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I LOVE EYES CANDY : Music Videos from the Philippine Islands

by Kaboowy


by
Kaboowy





Back in the mid 80’s there used to be show called Video Hit Parade in one of those Marcos owned TV stations. It was during those times that I first saw Aha’s Take On Me, Rick Astley’s weird yet strangely appealing hair dance and the heyday of the New Wave movement. I was hooked! After that it was MTV, this was during the early 90’s and cable television was in its infancy. We all wanted to become Danny McGill and have Nonie as our girlfriend/sex slave. We loathed Mike Casem and his freakish younger sister. Alternative music ruled MTV and filled our consciousness. Aeon Flux was so amazingly fucked up, Charlize Theron made a live-action version of it and tanked! It was during the mid 90’s that we had an influx of Filipino made music videos, albeit proletarian paved the way for budding directors such as Marie Jamora (big fan of the E-heads), Quark Henares and Pancho Esguerra. These are some of our local music videos  that have earned my utmost respect…and I have impeccable taste in music and a bloated ego. Check out my list below…

1. Taken by Cars – December 2 Chapter VII

I like Bloc Party. They sound much like Bloc Party on estrogen. This is their second video from their first album. The concept for this video appears to be from Gondry’s Eternal Sunshine for the Spotless Mind and Donnie Darko, the first being pure visual bliss and the latter just plain eerie.  Watch out for the Red Riding Fox, the huge picture of the Thin White Duke and going out and the splash of color in the end.

 

2. Tanya Markova – Picture Picture

I don’t have much data on this band nor their direct influences but I saw the music video at a local music station and instantly fell in love with them. It’s a poignant narration of an obsessed photographer/stalker searching for the perfect face and finding something else instead. The video isn’t exactly groundbreaking but man…I love the freakin’ melody of the song. My next blog would be on how to make those wicked-cool camera masks.

 

3. The Dorques – Murusaki Blue

Shaider lives! And is apparently living as a vegetable together with her sidekick and part-time wuv-interest, Annie. The singer is narrating something in Japanese, whether this is about her superhero fetishes, missing Fuma-Lei-Arr or her obsession with white panties and fringe skirts is a mystery to us, unless you speak Japanese of course. All I know is everything ends happily for Mr. Shaider who enjoys eating everything machine-blended. The music here is reminiscent of Jesus Mary Chain or Sonic Youth minus the drowning guitar distortions or the psychedelic-laden lyrics. Check out the video and fall in love with Annie all over again.

 

4. Up Dharma Down – Sana

Do you remember Takeshi’s Castle? Everyone does right?!? Now add a little of Arny’s  “The Running Man” to the mix and we have this music video. Who could have thought that a band as serious as UPD could come up with a parody of that beloved 90’s series? As usual the band performed their usual mix of trip hop and neo soul and interestingly enough their sadistic tendencies to people wearing matching jumpsuits. Good thing they have 2 extra remaining lives. Insert a coin to play.

 

5. The Camerawalls feat. Sara Gaugler – The Sight of Love

If you love Swedish Indie Pop, then you’ll love this. I know what you’re thinking, how come they sound like Club 8? Are they Japanese with a French speaking vocalist?  Sadly enough, bands like these don’t get much airplay here in the Philippines. As of right now, we are drowning in K-pop, commercial music and acoustic covers. Thank God we have bands like the Camerawalls to give us something as interesting as this. Sarah Gaugler does a sweet job of providing vocals to this track, not to mention convincing us that tattooed women are hot without really trying. The video is as lovely as a summer’s day in Baguio or Tagaytay as viewed through John Lennon’s yellow-tinted sunglasses. Now all I need is a glass of Adios Motherfucker to mellow me out.