A trip to Edgar’s Parokya

It has been more than 10 years since Parokya ni Edgar (PnE) entered the local music scene. Yet the band, made up of Chito Miranda on lead vocals, Gabriel Cheekee and Darius Semana on guitars, Buwi Meneses on bass, Dindin Moreno on drums and Vinci Montaner on back-up vocals, still remains enthusiastic about tapping into the Pinoy’s penchant for camaraderie and humor with its songs.

Now part of the memories of the past decade are the songs that PnE created and popularized in the albums Khankhungkhernitz, Buruguduystunstugudunstuy, Jingle Balls, Silent Night, Holy Cow, Gulong, Itlog, Gulong, Edgar, Edgar Musikahan and Bigotilyo. The early attempts were tentative chucklers, Buloy, Harana and Don’t Touch My Birdie. More confident were Halaga and Inuman Na. Then Picha Pie exploded, and Swimming Beach kept up the momentum. When Mr. Suave emerged, there was no question that it was the work of pure genius.

PnE has now entered its glamorous, pop star era. The boys are now endorsing a brand of deodorant with the song, First Day Funk. Will the genius be able to withstand the demands and pleasures of stardom? PnE says it will and is offering up the new album Halina Sa Parokya, which again pokes fun at Pinoy idiosyncrasies, as proof. For starters, it has released the tale of Mang Jose, a Pinoy superhero who demands payment for his services, as the first single.

The other cuts in the album are Halina Sa Parokya, Walang Nangyari, Para Sayo, Gitara, Victor Could, Papa Cologne, Nandito, Telepono, Kayang Kaya Kaya, Bagsakan, The Ordertaker, Muli, Name Fun, First Day Funk and Pedro’s Basura Mix.

Mark’s new single

Mark Bautista is set to launch his new single I Need You in the ABS-CBN noontime variety show A.S.A.P. this Sunday, Sept. 11. I Need You is Mark’s cover of a hit song by country music star LeAnn Rimes. It is the carrier single of Mark’s CD-Lite release, Dream On, which will be launched at The Garden of SM North EDSA on the afternoon of Thursday, Sept. 15. The CD-Lite album also contains You Win the Game, And By Now and When Will I See You Again.

Free music downloads

For those of you interested in free music downloads from the famous foodshelter&clothing band of Bacolod, you may visit its website at HYPERLINK http://www.geocities.com/fscbrigade. Now available are fs&cMP3S at HYPERLINK http://www.soundclick.com/bands/3/foodshelterandclothingmusic.htm. For those who want to know more about this talented group and prefer the traditional means, you can send snail mail to Ferdinand Tan of RPN TV-8 Compound, Brgy. Sum-ag, 6100 Bacolod City, Neg. Occ., Philippines. Foodshelter&clothing has been around for many years and it is great to know that the band is still out there batting for original music.

Pinoy singers lead Top 10 list

I know that lists, while informative do get boring after sometime. This one though is just too good to pass up. I took a look at the airplay top notchers of the past week and found out that eight of the Top 10 songs are recordings by Filipino artists. This means that more DJs than before are playing local songs. If this trend keeps up, we might just see the ailing music industry on the road to recovery. Remember, the golden days of Filipino pop music happened during the ‘70s right in the thick of the martial law years.

Here are the Top 10 tunes: The Day You Said Goodnight by Hale; Stay by Cueshé; Maling Akala by Brownman Revival; What I Do Best by Sheryn Regis; Tell Me Where It Hurts by M.Y.M.P.; Here I Am Again by Rachelle Ann Go; Wake Me Up When September Ends by Green Day; Cool by Gwen Stefani; Same Ground by Kitchie Nadal and Kahit Pa, the new single by Hale.

The foreigners are doing better with their videos at MYX, with Gemini by Sponge Cola; The Day You Said Goodnight by Hale; Stay by Cueshé; Especially for You by M.Y.M.P.; Someday I Will Understand by Britney Spears; First by Lindsay Lohan; Helena by My Chemical Romance; Break You by Marion Raven; Behind These Hazel Eyes by Kelly Clarkson; Wake Me Up When September Ends by Green Day; All I Need by Side A; What I Do Best by Sheryn Regis; Ang Ating Araw by Dicta License; Wordplay by Jason Mraz; Don’t Lie by Black Eyed Peas; Fix You by Coldplay; Cool by Gwen Stefani; Mang Jose by Parokya ni Edgar and Don’t Cha by The Pussycat Dolls.