This 11-track album is not an R&B record that injects vague and general Christian messages of love, peace and forgiveness. No sir. This is an upfront proclamation of the joys of having Christ in one’s life.

From the title track ‘Move’ to the album closer ‘It’s Time’ there’s no mistaking what the artist’s convictions are and that is very impressive.There's even a direct refference to a Biblical verse and chapter.

The track ‘My Everything’ has the appeal of a Gary Valenciano praise and worship number. It is delicate, sincere,  well written and superbly produced by Eric G himself in his NY studio.

Val Guevarra  (Photo by Ronnie Lao)

Cho Lopez (Photo by Ronnie Lao)

NEW YORK– “You are never too young to be a whore,” sings Valter Guevarra, the enigmatic front man and chief songwriter of the band Sodapop Suicide in their semi-electronic number Alcohol and Cigarettes from their debut album Nothing Tastes Like.

The line aptly describes the very nature of this New Jersey rock group for they are never too young too be anything and try anything with their music. There are straight rock songs in their initial release like Beauty Queen, Welcome, Superdaimos and Voltes 5, yet there are also bits of electronic, ambient and easy listening music tucked nicely in the record.

 NEW YORK– Of all the musical genres perhaps the most difficult to produce is Pop. Rock music depends on the character of the band or the artist. Rock's dynamic nature allows the producer to simply channel the already existing character of the artist into the record. It is the same with Jazz, where improvisation and spontaneity is the only rule that cannot be broken. Put into record, Jazz exists in its own sphere–untouched and pure. However, with Pop, everything has to be manufactured. It is so because there is no live dynamic that producers can tap on to create an organic record.
Pop is a 100% producer's record. The sound of every Pop record bears the eternal fingerprint of its producer. Form the use of samples, the programmed beats, and layered voices, Pop demands a more than able producer to make it work.

In his latest album 'Built to Sound Good,' Archie D', the New York-based singer-songwriter-producer, returns to what he does best: produce Pop records that work.
The album, independently released by Archie D's own label, 888, is somewhat a return to form for Archie D, who made big hits back in the Philippines in the early 90's before moving to the US.

WILD: Photo by Marx Jordan Benzon of MJBenzon Digital Media

NEW YORK– It was 1:00 AM on Saturday, July 18 2009, yet the crowd inside the Lower East Side rock club Fontana's wasn't showing any sign of decline. On stage was the last band in the lineup, T.4T  and they were rampaging through a barrage of "hardcore-ized" versions of pop standards like it was only 9:00 PM. The energy inside the club was nothing short of  molten and infectious even though the event,  aptly called "Sagaran (Push to the limit) Night,"  started seven hours earlier on Friday, July 17. It was an energy that never let up from the beginning to end for it was fueled by some of the most amazing music in the Filipino-American scene in New York and New Jersey, and the combustible spirit of a united youth community, to whom the event was offered. Yes, despite the sheer debauchery and reckless abandon of the multitude of Filipino-American music fans and their favorite bands, it was a show to raise funds for the Ugnayan delegates of the upcoming youth consultation called Daluyong to be held in Los Angeles this coming weekend– the very essence of rocking hard for a good cause.
So to the people whose bodies are still aching from slam dancing, and whose hairs still carry the faint smell of beer, the pain and odor weren't for naught.