Before 2007, Ernest Aguila and his three pals didn’t have much experience on stage. But, for sh**s, they joined a band competition hosted by Nestle’s, expecting nothing except a good time. And that’s what won the crowd. That and Ernest’s honey voice, of course. They’re unpretentious. They’re adorable. They’re fun. Welcome to a more congenial breed of rock ‘n roll. Welcome to Ernville. The Filipino rockers got in the top 13 out of 300 bands at the competition. Alright, they didn’t win, but competing not only got them signed, it boosted the college boys’ self-confidence. They were just a group of buddies puttering around their dorms at Ateneo de Manila University, but now they’ve released a goofy, adorable video for their single “Gator Rocks.”

Ernville plays sweet poppy rock with the fast-paced, fun simplicity of Death Cab for Cutie and the Weakerthans. Like them, Ernville also has a lead singer (Ernest) with a sweet, steady voice that dominates the tracks using few, if any effects.