Thursday, January 31, 2008

Trash Radio Manila Episode 3 Part 2: All-Pinoy. O, Di Ba?

Today's segment is testament to the often-neglected fact that the Filipino artist is as creative as he is socially and politically aware, and all he needs is the proper venue, sufficient logistics, and your support.

Coming from the self-released album Sampol, which is the acoustic precursor to the studio release Flipino, is "Tuyo," Dong Abay's ode to things we take for granted and more. The track is followed by "Satanas" by Plazma-Marlowe-Choc, from the indie-released Dekoding Rhythm compilation by the Ampon hip-hop collective.

The Mindrape track comes from several years back courtesy of Cebu's S.R.A. (Struggle for Radical Action) punk collective that has remained steadfast through the years. Fresh for 2008 is the Dirty Shoes Collective release called Know Your Enemy, from which comes "Oras Sa Kamay" by Suspeks. If you want a copy of this album, you can write Dirty Shoes Collective at dirty_shoes_records(at)yahoo(dot)com. Or, as the collective says, "Punta na lang silang tandem, marami doon."

Signal 3 is a defunct Fil-Am street-punk band, with the album Kingsley United featuring the anthemic "Kapit-Kamay." The segment ends with the band called Einstein Chakras and their contribution to the Rock Against The Round Compilation CD. "Hangga't Maaari (Ayokong Pumatay)" is a fitting finale to this inspiring set of songs.

Sana'y maibigan niyo at tangkilikin ang sariling atin. Mabuhay ang musikong Pinoy!

1. DONG ABAY - "Tuyo" (from Sampol CD)
2. PLAZMA-MARLOWE-CHOC - "Satanas" (from Dekoding Rhythm Compilation CD)
3. MINDRAPE -"Standards" (from Eight And Counting S.R.A. Compilation CD)
4. SUSPEKS - "Oras Sa Kamay" (from Know Your Enemy Compilation CD)
5. SIGNAL 3 - "Kapit-Kamay" (from the Kingsley United CD)
6. EINSTEIN CHAKRAS - "Hangga't Maaari (Ayokong Pumatay)" (from Rock Against The Round Compilation CD)

Playing at the defunct Kolumn bar last February 2006: Einstein Chakras

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Bisikleta Productions Blog Site Now Up

After some prodding, a boy named Hil finally puts up a blog site for Bisikleta Productions. You can check out his site at http://bisikletaproductions.blogspot.com.

And for the coming month, Bisikleta has something for us as it has for us a gig lined up on February 15, 2008 at Mayrics in Espana, Manila. Called Sound Bombing, the gig boasts of a powerhouse line-up: The Nu Militants, Contras, Hard K, Gut Reaction, Tether, and yes, Tame The Tikbalang! How cool is that? Gate is 100php with a free bottle of beer. See you there!

Trash Radio Manila Episode 3 Part 1: It's A Psychobilly Freakout!

Before we go to our spanking new episode, let me give you a little quiz on psychology.

1. If I smash your head with a bottle of Empoy and then tell you "I'm sorry, I know I have really bad violent tendencies but I could not resist the urge to break heads" while you lie down exsanguinating to death, does that make me a neurotic or psychotic?

2. Does playing with the emotions of my mate and holding said mate in emotional blackmail (because I derive immeasurable pleasure from it) make me a psychopath?

3. True or False: Psychosis, translated literally, means "sick soul."

Okies.

While you ruminate on the answers (as well as on the troubles of the universe), let us give you Part I of Episode 3 which we call "It's a Psychobilly Freakout!" for you to listen to. (Yeah, we nicked the title off the Mighty Reverend.)

The playlist:

1. PHANTOM ROCKERS - "Brand New Cadillac"
2. ELVIS HITLER - "Berlin to Memphis"
3. THE BEATLE CRUSHER - "Little Girl"
4. THE REVEREND HORTON HEAT - "It's Martini Time"
5. BATMOBILE - "Slapping Suspenders"
6. NEKROMANTIX - "Horny in a Hearse"
7. HETTEN DES - "Ace of Spades"

Special thanks to our friends at Drunkabilly Records (cheers, Christian!). You can check out the Drunkabilly Records website here.

Also, check out the Japanese group The Beatle Crusher. If you fancy their Rock Candy cd, you can get one at 29.99 euros at Amazon.

Finally, get a load of Hetten Des' moonshine cover of a Motorhead classic. Got your horses and lasso ready?

So, there you have it. And oh, did you guys do well in the quiz?

Monday, January 28, 2008

Trash Radio Manila Live At Underground Radio

It was surreal ... but strange things happen this side of town, this time of the year, at the weirdest moments of the day.

The strangest fact of all is that Trash Radio Manila was actually aired in a REAL radio station, thanks to Underground Radio 105.9, courtesy of an invite from The WUDS' Aji Adriano. This phenomenon took place just hours ago, in a program called Music Is My Girlfriend, a 3-hour album-oriented show hosted by DJs Rolly Stone and Mr. Kite every Monday from 9 to 12 midnight. You can check out their site here for future programs.

Adding to the string of strange occurrences is the presence of multi-band guitarist Albert Ascona, who selflessly renders his service to 330 bands, and still counting. Albert provided some songs in the said special.

To the guys of Music Is My Girlfriend, thank you, it's been a pleasure.

Moving pictures: The two guys of Music Is My Girlfriend, Aji Adriano, Albert Ascona striking a videoke pose.

Sunday, January 27, 2008

He Said What?

A good friend of ours asked us last week what Tommy Tanchangco had to say during the Luis Guiang tribute gig last January 18 at Purple Haze. This is an excerpt of his short, well, speech. Again, credits go to our main video contributor of the moment January Bautista of Shuffle Union and Clubska Manila.

For more of these vids, check out our account at YouTube.

Trash Radio Manila EPISODE 2 Part 3: This Is Pop!

Melodies that get you singing in an instant, crisp guitars, lyrics that make you go hmmmm, hooks at the right places. Everyone loves a really good pop song at one time or another; it is actually a good barometer of how inspired the artist is. Put in another way, it is quite difficult for an uninspired artist to come up with a great power pop tune.

Episode 3 ends up with a segment called "This is Pop!" Today's pop darlings Arctic Monkeys and Pigeon Detectives comprise the playlist, as well as veterans The Romantics and Bram Tchaikovsky with the hit "Girl Of My Dreams."

We have also included The Plimsouls, better known as Josie Cotton's back-up band in The Valley Girl soundtrack, and The Nerves. The Nerves originally did "Hanging On The Telephone," a song popularized by Blondie, and later on remade by Deadline.

So far we are getting positive feedbacks on the site and on our playlists. Our thanks to you guys who have continuously kept us company. And yeah, keep it dirty, keep it fun.

This is Pop! Playlist:

1. PIGEON DETECTIVES - "Romantic Type"
2. THE ROMANTICS - "Tomboy"
3. ARCTIC MONKEYS - "A Certain Romance" (Acoustic Live at Beat 106FM)
4. THE NERVES - "Hanging on the Telephone"
5. THE PLIMSOULS - "Hypnotized"
6. BRAM TCHAIKOVSKY - "Girl of My Dreams"

Photo credits for Pigeon Detectives: Ali Valium

Friday, January 25, 2008

Trash Radio Manila EPISODE 2 Part 2: On Target

For this segment, we pay tribute to that familiar target sign used by the British R.A.F.

And of course when we do refer to this target sign bands like The Who and Ocean Colour Scene easily come to mind. The playlist is as follows:

1. THE WHO - "Pictures Of Lily"
2. THE LAMBRETTAS - "Cortina MKII"
3. THE VAPORS - "Lenina"
4. PRIVATE STOCK - "Have More Fun"
5. OCEAN COLOUR SCENE - "I Told You So"
6. LITTLE MURDERS - "She's The One"
7. THE JAM - "Burning Sky" (from The Jam Live At The BBC)

We deem it apt to include a cut from an incredibly rare release from the local band Private Stock, which played in the legendary Brave New World Series of the 80s. The band counts Mel Maniego, currently of The GoSignals, as among its alumni.

Just in case you're wondering why The Vapors is included in the playlist, The Jam's Bruce Foxton produced and heavily influenced the band. Sure, "Turning Japanese" was a runaway hit, but rest assured that the rest of their two albums' cuts were killer.

My partner in this blog site (I'm sure you guys know him by now) specifically requested that we include a rare version of The Jam's "Burning Sky," taken from CD3 of The Jam Live At The BBC CD set, and dedicate the song to "The Class of 1984," or so they call themselves when they're drunk. A line from this song goes:

"...then we’ll all be happy and we’ll all be wise and together we will live beneath the Burning sky."

Come to think of it, this may probably be Paul Weller's own way of looking at coming to full circle....

Have a good weekend y'all.

Thursday, January 24, 2008

Look What The Cat Dragged In...

Still got the hangover from last Friday's mayhem at Purple Haze Bar? We have uploaded a video clip of Music Front's cover of Urban Bandits' "No Future Sa Pader." Credits go to January Bautista of Shuffle Union and Clubska Manila. And yes, we now have a (refurbished) YouTube account!

We'll be uploading said video to the sidebar, as soon as I am able to figure out how....

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Trash Radio Manila EPISODE 2 Part 1: Rare Vinyl, CD Rarities, And Then Some

For our second episode, we are featuring a cut off a rare vinyl, a couple of rare CD tracks, and a sprinkling of songs that, well, we have not heard for quite sometime.

Part 1 kicks off with a band called Farside. Originally released in 1990 as Crisis Records #1, the "Keep My Soul Awake" was Farside's first release as well as the first release for the new Revelation Records sub-label. There are four much revered songs that are exclusive to this EP; "Hero" opens the wax.

This is followed by a rare version of Sugar's bittersweet song "If I Can't Change Your Mind," coming off the "Besides" album.

Next are Descendents and Circle Jerks with the songs "Wendy" and "Jerks on 45," respectively. (Ever thought about the number and the title of pop songs included in the Jerks medley?)

A song from the short-lived group Cowboys International is in the list as well. Cowboys International counts the likes of Terry Chimes (original drummer for The Clash) and Keith Levine (ex-Clash, PIL) as its members.

Also included is a track off "Please Describe Yourself," an album from the Scottish band Dogs Die In Hot Cars.

Lastly, the extremely luscious Louise Wener sums up the playlist with her band Sleeper's single off their debut, "Smart". That song could probably sum up the sentiments of some people I know. It could actually be your song, and mine too.

1. FARSIDE - "Hero"
2. SUGAR - "If I Can't Change Your Mind"
3. DESCENDENTS - "Wendy"
4. CIRCLE JERKS - "Jerks on 45"
5. COWBOYS INTERNATIONAL - "Aftermath"
6. DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS - "I Love You 'Cause I Have To"
7. SLEEPER - "Delicious"

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

THE REBIRTH OF MUSIC FRONT: Finally Coming Home

Allow me now to speak to you as a fan of one of Pinoy punk's most enduring icons, Arnold Morales.

It is not very easy to talk about the merits of a man whom I personally regard as my idol, friend and role model, the way I look up to an older brother which I never really had. It seems that until now, Arnold does not realize the impact he has left in the consciousness of several generations of punks. In all likelihood, he will refuse to believe that I mean every single word I have written here, probably preferring to think that I like (*insert name of another punk band here*) instead. But that's another story.

Such is the humility of this man.

Suffice to say that when I first heard a voice over the radio many many years ago, a voice reeking of danger dared say, "Ano'ng sabi mo? Ikaw o ako? Ba't sino ka ba? At sino rin ako?", I was stunned. And intrigued.

Who the hell is this band? And who is this man who seems to summon the demons with his unmistakable derring-do?

The voice belonged to Arnold. The band: Urban Bandits. Aggression-filled, angst-ridden, all-testosterone. My life has never been the same again....

Fast forward to 1987. Arnold Morales formed Music Front, his post-Urban Bandits and pre-Put3Ska outfit. Of all his bands, Music Front is the least known, having only played in two venues before they finally disappeared. And although a full-length album had been recorded, the songs landed in the hands of nary but a very few people in the underground scene. Because of this, and because of the paucity of written materials about the band (I can only recall a single article about Music Front which came out in Jingle Chordbook magazine), Music Front has been regarded by many as a unicorn of sorts.

To rephrase this unicorn metaphor into a simpler query: Did Music Front ever exist?

Most people learned the answer to this question last Friday at Weslu's tribute gig at the Purple Haze Bar, as they came face to face with THE unicorn.Music Front reformed for the occasion of Luis Guiang's death anniversary and played to a highly-charged audience. The line-up consisted of Arnold on vocals, ex-Deceased Jun Quiane on drums, ex-Absolute Zero/Betrayed Je Bautista on bass, and prolific guitarist Albert Ascona, who also plays for The Beauty Of Doubt, Throw, NoFuckingMorals and 217 more bands, as he would jokingly say. The inclusion of Jun and Je has been described as providential. Roughly twenty years earlier, Deceased and Betrayed actually opened for Music Front at Puesto Legarda, which was said to be the better of Music Front's only two gigs ever.

The blistering set started off with "Let's Dance," a sharply edged song whose riveting melody echoes post-punk influences reminiscent of Echo and the Bunnymen's heavier works. The audience, which had started to sing along with the chorus, shortly went wild as Arnold bellowed "Mga kapitbahaaaaay!!!", essentially announcing the segue to "No Future Sa Pader."

Music Front also did "Start A New Day," whose opening line, "There's nothing wrong between the earth and the blue sky," is the most creative line I have heard in a while. They also played "What Is A Friend," a sentimental ditty rumoured to have been recorded by Put3Ska for what would have been a third album, making it timely given the occasion of the death anniversary of the band's dear Weslu.

It is a pity Music Front did not play the anthemic "Jolly Dominique," a song which was redone by Put3Ska in the 90s, as well as Arnold's ode to one of the world's cheapest forms of communication, "Radio." Three more Urban Bandits hits ("Manila Girl," "Nagpapapansin, Pansinin," and "Blood In Every Heart") completed the electrifying set.

Arnold and his crew were more than warmly welcomed by friends and supporters who slammed and jumped furiously throughout the set, with some even trying to literally grab a piece of the lanky frontman in excitement. Never mind that there were technical mishaps, including a bass string that snapped in the heat of the set (how do you really break a bass string unless you are playing to a highly intensified outburst of passion.)

There is truth to THE unicorn.

And Arnold Morales? He has finally come home.

We saw each other soon after the set. He was beaming as he approached me, and I promptly extended my hand. He took my hand and enveloped it firmly in his palms, and that moment seemed to have lasted an eternity filled with unspoken gratitude, trust, and fraternal bond. No, I will never forget that humbling instance of humanity which has left me dumbfounded up until now. My idol, my friend, and my older brother has remained steadfast after all these years.

Welcome home, Arnold.And as for you, keep faith in the scene.

Monday, January 21, 2008

A Reunion Of Old-School Punks at Weslu's Tribute Gig

Time and again I would aver that, even though I enjoy listening to ska and watching ska gigs, I am not by all means a rudie. For most of my formative years as far as music appreciation is concerned were spent listening to punk songs and attaching a fork or a stiff alambre to the radio antenna just to get a decent reception of "Capital Radio" off XB 102. (Then again, that does not make me a punk, either.) I could not get myself to see the lovely concerts over at places like Rock-ola and Katrina's (I had only seen a handful then) for I used to live really far and my mother was extremely strict. So I sought consolation by playing music really loud in the house till my mom actually learned to appreciate the noise that her deprived young child was drawn to. See, (bless her soul) she was a very cool woman after all.

Anyway, the line-up of the bands that played in Weslu's Tribute Gig at the Purple Haze Bar last January 18, 2008 is an aggregate of the old and the new school, of punks and rudies and the younger set, of punk and ska music. It is a great combination. The late Luis Guiang, after all, has left an indelible imprint in both the punk and ska scene. This time, however, I lost some sense of objectivity and suddenly hungered for the old hats. In fact, it seemed that a lot of people missed the so-called old guys.

I saw how the crowd started slamming during G.I. and the Idiots' performance, and how a mad flurry of slamming bodies formed at an alarming rate during Music Front's set. When it was Al Dimalanta and Throw's turn on stage, people were simply slamming silly, especially during the part when Al was singing his anthemic songs "New Life" (a punk song that figured prominently in my young life) and "Don't Drop Your Guns/Noise Barrage."

One of the night's highlights was the appearance of Mr. Tommy Tanchangco, guitarist for Chaos and more popularly known as the man behind the Twisted Red Cross label. He seemed just as amazed at how people have continued to live the punk lifestyle after all these years.

That night saw a impromptu gathering of most of the members of the Class of '84. It was a joyous sight.

I hope my friends in the ska scene will forgive me for gushing no end, but I got to say this. At some point in one's life one has to go back to where he started. Such is the circle of life. For many, it was a night of various homecomings, with the biggest homecoming alumnus being Luis Guiang. And the night, no doubt, belongs to the old-timers.

Captured by Canon: The Mandalondon Crew; Hilboy Raymundo of Bisikleta Productions; Erwin Romulo; Mae Ilagan of Shuffle Union shaking her booty; the audience; Tommy Tanchangco with Arnold Morales, later with some alumni of the Class of '84.

G.I. and the Idiots


Music Front


Throw


A sort of homecoming: Japo, Arnold, Al, Rogel, Je, Aji, Bobby, Russell, Homer, Rodil, Albert