This band is Not Informed

There is now a hip-hop frenzy in the U.S. of A. with record labels and independent producers agog about signing new acts that might be the next Drake or Kendrick Lamar. Then because Stormzy broke through in the charts and won at the Brits, there is now a grime frenzy in the UK, where everybody is getting into this kind of rapid-fire power rap also hoping to be the next big thing. Hereabouts, the music industry is experiencing an exciting period because there is an indie frenzy going on.

Thanks to digital sales outlets and to social media, it is now possible for artists to make their music available online without having to sign with a record label. Hence we now have a deluge of indie acts recording and releasing their products. This is most heartening because it has revived the local music industry and proves that there is indeed a bright future for original Filipino music. Hot acts IV of Spades, Ben & Ben and the hip-hop collective Ex Battalion are the most successful among these.

On the other hand though I am also afraid. We Pinoys have this tendency to overdo things. Remember the hot pan de sal fad? It was so successful that hot pan de sal stores sprouted everywhere. Customers soon lost interest and many of those bakeries went bankrupt. What about the band explosion of the ‘90s era that came in the wake of the Eraserheads. We had an overkill of bands that fans soon got tired of. So they switched to acoustic music and we soon had acoustic cafés everywhere. These lasted until Sarah Geronimo shattered the quiet with her power ballads and everybody was soon singing their lungs out in singing contests and karaoke joints. 

We are now in the midst of an indie music frenzy. I am happy that all artists now have equal opportunities. I am happy that the sounds produced are varied. I am happy that the artists come from everywhere with assorted influences. I am happy for the bright future for Filipino music. But I am also very much afraid of the overkill.

On that note, let us welcome one more band to the feeding table. The name is Not Informed. They are not only not informed, they are also unknown. I believe not for long. They have this fun pop-rock sound that Pinoys enjoy listening to, plus lyrics that come across as real and therefore easy to relate to. At times, they punk tunes up a bit or they go the other end, mellow acoustic. Even the way they got together has regular Pinoy stamped on it. The members all met in Taft Ave., Manila. So they are Not Informed, “ang bandang galing Taft.”

Not Informed is made up of Junno, chief songwriter on vocals and rhythm guitar; James on lead guitars and second vocals; Ed on bass; and K-gie on drums. You have probably seen them gigging at the underground Saguijo Café in Makati or on YouTube doing their much viewed videos of their originals like Laban or Koreana or their own takes on oldies like I’ll Never Go, Jenny and Bakit Ngayon Ka Lang.  

Watch out for more. The band has materials enough for an album of new works soon. And while you are waiting you can enjoy Not Informed via the perky single Sige Na which is now available online.

And now for a look at the sounds going viral in a big way on Spotify. The Top 20 recordings in the Viral Philippines Top 50 list are: Freaky Friday by Lil Ducky feat. Chris Brown; Prom by JaDine from the soundtrack of the movie Never Not Love You; Delicate by Taylor Swift; Mundo by IV of Spades; In My Blood by Shawn Mendes; tila tala by syd hartha; Strawberries And Cigarettes by Troye Sivan; Kisapmata by Raphiel Shannon; Nevermind by Dennis Lloyd; 1950 by King Princess.

Nadarang by Shanti Dope; Alien by Sabrina Carpenter and Jonas Blue; Lemon, the Drake Remix by N.E.R.D., Rihanna and Drake; Mine by Bazzi; Lost In Japan by Shawn Mendes; Romeo And Juliet by Hobo Johnson; Psycho by Post Malone feat. Ty Dolla Sign; Say Amen (Saturday Night) by Panic! At The Disco; Vibe by Kuizz; and Remember Me (From Coco) by Tiffany Young.