Given to the music of Yield

Fresh from their Back-to-School concert dubbed "Turn The Page" at Rooftop Halo-Halo in Tabunok, Talisay City with other Bisrock bands, and produced by One-Eight Seven Production, the band "Yield" braces for another performance centered on a tribute to the late Nirvana main man Kurt Cobain tentatively scheduled at the Talisay Sports Complex on July 22.

In an interview the other night, it was learned that Yield was formed barely two months ago. Actually, they started recording two of six musical compositions written by their rhythm guitarist Florante "Nante" Deiparine, Jr., not really giving a care at first for a collective name.

"Diha mi adto sa may Sencia's dapit sa flyover sa Banilad when we spotted this traffic sign YIELD, and thought it cool to adopt the name for our band. Besides it carries positive implications. Yield stands for to give way, give in, harvest," says Brendo "KurtBrendo" Cabañero, the group's bassist.

Yield is composed of Rolly "Rholz" Ignacio, vocalist, BS Accountancy graduate, University of the Visayas; lead guitarist Melcher Joy "MJ" Mendez, Electronics Technology graduate of Cebu State College of Science and Technology; Mark "Macko" Rafols, drummer, Computer Systems/Programming graduate of the AMA Computer College; and Nante and KurtBrendo, Information Technology and Computer Science graduates, respectively, of the Asian College of Technology.

Inspired by musical influences so varied-from the classic Gary Lewis (of the Playboys fame in the '60s), American hard rock band "Guns and Roses" which was catapulted to stardom in the early 80s, alternative rock trio "Better than Ezra" of New Orleans in Louisiana, alternative rock/post-grunge "Collective Soul" from Stockbridge, Georgia to contemporary rock band "Silverchair" of Australia-the group came up with six songs to comprise an Extended Play album entitled "Pasmo" which is expected to be released sometime September.

Bayot Kaman Diay is one of the tracks that made it to the airwaves a week after it was submitted for screening at 93.1 Smash FM through DJ Ram "Ram Milby" Dizon. Nante said that "well, story was written based on experience of having mistaken a transvestite for a real woman." He admitted that being able to write the song stemmed from partly being homophobic. He penned, "akong balikon ang nangagi sa akong kinabuhi/kadtong naibog ko ug babaye nga lubos puti/sexy kaayo ug iya kong nadani sige na/tingog na/haron magkaila tang duha/ diri ba kay lagyo ra kaayo ta/..unsa man gyud ang imohang tuyo (bayot kaman diay!)"

Obviously, Nante would just want to get the message across society that one man could get berated if he insists to act like a woman, when one can be gay and productive without having to change one's physical looks and fool people thereafter.

The other track, which made it to the air lanes, recently is Magsilbi Pa Ba?, which blares out the question on what could be the purpose of life if substance abuse rules over us: "Naunsa naman ang mga panghitabo sa atong kalibutan/daghan ng nanga-boang/sa sige'g yopyop og asong dili gyud ka mahimutang/mag-unsa na lang?/magsilbi pa ba?/ang pagpaningkamot natong duha/mapuslan pa ba?/magsilbi pa ba?

Nante shared he drew inspiration in scribbling down the lyrics from his three-year-old son, Bryan Stephen, whom he would want to have a much better world, "he deserves a world so much better than the kind of society I am living in right now. I know every parent would want that for their children," he stressed.

Expected to be recorded next month is Pungko-Pungko, which is a personal pick because I too am a fond of this dining trend, most especially at the JY Square area in Lahug where food stalls offering the "McDo(ko-duko) street dining fashion" abound, and where "sinugbang pusit" is just P7 and a peso for the "puso": "Sa pungko-pungko/binuwad nga nukos, ngohiong ug bola-bola/isawsaw sa suka/ginabot, lumpia, atay sa baboy ug chorizo."

It is at these food stalls that people from basically all walks of life converge to take part of an affordable meal. "Pulis/bugoy/tindero/empleyado/dato, pobre si dodong ug ate "

These Talisaynons would want to thank Smash FM for coming up with a space for local indie bands to shine, most especially DJ Ram and Ms. Marit Remonde, the station manager. Also to ayingskie of Bisrock Channel at MiRC, to Ian, Philip and Rico for lending their musical instruments to the group, and the band "Between Signs." Ian, Philip and Rico are co-workers of Macko, Kurt and MJ at Innodata (particularly at the NYT and EBSCO departments), a data capture company along Subangdaku, Mandaue City. Thanks is also extended to Backyard Studio Project especially Hanz of Econo140, Micmic and One-Eight-Seven Department.

Add them through friendster: [email protected]. Sampler may be streamed from www.myspace.com/yield. For bookings, text DJ Ram at 09274409998.

Shoutouts go to all Bisrockers at Innodata, to Riza the mother of Bryan Stephen, mama Susan, papa Florencio, Sr. and bestfriend Pording from Nante; to Nanette and Courtney Love from Kurt; to Odette and family and the Rafols and Togonon families from Macko, to Reynalin and Mendez family from MJ and to Amy and 3-year-old Ash, parents and sisters from Rolly.