. In 2006, my former bandmate in Half Life Half Death, our lead guitar player and cosongwriter Rain Paggao released independently a full album of original songs with a couple covers using the band name The Rain. In the album, entitled Girl in Mind, he played all the instruments and sang most of the songs. Some songs were sung by his brother, JB Paggao. The album included Rain's solo guitar instrumental version of the song "More to Lose" by Seona Dancing. Fancying it, I asked Rain if I could make a version of it by adding keyboard and vocal tracks. He said yes. So, I made a new version of the said song. In addition to that, Rain and I collaborated on another song, an original, "My Brilliant Friend." We worked together using the moniker Half Moon Half Rain. The original plan was for us to finish a full album, but we failed to pursue it.
Feeling that the two songs we made together might just be lost in musical oblivion, I have now decided to repackage his solo album, change the album title, and include two songs we made as Half Moon Half Rain.
Perhaps the only recorded rearrangement of the song "More to Lose" by Seona Dancing; this was me on vocals and keyboards and Rain Paggao on guitar, as Half Moon Half Rain.
I am planning to release this properly on physical CDs soon. In the meantime, I want to share a digital copy of this new project of mine.
16 More to Lose (Cold mix) (by Half Moon Half Rain)
original album recorded in 2006 tracks 1-12, 13-14: recorded by The Rain tracks 15-16: by Half Moon Half Rain "The Ghost in You" was originally by The Psychedelic Furs "More to Lose" was originally by Seona Dancing "Back to the Old House" was originally by The Smiths tracks 1-3, 5, 7-9, 11, 13-14: written/composed by Rain Paggao tracks 2, 6: written by Rain Paggao and JB Paggao track 15: written by aLfie vera mella guest vocals on track 12: Rudolph "Pogz" Paz of Dead Pop Stars, of which Paggao became also the guitar player vocals and keyboards on tracks 15, 16: aLfie vera mella vocals on 2, 3, 6: JB Paggao vocals on the rest of the songs: Rain Paggao a modified version of the album in CD format will be released soon. GETa digital copy of Songs for Moonlit Nights by The Rain.
. I was the lead of vocalist of the Filipino Alternative Rock band Half Life Half Death (1988-2003; 2012), which was able to release one full album, Pymyth Prahn (1995, Viva Records). Some of our songs that enjoyed respectable radio airplay on a number of FM radio stations in the 1990s included "Alimango," "Kapit-Tuko," "Butterflies," and our original arrangement of the Filipino traditional Pop ballad "High School (Life)" (sung by Sharon Cuneta, written by George Canseco).
Half Life Half Death, in 1994
We disbanded for good in 2003 when I immigrated to Canada. After a few years in Canada, I met some fellow musicians who inspired and helped me pursue again making and playing music. With the help especially of a new friend, I was able to make my first musical project in Canada. The Making of and the Components of The Woes of Emong Payaso My first musical project in Canada was the EP entitled The Woes of Emong Payaso. I releasedit under the name haLf man haLf eLf, in collaboration with a multi-instrumentalist friend, Abelardo Sarao. We recorded the project using his recording equipment in his home basement. Instruments that we used were guitars, bass, synthesizer, keyboards, and drum machine. We rendered the string, horn sections, and other sounds and effects using a synthesizer. I practically composed most of the melodies and came up with the conceptual and the instrumental structure of the song. I did the vocal and keyboard tracks, while Sarao did the rest. I made the cover design. Additionally, in keeping with the female/child vocal bit part style that I used in many of the songs of Half Life Half Death, I also invited a female friend (Karen Capuno) to render the female vocals and the son of a former schoolmate friend (Grace Abratique-Jiao) to provide the kid's voice. Capuno was also living in Canada, whereas Abratique in the U.S. so we exchanged files via email. I also used a vocal melody line from the Filipino song "Sana" (originally written and sung by Florante de Leon; popularised by a version by Kristina Paner); as well as a melody from "Send In the Clowns" (written by Stephen Sondheim for the 1973 musical A Little Night Music). The EP is comprised by one long 14-minute song, conceptually divided into 4 parts. The main song, segment #3, was actually a reworking of an old song ("Buhay-Karnabal") that I wrote in 1999 when I was still a member of an obscure Filipino band named Dream Kitchen.
The Woes of Emong Payaso by haLf man haLf eLf (eLf ideas / Kalabasa Records, 2006) 1. Mahiwagang sapatos ni Emong Payaso 2. Parang karnabal--ganyan ang buhay ng tao 3. Tuluy-tuloy ang palabas sa entablado 4. Sa likod ng bawat tagumpay ay kalbaryo
This is especially interesting for music enthusiasts whose favorite genres are New Wave, Classical, and Progressive Rock and who have patience in listening to music with focus on instrumentation.
Here is volume THREE of the compilation series that I started to illustrate the development and existence of what many music enthusiasts regard now as New Wave music. Some of the songs included in this series may not necessarily be New Wave proper, but their sonic characteristics qualify them to be considered closely related to or extensions or offshoots of the broad genre. After all, many artists regarded as New Wave may fall also under other genres or subgenres, especially those who have released so many albums and have explored different musical styles. Furthermore, their respective music has sonic similarities with their predecessors or was most likely offshoots, albeit in a musical sense, of the Art Rock, Baroque Pop, or even Psychedelic Rock of the earlier decades.
At the end of the music appreciation, genres are but mere guidelines made available by music reviewers like me to help listeners make their music listening experience more organized, focused, and enjoyable. I am not imposing anything here; I am the type of music reviewer who is just merely describing, guiding, and suggesting; and most of all, sharing my musical taste and keenness for sound details with fellow enthusiasts.
01 David Bowie - 'Heroes' (1977) 02 The Records - Starry Eyes (1979) 03 Bruce Woolley & the Camera Club - Video Killed the Radio Star (1979) 04 The Go-Betweens - Head Full of Steam (1986) 05 Stan Ridgway - The Big Heat (1986) 06 The Bolshoi - T.V. Man (1987) 07 Immaculate Fools - Tragic Comedy (1987) 08 The Jesus & Mary Chain - Darklands (1987) 09 Railway Children - Over and Over (1988) 10 The Church - Metropolis (1990) 11 Deep Blue Something - Breakfast at Tiffany's (1993) 12 Love Spit Love - Am I Wrong? (1994) 13 The Mission U.K. - Happy (2001) 14 The Cure - Taking Off (2004) 15 Echo & the Bunnymen - Everlasting Neverendless (2009) 16 The Cars - Blue Tip (2011) 17 Ultravox - Brilliant (2012) 18 Robyn Hitchcock - Strawberries Dress (2013) Notes: 1) The sonically observant would notice the similarity in the vocal melody of The Jesus & Mary Chain's "Darklands" with David Bowie's "'Heroes'," especially the introductory part. 2) Stan Ridgway was the original vocalist of the band Wall of Voodoo; I noticed a vocal similarity in his voice and musical approach with that of The Bolshoi's Trevor Tanner. 3) Many music enthusiasts think that The Buggles' version of "Video Killed the Radio Star" was the original; while the song was actually written collaboratively by Bruce Woolley with Trevor Horn and Geoff Downes, both of whom eventually formed The Buggles, it was Woolley who first released a recording of it (with Thomas Dolby on keyboards) via the debut album (English Garden, 1979) of his own band. The Buggles' version was released already in 1980, as part of the album The Age of Plastic. 4) Love Spit Love was a band formed in the 1990s by Richard Butler of The Psychedelic Furs. 5) I used the genre "New Wave" only as an umbrella to cover almost everything from Synthpop, Gothic, Post-punk, to Indie Pop and even Britpop and some melodic Alternative Rock. Nothing imposing; just merely suggesting.
Enjoy the New Wave music experience! Samplethe compilation; if you liked the songs, hunt for the albums where the individual songs came from.
Butterflies" is included in my former band Half Life Half Death's
one-and-only solo album, Pymyth Prahn
(1995, VIVA Records / Neo label). That was the song most beloved not only by
all of us members of the band but also by many people who have had the chance
to listen to it either at any of our live performances in the past or on their
cassette or CD players.
A video of Half Life Half Death's original song "Butterflies," made by the band's bass player Ramil Aznar.
I don't know the exact reason many people were enthralled by
"Butterflies"; perhaps because of the wonderful, violin-sounding
guitar tracks that complemented the seemingly jaded vocal parts, the
combination of which resulted in a melancholic mood of the song. So, how did
"Butterflies" come about?
April 1995, at the backyard of our former house in Carmel Subdivision, Project 6, Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines
OVUM
The year was 1993, Half Life Half Death was in a lackluster
stage—primarily because each member was busy with his/her own professional
work/job and also because the Philippine music scene during the period was
dominated by Grunge-influenced bands.
Despite being represented by the presence of bands like The Cranberries
("Dreams," "Linger," "Ode to My Family"), The
Cure ("Friday, I'm in Love," "High," "Letter to
Elise"), New Order ("Regret"), Toad the Wet Sprocket ("All
I Want"), New Wave music was silently lurking in the scene's shadows.
Half Life Half Death was less active during that period, save for a few
small-venue and get-together gigs. One early morning after breakfast, while on a sleepover at our rhythm
guitarist Pet's house in Sucat, Parañaque, Metro Manila, I took my pen and
journal to jot down a few phrases which suddenly popped up in my mind.
Intending to compose a poem, I wrote the following verses:
Pet saw what I was writing; he got his acoustic guitar and strummed
some chords.
Strum...strum...strum... Along the strums I began to hum as I went on
adding some more lines to the poem...
There they soar high in the skies
The only hope for flowers now to
bloom
You're the only reason for my
existence
So fly, fly me high with all your
love and persistence
"That would be the chorus," Pet said with an excited look in
his eyes.
April 21, 1991, Pet and I and the rest of Half Life Half Death; first ever gig at Club Dredd on Timog Avenue, Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines
After several hours of singing, strumming, and cutting words and lines
from the lyric to fit the measure, we finished a new song I initially called
"Butterflies die in silence." I eventually dropped the "die in
silence" because, at that time, I usually preferred one-word titles. Given
the chance to travel back in that specific moment, I would revert the song's
title to the original, which to me now has an introspectively darker and more
melancholic effect.
CATERPILLAR
On the next band practice, Pet and I presented the song to the rest of
the band. As always, Rain, our lead guitarist, brought home a cassette-recorded
copy of what Pet and I were able to compose. After a few days, during the next
jam—Rain amazed us all with the stellar guitar sounds that he was able to
weave, to complement the sadness of the song. Ramil, on the other hand, made
his presence felt by concocting a haunting bass intro, which eventually became
the song's memorable backdrop. For his part, Bimbo succeeded in complementing
Ramil's basslines by weaving a tom-tom-based drumbeats.
After we had finished arranging "Butterflies" and two more compositions,
"Alimango" and "A
Feast in Pastel Castle," we excitedly planned for the studio recording of
the songs.
In 1995, at a gig at Mayric's Music Bar, on España Avenue, Manila, Philippines (Rain, Bimbo, aLfie, and Ramil)
We finally recorded the songs at Greenhills Sound Studio in San Juan,
Metro Manila. I could very well remember the childlike smiles on our faces when
we finally got to listen to the final mixed copy of the songs. "This is
it!" I remember myself uttering to Pet.
We submitted copies of the songs to DWLA 105.1, a now-defunct FM radio
station based in Metro Manila that supported local Alternative bands by playing
their independently released recordings and interviewing them on-air.
CHRYSALIS
LA 105 first played "Butterflies" in 1994. To our surprise,
it got a fairly positive reaction from many listeners, amidst the domination of
songs with Filipino lyrics during the decade. In fact, according to one of the
station’s DJs, he got calls from listeners’ inquiring about the song because
they thought it was a foreign song, so they were wondering what band was it
from.
In retrospect, "Butterflies" and "Alimango"—aside from our version of Sharon Cuneta /
George Canseco's "High School (Life)," which perfectly defined our
band's history—were the songs that really gave Half Life Half Death the chance
to return into and soar again amidst the highly competitive Alternative-music
scene in the ’90s. We formed in 1987, but by the early ’90s we were already
jaded and hopeless of ever going on. So, the opportunity LA 105 gave our band was
really a turning point for all of us.
In 1995, at another gig at Mayric's, with our female vocalist Carol Pobre, who at the time joined the pageant Binibining Pilipinas '95, winning the first runnerup place
Perhaps if not for the airplay of our songs on LA 105, we would have
disbanded much earlier without having the chance to contribute at least an
album to Philippine music history. Despite failing to achieve what many
Philippine bands before and after us had achieved, I am still glad: My band
Half Life Half Death left the scene but not without leaving a legacy of
songs—obscure or popular these songs might be.
The Catalyst
The book I used as a springboard in writing "Butterflies," Hope for the Flowers is the tale of the
caterpillars Stripe and Yellow, who yearn for something more from life than
eating leafs and growing bigger. They get caught up in a 'caterpillar pillar,'
a squirming mass of bodies, each determined to reach a top so far away it can't
be seen. Finally disillusioned, they discover that the way for caterpillars to
find their particular 'more'—who they really are—is to enweave themselves in
cocoons eventually to emerge as beautiful butterflies.
I wrote the lyrics of "Butterflies" for an old friend
of mine, Quelle Gutierrez.
Butterflies
lyric: aLfie vera mella
music: mella, de Jesus, Paggao, Aznar, Ballesteros
The sky is blue
The sky is cool
Cool as your eyes
Rainbow smiles
Butterflies
The prairie's soft
Soft as your skin
Fuchsia dreams
Butterflies
There they soar high in the sky
The only hope for flowers now to
bloom
You're the only reason for my
existence
So fly, fly me high with all your
love and persistence
siahl frettåb, o'lieh
Butterflies die in silence
Sweet caress touching dreams
Far away they may seem
Gentle strokes of your wings
Seven-eleven, heaven
There they soar high in the
purple skies
The only hope for flowers now to
bloom
You're the only reason for my
existence
Fly high, butterfly, against all
resistance
Now fly...
Blue is the sky
The sky is your eyes
Smiling rainbows
Butterflies
Blushing dreams
Touch me to sleep
Transcend me
Away from here
There they soar high in the sky
like dreams
The only hope for dreamers now to
fly away
You're the only reason for my
very existence
Fly high, fly me high with all
your love and persistence
Fly...with all your love and
persistence
Fly...against all resistance
During my first vacation in the Philippines in January-February 2012, Half Life Half Death had a number of reunion gigs, one of which was a stint during the set of fellow Filipino Alternative Rock band Color It Red at Tiendesitas, Pasig City, Philippines
Credits
vocals / sound effects: aLfie vera mella
lead guitars / keyboards / backing vocals: Rainald "Rain"
Paggao
rhythm guitars / backing vocals: Ruperto "Pet" de Jesus
bass / backing vocals: Ramil Aznar
drums / percussion: Robert "Bimbo" Ballesteros
female's voice: Caroline "Carol" Pobre
child's voice: Jade de Jesus (Pet's nephew)
from the album Pymyth Prahn,
1995, Viva Records / Neo label
Executive Producer: Jett Pangan
Record Producers: Half Life Half Death, Francis Reyes, and Jim Sarthou
Sound Engineer: Jim Sarthou
Recorded in late 1994 at JR Studios, Makati City, Metro Manila DOWNLOAD (courtesy of the owner of the song) an MP3 file of "Butterflies"--the album version plus the unedited demo version.
. Many people associate music with culture, movements or cliques, decade, or even places. The reason they usually tend to confine music genres within certain periods. I assert to differ. While I acknowledge the validity of such standards, I want to be able to classify music based on the characteristics of the sounds alone—the musicality. After all, stripped of all these nonmusical associations, music is but a combination of sounds that result in something subjectively beautiful and moving.
To further assert my point of view that New Wave music, or any genre for that matter, should not be limited to certain eras or decades, I decided to make a series of compilation of songs that I regard as classifiable as New Wave based on the sonic characteristics alone—without regard for the appearance of the artists, movement they belong to, years or decades the songs were released, nor the country where they originated. The primary basis is just the sonic characteristics of the songs themselves.
So, now, here’s volume TWO of a compilation of songs that will sonically illustrate that New Wave music is being produced constantly since the decade it has been established as a genre.
All a music enthusiast needs is a keen sense for details and the initiative to look way beyond commercial media.
(On Some Alternative Rock / New Wave Albums in 2014)
(part 2) by aLfie vera mella
In the previous article, I featured 25 Alternative Rock / New Wave / Punk albums that were
released in 2014. They are proofs that there would always be interesting music
in any given time, depending on what genre the listener prefers. Now, here’s
another list of 25 albums released last year, under the same genres.
Future Islands - Singles
The Heartbreaks - We May Yet
Stand a Chance
The Horrors - Luminous
Information Society - Hello World
Interpol - El Pintor
James - La Petite Mort
Johnny Marr - Playland
Kaiser Chiefs - Education,
Education, Education and War
Kasabian - 48:13
La Roux - Trouble in Paradise
Lights - Little Machines
Manic Street Preachers - Futurology
Maxïmo Park - Too Much
Information
Morrissey - World Peace Is None
of Your Business
Mr. Twin Sister - Mr. Twin Sister
Natalie Merchant - Natalie
Merchant
Neil Finn - Dizzy Heights
New Found Glory - Resurrection
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - Days
of Abandon
Peter Murphy - Lion
Pixies - Indie Cindy
The Primitives - Spin-o-Rama
Rancid - Honor Is All We Know
Roddy Frame - Seven Dials
Simple Minds - Big Music
Here's "Land of the Blind," a single off Information Society's latest album.
Final Note
And those albums are not all. We still have Metal, Pop, Progressive
Rock, Hip-hop, or whatever other genre you might prefer. All a music enthusiast
needs to do is to look for whatever kind of music she loves listening to.
There’s the Internet, Google, and Wikipedia. Make use of them!
My favorite song off Johnny Marr's latest, second album is "The Trap."
In this Internet age, there’s no room for complaints concerning the
lack of new interesting music, because the problem, really, is the lack of a
sense of adventure and the initiative in some people. Don’t be one of them!
My instant favorite song from Morrissey's latest, 10th album is "Staircase at the University," primarily because of the flamenco-flavored guitar adlib near the end of the song.
(On Some Alternative Rock / New Wave Albums
in 2014)
(part 1) by aLfie vera mella
As I have done for a few years now, I
write my end-of-the-year article listing albums released in the previous year.
This disproves the claim of many people that "music nowadays is
crap," "there are no more interesting artists or music," or "they don't make good music anymore."
People who think that way are simply not
doing their homework. They are most likely basing their claim on only what they
hear on radio stations or see on commercial TV. Or, they just simply stopped
listening to new music and decided to content themselves in the music of their
younger days and dwell on it in mere nostalgia.
There's nothing wrong with limiting
one's listening pleasure to the music of one's youth, but to claim that the
reason for doing so is the lack of good new music in the current generation is
invalid, narrowminded, and shortsighted.
In the Internet age, any passionate
music enthusiast should be able to know whatever is new in music, whatever
genre that might be.
Here are some albums, may be classified
under New Wave / Alternative Rock, that were released in 2014. They made the
year as musically refreshing and interesting as any other year since vinyl
records, cassette tapes, and CDs were invented.
The Afghan Whigs - Do to the Beast
American Authors - Oh, What a Life
Here's a very catchy song off the début album of the contemporary Alternative Rock / New Wave band American Authors: "Best Day of My Life."
And You Will Know Us by the Trail of
Dead - IX
B-Movie - The Age of Illusion
Better than Ezra - All Together Now
Billy Idol - Kings & Queens of the
Underground
Billy Idol's song "Postcards from the Past," from his latest, seventh album is a tribute to his own classic "Rebel Yell."
Black Keys - Turn Blue
Blondie - Ghosts of Download
Bombay Bicycle Club - So Long, See You
Tomorrow
Bush - Man on the Run
The Buzzcocks - The Way
Camper Van Beethoven - El Camino Real
The Church - Further/Deeper
Coldplay - Ghost Stories
Counting Crows - Somewhere under
Wonderland
Craft Spells - Nausea
Damon Albarn - Everyday Robots
Dragonfly Collector - The World Is Your
Oyster
The song "There Is No Remaining in Place," from the debut album of the Philippine band Dragonfly Collector (current musical project of Clem Castro, formerly of Orange and Lemons and The Camerawalls) makes a musical reference to a song by The Smiths, one of Castro's major influences.
The Drums - Encyclopedia
Echo & the Bunnymen - Meteorites
A favorite from Echo & the Bunnymen's latest, 12th studio album: "Market Town"
The Eels - The Cautionary Tales of Mark
Oliver Everett
(conclusion of a definitive review of Modern English's full studio discography) by aLfie vera mella
In between low-key concerts in the United States, Modern English (this time comprised by Robbie Grey on vocals, Steven Walker on guitars, Matthew Shipley on keyboards, Nik Williams on bass, and Jon Solomon on drums) started recording new songs in 2001 for a new album; but because of difficulty in
securing a record label, the band was able to release the album, entitled Soundtrack, almost a decade afterwards.
Soundtrack (2010)
“There’s such a lot of tension
It’s almost everywhere
A sharp increase in volume
It fills the air”
The sound of Soundtrack is somewhat similar with that
of Stop Start—edgier kind of Rock,
guitar-oriented, steady bass lines, simple song structures, with minimal use of
the keyboards. Overall, the music has the sensibilities of ’90s Alternative
Rock. I could hear traces of Gin Blossoms, The Lemonheads, The Replacements /
Paul Westerberg, and Toad the Wet Sprocket in some of the songs and also echoes
of Ned’s Atomic Dustbin. I don’t mind the simplicity; but because I know that
Modern English could be really creative and intricate—best exhibited in 1984’s Ricochet Days—I am still yearning for
yet another New Romantic-rooted album of new materials. I hope this is not only
wishful thinking.
Recommended tracks are “It’s OK,” “Here Comes the Failure,” and “Up
Here in the Brain.”
According to the band’s website, as of early 2013, a new album was in
the works. During their 2012 U.S. tour, the band previewed one song, entitled
“Moonbeam.” If the sound of this song is to be taken as a cue for the rest of
the album, then the sound of Modern English is definitely back to its dark
Postpunk beginnings. Meaning, I have to wait for two more albums before I may
get something that would sound like my favorite Modern English album.
If the sound of this new song, "Moonbeam," is to be taken as a cue for the rest of the forthcoming eighth album, then the sound of Modern English is back to its Postpunk beginnings.
The Current
Modern English is currently comprised by the reunited original members
Robbie Grey (vocals), Gary McDowell (guitar, vocals), Michael Conroy (bass,
vocals), and Stephen Walker (keyboards) with additional musicians Steven Walker
(guitar) and Ric Chandler (drums). The reinvigorated group performed in the
Philippines with another classic Postpunk band, The Alarm, on May 3, 2013, at
SM Mall of Asia Arena. That was the reason I visited my home country that year.
Some of my CDs and vinyl records by Modern English and The Alarm
Postscript
I went to the Philippines in April 2013 (and stayed there for three
weeks) primarily to watch the back-to-back concert of Modern English and The
Alarm. Because of this article that I wrote originally for my blogspot,
the members of the band took notice of me; and the producer of the concert,
having used the article for the promotion, invited me to the press conference
of the band that was held at Jill’s Restaurant & Bar in Taguig City.
Outside Jill’s Bar: I, Modern English’s bass player Mick Conroy,
vocalist Robbie Grey, guitarist Gary McDowell, my friend Rudolph Paz, keyboardist Stephen Walker, and another friend, Frankie Cortes
At the press conference, my luck doubled—McDowell invited me onstage to
perform with him an acoustic rendition of their song “Hands across the Sea,”
which I pulled off easily because I knew the song by heart. A TV crew from the
local station ABS-CBN was covering the event so the performance was captured on
video. When the news feature on Modern English appeared the following day on
the program TV Patrol, a video clip of the performance was included.
At the press conference of Modern English for their 2013 concert in the Philippines, held at Jill's Bar & Restaurant, I had the privilege to sing "Hands across the Sea" with guitarist Gary McDowell himself.
Another luck I got was McDowell’s putting me on the band’s guest list.
Finally, a friend of mine, Boyet Garcia, owner of a New Wave bar, invited me to
join him and some other friends at the dinner he hosted for Modern
English.
The 2013 Philippine Concert
The concert itself was a blast, in the perspective of a longtime New
Wave enthusiast. The playlist included "I Melt with You," "Hands across the Sea," "Someone's Calling," and "Ink and Paper." The reaction of much of the audience was very positive, dancing and
singing along to many of the bands’ songs. Without a doubt, the hearts of many
of the fans inside the venue melted when they finally witnessed a live
performance of one of the bands that defined their youthful summer days. Final Note The bass player of Modern English, Mick Conroy confirmed to me via a message that the band is currently finishing their new album, which was being mixed by a longtime friend of theirs, Martyn Young of the band Colourbox and M|A|R|R|S.