On Unfinished Businesses, The Resurrection, and Serendipity: At Long Last, A Playlist!

It is but serendipitous that the ninth day of novena for the late Je Bautista fell on an Easter Sunday. Personally, this is a very comforting sign, in more ways than one, and those who have been around and have cared for Je may probably look at this coincidence the same way, regardless of religious belief.

When Je was in the ICU, he was very restless. He was raring to get out and be transferred to a regular room where there is cable TV so that he can watch Andrew Zimmern of Bizarre Food. He missed going online terribly: his laptop was on his bed but he could not catch a signal inside his cubicle. (His unspoken motto: No internet, no life.) So Je was stuck with Buy and Sell, bland hospital food (he was on a low-fat, low-salt diet), and a signal-less computer. His boredom was a bit alleviated when I brought him, upon his request, Pat Gilbert's book on The Clash, Passion Is A Fashion.

One of the fruits of Je's boredom is this rather "unfinished" playlist. (Beethoven would be probably squirming in his grave in reaction to this horrid pun.) Unfinished, because Je was not done with the mixing when he suddenly dropped on that fateful day (while still in the ICU) and passed away. Je was assuring me a couple of times that he was doing a playlist for me, which speaks tomes about his own kind of passion.

A few days after Je's interment, I found this list, which I completed mixing (yes, I do have many tricks up my sleeve too), and am now sharing with you. Oh, there are a few more of those "unfinished" playlists coming up soon.

This playlist is kind of long, but I opted not to trim down nor exclude any song. As you may have probably noticed, Flogging Molly and The King Blues are some of our favorites, but Je recently stumbled upon this artist named Adrianne, a lady who can play compelling acoustic-based songs. A must-check, if I may say so. Do take a look at the titles.

1. FLOGGING MOLLY - Requiem For A Dying Song
2. FLOGGING MOLLY - Wrong Company
3. FLOGGING MOLLY - Don't Let Me Die Still Wondering
4. THE KING BLUES - Hold On (Acoustic)
5. BILLIE HOLIDAY - Me, Myself, And I
6. ADRIANNE - New Kind Of Cool
7. BUNNY WAILER - Get Up Stand Up

I hope you enjoy this playlist. After all, it was Je who handpicked the songs. For me, Je had one of the most sophisticated pair of ears in the business. As such, his death is not just a personal loss, but a loss of the local music scene as well.

And for this reason, among countless others, Je Bautista is and will be truly, sorely missed.

(Frozen moment: Photo of Adrianne from her website. Photo of Je taken during the first matinee gig by A Happy Face Productions at Ten02 last March 1.)

Trash Radio Manila Episode 5 Part 2: How About Some Tuna?

Happy Valentines Day, you love-struck (and love-phobic) denizens!

By this time we suppose you've already found someone to spend Valentines Day with. But even if you haven't found anyone, or simply chose not to spend the day with anybody, allow us to provide you with a set of songs that depict the four-letter abstraction in its numerous forms.

For the first song off this segment, hear the charismatic Suggs do a convincing cover of Morrissey's obsessive "Suedehead." Then listen to the Marine Girls, Tracey Thorn's first band, as they sing a cut off the Beach Party album, "Fridays."

"Dreams And Desires" features Stiv Bators doing a narrative that can scare an unsuspecting Catholic girl off her wits, while "Never Talking To You Again" depicts the retaliation of a scorned ego. Meanwhile, Annabella Lwin gamely illustrates how a woman achieved orgasmic heights in "Sexy Eiffel Towers."

More cariño brutal follows with songs from Suicidal Tendencies and Blood For Blood. The segment is capped with Flogging Molly singing about ending up with "The Wrong Company."

This segment's playlist:

1. SUGGS - "Suedehead" (Live)
2. MARINE GIRLS - "Fridays"
3. LORDS OF THE NEW CHURCH - "Dreams and Desires"
4. HUSKER DU - "Never Talking To You Again"
5. BOW WOW WOW - "Sexy Eiffel Towers"
6. SUICIDAL TENDENCIES - "Won't Fall In Love Today"
7. BLOOD FOR BLOOD - "So Common, So Cheap"
8. FLOGGING MOLLY - "The Wrong Company"

More tuna coming up in the next few days, so stay tuned. Meow!

Pic credits: Cartoons lifted from Kirstie McIntosh's blog, modified to fit the feline's mood. (Seriously, it's a funny read.)

Trash Radio Manila PREMIERE EPISODE Part 3: It's All A State Of Mind

Welcome to the 3rd installment of Trash Radio Manila's Premiere episode.

The playlist:

1. TAME THE TIKBALANG - "Backstab"
2. THROW - "Akin 'Yan"
3. ST. BUSHMILL'S CHOIR - "Goddamn Shame"
4. FLOGGING MOLLY - "Within A Mile Of Home"
5. PAMA INTERNATIONAL - "If You Want Me To Stay"
6. STEVIE WONDER - "We Can Work It Out"
7. NOUVELLE VAGUE - "Sweet And Tender Hooligan"

More often than not in life we find ourselves wanting so bad to go against the grain, so to speak. This human yearning comes in a great number of forms, sparing no creed nor race.

So maybe you'd find yourself wondering. Tame The Tikbalang and Throw back to back with St. Bushmill's Choir? What the heck is Stevie Wonder and his groovy Beatles cover doing in the list? So do Pama International and their trippy interpretation of Sly And The Family Stone song? And isn't Nouvelle Vague, errr, bossa? Where's the consistency in all of that? Go figure. It's all a state of mind.

In photos: Al Dimalanta of Throw, Stevie Wonder (c/o Agencia Brasil), Nouvelle Vague live at the HKCEC last May 2007.