Playing the Interrupters' Say It Out Loud

Fra Lippo Lippi's Golden Slumbers

I remember watching their concert the first time they played Manila. I am not sure now if it was at the Ultra or the Folk Arts Theater. I do remember that it was a short set that there were several encores. The crowd wouldn't let them go. Then vocalist Per Sorensen said -- and I remember this so well -- "You really love our music?"

Then they sang some songs they had performed earlier!

For Golden Slumbers, perhaps save for "Angel" every song was re-recorded for this album. So they all sound somewhat different but they weren't so bad. I like them. Honestly, I wish they recorded a double album because there are only eight songs here! Eight! Where's "Come Summer"? "Some People". And "Fade Away"?

Do I smell a follow up?

Pamcy Fernandez’ sounds of summer: From confectionary to beach tunes

Pamcy Fernandez’ sounds of summer: From confectionary to beach tunes

by rick olivares

Young electronic artist Pamcy Fernandez is a busy bee nowadays. She released via Spotify and Soundcloud her new extended play album, Deep Sea Pearls, a week ago. And her debut cassette single, Piso Isa, is now available.

The cassette single, produced by Australian label, Healthy Tapes, is now in the hands of Fernandez for domestic consumption. The young lass out of Ateneo de Manila University attracted the attention of Healthy Tapes’ Lee Hannah sometime in 2017 and now, this cassette single is out.

“It’s sounds weird that it’s new music and it’s on an old music form – the cassette,” said Fernandez during a meet up at Treskul Café in Boni Avenue, Mandaluyong City. “I think it’s so cool that I am also planning my next release on cassette.”

The budding artist finally received her copies to sell the other day and Pamcy couldn’t sleep a wink in excitement. “I went to the post office to claim my package the first thing the next day,” she exclaimed. “Opening the package and there were all these cassettes – it was a surreal feeling. I never imagined I’d get a release. And to think I just did this as a hobby.”

Her parents too are now excited fans. “My mom also thought it was just something to keep me busy. But when I took her to a gig, she now wants to help book them. And the cassette… they are happy too because they know this is something serious.”

While Piso Isa are souvenirs from her younger days, her new EP, Deep Sea Pearls, reflects a more adventurous spirit. The new songs are R&B and Soul inflected house tunes that are simply groovylicious. The track “No Way” featuring Olympia is a gorgeous neo-soul number.

“Since the article on ABS-CBN, I started to get more features elsewhere,” she enthused. “And even better, I’ve been getting some gigs. For now, once a week. But it has been increasing.”

This coming Thursday, Pamcy will be performing at the Slow Cook production at Today X Future in Cubao along with fellow electronic artists Levanstock, Shape/Shift, and Beachwitch.

You may get in touch with Pamcy Fernandez through her Facebook page or via her Soundcloud and Spotify accounts. The Piso Isa cassette single costs P400 each and comes with download tracks for two songs.

Filipino punk band, The Republicats, release a rollicking debut album.

The Republicats. Photo by Jason Pineda. Borrowed from the Republicats' FB page.

Filipino punk band, The Republicats, release a rollicking debut album.

by rick olivares

The Republicats’ debut album, Disconnected, is the offspring of this Filipino punk rock band’s American and British influences. And I will go on to say that it is one of the best releases – this genre or otherwise – in the past few years.

Disconnected is rollicking debut filled with messages of unity, social commentary, potshots at negativity, and fighting for causes. Formulaic? Maybe in a way. Yet understand that the album’s title is a misnomer. Rather than an isolationist feel it immediately suggests, the Republicats – vocalist Wendy Villanueva, drummer Renmin Nadela, guitarist Jomal Linao, and bassist Xyroz Peñaranda -- have only “disconnected” themselves from all the negativity and hate.

The opening track, “Unite”, has in fact been claimed by people in this current government and from the left. Nadela, who is also the bands spokesperson, is not amused by this. “We try not to be associated with anyone so there are no limitations.”

I love how they captured the Oi spirit and terrace feel of Cock Sparrer. I love the punchy bass, soaring rockabilly guitars, and ska roots that have Rancid written all over them. And the Republicats’ drummer and spokesperson, Renmin Nadela, makes no bones about the Rancid influence.

“Rancid is a big influence on me,” admitted Nadela. “My main three influences are the Clash, the Ramones, and Rancid. That’s all I have listened to for years. Since 1993 to be exact.”

Talk about a long-standing love affair with the Berkley, California punks who will go down as one of the genre if not music as a whole’s legends. Yet, the Republicats aren’t mere copycats (check out their band logo that will have you thinking of the American jump swing revival bands of the late 1990s). They place their own stamp in the music.

And that comes in the form of Wendy Villanueva on vocals. I am tempted to mention the Distillers, but that is just a coincidence (if you’re a Rancid fan then you know it’s a no-no that the since-disbanded Distillers does not go hand-in-hand with them in any sentence except in the past). Villanueva evokes former Put3ska frontwoman, Myra Ruaro, albeit in a more punk manner.

All the ingredients make for one rollicking, soaring, and fun debut that every punk rock fan should get.

Disconnected is a labor of love that took four years to complete as the band took their time refining songs that shows a commitment to their craft and songwriting as well as weaving in the soaring and buzz saw guitars of Jomal Linao (also of Kamikazee) into the mix.

The 11 songs that make up the album are short and sweet. They race up and down with a frenetic pace but never sacrifice the quality especially in the songs and the soaring harmonies and vocal interplay that make punk rock songs of the sing-song variety. You think of the song’s messages and articles of faith and loyalty and the willingness to slog through the rigmarole of life. More than the anthems, there is that bit of biting social commentary in “Desap (Desaparecidos)” that means “the disappeared” in Spanish. Draw your conclusions and it’s very apt especially for today. I’ll say this though, this is one of the strongest tracks and it completes the punk ethos for Disconnected.

And thus, the 11 tracks keep you on your toes and fire up the synapses as they make you want to pogo. And that’s what a good album should do.

It’s definitely time to get disconnected with the Republicats.

With electronic artist Pamcy Fernandez

Finally met electronic artist Pamcy Fernandez who I wrote about for ABS-CBN here. I am also the first customer - locally -- to get her cassette single, Piso Isa, from Australian label, Healthy Tapes! 

Love her stuff. Watch out for my follow up story on her.

U2's All That You Can't Leave Behind - the original and the counterfeit

This is U2's magnificent All That You Can't Leave Behind. The record on the left is the original and the one on the right is counterfeit.  The difference is in the lighter hue as well as the shrink wrap for the original which is more precise and fit. 

This is the sleeve. Same thing -- the original is brighter while the counterfeit is darker. 

For the back of the liner notes, the counterfeit features the album's serial number. That doesn't appear on the original.

The vinyl for the original comes in a plastic lined sleeve for protection. The counterfeit doesn't. I just added the plastic for more protection.

The original record shows the Island UMC label while the counterfeit makes use of Island. Plus the label at the center is rough.

You'd think debating the audio quality of original and counterfeits are one-sided. Not completely. Some are all right. But the fake All That You Can't Leave Behind is bleeping terrible. Just horrible. Don't let your stylus touch this piece of crap.