A GROUP of Filipino new media artists is set to explore the digital sonic landscape in another performance in Manila next year, just a day after the New Year.
Blum Borres, member of the New Media Arts Manila, said the group is staging a “digital fireworks” with the second installment of its “Electrostatic Sound Conference,” which put simply is an orchestra of sound art using today’s digital technology.
Sound artists the Children of the Cathode Ray (CCR) will also play during next year’s performance and pay homage to experimental filmmaker, animator and art icon Rox Lee, Borres said.
CHECK out this video taken by INQUIRER.net multimedia reporter Erika Tapalla.
Erika convinced Terno Recordings artists (in order of appearance) Swissy; Radioactive Sago Project trombonist Pards Tupas and trumpet player Wowie Ansano; Up Dharma Down lead female vocalist Armi Millare; and Giniling Festival to sing Christmas songs after their gig at Route 196 in Katipunan, Quezon City.
It is a common sight, not just here but also abroad, for popular bands to eventually disband. It could be that a member leaves for “greener pastures” or to “pursue a different career path.” Nevertheless, it is a sad sight to see that those who leave are the front men and the songwriters. Once they leave, the band is rendered helpless. Some pick up the pieces and find a replacement, while others just simply pack up their bags and head home.
Take The Beatles, for example. The Beatles, admit it or not, are nothing without Paul McCartney and John Lennon. When The Beatles eventually disbanded after the production of their last studio album, Abbey Road, everyone decided to try and make it on their own. Each Beatles member produced his own solo album, but not all of them became a big hit. In fact, it was just McCartney and Lennon’s solo albums that clicked with the listening audience (you can just imagine how Lennon was such a phenomenon back then).
WHATEVER happened to first-ever “Philippine Idol” winner Mau Marcelo?
After ABC 5 aired the pilot series of “Philippine Idol” last year, everyone thought that it would be just like “American Idol,” with winners becoming instant celebrities: instant access to elusive fame, so to speak.
So during the show’s finale, everyone held their breath and crossed their fingers as the 27-year-old Marcelo belted her way through three songs she was required to sing. It was her third song choice — Whitney Houston’s “Try It on My Own” — that won her the coveted crown, besting two male contenders, Gian Magdangal and Jan Nieto.
UPDATE: Editor’s note: Corrected Neil Schon to Neal Schon. Thanks to reader Ana for the heads up.
WHO would have thought YouTube would make for a good audition tape?
As reported by Blabbermouth, the band Journey found a new lead singer in Arnel Pineda. Simple story, really. Arnel’s band The Zoo posts videos of them covering Journey songs on YouTube, Neal Schon (guitarist for the real Journey) sees them and boom!, somebody’s dream comes true.
Here’s the story in Neal’s own words:
“I was frustrated about not having a singer so I went on YouTube for a couple of days and just sat on it for hours. I was starting to think I was never going to find anybody. But then I found The Zoo and I watched a bunch of different video clips that they had posted. After watching the videos over and over again, I had to walk away from the computer and let what I heard sink in because it sounded too good to be true. I thought, ‘he can’t be that good.’ But he is that good, he’s the real deal and so tremendously talented.
Spicing up the story further, it was one of Arnel’s bandmates who saw Neal’s message on YouTube and immediately SMSed him about it. Who would have thought, right? But they did fire Neil an e-mail and the rest is history.
Arnel becomes the latest Journey front man after Jeff Scott Soto, Steve Augeri and of course, Steve Perry. The band is currently working on an album due ‘08. Check out this video of Arnel and his band during a local gig.
