Ninja Doctors and Big Ideas

Ever wonder what a comic book starring a doctor who is also a ninja might be like? If so, please seek professional psychiatric help. And then go and read The Adventures of Dr. McNinja, which actually lives up to this fantastic premise. (It also has giant lumberjacks, pirates, Ronald McDonald, and a gorilla receptionist named Judy).

"When two ninja engage in battle, not a word is spoken. There is no room for banter. Perfect focus must be maintained. Every attack and parry is plotted ten steps in advance. Like a silent, deadly game of battleship. No, not chess. Battleship. Chess is a little too... rooky, pawny for my tastes."

And now I leave you with another quote, this time from Your Band Sucks: "What Big Idea have I stumbled upon this week, you ask? First of all, fuck you. I don’t stumble upon anything, I use my legendary intellect to devise amazing ideas, and then I present them to you via my unsurpassed writing ability. Except for this idea, which I pretty much stumbled upon."

Hate It or Love It: Songs from 2005

Holy crap, we’re midway thru January and we haven’t done any “Best of 2005” posts, or any posts at all, for that matter. Perhaps we’re too mesmerized by that picture of Barbie and Kitchie attacking some hapless photographer. In any case, I did end up listing my Favorite Albums, Songs, and Live Performances in my column, The King of Nothing to Do, in the i section of last Saturday’s Manila Bulletin.

Something I realized while writing my column: I listened to a lot of music in 2005, but I didn’t actually listen to a lot of albums. I guess that’s what happens when you develop an audioblog addiction. Anyway, here’s an expanded version of my list of Favorite Songs from 2005:



1. Hard to Beat – Hard-Fi
This probably shouldn’t be number one, but I can’t stop listening to it. Insanely catchy, sexy, danceable and oozing with attitude, I’ll probably be sick of it soon, but in the meantime, it’s giving me some great strobe-lit daydreams.

2. Beer – Itchyworms
Arguably the best song in an excellent album, this is a song to get tipsy to, sing along with, and try to learn on your guitar: in short, one of those senti-funny Pinoy rock barkada classics.

3. Feel Good Inc – Gorillaz
It somehow makes sense that a cartoon band has more personality than most real bands. Noodle’s older and the Gorillaz are better, as demonstrated by this song, which is like parts of many good songs stitched together to make a great song.

4. Dito Tayo Sa Dilim – Pedicab
Love playing this -- and for that matter, the rest of Tugish Takish -- full blast in the morning. Wakes you up, gets you going, makes you feel like bouncing up and down and drawing cartoon animals on the ceiling.

5. Higher – Soft
Hypnotic, majestic, heart-thrilling stuff -- thanks to The Oh So Quiet Show for introducing me to this band. :)

6. Lonesome Reply – The Whiles
So pretty it would make me cry, if I weren’t such a manly man. And then when the electric guitar squeals to life near the end of the song and the whole thing takes off: beautiful.

7. Video – Aimee Mann
Aimee Mann is trying to break your heart.

8. Don’t Give Up the Fight – The Magic Numbers
Hard to choose between all the great songs on the Magic Numbers’ debut, but this is the one I keep coming back to.

9. You Only Live Once – The Strokes
I only hope the rest of their third album is this good.

10 Mushaboom – Feist
A cute, charming little masterpiece. “And we'll collect the moments one by one/ I guess that's how the future's done.”

11. Time Stops – Teenage Fanclub
Teenage Fanclub continues to make perfect guitar-driven pop. Soothing, almost-sleepy vocals, a snappy rhythm, fuzzy guitars and chord changes to leave you grinning.

12. The Engine Driver – The Decemberists
“And I am a writer, a writer of fictions/ I am the heart that you call home.” How could I not love this song?

13. Biyernes – Narda
Lot of good songs on Formika, but this was the first one that stood out, for me.

14. Hate It or Love It – The Game feat. 50 Cent
Didn’t listen to so much hip-hop in 2005, and I’m not crazy about music by The Game or 50 Cent in general, but this one really stuck in my head, as did the last song on the list…

15. Signs – Snoop Dogg feat. Justin Timberlake
For when you feel like dancing like an utter fool.

Other songs: Don’t think these came out in 2005, but I love them and listened to them over and over last year: Look Up by Stars, Dedication by The Numbs, Nina Gordon’s acoustic cover of Straight Outta Compton, The Robots in My Bedroom Were Playing Arena Rock by The Soft Lightes, the amazing Jay-Z/Nena mash-up of 99 Luftballoons and 99 Problems, and, quite possibly my real absolute favorite song of the year, Here Comes the Headache by Spouse. I’m not giving up, I’m giving in!

How to Fire Your Band

You're right, this picture needs a better caption. Come on, people! All the bright minds who read this blog can certainly come up with something to go with this picture. Winner will get 10 Jon Bon Jovi Have a Nice Day promo stickers. (Fortunately, these stickers have neither Jon Bon Jovi's face nor his name on them, so you can stick 'em anywhere--yes, even where the sun don't shine!--with no shame).

And, in case you're wondering, this picture came from here, under unexplained circumstances.

Up Your Chimneys

From The Ambush Bug Stocking Stuffer #1 (1985)

"Santa, with my nose so bright, can I guide your sleigh tonight?" "SHADDUP! I'm sick of milk and cookies! I'm sick of the North Pole! So up your chimneys!" Click on the image to reveal... a bigger image. It's like a magic! (copyright The Ciudad Band)

And Happy Holidays to y'all. Ho ho ho!

I'm the goddamn Batman

Because even heroes can be dicks sometimes.

ROBIN: Who the hell are you anyway, giving out orders like this?
BATMAN: What are you, dense? Are you retarded or something? Who the hell do you think I am? I'm the goddamn Batman.

Ladies and gentlemen, an actual excerpt from All-Star Batman and Robin #2, by Frank Miller and Jim Lee, both men who have done much better work elsewhere. This classic exchange of dialogue is old news to comics fans, but I just felt like posting it now. Enjoy!

Fergie is Sally

Despite the brain-melting badness that is the Black Eyed Peas song My Humps, Fergie will always be aces in my book. The reason why is in an interview from the August 2005 issue of Blender:

BLENDER: WHAT'S THE COOLEST THING YOU'VE EVER DONE?

FERGIE: Being the voice of Sally for a Peanuts cartoon. I actually have a thing that Charles Schulz wrote me. He drew Snoopy and it says, "To our best Sally ever -- Schulz." That's cool! Schulz called me the best Sally ever.

It's not just that she was the voice of Sally Brown once upon a time, it's that despite becoming an international pop star with BEP, she still counts voicing Sally as "the coolest thing she's ever done."

That is why she is awesome.

Incidentally, one of the Peanuts specials Fergie did -- "It's Flashbeagle, Charlie Brown" -- is one of my all-time favorites, despite the fact that it's horribly, horribly dated now, as you can probably guess from the title (then again, the 80s are back...). Who could forget such timeless tunes as "The Pig-Pen Hoe-Down," "I'm In Shape" and "Lucy Says"? Listen to Lucy, listen to Lucy!

PS. The new installment of my column, "The King of Nothing to Do," should be in the i section of today's Manila Bulletin. It's a Christmas story for children! Well, sort of.

My Humps My Humps

From Slate:

"My Humps" is a moment that reminds us that categories such as "good" and "bad" still matter. Relativism be damned! There are bad songs that offend our sensibilities but can still be enjoyed, and then there are the songs that are just really bad -- transcendentally bad, objectively bad. As a piece of music, "My Humps" is a stunning assemblage of awful ideas.

Radioactive Dharma

Yay! It's the Warning Label Generator! As always, my capacity to discover new ways to distract myself knows no bounds.

Last Saturday night after the Siglo launch, Yvette and I found ourselves at 6underground, where we enjoyed sets by bands like The Happy Meals (who were apparently recently dropped by Viva, the label that was supposed to release their first album -- a real shame, they're a good band) and recent In The Raw winners Up Dharma Down. For those of you who have yet to hear UDD, there are some samples here. When I say 'samples,'I mean samples: the excellent "Maybe," for example, fades out all too soon.

Passion! Power! Piction!

It's December 10, Saturday, today, right? That means alla youse who are interested in comics and/or speculative fiction should go to the Greenhills Promenade branch of Fully Booked later at 6:30 PM, where they're launching three books: Siglo: Passion (from Nautilus Comics), Project: Hero (Quest Ventures), and Philippine Speculative Fiction, Vol. 1 (Kestrel).

I'm one of the writers of Siglo: Passion -- I wrote a script set in the future, involving artificial realities, real friendships, and a giant guinea pig, that was illustrated by the very skilled Jonas Diego. Other contributors include Gerry Alanguilan, Quark Henares, Dean Alfar, Reno Maniquis, Jeremy Arambulo, Lan Medina, Carlo Vergara, Marco Dimaano, Leinil Francis Yu, etc. According to Click the City:

Siglo: Passion is the sequel to the National Book Award-winning anthology Siglo: Freedom. This time around, the book explores the passions of the Filipino people, from food to family, from religion to nation, through twelve stories set across one hundred years of history and beyond. With a roster of award-winning writers and artists, Siglo: Passion promises to be an unforgettable experience, and yet another milestone in Philippine comic book history.

The launch price is Php 500, and it will apparently sell post-launch for Php 850. More on Siglo: Passion at the Nautilus Comics site and Dean's blog. Project: Hero (Php 120), as the name implies, is a comics anthology featuring new Pinoy superheroes, and Philippine Speculative Fiction (Php 300) is a collection of mind-expanding short stories by Cyan Abad-Jugo, Gabriela Lee, Ian Casocot, and Sarge Lacuesta, among others. See ya there!

PS. Happy birthday, Fran! :)

The NU Rock Awards, part 2

NU ROCK AWARDS 2005
The Official List Of Winners


BEST NEW ARTIST: Pedicab

VOCALIST OF THE YEAR: Bamboo Mañalac of Bamboo

GUITARIST OF THE YEAR: Cynthia Alexander

BASSIST OF THE YEAR: Niño Avenido of Greyhoundz

DRUMMER OF THE YEAR: Jeross Dolino of Sheila and the Insects

BEST LIVE ACT: Kamikazee

RISING SUN AWARD: Orange and Lemons

IN THE RAW AWARD: Up Dharma Down

SONG OF THE YEAR: "Ako si M-16" by Junior Kilat

BEST MALE AWARD: Yael Yuzon of Spongecola

BEST FEMALE AWARD: Aia De Leon Of Imago

ALBUM OF THE YEAR: Light, Peace, and Love by Bamboo

BAND/ARTIST OF THE YEAR: Orange and Lemons

BEST MUSIC VIDEO: "Akap" Of Imago (Directed by Marie Jamora)

BEST ALBUM PACKAGING: Claude Rodrigo for Strike Whilst the Iron is Hot of Orange and Lemons

PRODUCER OF THE YEAR: Cynthia Alexander and Angee Rozul for Cynthia Alexander*

[*Can somebody help clear this up, please? As far as I know, Angee Rozul and Cynthia Alexander who won Producer of the Year, but most online accounts like this one from ABS-CBN Interactive say that it was Noel de Brackinghe for his work with Greyhoundz. Help!]


----------------------------------

Surprise! Hale aren't Best New Artist of 2005, and do you know why? Because they're NOT! HOORAY!

I'm not even going to complain that O&L are Artist of the Year, because I will grudgingly admit that they've made quite an impact on the industry, having suddenly made acceptable bad haircuts and faux-English accents. Okay, I know when I've been defeated. You win this round, O&L, but the battle is far from over.

Now, to answer some fan mail:

Aki asked:
Juz wanna ask why are you so mad to Orange and Lemons?...


Dear Aki
I am so mad to Orange and Lemons, because they are suck. Okay, that's not right! Orange and Lemons are not suck, but they are, how do you say, annoying. With their haircuts and their accents which are not real. They are annoy to me.

I hope that clears things up...

Kristine

* * * * * *

Andrea asked:
I'm just curious and I hope you don't mind me asking this.

Who would you choose among the three, Hale, Cueshe, and O&L? I know you don't like them. But sino sa kanila yung mejo matitiis mo pa?

Hehe.


Dear Andrea,

Oh, good question! This reminds me of the old game we used to play in the Pulp offices. "Who would you..." (e.g.,"Who would you watch if you could only watch one, Smashing Pumpkins or Pixies?" "Who would you date, Jerome Abalos or Joey 'Pepe' Smith?" etc.)

Actually, even with all my nasty comments about O&L, they're the ones I could listen to. Cueshe are boring, and Hale just aren't great musicians. Which only proves that, hey, looks aren't everything to me. O&L are pretty homely, and I picked them. See? I'm deep.

Kristine

+ + + + + +
NOTE: I've updated the winners list several times, as no official list of the winners can be found anywhere online. My apologies for the initial mistakes, and I would appreciate it if anyone can point out any additional ones. Thanks!

Shake Yer Heads

So the Ultraelectromagneticjam concert is tonight, and I'm going to miss it, because I'll be stuck at home, working on overdue freelance stuff and last-minute scriptwriting for the MTV Summit. Sigh. At least I got the E-heads tribute album itself, yesterday -- it's currently selling like hotcakes in record stores all over the city, apparently. (Sudden thought: wouldn't it be cool to be head of sales of some hotcake company? Whenever anyone asks you how business is, you can always shrug and say, "Well, you know... they're selling, like the hotcakes they are." Okay, maybe it wouldn't be cool).

Overall, the Ultraelectromagneticjam CD is worth getting, but have your Eraserheads albums nearby when you listen to it, because you're going to want to re-immerse yourself in the originals right after. The collection gets off to a weak start: 6cyclemind doing "Alapaap" is far from a disaster -- 6cyclefans will be happy that their idols are performing such strong material -- but since their basic sound doesn't appeal to me much and they don't take the song in any interesting new directions, their cover just kind of sits there, in a limbo between excellence and offensiveness. (Other examples here of bands failing to overcome their inherent limitations -- and by "inherent limitations," I really mean "my prejudices" -- are Orange and Lemons' version of "Huwag Kang Matakot," Cueshe's "Hard to Believe," and Sponge Cola's "Pare Ko").

And then oh my God there's track 2, "Magasin": honestly, I have nothing against Paolo Santos personally -- that interview/field trip to Quiapo we did with him for PULP way back was fun; he's a nice guy, and not untalented -- but he fucking murders this song, singing it in a style more suited for the throwaway novelty hit of your jeepney-riding nightmares. It may be the worst artist-song pairing on the whole album.

The first really good track is Imago's version of "Spoliarium" -- vocalist Aia de Leon is in fine form here, as are the rest of the band; it's a good example of how to make a song your own while not obscuring the source material. It's followed by a somewhat disappointing "Overdrive" by Barbie Almalbis, who sings like she's a three year-old girl. With big eyes. And pigtails. Purists may twitch upon hearing South Border's "With a Smile" and MYMP's "Huwag Mo Nang Itanong," but the fact is that both are quite well done: capitalizing on the strengths of each act, and showing us new aspects of two of the more beloved E-heads songs.

Other reasons to buy the album: Sugarfree's "Tikman," Isha's "Torpedo," Kitchie Nadal's "Ligaya" (gotta love that post-chorus chuckle, and the uncharacteristically dirty-fuzzy guitar sound), Rico J. Puno's "Ang Huling El Bimbo" (showing the whippersnappers how it's done), and Radioactive Sago Project's riotous version of "Alcohol," which I may actually prefer to the original.

PS. Excellent album cover design and illustration by Cynthia and Arnold, btw. :)

Electronica and Pizza

After 2+ weeks of stay-at-home, zonked-out uselessness brought on by a bout of intestinal flu, it feels good to be going out again, slight lingering dizziness be damned! That said, I almost didn't go to the launch of excellent electronica act Drip's "Sweet Cheeks" video last Saturday night, tired as I was from elbowing people in the gut and stepping on small wailing children while balancing armfuls of bargain books (I dropped by the National Bookstore Warehouse Sale earlier that day). Boredom and a sense of one's life slipping away unlived won out, however, and Kidlat and I met up at Green Papaya one hour later than the alleged start of the event, but just in time, as it turned out.

Drip performed an all-too-short set of songs: lead singer Beng's smooth, seductive croon was lovely and beguiling as always, Ian and Malek worked their beats-loops-and-keyboards magic, and Caliph8 on turntables was a very welcome not-so-recent addition. I was struck by how much I liked the way they've reworked numbers like "To You" and "Song Number 9" -- the songs are funkier now, more beat-heavy, catchier and more danceable. To be honest, I prefer the new versions to the ones on Far Side of the World; maybe someday something like a collection of remixes will be available. As Beng pointed out afterwards, they felt that some changes were necessary if the material was to remain interesting to them. Am quite happy about the direction they seem to be going, musically -- Drip has always been an act worth watching, but there were times when their songs seemed to invite a nodding and somewhat detached admiration rather than real, big-grinned engagement. As for the "Sweet Cheeks" video -- a work of hand-drawn animation -- it was a funny, quirky slice of life on an alien world, complete with killer plants and flying saucers.

Afterwards, we went down the street to our new favorite Italian place (I think it's called Fruili -- I'm not sure). For those of you who are at least a little familiar with Maginhawa Street, it's at a slight angle across that Persian place Ababu, right where Teddi's used to be. Fruili, if that indeed is what it's called, serves really good pizza, and anyone who knows me knows that that is not a statement I make lightly. I recommed the Venezia (sprinkled with ground sirloin) and Margherita (oozing with garlic and cheese).

The days immediately before and immediately after my bout with flu were marked by memorable gigs: last Thursday night, November 24, I caught the second set by Isha (a.k.a. Peach) at Mag:Net Katipunan, which was immensely enjoyable -- too bad I missed her first set, and Ace Cada's solo set (friends assured me that 1. both were great, and that 2. I am a perennially tardy idiot). I bought a copy of her Katakataka EP downstairs right after.

And, last November 5, some friends and I finally managed to catch a gig by The Bitter Pill at Ninja Kiss 12 ("Moshi Moshpit Ano Ne?") at Saguijo, and we were utterly blown away by their short sharp songs, their undeniable energy, and the sheer infectious joy with which they played. I missed the incredible Bitter Pill/ Pedicab/ Brass Munkeys lineup last Revolver night due to my illness, but I am definitely looking forward to seeing [Mikey + Diego + Diego + mohawked drummer + cute bassist] play again, and soon.

The NU Rock Awards 2005

Some things you should know about the NU 107 Rock Awards this year:

1) I was not invited back to judge. Yes, despite my impeccable taste, the Judgment Bunny Waxy Seal of Judgment will not be put to use, like it was last year. DAMMIT!

2) Orange & Lemons are nominated in multiple categories. They did win last year, much to my dismay. Of course, my very vocal disappointment at the O&L victory over Cambio might be the reason for (1), but I still can't believe nobody's caught on to how annoying O&L music is. Hoy, NU, itigil na ang kalokohang 'yan.

3) Ex-magazine staff members nominated for an award this year: 2 Namely, Jason Caballa, who replaced me as music editor of PULP, and who, with his band Pedicab, is nominated in the Album of the Year and Rising Sun categories; and Bernie Sim, staff writer/illustrator/fashion diva of MTV Ink, nominated for Best Album Packaging.

4) -----. Ay! Secret pala! Due to some legal ek ek, I am obliged to tell you folks that nothing and nobody have anything to do with Nu107, their logo, or anything at all. NOTHING, I TELL YOU!

So there. And now, the nominees.


NU ROCK AWARDS 2005
The Official List Of Nominees

BEST NEW ARTIST
Hale
Brownman Revival
Junior Kilat
Pedicab
Paramita

Hale are this year's Orange and Lemons. Which means that they will probably win, and I won't like it.

VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Bamboo Mañalac of Bamboo
Reg Rubio of Greyhoundz
Aia De Leon Of Imago
Mcoy Fundales of Orange and Lemons
Jett Pangan Of the Dawn
Ria Bautista of Paramita

Tough call. I think Ria Bautista and Aia de Leon are amazing vocalists, and that Jett Pangan deserves an award just for still being around, but in terms of impact on the industry and sheer popularity, I think this'll probably go to O&L again, or maybe Bamboo.

GUITARIST OF THE YEAR
Ira Cruz of Bamboo
Audie Avenido of Greyhoundz
Francis Reyes of the Dawn
Jethro Mendoz of Valley of Chrome
Giann Sotto of Nerveline
Cynthia Alexander

Cynthia Alexander fucking deserves this for her amazing work on Comet's Tail. And if she doesn't win, she will totally put a curse on you or something.

BASSIST OF THE YEAR
Nathan Azarcon of Bamboo
Buwi Meneses of Parokya ni Edgar
Niño Avenido of Greyhoundz
Mon Legazpi of the Dawn
Dondi Ledesma for his work in Joey Pepe Smith’s album Idiosyncrasies

Dondi Ledesma is the sentimental favorite here for his work on Pepe Smith's "comeback" album, but let's face it: it wasn't a very good album at all.

DRUMMER OF THE YEAR
Vic Mercado of Bamboo
TJ Brillantes of Greyhoundz
Zach Lucero of Imago
Ria Bautista of Paramita
Mike Dizon of Pedicab
Jeross Dolino of Sheila and the Insects

Lotsa good ones this year. Zach Lucero's always a solid drummer (and also a recent birthday boy, having turned 30 on the 20th), and Mike Dizon is outstanding as part of Pedicab. But then again, are we truly going to deny Sheila and the Insects a long-awaited award, especially with the waves they created this year? Or ignore the amazing fact that Ria drums and sings at the same time? Take that, Meg White!

BEST LIVE ACT
Bamboo
Kamikaze
Cheese
Parokya ni Edgar
Radioactive Sago Project

I vote for Giniling Festival! And Bagetsafonik! And Best Before! No? Okay, fine: Radioactive Sago Project.

RISING SUN AWARD
Orange and Lemons
Hale
Imago
Brownman Revival
Cueshe
Pedicab

Orange and Lemons, Hale, and Cueshe nominated in the same category. Punyeta.

IN THE RAW AWARD
Kiko Machine
Valley of Chrome
Up Dharma Down
Menaya
Daydream Cycle

Full disclosure: I've known bassist Paul Yap since he was in short pants and sported an "apple" haircut. That said, I think Up Dharma Down totally deserve the award.

SONG OF THE YEAR
"Hallelujah" by Bamboo
"Chicksilog" by Kamikazee
"The Day You Say Goodnight"[sic] by Hale
"Akap" by Imago
"Hanggang Kailan" by Orange and Lemons
"Ang Ating Araw" by Dictalicense
"Mang Jose" by Parokya ni Edgar
"Ako si M-16" by Junior Kilat
"Nice Place" by Juan Pablo Dream
"Tulad Ng Dati" by The Dawn
"Humanda Ka" by Sandwich
"Hari Nang Sablay" by Sugarfree

I never thought I'd see a song that goes, "I'm going to a nice place! A very very nice place!" nominated for Song of the Year, and yet here we are. Is there any good reason none of Kitchie Nadal's phenomenal crossover hits were nominated?

BEST MALE AWARD
Bamboo Mañalac of Bamboo
Champ Liupio of Hale
Yael Yuzon of Spongecola
Diego Mapa of Pedicab
Raymund Marasigan of Sandwich
Pochoy Labog of Dictalicense

Bamboo is the best male! YAY! Oh, you mean best male musician.

BEST FEMALE AWARD
Kitchie Nadal
Aia De Leon Of Imago
Lougee Basabas of Mojofly
Ria Bautista of Paramita
Myrene Academia of Sandwich /Imago
Wawi Navaroza of the Late Isabel

Kitchie Nadal, for her work with Twister Fries.

ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Apoy by Greyhoundz
Light, Peace, and Love by Bamboo
Strike whilst the Iron Is Hot by Orange and Lemons
Take Two by Imago
Tugish Takish by Pedicab
Harapin by the Dawn
Party PIpol Ur on Dub TV by Junior Kilat

I haven't listened to any of these albums in full and/or with full attention, so I will withhold comment.

BAND/ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Bamboo
Orange and Lemons
Parokya ni Edgar
Imago
Kitchie Nadal

Kitchie Nadal, I think.

BEST MUSIC VIDEO
"The Day You Said Goodnight" of Hale (Directed by Sigfrid Barros Sanchez)
"Same Ground" Of Kitchie Nadal (Directed by Avid Liongoren)
"You’ll Be Safe Here" of Rivermaya (Directed By Pedring Lopez)
"Hallelujah" of Bamboo (Directed by Topel Lee)
"Akap" Of Imago (Directed by Marie Jamora)

I would like to call everyone's attention to the interesting use of prepositions here: "Song" of The Artist. Interesting. That said, I've a weird liking for Marie Jamora's video for "Akap."

BEST ALBUM PACKAGING
Claude Rodrigo for Strike Whilst the Iron is Hot of Orange and Lemons
Ge Madriaga for Rhomboids of Monsterbot
Bernie Sim for Tala of Paramita
Orven Enoveso for Flowerfish of Sheila and the Insects
Ink Surge for Tugish Takish of Pedicab
Gina Pestano for Party Pipol Ur On Dub TV of Junior Kilat

I always enjoyed judging this category at awards shows. And it is also the category in which at least one magazine alumnus gets nominated in every year. I haven't seen half of the albums nominated for this category, but I did like the Tugish Takish design a lot, and Bernie Sim has never failed to deliver something interesting and weird.

PRODUCER OF THE YEAR
Bamboo and Angee Rozul for Bamboo
Cynthia Alexander and Angee Rozul for Cynthia Alexander
Noel De Brackinghe for Greyhoundz
Kerryl Demetrio and Junior Kilat for Junior Kilat
Robert Javier for Orange and Lemons

Cynthia Alexander and Angee Rozul, because Comet's Tail was amazing. And while I never thought I'd say this, I think Hale's album producer also deserves an award. I mean, have you heard them live? Anyone who can make THAT sound good on a CD deserves a medal.

"You want the day to fit to a soundtrack..."

Looking at the date on Blogger's saved draft of this post, it's shamefully obvious that I have been gone far too long. In the meantime, Eliott Smith has put out another album (posthumously), as did Liz Phair (post-attempt-at-a-pop-album); and Luis and I have started working on another show script and on a top-secret project. All we can tell you about those last two is that you all should watch out for: (a) more inappropriate incurable-disease-related jokes and (b) bastard-eating eagles. YAY!

Before I get back to the arduous task of bastard-eating eagle-raising and catching up on my blog reading, I feel I must complete this important tast, posted by Thor and then answered in this blog by Luis, who noted that, as music geeks, this is a bittersweet task that is both more enjoyable and more difficult than it normally would be. Of course, even normal (<--term here used loosely) music geeks don't fantasize about the movie that will be made of their lives. I do. It used to star Winona Ryder, until I gained some weight and she, a shoplifting problem.

Just kidding. I didn't gain weight (it's true! I used to be shaped like an amoeba when I was in college! they lied about adolescence and sports keeping you in shape!) and I never did get around to casting the movie of my life. I did, however, make a soundtrack. To wit:


==============

If you were to create the sountrack of your life, this would be the song playing when you are...

LONELY OR DOWN:
"Sad Loved Girl" Scheer; "Maps" Yeah Yeah Yeahs

IN LOVE:
"Manna" Tanya Donelly. Because, at the end of the day, there really isn't a better declaration of love than the simple statement, "But I'm here now, and I'm staying put."

FIGHTING WITH YOUR SIGNIFICANT OTHER:
"How Am I Different?" Aimee Mann

HAVING SEX:
I would prefer for there to be no music in these scenes, but if the director insists, threatening, for example, to put a 70s porn soundtrack in the absence of any choices, I would pick: "The Yard of Blonde Girls" Jeff Buckley; "Hey" Pixies; "Hotel California" The Eagles. Fuck you, I'm not explaining that last one.

NURSING A BROKEN HEART:
"Holah" Mazzy Star. "Baby, won't you change your mind?"

IN NEED OF CHEERING UP:
"Think About your Troubles" Harry Nilsson

ABOUT TO EMBARK ON A ROAD TRIP:
"These Are the Days" 10,000 Maniacs. And when the road trip's about to end, "Passenger Seat" Death Cab for Cutie

FEELING GROGGY AND NEED TO WAKE UP:
"Mr. E's Beautiful Blues" Eels

FEELING SUICIDAL:
"Nirvana" Juliana Hatfield. "Should I end it all? Now, here comes a song I love so much."

ANGRY, VERY ANGRY:
"Waitress" Tori Amos. "But I believe in peace, bitch."

SINGING, DANCING, AND DRUNK OFF MY ASS:
"Born Slippy" Underworld

CHILLING ON A RAINY AFTERNOON:
"Mr.Zebra" Tori Amos

REMINISCING ABOUT HIGH SCHOOL:
"Stars" Simply Red, for the high school prom scene flashback; for everything else, there is embarrassing hair rock and some classical music. I was kind of a strange and pretentious kid.

REMINISCING ABOUT COLLEGE:
Choose any song from the following albums:Achtung Baby U2; In My Tribe 10,000 Maniacs; Ten Pearl Jam

GETTING MARRIED:
The string quartet version of "In My Place" by Coldplay. Yes, I've thought this one out.

Charles Darwin Will Fuck Your Shit Up

I love Master Ninja. "Questionable Taste and No Regard for the Human Condition... Please do not betray us, or we will kill you while you sleep."

Here, from an article commenting on The Top Ten Most Harmful Books:

Chuck: Lenin only gets an honorable mention? They've got Mao and Marx up there -- why did Lenin get thrown to the bottom of the heap?

Fred: Kinsey beat him to the punch. He'd be up there if only Lenin had added "...also, sex is awesome. Do more sex."

Chuck: "Make the man sex and the group sex and all the sex you want because it's all good." That'd be a great addition to What Is To Be Done.

Fred: "Communism? More like Cummunism!" And then he high-fives Marx's corpse. And fucks it.

Elephants and Visitors

Missed two events I would have wanted to go to yesterday, namely the launch of White Elephants, Sarge Lacuesta's second book of short stories, and the re-opening of Doi's bar, 77, on the very spot where Millennia used to be, along Kamuning (just after the Burger Machine, across the Pares place -- note that all my geographical reference points are food-related). Congratulations, guys, and apologies for my non-attendance; rest assured it was for very, very good reasons. :)

I did, however, manage to pass by the opening of Gabby Barredo's new show at the Ayala Museum last Thursday night. Couldn't stay as I had to rush off to a meeting, but I will say that it's definitely worth a look. If you pass by, don't forget to get a copy of the program; it's excellently photographed and designed, and contains "Visitors," a short short story I wrote, inspired by the exhibit. Congrats to Erwin, Yvonne, Juan and of course Gabby, and everyone else associated with the show.

In other news: apparently, the Earth-2 Superman has returned. Those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, just move along. The comics geeks among you, however, may have just experienced a slight but pleasant tingling of the spine at the news. And speaking of geeks, and tinglings -- along the spine and elsewhere -- the animated Ralph Bakshi/Frank Frazetta collaboration Fire and Ice is being released on DVD. Here's a true story from the Newsarama thread:

In 1984, I rented this movie for my 13th birthday party. While my friends and I were watching it, one of my friends said that the main girl in the film was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Another friend said something like, "why don't you just go hump Betty Boop?", and somehow a gigantic fistfight broke out in the living room. The point of the story is that I never saw the rest of the movie and now I finally get to buy it. Thank God.

And finally, Jessica Zafra's blogging. (Got the link from Budjette). "Yes that IS my real name, I AM the columnist slash talk show host, I AM the author of the seven Twisted books (eight if you count Twisted Flicks) and this IS my first and only blog."

In with the New

So I was with some friends a week and a half ago and Karlo asked me: what is your favorite New Order song? (Apparently Electronica Manila, of which Karlo is a member, is thinking of doing a New Order night). I experienced a moment of hesitation -- brought on by the idiotic music-geeky notion that I should name something earlier and more obscure -- and then told him what my tragically obvious first choice was anyway: "Regret," from Republic. Waya, sitting next to him, immediately asked me to sing it, which I refused to do: I once actually recorded myself warbling "Regret," when I was toying with a new tape recorder in college, and listening to the playback was an act of sheer masochism, the aural equivalent of deliberately stapling one's fingers (which, funnily enough, I have also done).

Anyway, through cosmic coincidence, it seems that Ninja Kiss 11 is going to be a New Order covers night too: according to Bernie, it's "going to be our biggest kiss and kick fest evah! see you next friday, october 14, at big sky mind, new manila as we pay tribute to new wave pioneers, new order with a banging six-band line-up starring: orange and lemons, morse, bagetsafonik, sleepyheads, isha, and watari's machine -- it's a night of electronica, britpop and new wave, kaya punta na! gig starts early at 10pm."

Ace of Bagetsafonik has told me that they're doing "Regret," so that's something to look forward to. I wonder if anyone will perform my other favorites, like "Love Vigilantes," or "Every Little Counts," a cute and twisted little song from Brotherhood (the same album the over-covered "Bizarre Love Triangle" comes from), or "Run Wild" from the fairly recent Get Ready. Maybe someone will do the happy-catchy "Krafty" and evoke the guilty giddy voyeuristic adolescent thrill of the video. And I wonder how great -- or awful -- a full-on rock version of "Shellshock" might sound! (Flash back to high school: I owned a Substance T-shirt I bought off one of those clothing stalls near the pier, and I wore it regularly until it was basically floor-rag material).

In any case, it looks like it's going to be fun. So: what's your favorite New Order song? :)

OST: Luis is Listening

From Thor: "If you were to create the soundtrack of your life, this would be the song playing when you are..."

LONELY OR DOWN:

From a Late Night Train by The Blue Nile. Other possibilities: I Live To Fall Asleep by Manic Street Preachers, and the acoustic version of Everything But The Girl's Come On Home.

IN LOVE:

There She Goes by The La’s -- yeah, I know: it’s probably actually about heroin. But hey, love is a dangerous drug too, which, just like heroin, may result over time in scarred and/or collapsed veins, bacterial infections of the blood vessels and heart valves, abscesses and other soft-tissue infections, and liver or kidney disease. Oh, and constipation. And then there's Cole Porter’s Looking at You -- Life seemed so gray/ I wanted to end it/ Till that wonderful day/ You started to mend it -- yay, suicidal depression and unabashed romanticism in bed together! And finally: As The World Falls Down by David Bowie.

FIGHTING WITH YOUR SIGNIFICANT OTHER:

Messy Shitty by The Spinanes. You Give Love a Bad Name by Bon Jovi. And Dare To Be Stupid by "Weird Al" Yankovic. Okay, I can hear you now!

HAVING SEX:

Again, Dare To Be Stupid by "Weird Al" Yankovic. Just kidding. Almost anything from Portishead's first album, To Bring You My Love by PJ Harvey, and Massive Attack.

NURSING A BROKEN HEART:

Buwan by Itchyworms. Far From Me by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds: You were my mad little lover/ In a world where everybody fucks everybody else over/ You who are so far from me. And, for real wrist-slitting action, Broken Heart by Spiritualized.

IN NEED OF CHEERING UP:

Livin' It Up by Rickie Lee Jones, Don’t Give Up The Fight by The Magic Numbers, the Built to Spill version of Linus and Lucy, Try Again Today by The Charlatans, and Wrapped in Grey by XTC.

ABOUT TO EMBARK ON A ROAD TRIP:

Several Josh Rouse songs come to mind, but I can't remember all their titles now, so how about Survival Car by Fountains of Wayne? And, for some reason, I've Had It by Aimee Mann has always struck me as the kind of music that would suit the beginning of a really early-morning road trip, like around 5 AM just before sunrise.

SUNBATHING ON A TROPICAL BEACH:

All I Need is Everything by Aztec Camera, Se a vida e by Pet Shop Boys, and Pussy by Brazilian Girls. Beach-tastic!

FEELING GROGGY AND NEED TO WAKE UP:

Discolite by Teenage Fanclub! The Robots in My Bedroom Were Playing Arena Rock by The Soft Lightes! And Don't Let the Bastards Grind You Down by Toasters! Whooo! *trips over furniture*

FEELING SUICIDAL:

Without You I'm Nothing by Placebo (tick, tock).

ANGRY, VERY ANGRY:

Grrr! Hulk Smash to the tune of: Speed by Atari Teenage Riot. Stockholm Syndrome by Muse. And One Man Army by The Prodigy with Tom Morello (also good for Tae-Bo workouts).

SINGING AT THE VIDEOKE BAR:

Speak To Me Someone by Gene is, in some parallel world, a bigger videoke staple than "My Way." And maybe that parallel world would also have The Pixies' Where is My Mind? on their sing-along machines. And maybe that parallel world is called "Japan". Here's hoping.

DANCING BY YOURSELF IN YOUR ROOM:

Lotsa stuff. Signs by Snoop Dogg and JT, Super Bon Bon by Soul Coughing, Music Gets The Best of Me by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, and Cool as Ice (Everybody Get Loose) by Vanilla Ice with Naomi Campbell, not that I'd ever admit any of this in a public forum. Oh wait, I just did.

SINGING, DANCING AND DRUNK OFF YOUR ASS:

I don't believe I've ever been singing, dancing and drunk off my ass, at least not all at the same time (unless you count that wake I attended once). But I can totally imagine the soundtrack for such a scene: Don't Stop Me Now by Queen, 99 Luft Problems (a Jay-Z/Nena mash-up), and Le Tigre's version of I'm So Excited. I'm about to lose control, and I think I like it!

PLAYING AIR GUITAR:

Basically, 80s hair metal: Slip of the Tongue by Whitesnake, Photograph by Def Leppard, Dreams by Van Halen. Although that last one might result in Air Keyboarding rather than Air Guitaring.

CHILLING ON A RAINY AFTERNOON:

Life Goes On by The Sundays, Lonesome Reply by The Whiles, 1992 by Isha, The Build-Up by Kings of Convenience, and One For Sorrow, Two For Joy by The Innocence Mission (thanks to Robyn for introducing me to that last one).

REMINISCING ABOUT HIGH SCHOOL:

Days of hanging out in the front lobby and the canteen, requesting songs on NU and dedicating them to girls we yearned after secretly, sharing mixtapes, discussing lyrics, paging through shitty yet compelling music zines. Gravity by Translator, Little Paradise by The Dawn (although, actually, anything from The Dawn's first three albums will do), and anything from The Seeds of Love by Tears for Fears. And of course, The Smiths, The Cure, New Order... all the usual suspects, for someone my age.

REMINISCING ABOUT COLLEGE:

All of Little Earthquakes by Tori Amos and Automatic for the People by R.E.M., as well as Waiting for Somebody by Paul Westerberg, and the first three Eraserheads albums. Stayed too long in college, worried too much, did too little. Still, music, a handful of new friends (and a handful of old ones), and monthly installments of Neil Gaiman's Sandman saw me through.

GETTING MARRIED:

I Believe in a Thing Called Love by The Darkness. At that point in the song which basically demands that people clap their hands above their heads in time with the beat -- you'll know it when you hear it -- I expect the congregation to behave accordingly. The priest can do the guitar solo. Alternatively, We Go Together from Grease. Shoowop shoowally wally yippity boom-de-boom!

What fun! And what fun to go through other people's soundtracks: like Thor's, Margie's, and Jovan's. Now I want to see lists from more people. Yes! That means you. ;)

I Should've Known From the Start

Going to the Alliance Francaise later for a group exhibit opening. You should, too. This is the same group of happily pop-culture-drunk lunatics who did Go Chopsuey Go! last year at Big Sky Mind, so it'll be worth it. Hell, the title alone should make you want to, as they say, check it out.

QUIT PLAYING GAMES WITH MY ART

featuring works by: clint catalan | bernie sim | ronald caringal | marcushiro | brian vallesteros | dave yogore | jordan santos

opening night: oct3, monday | alliance francaise | total gallery | cocktails and good wine at 630pm | band performances at 8pm

performances by: bagetsafonik | chillitees | morse | enemy of the enemy

exhibit runs till oct 28 alliance francaise is at: 209 nicanor garcia st. (formerly reposo), bel air II, makati city

gallery hours: M T TH 9am-6pm | W 9am-9pm | F 9am-12pm | Sat 9am-5pm | Sun 2pm-5pm

From the press release:

Man's evolution has been blessed by "the gift of immaturity itself, which has enabled us to retain in our best, most human moments the capacity for play." So said Joseph Campbell, an author of mythology and comparative religion, whose work has inspired a certain George Lucas to create the Star Wars galaxy.

In the same vein, a group of seven 'gifted children' -- who moonlight as graphic designers, visual artists, independent filmmakers and illustrators -- present imagery which retraces their own childhood, and their penchant for everyday play. In Quit Playing Games with My Art, subtitled "Ay, Pwede Pala," the audience is encouraged to interact with Jordan Santos’ man-made toy pieces and Marcushiro’s unhinged interpretations of second-hand literature. Brian Vallesteros explores the randomness of art through an indiscriminate and mindlessly enjoyable play of found objects. Likewise taken with games of chance, Cubicle Gallery curator Clint Catalan lets the vertical tumble of a pachinko ball decide the fate of its willing vassal. Dave Yogore also toys with destiny, as he reinterprets the cards of Tarot with painted humor and childlike tomfoolery. In the end, while Cubicle Gallery curator Ronald Caringal’s favorite childhood characters invade each other’s worlds and wreak even more gratuitous pop art havoc on the canvas, Bru burrows herself in the soft shapes of candy-colored ponies, and dissects how play can awaken one’s sensuality through her installations of fancy fantasy.

Although play has its own structure, it exists to become our escape from logic and causality. In play, we are free to create our own endings and, in a roundabout way, our own realities. Needless to say, it's also a lot of fun.

Slice Like a Ninja, Cut Like a Razor Blade

Had a great time at Ninja Kiss 10: Ninja Ka Ng Ina Mo!, which, unlike most ninjas, struck in loud and nonlethal style last night at SaGuijo.

First up was mainstay band Bagetsafonik, who mark their third year together as a band today (congratulations Ace Doi Marcus etcetera!). As usual, they rocked the place with their electro-dream-hip-pop-rock-tronic music; old favorites like "Halogen" and "Song for the Sunlight (Back in the Day)" were highlights, and somewhat newer, almost alarmingly radio-friendly tunes were featured in their set too.

Reggae band Hemp Republic provided the production night's fantastic finale: mixing popular hits like "Pass the Dutchie" and No Doubt's "Underneath it All" (not to mention the obligatory Marley stuff, and a perhaps ill-advised cover of Sting's "Love is the Seventh Wave") with their own excellent material, they got everyone up and dancing by the close of their set, at around 3 AM.

In between, we had Switch (a decent industrial rock act that reminded some of my companions of Nine Inch Nails and "a more electronic Korn"), and Sino Sikat. I expected to appreciate the sets by Bagetsafonik and Hemp Republic -- both bands whose performances I've enjoyed immensely before -- but I was surprised, and blown away, by Sino Sikat. Despite their throwaway name, they're amazing to watch, and not just because of the good-looking members. Their brand of Pinoy soul -- spiced with dashes of funk, pop, jazz, and a strong sense of fun -- is sensual, skilled, beguiling, and will have you moving like a mofo. I was wondering why vocalist Kat looked familiar: turns out it's because of the striking photograph of her taken by Juan Caguicla, which takes up a whole page in the May 2005 issue of PULP. Rereading that brief feature on them, I'm surprised by how bland it is, how little it makes me want to go out and watch the band. Luckily, I know better now. (And lest people think I'm always bashing the magazine I used to work for, I will say that their recent Bamboo-covered issue was definitely a good one).

Aside from the outstanding music, it was great to see old friends. My cousin Carlos reminded me once again that I have yet to watch his new band, the Milagros Dancehall Collective. Joey D. gave me a mini-review of the movie he had just seen, Land of the Dead (so bad it's good, in a nutshell). Gracie enumerated the people from her batch in Ateneo who've ended up in the band scene. Margie kissed a complete stranger to bag her second Ninja Kiss T-shirt. And so on. Hitched a ride out with M., and had a Jollibee longganisa meal at around half past 3 AM -- a good end to a good night's gig-going.