Itchyworms is known as a humorous comical Filipino rock band. Their new song "Akin Ka Na Lang" is a current hit single especially in local radio stations.
The Band
Jazz Nicolas Drums and vocals
a human being who breathes air and drinks water in order to survive these trying times
Jugs Jugueta Guitar and vocals
an ex-Grade 5 student during the 80’s
Chino Singson Guitar
former Monkey-Monkey-Annabelle (more commonly known as "ungguy-ungguyan") champion
Kelvin Yu Bass
"bahista" espesyal, or in layman's terms, special bassist
Discography
Little Monsters Under Your Bed (Neo Records, 2001)
And The Worm Jumped Over The Moon (Independent, 2003)
Noontime Show (Universal Records, 2005)
Itchyworms eloi-loi rocked |
Friday, May 13, 2005
Bridge
The band was formed in 1997 by Johnoy Danao, Jon Danao and Ryan Cablitas at the "bridge"--a passage connecting the corridors of UP's Narra Residence Hall. They first performed in several on-campus events and had a weekly stint at a nearby watering hole called Inka Café. The following year, Mon Apostol came on board to play bass. The group went on to perform in several other bars and events, gradually shifting their focus from cover songs to original compositions.
In 2000, the band decided to make an album. Ryan Cablitas had left then, but he was replaced by his brother, Jong. Their first album entitled "Piece of Paradise" was completed in May that year. But it only hit the record stores two years later, distributed by an independent label company in collaboration with Sony Music Philippines.
Bridge was nominated for "Best New Artist" at the NU 107 Rock Awards in December 2002. That year, Radioactive Sago Project saxophonist Rastem Eugenio joined the band.
Last August, Bridge independently released a six-track EP entitled "Love from Lust." "Kahit Na," a single from that EP, is being aired on several Metro Manila radio stations. The band also produced a music video of the single which was nominated in the Best Independent Video category at this year's MTV Pilipinas Awards.
Bridge eloi-loi rocked |
Ciudad
Ciudad has been called one of the most exciting and great-sounding new bands today. Sounds exciting considering the fact that the group was formed in 1994 by Ateneo high school students just to be able to join a school project. The members had so much fun jamming they decided to get their act together and began performing live.
They joined and won a few "Battle of the Bands" contests, and soon moved on to regular gigs, playing all over the circuit that included big venues like Music Museum and even Plaza Miranda. The band also fronted for The Eraserheads, Rivermaya, Sandwich and Color It Red.
"Hello! How Are You, Mico The Happy Bear?" Ciudad's debut album, was released last August under BMG Records Pilipinas' Greater East Asia label. The record, produced by Raimund Marasigan and Romel Sanchez, features 19 of the best music Ciudad has composed, including the hits "Corina Turina," "I Can't Get To You," "Bombsite," "With Me" and the current chart-topping single, "Sipilyo."
At a time when rock is getting heavier and serious once again, Ciudad is providing a breath of fresh air.
Ciudad eloi-loi rocked |
Narda
Narda, formed in July 2002, is composed of five individuals all committed to the development of Filipino music. The band dishes out pop rock, with a sound that is sweet and spicy, giving the audience a truly rock-and-roll experience.
Narda has been circulating in the local music scene through various gigs and concerts, continuous airplay on NU 107, and the successful release of their four self-produced EPs under Ponkan Music.
Their first album, the dark and grungy "A Postcard From," rages with songs like "Crime-Fighting Mama" and "Kusina." The bright and sunny "Suwerte," the second album, shakes and bobs with "Tanga" and "Suwerte," while the stripped-down "Burador," the third album, boasts of acoustic arrangements like "Santong Paspasan" and "Ang Gabi." Their fourth EP entitled "Salaguinto't Salagubang" was launched in September 2003, and features five tracks with each band member trying their hand at songwriting.
Narda is enjoyable to listen to and a sight to behold on stage. Their performances range from highly intense to flirtatiously playful. They have been labeled a "fun rock band"-a rarity nowadays-because of the fun in their music and rapport with their audience.
With a band as bright and energetic as Narda, the future looks good for Filipino rock and roll.
Narda eloi-loi rocked |
Marty McFly
Marty McFly, formed in 2000, are a bunch of geeks with guitars bent on putting themselves back in the spectrum of the music scene.
Marty McFly's music is a crossbreed of early '90s alternative/power pop with their influences ranging from Popsicle, Weezer, Superchunk, Pixies, Rentals and to every other indie rock band at that time. Their songs are a mixture of power pop vocals laced with fuzz-heavy guitar, Beach Boys-esque doo-wops, and occasional synth and moog hooks.
The lyrics of every Marty McFly song come directly from their hearts-tongue-in-cheek, but they work well under any circumstances. Their songs usually deal with love lost, love found, love in between and love forlorn-or so say the reviews.
Since 2000, they have released two indie EPs and a full-length self-titled album which they released independently late last year (local distribution is now under Sony Music).
Marty McFly is Leinil Yu on vocals/guitars, Rio Vargas and Gogie Sinson also on guitars, Mark Morada on bass and Mon Calinawan on drums.
Marty McFly eloi-loi rocked |
BOLDSTAR
Boldstar was formed three years ago by Marie Jamora (drums/vocals), Jazz Nicolas (bass/vocals), Echo Singson (guitar/vocals) and Justin Sunico (lead guitar/vocals)
Boldstar's music is really eclectic-really poppy '80s-sounding songs, heavy metal riffs to jazzy ditties, most of them with 2-3 part melodies. They all write songs in the band: after one person writes a song, everyone else pitches in on arranging it. They don't set limits when it comes to writing and arranging songs.
Boldstar released their debut album entitled "You Must Have Been a Beautiful Something... What Are You... Really?" on Aug. 16, 2002. They have already released six singles: "Accident Prone," "Anchor," "Pork Siomai," "Salidious," "Boom Desire" and "Sad Trip."
Boldstar eloi-loi rocked |
PIN-UP GIRLS
The title of an old comic book "Tales of the Unexpected" best describes the story of the Pin-Up Girls. They were brought together by fate in almost the same strange way they were suddenly elevated from underground all-stars to being the first Philippine-based rock group to be signed by a US label.
The band was formed in 1996 by vocalist Mondo Castro, guitarist Pamela Aquino and bassist Jeng Tan, former members of the all-female punk powerhouse Keltscross. Guitarist Ryan Nachura eventually joined the band but they were without a permanent name until they saw Tan wearing a Bettie Page T-shirt (Page was one of the most famous pin-up girls from the '50s).
Calling themselves the Pin-Up Girls, the young group began covering New Wave tunes in small clubs. Then the band started writing their own songs--poetic, hook-driven tales of domestic violence, unrequited love, romantic devotion, otherworldly adventures--set to three-part male and female vocal harmonies and ringing and shimmering guitars.
After raising money from a garage sale, the Pin-Up Girls recorded and self-released their first album, "Hello Pain," in July 2001. The track "Witching Hour," was No. 1 on NU 107 for seven weeks. Through numerous gigs and continuous airplay for "Witching Hour," "Ride Rocket Wild" and "A Cold and Better Place," the Pin-Up Girls gained a loyal following but got the cold shoulder from local labels.
Their big break came in 2002 after Michael Sutton, a NU 107 fan and lifelong New Wave devotee who was also the A&R representative of Know-It-All Records in Tacoma, Washington, heard their music. Sutton was so mesmerized that he convinced his label to sign them up. In June that year, the Pin-Up Girls became part of Know-It-All Records and entered the rock and roll history books.
The Pin-Up Girls have been played on numerous US radio stations.
Pin-up Girls eloi-loi rocked |
Saturday, April 16, 2005
urbandub
If you think that Metro Manila holds the monopoly of musical talent in the Philippines, you are underestimating the talent in the other areas of our country. Outside our little metropolitan world are little musical hotspots scattered throughout the various cities and provinces. From hardcore to hip-hop to indiepop - if we have them over here, they have them outside of manila too. Some of the scenes in the provinces might not even exist here. All of these little musical scenes are as - if not more – developed than their counterparts in Manila.
One of the foremost examples is the burgeoning Cebu independent music scene and one of it’s main proponents, Urbandub. The members are Gabby Alipe on vocals/rhythm guitars, John Dinopol on back-up vocals / lead guitars, Lalay Lim on bass and Jerros Dolino on drums. I first saw them one night on UNTV. The video for the uplifting song, Come was instantly likeable featuring strong hooks and an even stronger chorus that just kills you. The simple, yet effective video is the band’s first. Conceptualized by Alex Lim, the video was done for free and took a whole day to shoot. It also won a local award for the director Kris Villarino.
Urbandub's songs on their first album, Birth are melodic, feel-good songs that capture the band's youth and enthusiasm. It's like asking members of the Deftones and 311 to form a less aggressive and more emotional side project with more quirky rhythms and guitars that don't bludgeon while still staying heavy. Angst is washed away in favor of melancholy melodies, and pop song structures. The resulting blend is difficult to pigeonhole. Their uplifting harmonies don’t sacrifice the band’s edginess. The personal lyrics perfectly complement the heady mix. John explains, "Gabby wrote the lyrics. The first album was mainly about relationships. Love lost, love gained. Basically "mushy" stuff." On the anthemic Come: "Gabby wrote it. It's about a girl - Nuff said. Hehehe..."
Cebu has recently become a hotspot of great indie music. Urbandub toiled and worked hard playing gigs till they moved on to bigger shows. They all started "in a local venue called Ronnie's Tattoo bar, (and then) Kahayag Café and during San Miguel Beer sponsored events." What can they say about the local audiences that they get? "Cebuanos are slowly being introduced to the Indie Music Culture. The scene has grown leaps and bounds for the past few years. The presence of Indie labels like our label Tiki Sound as well as other labels like Independent Culture Records and Lighter Press to name a few have contributed significantly to the so called boom of the Cebuano Indie Scene. Hopefully, given a few more years, it will reach its full potential." and due to the Southern scene being a new wellspring of great indie music, it's about time the bands get the attention that they deserve. " We think all the bands here should be heard. There's a lot of talent in Cebu. Even our neighbors in Bohol, Davao and especially the scene in Cagayan de Oro deserve some nationwide attention."
The band is under their own label, Tiki Records, "Tiki Sound is an avid supporter of Cebuano music for about 3 to 4 years. After much deliberation, we found it best to remain Indie." This year could be the year that Urbandub booms bigger in the local scene, so keep an eye out for these guys.
MP3
http://music.download.com/urbandubmusic/3600-8573_32-100172421.html
urbandub eloi-loi rocked |
Monday, April 11, 2005
Cynthia Alexander
CYNTHIA not only holds the distinction of being borne out of purely artistic leanings. A daughter of multi-awarded painter-poet-short story writers Jose V. Ayala Jr. and Tita Lacambra-Ayala, Cynthia picked up the guitar at age 7.
While she painstakingly took all the chord lessons to heart and soul over coffee and late night games of chess with her now famous ethnorocker brother Joey Ayala, Cynthia went to school at nearby Ateneo De Davao to learn the rudiments of a formal education.
Known as the lady who had a bass guitar slung over her shoulder during the early days, Cynthia Alexander has definitely got a long music retrospective to back her up. Aside from her being a seasoned bassist of the band Hayp, Cynthia also holds the distinction of being awarded the Best Bassist at the World Band Explosion held at the Budokan Hall in Tokyo a few years back. She also formed the core of Joey Ayala's Bagong Lumad, playing the octavina, bass and different indigenous percussion like the agung with proficiency. She has done session work with various filipino music legends like Mike Hanopol and Jun Lopito.
1988 One of Them, Fire
1991 Hayp, Hayp
1992 Encantada, Joey Ayala at ang Bagong Lumad
1993 Pusong Bakal, Mike Hanopol
1994 Creator, Live at the Xebec Hall, Kobe, Japan, Joey Ayala at ang Bagong Lumad
1994 She Knows how to Rock, Lou Bonnevie
1995 Parol, Joey Ayala
1997 Langit at Lupa, Joey Ayala at ang Bagong Lumad
s o l o a l b u m s
1997 Insomnia and other Lullabyes, Cynthia Alexander
2000 Rippingyarns, Cynthia Alexander, distributed by n/a records
With 'Rippingyarns', Cynthia Alexander steps forward with her own independent album distributed by N/A records. As one expects, Cynthia Alexander's much awaited album Rippingyarns rises above the ordinary. Easier on the ear and unbearably light, Cynthia seems to have found a middle ground to reach out from within and yet retain depth .
The album reads like a confessional, an account of a soul's path finding in Purgatory. Cynthia is personified in this album, here she is human like Lazarus living and dying to relive to tell the tall tale, a rippingyarn.
Rippingyarns is a showcase of sound sculpturings to surprise and bemuse aesthetes. There is a pluck of bluegrass in the prelude to Fly - a raw vocal-guitar rendition; unorthodox cello voicings couple with indigenous tidtu and binalig rhythms in Intertwyne; 'Deodato'esque solo on Daisy Chain; the Weather Report's cheerful oriental musing; her signature detuned guitarwork on Walk down the Road, Frost & Glass and Motorbykle which have traces of ceilidh; and the infectious chorus of U & I (published in the November 1999 Roadmap Series).
There is always more to listen to, to the delight of the discerning as it is very 'Cynthia Alexander' to suggest that 'neath the awnings of string pluck and rhythm display lies hid the prose-poet barefoot on splinters. She exudes an ancient knowing akin to the classic Comfort in Your Strangeness endeared in Intertwyne, Rainday and Owner of the Sky and sets music to 'The Flowers of Youth', a poem written by her multi-awarded poetess mother Tita Lacambra-Ayala.
Back to back listening is heavily prescribed.
MP3
http://203.126.135.166/phil/app/ArtistPlate?ArtistID=341
cynthiaalexander eloi-loi rocked |
Sunday, April 10, 2005
Silent Sanctuary
Silent Sanctuary is a Philippines-based band that revolves around the Alternative-Pop scene. Simple but melodic. Has an edge within its simplicity. Imagine some simple guitar chords and riffs being merged with complicated bass lines and heavier drum parts and then fused with well-arranged orchestration, that's what Silent Sanctuary sounds like. Silent Sanctuary breaks the silence with its own unique music filled with dark, well-written and expressive poetry.
Silent Sanctuary instills the elements of an orchestra into their music. By using real string section (Cello, Viola and Violin) during live performances, Silent Sanctuary brings their classical influences into life. The texture of their music becomes intriguing and interesting.
Band:
Norman Dellosa - Vocals/Guitars
Paolo Legaspi - Bass
Allen Calixto - Drums
Anjo Inacay - Cello
Chino David - Violin
Jett Ramirez - Viola/Violin
Title: A Few Moments of Bliss
Classification: EP
Number of Tracks: 5Track List
01 - Hide and Fade Away
02 - Talagang Ganyan
03 - Broken in Silence
04 - Panaginip
05 - Game Over
All tracks written by Norman Dellosa. Arranged by Silent Sanctuary. Recorded, Mixed and Mastered at Pipeline Inc. Recording and Mixing Engineer: Harvey Vizcarra, Mastering Engineer: Mark Laccay. Album Layout Artist: Norman Dellosa.
Title: Ellipsis of the Mind
Classification: Album
Number of Tracks: 10Track List
01 - Praeludium et maestro in mi minore
02 - Stay for a while
03 - Talagang Ganyan
04 - Sleep to dream
05 - Broken in Silence
06 - Kahapon
07 - Game Over
08 - Down
09 - Broken in Silence [piano version]
10 - Recession
All tracks written by Norman Dellosa except tracks 1 and 10. Arranged by Silent Sanctuary. Recorded, Mixed and Mastered at Sound Creation Studio. Recording, Mixing, and Mastering Engineer: Shinji Tanaka. Album Layout Artist: Marcus Nada.
Other Singles:
01 - Waiting [Norman Dellosa]
02 - Maple [Ian Carandang]
03 - For Tonight [Anjo Inacay]
04 - Ikaw Lang [Sarkie Sarangay]
05 - Yester Jester [Anjo Inacay]
06 - Roadtrip [Anjo Inacay]
07 - Rebound [Sarkie Sarangay]
08 - Pink Five [Sarkie Sarangay]
Download MP3
http://www.silentsanctuary.com/Silent%20Sanctuary%20-%20Talagang%20Ganyan%20(New).mp3
SilentSanctuary eloi-loi rocked |