Since their inception, Ciudad has endured several labels to describe the band and their music. Among others, they’ve been called ‘geek rock’ or ‘nerd pop’ by both the media and their fans. But now, after more than a decade together, the group is recognized for just being one of the best and most distinctive musical acts in the Philippines.
Formed in 1994, when they were barely into their teens, the band began as a school project. But, having written enough material (much more than was required for class), they started gigging, playing at legendary rock venues such as Clubb Dredd and Mayric’s where they gained a considerable following. They attracted the attention of the majors, eventually recording and releasing their debut, Hello! How Are You, Mico the Happy Bear?, under BMG Records in 2000. A critical hit, it contained several of the band’s most well loved songs, including ‘Bomb Site’, ‘Corina Turina’ and ‘With Me’. The first two remain live favorites—what with its mesh of brash melodicism and lyrical non-sequiturs—while the latter is a ballad of uncontrived romanticism. The album was hailed as one of the best releases of that year.
For their follow-up, Ciudad decided to go independent. Their second release, Is That Ciudad, Yes Son It’s Me, was recorded and produced by the band themselves. Songs like ‘Dessie Belle’, ‘Call It Flick’ and ‘Make It Slow’ weren’t as much as a departure of their original sound but a development of it. Pulp Magazine, one of the country’s most influential music-oriented publications, named it as one of it’s top 5 albums of 2002.
The band then decided to record a compilation of songs they wrote back in school but never managed to put on their first two releases. The resulting album, It’s Like a Magic, is decidedly irreverent, as if to answer all those critical plaudits they got for their last album describing them as ‘mature’ and ‘all grown up’. Standout tracks include, ‘Benny and Betty’, ‘Fixing The Radio’ and ‘Escape’ all of which just serving to prove Ciudad’s ability to craft gorgeous, effortless pop from even the most mundane of subjects.
Their fourth album, Bring Your Friends, is perhaps their best release yet. In many ways, it’s their most perfect record—autumnal.
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