In the realm of Filipino musical acts, sometimes it seems like it's divided between western-style…read moreanti-mainstream "underground" rock and mainstream beep bop P-Pop Sarah G hits. Up Dharma Down exists as a sort of completely different kind of act from everything you expect an OPM act to be. Here's a band that has a thoroughly different sound: easy listening, piano-based, bluesy songs with relationship-oriented lyrics. That's why Up Dharma is such good counter programming for the music scene. It's one of the mainstream musical acts on the Philippines which you can certifiably remark is totally different from everything else. Their sound, which they have spent around a decade trying to capture, is so distinct, yet appeals to such a large market. It's a fantastic band.

Franco is, by far, my favorite Filipino band. I can't even describe how incredible Franco is, both…read morein terms of just their music and as a live act, but you've gotta see it to believe it. Unlike most Franco fans, I don't do "juts" (at least not yet) but nevertheless, I still absolutely love their music. When I meet friends who don't think OPM has good stuff in it (which even in general I vehemently disagree with), I immediately tell them to listen to a few Franco tracks. Franco is an absolutely brilliant band, and watching and listening to Franco Reyes is like viewing a genius at work. Not only does Franco brilliantly blend together diverse styles of music, ranging from grunge, reggae, classical rock, and alternative, their songs' poetic lyricisim and wordplay is pretty stunning when you're paying attention. Even if you don't take "juts" there's lots to love here. Live, Franco Reyes pours his entire heart and soul into his performances. He's an intensely charismatic frontman for the act, reaching riffs and putting on a crazy level of energy that infects the crowd. Franco is definitely a distinct and incredible act, one that manages to make you believe in the power of OPM. I certainly do. (francophilippines@gmail.com)

I was in High School the first time I heard Gracenote. Just like everyone else in High School at…read morethe time, I was in that sweet spot where I was listening to all these punk pop bands like All Time Low, All American Rejects, Fall Out Boy, and of course, Paramore. Gracenote was an actthat was featured in our variety show as the opening act for Imago. Just like everyone else in the crowd, no one knew who they were. They were a fairly indie band at the time. Literally, it took one song to figure out that they were eventually gonna make it big. They opened (expectedly) with a Paramore song, and for a second I literally thought that it was Paramore on stage. After a few more of their originals, I was hella impressed. Not only did they sound like legitimate punk pop (and they weren't trying hard like a lot of other acts were) but their original music was fucking legit. Flash forward to a few years later, and I see them on TV promoting their first album. A few more years, and I find out that their booking fee has skyrocketed by a lot. I'm kind of amazed at how big they made it. They're literally our equivalent to Paramore - a female-led punk pop act with insanely catchy songs. Gracenote is a pretty great band that can only go up from here.

No one goes to Parañaque to watch gigs as there aren't really any good gig places here. But if…read morewe're talking about spots that go against the grain, Gara-eh offers a totally alternative scene, and I'm not even referring to the genre here. Garaeh is a LOT of things. Run by super friendly artist couple Yvette & Om as well as a couple of their friends, this place is a community of sorts that focuses primarily on music. Firstly, Garaeh is a space. It's literally a "garahe"--an outdoor garage that's filled with art and curious things. They, as well as their friends, host music gatherings and gigs here. Aside from an events space, they primarily offer rental services for music equipment for events. I HIGHLY recommend their music equipment rental as they do have a complete set of equipment at good rates. They also offer music classes (drums, guitar, voice, keyboard, etc.) for people of all ages, even music-appreciation for babies! Inside Garaeh is an electronics repair shop as well. What else? Occasionally they also do sell vegetarian mock-meat via their small project 'Ngitian Kitchen'. Their mock meat liempo is really, really good. Events aren't regular, as well as the classes or the veggie food, and you can't just barge into this place unannounced. It's best to stalk them online to see if something's up or if there's a gig to catch. If there is, do drop by as you're in for a unique and interesting treat.

What exactly is Banna Harbera, you ask? Banna Harbera is an indie band that I listened to when I…read morewent to a battle of the bands inside school a few months ago. The Battle of the Bands was filled with (generally) bands that sounded like the same indie alt-rock rehash with the same male vocalists trying to sound like Alex Gaskarth from All Time Low. Then comes Banna Harbera, and just literally amazes the crowd. They didn't amaze the crowd with wild guitar riffs or jumping around on the stage. They did the exact opposite - they played mellow, easy listening alternative music that sounds like literally no other independent act I've heard. Not only was their music completely different from the rest of the bands, it was probably the absolute best of them. Consider me a fan. I'll be looking forward to going to their concerts sometime in the future.