Sponge Cola releases new album Ultrablessed

Diamond-recording band Sponge Cola’s newest album Ultrablessed reflects the band’s fun journey as musicians. Composed of 10 new songs, the album gives people a glimpse of the more than a decade of friendship between the members of the band.



Ultrablessed will be launched this January 31, 8 p.m., at the Eastwood Central Plaza. A bonus DVD of their last concert Maximum Capacity is also included in the album.

Composed of Yael on vocals, Armo on lead guitar, Gosh on bass and TedMark on drums, Sponge Cola considers this album as a celebration of years of blessings.

“We have been chillin’, doing the things we love to do all these years,” says Yael. “So, looking back, we are not just really blessed, but we are Ultrablessed.”

According to Yael, the album contains 10 new fun songs, but quickly clarified that, “basically, all the tracks in the album are ‘fun’ songs, but not necessarily happy. Some songs are sad, but they are fun.”

Yael further explains that the album has that fun vibe, which is a product of the band members’ current state of mind.

“When you are happy, of course, you come up with ‘fun’ songs,” he adds. “This album has that vibe in it, so I hope we can share this to everyone.”

The album’s first single Anting-Anting, which also features Gloc-9 and Denise Barbacena, talks about empowerment among victims of bullying. Its music video is set to premiere on MYX in a few days.

Ultrablessed also features the band’s collaboration with Yeng Constantino. Aptly called +63, the area code of the phillipines, the song talks about long distance love, a familiar theme in everyday Filipino life.

"Communication softens the blow of distance,” explains Yael. “Nothing beats the real thing, but distance forces us to make do with what little interaction we can have.”

For Yael, Ultrablessed is also special because, like the band’s earlier hits, his brother Yannyi Yuzon worked on the project as producer.
He adds, “Yanny, alongside Eric Perlas of tower of doom. It's a very similar setup to what we had with the first album with Jorel Corpus formerly of kjwan co-producing the band's first album Palabas.”

Coincidentally, the band went on a quick workation in the United States with first album co-producer Jorel Corpus, now a Berkeley School of Music Graduate, to film a road tripping musical show called “This is How We Travel,” which will air on the band's youtube channel youtube.com/spongecolamusic on February 15.

"We've been touring nonstop,” states Yael. “So we wanted to unwind, but we had a camera with us so we filmed our quirky west coast roadtrip along with some performances as well."




Ultrablessed CD Track List
1. Hawla
2. Kailangan Kita
3. Anting-anting (feat. Gloc-9 and Denise Barbacena)
4. Iyong-Iyong-Iyo
5. 9 To Sawa
6. +63 (feat. yeng constantino)
7. Walk Away
8. R.I.C.E
9. Singapore Sling (Dahil Kilala Na Kita)
10. The Answer

Maximum Capacity Concert DVD Track List:
1. 22
2. KLSP
3. Tuliro
4. Tambay - Ako Na Lang with Zia Quizon
5. Una
6. Jillian
7. Gemini
8. Ayt with Gary Valenciano
9. Puso
10. Neon
11. Jeepney
12. Dragonfly
13. XGF
14. Bitiw
Encore
15. Kay Tagal Kitang Hinintay

Follow Sponge Cola:
www.spongecolaonline.com
Facebook: spongecola
Twitter: @sponge_cola
Instagram: @spongecolamusic
YouTube: spongecolamusic

Noel Cabangon gives in to fans’ request in “Acoustic Noel”


Late last year, Noel Cabangon asked his fans on what songs they want the singer-songwriter to record for his new album. This new record, produced by Universal Records, contains Noel’s refreshing take on 12 modern classics.

Unlike his multi-platinum albums “Byahe” and “Tuloy Ang Byahe,” “Acoustic Noel” covers OPM classics from various decades.

The album opens with Noel’s take on Ogie Alcasid’s classic “Nandito Ako,” which is also the carrier single of the album. The singer-songwriter’s vocals soars in his rendition of Rivermaya’s “Himala.”

Noel turns sentimental in ballads like Basil Valdez’s “Araw, Gabi,” Aiza Seguerra’s and “Pagdating Ng
Panahon.”

He also breathe new life to band hits like Parokya Ni Edgar’s “Harana,” Rizal Underground’s “Bilanggo,” and Eraserheads’ “Huwag Mo Nang Itanong.”

OPM classics also made it to the list – APO’s “Tuyo Nang Damdamin,” and Asin’s “Itanong Mo Sa Mga Bata.”

Noel’s previously-recorded songs, “Nag-iisa, Wala Ka Na” and “Awit ng Bahaghari,” have been given new

versions in the album.

1. NANDITO AKO (originally popularized by Ogie Alcasid)
2. PAGDATING NG PANAHON (originally popularized by Aiza Seguerra)
3. HIMALA (originally popularized by Rivermaya)
4. ARAW GABI (originally popularized by Basil Valdez)
5. HARANA (originally popularized by Parokya Ni Edgar)
6. AWIT NG BAHAGHARI
7. MAKITA KANG MULI (originally popularized by Sugarfree)
8. TUYO NA’NG DAMDAMIN (originally popularized by APO Hiking Society)
9. BILANGGO (originally popularized by Rizal Underground)
10. ITANONG MO SA MGA BATA (originally popularized by Asin)
11. HUWAG MO NANG ITANONG (originally popularized by Eraserheads)
12. NAG-IISA, WALA KA NA

FOLLOW NOEL CABANGON:
FACEBOOK: Noel-Cabangon
TWITTER: noelcabangon
INSTAGRAM: noelcabangon

8th Spring Festival: January 24-February 2 at Shang rila Plaza Mall


8th Spring Film Festival Movie Synopsis

Snowfall in Taipei
May, a singer from mainland China, suddenly lost her voice and had conflicts with Ah Lei, her producer and secret lover. In anger, she came to Old Town of Jingtong where she met Xiao Mo, a warmhearted man. Xiao Mo helped May find a dwelling place, and introduced her to work at a local restaurant. Thanks to their constant contacts, they made a good impression with each other. May found happiness and consolation from the old streets of the small town, and her voice was getting better and better. However, May had left her heart at another place. Gradually, Xiao Mo understood that when one deliberately disappears, one wants to be looked for by others. Along with a sudden appearance of Jack, a muckraking journalist, the situation began to develop towards the uncontrolled direction.

City Monkey
He Zhipeng is a senior student in high school who lives in a big old Beijing hutong yard with his mother and grandmother. He loves parkour, an extremely dangerous sport in most people’s eyes. With his good psychology and physique, he becomes the star player of “City Monkey” parkour club. But his mother strongly disapproves it and hopes he could focus only on his entrance exams to university. Clashes of different concepts, rebellion of the youth, and persistence to the ideal are unavoidable problems for them. What would the two generations do?

Aftershock
Tangshan, 1976. Two seven-year-old twin children are buried under the rubble of the devastating earthquake. The rescue team explains to their mother, Li Yuanni that freeing either child will almost certainly result in the death of the other. She is forced to make the most difficult decision of her life and must choose between her children. Li Yuanni has no idea that her decision is overheard by her daughter Fang Deng, the female twin. Although she has been left behind as dead, the little girl miraculously survives for several more days before being pulled clear by another rescue team who believe that she is simply a corpse. She wakes up in the pouring rain next to the dead body of her father. Suffering from the emotional shocks of the disaster and the painful memory of her mother's choice, Fang Deng refuses to reveal her identity. She is adopted by a middle-aged Chinese couple and years later moves to Canada to marry. Shadowed by the traumatic experiences of the earthquake and devastated by her mother's decision to abandon her, she continues to be emotionally withdrawn throughout her adult years.

Where is My Home
Mrs. Geng is a simple village mother who raised two children on her own. Her son made his way to the city and offers to have her come live with him and his family. Despite the improved material conditions of the city, Mrs. Geng cannot help feeling isolated and lonely. It takes some time for her children to understand how she feels, and they rebuild their family’s affection.

The Go-King and his Son
Liu Yishou, an amateur Go player, is called by his friends “the king of Go”. Liu Yishou has been laid off quite a long time ago and now, with no other skills to make a living, teaches Go in a humble training course for children. Life has been hard, and his wife has decided to divorce him. His young son, Xiaochuan, has chosen to stay with him through his difficulties. On an unexpected occasion, Xiaochuan displayed an amazing talent for Go, and his father vowed to support him to further develop his gift for the game. They confronted challenges, but with courage, persistence and profound love between father and son, they eventually arrived at the destination towards which they were heading.

1911 Revolution
As the country enters the new century, China is facing a crisis. Two warring factions have emerged, starvation amongst the citizens is rampant and political reforms have made matters worse. The seven year old Emperor and his mother, Empress Dowager Longyu (Joan Chen), are out of sync with people’s needs after 250 years of total power.  As Huang Xing (Jackie Chan) arrives from his studies on modern warfare in Japan, he finds himself picking up his sword to lead a rebellion against the powerful Qing Dynasty and the New Army.

Let’s Fall in Love
Tan Momo, who showed his natural gift in music in his childhood, entered the Conservatory of Music to learn to play Guqin (seven-stringed plucked instrument) smoothly. His teacher placed great hopes on him and his girlfriend Xia Fei had the greatest esteem for him. Upon their graduation, Momo, Xia Fei and other young people who cherished dreams finally walked out of the campus and began to experience the ups and downs in real life. While in front of conflicts between their ideals and family relation, love and morality, what would they choose…

Li Mi Conjecture
Due to the intervention of her parents, taxi driver girl Li Mi had to break up with her long-term boyfriend, Fang Wen, who had disappeared from her life yet seemed to remain connected. For four years, Li Mi had continued to search for his whereabouts in a constant tug-of-war between hope and despair. An eerie murder was witnessed, leading her to a man nearly identical to her missing lover. Could he be the one she has been looking for? Her life suddenly changes. Then come terrible yet pitiful drug dealers, and irascible but highly duteous police detectives…Behind the cascades of mysteries, compromises lie still between those who were once in love.