Showing posts with label indie. Show all posts
Showing posts with label indie. Show all posts

Friday, 18 March 2016

From Puns to Fun

3/18/2016 9:50:07 PM

On an ordinary Friday where a lot of us are expecting weekend to come -- plus the fact that we got tangled in the middle of summer heat due to a fire drill, let me tell you a story.

Well, that crashed my momentum so much that I ended up browsing a lot of feeds on Twitter by lunch time. And presto... ended up browsing a series of funny posts made by one of my friends at the independent music scene.


Meet Carlo Lava, one of the guitarists of the rocker group called Lions and Acrobats. On top of that, he is also a member of other bands around this culture, and a chief engineer of one of a popular recording studio.

Interesting enough, I approached the fella; knowing he could make his array of witty posts a worthy discussion. I initially put a hashtag called #BandPuns, but it was better when Ling decided to put on #LocalBandPuns as it gives a much-needed specification and identity on which to tackle. And obviously, it’s all about our own.

This #localbandpuns thing turned out so well it gave a lot of music listeners -- and artists themselves -- some time to take a chill pill on a scorching hot afternoon.

Here are some of the responses we just gathered.

As we hit midway on Friday afternoon, this topic reached the fourth spot of the Philippine trending list on the popular micro-blogging site. And just when you thought people will slow down, #localbandpuns served like a hot freaking merienda as fans and bands like MilesExperience, Autotelic, Jensen and The Flips also joining the party!

Man, I had a mentally exhausted day, but checking upon the feed, it was an overwhelming response. To think this became the second most discussed talk on Twitter by 5:30 PM? Wow, this shows how music is a can make everyone relate, especially at the indies. So better think twice if the music scene is dying as fuck, because the locals may have been just punning around, but they already proved the argument otherwise.




Isn’t that great? I bet Ling was feeling a lot, lot, lot better! This hashtag was made by him and for him. And I'm honored that at some point, I managed to help someone's voice be heard... and big time!

Say, I might consider a career in social media, eh?

Author: slickmaster | (c) 2016 september twentty-eight productions
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , , , , ,

Friday, 11 March 2016

PlayBack: The Strangeness - Easy Boys and Easy Girls

2/29/2016 7:54:29 PM

I first heard them as part of that indie music program established and sponsored by a popular whiskey brand. They were listed track number 4 at the CD of Jack Daniel’s On Stage released on 2015.

The Strangeness is something I have never seen live; but one thing that impressed me most about them is they can make old school music sounded like new. The first thing I heard about them was a cover of my favorite Eagles song on YouTube.

But covers aside, Paolo Arcega and his crew was splendid in creating an Jose Mari Chan-inspired video for Easy boys and Easy Girls. Though this 3.5-minute length track had shades of that old Christmas In Our Hearts-quality image, The Strangeness shied away from being the obvious copycat. Like, their song is something you’d like to hear on when you drove out of the metro, be it on a breezy morning or a hot afternoon (well, as long as the rays are complimenting the auditory part well).

As much as the pop scene (specifically, the mainstream) winds back to its retrospect, the alt-rock scene can do so in their own way, to say the least. As tito music as it sounds, this is sometimes, what we need; we might have been missing them from those iconic groups we once heralded before.

Kinda strange, but right.


Author: slickmaster | (c) 2016 september twenty-eight productions
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , , ,

Thursday, 3 March 2016

Playback: MilesExperience – Down

03/03/2016 04:08:41 PM

Hearing MilesExperience as a novice-leveled listener and only having music channels and radio stations as your only resorts would only give you an impression of these: the bunch of gwapitos who can woo every kolehiyala with their music; and the band who made two melodramatic jazz-soul-alternative tracks whom sounded either sultry, taboo-defying, or sexy at will (Love Supreme and Silakbo).

But their newly-published Down is a different story. Though not as perfectly poetic as it gets, their words seemingly conveying a bunch of tornado-like twist and turns. Like a rocky-road manner of storytelling in a concrete planned emotional plot.

However, the execution in musical form is somewhat another thing. It's like a bold defiant to their previously-released singles: not exactly the sad lyrical work, but close to the exact “happy” song one can think about.

Though not as upbeat as Home, Down executes a different vibrancy that could hype up the crowd once you heard it... well, especially the live version; Imagine hearing shades of Beatles or those choir-like tunes for a stretch, thanks to the keyboard work of Guido Hizon; while Justin Teano's riff goes on another signature ride, yet retaining the sexy gestures he made from Love Supreme and Silakbo.

It looked like more of a classy mixture of jazz and funk, that sometimes I would even think of a gradual rising tension of climax somewhere out there and down by the later on.

And that being said, will suit better with a bottle of beer on one hand, while you're about cap the evening on a high note. Who knows? You might end up doing a little bit of head dance on its near-ending.


Author: slickmaster | (c) 2016 september twenty-eight productions
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , , ,

Thursday, 28 January 2016

Playback: Jensen and The Flips - Dangerous

1/22/2016 7:17:21 PM

Perhaps it’s no surprising why Jensen and the Flips were one of the notable names in the scene right now. You got a talented musician in Jensen Gomez himself, plus you add a people who can do baby-making music in such a very impressive mixture of soul, alternative, rhythm and blues, and even Motown pop.

Their 2015 album Honeymoon proved them all. And imagine having four singles to date; that includes their latest one called Dangerous.

Quite funny; the music video may have shown glimpses of those not-so-gory torture yet-a bit fun scenes. Like a tragedy-wannabe out of revenge a la Fifty Shades of  Grey (wait, not even close but there's still glimpses anyway) amidst sensuality.

But certainly, the song is something you like for a slowdown atmosphere, especially on Sunday nights where either romantic ballads or those rnb playlist are filling your listening senses. It’s as sultry as it gets as if the dim candlelight is accompanying

I quite wonder, though, who’s the female-sounding vocal right there? It complimented so well that it reminded me of a bit-upbeat Make U Say by Sud -- Sexually arousing as fuck. (no dirty pun intended)


Author: slickmaster | (c) 2016 september twenty-eight productions
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , , , ,

Wednesday, 20 January 2016

Upcoming: RACC!OON: A Charity Gig For Kythe Foundation

1/20/2016 7:14:45 PM
Q: Anong hayop ang mahilig sa concert?
A: Racoon!
Okay. Jokes aside, we’re now up for a fun time with a serious cause.

What am I taking about? 

Barely four months after the successful charity gig, another one will be up in a few days time and it’s called RACC!OON.

Poster from Racc/oon Productions

Organized by Mika OrdoƱez, Dan Baldonado, Mark Agbayani, Nicky Aureo, Bill Dela Torre, and Gerard del Mundo, RACC/OON is the first event made by Racc/oon Productions, an indie music outfit which sets events aiming for musical pleasure and at the same time, lending a hand on the needy by raising funds for Kythe Foundation, Inc. Thus, the proceeds coming from this event will be used for the medical expenses of a four-year old patient named Ariana Soriano.

Eight musicians will be performing, including notable acts Flying Ipis, Jensen and the Flips, Lions and Acrobats and Ang Bandang Shirley. Also, math-rock trio Tom’s Story, as well as Indigo Sweep, Odayo and M.I.C. are the must-see performers for the evening.

RACC!OON will be held on Friday, 22 January 2016, 9PM at Route 196 in Katipunan Ave. Extension, Blue Ridge A, Quezon City.

Entrance for early birds in this event will be Php200, while Php250 if you come by past 9PM.

Donations are accepted at before, during the gig itself, and after, You can also donate using your credit card via http://ushare.kythe.org and select “RACC!OON: A Charity Gig for Kythe Foundation.”

This event is also made possible by IndieManila, BANDWAGON, and Radio Republic. 

Visit the event page at https://www.facebook.com/events/1535025816810693/; and like Racc/oon Productions Faceook page at https://www.facebook.com/racoonproduction/.

Author: slickmaster | (c) 2016 september twenty-eight productions
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Saturday, 19 December 2015

Playback: MilesExperience – Silakbo

12/12/2015 5:06:12 PM

A few months after reaching success in their Love Supreme music video launch, the boys of MilesExperience came up with another big thing, and it’s called Silakbo.

The single was formally launched 18 September 2015 at a Docdef Productions gig in Route 196, barely on target with the gig firm’s big thing of its own Tagaytay Art Beat. A few weeks later, they garnered a spot on Jam 88.3’s playlist after winning the Fresh Filter Chooseday poll and reached the eighth spot at Jam 88.3's yearend countdown called 88 Top Tracks of 2015.

Also, Vandals on the Wall recognized Silakbo as the 51st track of their 100 Essential Tracks of 2015.

And by 16 January 2015 at Mow’s bar, Silakbo (Outburst) will have a launch of their music video directed by Jiggy Gregorio. Also, Autotelic, December Avenue, Ourselves the Elves, Jensen and the Flips, Maude, and Tanya Markova will be performing.

Perhaps another packed night ahead to jumpstart the new year.

From MilesExperience Facebook page. Poster by Paulo Manalo

Four minutes and forty seconds of outburst, perhaps, is one thing I could say the most about this track. The heavy drubbing of drums serving as accompaniment to that sexual guitar and lyrical work (though not that perfectly poetic but still eargasmic) makes it a literal kink with a powerful kick to the head; something that has been penetrating beneath your buds and skin with intense passion.


Perhaps we could only hope the visual part will do their part well, just like Love Supreme.

Download the latest hit track from MilesExperience called Silakbo on AMPLIFY.PH

Official music video.


Author: slickmaster | ©2015 september twenty-eight productions
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , , , ,

Wednesday, 14 October 2015

Playback: Autotelic – We Are Autotelic (album)

10/08/15 11:37:38 AM

Photo credits: Pinoytuner
There are times where all I wanna do is to shut up and listen to a variety of music. And in case I liked them, I do put my several takes on it.

And rarely—if not none—I made some words of appreciation on albums. But for now, since Autotelic is celebrating its success for over three years in the independent music scene, might as well have do a review on their album.

Just over a year ago, Josh Villena and company released their 8-tracked album at 12 Monkeys Music Hall and Pub in Makati City. Though it was only past April when I grabbed a copy of their record (their second, after an EP that was launched in 2013/early 2014).

So, first things first. I am a huge fan of 'track number 1.' Meaning, the very first song that will play on my disk—in chronological order—should better be attractive to my ears as fuck. It's like a simple sales transaction where you have to grab the prospect customer's attention by presenting the part of your product that has awesomeness. Parang pag una mong napakinggan, “Shet! Love ko na 'to!”

And that is something Kung Sa Bagay had been good for. From that introductory mix of synth, guitars, and the sudden drubbing of drums, to the rest of the way.

This time though, the album version of Misteryoso sounded a bit differently. Perhaps more polished. I admit, I'd prefer the old one (yes, the extended length). This one, though running for only five and a half minutes, was still not a bad thing to deal with. The difference is quite obvious, Kai's vocals were injected. Plus the keyboard-mix was more hearable that before.

Unstable is quite a melodical-paced one. Setting aside the music video Ballet Philippines had done, the rhythm shows the story in accompaniment to the lyrical forms. It never went to the fast lane; but still danceable, especially when heard live.

Balik, as I said on my song review, talks about nostalgia. This one, though, was a mere polished version (just like Misteryoso). But hearing this version—on a personal note—gave me goosebumps. Quite strange. I quite thought they have the same pace as Unstable.

The difference is that Balik—another Filipino language-written track—was more related to the goers. Could it be the lyrics? Perhaps. Plus the fact it changes power from slow to much-a-bit-faster-than-medium. Gep's drumming prowess during the instrumental struck me the most; along with the guitar effects from Villena, Neil Tin, and the bass from Timothy Vargas. But hearing the last chorus gave me that total lookback vibe. It's like you wanna see some rundown-travel clips and that part on your audio accompaniment.

Dalhin is something I considered one of the under-rated tracks for the album (three, in fact). Strong message in a simpler-sounding blend—and short lyrics. But the message was so strong that I had my hand picked on this as my personal favorite.

Isang Tanong, Isang Sagot was another. Talk about waiting for “answers,” eh? More dramatic than Unstable; and more melodic either.

Dahilan was still definitely (and still) an instant attraction to the music lovers. You try to hear them on canned recording (either by the album or just on that lyric video on YouTube alone), and it will give you total satisfaction on how Villena's song-writing prowess works; especially at chorus where he and Honasan's vocals blend well. Plus, EJ Edralin's exposure on synth was more evident here.

It's like one of the tracks where you will realized this should have been a sad song; and yet it's still danceable as fuck. Yes it is even if it's not as fast paced as whatever you may have think.

All Night. Where things went from a deeper-bass level. I heard more of Pab's stuff right there. And the powerful strum of the guitarists and drubbing of Macadaeg's as well. Also, the longest recording in this album.

The closure was so dimmed-sounding as fuck; it's telling a story like there's more in this band that will come out soon, as the night goes cooler (as if a gig reached its end and chill-down vibe is peaking).
Perhaps I should not be surprised anymore why Autotelic's self-titled album was an instant gem in the recent era. To think of it, even mainstream news portals had their own share of raves for this record, and the music magazine blog Vandals on the Wall even tagged them as part of its 20 Essential Albums of 2014. 

Well, I guess blame it on the process. These tracks were presented in various forms, crafted in different ways, and telling wordplay in whatever means possible. And even on the down-tempo like beat, there's no way you can never dance to any of their tunes.

And that is the main reason why Autotelic was one of the present standouts of the Philippine independent music scene—and perhaps the future of the Filipino pop music too!

The Verdict: 9.5/10
 Author: slickmaster | ©2015 september twenty-eight productions
Posted by at No comments:
Labels: , , , , , , ,
Subscribe to: Comments (Atom)