Noontime Show, Itchyworms style

The airlanes is literally on the verge of drowning from the spate of new rock bands that have suddenly surfaced from anonymity only within the past 12 months. What we have is a veritable explosion of talent. Some good. Some bad. Some albums I’d like to keep forever. Others I’d like to use as frisbees and send off into the farthest reaches of outer space. Shoo, there are deserving groups who should take over your space.

One of the great things about this though is older bands have once more been given the chance to shine as recording artists. Record companies are taking risks with their works and in some instances, these groups are giving up their independence by working with other producers and allowing professional music people to chart their careers. Let us hope everything will work out for the good of everybody and that the music, which should get better, will keep on playing.

If I remember right, it was four years ago when Itchyworms last made an album. That was shortly after the group was named Best New Artist at the NU Rock Awards 2001. Jazz Nicolas on drums and vocals, Kelvin Yu on bass and vocals, Jugs Jugueta on guitar and vocals and Chino Singson on guitar and vocals are back with Noontime Show. Times augur well for this comeback bid and I am glad to say Itchyworms is in top form in this new album.

The music leans towards pop-rock and is nothing earthshaking. Lyrics though are something else. Here is where Itchyworms truly excel. Take note lyric writing is the usual waterloo of most bands. Not Itchyworms. Songs in Noontime Show are amusing, irreverent and has a lot to say about the Filipino noontime variety show on television. Think production numbers, contests, love teams, etc., etc. Why it even comes with Itchyworms’ version of the parental guidance warning in the opening cut Patnubay sa Magulang. I admit they can be sarcastic at times and the songs might not sit well with some people. But it is hard to come across albums that effectively combine nice melodies and social commentary in one package, so we might as well enjoy this one.

Noontime Show also has Theme from Noontime Show, Ka’ Tol, Buwan, Contestant Number One, Beer, Balde o Salapi, Salapi, One Ball, Love Team, Wala Nang Puwedeng Magmahal Sa Yo (Stalker Song), Mister Love, Everybody Thinks You’re Crazy, Falling Star, Soap O Pera and Production Number and the lone love song which is the album’s first single release, Akin Ka Na Lang.

Older bands’ new releases

Listeners who prefer to rock harder might want to consider these new releases from other older bands also getting another much-deserved break, the Cebuano indie band Urbandub and the grungy Stonefree. Like Itchyworms, these bands have been around for some years now and are among the latest to attempt at keeping their independence while recording for a mainstream label. Urbandub is with EMI while Stonefree is with Warner.

While truly hard-driving, Embrace by Urbandub is strangely introspective. These guys are sad and live in a space as bleak as their songs. Titles include An Interlude Between Closeness, Frailty, First of Summer, When Heroes Die, Reveal the Remedy, The Arsonist, Endless, A Silent Whisper, Safety in Numbers, A City of Sleeping Hearts, The End of Something and the first single Alert the Armory. Urbandub is made up of Gabby Alipe on guitar and vocals, John Dinopol guitars, Lalay Lim on bass and Jan Mendoza on drums.

Compelling music combines with simple themes in Hibiscus by Stonefree. This band has been around for ages so I am really glad they are getting this big break. Independence from a record company may seems nice, but the garish truth is that an artist needs major backing if you want to get your music heard and to sell those albums. Stonefree has produced a few EPs on their own. They compile those tracks in Hibiscus.

These are Clutch, Kapag Nawala Ka, Scar, Ikot, The Way She Moves, Water, My Star, Baka Naman, Listen, Panahon, Langit Ikaw Pa Rin and the new work and single release, Sayang. Stonefree is Miro Valera on vocals, Benson Tanoja on guitars, Relly Mangubat on drums and percussion and Regie Mangubat on bass.

From MYX, the Pinoy music channel, here are the top Pinoy videos of the week. Urbandub is at number 11 and Itchyworms at number 16. Here goes: Kung Wala Ka by Hale, Una by Sponge Cola, Ulan by Cueshé, Sandalan by 6Cyclemind, Talaga Naman by M.Y.M.P., Posible by Rivermaya, I Finally Found Someone by Sarah Geronimo and Mark Bautista, Para Sa ‘yo by Parokya ni Edgar, I Need You by Mark Bautista, I Will Never Leave You by Erik Santos.