Drip’s music creates a world between your ears (Photography: EverywhereWeShoot)

EVERYBODY’S LISTENING (AND WATCHING).

If you’ve been following my music column since at least around 2008, first of all, thanks a lot, and I accept donations. Second, you probably know that I am an avid admirer of local electronica act Drip. This is what I wrote about their album Identity Theft a little over a year ago: “...their music creates a world between your ears, dark and dramatic, a nocturnal urban narrative with you as the central character beset by sudden dangers and unexpected pleasures. With scratches and samples, keyboards and beats, and [Beng Calma-Alcazaren’s] relentless, yearning, sensual voice, Identity Theft delivers seeming contradictions—fierce vulnerability, emotional electronica—and changes your life for the better.”

In other words, I thought it was pretty damn amazing.

And now the band is launching no less than three new music videos in one upcoming event, helmed by three uniquely talented directors: “Turning Grey,” given a film noir feel by Jelise Chung, “Blind,” which from the online teaser looks like more quirky hand-drawn animated goodness from Juan Alcazaren, and “Bloodletting,” by the inimitable Jason C. Tan, which has been described as “seductively dark eye candy.”

“We must have been out of our minds to make this video the way we did,” Jason stated in a post online about the “Bloodletting” shoot. “I’m very grateful to Drip and Mark Laccay for indulging us. I’ve always dreamt of shooting underwater. Given the cost involved, I never seriously entertained it.” Luckily, Bernard Dacanay of Brainchild had acquired equipment for an underwater shoot. “Then I heard Drip’s “Bloodletting,” a song as much about sacrifice as being in love. ‘Falling in love is a lot like drowning,’ someone told me. ‘You’re always coming up for air but in the end you ultimately succumb to its drink.’ I knew I had the right project and the concept just filled up almost immediately.”

“The second catalyst was meeting Annicka Dolonius and thinking that this girl is a star. Her performance in Aureus Solito’s Pisay showcased her presence and this ambiguous quality, which I thought I could use or would be interesting in an alien environment like…underwater. Of course, there was also the ever-lovely Shawn Yao, who’s been my ‘muse’ since I started making my own films. She makes my job a lot easier.”

Drip will be performing at the launch, and unveiling songs from their upcoming Spanish-language album, which was done in collaboration with Instituto Cervantes and is a tribute to the venerable Spanish poet, Miguel Hernandez. So be there on January 29, Friday, 6 pm at The Gallery, 2nd floor Greenbelt 5 (right across Cibo, beside Adora). It should be quite something.

THIS SOUNDS LIKE HELLO.

Hey, did you know Ken Stringfellow is performing tonight at Route 196? You should. To quote anchorman Ron Burgundy, he’s “kind of a big deal.”

And to quote Wikipedia: “Ken Stringfellow (born October 30, 1968 in Hollywood, California) is an American musician, best known for his work with The Posies, R.E.M., and the re-formed Big Star (also alongside fellow Posie Jon Auer).” To quote The Posies’ website, “The Posies are simply one of the most creative, resourceful, and influential bands to emerge from the American DIY underground in the last two decades. When the Posies’ core singer/songwriter partnership of Ken Stringfellow and Jon Auer sundered in 1998, fans around the world mourned their breakup.” Auer and Stringfellow stayed busy after the breakup, though, releasing solo work and collaborations galore, and occasionally reuniting. Stringfellow has three solo albums out now (the first one was This Sounds Like Goodbye, which came out in 1997).

This is what he said about the most recent one, Soft Commands: “There are complete fictions, references to current events, meditations on longing, and ambiguous slices of mood represented in the various songs. Ambiguity is said to be a component of all great art. Sentiment is generally considered an unwelcome guest at the gallery opening. OK, so, maybe that’s my gimmick: I am guilty of being sentimental (or at least sincere—these are considered synonymous traits these days), but its object is vague—ambiguous, dare I say.”

Am unfamiliar with his solo work (or his work with his latest band, The Disciplines), but man, The Posies were a good band. “Solar Sister”! “Flavor of the Month”! Okay, I’ve only listened to Frosting on the Beater so far—hey, it was the early 90s, and we didn’t have the internets yet—but what I’ve heard is excellent, stirring stuff.

Ken Stringfellow will be playing tonight, January 23, Saturday, at 10 pm at Route 196, on 196-A Katipunan Avenue, Quezon City, near Blue Ridge (see coolestbar.multiply.com). Entrance is only P150, so you ken afford it (hee hee). He will be supported by a stellar array of local acts, including Kate Torralba, The Camerawalls, Gaijin, and (YESSS) Outerhope.

Photo of Drip by the lovely people of EverywhereWeShoot. More Drip news and etcetera at dripmanila.multiply.com and www.facebook.com/dripmanila. Read Ken Stringfellow’s satisfyingly lengthy blog posts at www.kenstringfellow.com. Send comments and questions to Luis at thekingofnothingtodo@yahoo.com.