What's Wrong With the Local Music (Band) Scene?

And like, do we have a music scene at all?

Okay. I don’t think I’m well-versed here. In fact, I just want to blog and party like Carles. (I’m just little ghost blogger me and the thing with being a ghost blogger is that I can’t get shot. Try to exorcise but whatever.)

What’s wrong:

1. We’re poor. Third world country poor. But like even Americans are getting poor and it doesn’t feel good because really, we should all be rich like Daphne Guinness and the Olsen Twins.

2. Record labels will only give breaks to artists who have the potential to get across the mainstream market. You have to be masa to get noticed by the bigger population. The bottom line is, are you gonna give back what these record companies spent to produce and market your music? They’re not in it ‘cos they love your sound. It’s business, baby.

3. Before there was Club Dredd and Mayrics and Freedom Bar and The Ora Café and 70s Bistro. Some of them are still around but they are not like what they were before. (But what they were like before is another story). Nowadays, we go to Guijo, Magnet, Gweilos, even Warehouse, Alchemy Roxxx, etc. But most of some bands’ music sound old and weary.

4. Indie labels are indie labels. It’s comparable to one blogger going up against a local magazine complete with its editor, creative and marketing staff and a whole lot of industry clout, etc.

5. People (me included) are either elitist, purist or just plain stuck in a certain genre, or worse, just limited to what’s airing on Radio or what heavily-played video is on TV. Like, fock House and HipHop/RnB already or just give the metal and classic rock a break. Fock ska, fock reggae-- or just be ska or reggae or house or hiphop or what-have-you but do it well. Just friggin do it like better than anyone has ever done it on this earth.

Also, for the sake of stage presence, try to look fashionable (and you don’t have to be obvious about it). Like if you’re a rock band, at least try to look like you’re in a rock band, you know what I mean? It’s like there’s nothing wrong with fashion, it’s an art if it makes you feel better about dressing kinda nice.

You see, a lot of things is visual. Like Ryan Adams or Janis Joplin would be less if they dressed like something else. Or, The Beatles are great musicians but they won’t be as “cool” if they looked like Elvis, do you get?

Recommendation:

6. Experiment with sound. Be a bit original, I know it’s all been done, but be daring. Or like can you at least be aware of what’s new in the global music scene? For example, I like fashion but I’m not stuck on what Greenhills and Metrowalk have to offer, I go to the ukay so that at least I won’t bump into another one who’s got the same ruffled pink top or something – and ukay stuff is global!

7. And please, make a good music video. I really think that it shouldn’t cost a great deal and that it doesn’t have to have an elaborately cheesy script/production.

Here’s another secret, music video channels are big on airing those that get handed to them by record labels, because they have this relation thing with them. Or sometimes, they just don’t like the quality of the video you submitted. Other times, like really, your music is crrrap. Go figure.

8. The thing about being part of the sub-scene is that, the majority is so huge and more adept at rolling things around with their moneys and manpower. To make life simpler, if you can’t win ‘em, join ‘em. Like for real.

9. Most importantly, don’t listen to a thing I’m saying, you already know that. In fact, don’t listen to anyone at all. Just trust your self. Be bold but be responsible. Finish school, like for real, ‘cos it’s hard to be an exception in this area. And read, read, read anything that you can get your hands on, but come up with your own opinion. One author is just one person, just because he has a PHD in Nutrition doesn’t mean you’ll eat just cabbage soup and grapefruit because he says so. Like how the hell can you think and move around if that’s all the food energy you can use up. The equation is easy: eat chocolate and then skate it off.

10. Okay. Too much said. I’m just bored, I sound like an old hag but whatever. So to cap it off, here’s some stuff I’m digging from McQueen’s S/S 2009 collection:








Image Source: style.com