The Filipino Lifestyle: music

The past decade is undeniably the age of the reality stars. From Survivor to American Idol, reality TV shows have made a lot of ordinary people rise to popularity and stardom. Some them had become actors and actresses while some have become musician and recording artists that are now topping music charts worldwide.

But a decade before the dawn of reality stars, the world, specifically the music industry was ruled by boy bands. And during the 90s there were a handful of these boy bands. Some have stayed together up to now while there were others who disbanded and decided to go their separate ways. So in today’s edition of TNP, we’ll be taking a look back at the most popular boy bands of yesteryears. So get ready for some nostalgic treats for your ear drums.

BOYZONE

Year Formed: 1993

Members: Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham, Shany Lynch, Ronan Keating, Stephen Gately (deceased)

Popular Hits: Baby Can I Hold You, No Matter What, Love Me for a Reason, Isn’t it a Wonder, etc.

BACKSTREET BOYS

Year Formed: 1993

Members: A.J. McLean, Howie Dorough, Nick Carter, Keving Richardson, Brian Littrell

Popular Hits: Quit Playing Games, I Want it That Way, Drowning, All I Have to Give, etc.

N’SYNC

Year Formed: 1995

Members: JC Chasez, Justin Timberlake, Chris Kirkpatrick, Joey Fatone, Lance Bass

Popular Hits: I Drive Myself Crazy, Tearin’ Up My Heart, Bye Bye Bye, This I Promise You

WESTLIFE

Year Formed: 1998

Members: Nicky Byrne, Kian Egan, Mark Feehily, Shane Filan, Brian McFadden

Popular Hits: Swear it Again, Flying Without Wings, Uptown Girl, If I Let You Go, etc.

98 Degrees

Year Formed: 1996

Members: Nick and Drew Lachey, Justin Jeffree and Jeff Timons

Popular Hits: The Invisible Man, I Do, Because of You, etc.

So which boy band of the 90s were you a fan of? Do tell us by leaving a comment below. You may also add up TFL on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Google Plus. You can also subscribe to this blog by using this link.

Filipinos have a long history of being music lovers. And this love for music is seen in and around the metro. Manila and neighboring cities for instance are lined with bars and lounges that provide live band performances to their customers. One can even find music playing in common neighborhoods through KTV or karaoke.

So it’s not surprising that a lot of Filipinos go gaga over concerts. And this year, a slew of foreign artists have decided to drop by the Philippines to jam. And although going to these concerts may raise some patriotic eyebrows, the idea of going to a concert of an international artist is still too much of an opportunity for us to easily pass by.

So we’ve created a list of some of the most popular foreign acts who will land on our shores in the coming weeks.

So are you excited? If you are, better save up because ticket prices to some of these concerts can become a bit pricey. J

Music has always been an important part of our lives. We Filipinos love singing in the shower, humming a song while doing household chores, listening to the radio, watching MTV or MYX and of course we all love videoke.

And being the music-loving people that we are, we always like to bring our portable media players with us and listen to our favorite songs while working, on the road or when we just want to do some sound tripping. But the thing is, headphones, especially the good quality ones, aren’t always the best fit for your latest hairdo or the new dress you just got from the mall. Or are they?

Here are some of the most stylish yet fully functional headphones for the audiophile fashionista.

AIAIAI Capital Headphones

Made with reinforced fiberglass and nylon, the AIAIAI Capital provides wearable and comfortable headphones. It features a foldable design, a 3-button inline remote, titanium high performance drivers and a design that’s resistant to rain, snow and hail.

Urbanears TANTO

The Urbanears Tanto is a very minimalistic earphone that is made out of super lightweight materials. The cord of the Tanto is made out of fabric while the drivers are attached to the headband using ball joint construction which ensures optimized ergonomics.

The 3.5mm connector of the Tanto also ensures its compatibility with popular devices like that from Apple, Samsung, LG, Blackberry, HTC and more.

Purity by MONSTER

From the makers of Beats Audio comes another stylish headphone – the Purity. The Purity headphone was created for Nokia and was intended to be the partner audio accessory for their Lumia line of cellphones. It features high-definition speakers, tangle resistant cables and an in-line mic with phone and music controls.

The headphone comes with a hard shell carrying case and is compatible with all types of devices that have a 3.5mm audio port.

Marshall Major

Marshall has always been known as one of the best manufacturers of audio equipment. Their speakers usually adorn concert grounds and events. It is also the brand of choice to most musicians. So it is without a doubt that headphones created by Marshall also offer the same quality as their other audio products.

The Marshall Major headphones are no exception. This audio accessory has a fully collapsible construction that allows for easy storage and transportation. The speakers are lined with super soft ear cushion to allow for comfortable music playback. It also has a 6.3mm adapter that allows users to use the headphone to other sound systems that use the 6.3mm standard.

PHILIPS Citiscape

Philips is another well-known brand not only in audio equipment but also other household appliances. They’re one of the most accessible to most consumers as Philips products are sold in a number of different malls and audio equipment stores in and around the metro.

One of their most stylish headphones in their lineup is the Philips CitiScape Headband Headphones. This audio accessory features a close acoustic system, a mylar dome diaphragm and dynamic 40mm speakers.

So there you have it. Some of the market’s best headphones that allows for form to meet function. If you have any of these headphones with you, then you don’t have to worry about being out of style even with your new hairdo or even with your newly bought outfit.

The closing ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, England was the venue of one of the most nostalgic reunion of one of the world’s best girl group – The Spice Girls.

After their last get together back in 2008, the five-girl group composed of Geri Halliwell, Melanie Chisholm, Melanie Brown, Victoria Beckham and Emma Bunton has once again brought back their hit songs from the past that reminded everyone about girl power.

If you can’t get enough spice music, I’ve collected videos of their hits for all of us to enjoy.

Spice Up Your Life (1997)

Written by The Spice Girls, Matt Rowe and Richard Stannard

Album: Spice