Club joins the big time

For a pop band that describes itself as punk-rooted, there is not a hint of nihilism in the music of Join the Club (JTC). What this group likes to sing about most is good old-fashioned love and the members seem to enjoy it more when they bask in lots of heartbreak.

Check out how they end the song Emotional Overdose. "Ano nais ko lamang / ay matapos na ang sandali/ at ng mawala na/ ang sakit na dulot nitong damdamin/ hangga’t maaari/ ay limutin na ang sandali/ hangga’t maaari ay limutin na/ limutin ka na..."

But while they admit to enjoying the emo trips, their melodies and arrangements sparkle with so much life. They lift you up and lure you into the fun. And you gladly join in, just happy knowing that band music these days needs no causes, serious messages or the put-down grunge attitude pseudo rockers hereabouts believe they should cultivate in order to sound good.

Join the Club is made up of head songwriter Biboy Renia on vocals and guitars; Migs Mendoza on guitars and back-up vocals; Pao Santiago on drums and back-up vocals; and Congie Lulu on bass. It was part of last year’s explosion of new rock bands and has earned the reputation of being one of the best around in terms of melodies and arrangements. These guys may need improvements with their writing but the music is solid in every way.

The first album released was entitled Nobela, and as you surely guessed, it contains those musings about love, most especially love about to end and love that has totally ended. Here is how they tell it in Mahiwaga. "Ikaw ba iyon/ hanggang ngayon/ ako’y mayron pang pagtingin/sisihin sabihing/ ako’y sinungaling."

Thanks to Pinoy friendly sentiments like those and catchy tunes, Nobela became big hits and Join the Club became a success. In fact it was such a big seller it was decided that the market was ripe for one of those special edition releases, which has become a fad among music artists nowadays.

Instead of coming up with that crucial second album, what has become common practice is to issue a special edition album. This usually contains the hit CD, bonus tracks of unreleased or new recordings plus some music videos. Then box it and sell it. This gimmick certainly generates more sales and prolongs the shelf life of the debut album.

In the case of JTC’s Nobela, the special edition release includes an audio-visual CD which has music videos and acoustic versions of the singles Lunes, Nobela and Tinig; songs available for the first time like the new single, Pa’no Sasabihin, plus Baliw Na Baliw and Nakalimutan Ko Na Bang Magmahal and other treats.

Join the Club will have to face up to that all-important second album soon but meanwhile let us enjoy Nobela and its variety of broken hearts. See how it is at its tritest in My Way with You. "Somewhere I can be with you/ someday you will like me too/ back into your arms again/ then I’ll love you."

JTC sings Handog

Join the Club is also one of the acts featured in Hopia, Mani, Popcorn, the Best of Manila Sound. The guys perform Florante’s timeless Handog, which serves as a fitting closing track to the collection of hits from the ‘70s, which is considered the golden age of Filipino pop music.

The album also boasts of Mike Hanopol’s No Touch by Rocksteddy; Vic Sotto’s Ipagpatawad Mo by Mayonnaise; the Soul Jugglers’ Hanggang Magdamag by Kapatid; Cinderella’s T.L. Ako Sa ‘yo by Kitchie Nadal; Sharon Cuneta’s Kahit Maputi Na ang Buhok Ko by Soapdish; VST & Co.’s Rock Baby Rock by Kala; Hot Dog’s Bitin Sa ‘yo by Up Dharma Down; Sampaguita’s Bonggahan by 6Cyclemind; Rico Puno’s Macho Guwapito by Protein Shake; Tao also by Sampaguita by DRT; Rico’s Kapalaran by Radioactive Sago Project; and Rey Valera’s Ako Si Superman by Sound.

Incidentally, those of you who bought the original CD release of Hopia, Mani, Popcorn, must have noticed that the cover is actually a Dama board. Dama, the Pinoy’s version of checkers, was a popular game in the past when people still had lots of time to while away and life was not yet as frenetic. Try it out. All you need is time and some bottle caps. I recall players using tansans then, but those seem to have already been replaced by screw caps.