Monthly Picks | March 2025
Sining Shelter
KIM'S PICKS
Dancing with your eyes closed
SINGLE | Jane Remover
NAKAKAINIS ANG KANTANG TO! eaaaarrrwormmmmm afff. alam mo yung ang daming nangyayari, pero gets mo pa rin dahil may kaukulang gulo na gustong iparating si Jane dito? mapapa-sprint ka na lang sa huling kilometro mo pampahatak ng metro sa strava bilang isang pagtatangka sa pag-intindi ng gulong ito. baka sa bilis ng daloy ng dugo mo mawari na sa gulo niya nahahanap ang kaayusan.
Relationships
SINGLE | HAIM
swabeng-swabe ang hagod ng bawat instrumento, parang lola remedios na dumadaloy sa lalamunan mo. oo, kailangan nga ng lola remedios dahil masakit ang tama kapag masyadong pinag-iisipan ang relasyon. ayaw mo naman masaktan kung gusto mo lang magmahal, 'di ba?
The Power of Failing
ALBUM | Mineral
alam kong may bandang Dolorosa, pero hindi ko sila mahanap sa Spotify kaya ito na lang ang pinakinggan ko. aus naman! pampabilis ng pace sa pagtakbo. pantikim sa alat ng bawat butil ng pawis. ang paghihinagpis ay isang hakbang tungo sa tunay na __________.
GABY'S PICKS
Fe3O4: FORWARD
EP | NMIXX
A seventeen-minute masterclass on how good, consistent K-Pop should be delivered. NMIXX's sound has refined and matured to an almost unfathomable degree; like what many say today, I have no choice but to stan.
Sound & Color
ALBUM | Alabama Shakes
Revisited this in honor of Women's Month. Tender, gritty, and sonically unlike anything I’ve ever heard before (Brittany Howard is a fucking GODDESS amongst us poor, feeble mortals), this cemented a spot in my Top 5 Albums for life!!!!! I will never shut up about it. Please, please, pleaseeeee do yourself a favor and listen to Gimme All Your Love at full volume.
TONCHI'S PICKS
Hito de Nashi-tsuki
ALBUM | yotsuhaka
Recommended to me by my good friend STOMACH BOOK as very inspirational to her, this is a completely unknown, short, and sweet experimental J-rock album. Don't let the 29-minute runtime fool you, this thing covers so much ground. Math rock, dark cabaret, gazey hellscapes, post-hardcore, it's awesome. FFO: Kinokoteikoku, Sheena Ringo, Soutaiseiriron
Worlds
ALBUM | Porter Robinson
I wanna create like a child again. Revisited this album in a pretty bad mental state and once again Porter Robinson saves my life. He may have never been revolutionary, but his masterful ability to make the clear and the obvious touch your heart like the first time all over again has always been his biggest strength. That was true in 2014, and it's true still in 2025. FFO: Crying really hard
Backshots
ALBUM | Waiian
Waiian hits back with another album much more quickly than the length of time between Good Problems and WEYAAT?, and the Poblacion legend has clearly hit his stride. Bosslods pays homage to black music of many time periods, from 2000s Usher-era R&B to Clams Casino-esque cloud rap fused with ringtone rap, to Memphis and drill, with a sprinkling of dance music to tie the smile-toting package together. Goofy in all the most endearing and genuine ways, Waiian shows that you don't have to be tough to be swagged up. FFO: Having fun (lots of it)
bliss pill
SINGLE | shirovw
An incredible post-hyperflip/dariacore bright otaku-style electronic sugar rush that I picked up at the TFL demo exchange. A classic example of the incredibly happy-sounding song having deceptively sympathy-inducing lyrics: matching the complex, jittery sound design with waxed poetry on upper pills and strobe lights, ultimately asking: "Konnafuuni ikite ii no ka? Isshou kono mamana no darou ka?" (Is it alright to live like this? Will it be like this forever?) FFO: Kawaii bass, existential drug crises
STELLA'S PICKS
Para Sa Akin
SINGLE | Sitti
I’ve been really into bossa in the past month and Para Sa Akin came to mind because I used to hear it a lot as a person who gained consciousness in the early 2000’s. It’s a love song, but it’s also a real “Buhay Mo Yan Eh” anthem. Naalala ko dito yung early parts ng isang relasyon before niyo ma-discover yung mutual pining threading between gusto ko siya and bahala na. Kinikilig ako.
Self-Titled
ALBUM | Bong Peñera
Discovering Bong Peñera's music was such a delight. I’d like to share it with you all… listening to this album from the ‘70s in the summer will cool you down (tried and tested). I hope he plays a local show soon. I'd love to watch them play live.
Self-Titled
ALBUM | Cinderella
I revisited this album with aze because we used Boyfriend Kong Baduy for a don’t honk at me reel. The songs just make us smile. They have unapologetically corny lyrics, history, and strange capitalization of song titles. You’ll find the sweetest things in the YouTube comment section. It also doesn’t help that I can’t stop imagining an Animal Crossing version of this album. Adorable.
Rio (Music from the Motion Picture)
ALBUM | Various Artists
My love for Bossa Nova can be traced back to this movie. So while we celebrate Jesse Eissenberg for A Real Pain (2024), I want the world to remember the best movie in his oeuvre. A movie about birds, poaching, and diverse Brazilian music. Sérgio Mendes, will.i.am, Taio Cruz--what more could I ask for?