We Destroy Rock N Roll

Because I am not done sorting my photographs of the Skalloween gig yet, and because the account on Conquest Of Death's gig at Cainta last Friday has yet to arrive in my mailbox (paging correspondent from the new group The Tulisans), let me amuse you first with a little tale.

Grunge made it big here in the 1990s; but the same thing cannot be said though about the so-called Britpop sound which is said to have been a reaction to the massive grunge phenomenon originating from the US. I know for a fact that the likes of Oasis and Blur enjoyed considerable airplay then, but the airplay devoted to rest of the Britpop bands (Menswear, Pulp, Sleeper, Lush, Echobelly, etc.) were no match to the amount of time spent on the likes of Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden.

It is a pity that these British bands did not become so popular here. They would have provided a very interesting counterpoint to the grunge sound that was dominating the local radio. A good summary on the history of Britpop can be found here.

I like the aesthetics and the quaintness evoked by these Britpop tunes. Aside from this, Echobelly's "Insomniac" keeps on playing in my mind, and my musical programmer would give anything to score a date with Louis Wener of Sleeper (a very interesting article discussing her take on motherhood appears here). These should be sufficient reasons for us to give you this playlist. Enjoy while you wait, hunnies.

MANIC STREET PREACHERS - Motown Junk
SUEDE - Animal Nitrate
MENSWEAR - I'll Manage Somehow
PIGEON DETECTIVES - Mislead
SLEEPER - Vegas
ECHOBELLY - Insomniac

(Ok, so why does the younger, more contemporary band Pigeon Detectives appear in the list? We'd like to believe that, contrary to the belief that Britpop died in the late 90s, it is definitely still up and about albeit in another form maybe. That pretty 7" you see at the left comes from our Belgian radar, the inimitable Alain Caby who wouldn't miss trading a slab of colored vinyl for a bottle of his favorite "kabayo" with a dash of "tagay" by the side. Cheers Amigo! You'll see more of him soon enough. *wink)

Photo of Brett from this site.

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"