Trash Radio Manila Episode 17 Part 2: Nalugi Na Ang Barberya Sa Dami Ng...

If you can finish the above statement, which happens to be a line off Bentot's "Jeprox", then you must have been around for quite some time, when long hair was still in vogue, jeepneys were sporting Kiss posters, Rizal Avenue was wide and bright, and a hundred peso bill was more than enough for shopping at Good Earth Emporium and snacks at a nearby ice cream house....

Those were also the days when a former army draftee turned jeepney driver turned bus driver decided to form a rondalla with his fellow drivers, and wrote a song about a very significant event in Philippine history. The song, "Magellan", was released under Kinampay records courtesy of the owner of the bus company, and the rest of this talented man's story is history.

For this segment we pay homage to Yoyoy Villame and Bentot, two artists from an era slowly slipping away from our consciousness, as we play some of their songs that we digitized from the records which come straight from our vinyl collection. (Yes, we are very lucky to have that rare original pressing of Yoyoy's "Magellan" out of Kinampay Records in our possession. Bentot's record, too, for that matter.)

Also in the playlist is Lolita Carbon of the folk group Asin and her session band Nene. The song "Bayle Ta" was written by Cocojam's Rolly Maligad (who also shared vocals with Lolit) and was released in the early 90s, shortly after Carbon's stint with the musical supergroup Lokal Brown.

Shuffle Union is in the list with one of those Long Island Dub permutations of their hypnotic song, "Batty Boy." Up next are tunes from two bands who had played in some editions of Skamax. Steady Movin' Beat, as far as I can remember, derived their name from a line off Put3Ska's "Short Stories", and are said to be singing about a rather unpleasant real-life situation in "Corporate Fool". On the other hand, Hopskatch, who started out covering Operation Ivy songs, did their take on a Deceased original titled "Abandoned Youth". Deceased? Covered by Hopskatch? Sounds interesting? Keep it here and find out how the boys fare. :)

Yes, yes. It's the start of another "jeprox" week. Glad to have you around, as always. Playlist is as follows:

1. YOYOY VILLAME and the MB LINER RONDALLA - "Magellan"
2. BENTOT - "Jeprox"
3. NENE (with COCOJAM'S ROLLY MALIGAD) - "Bayle Ta"
4. SHUFFLE UNION - "Batty Boy"
5. STEADY MOVIN' BEAT - "Corporate Fool"
6. HOPSKATCH - "Abandoned Youth"
7. YOYOY VILLAME and the MB LINER RONDALLA - "Tsuper ng Jeepney"

Photo creds: Battle of Mactan from this site. Pic of Pugo and Bentot care of this site. SMB logo from their MySpace site. And the photo of the Magellan vinyl comes from my personal album ;)

Now, Let's Get Serious...With The Gigs!

... and if you are one of those party people with OCD (keeping tab of gig scheds like a fiend), then you might want to take a look at our Gigs! Gigs! section at the siderail. Take note of the following dates:

June 26, 8pm (uhmm, today) - RED MUSIC 2: if you guys are in the Cagayan De Oro area, you might want to check this one out tonight. Do visit Corridor Music Group's MySpace site for details.

July 1, 7pm - Crux, the female-fronted Australian hardcore band cometh over to the banana shores. Catch them at Dayo Bar, QC alongside comebacking The Beauty Of Doubt, as well as Bystorm, Killratio, All Affected, Censorshit, and Sauna.

July 12, 9pm - I've already talked a great deal about this event. This is Throw's album launch entitled Keeping The Faith, to be held at Center For Arts in Timog Ave, QC.

July 26, 7pm - it's the Hong Kong HC stalwarts King Lychee sharing the stage with Shepherds The Weak in Hong Kong's Hardest, to be held at the Sta. Rosa (Laguna) Commercial Center.

Yes, children. You've been warned. ;)

It Is Useless To Resist, My Son (as we approach our 100th post!!!)

Overheard the following conversation. It can't be helped....

(The names and song titles have been changed to protect the guilty.)

*****
A: Are u have a Wild In The Street Circle Jerks? I'm looking that song.
J: Yup. I have. I will upload that on my playlist if i have a time. Thanks for dropping by.

Six days later...

J: A, you can check my playlist. There have a Wild In The Street song.

MORAL OF THE STORY:

Your words are deadly weapons.

Photo credits here.

Skaramouche Sweating It Out, Soaking It Up In Manila

The press kit says that the Swiss ska band Skaramouche dreams of touring the world. I, too, wanted to see how a Swiss ska band fares live on stage. Which I did, eventually. And it was, to say to the least, a one of a kind experience.

Delphine of Skaramouche: Manila Girl!

I initially listened to their CD, No Exit, and decided to watch the band over at Chakik's last June 6. Skaramouche is fantastic live; honestly, their recording did little justice to their tightness and energy. Delphine is an adorable frontwoman. Dominic, the young keyboardist who impressed the audience with his skills charmed nearly every single lady present that night. Everyone in the band was skilled and spirited. The highlight of the set, no doubt, was Skaramouche's cover of Manila Girl, ably supported by Coffee Break Island.



It was a blast, and I am quite sure it has likewise been an experience to the band who were sweating profusely all throughout that hot night. Gunther and Allan had got to be two of the persons I will remember most that night. (For the practice of the Hippocratic Oath knows no time and place, no, not even the bar.)

I did not get to see their farewell gig at Handle Bar last June 21 (blame it on Frank), though I heard that the band played like they did at Chakik's: tight and energetic. It must be a wonder to these guys how the weather here can change from hot and humid to wet and humid in a span of two weeks ... but eff it. Weather hot or wet, we'd love to have Skaramouche back, soon.

Trash Radio Manila Episode 17 Part 1: This is Bahsten

It's time for some Boston loving here on Trash Radio Manila. It does not take to be a Boston Celtic fan to appreciate our spanking new playlist, which consists of songs from some of the finest acts to have come out of Boston. So, are you ready? Here goes:

1. THE DUCKY BOYS - "Boston, USA"
2. DROPKICK MURPHYS - "Regular Guy"
3. THE KINGS OF NUTHIN' - "Another Year"
4. DARKBUSTER - "Happy Days"
5. SKAVOOVIE and the EPITONES - "Aquaman"
6. THE AMAZING ROYAL CROWNS - "King of the Joint"
7. MISSION OF BURMA - "This is not a Photograph"
8. THE PROLETARIAT - "Voodoo Economics"

(Just to make it clear, we're not fans of the Celtics, or the Lakers for that matter. Truth is, we don't even follow the NBA series. :D)

From the Charlestown neighborhood of Boston come the street punk band The Ducky Boys. Listing Bruce Springsteen, Social Distortion, Rancid, The Clash, and The Replacements as their inspirations, The Ducky Boys were formed in 1995 and initially did covers of Guns n' Roses and Nirvana. They went on to create their early compositions such as "Pride" and "White Slum". The rest of history can be read over at their official site and in their MySpace account. These guys still play on an erratic basis.

Sharing a somewhat parallel history with The Ducky Boys is Dropkick Murphys, formed in Quincy, Boston, Massachusetts in 1996. Dropkick Murphys' music has been described as that rooted in both punk and Celtic music: one can actually see some members play the mandolin, accordion, bagpipes even. After some line-up incarnations, the Dropkick Murphys remain as active and hard-working as ever, presently touring the US, Europe, Australia and Japan. You can check out their MySpace account here.

The Kings of Nuthin' derive inspiration from both punk, 50s rock and roll, and swing and big band music. Their gigs have consistently been described as energetic, frentic ... and rowdy! Formed in the late 90s, The Kings of Nuthin' have 3 full-length albums to date. Read about them in their MySpace account.

Darkbuster was formed in 1996, initially building up a following at the South Shore area. They gained greater renown in the Boston scene after the release of their debut album in 2000. In reference to the band's penchant for short and catchy tunes, Darkbuster is said to embody "...the concept that "brevity is the soul of wit"". The band is said to be working on their follow-up to their album A Weakness For Spirits.

Formed in Newton, Massachusetts in 1994, Skavoovie and The Epitones scored a deal with Moon Ska records when they were still in high school and had just won a Boston Music Award for Outstanding Ska Band. Their quirky song "Aquaman" comes from their sophomore effort, Ripe.

The rockabilly band The Amazing Royal Crowns are originally from Rhode Island but gained popularity in the Boston underground scene. They became popular enough to merit the attention of Royal Crown Review, who were said to have threatened the band with legal action unless the word "Crown" be dropped from the name. Their song "King of The Joint" is up on the playlist.

Mission of Burma has been around for quite some time. They were formed in 1979 from the remnants of the bands Moving Parts and The Molls. Mission Of Burma is often cited as an influence by the bands that were to gain popularity in the 1990s like R.E.M., The Pixies, Nirvana, and Sonic Youth. Though they disbanded in 1983, Mission of Burma reformed in 2002, are presently touring, and are said to be planning to record a new album this year. Take a look at their MySpace account here.

The Proletariat was formed in the early 80s in Southeastern Massachusetts and derived inspiration from a good number of UK bands such as The Sex Pistols, The Buzzcocks, The Clash, and The Jam. The band had played to mostly hardcore crowd alongside Black Flag, Circle Jerks, Misfits, Mission of Burma, Stiff Little Fingers, and Angry Samoans, to name a few. Capping the list is a tune called "Voodoo Economics."

For high bitrate version of this segment, click here.

It's the start of another week, people. The past weekend has been quite a bummer. So much for having an unwelcome visitor named Frank. Hope you guys are safe and dry.

Photo credits go to the bands' respective sites.

Some Dolphin Birthday Wishes

Para sa mga may birthday na New Waver (yung taga-Lagro at taga-Singapore), eto ang isang pagbati mula sa inyong mga kaibigan sa Trash Radio Manila.

(Playing right now: Birthday by The Julie Dolphin. Read about the fate of the dolphins here.)

More, More Updates

Take note of these changes.

I received notice some days ago on our MySpace account regarding the change of venue for Sideline's One Voice Asia Unite Tour.

Note that it is going to be at CLUB NUVO (formerly Kasadja beside Sunflower City, Salinas Drive, Lahug, Cebu City, Pilipinas). Same date, June 21, 2008. Show starts at 4pm. All you need is php35 to get in, plus a little more extra to buy some merch like T-shirts and CDs. Promises to be one noisy night. :D

Also, for those of you living in Metro Manila and the nearby areas, you can still catch the Swiss Ska delights Skaramouche as they return from their rounds in Gingoog, Cagayan De Oro, and Cebu. Skaramouche will be playing at the Fete de la Musique at SM Mall Of Asia on June 21, Saturday, at 7pm (NOT 8pm), after which, they will be heading towards Handle Bar in Makati for their farewell set. This band is awesome live, so don't miss this opportunity to see them.

Will be posting more about Skaramouche. Very soon, my friends.

Trash Radio Manila Episode 16 Part 3: Bagong Bansa, Bagong Galak, Sa Bagong Lipunan

Boom Shalock Lock Boom!

Think you're lost? Don't be alarmed, you're in the right place. This is Trash Radio Manila Episode 16 Part 3.

My music programmer actually had fun doing this playlist, so much so that I'd often catch him bobbing his head even during sleep long after having completed the segment. ;) I, too, enjoyed doing the content. So here's the playlist:

1. CIBO MATTO - "Who's Got The Light?"
2. THE MOHAWKS - "Pepsi"
3. HOUSE OF PAIN - "Shamrocks and Shenanigans (Boom Shalock Lock Boom) [Butch Vig Remix]"
4. DEATH THREAT - "Intro...I'm Back(skit)/ Nationwide Stick-Up"
5. MARLOWE - "Sanctuario"

High bitrate version is right here.

New York based Cibo Matto was formed back in 1994 by two Japanese ladies, Miho Hatori and Yuka Honda. They then became a five-piece band, reinforced by Timo Ellis, Sean Lennon (yes, that Sean Lennon), and Duma Love, and together they produced songs that are a unique blend of hip-hop, jazz, funk, techno, and everything else that they listened to; the most memorable of these songs arguably come from their album Viva La Woman. More about Cibo Matto in their offical site and in their MySpace account.

The Mohawks, despite the name, are not the crusty kind. Their songs came out in the late 60s in the British Pama label, the same label that released songs from Laurel Aitken, Mood Reaction, and The Inner Mind. The Mohawks was formed by the young Hammond playing Alan Hawkshaw in the early 60s and is best known for their No. 4 hit in the R & B charts, "The Champ."

House of Pain was short-lived, breaking up in 1996 after 4 years, 3 albums, some collaborations (of interest was their collaboration with Helmet in the Judgment Night Movie Soundtrack) and numerous brushes with the law. They are best known for their hit "Jump Around". Its three members went on to pursue separate careers, with Danny Boy forming an art company, Everlast pursuing a solo career, and DJ Lethal becoming a member of Limp Bizkit.

I'm pretty sure you guys have heard of Death Threat. You know, the Pinoy Rap group who did that memorable hit in the 90s, "Gusto Kong Bumait (Pero Di Ko Magawa)?" Their song "Nationwide Stick-Up" is in the album Death Threat IV. Death Threat, originally composed of rappers Genezide, Beware and DJ Radical M.K., is the first local gangsta rap group to release a record and counts the presently popular rap artist Gloc 9 as one of its members.

From the Ampon collective comes Marlowe, the Boholano who, according to his bio, has recently "...traded his extensive Hip Hop CD collection for an extremely rare autographed copy of Nietzsche's Ecce Homo" and has once auctioned his soul in eBay upon realizing that waiting for Death is a boring pursuit, only to find out that his highest bidder has no credit card. Sounds impressive; so does his song, "Sanctuario", which caps our playlist.

So there. Here's to another week of fun and surprises. Keep it here.

Lastly, let me share this one relevant quote.

When, during an interview with Matt Hilburn, Cibo Matto's Miho Hatori was asked the question, "How do you think your style reflects you being Japanese?", she said:

"We look Japanese...We're Asians? I guess we do have some things in common. Japanese music listeners are pretty open-minded...It's not like 'I am black and I only listen to hip-hop'...People don't listen to just one kind of music in Japan. They're not like that. There's domestic music and foreign music. That's the only division. People in Japan don't understand English, so they just enjoy the sound of the music ... French pop ... American pop ... It's all foreign music. You can see them next to each other in the record store. You can see Stevie Wonder and Slayer in the same section because they begin with "s." That kind of thing creates an original view of music. I think genres exist just for marketing. I feel Japanese people are more open-minded because there's not different races and music is not about politics..."

Oh yeah. I perfectly hear you, Miho. :)

Photos come the artists' websites. You know the drill. Click away.

Para Kay Ina

Ano ba ang araw ng kalayaan? Naghahanap ako ng sagot, at eto ang aking nakita.
Si Tandang Sora. At dagli ay mayroon akong naalala....

nakita ko si tandang sora, at naalala kita...mahal kita, ina....
naalala ko ang iyong nilagang baka at tinolang manok, ang iyong mga mapagpalang kamay.
sayang at hindi tayo nagpunta sa dalampasigan sa huling pagkakataon.

Keeping The Faith!

Again, updates on the upcoming album launching of Throw. This just in.

July 12, 2008 (Saturday) @ 8pm
Center For Arts
Timog Avenue Quezon City (near GMA7)
Gate: Php 50

(The line-up has changed, so take note.)

The bands:

Tame The Tikbalang
The GoSignals
Music Front
The Beauty Of DoubtChoke Cocoi
... and the star of the night!!!

Throw
(Al Dimalanta shows who's the boss!)

Maraming salamat sa aking BFF, my Canon PowerShotA520. Pic of TBOD from their MySpace. Pic of Choke Cocoi from Daddy Ojie. Cheers!

Trash Radio Manila Episode 16 Part 2: There's No Bamboo Here, 'No?

Disappointed? What Bamboo are you looking for, anyway?!
Maybe you'd like to check the playlist to find out the sort of bamboo that we have here.

1. VICE SQUAD - "Killer Queen"
2. DEADLINE - "We're Taking Over"
3. THE IMPALERS - "Pocket Money"
4. BAMBOO - "Revolución"
5. TIM ARMSTRONG with THE AGGROLITES - "Translator"
6. THE ORDINARY BOYS featuring SUGGS - "My Girl"

Download dandier version of playlist here.

The first two tracks belong to the bands of two of the most attractive-looking frontwomen in punk today. Beki Bondage of Vice Squad (her raspy voice kind of reminds me of ... Nekbu! Or the other way around. ;)) is a veteran, having been around since the first incarnation of Vice Squad in 1978. On the other hand, Liz Rose fronts Deadline, a band that has been very active in the London Punk scene since 2001. Both women look absolutely foxy, have powerful voices, and are both sporting tatts. Coolness in the flesh.

Next come The Impalers, whose heavyweight line-up includes former members of bands such as Skankin' Pickle, The Rudiments, and The Inciters. Their latest full-length album, Blood, Rum & Reggae, is released under Axe Records, and one of the acts that The Impalers call their labelmates is no less than The Aggrolites.

Bamboo, the one we have in the playlist, that is, comes not from Manila, but from Mexico (not Mexico, Pampanga!) Bamboo, according to their MySpace write-up, "...es una banda que fusiona los diferentes generos del reggae como son el roots, dancehall, raggamuffin y rubadub para lograr un estilo de reggae único y con un toque mexicano trasmitiendo siempre un mensaje de amor, paz, y poniendo a la gente a bailar en armonia y unidad en sus presentaciones." Entiendes? Si!

Tim Armstrong of Rancid actually collaborated with The Aggrolites, creating A Poet's Life, one of the best albums we've heard from 2007. From that album comes "Translator", currently in our list. A Poet's Life showcases Armstrong's talent: deceptively simple lyrics, pop sensibilities ... it is actually hard to describe the music as belonging to any single genre. Just do yourself a favor and grab a copy of the album.

Finally, the Madness original "My Girl" is performed by The Ordinary Boys, featuring Suggs himself. That song perfectly wraps up Part 2 of Episode 16. Will see you guys in a few days with updates on &^%@% and !*+&# ... so stay tuned.

Photo of Beki and Liz from Liz's MySpace, Beki's from the Vice Squad MySpace and Liz's from her own. Bamboo's and Suggs' from their sites.

More announcements:

Throw's much anticipated album launching on July 12, called Keeping The Faith, also features the seemingly tireless Choke Cocoi, adding relatively young blood to the predominantly veteran line-up. Now this is one event you should not miss. Check out the poster on the side rail. Also check out the One Voice Asia poster featuring Sideline's gig in Cebu on June 21, and The Skaramouche poster (the Swiss band should be enjoying the beach down south as of this writing) as well.

FRIDAY DISTORTION featuring Choke Cocoi and T.S.A.: The Aftermath

I must say, our Singaporean connections never disappoint!

I may not have seen this gig held last May 23 at Music Garage along Queens St. (errr, that's in Singapore), but our dear friends in the Lion City were kind enough to lend me their pics and a review of the gig. You guys are marvelous, thank you soooooo much, I love you, and you don't even have to bribe me with laptops, kaya jam and ice cream for me to say that. Naks!

Find out below what happened last May 23 at Friday Distortion II, which featured Choke Cocoi and T.S.A., as well as Singapore's own Subtle Revenge, Secret Seven, Pazahora, and Distrust. This review is written by The Mr. Alvin himself, purveyor of noise and things footie. Photos are provided by The Mr. Ojie, drummer extraordinaire and daddy groovy, with the exception of the Choke Cocoi gig photo which comes from their MySpace.

*****

Re: Hardcore Punk Gig at Singapore - the aftermath

Filipinos can rock! As usual, the Filipino contingent OWNED the gig last Friday (23 May 2008). No offense to the Singapore lads, they did great, too.

There was a feeling of anticipation in the air because of the two foreign acts (well, actually one is already based here in Lion City) and they didn't disappoint.


The T.S.A. Runaway Freight Train


T.S.A. played second and boy, did they destroy everybody with their brand of tight and fast hardcore punk. Well, what do you expect from these guys who started playing in the 1940's in the Phils. hehe.

Ripping through their set with songs from their 2 CDs and some covers, they got the crowd slam dancing and stage diving. Pure and fun energy all the way. Their brand of punk is a refreshing change from the crappy ones passed as "hardcore and punk" nowadays. Fashioncore? Eyeliners? Pink thongs? T.S.A. is not that. Who else can pull off a mix of covers from NYHC legends Cro-Mags and Madball and DC mothertruckers Minor Threat plus their own songs and not sound like a punk show band? T.S.A. can.

Rumor has it that a 3rd album (I hope it's in a cd format, not cassette) is in the offing. Forget about the future. Get their 1st and 2nd cds. It's dirt cheap SGD 6 only. Free, if you get it in one of their shows. Hehe.

My body is 50% vegetable right now because of the pit generated by this band: the other 50% is vegetable too, but the suspects are the next band.

P.S. I asked one of my friends who went to the show what he thought of the TSA set: Two words - TIGHT, FU*K.


The Choke Cocoi Bulldozer


Which comes down to the mainliner: CHOKE COCOI.

Who would travel thousands of miles from the Phils. to play shows in Singapore and Malaysia for free? Choke Cocoi did! This 4-piece all girl band rips. Their brand of hardcore is more of the modern sounding type, not because they look young (I'm assuming they're still young and obviously younger than T.S.A.). Damn, these girls really have a mean sounding sound. The crowd was singin' along and the girls just gave a monster set. I'm not sure what they're singin' about but I'm pretty sure it's not about peace, love and understanding (and what girls talk about when they go to restrooms together? Who knows really?). At first, I don't know what to expect but since this was an underground show, expect everything. Judging from the crowd reaction, I think they want Choke Cocoi back in the near future (of course, me too!). To cap off their set, a BIOFEEDBACK song!. Yes, that BIOFEEDBACK from the Phils., who I heard is worth having a tribute album ;) so if you want to experience the feeling of getting kicked in the balls by a girl, listen to Choke Cocoi.

Overall, a great night for the underground scene (especially, FILIPINO bands). Even if you don't like this kind of music, just check out these bands. It's fun, really.

Thanks to the organizers and let's hope more Filipino bands visit SG soon. Filipinos has been
represented well in the worldwide hardcore/punk scene. T.S.A. and Choke Cocoi are making sure that is preserved and at the same time, offering more.

Trash Radio Manila Episode 16 Part 1: Look to the Light and Play it Loud

We're back, people. Thought we've lost track of our episodes, after being gone for about a week or so? This, my friends, is Part 1 of Episode 16, and we've got some new stuff for you.

Our playlist:

1. CONCERNED ARTISTS OF THE PHILIPPINES - "Halina"
2. THROW - "Fly"
3. MUSIC FRONT - "Let's Version (Dante Remix)"
4. ESKAPO - "The Fall of the I-Hotel"
5. THROW - "Throw Them All Away"

The first song is "Halina", written by Jess Santiago; this version is performed by the Concerned Artists Of The Philippines . You can find the lyrics to this song and other relevant stuff here.

We have here Throw, whose much-anticipated second album will be launched on July 12 at the Center for Arts along Timog Avenue, Quezon City, courtesy of MAIM and Row4 productions. This, my preciousssss, is one event that you should not miss. The line-up is powerhouse: bands throwing in (pardon the pun) their support are Betrayed, Music Front, The GoSignals, Tame The Tikbalang, and The Beauty of Doubt. Heard some tunes from their newest album and I must say the wait has been well worth it. We're giving you a sneak peak of sorts by including two new tracks off Throw's newest album, "Fly" and "Throw Them All Away".

Finally, Music Front has a decent demo recording. Well, almost. From what we've heard, the vocals have yet to be actually laid in, and what we are hearing are sampled sound bytes from Arnold. Capping off the segment is a track off the latest album from Eskapo titled "Wind Of Hell".

Yes, preciousssss, we are back. Go play it loud, and keep looking at the light.

Images courtesy of the artists' sites, all clickable. So click away.