OK, sorry ‘coz this is a bit of shameless plugging since I’m one of the writers who contributed an essay to this anthology, along with fellow Soundtrip blogger Erwin Oliva, but man, nakakataba ng puso ang ginawang video nitong fan na ito

I’m talking about “Tikman Ang Langit: An Anthology on the Eraserheads,” the very first book on the Philippines’ own Fab Four.

This book was made possible by our fellow journalists Melvin Calimag of Manila Bulletin and Jing Garcia of Manila Times, who dreamt of coming out with an Eheads book and worked their asses off to make it come true. The anthology is edited by Ces Rodriguez.

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A FRIEND who has come to the Philippines for a vacation with her British husband asked me recently to find a place where they play good old rock music.

For a moment, my mind went blank. Then I had brief glimpses of the bars in Olongapo. But that’s years back. I could not remember any bars now in Manila where the classic rock tunes of Led Zep, Jimi Hendrix, or Creedence Clearwater Revival are played. She suggested we check out one place, but I told her quickly that I had to do some research. So off I went surfing today and I found a couple of familiar places to go.

Here are some places I found based on my quick search on the Internet.

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ENTERTAINMENT columns are abuzz with the departure of Rico Blanco from Rivermaya. On Thursday, a friend was raving about having witnessed what was supposed to be the band’s last gig at Metro bar — which I read about in the papers Friday morning.

Rico does deserve a place in the pantheon of local rock icons, if only for those songs he created that appeal to a generation of music fans. “Awit ng Kabataan” ranks in my list of seminal songs that evoke the feel of a certain era, alongside After Image’s “Next in Line” or Juan de la Cruz Band’s “Ang Himig Natin.”

But going back to Rico, the question really is what will he do next? Will he form his own band like Ely Buendia’s Pupil? Will he create his own electronica side project like Ben Gibbard? The guy’s known to be a music whiz so that won’t be a surprise. (Not too many people know he used to compose commercial jingles for a living). And the fact that frontmen usually just reincarnate their musical careers in another form is a given; take for example, Ely or Bamboo.

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