The Heatseekers (November 4, 2009)

For music buffs, here are some songs that are worth downloading. Some of these songs are a couple of months old already but they are still on heavy circulation on my personal playlist and in the airwaves.


* Fireflies – Owl City (HOT PICK!)
* New Perspective – Panic At The Disco (PERSONAL PICK!)
* H.A.T.E.U – Mariah Carey (which stands for "Having A Typical Emotional Upset")
* Who Says – John Mayer
* Doesn’t Mean Anything – Alicia Keys
* Live Like We’re Dying – Kris Allen
* Halfway Gone - Lifehouse
* Meet Me On The Equinox – Death Cab For Cutie
* Life After You – Daughtry
* Issues – The Sundays
* Nothing – FMD
* Where Are You Now - Honor Society
* Celebration – Madonna
* Tell Me Your Name – Christian Bautista
* Man In The Mirror – James Morrison version

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Here are two mini-reviews of albums you should check out.



WHITE LACE AND PROMISES (Agot Isidro)

I have been a silent fan of Agot since she released her first album back in my high school (casette tape) days. Ok, ok...I have a huge and long-standing crush on her. I have met her thrice in person and she is really nice. Hers is a beauty that is ageless and a relaxed and classy voice that is a welcome alternative to the ear-splitting wails of freakish local divas.

I have long wanted Ms. A to release a revival album since she really did a good job with OPM standards Sa Kanya and Iisa Pa Lamang in her previous works. For this album, she gathered a collection of her favorite wedding songs and gave it her own elegant spin. She has the modern wedding anthems: From This Momentand Runaway (given second life after being used in the Judy Ann-Ryan wedding). She even threw in some forgotten hits: Fallen (from Pretty Woman) and Together Forever (Rico Puno’s and not Rick Astley’s). Her rendition of Fallen is smooth and refreshing and her tender rendition of Looking Through The Eyes Of Love brings back the soulful meaning to the song that is often vandalized by screaming divas.

This CD also comes in a neat packaging, the best I have seen for a local release. It is made to look like a wedding invitation.

Best Track: Fallen
Skip This: When You Say Nothing At All (the song is just too overplayed)



MEMOIRS OF AN IMPERFECT ANGEL (Mariah Carey)

For the record, MC’s past two CDs (Emancipation of Mimi and E=MC2) really glittered...uhmm pun intended. In her new studio album, MC upped her vibe by fusing old school R&B and her trademark slinky urban rhythms. Think My All plus Breakdown. Here, MC tones down her high-octave vocals in exchange for breathy whispers which clearly suits the new song formats.

Memoirs is a pretty consistent album and each track flows effortlessly to the next via well-placed interludes. This makes the whole of the album pretty enjoyable. The imperfection of Memoirs lies in its lack of a smash #1 chartbuster (the likes of We Belong Together and Bye Bye). However, songs here grow on you with each listen; the third single H.A.T.E.U., for instance. Also missing are the slick/flirty pop ditties like Touch My Body. Instead, we have venomous back-at-you songs Obsessed (her latest 1M-selling single) and Betcha Gon Know, with the later adding shock value as MC says the F word. A different side to MC but still worth listening.

Best Track: Angels Cry
Skip This: Up Out My Face (even the paired interlude is kinda weird)