Author: Bjorn Ramos

The 90’s was such a blast for the Philippine music industry, most especially for local bands. Pinoy bands were all around the place at that time. Anyone can go, any time, from Mayric’s to Club Dredd to Yosh Cafe where you can see a band performing. Pinoy bands also ruled the Philippine airwaves. Radio stations play at least 4 OPM songs every hour. And there was even a radio station solely dedicated to Pinoy rock band scene, and no it’s not NU107. That being said, let Gigs Manila bring back the nostalgia and list the Top 10 most influential Pinoy bands of…

After a quasi-hiatus of almost four years from the recording scene, rock band Pupil is back with their latest album “Zilch.” A press conference was held on March 26, 2015 at the Historia Bar and Restaurant in Quezon City for the said event. Zilch deviates from the typical notion of a studio album since it was not put together entirely inside a recording studio. The group, consisting of Andrew “Dok” Sergio, Jerome Velasco, Wendell Garcia and Ely Buendia, decided rent a photography studio, put together some matresses and foam, and proceeded with the recording there to offer a new sound to their followers.…

It has been a long day, and you want nothing but to crash into your bed, forget about the day and just sleep. You deserve it, right? So, you turn off the lights and get ready to sleep. Just about your head hits the pillow you’ve been longing for, your neighbor starts his videoke and blasts the top hits of Air Supply. As much as you want to kill said annoying neighbor, something inside you just wakes up and starts singing along with the string of Air Supply songs. Videoke machines are a big part of our lives as Filipinos.…

Akbayan party list and Student Council Alliance of the Philippines (SCAP) blast Parokya ni Edgar vocalist Chito Miranda over a photo showing him in a pose similar to that of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos in the background. The controversial photo was taken during a gig at the celebration of the former henchmen’s 97th birthday coined as “Marcos Fiesta” at the Ilocos Norte Centennial Arena this month. Akbayan’s statement was released via their website urging Miranda to “be part of the crucial task of educating young people on the atrocities of the Marcos dictatorship.” According to their Chairperson Rafaela “Paeng”…

About a year ago, Philippines finally got out of the Korean Nightmare. After 30 years of heartaches after heartaches, Gilas Pilipinas ended the curse and was finally able to enter the FIBA World Championship in Spain. Gilas Pilipinas is ranked 34 and is expected to finish on the tail-end of the delegates around the globe. The Philippine team’s first task was to face Croatia with two NBA players. It was expected that Croatia will cruise easily behind Gilas, but the boys definitely proved them wrong. Although finishing behind them, Gilas Pilipinas put on a good show. The game went into…

Nostalgia. This song brings back memories from the mid to late 90s band explosion. This song would have been perfect for the Tunog Kalye series, a series of compilation album released by a local radio station featuring local bands. In a time when bands are going wild on electronics and synthesizers, the Uppercase Band went back to the roots by going with an acoustic feel. Simplicity is their strength. This added a certain transcendence to the song. A song about friendship and the feel of seeing each other again and going back to the good old days, the song starts…

“Salamat Po,” as the title obviously declares, is a tribute song. The song is a tribute to the higher power and to Parokya ni Edgar’s followers. Although not as catchy as their previous songs, the simply-put lyrics and the toned-down melody will hit a thing or two for die-hard PNE fans. The four-chord progression and simply-penned lyrics are PNE signatures. These have done wonders for them in the past and continue to do so in this track. The band’s simplicity and down-to-earth demeanor are their biggest strengths. It becomes apparent that Parokya ni Edgar likes the sand. The music video…

If you’re into electronic music, Deathless Gods is the right piece for you. Although not as catchy or edgy compared to mainstream electronica, it will not bore your ear out. The changes in pattern and beats were baked in perfectly. The live version is different from the album version. Changing lanes from the studio album is risky but rewarding at the same time. Regardless of changes, you can tell that Tarsius is doing it for themselves and not for the audience or target listeners. They create and play music to enjoy and not to impress which is very admirable. Deathless…

Lupang Hinirang (Joey Ayala) – Altering the national anthem is illegal and is a punishable crime but when the legendary musician and lyricist Joey Ayala tampered with it during a TEDEX event, the outcome was perfect and like what he said you’ll never sing the national anthem the same way again.

Legendary Pinoy rock and blues guitarist Jun Lopito was diagnosed with Hepatitis C and is in need of immediate medical attention. In her private message to a certain Tita Maricel, Lopito’s daughter Bebop Lavalan said her father is still “undergoing outpatient workup and to date, a few diagnoses have been established for which further evaluation is needed.” The music legend has been getting some assistance from Hearts of Music (HOM), a non-government organization founded by jazz and ska singer Skarlet Brown in her desire to fasten and preserve the health and livelihood of Filipino musicians. Skarlet Brown also known as…