MY TOP 5 ALBUMS OF 2010

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

I have made the resolution of keeping this blog updated. So here I am, off to another fresh start. I know I promised you a list, didn't I? Well here it is.

My Top 5 Albums of 2010.

The truth is, I wrote this post in early December. Before posting this article, I just had to make sure that this did not appear elsewhere. Having confirmed this yesterday, I now post where I think this article should be most appropriate: HERE. JUST HERE.

Please read on, and tell me what you think.

My Top 5 Albums for 2010

Selecting my Top 5 for this year has been trickier than difficult. I can easily spew out titles of albums whose songs stuck to memory and made an impression, but the process is trying, to say to the least. One of the things that I loathe doing is to leave out equally deserving works. There are clearly many bands worth a listen whose works remain lurking in blog sites, unearthed only by a few persistent music lovers who are on a constant quest for novel stuff.

My choice is definitely reflective of the year that has been. But shouldn’t music serve to be reflective of the times? My list is made up entirely of Pinoy artists: all have been around for quite sometime (the youngest of them being Goodleaf). Their albums contain songs that bespeak of the political and economic times: the turn-over of political power, the society’s persistent ills, and such. It is almost like reading the editorial section of the newspaper.

So here is my list.

1. “Believe” – Throw

Throw, as every self-respecting punk and underground music scenester may have known by now, is a powerhouse band made up of Al Dimalanta, Dennis Maniego, and son Spyk. This album came out in January, paying tribute to late hardcore luminaries Jay Dimalanta (Dead Ends), Luis Guiang (G.I. and the Idiots, Put3Ska), and Je Bautista (Betrayed, Music Front, Beatdown Boombox). Albert Ascona of The Beauty of Doubt and Bad Omen played guitars on this one. This album is definitely a group effort and not an Al Dimalanta show at all, which I feel is what Al had been quite conscious about throughout Throw’s existence. The title track and “Choose” (which happens to be my favorite), for instance, are written by Spyk and Al: both songs are riveting melodic paeans of hope and of deciding wisely. This one is probably Throw’s more melodic outputs.

2. “’Wag Kalimutan Ang Ingay” – Throw

Sadly, Throw disbanded last month after ten years in the hardcore scene. While Al has assured that he will continue with the acoustic gigs, I will certainly miss Throw. The band left us with this effort, “’Wag Kalimutan Ang Ingay”, dedicated to the memory of Al’s parents Ernesto and Ophelia (who both passed away this year) and his brother Jay. For this album, Against Man guitarist Alan Roldan plays for the band.“’Wag Kalimutan…” is clearly angrier than its predecessor, a reaction to the recent political changes. My favorite track will have to be “Karapatan”, which is part spoken word and all aggression that has always been Al’s trademark.

3. “ No Hero” – Coffee Break Island

Coffee Break Island is one of the most hardworking bands around. “No Hero” is their long-overdue sophomore album. While there is no clear stand-out song in the mold of their very popular song “Party Song”, the tracks are more cohesive. CBI is just as politicized in their own way, if you manage to get past the strong groove of their songs and give the lyrics a listen. I like “No Hero” and “Walang Hanggan”

4. “Dubpilipinas” – Goodleaf

Their gigs do not come all too often, leaving a good number of people wondering what exactly these guys play, except for the genre generally termed dub. People who have seen this band perform live swear that they know their dub pretty well and that they are able to incorporate numerous musical elements in their works. Goodleaf has, finally, come up with an album that showcases their skills. Listen to the title track, “Digital Roots”, and “Solusyon Ka Ba o Problema?”

5.  “Back To Kindergarten” – T.S.A.

T.S.A. is a bunch of Bulacan kids who grew up playing hardcore. All three members are now in Singapore, continuing to wreck hardcore havoc on our Southeast Asian friends who seem more pleased that offended about this fact. Ojie, Bimboi, and Pedro, as far as I know, have long been raring to make a tribute album, their own interpretation of punk and hardcore tunes that have largely influenced them. The body count can easily be guessed: Dead Ends, Urban Bandits, Betrayed, R.D.A...mostly from the Twisted Red Cross era. Some may have criticized their album as “too clean”: maybe so, but it is not a problem with me as we speak of eras that are decades and technologies apart. My favorite may well be reflective of my bias towards the band that they have covered, in this case: Urban Bandits’ “Hoy!”

I know that I have missed a lot, as my disclaimer states. Either I did not get to hear them yet (like Juan Isip's new EP) or I just ran out of slots.  There are bands whose works I await (calling The GoSigmals, Tsunami Tsunami ... ) and more bands to unearth. It is all a learning experience, and all we have to do is open our ears and minds.




Next in the list of items to update is the playlist. I will get back to you really soon. To keep you company in the meantime is a video from Coffee Break Island's second album launch called "Walang Hanggan".

My Return ... And Things To Do On A Friday Night

 I have finally returned. It has been a while. I am sorry if the blog has been inactive, but there are so many important things for me to attend to. Things that are important in the grand scheme of things.

Please give me time to assimilate my act once again. Let me start by giving you three options on where to go tonight. Today is a Friday...must I remind you?^^

Then maybe you can attend all three, yes? ^^

You have the Skrewheds gig, the launch of Coffeebreak Island's new album, and Bing Austria's regular Manila Soul gig. Any of them should be good. :)

I am looking forward to putting more posts. Please, welcome me back to my blogging life, LOL! Glad to be back again.

Independence Day 2010: Muli, Ang Paggunita Sa Araw Ng Kalayaan

Patawarin ninyo ako kung magsusulat ako sa aking sariling wika at hindi ninyo ako maiintindihan. Sa aking palagay ay nararapat lang na sa pagkakataong ito na malapit na ang araw ng kalayaan ay magsulat ako sa salitang sariling akin (sa pagkakataong ito, magsusulat ako sa Tagalog dahil ito ang pinakaalam ko at hindi dahil may kinikilingan akong diyalekto).

Pero, tama na ang mga mabulaklak na mga salita. Nakaugalian na namin sa Trash Radio Manila na maglabas ng isang programa ng mga awiting Pinoy. Ngayong taon, eto ang aking handog. Hindi ako sumablay, hahah! Kasi naman, ispesyal ang pagdiriwang na ito ng Araw ng Kalayaan. Magtatapos na ang halos isang dekada ng pagkapangulo ni Ginang Arroyo, at ang masasabi ko lang ay ...

Hay salamat.

Hindi maikakaila na marami pa rin ang naniniwala sa demokratikong paraan ng pagpili ng ating mga pinuno, at marami pa rin ang umaasa na magbabago ang Pilipinas, na may pag-asa pang magamot ang mga karamdaman ng ating lipunan. Sana nga ay magkaroon na ng pagbabago. Hindi madaling gawin ito. Palasak man ang mga salitang ito, subalit kailangan pa ring maging mapagmatyag, mapagmasid, mag-isip, gumalaw, bantayan ang ating kalayaan. Tayo rin ay nangangailangang maging mapagsuri ... maging ng ating mga sarili. Ano ba talaga ang ating pakay sa buhay?

Narito ang listahan ng mga awitin. Palagay ko, di na kailanagn pa ng pagpapakilala sa mga banda. Naisip ko lang, di ko pa pala napapatugtog rito ang Cocojam at Indio I. Sana ay maibigan ninyo ang mga ito.

1. Lady I - "Freedom Intro" [Siya rin si Irene Tengasantos, anak ng mag-asawang Chong at Chang ng Reggae Mistress.]
2. ETHNIC FACES - "Balikbayan"
3. COCOJAM - "batang Maynila"
4. COFFEE BREAK ISLAND - "Pakikinggan"
5. PINKCOW - "Changes (Justice Not Politics)"
6. INDIO I - "Mag-Ingay" [Kasama sa mga nagsulat at umawit ng awiting ito sina Myra Ruaro a.k.a. Skarlet at Bing Austria ng Juan Pablo Dream]
7. INDIO I - "Harana"

Mabuhay tayong lahat! Kita kita sa tugtugan.

Thoughts On An Incomplete Rainy Tuesday: Incomplete 2, Route 196, June 1, 2010

There will come soft rains and the smell of the ground,
And swallows circling with their shimmering sound;

And frogs in the pool singing at night,
And wild plum trees in tremulous white;

Robins will wear their feathery fire,
Whistling their whims on a low fence-wire;

And not one will know of the war, not one
Will care at last when it is done.

Not one would mind, neither bird nor tree,
If mankind perished utterly;

And Spring herself when she woke at dawn
Would scarcely know that we were gone.

- Sara Teasdale, "There Will Come Soft Rains"

Perhaps the end is indeed near. The weather has gone way haywire. Hot and dry to hot and wet. Temperature reaching 40 degrees Celsius. Then suddenly, acid rain. I thought of Sara Teasdale's apocalyptic poem, written way back 1920, as I was lingering on the sidewalk fronting Route 196, the site of the Incomplete Part 2 gig, last Tuesday, June 1, 2010.

How would you like to go, supposing that the red Tuesday night sky fall on you right that moment? My mind was playing morbid tricks on me. To this question I had a quick and equally morbid answer: I would like to go with a smile. (Pasintabi kay Joker, I borrowed that line from him. Hahah.)

I was in the right place, if that is the case.

It was a warm and pleasant night. And it was not just an acoustic night, for the gig featured the frontmen of some of the most prominent bands in the underground scene (Throw, The GoSignals, Shuffle Union, Coffee Break Island, Shoulder State, SDK). In spite of the rains, people came in, most of them arriving towards the middle of the show. Francis Aguilar opened the show and did the hosting chores. Albert Ascona came next, followed by Al Dimalanta, who played four songs despite the coughs and colds. (Tenacious!) Rio Vargas did a charismatic set, after which Mel and Dennis Maniego of The GoSignals provided the crowd with their brand of mod. Mae of Shuffle Union placed the audience on a trance with her magical voice, while Paul of Coffee Break Island was Mae's perfect foil, his raspy voice tearing the damp early morning air apart.

Jonas Pares (or fondly called Alkaline Duo, which is none other than Kyle and Spyk of SDK) played as well, taking over the slot of Arnold Morales who was not able to make it that night.

[Route 196, like Ten02 Bar, serves good food. I just have to say this.]

Oh, ok. Obviously, the end of the world has not come yet. The apocalypse can wait another day. But never mind. I still went home with a smile on my face.

Francis Aguilar: Lou Reed-esque

Albert Ascona puts the "A" in emo :)

Al Dimalanta: Sticks and stones can't hurt my voice. Yay!

Rio Vargas: hoping to see more of him in the days to come

Their bird can sing: Dennis and Mel Maniego of The GoSignals

Mod toujours: Mel Maniego

Alkaline duo, yeah: Kyle and Spyk

Mae of Shuffle Union: the voice that has enchanted the ska scene for years

Hannah, ska scene's talented photographer

Paul Puti-an: that alcohol-fueled voice of his is simply awesome

More on this slide show:

****

Wow gigs!

Check out the siderail for upcoming gigs. Keb Darge is, finally, here in Manila, after being derailed by the nasty ashfall from an Icelandic volcano. He is slated to perform on Friday, June 11, 2010 at Ten02 Bar. Yay! Don't miss out on this one.

The 1st Manila Ska Festival: Come Rain, Come Moonshine, and Sneaking in at the ASEUM Art Festival in Mogwai

By now most of you people have already seen those fab photos of the 1st Manila Ska Festival uploaded in numerous Multiply and Facebook accounts. So what exactly happened last Saturday (July 25) at Cubao X? I arrived at the venue (in front of the Wooden Gallery) at around 9pm, in time for Hopskatch's set. Already there was a good number of people in the audience gathered in front of the stage. Stayed on for a few numbers until someone grabbed me to meet, well, Caliph8, who was invited to do a DJ set at neighbouring Mogwai.

[Some explanation here. Caliph8 spinned on the occasion of ASEUM (Asia-Europe) New Media Art Symposium's 1st International New Media Art Festival in the Philippines. A five-day affair of conferences, exhibits, fora, and what-have=you's, last Saturday I think was the final leg of the art festival in the form of VJing and sound experimentations at the Mogwai Cinematheque, of which Caliph8 was one of the performers. Some photos inside the cinematheque below. Also check out this site for details.]



(In photo: video screening accompanied by sound experimentation, and Caliph8 - in blue shirt - doing what he does best.)

Also entered the Wooden Canvas which featured the photo exhibit. The walls showcased photos, both old and recent, mostly of bands who performed that night (Shuffle Union, The Marcos Cronies, Steady Movin' Beat, among others). Old photos brought me to times past: Clubska, Skamax, out-of-town forays (oftentimes Je would come, leaving me behind here in Manila because I have to report to work everyday, shame shame), Kolumn days. Interesting documentation of the bands' visual evolution, indeed.

Okay, I apparently digressed. After Hopskatch came Steady Movin' Beat. By this time, some people in the audience have drank enough and were gradually getting into skanking mode. The flurry on the dancefloor continued when Life Without Francis (that's Pink Cow without their vox Francis for you) stepped in and sang originals and covers (a smuttering from The Clash). The amount of alcohol intake is, without doubt, proportionate to the activity on the dancefloor.

(In photo: JR of Shuffle Union and Hilboy of Bisikleta Productions, hosts to the event)

When Rocket Punch took the stage, rain poured in from the pregnant skies.By then the crowd, which had really swollen, cramped at the sides and at the makeshift tent. The rains stopped somehow by the time The Marcos Cronies were playing. The rain obviously could not stop the people from having a good time.

Sige kag skank pipol!

Shuffle Union finally took the stage, joined in at some songs by Noel of Skabeche. For a moment I was on time travel. I first saw Shuffle Union about 8 years ago in Mayrics. While they were already showing promise then, the lads were a little restrained, and January could not been seen without her shades (hehe). Time has passed quite fast and endowed this band with maturity and confidence. SU did their originals, as well as their favorite covers (Tainted Love, among others). They paid tribute to two of their mentors who had since left the physical world - Luis Guiang and Je Bautista - by playing "Thank You Weslu" (a song the band wrote specifically for Weslu) and "Absolute" (a song originally by Absolute Zero, Je's very first band, and popularised by Put3ska). Watching the band and the crowd from afar gave me an ethereal feeling, and at the same time a sense of longing.

Shuffle Union dancefest

The last time I saw Jeepney Joyride was during that ill-fated gig somewhere in Quezon about 5 years ago. (I am not about to tell you how horrid the event was ... I just want to say to prospective producers that, please, when you book your musicians in gigs far away from Manila, please, TREAT THEM PROPERLY! Give them decent transpo, decent food, and decent place to sleep. DON'T MAKE THEM SLEEP ON THE SAND. Ok, enough said.) Been a while. The band is still as hyperactive though Norman hasn't done some tumblings that night. I sort of missed them.

Finally, Coffee Break Island. If you people follow my posts, by now you would have known the bands that I like to watch live. CBI is one of those bands. These guys have gone a long long way from the first time I saw them in Millenia some 7 years ago. Evolution indeed is a very curious thing.


And so is the weather. I walked in the rain, leaving behind a highly energised crowd, some really drunk. I thought to myself, as I was going home, that sometimes, erratic weather is not enough to put a good gig down. Congratulations to Shuffle Union and the rest of the bands, to Wooden Canvas, and to PiliSkapinas. It has been one fantastic night of music, alcohol, and friendships. Thank you very much, once again.

Tonight...and 7 Nights Ago

Huli man at magaling ... huli pa rin!

I am putting up some photos from Try This At Home's gig last Saturday, July 18, held at the Leprechaun Bar, which featured The GoSignals, Hilera, and Coffee Break Island.

The GoSignals

Hilera

Coffee Break Island

Try This At Home is, as far as I know, a two-man production composed of Russell Eustaquio (Tame The Tikbalang fame, shown in photo at the right) and Albert Ascona (guitarist to a myriad bands). TTAH is a welcome addition to the productions in existence, as it provides another venue for bands to play and people to appreciate music that's apart from the run-of-the-mill stuff that I no longer have to enumerate. [Bashing is something I consciously try to avoid here in TRM ... if you've nothing good to say, then don't say it....]

Anyways, we'll definitely hear more from TTAH in the days to come.

Now for tonight. The First Manila Ska Festival also happens to be the final leg of Shuffle Union's Invincible Album Launch Tour. The affair starts as early as 3pm via a photo contest/exhibit. Gig starts at 7pm. It might interest you that after a longish absence, the hyperactive Jeepney Joyride is back and you might want to check them out too alongside Shuffle Union, Coffee Break Island, The Marcos Cronies, and many more bands. Even told that Jon (of Neighbors and now of Soundblasters blogsite) will be spinning some tunes as well. Tonight, it seems, should be a fun skanking night. See you guys over at Cubao X laters.

Lagare Nights Part 3: Shuffle Union Invincible Tour, 1962 Tambayanan, July 11 Saturday Night. Plus This Weekend's Gigs!

From España, Manila, I transferred to Timog Avenue in Quezon City. I did not get to see The Nudolls (featuring Smee, for those who frequented Kolumn in the past), the band that played first. Steady Movin' Beat was about to play by the time I arrived. Some people were already alcohol-fueled and skanked towards the middle of the set. The flurry on the dancefloor went on as Rocket Punch took the stage (and commissioned Mateo to sing some songs for them). These guys are good and they prepare their repertoire well. Of course, Shuffle Union (frequent victims of ill-functioning mics lately) was as always consistent and Nomer was a delight behind his keyboards. Tsunami Tsunami, Arnold Morales' new band, did an ambush set, while Lagare bands The GoSignals and The Marcos Cronies performed just as well after coming from Sazi's (and Ten02, as in the case of TGS).



Yup yup. A long Saturday night of music indeed. (And I was still dreaming of teleport - TP in Second Life lingo - on my way home.)

Some interesting gigs are up this coming weekend. Filter Zine's Unmerry Melodies is kicking off this Friday (uhm, that's today) at the Leprechaun Bar. Poster is at the siderail for your reference. Also at the Leprechaun Bar this Saturday, July 18, Try This At Home Productions will be presenting three musically diverse bands: Coffee Break Island, The GoSignals, and Hilera. Now this should be really interesting. Show starts at 9pm; entrance is at PHP100 inclusive of a bottle of beer. Watch out, too, for the First Manila Ska Festival set on July 24-25 (July 24: photo exhibit, July 25: actual gig). I shall be filling you in with the details soon.

By the way, I got a good number of positive feedbacks in reference to the Grrrl!!!!! playlist. As such, I am presently concocting Grrrl Part 2. Do watch out for it, hunnies.

That's it for now. As for me, I'm about to go to this other world where I can at least satisfy my TP cravings to my heart's content. [IM me or send me NC if you care to join me....]

Photo: A spirited Nomer of SU

Lagare Nights Part 1: Coffee Break Island, Shuffle Union, and Earthlings, Leprechaun Bar, July 10 Friday Night

What can I say?


This gig was by no means a product of massive information dissemination nor was it supported by some megalomaniacal sound system, both of which oftentimes are very crucial ingredients to the success of a gig. No big stars here, though CBI and Shuffle Union by now are respected names in their own circuits and Earthlings are beginning to carve their niche as well. But it has been a very very good night, in spite of the usual hitches.

Some members of Shuffle Union and Earthlings were sick and as such Jun and Raffy of CBI pitched in. Mae, January, and JR of Shuffle Union jammed with CBI, and the audience was either drinking or dancing or both. And just when everyone thought that the music had ended, JR and Paul of CBI (aka Pineapple Jam) took the stage and did acoustic renditions of The Jam's "That's Entertainment" and a few more songs. I could have sworn that this gig was a home party where everyone is welcome to crash right in and join in the fun, except that the Leprechaun sign was glaring in front of the place, a reminder that we were not in a house but in a bar.

Photos here (above photo: Earthlings):

Earthlings: Smiling sheepishly


Sibling act: Jan, JR and Dagul of Shuffle Union

The belter: Mae of Shuffle Union

Shuffle Union with Jun of CBI on drums

Raindance, Paul stylee

Raindance during CBI's set

Shuffle and CBI jammed together

Pineapple Jam!!!

It was a cool night, all things taken. Sometimes all it takes, in the absence of the usual things we obsess about to come up with a great gig, is one that is lacking in most gigs: GOOD VIBES.

From The Gathering Of Friends

June 27. Saturday. Leprechaun Bar. A Gathering Of Friends. Below is a gathering of (my) thoughts. Want Guinness? Heard one say. Yes, get me one, says another. Oh, hi! Hey! Haven't seen you in ages! Uy, pare. Coffee Break Island came first. Good set as usual. Gotta rush to Xavierville. Francis in Samar. Pink Cow just as jolly and quirky. A lot of personality. Loads of nice T-shirts. I like Spyk's. "The Loudest and Fastest Hour On Radio." Blast from the past, nearly made me cry...(old school, new school, out-of-school punk, and everything in between...aawww!) Bad Omen next. Veteran punks. Very much deserving of a place in the Pinoy Punk firmament. Segued into two Music Front songs, then segued further into Tsunami Tsunami set. Was distracted, a very very good friend was downstairs. (He said Dave Dictor is a good man, and I believed him, because I know that for a fact, and I am not effing kidding. My friend's stories very much worth my attention.) AMPON next. Almost missed them and almost bashed my head for this. Pity that someone had to say "We've been invaded by hiphop"... as far as I know, AMPON is fantastic! [Sorry dude-who-said-we've-been-invaded, we're into this for the music above everything else, so eff it.] Shuffle Union. Buy their cool CD. Seriously, and objectively. You know how, yes? The Mighty Contras. Adorable Ahmad. Want to see more of them. Drove home and nearly ran over a cat. Driving = steep learning curve. Sunday, past 3 o'clock in the morning. Good morning world ... tell it to me once again what Antoine de St Exupery said.

"On ne voit bien qu'avec le coeur, l'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux."

Mr. Antoine, you are very dear to me ... situated beside this beautiful quote of yours, all other words are empty bullet shells .... Thank you friends for your presence, and for remembering a very good man.

Thank you Jan for the Tsunami photo.

A Tale Of Three Gigs

Mick Jagger? Paul of Coffee Break Island, Green Papaya Art Gallery, Kamuning, Quezon City, May 6, 2009

Wednesday, May 6, 2009. More than a year ago, I was in Jed Escueta's photo exhibit Escuebaks at Big Sky Mind. Many months, blog posts, and exhibits later and we were back together. This time, Jed featured the rowdy guys of Coffee Break Island.

It was my first time at Green Papaya. The place, I was told by a friend, was once a house where she stayed in for a few years. The place was filled up when I came in, and Coffee Break Island was already dishing out familiar songs off their repertoire at the ground floor of the gallery, much to the delight of the crowd. Beer was all over the place, and in the bloodstreams of most people in attendance.

Upstairs was where the actual exhibit was located, showcasing the band at various stages of their career. Very interesting.

Jed, consistently the reticent one, was at the background as always. He was one of those familiar faces I haven't seen in quite a while. Glad to see those faces once again. Yup, in spite of the rains raging outside that night.

*****

Joe Jackson? Emil of The Marcos Cronies, Sazi's Restobar, Espana, Manila, May 9, 2009

Saturday, May 9, 2009. Hilboy of Bisikleta Productions was putting some finishing touches on the tickets while awaiting the matinee crowd. Ah, but it does take a bit of getting used to matinee shows. Maybe Saturday is not a good day for a matinee. At any rate, when people started pouring in some two hours after the supposed sched, they really poured in. Pretty soon, Sazi's Restobar (formerly Mayric's) was filling up.

Bing showed up, of course, and was his usual bubbly self. The GoSignals played. So did The Marcos Cronies, Pink Cow, Rocketpunch, SMB, and essentially almost every band billeted that night. My bad, I did not get to see all the bands play and hence I could not give a fair assessment. I was doing a looooot of catching up with people and towards the tailend of the gig, I have to rush to another venue, which I will talk about later. All I know is, I had a good time talking to long-lost friends. (Or more like, I was the "long-lost" person, heheh.)

Sazi's (and this is just my personal opinion) has not changed much: the look, the mood still reminds me of Mayrics, but Sazi's is a little bit cleaner. It was little like time warp. Hopefully Sazi's eventually becomes another viable option for similar gigs in the future.

A little before 12 midnight, I was hitting the road again.

*****

Silenoz of Dimmu Borgir? Dagul of Shuffle Union, 1962 Tambayan, Sct. Madrinan, Quezon City, May 10, 2009

From Sazi's I went to 1962 Tambayan, a place once haunted (Don't we just love puns?) by news scribes and refurbished to cater for acoustic performances. That night, Shuffle Union and SMB (the boys were working double-time) were to perform acoustic sets.

I arrived and saw Arnold Morales jamming with JR and Dagul prior to Shuffle Union's set. The crowd was (obviously because of the acoustic sets) more laidback, and I actually like the way the sound bounces off in the venue. 1962 Tambayan is looking good as an acoustic gig venue, so far.

Shuffle Union, as far as I know, is presently preparing their EP which should be out anytime soon. If you were at the Louie Louie gig at Mogwai last February, you'd have a good idea how this album will sound. The boys and girls have retained the engaging trad-rocksteady quality of their music but added new elements to their sound making it a little different from how they sounded like four years ago. Now this is something to definitely look forward to, and I am personally glad that they are finally coming out with this album. I wish Shuffle Union all the luck in the world.

The night was not quite over yet for some when I left the tambayan. For me, however, it had just began. Up next, the playlist. Have a great week, people.