Press Release
For Immediate Distribution and Publication
February 25, 2009


SUNDOWN CAFFEINE AND BLACK SUMMER JOIN OTHER MUSICIANS AND EROTIC POETS TO CELEBRATE LOVE AND LUST AT FREEDOM BAR

Rock bands Sundown Caffeine and Black Summer performed at the celebrated Freedom Bar of Anonas Street last night, Tuesday, February 24, 2009, alongside several other artists.

Produced by Matilda 7 and In House Live!, the event was dubbed ‘Love and the Muse’ and designed to be celebration of music and poetry about love, lust and everything between the sheets. With such a familiar subjects, the members of the two bands eagerly dove in.

Black Summer began with their carrier single Sana’y Dumating a song about yearning. The followed it up with their latest composition, Wounds, which spoke of the struggle of healing. Their third song was the familiar Old Flame – a story about regret. Finally, they ended with Drowing, a song about confusion and frustration.

Sundown Caffeine initiated their performance with the favorite Even Angels Cry, which more than anything else, talks about emotional equality. Their second song, Last Star, was louder and heavier, characteristic of its subject matter: sardonic bitterness. Nine Rivers, a reflection of recent past hurts and an attempt in self-consolation was their third piece. They ended with Halo Effect, a song about delusional attraction.

It was a simple but wonderful gathering, overflowing with beer and pulutan as it was Sundown Caffeine guitarist Conrad Cruz’s birthday. Problem was, the band members might have had just a little too much fun before their performances.

SC vocalist, MRD says “Three Red Horses before a gig is a bad idea. I’d be lucky if was able to hit half my notes. I couldn’t understand what was going on around me. Everything was a blur and I just played from pure instinct. But how can I complain? This has to be the reason why they call this the Freedom Bar. (laughs)”

Both bands agree that the grit and feel of the place was right on the money. “Grassroots and very real”, Black Summer frontman Allen describes. Bassist Gboy said that it “... takes me back to college… UP days.”

5 women-artists in Subliminal Cosmos

Posted under Showbiz and Style

So the year has turned over, we’ve open those wine bottles saved for the season, indulged and bulged, but music is still on a plateau.  The industry has rendered 2008 the worst yet, some regarded that to the year before.  This is in terms of CD sales and other traditional revenue streams for the music industry.  On the other hand, entertainment industry has been on the bustling phase.  With tours and concerts all around the world, there has never been a greater time for music than now, and I’m quite sure that everyone is excited about it too.

In the local scene, the bar gigging for variety groups is on a decline, and thank god the “acoustic movement” has finally come to relaxed phase.  No offense to acoustic artists, but that time came create this mentality that anyone can be a musician, and next thing you know, everyone has a band creating acoustic renditions to their favorite covers.  While this was a good indication of the pinoys being innately talented, it didn’t serve too well for the real talents.  Spawning from every nook and cranny of the city were ‘overnight’ formed bands.  Soon enough they started playing in almost every gig spots that you can think of.  And because these groups weren’t really experienced, and talented for the least, they were more than willing to take-in how much the industry was there to offer.  This dramatically dropped down Talent Rates to the lowest low.  And the next thing you know, every bar capable of having one would book these groups left and right at a rate unprecedented.  This wasn’t a good news for the professionals who practically dedicated their lives unto music and lived it.  Countless of these artists found themselves jobless, more like gigless, as a lot of these bars on the other hand didn’t really care, after all, if they can save a few bucks with the circus act, its a burden off their shoulders.  But a friend of mine once said that its only a matter of time and this will come to pass.  So the real musicians prevailed and the pseudo artists gave up.  In the mean time, people got fed up too, the “market” got saturated and so were our ears.  True enough music is back to where it should be, or at least getting there.

The sound to reckon for 2009!

Probably one, if not the only band to look out for this year, fast and rising, churning out solid sets of originals and seemed to be gearing up for gigs, is BLACK SUMMER.  Saw them one time at a mall gig, this band simply rocks.  Being a trio as it is, they’re a force to reckon with.  Makes me wonder how they conjure up they’re songs that way.  In a sense they actually remind me of SUGARFREE, but these guys has more teeth and edgier sound.

I got the opportunity to talk to one of them and found out that these guys are actually part of a compilation album of MAX FM and DYNA MUSIC Philippines.  Entitled TUNOG KALYE “Bagong Tunog, Bagong Banda”, BLACK SUMMER is indeed BAGONG TUNOG.  Included in the album are ten up and coming bands namely.  Got to see four of them that same afternoon.

The album is a bit disappointing though, considering that this is a label album production, it didn’t seem to justify much of these band’s music.  I got one actually during that same gig.  But nevertheless, these bands definitely have something coming.  VALEN for one is already playing on different radio stations.  But I’m excited for KANTULA, a novelty band, and where they’re music will lead them to, and of course BLACK SUMMER, with their solid sound.

KUDOS!!!

*I’d like to thank the band for letting me grab their photos from their multiply site (http://blacksummersound.multiply.com)

I've been going around manila, ever since I moved here, to find the best places to hang out, hear live performers or maybe just to know the best eats and chill.  With the city's ever 'market friendly' environment (read market drowned with choices), one can get fooled instantly to the goings on and what's not.  If there's one thing I learned in school that ever applies to this place, it would be "Don't (ever ever ever) judge a book by its cover".  When you're someone who comes from a much more suburban environment, Manila can be overwhelming.

So I tried the most happening spots and the not so happening spots and in a lot of ways, they're not what it seems.  Take for example Hard Rock Cafe, it hardly rocks most of the time.  The place is nicely set-up but I'd rather be in 19 East  if you ask me.  Unless if one is going for a cover band, this might be the place if you also have that much money to burn.  Entrance fee alone is quite steep considering that it's not as consumable is should be.  In Makati, there's been hardly any place to go anymore.  Ever since the local mayor banned smoking inside indoor joints, the bar scene in that area has been at its lowest low.  Except for the Greenbelt spots which offers both indoor and outdoor seating, the other places are hardly filled on regular days.

I remember a few years back when C. Palanca offered more than just food to its guests.  The array of live music choices is pretty diverse that there's a place for everyone.  Bad memory isn't serving me well right now so forgive for missing out on the names of these places.  But coming from De La Rosa, turning left to Palanca, you're greeted with this corner nook with an acoustic live seen.  I remember this hot funky chick Wendy, she is teamed with a second guitar player, an amazing one at that, named Raymond.  Amazing duo.  Back then when the acoustic scene was such a buzz, this team went a notch higher than your typical.  Playing classics up to contemporary. 

Moving forward down fifty meters are three closely situated spots.  Amazingly, their genres never collide.  If you like contemporary independent/ or signed bands, Guielos is it.  They have a branch in Eastwood City which now runs the new ClubDredd on its second floor.  Right after it is 6 Underground, (the bar not the song by Sneaker Pimps), its the old basement that use to house 'Kalye'.  It's a much more 'underground' scene, a its name connotes.  Mostly unsigned and independent acts, this was the place years back.  The crowd's easy going and everyone can be "all you want to be".  Eyes train on you though if you get over the top with who you're trying to be, meaning, if you're getting cheeky.  Across these two bars is a resto that transforms three hundred sixty degrees over when it's late in the night.  I hung out here more often cause they've got better food, among other things.  The name also got me curious if the owners intentionally coined it from a spot of the same name in Chicago IL.  Nonetheless, they seemed to have their own identity of sort.  I heard though that their address is numbered 110 hence the moniker.  The crowd here is much more diverse than the former two.  From corporate yuppies to artists, this place didn't seem to lose appeal for any.  On regular days, you can be serenaded by an acoustic duo or trio, or a piano bar style set-up.  On midweek and weekends particularly, it's a rollercoaster ride of genres, and it's usually full band.  I particularly noticed a trio though that did a month stint over at that place.  I was awestruck by their diversity and propensity to play pretty complex tunes considering their limitations, being a three piece and all.  And you'd never hear a void or null within their songs.

One of things that always leave me curious is where have all those talent gone.  If they ever were signed up or discovered, why don't I hear of them.  Or perhaps I'm simply not listening.  Or perhaps they've gone to oblivion. The reason for these thoughts, well I hardly see groups nowadays that nail me to my seat.  Maybe they're boring in itself, either the place or the performers, or everyone's simply doing what everyone's doing.  But the Palanca strip is definitely still a place to chill hence I still keep going back.

Your cueing up on line to the entrance and already you're hearing guitars, drums, bass and that voice so familiar wailing in stadium reverb. Everyone's on waiting time listening to a piped in hit of this phenomenal band, you're out so eager yet relaxed.

I was able to strategically seat ourselves dead center in the row, lucky to have bought the first ticket to todays great rock show. Donning with funky shades, I sat and wait. And finally, one of the greatest bands to walk the earth in our generation, right before your eyes, next to you, behind you, playing to you... U............2....... 3D... in IMAX.

I've had only a handful experience in IMAX, well it hasn't really been that long for it to be around, but this IMAX presentation of U2 is probably the best yet. I can only be biased though since U2 has been a very influential part of my musical journey, so forgive my indulgence... hehe. This production really sparked my curiosity for a number of reasons, one is that a live concert, as it is, always pose a multitude of hurdles. I've worked with a number of productions in the past and it seems that you can never cover all your bases. Its about sorting things in real time without compromising the show, its calculus without the numbers. Imagine this, it would take at least 36hours to set-up all those equipment, 4 hours to pack it up... and the show runs 1.5 hours. Now couple this with IMAX's logistical challenge, factor in your window of opportunity to shoot it... ok ok... i might have gone over the top a bit on that, its not like i've produced an IMAX film. hahaha... (But don't just take my word for it, check wikipedia on how they went about with production and you''ll get the idea of what I'm talking about, )

But here's the real score of the picture, its the first rock band to have been made into 3D film in IMAX, with the band itself being great... the film just comes to be a great leap in popular entertainment. The whole film was actually shot from the "Vertigo Tour", hence the consistency in the production. The film opens with "Beautiful Day", with the band set up just at close distance from you as though you were sitting 20 feet from the stage. From that stance, you're in a concert, it feels real enough that you can almost literally rub elbows with the rest of the audience. Then you're thrown to a cinematrographical ride that is like no other. You dolly-in and around the stage and tilt down at Larry Mullen as the camera crane dangles you over his drum kit, so close you can almost grab his tambourines. Then Adam Clayton embraces you with his bass staccatos, you don't hear it... you feel it. Then you plunge into The Edge's warmth its impossible not to rock along with it, I see everyone just knocking their heads, now this is a concert. Then it gets better as Bono serenades you with his engaging voice, he's "so close" yet "far away". To top it all, I guess one of the things that made it more alive is the sound, (aside from my bias on this area, being that I do digital sound engineering and design as a hobby). after all, without the auditory senses, everything is just a gallery of pictures. IMAX production is sooo much unique to traditional film that the experience itself is unimaginable. I was particularly enamored with the "emphasis" shots, where the camera dollies to as they play it down then you move close to The Edge as he knocks on his guitar, and you could hear it. With U2's strong message, you get enveloped with an aural encounter that is nonpareil it makes you feel "One" with the band. It might just be "Even Better Than The Real Thing!" - allen a.

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