Went to Pagsanjan to Spin Records All Day - at Casa Marina

This is not a travel blog. But I cannot help not to post my experience at Casa Marina Bed and Breakfast located at Pagsanjan Laguna, we stayed there for 2 days / 1 night and all I did was spin records! 

Scroll down to know why.

This is by far the only bed & breakfast that I have been that I can bring my vinyl records and enjoy the day spinning until night, whiskey in my hand, fresh air from the window... (pagnakatulog ka talo!)

Upon entering the house, this turntable setup greeted me and onto it's left was a huge cabinet full of vintage amplifiers and I was like what the!?!?! I quickly asked the front desk -"Who's the owner of this joint?" and she told me "Reggie po" - Reggie who? "Reggie Halili" and from there I was blown away and told here that "Ah si Reggie! Kilala ko yun! Yun macho!"

Didn't know that Reggie our brother from Let's Groove is the owner, should I've known before booking i could have asked for a discount! HAH!

Some of the vintage gears in the other cabinet.

And that's just the Sala, the rooms are on point, very comfy beds, foods are comforting, and service is 10/10!

Here's the night were we (with my son, Nathan) just enjoyed our records, he's too young to share my whiskey so a few more years and we will be enjoying that scene.

 

And we have some of our fav records including our very own -

Overall, it was a good stay, whole fam enjoyed it, I enjoyed it the most! 

Here's some of the shots from the riverside, another plus factor and reason why we are going back to Casa Marina this April 2020.

Thanks Reggie for being such a generous host.

Here's how to get in touch with Casa Marina:

Address: KM 92 General Taino St Pagsanjan Laguna
Telephone: +63492535034  | +639171759427

Email: reservations@casamarina.ph 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/casamarinaph/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/casamarinaph/

My beautiful family at Casa Marina

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Biofeedback – Karamihan ng Tao Ay Pu 7-Inch Vinyl Record

A re-release from 1994 by the San Pedro, Laguna based band Biofeedback.. The source of this re-release is a cassette and not the original masters.

Label Mutilated Noise Records
Format Vinyl, 7”, Gray Marbled
Country Philippines
Released 01/19/2014
Genre PUNK

Track List:

• A1: Lasenggo Gago
• A2: Karamihan ng Tao Ay Pu
• B1: Barney’s Revenge
• B2: Hardtimes

The Vinyl Record was pressed in Gray Marbled wax, regular pressing and nothing too special.

This is why you should love the DIY Punk scene in the Philippines, this record sounds raw, lyric sheets are added, and a past posters and image clips from a decade or so gig.

THIS IS A MUST HAVE RECORD FOR ANYONE WHO WANTS TO GET TO PINOY PUNK MUSIC.

Everything you need to know before buying BIOFEEDBACK 7" Record

This influential D.I.Y. 90's H.C. band (composed of Rey, Andreas, Honesto & Cid +) forever changed the local scene w/ their diverse H.C. style, wild live gig antics and intense thought-provoking lyrics. BIOFEEDBACK released a full length (twelve songs) cassette tape album "HARDTIMES" which they co-produced with our Mutilated Noise Records way back in 1994, most of the songs dwelled into Frat-gang mindset, corruption (relevant then and still is today),greed and materialism, rejection, also the most notable track in Filipino is "Lasenggo Gago" (anti-Stupid Drunkard song) in which Ivan Brun-bortot of the French HC band Coche Bomba commented as ""sounds like a pissed off Rapper on meth, intense..". They were also included in other local HardCore / Punk compilation tapes in the decade of the 90's. Unfortunately Cid Mendoza (RIP), the drummer died in a shooting incident back in 2002. (Source: Discogs)

And here's the Original Tape where the 4 songs where taken:

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Ang Huling El Bimbo Original Cast Recording CD

Then I went to a Musical gig, the venue was well treated, instruments are refined, and the music and audio is just as awesome and feels pure. Changed my life...

But still, I'm not the Phantom of the Opera kind of guy, I went to ANG HULING EL BIMBO THE MUSICAL! It's still my kind of genre because the music all came from one of my favorite band when i was growing up in the 90's! ERASERHEADS!

We are not going to talk about the Play itself but sure, it's once in a life time opportunity to get back to the EHEADS music and overall it's that damn good so they have a re run until August 2019 and you should better check it out! - Head Straight to RW Manila.

I like the musical play so much that I bought the whole kit and it comes with a CD, all songs played in the musical are there and some were re-arranged. Out of the door it did not disappoint.

14 tracks performed by the original cast, and one bonus track from the new cast. The track listing includes the following songs:

1. Waiting for the Bus
2. Minsan
3. Tindahan ni Aling Nena
4. Pare Ko/ Yoko
5. Shirley/Tikman/ Bogchi Hokbu
6. Tama Ka/ Ligaya
7. Huwag Kang Matakot/ Sembreak/ Hey Jay/ Wishing Wells/ Fine TIme
8. Alapaap/ Overdrive
9. Fill Her
10. With a Smile
11. Kilala/ Balikbayan Box
12. Spoarium/ Waiting/ Sino sa Atin
13. Hard to Believe/ Ligaya
14. Ang Huling El Bimbo
15. *Bonus Track: Magasin

This is one piece of history that you should not sleep on. Playing the tracks at home sends chills... Nostalgic, getting back to all the stupid stuff I did back when I was young, I enjoyed every track.

How's it so different from the Original Eraserheads song? It's far, far from how it was original played. But if you're from the 90's you will definitely appreciate it because the guys who did the new version puts a lot of respect to the original songs and down right you will easily get goose bumps and your minds will say "yeah, this is my jam!"

Audio quality is regular, nothing special and at the same time the CD is not in poor quality.

My recommendation - GET YOURSELF A COPY! Php 700.00

And if you're still not convinced here's the audio sample from the CD 

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How to choose the perfect Audio Technica LP60 for you!

There are 2 types of Audio-Technica LP60 that's available today and can be easily purchased here in the Philippines, and they are:

• AT-LP60-BT
• AT-LP60-USB

Let's talk about the differences and price for each.

AT-LP60-BT

AT-LP60-BT QUICK Specs
ctto: The Listening Room

AT-LP60-BT is the same LP-60 (cheapest) but with an additional Bluetooth functionality! You can connect your BT headphones for wirelessly listening to your records while walking around the house. What I like about having BT for the LP60 is that you can connect LP60 to an Amplifier with BT functionality and beef up the sound output, but most of all, if you have a powered amp with BT then you are all set. Adding the BT functionality made LP-60 a very, very convenient turntable to setup, and to use.

ctto: amazon.com

Sound Quality is the same with the original LP-60 if wired. Using BT will definitely lose some SQ. But heck, this an entry level turntable, you might not hear the difference.

Price for this retails between Php 11,500 to Php 13,000. Not that cheap and can burn a hole in your pocket, easily.

Where to buy? The only place I know that they have this on stock is The Listening Room at Megamall.

Who fits the profile?
If you are new to Vinyl Records and or wanting to upgrade your flea-market-bought turntable and you are a fan of wireless gadgets - this one is for you as AT-L60-BT can do up to 8 different Bluetooth device profiles that can be stored in system memory for quick connections! You can easily switch to headphones then to speakers.

AT-LP60-USB

The AT-LP60-USB Turntable is the same animal as the original or base LP60 but with USB Functionality. It's the same with LP60-BT but instead of Bluetooth crap they Audio-Technica replaced it with USB output.

What can you do with the USB function then? Well, the package includes a USB cable and Mac- and PC-compatible Audacity software to digitize your LPs. That's right, you can burn your LPs to your laptop and put it up to your iTunes or to your digital audio player like Sony Walkman and FiiO. You no longer need to search for the high res FLAC files :) From flea market LPs straight to your DAP.

Sound Quality should be the same with the other LP60s.

Price for this retails between Php 11,000 or less. You can wait for Mega sale and expect about 15 to 30% discount.

Where to buy? The only place I know that they have this on stock is The Listening Room at Megamall.

Who fits the profile?
I need this machine. Aside from my full analog audio bliss at home, I wanted to listen to quality music at the office, so mostly I have a FLAC files to scratch the itch, but it's hard to download the old LPs and OPM LPs. With this, my flea-market finds, old LPs, OPM LPs, used but not abused LPs can be digitized and I can enjoy to them anywhere.


Conclusion:
Both LP60-BT and LP60-USB sounds the same. The difference is on the added functionality whether you need the Bluetooth or you need the USB to digitize your collections.

If the price here in Philippines makes you think twice, as a good samaritan, I can hook you up with much much lower price! Send me a message at our facebook page and while you're they hit the thumbs up and follow our page!

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Keep spreading the love and keep spinning. LPs are best enjoyed with Whisky. 

Year ONE! Satchmi Store in Megamall

Year ONE!! The store in Megamall is the one celebrating it's first year of existence, not the Satchmi as a company because they've been around as an online seller and doing consignment deals with Astroplus and other stores for some years now.

So, to those of Vinyl Grimes' friends and followers who's age are between 13 to 24, you'll gonna enjoy this event because IT'S FREE!!! and of course "madaling magpaalam kay mommy" because it's inside Megamall :) It's gonna be on September 26th 7PM

Here are a couple of things you can expect:

Free flowing drinks

The Satchmi Store as most people know, is not just your ordinary record store. They also have a coffee bar situated right in the middle. Their third wave coffee has been praised and raved on by many, getting their beans straight from the local supplier - EDSA Beverage Design Group. This time though, not only will we get free flowing coffee for the night, but free flowing craft beer from their friends over at CraftPoint Brewery! Coffee + Beer = the perfect way to cap off the night

Party giveaways and prizes

For those who attend the party, they get a chance to win Satchmi’s Motorino Mk II - Customized Limited Edition. A staple in almost all of Satchmi’s events. Not only that, they’ve also added in more giveaways from their favourite curated local brands like Sunday Paper Co, The Lost Nomad, Gouache Bags, Leather Fellow, The Green House Project, and more!

Record sales

I also hear that there might be a sale on their records, I'm hoping this time they will have at least 30% off on the sealed records. 

Lots of music and laughs

The Satchmi Store has been known for hosting intimate and fun events for music and the performing arts. You can expect some of their staples on stage: Reese and Vica, BP Valenzuela, CRWN, and Coeli. Adding to the birthday fun, Satchmi will also be getting Comedy Cartel’s Chip Balbuena - JackTV’s Kamikaze Best Comedy Act Competition winner and Laugh and Stack Standup Comedy Competition Champion to end the night right.

Secrets and plans revealed

Satchmi will be disclosing to everyone there what their plans are for next year. It’s kind of ironic how this time the birthday celebrant will be doing the surprising and we just gotta know what it is! They’ve been dropping a few hints here and there but I guess we’ll have to wait for the actual event to find out what Satchmi is planning for 2016.

Next question is - how does my teen friends can come? See below preh!

To RSVP go to tinyurl.com/happybirthdaySatchmi

The Satchmi Store is located at the 4F, Mega Fashion Hall, SM Megamall

For more details contact Satchmi at experience@satchmi.com or call them at 401 6905

Visit their website at www.satchmi.com

Date: September 26, 2015
Time: 7:00 PM
Admission: Damn FREE!
Drinks: Freakin FREE!
Chix: You have to work on it brah! #galawangbreezy

And again, keep spinning and keep spreading the love!

Middle Finger Clothing

What the Punk! 

Quickly two things will pop out of your head when you get to go and see Middle Finger Clothing - 

First, Do they sell records? Second, Oh crap! PUNK PUNK PUNK!

If you are new to Recto (you'll be the first guy), or did not went to school to any nearby colleges around it you wouldn't know about the Middle Finger Clothing shop that sells shirts and cassettes way way back.. or unless you're running PUNK blood in your veins!

 

Middle Finger Clothing sells Cassettes, CD's and Vinyl, and they only carry 1 genre - PUNK. If you want some punk vinyl in your collection this is the place that you need to go. They have a some variety of punk bands over the 3 mediums and prices are really nice, priced just right, since it's in Recto you won't feel that you are getting ripped off.

I went there to buy a specific record, the Bad Omen - which, the store is owned by the band's front man - Jon Fishbone. 

There's not a lot of records that are up for sale, but mostly the Pinoy Underground punk bands can be bought here. I was looking for Istukas on Disneyland but they ran out of copies. Looks to me like the main business really is Clothes rather than selling records. But if you are into Punk music, this place is worth visiting.

And before I forgot, there's another "istante" besides Middle Finger which is owned by a guy named "Jet" and I saw some records as well, NFG i think is stashed in the middle or the rack and have a few used cd's too.

Middle Finger Clothing is located at Recto, across Isetan and at the same building with SOGO. Give them a visit, it's gonna be a great crate digging experience.

Here's Middle Finger's Facebook. If you have questions on their stock feel free to drop them a pm.

And as always.. keep spreading the love! 

 

The Grey Market

A cheap ass sob always hunts for a ground where he can get quality records with very reasonable prices – and yes Satchmi will be out of his list instantly. My point is – right now, there’s a lot of new and old record shops in Manila that sells NEW and USED records and prices really varies. Some sells re-mastered Rolling Stone Records for a whooping 2500 a pop but some sells it between 1800 to 2000. A big difference right? Let’s go to POP records, pop genre sells for about 1800 an average here in Manila but it does not mean it’s the right price point. So as one of those cheap ass sob, we have to look for some alternative record shop that or settle for Amazon but then again we have to factor in the shipping and handling fee, and if you are not intelligent enough to anticipate custom taxes you'll be screwed. So there are pros and cons, bottom line we have to very smart on beefing up our collections or you will end up spending a lot of money! Record collection can be very expensive, but there are ways to skirt around those prices, and that would be another topic. Today, let's check out The Gray Market record shop in White Plains.

I've been to THE GREY MARKET a few times now, the place is clean, cozy and they have a nice couch too! Either I end up buying a record or just enjoying the couch while testing japanese pressed waxes.

Most of the records that they sell are brand new / sealed waxes although they also have used records but not so much. They have a few bins for Japanese pressed records, and man those records are very clean and can pass near mint conditions. What I like about The Grey Market are the prices,

• New LP's are from 800 to 2700
• Japanese Pressed LP's are from 600 to I don't now most expensive, didn't bother to ask
• Used LP's lowest at 300 depending on the condition

The Grey Market have a long list of new vinyl records and varies a lot from pop to punk to jazz to rock to indie, vinyl records prices starts at 800 pesos. I was able to get Jack Johnson Live at Thirdman for yes, 800! The used LP imho were somewhat on VG to G condition, I didn't really paid attention to the used bins. But the other used bins which contains the Japan Pressed waxes were awesome! VG++ to NM conditions, they are somewhat expensive for my pocket but they might be appealing to some with a job better than mine or was born to the right family.

The Grey Market also sells vinyl cleaning kits, used turntables and amplifiers, they also sell brand new gears like Denon DP 300F, Marrantz Amplifier, and speakers like Q Acoustics. 

Paintings and Posters are for sale too, and I saw a few units of typewriter and they are up for sale as well.

They also carry Acoustic Signature Turntable, the one on display is being sold at 90,000. Looks like a rega tone arm with a shiny plinth. The Acoustic Signature Turntable is by order basis, and man they are not cheap. I dont have the specs but it sound good, I had a video uploaded in youtube so just follow this link if you want to hear this turntable in action -

My verdict, The Grey Market have cheap new records but they also have a few records that sells above the SRP but I don't mind, we all know how difficult to get the vinyls shipped here in Manila. If I am in the mood to spend 800 to 1200 for a  newvinyl record I would go here but if I need used records from the 70's and 80's I would skip The Grey Market.

Give Grey Market a visit if you have not been there yet, look for Jane, very nice person and yeah she's pretty too (discounts please)
I know they have a second record shop in Makati but i have not been there yet.

Details of The Grey Market:
Address: 79 Bellitudo Bldg Katipunan Ave Whiteplains QC
Mobile Phone: 09393064642

More photos of the Grey Market were uploaded at Vinyl Grimes Facebook

If you have other info about the Grey Market please share them here so our brothers who loves waxes will be informed!

Keep Spinning - Vinyl Grimes