Bombo Pluto Ova

Whereas Tiger Pussy owes their sound to punk, their labelmates in Bombo Pluto Ova are more indebted to guitar-based experimental music that recalls early Sonic Youth, Shit and Shine, and Skullflower, to name but a few. With three albums as well under their collective belt, Bombo Pluto Ova is out to prove that there’s more to the local music scene than just your typical underground band whose sound is often too condensed and easily digestible. In fact, listening to Bombo Pluto Ova requires lots of patience as they tend to stretch their free-form jams to as long as more than 30 minutes just like the appropriately titled “Epic of Gilgamesh” from their most recent album “Oeuvre”. And as if that wasn’t enough, Bombo Pluto Ova guitarist John Caing even self-released a 12-hour composition that’s sure to test even the most dedicated local music fan who would happen to come across it. Good thing that didn’t stop Mike Watt – legendary bassist for 80’s hardcore punk band Minutemen who then went on to form several other projects with a more experimental bent – from finding out about Bombo Pluto Ova and playing them in his Watt from Pedro podcast . It’s just a bit unfortunate that the Manila-centric music scene has yet to fully catch on with Bombo Pluto Ova despite having performed at an annual experimental music showcase very recently as the band’s defiance of musical conventions is what makes them an exciting listen.

Cebu’s own music scene obviously has a lot more to offer than Tiger Pussy and Bombo Pluto Ova, which is why all those regional music scenes in the country shouldn’t be outright ignored. Who knows, your next favorite band might just be outside of Manila after all.

Phantom (2012)

Aorta Gun (2014)

Filioque (2014)

The Trembling Robot (Circuits Transform Into Veins) (2014)

Oeuvre (2015)

Tiger Pussy

I fondly remember being a huge fan of Nashville band Be Your Own Pet sometime in the late 2000’s and wishing that they had a counterpart in the local music scene. Come 2013, my wish came true when I heard about Tiger Pussy. 

Seamlessly blending intensity, speed, and sass, Tiger Pussy has been storming the local music scene with three albums to their name. Too bad though that their first album from 2009 called “All the Way” still isn’t widely available for some reason that this (highlighted link directly links you to the source) is the only information I’ve gathered about it. I have no idea at all what “All the Way” actually sounds like, but I would have to assume that they were still developing their sound at the time which then became fuller and meaner with “People You Hate”, their sophomore album from 2013. It was by that time that the Manila-centric music scene heard about “People You Hate”, and its timing couldn’t have been better as the local variant of dance-punk was already nearing its demise as some bands who flirted with the style and the crowd they subsequently attracted started treating it as a passing fad. 

What got the Manila crowd drawn to Tiger Pussy was that the band brought back the punk in dance-punk to the point where even some admittedly tough guys in the local hardcore scene who are more used to chugging guitar breakdowns were suddenly dancing to their songs, which can be a rather interesting sight to look at. What’s more interesting is that Tiger Pussy even got airplay in New Jersey freeform radio station WFMU’s Bodega Pop program via their song “9 to 5”, a huge feat in itself. But an even larger feat happened four years later as Tiger Pussy finally came out with their third album “Residuals” wherein they are hellbent on proving that dance-punk is here to stay for a long, long time.

TIGER PUSSY - PEOPLE YOU HATE (2013)

TIGER PUSSY - RESIDUALS (2017)