Rock station opens door to young bands

TONIGHT is the night for four young musicians huddled in a small waiting room with no walls. Uh, wait, there are walls; they’re just barely visible under voluminous, convoluted graffiti. (Only the space for a revered John Lennon poster is spared.)

Zeus Lenard T. Pascua, Allan P. Abdulla, Michael Joseph M. Vargas and Carlos Nikolai B. Velarde are members of the band Dagsin (Ilocano for “gravity”). They have played in small gigs since being formed in January and, as they relate without embarrassment, they have “140 fans, thanks to Facebook.”

Needless to say, the band is unsigned. But they have four original songs, one of which they have recorded in a proper studio. That song has brought them here, a first little step toward a big goal. The waiting room with nearly audible ramblings on the walls is that of UR (Underground Radio) 105.9 FM, whose chosen fare is modern and classic rock music.

Spotlight

Dagsin’s “Sala” is getting the spotlight as song of the week in “Local Highlight,” a programming feature/advocacy. This means UR (sister station of RJFM) will play the song six times daily for seven straight days. Tonight, the boys and their song take a bow via an interview with DJ Nick Zinger during the program “Pinoy Rock Countdown.” Needless to say, they are “beyond excited.”

The 4-year-old station launched “Local Highlight” two years ago. RJ Jacinto II, general manager, says the effort, essentially, is to level the playing field between signed and unsigned local bands in terms of airplay.

“There is a lot more to our music industry than is heard on radio,” Jacinto, 25, says. “The Philippines has so much talent that get so little support. UR wants to help, that’s all.”

The endeavor has, in fact, helped more than 100 groups – some more than others, to be sure but, as initial morale booster, “Local Highlight” has imparted the same vibe to all: “This station wants to be your voice.”

Just waiting

Though Jacinto grew up in a household that nurtured a passion for rock and rock ’n’ roll, he says, “Only when we started UR did I actually see there were so many Filipino bands waiting to be heard.”

He remembers “going to Bistro RJ a lot” as a kid, and seeing how much music made people happy. He likewise recalls: “Whenever my dad [Ramon “RJ” Jacinto] and I walked by musicians playing on the street for some change, he always gave them something. He always told me that he had a soft spot for Filipino musicians, and that they were all gifted.”

In the very least, Jacinto said, he would like listeners to have a better idea of the wealth of material out there. He knows UR is making a dent, small though it may be. “When we hear from listeners such remarks as, ‘May gano’n pala? Parang di tunog lokal [We have stuff like that? It doesn’t sound local]’ – is that a good or bad observation? I don’t know. It’s enough for me that people are made aware of how rich and diverse the scene is.”

It’s ironic, Jacinto notes, that abroad, because many musicians in both small and big establishments are Pinoy, “Foreigners conclude that our music industry must be jumping. Well, I’m sure we’ll get there. And when that time comes, we’d like to be able to say we did our part.”

Booth banter

From his booth now, it would seem that DJ Nick is bantering with Dagsin; actually, he’s skillfully ferreting out the band’s story.

All four guys are Music/Music Technology students of St. Scholastica’s College. Carlos, songwriter and lead guitarist, played for a while with Twin Lobster, 2008 NU Rock Awards’ College Band of the Year. He participated in the national songwriting workshop “Elements,” last November in Dumaguete City. Zeus, vocalist and rhythm guitarist, rendered Carlos’ audition piece for that workshop. In December, drummer Allan and bassist Michael, Carlos’ former band mates from another group, MemGap, came on board.

Their song “Sala (Filter),” Carlos explains to DJ Nick, is about people in troubled relationships who do not talk about their problems, and would rather let the discontent fester. It’s got a good hook and, very important, when the demo reached UR, it was airplay-ready.

Jacinto points out: “We receive about 20 demos a week and, as much as we want to give every single one air time, most of them are too raw. We actively search for and solicit materials, but the job’s made much easier if the demos are studio-recorded.”

[“We often stumble into good songs … in bad demos,”  DJ Nick would later add. “We send them a message suggesting that they invest in their music …”]

Otherwise, Jacinto says, the demos that don’t make the cut for “Local Highlight” are played in the Sunday program “Pinoy Rock ‘N’ Rhythm.” He adds, “Also, every New Year’s Day … for the past three years now, we have what we call ‘D-Day’ or ‘Demo Day,’ when selected demos get slots.”

Of those bands that have made it to the “Local Highlight” ranks, Jacinto says, “About 80 to 90 percent are unsigned – and for most, it is their first time on radio.”

Prospects

What are the prospects for promising newbies like Dagsin?

Jacinto is not one to brag.  “There are groups that from the province. After we feature them, they start getting gigs in Manila, or in other key cities,” he says. “I’d be careful to attribute their good fortune entirely to their appearance on UR, however. Different groups evolve differently. Some are more determined than others.”

Yes, and some are, plain and simple, luckier.

Landing coveted recording contracts via the “Local Highlight” route is not exactly a realistic expectation, Jacinto admits. “The signed-artists scene is extremely limited at this time. And, in any case, it is not among UR’s objectives to figure in that landscape.”

The guys of Dagsin are taking it one day at a time. “Our first song is getting heard nationwide –for a whole week,” says Carlos. “That can only be good.” Emmie G. Velarde