By Agence France-Presse

LOS ANGELES — Lynyrd Skynyrd pianist Billy Powell, one of the longest-serving members of the 1970s supergroup, has died aged 56, the band announced on its website Wednesday.

Powell, a survivor of the 1977 plane crash in Mississippi that claimed the lives of six people including lead singer Ronnie Van Zant, died on Tuesday, the statement said without giving further details.

“Beloved pianist for the Lynyrd Skynyrd Band, Billy Powell, passed away last night,” the statement said. “The family and band request your respect and understanding during this difficult time. Thank you.”

[Read the rest of this entry »]

A veritable smorgasbord of today’s hottest and up and coming Pinoy Rock Bands will be gathered together for one night only at the UP Diliman Sunken Garden–all for the price of 80 pesos only.

“ROCKULTURA 2009” will showcase 40 of the best Pinoy Rock Bands from the wildly popular to the up and coming.

Popular bands such as Sandwich, Pupil, Cambio, UrbanDud, 6cyclemind, Itchyworms and Slapshock are slated to perform together with up and coming bands such as Nyctinasty, Kelevra, and Urduja.

According to the event organizers, the UP EMC2 Fraternity, “there has never been a better time than now to celebrate Pinoy Rock in one night. You can pass by to see one of the more popular bands today, or, if you are in an experimental mood and are looking for something different, there are also indie bands that will be performing.” Sounds good to me.

“ROCKULTURA 2009” will be held this February 10, 2009, Tuesday at the UP Sunken Garden, as part of the traditional week-long UP Fair Activities. Gates open at 6 p.m. (Clarence Yu)

WHO says students and teachers cannot jam together? In fact, some have decided to form a band.

Known as Jeez!, this band was formerly called “The Faculty of JLDDG.” It is composed of Reagan Maiquez, Giselle Hernandez, and Nicolo Masakayan –instructors from the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), Paul Fonte, an alumnus of UPLB and Kit Manlangit, a UPLB Civil Engineering student.

Maiquez started the band in September 2007 with Hernandez, Masakayan and Manlangit after being inspired by the song “Pero,” which Hernandez sang for him.

“Pero,” which Maiquez wrote, immediately became the band’s first song.

[Read the rest of this entry »]

Marjorie Gorospe
INQUIRER.net

MARK this date, March 7, 2009.

This is the date for the much-awaited second reunion concert of the Eraserheads –perhaps one of the most successful and revolutionary band in the history of original Pinoy music.

According to the former members of the local rock band, the concert is tentatively named “Final Set” since it is considered to be a continuation of last year’s reunion concert, which was cut short when frontman Ely Buendia was rushed to the hospital, allowing the band to finish half of their intended set.

But during Monday’s press conference, the former members stressed that the scheduled concert will be “different.”

[Read the rest of this entry »]

WATCH INQUIRER.net assistant editor Erika Tapalla’s interview with Filipino indie band Menaya for Soundtrip. Formed in 2005, Menaya makes a comeback with its second album after a three-year hiatus, Video taken by INQUIRER.net production specialist Rastle Lozano.