Bands On The Run
Written by Major Tom
Filed under: Entertainment News
August 3, 2006
I often find myself watching music television on some mornings these days. Maybe music is so much in my veins that me and the music (or is it the music and me?) will always find each other even if the world is about to end (I hope it won’t). Years ago, I have decided one day to never ever surfed thru MTV channel ever again or thru Channel V for that matter, after deciding that finally I have just became so full of those crappy music that have became the main staple of these music channels along with music videos that are very high in explicitness like sex and violence. There was that very controversial Incubus music video that got many so dismayed over its near-pornographic content and I was too. I thought my children shouldn’t be allowed to go through such level of vulgarism. But mostly, I stopped patronizing MTV because I have realized that finally, commercialism had engulfed the what was once a revolutionary television station, the way it was in the 80’s and in the early 90’s. MTV was a generation-defining modality, a kind of rebellious yell to the usual form of media we had been used to then, a very brave move in a corporate and business sense.
Back then, MTV plays esoteric videos often like INXS’s “Never Tear Us Apart” and The Police’s “Wrapped Around Your Finger”. Who could ever forget such classic as the black-and-white video for “Every Breath You Take” where Sting held a big bass like he was cajoling a naked woman.
But now, the contents of the music channel we are talking about has just turned into what one hears from a FM radio station that is notorious for payolas and being enmeshed too much in corporate sponsorships. It’s very commercial and very “pop”.
Yet during the past weeks, I have often find myself stopping my channel surfing on a local music channel known as MYX and there’s this countdown that somehow makes me ponder that these days, music videos of local bands are getting slicker and slicker, more and more refined and nearly has the look and feel of most stateside music videos. And the music (of Filipino bands and artists) is steadily progressing that maybe without knowing, we might already be riding on the crest of the second coming of the Golden Age of Filipino Music, the way it was in the 70’s. One after another, local bands kept on churning out nifty and sharp singles that I felt I have grown too old already and not keeping with the trends so well. In my time, I can only count with the fingers of my hands the local bands that were making good music like The Dawn, The Eraserheads, Rivermaya, Yano and True Faith. But now, we can see so many of them like the melodious Cebuano band Cueshe, which is riding high on the wave of its very anthemic rock songs, and Hale having the same vigor. We got the very prolific Parokya Ni Edgar continually producing songs that makes you too giddy for comfort and the upstart Kamikazee coming out with a very glossy music video for its new release “Martyr Nyebera”. Then there’s Stone Free, Sponge Cola, The Brownman Revival, Bamboo, MYMP, Pupil, Sandwich, Sugar Free, 6 Cycle Mind…Whew!!! Excuse me while I catch my breath. There’s just many good local bands out there and lots of them good music.
New York’s MTV, last I know of it, rarely showed music videos prompting the print media to ask, “Where’s the music in MTV?” Research proved the kids soon tired of basically the same formulaic presentations.
Another music channel VH-1 started out as the laid back version of MTV, but soon switched more to original programming. But they do have interesting formats such as the one hit wonders, where are they now, and pop-up music videos wherein trivia captions (behind the scene secrets revealed) would pop-up as they play previsouly released music videos.
But yes, I was astounded by the talented local bands we have. Their writing and playing skills equal those of the bands in the West.
Not to be facetious or racist, we are fast becoming the blacks of Asia when it comes to music and dance, really.
Comment by eric — August 3, 2006 @ 8:41 am
I also lose track of the many bands that are playing nowadays. But I agree that Filipino music has evolved and there are many good bands out there.
Happy listening!
Comment by ladybug — August 3, 2006 @ 8:48 am
The only local bands whose music I’m very familiar with are those from the 70’s. Bands like Hotdog, Cinderella, The Ambivalent Crowd, The Circus Band where the likes of Basil Valdez, Tillie Moreno, Hajji Alejandro etc. all got their start. Ackkk! My age is indeed showing, hahaha.
Comment by snglguy — August 3, 2006 @ 11:33 pm
hey, i know of people who stopped loving music so early in life they dried out. i think it’s like people and ideas. the minute you stop listening to new (and even crazy) ones, your brain dies.
cheers to the old and the new (ideas or music)
Comment by atticus — August 4, 2006 @ 1:06 am
Hurray for OPMs! (original Pilipino Music) or do they just call them local bands these days?
Nevertheless, it is good that our local music industry strives with fresh talent, the more the merrier.
Comment by Daphne — August 4, 2006 @ 4:08 am
To eric: That must have been because of hordes of adverts…I have really felt the very steep change in MTV’s programming; there was one point were they used to play some songs over and over again, like every hour that I just got tired of it. And they use to play old classics from bands like Pink Floyd and Genesis on near primetime scheds but now these kind of music get played on sleepy hours, when nobody supposed to be awake…
To Ladybug: Hi,..thanks for coming. I could have lost track of them entirely if not from this laudable local music channel…My wife and kids loved to watch local Sunday entertainment shows that I get to listen to these bands often, even if my taste have moved on to other genres like jazz and mind you, opera music…
To sngl: I believe there should be no age issue on music…Some of my rock idols like Mick Jagger are already at a very late age, and guys like Bono and Peter Gabriel ain’t that young as well.
Oh, those 70’s local band and artists are really legendary and they were so good all at the same time, that’s why that decade was called as the golden age of Filipino music…I sing Basil Valdez kundimans sometimes when I am in the bathroom…
To atticus: That’s sad when I thought nobody should ever forget or set aside their love for music…It is like losing the soul…
To Daphne: Yeah, these bands seem to make it really good in this busines and earns them some good pay. Years ago, only a few could really trun this thing into a real occupation but now, these young boys and girls become millionaires in such an early age…
Comment by Major Tom — August 4, 2006 @ 6:00 am
I used to see the Police’s “every breath you take” on saturday mornings on channel 9 bakc in my elementary days, so with Dire Strait’s “Money for Nothing”. No mtv channel in the philippines back then, and cable was still at its advent.
I guess you have a point there that maybe this is the nect wave of Filipino bands. The same wave that rocked the country in the early 90’s… Finger’s crossed.
Comment by Rey — August 4, 2006 @ 6:49 am
I heard a new song from Dong Abay, although I dunno the title (never heard it again) or if he’s still Yano =)
Oh, I heard about Yano from my older brother. hehehe
Comment by Fred — August 4, 2006 @ 12:57 pm
OPM’s are still the best of course but its been ages too that i didn’t hear any local music band since i moved here in Tokyo. Like you the only group i remember are The Dawn, The Eraserheads, Rivermaya, Yano and True Faith. Nakaka-miss din no? Glad to know that there are still more aspiring bands exploring their good music now!
.. happy weekend Major Tom!
cheers,
-kathy-
Comment by kathy — August 4, 2006 @ 6:36 pm
I’m not familiar with the Filipino bands nowadays, but I enjoyed listening to the music of Cinderella and The APO Hiking Society back then. Basil Valdez is also one of my favourite singers.
Comment by niceheart — August 5, 2006 @ 12:56 am
There names from the past are those I can identify with but having been out of the country from some time, I look like a fool when folks ask me - Hey, Side A is in town having a concert.. Let’s go.. they’re great! Hohum.. sorry, I don’t know them. But I saw a couple of months ago Lani Misalucha in a concert and I really don’t know much about her boy, she could sing. She’s playing Las Vegas so she’s got the spunk.
Comment by bw — August 5, 2006 @ 3:36 am
true, mucho bueno opm bands and i believe this is a very good thing para na di atun pagka filipino. pero era hindi sila tanto copya y hinde tiene miedo quieda original and unique and not too westernized.
Comment by rudyman — August 6, 2006 @ 3:22 am
i have to agree. music videos nowadays are no longer wholesome. and the taste of the patronizers have changed as well. i think most of them love to see more flesh. i do enjoy some music videos but i also go gaga over some to the point that i tell myself, ‘what the hell was that about?’
Comment by evi — August 6, 2006 @ 4:30 pm
To Rey: That Police video was the most lasting in my opinion; perhaps only U2’s “With or Without You” video could ever match its mystic that if Oscars were given for the music video category, this one should have one.
Back then, (in the 80’s) me and a classmate used to rent betamax videos of MTV since as you said, there was no cable back then or it wasn’t as prevalent here in our country.
To Fred: Oh, the legendary Dong Abay. I think he has the most recognizable voice in Philippine band music back then and the music he sang was so relevant that they were so good at being sarcastic. I think I’ve read somewhere that indeed Dong Abay had went solo after resurfacing with his much talked-about bout with depression. I bet genius has a steep price…in his case, some madness….a beautiful madness I guess.
To Kathy: I am in fact glad that these new crop of Filipino bands could easily equal their predecessors knack for good music although para sa akin, bands like The Dawn remains legendary and unique and very original that there’d be no other band like that ever again…Songs like “Envelop Ideas” and “Salamat” are so uniquely crafted that even internationally, there is no band that sounds just like them…They have their own music that lives by its own.
To niceheart: Apo Hiking Society remains to be inimitable and peerless in their music, they are cross-generational phenomenon and their music is so far ahead that no matter what age the individual is, and no matter what time or era, he or she would surely hear all-too-pleasurable melodies. Of course, Basil Valdez is Basil Valdez, there seems to be no one out there that haven’t heard his music….He is like the Tom Jones or Humperdinck of the Philippines.
To BW: If a Filipino artists plays stateside, most probably their good. I think Miss Misalucha has the most soulfoul of all Filipina songstress…it just that she had no new materials for a long time now. Maybe she’s doing so well in other countries that she have no time to make some new recordings here…
To Rudyman: You’re right pareng, sometimes their music resembles greatly the music of famous western bands but I guess, that is just how it is in the music scene, one way or another, the new songs that are made could always resemble something from the past that I can’t help but think, “Hey, I think I’ve heard a similar song before or this song sounds so similar to this and that band’s particular song or music”. But still, these bands are making real good and perhaps given more time to mature, they’d be able to fully create very original music, those that they can really be their own…
To evi: That’s right evi; years ago every music video seems to have a story to tell, like it has a beginning and an end that at the end of each you have that feeling that you have seen a soap opera or a TV drama. But now, many of them just show irrelevant images and portrayals that are heavy in sexual tones. Some of them are too vulgar for comfort that youngsters below 12 years old shouldn’t be allowed to see them at all.
Comment by Major Tom — August 7, 2006 @ 7:42 am
I like the new Pinoy bands today … some are just ‘revivals’ but they do have style …. and much to that …. those Indie bands out there are really great (with their own music and great tunes). And Damn I missed watching MTV … grrr … nasira kasi antenna dito sa bahay eh!
Comment by trickyboy — August 8, 2006 @ 3:17 am
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Comment by Major Tom — August 12, 2006 @ 1:08 pm