S4Y#30: "Fall Back" | Factory Floor

I've known of the electronic music "post-industrial" trio Factory Floor in a music magazine called Spin. After hearing electronic patch-ups from their past releases, they finally have a self-titled album. "Fall Back" is one of their singles from the album, and it's a creative collage of sounds (though I didn't mind the vocals, because I'm more into the music) that is very post-modern as well as abstract. The composition can even fit for a traffic report, or simply a talk show's background.

S4Y#29: "Within" | Daft Punk feat. Chilly Gonzales

In Daft Punk's latest album, there's a track where the duo collaborates with Giorgio Moroder, then it is followed by a chord progression made by pianist Chilly Gonzales in transition to a slow and soft flow of melodies. It's a bit jazzy in the transition, then it finally reaches the melancholic point, where "Within" begins.

"A deep vocoder sings about not understanding the world, being lost and not even remembering his own name," writes critic Nick Stevenson. Another coming-of-age feeling, it seems, though it can be felt by anyone.

This reminds me of something: in understanding the world, and being found from being lost, God can help, for He does show the world in His perspective, and He shows the Way for the lost.

S4Y#28: "Instant Crush" | Daft Punk feat. Julian Casablancas

We have instant coffee, instant noodles, instant cash...and now "instant crush", at the least for a song.

One of the first tracks I've heard from their latest album Random Access Memories. And here, is a brilliant mix of electronic and rock, of acoustic and synthetic (with the help of The Strokes' lead Julian Casablancas).

Isn't it a thing with adolescence: having crushes instantly...and perhaps instantly fading away as well?

S4Y#27: "In My Remains" | Linkin Park

I am fond of most of the songs in Linkin Park's album Living Things, which I deem is one of their greatest compilations.

The first time I heard this, I was amazed. This is a fresh treatment of their unique rock style, piecing together elements from their albums before Living Things.

Military-like, yes it really is, with a good interweaving of moody electronic sounds, and really alternative rock riffs.

I do like that "army" bridge. It makes the song whole, and much more felt and not just heard.

S4Y#26: "Crystal Ball" | Keane

"...I remember sitting on the bus, and I was trying to write a song and I realized that I didn't have anything to say at all, and I didn't have any feelings about anything...That was a really scary for me, because I've always had lots to say, and lots of opinions whether right or wrong...and it came out of that that we were all feeling this sense of numbness, this feeling of kinda fading away as people. And I just tried to write about that, and it ended up becoming Crystal Ball."—Tim Rice-Oxley, lead of Keane

The alternative rock band Keane was first featured on Dispatch on 101 Songs of My Third Year. And they are featured here again.

I saw the music video of this song, from their album Under The Iron Sea (what a great title!), on cable television, and it appealed to me. It tells of a story of a man with almost everything he can be thankful for, and suddenly was robbed of these things. He was turned upside down, and so it goes.

That's how this video, and the song of course, appealed to me.

Easily felt, easily understood. Truly real.

S4Y#25: "Out of My League" | Fitz and The Tantrums

I actually knew this before fourth year, hearing it often on alternative music station Jam 88.3. It turned out that I heard it again often while Jam is my background while doing schoolwork.

Fitz and The Tantrums is one of those current bands I like. They also sort of taking us "back in time", since most of their music sound like Motown music, and 80's music.

S4Y#24: "Powerless" | Linkin Park

I heard this in the end of the movie Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, though I haven't viewed the movie entirely.

But I really like this song, the last track from the rock band's album, Living Things. Full of emotion, energetic in electronica, and strong in rock.

I felt with this because sometimes I did feel powerless with regards to situations and people around me.

S4Y#23: "The Mother We Share" | CHVRCHES

Here's another great piece from the synthpop trio I do like. Their sound is reminiscent of the 80's atmosphere, especially that it was a time when electronic music, specifically synthpop, grew very much and caught much attention.

I usually heard this on Jam 88.3 while doing schoolwork.

As I sought for any meaning of the song, I realize that there are many interpretations, and sometimes music is released that way—leaving the listeners to interpret it themselves.

S4Y#22: "Summertime Sadness" (Remix) | Lana del Rey + Cedric Gervais

Another house music single I saw and heard on Australian Network's music program rage. 

Obviously, Lana del Rey's vocals express a low mood, yet they contrast with the energy brought by Cedric Gervais's remix, which is what I really like in this. And so, another nice blend of electronic dance music is made.

Again, it's the technique of house that I appreciate here.

S4Y#21: "Clair de Lune" | Claude Debussy

Fourth year opened me to classical music, from the lessons at the MAPEH textbooks to the broadcasts of 98.7 DZFE. I was introduced to many musicians and composers who made their mark in music, including Claude Debussy.

He made this piece; actually, a piece of another piece(called "piano suite"). It's a piece which I remember hearing in my younger days, playing from a Reader's Digest giveaway CD entitled Enchanting Moments, which I consider as a child as a compilation of very sad melodies.

Then, when I was a senior, aside from knowing Debussy in a textbook, I saw Google celebrating the musician's 151st birthday, with this dramatic tune, accompanied by a night-themed animation.

How wonderful classical music can depict moods and paint pictures (in our minds)—like a calm and lovely mood inspired by the moonlight in the middle of the night.

This is, I claim, the first classical piece I know and appreciate.

S4Y#20: "Take Back The Night" | Justin Timberlake

Disco is revived in this pop and R&B single by Justin Timberlake, who is very well-known to most of us.

As a music reviewer noted, this another "moving" song has some similarity with a Michael Jackson record. "Take Back...", then, is another piece of deriving formerly-used elements and stringing them together with modern ones into good music.

Here I remember dancing, since it's disco—revived/modern disco. And so I remember gatherings like a turn-over ceremony, a.k.a. prom, where I dream of mixing the songs throughout the night.

This just tells me there is still a very very wide room for retro music in me. Good thing "retro" is revived in music like this.

S4Y#19: "Discolamon" | Banda Ni Kleggy

Something "novelty" and local. So upbeat and very funny. In my native terms, a sort of "kwela".

I remember this song being used for a part of a dance performance of our section (and of another) for the convocation activity of our batch, which took place before our report cards—with first quarter grades—were issued to us.

Though many may not like these kind of sounds because it's pop-ish, I find it good hearing something inciting positive vibes like this modern Pinoy hit, which even utilized a Simon-like drum device.

S4Y#18: "Can't Hold Us" | Macklemore and Ryan Lewis

For sure, many of us know Macklemore because of his hit single "Thrift Shop", which even garnered the No. 1 spot in Triple J's Hottest 100 in 2012.

But I like this one better. It was almost an anthem for me as a senior.

The piano riff, the trumpet fanfare, the fast-rap of Macklemore blended with a chorus of Ray Dalton, and the impressive and vibrant bridge ("And all the people say!") are what make this song so moving.

S4Y#17: "Intergalactic" | Beastie Boys

Before I even knew that this song is entitled "Intergalactic", I've heard it, especially the robotic-voiced lines "Intergalactic, planetary, planetary, intergalactic".

I finally knew the song after looking into some of the songs at an Australian radio station's—Triple J's—Hottest 100 of the Past 20 Years in 2013. This is the 100th track.

Some research informed me that this piece consisted of many samples and elements derived from other musical pieces. "Intergalactic" now looks like a jigzaw puzzle for me.

S4Y#16: "Genesis" | Justice

Here is another fresh treatment to house music, from a French duo named Justice.

I've discovered this while playing SongPop on Facebook, and I observe that this is something different, especially that it incorporates an orchestral intro. That's a figment of the concept of the album (entiled Cross, stylized as †) where "Genesis" is track #1; the concept is an "opera-disco album".

I find this as house music that is really different from the usual beats and drops.

S4Y#15: "Feel Good Inc." | Gorillaz feat. De La Soul

(You may know that this song has some curses. Thankfully, there's a clean edit of it, though this lacks completeness.)

This is one of the remarkable tracks of my fourth year soundtrack.

First, I like the way it flows from near-spoken-word lines to a lonely chorus to a pumped-up rap from De La Soul to another lonely chorus synced with guitar effects...

Next, I used this song in a Trigo pair project. My classmate (chosen by draw lots) made the video, and I wrote the lyrics. I used this song as the template, thanks to another classmate who has "Feel Good" on his phone.

Lastly, I actually heard of the notable bassline and the childlike-uttered words "feel good" back when I was very young.

And finally, I know what is the title of this song I've heard several times on radio.

S4Y#13 & #14

This time, let me share two songs in my soundtrack in one whole post.

I want to let you hear the music, not just read what I wrote about it, because sometimes I find it hard to describe songs, unlike music magazine writers—they do it with ease.

Anyway, the thirteenth and fourteenth songs are, consequently, another indie track and another Beatles hit.


S4Y#13: "Ways To Go" | Grouplove

S4Y#14: "Come Together" | The Beatles

S4Y#12: "Get Lucky" | Daft Punk

The robots-in-public were back with Random Access Memories, including its main single, "Get Lucky".

Daft Punk has done something new, something different from what they did in the past albums, where beats and synths and vocoder-sounds were linked to house and electronic.

Here, they were making a throwback to past sounds. For the first time, the duo were doing drums and guitar. Still, they included some electro.

They even collaborated with many artists for the album, and here in this single they worked with singer Pharell Williams(Happyyy...) and guitarist Nile Rodgers(of the 70's band Chic:"Ahhhhh...Freak out!").

There's even a joke regarding the line "We're up all night to get lucky": isn't that what students do often?

Here's one amazing performance of "Get Lucky", where Stevie Wonder joined them:

S4Y#11: "Get Back" | The Beatles

Because of my classmate's interest in Beatles' music, as well as a friend's, I got curious about the music of one of the prominent bands in rock and roll music throughout time.

If today girls are going bonkers over 5 Seconds of Summer, or The Vamps, or Before You Exit, before—around the times of my parents, or maybe yours too—girls were crazy over the English 4-piece band.

Nonetheless, Beatles' sound is classic. Like here in this song, I'm taken back to time, as well as good music that made its mark in rock and popular music.

S4Y#10: "Never Be The Same" | The Rubens

I heard the Australian alternative rock band when I caught a live concert on Australian Network. Then I heard this song again one Saturday on rage, a weekend music show, on the same cable channel.

This is, so far, the song I'm only familiar of from The Rubens. Yet, I did feel strong emotions while listening to the song. I felt like the song tries to express.

One time in the beginnings of 4th year I thought: time for me to change and gather myself. Time for me to change and be a better man. Never do the same faults.