Pulse.ph : MUSIC + CULTURE
October 22nd, 2008
RICO BLANCO: YOUR UNIVERSE [WARNER]
October 22nd, 2008
ACROSS HIS UNIVERSE: THE RETURN OF RICO BLANCO
On a loop, stereo-panning from left to right to just about anywhere, is the Wilson-esque mantra “Lahat ng hassle ay mawawala.” Projected on a twin-screen canvas: pensive skyscapes, but with the bustling momentum of a city street, if that at all were possible. The lights guys are tweaking their illuminated attempts at Sistine (on the ceiling, silly), while, for the umpteenth time, still on a loop, the mantra “Lahat ng hassle ay mawawala” rings, leap-frogging from one speaker to another. The mall cinema, where I usually get my fix of art-on-celluloid—or Hollywood trash, whichever the case may be—is where there is now an enviable, state-of-the-art rock rig. For at least one night, shutter-bugging and video-camming away are more or less allowed, and everyone is wasting no small second of this. Once more, sans variation, “Lahat ng hassle ay mawawala” resounds, like it was a test of patience at the loony bin. I hear a fan-girl vaguely complaining about the numbing repetition, as though it was a death threat, or a perverted prank call in the dead of night, instead of an earnest admonition to be calm, and, well, hassle-free. The persistent droning goes on, and Rico Blanco walks in, clad in a red-and-black buttoned-up shirt and white pants, and starts palm-muting his way into the opening bars of “Ayuz,” a cut off his Warner debut Your Universe. While the hipster soundbites of Taken By Cars, his opening act for the exclusive album premiere, were taken in fairly favorably by the audience, there’s no denying that the people came for the former Rivermaya singer, that god-awful man with the Midas touch, who aces just about every task in the rock book: writing, arranging, and being an all-around instrumentalist-cum-studio whiz. Clearly, the people at Gateway tonight are in for a treat. After all, Blanco is not a guy who could merely “carry a tune.” “Wala na tayong mga problema,” he finally sings, his signature nasality intact, and, somehow, it is like a reassuring shoulder tap.
October 16th, 2008
BACKSTREET’S BACK! OR AT LEAST HOWIE IS
BACKSTREET BOY HOWIE DOROUGH ON WORKING WITH SARAH GERONIMO, AND LIFE WITH (AND OUTSIDE) BSB. Backstreet Boy Howie Dorough (or Howie D. to hardcore BSB fans) was in the Philippines recently to promote “I’ll Be There for You,” his duet with Sarah Geronimo, which can be found on the pop princess’ latest album, Just Me. A lot of changes have happened since the last time Howie visited the country. For one thing, the Backstreet Boys is now a foursome, with Kevin Richardson having left the band some time ago. Another difference is that instead of his bandmates, Howie was accompanied by his lovely wife Leigh, who sat back as reporters came up to interview her husband and have their pictures taken with him. Ever the supportive wife, she gamely took some pictures for some of the reporters as well. Read more…
October 13th, 2008
YOSHA STEPS UP: THE YOSHA ALBUM LAUNCH
In PULSE.Ph’s interview with Yosha last April, the group talked about their then upcoming debut album. They’ve revealed then that there were already ten songs included in the album, three of which were given by Mike Luis. “And although unsigned by any major label, Yosha, Karel, and Nikko are positive that they’d be able to pull it all together and come up with a release they’d be proud of”—on their debut album, as described in PULSE. Indeed, the trio has successfully launched its first album just recently—with the new addition to the group, Mike Alba, on drums. Read more…
October 10th, 2008
JUST ME: SARAH GERONIMO BLOSSOMS INTO MATURITY
WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU GET, SAYS SARAH. BUT LOOKS LIKE WE GET MORE OF HER IN THIS NEW ALBUM, YVETTE TAN SHARES. “I’m very happy to finally meet Howie,” Sarah Geronimo says in Tagalog. She is saying this the day before the shoot of her music video with Howie Dorough of the Backstreet Boys. Howie had just flown in from LA that day, accompanied by his wife Leigh and Christian de Walden, a US-based music producer who has worked with some of the top acts in the US Latino and country charts. Read more…
October 9th, 2008
BEHOLD, REJOICE! SURFERNANDO IS HEAR NAH!
When the hit band Eraserheads disbanded back in 2002, fans have always longed to see Ely, Raimund, Buddy and Markus get back on the spotlight. And as time passed, yeah, we heard from each of them… forming their own bands, releasing their own albums… except for lead guitarist Marcus Adoro. And then Adoro gets back like a tidal wave. His band, Markus Highway, released their album called “Behold, Rejoice! Surfernando Is Hear Nah” under Warner Music Philippines. Quoting Wikipedia, “Adoro explains that ‘Markus Highway’ is just a rock and roll name that he likes and he wants to keep at the moment.” And as I start to listen to the album, I prep myself for some entertaining Pinoy rock alternative sound trip. The first song in his album, “Lala”, caught me almost by surprise. It sounded like I was listening to a whole new kind of Eraserheads, yet, having its own identity. The album picks up pace in the following songs and next thing I know, I was humming along to his contemporary lyrics that talk about love, life and… travel. His melodious statements in “Chef-Ra’s Forest”, “Wow Kalabaw”, “Bonfire” and Drive-Thru” give the impression of leaving and just letting go. It doesn’t matter if you’re riding a Carabao, a flying carpet, or if you simply walk, run, swim or fly! Point is, let go of the busy life and just stop to smell the roses! The album’s musicality has a distinct rhythm, the one that makes you feel that it’s simply a good alternative from the usual music that keeps looping in your iPods or MP3 players. With 12 tracks, it may not be long enough to keep you accompanied all throughout the music trip, but it’s enough to refresh one’s LSS (the ‘Last Song Syndrome’ or the song that keeps playing in your head). Plus of course, Markus Highway’s comical lyrics and non-pretentious perception will make you smile. Though Adoro is not new to the whole band thing, this mainstream album could turn out to be a hot buy even if we can’t see or hear him that much on TV or radio. After all, his music deserves to be heard and live up to the legacy they have set in the music industry. Right? Right!.
October 8th, 2008
NOTES FROM THE WALL-FLY ALMANAC: THE DZRJ 45TH ANNIVERSARY “SUPERSESSION” REHEARSALS
August 29, 2008. Stagehands rush to the aid of the forgetfuls onstage, bringing over music stands where the performers can prop up stray pages of rock libretto. A word or two per verse: that’s all they really need to jumpstart their memory. However, seeing as a lot of the numbers for the show-at-hand are over two decades old, full printouts are more or less de rigueur. The irony of the matter is that you could hear some of the busboys mindlessly—tunelessly—mouthing off the lyrics like clockwork.
October 8th, 2008
NOTES FROM THE WALL-FLY ALMANAC: THE DZRJ 45TH ANNIVERSARY “SUPERSESSION” REHEARSALS
August 29, 2008. Stagehands rush to the aid of the forgetfuls onstage, bringing over music stands where the performers can prop up stray pages of rock libretto. A word or two per verse: that’s all they really need to jumpstart their memory. However, seeing as a lot of the numbers for the show-at-hand are over two decades old, full printouts are more or less de rigueur. The irony of the matter is that you could hear some of the busboys mindlessly—tunelessly—mouthing off the lyrics like clockwork. Read more…
October 8th, 2008
No, this isn’t just another live album. And no, this isn’t just another compilation of random covers that purportedly aims to inspire and move you. Sugarfree Live! (With the Manila Symphony Orchestra) is actually an anthology of a band’s nine-year journey, clad with a few and interesting twists and flairs. Read more…
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