Ely Buendia’s latest release is the most E-heads-sounding of his solo releases yet. “Ate” finds the ’90s uber-singer-songwriter singing familiar melodies.   And by that, we mean those sweet-sounding, major-key-based tunes that sound exuberant right at the onset. Think of happy, accessible hooks that easily catch the ear. If you’ve listened to enough E-heads back in the 90s, you would know the type. Ely teams up with producer-of-the-moment Shadiel Chan (of Cup of Joe fame) to stir up some new aural creativity, and it obviously works! But having said what I just said about the heads-like quality of “Ate,” Ely could have easily come up with this on his own. But props must be given where they are due. So dig in, give it a listen, and watch out for those aural details. For his part, Ely can still be relied on for wordplay (for example, “Ang bilihin lang ang kayang magmahal”) even when he seems to be just coming up with simplistic rhymes within a ditty. But it is what it is, and “Ate” is appreciated nonetheless.  

Ely Buendia (Images courtesy of Facebook)

Mayonnaise has stayed together as a band all these years, all thanks to lead singer and chief dressing (sorry for the pun) Monty Macalino. It’s always been Monty, and while the band remained “Mayonnaise” all these years, Monty’s always been at the forefront of this band, which is his brainchild. And they’ve had some really good songs over the course of a quarter century. I would dare say that new song “Hindi Ka Nagsasabi” is one of those. I’ve always thought that Mayonnaise is Pinoy pop’s answer to the “Foo Fighters.” Might get some flak for it, but who else out there dishes the kind of hard-charging, rock guitar-heavy, alt-rock anthemic songs without the posturing that Monty and company - drummer Shan Regalado, bassist Nikki Tirona, guitarists Carlo Servano and Keano Swing - effortlessly dish? 

Wilbert Ross

Wilbert Ross is slowly but surely establishing himself as a music artist rather than the other showbiz stuff that he does. Whereas artistas would drop the occasional single just to keep relevant in between acting projects, it’s the opposite for Wilbert Ross. As he mentioned in one of those interviews I’ve had with him, he’s not in this just to be able. “Seryoso sakin itong music ko,” I remember him saying just to hammer it into my head. And the more he puts out music, the better he seems to get. Case in point, his new tune “Avianna,” which is quite the catchy singer-songwriter number. Wilbert’s not slinging a guitar like Rob Deniel or singing pretty ballads like Amiel Sol, but if he keeps this up, he’ll be at the same level, while doing it his way. 

Monty Macalino

A notable one I’ve heard this week: The new single from Symon Hook, UK singer James Arthur featuring Derek Trucks on “At Last." Based on the great Etta James song “At Last,” which was originally recorded by the Glenn Miller Orchestra. This beautiful standard is given a 2026 update by Berlin-based producer Symon Hook, who is known for mixing organic instrumentations with “electronic-tinged production” values. James Arthur is, of course, known for his X-Factor stint, and Pinoy audiences would know him for his promo tours in Manila. But I would like to point Pinoy listeners to guitarist Derek Trucks, who is featured on the version of “At Last.” He’s that guy doing the vocal-like slide guitar that’s tussling with James Arthur’s raspy, bluesy-like rendering of this memorable song. Savvy Pinoy listeners should be familiar with this modern-day titan of the blues guitar, and “At Last” is a good place to start.