MANILA, Philippines - Franco is, hands down, a supergroup. A true Pinoy rock fan would recognize these names: Gabby Alipe (guitar) and Jan-jan Mendoza (drums) of Urbandub, 8 Toleran (guitar) of Queso, and Buwi Meneses (bass) of Parokya Ni Edgar are all in one band!Their collective sound is not dependent on their musical and nominal reputations — it is defined by their hitherto unknown vocalist/songwriter and band namesake: Franco. Franco Reyes is probably Cebu’s last well-kept secret.
The band’s first single Castaway instantly had rock listeners wondering which foreign band was responsible for the epic music. The whole album, in fact, sounds big and clean, at times seamlessly marrying reggae and metal.
The diverse audiences attracted by the band’s collective CVs is obviously a plus but ultimately, it’s the songs that seal the deal. “All of the songs on the album are about real life experiences, so anybody can relate to that,” Franco adds.
Grab a copy of Franco’s self-titled album available in all major record bars nationwide. Tracks from the album are also available for download via Globe and Smart WAP sites. To download a ringback tone of Franco’s latest single Castaway, key in the keyword Castaway and send to 2728 for Smart subscribers, or the code KF693 and send to 2332 for Globe subscribers. Franco is released exclusively under MCA Music.