Bands and brothers

Catch the college scene’s top new acts before they break out.

MANILA, Philippines - It’s easy to be a fan of bands from outside our country. It’s so easy — just log on to YouTube and get a sampler of their music. Sometimes, it is harder to love our own — just because of distribution or lack thereof; just because if you’re not in the know, it’s almost impossible to come across the good bands.

Manila has sprouted many promising young musicians that give us hope of a tomorrow filled with fresh new music. To give you something new to tune in to during your study sessions and stuck-in-traffic moments, we rounded up six talented acts who might just be Manila’s next hit makers.

No Rome

With his signature flower crown, Rome Gomez tells us that he would describe his music as flower punk and Internet wave. Rome doesn’t see his music breaking into radio and mainstream music industry. He thrives online, and to his listeners his music is categorized as new wave, chill wave and dream pop. Listen to his songs and be reminded of bands like New Order, Joy Division and Passion Pit. “You can chill to it, you can dance to it. It’s retro,” he says of his music. “I’m a big fan of nature, flowers, and nature art. I spend time in calm and quiet places, so I try to draw inspiration from that,” Rome quips with a dreamy look on his face.

Find him here: https://soundcloud.com/ylgrome

Rusty machines

Taking inspiration from OPM bands like Sandwich and Rivermaya as well as indie bands like Arctic Monkeys and Young the Giant, member Miko Miso says, “I think we’re not the heavy rock kind of indie, we’re on the more pop side of indie. It’s really easy to listen to.”

“We want to give off that happy, chill vibe,” frontman Iggy San Pablo, who writes most of songs, adds, “but with sad lyrics.” The band consists of San Pablo on vocals and guitar, Joshua Andres on guitar, Miso on drums and Bert Santos on bass. “You don’t have to listen to a lot of music to like our music, it’s a sort of ‘close your eyes while smiling’ kind of vibe, because we have songs about the beach. It’s simple and sincere, it’s up to you to interpret our music, but all we can say is it’s simple and sincere.”

Find them here: https://soundcloud.com/rustymachines

The cohens

If you’re a big fan of the early Beatles and you’re looking for a new band that would give the good ’60s vibes with an indie twist, The Cohens is definitely the way to go. Fusing classic pop rock and indie rock together, their music is a mix of old and new that gets the audience bopping their heads and tapping their feet. The Cohens consists of Paolo Lim on vocals and rhythm guitar, Ian Invencion on lead guitar, Joe Puyat on drums, and Karl Valdez on bass guitar, all hailing from Ateneo de Manila University. “Because of high school, we were labeled as sort of a boy band, but we’re hoping to break out of that with our new EP,” says front man Paolo Lim. “If you listen to our songs you’ll realize you’re not the only one going through that heartbreak or that fun night out,” he adds. The band will be releasing their EP soon, definitely something to look out for.

Find them here: https://soundcloud.com/thecohens

Imelda

“Some people say that it’s five guys playing hard rock but they’re named after a woman, so it’s very mysterious,” says Vincci Santiago when asked about their band name. The band insists that though it may seem like they’re named after the former first lady, it’s pretty much open to interpretation. Consisting of Jam Pascual on vocals, Miguel Feria and Vincci Santiago on guitar, Diego Manzano on bass/backing vocals and Nash Ignacio on drums/percussion, Imelda is a hard rock band that is obviously influenced by Rage Against The Machine, Led Zeppelin, and Red Hot Chili Peppers. Having launched their EP just last month, this band describes it as a labor of love. With high hopes for the future, these five guys have the energy and vigor of a true rock band. “If you’re having a bad day and you’re in the mood to just rock out, definitely give us a listen,” Jam Pascual says.

Find them here: https://soundcloud.com/officialimeldaph

Idioms and dispositions

This band consists of Bijoe Arias on lead vocals and guitar, Miel Arrojado on bass, Julian “Torc” Torquator on drums and Pappu de Leon on guitar. Their influences include Two Door Cinema Club, Phoenix and Vampire Weekend. “We’re more on the indie pop alternative side of music, because we want to be different,” Torc Torquator says. “We have mellow and fun songs that give off happy and bouncy vibes. It isn’t the head bang kind of music, but it’s definitely a mood lifter,” he adds. When asked why the youth should listen to Idioms and Dispositions, Bijoe Arias says, “It’s an experience. You can feel a connection. When I write most of our songs, it’s based on my experiences about friendship, love lost, and failures. So I think it’s something people can connect to. It’s not something you hear every day.” Make sure you check out their EP when it drops in January.

Find them here: https://soundcloud.com/idioms-and-dispositions

The Squibs

The Squibs is a rock band made up of Daryll Bernal on vocals and guitar, Robert Daulat on bass, Joshua Blay on lead guitar and Marc Arca on drums, four happy-go-lucky guys that bring their personalities into their music. They draw inspiration from the Foo Fighters, Guns N’ Roses, and the Black Keys. “Our songs are upbeat rock music,’” Daryll says. “We speak about the youth’s daily experiences, one of our songs talk about not having cash, but we still do what we want because we love it. We want to express how we feel right now, the youth can really relate. We voice out what you’re afraid to say.” Everything is a song they recommend everyone should listen to, and the band is about to release a free digital copy of their EP on their Facebook page, so check them out.

Find them here: https://www.facebook.com/thesquibs