The Pin-Up Girls
Filipino indie rock band
The Pin-Up Girls, sometimes called the Pin-Ups, was formed in 1995 by Mondo C. Castro along with Keltscross members Pamela Aquino and Jennifer Tan.
Dubbed the "first Philippine-based band to sign with a U.S. label", the Pin-Ups are also included in a UK-based compilation album and have released a single in 2015 with another U.S. indie label, HolyZone Records.
The band in all incarnations, according to musician and critic Aldus Santos, "have always delivered on the tunes: familiar, always with a dash of innocence, with no facetious tricks up their sleeves, infinitely hummable. Not the most dynamic of bands, certainly not the most technically adept, but these deficiencies are countered by an undeniable charm on musical fronts that matter: melodic, lyrical, structural."
Despite the achievements and being well-connected, the band never became a "mammoth act" yet has enjoyed more success overseas than in their homeland.
History
Early years
Starting out as a garage band in 1995, the band recruited guitarist Ramses Dela Torre (Mass Carnage) and drummer John Carpio (Tikbalang, Goo, End of Man) and started jamming at an abandoned hotel. The then unnamed band went through names that never stuck, including Ebenezzer Blue Cow, Blue Juice, Mushroom, and Bubblegum Crisis.
Guitarist Ryan Nachura and musician Noel Garcia (Ethnic Faces, Eraserheads and Color It Red sessionist) eventually joined the band, replacing Dela Torre and Carpio. They were without a permanent name until Tan wore a Bettie Page T-shirt to a rehearsal at then-Eraserheads drummer Raimund Marasigan's house. Marasigan suggested they name themselves after Page, one of the most famous pin-up girls from the ‘50s.
Hello Pain (2001)
After a few rounds of Mayric’s garage sales to raise money, The Pin-Ups wrapped up recording their debut album Hello Pain under their own label, Broken Records.
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