The Songs Of 2007

2007 itself was really crappy in music. Obviously I didn’t ignore music this year, I just wasn’t tapped into current music when most of the music that hooked me was released before 2007, which made my pre-lists very rich. So, although it wasn’t so hard to know which artists and songs would make it, it was hard for me to restrict them to only ten songs; then I decided to do a top 20. Last year I divided the list in fields but now I’m just too lazy for that and just separated them in two: the first part with brief comments and the second with longer and more elaborated ones. There are ties, which yeah ho was a way for me to shove more songs into the list; but what can I do, I dig on ‘em!

I have Samba and a lot of Indie stuff here, like a Canadian belle with the smoothest of voices, an androgynous Brit with one of the most wonderful voices and a filmstar turned rockstar with a fun-to-hear voice; alongside with the good’ol’ mainstream Pop. Dance music makes itself very present with a firmed G-d and a new Diva [to me], and a new G-d is raised on my altar, even though she’s not so keen on G-d.

The Bubbling-Under:
20. "Like A Star" by Corinne Bailey Rae
The song of lonely moments...
19. "Crippled And The Starfish" by Antony And The Johnsons
I have pleasure to say I’ve seen him playing it live!!!
18. "Tema de Não Quero Ver Você Triste" by Erasmo Carlos e Marisa Monte
One of the most romantic songs you will ever hear.
17. "20 Year Old Lover" by Juliette And The Licks
The monologue by the end makes me cum a million cums.
16. "Ever Fallen In Love" by Nouvelle Vague
Foreign Bossa Nova/Samba – you can be sure I’ll gladly listen.
15. "Amado" by Vanessa Da Mata
One of the most romantic songs you will ever hear – part deux.
14. "Get Naked (I Got A Plan)" by Britney Spears
Delicious self-indulgent songs from Tinseltown’s ex-Pop Princess and now promising stripper. YAAAAY!! And LEAVE BRITNEY ALONE!!!
13. "Divine Gosa" by Bonde Do Rolê
Crazy and funny lyrics combined with Carioca funk and Eletronic and Rock elements. Count me in!!
12. "Os Novos Yorkinos" by Bebel Gilberto
Me and my friends’ theme. We turn this small shitty town [Conquista] into New York.
11. "Don’t Look Back" by Télépopmusik
A perfect trip hop love song. Angela McCluskey’s voice is beyond lovely.

Top 10:

10. "Don’t Stop The Music" by Rihanna
I still think her voice is awful, but man, what awesome music this woman made this year!! From the Micheal Jackson sample to the exciting background claps.
- "Friday Night" by Lily Allen
Allen’s drunken nights and fights in clubs really made my fun early in the year.

9. "Rehab" by Amy Winehouse
Early in the year this was a fever, I loved it to death; now it bores me. But I chose it to the top 10 because it’s a good picture of this decade’s culture. I mean, it was released last year but it was still all over the place in early 2007; but now, it feels like it’s a hundred years old. Things are very ephemeral lately; every week is a new technology, a new fashion, the best rock band of all times… kinda boring right?

8. "HeadTurner" by Joss Stone
The songs from Stone's third album swayed my early year; HeadTurner, the slut song – as the ho and I call it, - is my favorite from the album, because it makes me feel like a natural ho. Another song from her album that made me cum this year was Bruised But Not Broken – but I chose “Turner” instead because of the not depressive tone.

7. "Wuthering Heights" by The Puppini Sisters
The Puppini Sisters were my ultimate gay delight… okay there was Rihanna, but you know what I mean: three beautiful women playing vintage music and wearing 1930’s looks – and one of them is Italian, hello!!
Playing Jazzed Pop hits they are all I love about artists: fun, competent and poser. And the things they did to the songs are wonderful, listen to their I Will Survive and The Smiths’s Panic. But to feature here is their mesmerizing version of Kate Bush’s classic, Wuthering Heights. The harmonized vocals, the theatrical performance, the arrangements make me shudder with excitement as I behold delicious reinventions.

6. "Hands On Me" by Vanessa Carlton
I’ve always loved Nessa Carlton and suddenly one day I woke up with this song’s demo version on my mind and remembered her third album was to be released. The album was reviewed here a while ago, but this is definitely my favorite song.
It's so romantic in a kind of bitter way, having a Carlton singing about an obsessive behavior towards a romance. Sounds familiar? Lol.
There they go climbing Tibetan mountains and crossing deep oceans, when they actually never met yet. And in the end when you think it's obsession enough, she goes and begs “just put your hands on me!” This desperation is both sweet and funny; and considering how Carlton has always been very centered on her love songs, I can't help loving such sarcasm.

5. "One Evening" by Feist
“When we started, both brokenhearted. Not believing, could begin and end in one evening.” Isn’t it the dream of everyone who ventures in dates and one-night-stands? The delicious thing of the song, however, is the fact she keeps herself very grounded on the following verses.

Feist became an instant sensation on my playlists; the same happened with Saint Etienne last year and Feist’s folk quality brings a sort of cynical Indie aura to me. The whole Indie movement is kind of a bore, especially because most Indies think they’re better than anyone because they love unmainstreamed things [even if they’re now the mainstream]. But Feist is thrilling with her soothing voice and wonderful way of arranging music. She’s nomed as Best New Artist from the Grammies, for this year’s The Reminder; but her solo career start is dated from 1999… that was so Indie of me. *hehehe*

4. "Belo Estranho Dia De Amanhã" by Roberta Sá
Although she's the only Brazilian Music representative on the top 10, for a period this year I have been addicted to samba and MPB. Roberta Sá was the main star of that phase; early in the year I got addicted to her first album and a while later her sophomore was released and what a marvel it is.
Bringing samba to a closer and more modern reality, on the Que Belo Estranho Dia Pra Se Ter Alegria album she proved herself as an exquisite performer and musician by showing she knows how to choose a repertoire. In both of her albums she sang songs by unknown artists releasing new composers on the market, or songs by already firmed writers but that are so rare that are practically new.
The song I chose is a delicious love song about forgetting all life’s troubles and stress and tapping to the simple and serene side of everything. By listening to it I long for such a love, one that makes me smile; better yet, it brings me hope that one day it’ll come along.

3. "In My Arms" by Kylie Minogue
The other day the ho and I came to the conclusion that we were never let down by Miss Minogue. Ever since I became a fan there was nothing from this woman’s creative and delicious mind that made me stick up my nose.
This year, after a delightful treat with White Diamond and the Showgirl Homecoming we had the excitement of having leaked some tracks from the new studio album. In My Arms came to me like a thunderbolt full of joy and hope. No longer kicking depression with dancing, this time she was coming filled with self-assurance and happiness.
Although it’s become tacky [but still is very common] mentioning her cancer every time she’s the subject, I can’t help saying that probably what she went through put her in a happier line in what it comes to her lyrics. Another track from her latest album, The One, is beyond romantic but in the end she goes and says “I’m the one, love me”, instead of “why’d you leave to find yourself, I can’t dance with no one else.”
Kylie’s top 5:
a. In My Arms
b. Please Stay
c. The One
d. Sensitized
e. Disco Down

2. "Today The Sun’s On Us" by Sophie Ellis-Bextor
One morning in Salvador I woke up with Murder On The Dancefloor pumping into my head and had an epiphany: “hey, I don’t know much about Sophie Ellis-Bextor!” Nah it was not so theatrical, I simply got up and decided to download her discography after I saw a comment about Catch You on a blog. From the moment I started listening to her music and studying her career I knew I was a fool for having neglected such wonderful and genius artist.
With elaborate and joyous beats Ellis-Bextor has a Minogue quality when she comes with dark lyrics combined with ingenious dance hooks and layers [give a try on Move This Mountain from her debut album, or The Walls Keep Saying Your Name from her sophomore]. But when she gets optimistic as in Today The Sun's On Us she's heartwarming and bright. I lost track of how many times this song lifted me up from depressive moods and dark times.
Sophie’s top 5:
a. Today’s The Sun’s On Us
b. If I Can’t Dance
c. The Walls Keep Saying Your Name
d. I Won’t Change You
e. New York City Lights

1. "Wanderlust" by Björk
Despite the fact that she’s the most ubiquitous artist of my year [just check out my last.fm] and that this was the year I became a die-hard fan, it’s this track from her latest studio effort, Volta, that best defines my life and behavior in 2007. I last year moved to Conquista in the high hopes to move to Salvador; and after six unhappy months in Salvador I returned to Conquista. And engaging myself in planed or last-hour trips I’ve come to know places and have a bunch of experiences that fulfilled me in ways that were very new to me.
This song, with its sometimes scary brass section became a hymn to my new desire during my trip to Rio de Janeiro. Sometimes putting comfort aside and following intuition, I’ve come to see and feel things that pushed my own nature and brought self-awareness and reinvention. This song is definitely the best way to describe a fully colourful 2007.
Björk’s top 6*:
a. Wanderlust
b. Bachelorette
c. Unravel
d. Isobel
e. Possibly Maybe
f. Dull Flame Of Desire [with Antony]
*because I couldn’t help it.

Honorable [very late] mentions:
- Once Soundtrack
The one movie this year that touched me to the core. Every and each song of its soundtrack makes me teary eyed, but indisputably romantically hopeful. Highlights are: Falling Slowly, When Your Mind’s Made Up and Lies.
- "No One" by Alicia Keys
For me “No One” felt like a one-day wonder, one morning more specifically.
- "What Goes Around… Comes Around" by Justin Timberlake
Justin “Hot” Timberlake was very present early in March – but what comes around…
- "Thinking About You" by Norah Jones
Somehow she’s always around during my year.
- "Lenda" by CéU
Genius experimental Brazilian music. CéU has the voice of an angel combined with fierceness of a woman not afraid to try new things.
- "Grace Kelly" by Mika
Alright, he is beyond annoying now, but I really enjoyed him back in May.

The Songs Of 2005
The Songs Of 2006

The Forgotten Item

I said that I would forget something and I did... and I did forget probably the most stupendous thing that happened this year.

17. Rio de Janeiro

A million shits happened before it but in the end turned out to be the best trip I did to date. I spent a week at the city we call "Cidade Maravilhosa" and almost everything I've heard about it was confirmed. The smart and funny people, the hot weather, the breathtaking sights, the hot men... all was there for me to see and drool on. And the violence, the thing people warned me the most, wasn't a bit close to anywhere I went; not the Rio is a safe place, I guess I just went lucky.

I made nice friends there and hung around with Alais at beautiful historic and modern places: Santa Teresa, Laranjeiras and Lapa, the artistic neighborhoods; Copacabana and Ipanema, the place with the hottest shirtless people; Leblon, the fanciest place I've been; Cinelândia and the old downtown, the most charming neighborhoods I've seen so far.

Also in Rio I saw live one of my favorite singers, Roberta Sá [brunette on the pic] in a pocket-show that felt like a true carioca event: close-to-people but very glamorous and hype. The connection between the audience and Sá was inevitably delicious, considering the stage was actually part of the dancefloor separated for the band. She played favorites such as Mais Alguém, A Vizinha do Lado and Samba de Um Minuto; but the highlight was when she sang Fogo E Gasolina looking straight at me!!!! I died a million deaths at that singular moment. Later, after the show, I and Alais went backstage for autographs and pictures; Roberta was nice and gentle and signe the hundred autographs I was charged to ask.

Next year she's going to Salvador. I hope it's not in Carnaval, because my wanderlust will take me to the farthest place till then: Rome!

[Song: Mais Alguém - Roberta Sá]

The Savior

*click the song's names to download*

I believe that nowadays there is a weird feeling of loss about culture in general, especially music, that is the most popular of arts. Everywhere, people [who like to wonder] have been wondering if this musical apathy is the doom of the current century: nothing's new, everything's recycled and those who are really innovating and reinventing don't get the media attention that they deserve.

In Brasil that is not a bit different. In a country where the next Britney Spears imitatation or the next Ivete Sangalo song [that is never different from any previous one] are the radio-candies, the good and old Brazillian music seems to be lost. But that's very superficial.

An artist that have already featured on a list of mine grabbed me by the balls and reassured me that nothing's lost. Roberta Sá finished Fama Bis [Brazillian's Star Academy] as 2nd best; but while the 1st place is nowhere to be heard Roberta, with her sophomore [big-labelled] album, firmed herself as an important modern MPB [Brazillian Popular Music] name. A performer that sometimes writes her lyrics, Sá has a quality that goes beyond the commercial and popular; her albums are real art-pieces, filled with research and references, results of her teaming with some of the best composers and producers from contemporaneity [such as Pedro Luís - from Pedro Luís e a Parede - and Rodrigo Campello]. As a singer, she's a gem that should be much more contemplated than she is; her guttural and sweet vocals caress any song she happens to sing, with a marvelous characteristic: the words come out of her mouth filled with life and meaning, because of her clear and pure pronunciation; not a single word is cut or swallowed which gives the listener a perfect description of the lyrics, boosting imagination and fully touching your heart.

Her second album, Que Belo Estranho Dia Pra Se Ter Alegria ["what an oddly beautiful day to be happy"], surfs from traditional samba [Interessa] to Bossa Nova [Cansei De Esperar Você] and Forró [Fogo E Gasolina - with Lenine]. The openning comes in the form and sound of the impressive and involving O Pedido, a song about doing something for someone else, but the strong performance makes the song feels more like an imposition than a request. Mais Alguém, with its modern and dreamy synths, is my favorite for having its lyrics tapped to the most optimistic face of romance; in Janeiros she presents her exquisite songwritting with a poem filled with beautiful [but untranslatable] immagery. The Bossa that inspires the album's title, Que Belo Estranho Dia De Amanhã, plays with the feeling of pause when you're in love, and the oppressive but wonderful Samba De Amor E Ódio plays with the notions of love and hate, breaking shallow Manichaeisms. The album closes with the delicious and exciting Girando Na Renda, a samba de roda that invites everyone to party all night long, despite the album's end.

Sá, in the end, comes as a savior from the really cult and profound MPB. Obviously she doesn't have the media space she deserves, but it's amazing how her works impress the music critics and bring her fans among the alternative and eager-for-culture scene. And if you are one of those who wonder, both of her albums are musts.

[Song: Que Belo Estranho Dia De Amanhã - Roberta Sá]

"I'm Not Justifying Anything..."

Last night after I finished watching Heroes' 1st season on DVD, I logged on after a considerably long period [comparing my past recent MSN-life]. Marce asked me how come I haven't been posting in a long while and I realized that my previous entry sounded like a good justification, if any was necessary.

I am indeed living this productive social life that at the same time is not so productive. I'm meeting people, drinking, having fun; I'm really happy like this and have no regrets. But sometimes I do miss the patience to sit in front of the computer and just let my mind go until a post was written. The other day I realized I missed writing my varied and worth-for-nothing-but-still-fun-to-do lists.

But Alais's comment on the last entry was the one that made something click inside me. She said: "like your last blog post ;D" and a flame in my heart fainted [yes, I'm still that dramatically corny]. My web life has been giving me amazing experiences and evolution; I do not deny or want to leave it behind by living the "real" life; but the latter is, like the post before says, happening so fast that I lose track of time. But most of the time I simply don't think that re-telling my life is the real intention of this blog.

So, not in an attempt to justify myself, but simply to let whoever is interested know what I've been doing, and also to nourish this silly cute longing, here goes a lil' list of The Things That's Been Hooking Lucas Lately:

- Nalim ["the beautifullest, fragilest, still strong..."]: just been hanging a lot with her. Tonight we went to the sushi place and she's the person I mostly get my kicks out of.

- Café Don'Antônia: Nalim works there, so...

- I've been studying again for vestibular; with Nalim. We're not actually studying, just reminding ourselves of those worthless Math/Physics/Chemistry formulas while we most of the time busy our heads with cooler stuffs like politics, philosophy, music, cinema and er... weed.

- Roberta Sá: this amazing Samba singer has already been featured here and her second album is all I crave to listen to in the morning [aka whatever hour I wake up] or when I drive. Her beautiful and smooth voice, the expressive performance and the perfect pronunciation from the Portuguese words have been theme of enthusiastic conversations with my dad, as well as the rescue of the good, decent and original Brazillian music. The song Belo Estranho Dia De Amanhã, from her sophomore album is one of my favorites by her, just check it out on the white box at the left.

- Patience has been tested in the form of people...

- I'm horny as fuck... and still sexless.

- The Puppini Sisters, Vanessa Da Mata, Antony And The Johnsons, Bebel Gilberto, Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Marisa Monte have also been constant guests to "the party in my head".

- As mentioned in the beginning I've been watching Heroes and I just think that Hayden Panettiere is the cutest thing in the world. And I'm so happy that she can really act; her sad lost looks break my heart and puts me thinking in what a cool contrast they have with her ability; after all, no genetic evolution can heal heartbreaks. Okay enough nerding...

- I'm now watching Lost's 3rd season. Lost still grabs my attention, but it doesn't shock me like before. At least so far...

- There's this guy I've hooked up with twice...

[Song: Human Nature - Madonna]

Today's Sins

First: I'm not talking about sex.

By the Christians phylosophy everything is temptation and the world is in full-time work on tempting you. Since human beings are inclined to sin we often fail to resist it. Let's pretend I'm a Christian.

Today I went to Salvador's newest mall, Salvador Shopping. I was supposed to go to UFBA to drop college but an afternoon in a capitalism heaven seemed more exciting, so I went. [Sin number 1.]

Once there I at first felt a bit intimidated by the place's portliness and brightness, but very soon it was replaced by São Paulo reminiscences, when dad lived there and we'd spend hours at the Villa-Lobos Mall; especially because Salvador's has a Saraiva Mega Store that reminded me of the São Paulo's Livraria Cultura one - a place where you'd be mesmerized by its impressive stock and shocked by the ungentle prices.

Still the temption runned there everywhere and there I was smelling its exquisite smell and hearing its exciting voice. Did I resist? I left the store with the Audrey Hepburn volume from the Taschen Movie Icons collection, Björk's Live Vespertine and Paula Toller's latest album SóNós - she's the vocalist of a Brazillian very popular pop band called Kid Abelha; the album is lovely and has a Rufus Wainwright cover. [Sin number 2.]

It was after the moment I stepped out of the place that I felt it again: the feeling I'm meaning to describe. The orgasmic sensation that comes right after you do something you shouldn't but you wanted. This feeling was firstly noticed in May when Purki and Red came to Salvador and we shopped; everytime I shop I feel half-queasy half-excited as if some kind of drug had just be injected into my veins. I of course ran desperately in the pursuit of a place to smoke.

After I had lunch and had ideas for an arcticle I kept strolling and got into a sportive store looking for shoes. Then I realized how delicious shopping soundtrack Sophie Ellis-Bextor's Trip The Light Fantastic is; If I Can't Dance helped me to choose a marvelous white Converse All Star. [Sin number 3 - can I blame Sophie for that one?]

And then later I returned to Saraiva and bought Roberta Sá's new album! Two!!! One for me and other for Nalim [from theCC]. [Sin number 4 - filled with a stupid feeling of selfless balance since I was buying something to someone else.]

So then I decided to leave - actually run away from the temptation den. But uhg on my way out I spotted a cute red Converse and... [Sin number 5.]

In the taxi back home the guilty that comes after the pleasure I described above hit me and well, considering I'm at this moment a Christian I deserve punishment. How many Our Fathers should I say and how much should I be kneeled down the corn?

[Song: If I Can't Dance - Sophie Ellis-Bextor]

Top 5 Sambas

Continuing my lazy-sleezy-got-nothing-to-do posts I now will do a musical top 5.

There are still nowadays controversies about the origin of the word samba. However it's clear that it's a very popular and known Brazillian rhythm; actually the style is kind of a metonymy to my country; grigos erroneously think we all down here walk around naked dancing to samba in a daily-basis. I, in the other hand, ignored the rhythm for long; like the American Jazz, Samba originated many other rhythms that are part of Brasil's culture, and some of them are just mostly crap [neo-pagode], but just as it's stupid for the gringos to assume Brazillians only dress up with the Carnaval costumes [or not], it's stupid for me to overlook such a rich and traditional style just because of a disliked branch. Alright, this introduction is already dang long so if you got all the way to this point and want to know a bit more about samba here's the link. However, the best way to know it is listening to it.

5. Samba do Ernesto

Alright, I'm aware that most of the songs here are totally unknown by you; that's why I'm providing downloading links, click on the song's titles if you feel curious to know them. "Samba do Ernesto" is a samba by one of the greatest sambistas of all time Adoniran Barbosa. He wrote many sambas chronicling the Brazillian poor suburbia; the lyrics are written in poor Portuguese dialect, spoken wrongly; this style was known as "paulista samba" because the poor people on the free markets from São Paulo speak like that. Back then Adoniran, as much as many other sambistas, were neglected by the prejudiceful cultural elite, nowadays not only he but his "Samba do Ernesto" are praised academically, especially because his songs are perfect social depictions, being studied by sociologists, philosophers and even linguists; for me, "Samba do Ernesto" reminds me of my childhood when I used to seat on the backseat of my parents car listening to it on the radio and laughing my ass off with the wrong pronunciation of the words. For you Portuguese illiterates, just tap to the cool groove of this marvel.

4. Corcovado (Quiet Night Of Quiet Stars)

Of course you all know the marvelous Bossa Nova. What I believe that few of you know is that Bossa Nova is a branch of Samba; João Gilberto [G-d], Tom Jobim [G-d] and Vinicius de Moraes [G-d] one day created a different way to do samba, with complex harmony and less/slower percussion. The first Bossa song was Chega De Saudade, recorded by Elizete Cardoso. Of course the rhythm was firstly banned from the upper class balls for being considered too "popular-esque", until of course the gringos fell in love with it. Corcovado is by Tom Jobim inspired by the Corcovado mountain in Rio de Janeiro; many artists recorded this song but it's with Astrud Gilberto's [pic] version [the one for download up there] that my eyes wells teary waters. The marvelous saxophone crying all over the song, plus Astrud's mellow vocals put me in a trance; I imagine myself dancing slowly at a piano bar by the sea, in Rio of course. At the same time, Corcovado follows the Bossa delicious minimalist mood: it feels cozy and cute. For its imaginative pushes, this song is one of my favorite songs in the whole world.

3. A Vizinha Do Lado

This song is by baiano music bestman Dorival Caymmi [pic]. This old dude, known by his laidback and bohemian life style is author of some of the best songs ever written in this country. "A Vizinha do Lado" is simply cute, a song about a hot neighbor à lá Edie Brit who drives the borough's men crazy. Roberta Sá [unfarily] finished the 2nd season from the reality show Fama [Star Academy] at #2, but was able later to deliver one of the best albums from 2005, Braseiro. In it she mixes classic sambas with new compositions creating a fresh and exciting enviroment. In "A Vizinha" her sweet vocals enchant whoever's listening [even if you get nothing from the lyrics], add the marvelous sax and the lovely beats and you'll be surely on the way to a joyride. DO download this song!!

2. Tive Sim

Cartola [right]. He's the man! His lyrics are known for perfect use of the cult dialect of Portuguese and he never had higher level of education. He's considered by many the main sambista of the country and is praised among musicians, intellectuals or simply music lovers. Tive Sim [here sung by the heaven sent performer Ney Matogrosso - left] is a cute song about sincerity; in it Cartola's tells his love something that we don't often imagine telling our boy/girlfriends: he admits he's loved another woman before. I love this thing because of it, of its unconventional way of describing love and relationships.

1. Pelas Tabelas
This one is by one of the the top 3 best Brazillian composers alive [considred by many the best]: Chico Buarque. The song is perfectly constructed both lyrically and musically, sounding endless it could play repeatedly like a plot-samba from a samba school. The lyrics go about a man desperatedly in love, losing his head to the woman ["pelas tabelas" could be translated literally "on the table"; in Portuguese that means "to lose the mind"]. Here again you'll have Roberta Sá singing it with a full and increasing arrangement. I've been totally addicted to it because of this sense of loop the song has, as if I cannot stop listening to it. And I can't! I totally love it!

Other adorable sambas:

- Ah, Se Eu Vou - Roberta Sá

- Desde Que O Samba é Samba - Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil [written by Caetano Veloso]

- Canto De Ossanha (Let Go) - Astrud Gilberto [written by Vinicius de Moraes and Baden Powel]

- Berimbau - Astrud Gilberto [written by Vinicius de Moraes and Baden Powel]

- Samba E Amor - Caetano Veloso [written by Caetano Veloso]