Sing Along to the Worst Song Medley

Hey, I know all those songs! This clip made me grin like an idiot. Particularly during the Sixpence None the Richer and "Rush Rush" moments. Thank you, Riki Lindhome and Kate Micucci, whoever you are.

Conch and Xandro are Married

Congratulations Conch! Photo stolen from Denise Mallabo, he he he.

Whatever I may say about the old PULP/MTV Ink office, I can't deny that I met some amazing people there -- and none more so than Conch, immensely talented Conch, who had perhaps the hardest job to do and yet was somehow the most reliable and least whiny of us all. (Well, she was certainly less whiny than me.) I have had the pleasure of working with her on a couple of publications now, and I would work with her again in a heartbeat. Unless it was on a job that required cleaning other peoples' toilets, in which case I might have to think about it.

Wait. What was my point? Oh yeah. Congratulations to Conch and Xandro, who got married last January 31! I wish them much much happiness together forever. :D

Imagine The Groove

Up Dharma Down photographed by Everywhere We Shoot for Imagine Magazine. Taken from Mrs Supergift's blog.

Imagine Magazine #3 is out! It's the special music issue, entitled Imagine The Groove. I'm Guest Editor for this issue (my usual title on Imagine is Contributing Editor), but while I had a bit more participation this time around, the real credit, as always, goes to brilliant EIC Joyce Fernandez, as well as Kai Magsanoc and Yonina Chan and some other people who will feel like kicking me for not mentioning them by name. But you know who you are. :)

The launch is TONIGHT, January 23, at Cubao X, 7pm onwards! Do drop by.

There's a lotta stuff in this issue, but the main fashion feature has Everywhere We Shoot (Ryan + Garovs), Matt Gozun, Jujin Samonte, Jerome Lorico, Kenneth Chua, Geof Gonzales, Rcxy Bautista, Lotho, Daryl Chang, Andre Chang, and Cecile Zamora interpreting music by Radioactive Sago Project, Up Dharma Down, Drip, Ang Bandang Shirley, Outerhope, Musical O, Paramita, Swissy, Daydream Cycle, Juan Pablo Dream, and Sleepwalk Circus.

Bands were photographed by Everywhere We Shoot, Aldwin Aspillera and Richie Castro. Articles on the bands were by myself, Erwin Romulo, Sarge Lacuesta, Mookie Katigbak, Aimee Marcos and Je Bautista.

Whatta lineup, eh? See you there!

Yvette's Dark Side

Yvette hanging out with Neil Gaiman, who is also a writer.

Award-winning writer and "undisputed horror doyenne" Yvette Tan (mwah) was featured in the Sunday Inquirer Magazine today! For those of you who want to help stave off the death of print, dash to your local newsstand and get a copy now. For the rest of you, read "Her Dark Side" by Ruel de Vera heeere! Yay!

Yvette's first collection of fiction, Waking the Dead, will be launched by Anvil Publishing this year. We were just looking at the proofs the other day and they are lovely.

Ben and Zooey, sittin' in a tree...

"That sound? Oh, that's just the breaking of indie loving hearts everywhere."

Zooey Deschanel and Ben Gibbard are engaged.

(Incidentally, Zooey Deschanel's album with M. Ward, She & Him - Volume One, is one of my favorites of the year.)

Happy New Year, all! :D

Asshole Politicians Beat Up Father and Son Over Golf

"The world has gone crazy. Two politicians beat up a defenseless 56-year-old father and his 14-year-old son. At a golf course. I swear to God, I thought golfers were decent people. You would think politicians were decent people. I guess not. I guess they gang up on 56-year-old men and beat up pleading 14-year-old kids."

Yesterday was the worst day in the life of young Bambee dela Paz. Read all about it on her blog, here. Go, read.

Just a bit of perspective, by the way: former President Fidel Ramos, who, as his title implies, WAS THE PRESIDENT OF THE FREAKING PHILIPPINES, also plays golf, and always asked for permission before overtaking anyone on the golf course. But apparently the mayor of Masiu City, Lanao del Sur is above such etiquette. So above it, in fact, that he will beat the shit out of you -- with the aid of his goons, of course -- if you even dare to imply that he is in the wrong. Even if you are pushing sixty, or barely in your teens.

Word about the incident is spreading. From Filipino Voices: "The Philippine State needs civilizing really fast. It is currently run by barbarians, murderers and thieves who cannot even follow simple golf etiquette. What more the moral code of the country as embodied by our laws?" From A Filipina Mom Blogger: "...my heart just went out to both father and son as Bambee describes how they were beaten up. I mean, wouldn’t you feel the same way if that was your father and brother or son? Yes, it could happen to you too."

I noticed that Bambee, a young golfer who has competed in over 25 international events in the past six years, claims Caloocan City as her hometown. Perhaps former Mayor of Caloocan City Boy Asistio, who is a golfer himself and would probably be offended the behavior of these politicians, can do something to help.

Yes, we don't have the whole story yet. And the dela Paz family will have a hard time getting justice, as the witnesses are apparently unwilling to talk about what happened. But it seems clear that major assholery was afoot here.

Also, note to the management of Valley Golf and Country Club, Antipolo City: you could have stopped it. Idiots.

To everyone who plays there, if you too would like to risk getting beaten up over a misunderstanding with a power-mad politician while security guards look on without lifting a finger, by all means, continue to go to Valley Golf.

You Better Watch Out

From Bizarre Adventures #34 (1983). Thank you Marvel Comics for warping my childhood.

Merry Christmas to everyone! Ho ho ho!

Also, Santa, if you're reading this, this one's for you.

Christmas Party at Cubao X

Me, Yvette, and Marian standing in front of Mogwai. Picture courtesy of the talented Miguel N.

May I just say, Furball throws a hell of a Christmas party. Fun people plus loud music plus food and drink galore (including an endless supply of deep-fried squid balls and other street vendor fare, as well as some apparently infamous brownies). We had a great time. Thanks Mads Quark Lyle and all the Furball peoples! :D

"He Offered His Anus To Satan" - The Further Adventures of The QLE

QLE FTW: Photo by Arnold Arre

So the QLE -- Quark Henares, Luis Katigbak (thas me), and Erwin Romulo -- guested last night on a radio show called Headstart on NU 107. For those who were unable to tune in, the high point, for me, was Erwin declaring that even though he didn't like Rico Blanco's "Yugto," it still stuck in his head, me theorizing that Rico must therefore have cut some sort of deal with Satan, and Quark riffing that this deal involved the violent penetration of Rico's orifices by a trio of demons. "He offered his anus to Satan!" Quark said on-air, and then proceeded to sing -- along with Erwin -- the parts of "Yugto" that did, indeed, make more sense in that context. "Lumiyab ka..."

We were also interviewed by FHM yesterday, regarding the year in Pinoy pop culture. Apologies to Kim and Paul for my late late arrival; I sorely underestimated how bad the traffic out there is these days, and how long it would take me to even get a ride.

AND! The Inquirer ran a feature today on the QLE Awards Night, yay! GO GO READ IT HERE: "The point is the music." :D

Okay, this will be my last post on the QLE for a while, I think. Kind of scary that if you scroll down this first page of my blog, it's QLE this and QLE that. To be honest, like Erwin, I'm "All QLE-ed out," especially after yesterday. But it's been a blast, and I didn't think that a midnight rant about a roster of nominees seen on a web page would eventually become... well, whatever the hell it is this QLE thing has become. Thanks to EVERYONE and hooray for Ang Bandang Shirley, Ciudad, Intolerant, Itchyworms, Loss of Control, Markus Highway, Pedicab, Sandwich, Taken By Cars, Up Dharma Down, and Yosha, and all the brilliant Pinoy music-makers out there!

THE QLE AWARDS - See You Tomorrow

So it's really happening: THE QLE AWARDS will be held tomorrow, December 10, 6-9 PM, at Route 196, Katipunan Avenue, Quezon City! All thanks to Gang Badoy, Rock Ed Philippines, and Samarami Asia -- and of course the bands themselves, without whom these awards would not only have been highly improbable, but also disturbingly pointless. (Btw, that's not an official poster up there; that's just something I did for funs. Japanese giant robots rock.)

We are very happy indeed that some of the bands that Quark, Erwin and I gushed over will be able to play during the awards: Intolerant, Itchyworms, Loss of Control, Taken By Cars, and Up Dharma Down, woo hoo! (And maybe even more -- we'll see.) Special guest performers will include Juan Pablo Dream and Gasulina.

See you all there! Remember, the whole thing ends at 9, so get there early. :) Admission is free!

Robin in the Rye

Fans of J.D. Salinger and Batman's bare-legged sidekick, please click here. Relive Holden Caulfield's adventures -- this time with Robin as Holden Caulfield. Oddly compelling, even touching. And funny, of course.

Reasons To Buy The Free Press

There are quite a few good reasons to buy the recently-revamped Free Press weekly magazine, beyond the fact that VP Noli de Castro resembles a basset hound (aaaww) on the cover of this week's issue. (Spiffy cover redesign by Juan Caguicla, suckas!)

Reason #1 has to be that Erwin Romulo (former Features Editor of Rogue magazine), is now their new Associate Editor, which accounts for why the century-old publication is changing for the better, inside and out. Reasons #2 and up would be the creative people he's bringing on board -- photographers like Juan, writers like Yvette Tan, Lourd de Veyra, Alexis Tioseco, Tad Ermitano, Armi Millare, Adam David, Philbert Dy, and, ahem, myself, among others.

The new issue has my review/essay about Up Dharma Down in it. Last week's issue (Dec. 6 cover date, Alfonso Cusi on the front) has Adam's first book review for the FP, of Khavn's Ultraviolins -- and it is worth getting for that alone. It pulls no punches, and abounds in insights such as:

"It's an interesting phenomenon, these safe sanctioned transgressions, how we are "given" only a few things to complain about -- GMA, violence against women, corporate churchdom, globalization -- and how we are "given" only a few choice ways to complain about them. It's the height of absurdity, a simulacrum of a rebellion -- corporate punk."

Dig around more in the back issues and if you're lucky enough to find the recent one with the Bayani Fernando cover (mid-November, I believe), get it, because it has an amazing story by Yvette Tan called "Her Room Was Her Temple," another deft mind-mangling mashup of horror, sex and dark humor.

Erwin and I had some conversations about how to change the Free Press before his appointment as editor was confirmed. It's exciting to see these plans -- and more -- actually being implemented. (Everybody used to make jokes about how ugly the covers were -- well, now something has been done about that!) I used to buy the Free Press (and the Graphic) semi-regularly in the 90s, usually depending on who wrote the fiction feature for that week, but I stopped buying both almost a decade ago. So it's a thrill to be looking forward to finding the FP on the stands again these days.

And now I want you all to sing this song, to the tune of the chorus of "Reasons" by Earth Wind and Fire:

Free Press, the Free Press that we need
The Free Press that we read
To improve our thoughts -- and our deeds

Oooooh! And -- after a hundred years on the stands
All of the copies are now in demand
Because the Free Press is now in new hands

La la la la la, etc.

Aww yeah.

Alan Moore and Yvette Tan

Get the October-November issue of Fully Booked online, here! (Link leads to a PDF file.) Not only does it have my feature on the legendary Alan Moore (in which he gives a shout-out to all his fanz in the Philippines -- word), but it also has a feature on the brilliant and lovely Yvette Tan, "an award-winning horror fiction writer climbing the literary ranks." :D Go go read!



NOTE: In the file I submitted to the magazine, I thanked Ramon de Veyra and Erwin Romulo for their help with the Alan Moore article. The acknowledgement is missing from the printed version, so I would like to thank them here: Erwin for suggesting one of the questions I used, and Ramon for being the biggest Alan Moore geek on the planet.

Young Girl and Piano Hamster

I was like she was all he was all they were like we were all like oh my God like totally

Go here for the Parry Gripp-penned fun! And here for more one-minute masterpieces. (Yup, that's the Parry Gripp from Nerf Herder.) Do not miss "Hamster on a Piano (Eating Popcorn)." (Nakaka-LSS.)

THE QLE AWARDS - This Is Our Truth Tell Us Yours

The QLE Awards are being held this December 10! :D Click on the image for a bigger version.

So Erwin's QLE article finally came out in the Star today (pages N-1 and N-3 in the print version). However, aside from publishing it later than the Bulletin and Inquirer installments, they also published the wrong version. (Erwin revised his when he realized it would come out a week later than ours.) Also, the pictures they used in the print version were wrong too: there are a lot of bands pictured that were not mentioned in the QLEs at all. (They were, however, NU107 Rock Awards nominees, which means that E's editors confused us with the NU Rock Awards, which is kind of deliciously ironic in a way).

So anyway! On Erwin's request, I post here his revised QLE article in full, along with Quark's uncensored intro (the Inquirer cut some of the best bits out of Quark's intro, in our opinion). Let's start with Quark:

THE QLE AWARDS
Uncensored Intro by Quark Henares

Here come the cranky old men, sourgraping about how the underappreciated geniuses of our time aren’t paid any attention.

You know what I’m talking about—people who blog about how blablabla should’ve won and how blearghiebleargh got the nom simply because they ladidad. But let’s face it—awards based on numbers aren’t exactly the most reliable ones, and I know for a fact that 90% of text votes for a certain band in this year’s Rock Awards came from only two cellphone numbers.

It just so happened that during one party Erwin Romulo, Luis Katigbak and I were sitting around and pointing out people who were really talented yet never seemed to get any loving from the RA. In other words, we were old man sourgraping. We decided to do something about it, and agreed to collectively write small tributes to our favorites this year. Hence, the QLE Awards—the most clever name we could come up with because we write for a living and are filled to the brim with creativity. Most of you might not agree with our choices, but you know what they say about opinions and assholes. It just so happened these assholes write for broadsheets as well.

Before I begin, I’d just like to clarify that I love the NU Rock Awards. Hell, I’ve even written two and directed one. But controversy is always great, so why not use that to highlight and point towards some of the artists who have truly touched us this year?

And now, Erwin's revised version of the QLE Awards article...

THE QLE AWARDS
by Erwin Romulo

To be honest, I’d rather call it the Anton Ego Awards, after the character of the critic in the animated film Ratatouille. If anything, he’s the best character in the film in the sense that all the presumptions about him were overturned in the film’s climax. He was feared and respected but only because he really knew what he was talking about and, above all, honest. Being obsequious or pandering didn’t influence his reviews but only whether he liked what he tasted or not—no matter if it was cooked and prepared by a rat.

It’s the role of the media to call it as they see it (or in this case, hear it). That’s our role and it’s no surprise that we court opprobrium whenever we do express our dissatisfaction at the state-of-affairs. Despite this, we are there to report and, in the case of columnists, to offer opinions on the goings-on regardless of whether or not we’re expected or invited to them. Just as the newsmakers or performers do their bit by making news, we’re there to gather what we can for our readers. In particular, rock n’ roll has a great tradition of journalists going to great lengths to get their stories, writing it as they see it. Some, including Lester Bangs, Greil Marcus, Jon Savage and our very own Jingle staff led by the venerable Ces Rodriguez, are as known and as vital to the genre as the musicians themselves.

This year, there was so much great music released locally that a couple of us—namely, music lovers Luis Katigbak and Quark Henares—decided that we should make up our own awards to point out the stuff that was regrettably overlooked by others. Let me offer apologies that we couldn’t think of a better title for it but let the winners be our saving grace. In any case, we did this for nothing more than love of music—and only that. No, we certainly didn’t agree on everything but that’s how these things go, especially with how opinionated we all are. What’s important is that we explain to you our choices and not just dish them out with no one the wiser. But then again, anyone who still wants to argue can buy each of us coffee and we’ll gladly discuss. After all, this is our truth; what’s yours?

1. ALBUMS OF THE YEAR

Ciudad - Bring Your Friends
This is the Wonder Years soundtrack of our generation. Criminally overlooked and under-appreciated, it nonetheless confirms that unfortunate phenomenon that befalls all great artists. Remember, even during the Summer of Love, Engelbert Humperdinck beat The Beatles at the charts. But nonetheless, Ciudad will never need any more affirmation from me or any pundit. Listen to this album. Music like this will never grow old. [Erwin]

Drip - Identity Theft
You will never feel cooler than when you're listening to Drip. I don't mean that smug kind of poser-cool that comes with patronizing the band of the moment―I'm talking about that glorious experience when their music creates a world between your ears, dark and dramatic, a nocturnal urban narrative with you as the central character beset by sudden dangers and unexpected pleasures. With scratches and samples, keyboards and beats, and that relentless, yearning, sensual voice, Identity Theft delivers seeming contradictions―fierce vulnerability, emotional electronica―and changes your life for the better. [Luis]

Taken by Cars - Endings of a New Kind
From the opening salvo "Uh-oh" to the solemn "Shapeshifter," Endings of a New Kind could end up being a classic among the younger set. Credit must also be given where credit is due: producer Mong Alcaraz really pushed the band to the limits in this record, and when compared to the band's earlier demos this sounds like it was made by a completely different artist. Taken by Cars has never sounded so good, even compared to their live performances today. [Quark]

2. SONGS OF THE YEAR

Ciudad - “My Emptiness”
This is undoubtedly one of the most emotionally affecting ones I've heard all year. It deals in a genuine melancholy (and none of this “Take me to the other side” crap) but is never despairing. It's evidence of a settling maturity in the band's music and lyrics, but also proves they haven't lost their sense of humor. Despite its somber sentiment, it’s offset by a disco beat—you’d feel silly shedding tears to that. (You will anyway.) Like the Itchyworms' “Love Team,” it belongs to the canon of possibly perfect pop songs made in this century. [Erwin]

Up Dharma Down - “Unspoken Definites”
It's almost impossible to choose a favorite song off Bipolar―they are nearly all utterly excellent―but still, "Unspoken Definites" stands out, in its almost-painful honesty, in the openness of its music, in the way it takes its influences and shapes them into something new. [Luis]

Taken by Cars - “Weeknight Memoir (In High Definition)”
It starts in an ambient, quiet hum that suddenly erupts in Sarah Marco demanding at the top of her voice―"HEART STOPPING-LIAR, ARE YOU READY FOR THE NEXT JOKE?" Umm, ok, not that great in the lyrics department. However, for me "Weeknight Memoir (In High Definition)" is anthemic―the kind of song that makes you scream at the top of your lungs in the midst of traffic or start jumping up and down alone in your room. [Quark]

3. VIDEOS OF THE YEAR

Pedicab - “Ang Pusa Mo”
What else encapsulates best the weirdness and exhilaration of this year's music but a video wherein members of this band get tortured and beaten by a myriad of femme fatales? [Erwin]

Up Dharma Down - “We Give In Sometimes”
It's hard to match the trippy visuals your mind makes up when you listen to this intricate, dreamlike track, but this video does a great job. [Luis]

Pedicab - “Ang Pusa Mo”
16 words: Shawn Yao, Tricia Gosingtian, Kim Marvilla, Alodia Gosengfiao, Ashley Gosengfiao, Roni Callanta, Kat Velayo, Dylan, sadomasochism. [Quark]

…and RA Rivera. And yes, Shawn “Fiction na nga, speculative pa!” Yao will save us all. [Erwin]

4. LIVE ACTS OF THE YEAR

Itchyworms
Excellent musicianship, wicked sense of humor and just brilliant songs. I'd like to personally credit this band’s performances and music from dissuading me from putting my head into the oven this past trying year. Or a plastic bag. [Erwin]

Yosha
When a band gets me on my feet, screaming like a cheerleader, for a type of music I don't even usually like, then I know they've got something special going on. Drawing from soul and jazz, Yosha brings the groove, the virtuosity, and the sheer joy of music-making, straight to their lucky, lucky audiences. [Luis]

Sandwich
Though their latest album isn't their best, Sandwich still gives their proverbial 110% every time they perform. Also, as of late they've toned down the improvising and have instead focused on delivering solid performances, occasionally revisiting old favorites such as "Freestyle Analog" and "Cheese Factor Set to 9." It’s ironic how The Eraserheads Reunion seemed to remind Raimund Marasigan how much he loves this band, because his recent performances have a fire and vigor in them that seemed to be absent for a while. [Quark]



5. BEST NEW ARTISTS

Intolerant AND Loss Of Control
Just because they're metal, better than almost all of the bands on the charts at the moment and that, frankly, they don't give a fuck. [Erwin]

Ang Bandang Shirley
They're not rock gods or avant-garde experimentalists―they're the people that you meet, when you're walking down the street, each day. Except that they have an enormous talent for impeccable pop tunes and quirky-heartfelt lyrics. And enormous appetites as well. [Luis]

Taken by Cars
A lot of people accuse Taken by Cars of ripping Bloc Party off. I say they're better than Bloc Party. Endings of A New Kind is the kind of debut that feels like it was made after years of meshing and collaborating as artists, and individually the instrumentalists have that perfect balance of standing out yet sounding completely organic. [Quark]

6. COMEBACK OF THE YEAR

Markus Highway
Whoever would've thought that Marcus Adoro had it in him to make such inventive, winsome pop music? The sojourn from the music scene has certainly made his songwriting talents come to fruition. The first bona fide Pinoy surf album. [Erwin]

7. BEST ALBUM COVERS

Up Dharma Down - Bipolar
Not as genuinely complex and dazzling as the band's music contained within, but it sure does a neat job of inviting us into it. [Erwin and Quark]

Ang Bandang Shirley - Themesongs
C'mon. That Pepper Roxas cover is all sorts of adorable. [Luis]

8. ARTISTS OF THE YEAR

Up Dharma Down
Surely if any artists this year dominated it would be none other than the Eraserheads. But apart from them, it would surely be Up Dharma Down, who've just released their newest album Bipolar. Just for the fact that they seemed to be the only artist to still make an impact and not be swallowed up by the Eheads reunion. Also, the fact that the band is still constantly pursuing myriad ways of conveying and expressing the conflicting forces of human desire―but without resort to cliché―is admirable. Impressive. [Erwin and Luis]

Ciudad
It seems that Ciudad has always had an identity crisis of sorts. Their first album, Hello! How Are You, Mico The Happy Bear had that major-label-trying-to-turn-a-unique-artist-into-pop-fodder feel to it. The second, 'Is That Ciudad?', 'Yes,son, it's me.' saw the band exploring new musical directions and maturing as artists. The third release, It's Like A Magic, can't really be considered an album because it was mostly a hodgepodge of updated outtakes and old songs throughout their then-11 year history. This new fourth album, Bring Your Friends, is Ciudad coming full circle, with the band finally accepting that they can never be pop sensations and unknowingly fulfilling their destiny as one of the most brilliant and unique bands in the country. [Quark]

The QLE Awards - And The Winners Are...

Here, as requested, is the QLE Awards article in full, as it appeared in my Luis Listens column in the Bulletin yesterday. Quark's version is here. Erwin's version will see print in the Star in a few days. Thank you to everyone for all the comments, online and in person. :)

The QLE Awards

Listen up: Quark Henares, Luis Katigbak and Erwin Romulo pick the Best Music of 2008

This was an unbelievably good year for music: don't let anybody tell you otherwise. That's why brash boyish filmmaker/ writer/ rakista Quark Henares, all-around artistic force of nature Erwin Romulo and yours truly decided to shout mash notes to our favorite bands from the rooftops via our own little “awards show.” We're calling it the QLE Awards because, well, those are our initials. (Also, as my Tita Pep pointed out, if you say “QLE” out loud it almost sorta sounds like “Quality”―he he he.)

My column last week, “Rage Against the Rock Awards,” generated a lot of feedback, almost all of it positive―thanks for all the emails and texts, everyone―and now, instead of just complaining about how established shows like the NU107 awards don't recognize all the worthy acts while nominating bands that constitute crimes against humanity, Quark, Erwin and I are presenting the artists and songs we feel strongly deserve your attention if not adoration. (To be fair, as Quark pointed out, a couple of these acts―Up Dharma Down and Ang Bandang Shirley for example―fell just outside the judging period for this year's NU107 Rock Awards, and may well be nominated next year.)

Luckily, we all happen to write for newspapers, so if all goes well, this roster of winners should be in all three major broadsheets this weekend, which must be a first of sorts. And so, ladeez and gennelmen, welcome to the first ever QLE Awards:



1. ALBUMS OF THE YEAR

Ciudad - Bring Your Friends
This is the Wonder Years soundtrack of our generation. Overlooked and under-appreciated, it nonetheless confirms that eerie phenomenon that befalls all great artists. Remember, even during the Summer of Love, Engelbert Humperdinck beat [The Beatles] at the charts. But nonetheless, Ciudad will never need any more affirmation from me or any pundit. Listen to this album. Music like this will never grow old. [Erwin]

Drip - Identity Theft
You will never feel cooler than when you're listening to Drip. I don't mean that smug kind of poser-cool that comes with patronizing the band of the moment―I'm talking about that glorious experience when their music creates a world between your ears, dark and dramatic, a nocturnal urban narrative with you as the central character beset by sudden dangers and unexpected pleasures. With scratches and samples, keyboards and beats, and that relentless, yearning, sensual voice, Identity Theft delivers seeming contradictions―fierce vulnerability, emotional electronica―and changes your life for the better. [Luis]

Taken by Cars - Endings of a New Kind
From the opening salvo "Uh-oh" to the solemn "Shapeshifter," Endings of a New Kind could end up being a classic among the younger set. Credit must also be given where credit is due: producer Mong Alcaraz really pushed the band to the limits in this record, and when compared to the band's earlier demos this sounds like it was made by a completely different artist. Taken by Cars has never sounded so good, even compared to their live performances today. [Quark]



2. SONGS OF THE YEAR

Ciudad - “My Emptiness”
This is one of the most emotionally affecting ones I've ever heard this year. It deals in melancholy (and genuine melancholy at that―none of this “Take me to the other side” crap) but is never despairing. It's evidence of a settling maturity in the band's music and lyrics, but also proves they haven't lost their sense of humor. It's got a disco beat but isn't dance punk: rather, like the Itchyworms' “Love Team,” it belongs to the canon of possibly perfect pop songs made in this century. [Erwin]

Up Dharma Down - “Unspoken Definites”
It's almost impossible to choose a favorite song off Bipolar―they are nearly all utterly excellent―but still, "Unspoken Definites" stands out, in its almost-painful honesty, in the openness of its music, in the way it takes its influences and shapes them into something new. [Luis]

Taken by Cars - “Weeknight Memoir (In High Definition)”
It starts in an ambient, quiet hum that suddenly erupts in Sarah Marco demanding at the top of her voice―"HEART STOPPING-LIAR, ARE YOU READY FOR THE NEXT JOKE?" Umm, ok, not that great in the lyrics department. However, for me "Weeknight Memoir (In High Definition)" is anthemic―the kind of song that makes you scream at the top of your lungs in the midst of traffic or start jumping up and down alone in your room. [Quark]



3. VIDEOS OF THE YEAR

Pedicab - “Ang Pusa Mo”
What else encapsulates best the weirdness and exhilaration of this year's music but a video wherein members of this band get tortured and beaten by a myriad of femme fatales? [Erwin]

Up Dharma Down - “We Give In Sometimes”
It's hard to match the trippy visuals your mind makes up when you listen to this intricate, dreamlike track, but this video does a great job. [Luis]

Pedicab - “Ang Pusa Mo”
16 words: Shawn Yao, Tricia Gosingtian, Kim Marvilla, Alodia Gosengfiao, Ashley Gosengfiao, Roni Callanta, Kat Velayo, Dylan, sadomasochism. [Quark]

…and RA Rivera. And yes, Shawn Yao will save us all: “Fiction na nga, speculative pa!” * [Erwin]



4. LIVE ACTS OF THE YEAR

Itchyworms
Excellent musicianship, wicked sense of humor and just brilliant songs. I'm pretty sure that this band's performances and music were what kept me from any suicide attempts this year. [Erwin]

Yosha
When a band gets me on my feet, screaming like a cheerleader, for a type of music I don't even usually like, then I know they've got something special going on. Drawing from soul and jazz, Yosha brings the groove, the virtuosity, and the sheer joy of music-making, straight to their lucky, lucky audiences. [Luis]

Sandwich
Though their latest album isn't their best, Sandwich still gives their proverbial 110% every time they perform. Also, as of late they've toned down the improvising and have instead focused on delivering solid performances, occasionally revisiting old favorites such as "Freestyle Analog" and "Cheese Factor Set to 9." It’s ironic how The Eraserheads Reunion seemed to remind Raimund Marasigan how much he loves this band, because his recent performances have a fire and vigor in them that seemed to be absent for a while. [Quark]



5. BEST NEW ARTISTS

Intolerant AND Loss Of Control
Just because they're metal and they don't give a f**k. [Erwin]

Ang Bandang Shirley
They're not rock gods or avant-garde experimentalists―they're the people that you meet, when you're walking down the street, each day. Except that they have an enormous talent for impeccable pop tunes and quirky-heartfelt lyrics. And enormous appetites as well. [Luis]

Taken by Cars
A lot of people accuse Taken by Cars of ripping Bloc Party off. I say they're better than Bloc Party. Endings of A New Kind is the kind of debut that feels like it was made after years of meshing and collaborating as artists, and individually the instrumentalists have that perfect balance of standing out yet sounding completely organic. [Quark]



6. COMEBACK OF THE YEAR

Markus Highway
Whoever would've thought that Marcus Adoro had it in him to make such inventive, winsome pop music? The sojourn from the music scene has certainly made his songwriting talents come to fruition. The first bona fide Pinoy surf album. [Erwin]

7. BEST ALBUM COVERS

Up Dharma Down - Bipolar
Not as genuinely complex and dazzling as the band's music contained within, but it sure does a neat job of inviting us into it. [Erwin and Quark]

Ang Bandang Shirley - Themesongs
C'mon. That Pepper Roxas cover is all sorts of adorable. [Luis]



8. ARTISTS OF THE YEAR

Up Dharma Down
Surely if any artists this year dominated it would be none other than the Eraserheads. But apart from them, it would surely be Up Dharma Down, who've just released their newest album Bipolar. Just for the fact that they seemed to be the only artist to still make an impact and not be swallowed up by the Eheads reunion. Also, the fact that the band is still constantly pursuing myriad ways of conveying and expressing the conflicting forces of human desire―but without resort to cliché―is admirable. Impressive. [Erwin and Luis]

Ciudad
It seems that Ciudad has always had an identity crisis of sorts. Their first album, Hello! How Are You, Mico The Happy Bear had that major-label-trying-to-turn-a-unique-artist-into-pop-fodder feel to it. The second, 'Is That Ciudad?', 'Yes,son, it's me.' saw the band exploring new musical directions and maturing as artists. The third release, It's Like A Magic, can't really be considered an album because it was mostly a hodgepodge of updated outtakes and old songs throughout their then-11 year history. This new fourth album, Bring Your Friends, is Ciudad coming full circle, with the band finally accepting that they can never be pop sensations and unknowingly fulfilling their destiny as one of the most brilliant and unique bands in the country. [Quark]



*Yes, this is an in-joke. But yes, it is also an actual quote from Shawn Yao. I will explain someday.

The QLE Awards

Well, we did it. Go out right now and get a copy of the Manila Bulletin or the Philippine Daily Inquirer! (Still waiting on word from the Star). Read the results of... *fanfare* The first-ever QLE Awards! And yes, QLE stands for Quark Henares, Luis Katigbak and Erwin Romulo. "The most clever name we could come up with because we write for a living and are filled to the brim with creativity," as Quark said with beautiful sarcasm. (I wondered out loud if it was a good idea to name it after ourselves, but Erwin pointed out that doing so emphasizes the personal nature of these choices. Good point.)

Excerpts from our respective intros:

LUIS: "This was an unbelievably good year for music: don't let anybody tell you otherwise. That's why brash boyish filmmaker/ writer/ rakista Quark Henares, all-around artistic force of nature Erwin Romulo and yours truly decided to shout mash notes to our favorite bands from the rooftops via our own little 'awards show.'"

ERWIN: "To be honest, I’d rather call it the Anton Ego Awards, after the character of the critic in the animated film Ratatouille. If anything, he’s the best character in the film in the sense that all the presumptions about him were overturned in the film’s climax. He was feared and respected but only because he really knew what he was talking about and -- above all -- honest. Being obsequious or pandering didn’t influence him but rather just whether he liked what he tasted or not. Even if it was cooked and prepared by a rat."

QUARK: "Most of you might not agree with our choices, but you know what they say about opinions and assholes. It just so happened these assholes write for broadsheets as well. Before I begin, I’d just like to clarify that I love the NU Rock Awards. Hell, I’ve even written two and directed one. But controversy is always great, so why not use that to highlight and point towards some of the artists who have truly touched us this year?"

Am very happy with what the Bulletin did with my part of all this. It sprawls over 2 pages (E-3 to E-4) and has pictures and stuff. Many many thanks to Yonina and Section Editor Joyce! :D

UPDATE: It's on pages C-1 and C-2 of the Inquirer. :)

QLE

This is something I'm quite excited about: and yes, it does have something to do with this, he he he.

Explanations (and relevant links) very very soon. Let me just say that it involves all three major daily newspapers -- the Manila Bulletin, the Philippine Star, and the Philippine Daily Inquirer -- but that it is a very personal, undiluted undertaking (or crusade, if you want to be dramatic). It's not an event; no sponsors or budget or anything like that -- just three opinionated bastards who think too much about music.

Kuya and Spaceman

So my cousin Lala got married yesterday! *whoops of joy and wild congratulations* :D

I was sitting next to my big brother during the Mass. The priest was going on and on about the sacrifices and hardships involved in true love. About how you have to suffer and endure and suffer and did I mention suffer? He made it sound like a pursuit for hardcore masochists.

ME: Wow, love sounds horrible.
KUYA: Yeah. It's what killed Jesus.

At one point Kuya informed me that the groom was Opus Dei, which I did not know before.

ME: Is that a problem? They're Catholics too, right?
KUYA: Yeah, but like, Extreme Catholics. Like Catholic terrorists.

And then he mimed whipping himself.

My brother. He iz a funnies. :D

On a totally unrelated note, the new Killers song "Spaceman" is great. Listen to it!

Martial Law Babies

New comics by Arnold Arre are always a cause for celebration. Martial Law Babies is certainly no exception; the fact that it should be in stores by next week should have fans of the medium dancing in the streets. There are no superheroes or supernatural creatures in this one, but don't let that deter you. It's a great read, particularly if you grew up in the 80s. Here's a synopsis from the official site:

"Allan and his friends are Martial Law Babies: born during the Marcos regime, raised by TV, and shaped by 80s music. Their ambitions may be dampened by third world realities and malcontention but they also proudly belong to a generation of dreamers who fight for their voices to be heard. They are among the so-called "Bagong Lipunan" children, trying their best to live up to their name. But over the years, as Allan watches his friends leave one by one and feels his sense of idealism wane, he starts to wonder where they are all headed."

And here's an excerpt from a review I wrote:

"Martial Law Babies is the best novel I've read in a long time."

"Note that I did not modify "novel" with "Philippine" or "graphic" -- though both those words certainly apply. Like the best novels, it has its imperfections; like the best novels, it sprawls a little, and reaches for things that are not easily grasped. And with all of its vivid characters, class issues, pop-cultural archeology, unfiltered outbursts, flights of fancy, and seeming self-indulgence, it is also, like the best novels, deeply satisfying. Reading it makes you realize what conventional Philippine fiction and comics usually leave out."

"And yes, it's partially a nostalgia trip for those of us who grew up in the shadow of Martial Law, those of us who can remember that Sting concert or “Uncle Bob's Lucky 7 Club” or even that apple coin bank toy. Do I love it because I'm a MLB myself? Sure, that's one of the reasons: recognition, identification. I have to admit, when I first read it, I wanted to buy a stack of copies then and there, to give to fellow MLBs who I knew would appreciate all the references. But beyond that, Martial Law Babies is an honest, compulsively readable account of a group of people growing up in the Philippines, dealing with the good times and bad times and sheer madness. Like you and your friends, it's funny and sad and awkward and astonishing."

Check out the site, there's loads of visuals and notes and behind-the-scenes stuff!