The Pin-Up Girls

Despite the Philippines' glut of contrived pop acts and derivative divas, the Pin-Up Girls overcame widespread local indifference to establish themselves in the U.S. indie circuit. Fans shortened their name to the Pin-Ups, the band that Mondo Castro (vocals, guitar) assembled in 1996 with former Keltscross members Pamela Aquino (vocals, guitar) and Jeng Tan (vocals, bass). The three realized their common taste for 1980s new wave during a casual bar gathering and resolved to launch a project that would reclaim the post-punk sensibility of heroes such as the Smiths, Echo & the Bunnymen, and the Lotus Eaters. Guitarist Ryan Nachura and drummer Noel Garcia completed the lineup, after which the group began delivering new wave covers at neighborhood clubs. Rap-rock dominated the era, rendering such material unfashionable, yet the Pin-Up Girls held their ground by reshaping 1980s cult favorites including Blue Zoo's "Love Moves in Strange Ways," the Chameleons' "Tears," and the Housemartins' "Build" for discerning local audiences while simultaneously developing original songs. Two- and three-part male-female vocal harmonies and jangling guitars formed the core of their emerging sound. With no Philippine label interest, the band staged a garage sale to finance an independent CD and issued Hello Pain on their own imprint in July 2001. Several tracks, among them "Witching Hour" and "Ride Rocket Wild," became unexpected radio successes across the Philippines. When Aquino relocated to the United States, Jaja Manuel of Girl in Park filled her role on an interim basis. The Pin-Up Girls made their American debut in July 2003 with the five-track EP Taste Test, which drew strong critical praise; the limited pressing sold out quickly, and the dreamy ballad "Caress" reached number one on both NU-107 in the Philippines and Flashback Alternatives in New Jersey. Mitch Singson replaced Noel Garcia on drums. In the U.S., Aquino reunited with founding member Lei Bautista to launch the all-Pinay new wave group Prettier Than Pink, yet she continued to contribute songs to the Pin-Up Girls. Taste Test reappeared in 2004 as the expanded Taste Test: Expanded Menu, earning enthusiastic reviews in the U.K. and drawing comparisons to the Go-Betweens and the Wake. Heartened by overseas recognition while still largely overlooked at home, the band kept refining its approach, shifting beyond the 1960s-flashback ringing riffs of earlier material toward the lush orchestration of "Caress," the minor-key gloom of "Pictures," and the synthesized pop of "How Does It Feel."