Two new songs from ERASERHEADS after over a decade!!

After over a decade, Eraserheads released two new songs and you won't find them in any record stores but it was included in the Esquire Magazine's September issue!

"Hindi nga?!? Bati na sila?" -  first thought that came into my mind when i found out about the news that Eraserheads will release new songs. They were touring outside Philippines and all four are together and that's right but recording a song is more intimate. But heck! lets not do tsismis! Lets check their two new songs!

The two new songs are "SABADO" and "1995" and both were recorded as if it was done in the 90's. They still sound the same and you would easily know that it was from Eraserheads because after a couple times I played it I started to sing along! LSS!

But I still can't believe that they these guys all went to record both songs in one studio, I still doubt it, and so i think my tsismis was 10% right, SABADO was done by Marasigan, Romulo, Zabala, and Adoro while 1995 was done by Buendia and Romulo! And so i guess they still dont want to be with Ely on the same studio, just like what happened when they recorded Carbon Stereoxide in 2001, they never saw Ely in the studio and they recorded the whole album in different schedules.

But the heck! Eraserheads will be Eraserheads and I dont give a damn on their personal shits. As a guy who grew up in the '90's I would say that SABADO and 1995 are both exceptional songs and both was written and recorded by combining the good old Eraserheads formula and their new talents in making music! Buhay na naman ang OPM!

How to get the CD? The CD is included in the Esquire September issue and I really recommend that you get a copy. How much?? effin Php 400!! Yes, I was blown away by the cost of the magazine!

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TITO, VIC & JOEY - Tough Hits

"Ladies and Gentlemen here they are, the country's top song record, the boys from the top music world...

Tito, Vic, & Joey!"

TOUGH HITS, BABY!!! We're in for some Departmentalized take on music!

Tough Hits record came out 4 years before I was born, I discovered their songs back in year 2000, and from then on they became part of our "inuman sessions." Well yeah its like going into a comedy bar for free, the only difference is in the punch line - the entire Tough Hits volumes are way better than all of today's comedians combined! Today, to be funny you have to make an ass out of your audiences, like Vice-Ganda-type-of-comedy which is totally rude - if it's Anne Curtis who's delivering the insulting jokes i'll take it but if it's like someone with a face you cannot stand, it's BS!

The album cover is so bad ass that you could definitely tell that these guys are up to no good. Front album cover gives you the face of TVJ back in the 70's (who would have guessed that Tito will end up as a Senator!) and back cover seems to have some skits of comedy too! And the Toyota SR there are in mint condition - kase brand new! My tough hit's copy is in VG++ condish. Thanks to Pareng Biboy!!

The sound quality is ok, nothing spectacular. There's some clicks and pops and I really like them because it adds characteristics to the listening experience and gives the nostalgia effect.

And yeah, the tracks came by Department!

Side A			Side B
1	Overture		1	Chicks Department
2	Rico J. Puno Department		2	Poetry Department
3	Kajjo Department, Jukebox King interview		3	Manila Sound Department
4	Pantalon Department		4	Children's Department
5	B.B.B. Department		5	Family Planning Department
6	Chos Department		6	Riot Department

They attack all walks of life in the whole album, each did their own rendition of each department which makes the whole album more enjoyable especially for first time listeners since you wanted to know what's going to happen next.

The back cover deserves another round of close up images - check out how they do comedy back then!

Crate digging in Manila is not as easy as it seems. I rarely find OPM records and if I do they are priced at price point that I wouldn't allow myself to buy. And I read somewhere that there are a lot of OPM finds in Singapore!!

I am only interested in buying foreign bands when I started collecting vinyls, but when I was able to get a few copies of our very own local bands/singers, it feels different and somehow it's connecting me to the roots of pinoy rock.

And of course check out the people who worked on Tough Hits.

Spread the love! - Vinyl Grimes

FILTER - The Sun Comes Out Tonight

Do you still like listening to FILTER? They have been around for a long time and already produced 6 albums and there’s only 1 remaining original member – Robert Patrick. Do I still listen to FILTER? Hell yeah! What I like about filter is that every album have different band members and it’s unique to each other, no album sounds the same as the previous one but their New Album The Sun Comes Out Tonight sounds like the early years of FILTER!

The Sun Comes out Tonight album is about love, lust, and betrayal. Most of the songs have a lot of reference to Robert Patrick’s life and there are 2 or 3 songs that have a direct drug reference. I will split this review into to two parts again, first will be all about the wax and the second part will be about the tracks on the album.

The Vinyl

I was surprised when I opened the vinyl because I am not expecting the wax to be in semi-transparent teal green or maybe rusted gold – so it’s a bonus already that it’s a colored wax!

The album art cover is really nice, it’s like a sunburst on a milky way and the matte finish is really awesome and nice to feel at my hand. The album art was continued at the back so this is the type where it should have been released in gatefold, the back cover also contains the track list.

The wax was very simple and came in semi-transparent colored vinyl. It’s not 180g but it sounds good. It’s flat, I did not observed any wave-on-a-hump while it’s spinning but I can hear some surface noise on the first track. A lot of paper dust as well when I peeled it out of the paper inner sleeves, so I have to quickly run it through m record cleaner and replace the inner paper sleeve with the plastic sleeves. Tracks were pressed nicely on the wax, aside from the early surface noise, the rest of the tracks are clean and sounds really really good! You can feel the guitar reefs and the separation from the unique vocals of Richard Patrick.

Album Tracks

We Hate It When You Get What You Wanted this is the type of song that will get your adrenaline going. This song is about people getting really stupid, envious and crazy.

What Do You Say is the first single of The Sun Comes Out Tonight, this song has a light electronic feel with good guitar riffs and topped up with Robert Patrick’s unique vocals. The song is about how the world crazy about technology like social networks where everybody keeps on talking and nobody listens.

Surprise has been getting a lot of air time in JAM 88.3 right now, I never had a day last week that I didn’t hear them play this song. Surprise is a beautiful and jealous song.This is Robert Patrick’s reference to his wife who’s left in the house with their kids while he’s touring, he talks about how she take care of the kids and how Robert is very jealous that he’s not there spending time with them.

Watch The Sun Come Out Tonight is another drug reference, its about the magic of drugs, about how they'd handle drugs and how they melt with it. Another song that have drug reference is It's Got To Be Right Now.

This Finger's For You is a bad ass track, it's about betrayal and getting fucked over. Moderately phased song and anyone can easily relate since a lot of us wants to throw our middle finger to those who thought they are bettering than us.

That's pretty much the whole SIDE A.

SIDE B starts with a very strong track Self Inflicted. The lyrics is close to Hey Man Nice Shot. The rest of side B are: First You Break It, Burn it, Take the Knife out of my Back, Its my Time, It's Just You are all self reference to both Robert Patrick and Johnny Radtke and to what they know and believe. If you want to chill and want to think about what happened with your day, check out the slow song It's Time.

Conclusion

How does The Sun Comes Out Tonight differ to other previous Filter's album? My 2 cent is that this album is way more electronic. Filter can always be compared to as close as the Nine Inch Nails, since Richard Patrick was a former member and he's the only original member now that remains in Filter, same as Trent, but i don't know if I am making any sense at all.

For me the album feels complete, I felt that all songs that were included should rightfully be there and I don't feel that they are missing anything. And according to Robert Patrick, "Filter is not a band, but a Project" which explains the different flavor of each albums.

I've lost track of Filter but this album gave me the flavor of Filter that I was very familiar. It feels like they went back to their original formula. I will give this album 4 out 5 star. I recommend that you pick this vinyl when you see it in the record store or even pick up the CD. Buy it, I like it, you won't regret it!

Filter, Album Review, The Sun Comes Out Tonight, Vinyl Grimes.

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NEON FEST - Indie Bands Music Festival

NEON FEST is an Indie Music Fest celebrating local indie bands all over the Metro and even nearby provinces. This is an indoor music fest, happening on the 12th of October from 4:30 PM onwards at SM North Edsa, Skydome. The event aims to support and promote local bands who are trying to work their way to the mainstream. This event also aims to gather music fans of all ages and genres to come together and celebrate both local and international music acts.
 

There are 16 bands slated to perform for Neon Fest. 10 of those are unsigned and they are: 
Imelda, Behind Those City Lights, Cholo Tolentino, Now You Make Me Angry, Siglo, Fiasco Project, Pathway, Dressed Up Days, Ian Rondilla, and Yurei. You can visit Pcheng's Blog to get more information about the bands.

The 6 other bands (headlining as they called 'em) are:

Mad Hatter Day
Jensen Tenoso
Autotelic
She’s Only Sixteen
Midnight Meetings
Taken By cars

Aside from the bands and the music lined up there are also a lot of games, prizes and surprises in store.  Food will be available as well as drinks both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. Alcoholic drinks will not be available to minors.

NEON FEST is slated on OCT 12, Saturday at Sky Dome SM City North EDSA, gates open at 4:30PM. Tickets are very cheap and for what i've heard they are having early bird promo and tickets are being sold from 200 to 300 pesos only! Head out to Neon Fest's FB to get the full details!

So will I be going to NEON FEST? HELL YEAH!!! I can buy a burger, fries, and drinks for 300, but I can also watch 16 bands for 300, so that's a no brainer - my 300 will go to NEON FEST tickets! So you all on Saturday! I'll be there to check out the bands and see if we can invite them over to Vinyl Grimes for some fun interview.

Last, here's the email of NEON FEST organizers - neonfestphtickets@gmail.com. drop them email if you have questions about the event, they are a bunch of cool and beautiful people so don't hesitate to contact them.

Scott Lucas & The Married Men ‎– The Cruel Summer EP

An EP have many songs than the single release and not so much to make it as a full length album, and so when I bought Cruel Summer EP online I thought it's gonna be on 12" to fit the 5 tracks - not! When it arrived I was so dumbfounded when I saw the small box! While opening the box I continuously asking myself if I ordered the wrong vinyl....

Nope! I did not. I actually ordered the correct vinyl. This release is kinda special (yeah it's limited edition) and it's true that the Cruel Summer EP have indeed 5 tracks but only two are pressed in the wax and 3 are available for download, actually all 5 tracks are available for downloads! Yi! I learn something new on every purchase.

Scott Lucas & The Married Men ‎released their EP The Cruel Summer just this year around June and man you won't believe how amazing the cover art is and the wax performed really well. Here's the quick facts:

Label:	The End Records ‎– TE317-1
Format:	Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM, EP
Country:	US
Released:	06/25/13
Genre:	Rock, Folk, World, & Country

I definitely like the Album Art Cover. It's one of the things that made me blind-buy this EP. It's very vintage looking, kinda sad, and it just have the texture that I cannot explain but it's awesome.
Side A contains their version of Cruel Summer, a Bananarama cover. And Side B contains Never Better, an original compo by Scott Lucas. And the rest of the songs from the download card are:

3. Heavy Lidded (Acoustic) Love
4. Coward Of The County (Kenny Rogers cover)
5. There You Are (Again)

I am extremely loving Cruel Summer and Heavy Lidded Love. Their odd take to the Bananarama cover infusing heavy guitar riffs and wrapping their own style of music makes this version not better than the original but a different flavor, it's the melancholy-rock-alternative attack to the song makes it more awesome!

The 7" wax looks really solid, dead silent, and the label contains the track names.

Overall I will give this EP a solid 3.5 out of 5. less .5 pt for making me sad when I received the package (which is totally my fault) and less 1 pt because I only like the first 3 tracks. I still suggest you grab this vinyl when you see it in your favorite record store, if you are in Manila, Philippines, I don't know any record store here that have them but you can always try Amazon and Ebay.

I never knew Scott Lucas until I bought this EP, I think I need to sample their full length album that came before this EP, the Blood Half Moon. So if you own this EP, tell us if you like it, if you hate it, if you think its a waste of money or it's a keeper, please use the comment box below! For me it's a money well spent and I'm digging the analog/digital split. Check their video on youtube of Cruel Summer!

- Vinyl Grimes, Record Review, Scott Lucas, Spreading the Love!

Bamboo - The Singles LP

Slowly, local bands and record labels are getting back into pressing their music to vinyl, and PolyEastRecord's first dibs was Bamboo - The Singles. This is the first ever, after so many years, commercially pressed and designed towards consumer due to it's price tag, this vinyl is priced correctly at 950 pesos a pop.

So let's break this blog post to two - First the quality of the vinyl package from album cover to the quality of wax. Second will be the choice of tracks and the sound quality.

The Package

The album cover came in elegant non-glossy black with very minimal design. The front cover only contains the Bamboo The Singles record title and the album art from 2004 album As The Music Plays. At the back they added the track listing and what i liked the most was that they included the artist who wrote and made the song to give separation to the solo artist Bamboo versus the defunct band Bamboo. There's no lyric sheet inside or any other form material entertainment.

The wax was pressed in black wax and the label contains the art cover but without track names they only put a Side A and Side B marker. The wax weighs at 150 grams, chubbier than the regular vinyl. From what I know, the wax was pressed and printed in Czech Republic and shipped back to Manila. The first batch were only 500 copies and I've heard from PolyEast that they will not do a 2nd pressing, I just wished they could put up a hand written number (5/500) on each LP to make it more collectibles.

The album cover and the wax were both perfect for me, although I saw some scratches on the wax, this was maybe because of the super tight white paper inner sleeves. There's also a lot of paper dust so be sure to run a good first sweep before you put it in your turntable.

The Sound Quality

Digitally remastered pressed on thick slab (150g) - what should I expect? To begin with this is the first Vinyl so this is the first pressing and nothing to compare with, although we can use the CD format but I doubt it would be an apples to apples comparison. I'm a positive person, I know it was digitally remastered so I don't expect a lot and I am already happy by owning a Vinyl Format of Bamboo! Yeah, Owning a vinyl copy of this album is already rad! I saw someone bought the record even though he does not have a turntable.

There are ten tracks on this album, 5 on each side.

Side A	Side B
Noypi	Probinsyana
Mr. Clay	Tatsulok
Masaya	Kailan
Hallelujah	Last Days on a Cruise Ship
Peace Man	Kalayaan

I know PolyEast Records had a hard time choosing the tracks, but they did a good job on selecting the singles from each album of Bamboo, although I'm still complaining why F.U. was not included but hey you can only squeeze a few songs on vinyl! So maybe there'll be a second volume coming in since tons of good songs are still left out.

Now how does it sound? Is it any good? spectacular? mind blowing? So-awesome-my-friend-who-does-not-own-a-turntable-is-now-buying-one-after-hearing-this-vinyl? Well it sounds good, nothing really special. The slab is flat and I did not hear any surface noise. This is not the kind of vinyl that you will use to show off your turntable system's awesomeness, I bought this for the music and for my support on this initiative to bring back the vinyl records to life by our local musicians.

Side A have a very strong tracks but I was a bit disappointed with how the Noypi and Mr. Clay sounded. I barely hear the sound of the drums and bass guitar when the Ira Cruz stars ripping the power chords, sounds like the instruments cannot breath. Maybe it' just me or my gears but it's muffled. Hallelujah sounds the same but this track is more tolerable than the first two. Masaya and Peace Man are both exceptional! The separation of the instruments are superb, these are the two of my favorite tracks in the album.

Side B started with a strong track, Probinsyana and then followed by Tatsulok which both felt the same in terms of sound texture. My fav tracks for side b are undoubtedly Kailan and Last Dayz on a Cruise Ship. I would say Side B sounds better than Side A tracks.

Conclusion:

My 950 pesos was well spent on this record. Bamboo The Singles are priced below 1000 which in my opinion is border line expensive for OPM record. I saw two more new local band (OPM) that was pressed in Vinyl and priced at 1200 and 1500. It's expensive according to my wallet. I have not heard both so I don't know how to justify the 1200 and 1500 price tag. If the Bamboo Vinyl went above 1k, i might have thought twice before buying it.

Most of the record stores that i went to have them on display. Astroplus SM Aura and Trinoma have them. If you cannot find them in any store you can search PolyEast Records in facebook and drop them a message.

If you see one, pick it up, pay for it, and start spinning. Your 950pesos is worth spending on this wax. Plus it's a good display and you will often get this from your friends - "really?!? Bamboo on Vinyl??"

If you own this album, let me know what you think, did you like it? did the sound passed your taste? Do you like the singles selection? Do you hate it? Does it sound so bad? Lets us know and use the comment box below!

- Vinyl Grimes. Album Review. Keep Spinning.

Basic Turntable Setup

So, finally you decided to build your very first turntable setup and wanted to quickly start digging crates - but you are in Manila and you don't know where to source the equipment, that's a huge problem! When I started out with Vinyl I have two big, BIG problems: 1) Money and 2) Where to buy the equipment and records. That's why I started Vinyl Grimes!

Getting into record-collection-hobby can burn a big hole in your pocket. The more expensive the equipment, the more sonic enjoyment you will get - to me this is very true. But you don't need those expensive turntables and amplifiers if you want to start spinning now, you only need to be smart (read reviews) and patient (waiting for used equipment to be put on sale on some forums) and with that I want to share my very first turntable setup!

Before we go any further this article is not intended for DJ setup, I will talk about turntable setup for plainly spinning records, and not for scratching.

You can start googling what a turntable and get to know the parts and it's function to give you a good background, I won't talk about all those stuff here because they are already available in the internet like A Beginner’s Guide to Buying Your First Turntable which they discussed the anatomy of turntable in full detail.

So, here's my guide to starting your analog journey, the smart way...

The Equipments:

You'll need these basic equipments to start Spinning:

• Turntable
• Amplifier
• Speakers

 In my setup I am using:

Equipment	Brand	Price in Amazon
Turntable	Audio Technica ATLP60	$110
Amplifier	Lepai 2020A+	$22
Phono Stage	Pyle Pro Phono Pre-Amp PP444	$14
Speakers	A-Audio Genesis

Connection:

1. Connect Turntable using L/R interconnects to Phono-Stage INPUT
2. Connect Phono Stage OUTPUT to AMP's L/F Input
3. Connect Speakers to AMP
4. Done!!

I used the prices in Amazon just to give a base idea on how much each gears cost at present time. Right there you would compute that this setup is more or less 5.3k only without speakers! And if you decide to buy your equipment in Amazon, please also consider the shipping fee from US to Manila, Philippines because it is not damn cheap.

The Turntable

I highly recommend Audio Technica AT-LP60 Fully Automatic Stereo Turntable System. This is what I am using right now in my system and it delivers the performance I need. It's fully automatic so you don't have to worry about placing the needle in the record, just push the start button and it will start spinning and tone arm will move automatically. It has 2 speeds - 33 1/3 and 45 RPM, it can be switched by the button on the left side. Since this is fully automatic, there is a switch for the size of the records that you want to play, AT-LP60 only have a switch for 12" and 7" record, for 10" maybe you have to override and manually place the stylus, i am not sure I have not tried it yet.

Quick check on the basic features of AT-LP60:

• Fully automatic operation with two speeds: 33-1/3 and 45 RPM
• Professional aluminum platter
• Included cables connect to your stereo or powered speakers
• Integral Dual Magnet™ phono cartridge with replaceable stylus
• Switchable built-in pre-amplifier with line-level RCA output cables

The dust cover is very thin but it's not a problem to me, I usually take it off when I plan to spin for hours. Coming out of the box, the AT-LP60 was already built I mean the tone arm and cartridge and stylus was already in place, you only need to put the platter and the slip mat, it's very easy to assemble. I love things that are not complicated. AT-LP60 comes in built in phono pre-amp so if you can easily plug this turntable to your home theater system. This the most easiest way to add turntable in your home theater system.

How about the sound quality? The sonic part can be debatable, but for a turntable system under $100 - this little machine will ass-kick any turntable system at the same price range and even on those that are in $200 range. The sound performance is just incredible, I will not trade this to the overpriced-looks-like-a-suitcase-turntable that is being sold here in Manila Philippines between Php 6,000 to Php 10,000 not even to any used-japanese-surplus-turntables.

The Amplifier

Lepai LP-2020A+ Lepai Tripath Class-T Hi-Fi Audio Mini Amplifier that's the full brand name of Lepai 2020A+. Lepai 2020A+ is a china-made mini amp that has a very big reputation when it comes to sound quality. There's a ton of review out there and best way to convince you is to go to youtube and do a search on "Lepai 2020" and watch the video reviews, you'll be amazed.

Lepai 2020A+ Mini Amp does not have Phono Input that's why we need a phono pre-amp (see below) OR as I mentioned earlier AT-LP60 does come with built in phono pre-amp so you can directly plug AT-LP60 to Lepai 2020A+! And with this baby, you are not limited to using the turntable as a source because Lepai have a 3.5mm input at the back where you can plug in your mobile phone, iPad, iPod or any DAP. This mini amp can bridge the old and new technologies. Selling at dirt cheap from Php 2000 to 3000 here in Manila you cannot go wrong with this amp plus you have the liberty to adjust the type of speakers you want to use, this baby can power almost any speakers.

The Phono Pre-Amp

I am using PYLE-PRO PP444 Ultra Compact Phono Turntable Preamp to convert the low signal of the turntable to line level signal that the amplifier can handle. In my setup this is completely optional but having a separate pre-amp to be used than the built in pre-amp of AT-LP60 might have some gain plus the fact that PYLE PRO is very cheap I wouldn't make any second guess in adding it to my system.

Pyle PP444 have a good reviews as well, the unit was small, well built, cheap, and it get's the job done.

The Speaker

I am using A-Audio Genesis Bookshelf Speakers. If you haven't heard about this speakers before well this is speakers are proudly pinoy made by Mr. Anthony of Paranaque, he's been doing a lot of high end speakers but when he started the Genesis series way back in 2012 it's very very cheap, i got mine for only 3,000 Pesos for the pair and this pair are for keeps. You can find a lot of information for this speakers at pinoydvd.

You will not believe me when I say that A-Audio Genesis will put to shame the Wharfdale and Mordant Short speakers or any other speakers on 10k - 15k price range.

The Conclusion

With this combo - Audio Technical AT-LP60 + Pyple Pro P444 + Lepai2020 + A-Audio BS = sonic bliss without hurting your budget. There's a lot of combination you can do but the main point is that you have to follow the simple formula of Turntable + AMP + Speaker to have a basic setup. You can also check the local surplus shops or online shops that sells second hand equipment, that can work and will also give you a low cost setup to start with - BUT.... using second hand equipment is something I am not going to recommend for starters because you don't know when it will breakdown and it did now you have to worry about how to fix it. With brand new equipment you just have to unbox them and plug them together and start enjoying the music. And again, I've seen those portable vinyl player that looks like a suitcase, they maybe brand new, and they may even sell for less than $100, but it sounds very cheap.

As any other hobby, you have to start right. If you have less budget, try to save and be smart on purchasing your gears. If you settle for cheap alternatives, you might get turned off because you didn't like the sound and you might stick to your mp3 player.

Now where can you scout for the equipment here in Manila, Philippines? There are two forums that I can recommend, they are Pinoydvd and WiredState both have a good list of "For Sale" items, new and used. People there are very friendly so don't be shy to ask questions. You can also like Vinyl Grimes' Facebook Page I sometimes post items there that I am willing to sell.

Vinyl Records in the Philippines are very hard to come by, and if they do it's sometimes expensive and that's what makes Crate Digging in the Philippines more exciting.

 

Hijo - Slow Rock Volume ½ EP

Do you know what happened when a band broke up and vocalist leaves the room and kept every dude hanging??? You know what.... great things happens! Yi! cheesy intro! Everybody probably knows about Hijo already. Bamboo left the band and Nathan, Ira, and Vic Mercado was like hell yeah let's get some keyboardist and another guitar artist to bring some fat thing on the rhythm and let's make our own music - that's HIJO.

This is old news already. The band started way back in 2011 and their debut EP Slow Rock Volume ½ started getting attention at the first quarter of 2012. It's a four track album that have different sets of arrangement and different feel on every song. But let me talk about how awesome the actual CD first and then I'll cover the sound quality of the recording and then we will dig more on the actual songs.

The CD Packaging

I am amazed on the quality from the jewel case, to the glossy inlet and to the white CD with hard to read markings. When I was holding it in the record store I was like "sulit na sulit" even i have not heard about their songs yet.

Front

Back

The front and back cover of the CD was very simple, the back cover contains the track list and some credits to the record company but wait till you see the inner fold.

Inner Fold

The inlet was produced with high quality - glossy, embossed, textured, feels expensive! And I know this thing does not contribute to the quality of music but it brings a punch to overall experience. What's inside are Credits from the band members, track lists, and lyrics which i really like. Not everyone is doing it this way today but heck if you only have four tracks, why not.

Sound Quality

Overall the tracks were nicely recorded and it's a little loud too. However the first track Tamalee, to me, sounds boxed, felt like the guitar and drums cannot breath. Going to the second track, Dahil Sa Iyo, there's a nice separation of instruments and equally calibrated against each other. My poor D60 did not give justice to the actual CD, if you move your eyes around the image you will notice the Hijo logo and on the other side are the tracks perfectly embossed.

Slow Rock Volume ½ EP

There are only four tracks in this EP -

1. TAMALEE
2. DAHIL SA IYO
3. TORQUEMADA
4. DI MO NA KAYA

First run on all four songs to be honest I didn't quite get what the heck was Hijo. So I burned it to my iPod and tried to listen to it more, re-read the lyrics and tried to work my tiny brain out.

Tamalee was an instant favorite. Sounds to me like all five of them were on steriod. I love the layering of the two guitars and Nathan's bass glued them together. I just wish it was recorded clearly or maybe I need to watch them live to get a better appreciation of the materials. This song's a bi-language song - for a second I thought i was still listening to Riveramaya and or Bamboo.

Second track Dahil Sa Iyo put me on another dimension, a quick shift of phase. Tango-sounding-felt-like-i-need-to-dim-the-lights was were I was taken. But there's a lot of mix though out the song, it started very smooth, piano and guitar pluck was exceptional and then mixed with guitar solo and the signatured-gapang-bass. Turns out its not a boring song but a highly technical one.

Torquemada is what you should expect from this lineup. This may be a sleeper from the rest. The last track from the EP 'Di Mo Na Kaya was a good wrap up, again the dynamic of each instrument is just right, this was arranged nicely not to over power each instruments and the piano/keyboard gives a good flavor to the loneliness of the song. I was very lonely after I listened to the whole album.

Which brings me to one thing that I didn't like - it's too short! Bitin! It was very dragging, heavy, and after 'Di Mo Na Kaya I was like still wanting to recover and there should be 1 or two more tracks after.

Now I am thinking why there's no follow up? where's the full album? it's been like almost 2 years since they put this out. I don't know, I don't have any idea but hey if you see this EP in the record store (bought mine at Astroplus Shangrila) pick it up and you won't regret it. Sleeves pa lang panalo na!
 

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