IN Pinoy popular culture, it used to be that when America sneezes, most Filipino artists get the shivers. It used to be that what’s on the radio is what’s on the American Top 40. These days, unless you’re listening to an oldies station, you’re likely to hear the new sound of the young Pinoy. It may carry America’s stridency and loudness but its bite, humor and occasional bile has a Filipino accent.

First off, a unique aspect of the nü sound this year is the sudden popularity of bands. It’s been a decade since a similar band explosion happened on the heels of the massive success of the Eraserheads in the mid-90s. Well, bands like Rivermaya, Parokya ni Edgar, Slapshock, and Sandwich, an Eraserheads spin-off, bridged the gap on the mainstream front. A parallel independent movement kept the band spirit alive in concert and on record even as the new groups preferred to express themselves in the noise and clatter of punk rock and hardcore rap. Their kind of ruckus would nurture a local scene in Cebu, Baguio and Sta. Rosa, Laguna that eventually led to surprising debuts by provincianos on national radio.

Dice and K9, a group of Cebuanos, dashed to prominence behind a cute pop-rap hit. The Ambassadors, a punk group from Cebu, generated buzz with their original contribution to a rock compilation for a major record label. Slapshock would steer their initial zeal for rap-metal to the more conventional yet still ripping heavy metal of later releases, specifically the magnificently produced Novena album. Over the past two years, auspicious debuts by Imago, Bamboo, Sugarfree and Cambio-another gathering of former Eraserheads-would set the stage for the current rage of Pinoy bands.

HALE: URBAN KUNDIMAN

Hale are the pop-rock darlings of the moment. They hold the franchise on melodic rock ballads that are easy on the ears and with the best potential to send female fans screaming their lungs out. In their songs, these savvy rockers combine pop finesse and rock bravado. Their love croons even use alternative rock devices like wall-of-sound distortion and swirling keyboards to powerfully heartrending ends. The vocalist sports serviceable vocals and a thin falsetto to make all his whines and pleas sound like urban kundiman.

CUESHE: FUN BOYS OF SUMMER

Cebu’s finest sons, Cueshé, provide tough competition to Hale. Cueshé operates on the same emotional plane and musical frame as Hale. Except that on video and in live performances, Cueshé play up their rock and roll hearts, skirting Hale’s wimpy image with that of the fun boys of summer. On record, the ballads get all the attention, but these Cebuanos are just as comfortable rocking the house to the ground. The band’s pop value shot up recently with rumors of a budding romance between the lead vocalist and nymphet-about-town Ms. Ynez Veneracion. Scrambling beneath the Hale vs. Cueshé tussle are Menaya and Shamrock who expand on the rock lexicon of the current pop-rock surge.

IMAGO AND PARAMITA: GIRLS ON GUITAR AND DRUMS

Female fronted Imago and Paramita are Hale and Cueshé, in a manner of speaking, powered by distaff vocals and attitude. Imago is a foursome with a gregarious guitar-wielding frontwoman. She sings of loves lost, found and lost again, strumming chords in harmony with a very muscular backbeat. A drum thwacking lady slams the beat to Paramita’s power trio configuration. Their rock ballads deal with love with a gloomy twist. The video of their very first hit, “Hiling”, is done in shadows and ends in nosebleed. Go figure.

ORANGE AND LEMONS: POP HEAVEN

Orange and Lemons pay tribute to the ‘60s in their guitar-based rock and rollers. Their debut opens with a rockabilly-driven number, moves to some very fine Beatles and Dave Clark Five moments and concludes in a 20-minute epic of ringing guitars, tick-tock drums, jazzy bass and lyrics about making ‘her”happy tomorrow. It’s really the clear-toned guitars that carry the tunes to pop heaven. Hardcore fans have been quoted to have been smitten by the poetic drift of their lyrics.

BAMBOO: HIGHLY-CHARGED

Back to the basics, Bamboo lean on the chemistry of the guitars, rhythm and vocals. Led by former Rivermaya lead vocalist Bamboo Mañalac, the band feeds on the synergy of four members to produce the simple thrill of a rock song. Their second album, bannered by the ready-for-karaoke, “Hallelujah,” continues to play up on Christian themes only hinted at on their first release a year ago. Live, vocalist Bamboo is a bundle of energy unleashing the potential power underlying the band’s highly-charged tunes.

PROTEIN SHAKE: 70S PINOY ROCK + PUNK

Newcomer Protein Shake updates ‘70s Pinoy rock by grafting its ageing legacy to the more vigorous and contemporary noise of punk and heavy metal. The result isn’t as chaotic as it may sound; rather than speed things up, Protein Shake keep their songs worthy of dancing, maskipops. Sexual overtones are also all over the place, from shots of skimpily clad ladies on the album sleeves to lyrics on the profits and wages of drugs, sex and rock and roll.

THE SPEAKS AND KJWAN: BLUESY AND STRIPPED-DOWN

Another neophyte, the Speaks, rock bruised and aching on their bluesy debut. Their hit, “High”, has already been remade featuring a duet with Barbie Almalbis, ex-frontman of pop-rockers Barbie’s Crable. MTV VJ Mark Abaya used to rock the house for Sandwich until he bailed out of the mothership late last year to concentrate on his VJing career and his new outfit, KJWAN, which trades in stripped-down rock and roll.

SANDWICH AND PEDICAB: NO ERASER, JUST HEADS

Sandwich has been a league of its own since the dissolution of The Eraserheads. Sandwich chief Raymund Marasigan, who drummed for the E-heads, has led the way for Sandwich all these years while dabbling in electronica on the side. Early this year, he helped put together electro-heads, Pedicab. The experience must have rubbed off because Sandwich hits pay dirt with an electro-fueled, “Sugod,” off their latest album. It must be the biggest song of their career, which has had its ups and downs in the attempt to bring hardcore punk and hip hop to a mainstream audience.

BROWNMAN REVIVAL: PINOY REGGAE

One the biggest surprises of the year is a tribute album on the music of the Eraserheads. Brownman Revival does a reggae version of a pretty obscure E-Heads tune and the band moves from nowhere to second division contenders in the hit making sweepstakes. If their carchy remake is any indication, Brownman Revival may be to Pinoy reggae what Parokya ni Edgar is to kanto boy pop.

DAYDREAM CYCLE: DANCE-FRIENDLY ELECTRONICA

Electronica Manila is a collective of artists who continue to be their fans’ best-kept secret. The release of Daydream Cycle’s debut may change that. Daydream Cycle delivers the more accessible, dance-friendly aspect of electronica. Their songs sport attractive hooks that fit late night radio programming or chill-out at the club. A pre-release party during a concert featuring rock and pop bands saw moshers and rockers alike grooving to DC’s dreamy pop.

SITTI: BOSSA NOVA BLISS

And chill-out itself has found another local exponent in 21-year old Sitti, who goes back to the bossa nova ‘60s to reclaim the hidden pop bliss in such trivial ballads as Lighthouse Family’s “Lost In Space” or D’ Sound’s “Tattooed In My Mind”. She leads a crack band for her debut which includes 16 remakes and one original composition that seem to flow seamlessly along the coherent thread of bossa nova’s lonesome glide. Sitti makes Pinoy bossa nova sound cool and authentic in the same breath