OK, now that we have all the sappy 100th show love-fest crap out of the way, we can get back to the regularily scedualed mix of new and old music. Finally! Man, let me tell you, playing music you guy specifically want to hear is such a drag! (I'm kidding.)
Here's the new video from Molice! These guys have released a lot of videos for their debut album, but this one looks like one of the best. We don't get much other than some nice shots of the band in action, but hey, that's good enough! Obviously it's enough for the guy playing with the light switch...
More after the jump!
Abingdon Boys School "Kimi no Uta
I haven't been very enthusiastic about any of the new singles from Abingdon Boys School. It's not the the songs are good, but they seem more fit for anime than a proper rock album, and "Kimi no Uta" is, obviously, no exception. Nevertheless, I still look forward to hearing more.
3nd "SSK"
I think this is the first official video from the instrumental band 3nd. While there really isn't much going on here, I think the mood of the video really fits well with the music. It's a bit on the weird side without actually doing much. I really look forward to hearing more from these guys.
Pinky and Killers "Koi no Kisetsu"
Here's a classic for you from Pinky and Killers. It's easy to lose a lot of time watching these old clips. Watch for the mysterious floating drummer at the end!
Rather Good "Singing Kitties"
This week's off-topic video comes from the always hilarious guys at Rather Good. This singing kitties Auto-Tune track is pure genius. I LOVE the Maru snare-rush!
Oct 07,Wed - Hau 1 (Berlin/Germany) Oct 09,Fri - Tonhalle (Dusseldorf/Germany) Oct 11,Sun - Central Theatre (Leipzig/Germany) Oct 13,Tue - Arengerg Theater (Antwerpen/Belgium) Oct 15,Thu - Enjoy Jazz Festival (Heidelberg/Germany) Oct 20,Tue - Teatro Valli Opera House (Reggio Emilia/Italy) Oct 22,Thu - Teatro Comunale, Florence (Florence/Italy) Oct 25,Sun - Teatro Politeama (Cantanzaro/Italy) Oct 26,Mon - Teatro Politeama Garibaldi (Palermo/Italy) Oct 28,Wed - Auditorium Parco De La Musica (Rome/Italy) Oct 30,Fri - TBA (Italy) Oct 31,Sat - Teatro Comunale, Terviso (Terviso/Italy) Nov 02,Mon - Teatro Regio (Turin/Italy) Nov 04,Wed - Ferrara Opera House (Ferrara/Italy) Nov 05,Thu - Teatro Arcimboldi (Milan/Italy) Nov 08,Sun - Espace Pierre Cardin (Paris/France) Nov 11,Wed - Teatro Circo Price (Madrid/Spain) Nov 13,Fri - Auditorio de Galicia (Santiago de compostela/Spain) Nov 15,Sun - Auditorio de Girona (Girona/Spain) Nov 17,Tue - Kursaal Auditorium (San Sebastian/Spain) Nov 19,Thu - Cartagena Jazz Festival (Cartagena/Spain) Nov 20,Fri - Teatro Infanta Leonor (Jaén/Spain) Nov 22,Sun - Symphony Hall (Birmingham/UK) Nov 24,Tue - Bridgewarter Hall (Manchester/UK) Nov 27,Fri - Brighton Dome (Brighton/UK) Nov 29,Sun - Cadogan Hall (London/UK) Nov 30,Mon - Cadogan Hall (London/UK) Dec 02,Wed - Queens Hall (Edinburgh/UK)
- Belgium General information: Greenhouse Talent http://www.greenhousetalent.be/artist.asp?id=143
Arengerg Theater Grote Zaal, Antwerpen, Belgium October 13,2009 Info: http://www.provant.be/kalender/vrije_tijd/cultuur/cultuurhuizen/arenbergschouwburg/ ryuichi_sakamoto_091013.jsp?referer=tcm:7-9327-64 Tel:+32 (0)70 22 21 92
- Italy General information: International Music and Arts http://www.international-music.it/homepage.html
Teatro Valli Opera House Piazza della Vittoria, 42100 Reggio Emilia, Italy October 20, 2009 Tel: +39 (0)522 458811 Info: http://www.iteatri.re.it/Sezione.jsp?idSezione=258
Teatro Comunale, Florence October 22, 2009 Info:http://www.tuscanypass.com/events_tuscany/event-details.html?eId=23150 http://www.maggiofiorentino.com/?q=node/1086
Teatro Politeama Cantanzaro October 25,2009 Info: www.politeamacatanzaro.net Tel: +39 (0)961 50 18 18 – (0)961 50 18 19
Teatro Politeama Garibaldi Via Giuseppe De Spuches, 10, 90141 Palermo (Sicilia), Italy October 26, 2009 Tel: +39 (0)91 6053421
Auditorium Parco De La Musica Viale Pietro de Coubertin 30, 00196 Roma, Italy October 28,2009 Info: www.auditorium.com/ Tel:+39 (0)680241281
Teatro Comunale Treviso Corso del Popolo, 31, 31100 Treviso, Treviso (Veneto), Italy October 31, 2009 Info:http://www.venetojazz.com/news/new.jsp?idm=C4E64O7D4689T293KIG47HGEU838214C0K829Q9T2DOGZ780S3F10973AZ0D8681&prg=1 Tel: +39 (0)423 452069
Teatro Regio di Torino Piazza Castello, 215, 10124 Torino, Italy November 02, 2009 Info:http://www.teatroregio.torino.it/en Tel: +39 (0)11 88151
Teatro Comunale di Ferrara Corso Martiri della Libertà, 5, 44100 Ferrara (Emilia Romagna) Italy November 04, 2009 Info: http://www.teatrocomunaleferrara.it/index.asp Tel: +39 (0)532 202675
Teatro degli Arcimboldi Viale dell'Innovazione, 20 – Milano, Italy November 05, 2009 Tel: +39(0)2 64 11 42 212/214
- France General information; Voyez mon producteur http://www.voyezmonproducteur.com/
Espace Pierre Cardin 1-3, Avenue Gabriel 75008 Paris France November 08,2009 Info: http://www.pierrecardin.com/home_en.html
- Spain General information: Stage Planet http://www.stageplanet.net/
Festival de Otoño de Madrid 2009 Teatro Circo Price Ronda Atocha, 35, Madrid, Spain November 11th 21:00 h Info: www.madrid.org/fo/2009/es/index.html Ticket sales online: www.entradas.com Phone sales: +34 902 876 870
Auditorio de Galicia Santiago de compostela, Spain November 13, Friday Info: http://www.auditoriodegalicia.org/auditorio/index.php?txt=aud_auditorio&lg=gal
Auditorio de Girona Girona, Spain November 15, Sunday
Kursaal Avda. de Zurriola, 1 - 20002 Donostia/San Sebastián, Spain November 17th Info: www.kursaal.org Ticket sales: www.kutxa.net
Cartagena Jazz Festival Cartagena, Spain November 19, Thursday
Teatro Infanta Leonor Jaén, Spain November 20, Friday
Karen is a five piece band whose two guitar players are Art-School members (front man/guitarist Riki Kinoshita and guitarist Masafumi Todaka) and whose rhythm section is made up of two former Downy members. Singer Achiko provides the contrast to all that arty/indie testosterone with her mild, crooning vocal style.
Obviously something of a side-project due to the fact that Art-School is still quite active, the band nevertheless manages to produce solid releases with a sound independent from that of its Frankenstein's Monster origins. Sure, some of the guitar tones and playing can echo that of Art-School's dreamy, indie, emo-rock sound and Riki's occasional backing vocals only serve to amplify that echo, but Karen's overall vibe is much more suave and contemporary. It's obvious that the band knows how to pound out a song, but in Karen they all fall back a bit, instead simply keeping things very tight and stripped down. Given the chance, the band does toss in some tricky rhythms and the production is generally louder and more raw than on any regular AAA release. You can lead a horse to water and all that...
They also mix things up with a few lines of saxophone, oboe and other instruments rarely seen in your typical rock set-up. The atmosphere is extremely hazy and reverbed-out, a nod to the heavily effected shoegazy sounds of early '90s groups like Mazzy Star and The Sundays. The songs themselves follow suit, being generally slow and subtle. Achiko often lets her voice ring out for what seems like ages, with nary a waver or wobble in her crystalline tone.
One final note. While the name Karen could be thought of as the Japanese word "かれん" pronounced "kah-ren," looking at their almost exclusively English song and album names, it would seem to be more likely that it is simply meant to be pronounced as "care-en." Though that could be incorrect and any insight would be appreciated.
It's time again for another look into the only otaku magazine that counts, Otaku USA Magazine!
In the October 2009 issue (which should be in stores now) I've got an exclusive interview with Kanon Wakeshima. I had the chance to talk with her before her appearance at Otakon this year. She talks a bit about he various musical and artistic inspirations, what it's like working with Mana and various other aspects of her seemingly storybook life. You can also read my review if her album Shinshoku Dolce on the website. And speaking of reviews, I take a look at the new Vamps album in the new issue.
Aside from my contributions, there's the usual amazing work from the usual cast of characters. Check out the awesome cover story on the first Evangelion movie from a few of the OUSA crew. There are also dozens of manga reviews, some hot looking video game stuff and some pretty great cosplay.
I hope you get a chance to check out the new issue and spread the otaku love!
Wednesday, September 9 - San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore Friday, September 11 - Hollywood, CA - House of Blues Sunset Strip Saturday, September 12 - Hollywood CA - House of Blues Sunset Strip
Source: See below
SUPER JAPANESE ROCK BAND GLAY ARRIVES IN THE U.S. WITH CONCERTS AT THE FILLMORE SAN FRANCISCO AND THE HOUSE OF BLUES HOLLYWOOD IN SEPTEMBER
UDO Artists, Inc. Brings Celebrated Super J-Rock Glay to U.S. Audiences in San Francisco and Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California and Tokyo, Japan (August 25, 2009) ‹ Celebrating fifteen (15) rocking years and with over 56,000,000 sold Singles, CD¹s, DVD¹s, Japan¹s super rock group GLAY will take the U.S. by storm with concerts in early September at The Fillmore (San Francisco; Sept. 9, 2009) and with two (2) shows in Hollywood at the House of Blues Sunset Strip (Sept. 11 and 12, 2009). More information can be found at www.glay.co.jp/en/ and www.myspace.com/glayofficial .
UDO Artists, Inc. is launching the GLAY U.S. TOUR 2009-THE GREAT VACATION, a limited live concert series for all lovers of great radical Japanese rock music. Don¹t miss GLAY U.S. TOUR 2009-THE GREAT VACATION it is a ³MUST ATTEND² event for any J-Rock fan! Tickets are available via Ticketmaster (www.ticketmaster.com ) and Live Nation (www.livenation.com ). More information can be found on the GLAY official website at www.glay.co.jp/en/ and their official Myspace page at www.myspace.com/glayofficial .
GLAY tour dates and performance locations are as follows:
* Wednesday, September 9, 2009; 8:00 PM: San Francisco CA: The Fillmore * Friday, September 11, 2009; 9:00 PM: Hollywood CA: House of Blues Sunset Strip * Saturday, September 12, 2009; 9:00 PM: Hollywood CA: House of Blues Sunset Strip
Tickets are available now onsite at the concert venue or online via Ticketmaster (www.ticketmaster.com ) or Live Nation (www.livenation.com ). San Francisco tickets available starting at $45.00/each and Hollywood shows available starting at $37.50/each with special group rates.
About GLAY Formed in 1988 by two (2) high school friends (TAKURO and TERU), GLAY considered on of the most successful and popular J-Rock bands still today with a total of four (4) band members (TERU-Vocals, TAKURO-Guitar, HISASHI-Guitar and JIRO-Bass). To date, GLAY, has sold over 56,000,000 Singles, CD¹s, DVD¹s and has drawn over seven (7) million concert attendees. More information can be found at www.glay.co.jp/en/ .
Formed by Number Girl frontman Mukai Shutoku and drummer Inazawa Ahito after that band split in 2002, Zazen Boys takes Number Girl's loud and abrasive garage rock assault and turns it on its ear. With even more complex arrangements and a much more improvisational feel, Zazen Boys blends all sorts of genres like rap, dub, garage rock and electro into one continuously evolving mass. Inazawa has since left Zazen Boys to form his own band Vola and the Oriental Machine.
Their improv and free-form approach to performance is the most obvious driving factor to all of their releases. They've produced many live albums as well, further accentuating their interest in letting their music live and breathe on its own. That's not to say they're just making it all up as they go. Their songs usually revolve one or two complex grooves while Mukai rants and raves over the top. His vocal style is perhaps best described as aggressive rap, sometimes devolving into tight fragments of words and sound stuttered and spit out like a machine-gun. But the music is usually far from hip-hop, bring more like fractured post-rock or math-rock, just smoothed out a little.
As much as the band loves to play around in this jagged world, they also toss out the occasional curve-ball. Their latest work features songs that are very synths heavy, with a dark club vibe an disco beats. Yet even those songs have a raw and somewhat lethal sounding edge to them, like a late night drive through a glitzy, yet dangerous part of the big city. Never one to settle down, Zazen Boys are truly one of the you'll-hear-something-new-each-time-you-listen sorts of bands.
Once again, here we are with a Japantor Radio made entirely out of listeners! Oh, no, I meant listener requests! We had so many requests and recommendations from the past couple week, leading up to the big 100th show, that we needed to cram them into two full shows.
Thanks again to everyone for sticking with the show for the past two years. It's great to know we're not alone in our love of music from Japan. So grab the show, and spread the word!
First up, here's a new video from Vola & the Oriental Machine. This one isn't nearly as awesome as the one for "Weekend Lovers," but hey, it's still pretty stylish. Plus the song is great, so the video is just a nice little extra.
Hit that jump for more!
Denki Groove "Denki Groove 20 Shuunen No Uta"
Denki Groove are back with their 20th anniversary album. This is another great, rather minimal techno track with a huge groove. The video is basically just some shots of a manga story playing out. It's a little lacking, unless you can actually read what's going on...
Electric Eel Shock "Out of Control"
New, fun, hard rockin' music from Electric Eel Shock! I can't really say much about the video, as it's really just them being awesome in an empty room. Well, except for the shots of the drummer, naked, except for a very, very long sock on...Oh, and can you spot the vampire teeth?
Clean of Core "Navigation and Storm"
I recently highlighted Clean of Core on a post over on HearJapan.com. These guys play some really nice instrumental post-rock stuff.
Beastie VS DEDE MOUSE VS Aphex Twin
Here is a very interesting mash with using the Beastie Boys, De De Mouse and Aphex Twin tracks. There's almost too much going on to keep track of, but knowing that it's amazing is easy.
New York Anime Festival Jacob K. Javits Center in Midtown Manhattan
Source: See below
NY ANIME FESTIVAL AND SUPERGLORIOUS PRESENT FAR EAST TO EAST SHOWCASE Kokusyoku Sumire, Echostream, Swinging Popsicle, And Gelatine To Play Webster Hall
Norwalk, CT, August X, 2009: Superglorious and the New York Anime Festival (NYAF) today announced the Far East To East Showcase (FETES) 2009, a night of innovative music that brings together four of the best musical artists from both the Far East and the East Coast. FETES takes place in The Studio at Webster Hall (125 East 11th Street, New York City) on Sunday, September 27. Doors open at 5:30 PM with FETES '09 scheduled to kick off at 6:30 PM. Launched earlier this year, Superglorious is a live event production firm responsible for orchestrating events with a very eclectic and exciting mix of artists. The New York Anime Festival, an anime, manga, and Japanese pop culture convention from the creators of New York Comic Con, will take place September 25-27, 2009 at the Jacob K. Javits Center in Manhattan. NYAF Guests include Yoshiyuki Tomino -- the Director of Mobile Suit Gundam -- and Yui Makino -- the voice of Sakura in Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle. NYAF premieres include Gurren Lagann: The Movie - Childhood's End, Cencoroll, and 20th Century Boys.
The FETES musical lineup includes Kokusyoku Sumire, Echostream, Swinging Popsicle, and Gelatine. Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 the day of the show and available now at www.ticketweb.com and www.websterhall.com. The show is open to audiences of all ages.
"FETES debuted last year with a huge bang," Superglorious organizer Hayden Brereton said. "This year, we're keeping up the excitement with a group of artists from both the US and Japan that are sure to amaze fans."
"We're honored to bring this year's FETES to the legendary Webster Hall," NYAF Show Manager Lance Fensterman said. "And, more than that, we're honored to have such a diverse roster of bands, all chosen not because of their involvement with anime but instead because of the caliber of their music."
Superglorious will hold a FETES Press Panel on Saturday, September 26 at the New York Anime Festival. Superglorious will also maintain a booth at NYAF all weekend long where various FETES artists will appear. For more information on NYAF or to purchase tickets, please visit the show's official site (www.nyanimefestival.com). For the latest announcements, please visit NYAF's official blog (www.mediumatlarge.net) or follow NYAF on Twitter (www.twitter.com/NY_Anime_Fest).
ABOUT KOKUSYOKU SUMIRE: The dark sounds of baroque and cabaret unite for a unique two-piece band know as Kokusyoku Sumire. At the center of Kokusyoku Sumire (Black Violet) are Yuka, a genuine soprano songstress with the attraction of a little devil, and Sachi, an exceptional violinist and model who effortlessly strikes adorable poses. The girls express with extravagant freedom motifs based on internationally known fairy tales such as Little Red Riding Hood, The Little Match Girl, and Hansel and Gretel, while adopting elements from such music genres as chansons and classical music. Formed in 2004, this musical unit has acquired a unique position in the Japanese musical scene and the world. Kokusyoku Sumire toured France at the end of November 2007 and are ready to enchant New York City at NYAF.
ABOUT SWINGING POPSICLE: Japanese indie music veterans Swinging Popsicle play pop/rock music in amazing fashion with incredible vocals, tasty guitar work, and catchy lyrics. After starting strong with multiple Sony-label releases, Swinging Popsicle continued to build their international fan base with their independent releases of "Change" and "Orange." Their album transit features the hits "I Just Wanna Kiss You" and "Girl Meets Boy." Performing to regular sold-out live shows, the band continued to develop new material for their full-length album, Go on, which features "rainbounds," "Clash," and "Chocolate Soul Music." Swinging Popsicle was nominated as Best Japanese Rock Band by Shojo Beat magazine.
ABOUT ECHOSTREAM: Echostream is a band that succeeds in creating music that can draw the audience into its world of rich and vivid emotion. Deep grooves, driving guitars, and a dark and beautiful ambience provide a perfectly crafted world for emotion-injected vocals to thrive in. Live performances are more like theatrical experiences than concerts. Echostream's ability to connect emotionally with its audiences is the band's true strength. Their fans come back time and time again for a chance to relive this intense experience. For never having been on extended tour, Echostream has racked up a lot of credit around the Eastern half of the nation and opened up for international touring acts such as Blood, Anti-Feminism, and Phantasmagoria. For more information about this unique band, go to myspace.com/echostream.
ABOUT GELATINE: In Japan, there was an all-girl punk band called 10 Yen Anakinoko, begun by singer Seiko when she was only 15-years-old. This band ended after playing in New York City in 1995, and they have since become a legend. Five years later, a 10 Yen Anakinoko reunion show with new guitarist Jun became the beginning of Gelatine; a band created to let the great songs of 10 Yen Anakinoko come to alive once again as well as to craft new, intense music. Gelatine's long-awaited first album, Gie Ji Gaii, was released in January 2009. It is an embodiment of what Gelatine has been aiming to capture for all these years. Experience the Japanese horror-comical freak punk metal that is Gelatine at FETES!
ABOUT SUPERGLORIOUS: Superglorious is a specialized promoter of underground rock culture with a special emphasis on emerging artists from Japan. By providing positive platforms that allow top notch and cutting-edge performers to shine, Superglorious aims to generate value for artists and music lovers alike. To fulfill this mission, Superglorious utilizes numerous channels including the web, social networks, radio, print, street team, and live events. Superglorious gives a voice to talented underground and indie artists from around the world. For more, visit www.superglorious.com
ABOUT THE NEW YORK ANIME FESTIVAL: The New York Anime Festival takes place September 25-27, 2009 at the Jacob K. Javits Center in Midtown Manhattan and is organized by Reed Exhibitions, the creators of New York Comic Con. The New York Anime Festival showcases the best of anime pop culture, including the latest anime, manga, Japanese cinema, music, and games, and anime-influenced comics, animation, and films from around the world. The festival features exclusive and extensive screenings, a gala cosplay masquerade, sessions with the some of the biggest names in anime from Japan, Asia, and America, and explores the Japanese cultural experience with displays of both traditional and cutting-edge Japanese life. Further information can be found at newyorkanimefestival.com.
ABOUT REED EXHIBITIONS POP CULTURE GROUP: The Pop Culture Group at Reed Exhibitions owns and operates the New York Comic Con (NYCC), the Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo (C2E2), and the New York Anime Festival (NYAF). New York Comic Con was launched in 2006 and quickly became a dominant presence in the pop culture world of public events. In 2009, 452 companies exhibited at NYCC for a total of 84,000 square feet of paid exhibit space, and it has been ranked by Crain's New York Business as the second-largest annual event in NYC. C2E2, which will debut April 16 – 18 at Chicago's McCormick Place Convention Center, is modeled after NYCC and will provide fans the opportunity to meet and greet their favorite writers, creators, and artists, as well as to see, hear and learn about the latest and greatest in comics, graphic novels, anime, manga, video games, toys, movies, and television. The Pop Culture Group also operates the recently-launched UFC Fan Expo in partnership with the UFC – the world's leading professional mixed martial arts organization – and it formed a strategic partnership with Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) in 2008 and will work closely with PAX on the launch of PAX East in Boston in 2010.
Here we are. We made it! 100 of these damn things. Who would have thought? Not me at least. I figured this whole enterprise was going to be an utter failure soon after the first show two years ago, but go figure, here we are 99 shows later and bigger than ever.
My very rough and totally one-sided estimations put Japanator Radio right around a couple thousand listeners a week at the high-end. I have no real idea how many of these are regular listeners and how many are curious new visitors or just random bots. I'd like to think that they are all real, awesome people who like awesome music and are awesome. You are all awesome.
In a feeble and rather unworthy attempt to show my humble gratitude, both this week 'sand next week 's shows will be 100% listener-generated from the comments. I had asked to hear everyone's list of favorite Japanese songs and bands and I received a huge number of suggestions. It was cool to see so many people who had very similar interests to myself, as well as a lot of new things I wasn't familiar with. That really represents the spirit of Japanator Radio at its best, I think. I always want to play music that I think is worthwhile and cool, but I am always looking for the same sort of sharing from other people. No one knows everything, and it's only by sharing our love of music that we will all be able to find new favorites.
OK. Blah blah, you dontt need to hear this. You already know it. Here's the show. I hope you enjoy it.
Here's the video for the new Gackt song used in the movie Kamen Rider Decade: All Riders vs. Dai-Shocker. He also appears in the film. I always like Gackt's more rockin' songs, and this one fits the bill nicely. Not really a lot going on in the video, but seeing Gackt fighting and posing his ass off is certainly better than just watching him stand around in a forest looking sad.
Check out much more after the jump!
Scandal "BEAUTeen!!"
Here's the new Pocari Sweat commercial, featuring Scandal! OK OK, so gratuitous product placement in music videos certainly isn't anything new, but wow, this is a little over-the-top. I must admit though, it really makes me want some Pocari Sweat! As far as weird sounding drinks go, it's actually pretty good. Oh, and the song, well, it's another Scandal song, I suppose.
De De Mouse Live
Here's a cool new song from De De Mouse, performed live a few months ago. I'm never quite sure what it is he's doing behind that laptop, but he sure does seem to be having a lot of fun doing it. This track seems to have more discernible lyrics than much of his previous stuff, so maybe we can expect some to have something to song along to on the next album?
Nuito "NeKoMaJiN vs (β)"
If you've ever wondered what it's like to be at a band rehearsal, this video from Nuito is it. Small rooms. Crappy sound. Terrible lighting. Generally uncomfortable and usually stinking from the years of booze and ash (and worse...much, much worse...) soaked into the carpeting. I've spent far too much of my life in rooms like this, usually with a few more people both in the band and just hanging out. Anyway...
Becca vs Vocaloid "Shibuya" remix
Finally, here's a really cool remix version of the newest Becca single "Shibuya." It's sung by the idol-in-a-box Hatsune Miku. The cool thing is that it's an official release! You'll be seeing more news on all of that soon... :D
First off, thanks to everyone for loading up the comments last week with your lists of favorite Japanese songs! Together, we will make show number 100 (which I suppose is something of a two year anniversary as well...jeepers) into so much awesome. Keep it up if you didn't get around to it last week.
Starting of this week's post, here's a new video from everybody's favorite, The Pillows! I can't really say too much about the video, as it's a pretty standard performance video. But the song is ok and has some nice bits sprinkled in here and there. I personally like their more upbeat, rockin' songs, but just about everything they do is pretty great.
OK, enough with the serious stuff. Hit the jump for a few more videos in a decidedly more wacky vein.
Shonen Knife "Super Group"
Just in case you missed this Shonen Knife video that I posted recently in the listing of their upcoming US tour, here it is again! It's a super fun video that can be watched over and over. What's up with the bears and tigers fighting in the background??? I can't wait to see them live!
"Teaching Techno"
OK, I admit, this one is just weird. Back when I was looking for YMO videos, I found this one. It cuts up their live Soul Train appearance to the beat of a techno track. It's just plain old awesome.
"Stereo"
Here's another one from the same artist, this time featuring a bunch of old-school Japanese tech videos and some hot disco action. Something about it just mesmerizing. Probably the hard-hitting techno track. I could easily post all of this person's stuff, so just check out their channel.
The Orion Experience "Nippon Ga Dai Suki"
Here's a non-Japanese video that's all in Japanese, so I suppose the point is moot. Anyway, it's super awesome! The band The Orion Experience is called in to fight a giant pink monster. It's amazingly colorful and fun. I love the shot of the guy protecting his hot-dog from the monster. The song sounds like it could easily be on the next Puffy Ami-Yumi record. These guys really hit the mark. Great job!
I've got a new feature of sorts to share with the regular A-Z readers. I am now doing a bit of trend-spotting over at HearJapan.com!
I'm writing a new weekly column for them called "Explore the Unexplored" in which I take a look at some recent releases and talk a bit about each one. There's a staggering amount of material to wade though and so far I'm having a lot of fun with it. I hope some of that playful sense of discovery will spill over to you, the readers and that you are able to find a lot of new music to check out. Bookmark the HearJapan news page to keep an eye out for the new posts. There should be a new one every Wednesday.
I'll try to not overload the A-Z with tales of my outside conquests. Just wanted to let you all know that the ZB's empire is still growing strong. Thanks to everyone for continuing to read and respond!
YMCK are arguably one of the more popular chip-tune bands in the world. Their songs are composed almost exclusively with the NES 8bit music chip. In fact, the group developed their very own software called Magical 8bit Plug that replicates the same sounds as the original Famicom system on modern-day desktops.
They manage to not only make their songs incredibly fun and poppy, but densely layered and complex. They take a page from the standard jazz handbook and make their songs swing like crazy, while at the same time holding true to their more rigid 8bit roots.
Singer Midori's whispery, smooth vocals coat the jazzy beats in pure pop sugar and add to the band's overall sense of childish playfulness. While other twee bedroom-pop bands might settle for simple song structures, YMCK goes much much further in developing their songs. The main melodies may be simple and catchy, but all of the underlying tracks are rather complex and never settle for the easy way out. They are continuously on the move up and down scales and arpeggios, tracing elaborate constellations through low-fi starfields.
YMCK has had a lot of success playing live festivals around the globe, like the Blip Festival in New York. While their core sound has evolved little over the years, the quality of their recordings and complexity of their songs continues to grow, not to mention their rabid fanbase.
Yellow Magic Orchestra were (and still are) a massively influential electro band that formed in the late '70s. They played almost exclusively electronic instruments, including huge analog synths. They were also one of the first bands to recognize the appeal of video game music, incorporating it into much of their style. But unlike what one might expect from a digital-loving electro group, YMO combined the static electro sounds with a heaping helping of funk, disco and rock, injecting more than a little life and humanity into the machinery. One bit of trivia that might put a group like Yellow Magic Orchestra into context is their appearance in the American TV show Soul Train in 1980. They were quite likely the first (and perhaps only) Japanese act to appear on the show, bringing their unique brand of electro-funk to astonished and bemused American audiences everywhere.
In a way, YMO is still together. The individual members Haruomi Hosono, Yukihiro Takahashi and Ryuichi Sakamoto have all gone on to pursue their own solo careers and causes to great success. But the band still finds the time to occasionally get back together for live shows. These shows showcase both the original YMO lexicon and the individual members own music outside of YMO.
As for the original YMO music, it's a little of what you might expect from a very early synth band, namely swirling Moogs and and massive forests of cords, robotic, lock-step beats and obtuse lyrics. Then there are the more tripped out tunes, the experimental passages and the weird sense of humor. Their live shows from that era are mesmerizing. Perhaps described best as a mix between Kraftwerk and Devo who were active at the same exact time, YMO put on a show that was a mix of "dare to be stupid" futurism, cold, calculated programming and a real sense of, again, humanity and life. YMO followed their own path wherever it naturally lead them, and took an entire generation of electo-loving fans with them.
10-16 Fri - New York, NY - Santos Party House 10-17 Sat - Ithaca, NY - Cornell University 10-18 Sun - Toronto, Canada - Horseshoe Tavern 10-19 Mon - Detroit, MI - Magic Stick 10-20 Tue - Chicago, IL - Bottom Lounge 10-21 Wed - Minneapolis, MN - 7th Street Entry 10-23 Fri - Missoula, MT - The Badlander 10-24 Sat - Seattle, WA - Tractor Tavern 10-25 Sun - Vancouver, Canada - Biltmore Cabaret 10-26 Mon - Bellingham, WA - The Nightlight 10-27 Tue - Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge 10-29 Thu - San Francisco, CA - Rickshaw Stop * 10-30 Fri - San Jose - Blank Club * 10-31 Sat - Visalia, CA - The Cellar Door *
11-01 Sun - Oakland, CA - Uptown * 11-02 Mon - Los Angeles, CA - Echo * 11-03 Tue - San Diego, CA - Casbah * 11-04 Wed - Tucson, AZ - Plush 11-06 Fri - San Antonio, TX - Sam's Burger Joint 11-07 Sat - Austin, TX - Fun Fun Fun Festival 11-08 Sun - Houston, TX - Numbers Nightclub 11-10 Tue - Baton Rouge, LA - Spanish Moon ^ 11-11 Wed - Memphis, TN - Hi Tone ^ 11-12 Thu - Atlanta, GA - E.A.R.L. ^ 11-13 Fri - Richmond, VA - Plaza Bowl ^ 11-14 Sat - Hoboken, NJ - Maxwells ^ 11-15 Sun - Allston, MA - Great Scotts ^ 11-16 Mon - Philadelphia, PA - First Unitarian Church ^ 11-17 Tue - Brookyn, NY - Brooklyn Bowl ^% 11-18 Wed - Buffalo, NY - Mohawk Place ^
* with Ty Segall ^ with JEFF the Brotherhood % with Golden Triangle
Source: Official Site (Thanks to DiveToBlue for the tip!)
Moving with bold, brash bravado toward the inevitable show number 100, it's time for another episode of Japanator Radio!
Last time I asked what I should do to celebrate #100. Most people felt I should compile my favorite songs from the past 99 shows. Well, I sort of feel like that's what I do every week already, so here's the deal: I want to hear your favorite Japanese songs. Do you have an all time favorite artist or group? A favorite song that never gets old, even after the 10,548th listen? Then let me know what it is in the comments. I'll do my best to compile them all for the big 100th show. Feel free to list more than one!
After seeing the cover art [possibly NSFW] for the "Ichigo" single from Yuzu, I just had to see if there was a video. While not nearly as racy at the art, the video is nevertheless pretty crazy. The Busby Berkeley-style choreography is really nice, and it's just fun to watch in general. I haven't heard of these guys before, but I might just have to keep an eye out for more.
Hit the jump for more Videos of the Week!
Eastern Youth "Everything Shines Like the Sun"
Brand new video from the brand new album from Eastern Youth. I guess there really isn't too much one can say about this one. It's really straight forward and doesn't really shake things up. Um, there's lots of heat, I guess...
Sister Jet "Romantic Comedy"
Hey, who says you need more than a bunch of drawings to make a good video? This one from Sister Jet is made up of a ton of drawings in a sort of punk/new-wave style. I think it's great! It really kept me glued to the screen the entire time, even when things started to repeat here and there.
Rock Fujiyama with Hiro of Polysics
Here's the full episode of the always amusing Rock Fujiyama with Marty Friedman. This show features Hiro from Polysics, and it's not stop awesome. From both Hiro and Marty rocking out to Devo songs, to the "name that tune" style game, the rock out medley and a tour of Hiro's guitar collection, it's all just great.
ArcAttack "Dr. Who Theme on Twin Tesla Coils"
This week's random video comes from ArcAttack. They managed to rig up a couple of Tesla coils and and use them to play the Doctor Who theme song! It's totally amazing, not to mention a very apt use of retro/future technology.
J-Pop and J-Rock are only the beginning. The modern Japanese music scene is just as vibrant and varied as any other music scene in the world. I'm Zac Bentz, writer, musician, designer and all around Japanese music fanatic. Here I hope to share with you a comprehensive (!!) list of Japanese artists and bands (with a strong focus on underground and indie acts) that you may or may not have heard of, in the hopes of expanding our mutual awareness of Japanese music.
I don't mean to suggest that everything I listen to is great. Quite the contrary, I hope that you will take the time to recommend your own favorite artists in the comments so that we can all learn a bit more about the huge range of Japanese music that's out there.
"The best Japanese music blog in the world." - Door Slam "Definitely a must-visit for J-pop and J-rock fans!" -The Otaku "Zac Bentz loves music. A lot." -Japanator "Very cool!" -J-ENT "...one of the foremost blogs and information centers on all J-pop and J-rock...the top source for tour information on Japanese bands in the US..." -YankeeOtaku "Wer mehr darüber wissen will, der sollte sich mal hier umschauen, ein sehr gutes J-Music Blog übrigens." -CommandSheep "...very well-written, and there’s an excellent range of artists...a useful resource." -International Wota "не плохая энциклопедия японских исполнителей/групп" -Diary.ru "Great resource for Japanese music fans who want to explore today's J-rhythms beyond Johnny's Entertainment bishonen music and anime music. XD" -Kaishi "If you are a J-Rock fan, [ZB's A-Z] is a must see." -Crunchyroll community "Otaku USA magazine finally got wise and hired Zac Bentz as a J-music contributing editor."-Radicalpatriot "Reviews practically every Asian band that has ever created a recording."- Zallie "Gewährt spannende Einblicke in die japanische Musikszene." -Laut.de
