Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
10 FAVORITE FILIPINO ROCK & FOLK SONGS
When a friend asked me what my Top 10 Favorite OPM Rock Songs are, I was taken aback. My elementary years were surrounded by the smooth jazz & ballad cassette tapes that my father would always play on our Astron single-huge-speaker 'karaoke'. During highschool, the limited availability of music in the province exposed me to pop & boybands on MTV. I was infatuated. In hindsight, I think I shouldn't have been too stubborn & instead adapted to my older brother's love for alternative songs. It wasn't until college when I learned to appreciate what I thought was noise before. After a brief fling with hip-hop & modern RnB, it was in the 2000s when I got engaged to rock. The bridge in my case were rap-metal, alternative & OPM rock (Original Pinoy Music). Now I am married to the heart, veins, brain & soul of rock music - along with its feet, limbs, fingers or what-have-you. (I do of course also have never-ending affairs with jazz & classical plus some flirtation with pop from time to time).
I'll be honest. I'm not a big fan of our own mainstream music. For me, most kinds of our country's music were patterned after whatever current global music is famous at the time. If I had to pick the real original music of our country, it would be the ethnic ones.
Having said that, my not-too-deep knowledge of & aloofness from OPM are huge reasons why this list was a personal challenge.
After 5 hours of picking my brain, here's what I've come up with.
(These are in chronological order with regards to the year of release.)
(Click on the title to download song.)
ASIN - Balita
[Masdan mo ang Kapaligiran, 1978]
'Pinoy progressive music', as what our communist-thinking countrymen call it, is a genre of Filipino folk music that proliferated during the Martial Law Era. Until today, songs from that genre are still the most poetic to come out of OPM. I consider ASIN as the best among the early folk bands and this track describes the sad state of the nation during that period.
The Dawn - Enveloped Ideas
[S/T, 1987]
When New Wave & Post-Punk peaked in the 80s, it was inevitable for the Pinoys to ride the wagon. One of its offsprings, The Dawn presented this anthemic youth-relatable song. They were the U2 of our country.
Gary Granada - Bahay
[Pagsamba at Pakikibaka 1989]
Joey Ayala at ang Bagong Lumad - Walang Hanggang Paalam
[Magkabilaan, 1991]
Granada & Ayala were part of my childhood. At one point, my father & his friends were big fans so naturally me & my brothers got familiarized with their music. I consider these two as musical geniuses. 'Bahay' by the former (also a part of the underground artists during the Marcos era) is a beautifully-written folk song that tackles poverty. 'Walang Hanggang Paalam' by the latter is a folk love tune with a warm melancholic melody that melts hearts.
Yano - Banal Na Aso, Santong Kabayo
[S/T, 1994]
Essentialy a bare punk rock duo, Yano was a great socio-political outfit that had a solid debut album. Abay's brave preaching words (sometimes sarcastic, sometimes direct) blended sweetly with Gancio's riffs and sweet leads. Simply put, this track defined their music.
Eraserheads - Spoliarium
[Sticker Happy, 1997]
Pop-rockers Eraserheads had great songs under their belt but it was this song that opened up a whole new world for me when I first heard it. Its sound & dream-like phrases hooked me.
Radioactive Sago Project - Gusto Ko Ng Baboy
[S/T, 2000]
In college, I was trying out all kinds of music. RSP was different. Jazz-rock wasn't something no other bands play. 'Baboy' starts out as a story of a kid's obsession with pigs until he becomes a man & realizes that everywhere he looks, swine can be found in humans. This song is a parade of spoken-word horn-laden monster of a rant. A true gem.
Imago - Rainsong
[Probably Not But Most Definitely, 2001]
Before they wrote mediocre songs, Imago was an ethnic-rock band with their debut album produced by the great Bob Aves himself. Rainsong is water that wets the ears with its cool sound & unintelligible chanted melodies.
[Note: The download link only offers the remixed version.]
Orange & Lemons - Hanggang Kailan (Umuwi Ka Na Baby)
[Strike Whilst The Iron Is Hot, 2005]
Forget about how this band aped Care's "Chandeliers" with their "Pinoy Ako" (& how they denied it thinking everyone is stupid to believe them). Despite their arrogance, 'Hanggang Kailan' is a timeless love song that I'm sure even my grandkids would not be able to resist.
Rico Blanco - Yugto
[Your Universe, 2008]
Epic.
The only reason why I don't have Rivermaya on this list is because I consider this to be the best Filipino song ever written. When Blanco left his band of 14 years, it only took him a year to break the silence and release his first solo album. Although the outcome basically consisted of pop songs & ballads, 'Yugto' stands out with its deep lyrics, sprawling inventiveness & extensive use of instruments.
I'll be honest. I'm not a big fan of our own mainstream music. For me, most kinds of our country's music were patterned after whatever current global music is famous at the time. If I had to pick the real original music of our country, it would be the ethnic ones.
Having said that, my not-too-deep knowledge of & aloofness from OPM are huge reasons why this list was a personal challenge.
After 5 hours of picking my brain, here's what I've come up with.
(These are in chronological order with regards to the year of release.)
(Click on the title to download song.)
ASIN - Balita
[Masdan mo ang Kapaligiran, 1978]
'Pinoy progressive music', as what our communist-thinking countrymen call it, is a genre of Filipino folk music that proliferated during the Martial Law Era. Until today, songs from that genre are still the most poetic to come out of OPM. I consider ASIN as the best among the early folk bands and this track describes the sad state of the nation during that period.
The Dawn - Enveloped Ideas
[S/T, 1987]
When New Wave & Post-Punk peaked in the 80s, it was inevitable for the Pinoys to ride the wagon. One of its offsprings, The Dawn presented this anthemic youth-relatable song. They were the U2 of our country.
Gary Granada - Bahay
[Pagsamba at Pakikibaka 1989]
Joey Ayala at ang Bagong Lumad - Walang Hanggang Paalam
[Magkabilaan, 1991]
Granada & Ayala were part of my childhood. At one point, my father & his friends were big fans so naturally me & my brothers got familiarized with their music. I consider these two as musical geniuses. 'Bahay' by the former (also a part of the underground artists during the Marcos era) is a beautifully-written folk song that tackles poverty. 'Walang Hanggang Paalam' by the latter is a folk love tune with a warm melancholic melody that melts hearts.
Yano - Banal Na Aso, Santong Kabayo
[S/T, 1994]
Essentialy a bare punk rock duo, Yano was a great socio-political outfit that had a solid debut album. Abay's brave preaching words (sometimes sarcastic, sometimes direct) blended sweetly with Gancio's riffs and sweet leads. Simply put, this track defined their music.
Eraserheads - Spoliarium
[Sticker Happy, 1997]
Pop-rockers Eraserheads had great songs under their belt but it was this song that opened up a whole new world for me when I first heard it. Its sound & dream-like phrases hooked me.
Radioactive Sago Project - Gusto Ko Ng Baboy
[S/T, 2000]
In college, I was trying out all kinds of music. RSP was different. Jazz-rock wasn't something no other bands play. 'Baboy' starts out as a story of a kid's obsession with pigs until he becomes a man & realizes that everywhere he looks, swine can be found in humans. This song is a parade of spoken-word horn-laden monster of a rant. A true gem.
Imago - Rainsong
[Probably Not But Most Definitely, 2001]
Before they wrote mediocre songs, Imago was an ethnic-rock band with their debut album produced by the great Bob Aves himself. Rainsong is water that wets the ears with its cool sound & unintelligible chanted melodies.
[Note: The download link only offers the remixed version.]
Orange & Lemons - Hanggang Kailan (Umuwi Ka Na Baby)
[Strike Whilst The Iron Is Hot, 2005]
Forget about how this band aped Care's "Chandeliers" with their "Pinoy Ako" (& how they denied it thinking everyone is stupid to believe them). Despite their arrogance, 'Hanggang Kailan' is a timeless love song that I'm sure even my grandkids would not be able to resist.
Rico Blanco - Yugto
[Your Universe, 2008]
Epic.
The only reason why I don't have Rivermaya on this list is because I consider this to be the best Filipino song ever written. When Blanco left his band of 14 years, it only took him a year to break the silence and release his first solo album. Although the outcome basically consisted of pop songs & ballads, 'Yugto' stands out with its deep lyrics, sprawling inventiveness & extensive use of instruments.
Tuesday, June 07, 2011
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