The Eraserheads

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A Generation of Filipinos fondly remembers the band that made a very large impact on their lives.

A no-name, Indie College Garage Band which became a massively popular hit and ushered in a new era of the popularity of Alternative Rock in the Philippines. Comprising of Ely Buendia, Marcus Adoro, Buddy Zabala, and Raimund Marasigan, The Eraserheads rose from being rag-tag college students to become the so-called demigods and pillars of the Pinoy Rock setting, influencing a new wave of Alternative rock bands in the Philippines. Most of their notable songs were written in Filipino, the native language, while some are in English.

A massive hit in their home country, the Eraserheads gained international media attention after winning the MTV Music Video Awards in Asia for their smash hit "Ang Huling El Bimbo" (The Last El Bimbo), which became the third Philippine National Anthem after the Voltes V theme song.

During their time, when the Philippines was just fresh off the nostalgia of The Eighties, love songs and disco pop were the common fare among people. The Eraserheads were commended for breaking the tradition by writing feel-good songs that spoke of the life of The Everyman.

However, as with many good things, they are not made to last.

Over a misunderstanding with their band roadie, Buendia left the group. Adoro followed suit, but for a more personal reason. After disbanding, the members began to start their separate musical careers. Buendia formed a new band, Pupil, while Marasigan decided to bring his other band projects, Sandwich and Pedicab, to the mainstream. Zabala joined the lineup of the revived Filipino band The Dawn as it's bassist, while Adoro retired to La Union, Philippines as a surfing instructor, occasionally making appearances in Manila as a solo artist.

Members

• Eleandre "Ely" Buendia - vocals and rhythm guitars
• Marcus Adoro - lead guitars
• Hector "Buddy" Zabala - bass guitars
• Raimund Marasigan - drums and percussions

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Albums released by the Eraserheads include:

• Ultraelectromagneticpop! (1993), the band's debut album
• Circus (1994)
• Cutterpillow (1995), the only album in the Philippines to hit Triple Platinum status on the first day of release
• Fruitcake (1996), A conceptual Christmas album
• Sticker Happy (1997)
• Natin'99 (1999)
• Carbon Stereoxide (2001)

Extended Play Albums

• Pop U! (1991)
• Fruitcake EP (1996)
• Bananatype EP (1997)

Compilation Albums

• Aloha Milkyway (1998)
• Eraserheads: The Singles (2001)
• Eraserheads: Anthology (2004)
• Eraserheads: Anthology Two (2006)

Tribute Albums

• Ultraelectromagneticjam: The Music of the Eraserheads - a compilation of covers of the famous Eraserheads' songs perfomed by various Filipino artists.

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The Eraserheads provides examples of:

• And the Fandom Rejoiced - when the Eraserheads decided to reunite for two reunion concerts, titled: Eraserheads: The Reunion and Eraserheads: The Final Set. Sadly, this is also the last time they will play together as a band.
• All Drummers Are Animals: Among the members, Raimund Marasigan is the most hyperactive one, always appearing as though in a sugar rush.
• The Band Minus the Face: When Buendia left the Eraserheads in 2001, the remaining members tried to replace him and continue on. It Got Worse.
• Becoming the Mask: The appropriately-named Maskara
• Bury Me Not on the Lone Prairie: Poorman's Grave.
• Expy: they were nicknamed "The Fab Four of the Philippines".
  • Works more for Ely Buendia, whose story and musical career is similar to that of John Lennon. He even wore the round glasses.
    • Buendia himself affirms that he is a big John Lennon fan.
• Concept Album: Fruitcake, released around (and is about) Christmas.
• Crowning Moment of Awesome: At the end of their last reunion concert; Eraserheads: The Final Set, Buendia set their iconic piano (pictured above) on fire, signifying that as with all things, The Eraserheads has to end.
• Crowning Music of Awesome: Well, duh!
• Darker and Edgier: The Albums and songs that the Eraserheads recorded in each successive year becomes more and more serious and emotional in contrast to the feel-good songs that launched them to mainstream popularity.
• Face of the Band: Ely Buendia.
• Four-Temperament Ensemble: Buendia is melancholic, Marasigan is sanguine, Zabala is supine and Adoro is phlegm.
• A Good Name for a Rock Band: "The Eraserheads" was coined from the David Lynch horror film Eraserhead. Not that it was worth any significance to the band, they just though it sounded cool.
• I Am Not Spock: After their breakup, the four members cannot remove the association of being a part of biggest Filipino Rock act in history.
  • Perhaps the worst victims are Ely Buendia when he formed his band Pupil and Raimund Marasigan with Sandwich.
• Last-Note Nightmare: The Eraserheads were very notorious with these. Ang Huling el Bimbo, Alapaap and Spoliarium are the prime examples.
• Love Nostalgia Song: Ang Huling el Bimbo, a song about a beloved childhood friend which won them an MTV Award.
  • Due to its immense popularity, this became an Iconic Song Request for them.
• Lyric Swap: The Eraserheads has this tendency to change some of their lyrics in concerts, oftentimes getting on some perverted connotations within their songs.
• Mohs Scale of Rock and Metal Hardness: Chronologically Increasing. Their debut material scores a 1, then a 3-4 on the peak of their popularity, and a 4 with Sticker Happy onwards.
• Nobody Loves the Bassist: YMMV. Although popular in his own right, Buddy Zabala is the least well-known Eraserhead. He only composed a few songs for the band, and after the split, he joined the lineup of a revived band, unlike his bandmates who established their own acts instead.
  • Although he is well-loved by the fanbase for singing one of the few Black Sheep Hits of the band, The Fabulous Baker Boy.
• One-Woman Song: Shirley, Toyang, Julie Tearjerky.
• Precision F-Strike: Pare Ko, with its infamous Di ba, 'tangina?
• Scatting: Another trademark of the Eraserheads.
• Silly Love Songs: Toyang. Which is also a Song of Song Titles of Nat King Cole 's Too Young.
• Surprisingly Gentle Song: With A Smile.
• Studio Chatter: Combo on the Run.
• What Do You Mean It Wasn't Made on Drugs?: Alapaap was largely suspected to be one. "Alapaap" itself translates to "in the clouds", said to be describing the effects of taking Hallucinogens.
  • In fact, there was a court case involving a Philippine senator trying to ban the song because "it teaches the youth that using drugs is okay."
• Word Salad Lyrics - Spoliarium (although urban legend says that it tells an infamous story when you read between the lines...)
• Xtreme Kool Letterz: A variation: Starting from the album cover of Circus, All "E"s in the band name are written backwards, appearing as "THE ƎRASƎRHƎADS."
• Yoko Oh No: Diane Ventura, wife of frontman Ely Buendia, is largely blamed for the split of the Eraserheads, even though she actually played no part with it.