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.