Formed in 1996, the band is composed of Ateneo College org-mates Jazz Nicolas (drums/vocals), Kelvin Yu (bass/vocals), Jugs Jugueta (guitar/vocals) and Chino Singson (guitar/vocals). This lineup of the itchyworms! was formed in 1997, after Chino came to fill the second guitar position. Up till then the band had been a trio composed of Jazz, Jugs and Kelvin.

Listening to the Itchyworms is like seeing an old friend again after years of being apart. Or, in this case, precisely four years. It's been exactly that long since the Itchyworms released their first full-length album. But, pardon the cliché, absence only makes the heart grow fonder.

The Itchyworms are composed of: Jazz Nicolas on drums, Jugs Jugueta on guitar, Chino Singson on guitar, and Kelvin Yu on bass, and they all sing vocals. Their musical influences range from The Beatles, The Police and Superdrag to M.C. Hammer, Green Day's newest album and April Boy Regino's older work.

For the uninitiated, the Itchyworms deal in happy-go-lucky, carefree melodies that are so catchy you'll wonder why no one's ever thought of them before. When asked about whether their sound tends more towards the rock or the pop side, all four boys agree, "Rock kami. Rakkkk!" But at the same time their music contains the appealing pop sensibilities that allow their songs (remember "Happy Birthday" and "Antipara"?) to rise to the top of the charts.

The four boys met once upon a time when they were students at Ateneo de Manila University and members of the same org. As students, they hung out at their org's room and in a nipa hut near the dorms. This was back in the day when carabaos roamed the campus instead of tricycles, the library had no air-conditioning, and people walked from building to building in fear of being attacked by killer higad from the trees above.

Their sound of their new album, Noontime Show , is based around the aura of, you guessed it, noontime shows. After a couple of years, it's only expected that their new release will herald lots of new changes. Firstly, they've changed record labels. Plus, this time around they're dabbling in songs with angstier, more sarcastic undertones lyrics-wise. But they're very adamant about old and new listeners alike heading out to buy the new album. "If the old album is a 10, the new one is a 28," says Kelvin. "All our albums are greatest hits," adds Jugs. In that case, the new album is another priceless record, the kind that, like an old friend, you'll love returning to again and again.

The Itchyworms slambook!
Favorite children's books?

Jugs: The Little Prince
Chino : Dr. Seuss books
Kelvin: Harry Potter 3
Jazz: The Exorcist

Favorite albums while growing up?

Jugs: Aerosmith's Get a Grip
Jazz: The Beatles' Rubber Soul and Madonna's Like A Prayer
Kelvin: Milli Vanilli's The Moment of Truth
Chino : Guns n Roses' Appetite for Destruction

Hobbies?

Jugs: Collecting comics.
Chino : Making websites.
Kelvin: Keeping pets. Bonsai trees. Pottery. Landscaping.
Jazz: Stealing table numbers at restaurants.

Itchyworms mailing list: groups.yahoo.com/group/itchyworms
Itchyworms website: www.itchyworms.com