FebFest 2014: Hostess Club in Manila

Manila has seen a handful of music festivals over the years. Somewhere at the back of your head, you ask “what makes this one any different?”

Febfest 2014: Hostess Club Manila isn’t just different –it’s the only one of its kind. With a killer lineup of the most interestingly indie bands around, it’s one festival worth sinking your senses into, without doing much damage to your pocket.

Hostess Entertainment is a music company based in Japan which features the best indie acts across the globe. The xx, Vampire Weekend, Radiohead and Artic Monkeys are just some of the artists that are under their label.

Now, Hostess Club has been touring different parts of Asia including Taipei, Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan. Made possible by RandomMinds Production in cooperation with Ynos, the tour is heading to Manila for the first time ever on February 13 and 20 at the Metrotent Convention Center in Pasig City. The indoor music festival is headlined by the most sought-after indie acts as of late: Mogwai, The National, Warpaint, Eyedress, Youth Lagoon and Buke and Gase.

Buy you FebFest 2014 Tickets at ticketworld.com.ph/febfest2014

Here is a short background on the upcoming acts to grace the Manila stage in a few weeks:
1. The National is one of the biggest highlights of the festival (if not the biggest). Hailing from Ohio, the band’s sound is distinctive –Matt Berninger’s smooth baritone vocals mixed with raunchy guitar riffs and those resonant yet confounding lyrics. Since their formation in 1999, the band has released 6 albums. Their latest, Trouble Will Find Me, was nominated for Best Alternative Album at the Grammys.
Oh, if they happen to sound familiar to you in some other way besides that, it is because The National has also recorded the iconic Game of Thrones song titled “Rains of Castamere”.
VIDEO: The National – Rains of Castamere (Live)

2. Mogwai is a post-rock band from Glasgow, Scotland that has been around since 1995. Their band name is derived from a Chinese word meaning “evil spirit”, a fact which the band claims to have no relation to their music. With musical influences My Bloody Valentine, Sonic Youth and The Pixies, Mogwai’s music, although mostly instrumental, appeals in a visceral level.
VIDEO: Mogwai – Friend of the Night

3. Warpaint – “Psychedelic” is one way to describe Warpaint’s music. It’s dreamy, flowing and artful. Composed of four stunningly beautiful and talented ladies – Emily Kokal, Theresa Wayman, Jenny Lee Lindberg and Stella Mozgawa – this band from California will surely enthrall you.
VIDEO: Warpaint – Undertow

4. The man behind Youth Lagoon is named Trevor Powers. His music dwells a mindboggling web of isolation, psychological dissonance and the metaphysical aspect of existence glued together in through experimental and deeply hypnotic songs.
VIDEO: Youth Lagoon – Mute

5. Eyedress also known as Idris Vacuna is a Filipino producer who is steadily making waves with his laidback yet trippy tunes that lingers on melancholy and mystery. He is considered to be one of the most sought after acts not just in our country but also around the world. In fact, he will be performing in the NME Awards Show in London on February.
VIDEO: Eyedress – Teen Spirit

6. Buke and Gase is composed of Arone Dyer and Aron Sanchez from Brooklyn. The duo are widely known for their handmade instruments which they derived the band’s name from. The buke is a baritone ukulele while the gase is a crossbreed of a guitar and bass. Their music is uniquely organic with a blast of unpredictability.
VIDEO: Buke and Gase – Houdini Crush

As indie as it can get, FebFest 2014: Hostess Club in Manila will be your ticket to 2 nights of the purest and most enrapturing music from the best acts that will surely mesmerize you. Certainly, this is one experience you wouldn’t regret!

Buy you FebFest 2014 Tickets at ticketworld.com.ph/febfest2014

Writeup by Sandra Mae Laureano

Sandra Laureano is a capricious dreamer who enjoys music, fiction, poetry, photography and watching moving pictures in glass screens. In between her job as a finance person, she stares into space, plots little ideas, writes in bits and attends as many concerts as she can.

Visit her blog at bluntvoidprototype.tumblr.com