Shuffle Union - INVINCIBLE / Best Live Album

From Mr. Erwin Romulo's column "The Outsider" / Philippine Star :

"Best Live Album: Shuffle Union

Recorded at a tribute gig to the late Luis “Weslu” Guiang in Cubao, this is certainly a testament to the spirit of the statement of its producer, Betrayed’s Je Bautista, that “ska is reggae on beer.” It proves that a genre like ska thrives in environments wherein the equipment sounds as if it’s only held together with tape but where the interaction with the audience is never distant. In this case, only the music proves to be above the street and, in its most inebriated moments, reach glorious heights."

We would like to thank everyone who supported Shuffle Union this past year. Everyone deserves to be credited, from the teams who made the "Invincible Tour" and the "Manila-Bicolandia" happen, to all the point men, the bands, and supporters, big cheers to all of us ! and here's to a bigger 2010!

for the full article click here and another article about it from our friends from Bisikleta Productions here.

Shuffle Union INVINCIBLE on Philippine Star's "The Outsider" article..read on

--THIS IS SKA--Up until recently, ska was never one of my favorite genres in music. Perhaps due to my growing aversion to reggae — in particular Bob Marley — it was quite easy to dismiss it as well. (To digress a bit, if I don’t hear Buffalo Soldier or 3 Little Birds again in my life, it will be fine with me. Plus getting dreadlocks and a henna tattoo to match your “Legend” CD doesn’t make you a “rasta”— although it might just confirm that you are an idiot. Trenchtown is nothing like Boracay either, mon.) But good music can cut through these biases, even for the stubborn, obstinate ones like me. And there’s a lot of that to discover in ska, in particular the local scene.

The late, great Je Bautista explained it to me once that “ska is reggae on beer while reggae is ska on pot.” A man of impeccable musical tastes, he always tried his best to push me beyond my comfort zones and musical boundaries. A true punk, he was responsible for getting me into all sorts of things: The Stiff Little Fingers, Angelic Upstarts, Black Flag, MDC as well as Nick Drake, MC Solaar, The Orb… He never got stuck in the ‘70s punk of The Sex Pistols or The Ramones although he did love The Clash with a passion ‘til his death. But he did love ska and, among the bands playing the local scene, he loved Shuffle Union.

Recorded live last February at Cubao X during Trashradio Manila and Bisikleta Production’s “Louie Louie” — a tribute concert for drummer Luis “Weslu” Guiang — “Invincible” is a good starter for those who’ve yet to hear Shuffle Union’s music. Included in the album are live renditions of band staples such as Batty Boy, He’s Mine (this writer’s personal favorite) and Dance With Me. Also included is Thank You, their personal tribute to the legendary drummer who played with G.I. and the Idiots, Put3ska and Throw as well as Shuffle Union.

Truth be told, Shuffle Union’s music isn’t always ska but flirts with a modified kind of power pop. The gorgeous melodies as sung by the band’s two vocalists Mae Ilagan and January Bautista are pushed to greater heights by the band’s persistent rhythm section. More often than not, there is an obvious debt to Style Council-era Paul Weller but with the energy and immediacy of his Jam days. Even the technical glitches inherent in live performance don’t detract from the charm of the songs themselves (although it’s enough to make me giddy thinking what they could do in the studio).

As their press release on their blog says: “The release was officially announced May 23 during Shuffle Union’s live performance at Doobie Nights, where they also announced a tour dubbed ‘Shuffle Union Invincible-Live Album Tour.’ The ‘Invincible’ tour will (go through) Batangas, Baguio City, Laguna, Bulacan and Quezon City.” It also says “the tour will also be joined and supported by a rich collection of musical acts from each locale.” Copies of the album will be available during the gigs and through the band’s site (you can also check out trashradiomanila.blog-spot.com).

-- lifted from "The Outsider" by Erwin Romulo - Philippine Star, July 24, 2009, p.F-3

Source:(Image and text) www.philstar.com

We are Shuffle Union!

Was it humid last Saturday night? we sure felt like that during our performance, as the people danced and closed in at The Leprechaun that evening. Steady flow of beer..check..small talk here and there..check..Meeting up with people you haven't seen in ages?..check..a gathering of friends..check!

It was an extra special performance for us that night, when long-time Shuffle Union trombone player, (and erstwhile retired?)Marlon, along with long-time honorary SU member, Melvin from Jeepney Joyride graced the 'stage'. Inducing more heat from the warm bodies who danced to Shuffle Union's set in the process. Salamat to everyone on the floor. It was a fun night to be with friends.

Some of SU's photos from that night:
Laguna! We are Shuffle Union and we are coming! see you at Java Avenue Bar, at Lopez Ave, Los Baños, Laguna (near UPLB) this Thursday night for the continuation of the "Shuffle Union-INVINCIBLE Live Album Tour".

For a related article and more pictures of other performers that night, check out TRASHRADIOMANILA

For tour updates / more photos visit our Myspace and Facebook pages

INVINCIBLE hits Tambayanan

1962 Tambayanan resembled a place reminiscent of old, when the Philippine Ska scene was young and still on training wheels when the Invincible Tour landed on its wooden decks last Saturday night, if only for the healthy mix of scene regulars and fresh faces in attendance. But the performers that night have long been out of weaning. Sharing the evening with the audience were Pink Cow who were working double time from their Fete dela Musique stint the same night. Their great set was joined in by drummers right off the audience! Up next was Steadymovinbeat who has been steadily (non-pun# 1) improving, it seems, every time I see them live. What was that? "1!-2!".

Last to perform was Shuffle Union, featuring some of the tracks from our latest release, Invincible, mixed with our new songs not heard on any record yet. Salamat to the people who were not too shy to show they liked to Dance With Me (non-pun# 2). :))

A big big thanks to everyone who came, to the bands, to the audience, Trashradiomanila, and to the nice people of 1962. See you at the next stop of Shuffle Union's "Invincible-LIVE Album Tour" at JAVA Avenue,Grove, UPLB on July 2 (Thursday), 7PM.

for more details please check our blog or visit our Myspace and Facebook pages.
* Can't go to the gigs? you can now avail of the "INVINCIBLE" cd online (click on the link at the sidebar)