Blogs

| 2012 |

March

For The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart
March 6, 2012

Opening for The Pains of Being Pure at Heart during their visit in Manila has been a wonderful gigging opportunity. Thanks to Mario De Castro of Gweilo Bar and Joff Cruz of Kindassault. It’s our third time to do front act for a popular foreign band and our first time at Hardrock Cafe.

Early at the venue for sound check, we were able to catch the members of TPOBPAH. A quick photo with Kip Berman was good enough for us. Aside from Peggy Wang, Alex Naidus, and Kurt Feldman, there’s a fifth member who climbed on stage. Later on we realized he’s Connor Hanwick of The Drums sessioning on guitars, giving their live stint a fuller sound. Read more…

February

How I Became A Camerawall
February 7, 2012

Many of my friends were asking how and when did I join The Camerawalls. There’s actually a very short story about it, so here I go…

Clementine, Law, and I were friends since 1999, that’s when the Orange and Lemons days started. I was with another band back then, doing alternate gigs with them in a certain bar in Bulacan. After many years, we remained friends and kept in touch through chat and text messages. The last time I saw ONL was 2006, when Clem invited me to come over and watch their gig at 70′s Bistro. Then I heard about the band’s break-up a few months after. Read more…

January

2011 Highlights: Out of the Cocoon and into the Sun
January 3, 2012

There was a lull in terms of recording and releasing new materials for The Camerawalls in 2011. It was a tough year, and with the ever-changing musical landscape and distribution, we felt it’s better to postpone any plans. Bread and Circuses EP was more like a “chop suey” served during a lengthy cocoon stage of the band. As times changes so do we. The year that passed has tested our adaptability to changes. Read more…

| 2011 |

November

Post Halloween Post
November 14, 2011

If any of you are wondering how we rolled during Halloween, these photos by our dear friend Jeff Saw taken during The POP Shoppe! Halloween Party at Route 196 will tell you.

More photos HERE.

Rich In Love At Timbre (Part 3)
November 7, 2011

Right after chilling out for a bit at Timbre @ Old School we headed straight to The Substation for the usual soundcheck. A few minutes before our set a queue was forming outside. We played to what seemed like a full house bar for that evening. Many guests who came to see us the previous night were also present to witness our last gig in SG. Read more…

October

Rockin’ The Rabbit
October 8, 2011

We dearly love and enjoy playing twee and indie pop music. However, I cannot disregard the inclination to touch base with my blues, rock and roll and psychedelic roots from time to time. When Playboy Philippines invited us to be part of the roster of artists for the 2011 Rock The Rabbit on September 30 at Elements in Centris, we found the perfect setting for our heavier materials. Read more and watch the clips…

Rich In Love At Timbre (Part 2)
October 7, 2011

Our first gig at Timbre, despite the rain, wasn’t bad for a Tuesday night. It was delight to find many Filipinos in the crowd and some locals who have been following our music since last year.

The excitement of the night didn’t wear off till the wee hours of the morning. We overslept during the day crushing our plans to take a stroll around the city. Our itinerary the following day starts with a short stop at Timbre Music Academy. It’s a unique facility that balances the learning curve of their students by providing not only theoretical or technical knowledge but also hone the practical aspects of performing outside the classroom. Timbre operates 6 live music venues across the city, featuring prominent local bands every night and all their instructors gig professionally so they are able to impart practical and proven techniques of a live music performance. Read more…

Rich In Love At Timbre (Part 1)
October 3, 2011

If you’re an indie band playing indie music, what are the chances of getting on the commercial train in the current climate of our music industry? Not very high, of course. Rejecting what artists are force-fed, and the decision that we can do better ourselves is the fundamental premise behind the existence of indie labels, especially in the case of Lilystars Records.

A few years ago, when I ceased to distress myself over the things that is crippling the health of indie and commercial pop music, I get relieved when once in a while, we receive a knock of opportunity that recharges our battery of hope to thrive and continue. The opportunity to gig abroad was one of them. Read more…

September

The Significance of Four
September 20, 2011

Every number has a certain power which is expressed both by its symbol to denote its representation and by its connection to universal principles. Numbers have relationships with all things in nature, thus making them supremely powerful symbolic expressions.

This is based on Numerology – the study of numbers and their influence in our lives. While I do not practice or subscribe to this, it’s fascinating to sometimes look up on spiritual meanings behind numbers and explore how it applies to us for our own personal coherence on the subject. For instance, it’s significance to the anniversary of our band. We recently celebrated our fourth year as a group on September 9 at Gweilo Bar in Makati to welcome what we considered The Camerawalls’ founding date, which falls on September 10. Read more…

July

Why I Like The Camerawalls
July 6, 2011

Last week, preliminary to an internet radio performance at UR Faceradio, we posted an open invitation to all who might be interested to join us and become our guests during the show and receive a free copy of our new EP Bread and Circuses. See A Radio Invitation…

The involvement entails an easy task of e-mailing an answer to the question “Why do you like The Camerawalls?” The responses we received were more than heartwarming, enkindling us to the core, enough to inspire an immediate follow-up with new recordings. Read the responses and view some pics…

March

Kate and Burt at The POP Shoppe!
March 23, 2011

We’d like to further share the results of our performance (originally blogged at Lilystars Records) in that dark pub where we always like to play called Route 196 during The POP Shoppe! tribute to Burt Bacharach on March 3. We are lucky to have Kate Torralba as part of the line-up of artists performing and even luckier to have her on stage with us the whole time. Read more and watch the video clips…

The Whitest Boy Alive: Concert and Cover
March 3, 2011

If you are a fan of Kings of Convenience and dance music, you just might like The Whitest Boy Alive, an indie rock-electronic group from Berlin also fronted by Erlend Øye.

Erlend together with bandmate Eirick visited Manila last year as Kings Of Convenience and I was fortunate to catch that intimate show. This time The Whitest Boy Alive is touring Asia with a stop in the Philippines on March 12 brought to us by Intercept! Read more…

February

Food and Yenning in Iloilo (Part 2)
February 28, 2011

While enjoying the afternoon coffee at Madge, I mentioned to Chito my particular interest to visit Museo Iloilo and Janiuay Cemetery. Got the following description at Asiatravel.com about the two places of interest: Read more…

Food and Yenning in Iloilo (Part 1)
February 23, 2011

My mouth waters when I think of Iloilo and its food specialties. When we were invited to play in a sorority sponsored pre-Valentine event on February 12 at Mellow Mangrove (formerly Tijuana Bar) by U.P. Sigma Beta, the thought of visiting instantly tickled my taste buds. “La Paz Batchoy!” I screamed in my head. Read more…

“My Life’s Arithmetic Means” Piano Instrumental (Bonus Hidden Track)
February 7, 2011

To those who already have a copy of Bread and Circuses EP we are grateful for your support. But you might like to know, there’s a bonus hidden track after the last song — an instrumental version of track two — “My Life’s Arithmetic Means“. Read more and watch Kate play...

January

The Highest High: Our China Crisis Fix
January 24, 2011

We had an amazing Saturday night! Opening act for the popular 80s icon China Crisis plus backstage access and front row seats to their show. If you missed the gig at The Venice Piazza, the series of videos below is the closest you can get to the experience.

We only played three songs. We were actually required to do two covers but opted to play just one to promote our records. I’m sure the management of Megaworld wouldn’t mind since whatever we play will sound close to the songs we cover. But we are mighty glad and thankful for this opportunity. Read more and watch the live clips…

Crazy JAM Sessions
January 19, 2011
Our first gig for 2011 that garnered a considerable amount of listeners was in the intimate confines of JAM 88.3, which I believe is the only radio station left that plays great indie pop tunes.

It was our third time to guest and perform in their weekly Sunday show called Jam Sessions. The first one was back in 2008 before we release “Pocket Guide To The Otherworld” followed by a mall show in Cavite last year after the release of “The Sight Of Love“. Both hosted by Tracy Abad. Read more…

Our First Day In Singapore (Part 4)
January 15, 2011

Procrastination is probably one of the most common problem people have in their day to day life. Including myself, that is. After having experience with procrastination, I realized procrastination itself causes more pain than actually doing what I suppose to do. Everytime I check on our blog pages and see posts that are meant to be continued without ever reaching a conclusion, it gives me a pang of remorse. So today I’m making a deal with myself to JUST DO IT. Read more…

| 2010 |

December

Something Good Ends, Something Better Will Begin
December 21, 2010

Another leaf has turned as I spent my birthday week preparing and hosting a musical event. The traditional get together at Lilystars Records’ HQ on the 9th culminated with the launch of The Camerawalls EP “Bread and Circuses” at the Ayala Museum on the 11th.

I bought a whole crispy chicken for the potluck party only to become easily ignored by the wealth of food and alcohol brought along by each one who came. Some were homemade like the dishes prepared by Antonette, our wonder dinner-party hostess. Everyone from the label was present with some surprise guests – good friends who are helping us with our artists and events. Read more…

Mailorder Goodies!
December 6, 2010

Order our new EP “Bread and Circuses” or send it as a gift this holiday and receive free Button Pins and Stickers. Add $2 and we will include a personalized bag tag with your name or the name of the person you are sending the package as a gift. Valid till December 15 only.

For orders in the Philippines send your inquiries to shop@lilystars-records.com for pricing in pesos and other payment options. If sending as a gift e-mail us complete name and shipping address of recipient. Read more…

November

Our First Day In Singapore (Part 3)
November 14, 2010

The past two weeks have been a little tied up and I’m lagging behind on blog updates especially the ones from Singapore. I mustered enough drive to rummage into my files and resume this compendium of episodes during our trip inside the Lion City. Read more…

October

A New Record In The Making
October 4, 2010

I did a little math. It’s been 226 days since our last release (The Sight Of Love Digital Single), 794 days since our last album (Pocket Guide To The Otherworld CD Album), and 389 days since we last recorded in a studio. Last September 10, The Camerawalls turned 3 years old and we really think it’s about time to come out with a new record. This time in an EP format. A collection of 5 songs to close the year.

Tuesday of last week we diligently and officially begun recording new songs, some of them not quite new and has been waiting to be handpicked from a modest collection of materials I wrote over the past year. Things are on a roll with my record label this year and I’m guilty of neglecting my own progress in song-writing. Nevertheless we feel these new batch of songs will not disappoint (ourselves and our current listeners). Read more…

September

Our First Day In Singapore (Part 2)
September 15, 2010

Singapore has a diverse population made up of Chinese, Malays, Indians, Caucasians and Asians (of various descent). It isn’t a wonder to find shopping and ethnic districts like Arab Street, Little India, Chinatown, Orchard Road and Marina Bay. We were able to do a walking tour of two of them before the day ends.

Our food trip in Bugis Street was preceded with a walkabout around the vicinity of Arab Street  just a few blocks away. Arab Street interestingly illustrates the Arabian culture. You can easily find conservatively dressed Muslims, beautiful old shop houses lined up on the streets and marvel at the largest mosque in the country – the Sultan Mosque – easily identified by its golden domes. Read more…

Our First Day In Singapore (Part 1)
September 14, 2010

A few months ago we were mighty thrilled to receive an inquiry from Esplanade exploring The Camerawalls for Baybeats 2010 and privileged enough to eventually be included in the line up. It’s our first regional gig outside the Philippines and I would like to share some of the things we did and experienced during our three-day stay in Singapore from August 20 – 22. Read more…

August

Funny Little Frogs
August 29, 2010

We had this opportunity to cover songs from one of our fave indie bands out there. None other than Belle & Sebastian. They’re from Glasgow and has been making music for more than a decade with seven studio albums under their belt. From the bitterness of missing the opportunity to watch them perform during their recent Asian tour (Korea, Japan, Indonesia, Singapore), Lilystars Records and The POP Shoppe! decided to hold a B&S cover night, the closest thing to this musical fix. Read more…

July

Some Old Mobile Pics
July 27, 2010

I was looking for my old dual-sim mobile phone since last week to loan it to a good friend who lost his cellphone. Finally found it in a place where I least expect, and as usual, during a moment I wasn’t really bent on finding it out of frustration. View the pics…

Fronting Club 8
July 10, 2010

This post maybe tardily published. But the excitement and enthusiasm we felt about our Club 8 experience  last May will always be relived thru a series of videos we uploaded on our YouTube account.

Opening for Club 8 gave us two very distinct opportunities. First, to be backed-up for the first time by a 10-piece Rondalla ensemble consisting of banduria and octavina players. (See videos 1 – 3) And secondly, to jam with Ian Zafra, guitarist of  Sheila and the Insects, and Bachie Rudica, drummer of The Gentle Isolation. (See videos 4 – 7). Read more…

New Music Transmission – Episode 16
July 4, 2010

Early April our single “The Sight Of Love” was featured download at a British website/podcast New Music Transmission. Followed by a discussion feature I downloaded a week after which I decided to share with everyone by inserting the mp3 file. We felt honored with the nice commentaries injected with very constructive criticisms. I transcribed some excerpts from the podcast episode for easy reference. Read more…

June

The Polarizing Effect
June 20, 2010

Over the past sixteen years as a musician I have witnessed, read and followed some of the most significant band break-ups and issues of leaving members including my own with Orange & Lemons that did not end well. I have learned that finding solutions, amicable settlements and establishing communication is the proper and most decent route to any misunderstanding or in-fighting in a band instead of promoting a continuous he-said-she-said playground that oftentimes produces a polarizing effect amongst the fan base. Read more…

May

OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: Movements In The Camerawalls
May 4, 2010

We are officially announcing that Ian Sarabia is no longer a member of The Camerawalls effective May 03, 2010. A formal meeting held between Lilystars Records Management and The Camerawalls’ members on the date mentioned was closed with the quorum’s acceptance of Ian’s resignation from the band. Due to personal reasons, preferences and his association with other bands also as a drummer, Ian unfortunately decided to leave The Camerawalls. Read more…

March

Our Baguio Exploits (Day 2)
March 29, 2010

I woke up around noon and the house was pretty quiet. Turns out we’re now divided into two groups. We’re one Camerawalls’ member short with me, Ian, Pao, Sarah and Cheska being left behind to snooze some more. Law join the group of The Bernadettes and our roadies Antonette and Odette with their own spree of shopping for souvenirs and food tripping. Before I continue, let me share an account of what the other group did thru a written contribution by our host Antonette: Read more…

Our Baguio Exploits (Day 1)
March 17, 2010

Things are pretty busy lately since the release of our new single “The Sight Of Love.” Also we just recently launched a music video to support it. You can view it Here. And if you still don’t have a copy, you can download the song for free Here.

But this entry isn’t about that. I’m picking up the pieces where I last documented happenings involving The Camerawalls. As I rummage in our backlog of experiences I came across our pics from our wicked trip to Baguio with label mates Turbo Goth and The Bernadettes. Read more…

See BLOG ARCHIVES