The band kids

MANILA, Philippines - They could have easily been your classmates in high school, those kids learning the guitar chords to a Weezer (or Duncan Sheik) song instead of eating their baon during recess. Hundreds of ignored snacks later, they’re still at it, this time with original material from their respective bands, scaling the heights of a rigid, balladeer-obsessed music industry, where you’re easily overlooked if you don’t pluck the chords.

Ace Libre and the rest of Never the Strangers, for instance, were signed by Warner ever since getting discovered by Rico Blanco, a milestone which resulted in a marathon of gigs this year — about four to five in a week, in fact. A fan base was eventually bolstered not just by commercials for Close Up and Sun Cellular, but by a knack for tasteful songwriting.

For She’s Only Sixteen’s bassist Anjo Silvoza, signing onto Universal’s artist arm Orion Entertainment pegged his four-dude band as the next dance rock act — think Asian Arctic Strokes. They’ll surely prove there’s more than meets the ear when they follow up their EP with an album soon.

Jazz singer Cara Manglapus, meanwhile, is your big band wolf. As The Executives’ lead songstress, she’s making waves from lounge to lounge, wherever her octaves are pined for. There’s potential waiting to be polished, especially if you’re the newest talent of renowned manager Girlie Rodis.

And then you have Bee Eyes’ Julius Valledor and The Strangeness’ Shinji Manlangit to represent indie. Both bands have toured together, performing in a different key simply because they’re rooted in something different — kind of like an ice cream shop’s secret flavor that puzzles the brain but pleases the tongue. Pair the Strangeness’ EP “Jesus Camp”’s garage folk with Bee Eyes’ EP “Honeymoon”’s sweet-fi punk and you’ll feel what they mean.