Philips Bandwidth

And we have a winner! (cue Queen's "We are the Champions")

2010-01-14T23:14:00.000-08:00

The Philips Bandwidth Virtual Battle of the Bands has come to the end of a very successful run, and has proven without a doubt that the local band scene is rich in young talent. At the finals night, all five finalists-- Acrasia, Barrio Morning Glory, Capo, Lysosome and Solid Camp Crew-- pulled all stops in giving the performances of their lives, making it a rock show for the ages.

It has truly been one heckuva ride, and we are very pleased to announce the winner of the Bandwidth competition-- Lysosome!!!

Congratulations guys, you wowed our esteemed judges/mentors Raimund, Francis and Cooky, as well as the audience! Enjoy your grand prize of P50,000 in cash and P25,000 worth of Philips Go Gear!

Of course, the rest of the finalists should be given much applause as well, as each of them gave a kick-ass showing during the finals night, not to mention throughout the course of this one-of-a-kind competition. To Capo, Barrio Morning Glory, Acrasia, and Solid Camp Crew, congratulations for a job well done, and keep on rockin'!

These guys did not go home empty handed as well, with the 1st runner up bagging P30,000 in cash and P10,000 worth of Go Gear, the 2nd runner-up receiving 20k cash and P5,000 in prizes, and the 3rd and 4th runners-up winning P5,000 worth of Go Gear.

Congratulations to all of you!

Back With a Vengeance: the 2nd Philips Bandwidth Mentoring Session

2009-09-23T01:52:00.000-07:00

The first mentoring session of the Philips Bandwidth finalists proved to be quite eventful, with the contestants getting valuable advice from the judges on what it takes to be a kick-ass band-- the mentors covered all the bases, discussing topics such as band dynamics, song arrangement, stage presence, and overall look.

Going into the 2nd mentoring session held yesterday at Mag:Net High Street, it was very exciting to see and hear how Acrasia, Capo, Lysosome, Barrio Morning Glory, and Solid Camp Crew would fare, and if they can successfully apply the lessons they learned from the judges-- and as it turns out, the mentors themselves declared that the finalists all stepped up in the 2nd mentoring session and delivered the goods.

The event itself was a high-profile affair, with many people from the media in attendance to cover the event. All the finalists were present, and although Francis Reyes was absent last time, the guitar hero was present the 2nd time around to share his wisdom.

Unfortunately, Raimund Marasigan couldn't make it, but he was ably replaced by Pinoy Rock guru Jing Garcia (who should be familiar to everyone who joined Bandwidth, as he was one of the judges during the preliminary round). Francis and Jing joined rock goddess Cooky Chua in the judges' table.

One by one, the bands performed, with the judges making their comments and observations after each one. Cooky, who was present in both sessions, noted how much the bands improved from last time-- she said that the finalists really listened to the mentors, and applied their lessons on the 2nd mentoring.

While the finalists were noticeably much improved (thanks to the mentors' bulls-eye tips and comments during the first outing), the judges continued to give fine-tuning tips, again emphasizing the merits of band dynamics, volume control, song arrangment, stage presence, soundchecking, and yes-- wardrobe (the mentors gave kudos to the musicians who dressed up in true rock star fashion).

Francis and Jing, who were seeing the bands live for the first time, were mightily impressed. In fact, Francis went on record to say that the Philips Bandwidth Battle of the Bands was the best band competition he ever judged, and his fellow mentors were quick to agree-- they are very happy to say that the talent that our young finalists have shown is clear proof that the future of the music scene is brighter than ever.

Congratulations to our five finalists; you guys passed Raimund, Francis, Cooky, and Jing's School of Rock with flying colors, and all of us are very much looking forward to seeing you perform at the finals night!

Pics and videos of the 2nd mentoring session coming soon!

more pics!

2009-09-18T02:08:00.000-07:00

The boys from Lysosome pose with their idols:

The Solid Camp Crew siblings get wacky:

More pics from the mentoring session!

2009-09-18T01:07:00.000-07:00

Due to the pics' file size, we can only upload a couple at a time for each post. Don't worry, we'll be adding more pics in succeeding posts! (oh, and we've got videos too)

(click on the pics for the hi-res version)

The boys from Lysosome rock out:

Capo serves their own brand of jazzy funk-rock:

Pics from the 1st mentoring session!

2009-09-18T00:33:00.000-07:00

For those of you wishing to have been at Route 196 to witness the 1st mentoring session, we can tell you with absolute certainty that everyone-- most especially the bands and the judges-- had a blast! And we've got pics to prove it.

(click on the pics for the hi-res version)

Here's Capo with the mentors:

Acrasia and the mentors strike up a rockstar pose:

More pics on the next post!

School is now in session.

2009-09-15T01:43:00.000-07:00

Earlier today, we wrapped up the first mentoring session of the Philips Bandwidth finalists. It was just like the first day of school: the bands came prepared and eager to learn, while the judges were ready to teach and share their rock n' roll wisdom.

True to the school-of-rock spirit, some were absent from class-- mentor/guitar hero Francis Reyes unfortunately could not make it, as he was still in Toronto attending a film festival, while one of the finalists (south-based Barrio Morning Glory) were unable to attend because one of their members fell sick.

Still, the first mentoring session proved to be very worthwhile for both the finalists and the judges. Our mentors were able to see just how well the finalists can perform in a live setting, while the finalists were able to show what they are made of-- and they are made of tough stuff indeed!

Performing in front of Raimund Marasigan and Cooky Chua is no easy task-- after all, they are two of the most respected icons in Pinoy Rock, so the finalists knew that even though the mentoring session had no bearing in their final scores, they still had to put on a kick-ass show. And all in all, we can say that all the bands performed pretty darn well-- hey, we told you these bands were good.

Each of the bands played a short set of two songs. After their sets, each band sat with the judges to hear their comments and opinions.

Raimund and Cooky played close attention to the bands, and all aspects of their performances-- their comments covered all aspects of being in a band, from song arrnagements, sound mixing, stage presence, even their wardrobe!

Needless to say, Raimund and Cooky left no stone unturned in ensuring that the finalists came out of the mentoring sessions as better musicians. You can bet that all five finalists will come to the Bandwidth Finals Night better than ever, and raring to put on the greatest show of their lives.

In the next posts, we will reveal some of the tips we picked up from our judges-- secrets of the pros that are a must-learn for all musicians. Stay tuned!

School of Rock.

2009-09-14T00:12:00.001-07:00

While our 5 finalists are no doubt still giddy from being chosen to compete in the Philips Bandwidth Finals, they are in for the ride of their lives tomorrow, as the first round of mentoring with Raimund Marasigan, Cooky Chua, and Francis Reyes begins!

They will perform in front of our esteemed judges, and learn first-hand lessons from three of Pinoy Rock's most important icons. Going to school has never been more fun!

Although this is a closed door session (sorry folks, only the finalists and judges are allowed in), expect the 5 bands to come out of the mentoring sessions with guns blazin' as they head to the finals-- expect them to be playing better than ever.

Support our 5 finalists-- they are gonna rock like they've never rocked before. Stay tuned for more updates!

The Judges Have Spoken.

2009-09-14T00:06:00.000-07:00

And so have you... but the wait is now over. Announcing our 5 Finalists (in random order):

SolidCAMPcrew
Acrasia
Capo
Barrio Morning Glory
Lysosome

Congratulations guys! It's been one tough competition, but expect it to get even tougher. All these guys are good, so expect the Philips Bandwidth Finals to be one for the ages.

Tell your fans, tell your friends: the Finals is upon us.

Spread the music, spread the word!

It's Gonna Be Worth the Wait.

2009-09-09T18:57:00.000-07:00

Guys, hold on to your seats... we're gonna be hearing from our judges real soon, so stay tuned!

Who do you think are the finalists going to be?

Breaking the Language Barrier.

2009-09-03T00:04:00.000-07:00

While you guys are squirming in your seats waiting for the results of the competition, here’s something that might keep your mind off the anxiety.

First one to guess the language gets a high five!

2 Rock gods + 1 Rock goddess = 3 kick-ass mentors.

2009-09-01T20:42:00.000-07:00

Who else am I talking about? While you semifinalists are agonizing over who the finalists are going to be, our three judges are busy going through your entries one by one—and hey, that’s not an easy task, even for bona fide virtuosos like Raimund Marasigan, Francis Reyes, and Cooky Chua.

So let’s put the spotlight on our judges for a bit—though I’m sure you’re already aware of how awesome they are (if not, shame on you).

Here’s Cooky Chua, performing one her most popular songs, “Paglisan”, a song she first made famous with Color it Red. That voice is simply amazing. Takes you back in time to the 90’s, doesn’t it?

Speaking of 90’s Pinoy rock, this band pretty much defined the era. Cased closed. If you don’t know who I’m talking about, you ought to really be ashamed. Should I even ask who the drummer is?

This guy can be simply described in two words: Guitar Hero. Pretty much any serious Pinoy musician knows how good Kiko is. To those who don’t, watch and be blown away—here’s Francis with his old band the Dawn.

Stay tuned for more vids!

Post your World Tour here.

2009-09-01T18:31:00.000-07:00

While the semifinalists are waiting for the announcement of the top 5 bands and the date of the finals, what do you think are they going to do in the meantime? Play gigs of course!

Semifinalists, feel free to plug your shows—post away! (If any other bands out there want to promote their gigs, go right ahead—just don’t spam us please).

Keep on playing and keep on rocking, the Bandwidth finals will be here before you know it!

Announcement on Prizes

2009-08-31T20:36:00.000-07:00

The selection process for the finals of the Philips Bandwidth: Virtual Battle of the Bands is underway! We know you guys are itching to know who the 5 finalists are going to be, and to make your wait worthwhile, here’s something to look forward to:

Over P50,000 in prizes will be given away at the finals, with the winner receiving P25,000 in cash plus P25,000 worth of awesome Philips gear!

Stay tuned for more updates!

Spread the Word: Bandwidth Finals Reschedule

2009-08-30T21:34:00.000-07:00

The competition is heating up! As the Philips Bandwidth: Virtual Battle of the Bands heads for what promises to be an epic battle between the top 5 bands, it is clear that our 20 semifinalists mean business—with such a big pool of young talent to choose from, our esteemed judges have quite a lot of close watching (and listening) to do. What can we say, you semifinalists are good.

With that in mind, we have to keep you guys on the edge of your seats a bit longer... the date of the finals has been moved, so stay tuned for further announcements within the next few days. Plus, we’re revving up a rockin’ new look for the blog in time for the finals. Watch out for it.

Spread the music, spread the word!

When the Voting Is Over...

2009-08-29T21:49:00.000-07:00

You've said your piece...now it's up to our 3 Mentors, Raimund Marasigan, Cooky Chua and Francis Reyes to determine who will be the Top 5 Finalists for Philips Go Gear's Bandwidth Virtual Battle of the Bands

We all wait with bated breath...

GOODLUCK TO ALL THE 20 SEMI-FINALISTS!!!

LINKS TO BANDWIDTH SEMIFINALISTS PROFILES

2009-08-21T21:27:00.000-07:00

5inco
Acrasia
Archdiosease
Barrio Morning Glory
Capo
Chromosom
Fancycakes
GinRumNTruth
Halmista
Kalachuchie
Kelbasa Band
Lose Your Beer Belly
Lysosome
Peligro
PisENLAV
Plasticbaloo
SolidCAMPcrew
Speakeasy
Suitcase of Memories
Ursa Minor

VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE BANDWIDTH SEMI-FINALIST ON FACEBOOK!

2009-08-21T07:11:00.000-07:00

Due to unfortunate spamming incidents, we will be stopping and nullifying the online blogspot poll in order to be fair to all the bands.

Instead, we'll be moving the online voting to Facebook!
So please visit the Philips Go Gear Facebook Account, where we've posted the band profiles in our notes, and please post a comment on the profile of the band that you like the most.

We'll be extending the voting to August 28, so you have one more week to choose your favorite band!

But please remember that the online voting component is just 20% of the criteria. The other 80% will be decided by our three mentors: Raimund Marasigan, Cooky Chua and Francis Reyes

May the best band win!!!

VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE BANDWIDTH SEMI-FINALIST!

2009-08-17T08:40:00.000-07:00

This is it guys!!!

Our Top 20 semifinalists will now be judged, not just by our three mentors, but by you!
20% of the criteria will now have the online voting component.
So how can you vote for your favorite?

There are two ways:

1. Vote in the blogpoll at the Bandwidth Blog- We will be posting band profiles here so you can get to know the semifinalists more

2. Make a comment in the Philips Facebook account (Philips Go Gear) - we will be posting the profiles of each band - make your comments there! One comment per person only please (profiles to be posted on August 18)

Voting will end by Sunday, August 23
The Top 5 finalists will be announced on Monday, August 24
First Mentoring Session will be on Wednesday, August 26 - details to follow

So what are you waiting for? Vote now!!!

HERE ARE YOUR TOP 20 SEMI-FINALISTS FOR BANDWIDTH!!!

2009-08-14T02:03:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to the Bandwidth Virtual Battle of the Bands 20 Semifinalists!

Plasticbaloo
GinRumNTruth
Kalachuchie
Peligro
Acrasia
Halmista
Suitcase of Memories
Barrio Morning Glory
Lysosome
Chromosom
5inco
SolidCAMPcrew
Kelbasa Band
Capo
PisENLAV
Speakeasy
Lose Your Beer Belly
Ursa Minor
Archdiosease
Fancycakes

Please wait for the details on the online voting component which will be up this weekend.

Congratulations to all of you!!!

Bandwidth Initial Screening Judges

2009-08-03T06:28:00.000-07:00

The competition is fierce! Going through 50 bands and 100 songs is no mean feat, that is why our judges are still taking their time to go through all of the deserving entries. While we're waiting, let's take the time to get to know the 3 Judges who are doing the initial screening

JING GARCIA - musician, columnist - Manila Times

Sound artist and award-winning music producer. Jing Garcia, founded the Children of Cathode Ray back in 1989, one of the early experimental and sound art groups in the Philippines. He was then joined by now-established video artist Tad Ermitano, computer 3D animator Blums Borres, cinematographer Regiben Romana, graphic artist Magyar Tuazon, and professional photographer Peter Marquez. With autoceremony, Garcia continues to create audio hardware-based and computer-generated soundscapes and ambient noise through analog and digital audio synthesis manipulation. He also produced several award-winning music recording albums for different alternative music artists in the 90s, including that of Color It Red, KeltsCross, Siakol and the Numeric Sampler series. Recently, he co-wrote and published “Tikman ang Langit”: a bestselling book on popular Filipino pop rock band, the Eraserheads. He is currently the tech editor for The Manila Times and Speed Magazine. He also hosts a tech segment on TV5.

EDWIN SALLAN - columnist - Manila Bulletin

Edwin P. Sallan was only 19 when his first record review was published
by Jingle Chordbook Magazine in 1983. A Contributing Editor for the
seminal music rag for three years thereafter, he went on a five-year
hiatus before returning as a music columnist for the Manila Chronicle
in 1992. Since then, Edwin has written articles on his other interests
including comic books, videogames and information technology. He still
writes about music for the Manila Bulletin and is one of the authors of Tikman
Ang Langit: An Anthology On the Eraserheads, a popular Filipino rock band.

JEFFREY CHRISTOPHER CORTEZ - Regional Call Center Manager, Philips

Of course our panel wouldn't be complete without a representative from the company that made all this possible, Philips! Jeff plays percussions with bands like La CucaRasta, a reggae band, front acted for the MTV Reggae Fest
with Ziggy Marley at Hotel Sofitel, Mystical Machine Guns and Evil Kenievel Band

Watch our for the announcement of the TOP 20 SEMI-FINALISTS later this week!

Congratulations to Francisbrew Reyes

2009-07-29T09:49:00.000-07:00

We would like to congratulate Bandwidth mentor Francisbrew Reyes for winning Best Original Musical Score, “Dinig Sana Kita.’’ a film by Mike Sandejas (who also helmed the Teddy Diaz biopic Tulad ng Dati) at the recently concluded Cinemalaya Film Festival. The film also won the Audience Choice Award.

Congratulations Francis! You are truly someone we look up to!

LAST BANDWIDTH ENTRIES PLUS WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT

2009-07-24T10:55:00.000-07:00

Here is the last batch of entries for Bandwidth Virtual Battle of the Bands!

After this, what will happen next?

1. Our initial panel of judges (profiles to be posted tomorrow) will judge all 50 entries with the following criteria
Musicality - 50%
Originality - 20%
Stage Presence - 20%
Creativity (Band Name, Original Songs, Performance) - 10%

2. The TOP 20 bands will move on to the semifinal round. Semifinalists will be announced within the week.

3. Fans and listeners will get the chance to vote for their favorite bands here at the blog. The criteria for the semifinal round will include the voting component

4. The mentors (Cooky Chua, Raimund Marasigan and Francis Reyes) will be judging the 20 semi-finalists, and along with the voting component, will decide on the TOP 5 finalists

5. The TOP 5 will get two mentoring sessions with the mentors, and afterwards, will compete in the GRAND FINALS (details to be announced later on)

Good luck to all entrants!!!

ENTRY # 45 - JYLZ BAND

Original Song: Kaya 'To

ENTRY # 46 - CHONGKIKO

Original Song: Tunay

Cover Song: The Youth's Sinta

ENTRY # 47 - BROKEN SAUCE

Original Song: Philcoa

Cover Song: Tears for Fears' Mad World

ENTRY # 48 - BLUEBOYBITESBACK

Original Song: Yet Another Attempt

Cover Song: Head Automatica's Beating Hearts Baby

ENTRY # 49 - GINRUMNTRUTH

Original Song: Freedom

Cover Song: The Doors' Roadhouse Blues

ENTRY # 50 - OUTTALIV

Original Song: Darida

BANDWIDTH ENTRIES 41-44

2009-07-22T12:26:00.000-07:00

ENTRY # 41 - APPLESIDEUP

Original Song: Himbing

ENTRY # 42 - PROJECT AINAH

Original Song: Desperate Thinking

Cover Song: Nosi Balasi

ENTRY # 43 - PANCAKE 80

Original Song: Naghihintay

Cover Song: Aerosmith's Cryin

ENTRY # 44 - CRIS BAND

Cover Song: Gin Blossom's Hey Jealousy

BANDWIDTH ENTRIES 37-40

2009-07-21T09:46:00.000-07:00

ENTRY # 37 - PELIGRO

Original Song: Sirkulo

ENTRY # 38 - 5INCO

Original Song: Alimango

Cover Song: Pearl Jam's Animal

ENTRY # 39 - ISMAGOL

Original Song: Piring

Cover Song: Dicta License's Complex

ENTRY # 40 - SUITCASE OF MEMORIES

Original Song: A Broken of Family

Cover Song: Gin Blossom's Till I Hear It From You

BANWIDTH ENTRIES 33-36

2009-07-20T05:59:00.000-07:00

ENTRY # 33 - CHROMOSOM

Original Song: Inang Bayan

Cover Song: Metallica's Enter Sandman

ENTRY # 34 - DETNUOC BAND

Original Song: Pangako

Cover Song: Paramore's That's What You Get

ENTRY # 35 - SPEAKEASY

Original Song: Light A Cigarette

Cover Song: Kings of Leon's Use Somebody

ENTRY # 36 - ZAIKO BAND

Original Song: Back to School

Cover Song: Typecast's Bright Eyes

BANDWIDTH ENTRIES 29-32

2009-07-18T02:46:00.000-07:00

ENTRY # 29 - HUBO

Original Song: Swabe

Cover Song: The Doors' Roadhouse Blues

ENTRY # 30 - 10:59

Original Song: The Air I Breathe

ENTRY # 31 - FROLICNIGHT

Original Song: G.A.S.A

Cover Song: Alicia Keys' No One

ENTRY # 32 - LITTLE ODESSA

Original Song: Hinde

Cover Song: Rachel Loy's Big Sky

Go Ahead Punk, Make Meiday!

2009-07-17T05:49:00.000-07:00

Host: The Junkie Shop
Type: Party - Night of Mayhem
Start Time: Saturday, July 18, 2009 at 6:00pm
End Time: Sunday, July 19, 2009 at 3:00am
Location: CUBAO EXPO

purveyor
in cooperation w/
love one another studio
presents

GO AHEAD PUNK, MAKE MEIDAY!!

feat
THE WUDS
ITCHYWORMS
PEDICAB
THE DORQUES
CIUDAD
HALIK NI GRINGO
ANG BANDAG SHIRLEY
ARIGATO HATO
MARKUS HIGHWAY
GORGORO
THE LOWTECHS
THE PURPLECHICKENS
OUTERHOPE
TECHY ROMANTICS
THE DISCOBALL
SWISSY
SUNFLOWER DAY CAMP
THE CHARMES
+ ONLY REVOLUTIONS

donation boxes will be set up for books/uniforms/school supplies of ISANG BATA FOUNDATION

Isang Bata is an independent effort of Ime Aznar in partnership with Akap Bata Sectoral Organization, under its Early Childhood Care and Development Program. The program focuses on curriculum and materials development, training, repairs and maintenance of day care centers, and nutrition. Other people have also volunteered to help with the projects. Isang Bata aims to come up with regular programs that address different aspects of child development like nutrition, education, health, etc. For its initial project, Isang Bata conceived a simple back to school program for the poor preschool children of Sikatvill, Muntinlupa. The project involves providing the kids with supplies and other school and personal needs, as well as feeding them healthy and nutritious snacks every day for at least one month, or even longer (depending on collected cash donations). Isang Bata can be found on isangbata.blogspot.com,

BANDWIDTH ENTRIES 25-28

2009-07-15T01:23:00.000-07:00

ENTRY # 25 - MONO

Original Song: Save Me

Cover Song: Velvet Revolver's Slither

ENTRY # 26 - FANCYCAKES

Original Song: Andar

Cover Song: Alanis Morisette's You Oughta Know

ENTRY # 27 - MAYO BALUYUT AND THE REVOLVING MARNIS

Original Song: Love Is Not Enough

Cover Song: John Lennon's I'm Losing You

ENTRY # 28 - ARCHDIOSEASE

Original Song: Musika

Cover Song: Aegis' Ang Buhay Ko

WHO'S YOUR FAVORITE LOCAL BAND? (WIN PRIZES)

2009-07-14T01:33:00.000-07:00

Join our Bandwidth Online Contest and get the chance to win Philips goodies (and yes, maybe we'll give away a Go Gear!)

The mechanics are as simple as using a Go Gear!

1. We'll be posting this in the blog, facebook, friendster, multiply, so choose which venue you want to post your answer
2. The question is: WHO'S YOUR FAVORITE LOCAL BAND AND WHY?
3. Post your answer in the comments section
4. Answer in 3-5 precise and concise sentences
5. Leave your name and email address after your comment
6. The best 5 answers from among all the social networks mentioned above will win Philips goodies and get the chance to win a brand new Philips Go Gear!
7. You can post your comments/answers starting today, July 14 until July 17
Winners will be announced on July 18

BANDWIDTH DEADLINE EXTENDED!!!

2009-07-12T08:46:00.002-07:00

To all amateur bands out there!

You still have one more week to send in your Bandwidth Virtual Battle of the Bands entries. The deadline has been extended to July 22, 2009, so time to send in your youtube performances!

If you have a band but don't have videos yet, you can contact us (09228169617) and let's see if we can video your practice session or your performance (depending on the venue of course)

If you have friends who are in bands, please let them know about this competition

What's at stake? P50,000 worth of cash and prizes, music video to be shown on MTV and the prestige of being the first ever Bandwidth winner!

To review, here are the mechanics...

1. Competition is open to all amateur alternative and rock bands with 4-7 members

2. All members must be 18 years old and above

3. Contestants must upload two videos on YouTube
- One cover song and one original song
- Videos must be of a live performance (not studio recorded)
- Videos should have been recorded within the period of June 2008 – June 2009

4. Contestants must leave link to the uploaded video at the comments section along with their name and contact number

5. Band should have no past or existing contract with any record label

6. Deadline for submission of entries is July 22, 2009

BANDWIDTH ENTRIES 21-24

2009-07-12T05:27:00.000-07:00

ENTRY # 21 - URSA MINOR

Original Song: Alcoholic Me

Cover Song: Hum's Stars

ENTRY # 22 - BARRIO MORNING GLORY

Original Song: Langgam / Sa Aming Glory

Cover Song: Mighty Mighty Bosstones' Rascal King

ENTRY # 23 - WEEKEND PROJECT

Original Song: Steady Lang

Cover Song: Beatles' I Wanna Hold Your Hand

ENTRY # 24 - LYSOSOME

Original Song: Bahala Na

Cover Song: Friendly Fires' Skeleton Boy

BANDWIDTH ENTRIES 17-20

2009-07-08T10:27:00.000-07:00

ENTRY # 17 - PLASTICBALOO

Original Song: Mr. Karate 250

Cover Song: Chimo Bayo's Xtasi Xtano

ENTRY # 18 - EZEKIEL BAND

Original Song: Malamig na Hot Coffee

Cover Song: Papuri's Ako'y Binago Niya

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ENTRY # 19 - PISENLAV

Original Song: Love

Cover Song: No Doubt's Underneath It All

ENTRY # 20 - ARTDRIVE

Original Song: Inuman Na

Cover Song: No Doubt's Spiderweb

Color It Red: Still Strong Twenty Years On

2009-07-07T07:25:00.000-07:00

Talking Shop With Color It Red's Cooky Chua and Barbi Cristi

Cooky Chua has been a mainstay in the local rock scene for over two decades now. When she was still a high school student, she founded Color It Red in 1989, together with guitarist/ keyboardist/singer/songwriter/vocalist Barbi Cristi and keyboardist/vocalist Maricar Florendo, picking out their name from a crossword puzzle. A rotating cast of great musicians have joined Color It Red through the years, with Cooky and Barbi the constant fixtures in the band.

Color It Red released their debut album “Hand Painted Sky” in 1994, and it went on to achieve great critical and commercial success. They followed with a couple more acclaimed albums over the following decade, establishing themselves as one of the most beloved bands in contemporary Pinoy rock.

Before an intimate late-night set at Conspiracy bar, Cooky and Barbi sat down to talk with us about being in Color It Red for the past twenty years and about how the new technology available for young bands looking to achieve the same kind of success they did.

Color It Red is celebrating its 20th year this year. Any plans to enter the studio and celebrate the occasion with a new album?

Cooky: In the past, it’s always taken us quite a bit of time between albums. We don’t write songs that fast. But considering that it’s been three years since our last album came out, the answer to that is yes— we’re looking to put together an album this year. We haven’t started any recording work so far though, but the seeds of the songs are there.

Has the creative process changed in the last 20 years?

Cooky: Well, the way it usually is, just like when we started is, Barbie writes the lyrics or the sketches of the songs, I make some vocal melodies, and we get together and jam and hammer the songs out. But with all the lineup changes we’ve had since we started, it’s natural that new ideas are brought to the table. Each of our individual influences finds its way into the songs we write.

Have you started playing new songs at gigs?

Barbi: No, we haven’t been playing any new songs out yet. We’d like to though. Once we get everything nice and polished in the studio, we’ll start playing them live.

Any specific details on what the new songs will sound like?

Cooky: It’s really hard to say at this point. We’re sort of at the stage where we really won’t be making drastic changes in terms of the kind of music we play. We know what we like to listen to and play, and we know what we’re good at. You sort of expect what we’ll sound like. That said, there are bound to be differences between our new and old work thematically, because we’ve grown so much in our time together as a band and as individual people. And our new experiences always forms a large part of our songs.

Barbi: Yes, many of now have families. We were very young when we started out. Now we have different things going on in our lives, so there are a lot of new things we can talk about in our songs.

How has the local music scene changed from the time you were first starting out to now?

Cooky: Nakakainggit din yung sa mga banda ngayon. There’s all sorts of technology available for them to use, not just for making and recording music, but also with sharing their work with others. It was very hard for us starting out. Today, a band can very easily put together a great recording in a cheap home studio, record mp3 and upload them to the Internet. That’s why you have all these great bands coming out now…

Barbi: Yeah, when we first started recording, we had to borrow a lot of equipment or scrape together cash to go into the studio to record. Then you had to take your demo to the different labels. It was tough. Luckily for younger musicians today, all the tools are there for them to break out into the music scene.

Cooky: I really don’t get to go to gigs as much as I’d like, but from what I’ve heard, there really are a lot of good young bands. I really like Sino Sikat and Up Dharma Down. I hope I get to hear more new bands at Bandwidth.

BANDWIDTH ENTRIES # 13 - # 16

2009-07-05T03:30:00.000-07:00

ENTRY # 13 - ELMO BAND

Original Song: Wala Ka Na

Cover Song: Yellowcard's Only One and The Killer's Mr. Brightside

ENTRY # 14 - KELBASA

Original Song: Suddenly

Cover Song: Mike Hanopol's No Touch

ENTRY # 15 - LANDMINE VALENTINE

Original Song: Revenge of Oseisan

Cover Song: Emarosa's I Am Waves

ENTRY # 16 - CAPO

Original Song: W8 Lang

Cover Song: Rivermaya's Ulan

BANDWIDTH ENTRIES - #9 - #12

2009-07-02T00:37:00.000-07:00

ENTRY # 9 - HALMISTA

Original Song: Man and God

Cover Song: Iron Maiden's The Trooper

ENTRY # 10 - KALACHUCHIE

Original Song: Pangarap

Cover Song: Freddie Aguilar's Anak

ENTRY # 11 - FUZION

Original Song: Stand Out

ENTRY # 12 - W.A.N.T.W.A.R

Original Song: Discriminated By The Ones We Love

Cover Song: Kamikaze's Ung Tagalog

Bandwidth Entries #5 - #8

2009-06-30T21:59:00.000-07:00

Here are entries #5 - #8 for the Bandwidth Virtual Battle of the Bands. Please visit this blog regularly for daily updates on the entries and the latest gig and artist features. Keep those entries coming!!!

ENTRY # 5 - SOLIDCAMPCREW

Original Song: Estupidyante

Cover Song: Paramore's My Heart

ENTRY # 6 - SOULKITCHEN

Original Song: Marupok

Cover Song: The Wuds' At Nakalimutan ang Diyos

ENTRY # 7 - FAINTLIGHT

Original Song: Play Pause

ENTRY # 8 - ACRASIA

Original Song: Circle

Cover Song: Paramore's Crush Crush Crush

First Four Entries for Bandwidth

2009-06-28T01:21:00.001-07:00

Presenting the first four entries for the Bandwidth Battle of the Bands. Please feel free to leave your comments and show your support for the bands. Watch out for the posting of more entries! And it's not too late yet to join the competition. Just click on the Battle of the Bands button on the right and leave your contact details and youtube link in the comments section. If you don't have videos yet, you can invite us to your practice session or one of your gigs and we'll take the videos for you. Just contact 09209026542 for further details

ENTRY # 1 - JESTER'S BIDDING

Original Song: Disguise

Cover song: RATM's Killing in the Name

ENTRY # 2 - SOUNDSREAL BAND

Original Songs

Cover Song: Sampaguita's Ang Buhay Ko

ENTRY # 3 - LOSE YOUR BEER BELLY

Original Song: Otherside

Cover Song: Dishwalla's Counting Blue Cars

ENTRY # 4 - PANORAMA

Original Song: Our Last Chance

Cover Song: Urbandub's The Fight Is Over

Fete dela Musique 2009

2009-06-23T18:51:00.000-07:00

Fete dela Musique is probably the biggest one day music festival in the Philippines that features a wide array of genres to choose from. From it's humble beginnings in Tomas Morato to different venues like Eastwood, Malate and Mall of Asia, hordes of people brave the rains, the crowds and even the threat of communicable diseases, just to be able to catch their favorite artists and discover new talents that they will soon follow around. The people who come to Fete are also as varied as the bands that perform; sosyal girls out to prove they can also rock, die hard band groupies, punkelitos who dress in black like there's no tomorrow, discerning music afficionados who walk out of a venue if the performer is crappy, ordinary people who just like listening to live music

This year's Fete promised to be another feast for the local music followers, and the line-up was full of established bands, eager new artists and upcoming bands that will soon be household names. While we were only able to catch two stages, the pop/alternative and new wave/goth/electronica stages, we still went home happy and musically satisfied

Some notable standouts for us:

Mike's Apartment - Pinoy Soul lives! I've heard about them for some time now but it's the first time I've heard them live, and for a three instrument, one vocalist band, their sound is truly amazing. Just don't make the mistake of googling the band name, and you will end up with a NSFW (not safe for work) website, which was the inspiration for their name. To learn more about their music, just click on their name above

Gasulina - A truly surprising and thoroughly worth it discovery! Coming all the way from Cagayan de Oro, they are out to prove that Manila doesn't have the monopoly when it comes to amazing musical talent. Their blend of rock, funk and dance had the Metro Phi bar crowd screaming for more. Their website says that "They come to promote education. For a better world, peace, love, justice and unity for the nation" so they are a band with a mission

Turbo Goth - I am not the biggest fan of electronica, but hearing this duo's music has gotten me interested, and along with Techy Romantics, might probably convert me to the local electronica scene

Taken By Cars - 80% of the people in the bar were waiting for their set, and as always, it was worth the wait. If you haven't listened to them yet, I suggest you catch up because pretty soon you'll be the only one who hasn't heard of them

Check out our video of our favorite artists from Fete dela Musique 2009: Danita Paner, Mike's Apartment, Enemies of Saturn, Scarlet Tears, Gasulina, Turbo Goth, Taken By Cars. Looking forward to next year!

Techy Romantics and Cooky Chua at the Go Gear Launch

2009-06-22T02:35:00.000-07:00

Techy Romantics is one of the bands you SHOULD be listening to, like right now! Even though their album is still to come out (soon! soon! soon!), the hype is slowly rising. And fortunately for us, we were able to get them last June 6, 2009 at the Philips GoGear launch. Check out their myspace here, add them on Facebook, then check out their performance below

These songs have LSS written all over them

Cooky Chua is inarguably the queen of Pinoy rock. Her voice hasn't changed a bit and dare I say it, has gotten better and better as years go by. And of course, Mike Villegas is a guitar god! Check it out in the videos below

Covering Blood Sweat and Tears...

Come Together has never sounded so sexy....

Mo Twister and Grace Lee beg Cooky and Mike to sing the national anthem of farewell songs "Paglisan"

Light It Up with Bands that Inspire

2009-06-20T01:47:00.000-07:00

The website says its “Light it Up: Christian Musicians Night” last Thursday at the Conspiracy Bar along Visayas Avenue. And automatically, it conjured up an ambiance of a prayer meeting with praise songs by clean-cut bands with their hands up in the air glorifying their faith. Not our idea of spending a night to de-stress ourselves.

But as we discovered, it was a parteeeeee!!!!

Iking Tan and his inspiring music

A form of indie music finds a niche among a crowd of fun-loving, party-going, gig-hopping young set who enjoys positive message without losing the rhythm and beat that rock bands are known for.

“It’s gospel music actually. We like to feature indie bands who sing more positive songs. Songs that inspire. Songs that bring hope to the people”, said Jordan Escusa, organizer of this regular event. “We have been doing this 2001 in several bars until two years ago we decided to have it here at Conspiracy.”

Julianne

So why is he doing this?

“I don’t know. Maybe I am crazy?” He smiled. “We don’t earn anything from organizing this event, oftentimes we have to shell out from our own pockets. But we feel it is important to provide this kind of music to the world today, and it is our way of supporting bands that choose to play gospel music.”

Julianne and some guests

Indeed, Conspiracy, a music bar and restaurant owned by musical luminaries such as Noel Cabangon, Bayang Barrios and Cynthia Alexander, has a different feel to it – fun, artsy but clean. The crowd is friendly, as warm as the music that the bands dished out.

Light It Up happens every second to the last Thursday of the month. For schedule, please visit conspi.net.

*Photo courtesy of Ida Torres

Videos from Philips GoGear Launch

2009-06-18T13:52:00.000-07:00

Watch out for more videos from the launch

PHILIPS GOGEAR ROCKS BONIFACIO HIGHSTREET

2009-06-10T12:28:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday was a blast! Though it was raining hard, that didn’t keep the crowds from the launching of Philips Go Gear at Bonifacio High Street. It turned out to be one heck of an event! As soon as we opened our doors for the booths, people flocked at the registration area to get a chance to win cool Philips prizes for the raffle and to experience what it is that Philips Go Gear is bragging about.

We invited bloggers to be part of the event, and out of 40 invites I sent out, 31 came which was great! I finally got a chance to meet the online community which for me is a very important part of the event with the upcoming virtual battle of the bands and besides, BLOGGERS WILL RULE THE EARTH.

We started the program at around 3pm with DJ Suzie of Magic 89.9 as the host. I found her to be real nice, a cool gal. I asked her if I have what it takes to become a DJ and showed off my callcenter-ish, English saying “how may I help you?...Yah…Ah hah…” She just laughed… The sad part was, I wasn’t joking!

(Dj Suzie of Magic 89.9 Photos by: Luke Almond)

The launch was a whole day affair, and the first part of the program was the raffling off of minor Philips prizes and games. Some of the bloggers were cool enough to join in the fun. It was great to watch the bloggers get their groove on, priceless!

(Photo by: Luke Almond)

The dance group “Unschooled”, who started off the main program, brought the house down with their cool as ice dance moves. But it was a group of ladies armed with banners and sashes with “Bachelorette Party” written who stole the show, asking every guy inside to kiss the bride to be. I was one of the lucky the guy who congratulated the bride and then gave her a smack on the cheek.

(Unschooled Dance group Photos by: Luke Almond)

I was put in-charge to look after the bloggers area so at around 6pm, I went back to Seattle’s Best (thanks to the wonderful staff who allowed us to take over their coffee shop for that day) to see if some of the bloggers needed anything. 3 or more bloggers asked for drinks and on top of that, 4 more bloggers came in so I had to introduce myself and offered them refreshments. It was chaotic and by the time I got the drinks, I forgot who ordered what so I just took the tray filled with cold coffee treats and started giving them their drinks. So if Seattle’s Best would ever need a barista, I think I have enough experience already

After awhile, Arlene the Account Executive of Magic 89.9 tapped me on the back and told me that I just took Mo twisters’ Coffee brownie something drink and gave it to someone else! It was one of those moments where I wish a car would hit right then and there. I apologized to both Arlene and Mo twister and ordered another tall coffee brownie something drink, with no cream and personally delivered it to Mo, who just laughed it off. Mo is a great guy, he didn’t B!@$ slapped me or anything.

Later that night, Mo twister joined Grace Lee as they took the stage to host the event. They introduced the consumer lifestyle manager of Philips, Vidyut Kaul, who talked about the exciting new line of Go Gear and the benefit this gives users: superior sound quality. Also guesting on stage was one of the mentors of Bandwidth Virtual Battle of the Bands, NU107’s Francis Reyes, to invite amateur bands to join the competition

The highlight of the event was when the bands started playing! Techy Romantics opened the show singing 3 of their original songs. I just love the sound of their music…I can’t believe they have no album yet! After their set, I scrambled for a piece of bond paper and a ballpen and asked for their autographs. That’s one of the best things about being an organizer of an event, you get to rub elbows with the bands.

Cooky Chua then took center stage with Mike Villegas on the guitar and delivered a performance that rocked the house! It was raining outside but in the concert area, it was totally hot! Cooky Chua is so pretty in person and you get that uhmm…natural high hearing and watching her perform with local guitar god Mike Villegas.

The last band to perform was TAKEN BY CARS, one of the HOTTEST bands in the country right now. The first time I saw them perform live was during the anniversary of Saguijo (where Philips was a sponsor) and they totally blew my mind! I love, love, love, love them! I love them so much, I even asked my officemate to loan me money so I can buy their CD so I can ask for an autograph-I’m such a groupie! It’s so cool how these bands are so accommodating and they didn’t think that I was a freak (I think...at least not on m face).

After the last set, they announced the winner of the last raffle which was a brand spankin’ new 32inch LCD plasma TV. Too bad I wasn’t eligible to participate in any contest!

The event ended with me wanting more, but that’s alright, there’s still the Philips Bandwidth Battle of the Bands to Catch. Cheers guys!

Raimund Invites Amateur Bands to Join

2009-06-05T21:25:00.000-07:00

2009-06-05T21:00:00.000-07:00

COME ON OVER TO BONIFACIO HIGH STREET AND GET THE CHANCE TO WIN GO GEAR MP3 PLAYERS, A PHILIPS HOME THEATER SYSTEM AND LCD TV

WE'LL BE HERE WAITING FOR YOU UNTIL 10PM

PERFORMANCES START AT 7PM
UNSCHOOLED
TECHY ROMANTICS
TAKEN BY CARS
COOKY CHUA AND MIKE VILLEGAS

SO COME ON OVER AT BONIFACIO HIGH STREET FOR THE PHILIPS GO GEAR LAUNCH!

And the rest of your post here (to cut post)

Philips interview at Good Times Magic 89.9

2009-06-03T19:52:00.000-07:00

Philips executives Vidyut Kaul and Vic Caindec being interviewed by Mo Twister, Mojo Jojo and Grace Lee during the Good Times show at Magic 89.9, June 4, 2009 (audio with pictures of Go Gear products)

Mag:Net 2nd Anniversary Night 2 Photos

2009-06-02T19:47:00.000-07:00

Salamin gives the crowd their own brand of rock

Faspitch never ran out of energy and passion during their entire set

Greyhoundz proves why they're the hardest rocking band in the industry

Always a crowd favorite, Taken By Cars had everyone up and dancing

Go Gear Winners all in a row

Congratulations to all the winners of spanking new Philips Go Gear MP3 players for Mag:Net's 2nd Anniversary

Ruby Ann Bondoc

Nep-C Ledesma

Trevor Bicknell

Andy Maligalig

Via Arban

OJ Anonas

Carlo Kasala

Go Gear Launch

2009-06-02T03:32:00.000-07:00

Join us as Philips Go Gear unveils its newest line-up of music and video players

Try the Let Your Ears Decide challenge

Experience the Full Sound technology that only Philips can offer

With performances by

Unschooled

Techy Romantics

Taken By Cars

and more surprise guests

June 6, 2009

Bonifacio High Street

Philips Go Gear Press Launch

2009-06-02T03:31:00.001-07:00

Philips unveiled its latest line of Go Gear MP3 players to the distinguished members of the press last May 27, 2009 at Mag:Net High Street

Philips is this year challenging music lovers to let their ears decide with the release of new portable music players under the GoGear brand. The new line comprises several fully-featured portable multimedia devices specified to meet the demands of discerning listeners

The higher end GoGear players feature TrueSound, a new digital decoding technology that restores sonic details that are lost when audio clips are compressed to mp3 format. Philips is confident that TrueSound can match up with, and even surpass, the sound quality offered by competing brands.

Philips Go Gear Ambassador proudly displays her Luxe

Philips representatives expressed excitement about how the new GoGear devices would be received by consumers. “We’ve conducted intensive research about what exactly people look for in an mp3/mp4 player. We wanted to design something that truly delivers on the basic promise of a portable music device, and that is top notch sound quality. The new GoGear players are the result of all our hard work. ”, said Vidyut Kaul, Consumer Marketing Manager for Philips Consumer Lifestyle

Vidyut Kaul gives the press a preview of what Go Gear is all about

Iconic rock legends Cooky Chua and Mike Villegas captivated the members of the press with their awesome renditions of High and Dry and Come Together. Cooky represented the trio of rock icons, including Francis Reyes and Raimund Marasigan, who will be the featured mentors for Bandwidth Virtual Battle of the Bands, an online competition for unsigned rock bands. Participants will be required to upload performance videos of original songs which will be judged by the distinguished mentors and judges

Cooky and Mike show them how it's done

Since being introduced in 2005, the Philips GoGear brand has established itself as a strong player in the mobile music player industry, coming in a strong second to the Apple iPod in terms of market share.

Members of the press try out Go Gear's True Sound

“We’ve made great strides in the past few years in terms of the features and design of GoGear, and this reflects in our strong performance in the market. While we might have been held back in the past by a lack of public awareness about GoGear, this year we are going all out with new promotions and activities that will let people know about these great devices. We want to reach the people who truly care about of the music and how they enjoy it,” said Kaul.

Saguijo's 5th Year Anniversary

2009-06-02T03:29:00.000-07:00

All roads lead to Guijo Street this coming May 29 and 30, as Saguijo turns 5

May 29

Radioactive Sago Project, Swissy, Us-2-Evil-0, The Ronnie's, Musical O, Valley Of Chrome. Faspitch, Salamin, Peryodiko, Spongecola, Hansom, Join the Club, Pedicab, and Greyhoundz

May 30

Up Dharma Down, Paramita, Sleepwalk Circus, Razorback, Taken By Cars, Techy Romantics, Angulo, Out Of Body Special, Drip, The Dorques, Camerawalls, Imago, and Good Morning High Fives

See you there!!!

Mag:Net Anniversary Part 1

2009-06-02T03:27:00.001-07:00

Mag:net High Street, one of the popular rock clubs in Metro Manila, recently celebrated its second birthday with a special night that featured sets from some of best bands in Filipino rock today.

Opening the gig was a typically blazing set from Pedicab. The dance-punk group’s usual musical histrionics were in full effect, rousing the Friday night crowd with a spirited run through the band’s best tunes, including a particularly satisfying performance of “Simulan Mo Na.” Noticeably absent was keyboardist Raimund Marasigan, who was said to be somewhere in the States at the time.

Pedicab opens Mag:Net's 2nd Anniversary

Following Pedicab was a fantastic set by forward-thinking shoegazepoprockers Sleepwalk Circus, who, with a string of consistently fine performances over the past several months, have built great expectations for their upcoming album (reportedly on Terno Records). The band seems to improve with every performance. As Fran and Peavey, the band’s two guitarists, walked off the stage, leaving behind a tapestry of winding loops for bassist Mica and drummer Mike to play with, it felt like a band that had truly and finally arrived. Could Sleepwalk Circus be the next Up Dharma Down?

Complete with rope lights and LED candles, Sleepwalk Circus captivated the crows

Whether Up Dharma Down would surrender their current mantle as Filipino indie rock flag bearers can only be answered by Up Dharma Down themselves however, and judging by the band’s solid set that night, they’re not stepping down anytime soon.

Armi and the rest of Up Dharma Down made Bipolars cool

Adding to the night’s eclectic mix was post-hardcore group Chicosci, who brought in tow a bevy of devoted fans who gathered in the cramped space in front of the stage as the band set up. In the tradition of the best hardcore acts, Chicosci’s performs as if on a tight wire, always tending toward the off-kilter and dangerous, forsaking “tightness” for a dose of refreshing punk rock urgency. The band opened with a very tongue-in-cheek cover of Lady Gaga’s “Pokerface” before segueing into “Paris”, which remains as potent today as when it was first released seven years ago.

Chicosci brings their own kind of emo-rock

The set that went down as the undisputed favorite of the crowd however was Spongecola’s, with the band throwing all kinds of surprises left and right. The night after all also served as the premiere of the new Quark Henares-directed video for “Ayt!”, Spongecola’s new single with pop icon Gary Valenciano.

The set began with a solid run through some of Spongecola’s most popular singles, including the still-compelling “Lunes.” The band then switched things up bringing on stage Pupil’s Yan Yuzon (brother of Spongecola singer Yael) to help out on guitars, as well as DJ Dubious, who floored the crowd with a beatbox routine that included a cheeky and absolutely note-perfect cover of Benny Bennasi’s ubiquitous “Satisfaction.” Yael then tried his hand at beatboxing (with less spectacular results), but certainly the biggest surprise was when Gary V himself took the stage for a live take on “Ayt!” and an impromptu performance of “Sana Maulit Muli.”

Gary V, Yael and the rest of Spongecola make beautiful music together

Leading consumer tech company Philips was on hand to sweeten the night, giving away a bunch of brand new GoGear mp3 players to lucky partygoers. Anticipation has been building for the brand’s upcoming Virtual Battle of the Bands as well, which is expected to take off in the coming weeks. Some of the most prominent names in local rock- including Francis Reyes, Cookie Chua, and Raimund Marasigan- are set to take part in the contest as special judges and mentors.

2 of the nights 3 winners of Philips Go Gear

All in all, it was a memorable night, a fitting way to mark the birthday of one of the most beloved rock clubs in Metro Manila today.

To be continued.....

Magnet High Street 2nd Anniversary

2009-06-02T03:23:00.000-07:00

See you there!!!

May 22 (Friday)

-Spongecola featuring Gary V.
-UpDharmaDown
-Sleepwalk Circus
-Chicosci
- Archipelago
-Angulo
-Us-2 Evil-0

May 23 (Saturday)

-Greyhoundz
-Musical O
-Out of Body Special
-Faspitch
-Salamin
-Taken By Cars
-Kjwan

The New Filipino Rock

2009-06-02T03:20:00.001-07:00

The last couple of years have been an incredible time for Filipino rock music. While the creativity and the passion for music has always been there, recent years have seen a bumper crop of interesting, new, on-the-circuit bands, many of whom are doing some very cool things. Spurred on by new technology like mp3 players, music blogs, file sharing, You Tube, free recording software, and social networks that makes the creation, discovery and sharing of music much easier, new bands have been coming up so quickly that following the gig circuit today becomes a bewildering exercise.

Contributing to this renaissance is the strange but welcome return of Filipino rock to the country’s musical main stage. Somehow, band music (i.e. music made by bands) has risen in cultural currency. Seeing, listening to, and being in bands has become “a thing”, both in a good way and in a bad way. Media channels previously dedicated to more immediately commercial middle-of-the-road fare have reformatted, and now freely play records that aren’t even available in stores (another effect of the digitization of new music).

But the important this is that, with a much broader base of support today than a few years ago, and with easy access to an incredible range of musical influences and techniques, young bands have unprecedented leeway in producing new ideas in music, and have that music reach a good audience.

These days, unsigned bands with self-released albums and EPs can have an actual chance to have a hit record on the radio, to have a video on rotation on mainstream TV, and to have a solid gig following. It is not uncommon for a resolutely indie band to be mentioned in a national broadsheet or to appear in the culture section of a completely non-musical nationally-circulated magazine.

A new wave of immensely talented young acts such as Sleepwalk Circus, Ang Bandang Shirley, Turbogoth, Musical O, and Twin Lobster play to packed crowds in Metro Manila’s best rock clubs. Bands like Sandwich and Pedicab play to a crowd of hipster kids in a hole in the wall bar in Quezon City one night then play in Singapore the next. A band from Leyte makes it big on Metro Manila radio. A kid listens to a song by Sandwich on his Go Gear and is inspired to form a band. It’s all happening now.