I've realized lately that I've collected a lot of books, and for years, I haven'...

This time, let me share two songs in my soundtrack in one whole post. I want to let you hear the music, not just read what I wrote about it, because sometimes I find it hard to describe songs, unlike music magazine writers—they do it with ease. Anyway, the thirteenth and fourteenth songs are, consequently, another indie track and another Beatles hit. S4Y#13: "Ways To Go" | Grouplove S4Y#14: "Come Together" | The Beatles

The robots-in-public were back with Random Access Memories , including its main single, "Get Lucky". Daft Punk has done something new, something different from what they did in the past albums, where beats and synths and vocoder-sounds were linked to house and electronic. Here, they were making a throwback to past sounds. For the first time, the duo were doing drums and guitar. Still, they included some electro. They even collaborated with many artists for the album, and here in this single they worked with singer Pharell Williams( Happyyy... ) and guitarist Nile Rodgers(of the 70's band Chic: "Ahhhhh...Freak out!" ). There's even a joke regarding the line "We're up all night to get lucky": isn't that what students do often? Here's one amazing performance of "Get Lucky", where Stevie Wonder joined them:

Because of my classmate's interest in Beatles' music, as well as a friend's, I got curious about the music of one of the prominent bands in rock and roll music throughout time. If today girls are going bonkers over 5 Seconds of Summer, or The Vamps, or Before You Exit, before—around the times of my parents, or maybe yours too—girls were crazy over the English 4-piece band. Nonetheless, Beatles' sound is classic. Like here in this song, I'm taken back to time, as well as good music that made its mark in rock and popular music.

I heard the Australian alternative rock band when I caught a live concert on Australian Network. Then I heard this song again one Saturday on rage , a weekend music show, on the same cable channel. This is, so far, the song I'm only familiar of from The Rubens. Yet, I did feel strong emotions while listening to the song. I felt like the song tries to express. One time in the beginnings of 4th year I thought: time for me to change and gather myself . Time for me to change and be a better man . Never do the same faults .

Out of all the mix of modern and past in Daft Punk's latest album, Random Access Memories , this one is said to be the only purely electronic piece, with a modern style. However simple and minimal this composition is, the vocoder-voiced lyrics, blended with those sung by another electronic musician Panda Bear, are catchy that they even sound like an 80's radio commercial. They even paint an imagery of an upbeat dance party that was slowed down.

"Gun" is the first song I've heard from the Scottish electronic band whose sound is considered to be a new generation synthpop that is similar to the sounds of the 80s. They are a great trio consisting of a female and two men, all working together in synthesizers and samplers. The beautiful vocals of Lauren Mayberry stands out, going well with the electronic sound CHVRCHES weave. Regarding the video above, I remembered the original Solitaire game on computer when I first saw it. More sounds from this band in future S4Y posts. Here's one good live remake of "Gun":

The late Walter Cronkite (1916-2009), former newscaster of CBS Evening News in the US. Before I gained desire for literature, I was inclined to journalism. Being a television enthusiast helped me to get myself closer to the field, watching newscasts, unearthing clips, and observing the styles of anchors and reporters. I remember frequently watching CBS Evening News and NBC Nightly News during my elementary days, since I was less busy at those times. However, the flair shifted at 2nd year, from this field to another, and that field is literature. I became more fond of fiction and poetry, instead of news and its associates. There is this show, however, which I discovered maybe when I was at 2nd year, and which I think will be the program I would work for if I were a journalist. It's a very old show from the 80's in USA which was well-known for its unique style of news delivery, as well as for airing in the wee hours of early morning when TV stations were then supposed to be of...

I heard this another Disclosure mix at the first week of classes, including this song's remix by Australian electronic musician Flume . Aside from the duo's fresh treatment to house music, what's cool about them is their set-up during live performances. Let this link show you once you click this . It is also out from their debut album Settle , and they are joined by female vocals that fit well with the duo's beats and synths (there's even a bass alongside it).

To inform you, whoever who reads this, as well as listens to the video above, this is the 100th post of The Teenage Dispatch, ever since 2011. I'm glad this blog reached as far as this. Post #100 eventually landed on the 6th song for Songs of 4th Year (S4Y), and so I feature another Bjork track, first song of her album Post . You might as well know that this was featured on the movie Sucker Punch . The song can be simply stated as a darkened mix of electronic bass, slow beats, and meaningful lyrics. It's a sort of "wake-up call", knowing that it was inspired by her brother's damaging situation at that time.

James Blake is one of my favorites in the field of electronic music since third year , starting with songs like "Limit to Your Love" and "The Wilhelm Scream" . Now here's another unique and fresh piece from this great modern talent, set in a low mood with occasional bursts to uplift that mood, blended with some soul and jazz into it. This is a bit of minimalist—something Blake is known for. If you will take a look at the live set-up with his band of 3 , it consists of Blake's piano and vocals; then someone's drum pads with cymbals; then another's bass pedals (an instrument I knew because of them) plus other electronic gadgets and even a guitar in other performances.

This modern piece of what we call house music (or for others "deep house" or "garage") is one of those neatly, yet brilliantly structured mixes in the debut album of this English electronic duo named Disclosure, entitled Settle . More great tracks are in the album. This is one of those pieces of creative music that aren't much heard by the youth, and are worth hearing. By the way, this song sounds like a soundtrack to Gran Turismo on PlayStation, the original one with the CD player and the controls.

Being a radio enthusiast, I found out a radio station in New York, U.S.A. which is one of the pioneers of the all-news format since 1965. It is 1010 WINS in the amplitude modulation (AM). Unlike stations here in the Philippines where news and talk combine, 1010 WINS delivers news non-stop, dividing an hour into three 20-minute newscasts. In each slot almost everything is filled in: national and world items, sports, business, weather and traffic. It almost "give[s] you the world" through those broadcasts. When you need the news or other information, just turn your radio on, then go to 1010 AM, and there's the information. You don't have to stay long, I assume. You can simply consume and digest information in 20 minutes or less than that, and also listen to it "2, 3, 4 times a day" . With that, I see some similarity with Internet.  From: http://s1.ibtimes.com/sites/www.ibtimes.com/ files/styles/picture_this/public/2011/06/21/ 117486-charlie-loves-his-pc.jpg In...

Here are a bunch of guys (including a kid having fun) rocking along in a wide-enough obviously air-conditioned room, into an example of The National's well-known indie rock music and "dark, melancholic" music. This is the first song I've heard from the band, and I suddenly began to gain interest for their sound. I'm even reminded of post-punk band Joy Division. I figured out an alternative title after looking into the lyrics: "A Love Letter to Jo".

I started appreciating Rico Blanco's works as a musician when I was in third year, as he launched an album that's very different from his other releases, entitled Galactik Fiestamatik . The album heavily featured synths and electro combined with large amounts of drum beats. "Lipat Bahay" stands out, though, because it's much of a mellow song among the album's upbeat tracks, including "Amats" (featured on "101 Songs of My Third Year") . Obviously, the song tells of change. Mementos of childhood, memories of past, and missing much of what you've lived with for many years. Fourth year was such a change as well, yet it gave way to good beginnings—a fresh start.

Last summer, I did a series of songs that were in the playlist of my third year high school . Now, I bring the series back, featuring the songs that made its way while I went through my final year of high school. As regularly as possible, I'll share these songs from different genres and different times. I'll make a different approach as well: one song per post, and no counting down. I'll shorten the long title as well in the next posts— S4Y . And so we'll start with this song from Bjork in 1995. "It's Oh So Quiet" is originally a 1948 German song, so this is a cover of an English cover . I heard and saw this music video on cable, and I finally found out who Bjork is (she's also pretty there). Let me give my own interpretation. The music starts calm, like a ballet, until it breaks into a "big band" sound. Suddenly, the cute and still vocals of Bjork shifts to screams of excitement—"of falling in love." It goes on like a sine curve—ca...

I want to post something different this time. Let me share to you one of the funny—for me—scenes, and one of my favorite scenes in School of Rock , one of my favorite movies in the present. You can really see here how Jack Black acts like a rocker. I can see the imagery he's telling with those figurative phrases (e.g.:"beam of light"), and those sounds of instrument he's mimicking—"wew-bem-bem-bem-bem-bem-bem-bem..." + "sh-g-dig-g-dig-g-did-g-dig". He does sing his "sample" like classic rockers do. Combined with his dance and stances, I do find the scene funny. Yet, I like it. How about you, dear reader? Have you watched the movie? Do you like it as well? Tell me, if you may: @adrianconoza , or on Google+ , or at adrianconoza@gmail.com.