APPLE ORCHARD

APPLE ORCHARD is a FILIPINO INDIEPOP BAND based in the U.S. composed of brothers RYAN and DALE MARQUEZ which was formed back in year 2000. Apple Orchard began as a solo project by RYAN MARQUEZ when he started writing songs and even had some bedroom recordings during those times. I was able to get in touch with both DALE and RYAN MARQUEZ of this great PINOY Indiepop duo so thus this blogpost of mine was born as my simple tribute to the band right here on my little blog "The Doctor Is In". According to Dale and Ryan, the song "Wide Awake" was the reason why Apple Orchard came into existence. This song was chosen by TOTI DALMACION of the famed GROOVE NATION and now on TERNO RECORDINGS to be on Manila's Definition Records sought-after Filipino Indie CD compilation entitled "MUTUAL ADMIRATION SOCIETY" back in 2000. Ryan asked his brother Dale to play bass just moments before recording "Wide Awake" in the studio for the said compilation and both of them considered the result was more than satisfying thus APPLE ORCHARD was born. Dale who has broad musical knowledge knew exactly where the band was heading in terms of their sound and thus the duo continued making music. Aside from Apple Orchard, both Dale and Ryan have other side projects which will then make you think that these guys are true and real music enthusiasts. Ryan with Soda Jerk and Carnival Park while Dale with Some Gorgeous Accident, Sonnet LVIII, and sometimes with Soft Pillow Kisses. Both Ryan And Dale are also in Dorian Of Jupiter Bells.

So I asked them where did they get the name "Apple Orchard"? Was It influenced by "Cherry Orchard"? Btw, the above photo is where the MARQUEZ brothers got their band's name. I highlighted the "Apple Orchard".

These were the replies of both Dale and Ryan regarding the band's name:

RYAN: It's a song by BOUQUET. I made a tape with two demo tracks and at the time, Bouquet's Apple Orchard was my favorite song. I labeled the tape "Apple Orchard".

DALE: No connection to Cherry Orchard, no. But apart from being a song by BOUQUET, it also has something to do with The Field Mice's very first gig.



Here are other questions I asked RYAN and DALE and their replies are well indicated:

What inspired you to form a band?

RYAN: I'm a big music fan. Seems like the only thing left to do besides listening to music is make music. It's just a hobby for me though.

DALE: Sometimes, there are these sounds in your head and you just want to write it down and see what you can do about it. Of course, other bands have inspired us to write our own music.


Of course,a very common question regarding music influences. Who are your influences? What kind of music do you prefer or do you listen to?

RYAN's favorite Bands/ Artists:
Teenage Fanclub, The Field Mice/ Northern Picture Library/ Trembling Blue Stars, Brighter, The Sugargliders, Galaxie 500, BMX Bandits and a lot more. I also love Sixties pop, Shoegaze, almost anything that's Scottish and '80s guitar pop too.

DALE's favorite Bands/ Artists:

There's too many! My Bloody Valentine, Blueboy, The Field Mice, Riverside, Railway Children, Trashcan Sinatras, Pale Saints, Slowdive, The Pearlfishers, The Montgolfier Brothers, The Wake, New Order, Henry Mancini, Martin Denny... I'm into Sixties girl groups too and sunshine pop, and a lot more in fact.

Why did you prefer to be a duo than to be a four/ five piece band?

RYAN: We love the D.I.Y. thing and we never intended to become a live band.

DALE: We were really more into recording our music than playing live anyway and since we can play different instruments, I think it was more spontaneous.


What was your very first ever gig? How did it turn out to be?

RYAN: Possibly in Mayric's a long time ago. The crowd took it easy on us. It was a small crowd.

DALE: Yeah, I think it was in Mayric's, during one of those Buzz Nights. The usual small, late Sunday night crowd.


MAYRIC'S Concert Ticket courtesy of Onatz


Any memorable gig that you wanna share?

RYAN: I like the Shelflife Popluck show and The Summershine Popfest. I'm looking forward to playing the New York Popfest this May!

DALE: Definitely the Summershine Popfest in Ventura in 2008. Playing with the likes of Phil Wilson, Silver Screen and The Tartans, it was surreal. I had my June Brides records signed by Phil, and Silver Screen liked our set! A close second was the Half-Steps Toward Bright Skies gig in Malabon, in 2007. It's a real small venue, but it was packed with friends and familiar faces. But I think this coming New York Popfest would be a blast!

New York Popfest Poster Ad: May20-23, 2010

What was the band's very first composition?

RYAN: "Wide Awake".

DALE: Which is now available from our bandcamp page.

Listen to "WIDE AWAKE" by clicking the CD Single Cover:

How do you go about the entire process of producing your songs, EP, albums etc.?

RYAN: We never rehearse. Sometimes, when a song is already written, either one of us will record each part first, then the other, until we build multiple tracks and go from there, really. There are times, when we have a drum beat that we like, one of us will record a guitar part or a keyboard part over it, develop a melody and build more tracks til we make a good song out of it. That's how we produce the songs but in the old days, we use a 4-track tape recorder like we did in "A Hiding Smile". That was harder because our sound was too limited, we would have a maximum of seven tracks for all our parts. We sounded like kids playing but we enjoyed the lo-fi quality though.

DALE: Recording at home has been quite an experience. We've had experiences working in a recording studio as Apple Orchard and with our other bands, but home recording has made us more intimately connected with our music. We've learned to explore a lot of different sonic structures and textures because of it.


Can you share your experience on being part of the MUTUAL ADMIRATION SOCIETY CD compilation?

RYAN: The recordings were a lot of fun... Good times indeed.

DALE: Everyone were friends with each other. We knew each other from playing gigs during the Awakenings and No Zone scenes in Club Dredd, and Buzz Nights. It was like that early '90's term that described the London-Thames Valley scene: "the scene that celebrates itself".

Both of you have a lot of side projects aside from APPLE ORCHARD. Does it affect the band's status? Where do you get those inspiration and energy to do these side projects.

DALE: Like Ryan said earlier, we're big music fans. And we're inspired easily. However, the music we do with our other bands doesn't affect Apple Orchard's status in any way.


You guys are one of those who continue inspiring a lot of Pinoy Indie Bands up to date. So how was it being one of the moving force of the Filipino Indiepop Scene today?

RYAN: Not sure about that, but thanks! :D

DALE: I really wouldn't call us that, we're just one of a number of Filipino bands who play indiepop music.

I guess that's a lot of great information for you regular visitors of my little blog regarding my KABAYANS from the band called APPLE ORCHARD. I asked DALE if he could give me a headshot photo of their band's releases to spice up this exclusive blogpost of mine regarding the band which he gladly did. I also included the entire Discography of APPLE ORCHARD so here it goes!!

APPLE ORCHARD releases

DISCOGRAPHY
Last Wednesday Cassette EP (Popgun Recordings)
Paris Was A Daydream Cassette EP (Best Kept Secret)
Across Haymarket And The Triangle Cassette EP (Best Kept Secret)
A Hiding Smile 7" (Humblebee)
That Happy Glow 3" (Cloudberry)
Half-Steps Toward Bright Skies (Haymarket)
Turning Point 3" (Edition 59)
Leafy Lanes EP (Haymarket) Pebble (UK) and Fraction Discs (Sweden)

Compilation appearances:
Mutual Admiration Society (Definition)
Stamp Collecting (Secret Crush)
We Are Not Alone Vol. 6 (Best Kept Secret)
Dashboard Teddy (Dorothy)
Endless Summer (Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams) - compilation included with the Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams zine
Holly, Ivy And Mistletunes(Christmas 2009 compilation)

I have featured the FILIPINO INDIEPOP SCENE here in my blog before and if you missed it then CLICK THE PHOTO of Miss Susan Roces to enter my blogpost about it and download some mp3 from Pinoy Indie Bands that included Apple Orchard and the brother's other side projects.

CLICK PHOTO:

Summer Escape
Strange Carousel
Under The Covers
Music To Hold Hands To

Well, after a couple of years creating music and having songs included on a lot of compilations, finally Apple Orchard released their debut album under their band's own label HAYMARKET RECORDINGS entitled "HALF-STEPS TOWARD BRIGHT SKIES" back in 2008. We are also fortunate that RYAN and DALE shared some music files for you to listen and download here in my blog. YUP!! It's for your listening pleasure. THANKS again Dale and Ryan!!

LISTEN TO "Is There An End To The Bad Days" HERE:


DOWNLOAD THE SONG HERE:



LISTEN TO "Coffee Morning 6am" HERE:



DOWNLOAD THE SONG HERE:



LISTEN TO "For All Things Beautiful" HERE:



DOWNLOAD THE SONG HERE:

LISTEN TO "Hearing Voices" HERE:



DOWNLOAD THE SONG HERE:

LISTEN TO "Summer Memories" HERE:



DOWNLOAD THE SONG HERE:

Any message for the people who have supported APPLE ORCHARD through all these years?

RYAN: Hello there and we appreciate your support and we thank you whoever you are! Thanks, Dr Rhod.

DALE: Keep on truckin'!

I've also included three MUSIC VIDEOS of APPLE ORCHARD here on my blogpost to make things more interesting. I hope you'll enjoy watching it!!

WATCH the Music Video of "Half-Steps Toward Bright Skies"




WATCH a Fan Made Music Video of "The Saddest Perfect Ending"

I guess that's all for today's blogpost guys!! YUP!! It's "The Dr. Stirring Rhod Way" of giving tribute to my KABAYANS who create and make good music up to now. They are APPLE ORCHARD!! THANKS for dropping by and I hope you enjoyed your stay here. THANKS again RYAN and DALE for trusting my blog to feature APPLE ORCHARD!! MABUHAY kayo!!

CHEK OUT APPLE ORCHARD's MY SPACE by CLICKING the band's name:



I'll leave you with a Music Video of the latest single from APPLE ORCHARD entitled "A MONTH OF SPRING". ENJOY GUYS!!



An APPLE ORCHARD a day
Keeps The Doctor Away!!
-DR. STIRRING RHOD

Ballad Of The Times (The Anniversary)

Show Name: Ballad Of The Times
Schedule: Wednesdays (10:30pm - 12 midnight)
Radio Frequency: NU107
Country: PHILIPPINES

Only truly great music stands the test of time and nothing spells a superb night like indulging in some of the best the past has to offer. NU 107 gives you a passport to a destination where some sounds may be familiar, but the feelings are always absolutely fresh. So, dust off your synthesized sentiments and prepare for some bittersweet beats with the only radio show that takes you on a one-of-a-kind flight from nostalgia to euphoria! "Listen On: The Ballad of the Times"! 90 minutes of New Wave wonderment every Wednesday night, 10:30 'til midnight only on the Home of NU Rock NU 107.

Well, It has been already a year since I made an Exclusive Blogpost regarding this New Wave Radio Show on NU107 last FEBRUARY 6, 2009 few days before their Pilot Episode. I was able to get the necessary information from one of the host none other than POGZ. So if you haven't read my blogpost do check it out.

CLICK "The Ballad Of The Times" Poster AD to enter my blogpost last year 2009:



Time flies so fast that this New Wave radio show will celebrate their 1st Year Anniversary with a NEW WAVE Party on FEBRUARY 12, 2010 at GWEILOS in MAKATI CITY. The guys will be playing only Vinyl Records. YUP!! No CDs, Cassette Tapes, and mp3s on the party. Stay tune also for their 1st Year Anniversary Radio Show on FEBRUARY 10, 2010 at 10:30pm till 12 midnight on NU107. I'm an avid listener of this show and I highly recommend it to all people who love the musical genre called NEW WAVE and beyond.

Here are some photos from the show courtesy of POGZ and SIR GEORGE FREDERICK:

PILOT EPISODE:

Hosts Sir George, Pogz, and Charlie


Second Episode


Ballad Of The Times also had some great studio guests the past year which included Four Legendary WXB 102 DJs namely COOL CARLA, JULIUS CEASAR, MICK FLAME, and ALLAN K. (Not the one on Eat Bulaga okay). Of course, the radio program included another XB Legendary DJ in their hosts none other than SIR GEORGE FREDERICK.

POGZ with COOL CARLA.

Hmmmp? That's an IDENTITY CRISIS vinyl!!


ALLAN K. (Allan Kato)

ALLAN K. was the last XB Jock on deck who played the classic song of EVERYTHING BUT THE GIRL aka. EBTG entitled "BALLAD OF THE TIMES" which the show was named after and definitely depicts what the radio show is really all about. Btw, "Ballad Of The Times" by EBTG was the last song WXB102 played on the airwaves before vanishing on MANILA's radio on JUNE 1987. NU107 was also vital in continuing NEW WAVE Music on the airwaves back in the 80s here in MANILA. YUP!! The Home Of New Rock is DWNU FM!!

It's nice to hear "BALLAD OF THE TIMES" Radio Show is on NU107 playing the Hits And Beats Of NEW WAVE!!

I'll be leaving you with the song from EBTG!!
LISTEN to "BALLAD OF THE TIMES" HERE:



HAPPY 1st year Anniversary
Ballad Of The Times!!
-DR. STIRRING RHOD

What If SUPERHEROES are REAL?

I'm a great fan of MARVEL and D.C. Comics when I was still a kid and up until now. In the past few years, there were lots of SUPERHEROES that were brought to life on the big screen. YUP!! LIVE ACTION, from X-MEN, IRON MAN, DAREDEVIL and even the return of both SUPERMAN and BATMAN. Have you ever wondered what would it be like if these SUPERHEROES that we know are actually real? Well, recently I was just mesmerized by these photos created by an INDONESIAN Photographer named AGAN HARAPAN which has a very unique concept inserting photos of these SUPERHEROES on actual Historical pictures. YUP!! You got it right!! Classic photos which were modified so that it would seem that these SUPERHEROES were there on that historical day the photos were taken back in history. These are very realistic indeed!! It's just incredible to see these pictures with an extraordinary imagination that would let as think if these Superheroes really existed, would it be possible that they could end crimes and wars around the globe. Hmmmp? Interesting isn't it? Well, that's just a figure of our imagination. Btw, I included THREE SONGS regarding these SUPERHEROES to spice up my blogpost. Two of these are THEME SONGS in the versions of my favorite musical genre and I made all three songs available for download just in case you're interested to have a copy for your listening pleasure . It's NEW WAVE/PUNK!! I guess It's "The Dr. Stirring Rhod Way" of making a blogpost again so I hope you'll enjoy it.

So here goes AGAN HARAPAN's photos together with three songs from my music collection:


SUPERMAN


You could see here SUPERMAN together with soldiers from the 7th US Army carrying priceless European art treasures down the steps of Meunschwanstein Castle during World War II. Hmmmp?

LISTEN to "SUPERMAN" by R.E.M. :


DOWNLOAD THE SONG HERE:



BATMAN


This time Batman gives the orders to paratroopers in England just before they board their airplanes to participate in the first assault in the invasion of a European Continent back in 1944. Is Batman the most trusted man of Fidel Castro in 1959? Weird Isn't it?

WATCH and LISTEN to the "BATMAN THEME" by THE JAM:




SPIDERMAN

Well, It's SPIDEY's turn!! Spiderman helps US forces after D-Day in Normandy in 1944. Looks like SPIDEY's mask resembled the Combat Helmets of the troops. What do you think guys?


LISTEN to "SPIDERMAN" by RAMONES:


DOWNLOAD THE SONG HERE:



THE HULK

Is THE HULK responsible for destroying this AGFAN village back in 1986? It was believed that the Soviet forces did it. So what's THE HULK doing there? He He He!!


CAPTAIN AMERICA

The symbol of U.S.A. CAPTAIN AMERICA was joined by Nazi SS leader Heinrich Himmler during an inspection of a prisoner-of-war camp in Russia. I guess the camp is totally secure don't you think guys?


THE FLASH

The Flash with some German Soldiers. That's THE FLASH REPORT for today okay. He He He!!


Like what I've told you, these are interesting photos indeed. Btw, It has been already three long years since the project of a LIVE ACTION Movie of JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA made the buzz and up until now there is still no final casting or even tentative dates of when the film would start shooting. Well, I'm really excited about this project and I'm eager to watch who the actors/actresses that would play the SUPERHEROES and VILLAINS ( LEGION OF DOOM).

I uploaded two great DIY "Justice League Of America" MOVIE TRAILERS that I wanna share here in my blogpost. I REALLY ENJOYED WATCHING IT!! What do you think the OFFICIAL MOVIE TRAILER would look like? I guess that we all have to wait. For the meantime, enjoy this creative video trailers from a true Superhero Fanatic. ENJOY GUYS!!

TRAILER #1


TRAILER #2


I hope you enjoyed another trip down memory lane here on "The Doctor Is In". THANKS again for dropping by!!

This is the challenge of
THE SUPERFRIENDS!!
-DR. STIRRING RHOD

ALL ABOUT EVE

ALL ABOUT EVE formerly called "The Swarm" is a British rock/pop band composed of Coventry-born JULIANNE REGAN on vocals and ANDY COUSIN on bass guitar, with an ever changing line-up over the years of the band's existence. These two members together with guitarist TIM BRICHENO were the initial core of the band which was formed back in 1984. Julianne was a former journalist and have played bass in the early line-up of previous MANILA visitor Gene Loves Jezebel before joining All About Eve. She also sang back-up vocals on THE MISSION's classic album "GOD'S OWN MEDICINE" which gave the band a little boost of attention thus they were signed up by Phonogram to release their self titled debut album in 1988 wherein they were joined by drummer MARK PRICE in the line-up. ALL ABOUT EVE was introduced here in MANILA by POWER 105 DZBM-FM back in 1988 with their classic song "FLOWERS IN OUR HAIR" from the band's self titled "All About Eve" album. This song is a classic for PINOY NEW WAVERS back then and was included on one of the "THIRD WAVE" series which was a Legendary Philippine Vinyl New Wave Compilation. YUP!! It's on the "THIRD WAVE FINAL CHAPTER" Vinyl Record which I will feature here in my little blog "The Doctor Is In" in the future. "FLOWERS IN OUR HAIR" was the main song of ALL ABOUT EVE here in MANILA back on those days. Their self-titled album peaked at #7 in the U.K. chart but their U.K. hit single "MARTHA'S HARBOUR" didn't really made any impact here in MANILA. The band had Four Studio Albums namely All About Eve(1988), Scarlet And Other Stories(1989), Touched By Jesus(1991), and Ultraviolet(1992). They had also produced a couple of Live Albums in their career. Marty Wilson-Piper which came from another New Wave band "THE CHURCH" also popular among PINOY NEW WAVERS even had a stint in the band when they made the "Touched By Jesus" album back in 1991. Their self-titled "All About Eve" album is still the only album from the band that became popular here in MANILA back then.



I bought the band's 1988 self-titled "ALL ABOUT EVE" album both on Vinyl and CD formats just to remember the band and of course both formats have different tracklists.YUP!! The Vinyl Record contains only 11 Tracks while the CD includes 3 bonus tracks giving you a total of 14 songs. It's the only album that every PINOY NEW WAVE collectors should have in their music collection among the band's releases. Aside from "FLOWERS IN OUR HAIR", three more songs in the album got a little airplay in POWER 105 back in 1989-1990 and these were "WILD HEARTED WOMAN", "SHELTER FROM THE RAIN", and "EVERY ANGEL" which I bought the 12 inch Vinyl shown in the photo along side their self-titled album. Well, these three songs didn't really became popular back then comparing with "FLOWERS IN OUR HAIR" that made massive radio airplay back in the 80s and of course it also invaded the playlists of other Legendary MANILA NEW WAVE Radio shows in the 90s and the millennium like WAVE 180, CLUB RETRO, and LITEWAVE. Definitely, this album is worth having on your collection so just in case you wanna have a copy of it then I uploaded my CD that contains 3 bonus tracks for your listening pleasure. What kind of music ALL ABOUT EVE presents to us? Hmmmp!! I consider the blending of Gothic Rock with Traditional Folk infusion in their music.


LISTEN TO "FLOWERS IN OUR HAIR" Here:



DOWNLOAD THE SONG HERE:




ALL ABOUT EVE
(Self-Titled)

TRACKLIST:
1.Flowers in Our Hair
2.Gypsy Dance
3. In the Clouds
4.Martha's Harbour
5.Every Angel
6.Like Emily - (bonus track)
7.Shelter From the Rain
8.She Moves Through the Fair
9.Wild Hearted Woman
10.Never Promise (Anyone Forever)
11.Apple Tree Man - (bonus track)
12.What Kind of Fool
13.In the Meadow
14.Lady Moonlight - (bonus track)


CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD MY CD:

PASSWORD: http://docmuzic.blogspot.com/



Well, if you ask the common Filipino people(MASANG PINOY) nowadays regarding "All About Eve", then they will mention to you the KOREAN TELENOBELA which was dubbed in Pilipino entitled "All About Eve" that was shown on GMA7 back in 2008. That's not all!! They will also mention the Pilipino Version of this Telenobela starred by Filipina Actresses IZA CALZADO and SUNSHINE DIZON last year 2009 also shown on GMA7. Both versions made it big in Philippine Television. Wheeew!! How did this topic got into this blogpost? Ha Ha Ha!! Do you wanna include Sandra Bullock's "All About Steve" movie? Naaah!! It's not about Steve, It's about Eve!!

I hope you enjoyed another trip down memory lane with my blogpost regarding "ALL ABOUT EVE". It's not about Adam and Eve's explosion on New Year's Eve okay. He He He!! It's about a band that didn't quite made it big in the Pop Charts but will still be remembered with the kind of music they made.

I'll leave you with the controversial TOP OF THE POPS appearance of "ALL ABOUT EVE" performing "MARTHA'S HARBOUR" uploaded by "aliveinsound" on You Tube. As you will notice, Julianne Regan and Tim Bricheno can't hear the backing track for the first half of the song and so they were caught live on camera just sitting on the stage while the track was already playing to TV viewers. That's all folks!! THANKS for dropping by again!!

WATCH "ALL ABOUT EVE" on TOP OF THE POPS:




This Blogpost is
ALL ABOUT EVE!!
-DR. STIRRING RHOD