Rainy Day Mixtape Part 2 (Soc Style)

It's those days when you just want to dig yourself deeper into the crater that your body has gradually made on the bed over time, disappear under the comforter and bury your face under the pillow even harder. It's raining and the crawl-in becomes extra friendly whenever it does. No one can convince you otherwise, not even a cup of freshly brewed coffee. And then Al Green starts singing in your head: "I can think of younger days..." The blues mood's definitely been set. Fear not; below is a playlist that's been specially arranged for that lazy go-getting butt of yours who deserves that extra 30 precious minutes even after the alarm's already gone off. Take your time and take the moment in, oh, you overworked daily-grinder, you. Heck, grab your phone and call in sick. Just keep it brief and say that you are feeling under the weather today. Because really, YOU ARE.


[Tip: Stream in this order, for smoother transition.]


(Note: I'll change these YouTube links once I fix the streaming thingies, all for your listening pleasure. - Tula)

NEW SLANG - The Shins
Let me just say that The Shins is one of my most favorite bands of all time. “New Slang” is really about coming of age. Musically, it kind of creeps into the picture slowly, like certain types of precipitation on a slow day. Contemplating while lying down with this in the background is encouraged.

PORTABLE TELEVISION - Death Cab for Cutie
Off Death Cab For Cutie’s Codes & Keys. Definitely one of my favorites in the album. P.S. It’s also a good companion on a freeway.

MAKE UP - Psapp
Piano, baby.

ALL YEAR ROUND - Up Dharma Down
Probably the only local band I love at the moment, I was tempted to put in the more popular song “Sana” but I figured this is just as loaded with emotion. Then again, it is UdD.

HOW CAN YOU MEND A BROKEN HEART - Al Green
I was trying my best to not include this, but it really is my definitive “rainy day” song. And I know it’s a Bee Gees joint but the way Al Green caresses the words from start to end makes this if not the best version of this awesome 70s hit.

DREAM A LITTLE DREAM OF ME - Doris Day
By far my most favorite version of this song. This song really does
take you places whether or not subconsciously.

CHANGE IS HARD - She and Him
It’s a nice segue from Doris Day and Zooey Deschanel’s quirky throwback singing is simply divine.

STAY OUT OF TROUBLE - Kings of Convenience
The intro part is just awesome. On one side, I kind of imagine grass fields on a summer day whenever I’d listen to this song, but both Erlend and Eirik’s voices sound much sweeter when coupled with nippy weather.

SLOTTET #2 - The Radio Dept.
It’s my favorite Swedish boys! It actually doesn’t have any lyrics in it, so just get lost in the instrumental amalgamation of sorts.

FAR CRY - Quadron
Truth be told, if I could choose a guardian angel, I’d want it to be female and I’d want her to have a singing voice. THIS singing voice.


Listen. Sleep. Repeat.

Rainy Day Mixtape Part 1 (Tula Style)

Whee, second post! Well, first if you’re counting based on substance.

We've finally decided on topics so we don’t run around like headless chickens posting random things on this blog. (But, I still predict that it will happen sooner or later.)

So, Manila has been experiencing a steady downpour of rain, and it has been quite the headache for most people because if you haven’t experienced Manila traffic when it’s raining then you haven’t experienced traffic at all. I once spent 3 hours on the road going home, and that was from my office in a nearby city which usually takes me 45 minutes. It’s hell, I tell you! Hell!


Well anyway, rainy days actually have their charm as I’ve come to discover recently. And when we say rainy days, there is a certain romance attached to it and what better way to accompany that than music. I cheated and asked Soc how many she’s putting in so I can put the same number on my list, too. I’m childish like that.


I’ve observed that I like songs that remind me of sunshine when it’s raining and I’m cheesy like that. So here, random 10 sunshine-y and soothing songs for the rainy days (bear with me, I suck when it comesto lists):

(Note: I'll change these YouTube links once I fix the streaming thingies, all for your listening pleasure.)

First up, Fools Like Me by Lisa Loeb. Anyone remember her? Anyone? And dear all, yes, she has other songs aside from that classic Stay with the ever so memorable guitar intro.

Lisa Loeb - Fools Like Me

Next up is a song called Tokyo and Paris by Emiri Miyamoto and Solita.This one comes from that delicious gem of a movie called Nodame Cantabile. Also, violin!
Emiri Miyamoto x Solita - Tokyo and Paris


Foo Fighters’ Virginia Moon is one song I instantly fell in love with when I first heard it. It’s just so different from the rock star Dave Grohl – this one’s very soft and quiet and fluffy and sweet and makes you want to put it in your pocket.
Foo Fighters - Virginia Moon


And from Iceland, Johann Johannson’s Dis. I have no idea what she’s saying but how can you resist the pretty?
Johann Johannson - Dis


Here’s an indie Indonesian band that reminds me a bit of the Hungry Young Poets. They’re called Funny Little Dream and their songs sound like little dreams. Song is It Must Been You and I’m choosing to ignore the engrish because it shouldn’t really matter.
Funny Little Dream - It Must Be You


This will probably be the only exception to this sunshine list. Dan Mangan is an awesome Canadian singer-songwriter and his album title makes me smile every time I see it because it’s a Dr. Seuss reference. Fair Verona is awesome because it has the line, “we can cut and paste the stars in our hearts and understand their language.” (The album is called Nice,Nice, Very Nice, in case you were wondering.)
Dan Mangan - Fair Verona


Next is If You Want To by the Alligators. A good prelude to baby-making songs during rainy days. The guy is basically saying that he can do anything with you (if you want to) and he can go all night. Oh yeah, sing to me with your sexy, sexy falsetto.
Alligators - If You Want To


Here we have a Korean band called Winterplay. Now, before you judge me or anything, Korea actually has a good indie scene, and it’s not all KPop as we, outside of their country, are made to believe. The vocalistof this band came from another amazing Korean band called Clazziquai. Reserve your judgments and take a listen first. Song is called Happy Bubble. (Come on, sing with me. 1, 2, 3, 4 bubble bubble...)
Winterplay - Happy Bubble


Let’s go a little more upbeat with Ellie Goulding’s Wish I Stayed. Notso much in the first part of the song but it picks up somewhere in themiddle, and it probably exists in the original version with Frankmusik only. This is probably the most upbeat I can go with songs during rainy days. 
Ellie Goulding - Wish I Stayed


And rounding up the list is Up Dharma Down’s We Give In Sometimes.There is something utterly surreal about UDD’s songs and it gives off a certain magic when you listen to it on rainy days. There shouldn't be a rainy day mixtape without UdD in it. I’m in love with this band. Seriously.
Up Dharma Down - We Give In Sometimes


So, if anyone actually read this, leave your comments, suggestions, request for MP3s (I can probably help you with that but the big, scary companies might come after us) below.

Welcome to the Gigil Factory

Hello and welcome to another blog on the internet! Since this is my first post, here’s a picture of an egg spatula, just because I think it’s awesome. (And, I’m sure most of you – if anyone really bothered to – wouldn’t really read through all of this introductory post.)


This is a two-person blog and I shall probably be the one saying most of the nonsensical things. So, from here thereon, I’d be known as Tula (from egg spatula, I know it's not clever, leave me alone), just to avoid confusion. Anyways, we’re based in Manila, Philippines, in case you are wondering, and thus, you’d find most of the things centered on that. We’ll be creating an FAQ probably when we find it fitting to actually write an FAQ and if people actually ask us something.


If you are still reading this part then, congratulations! I guess I’m still not boring you yet. But, as this blog goes along, I might be the more boring one between the two of us since the other one is like OMFGCRAZY and has more practice writing therefore, more experienced in not boring audiences. I’ll be handling all the requests, suggestions, violent reactions, anti’s, and what-have-you’s, so if you have those, address them to me and I’ll be bothering the other nice lady with those.


And here's my cue to introduce the other nice lady...


____________________________

So I kinda cheated and took a peek at what my partner wrote as her opening post, not so I can 1-UP her, but I just didn’t know what to say as some sort of “Hello, thanks for stopping by” bit for you folks. ‘Cause really, we’re two friends who have nothing else to do but have a lot to say and whine about, why lead us further into believing that we have some cred on (sometimes shallow) topics we like to make a big deal out of just by patronizing our blog?

But before you totally leave this page, never to come back ever again, allow me to try and salvage this state.

It’s true; we’re no experts in any subject. But we’d like to think we’re people of decent-to-good taste and what we do and say would hopefully be of great use to this modest-size but amicable online community in the Philippines. In that “oh, these two idiots have tried this or have seen that and it turned out bad” sense, at least.

Not attempting to sound philosophical, but knowing Socrates, (not personally, of course) who admits to knowing nothing but the existence of ignorance, we fully support anyone’s use of their own ignorance as impetus for discovery. When some people would choose the proverbial over the unfamiliar, expect us to seize both, as we always try to do in our everyday lives (except in special cases when we have to flip a coin. More on that muuuch later). Now excuse me while I go rest my head from all this fake-learned talk.

--Soc (for lack of a better name)