We're Taking Over

It has been a roller-coaster ride for us, in more ways than one. So many things to keep us busy and, occasionally, stressed out. At times we feel like 10 years older, as the song goes. But we go on doing the things we like to do for as long as we can, and we hope you share this sentiment with us. And, like I always say, see you at the gig.

DEADLINE - "We're Taking Over"
MUSIC FRONT - "Let's Dance" (Version)
JOE JACKSON - "Beat Crazy"
THE SOULSTEPPERS - "Reggae Fiend"
AUDIOWEB - "Bankrobber"
FARSIDE - "Hero"
SUGAR - "If I Can't Change Your Mind" (Demo)
SR-71 - "Politically Correct"

Photos from http://www.myspace.com/deadlineuk and http://www.myspace.com/sugarfans

This Is A Public Service Announcement

Friends,

We've banned the IP address (125.60.241.245) of the chatbox user named Hellboy, details of which appear as follows:

inetnum: 125.60.128.0 - 125.60.255.255
netname: SMARTBRO-PH
descr: Smart Broadband Incorporated
descr: Wireless Broadband Access
descr: Ayala Avenue, Makati City
country: PH
admin-c: LR70-AP
tech-c: CA183-AP
tech-c: FC524-AP
tech-c: WV9-AP
tech-c: AP200-AP
tech-c: RC668-AP
status: ALLOCATED PORTABLE
mnt-by: APNIC-HM
mnt-lower: MAINT-PH-SMARTBRO

Of course, we are not discounting that this character will just find another IP address to broadcast from. Nonetheless, we are just asking for your help since we already have an idea who this character is. Let's validate offline para di naman ma-bulgar kung sino siya.

O, mga internet hacks natin diyan, let's get to work.

The music has been dirty. Let's keep all else clean.

Thank you for all the help.

Marika and Friends

Trash Radio Manila Episode 19 Part 1: While We Were Sleeping

Hibernation (hī'bər-nā'shən)

An inactive state resembling deep sleep in which certain animals living in cold climates pass the winter. In hibernation, the body temperature is lowered and breathing and heart rates slow down. Hibernation protects the animal from cold and reduces the need for food during the season when food is scarce.

*hibernation. Dictionary.com. The American Heritage® Science Dictionary. Houghton Mifflin Company. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/hibernation (accessed: October 27, 2008).

We entered into another state of hibernation, but, ok, we're back. And we're letting you in on some news we gathered, well, while we were sleeping.

Bad Omen is finally done recording their new album, and we are fortunate enough to have nicked off some freshly-mixed tracks. One of them is a cover of a new wave hit which appeared in the now-collectible 10 of Another Kind CD. The song "Falling", initially performed by Under Blue Skies, appears in this episode's playlist. Lalabas ba ito sa album? We do not know. May paalam ba sila sa UBS? We don't know either. Baka alam ni Boyet. :)

Halloween is up and coming, pumpkins. Bisikleta Productions is giving us This Is Skalloween, which will be held on October 31, Friday, 8pm, at Ten-02 Bar along Timog Avenue in Quezon City. Aside from the fact that Trash Radio Manila will do a DJ stint and Bing Austria of Juan Pablo Dream will be hosting, the gig will feature some, shall we say, musical excursions of members coming off various bands.

Beatdown Boombox is made up of some members of the Music Front, joined in by the members of TheGoSignals and The WUDS. Add the renowned DJ Caliph8 (who you may not see in this gig though due to prior commitments) and what you get is a free-wheeling ever-evolving foray into old school punk, dub, and world music. They have originals, too!

The Wayfarers is composed of members coming from The Jerks (specifically, the cool as a cat bassist Edwin Aguilar), Pink Cow, and Neighbors (with Bong as the vocalist, or so we heard). I have not seen these guys play yet, but I believe they do ska and reggae and I am keeping an eye on them.

Also an offshoot of the Angono ska band Neighbors is The Eastern Vibration. Sagor, which is made up of the members of Goodleaf, is another band to watch out for. This should be fun. By the way, for musical collaboration haters whom I've come across with so many times, let me give you a piece of my mind: if you are familiar with Darwin's Theory of Evolution, you would understand why I have absolutely no objections to musical collaborations, whether they involve "personalities" or not.

Lastly, the playlist. These are some of the tunes enjoying active rotation on our players of late. We extracted excerpts from the newly-released The Clash Live At Shea Stadium album. While Tim Armstrong's "Among The Dead" has always been an on and off favorite, my current apple is Ida Maria's catchy "I Like You So Much Better when You're Naked". This song is a direct reference to The Banana Splits, thus the multitude of bananas appearing in the video, and not to Bob Marley's Buffalo Soldier, don't be absurd. Enjoy, and see you guys.

1. Tim Armstrong with The Aggrolites - "Among The Dead"
2. Rudeboy and Rascal - "Cheeky Fella"
3. Ida Maria - "I Like You So Much Better When You're Naked"
4. The Holloways - "Generator"
5. Bad Omen - "Falling"

Photos: Someone we know very well, Bad Omen, we do have a copy of The Clash! :), and Ida Maria.

Conquest For Death: Australasianpacific Tour 2008

...and we're back from hibernation. So many things happening over the next few weeks. Like this one here.
CONQUEST FOR DEATH is passing by our side of the world as part of their Australasianpacific Tour. This US punk/thrash/hardcore outfit will be in Lucena City on November 6, and in Manila on November 7, before flying out to Hong Kong. The band, as far as I know, is made up of Craigums, Devon, Robert (all three coming from What Happens next?), who reside in San Francisco, CA, and Kiku, their drummer, who currently lives in Japan. Interesting, yes? But I am just getting started.

This particular tour of theirs covers "9 countries, 2.5 continents, 5 weeks, no practice". The band tells us their share of adventures and misadventures in this nifty travelogue/blog of the tour which they are regularly updating here. Pretty engaging read, as the journal reveals the boys' wit, eloquence, and grace under pressure. And their music? Listen up, for we have three of CFD's tracks blasting off our media player right now.

The playlist:

Front Row
Nightcrew
This Is Our Time - Never Say Die

Want more of this stuff, real time? Then see you at the gig, my dear friends, and show your love.

...But It's True! Tirso Cruz III Also Did Monkey Man!

Holy cow! It's Guy and Pip! Photo from the Nostalgia Manila blogsite.

For a song which has aped its way from Jamaica, into the United Kingdom and eventually across the globe, "Monkey Man" has had a pretty colored history. Originally a tribute to the great producer Leslie Kong, Toots and the Maytals first recorded the song around 1969. It has since been widely covered, with the version of The Specials arguably being the most popular, and the version of Amy Winehouse being the most recent of any significance.

Here's the money shot. Tirso Cruz III (yes, that's PIP for you, you Filipino expats in Singapore) has his own version. This one's for those monkeys out there… big big monkey men. And yes, the sound quality on the rip is not very good… get the vinyl. :P CHEERS!

TOOTS AND THE MAYTALS - Monkey Man
AMY WINEHOUSE - Monkey Man
TIRSO CRUZ III - Monkey Man

Scenes From Mash It Up! last September 19

First things first. Glitches are life's necessary evils. If we want to totally do away with them, then we're better off dead.

Bisikleta Productions' Mash It Up! last Friday, September 19 was not spared from glitches. For one, there was the heavy downpour during the early evening, though in spite of this, Bela Bar was filled up. Then there was technical hassle. As you very well know, Trash Radio Manila did not get to spin, no thanks to that guy whose mind has a semblance of that of a cretin's. And, in the heat of a band's set, a commotion stirred, which was promptly quelled.

But, fortunately for us in attendance, these glitches did not take away the fact that Mash It Up! had been a very enjoyable affair. Some points are in order:

1. The final line-up, aside from the four major acts (The GoSignals, Shuffle Union, Music Front, and Contras), consisted of T.R.A., King Kong Wasabi, Pink Cow, and Steady Movin' Beat.

2. I made the horrid mistake of typing Hong Kong Wasabi (instead of King Kong Wasabi) in my past post. To the band, I am sorry. For those who know me better, you would very well know that this error is, well, Freudian.

3. I have seen T.R.A. on a few occasions, and I find their demeanor onstage delightful, and their choice of covers good.

4. Contras - as far as I am concerned - gave the nastiest performance of the night. Cheers, lads!

5. All things taken, Hilboy scores once again. Congratulations!

Photos here.

T.R.A


King Kong Wasabi


Pink Cow


Music Front


The GoSignals


Contras


Shuffle Union


Steady Movin' Beat

Mash It Up! On Friday

Bisikleta Productions strikes back with Mash It Up!, a gig that promises to give you massive (must I say lethal?!) doses of punk rock, power pop, ska, and oi. On Friday, September 16, 2008 at Bela Bar at P. Guevarra St. in Greenhills, catch Music Front, The GoSignals, Contras, and Shuffle Union (and match the band with the genre, if you so desire). Plus, bands like Pulikats, Earthlings, Steady Movin'Beat, Pink Cow and Hong Kong Wasabi will be providing support. Sounds fun, yes?

And though this team of geeks running this blogsite has spinned in many occasions in the past (my favorite gig happens to be the one at Freedom bar some 3 years ago, which was cut short because the place was practically shaking with sonic energy emanating from the bands), this is the first time that we will be spinning as Trash Radio Manila. We are certainly looking forward to this event, for we do plan to play a good bulk of our personal favorites. Surprise, surprise. Just show up, will you? Entrance will set you back at P50 and it comes with a drink. Hey, ho, lezgooow!!! :)))

More details on the bands can be found here.

Welcome To The Working Week

I sure hope you had a great weekend. Another working week is about to commence, a fact that may sound good, bad, or banal, depending on one's present mindset and expectations....

And yes, some words about this song which I have been meaning to post for quite sometime.

This song came out around 1994, and during that time here in Manila it was enjoying massive rotation in a particular radio station. I admit to having reacted with disdain the first time I heard it, which, according to the afternoon jock, was performed by a certain band called Pulpito.

I thought, WTF is this song?! It sounded so ... crass! I would cringe every time I heard it being played over the radio.

And cringe I did, until, by some mysterious power of nature, I developed an inexplicable liking for the song. The liking eventually developed into a sick addiction, as I would tune in to that radio station just to get to listen to the said tune at least once a day. And, like a virulent strain of some newly discovered virus, the song eventually infected someone in the house: my mother. (Horrors!)

I want a copy of that song, fast, my mom said. So this was what she got on her birthday:

(memories...)

There are certainly a good number of songs that can be said to have defined the music of the 90s in Manila, mainstream or underground. I am not one to contest any theory or conviction as far as this is concerned. I daresay, though, that Pulpito's "Bad Trip" is one of the most memorable songs to have come out of the decade. My late mother (bless her soul) would have probably agreed with me, and would most probably chant the last lines for you with gusto to prove her point: Heh! Leche! Puñeta!

So, here it is. Pulpito. "Bad Trip". Have a great week y'all.

Listen Up: This Is Disco Clash!

Let me tell you something about The Clash. Joe Strummer in particular. No, I won't tell you anything that you already know.

The Clash means a lot to me: I can probably associate a Clash song or two to a particular situation in my life with relative ease. I loved it the first time I heard Joe Strummer holler: London's Burning!!! I sure loved the way Paul Simonon slung his bass guitar; he is to me the coolest man to have ever worn a bass guitar. I have great respect for Mick Jones' pop sensibilities. And Topper Headon's style was both understated and appropriate. It goes without saying, The Clash matters a lot to me.

So much so, that I have yet to fully get over the fact that Joe Strummer has been dead for more than five years. What the hey. He and The Clash were an ever-evolving act, breaking down the barriers (along with their peers) that would have otherwise encased the sound of punk into a boring monotony. The Clash did songs that no longer sounded punk as we knew it, treading precarious waters in the process - and eventually sealing their immortality in the musical realm.

Let me tell you this, friend. We cannot go back to what we used to. Everything in this world must evolve. (Do you hear me, monsignor?)

Ah, yes. You knew that, too. :D So, join me then, as we sing and dance along what we may have to call Disco Clash! These are quirky remixes from our friends at the Long Island Dub Recording Studio. The playlist? Come on, figuring out the songs should be as easy as chicken pie.

Rude Maynila Photos Now Up

Rude Maynila was a blast. Congratulations to Bisikleta Productions for its successful comeback. Ten-02 Bar, as I mentioned previously, was overflowing, never mind that there was another big event taking place somewhere in Fort Bonifacio. Here are some photos to show that the rudies did have a party of their own last August 30. Cheerio!

Captured live! Pink Cow, The Pulikats, the rude crowd, Barrio Morning Glory, The Soundblasters!, Greetings From Julie, The Marcos Cronies, Earthlings, and Juan Pablo Dream's Bing Austria adding some soul to the event. Yes dearies, click on the tiny pics to see them better ;) Salamat kay Hilboy.

More accounts of this gig here.

Coming Up On Trash Radio Manila

Trying to find a better reason for our prolonged absence in the, uhm, blogosphere, rather than state the overused excuse: We have been busy. I'd better not risk seeing you roll your eyeballs and mutter "Palusot!" in dreadful unison.

So to appease you, why not tell you what we have in store for you in the next few weeks, instead? Here goes:

1. Ever heard of NFM? NFM stands for NoFuckingMorals, and half of this band, as far as I know, is now part of the melodic hardcore outfit The Beauty Of Doubt. You might want to know that NFM actually released an album in February 23, 2002 titled "We Who Walk The Earth". I heard that NFM might, just might, make the entire contents of the said album available for download ... soon. If you have never seen this band ever and are itching to find out how they sounded, then just wait up for our upcoming playlists, as we will be playing samples from the album here, in Trash Radio Manila.

2. I can easily come up with a couple of reasons to believe that good things, indeed, come to those who wait. This is definitely a good testament to this trusty saying.
Anis, our friend in Singapore who happens to be part of the band Sideline (fresh from their rollicking gig at the Queen City of the South a few months before) and the moving force behind One Voice Records, sent us some cds and merch. The package has reached us at last, and the wait is well worth it. Patience does pay off. (Many thanks, Anis.) We are featuring some songs
from these albums pretty soon.

3. What happened during Bisikleta Productions' Rude Maynila?

One word to describe the gig: overflowing.

And since pictures can very much describe how the event has been (it was held last August 30, 2008 at Ten-02 Bar in Quezon City), we are posting some photos of the gig. Again, soon. ;)

Plus, the usual playlists, write-ups, side comments in our ever-reliable chatbox, and what-have-you's. Keep it here, people. Right here.

Trash Radio Manila Episode 18 Part 3: And Now, A Word From Our Sponsor

This episode, my friends, is brought to you by Tanduay..."suwabe, may katawan, husto sa gulang, tulad niyo".

We chose Tanduay to be our sponsor because I am personally on LSS mode. The video of Vivian Velez gyrating beside the image of a Tanduay bottle is playing like a loop in my mind. Vic Vargas' menacing stare is at once dusturbing and intriguing. What a cheeky yet memorable ad.

But then, Tanduay is paying us nothing, not even a cent. Which is perfectly fine with us. Anyway, we have work that we like and engage in activities that we like. Many times we take matters in our hands so that we can do something that we like when nobody seems to be willing to offer sponsorship, and most of the time we find ourselves more satisfied. And dependence, it seems, is one hard ailment to treat. (Ahoy! Listen up!)

In the playlist are three local hard-hitting hardcore specialists Throw, Tame The Tikbalang, and T.S.A., as well as two heavyweight acts Public Enemy and Body Count. I won't be saying much about these acts, since most of you are likely to be familiar with them. (But for readers who are not so familiar with the local acts, please hit the search button on this site, for I have written about them many times.) Instead, I want you to pay particular attention to T.S.A.'s cover of Urban Bandits' "Blood In Every Heart"... for a while I thought it was Slayer playing the first time I heard it (guffaws). Great cover, I must say! In fact the lyrics seem more intelligible than that of the original. Now how's that? ;)

The playlist:

1. THROW - "Walang Hustisya"
2. PUBLIC ENEMY - "Rebel Without a Pause"
3. TAME THE TIKBALANG - "Coming Straight At Ya"
4. BODY COUNT (with JELLO BIAFRA) - "Freedom of Speech"
5. TSA - "Blood in Every Heart"

For high bitrate episode, click here.

Captured by Powershot: Russell Eustaquio of Tame The Tikbalang

...And A Blast From The Past

I have been swamped with errands lately, but I cannot let this one pass.

Some sectors may find it unusual for me to feature this Youtube clip (courtesy of Flagwavercharacter), and depending on your affiliation, you are entitled to your reaction (titillated, insulted, melancholic, aggro, whatever). I have this video uploaded in my Multiply site a long time ago simply because this is one of those commercials whose visuals and rather cheeky jingle stuck in my mind like epoxy. And, not so surprisingly, my Multiply site gets a substantial chunk of traffic because of this vid. As in, maaaaannny male users who don't even belong to my network chance upon my site, most likely because they were typing Vivian Velez on the search box. Cool, huh?

So there. Take a look at Vivian Velez and Vic Vargas, VV's both, in this very 70's Tanduay ad.

Bisikleta's Rude Maynila on Saturday

Just have to say that, instead of going to the Eraserheads reunion concert, why not head over to Ten 02 Bar this Saturday, August 30? Bisikleta Productions is now up and about with its first offering since a boy named Hilboy's return from a brief hiatus some few weeks ago. Watch The Marcos Cronies, Steady Movin' Beat (who were said to have done a superb set during last Friday's Truth Concert), Earthlings, Pulikats, Barrio Morning Glory, and Pink Cow and dance the night away with them. Listen to our friends The Soundblasters as they spin some of the good stuff they have been dishing out both on-air then and on their own site. I mean, 50 bucks and good times with friends in a cozy bar is far more attractive than a pricey ticket (yes, there is an PHP800 and PHP 1,300 ticket) to a supposedly mammoth reunion at the Bonifacio Global City (and no longer at the Araneta Coliseum).

So, see you guys this Saturday?

More On The Truth Fest

Most of you may still be at a loss as to what bands will be playing tomorrow at The Truth Fest. The truth of the matter is, no one's really sure what the final band line-up will be. But to many who will be in attendance tomorrow, would this really matter? There are many more activities such as inter-faith rituals, talks from resource speakers, food booths, and a session devoted to the litany of untruths. Read about it here.

We have been told, however, that some of the artists who be participating are The WUDS, Coffee Break Island, The Jerks, Datu's Tribe, Music Front, and Ms. Grace Nono. Do check out this event tomorrow. And before I forget, do keep in mind that there will be no alcoholic drinks during The Truth Fest. Be warned, you.

Kodak moment: The Jerks (Nitoy Adriano, Chikoy Pura, Edwin Aguilar), 70s Bistro, sometime March 2008