Kubra Commander joins Lilystars Records’ impressive roster of music acts from the Philippines and beyond.

Prior to signing up with the indie record label, the Cebu-based psychedelic rock outfit has been making waves online since the release of their breakthrough track, “On Your Left,” which made it to CNN’s 8 New Local Releases for your Listening Pleasure and earned a glowing review from indie music website, Flying Lugaw.

To mark their debut on Lilystars Records, the band has finally released their latest single “The Now”—a brooding, post-punk number about “gaining a new perspective on things through experience, and having an inclination to share the experience with other people in hopes that they can gain something new in return.”

Kubra Commander

Propelled by Kubra Commander’s inherent brand of disaffected cool, “The Now” starts off strongly with glistening synths straight from the ‘80s pop playbook, and builds up into an anthemic chorus at a brisk pace. Music-wise, it sounds more indebted to the band’s post punk and new wave influences, as well as the escapist, modern indie rock anthems of music acts such as MGMT and Empire of The Sun.

“I believe the chiming synth riff was what nailed it for me, playing it over the chords and beat gave a danceable feel to the track which I really liked,” vocalist and guitarist Bobbi Olvido shares the details about the music arrangements. “Everything just followed through from that point. It’s the first song where in all the members we’re able to contribute in the recording process, and it was quite easy to have everyone be on the same page production-wise. I also wanted to try to play with the idea of singing all the verses first and having all the choruses after.”

“The Now” will be part of Kubra Commander’s upcoming new album, Rhythm Tourists to be released in 2021.

Dominic Chin

Finally the Singapore pop artist Dominic Chin has released his debut EP ‘License to Cry’, via indie label Umami Records. Documenting the early stages of self-discovery in Domini Chin’s life is containing a total of 7-track EP a diverse collection of songs that in his efforts to articulate his struggles and explore different sounds.

“It was always difficult for me to verbalise my feelings growing up because I didn’t ever want to give myself away and reveal my vulnerability to others,” the acclaimed singer-songwriter/producer said. “I feared that they would judge me or find me a burden, and so this album is in a way, me talking about what I didn’t want to talk about.”

The recording process eventually felt therapeutic for Chin, as it allowed him to confront some of the personal traumas in his life. He shares, “In the process of making the songs, we always made it a point to make the song not sound too much as what it would lyrically seem to be. For example, HERE is a midtempo and “springy” type of song, but it talks about me missing my late grandmother. SHY is a high energy EDM song, but it talks about my paranoia and insomnia.”

Confessional in terms of songwriting treatment, Dominic Chin’s latest EP, ‘License To Cry’ is the explanation that he finally can give to people. “This is why I am the way I am,” he admits. “I have many reasons for my tears, I have many stories of my past. This album is an extension of myself.”

Cry: Breaking Social Demands

The EP’s focus track, the previously unreleased CRY, is an R&B track with a bit of a late 90’s pop vibe, saying that it’s OK to cry, even as you’re told to “man up.”

“It’s about being yourself and breaking free of the fear and shame from having to conform to others’ silly expectations and rules,” Chin explains. “Growing up, I have always had poor confidence, and hated sports and the general rowdiness that boys would get up to. I would constantly be told to ‘suck it up’ and ‘don’t be a girl.’ The song is about how me, being male, faces society’s demands to behave and act a certain way, but in fact every man is different. I used the term ‘cry’ as a symbol in the song to represent all the unfair expectations that others place on us. We came into this world crying and yet somehow it has become ‘feminine’ to do so.”

With its gospel-inflected arrangements and incredible bigness, CRY marks a milestone for Dominic Chin as it tackles themes that aren’t usually discussed in mainstream pop music in Singapore and elsewhere in Asia– rejecting conformity, rising above society’s expectations, and empowering self-expression. It’s a powerful song to cap off a brilliant 7-track EP– a personal statement that no matter how vague and intimate, still manages to capture humanity at its finest.

Listen to License to Cry by Dominic Chin everywhere at this link: https://www.umamirecords.sg/license-to-cry/

Track list (focus track is 3 / CRY):

1 / SHY

2 / HERE

3 / CRY

4 / AWARE

5 / BETTER

6 / ALONE

7 / CLSE2U

Ben&Ben, the award-winning nine-piece band is one of the nominees for the 2020 MTV Europe Music Awards (EMA) for Best Southeast Asian Act—a special category that aims to recognize the region’s finest.

The other music acts that were shortlisted in the same category aside Ben&Ben from the previous years which include Sarah Geronimo, James Reid, Nadine Lustre, IV of Spades and Moira Dela Torre.

According to percussionist Andrew de Pano, the group wasn’t really sure of what to feel after receiving the news, but felt grateful to be part of this year’s selection. “Being nominated feels like such a huge honor, so we have nothing but gratitude to all the people who helped us get here,” Miguel says in a statement. “We all grew up seeing all our favorite artists get nominated for MTV awards, so to actually be in this same position feels nothing short of surreal.”

Ben&Ben vocalist and guitarist Paolo Benjamin also expressed gratitude to everyone who supported the band. “We’ve always worked towards a collective goal to play music that speaks to and of the heart and soul of the Filipino. In our humble yet exciting journey of sharing our musical stories to the world, we thank everyone for continuing to believe in us. We promise to continue giving our all in every single step.”

To vote for Ben&Ben, click here. Voting runs until November 2 (Monday).

The 27^th edition of MTV EMA will be aired on November 8. Details on the performers, presenters and hosts will be announced soon.

Parasouls

Parasouls, Indie pop trio gently captures the frustration of romantic yearning on their debut single “Can We, Can We”—released today via Lilystars Records and available now on all streaming and digital platforms worldwide.

A brisk but engaging alt-rock number that brings to mind the likes of The Cranberries and Frankie Cosmos, the band’s latest release is a tribute to a beloved sci-fi character from one of the longest running TV series in the world.

“This is a funny story: Can We, Can We is actually the first song I’ve ever written back when I was seventeen,” guitarist and vocalist Dani Dimaano says. “I wrote about one of my favorite TV shows, Doctor Who. This song, in particular, is an ode to Rose Tyler and The Doctor in the TARDIS.”

The song was originally recorded in acoustic form, and was written way back in high school by Dani and bassist Joshua Gaces. “We tweaked the rhythm a little bit so it would fit the band setting better,” Dani shares.“Also, fun fact: I really wanted to put in a dotted 8 delay somewhere in the song, so I spent so much time trying to learn that just to make sure it makes it to the record.”

The final version of “Can We Can We” is indicative of the band’s combined music influences, which touch on a more playful but deceptively simple arrangement and anthemic pacing. It sets the tone for their future releases, where the music is written and produced with the right mix of inherent rawness, melodic sheen, and pop sensibility.