Sometimes I wonder if I am indeed living under a rock.
While I am aware that I don't go out too often for the simple reason that this low-paying writing shtick doesn't exactly give a me a lot of financial liberties, it doesn't hold me back from going to shows anyway to check out which bands are worth watching. It's a "hitting-two-birds-with-one-stone" kind of thing. I get to continuously discover music that'll keep my ears busy, plus I get to write something for this here list.
This month, I give you a few of the acts I saw over the past month who I think are worth watching, listening to, or for some of you creeps out there, stalking.
This is your resident Virus, and this is the Watchlist.
1. IndayBote
This band should've made it to last month's list, but I forgot to write it down. It's an honest mistake really. But hey, I'm writing about the band now, am I not?
IndayBote has got to be one of the most active units among the ranks of the music scene's young guard of artists. The band's relentless gigging especially over the past couple of years proved beneficial for them in terms of their fan base. Aside from their following in the capital region, 'Bote's network of supporters extends to provinces such as Laguna, Pampanga, and Quezon. Sonically, the band's arsenal of anthemic pop punk mixed with easycore cuts through to audiences with relative ease. Aesthetically, the combination of the antics of guitarists Sot Sotelo and Lloyd Cunanan (especially the latter), bassist Enzo Zulueta's playful bass playing, drummer Daryl Alvarez's solid post work with the beats, and front woman Neen Cabangis' innate charms and steady vocal work is something that's difficult not to watch.
The band has two EPs under its belt: 2009's Sketches in Stereo and 2011’s The Arson. Not bad, but the question remains with followers such as myself: will the band eventually release a full-length album?
If I were you, I'd listen to these for starters: ”When the Night Falls,” “Windburn”
IndayBote on the interwebz: http://www.facebook.com/indaybotemusic
2. Tide/Edit
I'll come clean. I first heard Tide/Edit when I was asked by a friend of mine to write about the band for his website. I've yet to write that piece, but that's another story. Pun intended.
I gave Tide/Edit's music one spin and was instantly curious.
Tide/Edit brands itself as a post-rock unit, but the style employed by its members veers away from the usual space-y, dream-like stylistics employed by most post-rock acts and instead goes for a more indie rock feel. That, or I'm just seriously not that well-versed in the genre. In any case, what I find pleasant about this group is the honesty in the way its members play. I recently had the chance to catch the group live at an Attraction! Reaction! show at Route196, and it was entertaining. The music is jangly but has that certain edge to it, that, when developed more through time (the band is fairly new, having just recently come out of the woodwork to play live gigs, from what I heard) will sound even better than it already is.
Not a bad start for a band born out of a "simple accidental collaboration."
They actually have a website: http://www.tideeditmusic.com
But they're on Facebook like everyone else: http://www.facebook.com/tideeditmusic
3. Twin Lobster
Yep. Until a few days prior to this writing, I didn't know what all the fuss was about Twin Lobster. Then I saw them.
For the lack of proper words to describe what I saw, I'll just (sort of) quote Splintr.com's Russ Davis: "I don't know what was happening. It's fucking awesome." Or something like that.
Twin Lobster has a unique way of attacking their music. That's all I can say based on the set I watched.
More about Twin Lobster here: http://www.facebook.com/twinlobster
And then some...
I feel like mixing things up a bit for this section this month. So, instead of the usual fare of LSS-inducing singles from local artists I normally, put here, I've decided to go with some international flavor this time around. These songs have almost the same LSS-worthy effect on me, except I can't understand the words being sung on some of them because, well, they're in a different language.
1. Scandal – “Taiyou to Kimi Egaku Story”
It's estrogen overload for the girls, testosterone overdrive for the boys. Nothing beats the combination of solid (read: technical) playing and feel good pop rock... and yeah, the face value of it all.
It pays to form a band with friends you meet at a vocal and dance school, really. Such was the case with Haruna, Mami, Tomomi, and Rina. Obviously, they've put the skills they learned from the specific vocal and dance school they attended in Osaka, Japan to good use as Scandal. They employ choreographed moves in their videos, and they all sing. Okay, you know what, just watch their music videos.
I've sifted through most, if not all, of the band's music videos time and again. This specific track is my favorite. Hell, this song made me want to learn the language (okay, it still makes me want to). I daresay, this is better than K-Pop. And it's definitely better than that piece of shit "genre" P-Pop. Just sayin'.
Click on this link (can't embed Vimeo): http://vimeo.com/33820201
2. Oomph! – “Sandmann”
If Scandal made me want to learn Japanese, Oomph! is the reason why my bucket list includes learning German.
I found this song five years ago while I was random channel surfing. Obviously, it stuck to me, that's why I'm writing about it.
Though the band has this song in English on the band's all-English compilation album Truth or Dare, I still find the original German more appealing as it has more power than its translated version.
3. Manic Street Preachers – “Jackie Collins Existential Question Time”
I have a newfound fascination with this band mostly because of the story of chief lyricist/rhythm guitarist Richey Edwards, who disappeared in 1995 and was presumed dead in 2008 (just look it up on Google if you're curious).
This specific song stuck to me because of the intro riff. Heard it for the first time when I was starting out as a rock jock on the now-defunct NU107. I never thought it'd find its way back into my system after a few years. It's a really nice song.
Extra! Extra!
Can I just plug something? Check out the music video launch of Game Theory's "A Desperate Kind of Happiness" on June 15, 2012 at Black Kings' Bar, West Avenue, Quezon City! Heh.
