Dispatches by Adrian Conoza

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.

Today's music isn't all trash. There is still good music today... And we're celebrating it here on this 10-part blog I titled as 101 Songs of My Third Year. We're now on 4 more parts, starting with this one. We're going to know more bands that you might not know yet. But we'll also hear another Foster The People track. And also we'll get to encounter another pop track you might have known recently. Plus, another local act to unfold as we count down from the fortieth to the thirty-first. So why don't you try to listen to new sounds and know more artists? Let's get to listening and reviewing these songs! 40. " Though the truth may vary, t his ship will carry o ur bodies safe to shore" Little Talks|Of Monsters and Men Commercials/teasers/promotions on TV helped me recognize new songs. This one was a discovery from both cable and radio. I got my first taste of folk rock in this track. Powerful all around. Little talks. Like small talk. 39. ...

There are many songs to listen, many artists to appreciate, many genres to discover. Music revolved around my third year, and still revolves around me. That's why I've come up with a list as long as this. So let's continue the "chart". There's both homegrown and foreign. Rap and alternative rock. But still, there's electronica. I now let you listen and discover, in case you might find new songs here. 60. " Hindi ko alam kung anong  tumama sa 'kin" ("I didn't know what hit me") Amats|Rico Blanco I used to know Rico Blanco before as the frontman of one of Philippines' famous bands, Rivermaya. Now that he has gone solo, I find him as one of the good-sounding guys in the music industry today. He recently went to electro with a festive flavor, which seems unusual for a man who usually plays guitar or whatsovever, just not any electronic stuff. It did surprise me that he turned out that way. By the way, if you're confused if ...

I'm here again for another run of 101 Songs. We have already counted 31 songs (if you want to start from part 1, here's a link ), and we're now counting from 70 to 71, ranging from rock to electronic rock to dream pop to OPM. So try to listen to the 10 following songs. I hope you'll like them. 70. " The fear has gripped me but here I go " Breezeblocks|Alt-J We're having another back to back here, now from a British indie rock band I've discovered on the radio, Alt-J( which is really the Greek alphabet delta ). Squeaky lead vocals, harmonized voices, pounding beats and gritty guitars. Though they sound odd, Alt-J makes smooth flows in their music. 69.   " Blended by the lights " Fitzpleasure|Alt-J While Breezeblocks is something smooth and cool, this one sounds more like rock. They just don't sound odd at their songs, but even at their titles. Nevertheless, their unusual sound is awesomely great. 68. "I'm breathing in the chemic...

The countdown continues. On this post, electronica and rock continues to capture my attention and enter my ears. But most of them are discoveries from TV and radio. I hope you'll enjoy the songs from number 90 to 81. Why don't you try listening to them? Here they are. 90. " Sharp memory talks.  I hear around the room." Smalltalk|Ultraista I discovered this track from The Late Show With David Letterman . I stumbled upon this electronica trio, and watched their performance at the show, and found another nice song to insert in my playlist. I like the drumbeat here, which marks their being influenced by a genre called afrobeat. And as an avid listener of electronic music, I like the layers of synths and loops, from beginning to end. The vocals, which also has its own layers, complement those beats and synths. Aside from that, the title is somewhat striking. Small talk is now a part of everyday communication. It is somewhat a bridge, a small bridge, something to pass time...