THE SIGNAL IS GO!

The Go Signals, one of the best in the country today. Read. Better yet, grab their CD and listen! - Al Dimalanta

"The underground scene is healthier now," says The Go Signals guitarist Mel Maniego. "There's more buzz and kids are starting to pick up guitars and instruments. Thanks to the Internet, kids now also understand the music style that drives our music."

During Pinoy punk's mid-80s heyday, Mel played guitars for rockabilly poster boys Private Stock. Now, with the power trio The Go Signals, Mel provides slashing chords and short sharp solo turns in the wake of the sturdy backbeat from his mates. His brother Dennis is a steady presence on bass while Spyk Dennis' son and Mel's nephew is a workhorse on drums.

At the group's album launch at Skarlet's Jazz Kitchen near Timog in Quezon City, Throw's Al Dimalanta introduces them as "the best band in the land."

Hooks, power pop and best album of 2011

Performing tracks from their debut, "Secrets & Lies," The Go Signals channel the power and the riffage of The Jam and the Clash with the melodic appeal of the Kinks and The Beatles.

They open with "Time", a hook-laden firecracker that draws the punks and two punkettes near the stage. By the time the title track, "Secrets & Lies" rolls in, a small moshpit erupts and the crowd happily jostles and shakes to the rhythm and the beat.

"Bullet for Your Eye" bites like something borrowed from Hilera but the mass of slam dancing bodies hardly bats a critical eye. A bit of new wave power pop shows up in the winning "Never Ending Cries."

In fact, the debut is so winning, it was named by Philippine Star columnist and Esquire editor-in-chief Erwin Romulo as one of the best albums of 2011. He called it "a true sonic testament to his status as the Filipino Modfather."

To avail of their debut album Secrets & Lies add them up at their facebook page or go to Bad Omen's axeman Jon Fisbone in his shop called Middle Finger Clothing at Cartimar, Recto

This article was taken form Tony Maghirang's Yahoo! OMG Pinoy Rocks segment

HERE WE GO AGAIN AT THE SPOT

After punk was hemogenized and hip hop lost its impetus for social change. The counterculture that energetically challenged the status quo, smashing social standards and revolutionizing every aspect of music, art, government and civil society is now a culture that is lost in the superficiality of its past and unable to create any new meaning.

According to Wikipedia, today's encyclopedia for the internet savvy dumb ass. Counterculture is a sociological term used to describe the values and norms of behavior of a subculture that run counter to those of the social mainstream of the day.

It's time to bring back the movement that have challenged the dysfunction and decadence of their elders and the doomed shallowness of mainstream society. Let's bring back subversion and originality.

Join the Counter Culture!

REMEMBERING JANUARY 18, 2008

Tomorrow will be the 5th year death anniversary of Luis "Weslu" Guiang drummer of seminal punk rock bands Private Stock, George Imbecile and The Idiots and the finest ska band in the Philippines Put3ska.

Not a single day goes by that we think of you dearly, We miss you my friend.

GIGS TO GET PISSED DRUNK AT THIS COMING NEW YEAR

Question: What do Einstein Chakras, Halfmast, Nevertheless, PinkCow, The Strayguns, Steady Movin Beat' and The Exsenadors have in common?

Answer: These bands have all been part of the Bisikleta Productions family in one way or another. And what better way to celebrate new year is to be with FAMILY.

As you have supported Bisikleta Productions in the past years, please support Indokumentado Productions and D' Kwatro Productions this coming new year, these groups are the keepers of the faith, they are keeping up the good fight please help them keep the fire burning. Mabuhay kayo!

I'VE GOT FOUR WORDS FOR YOU: MALABON NAVOTAS HARD CORE

Besides Dolor's kakanin, the iconic pansit luglug, jazz legend Angel Peña and poet Ophelia Dimalanta. The twin cities of Malabon and Navotas is a hotbed of talented artist and musicians that played out a pivotal role in the emergence of one of the most important form of rebel music as well as its subculture in the 80's non other than punk rock. These cities had produced some of the infamous bands this side of Asia the likes of Third World Chaos, Dead Ends, Private Stock, and G.I. and the Idiots to name a few that had swept underground Manila during those years giving birth to the Malabon-Navotas Hardcore scene.

In case you readers do not know, it is a wide known fact that Malabon and Navotas were two of the several important regional centers fostering the spread of hardcore punk in the Philippines. Their contribution to this subversive type of music is hard to deny it is still significant today as it was back then. Suffice to say that the Malabon-Navotas Hardcore scene in one way or another had influenced countless new school hardcore bands of today.

On December 17, Saturday come and witness the rebirth of this mighty hardcore scene in the northern coastal town of Manila. Featuring the twin city luminaries Throw, The GoSignals, Against Man and Nekbu. Joining them are Hard K, Wolfshaman, Class Bunkers and Red Corpse. This event will be held at The Spot in Rosas Arcade, Concepcion, Malabon City and is lovingly produced by my good friends who stayed true to the game hardest to the core since day one. Long live Tambobong and Nabutas! Don't forget your roots, hardcore for life!

ELEANOR'S TRANSFORMATION

Yesterday morning while I'm on my way to work a friend of mine suddenly had sent me an SMS informing me that my scooter had just arrived from the workshop freshly painted. That message I had gotten have somewhat lifted me away from the rat race that I've been experiencing from my everyday life for a single second the sun seems to shine brighter. I was ecstatic about the news that I immediately planned to get off from work early that day and celebrate.

I was so excited to see her again that I checked my watch almost every minute that i can mentally hear the rhythmic sound of the clock ticking away waiting for my dreary 9 to 5 job to end. After hours and hours of waiting for my work at the office to end I hurriedly rushed back home and freshen up myself a bit. My friend picked me up at around 7PM from my home and we drove stylishly on his red Vespa for about 15 minutes or more to were Eleanor was.

After a few moderate traffic jams, we finally arrived at Tu Trung's Vespa workshop and immediately proceeded to take a look at my scooter. It was almost a month since the last time I saw her and now slowly my dream of seeing Eleanor being bought back to life completely was beginning to take its shape little by little. The paint work was expertly done as well as the engine. After a hard days work at the office, seeing Eleanor yesterday was a good day. Thank god it's Friday.



Top to bottom: Restorer extraordinaire Mr. Tu Trung; Going for the Mod look - Eleanor's frame, cowl & headset. Sandblasted engine waiting to be re assembled.

DO YOU WANT TO SEE THE WHOLE OF VIETNAM ON A SHOE STRING BUDGET?

Ever wondered what it feels like to be Ewan Mcgregor in his motorcycle adventures for a week? Now here is your chance to be like him except this time onboard a stylish Italian scooter and minus that Stereophonics song. My friend Da Nguyen of The Scooterist Blog is offering a journey not like any other a wild, pure, unrestricted and best of all a very affordable travel starting next year Thursday, 26th of January.

Join him along with some of the finest Vietnamese Vespa enthusiast and seasoned long distance riders to a journey across Vietnam and discover the local's best kept secrets, savor the sights, tastes, smells and sounds as they take you off the beaten path and away from the tourist traps. You can't say you have seen a country unless you have seen it with someone who's in love with it and nobody else can help you get up close and personal with that than them. Live the country with the eyes of a local.

The itineraries includes The city of eternal spring Da Lat, The friendly small town vibe of Nha Trang, The port city of Da Nang, The attractive city with a badlands feel of Dong Hoi, The mountainous regions of Thanh Hoa, The grand old dame Hanoi and The incredibly picturesque village of Sa pa.

In case you are wondering how you can be a part of this one of a kind experience, Da Nguyen is offering a scooter rental for only 30 dollars a day! Along with a convoy of able mechanics specializing only on Vespas In unlikely event that you experience a problem with your scooter.

Words of advice for the uninitiated: this journey is very hardcore, this is not a run of the mill over priced standardized tour package with tight schedules were you hop on a bus with a tour guide complete with food and accommodation. This is pure D.I.Y. folks! Just you, your scooter and the freedom of the open road. And if you're the kind of tourist who is scared shitless of exploring new and uncharted territories and you favored being pampered then this is not your thing, but if you are a traveler and want to experience the real deal then this is tailor made just for you.

For more information and inquiries on how you can be a part of this awesome mind expanding adventure and how to get a hold of your own classic Vespa scooter during the week long exploration kindly email Da Nguyen at tigernguyen1512@yahoo.com or go visit his blog at http://thescooterist.blogspot.com/