8x6 :: mayan chocolate is h-o-t hot!

there's this gelato place somewhere in the southern part of the phoenix metro which i absolutely love. whenever i'm in the vicinity, i make it a point to drop by and try something new. i remember sampling the mayan chocolate flavor, and i told the guy behind the counter that it was too sweet for me. he gave me an odd, surprised look and steered me to their sugar-free selections. it was only a lot later when i was asking him how kahlua chocolate compares to their mayan chocolate in terms of sweetness that he told me mayan chocolate was spicy... and all of a sudden there was "chili blossom" in my tongue and i realized that what i originally thought as shockingly sweet was actually mildly spicy. its amazing how our mind can make a thing be something else. in my case, i wasn't expecting spicy or hot in an ice cream, so my mind filed it under sweeeeeeeeeeet. and for the record, they had another flavor which was even spicier.. i forgot what's it called though.

so this edition comes to you as a warning, don't let first impressions fool you. and these songs might turn you off at first either because you don't like how it sounds or you don't like the artist or you think the title is crap. listen to it, give it time to grow on you, if it doesn't... well, crap.

1. Michelle Tumes- Lovely (remix) :: get me!
   my brother was the one who stumbled across this song from youtube. watch the video here, its a fan video for one tree hill, though he's not a fan nor has he actually watched even just a single episode. so the video alone sold me to this song. unfortunately i can't find the exact remix that she used, even tried messaging her for it. and no, its not the original here either. and for the clueless, its actually a gospel song... on a completely unrelated note, i found this really, really funny video(if you're only going to click on one thing in this page, click this), its even funnier than this one and a little more funnier than this, in the related videos section for that one, thanks youtube!
2. Maria Taylor- A Good Start :: get me!
   her deep voice is oddly soothing and not creepy. though yeah, i sure wish i got a better version of this but its passable, maybe because of her deep voice? anyways, here's another one, though its a lot sadder... but there's just this weird feeling of her songs not being complete.
3. Owen- Bad News :: get me!
   there's an elton-john-turns-hopeless-romantic air in this song. also has one of the best uses of low-key guitar strumming(or whatever that's called)-- in modern times. and yeah, i love hyphens-- and its not going to die anytime soon for me, unlike the bad news mr webster brought-
4. Ryan Adams- I Taught Myself How to Grow Old :: get me!
   for all you who feel you've got the weight of the world on your shoulders, or those who think you're living in a mental institute surrounded by immature freaks, or those who life just reated unfairly- this is your song. and be warned that it is a sad song. its got that nasty effect of giving you that feeling of having cried for an hour-- and that's just in the first 20 seconds of the song and without the tears. frontal lobe headache abounds. and his cover of wonderwall is almost as sad, but not quite.
5. Snow Patrol feat. Martha Wainwright- Set the Fire to the Third Bar :: get me!
   collaborations/duets are always fine in my book. and this one is awesome. it compliments both artists strengths while making it sure it doesn't fall apart. though the result is something which you'll either like or not(no in between), its still refreshing to hear challenging tracks like this. as for snow patrol, one qualm i have with their Eyes Open album is it seems that their song Hands Open pretty much sums up the beat of the album. all the songs are nice but- everything feels so damn close to that song.
6. Sufjan Stevens- That was the Worst Christmas Ever :: get me!
   if you listened hard to Hands Open, you would've heard their reference to the undisputed king of indie- Sufjan Stevens. i personally don't like him that much but for some reason, yuppies zooming around in beavers say so. and in case you share my (dis)taste, here's two more: The Avalanche and The Man of Metropolis Steals our Hearts- the latter is the only one which i like, but just a tad.
7. Coldplay- Swallowed in the Sea :: get me!
   from the guys who throw really awesome light shows in their concerts, here's a track which is uplifting. and that's a big surprise when you consider the fact that most of their songs are tragically sad-- you can call this one a happy tragedy. i guess the rainbow sun really does shine for everyone.
8. Bishop Allen- Rain :: get me!
   genuinely hope-filled happiness-- that's the one word that can describe this song. there's just this golden sunshine that emanates from this song, its infectious! and i can relate to this song on so many levels- like i do know that in my life, i have to stumble, fall flat on my face before i can rise and fly. and if you can't relate, well here's the (gasp!) lyrics:
   
   bed clothes, why am i in bed clothes?
   watching out the window
   watching what i don't know
   on the fire escape now
   hands they start to shake now
   ready for the rail to break now
   and i'm awake at last awake
   
   cursing, rattling and cursing
   go ahead and do your worst then
   your worst that i can take
   
   oh let the rain fall down
   and wash this world away
   oh let the sky be grey
   cause if its ever gonna get any better
   its gotta get worse for a day
   
   morning, where am i this morning?
   now its really pouring,
   crawling up this shore
   and i walk the neighborhood
   and umbrella does no good
   and i guess its in my blood
   couldn't stop the flood
   
   drowning, everything is drowning
   go ahead and take the town
   the town is yours to take
   
   oh let the rain fall down
   and wash this world away
   oh let the sky be grey
   cause if its ever gonna get any better
   its gotta get worse for a day
   
   calling, calling, falling, falling
   grab on my guitar
   and paddle with both my arms
   headed where the voices are
   i'll end up far so far away
   
   oh let the rain fall down
   and wash this world away
   or let the sky be grey
   cause if its ever gonna get any better
   its gotta get worse for a day
   
   its gotta get worse for a day
   its gotta get worse for a day
   its gotta get worse for a day
   i know
   its gotta get worse for a day

listen to them in order, if you don't, you're going to end up sad for the next 7 years.

-- goes well with a nice long walk with your mp3 player of choice.

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8x5 :: the ununderstood will always be mysteriously liked

there's always something about songs which you can't understand. i mean really can't understand, not unless you know all the languages in the world, in which case i pity you cause you're missing out on the thrill of helplessly being ridiculed and insulted in front of you. so this really late edition is for you people who love not knowing what a song is about. and yes, you won't find much asian influence here, if you're into that, move along...

1. O-Zone- Dragostea Din Tei :: get me!
   what? you don't know this?!?! you should know this you know... its like not knowing who abe vigoda is. ok, that was lame...
2. Sergio Mendes feat. Stevie Wonder- Berimbau :: get me!
   its by the great Sergio Mendes. that doesn't need explaining. its interesting to note though that he doesn't actually sing. he's like santa clause in that santa doesn't make the actual toys, santa just delivers it. in his case, he doesn't sing it, but he pretty much wrote the entire song.
3. Josh Groban feat. Joshua Bell- Mi Mancheria :: get me!
   i'm not exactly a josh groban fan, yes he can sing but somehow its hard to make a name when you're in the shadow of established heavyweights like pavarotti(no pun intended, the guy is dead, i wouldn't want to disrespect the dead). so for me he's this jack of all trades, master of none type of guy. and this song proves that. its ok, but... i wouldn't say i'm absolutely raving about it.
4. Renato Vargas- Travessia :: get me!
   unlike sergio mendes, renato vargas sings. he's great, but sergio is just plain better and a lot more popular. renato is a little bit more traditional... he sits in the gray area of world music. while being filed under world does bring fame, it also brings with it the common misconception that only 50 year olds and up should listen to him.
5. Xavier Naidoo- Was Wir Alleine Nicht Schaffen :: get me!
   i really have no idea what this is about but singing along with it... its quite liberating. the words are really "crrrrrrrispilicous". but on a meaner note, this scene comes to mind whenever i hear this song.
6. Claudette Soares- Parte de Seu Mundo :: get me!
   there's something soothing with hearing disney classics belted out by bossa nova artists. its like a statement to the world that mickey mouse had a direct hand in forming me as a person. uhhh, yeah, no wonder the world is going to the dogs... or in this case pluto. oh and in case you haven't heard, pluto is no longer a planet... sad, but that's the circle of life...
7. Zucchero feat. Miles Davis- Dune Mosse :: get me!
   i stumbled across this lovely song through musicovery.com. Zucchero "sugar" Fornaciari is an italian superstar, and that is an understatement. he's like a cross between sergio and renato, only he's not in the industry as old as them(he made it in the 90's), though he's definitely not young. there's something familiar in his songs, like there's a feeling of deja vu when you hear them. and he's definitely not afraid of collaborating with other superstars, like with the fabulous country superstar Sheryl Crow here or the fantastically polarizing Macy Gray(either you like her or you don't).
8. Tinariwen- Matadjem Yinmaxen :: get me!
   Tinariwen is a music clan comprised of former freedom fighters from Mali. they are revered as real rebels in the music industry, not just rebels without a cause, and they almost always talk about their past. if you're not into real life emo, then maybe another sung-in-french song about love is what floats your boat. both of them maybe in french but they are both filed under world, so don't expect it to sound like larusso. thanks to suckapants for being a constant source of "enlightenment"-- from an anonymous fan.

and there you go, something for those who are tired of being on top of things/able to understand everything. being in the unknown, now that's an adventure.

-- goes well with a mug of hot chocolate

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8x4 :: in memoriam

because some things need to be remembered. this *late* edition may be considered a playlist for an intimate memorial concert; something put together by your community social butterflies for a good cause(for a change). not exactly to make you feel better, neither does it attempt to put you down. it aims to tap at you inner humanity, let you remember that you got a heart underneath everything, and that in the end, that's what's important anyway. let some things never be forgotten.

1. Explosions in the Sky- Yasmin the Light :: get me!
   any track from these guys could easily be considered as a potential candidate for this playlist, so no surprise here. be prepared to get hooled from the slow start, to the awesome high, and down to the middle. its an invitation, you know?
2. Jamie Cullum- In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning :: get me!
   a lone trumpet belching out a slow melodic tune- this screams 'respect' louder than an airplane taking off. thankfully, that's just the start... though admittedly the cool vocals which follow doesn't help that much either. but it does help if you're an alcoholic- makes you want to go pop open a bottle of wine.
3. Moby- Temptation :: get me!
   "up, down, turn around/please don't let me hit the ground/tonight i think i'll walk alone/find myself as i go home" now doesn't this tug at your heartstrings? do reach out will ya?
4. Isablle- Flying Away :: get me!
   i don't exactly know how i found isabelle, what i do know is her voice is a little like barbie's... that said, don't hold that against her. she does belt out songs which are more appropriate for her sound. she's got that coffee house/bookstore jammer appeal to her, complete with a long skirt and a guitar.
5. Hootie & the Blowfish- Time :: get me!
   amongst all the songs here, this one is the easiest for me to visualize. whenever i hear this, i come up with a riverside stage platform, those portable ones made out of steel which can be assembled and dismantled overnight, dusk, there's still light but all the lights are on anyways, and the crowd's not really doing anything, just standing there, trying to be there.
6. Verve Pipe- The Freshman :: get me!
   this is an awesome song. too bad they were a little bit of a one-hit wonder. still, the chorus does get to me every now and then...
7. Think About Cosmos- Miss You So :: get me!
   the reason this is here is simple, it doesn't leave you heartbroken or downtrodden. it makes you feel like its possible to be sad while ploughing through the fast-paced intricacies of day to day life. a break is alright, but if you can't that'll work too. and here are more fast-paced versions: one, two, next!
8. Puff Daddy & Faith feat. 112- I'll be Missing You :: get me!
   indeed, in the end, everybody's bound to miss somebody...

i'm actually a little dazed right now, so yeah, i'm quite aware that this didn't really make much sense.

--- goes well with a heaping serving of sleeping pills.

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