Musical Time Machine: After All This Time by Itchyworms
I always believed that just like how water refracts light, that is how the heart perceives time. The heart doesn’t recognize chronology, it may only knows two things: stability and brokenness. And we don’t realize it, but the heart could be the time traveling vehicle we’ve all fantasized all along.
Even just by hearing the intro of Itchyworms’ new single After All This Time, I can’t help but get transposed to my vague memories of the 80’s. (I’m born in ’87 but I’ve lived vicariously through John Hughes’ films. Some Kind Of Wonderful is my favorite.) But this musical DeLorian just didn’t take me back to the 80’s, it took me back to the most painful heartbreak of my life. And it’s no aged film, every memory is Blu-ray clear.
But every thing (and every person) has its limits - even heartbreak. After all, a heartbreak is just a memory. Yes, you can come back to it any time you want but there’s nothing you can change about it. You can only navigate your life now and the decisions you will make, pixels that make a clearer picture of the future. Like what Ely Buendia’s character in the movie San Lazaro said:
Thus, make art.
Make art that could possibly get used for your favorite band’s new single.
Nakakakilig, it’s available in the iTunes store, all ready and easy (and affordable) for download.
Thank you so much, Itchyworms, especially Jazz Nicolas. You don’t know how much happy this made me, it actually glued together some of the cracks of my heart!
The Marty's
I cannot say no to music. Some have shrinks, some go to parties, I have music to keep my brain screws in place.
Whenever I’m asked to design a gig poster or an album art, I do not think twice. That’s why when I got invited to contribute an illustration to The Marty’s, I was so excited to do it!
Wait, what is The Marty’s anyways? Two things: The Marty’s is a band and it is also Oishi’s vegetarian chicharon we all love. In www.themartys.com.ph, we can actually create our own band. Choose from the 8 finalists (from different schools) who gets to become your vocalist, guitarist, bassist and drummer.
Mix and match and you will get to see different artworks too!
Here’s the combination assigned to me!
oming up with an idea was a bit of a challenge at first but I decided to just make it simple and sincere - a thank you piece to all the musical geniuses that kept me sane. This artwork is basically filled with riddles and clues to my most loved bands.
Enjoy guessing! It would be so much fun if you put your guesses as comments!Clue: simply name the things you'd see. Example: Beetles - The Beatles.
And please don’t forget to create your own The Marty’s at www.themartys.com.ph! For updates, follow the Oishi twitter @oishi_tweets and Like their Facebook Page!
GRRRL SCOUT presents BOOT CAMP 4
Hello, boys and girls!
I've been very very very busy (can I stress it any further?) with a lot of things: mostly work, planning for a very special event (soon!) and a little bit of artsy projects. Yes, I make it a point to make at least one artsy project every two weeks so I keep myself inspired!
Here's my latest project, The GRRRL SCOUT's BOOT CAMP 4 poster. GRRRL SCOUT, as you all know is the newest production tag team of my good friend Saab Magalona and Candy Gamos. And I must say, it's every thing that is close to my heart: music and girl power! Thanks Saab for making me a part of this awesomeness!
So, see you guys? C'mon.
Here's the event page, c'mon and click GOING!
Don't forget to Like GRRRL SCOUT Manila's Facebook Fan Page and follow them on Twitter!
Take It Easy With KEDS
When I saw the movie Limitless, I told my boss I wanted to have some NZT-48.
But he told me this: "Hoy de Silva, that's not what you need! You need a chill pill."
Oh yes, I'm the office Ms. Intense and I'll forever be acting busy and all fiery. Wincy even joked once that my only chill time is when I'm asleep. But hey, I do have my own form of relaxation - ART! I usually unwind with some of my favorite music while sketching or painting.
And this weekend, I wanna try sharing my relax-time with all of you! Let's all TAKE IT EASY and have fun tomorrow at:
This October, the UP Junior Marketing Association and Keds Philippines bring you: “Take It Easy with Keds”, an exciting outdoor picnic of food, drinks, hyped with a splash of fun and games that’ll keep you wanting more! Come and join the fun at Bonifacio Global City, Taguig on October 20, 2012, Saturday with a program showcasing the latest trendy and preppy Keds looks, the new Keds Ambassadors known as the Kids for Keds, as well as celebrity guestings, and a whole lotta freebies from Keds.
Take It Easy with Keds is the UP JMA Strategic Marketing Team’s event for this semester. It holds as a picnic-carnival coachella style of event that will showcase the Everyday’s-a-Saturday feel of Keds shoes. The events is proposed to be set during the day in an outdoor environment, where people can relax, breathe, take a break from work, and purely have fun with the booths and games set for them.
The picnic scene isn’t just like any other picnic in that gaming, food and drink booths will surround the area, a program to showcase Keds products and endorsers (fashion show, Kids for Keds from the three chosen colleges, Keds ambassadors) will be hosted, hopefully by celebrities, who will be sited at the event. Take it Easy with Keds is meant to promote Keds’ Everyday’s-a-Saturday feel to its main target market, mainly college students, and everyone else who wants to take a break from all the hustle and bustle of work by TAKING IT EASY. Stop doing what you need to do. Start doing what you want to do. ‘Cos it’s time to take it easy with Keds.
So boys and girls, see you tomorrow! I'll be painting walls and probably some pair of Keds!
10 Gifts I Got As I Turned 25
Since 2007, my birthday has been life lectures more than actual celebrations. I always attempt to drown it out with loud music and booze, but for some reason, life always manages to feed me its bitter (but very useful) pill, filled with substances that activate me to finally grow up.
This year, I thought if I make my celebration low key, life’s whipping would go weak on me. No party, no friends, just me and some after-concert coffee. But like an unwelcome guest, life still persistently joined me -- all month long.
So I figured, if life won’t leave me alone. Might as well, I ask for fabulous birthday gifts. And so far, here they are:
- I don’t know everything and I’m not always right. I’ve been told by a dear friend, “Hindi ka na fun kausap. You always think you’re right. Di ka nakikinig.” True to form, I did not listen to him at that time. I used to think that if you believe in something, you fight for it, in any way you can. But now, I discovered that strength also comes in the form of humility.
- Stress is viral. Symptoms are extreme mood swings, shortening of patience and disrespectful behavior. So when you get struck by it, you better do everything you can to protect other people from it.
- When you find your voice, express responsibly. Admit it or not, there’s a certain feeling of accomplishment when your opinion seem to matter to other people. In this age of attention, followers, likes, retweets and views are our measure of reach. This gives you more reason to express with prudence, because more people listen to you.
- Social Media, ironically, is not your friend. That’s the greatest irony, I must say. My good friend and mentor once told me, “The more famous you are, the more fake friends you have.” Social media brags about how it simulates our relationships with other people and I am now focusing on the term simulate. And in this process of simulation, context and subtexts are either lost or misconstrued. The more we tweet, update our Facebook status or post photos on Instagram, the more we expose our lives to misinterpretation by people who barely know us.
- Help your family first before helping strangers. Because your family will be your greatest support system as you help others. But make sure you help with decency and justice. Stealing from strangers so that you can help your families is an entirely different thing.
- Everyone has their roles to fill. And I don’t have to save the world. When our house got flooded by the nameless monsoon, I felt the urge to change the world, or at least the Philippines. But hours of research, texts and phone calls to friends made me realize that advocating for an idea may be good, realizing these advocacies is an entirely different case. So I would just find my role to support the people who were born and equipped to be heroes. Batman always needed Alfred anyway.
- Romance is abundant. Commitment is scarce. Blame the movies for romancing the search and the struggle for “finding the one”. But the the truth is, there are plenty of guys (and girls) out there who would like the same music as we do, or whom we can talk to for a whole day straight but there will only be a few people who would actually stick with us, make love with us even if we gained weight after 3 months, or choose to be patient while we throw tantrums. It’s so easy to fall in love but it requires a certain maturity to commit.
- When you can’t accept, tolerate. I believe that there will always be people who will annoy you even without them doing anything wrong. Or some people’s values just won’t match yours. Either way, these were never valid reasons to bully other people.
- There are plenty of creative people out there. Some like putting it out there, loud and extravagant. Some choose to subtly show it. Popularity is a factor, but it is not the complete translation for excellence.
- Just make art, leave the politics to others. When stuck in a social or cultural hierarchy, create your own pedestal. History has proved it, politics and society would always coexist. People will either protect the status quo or shake it. It will be bloody and at the end of the day, I will not matter to these people. So I’d just create something on my own, apart from the field they have been all playing in.
But one gift topped everything that life has given me. Ely Buendia gave me something too. Thanks to his sister, Lally, for making it possible for me to claim it during her brother’s concert in Hard Rock Cafe. Through the years, this song was like my shots of bravery to my blood. But when I heard it live, for the first time, it now feels like the anthem I have always been looking for.
And now its my gift to all of you, free for download. For your desktops, iPhones and Blackberries.
