21 January 2007
January Days
I'm escaping in a different way
January Days by Chicosci
New Year's Day really sucked. It was damn boring, nothing special happened whatsoever. I can't differentiate it from any regular Sunday trip to the mall. The only interesting thing is that I was able to buy Chicosci's self-titled album that day. And it's just a coincidence that the last track of the album which is stuck in my mind right now is titled January Days.
Back To Life, I Mean School
I hadn't really thought of making a New Year's resolution until I realized how much I sucked during the third quarter, grading period if you like, and so I have to work much harder if I really want to go up the stage on PSHS Foundation Day 2007. I'm not really that determined to be in the DL, but of course I'd love to see my name on that list.
I need to work, I mean study, really hard now. Without the inspiration.
Chicosci
The most interesting part of Chicosci's music is the lyrics. That is the unique thing about them: their words are like no other. It's because Chicosci loves metaphors, and they're good at using it.
Take their fourth album for instance. It's a concept album - that is, it's a coherent piece of work with an idea and an attitude. The idea is a nice one - all the songs contain messages delivered as if it were a vampire's words. It appears that Chicosci is so obsessed with vampire lore that they write songs as if they're bloodsuckers themselves. And that's the album's idea.
My description of the album might have conjured images of dark, brooding and morbid songs and lyrics in your mind. Yes it is, though that's not the whole story. See for yourself - here's the lyrics of Sweet Maria, which is by the way one of the more interesting songs in the album.
Bless this night
I'm entering the fold
With everything to lose
And I'll be ready for the end
With both guns blazing
Nothing can stop this war tonight
Can you be my shelter?
Your suicide kisses will be mine
Sweet Maria
Guide these bullets in the air
Beautiful clash
I'm a blinded fool again
And I'll be cut and bruised
A lovely blade run through my neck
My landmine valentine
These silver bullets will open your eyes
And I'll be here breathing
Your suicide kisses will be mine
Sweet Maria
Guide these bullets in the air
Three more in the chamber and I said
Sweet Maria
Grace this moment, hear my prayer
I feel you beside me
Touch me I tremble
My final dance
This means everything, everything to me
See? Can you see how the song takes the story of a soldier leaving for war and talking to his loved one for the last time, then rewrites it so that it becomes the story of a vampire going to a duel to the death?
That's the magic of Chicosci.
2nd World Pyro Olympics
You didn't get to watch that? Aww, too bad. You just missed the greatest show on earth.
Well, maybe, that's exaggerated, but it's not far from that. You don't get to see that kind of pyrotechnic displays everyday, not even on New Year's Eve! Yes, it's that beautiful.
I was able to watch four of the ten shows: US, Spain, China and the last one which I'm not sure if it's just the Philippines or the Philippines and all the other participants (if you've seen it, you'd really doubt. The last show was just too big and complicated and beautiful to be just the work of one country. Not even the glorious Philippines.) The most interesting part of it is that, to me, their shows somehow reflected their nation's image. US had a somewhat diverse show, with a shock and awe finale. Spain focused more on timing and lights (or brightness), somehow achieving a romantic atmosphere. China played it really big - their shells (the contest's term for the fireworks) was so complicated and huge that each one was quite as specacular as a couple of the previous two countries'. And the colors - you can see how red and yellow dominated. The colors of the Chinese flag.
The last show, however, was like a finale from the very beginning. It was a long shock and awe show, maintaining the same level of intensity from start to end. And the variety - the show took some unique fireworks from the other countries and fired it. Lots of it. Which led me to conclude that the last show wasn't really just the Philippine's work - it's a collaboration of all the participants. A fitting end to such a great show of pyrotechnic mastery.
By the way, the last show ended with the same long-lasting, slowly falling flares that was the best part of the 1st WPO's last show (which was clearly solely Philippine's work). There was less of it however, and all the massive shells that fired off before it took away its glory.
Eragon
I love this film, and somewhat hate it at the same time. I hate it because there's nothing new with this film, or story for that matter. A lot of things are predictable. Yeah, there are still some things that quite surprise you, like Arya's somewhat premature rescue (it happened sooner that I expected). But still at times you can predict what will happen next.
But then I love this film because it's a somewhat fresh look at the old story of dragons. The story focused on the adventure of one dragon and her one rider. The last dragon for that matter, and the only hope of the good forces. Sounds pretty much like a plain old fantasy story. But still, it worked. Perhaps because the story had powerful emotions - you can't help but feel sad at least as Brom takes on his final ride at the back of a dragon flying under the moon. Although you probably expect that Saphira will not die, you can feel her pain as she suffers from her wounds and crashes to the ground - and that's a dragon!
That's how the film adaptation of Eragon worked. By connecting you to the story, and the characters.
--
Now you are my beloved ghost
And here I’ll wait for you to sing
A Promise by Chicosci
posted by DJ at 02:05 |
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