a dawning

following the announcement of new iPod models and the sort-of chilly weather, i just bundled up and continued to love my 4G 'pod.

on the Heard:
Mind On My Man, Karrin Allyson
Sailing, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra London
Peg, Steely Dan
The Heart's A Lonely Hunter, Thievery Corporation (feat. David Byrne)
All I Want is You, U2
Talkin' Bout Bank, The Whoridas
Drive, Ziggy Marley
At This Point In My Life, Tracy Chapman
Love Will Lead You Back, Taylor Dayne
Here's Where The Story Ends, The Sundays
Will You Feel the Same, South Border
Night Shift, Siouxsie And The Banshees
Breakout, Sean Paul
Invisible Sun, The Police
No One is to Blame, Howard Jones
Desafinado, George Michael
I Can't Tell You Why, The Eagles
Katharina, Deep Forest
Choux Pastry Heart, Corinne Bailey Rae
Fun, Fun, Fun, The Beach Boys
Bootie Call, All Saints
She Really Wants You, Aimee Mann
Beautiful Girl, Aztec Camera
Peanut Butter & Jelly, Christina Milian
How Deep Is Your Love, Dru Hill (feat Redman)
N'oubliez Jamais, Joe Cocker
Love Song for No One, John Mayer
Baby Doll, N.E.R.D.
Dracula's Wedding, Outkast (feat. Kelis)
Flash, Queen
The Road, Tenacious D
Trip Through Your Wires, U2
Daylight Robbery, Imogen Heap
Missionary Man, Eurythmics
I Stand With You, The Dawn (R.I.P. Teddy D.)
Friday I'm In Love, The Cure
The Apl Song, Black Eyed Peas
The River of Dreams, Billy Joel
Desert Moon, Dennis De Young
Drowning In Your Eyes, Ephraim Lewis


2008 will mark the 20th anniversary of Teddy Diaz's death. Diaz, a founding member of The Dawn, the Philippines' pioneer new wave/rock band, was killed in almost-cliche fashion - stabbed by some no-future lowlife tambay - during their burgeoning rise to the top of the music heap. the media coverage was extensive, and Diaz was lionized to somewhat ridiculous proportions that even the man himself may complain. his death stirred echoes in chongs'* hearts and minds, recalling the legendary Ian Curtis, who hanged himself at the peak of Joy Division's powers, effectively kickstarting New Order. there was no New Order-level of notoriety (post-Diaz) for The Dawn, however, despite the courage of Messrs. Jett Pangan, Caloy Balcells and JB Leonor to push on. sure, they may have rode their popularity to new heights, but as new wave died off, the Eraserheads took over and became the quintessential Pinoy band everyone will always remember. ironically, the current incarnation of The Dawn also boasts of Buddy Zabala, ex-Eraserhead.

at their best, The Dawn's strength drew from the musical stylings of Diaz' guitar. face it, even their best songs had weak pretentious lyrics and Pangan's vocals was even weaker. since they were instep with the musical times then, abstract lyrics about enveloped ideas and silent screams played well with the chongs looking for direction and rockstars to idolize; but translated to Tagalog, it didn't sound good - you can't have just a narrow strata of society as your audience. that left the guitars to lift The Dawn from being pedestrian. did they ever recapture that strength with their subsequent musical chairs after Teddy died? not enough. The Dawn's lasting legacy is perhaps opening the doors for anyone who dreamed of being in a band (but not dying young or at their peak).

what if Teddy were alive today? he probably would have opened a music school. as it is, everyone (who's anyone and who isn't) cites him as an influence (despite having a very short career), but he could have been and done a lot more to/for the next generation. damn that tambay.

* term used to refer to Pinoy new wavers. used to be on the other side of the fence were the punks, and they used to fight each other, ignoring the fact that they both came from the same musical strain out of the late 70s.