YEARS ACTIVE: 1992 – PRESENT
90’S GROUP ROSTER: GLENN
JACINTO, PEDZ NARVAJA, JEROME VELASCO, MIKE DIZON, DOK SERGIO (Dok replaced
Pedz when the latter moved to the US)
90’S HITS: LAKLAK, PRINSESA,
STOKWA, GALIT SA MUNDO, SHOOTING STAR
The Filipino grunge band Teeth
was born during the alternative rock boom of the 1990s and exploded onto the
airwaves with "Laklak", a tale of youthful excess that became an
anthem for drinking. The track topped the charts of the Philippines'
adventurous alternative rock station LA-105 for 12 weeks. Teeth was formed in
September 1993 by Glenn Jacinto (vocals), Jerome Velasco (guitars), Dok Sergio
(guitars, formerly bass), Peding Narvaja (bass), and Mike Dizon (drums).
Narvaja, Velasco, and Dizon were originally in a group called Riftshifta, while
Jacinto was in Loudhouse. Signed to Warner Music Philippines, Teeth released
their self-titled debut album in 1995; the LP went double-platinum.
"Laklak" was re-recorded and crossed over into the mainstream,
stirring controversy with its alcohol-fueled lyrics; it was voted Song of the
Year at the 1995 NU 107 Rock Awards.
The video for Teeth's second single "Prinsesa" directed by
Odin Fernandez was even played on MTV Asia. However, in 1996 Jacinto was
hospitalized for a lung ailment; his illness left him unable to promote the
album or fulfill concert dates for a year. In 1997, Jacinto recovered and Teeth
recorded Time Machine. Although the alternative rock scene in Manila had begun
to wane. When Narvaja left Teeth to move to the U.S., he was replaced by Andrew
Sergio. In 1999, the band released I Was a Teenage Tree. The album contained
the single "Shooting Star", which was awarded Song of the Year at the
NU 107 Rock Awards in 2000. In 2003, Dogs Can Fly (Teeth's Finest) was
released.
In 1998, Teeth’s drummer, Mike Dizon co-founded Sandwich with Eraserheads’
drummer Raimund Marasigan; and later in 2005, Pedicab. After Teeth’s greatest
hits album Dogs Can Fly (Teeth's Finest), was released, frontman Glenn Jacinto
moved to California and he still performs regularly there. Also during 2003,
former-Eraserheads frontman Ely Buendia formed The Mongols with Teeth’s
Guitarist Jerome Velasco which was later joined by Teeth’s bassist Dok Sergio.
As Jerome Velasco left The Mongols in 2005 to pursue a career in audio
engineering and recording, it was later renamed into Pupil. Meanwhile, Jerome
Velasco remained as a co-writer and producer for Pupil’s Beautiful Machines
song from the album of the same name.
As of 2007, Jerome Velasco is the chief musical producer for Pupil’s
second album. Jerome and Dok are both members of the dreampop/electronica band,
Daydream Cycle with The Mongols’/Pupil’s Bogs Jugo and Rivermaya’s Japs Sergio.
After the short hiatus, Teeth still performs live without Jacinto and usually
Dok Sergio takes the singing duties and sometimes other artists also take
sessions as main vocals such as Ebe Dancel of Sugarfree. Sergio also sings
Teeth songs with his current band, Pupil.
