I know. It's barely 60 days into 2017
already. Maybe it's been way too late to make a posting about
whatever shenanigans that took place in 2016. Well, I could pass out
the list of the gigs I made since I had not made it to the big ones
during that year, as well as not making the list of awesome matches
in professional wrestling and the highlight reel of current events
(by which deaths and politics had been taking the spot light to the
extent that I cannot be able to digest either one of them).
But certainly, even if two months have
already passed by, I don't think I could be able to prolong the wait
for this – the list of the best albums for the year 2016. After
all, this was the time I managed to get some of the best ones while I
heard the others via Spotify.
Initially I want to do a list of 16 for
this supposedly-yearender list. However, I trimmed it down to nearly
a half. So that being said, here are my 9 hand-picked albums that
rocked the past year.
Following their rise to prominence in
late 2015, MilesExperience just had the icing on their cake in 30
April 2016 – that was the launch of their album Again & Against. And now, backed by a major label, this soul-blues band
continues to roll; captivating wider cult of audiences and garnering
massive airplay.
And certainly, their album proved one
of the reasons why. This record's been a hands-down tale of
roller-coasting emotions that seemingly an extended version of a
typical MilesExperience gig. Best heard when not shuffled as the
preludes really connect well with their songs.
Hand-picked tracks: Mogwai-Home, El Cuerpo de Deseo-Love Supreme, Anggulo, Faith's Lullaby
Almost one and a half year might probably a bit long to
hear a next band release a record that only contains three tracks.
And to say that kind of criticism to a young band like Banna Harbera
may be quite unfair and inconsiderate. Give the kids a break, for
Persistence as a log overdue follow-up to Something New didn't turn
out so bad after all. And it's safe to say these kids are growing
into more sophisticated kind of alternative that resembles funk and
blues in between. No wonder why they will make it to Wanderband in three days time.
Hand-picked track: Think I Know
Before emotional pop rock trend in the
upper-half of the musical stratosphere, there was We Are Imaginary
doing that kind of thing. And their 10-track Death To Romanticism
will prove you that as a product of exceptionally-good songwriting
between vocalist Ahmad Tanji and former drummer Eric Po.
And despite some criticism on sound
mixing, this record showed the real – if not 'good kind' – of
variety under one fold.
Hand-picked tracks: Sunny Where You
Are, Dance, A Good Kind of Sad, Ask Me To Stay
Six years might probably be too long
for one to produce an album, like one presidential term in
Malacanang. But perhaps this is where the long and winding road might
pay its dividends – and we mean lineup changes, getting away from a
major record label, and every shenanigans in between.
The first quarter of last year saw this
eight-man band Tanya Markova unveil their 17-track album, and really
they delivered as if we are still in 2010 sans the total shock pop
value in their shelf. Forget the fact that they're not like those swabe musicians. Forget
that they lagged behind because of the current trend. Mister Tililing
is simply for fun and great showmanship.
Hand-picked tracks: Pandemonium,
High-End, Lagalag, (filler) No Eating Below The Belt
This mini-ensemble isn't just another
Ely Buendia experimental project. And certainly it wasn't just your
ordinary swabe (or laglag panty/baby-making) music because this kind
of soul music isn't just sultry by the texture; but rather like a
timebomb that gives 'blast from the past' whenever any of their songs
from Inner Play goes on the deck.
They make old soul music sound new
without any sort of pretensions.
Hand-picked tracks: Better Off, Guijo
St. (Makes You Wonder), WTF
6. A New Strain (Gabby Alipe/EP/MCA Music)
It is time when Gabby Alipe faced the
music...alone. And despite having only six tracks, the former band
frontman has totally shed his past image; going hip-hop and slow
alternative in musicality, and even penning and performing a song in
Filipino language. Talk about full-transformation.
Hand-picked tracks: Ether, Visions,
Paalam
Traversing the route from dance pop to
iyak-sayaw has reached its first stop. Now that they released a
full-length album after two years, it is safe to say that Autotelic
was slowly but about to reach the promised land of becoming the next
big thing in the country's pop music scene. All that despite having
half of their album 'remastered' from their previous versions.
They don't need to be swabe to gain
cult followers as their iyak-sayaw tunes were poppish enough to get
hooked, especially when you hear Languyin, Laro, the melodramatic
Hanap, and the new-wave inspired Mapa.
Hand-picked tracks: Gising, Languyin,
Laro
8. For The Rest Of My Life (Mayonnaise/LP/Yellow Room Music-Warner Music Philippines)
Forgive me for being late, but last
year was probably the first time I hear Mayonnaise gave a try on
doing English songs, and it so happened that For The Rest Of My Life
comprised of eight tracks – all penned in that language. And their
sound has indicated massive changes through its powerful recall on
vocals, looped guitars and synthesizers, with tweaking resemblances
of alt, mellow, and punk.
Hand-picked track: You Can't Be Right,
Five Ever, Here In My Heart
It is very easy to criticize Parokya Ni
Edgar for not changing their sound. This crew may have been on the
scene for two decades, and a six year-wait for just to hear another
sets of novelty pop rock reprises might put another item in your list
of disdains.
However, doing such is a very
inconsiderable statement, as Pogi Years Old proved that PNE could man
up in song-writing. Sure they did not write about high school crushes
or another teeny-boppy romance advice, but this album showcases the
likes of reaching 'tito age', stepping out of the friendzone,
maturity, and everything in between. They may have been sticking with
what works for them, and it's fine as long as we get the 'Parokya ni
Edgar' brand as a generic kind of pop rock.
Hand-picked tracks: Sing, Kanta Ng
Ermitanyo, Hamon Ng Buhay
Author: slickmaster | © 2017 september twenty-eight productions
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