MUST WATCH: Stop Taking My Time by Club 8

Because Club 8 can get away with anything. This song really grows on me. I even use it as my workout song earlier today. hahaha yes I'm trying to workout and hopefully will get a beautiful result. Emphasis on beautiful. hahaha. Anyway, watch the video guys. It's off of their 8th studio album Above the City which you can pre-order here

MUST WATCH: Candy Flavored Lips (Featuring Skymarines) by Spazzkid

私は一日中この曲を聴くことができます!

Eyedress kind of weather...

both can be found on Eyedress and Skint Eastwood's limited LP Hearing Colors. Pre-order here.

BAND CRUSHES: Womb and Gumdrop Season

Manila, i love you, but these two acts from the south could give your basic, over-hyped indie bands a run for their beer money.

WOMB
Cebu-based trio Womb is trying to make trip-hop a comeback with a lechon twist- crispy on the outside, tender on the inside. Im not sure why i used lechon to describe this band (i know it sounds awful)  but once you listen to their debut track, Good, you'll hit the repeat button over and over again. It's that delicious. If you're into Lamb, Massive Attack or even Dido, Womb's music is good for a nostalgic spin.

GUMDROP SEASON
Im not sure if this is the best delicacy in Cagayan de Oro but Gumdrop Season's music makes my sweet tooth satisfied. It's dancey, catchy, melodic, everything i love in a pop song. Plus the vocalist sounds like Emma Bunton! How cute is that?! Gumdrop Season has a big potential in breaking out in a much wider audience here in Manila and we are ready for them. Here's their debut single Buoyant

via Vandals on the Wall

MUST LISTEN: Candy Flavored Lips (feat. Skymarines) by Spazzkid

I dont know why, but this track from Mark Redito aka Spazzkid sounds/feels so much like December. The kind of song you'd play on a hot summer day to make you feel below zero. Probably it's the Skymarines' icy voice, i dunno. Take a listen and chill :)

Check out Spazzkid's other tracks here. Cover art by Maica Delfino

MUST WATCH: goods by iamamiwhoami

Like i usually say, JUST HIT THE PLAY BUTTON!!!

Check out her other music here

Grimes - Nightmusic ft. Majical Cloudz

Grimes is not human! You're not! you're not! you're not! and I love you. Whatever you're singing about basta love kita :p

BAND CRUSH: Good Night Robot

MY LATEST FAVORITE BAND!!! Good Night Robot is a San Francisco-based band that plays amazing indie-pop/dreamy tunes perfect for my staycation!!! I have here their self-titled EP from last year and it's gohorjuhzzz! They will be releasing a full-length album this May so stay tuned for that here! Oh gad Good Night Robot, be my summer fling? :)

MUST LISTEN: Pipes and Palindromes by Modulogeek

Check out Pipes and Palindromes, the new EP of Joon Guillen aka Modulogeek. After remixing Outerhope’s The Man with the Pipes, he got so inspired and wrote some tunes about it. The result is a 5-track EP which shows Joon's melancholic side.

DOWNLOAD HERE

You can also check Modulogeek's Transition EP and my interview of him here

see you on a dark night

THIS JUST IN! Grimes releases a video for Oblivion- my favorite track from the Visions album! I soo love Claire Boucher and will do a separate post about her soon. But for now, enjoy this very fun song and video!

GET TO KNOW: Japsuki

Photo by Niña Sandejas

I think I played Japsuki's Monologue Whispers five times while thinking of a nice intro for this feature. Instead of coming up with something to write about, I let it spin three times more and just stare blankly on the monitor. I was in a Japsuki coma. So I had to stop it for a while so I could finish this post and introduce an exceptionally talented musician that is Japs Sergio aka Japsuki.

I asked him some questions about his solo album, Daydream Cycle's comeback album and his least favorite Rivermaya song ;p

I can hear a perfect marriage of Rivermaya and Daydream Cycle on your solo album Monologue Whispers, was this intentional or more a reflection of your sounds overall?

It's a reflection of myself without any compromise.

Why Monologue Whispers?

I thought it was an apt title for a solo project with a low key approach... and it sounded cool at the time too... so yeah...

Have you tried pitching the the track Bitter, Sweeter to the coffee brands? (If you haven't, please do! I'd rather hear this every minute than that coffee jingle! BTW, Bitter, Sweeter is one of my fav tracks) 

Unfortunately, I don't have a team to take care of the business stuff. This project is pretty much open to whatever opportunity that may arise. I'd love for any of the songs to be used for anything actually. By the way, that song is included in a Filipino indiepop compilation that is available for free download here

What's the best part in being a solo artist? 

Everything's at your own pace. The thing with this project is, I literally did everything myself. I'd like to think that I'm an artist with a solo album and not a "solo artist" (if that makes any sense at all). Last summer, the idea/goal was just to do an album from scratch (no old, recycled riffs, etc.) using GarageBand with at least 10 songs and just upload it online for everyone to listen to. It was just for self gratification purposes, being inactive from the music world for months. I got so into it that I finished writing, recording everything in a little over 3 weeks. I wanted to literally capture the moment as it came to me, so most of the stuff you hear in there are fluke moments caught on "tape" so to speak. I let a few people listen to it and they gave me the idea to release the album. Now, I have a so-low key album. 

Are we expecting a Daydream Cycle album soon? Like this year? 

There is a 3rd album that is roughly mixed. It's turning 4 years old this year. In those 4 years, I've recorded music for DDC that can fill a double album. The thing is, I want to finish it as a band. I do very much understand of course, that the four of us have our own thing going on at the moment. So, until we find the time again to be together in one room and finish it, there will be no new album coming out.      

I know you're straight but what's the gayest song on your album? ;)

I don't think there is one. I could be wrong though.

If Japsuki is a food, what would it be? 

It would be f*n delicious ;)

What's your latest status update? ;)

Hmm... lemme check. It's a video link of The Bangles' "Manic Monday", today being... a Monday.

If you're going to be a tourism ambassador of your hometown Paranaque,  what are your 3 favorite things about it (I'm from Paranaque too!), any recommendations?   
Nothing specific but....

-  Despite being overly commercialized nowadays, it's still steady south.

-  It has pretty much everything a city slicker needs.

-  We don't have number coding.

     

Album art by Niña Sandejas

WHATS...

...are you listening right now?

As I'm answering this, Autolux's "Future Perfect" album is blasting away.

...your favorite website?

None really. But lately, I frequent happyplace.com and bandcamp.com

...your least favorite Rivermaya song?

 I'd rather not start World War III. Readers, I'm kidding a.k.a. that was a joke. I honestly can't think of any.

...a track everyone should hear?

All the tracks in my album ;) http://japsuki.bandcamp.com

...plans for 2012?

There is another project happening and it's like the complete opposite of the Japsuki project. To be continued.

You can stream the entire Monologue Whispers below. And if you want to buy an actual copy of the album, just shoot Japs an email via japs@steadylang.com

MUST LISTEN: Orange Blossom Flyover

Earlier this year, I featured this one-man band called Orange Blossom Flyover who plays amazing shoegaze/dream-pop music. He will be releasing his debut cassette release split with another awesome act Daytime Television. You can stream it below and head to their Bandcamp to purchase!!

GET TO KNOW: Modulogeek

Photo by Bobby Benedicto

I am so excited to introduce to you guys this amazing musician! He is Joon Guillen aka Modulogeek. He just came out with an amazing new EP this year called Transition (Number Line Records) and it might just be THE best local release of 2011. I bugged him with some silly questions which he gamely answers below...

When did you start as Modulogeek?

It was mostly an act of desperation. When I moved to hk I found it increasingly frustrating to not being in a band (as was the norm in Manila). Eventually I decided to go solo and what better way to start by trying electronic music? 

How would you describe your music?

It's pop music that has had quite a few drinks in a bar, hooks up with a nice cute girl, then wakes up the next morning in a tub of ice with its kidney removed.  

What’s the story behind your name?

I took a class in cryptography and learned that modular arithmetic (where modulo is always used) plays a major role in modern encryption (as in, how we keep our Internets secure and such.)  At the same time I associated modulo operations with how my interests wax and wane periodically, as if in a cyclical manner - it could be film one moment, then books the next, then taxidermy, then back to film etc etc. Geek is kinda obvious ;)

How would you describe Transition in one sentence?

Kidney removal trial runs!

You played Mandolin in the track The Tail of Mr.Fox? Can you tell us what other musical instruments you play?

I didn't play them. A handful of the tracks in Transition are results of remix projects by the monome.org community.  The idea is to create a song out of only a handful of participant-submitted samples and nothing else. So The Tail of Mr. Fox is 100% samples, as are Spectre and No Laughing Matter. I *can* play instruments (to some degree).  Just the usual rock band components - guitar, bass, drums, keyboard. 

Were you in Hong Kong when you made Transition? If yes, would you say that the culture/vibe in HK inspired you to make this EP and in what sense? 

Yes I made the tracks in HK.  I guess there is some influence, but I can't tell exactly how.

Photo by Camilla Pante

 WHAT'S...

...your worst vice?

gaming marathons!

...your favorite website?

rockpapershotgun.com, xkcd.com and slashdot.org 

 ...are you listening right now?

Deerhoof

 ...your secret talent?

none worth telling :D

 ...your worst fashion advice? ;)

i have no fashion sense so anything i say is bad fashion advice.

 ...song/band/artist you'd never admit you listen to?

i dunno.. i have no shame in music. i just listened to "Tomorrow" from Annie several times in a row, does that count?  

So there! Now it's time for you to listen to his music. Download it. Love it.Share it.

DOWNLOAD HERE

MUST LISTEN: Night Time (the xx cover) by Everything But the Girl

Oh please!! Stop covering The xx already! We've heard enough and even the xx is tired from covering their own songs! I just wish this will be the last cover song we'll hear because it's so good, I wanna hear another one at least from Everything But The Girl! haha doesnt make any sense at all. ;) Everything But The Girl is back after the split up in 2000 and covering The xx is a good way to position them in a more younger audience. Are we expecting a new EBTG album soon? Not sure yet but there's a Tracey Thorn EP in the works which will include covers of Vampire Weekend and Sufjan Stevens. Covers again?!

 

Speaking of The xx covers, here's another good one. It's by The Antlers and they chose VCR. I must say, this cover is one of the best ones I've heard.

CAN'T WAIT TO DOWNLOAD THIS...

You can pre-order or pledge for Tarsius' debut "Primate" on Vinyl 12" LP. Visit: http://www.artisteconnect.com/projects/tarsius

I'd hire Ryan Gosling as my own personal driver and play these...

I saw this  film yesterday called Drive starring Ryan Gosling and Carey Mulligan. A friend of mine suggested that it's a nice film because it has that bay leaf sign which they usually put on the posters. Yeah, that's how we choose which films to watch! haha Anyway, Drive is all about this Hollywood stunt performer (Ryan Gosling) who also makes a living as a hired gateway driver. He falls in love with Carey Mulligan who's married with an Italian ex-con and that's when conflict starts. I didnt like the film. While the visuals are feast for the eyes, the story didnt quite satisfy me. It's more of a genre-driven film where it showcases the neo-noir art house grind core inspirations which I am not a big fan of.  Surprisingly, tt has a lot of positive reviews and  Nicolas Winding Refn won the Best Director award from this year's Cannes Film Festival. What I do love about the film and the reason why I wrote this post was the soundtrack. Cliff Martinez is a genius! The scoring has that 80's europop electronic vibe with lots of stylized synthesizers and retro beats. It opens with Nightcall, a song by Kavinsky featuring Lovefoxxx of CSS.

 

 

Another awesome track is Under Your Spell by Desire.

 

 

But I must say, the highlight music of this film is A Real Hero by College featuring Electric Youth. I SUPER LOOOOOOVVE this song!

NEW MUSIC: Audio, Video, Disco by Justice

One last new track to get your Sunday morning pumping. Here's Justice's new single and also the title track of their new album Audio, Video, Disco.  


 

MUST LISTEN: Crystalline by Björk

Listen to  Björk's first single from her upcoming  multimedia album Biophillia.

MUST LISTEN: Baby Come Back (Player Cover) by Spazzkid

 The other half of My Parasol, Mark Redito aka Spazzkid in his side project, did a fantastic cover of Player's Baby Come Back. Its electrified state gave the song a modern twist and I couldn't help myself from comparing it to Passion Pit. It's probably because of Mike's falsetto voice. Listen to the track and download it here ;)

photo via supreme.ph

MUST WATCH: Spacetalk(live) by My Parasol

I blogged about My Parasol months ago and since then, they became one of my favorite discoveries this year thanks to their song Spacetalk. Check out this live video of Spacetalk where you can find Mark and Susan performing in the middle of the woods. They changed the arrangements of the song which gives a different spin from the original version. Watch the video and tell me which version do you like the most.

P.S. I love Susan's booties ;p



You can download their music here