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.

Once Again, Grrrl!!!!!

Finally finished Part 2 of the Grrrl playlist. Had fun putting the songs together. As I was doing so, I came across this announcement over at MySpace.


Clitfest Los Angeles is "...a 3 day national event dedicated to Womyn (born and self identified, queer, gender nonconforming, trans, people/youth of color) [emphasis mine]". This is a three-day affair filled with workshops, discussions, and relentless music from all-female and female-fronted bands. Now one of the bands included in the list is Naked Aggression.

Naked Aggression are veterans. The band was formed in 1990 and were actively touring until disaster struck them in 1998: one of the founding members, Phil Suchomel, died. The year 2003 saw the return of Naked Aggression, which continues to churn out one highly charged political song after another to this day. The song "Smash The State" kicks off our playlist.

The next band, The Scuds, are from Singapore. Got hold of this band's songs just recently as a recommendation by a good friend. Punk with garage undertones, very raw but not at all amateurish. Check them out here. The title of the song? "Fuck You!"

Out of Bonn, Germany come The Gee Strings, fronted by the ferocious Ingi Pop. The song "Snuff Fiction" appears both in their album Arrest Me and in the Radio Disaster Volume V compilation released by Basement Records. Do listen to more Gee Strings on their MySpace site.

I admit to procrastinating more often than I should. Cebu City's Tiger Pussy should have long appeared in Trash Radio Manila's playlist, but somehow I was not getting the proper timing. Jan's voice is simply what the band's byword is: rawr! I was told that the guys are coming back to Manila this October. (Yep, they were here last April....) No reason not to see them this time. Their song is called "High Class Curriculum", and the band's photo, which I got from their site, is taken by Keith Dador.

Also in the list is The Devotchkas, who eventually came to be 99's, before reverting to their old name before the band finally split up. The song "Wicked Heart" comes from the album Live Fast Die Young.

Lastly, we have Tether, one of the bands that played in the Louie Louie gig held last January. Tarhata has a voice that is compelling, and she is amply supported by her bandmates. I strongly suggest that you pick up a copy of their album Tell Me Stories. Find out where they are gigging next on this site. Their song "Html" caps off this playlist.

The list:

1. NAKED AGGRESSION - "Smash The State"
2. THE SCUDS - "Fuck You!"
3. THE GEE STRINGS - "Snuff Fiction"
4. TIGER PUSSY - "High Class Curriculum"
5. THE DEVOTCHKAS - "Wicked Heart"
6. TETHER - "Html"

It's been good. Harrowing maybe, but good. Hope you enjoy this playlist, as much as you enjoyed the first Grrrl!!!!! installment. For the next playlist...let's see. More local bands! New materials! Ugh. Backlog now really catching up with me. Just, stay tuned.

Photos from the artists' sites. Tiger Pussy's photo in the site done by Keith Dador.

R.I.P. Vincent Go

R.I.P. Vincent Go of Dear Dingo.

No fancy words, and explanations are reserved elsewhere. Just please pray for the repose of his soul.

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 2: The Bing Austria Show, Sazi's Restobar, July 11 Saturday Night

Bisikleta Productions strikes again. Hilboy was talking about his future line-ups and plans the night we saw each other at Sazi's, all worth watching out for. For now, however, it's about this Saturday night topbilled by The GoSignals and participated in by a host of other bands. Gut Reaction, unfortunately, was not around.

Surf and garage muzak from Tango Bitoy!

My little surprise of the night was Tango Bitoy. It was my first time to see these guys. They do surf music and played some originals that night. Sy did fine with the four-string, Jerwin provided ample skins, but it was Rod Mijares' awesome guitar-playing that took centerstage. If my eyes were not fooling me, this lefty did not even bother to shift his strings, and for a very very weak guitar player like I am (*blush, blush*), that was truly amazing. Do try to catch these blokes.

Apostles of rockabilly: Pusakals

The Trend covering Third World Chaos

SDK: These boys pack a really mean wallop

The GoSignals: Mod galore

I got to see Pusakals play their rockabilly set, too: they opened the gig. Other bands that played included The Trend, SDK (really ferocious kids), and The GoSignals. Unfortunately I had to leave in the middle of the set to catch another gig, which you can read about in my 3rd installment of Lagare nights. My apologies to the bands that I did not get to see, it was nothing personal. :(

I was also the beneficiary of many a gesture of generosity that Saturday night. I got a shirt from Pau of Pink Cow (and Life Without Francis, now that was clever), a CD from Knop Knop of Einstein Chakras, a ride to Timog Avenue from Mel of The GoSignals, and the usual niceties from Hil, Dennis and Bunek, Ish, Carl Simonon and Jumar Burns of t.R.A. Thank you very much to these people, from the bottom of my pineal gland. (Hehehe, go figure: it's not what you think it is.)

This was one of those nights when I wished I had the power to teleport from gig to gig and back, so that way I would have missed less. Hell, come to think of it, I have always wished I could teleport to the nearest virgin beach, to that country north of the Philippines which I love so dearly, to the other side of the world which I have always wanted to visit, to the moon, the stars, to another dimension of existence where no physical entry is possible. I. Just. Wish. I. Could. Yes. I. Seriously. Mean. It.

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.

Grrrl!!!!! Redux

This is a rather premature post; I was not planning to put up anything yet. But I was surfing a while back and chanced upon this link, which led me to the site which appears below.


I am guessing that this site is an aggregator of posts, which is not as bad as those that aim to really steal specific blog posts. This was more funny than offensive, and you have to see the "other" post to find out why it is so.

Anyway. Back to regular programming. All set for those upcoming gigs this weekend?

Grrrl!!!!!

For the longest time, I have wanted to make a girl (or grrrl, if you so prefer) playlist, but I sort of shied away from it. For one, it is a rather overused theme, for another, I am not exactly a feminist, I simply know my rights as a female. But I certainly like the refreshing sight of women in the sea of men in the moshpit, and how girls provide an interesting counterpoint to the musical style of the all-male bands.

So here it is, a 6 song playlist that does not even last 10 minutes. Fierce, you say? The artists and their songs:

1. PLASMATICS - Test Tube Babies

"Plasmic eruption, baby, erupting my brain"

The frontwoman of Plasmatics is none other than the late wildchild Wendy O. Williams, probably best known for her nihilist and sexual antics onstage. Test Tube Babies is off their 1980 full-length album "New Hope For The Wretched".

2. LIBYANS - Cough It Up

"Im sayin', it's not worth it. Cough it up!"

Female-fronted four-piece band out of Boston. I dig their frantic songs and Liz Panella's low, throaty vocals. They will appear on the July issue of Maximum Rocknroll. Do check out their MySpace too.

3. RIOT-A-GO-GO - High Society

"Got no money, got no sophistication. I'm working for the sound that's due to sweep up the whole nation."

Not anymore. Riot-A-Go-Go, the three-piece San Francisco-based outfit, has disbanded roughly four years ago, and last I heard, vocalist Nova Lee Szoka has joined the acoustic bandwagon too. It was definitely good while it lasted. High Society comes from the album "A Piece Of It": yep, that album with a very provocative cover.

4. ABRASIVE RELATIONS - Kulang Sa Pamagat

"Salita ka nang salita, wala ka namang ginagawa."

The songs comes from the now hard-to-find compilation "Alternatibong Musikang Filipino Dekada '90". The copy that I have in my possession was originally a gift to my late mom. Mention Abrasive Relations and 1990s punk scene come to mind. They were an all-girl band who could screech and play well: these qualities I daresay set them quite apart from similarly structured bands.

5. BLOODY REJECTS - 8 Years

"Don't you think you're such a fluke?"

I bought "Ready...Set...Go!", Bloody Rejects' album, upon the recommendation of a friend. ("They're interesting. The female members look so feminine, and yet they do kick-ass covers of Bad Brains." Cool.) This Singapore-based group has long been in existence - 1997 to be exact - and is said to be lately getting active once again in the gig circuit. Good for us then. Check this album out.

6. EPOXIES - Cross My Heart

"I'm not the type of girl who gives up easily or runs away.
You better get used to it, cos I ain't leaving you.
I'm here to stay."

Ouch. Heard this before? You can forgive this Portland, Oregon-based band for the rather cheesy lyrics, though. Vocalist Roxy Epoxy is very engaging and the band does really catchy songs. Oh, but if you do find the lyrics okay by you ... then hop right in, grrrl. ;)

That's it for now. Have a great week, people. Cough it uuuppp!!!

Photos all come from the artists' sites.

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.

Music Speaks

I thought about writing this post in time for the upcoming gathering of friends gig on Saturday, June 27, at the Leprechaun Bar in Quezon City. If you've already seen that poster with the boombox, then you would know what I am talking about.

*****

Before Trash Radio Manila, there was Music Speaks.


Music Speaks is Je's personal Multiply account. We both decided to open our own accounts two years ago, when I had to stay in Hong Kong for training. It was one of our many ways of keeping in touch. But unlike my account, which served as a depository of photographs, Je's account was a mini-collection of mixed playlists. Music Speaks would turn out to be a testing ground for Je's mixes, fresh out of Long Island Dub Studio, his other baby.

We eventually started Trash Radio Manila on January of 2008. I had gone back home to Manila, and Je was already open to the idea of keeping a music blog. Music Speaks became dormant (and so did my account), but it remains to be the prototype of Trash Radio Manila. You might want to check out Music Speaks and find out how TRM has evolved into what it is at present.

Of course, this evolution would not be possible without you guys. Thank you, as always, for allowing music to speak to you through Trash Radio Manila.

*****

And yes, see you this Saturday, people.

Invincible...

... is the title of Shuffle Union's latest album consisting of live acoustic tracks off the Louie Louie gig held last January of this year. The lads are in the middle of their Invincible-Live Album Tour, and last night, they played at what seems to be their favorite haunt of late, 1962 Tambayanan at Sct. Madriñan at South Triangle in Quezon City.

I was late (so what's new?) so I did not get to see the jolly boys of Pink Cow play. Steady Movin' Beat performed after Pink Cow. All those nights of gigging are paying off: SMB is simply getting better and better, with demeanour to match. They obviously recognise that a band worth its salt does not rely on talent alone but also on diligence and the drive to outdo themselves. I am honestly happy to see SMB become into what they are right now.

Then came Shuffle Union, which I believe is one of the most senior, if not the most, active ska bands around. Like most observers and regulars of the ska scene, I have somehow followed this band's development, its ups and downs, not as keenly as Je did but I was witness just the same to SU's metamorphosis. Invincible the album is long overdue. You might as well buy their CD, and if you have their EP (the one that contains "Lovestruck" and "Freedom"), you'd find out that Shuffle has indeed trekked a long and bumpy road and picked up valuable lessons along the way. And if you have been following the ska gig circuit since the Clubska years, you too, would probably feel that you are part of their journey as well.

What can I say? At last, guys, at long last.

*****
There are a couple or so ways to get a hold of Shuffle Union's Invincible album, which by the way are in limited quantities only.

1. The best way is to be at their gigs (next stop will be at Java Ave, UP Los Baños, Laguna on July 2, Thursday, 7pm): you can check out their gig schedules at their blog site or at their MySpace site.

2. If you cannot be physically at the gigs, you can order their CD through their blog site, or here, YES HERE, at the Trash Radio Manila blog site. I have made it possible for both Paypal and non-Paypal users to place their order by clicking certain buttons at a specified area by the siderail. JUST LOOK FOR THE SHUFFLE UNION INVINCIBLE gifs AT THE SIDERAIL, and you'll know what to do next. You can actually own this great CD even if you are not in the Philippines. Coolness, oui? Oui! So what are you waiting for, hunnies?

*****
Again we start another week, but before we do, please, please, remember to greet your Dads a Happy Father's Day. And, be safe, y'all.

Photo shoots: 1962 Tambayanan, Steady Movin' Beat, Shuffle Union. I < 3 my cheap camera. No kidding.

For JP Rizal, J. Rizal, And All The Fathers Of The World

I could not decide on what sort of playlist to make: a Jose Rizal or a Father's Day special. Finally I decided to incorporate both - in a ONE-SONG playlist.

But this is no ordinary song. This song is entitled "Daddy", performed by Juan Isip, Bobby Balingit's project which involved Italian musician Ugo Guido and English musician Chris Callas.

This is essentially a song written from a child's point of view; he is relying on his father's support and guidance. This song is just as apt in remembering Jose Rizal. While proof of Rizal's fatherhood remains under dispute to this day (as far as I know), he is in essence a father to our nation.

So. Happy Birthday, JP. Happy Father's Day too, to all the fathers whom we love. Have a relevant weekend, people. (Gigs? Check out the siderail as always.)

DADDY
Maliit ang aking kamay
Maliit ang aking paa
Kaunti ang aking hawak
Kapiraso marka ng aking yapak

Sana'y tulungan mo ako
Ang pagtayo ay mabuway
Huwag kang magalit
Huwag kang mainis
Talagang ganito lang ako

Maliit ang aking mata
Maliit ang aking tainga
Kung anu-ano ang nakikita
Iba-iba ang naririnig

Sana'y turuan mo ako
Ako'y hirap na umintindi
Huwag kang magalit
Huwag kang mainis
Talagang ganito lang ako

Sa munting tinig sana'y marinig
Ang isipan kong hubad
Sa munting luha, sana'y maantig
Damdaming hindi huwad

Mga Awit Para Sa Araw ng Kalayaan

Makalipas ang higit sa isandaang taon ng pagdiriwang ng araw na ito, kailangan pa kayang itanong sa ating mga sarili kung malaya nga ba talaga tayo? Ano sa tingin nyo?

Para sa araw na ito ay naghanda ako ng anim na awitin para sa inyo.

1. "Itakas Ninyo Ako" - AXEL PINPIN at BOBBY BALINGIT

Ito ay mula sa Huling Lagapak ng Kandado, isang koleksiyon ng mga panulat ni Axel Pinpin, isang makata at isa sa bumubuo ng "Tagaytay 5" na dinukot at ipiniit sa Camp Vicente Lim mga tatlong taon na ang nakakaraan. Ang kanyang mga tula ay nilapatan ng musika ni Bobby Balingit ng WUDS.

2. "Bloody Nutter" - SEX MILITANTS

Isang kanta mula sa isa sa mga inilabas na kompilasyon ng Twisted Red Cross. Ang Sex Militants ay kilala ngayon bilang Nu Militants.

3. "Vampire Sam (The Global Order)" - THE BEAUTY OF DOUBT

Ibang bersiyon ng kilalang awitin ng grupo nina Ron Schlander. Ang bersiyon na ito ay lumabas sa album na Rock Against The Round: Musicians Against The WTO.


4. "Inutil" - HARD K

Walang halong biro, magaling na frontman si Jun Idiot at masarap panoorin. Subalit alam niyo naman lahat iyan. Ang "Inutil" ay mula sa kanilang bagong album, Life Is Pain.

5. "Life" - Delmonstros

Impresibo ang grupong ito mula sa Iligan. Silipin niyo sila sa kanilang MySpace. Ang gara rin ng mga litrato.

6. "President" - Betrayed

Lumabas ito noong 2002, at si Je Bautista ang tumugtog ng baho rito. (Ito ay isa sa mangilan-ngilan na kantang tinugtugan ni Je na naka-record.) Si Buddy Trinidad ang sumulat ng "President": pakinggan ninyong mabuti nang malaman niyo kung kanino patungkol ang awit na ito.

Maraming salamat kay Kachuki at kay Carl para sa mga voice-over.

...And Then There Was Heartcore

It was a thought borne out of nights of discussion, mostly about how people in the scene are getting older, about those who have passed on and about experiences that people never seem to learn from. Health issues - probably one of the most uncool concerns ever - plague even those who sing about enjoying because "...it's later than you think" (ugh, apologies to The Specials).

Recently these very concerns hit two people - Dennis Maniego and Je Bautista - both bassists to some of the most respected punk bands around. While we rejoice as Dennis recovered from his multiple bypass surgery, Je had not been as fortunate, succumbing to myocardial infarction in spite of vigilant treatment. Sickness, hospitalisation, surgery, death: these are not the problems that any musician would want to have. It is common knowledge that most musicians are exposed to one of the unhealthiest lifestyles on the planet and are one of the most financially under-appreciated persons in the work force. I seriously doubt if most of them have an SSS, GSIS, Philhealth, or an HMO card even.

And so there is Heartcore, a concept backed by these real problems, and more. Last Saturday, May 30, 2009, Heartcore was the name of the gig which was meant to celebrate the recovery of Dennis and the life and times of Je. The bands who played were as follows: S.D.K., The GoSignals, Half The Battle, The Beauty Of Doubt, Throw, Goo, Staid, Tame The Tikbalang, End of Man, Rust Phantom, and Einstein Chakras.

What a night it was, in more ways than one. And the bands. Half The Battle was impressive, and S.D.K. is promising. I found myself singing when Al Dimalanta of Throw started chanting Dead Kennedys' "Kill The Poor" - it is not too often that Al does covers. Was waiting for Mel Maniego of The GoSignals to do the Pete Townshend leap at the end of their set. Check out the photos below.

In the days to come I will expound on the concept of Heartcore more extensively. But suffice to say that the gig has been great, and it was specially great to see Dennis Maniego play the bass like he has done pre-surgery. As for Je, he must have been there too, in spirit, hanging around that particular table where people were eating Baliwag chicharon....

S.D.K.

The GoSignals

Half The Battle

The Beauty Of Doubt

Throw

Goo

Staid

Tame The Tikbalang

End Of Man

Rust Phantom

Einstein Chakras