What I’m optimistic about
As we’ve made it clear during the past weeks in this space, we’ve got a lot of things to be thankful for. Not to be too pretentious but there is some merit in subscribing to a Dionysian abandon in art, particularly music. Everything’s f**ked anyway so might as well enjoy ourselves. No need to read Schopenhauer to know that.
But before we move on to nicer things, let’s bring up a point-of-order. For the record, the band Radioactive Sago Project and its frontman Lourd de Veyra have only been commissioned to do two projects for advertising. In fact, Lourd has only done one voiceover for the pharmaceutical brand, Biogesic, and his band lent their song, “Hello,” for a Globe ad about three years ago. But why is it that the band’s songs (albeit binale just before eight bars) and his laconic drawl have been heard pitching several other products, including for rival brands and, most recently, detergent? The latter — in particular — sounds very similar to the cut from Sago’s recent LP, “Tanginamo Andaming Nagugutom Fashionista Ka Pa Rin,” called George Estregan Groove Explosion.
It’s probably the handiwork of the more artsy, creative agencies that want to offer their clients something “out-of-the-box” or with an “indie” feel. Lourd probably knows them, too — maybe they even turn up at art happenings just to pick up what’s happening. As they say, tourists are always bad news.
Here’s an idea: Why don’t they just call Lourd up and ask him to do it? At least, that’ll give him and the rest of the boys an incentive to keep Sago going. Then, you’ll have more material to steal from.
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On a better note, here are some albums we endorse you to check out. (We’ll review them in coming weeks.) The first is a solo effort by Skarm called “Lazy Boy Blues.” A member of A.M.P.O.N. — no doubt the most exciting and vital collective of hip-hop heads in the country today — it eschews all the enervating characteristics of the genre today. None of the words on this album are wasted. The beats and music follow their own groove. It surprises me still that the same cannot be said for almost all hip-hop played on popular media these days.
Loss of Control’s “Ricin for Lethe, Tropics of Cancer” is finally out. Check their myspace site or other social networking accounts to find out how to get it. The few tracks we’ve heard so far and their brutal assault of a live set is enough for one to endorse this band’s music. Be warned, of course, that when they say they play Brutal Death Metal, they mean it, man.
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Two live events you should catch: Princess Batugan’s “Maximo Libido” happens tonight at Saguijo. Featuring Monkeyspank, Reklamo and other bands that you can’t get too much of, it’s sponsored by Rogue magazine, Odysseylive, RJ UR 105.9 and Red Horse.
On March 15, Saturday, Drip launches their second LP, “Identity Theft,” at Mag:net High Street Magnet Café High Street, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. Special guests Us-2-Evil-O, Corporate Lo-Fi, Yosha, and Mark Zero will also be performing. Copies of the CD will be sold for the first time at the event.
See again you next week. Same space.
