Sponge Cola: Today’s top rock band

This is a good time for local bands. Truth to tell, the current excitement in the local music scene reminds me of the early ’90s. That was when the emergence of groups like the Eraserheads, AfterImage, Brownbeat All-Stars, True Faith, Color it Red and others gave the Filipino record industry a very strong shot in the arm that allowed it to take dominance over the foreign talents.

We have to admit though that today’s bands face a lot of problems. And that is more than the others ever did in the previous years. Music piracy, competition from foreign releases, media bias, lack of promo support, underpaid or unpaid gigs, etc. etc. It is however to the credit of these kids, that they continue to plod on and remain dauntless over the difficulties. All they want is just to be able to play their music and who cares if they never get a Gold Record Award or a video on MTV. Among the most popular these days are MYMP or Make Your Mama Proud, Hale, Velcro, Sugarfree, Imago, Mayonnaise and many others.

And not to forget, there is also Sponge Cola which is turning out to be the most exciting among them. The group’s debut album is titled Palabas and the first hit out of the 14-song set is KLSP. The letters in the title mean "Kulang lang sa pansin," which is a situation that every Pinoy knows. The song has all the elements of what makes a hit. It is simple and catchy. It also has a message that is easy to understand and that lots of young people can relate to.

Gaining a devoted fan base proved easy. It helps that KLSP is being performed by a group of four young men who are hip, intelligent and each in his own way, also attractive. Yael Yuzon, songwriter who does vocals and guitars, Armo on guitar, Gosh Dilay, the other songwriter who plays bass and does vocals and Chris Cantada on drums and vocals. These guys were students at the Ateneo High School only three years ago when they decided to form Sponge Cola. They then honed their talents by performing in school events and the local rock circuit, released an indie EP and then got a label deal with Sony.

Sponge Cola does not really present something new. The music harks back to the famous boy groups of the past. The simple harmonies, the predictable melodies, the themes that tell of the mundane and the use of colloquial terms hark back to the E-heads and further back to the Beatles. There is the occasional rock tune that echoes early Rivermaya but everything else hews close to a tested formula. The fact that Sponge Cola is new but still sounds familiar set the group off on the road to stardom in record time.

Sponge Cola’s Palabas is made up of all originals. Aside from KLSP, there are also 22, Partisan, Neon, On the Floor, Stone’s Throw, Jillian, Lunes, To the Sly and Cunning, Una, Dragonfly, Gemini, Jeepney and Closure. KLSP is still riding high but if these guys will soon decide on a new single, then Jeepney, a cute love song, sounds like the best choice.

MYX’s Top Music Videos

Meanwhile, here is the top 20 countdown of top videos from the music channel MYX during the week just passed. And I am very pleased to tell you that the Pinoy talents are performing very well. Sponge Cola is at number four and leads all the local bands as of this moment. Check out MYX to watch the video. Here is the list:

Love Moves in Mysterious Ways by Nina; True by Ryan Cabrera; Lumingon Ka Lang by Sarah Geronimo; KLSP by Sponge Cola; From the Start by Rachelle Ann Go; Hello by Ogie Alcasid; Over and Over by Nelly and Tim McGraw; Steamy Nights by Billy Crawford; Too Crazy by South Border; Do Somethin’ by Britney Spears.

Kung Akin ang Mundo by Erik Santos; Jopay by Mayonnaise; Akap by Imago; Broken Sonnet by Hale; Get Right by Jennifer Lopez; Girl by Destiny’s Child; Over by Lindsay Lohan; Holiday by Green Day; Let Me Love You by Mario; and Lala by Ashlee Simpson. Incidentally, the beautiful girl in Ryan Cabrera’s True video is Ashlee Simpson. They were dating when it was shot.