A cut above

The two CDs today consist of music that rises above the commercial clutter which rules the airwaves. With Ben Folds, it’s his wry humor and self-deprecating attitude that makes his music unique. And the CD looks back at a career well spent. With Gym Class Heroes, its videos have also betrayed a sense of humor, and this has been the avenue via which the band displays its own brand of social consciousness.

Ben Folds  The Best Imitation of Myself: A Retrospective (Epic/Sony). Spanning his 16-year-recording career, this is Ben Folds self-curated look at his discography. As he writes, it begins from the point when he found his voice and stopped imitating others. If one is not too familiar with Ben’s music, think of a straight line running from Elton John of the ’70s and ’80s all the way to artists of today like Owl City, and Ben Folds would be found somewhere along that line. His songs have always been perfect for cinematic moments  as how The Luckiest was used in the Amy Heckerling film Loser and Still comes from the animated movie Over the Hedge. I loved his collaboration with British author Nick Hornby; represented here by a cut from Lonely Avenue. And for tongue-in-cheek humor, check out Rockin’ the Suburbs and Underground. The two songs he composed for his twin daughters are also found on this album. Intelligent Pop has always been Ben’s world, and this compilation is testimony to his song-writing skills.

Gym Class Heroes  The Papercut Chronicles II (Fueled by Ramen/Warner). There is life after Millionaire for Travis McCoy, and it comes via revisiting his life as a Gym Class Hero. Papercut Chronicles II deftly mixes the sounds of hip-hop and rap with breezy pop and highly-accessible R&B, and it works like a charm. Stereo Hearts has the crooning Adam Levine of Maroon 5, while The Fighter has Ryan Tedder of One Republic as collaborator. My favorites though are Life Goes On with Oh Land and A** Back Home with Neon Hitch  these should be instant club favorites, with just the right amount of hip-hop swagger. A recent visitor to the Philippines, when he was on a worldwide crusade to help raise awareness on the plight of street children, Travis brings an element of conscience into his lyrics and raps, without sacrificing the commercial flavor of the music. On this CD, the Gym Class Heroes wrote all the songs, and this is one hip, enjoyable set of songs.