Yep, if you’ve been around this block long enough you know that Southisms.com was born on a July.
And so was I.
You can’t blame me for loving the month of July. This month has been packed with so many things I hardly have time to go online and type one of ‘em posts for the birthday of this brainchild. Anyway, brief history: Southisms used to be and was supposed to be (exclusively) a music blog. The rise of the niche blogging hype had called this space for that purpose initially. However, the writer has transformed over time from the booze-guzzling musicionado to the tube-whirring, film-powered “student” of life, the universe and everything. So now this must be a blog about the universe and everything, as far as my media brain cell is concerned. But can’t help drifting back to music-related events since it’s still pretty much part of my nature.
Say for instance, I’ve been hearing a lot of buzz about the upcoming Muzika del Sur Music Awards 2008 for August. Unfortunately I had an ear infection so I wasn’t able to cover their preliminary events.
I’ve heard the nominations have closed and that’s where the fun usually starts.
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Photo courtesy of http://morofilm.blogspot.com
My friend Jun Macarambon, who co-wrote “A step for my dream” had their film officially selected in this year’s Cinemalaya, inevitably the most prestigious film festival in the Philippines. I haven’t seen the film myself, but the fact that it made it to the festival should keep everyone’s heads up. It was directed by Monalayn Labado, also a Mindanawon. Hopefully, their producer Teng Mangansakan II, also a documentary filmmaker from Mindanao, would allow to screen the said film for this upcoming Mindanao Film Festival for everyone to see. Lately, the influx of critical Mindanao filmmakers shaking the national and international scene have grown since, perhaps, Lav Diaz. Other films to watchout for that are made by a Mindanao filmmaker include Sherad Anthony Sanchez’s film (director of Huling Balyan ng Buhi) “Imburnal”, which was recently shot in some parts of Bankerohan and Dumalag. It is an entry for this year’s Cinema One Originals. Also, an advocacy film was recently made entitled, “Hunghong sa yuta” which has already run on local cinemas. Noticeably, most of our fresh breed of filmmakers have done stories on Mindanao, treating these stories with a fair sense of what Mindanao truly feels like.
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Hey just want to make a quick update in case any of you are interested. The independent gig schedules are as follows: Read the rest of this entry »
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I have been going around Mindanao and have had little time to be in front of the computer in the most comfortable blogging position (which I argue is absolutely necessary, as I’m sure some of you might agree)! Moreover, I have been struggling to get some music back into my system at late since the climate of my career has not been very flexible on that extent. Seriously, I make an effort! I try to steal time to listen to Smashing Pumpkin’s newest album entitled, Zeitgeist, their come-back album with a sound reminiscent of old goddamn school 90’s rock. If you’re a purist and you’re about to start dissing grunge, close this window right this instant!
Anyway.
It’s been an interesting month, thus far. And I can say the same thing about the previous month. I went to Cagayan to check out the music scene there and quite frankly, I was impressed. My heart bled over the fact that the Cagayan music scene seems more enthusiastic and more, shall I say, formidable compared to Davao’s. Not that I’m dissing our locals, no no. My point is, I wish the scene here would grow in terms of musical taste, and maybe even music support.
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See, my girlfriend is a vegan.
Let’s just put that it’s not really easy getting around the city when we start asking ourselves, “Where do we eat?” Ordinarily, it’s hard enough answering the question as a meat-lusting individual with so many spots to choose from. But what happens when you not only know what place to choose, you consequently have not too many options to begin with?
My dilemma really is that I’m such a darling and I want to, as much as possible, keep my vegan dearest happy, since as she said more times than I can count that perhaps aside from yours truly, food makes her really, really happy.
But first before I start begging for specific advice about this, you might be asking yourselves what a vegan is? Or what veganism is per se.
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Success.
And we’ll have another an encore this Friday at Paseo de Roxas. On Saturday, it’ll be at Fountain place, Agdao. You can’t miss the part 2. See y’all!
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Actually, the title says it all.
I’ve been going early out these days since the sembreak began due to morning shifts at the radio station. But on the other hand, I also suspect you’ll be seeing more of me fat if this keeps up. Morning shifts equals morning proximity at McDonald’s. Oh no! The station is too near one and those damn Hash Browns are clogging my arteries and fattening me! Being a DJ should have its perks and unperks, though. I mean, even if I get fat (theoretically) I suppose, being able to have control of the music you want to play and the requests that come your way is one of the best feelings in the world. It’s almost like a position of power. Drama, much. And while I have this freedom I suggest y’all send me samplers if you have any. Would really appreciate that.
And hey, this band thing is really getting out of hand. In a good way. I love that I’m playing in gigs again and that we’re starting a new band called Parchment. I love that I get to organize gigs. And that last gig I mentioned was so fucking successful that San Miguel wants to invest on us again. Oops, name dropping. Hahaha, yeah yeah. I mean, they sort of have this repertoire of being, how should we put it, kind of uptight in the past. But when I got to talk with one of the representatives of the company, he made too much sense that those pre-conceived notions about corporate uptight-ness were dispelled. He was telling me about how the concept of Octoberfest has been reformatted in such a way that the event outlets ought to be the one to drive the initiative to have a San Miguel sponsored gig. I mean, not only does this maximize their profit amidst the big investment on their part, but it’s as if the outlets see San Miguel as a sort of “milking cow”. Aptly put. That’s your business commentary for today.
What about kissing? Hmm…kissing. Let’s just say a kiss can mean a lot of things but sometimes you tend to feel that the world is dilluting its meaning. And sometimes, if you have enough sense in you not to let the few things in this life that are still beautiful and meaningful be a victim of this, you are a person who is not afraid to kiss.
Or you can also be a person who would rather not kiss. For its meaning’s sake.
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[Edit]
I so love Regina Spektor’s Fidelity. (Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-heart!) She sounds a lot like Feist, and if you were listening carefully then, you’d have heard of Mushaboom. Speaking of Mushaboom, The Postal Service has a beautiful version of it. KNOW YOUR MUSIC!
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Do you ever notice that sign above the Taboan stage? I think it goes, Support Artistic Freedom…
Which is kind of ironic really. Consider that they have to audition bands before they get to play in Taboan. Consider that they mesh out the bands that are NOT “patok sa masa” or whose music is too un-mainstream for normal people to appreciate. Consider that a lot of bands in Davao are really not up for un-mainstreaming themselves. There isn’t that much freedom there after all.
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Over the week I’ve sat in conversations with my bandmates on stuff like how the Davao underground music scene is doing. Sad to say, the shape sounds pretty bad. It isn’t like last summer, when there were prime spots as to where underground bands could play, i.e. the now d’funked G Rock bar and Mastul. Seeing as both establishments closed down already, with Moonstomp as the only place condusive to the kind of music indie bands play (consider how the place can’t sufficiently accomodate the whole lot of a local indie crowd - which is pretty immense, mind you), then problems still pose itself for bands who want to come up with a successful gig. And by successful, the pre-requisites are pretty simple: We invest time and money over band practices just to get exposure and if possible enough money to buy booze to last the rest of the night.
Going along the vision to come up with a successful gig in spite of scarce incentives as well as problems on actually finding a venue, Davao indie productions Don’t Record Records and Red hat are teaming up for an Octoberfest gig. I say kudos to that, realizing how it’s hard enough to keep indie bands from staying together because of the lack of avenues and more so, making sure that the integrity of the kind of music they play do not sway to the masses or for venues that require underground bands to turn a leaf for the showbandish just so they can get a gig (i.e. Taboan or even San Miguel).
Reality tells us that Davao may have all the musical talent it requires to warm up a mature music scene, but there isn’t enough production force to keep the scene intact.
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Listening to a lot of Jeff Buckley lately. Personally, my take on Jamie Cullum’s jazz cover of Buckley’s Lover, you should have come over is more on the no no. Nothing can beat Buckley when he makes the most heartbreaking ballads I’ve ever heard. If you can call it a ballad.
Narda’s out in Davao by the way. CDs are available in the nearest Oddysey record stores near you.
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More announcements! I have gig with my band Tramonto at Myx-a-tune (Juan Luna St.) 7-ish up this October 14. Please support!
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I’ve never heard of Party Punk before I joined my new band. So there really is such a thing. I had my first gig with them last night at Frissan’s, which really isn’t saying much because I think I suck. Heh. Self-ridicule is the best promotion ever. I hope Davao hears more from Gravity 404.
So they say that stuff from The Strokes can count as party pank. What about The Breeders and Le Tigre? Isn’t that party-ish enough? I mean one thing I learned though, Party punk is really about simple sounding riffs (note the use of the word sounding), thick bass lines and crazy, crazy sonic guitars, perky, perky beats and definitely non-sappy lyrics at best. How do you qualify that? God knows. Musical classification has always been a fluid theory. You just can’t put your finger on it but it makes sense as soon as you hear the material and you know a little bit of context.
By the way, I ought to plug my friend’s band Narda. They just released their newest album Discotillion which will shortly be going out through the record stores near you. Maybe not too far from now, I’ll be selling some copies myself, if consignment issues push through hahaha. Anyway, they’re this cool retrosoundingpostpunkishgodknowswhat band, but seriously I’m not a reliable source of critique as of yet because 1.) I’ve only heard two songs from their entire album and 2.) one of the dudes from the band’s my friend and I owe him too many backhanded compliments to even have the gall to plug them here. Do correct me if I’ve misinterpreted anything. Tuggishk, for effect.
Will talk more later.
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