BAND REViEW

“Go out and form a band.”
Raimund Marasigan, a rock band icon would always say on MyX BandaRito, as the show’s host. Little did he know that those words inspired a band, Alto Indio.
Alto Indio is an Indie band made up of a female vocalist and guitarist, Breanna Agunod, Bree as she would love to be called, and four guy musicians – Macmac Arocha on drums, Baian Valdez, playing the bass and doing some vocals and Aton Tsang on guitars.. Each has diverse musical interests but it did not stop them to cluster and form Alto Indio.
On a rainy Saturday night of January 28, 2011, the band managed to grace the Rock Show at Sa’Less Diner. I took the opportunity to meet them and talk to the band, minutes before they finally go onstage. I was surprised to see a doll-like lady coming with us for a talk. Bree, looks so cute that one would not imagine that she’s a rock star, an Indie rock star. Then, she started talking about a band she never thought would have come this far.

She said it all started as an FB (FaceBook) band. Bree uploaded her composition. Unexpectedly, her band mates found her then decided to form their group in the August of 2011. They came up with the band name “Alto Indio” because Indio has a negative connotation, they want to transform it into something with optimism. So they prefixed Alto which means “second highest”. Their music is a mix of Pop Rock. Their musical influences are Barbie's Cradle, Cambio, The XX, Metric, Narda, Duster, Ham Sandwich, Ida Maria. The Late Isabel. Moonpools & Caterpillars. They write their own songs, and have so far done one cover song.


The said Rock Show was just one of the long lists of their gigs. “Walang pay,” Bree said when asked if they go out, hold onto the microphone and their musical instruments to earn. They play music because they are passionate about it. They don’t require talent fees. Whenever there’s an offer, they play.
Their sound may reverberate like noise to some people, but a pop ballad oldies fan like me realized their music. I was reminded of Jason Lee, Jeff Bebe of the Almost Famous band, Still Water said… “Some people have a hard time explaining Rock and Roll. I don’t think anyone can really explain Rock N Roll… Rock n Roll is a lifestyle. It’s a way of thinking. And it’s not about the money, the popularity, although some money would be nice. But it’s a voice that says... Here I am and fuck you if you can’t understand me. And one of these people is gonna save the world.” And, Alto Indio is living such lifestyle.

This March, the band will be releasing an EP (Extended Play), it’s a collection of songs but shorter than an album. Details of the EP’s release will be posted soon. As conquering the music industry – the “industry of cool” and helping the Indie scene is by far their greatest achievement, let us help the scene and the band per se as well. Stay tuned with Alto Indio. Be updated through their FaceBook account, facebook.com/alto.indio.