Metrobar... Sayang Wala Si Marian...

hello everyone...

blame it on the rain... hay naku!!! yang ulan talaga...

we were one of the bands included in the Backbeat Summer Fest last night at Metrobar, somewhere in west ave... On and off kami the whole day whether to push thru with playing dahil alanganin si Charles...

anyways, happy naman ako kasi kahit paano, kitang kita ko ang pagpapahalaga ng mga bandmates ko sa isa't-isa... healthy indeed, kahit na sari-saring dilemnas yung nakakasagupa namin every now and then...

yun lang, d umabot si Marian kahapon dahil sa ulan... i did the singing... good thing nalang na ang ganda talaga ng gamit sa venue na yun at nakaraos din kami somehow... as usual, polite yung mga tao at kahit hindi nila alam o naiintindihan yung tugtugan namin, clap hands pa rin...

okey lang kasi kahit paano there are somepeople out there who we were able to connect with, foreigner nga lang yung ilan...

kailan kaya aangat ang taste ng mga pinoy sa music... not all things catchy are really catchy... hanap ng pinoy crowd and isang performer/banda na talaga nga namang nag-peperform... cguro maling venue lang talaga yun for a band like us pero you can't blame me for trying to bring our music to people who definitely has no idea as to what we're doing... exposure ika nga... nakakapagod din pero i really feel that it has to be done somehow...

oh well, looking forward for this Saturday's Buzz Night... by the way, Marian will not be singing for us this Saturday... Jinky, one of our former singer and currently "substitute singer" will be doing vocal chores this weekend...

Buzz Night tayo this Saturday ha!!!

Bonggang Practice Session... Vocalist Overload!!!

Hello Hello...


Ang crazy ng practice namin ng Pillow nung Monday... Isipin mo, kaya kami nag-practice is because we wanted to prepare for this Saturdays Buzz Night...


I sent out messages to my bandmates (both Pillow and Candy) last Saturday that Buzz Night will be on the 2nd of June. This week na cya actually... Marian replied a day later saying that she wont be able to join us on Buzz Night...

i cunsulted with charles para makahanap kami ng kakanta kasi i don't like doing it myself anymore... charles suggested tha we let Louie (One time Pillow Singer circa 2003-2004) we later learned that she too won't be available on the 2nd of june... Jinky (another Pillow Vox circa October 2006 - January 2007) was a personal choice of mine because i had an agreement with her that she is our official fall back girl whenever our vocalist won't be available for a gig... i rang up Jinky and she readily agreed to sing on Saturday... didn't had a chance to inform both Janpol and Rene about the changes...

practice time came... i was the first one to arrive around 10pm followed Janpol 5 minutes later... Jinky followed 10 minutes later to Janpol's surprise... at about that time, Charles and Rene arrived tagging along was Louie... Jinky was a bit intimidated upon seeing louie but i assuder her that Louie was there only as Charles' visitor... Going up to the studio, i can't help thinking that what a sight it would be if Marian was also there...

so we started practice. halfway thru the 2nd song, Marian texted, asking me if i did push thru with the rehearsals. i said yes... just barely three minutes after her text, she was there... it was really funny because i was now confused as to how the practice should go... i gave my mic to Marian and there we were, playing pillow songs with two girls singing... going into the 5th song "16ft" Jinky passed the mic to Louie... it was quite fun at first but upon hearing both Louie ang Marian singing together with their voices a bit out of "touch" from one another, i decided to add one more mic for myself... order was restored and practice went on smoothly...

Comparing the three... Jinky's voice was really great!!! (Ahem ahem... ako nag turo dyan), Marian was a bit off specially during the first three song she did but she was able to catch on in no time... bagay sa kanya yung "Harsh Words"... As for Louie, medyo iba na yung orientation nya... pang singer na ikah nga...

sayang we had to end averything at around 1:30am kasi may work pa lahat... i would like to do this again if i have a chance... next time around, may purpose na... Thanks Jinky and Louie for being there... Hoy Jinky!!! walang atrasan... maliban nalang pag pwede si Marian sa Sabado...

yun lang mga Folks... Bye Bye!!!

June's Buzz Night Line-Up... Of Sorts

Hello Everyone,

i tried to get in touch with some bands who might want to graze next month's (which happens to be next week already) Buzz Night... Here are some of the bands who have expressed their willingness to play...

My Science Project
Isolation
Aurora Borealis
Candyaudioline
Soft Pillow Kisses...

Hopefully, the other bands that i've invited would be able to confirm the soonest possible time... That's all for now... I'm a bit sleepy already...

Buzz Night June 2, 2007

Hello Eveyone...

Buzz Night will take place next Saturday, June 2... Exactly a week from now... Problem is, i still have no bands lined up until now... but don't worry, i'll have a line up in 3-4 days time... as usual expect the regular line-up cosisting of us, candyaudioline, my science project etc... hopefully this time around, we'll have populardays, tether and isolation... hope to line-up new names...

just keep posted... That's all for now...

Saw This One... Somewhere...

Hello Everyone....


I saw this at someone's multiply site... (BADDER Than BAD)... It's from a review of the apo tribute album... actually, it's the author's suggestion of sorts...

Just read on...

... Like I said, there's something for everyone. Even the lemons. Of course, as far as Kami nAPO Muna is concerned, if a tribute album gives you lemons, then order Iced Tea. A worthy tribute album definitely worth its weight. A good buy!

Sidebar: I've read varying reviews for Kami nAPO Muna,including interesting word-of-mouth observations from friends,colleagues and acquaintances, some raving, others ranting, but alwaysnoteworthy; mostly bordering on the why wasn't so-and-so band orsuch-and-such group included in the compilation with matching whining..well, since I've been doing some whining of my own, may as well addmore whining to it.. like, if I had some say in who was to be includedon the album, or what Apo songs I would've included, they would be.. aReggae version of Salawikain by Tropical Depression,complete with kulintangs and gongs and shit, which would go so wellwith the medley of traditional Pinoy tunes in the song.. or how about aswingin' Jazzy version of Syotang Pa-Class by the Brass Munkeys? Huh? Sounds good, huh?? Or a Brian Cua-remixed Ttriphop take of Show Me A Smile by Ascolto.. what about a buzzsaw Punk version of American Junk done by uhm.. err.. Betrayed.. hehe..?Or a a groundbreaking Indie Pop version of Softly by Soft Pillow Kisses.. okay, that's enough.

All Apolgies

This picture was taken by dennis (Candyaudioline) at Filling Station in Makati after a gig at Kolumn Bar, Timog last Tuesday, May 15... Rene was out, Dennis played bass for us...

hello everyone...

i would like to thank and at the same time apologize to all you guys (ladies included) who have messaged me regarding "Just Like The Sky"... It's definitely coming out in the next few months with God's help and blessing...

i'm just to busy with a lot of things lately and also, my finances are a wee bit short as of the moment... also, i'm am just making sure that all the final details are well in place... i don't want to put out an album that i'll/we'll someday come to regret... there's a lot of pressure to put up something that would not let people - who believe in us, down...

to Charles: congrats pare... i wish you and anne all the happiness in the world... sana d na tayo mabawasan, ang saya saya na kasi eh...

Gigs Galore...

hello everyone...

there have been many gig offers for Soft Pillow Kisses during the past months now... sadly, our scheds would not allow us to accept all offers...

last night we played at an art exhibit somewhere in Cubao... an enjoyable one inspite of the bad sound system and the delay caused by miscommunication between me and the person who invited us to play resulting in 2 acts eating up our spot... thanks to dennis for filling in for rene's shoes...

tonight we'll be playing at Kolumn Bar in Timog... hope to see you all there... as if...

Balik Bayan...

hello everyone...

now i know what it feels like to kill yourself working hard in some foreign land and hoping to return to the place of your roots coz you feel that there's no place like home... but once you're back, you begin to realise that you should've stayed where you are so that you're far from the dilemnas that accompany you home...

i agree with marian (cge, may chocolates ako for you)... but still, everything's still uncertain... so why worry... so be it...

we might play tomorrow at marikina shoe expo... see you there...

would.ve like to share some more but i am feeling very sleepy right this very moment... so gotta say goodbye and leave you with some lines to sink your teeth into...

"the future is but a thought and will alway remain that way until the present swollows up the space it occupies in someone's life"

Fuck the future... today's is where it's really at...

memoirs of Buzz Night

The Buzz Night was highly enjoyable even if I felt sad with possible changes in the band soon. "Beneath the Glare" was the first SPK song I heard, singing it for the first time last Saturday felt dreamlike! I especially love the lyrics. Heartache, ack.

After the gig, Allan and the guys wanted to eat at Mister Kebab. I was a bit tired to go, I had actually planned to go home earlier than the usual 4am. But I felt I had to come with them that time, there was a certain melancholy mood permeating the air we were breathing. Heavinesssss. Of course, everyone was smiling and kidding around and having a good time because it was Buzz Night but somehow, at the back of our heads, we knew we had to face some changes soon. Changes we'd rather not have right now because everything is just so great. And I was hoping an album will finally be released before the year ends. I had such dreams for Pillow. Or maybe these dreams will still come true, after all! The possibility of a happy ending is still uncertain, like most things are. But this is not reason enough to stop hoping for the best, right?

Okay, enough heartaches for this month! Here are some photos taken during Buzz Night taken by me and Ping:

Allan is in Dubai right now and he won't be back until the end of the week, I think? PASALUBONG, itay! hahaha

I miss gigging already!

It's Been 8 Years

Soft Pillow Kisses somewhere in Makati last April 12, 2007... Same date as that of the Kolumn Bar gig shown below...

Hello everyone…

Was just listened to the Radio Dept.'s song "It's Been 8 Years" when i suddenly realised that Soft Pillow Kisses has been going on for the past 8 years already… even though not much has been happening for us for the past 8 years, I’m very pleased at what this outfit has accomplished…

Here are some highlights…

1999 – “Harsh Words” although just a live take, got played on radio… people were beginning to notice us…
2000 – we became a part of a compilation of local indie bands – mostly indiepop bands… more radio airplay and at the same time the world-wide
indie-community was beginning to acknowledge the Philippines as a source of indiepop talents… Kinda-like a Seatle or Manchester but in a microscopic way…

2001 – got offers from foreign labels to release our songs… I ignored them all but in truth it was more of “neglect”…

2002 – Contributed a track for a local major-label compilation of foreign indie act… people who liked what we do praised us for that we were the only Filipino group in that compilation… I think that Carnival Park deserved those praises… we just pitched in for them… - I miss this band, one of the best acts the local indie scene ever had…

2003 – supposed to come out with a mini-album of sorts under shelflife records but never pushed through in spite contracts being signed and all… still was able to contribute a cover song for that label’s tribute album compilation… also in the bill were fellow Filipinos and former Buzz Night regulars Daydream Cycle and Carnival Park…

2004 – A big line-up change, recorded and tried to release an ep but never went to release it anyway…

2005 – struggled that year, shared vocalist with candyaudioline… during the later part of the year… recorded 3 tracks for another ill-fated compilation produced by yours truly…

2006 – was supposed to put out an album but line-up changes and the “over-produced” sound of the final masters prompted the band to put the album release to a halt… the eagerly awaited release was again to become another empty promise… Jinky was the name of our vocalist by October of this year and she was really good...

Present – have remixed the songs and have been very active playing live gigs thanks to Marian who took up vocal chores during the middle of February... but we will be encountering a problem sometime soon… stay tuned…

That's all for now... Just listen to the Radio Dept. instead...

By the way, i'll be out of the country for the next few days... can't wait to play live again...

Sweet And Sour...

Soft Pillow Kisses @ Kulumn Bar (April 12, 2007)... Candyaudioline also played at this gig without our vocalist... Both bands coming from a Makati gig. The last one for that Candyaudioline Line-up... That was a clear signal for me to make my move... What the heck, this is Soft Pillow Kisses' Blog... Read On!

Hello Everyone...

Soft Pillow Kisses played one of it's most inspired set last Saturday at Buzz Night... It was so enjoyanle that we did about 10-11 songs that night... We even played a song ("Beneath The Glare") that we haven't played for a long time now... the last time we did "Beneath The Glare" was about a year ago. We had a different singer back then... I missed playing that song. It's actually one of my favorite songs. Hehehe... Everything was very well executed most particularly the songs "I Was Right", "It Will Never Last (Forever)", "Stolen Flowers" and the best of all "Your Shoes Are Untied". Inspite the fact that it was a great gig, I was suddenly saddened by the fact that we are about to face another dilemna... Just as when things are stating to come together, a situation will apprear and shake us all to certain uncertainty... We've talked it over and all of us aren't happy with what is about to take place but life goes on anyway... hopefully, things would fall on the right places and eventually settle down properly... You probably don't understand what I'm saying but you'll figure out soon... I'm trying to stay calm... we all are... The question I'm asking right now is... "Why does it always have to happen to me?" "sweet and sour, candybar, lose to fit... THE FUCK WITH IT!!!"

Goodbye April...

hello everyone....

i'm very glad that april is over... that was hell-month for me...

by the way... i went to the hospital again this morning... 3am i guess... because i was so worried when my left-lower-neck was really hurting... i was so nervous because it was the first time i experienced such discomfort... good thing that the cute doctor who attended to me told me that it was just a case of exhaustion... or maybe she was just too busy to diagnose me properly hehehe... oh well... i just hope everythings fine...

buzz night is just around the corner... may 5's the date... i just hope that i'll have a decent line-up by thursday... but as of now, these are the bands that has confirmed their willingness to play at thismonth's gig...

Isolation
My Science Project
Candyaudioline
Tether
Mizwa
Soft Pillow Kisses...

Bye for now...