Night of the Open High Hats

(Rust Pocket EP Launch, 4.1.2017, Tippy's Bistro BCD)

Well, that  Ringo. Or Richard Starkey.  Ringo Starr dual handedly canonized the open high hat slam to rock and roll highway. “How potent is that?” we may ask. The answer rings as any hard hitting drummer could hit, and it is a reverberating answer until 2017. So potent,  as  rock is alive and well.  And it still pumps fists in the air. 

Like the first of April, 2017 when we all convened at Tippy’s Bistro under the same ringing sound coming from a unit us grunge-y as their name might sound. Rust Pocket may evoke an industrial vibe – or even a steampunk visual- but it is neither of that. The quartet of Matt Montalbo (vocals), Cabomon Villagomez  (guitar),  Aldwin Alcantara (drums) and Larry Polvoroza (bass) packs that grit,  making one swear this is a band from the post-Nirvana era. And literally they are – as the Rusts (or Pockets, whatever you may) began writing the tracks to their recently released EP under Drowning Sun Records during that era.  And here we are, for their album launch.

Before the band steps in, opening acts lie up armed with originals. Matt, for tonight, is the ad hoc emcee.

Yantra begins with an improvised set of originals – and bravely, even portions in the dialect – accompanied by her iPad.  Ambient and tongue-in-cheek triphop elements evoke Portishead and even Bjork. Influences aside, it is Yantra in her element which keeps one amazed if it is her lost in the music, the music lost in her, or both. 

Next comes Uling, a punk trio reminding us how most of us get into bands in the first place – wide eyed, defiant, and human. They sing about exes, currency and broken hearts – in less than 4 minutes.  I would just have to chime in that despite the raw urgency guitarist manages to throw in a bag of tricks a fellow guitarist can smell miles away. Neat-O.

There’s something about femme fronted heavy bands. Spending Pendulum and Scroll Down. Both can careen of love lost without coming in as pretentious. Yet vulnerability is betrayed as the rhythm sections of these units come in with riffs like bulldozers. Don’t be fooled – Pendulum and Scroll pack the yin and yang elements clean – yielding a dynamic sound that treads on both ends of the sound spectrum. More angry guitars in here, added to generous doses of whacked hi-hats.

Closing the front acts was the amazing duo of Hush Hush, a bare bones unit of drums and guitar – similar to the Jack White’s template with The White Stripes. The influence is not lost in this one, as guitarist frontman El Cid Elumba liberally quotes White's signature riffs midsong.

Then comes Matt’s transformation from hesitant emcee to the towering front man.  

Rust Pocket begin with “Hole”, an exercise in exorcism of relationships lost. Rust may be part of the band’s name, but it surely is nowhere to be found in this power quartet tonight.  Rust Pocket comes as a well- oiled rock juggernaut that may have been transported from Seattle scene circa 1990s, the heydays of hard alternative rock. Aldwin on drums lays down sick grooves on shifting time signatures, tightly in step with Larry’s bass. Despite the overall aggressive sound, their songs remain true to power grooves reminiscent of S.C.I.E.N.C.E –era Incubus, Tool –worthy rawness and even at times, Deftones.  Tight enough for Cabomon’s solo guitar chores, who deliciously provides chime-y arpeggios one moment and churning power fifths the next.  But on top of all that is Matt’s low register drawl with that back-of-the-throat vibrato channeling Eddie Vedder.  When one hear him declare that he knows in “I Know”, one senses the urgency and defiance to the powers and systems that be.  “Quicksand” and “Blind Mute” remains true anthems to isolation and loneliness, while the closer “Brain Dead” is the last heave. Now the crowd has gathered upfront, singing along to the words “never remember the pain, so leave my head and be dead”.  

And what opened with the steady prodding of the open hi-hats is closed with a cymbal crash – driving all the inner demons away. Well, thank you, Sir Ringo.   

TianoBM2017

RUST POCKET's EP is released under Drowning Sun Records. 

FB Links: 

Rust Pocket

Uling

Scroll Down 

Spending Pendulum  

Drowning Sun Records

There are no links available for Yantra and Hush Hush

Frac/tions were not able to perform due to circumstances

One More Experiment

My chemistry days were over, so I thought. That is, until I stumbled onto a recent experiment that was too tempting not to pry my fingers at.

It’s quite a messy experiment, the one that we all love. First there’s the term “rock”, which covers everything from the Beatles to Jack White and all in between. Then there’s “acoustic’, which may refer to sonic properties of materials or the symphonic instruments. Add a generous dash of the “blues” and we still are amazed in 2017 how it roots from deltas, yet deluges the whole planet. 

The key lies on the final element:  “experiment”. A little mix of the above given elements under the daring mind of Mr. Stephen Lu and we get an interesting hybrid which is The Rockoustic Blues Experiment.  For starters. Lu is no stranger to the blues, as evidenced by his larger than life hits with then Rizal Underground, “Sabado Nights” and “Bilanggo”. 

Lest the word “blues” create a stereotype of endless 12 or 8-bar jams, nope. TRBE is more than that.

TRBEs debut indie album, “In-Flight” contains six cuts plus two bonus minus-one tracks:  Ilaw, Kapag Ikaw ang Kasama ko, Mahal na Mahal Kita, Brown and White, Loveland, and Wait for Me.  It is an album that sings of a love bittersweet - save for one track, Brown and White (a song celebrating humanity underneath the colors and status).

The team of Lu (acoustic guitar, vocals), Bonglennon (guitars), Pex Holigores (bass), Nikko Tirona (drums), and Edgar Mendoza (keyboards) concocts one solid groove over a steady chugging pace.  How does it sound like? Sonically, we get the necessaries: solid acoustic rhythm guitar, Keef-worthy chunky parts, tight drums and bass, and nice doses of vintage piano parts. Think of post -Beatles Harrison or pre-Eagles Walsh, and even Robert Cray. The overall mix fits perfectly at home in the periodic table of Pinoy Rock.  Lu tops it with a voice that careens one moment, and then turns to raspy brawl –perfect for the material.  And the mandatory solos? Not a problem - as guests take turn to add their unique elements to the brewing rock mix.

The album takes an entirely different breath live. 

 

Bonglennon stands, cigarette clipped between pinky and ring finger a la Clapton, while churning meaty tele riffs. Pex, the bearded bass man, lays own the rock solid groove which at times, hint his influences of reggae-ish behind the beat feel. If this then be an experiment, Edgar catalyzes the mix with a thick amount of blues licks or a good chord bed on vintage keys. Nikko rolls steadily like a drummer’s drummer – right in the pocket. Lu the frontman carries the “oomph” (or swag for the millineal/mosaic readers), like a cross between Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty. And as some wise alchemist, Lu leads the band through the terrain from smooth to bumpy rides. A little trade of solos here, a breakdown there, a sudden detour to traditional blues forms – make the whole experiment interesting and fun.  

 

Collectively the band knows well when to let the explosions fly. And when they do, we get our fix of burns and dents right before our noses.  But we all know that lab explosions and pops often predate those ‘eureka’ moments.  And like any experiment, we can therefore conclude that TRBE – works fine. Really fine.

TianoBM2017

Album guests:

Lead guitars, Ilaw : Peter Vinco

Lead guitars, Kapag Ikaw ang Kasama Ko: Jun Lopito

Vocals, Loveland: Ramone Rodriguez

Harmonica, Loveland: Ian Lofamia

Wurlitzer, Loveland: Butch Saulog

Bass, Loveland: Maly Paraguya

Band links:

The Rockoustic Blues Experiment Album Tour VIsayas

The Rockoustic Blues Experiment

How Michael Learned to Rock and Tear my Brain Apart

I just recently detached myself from being myself, and interestingly document why I think like me.

Blame it on MLTR, that is Michael Learns To Rock. Seriously. 

I had lunch, went to a local convenient store for a few minutes of bliss, water and air conditioning.  MLTR’s “The Actor” plays. Here’s how it went:

(0-15 seconds)  Knowing it had a guitar part in the middle, my mind recalls an old guitar playing peer from church, who learned the part note for note. That clean, chorused strat tone that I loved, which led me to

(16-40 seconds) remember that song was a staple when you wanted to be a part of the scene – being with working top 40 (show) bands - and recall the simple joys of having a minimum of analog effects chained to your guitar maximized to cover every guitar tone from MLTR to beyond. Now, my memory banks simulate the smell of cigarette smoke and used oil permeating the deep-fry dishes served on nightly joints which, played basketball on TV while the house bands play – my mecca – my music education 201.

(1^st minute) Now musing on the MLTR track we played in a college band to gather swoons and oohs as opposed to the testosterone drive of Ugly Kid Joe and early Metallica , covered by “other” bands who looked down on top 40 bands and any band who did not do Metallica and Ugly Kid Joe.

(Chorus before instrumental)

Now wondering if my former band in college can ever gather in the future, and forget why we fought like cats on the most mundane things, and if we can still convincingly do Europe’s “Final Countdown” 20 pounds and 20,000 white hairs later, and wonder if ever I gave the board exams just a shot, or if I had enough guts to talk to that girl from the other college, or how different it is it to afford a full meal right now when I survived on crackers and cup soup during thesis, or if I really wanted to be an engineer, or how it could have been if I was a full pledged engineer…

-GUITAR SOLO- Brain freezes

(post guitar solo clocking to closing ) Nope, I never gave the board examinations a shot.

I did not talk to that girl. Meals are affordable now but not necessarily healthy.

I never wanted to be an engineer anyway.  My teachers and grades confirm it a thousand times.

But damn, I am still a musician.

And I must get back to government work in 2 minutes.  

Whether I love this job or not is immaterial. It is simply for the reason below:

So I won’t go back to cup soup and crackers.  Thanks Michael.

The Gift of Tongues

A night of beautifully complicated and intricate communication lines filled the La Proa Ballrooms of L’Fisher Hotel that night. Every message of joy, anguish, pleading and jubilation – all equally urgent – was accessible like one’s WIFI on top game. There were grunts, squeals, melodies and rhythms intertwined, more so like syllables forming the glossolalia on this tent-revival meeting of sorts. 

Forgive the religious shades, but it cannot be helped – as number after number of that evening was beyond the realm of entertaining, a given, by the way. It was a spiritual movement deftly aimed to to touch the soul. On its 8^th year, the Bacolod Jazzfest brought about by Bob Coscolluela and the Jazz Society of Negros continues roll steadily, amidst the ever-changing Bacolod and Filipino culture it embodies. Importantly, it remains as the hub of the past and the future, alluding to the timeless language which is jazz. 

So if it was a big tent revival, local guitarist Mari Pena on guitars and saxophonist/ host Raul Banzon provided an earnest for the night to come. Just like an interesting tennis match, the earliest exchange of pleasantries, bluesy phrases and conversations between sax and guitar got the crowd warmed up. The simmering musical exchange was joined in by the Projects’ Seanne Yared and setting the exchange into an increasing frenzy, in time for the Yared and his team as the opening act.

The Projects- the youngest of the line-up and representing the Sugar City  – is a strong proof of taste infused by the blood that flows from the roots themselves. The Projects – ably guided by their mentors – know how to dig from Calloway to Jamiroquai. They wow the crowd with a set that was just enough to cover the basics and kick the evening. As saxophonist/host Raul Banzon said – the future of jazz is now visible, and it is alive and well. Adding oomph to the 6 piece unit is long-time friend and collaborator Joanne Bernal on vocals. Despite front man Tim de la Rama’s admission that they were aspiring ‘jazzers’, it was clear that their little steps and syllables  were akin to seeing kids do their fresh firsts. Perhaps, a few more years, Giant Steps aren’t that far ahead for the group (pun intended).  

The initial exhilaration serves it right for the next reading, ushering the evening into a different plane. Anders Paulsson, the Swedish sax player whose bio profiles him under classical genre, is perhaps a strong statement on the importance of discipline and communicating. Paulsson’s classical foundation is impossible to miss, as evidenced in his set kicker, a J.S. Bach piece. His octaves, runs, quavers, all with consistent tone, seem to separate mortality and the spiritual.  The notoriety of the soprano saxophone, due to its upper range, makes it a beast to play in pitch. But Anders effortlessly crafts it, makes it take the pastoral beckon of a clarinet one moment, only to unleash a flurry of bop the next. He was ably backed by the virtuosos Jun Austria (drums), Simon Tan (bass), and Joey Quirino (piano). Paulssen tackles his originals, again, which harmonies and arrangements highlighting classical prowess - with such imagery that one is taken into snapshots of his stories, his travels and his undeniable commitment to preserving nature – the Danjugan Island to be specific. Again, Bernal joins Paulsson for vocal numbers on his set, while lyricist and pianist Gerry Grey listen in the crowd.  

From the ethereal to the spiritual, what does earth have to offer? A lot, as the crowd gets back to the ground after the encounter, on the gritty, earthy set of Working Stiff. The Stiffs are no strangers to the festival, but seeing them that night in their element was another fresh moment. The twin guitar attack of Kedy Sanchez and guest Joey “The Wizard" Puyat provided the necessary grit for the evening. It was a rough and tumble game through the smooth (arguably, “pogi” jazz for some) and fusion arena. The contrast between Sanchez midrange-y driven SG was a foil for Puyat’s warm 78’ Reissue Les Paul, with both playing tag in staples such as Room 335 (Carlton) and On My Way to the Liquor Store (Spinozza). For all that grit, a good amount of soul and smooth is balanced by Lorry Zamora’s sax and Mark Laygo’s vocals. Laygo, who is also the vocalist/songwriter for Passage, a smooth jazz/crossover outfit, filled the necessary breathers for the crowd to sing along, tearing the lines between audience and participants.  

What might be taken as the apex of the evening was the celebration of two names, taking the evening a notch above the previous festivals. The Projects and Working Stiff made space for bittersweet tribute numbers to one of jazz’ timeless voices – the late Al Jarreau - who passed away barely a week ago. Yet, another victorious roar for the jazz community hails next, as Philjazz awarded Bacolod’s own Bob Aves the much deserved Lifetime Achievement Award, recognizing his efforts and talents for the language of jazz and the excellence of the Filipino musician. As Aves goes onstage, the bands and the audience transform to wide-eyed fans as the talented creative takes his moment.

Midnight comes to a close, but the not for festival. Not with the highly anticipated jazz juggernaut saved for the final set that night – the AMP Nonet. A.M.P (or Asosasyon ng Musikong Pilipino) was so turned (or amp’ed) up that final set, the first song was like a rushing runaway train that hit. Simon’s stuttering low end bassline rumbled while horns in full regalia recall Zappa-esque pomp. Band leader/ arranger Mel Villena on baritone sax quickly took the business to their hands and tore down the house. Seated upfront, my hair was ruffled by a hand which turned out to be that of an ecstatic Joey Benin (of Side A), who was hollering upon the first few bars of the number. The young guns took the lion’s share of solo spots, notably Mike Guevarra (alto) and Cocoy De Pano (tenor). Yet the whole, as said, was always greater than the sum of the parts. The arrangements of VIllena was not for the faint-hearted either, as evidenced in how they phrased and permutated Mancini’s “Pink Panther Theme” and Warren’s “There Will Never be Another You”. Hearing the horns blast in your face proves screamer David Lee Roth right: “Nothing comes heavier and matches a full brass band”. Yet all that rough and tumble are neatly seamed by the final guest for the night, the sultry Kat Agarrado (SinosiKat?). A veteran of the Bacolod Jazz Festival, Kat opens with a vixen-y take of Route 66, employing every sigh and growl, fetching from her blues pool within. It is notable that despite the temptation to do horn driven funk with the Nonet underneath, her numbers stuck to the classics and pop soul fare providing a well-covered set which had the now-dwindling crowd on their feet, dancing and moving. 

Nary a hint of ego, as all communicated their stories in respective dialects and tongues, bringing to the table a rich and communal music festival.   Jazz again revealed itself in its purest state, a medium reflecting life in all of us rather than a simple ii-V-I chord change, an altered scale or – even a cerebral fusion statue dance. Jazz proved non-threatening to the uninitiated and an affirmation to its faithful ambassadors, who despite the fickle economy and the struggle for airtime, rally behind its gospel. The tongues have ceased by that time, but the message rings clear.

And I hear a hundred Amens.

Tiano BM 2017

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Artist/Band links:

Bob Aves 

The Projects

Working Stiff 

Anders Paulsson

Kat Agarrado 

AMP Nonet/ Big Band

Event Photos:

Jazz Society of Negros FB