just so people would stop thinking that i like foreign bands too much that i don’t feature OPM here, here are some of the latest/most recent singles from our very own…

join the club - nobela

an utterly sad, original, progressive single with all the goodness of today’s pinoy rock and a touch of the yesteryears.  4 stars for a great melody and innovative lyrical prowess but minus 1 for boring interviews from the band members =

3 stars!

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rocksteddy - lagi mo na lang akong dinededma

a super honest, downright realistic pov of a “torpe.”  5 stars for sincerity and overall pizzazz and but minus 1 for unoriginal outfit of vocalist [in the video] =

4 stars!

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paramita - hiling

an endearing song full of heartache and longing with a very original idea for a video.  5 stars for a plethora of emotions and good composition but minus 1 star for repetitive lyrics and unjustifiable fashion sense of the lead vocalist [sorry!] =

4 stars!

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pupil - nasaan ka

a flicker of life from ely buendia [can’t help but compare this band to the e-heads; forgive me...] after a short-lived career [albeit, struggling] with his former band, the mongols.  reminiscent of the old 90’s era, of course.  4 stars

for the gift of music!

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kamikazee - narda

an ultramagnetic rock song dedicated to the superheroine, darna: this song just explodes with passion and yearning for that one person you can never have.  5 stars for overall appeal and distinctive “kamikazee” flare [great rocking skills and crazy ideas] plus 1 more star for engaging interviews and jay contreras’ all-out performance on stage =

6 stars!

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sugarfree - tulog na

a song about sleep [though not exactly literal in meaning] and escape from the chaos and tribulations of the world.  4 stars for another hit from this band but minus 1 for the lack of distinction from other hits such as “burnout” and “hari ng sablay”… oh and plus 1 star [simply because the bassist is my socsci ii professor, ha ha!] =

4 stars!

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sandwich -  sugod

a free-living, riveting piece of modern activism in the form of a rock song complete with ray marasigan’s idiosyncratic personality and stage presence.  5 stars

for the entertainment and musical dexterity!

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pedicab - dito tayo sa dilim

an intriguing, upbeat song [with double meanings implied] that’s reminiscent of an era long gone but not forgotten. 4 stars for fearless experimentation and catchy tune but minus 1 for overly repetitive movements while performing =

3 stars!

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chubibo - patawad

a “sorry” song with a touch of girl power and innocent surrender.  4 stars for good ol’ girl power and lovely vocals plus 1 star for great concept video and heartfelt song writing =

5 stars!

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itchy worms - akin ka na lang

a song that’s not afraid to diss someone else’s boyfriend for being such an ass so that you could take his place - you have to be awfully confident and deserving to sing this song!  5 stars for the confidence and honesty plus 1 star for the 70’s fashion sense and black-and-white video color scheme =

6 stars!

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stonefree - ikot

a melodic composition about how the world works basically and how one person will leave everything behind just to be with you.  5 stars for such a great, icy voice combined with noteworthy composition but minus 1 star for an awful repetitive hand gesture to emphasize the word “ikot” [sorry!] =

4 stars!

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soapdish - tensionado

simply a melancholic song about a relationship gone sour and questioning the soundness of holding on.  4 stars for a great effort in songwriting and an unforgettable tune that just sticks plus 1 star for a video featuring vital statistics/data and two lovers going at it - by that, i mean, beating each other up, literally =

5 stars!

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the thing is:  i’m in love with the OPM rock scene.  i worship the stage that these guys [and the bands before them] perform on.  wala lang kasing album covers ng OPM bands from amazon.com kaya pangit naman kung maglalagay ako ng OPM reviews sa sidebar.  obsessed kaya ako sa album covers at ‘di pwedeng mawala ‘yon kapag nag-review ako ng kanta!  sorry ha -  ganyan lang talaga, eh…

i love pinoy rock!