OPM IS A ZOMBIE

I read that trending OPM-is-Dead article but did not really react as badly as the others. I thought the writer presented good points. The only mistake there is not emphasizing the word “trends” in the article, and the lack of acceptance of the factor that is “change”. And oh, nostalgia can be a bad thing too. That is why some musicians are taking it way too personally.

Since we are talking about our music scene in general, here are my two cents:

1.        Trends come and go. That’s why we call 90’s the heyday of pinoy rock  and 2002 became like the 2^nd coming (with Bamboo, the 4^th incarnation of Maya, Kitchie Nadal, Hale etc. dishing hit after hit). But it doesn’t hide in its coffin after the shifting of another trend like a dried-up Edward Cullen. Rock music and Band-Rito-Banda-Roon is yes, just another trend.  But the music stays even without the support of media. It is not dead. We just need to look and listen.

2.       Major labels usually sign mediocre acts so they won’t have problems in marketing them. You can’t blame them. The corporation looks for profit to keep the wheels turning.  It doesn’t mean they are providing us with quality output. In conclusion, the muzak you hear on radio doesn’t represent the whole of OPM.

3.       Indie is the new mainstream. So imagine the confusion nowadays. It's not necessarily a bad thing. All genre of music should be given equal chance to be heard. Hope all the media outlets follow suit in giving them equal opportunities.

4.       There is no excuse for not finding good music. Internet is a mere 15 pesos-per-hour charade. Wi-fi in popular establishments is free. and you got the over-advertised net sticks from clashing telecommunication networks. All the odds of you discovering a new favorite band is sky-high.

5.       Unbiased opinion : Artists here may not be original (but then again,  who are?) but they do steal the right elements. They sound better. They play better (that’s according to organizers and soundtechs from different Asian countries),  and they sure know how to write. We're not the best English-speaking Asian country for nothing.

6.       High-fives to people who still go to gigs. Who share music videos and suggests unknown bands to friends. Who buy original EPs and LPs. Who listens and acts like fans. You keep the fire burning. Nothing more gratifying than seeing people enjoying art as it is and doing their roles in spreading the good news --- that Original Pinoy Music is alive and kicking butts.

7.        Ian Mackaye said it best in the 10 year anniversary of Spin magazine: 

Spin: So you have no nostalgia for alternative rock's heyday?

IM: No, I'm not nostalgic for that period at all. I'm not a nostalgic person. I don't think any more or less about '91 than I do about '81; that's just the number that was on the year. You have to understand, I'm not an anniversary-issue guy. I could give a fuck about that. What's important about Spin is what it's doing now. What you should do is put U.S. OUT OF IRAQ on your cover and just declare it, so other people who know and feel in their hearts that this war is wrong don't have to feel so lonely and isolated. That's more interesting to me. I don't think, "Oh, those were the heydays." That's just boring. You can only imagine how many people come up to me and talk about "back in the day." The fact is, the most important music in the world is the music being made right now, because it's the only thing that has a chance of changing things.