Love at first bite

Love at first bite

Tuesday, 10 November 2009 15:36

Death Cab For Cutie scores lead single in new ‘Twilight’ movie
By Paul John Caña, Contributor
Considering that highly acclaimed indie rock band Death Cab For Cutie (DCFC) has been around for over a decade, it’s hard to believe they’ve never deliberately contributed a song for a motion picture soundtrack.

Until now. We’ve heard the band’s songs on TV shows like the teen drama The OC, but for the first time we’ll get to hear vocalist Ben Gibbard’s trademark warbling on the big screen.

Now wafting through our speakers via Top 40 radio stations is “Meet Me On The Equinox,” the lead single off the new film in the Twilight Saga: New Moon. The indie rock heroes have maintained a generally straight course throughout their career, appealing mainly to young adult listeners who like their music thoughtful, well written and with just the appropriate amount of sentiment and angst. Now they’re set to conquer a whole generation of fans, mainly under the screaming teen and tweener set obsessed with the characters from Stephenie Meyer’s bestselling book. Thanks to Warner Music Philippines, The Manila Times got an exclusive one-on-one with DCFC’s guitarist Chris Walla via telephone.

The Manila Times: Where are you now and what’s outside your window?

Chris Walla: Good question. Right now I am camped out here in Los Angeles and I am right across Mann’s Chinese Theater, where I can see there’s going to be a big movie premiere or something happening. It’s about 6:40 a.m. here now.

TMT: You guys started out like most bands do as a small, independent group with a loyal fan base. As you got more famous and successful, some of your older fans feel a bit resentful and alienated, and accuse you of selling out. How do you feel about that?

CW: You know to be honest, it doesn’t really bother me all that much. I don’t really view it as a betrayal. I think there are very few friends that anyone has when they’re kids all the way to adulthood. You just change and your interests differ. People’s relationships change and I think it’s a little like that. And I think the records or bands that you listen to means so much when you’re 16, 30 or 45 years old and it can mean something completely different to you a few years outside of the time you started listening to them, or even not at all. We just tried really hard to make the kinds of records that we really wanted to make and that we ourselves might want to listen to. But I completely understand that sentiment because I feel that way myself about bands that I like.

TMT: Really? Like what bands?

CW: Hmm . . . well, for a while I felt that way about U2. They made so many different sorts of records and while I don’t particularly like some of them, I know all of those records have integrity and those guys always made records that they wanted to make. I like their stuff up until Achtung Baby, and then they made All That You Can’t Believe Behind, and in between those years, they did records that I didn’t really like.

TMT: Was there a specific moment for you when you felt like you crossed that threshold between young upstart band into confident, successful rock stars?

CW: (Laughs) First of all, I have to qualify this by saying that I don’t think I’ve ever had that moment when I felt like that. I think I’m still a bit at that pinch-me-I must be dreaming stage where I feel like I’d wake up at any moment and I’d be back serving coffee somewhere. But, yeah, I think playing Saturday Night Live was a pretty big deal. We’ve been watching that since we were kids and it’s just one of those moments where you really aspire to have.

TMT: So you have a song on this “little” movie called New Moon. Tell me how that happened. Did you sit down to write the song specifically for the movie?

CW: You know Ben (Gibbard) is always writing songs. We had this song and then there was this potential to have it in the film and we tweaked it around some, rewrote it a little, molding and shaping. I’m a fan of the book. It’s such a huge cultural phenomenon and it really is an honor to be part of it.

TMT: Speaking of movies, are you a moviegoer yourself? What’s your favorite movie?

CW: Oh I’ve just recently been on a Wes Anderson binge. I just finished watching The Life Aquatic of Zissou. I tend to like stuff that’s sort of slow but visually arresting and I think Wes Anderson is a master at that. And of course, I like the big blockbusters like New Moon. (Laughs)

TMT: So are you going to be there lining up with everyone else when New Moon opens?

CW: Actually I will be here in LA when it opens and I am going to the premiere. It should be fun and I’m excited to go see it.

TMT: As a band, do you guys get to see each other and hang out during your down time?

CW: Not as often as I thought we would. You see, we’re spread out all around now, we live in different cities and we only get to see each other during recording and touring. Then again, we tour so much. We pretty much spent the last six months on the road.

TMT: What are you guys up to next? Any chance we might see you over here in Manila anytime soon.

CW: We actually haven’t started anything new, there are no new songs in the works, but we’re probably going to start next year. We’re probably just going to stay home and make records next year, so it would be a big surprise if we do any touring at all next year. But yeah, I would love to go and play for our fans there in Manila.

Madonna’s Hard Candy: Spit or Swallow?

When she’s not busy picking kids up in Malawi, dressing them up and making them call her “Mama,” Madonna still occasionally makes music. Her latest album “Hard Candy” has been eagerly awaited not just by her by her cross-dressing, cone bra-wearing and die hard following, but by newer audiences who probably weren’t around yet when she sighed her first chorus back in the early 80’s. The reason is simple: the motley team behind this latest exercise includes the biggest and hottest names in music today. We’re talking of course, of the current urban, hip-hop royalty of Justin Timberlake, Timbaland and Pharrell Williams.

Our first taste of this “Candy” was expectedly sweet; her collaboration with Timberlake on the frenetic “Four Minutes” has just the right amount of pulsing beats and dance pop energy, not to mention an irresistible, catchy chorus (Timberlake breathlessly proclaiming, “We only got four minutes to save the world!”), to put Madonna back on the pop music landscape since her bestselling “Confessions On A Dance Floor .” The original Material Girl however tends to be overshadowed by the flashy Timberlake and at times seems to fade in and out of the song. (So that’s why Timbaland keeps reminding us about “Ma-DON-Nuh” every other line in the song).

The rest of the album teeters on that line between Madonna’s specialty of fine, dance-driven exploits on sex and more sex, and the producers’ slick, familiar grooves. Williams tries his darndest to reach new heights with the Madge, but watered-down songs such as the unexciting “Candy Shop” and the tepid and at-times ridiculous “Incredible” don’t seem to stick with Madonna’s often over-the-top interpretation of her own material. The original Material Girl seems to have more luck with her collaborations with hotshot producer Timbaland. We’ve heard his sonic Midas touch on records by Nelly Furtado and frequent collaborator Timberlake, as well as with rock group One Republic with the massive hit “Apologize,” and he brings with him his knack for both subtle and grandiose productions in “Candy.’ Apart from first single “Four Minutes,” I expect “Devil Wouldn’t Recognize You” and the decidedly slower and more wistful “Miles Away” to be definite fan-pleasers.

Still, it must be said that, knowing Madonna’s almost iconic reputation for reinvention, it’s just the tiniest bit surprising for me that there is less of her forging into new territory on this album and more of making use of what’s already there and what’s already been done. Along with her producer-friends doing what is expected of them, the unmistakable sound of the 80’s permeate many of the tracks on the album. While there is nothing wrong with looking back to find inspiration to create something meaningful and fresh, I would’ve thought she had it in her to twist something from the past around and make it more current and relatable.

And therein, I think lies the problem. “Hard Candy” is easy enough to swallow and digest as a better-than average dance pop album from the reigning Queen of Pop, but you have to wonder how much Madonna is invested in keeping herself relevant in a music scene that’s churning out fresher and newer acts by the second. The feisty maven we grew up with who simulated sex onstage and burned crucifixes in her videos is turning 50 this year, but there’s no question she’s still got it (“Hard Candy” peaked at the top of Billboard charts, her seventh number one album). The question is, does she still have that fire and determination to buck trends and go her own way to give us something truly exciting and memorable, similar to her work on “Ray of Light” and “Music?”  For the moment, we’ll just have to chew on her “Hard Candy” while we wait for an answer.

Breaking Boundaries

For the umpteenth time, legendary Pinoy supergroup Juan Dela Cruz band staged a “reunion” show over the weekend, but it wasn’t some lame production at a seedy bar with a perpetual cloud of cigarette smoke hanging over the air. The venue was the Cultural Center of the Philippines and Mike Hanopol, Wally Gonzalez and Joey “Pepe” Smith headlined a fantastic, three-day concert billed as “Fiesta ng Musikang Filipino.”

Sugarfree and UpDharmaDown were the opening acts on the first night. Despite their relative youth, both bands are pretty much pros in the local music scene. Ebe Dancel in particular stole the show when he started crooning Sharon Cuneta’s immortal classic “Sana’y Wala Nang Wakas.” It was obvious he was struggling in some parts, but the sheer bravado he displayed in belting out the videoke staple was impressive. Ate Shawie would’ve been proud. Armi Millare, on the other hand, was in her usual element, with her distinct vocal stylings lending an air of originality to their songs, including their take on the Apo original, “Kaibigan.”

The curtain behind the bands came up afterwards, and the musicians of the Manila Philharmonic Orchestra were revealed, all wearing white shirts and jeans. Performing Bamboo’s hit “Hallelujah,” the MPO received thunderous applause from the audience. A traditional orchestra performing contemporary pop hits isn’t exactly jump-off-your-seat exciting and new, but in today’s musical landscape of tired old acts, the attempt of jumping out of their tight dresses and suits and reaching out to more mainstream audiences is still very much appreciated.

International violinist Lucia Micarelli was up next. I wasn’t exactly blown away with her largely experimental repertoire the first time I saw her perform at Embassy last Valentine’s Day, but I much preferred her this time accompanied by the MPO in a stirring violin solo. I had the chance to interview Josh Groban’s punky violinist the first time she was here and she’s always expressed her desire to break boundaries and perform in front of newer audiences, not just in front of the classical crowd, and it looks like she’s getting her wish. (It didn’t hurt, too, that she was looking might fine when she played barefoot and in that plunging dress.)

But the night was about Juan Dela Cruz band. Launching into their first song, it seemed like the trio of Smith, Gonzalez and Hanopol still played like a tight, mean, Pinoy rock-playing machine. But midway during the song, there were unexpected technical difficulties that forced them to stop playing. And as usual, dear old Pepe entertained the audience with his antics. He walked around spewing verbal nonsense, pretended (?) to drink out of his trusty whiskey flask, laid down onstage and even gave somebody in the audience the finger. Yep, it wouldn’t be a Juan Dela Cruz show without lolo Pepe being his irreverent self. When the kinks were ironed out, the band played on, this time accompanied by the MPO, and it was as though the music never stopped. Up to the grand finale of “Ang Himig Natin,” with Lucia, Armi and Ebe joining in, the whole show was truly a feast for the senses. Organizers of the show should be proud of themselves for mounting such a unique, genre-defying production, and here’s hoping we get more of that soon.

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Coldplay’s fourth studio album Viva La Vida or Death and All of His Friends drops next month, and whether you think of them as insanely talented or overrated crapbags, this is pretty big news. Multi-hyphenate musician and producer Brian Eno takes the helm for this outing, and Mr. Gwyneth Paltrow and his cohorts promise something “new” and “completely different.” That’s certainly the least that I could say about the first single, “Violet Hill.” If you didn’t get the chance to download the song for free off their website, you’re gonna have to wait till the album’s release in these parts June 19th. (That or you can ask nicely and I might just send the song to you for free).

Email pjcana@gmail.com

The Break-Up

For a while there, Orange and Lemons were poised to become the next big thing in OPM. Their debut album, Love in the Land of Rubber Shoes and Dirty Ice Cream, was a fun, jangly collection of New Wave-influenced pop songs that invoked the spirit of The Housemartins, The Smiths and even The Beatles, yet still very much kept its Pinoy (by way of Bulacan) sensibilities through its winsome and breezy lyrics. They maintained a relatively small but devoted following; adherents and disciples of the New Wave invasion flocked to their gigs and got their fix of covers from Morrissey, The Wild Swans, The Cure and their ilk.

Strike Whilst The Iron Is Hot was an appropriate title for their sophomore release. Now signed under a major label, the album introduced them to a much wider, less particular audience. Less stuck-up and more accessible, the foursome began to break out from their usual nighttime haunts and into noontime variety show territory. It was the phenomenal single “Pinoy Ako” though that catapulted them from being arthouse darlings to mass hysteria-inducing hitmakers. The song became so big it even became the country’s unofficial theme song during the 2005 SEA Games held here in Manila. Orange and Lemons exploded in a big way into the consciousness of every radio-listening, TV-watching person in the country.

There was, of course, the controversy surrounding the song, which we don’t need to delve into here. Suffice it to say that the band managed to overcome this difficult period and trudge on ahead to work on their next project, the concept album Moonlane Gardens. Anyone who has followed the careers of the ONL would agree that this was their most ambitious and most accomplished album to date. Apart from the first single, the rondalla-infused throwback to traditional Filipiniana “Ang Katulad Mong Walang Katulad,” the band veered away from the commercial road they had been on and went back to appealing to a more specialized, high-end audience by creating a tapestry of songs that reflected their primary influences. It was a bold move, and one that loudly proclaimed to everyone that this was what ONL was all about. It won Album of The Year at the 2007 NU Rock Awards, a very generous ego-booster for the band who had a difficult time convincing the label that it was worth the risk. Sadly, the album would also turn out to be their swan song; the final product from the collective genius of four unassuming boys from Bulacan.

So what really happened with Orange and Lemons? Those in the know point to the growing creative chasm between the two main artisans of the band, Marco Fundales and Clem Castro. Friends since high school, the two built the band from almost nothing back in the day and nurtured it until it became one of the freshest most exciting OPM acts in recent memory. I have had the opportunity to talk with both Mcoy and Clementine about the real score and in both conversations, I took away the impression that, yes, it was grave creative differences that ultimately drove a wedge between them. Whatever else people assume about the cause of the break up – inflated egos, questionable career moves, petty squabbles and infighting, and even alleged dalliances with the opposite sex that affected their professional and personal relationships with each other – these were all rooted in the fact that one did not agree with the other on the direction the band was taking and that neither was willing to compromise. And whether there was a specific incident that finally broke the band apart, we can only surmise that it was serious enough for friendship to take a back seat.

However much we mourn the demise of Orange and Lemons, we can at least take comfort in knowing that two other bands rose from its ashes: The Camerawalls is the new band fronted by Clementine with new cohorts Law Santiago and Brian Sarabia, while Kenyo is the new project of Mcoy Fundales along with the Del Mundo brothers Ace and JM. Longtime fans of ONL may be missing their one-of-a-kind energy and vibe, but it’s good to know they’re still making music and that there’s more of it to go around, and that’s something we should all be grateful for.

Larger Than Life

I don’t know about other people, but I feel a genuine thrill each time I sit down in a darkened movie theater. (And no, it’s not because I get my kicks out of discreet yet public displays of vulgarity). No matter how fond you are of watching your precious dibidis in your flatscreen plasma TV with surround sound in your own home, it’s not quite the same as seeing it on a big screen with a couple of hundred other people. It’s kind of like watching an artist perform live as opposed to just listening to him or her on record. You can’t really claim to know and love a band if you haven’t heard them live – gasps, sighs and flying spit and all.

Of course, if transporting yourself to a concert venue to see a favorite artist takes a little more work than just moseying on over to, say Araneta Coliseum, then seeing a film about an artist performing live is the next best thing. This isn’t as simple as it sounds though. We’ve seen movies make it to the big screen with a lot less plot and storyline, but it’ll take someone with a big name and even bigger talent to sustain audience interest after a couple of songs.

Fortunately, the makers of U2 3D understood this when they set out to make the film. More than just simply recording a regular show from one of their tours as so many artists and bands have done, the Irish rockers and the filmmakers behind this ambitious project took things one significant step further by introducing the three dimensional concept to make the viewer experience what it’s like to actually be in a stadium concert. This is no small feat, even for U2, who have been at the forefront of using cutting edge technology to reach fans and keep things fresh after almost 25 years in the music business.

When you think about it, there is no other band in the world more larger-than-life than U2 that can handle being projected onto an 80-foot IMAX screen. (Maybe The Rolling Stones, but do you really want to see Mick Jagger’s tight pants and Keith Richards’ wrinkly skin magnified ten times? We can settle for Martin Scorsese’s upcoming documentary on them instead). We might still be waiting for official word on whether they’ll finally be able to make it and do a show here in Manila, but from the sweat running off Bono’s brow to the gigantic and complicated stage set-up, down to the crystal clear acoustics of the songs, U2 3D is a phenomenal experience that comes pretty damn close to the real thing. Heck, seeing Bono hold out his hand to you while singing that immortal paean to unity “One” was enough to coax out the tiniest hint of tears in my eyes. (Then again, my eyes might have still been adjusting to the 3D glasses).

I’ve read some critics pan the film for not employing a more narrative structure to tell a story and try and involve the audience more. This to me sounds absurd, because the film is first and foremost about the band being at their very best, which is performing in front of a massive crowd. It’s a concert film, and yeah, you generally have to show the concert. People who expect interviews and footage other than Bono and co. performing amid nonstop screams and howls from an audience of thousands will be greatly disappointed. Don’t say you weren’t warned.

U23D is showing now at the IMAX theater at the SM Mall of Asia and the Digital Cinema at the Block at SM North.

Email pjcana@gmail.com

Duran Duran Can Still Shake Things Up

Even if you were more a disciple of their supposed “rival” Spandau Ballet, you had to be more than a little glad Duran Duran stopped by the country to reacquaint us with their music. It’s not everyday relics from the 80’s come to help dig up old memories and take many of us back to the days of acid wash jeans and embarrassing hair. (Then again, these days, it’s more like every other week).

For a while there, it didn’t seem like Simon Le Bon and his crew still had it in them to attract enough fans to troop to Araneta Coliseum. At around 8pm when VJ’s from MTV climbed up the stage for the usual opening spiels, the number of empty seats was uncomfortably high. The folks who did turn up were mostly guys in their mid-thirties and up, many of them with bald patches and noticeable guts.

Sandwich tried to work up the crowd with a trio of their hits, but the audience was less than enthusiastic. It was another 30 minutes after Raimund Marasigan et. al.  exited the stage that the lights dimmed once again and the crowd got to their feet to welcome Le Bon, Nick Rhodes, Dominic Brown and John and Roger Taylor. They opened with a couple of songs from the new album, the dance rock-oriented Red Carpet Massacre. Apparently unfamiliar with the new material, the audience responded with nothing more than polite applause. Le Bon sensed this and shouted to the crowd,  “Are you hungry?”

This of course was the cue for one of their biggest hits, “Hungry Like the Wolf.” The sassy frontman was looking more than a bit pudgy, but you couldn’t say anything about his vocal prowess; he may have considerably lessened and toned down his trademark performance twirls, but the man sounded almost exactly like he did in their records two decades earlier. And for fans expecting to go on a genuine nostalgia trip, that’s more than what they hoped for.

The band did newer songs like “Come Undone” and the title track from the new album, but undoubtedly, it was their classic hits that garnered the loudest hoots of applause and approval: “View To A Kill,” “The Reflex,” “Girls On Film,” and “Wild Boys.” And while we must give credit to the entire band for its great rapport among themselves and with the audience, Le Bon showed that he still hasn’t lost his touch for showmanship. Echoing the stoic, demure attitude of the crowd at the beginning of the show, Le Bon started the concert in a suit and tie, but eventually took off his jacket, loosened his tie and untucked his shirt altogether. And as the concert progressed, you didn’t think about the wet armpits and the sweaty face; he was putting on a show, and what a show it was.

While there were reports of a shaky start to their current world tour in Australia, they certainly didn’t show any of that here. Age might be catching up to them, but Duran displayed, quite convincingly, that they are far from hanging up their instruments and calling it a day. And a Coliseum-full of middle-aged New Wavers is forever grateful.

A Consortium Of Dance

(This piece originally appeared in The Manila Times on April 8, 2008)

As a skinny college kid making my way in the muck that was the mid-nineties, the concept of raves was something I only heard about in after-class conversations over fishballs and buko juice. There were whispers about these mysterious events that were held at the unlikeliest of places, where people supposedly danced until their legs and lungs gave out and they had to drag their sweat-soaked bodies to the sides for some much needed aqua or cerveza break. These roving dance-parties that went by the name “Consortium” were always a source of wonder to me, mainly because I never got to go to any of them. By the time the early 2000’s rolled around, I hardly ever heard the term again.

Fast forward to today. The text message from Toti Dalmacion confirmed what was being buzzed about for weeks since his one-off return to the turntable at Warehouse 135 earlier this year: Consortium was back. That he chose to send out the announcement during Easter was appropriate. It’s a rebirth of sorts for the pioneer of the underground rave scene in the country.

For the uninitiated, Dalmacion is widely regarded as the godfather of house and techno music in these parts. Cynics and naysayers might raise their carefully tweezered eyebrows and insist otherwise, but nobody can deny what Toti, who now also runs the independent label Terno Recordings, has done for the local electronic music scene. Through Groove Nation, a record store-turned-alliance of DJ’s, musicians and music lovers, he introduced to the country a movement in electronic dance music that was sweeping the globe. Disappointed and uncomfortable with the local club scene, where venues required guests to dress up in long-sleeved, collared shirts and leather shoes, Toti was bent on overhauling the landscape with the kind of music and unbridled, unhinged clubbing experience he was exposed to in the US and the UK.

And so Consortium was born. The first major Consortium event was held at the National Library in October 1995. From the get-go, Toti and his cohorts’ ideals were simple: discriminate against no one and showcase the truest essence of techno and house music. Whether you were from Dasmariñas Village or Dasmariñas, Cavite, as long as you were looking to groove to some serious underground dance tunes, you were in.

And the music really was underground. You wouldn’t hear radio staples like Ace of Base, Venga Boys or Robert Miles in a Consortium set. Instead you got the real deal – they flew in artists and DJs like Derrick May, Laurent Garnier, Josh Wink, Fantastic Plastic Machine and many others for their one-of-a-kind meets. It could be at an abandoned warehouse in Tondo or the unfinished basement of a mall in Makati. Wherever it was, it was pure, unrelenting, head-shaking, feet-tapping, arm-twisting, soul-shaking dance music.

The Consortium turntable stopped spinning in 2002, partly because more and more entities were getting in on the action and setting up their own rave parties, and partly due to some internal issues within Groove Nation. But now, after a six-year hiatus and at the prodding of the guys from Musiclokal.com and Warehouse 135, Toti is bringing Consortium back, ready to dazzle partygoers and scenesters with some genuinely spasm-inducing beats. The man himself is spinning, along with special guest Nathan Coles of the UK and DJ Benjie Lopez. It promises to be one hell of a “welcome back” party and, as a Consortium virgin, I can’t wait.

Those looking for Hed Kandi and Bonnie Bailey to pop in the set might do well to steer clear of Warehouse 135 this coming Saturday. Doors open at 9pm.