bobby balingit is awesome
madalas ko sya napapanood sa mga spoken word/art events nagpeperform
punk for most people is those early 80's - 90's era
at hanggang dun na lang na stuck yung kaalaman kasi na glorify na yung era na yun.
although good, has become the most commercial image of pinoy punk.
nowadays it has become an incredibly diverse and dynamic scene with new labels and all.
hindi lang napapansin ng majority because hindi na sya hina-hype ng mainstream
and the local punk/hardcore community would rather release records, play DIY shows,
and do networking than play on productions or try to get radio airplay.
so here are some notable local punk/HC bands that stir up my blood nowadays,
all of which have awesome guitarists:
THE BEAUTY OF DOUBT
http://www.purevolume.com/thebeautyofdoubtthey have an album out on counterflow records
a supergroup of sorts from various punk bands, they know their stuff well. tight as hell, amazing guitar melodies, incredible lyrics, and if you get to see them live, they are just powerful onstage. its not uncommon that you see almost everyone siging along to their songs.
KILLRATIO
http://myspace.com/killratiotheir guitarist plays for pop-punk darlings, teenage hero!
from their page:
KILLRATIO is a 5 piece scandi-influenced hardcore/punk unit from Metro Manila comprised of defunct and current local D.I.Y. personnel. No "ex-members of" gimmicks here, just straight up raging hardcorepunk this side of the tropics!
FEUD
http://www.myspace.com/feudxxx this cavite based band is one of the longest running local straightedge outfits around.
they have been undeniably influential to the current crop of straightedge bands nowadays
with their highly energetic songs, intelligent lyrics, and the values they stand by.
their guitarist, paolo has one of the most fastest fingers in hardcore punk and plays really tight!
they have a couple of albums that are out of print, have appeared in various international compilations, and their current release has international distribution!
CHOKECOCOI
http://www.myspace.com/chokecocoi despit the funny sounding name, this all girl group from lucena have been around since the late 90s and have evolved into the hardcore/punk steamroller they are now. they currently have a split-cd out with argentinian punk band URBANOS. its hard to believe that their guitarist also plays for a grindcore band!
PLAY
http://www.myspace.com/playxthrash these bulacan guys are incredible live! fast and furious! simple guitar work but effective.
they have songs on a 3 way split record on takefour records.
SETTLED DOWN
http://www.myspace.com/settleddown melodic punk rock from batangas! need i say more?
WALK ME HOME
http://www.myspace.com/walkmehomerocks pop punk/indie rock darlings from san pablo city.
if you love mid 90's emo/indierock when it wasnt a four letter word yet
AURORA
http://www.myspace.com/team_aurora http://www.purevolume.com/auroralagunanot necessarily punk, but more on a screamo (a good one at that).
they are great live, and i couldnt believe that i was hearing the guitarist sneaking in some bluesy/classic rock lines when you least expect it.
SAUNA
http://www.myspace.com/sauna batangas city's finest. mostly veterans from the punk/HC scene. they play chaotic HC/metal but with firm punk roots. if you like converge and the like, this is the closest you can get. manic time changes, crooked/angular guitar work, unorthodox riffage. plus their guitarist nixon is a philmusic member! (pssst, nixon) they have a split record with manila hardcore monsters bystorm on takefour records and a cd-ep out called hellheart.
A.D.A./AGRESSIVE DOG ATACK
http://www.myspace.com/aggressivedogattack yes, they're still alive and vicious as ever! i lost track how many releases they have.
ever the crowd favorite! they've been around forever and have no plans of quitting!
how could you not love 3 chords and hyperfast drumming?
plus their vocalist, boi's hight pitched stacatto screams is just something else.
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that's just a sample of what's out there.
you may notice that some of them may not be "punk" in terms of musical definition,
but most of these folks have played in punk bands at one time or another,
most of these bands and the people in it are active within the pinoy punk/HC community
releasing records, putting out fanzines, setting up shows, networking, rocking out, doing volunteer/acxtivist/civic work and have been working their asses to push boundaries beyond the mainstream definition of punk.
it would be great if you folks could take time and check out these bands or go see them live if possible. get a copy of their CDs then try to get in touch with them if you like. after all, punk is all about communication and building bridges. the local punk scene has grown beyond the greenday coverbands and three chord structures.
oh, btw. bobby balingit's gibson nighthawk is just beee-yooo-teeee-foool.
