3/31/13 - Paramore

Paramore's self-titled album which is their follow-up to 2009's Brand New Eyes is set for release on April 9, 2013. This will be their first album sans the Farro brothers which is the reason they decided to name their album as such - a new beginning so they say.

When their first single, Now, premiered, I was quite disappointed with the lyrics. It's so repetitive but I'm glad Hayley's vocals were still on fire. The sound was still pop/rock but the album is said to lean more into pop and this lead single is already one of the heaviest tracks on the album which is what worried me. It took some time before the song grew on me.

They released a new song called Still Into You and this one was more upbeat and loud. It's catchy and radio-friendly. I was hesitant at first but I like it better than the first single.

The album leaked yesterday and I got to finish listening to it. 

The album started out good with Fast In My Car. However, after that, it just felt like some lost and awkward disco album with a tinge of rock. Hayley's vocals are great but it's hard to pick songs that are good. Most are repetitive and even so, it fails to capture my attention.

The album lacks direction and I could only pinpoint it to the departure of the Farros. It seems like the band I love faltered on this album. Though I applaud them for continuing to make music despite all the drama that happened behind the scenes but the songs here aren't at par with their previous music.

This album is also their longest album with 17 tracks, including 3 interludes. As much as I want more music from them, this feels like an album with too many fillers. But I hope I'll like it as time passes by.

Top tracks: Still Into You, Anklebiter, Proof

3/30/13 - The Croods

If you don't evolve, you'll become history.

That is the tagline of this film. I remember seeing the trailer of this film a few months ago and it didn't catch my attention but I had free movie passes today and this is one of the two movies that were eligible, the other being some random Tina Fey movie that I have never heard of.

I heard this had good reviews and even trended on Twitter plus it's a Dreamworks animation film so it must be not bad at all. I watched it with my mom which is a god way of spending some family time during this Holy week even for just the two of us.

This is a story of a family living in a prehistoric age who have survived for so long by living and protecting together by staying within their cave as their safety zone and collaborating when executing their hunts. Lead by the father figure, Grug, along with his wife, mother-in-law and three children, they learned to cope up with their own style of living and are afraid of anything they consider as new.

But their eldest daughter Eep, voiced by none other than one of my favorite actresses, Emma Stone, is tired of living this standard way of living and wants to explore the surroundings but everyone is against her wishes.

That is until she met another person named Guy who opened her mind to the idea of the world about to end and inviting her to come with him that makes her reinstate her desires to her family. Still rejected, a huge earthquake sends Eep and her family to go to a wild venture to a new place they have discovered after their cave was destroyed. There they discover a lot of new things that they begin to adapt and realize what they have been missing all along.

We see difference in characters as Grug uses strength and physical toughness in making decisions while Guy may not be as strong as Grug but has a lot of ideas and recognized as the wise one in the group. Grug's leadership and fatherhood is challenged by Guy's arrival and we see their struggle throughout the movie.

One thing that captured me here is the message of not hiding and following the light. It's essence of trying to live your life to the fullest and going after your dreams instead of hiding in fear is truly inspiring.

I can't say that this is the best animation movie but this is a good one that has a heartwarming meaning that every family will enjoy.

3/29/2013 - Devil

The other night, I was downloading a bunch of new albums and this is one of them, an album called Devil from a band called Lydia. I don't know who they were except that they have two songs on my iPod because they opened up for The Maine on tour and they were included on a live EP that they released. Aside from that, I don't know much about them.

I initially thought they were going to be a screamo band but I don't remember them as that kind of band based on my memory of hearing them which is almost vague. So I headed over to youtube and listened to 1-2 songs from this album and I  thought it was interesting. They weren't hardcore at all, they were some sort of indie/alternative/rock band with a decent singing voice and plays good instruments so I downloaded the album.

I consider this my first listening experience of the band and they were quite good after all. They're music is not too loud but not boring. But the one thing I liked the most is the lyrics which were well-written. I would love to hear their older music when I have the time.

My top tracks: Holidays, Back To Bed, From A Tire Swing

3/28/13

Today is the start of a 4 day mini vacation due to the observance of Holy Week.

It's been a hectic week since I had to rush some of my tasks of the week. I originally planned this day as an absence due since we were supposed to have work today but our boss changed his mind and decided we only have to work until Wednesday.

This day was quite uneventful since I woke up late, something I don't get to do and I love it! I never get to take a break anymore and my mind is always filled with thoughts of work up to now. I can't consider myself as a workaholic but I can't help to want to do some work ahead by doing it at home.

I just took a quick look of my planner last year and as much as I was a bum, last year was actually quite a blast as compared to this year. I had a lot of experiences that I won't be able to do this year because of work. But I gotta consider it as a sacrifice. Hopefully, things will get better personally and at work.

Anyway, I finished watching season 2 of American Horror Story and I didn't like the whole season at all. It was just all over the place and my focus is simply distracted. I hope the 3rd season will be better.

I also found myself downloading a couple of albums that I need to listen to plus I still have some purchased albums that I haven't listened to yet. This weekend should give me some time to do those stuff.

3/24/13 -Wild & Free

A Rocket To The Moon is set to release their new album, Wild & Free, in a few days and I'm so glad I have listened to the whole album already.

This is their follow up to their 2009 album which I love so much which is why I was eagerly looking forward for this album. It was originally planned for a January release but got moved back to this March. But the long wait is over and the album is here!

The first thing and probably the most recognizable element in this album is probably the fact that it leans more on country elements. From being a pop-rock band, they're trying to be more of a country-pop band. I'm not surprised though. This isn't the first time they have changed their music style plus they are big fans of Taylor Swift, if that matters.

Most of the tracks are quite about love and I felt a certain light vibe in the album that makes it a good summer album.

I do miss their previous sound but this one ain't so bad at all..

My top tracks: Wild & Free,I Do, Wherever You Go

3/23/13

So here's a round up of updates:

-we have a new colleague at work. Hopefully with a new addition, workload will be at least a bit lighter although I doubt that.

-me and the rest of the team had lunch out last Thursday!I know it's not a big deal but it's the first time for me to have a meal with workmates on official work hours.

-they finally installed some blinds on the office but we desperately need an aircon!

-finally got my copy of All Time Low's So Wrong It's Right!That means my ATL discography is complete!

-my sister graduated high school yesterday:)

-my cousin also graduated today and we were treated for an afternoon snack in Mom & Tina's resto in Libis. We were fortunate to have a visit from my cousin together with his girlfriend, none other than Mika of my college volleyball team. I'm not sure I can say her full name or the school since they're not allowed to reveal their relationship but I do hope they'll be together so she can be a part of the family. Hehe!:p

-I got a copy of American Horror Story's 2nd season already and it seems to pale in comparison to the first season. But I'm still not finished so it might be good in the latter part.

3/16/13 - The World From The Side Of The Moon

Last season's winner from American Idol released his album last year called The World From The Side Of The Moon.

He released his debut single called "Home" which he performed during his stay at AI as his coronation song.

AI has been going downhill recently and I didn't expect that they'll put out a great song like Home. Perhaps there is still hope for this show after all. Phillip deserved to win the show and the album is amazing. Too bad I stopped watching the show so I don't know if they can bring out good artists and music again this year.

But enough abut Idol. Phillip's debut album was quite successful thanks to Home. The song was even used during the Olympics last year. The song is now one of the best selling tracks from an Idol contestant ever.

But Home is not just the only good song. I've been listening to this album a lot and I have grown to love the songs even more. It has a Dave Matthews Band feel to it and that's not bad at all.

His voice was spot on and I love the whole aura of the album. It's a perfect album to listen to on a sunny afternoon and in a roadtrip. It's not filled with boring mediocre tracks or very fast tracks that are uncharacteristic of his style but the songs just have enough amount of power and control over the beat that shows both his serious and fun side. The lyrics are well-written which is a big plus for me.

I really hope I can see him perform live. I did see him during a mall appearance with fellow AI contestants but didn't really sing. Hopefully he'll come back.

My top tracks: Gone Gone Gone,Where We Came From, Tell Me A Story

3/13/13

Some random updates:

-I got new Lacoste shoes!Yay!

-I got a memo for my tardiness. I'm neither surprised or sad about it but I do try to come in early.

-Our office still doesn't have aircon and it's hard to work. I am praying that our boss sees this problem. Everyone is already complaining.

-Finally got a replacement for my wireless mp3 player. It's still the same Sony Zappin but I hope it won't break down so soon since I found out it's not water/sweat proof which might have been the reason for the previous one to malfunction. I guess it's not for gym use after all.

-New Justin Timberlake album kinda sucks.

-I need a haircut.

-I noticed that I've bee missing a couple of my things lately.Hmm..

3/9/13 - Motion City Soundtrack

Motion City Soundtrack delighted the fans with their first ever show in Manila last night.

I wanted to watch them live but I can't get a clear picture of my sched due to work so I only bought my ticket yesterday. It's a good thing that there are tickets left because it was such a hassle to come to the venue.

Before the show, I had dinner at Subway in The Block then strolled around for a while since I had 30 minutes of free time before the show. I went to Odyssey and I was surprised to see All Time Low's Put Up or Shut Up album that I've been wanting to have so I immediately bought it even if it was overpriced. It's a good thing that our salary was given last Friday so I could afford the purchase and especially the concert ticket.

I entered the venue a few minutes before 8 pm. It wasn't so jampacked but there were a decent amount of fans in the crowd. It had no separate sections so everyone can stay wherever they want. I sat on one of the chairs on the sides while waiting. I'm glad they have free WiFi in the venue so I could surf the net while waiting.

The opening act was a band called She's Only Sixteen and they started on time. They were actually pretty good and one of the best opening acts I've seen. Too bad the crowd was passive as expected. Their set didn't last long so MCS came out earlier than 9pm.

The crowd was really loud right from the start and the band loved it. They were good singing and performing live. I do not know the lyrics to all their songs by heart but I couldn't help to jam to every beat. They were a nice group of musicians and I'm sure the audience had a good night like I do. They played a lot of songs that the audience clearly loved including some of their hits like Her Words Destroyed My Planet,LGFUAD and True Romance.

The show wasn't too long as I would hope for but I still enjoyed it. They said we were one of the loudest crowd they have played for and I wouldn't be surprised to see them back soon.

3/7/13

I wish I had some good news to share but sadly, I have none.

Every week's getting tougher. I badly want to like the job but it's constantly giving me reasons not to as time passes by.

It's not just the workload but other external factors.

First, the office just moved to a new unit and there's no signs that they're going to install airconditioning! I don't want to act like a brat but it's really hard to concentrate on my work when I'm sweating like crazy. The office attire ain't so comfortable either. It's been more than a month since we moved and the only improvement is an addition of an electric fan that is not enough. What's worse is that summer is coming and the heat will be hotter than ever. Good luck to our skins.

Second, I've been arriving quite late for these past weeks, like 10 minutes late or so. I know it's mostly my fault but I've been trying my best to get to the office on time. My body has adjusted to waking up early already and I'm trying to leave the house at least two hours early but the insane traffic and lack of jeepneys/public transpo in our area is making things difficult. I just found out that the grace period is only 5 minutes and our salary is deducted the amount of an hour even if we arrive 9:06 and beyond which means I probably have accumulated at least two days worth of tardiness already to be deducted from my already low salary which will be spent on my transpo, dinner, etc. and I get to save nothing so I'm basically earning as much as I did when I was jobless but increasing my stress levels instead.

Third, I got used to following a system of knowing what to do but it seems like I think they're expecting so much from me and I'm not able to live up to their expectations. They didn't tell me that exactly but I feel like I'm being singled out during meetings and such. Now I'm all for improving how things work and all but I hope they're not expecting me to do things I can't do just yet.

I could probably rant some more but I don't want to sound like a broken record as if I haven't already. 

As I said before, the people are still nice and I don't want to burn bridges. I'm just hoping to stay for at least a year and I hope I can at least achieve that.

3/3/13 - The First Time

The First Time is a romantic comedy that came out in the US last year. I did not know about this movie until earlier today. It was apparently a part of the Sundance festival which is no surprise why I haven't heard about it before.

But what made me watch the movie was the cast. Its two leading stars are Britt Robertson and Dylan O' Brien. Both of which are people I'm aware of since they come from shows I watch, Britt appeared in Life Unexpected and The Secret Circle while Dylan is a regular on Teen Wolf.

The story is nothing groundbreaking but I still thought that I would like it. It was about Dave (O' Brien) and Aubrey (Robertson), two high school students dealing with their own relationship problems until they hook up with each other and try to do the deed for the first time, hence, the title. It's not exactly R-rated and there's no nudity scenes, just some lovemaking scenes. It also stars Victoria Justice and some other actors that looks familiar. The movie was dialogue driven, and the setting of the movie was just for a week or so and yet it has moments where it feels like it's dragging and becoming monotonous but I still liked it overall.

The best thing about this movie is the soundtrack. I literally love every song that was played all throughout the movie. I'm having a hard time looking for the songs to download online so I had to list them one by one when the credits rolled in and I'll have to manually look for each one of them soon.

I should probably check out the movies that were shown during the festival. So far, I've seen two including this one.

3/2/13 - Native

OneRepublic is set to return with a new album this year. Earlier sched for a January release, it got pushed back to April. This is their 3rd album after "Waking Up" back in 2009.

Fans got a taste of their new music after they released two singles.

The first one being Feel Again. A short track that I was not impressed with. However, they released their second new song, If I Lose Myself and I fell in love with them again.

Just yesterday, their new album leaked and I downloaded it right away.

I listened to it today and was truly amazed by the entire album. It was full of hits and every track is very catchy and well-written. Too bad that they released this at a time when it looks like they have peaked already but I do hope I'm wrong. I'm not their biggest fan but this is one of my favorite albums of the year so far. I daresay that this is their best album in their discography.

Top tracks: Preacher,Life In Color and Counting Stars