April 2007 Archives

I RECENTLY received an e-mail from the people behind Pandora. They've confirmed some of my suspicions that they're going international. Just a background: I e-mailed them to ask why they petitioned against a bill that aims to increase the royalty fees of music played by Internet radio services. I hope to share their response to our query on why Pandora did not include foreign listeners as possible supporters of their petition. The petition is only open to US listeners.

Thanks so much for your offer of support; we really appreciate it. It's nice to hear that you love music as much as we do. Sorry we're not licensed internationally yet! Legally offering Pandora services to listeners outside of the United States is a top priority for us, and we're working out the details as fast as we can. Audio content streaming regulations differ from country to country, and we are working on acquiring the proper licenses to accommodate them. We're really looking forward to making Pandora an international service in every respect, including adding more international music to our collection. In many ways, that's when Pandora will really start to reach its potential. Cheers, and thanks for your support, Lucia, Tim, and the whole Pandora team Lucia Willow Listener Advocate @ Pandora

WHO member Pete Townshend, in close collaboration with mathematician-composer Lawrence Ball and software developer Dave Snowdon, is set to launch an Internet-based service that will allow anyone to create music online. The service, dubbed Lifehouse Method, is essentially web-based software that "creates music, allowing you to 'sit' for a musical portrait just as if you were being painted. The software 'paints' your music. It will only take a few minutes of your time," the website says. Reuters reports at CNET:

British rocker Pete Townshend on Wednesday unveiled an Internet-based software program that will help music fans compose personalized tracks at the click of a button. The Who guitarist-songwriter said that with a voice recording, a digital image and a rhythm clapped into a microphone, his new "Method" software will create spontaneous digital music and allow anyone to be a composer, and possibly a rock star. "You can put data in and get a piece of music out. It's as simple as that," said Townshend, a technical wizard who pioneered the use of the synthesizer more than 35 years ago on the classic Who tunes "Won't Get Fooled Again" and "Baba O'Riley."

The service will be available for free starting May 1. But it will eventually be available for subscription on August 1.

I WAS floored when I first heard Tuck Andress play "Man in the Mirror" on his guitar. As one of my occasional music buddies would always say, "That music made my head spin!" So when I stumbled upon Filipino guitar player Jerome Rico's Guitar Shop album recently, I experienced deja vu. You see, in my itsy bitsy book of guitar greats, there are those who play guitar, and those that can play mind-blowing guitar. Tuck and now Rico are the latter. I can listen to both all night and, I can assure you, you'll never get bored. Guitar Shop is composed of covers and original arrangements of known classics. As this blog by Oliver Oliveros reveals, Rico's jazz influence is evident.

All selections were re-arranged to match Jerome’s ingenious musical style, which is much influenced by great jazz instrumentalists -- Tuck Andress, Tommy Emmanuel, George Benson, Dave Koz, Kenny G, Lee Ritenour, and David Benoit.

It is also apparent that Rico is schooled. He started playing guitar at 16 but later studied classical guitar at the University of the Philippines, where he eventually developed his own style. Like Tuck, Rico can dazzle you with his own rendition of "The Way You Look Tonight" or a nice arrangement of Sting's "An Englishman In New York" or "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic." For less than P300, this album is a good buy -- that is, if you love listening to covers of known hits played by a lone guitar virtuoso.

I WAS probably the only person in the room who could not understand a thing… but man, these Japanese bands know how to rock! Two hours of walking aimlessly in the cold, cold Tokyo night ("Lost in Translation," literally) before I managed to find a gig in this club called Motion in Shinju-ku district. Apparently, the Japanese are sticklers for time so the gig really started around 7 o'clock as mentioned in the gig listings I got a day earlier. I got in more than two hours later, with three bands left. This band -- whose name the lady at the bar pronounced Suppa Maikuro Panchop -- came on and struck me as quite an acoustic, experimental type. The song started somewhat acoustic all right -- until much later on the entire band went helter-skelter. Here's the video I took of Suppa Maikuro Panchop's performance. etsuko heartfield came on next, appropriately providing a downtempo atmosphere to calm things down. Among the three, this was the band I liked best. From the onset, they reminded me of Sigur Ros with a touch of The Album Leaf -- and I couldn’t resist telling one member that while they strolled past me after their set. Their songs create a collage of sounds from a variety of sources -- that's the bassist right there twiddling on an old cassette player. Thankfully, the band is on MySpace. The last one to play was this band that prefers an acronym of their Japanese name -- OWKMJ (ore wa kona mon janai). I struck a conversation with band leader Reisaburo -- that's him on sax -- in between sets and he told me their last performance was at South by Southwest in Texas! Their music is a mix of prog and psychedelic rock with a hint of punk. Sax and keyboards make for an interesting mix. And there's a reason they're last on the bill because they rocked the house. Thankfully, they have a CD available and thankfully, I had enough yen left in my pocket.

THERE is a petition out (mainly directed at US listeners) that hopes to save Pandora and other Internet radio services. Pandora is a project of the Music Genome Project. I was introduced to this service almost two months ago. It is a unique Internet radio service not only because it is free, but also allows you to connect and find new music through its intelligent search feature. This is the e-mail I got from its founder, urging people to support a petition against plans to jack up licensing fees for Internet radio services. The broadcast e-mail I received from founder Tim Westergren as early as April 18 begins:

Hi, it's Tim from Pandora, I'm writing today to ask for your help. The survival of Pandora and all of Internet radio is in jeopardy because of a recent decision by the Copyright Royalty Board in Washington, DC to almost triple the licensing fees for Internet radio sites like Pandora. The new royalty rates are irrationally high, more than four times what satellite radio pays, and broadcast radio doesn't pay these at all. Left unchanged, these new royalties will kill every Internet radio site, including Pandora. In response to these new and unfair fees, we have formed the SaveNetRadio Coalition, a group that includes listeners, artists, labels and webcasters. I hope that you will consider joining us. Please sign our petition urging your Congressional representative to act to save Internet radio: http://capwiz.com/saveinternetradio/issues/alert/?alertid=9631541

To the Pandora team, good luck and here's to "free" music!

PAM PASTOR is a huge fan of American singer-songwriter Rachael Yamagata, though Pam claims she's not a serial fan, heh. So imagine how she felt when she got to interview Rachael and watch her concert in Singapore. Here's an excerpt from the Philippine Daily Inquirer story that's online in INQUIRER.net Showbiz & Style:

The next day, I found myself sitting in Esplanade’s concert hall. Rachael and her band soon walked onstage and the show started. I had goosebumps the entire time.

She played a mix of old and new songs and charmed the audience with her wit and humor. “I don’t think anyone’s going to compare me to Norah Jones after this. She’s not drunk and swearing. She’s always beautiful and classy. This next song is about an a**hole that d*cked me over,” she said, as the hall exploded in laughter. She was hilarious. She said, “I’m sorry. I promised I wouldn’t swear at this show, it being a first impression and all, but I also have a policy about being true to myself.” The audience roared its approval. She seemed sincerely in awe that people halfway across the world knew her songs. Drummer Chris Giraldi began the intro on “Be Your Love.” The audience screamed. Rachael said, “You guys know the song by the drumbeat?” When people roared a resounding yes, she asked everyone to sing the first line. Then she said, “I love you all!”

YOU have P1,000 to spare, and you're in a record store. What would you do? I went straight to the Original Pilipino Music section and searched for any CD featuring any new local indie band. I texted my Soundtrip-mate Lawrence Casiraya. He gave me at least two names. But then I didn't find them. So I scanned through the selections on the rack and found this: Blueskrieg: Original Pilipino Blues Music. I didn't hesitate. I grabbed and bought it immediately. Fast forward to three hours later. I ripped a copy of the CD onto my iPod. I sat in front of my PC, grabbed my old and beat-up Fender, and started listening. For an hour or so, I was hypnotized. Blues is an acquired taste. Like hip-hop music, it would take some time before you would appreciate this genre. I could still vividly remember my first brush with Pinoy blues music in The Hobbit House, where I played with Coco (or Koko?) a former member of Labuyo (remember them?) and a handful of newspaper men. (I believe a lot of today's journalist and writers do live a second life as musicians...) But I digress. Back to the CD. Listening to Firebottle's "Kalbaryo" and "Di Na Lang Sana" sealed my long-time suspicion that blues remained alive and well in the Philippines. Finally, blues music that we can call our very own. Thanks to Rakrakan.com, I was able to view the local blues band in action. Check this video from YouTube posted by the people behind Rakrakan.com. "BluesKrieg: Original Pilipino Blues Music" is a collection of original compositions by five bands, namely: Plug, Snakecharmer, Firebottle, Dahon, and Kulukati. All songs were recorded under the indie label Rebolusyon Records and distributed by Vicor Music Corp. Some of my initial picks are the Hendrix-inspired "Lipad Pilip Lipad" of Dahon and the 12-bar blues song "Kalbaryo" of Firebottle (I love this song because you can actually jam around it). "Sa Gabi Sa Umaga" of Kulukati also reminds me of the Rolling Stones. Of course, "Tumbling Down The Devil's Game" of Plug and Snakecharmer's Black Crowes-esque "Suklob" are the gems I found on this album.

I WAS "lost" last weekend in the piles of books in a local bookstore. I was hunting for a book that was recommended to me earlier by a literary friend. But fate brought me to the "entertainment section" of this bookstore. There I found two remaining copies of "Punks, Poets, Poseurs: Reportage on Pinoy Rock & Roll" by Eric Caruncho. I checked the price. It said, "50 pesos." Are you kidding, I told myself. This book is a steal! So I grabbed one copy (now I'm thinking I should have also grabbed the last copy, heh), and went straight to the cashier. This is an "old" book which I read back in 1996 when it was launched. I must admit I had little knowledge of the Pinoy rock scene in the 1970s leading to the late 1980s, which was about the same time when Baguio's The Blank became the hottest rock band in the country. Caruncho's honest rock journalism would certainly take you back to those days when long hair, torn jeans, and I-don't-care-about-this-world attitude where a, er, norm among the young kids of that generation. In fact, his take, as he would admit early in his book, is really from a fan of music. So I guess it is also good to take off from the vantage and tell you how this book has changed my view of Pinoy music in general. You see I grew up in Baguio City where Western music was revered more than local music. There were a handful of bands playing originals back then when I was in high school and in college (eventually, I became a member of a local protest band called Binhi). I immersed myself in the sounds of the 80s. But this was also about the same time when MTV made its debut worldwide and the Philippines. So whatever was playing on MTV, I listened to. And that dictated my musical influences. Or at least, that is how I vaguely remember it. Like Caruncho, I loved music and I wanted to be part of it. So I studied it and subsequently landed a part in a band we called The Patch. We mostly played American country music. But I was insisting on playing new discoveries, such as Guns 'N' Roses and, okay, Bon Jovi. (It sounded country so I thought my band would like it). For a while, we had gigs mostly in parties. But I remember our band holding a "mini-concert" during a freezing night in a community plaza. We set up a little stage and for an hour or two, we launched our music career using the cheapest equipment we could get our hands on. It was our debut. Sadly, it was our last. Reading through the chapters of Caruncho's book brought back memories of why Pinoy music has often struggled to become mainstream. In fact, most underground bands during my time hated being labeled "mainstream." They associated this with "selling out" and the radio-friendly bands they despised. They wanted to remain in touch with their roots, and yet they sought stardom. Yes, that's the irony of it all. And that perhaps is what Pinoy music is all about. Pinoy music is generally born out of our love for music, and honestly, it's leaning towards Western or something foreign. I started out listening to foreign bands where I learned the "basics." From there, I tried to search for my own voice, combining Western influences with my own. So does that make it Pinoy music? I guess. In fact, I would venture into the argument that there is really no Pinoy music. Each music is unique. And once we create it, we will own it. Labeling music somehow stifles it. And that is not what music is all about. If music is one universal language, then it should be free from labels. So what is Pinoy music? I really don't have the answer. But I would like to quote Ces Rodriguez's 1996 introduction to Caruncho's book:

The history of Pinoy rock should be a pretty interesting road map of our yearnings and rage, earnestness and outbursts, the inarticulate speech of the Pinoy kid's heart.

FUN describes Wake Up Your Seatmate's music. A quick look at the song titles will give you clues: "Hanging Out With You," "Charm Me," "Hide and Seek" and "The Kawawa Song." Their debut album, which bears the same name as the band, however, offers more than just pa-cute music. "Episodes" features a melodic guitar riff intro that is so simple and yet catchy. "Flight," on the other hand, leads off with a haunting bass that will make your head bop, and your hips swing. (A friend who has been listening to their music agreed with me that "Flight" has potential). All this angst is coming from four lovely ladies still in college: Mia Tengco on vocals and guitar, Celine Pineda on guitar, Patty Peralta on bass, and Atchoo Ilagan on drums. Their musical influences are like, er, ice cream. They come in different flavors, melt in your mouth and make you feel refreshed on a hot summer day. In other words, they are no strangers to good music. Their favorites and musical influences vary. Patty loves Pinikpikan, Joey Ayala, and world music. Mia likes power ballads, Michael Bolton, hip-hop, rock, Urban Green and David Attenborough. Celine loves punk, metal, alternative, indie and senti (short for sentimental music). Atchoo likes Eraserheads, Kitchie Nadal, Nina, and Barbie's Cradle. The list continues: Blink 182, Foo Fighters, Third Eye Blind, Bryan Adams, Aqualung, Led Zeppelin, Heart, Wilson Philips, Basia, and Swing Out Sister. I guess they were listening to their dad or mom's records while they were younger. Although their songs offer a glimpse into their young lives, there are a few songs that cut through the heart. "Panaginip" (Dreams), for instance, is about finding your soul mate. (But according to a source, the song is about the death of a loved one). Guitar slinger Celine says the song is about their "Ethan Hawke," referring to his "Before Sunset" movie, where two total strangers were able to connect but had to part ways in the end. All in all, "Wake Up Your Seatmate" the album is about love, relationships, and being young. It's fun listening to their songs. But there are really good compositions that attest to the fact that Wake Up Your Seatmate is not your typical teeny-bopper band. These girls know how to rock!

I JUST came from a screening of the documentary "God Bless Bloc Party," thanks to Universal Records. While the documentary was meant to drum up some hype for the band's latest album "A Weekend in the City," watching it made me realize how amazing "Silent Alarm" -- their previous breakthrough hit -- really is. Filmed two years ago at the height of "Silent Alarm's" popularity, the documentary was a behind-the-scenes look at Bloc Party's shows in Los Angeles, including their nonchalant attitude towards Hollywood-type interviews. A trivial, yet to me a defining moment, is captured in a scene wherein two black guys, in a flashy car blasting hip-hop music, sided up with them in a stoplight; one of them pulling out and started counting hundred dollar bills. The new album is out in stores already. I'm still getting used to it; my favorite track so far is "Waiting for the 7:18," surprisingly not among the singles officially released so far out of the new album. Maybe because it's seen as a reference to singer Kele Okereke's sexual ambiguity. Here's a YouTube clip showing the DVD trailer.

I WAS once gifted with a T-shirt from Tower Records that says, "Know Music, Know Life." Perhaps that was one of the best birthday gifts I've received. It was simple and yet it captured what I thought was my own view on music. You see, before I decided to turn to the pen, I was, ehem, a musician. I studied music because I admired people who could stand in front of millions of fans and mesmerize them with their music. Music, as the old saying goes, is a universal language. It's in fact the best ice breaker. Remember nights you're out with strangers? Introduce music as a topic and I'm sure some of these strangers will turn out to be people who share your passion for music. Now, why Soundtrip? It's been years since I first thought of writing about music. And what better way to do it but through a blog. Yes, blogging about music is partly cathartic. It helps me unleash the musical being that resides deep in my gray matter. I hope through this blog, we can connect and share the passion that can perhaps bring, er, the proverbial world peace! And yes, we at Soundtrip also want to be pointed to the right direction. Help us discover more Pinoy music, and let's start the soundtrip!

I NEARLY lost my faith in radio not too long ago. That probably began when I got an iPod, and my mornings were never the same from thereon. Radio used to be my music fix in the pre-iPod era: wake up and set the dial to 107.5. But the digital age caught up with me and I slowly began lending an ear more to the Internet -- even when I could listen to radio on the Web. It fed my hunger for music that sounded good to me, to know about up-and-coming bands and artists. Slowly, radio wasn't enough anymore, especially when I started to hear the same kind of music over and over again. That void was filled up by the Internet, audio blogs in particular. In an article in Wired magazine, Ben Gibbard, lead singer for longtime indie group Death Cab for Cutie and a couple of other side projects, likened audio blogs to a friend who tells you what's a good band to listen to. But to radio's credit, the recent revival (sort of) in the local rock music scene has encouraged me to lend it an ear more this time. There are a lot of great local bands out there, some I've heard about but haven't heard yet. This blog was created with that thought, so I encourage anyone to post comments and point us to music you think deserves a listen. We do not pretend to be experts or purveyors of cool music -- think Jack Black's character in "High Fidelity." We like listening to music, period. Thomas Friedman, a popular writer and columnist for The New York Times, theorized that because of the Internet, the world is "flat." Nonetheless, music still makes the world go round.

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