Soft Pillow Kisses

 

Soft Pillow Kisses is a Manila-based indie-pop band formed around 1999. Their most active years

span through various eras and decades of indie pop. Band lineups change every now and then but they remain pure on their sound as times change. However, the main founder of the band Siegfried Allan Montero, who’s also the lead guitarist for Candyaudioline, and one of the core people behind BackBeat Productions, conducted the band in a linear direction consistently. Allan has tapped into different circles and members of the community, reaching out to members of other prominent indie pop bands like Apple Orchard, Moscow Olympics, populardays, Death by Tampon, and the list goes on. Throughout the early 2000s they’ve released a bunch of demos for other indie pop compilations (Mutual Admiration Society, Popscenemanila, Play It Forward 2, and many more), being booked in gigs by No Zone and The Awakening in Club Dredd Cubao, and subsequently in their own tight-knitted collective, Buzz Night with Richard Tan (a production formerly known as Afternoon Buzz) in Mayric’s Bar Manila. 

Previously seen as “outsiders” in a scene full of grunge and heavy metal acts, the band has gained a loyal following of friends and family who’ve admired their efforts in the indie pop community over the next couple decades. Despite their lineup changing and members joining and leaving and joining again, Soft Pillow Kisses have become generational for their gentle guitar writing and infectious melodies. Soft Pillow Kisses touch upon the hallmarks of indie pop; boy-girl harmonies ruminating on jangly sunshine-y riffs and wholesome subject matter that deal with young love whilst carrying the tracks with their signature boy-girl chemistry. But these figures of speech stem from their love of eating out somewhere in the nearest dine-in after a late night gig. For more than about 20 years, the band’s influences consistently vary from new wave to classic indie pop; citing the entire Sarah Records as influences, specifically The Cat’s Miaow and Blueboy. Soft Pillow Kisses are also known to adjacently produce heavy-sounding indie pop whereas they apply denser material. Much like shoegaze, the dynamic continually overwhelms the piece into something more epic or grander as it progresses

Around 2000, they released a rare 5-song cassette EP titled “As You Whisper in My Ear” during their Cebu tour alongside other close indie pop bands such as Sodajerk and Sonnet LVIII. Recently, the band released a compilation titled “Waiting For Your Words”, a collection of their early recordings from 2001-2003 around Valentine’s Day of February 2021, more than 20 years since they’ve formed as a band. It was also the first and only time Soft Pillow Kisses formally released their music. The compilation is mastered by prolific musician Jerome Velasco, making it widely available for everyone. 

The compilation is available through the Shoegaze Pilipinas bandcamp for free. With 12-tracks unearthed by its members, the demos turned into crystal clear portraits of those good memories of indie pop; signature saccharine melody writing and bright/loud chord progressions: angular song structures, gradually fuzzing to the very end. Highlights in “Waiting For Your Words” includes “Harsh Words”, “Vodka Ice #3”, “I Don’t Know What To Say”, and many more. Most of which have maintained their upbeat ditties that’s close to perfection.  

When you think about indie-pop in the context of underground DIY music, Soft Pillow Kisses is the first band that comes to mind. When the world is in complete stasis, the compilation was released at a time where we need to look back and learn where almost 80 percent of the indie pop ecosystem was built around. This was the time when ‘indie’ wasn’t a buzzword nor it was capitalized as a marketing tool. The folks behind Buzz Night, The Awakening, and No Zone proved their loyalty to the scene for years and influenced so much of the scene that came after their first lineup. Indie pop adjacent bands like Tall Ice Lung, Breakfast Clouds, Your Imaginary Friends, and The Strange Creatures can also attest to their influence by playing music that’s adjacent to their sound. 

But that’s just scratching the surface of many other indie pop bands that followed after Soft Pillow Kisses. Majority of the bands from indie pop’s yesteryear may have come and gone but they were able to solidify their legacy by photos and actual stories from the band themselves and their affiliates. 

As You Whisper in My Ear (2000)

MUTUAL ADMIRATION SOCIETY (2001)

Summer Escape (2008)

Waiting For Your Words: Early Recordings 2000-2002 (2021)

Other People (2021)

Sauna

Sauna is a Batangas-based hardcore/mathcore punk band formed around mid-September 2003. The band was known for their chaotic stage presence and visceral yet complex arrangements heavily influenced by bands like Jane Doe-era Converge, Curl Up and Die, and The Dillinger Escape Plan.The original lineup comprising 5 members: Jerwin on guitars (from hardcore band Forgiveness Denied), Joel on bass, Nickson on Guitars, Felix on vocals (also from Forgiveness Denied) and Carlo on drums(from band Settled Down).

Sauna is one of the most influential, if not, the most influential bands to ever come out in the hardcore scene in the mid to late 2000s. There wasn't a single band that sounded like them at the time. No one can emulate their boiling aggression live nor their ruthless songwriting style. They managed in being mainstays in well-known hardcore communities like TakeFour Collective. As well as playing in long-gone hardcore venues most notably the Ten02 in Tomas Morato, Quezon City, and oDIY venues in Cavite, and their hometown in Batangas.

However, there are notable hardcore outfits at the time like positive hardcore groups like Half The Battle, Killratio with their darkened hardcore, and noisecentric stuff from Aggressive Dog Attack. More so, these prominent, straightforward punk bands such as Betrayed spearheaded the community, alongside Tame The Tikbalang, and GI and The Idiots, but Sauna created their own lane without compromise. They did what they did to earn their name elsewhere without sacrificing their ethos. 

The band recorded six songs in a two-way split CD with Manila's Bystorm in August 2004 and released it through TakeFour Records. After a while, a few of their members left Sauna because of personal reasons, but Sauna was able to ask for the community's help by having one of their sister bands fill in the shoes that their original members left in the scene.

For almost four years, the band was able to record enough songs for their heavily anticipated full length debut. Their album, Deeper It Goes, was released under Take Four Collective on MySpace around March of 2008. The 12-track LP is loaded with nail-scraping vocal rage and mathy guitar work. Felix's voice dynamically pushes the band forward and it becomes the trademark of their entire sound. Personal favorite tracks are the tour-de-force moments like "Bright Eyes" and "Achilles Heart" and the ever cathartic introductory lyrics of "Expire". Everything in Deeper It Goes culminated into a deep-seated anger like no other band in the realm of heavy music could ever pull off. Sauna bleeds through the piercing veins in your lungs, begging you to scream along with them. Unfortunately, Batangas' wild children stopped playing several years -- their final show taking place in Batangas City, 2016 -- after the release of their debut; excluding the benefit shows they've played around 2011-2016. (the information of their indefinite hiatus will soon be disclosed after we post this entry.)

Sauna played in countless other shows until they were able to gain a cult following; from veteran punks to innocent newbies of hardcore. Contemporary local math-adjacent/dark hardcore bands like HL/DV, Beast Jesus, Cadenzabler, Conformist, and Thieves were able to follow the follow the footsteps of Sauna. This goes to show that with no fault or fracture, Sauna were one of the most groundbreaking bands at the time.

VA - Bystorm / Sauna Split CD (2004)

DEEPER IT GOES (2008)

Eggboy

Eggboy is the lo-fi/electronic project of Diego Mapa, known for his works with Pedicab, Cambio, Monsterbot and Tarsius. Known for the cozy atmosphere apparent in his music, Eggboy evokes a sense of nostalgia by utilizing a multitude of instruments available at his disposal. Old drum kits, drum machines, analog synths, guitars, and his laid back vocals were all utilized to create various sounds that seemed to cohesively come together to form the familiar “homemade” vibe Eggboy is known for.

                                                       

His first EP, “Taste Test”, was released in 1998. Containing memorable tracks such as “Nagsasawa Ka Na Ba?” and the demo for “Lost With You”, the EP firmly established Eggboy as the sonic equivalent of an afternoon spent hanging out with friends. The second EP, “Everyday Starting Today”, was released in 2000 through Manila-New York based dOCUMENTO Records. Featuring some of the songs found in Taste Test, this EP contained a fully realized version of Lost With You, along with new tracks such as “Get It Over” and “Details”. The third EP, “The Unknown Wrestler”, was released in 2003 by Monopond Records. This EP contained the best cuts of the previous two EPs in a shorter tracklist. All three EPs were released in the CD-R format, being distributed in gigs and specialty stores. These EPs would later be further condensed together in the “98-05” anthology, Eggboy’s most well known release.

Released in 2005, this anthology served as Eggboy’s last release at the time. “98-05” contained the best tracks of the EPs, ordered to form a cohesive piece of art that would be loved by multiple people in the scene. “Multiple people” might be somewhat of an understatement with the amount of people that “98-05” has enchanted. Ranging from the heartbroken, those who tuned into Tales of the Friend Zone, almost every music geek in the UP music circle and the Filipino music scene in general, this anthology has captured the hearts of many. Bands such as Ang Bandang Shirley, Ciudad, Ourselves the Elves, and The Gory Orgies all adore Eggboy to some degree."98-05” would serve to be Eggboy’s best release, but also his last for the time being.

After focusing on his bands and getting into synths and the art of DJing, 2008 saw the return of Eggboy with a new sound. Taking influences from several electronic sound palettes, Eggboy came back with two major accomplishments: “50 INSTRUMENTALS N A WK” and the “Dragzbanny EP”

“50 INSTRUMENTALS N A WK” is the “unofficial” release of the soundtrack Eggboy made for Season 1 of Project Runaway Philippines. As the name implies, all of the tracks were made in the span of a week. Writing almost 10 songs per day, Eggboy churned out several stingers, bumpers, reprisals of older tracks, and full soundtracks for the show. Some of the instrumentals in this compilation went straight to the show, while the others were compiled in this release for cohesion.

“Dragzbanny EP” fuses together his older aesthetic and his forays into electronic music. The end result is a sound miles away from the original lo-fi home recordings, but still residing in the same universe. Although “Dragzbanny EP” tackles new territory, the atmosphere of the music is still rooted in that found in the first three EPs and 98-05.

Aside from the two singles “No Way Jose” and “Strange Odyssey”, there wasn't much activity from Eggboy until June of 2016 with the release of his latest EP titled “Spotlight Effect”. The EP contained songs from the early four-track era that were not included in the first three EPs or “98-05”. With the exception of the track “Beat Matsing”, all of the tracks found in the EP were fully re-imagined and re-recorded.

Sporadic as Eggboy may appear, his sound and influence permeates throughout several scenes. His works have always been seen as a great unifier: Eggboy is most likely the one artist people from different scenes have as a common favorite. And overall, the essence of Eggboy is that of true DIY, the rawness of making music for the sake of letting people be a part of the experience.

NO WAY JOSE (2009)

STRANGE ODYSSEY SINGLE (2008) 

 98 - 05 (2005)

DRAGZBANNY EP (2008)

SPOTLIGHT EFFECT (2016)

50 INSTRUMENTALS N A WK (2018)

CIUDAD

Ciudad are one of the most adored four-piece alternative/indie-rock band based in Metro Manila, Philippines. Formed around 1994 consisting of members Mikey (Hannah + Gabi, Blast Ople), Jeff, Justin (Boldstar), and Mitch (Sugarfree, Twisted Halo). The band is known for their catchy hooks and choruses, consistent arrangements, and some quirky lyricism just to top it all off. The band started as a group assignment for their Social Studies homework at school. They were still highschool teens at the time but then their friendship grew as the project became a full band by the time they released their first studio-recorded album titled “Hello! How Are You, Mico the Happy Bear?” under the BMG label around mid-2000, the new millennium. Their first album featured the essence of 90’s indie rock/bubblegum rock similar to bands like Lemonheads and Weezer. In tracks like “Parang Si Zab”, “Corina Turina”, “Seems Like You're Not Funny At All”, and “Radio Guy” have been my personal favorites for its wholesome songwriting yet solid display of musicianship the guys have at the time. In conclusion, “Mico the Happy Bear” was a solid reminder that alternative rock was still alive while New Year was bringing in new and innovative ideas of music at the time.

Fast forward to 2002, Ciudad have independently released their second album titled “Is That Ciudad? Yes, Son, It’s Me”, and with that being out in the open in a wider audience, the group has shown their fans what it means to be grown-ups by showing their more sensitive side with “Dance Lessons”, “Give Me A Break”, “Mascot (Justin’s Revenge)”, “Dessie Belle”, and “Richie The Rockstar”. This album also featured more of Mikey’s piano playing, which made his singing the highlight in the project. For others, “Yes, Son, It’s Me” is a classic pop album by Ciudad.

By the year 2005, Ciudad released their third album “It’s like A Magic”, a collection of songs that they wrote way before their first album in 2000. Then by 2008, Ciudad have released what may be their best record to date, Bring Your Friends. Their fourth album houses 13 solid tracks from start to finish. The album spawned one of their greatest hits such as “Until It’s Cool”, “My Emptiness”, “Friday Noon”, and “You Should”. This was probably the time where they’re finally comfortable with the sound they are playing in. From going to the garage rock realm to a now more distinguished sound of fuzzy twee and alternative rock, Bring Your Friends was an adventure for the band. Balancing between the feelings of longing for the person you want to be with for the rest of your life to the lighthearted emotion of actually falling for that person. It’s a romantic album for nerds who feel like they want to express their love in awesome build-ups by Mikey and guitar solos provided by their lead guitarist Justin Sunico and the superb performance of their drummer Mitch Singson.

By the year 2009, the band went abroad to the East Coast of the United States to perform in the CMJ Music Festival in New York. Having your band perform overseas is a big thing at the time and I’m glad to know that they were able to play outside of their home town. Shortly after performing live, they were able to record their rehearsals titled “Brooklyn Sessions” and it’s up for free download in their Bandcamp page.

In 2012, they released their fifth album called “Follow the Leader”, this followed right after when frontman Mikey released a solo EP titled “Haha Yes” under the Hannah + Gabi moniker. The album was directly influenced by Mikey’s lessons in songwriting and techniques in recording for future releases. Its Beatles-esque inspired tracks go along so well, the duration of this album won’t remind you when this album will be finished. “There’s A Lonely Road To Sunday Night”, “How You Do It”, and “When You Get To The Top” are worth the honourable mentions here whenever this album is brought up in discussion. The aforementioned tracks are also worthy contenders in being one of the most thought out pieces written throughout the band’s entire discography. “Follow The Leader” was a sign of growth, and literally we do say this, a path to adulthood for a band that wanted to exceed everyone’s expectations one album at a time.

In 2017, they’ve released a brand new single titled “Caught Me at The Worst Time”. This single was leading up to their anticipated sixth album slated to release later this year (2018) or next year (2019). They’ve released a second single for their brand new album titled “Get You Closer”, the track was a mixture of a wistful piano ballad and old-fashioned indie pop bass and warm guitars backing up Mikey’s earnestness in the jumble.

Ever since Ciudad came in bursting through the young and thriving local music community, the band’s arrival became a magical time for every indie fan out there, until now it still is a special time whenever you see the name “Ciudad” listed in the marquee in your local gig. If you mention the term “alternative” or “garage” or even “local “indie””, Ciudad pops out of the dark like a kid ready to rock out your birthday party. Ciudad is one of the most beloved independent bands that are still playing live even if they’re about to release their sixth album. For a band who still self-releases their albums despite different climates, your band has survived quite a lot from there and this doesn’t mean you’ll stop there. Here’s to another decade of some greater pop music. Check Ciudad out and their entire discography!

HELLO, HOW ARE YOU? MICO THE HAPPY BEAR (2000)

IS THAT CIUDAD? YES SON, IT'S ME (2002)

IT'S LIKE MAGIC (2005)

BRING YOUR FRIENDS (2008)

BROOKLYN SESSIONS (2009)

FOLLOW THE LEADER (2012)

CAUGHT ME AT THE WORST TIME SINGLE (2017)

GET YOU CLOSER SINGLE (2017)

Pastilan Dong!

Pastilan Dong! is a 3-man noise-rock/shoegaze/­psychedelic/(leaning towards) slacker rock band from Manila, but the band's name was derived from a Bisayan expression. Founded in 2013, Pastilan Dong! started with 4 members, consisting of Kaloy Olavides on guitar and vocals, Pow Martinez on guitar, Stanley Ruiz on bass and Vin Zafra on drums. The band went on a short state of hiatus but in 2017, Rio Vargas of Shoulder State took over bass duties for the band together with Kaloy and Vin. I can say if you're a fan of most 90's bands (which I am), you can definitely hear evocative influences. I've watched them live multiple times and my slam-dancing skills improved as hell because of this band. Pastilan Dong! is a living proof that extremely loud, distortion-driven indie rock bands still have a place in the current musical landscape mostly dominated by dreary, boring bands deemed to be cool by trend-chasing hipsters who play it way too safe with their preferences.

In 2014, the band released their self-titled debut album and until now "Unya" is still one of my favorite songs from the band. You would notice from this album how the band's songwriting structure is different from the underground bands we usually listen to. Their sophomore album Every Step Is Backward was released in 2015 and it took me on a whole journey of chaotic-noise but it left me in a calm state. "More of You" and "Tantrum" are my favorite songs from this release. The voice and guitar riffs of Kaloy (from Grows, Kapitan Kulam and Kagwang-- I think Sonic Youth is really a big influence to Kaloy, just listening to Kagwang and Pastilan Dong! it really made a mark) made this band a standout from the rest. It's 2018 and I can't compare any local acts as good as Pastilan Dong!, may it be played through my headphones or in a live performance. Pastilan Dong! keeps on ripping walls of noise that goes with the flow of being borderline catchy and strange. With their 3rd album on the works, this band never fails to amaze me. There's an inside joke around my friends from the scene when someone will watch Pastilan Dong! for the first time, our automatic response is, "Ready na ba tainga mo sa Pastilan Dong!?" (Translates: Are your ears ready for Pastilan Dong!?)

[entry written by Protagonist]

Self-Titled (2014)

Every Step is Backward (2015)

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)