Lou's photo report

It just speaks to me..'ya know? By Miguel Salvador

Who in their right mind could ever forget this band? I may be being biased but their music was awesome and up until now, i listen to them with so much focus people would think i was taking a crap on the spot. This album of theirs, Camino Palmero, has been one of the first albums i ever memorized. I used to listen to it all day and all night. I even still remembered how i would bring my CD player EVERYWHERE when it first came out just so i could listen to their songs.

The first and most popular song that i heard from the band was "wherever you will go". To me as a kid, it was my ideal characteristic if i was going to be a suitor for someone. It spoke of how loyal, dedicated, and in love the person was to that special someone. It tapped on the cliche-ic "i would move mountains for my love" sort of thing. But what made it interesting was that it wasnt played with a slow song but with a fast paced melody that showed conviction to what the song was saying.

Their other song that touched me even till this day is "Adrienne". I love this song so much because its so angsty and that the song was about the after effects of a break up from an unappreciative user-friendly girlfriend. Weirdly enough, this scenario happened to me before that's why this song became one of the closest songs to my heart. I could relate to the pain and at the same time i was empowered. It told me that everything would be okay and that in the end, deep down, i know i lost someone for my greater good. A line from the song that always gave me goosebumps was, "Coz i know your gonna end up all alone.." Thinking about it gives me chills and make me add some reminiscing to the experience, total bliss of happiness! It might be mean of me to think badly of the person i broke up with but let us all be honest, we want to win in a break up! And that is what this song makes you feel.

Take it from me who has been listening to their album since 2001 till today, that their music really has some truth to it. It showed the realities of love. If you are like me who really loves music that speaks as if it's talking about your life, i guarantee that their songs are very diverse that im sure one of them would hit you like a boulder.

Now if you may excuse me, talking about this album makes me want to listen to it again. Try it out too and enjoy! :)

Modern Flashback Sensation By Miguel Salvador

Last December 6, 2011, we were visited by Ahmad Tanji in class. First thing that came to mind was who the "huh" is this guy? Sir Rick just told us that he was part of an Indie Band namely, Your Imaginary Friends. Though I really LOVE music, i rarely or almost never listen to indie music because they were usually so hard to understand and they're lyrics were something i couldn't relate to because their music is really really personal. But I tell you now that I ate my words right after sir Ahmad Tanji played his songs.

The first song that was played was "Oh, Liza" and from that song alone my briefs fell all the way to the netherworld (laglag brief which came from laglag panty but MACHO STYLE). It was a really feel good song that made me reminisceon the good old music of the music of the 90's. The song's lyrics were so pure and was stripped down to its bare essentials that made it seem more like it was telling its listeners a story. It was such an experience to listen to that i could imagine myself listening to it with a special someone and just being silent in each others arms remembering good times.

The next song "Baby Your Going to Hell" which was not a part of their album was something so refreshing because it didn't sound like your average music. Its a catchy upfront music that talks about, from what i understood about it, how much one  hates someone. Its lyrics were pretty crass but hilarious at the same time.

The last two songs, "She's all Siren (and I Am Fiction)" and "Hey Rowena" went by so quickly for me as compared to the previous two songs. "She's all siren (and i am fiction)" was such a hauntingly serious but beautiful song. It had such tragedy in its lyrics mentioning phrases like "space between us wont deflate" or "kill the truth before it takes us casualty". When i was listening to it i was like "DAMN! Ang sawi!" It made me fragile and flashback about the old days of uncertainty.  "Hey Rowena" on the other hand was my cup of tea because it was such a wingman song. It was something all bros in the world could relate to. As the song was playing, a line from How I Met Your Mother played in my head with Barney Stinson saying, "Have you met Ted?" to a random stranger without Ted even knowing about it! It had humor and wit in its lyrics that slightly resembles Stephen Lynch's comical music but on a more serious side.

If I were to describe the music Ahmad Tanji's music in a sentence it would be: Good vibes music all the way. Ill be honest in saying that, i admit to myself that i wasnt any good at writing and all that jazz, and that i am not and avid listener of indie bands. But I really would love to get an album of theirs! It was such an "ear-gasmic" experience that i would listen to them again and again and with the whole band present would be a totally new realm of eargasms! Your Imaginary Friends are awesome with chill music that could be listened to at anytime during a stressful day. And for the 80's and 90's generation, im sure this bands style is your kind of music. As Alanis Morisette once said, "[It's] So pure, such an expression."

Once again, good vibes all the way!

Meg's Music Review

AHMAD TANJI'S PERFORMANCE (2011)

Ludwig van Beethoven once said, “to play without passion is inexcusable.” In one of our Journalism classes, we were fortunate enough to meet  Ahmad Tanji (lead singer) and to listen to some of the songs of his band named Your Imaginary Friends. Constantly composing, singing and playing instruments speaks of his genuine dedication in the field of music.

It is really different hearing and watching an acoustic version of certain songs. It’s a stripped-down performance which is actually more intimate compared to the usual ones. Unplugged performances are probably one of the most sincere performances I’ve ever seen.

Your Imaginary Friends is a four-ensemble group: Ahmad Tanji (vocals and guitars), Emerald Aquino (bass, vocals and keyboards), Khalid Tanji (guitars) and Eric Po (drums).

The band released their very first album entitled One Dreamy Indeterminate Hum in September 2010.

Most of the songs from the album are composed by the lead Singer, Ahmad. I must say that in each song he created, a part of his him is integrated to it which makes his songs stand out from the rest in the local scene. He is actually a Psychology graduate, which explains why certain terms in his compositions are included.

Some of their songs are named before their friends – “Oh, Liza” and “Hey Rowena.” He started off with the song “Oh, Liza,” which entails a story of a woman getting her very first kiss tonight.  Adding a lighthearted feel and humor (I hope you won’t bite) complements the reality that situations like these, for some, could be really serious and sincere.

“Baby You’re Going To Hell” is probably the most lighthearted song of the band, although it is not actually part of the album.  The lyrics of the song are actually easy to understand. It is as if the singer is just speaking to a friend about the girl he liked in one of their inuman sessions. Haha! The use of similes definitely helped in setting the jolly mood of the song (You curse like a sailor). If you just want to listen to some song during your bad days with a special someone, this song can probably lighten you up even for just a little bit J

Another song from their album is entitled “She’s All Sirens (And I am Fiction).” I must say that this is the most heartfelt and serious among the songs Ahmad performed in class. The lines of this song are quite longer than the previous songs.

With each breath Ahmad takes for each line, the feeling of running out of breath and the soft, kind of whispering, voice adds to the sincerity of the song. Moreover, the feeling intensifies with each strum of the guitar.

PARAMITA: TALA (2005)

“A female drummer and vocalist? Seriously??,” that’s what I first thought of when I saw the music video of their single “Hiling” a few years ago. I mean, if being the lead singer of a band can already be challenging, what more if you play the drums while you sing rock songs.

Paramita is composed of three individuals: Ria Bautista (vocals and drums), Alsey Cortez (bass) and Marco de Leon (guitar). They already released three albums entitled Tala (2005), Paramita (2008) and Liyab (2010).

“Hiling” is their very first single. I really liked the song because I can relate to it back then when it was still played on television and even though the song seemed to be really serious and too old for me (well, I was still in grade 6 then). Well, when you’re young and in love, losing someone important is almost as bad as dying. You feel as if the world is crumbling down on you and you’ll do every single thing you can to not let this happen.

You can get carried away easily with the lyrics and the amazing guitar, bass and drum works. It really felt very personal and sincere coming from the vocalist, Ria. It felt as if she was crying herself out to say those words that, I think, are not not really said in real life. The song probably started from a diary entry of someone in pain because of love.

“Takipsilim,” another song from the Tala album, speaks of someone who is still attached to his or her past. There are numerous reasons why relationships end, but I certainly believe that “when a heart breaks, it don’t breakeven” (The Script’s “Breakeven”). Being someone’s girlfriend or boyfriend is greater than the label you attached to one another. You hold hands, fight, laugh, cry and share experiences. It’s like you already integrated or engraved a part of you to your partner and vice versa and this mark will probably last longer than what you expected.

I guess, songs written from personal experiences have an unexplainable impact in people. In tagalog terms, “iba eh” or “may dating.”

Geeks, Friends, lend me your ears!

 (Ahmad Tanji giving the audience an acoustic vibe)

               Lead vocalist and guitar player Ahmad Tanji from the band Your Imaginary Friends performed 4 songs at our class last Tuesday, December 6, 2011. He played “Oh, Liza”, “Baby, You’re Going to Hell”, “She’s All Sirens (And I’m All Fiction)”, and “Hey Rowena”. According to him, their genre hasn’t been set it stone but they thought it was hovering around pop, indie, or alternative, I forgot. Since he was alone, he did not have the support of his other band mates so it gave his solo performance an acoustic vibe. Given that our classroom was small, it made everyone very chillax. With his guitar, he started playing their songs; I felt chills down my spine. I never really attend concerts but I’m glad I got to experience this. He didn’t play anything fancy with his guitar but his voice changed the way I appreciate these kinds of music. His voice was mellow, it really suites the type of romantic music he plays. I believe the kind of talent he has comes rarely nowadays. Although I would likened him to a Filipino version of Jason Mraz, I feel that he forces his voice and not let it flow naturally. Overall, I would give him 5 stars because he was just awesome to listen to. I was instantly turned into a fan after just listening to him play.

              My absolute favorite album is something geeks like me will never ever forget. For those who have emotionally invested their time playing Final Fantasy X on the PlayStation 2, you will never forget those tunes that play over and over again while you play. Although a piano version of the game’s tracks, it delivers a totally new experience to you, giving you an eargasm every time you listen to it. Originally composed by the famous Nobuo Uematsu, the piano’s version was arranged by Masashi Hamauzu and performed by Aki Kuroda. The album contains a piano-ed version of some of the main sequences in the game, some sounding familiar while others changing drastically. If you're one who appreciates classical music, this one is truly for you (and the game btw). Every piece was composed magnificently, things like these make me wonder what kind of creativity these composers have. Every time my favorite track "To Zanarkand" plays, all the emotion comes rushing back to me and I'd like my 12 year old self tearing up as Tidus (the protagonist of the game) prepares for all the emotional (not the typical emo) stuff that's about to happen. Every track is like a time machine to my emotional childhood experiencing this. Knowing that the game will be remade for the PlayStation 3, I am excited to feel everything all over again that i have missed so badly.

People who share the same sentiment as me would know what I mean.


-Raymond Yam

Lou's album review !

French Cicadas and Multicultural Music 

By Lou Callet

Y'a des cigales dans la fourmilière by La Rue Kétanou is not my favorite album.

This only sentence reveals the challenge scope of this article. Wordplays, slang and foreign words sprinkle the whole musical creation of this French band.

La Rue Kétanou proclaims its ownership of the streets. « C'est pas nous qui sommes à la rue, c'est la Rue Kétanou » (It's not us who are on the street, it's the Street Which'sour) is their tagline that induced this pavement's tamers name-Street Which'sour. From the French streets to the best stages of Paris passing through performances in squats, this band lived a success story that pushed street art in the news.

        Let's call Y'a des cigales dans la fourmiliére a contextual preference more than a favorite album. Music surrounds us and sometimes some melodies meets personal events, intimate feelings. This album loudly runs many times a week in the living room of the house I rent during my year in exchange in the Philippines.

             Six months in this country pointed out how population's diversity was an integrative part of my life in France. The Philippines have a really homogeneous population. Most of the citizens are Filipinos and Catholics. I daily experience their amused surprise to see a western fair skin girl. On the contrary, Paris is one of those globalized hubs. Origins and nationalities have melted since centuries in France. As street arts, French culture keeps on evolving over the course of the migrations.

              Y a des cigales dans la fourmiliére echoes this French diversity. La Rue Kétanou melts gypsy, folk, reggae and pop music style. When I switch to the fifth song of the album, São Loucas, a slow guttural male voice breaks the silence. It sings the Portuguese widow's sadness.

« Elle pleure son marin/ Son marin n'est plus le sien/ Elle dit que les vagues sont folles/ Quand elle chante le fado/Son chant est un oiseau/Un oiseau qui s'envole »

( She laments her sailor/Her sailor is not her anymore/ She says waves are crazy/ When she sings the fado/ Her song is a bird/ A bird that flies off).

And this voice is joined by two others, they rise more and more loudly. Guitars speed up to follow them.

« On dit que la vieille est barge/Mais dès qu'elle porte le châle/Le silence s'installe/On écoute ses paroles »

(One says the old woman is nuts/ But as soon as she wears the veil/Silence comes/ One listen to her words)

La Rue Kétanou puts together portuguese and French lyrics. I take off to the narrow streets of the old Lisbao. Lyrics flows with the melody to recreate a modern fado- this traditional dramatic portuguese song.

            At the beginning of the second song of the album, Les Hommes que j'aime (Men I Love),the accordion loudly starts, it repeats those three chords faster and faster. The musician proudly handle this instrument that some grandpas still keep in their closets. The song takes place on the banks of the Seine, this river crossing Paris and the singer creates a Bohemia atmosphere.

“Je voudrais vous parler, des hommes que j'aime/Ceux qui m'ont embrassés, au bord de la seine/Ou j'allais me jeter, jeter par une reine/Que j'avais, aimé, plus que les hommes que j'aim”

(I'd like to talk about men I love/ Those who kissed me, on the Seine banks/ Where I was going to throw myself, throw by a queen/ That I had loved, more than the men I love.)

            Laid on the floor, I grab the CD case and have a look at the back.

They are three men in La Rue Kétanou. Mourad Musset is a 35 tall bold man. He has some origins from Morocco. A part of Florent Vintrigner's family is from Belgium. He is the older, almost in his 40's. He usually carries a large accordion and on his face a smile almost larger. Olivier Leite has dark hair, a long noise. He plays the guitar, the percussion instruments and he has this voice which excels to sing the Fado thanks to his Portuguese origins.

To the French accordions, to the Paris landmarks present in their songs, they add with brilliance cultural references and creations from their background.

          Album's name is quite revealing. Y'a des cigales dans la fourmilière means “There are Cicadas in the Ant Hill”. It refers to a French fable opposing working ants to lazy and partying cicadas.

Before to switch off, the stereo system, I play the first song of the album, Les cigales, (Cicadas). The gypsy violins get crazy, one can hear hands clapping. I close my eyes and I clearly visualize an incredible party that would take place in a large barn.

“Eh bourgeois entends-tu/passer dans ta rue/une parade d'espérance/et qui chante et qui danse/et vogue, vogue la galère/le cap sur la bohème”

(Hey bourgeois, do you hear/passing by your street/ a hope parade / and which sings and which dances/ Come what may ! / Head for Bohemia)

Cicadas from the old fable are over, they don't get lonely and poor at the end as it happens in the book. When they criticize, when they protest, they dance and chant the loudest possible. And ants don't have any choice.

“Il y a des cigales dans la fourmilière / Et vous pouvez rien y faire”

(There are cicadas in the ant hill / And you can't do anything) 

Lou's Performance Review !

Pop Rebellion and Pink Targets

By Lou Callet

At a time when some « Free Tibet » T shirts' owners ignore Lhassa's location, amazing coherence between Ahmad's tee-shirt and his performance couldn't remain unnoticed.

While Ahmad Tanji is singing, Che Guevara looks straight at the audience through a pink gun target. “Rebel” is printed on the South American icon's face.

Before performing Ahmad warns the audience about the difficulty to classify his music, it can be named “ indie pop, or new wave pop. Let's call it pop music,” he simplifies.

            “Reality comes with the season/ It'll still be all right/Tonight, oh oh tonight/Oh Liza”. One feet on the chair, Ahmad keeps his eyes closed when he speaks to Liza. Over the course of the notes, he puts her minds at rest. She's 24, she's virgin, she's worried about a possible first kiss tonight. Ahmad's large hands on the acoustic guitar stand in for his shut eyes. First chords call the next ones to create a flowing pop melody. « I tried to put myself into a girl perspective, » he explains. And when the soft voice jumps to high pitched tunes to reach Liza's minds, a part of the audience imitates Ahmad and eyes close by themselves.

           Through his pinkish pop target, Ahmad points at the weaknesses of the Filipino relationships. This young wavy long hair man proclaims his commitment to romance and love. “Courtship is dead as far as I can see,” he says with a large smile before to hurry Rowena. “If u wanna love him then go/ it may hurt sometimes, then it's part of the show/ come on, it's your time to score”. In a society that can sometimes appear hooked to some established principles about love and relationships, freedom and spontaneity desires can be read by some in the lyrics of Ahmad.

           This singer easily crosses the wide spectrum of pop's repertory to reach the folk side. “Baby, you're going to hell/ how wish you would be ready/ why can 't u change for me.” This exclusive song is a straight dive to a male perspective. The voice gets some groovy accents to beg the song inspiring girl to be less reluctant. When he is asked if this song is inspired by a friend, he artfully answers that it is actually an “ex friend”. Liza, Rowena, Nikita- singer's favorite song- Ahmad is surrounded by people in his lyrics as he is in his musical creation. At the beginning only written by the singer, songs are now cosigned by all the members of Your Imaginary Friends-the band in which Ahmad is the regular singer.

           “Hello, we are Nice !” “Hey, they are Nice !” The explanation of their first band's name idea makes laughing the audience. “We are Your Imaginary Friends”, the joke still works and it perfectly highlights their musical creations. Through those songs, the audience feels as meeting the friends of those buddies from Bicol.

            From his friends as from his daily life, Ahmad extracts and creates the best instant feelings and ideas to put it … inside his phone. “My cellphone is really important, I have a special folder” where he takes notes to feed his lyrics creation. “Yes, they know,” Ahmad promises with a smile. The smile becomes mischievous when he precises that songs are presented to their inspirational friends when they are completely finished.

         “Filipino are addicted to melody, they forget the importance of the lyrics”. For him, lyrics come first. This psychologist graduate definitely value pop's credibility by his sensitive analysis of Human's minds. Aware of writing's importance in his life, it was not a surprise to discover the name of his two kids tattooed in Arabic script on Ahmad's arms. He is actually half Palestinian. No one in the audience dared to ask if the singer had found a long run muse.

          At the end of the performance, Ahmad leaves discretely the room while the Che have a last severe glance at the audience. Is Ahmad a pink rebel? Audience will be the only pop revolutionary trial.  

Jiggy's Music Review!

Your Imaginary Friends, Real Music

Ahmad Tanji, vocalist of Your Imaginary Friends

Ahmad Tanji visited the Ateneo last Tuesday, December 6, and graced Rick Olivares' journalism class with a sampling of Your Imaginary Friends' (YFI) music. By now, if you're thinking "Indie music, bleah.", then you'd be wrong. You see, YFI isn't your stereotypical Pinoy indie band. No rap, rock, nor hip-hop here; YFI is a breath of fresh air to tired ears.

YFI's music is reminiscent of avant-garde bands of yesteryear. Their sound is highly influenced by 80's British pop and also by some 90's rock bands such as the Wannadies. After watching Ahmad perform for the class, one can say say that their music is very melodic and silky smooth-as-velvet.

Ahmad performed four songs for the audience. "Oh, Liza", their carrier single is a very catchy tune which remind's me of that song, "You and Me, Always and Forever" from Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes' movie, Romeo+Juliet. Another quality of their music is it being from experience. "Baby, You're Going To Hell" is a funny example of this. These and their other songs are truly top notch.

Truly, Your Imaginary Friends is welcome soothing music for a sunday drive through a bustling city.

(Photo courtesy of Mawhi Ballen)

Mike's Apartment: Lovers/Quarrel

Mike's Apartment is another up and coming local indie band, playing soul-funk with new-age hip-hop and hints of rock for music loving Manilans. Their first album Lovers/Quarrel, can only be described as love-making music. Yes, this is music that will make you wanna go jiggy.

Their sound is highly akin to 70's jazzfunk, with vocals of timeless soul. As the album name suggests, the songs are about lovers and quarrels; these are highly reflected in their songs' lyrics. Their songs can be described as a journey through an entire relationship.

"Nagdedeliryo" is a slow, soulful track which talks about a man's desire for his muse. The vocals have a very sincere feel to it. The Wurlitzer notes combined with the heavy grunge bass creates a very nice fusion of old and new styles.

Another single, "Lambing" is an easy listening track. This is the quintessential soul-funk song in the album, akin to songs by Incognito but with more of that OPM flair. If you want to find out how to woo an angry girlfriend back, listen to this.

My personal favorite is "Bad Mouth", their carrier single on Lovers/Quarrel. "Bad Mouth" is hard-bop funk which will make you dance your socks off. The funky guitar and Rhodes piano carry this song aaaaaall the way to earvana. The lyrics is of a man scorned by his woman's mouthing off; nevertheless, I'd still very much groove to this.

Mike's Apartment, like Your Imaginary Friends, is not your everyday Pinoy indie band. This band carries the new-age of young Filipino musicians, and their album, Lovers/Quarrel is definitely worth a listen.

-Jiggy

The Steak Library LIVE! Ep. 1

The Steak Library talks about campus scandals in the Ateneo. Naughty naughty. Listen in!

The Steak Lib Podcast 1 by steaklibrary