There is a new BABYMETAL single out and all is right with the world.
FUN FACT (DID YOU KNOW?): All the members of BABYMETAL have the name metal in their, er, name? It's true: Suzuka (SU-METAL), Yui (YUIMETAL) and Moa (MOAMETAL).
Yes.
Showing posts with label B. Show all posts
Showing posts with label B. Show all posts
Let's BABYMETAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The Brixton Academy
Named after a famous venue in the UK, The Brixton Academy does not hesitate in making its influences known. TBA is a synth-rock, new-wave band straight from the '80s. Their production has the cold precision of Kraftwerk, their lyrics have the emotional simplicity of Duran Duran and their vocals have the same stoney-faced delivery of Joy Division. Yet they are able to combine all of these elements into a very modern package. Oh, and they sing entirely in English with just the right amount of accent to make them sound even more "European."
The group is first and foremost a living, breathing band. With all the controlled precision they put into their recordings you might be forgiven for thinking that they're simply a couple guys slouching behind stacks of vintage synthesizers. This is not the case. Their live shows are full of energy and action with amps turned up to the melting point and crowds frothing with glee. All of this is backed by lyrics like "I'm so shy, so I can only gaze at you" and "whisper in my ear, your voice is so sexy."
The band has kept their identities rather guarded so far. Perhaps the scenesters in Japan know who they are, but to the rest of the world TBA still retains an exotic, yet oddly familiar, mystery. The same mystery that all of those one-hit-wonders from the '80s had who came from around the world to gather on Top 40 stations everywhere. The one major difference is the with The Brixton Academy we have a band that's one lucky step away from a very long career indeed.
"See You In A Dream"
Official Site
MySpace
Releases:
Vivid (2010)
"So Shy"
live
live
live
Beat Crusaders
Beat Crusaders have been making their own brand of power-grunge/indie-rock since the late '90s. While their overarching style is quite simple, three chord rock, they manage to mix things up with lo-fi syths and some clever cover songs. Their love of UK and US rock is obvious, echos of which reverberate in several of their songs.
In general, they are very upbeat and catchy. Like early Green Day mixed with a bit of early Weezer and the Rentals. In typical punk style their songs rarely extend beyond the three minute mark. They hop in, play their super catchy tune and hop right on out again. Yet they're not overly fast or raw. They stick to the pop side of punk, a proclivity evident in the names of their more recent albums, all of which contain the word "pop" in one way or another. On the other hand, they aren't super saccharine or kitschy either. They manage to find a nice middle ground and hold it.
Around 2003, the entire band abandoned ship, leaving founder Toru Hidaka all to his lonesome. Ironically enough, right after this is when the newly staffed band released one of their biggest hits, the appropriately titled "Hit in the USA." The single appeared in the popular anime series Beck, a show about an Japanese indie band. Beat Crusaders went on to release several other songs to anime series, including the massive Bleach franchise.
Of course the band's visual projection also needs to be noted. Since its very beginning, each member of the band has kept their identities hidden behind old-school dot-matrix printouts of their faces. These paper "masks" are then stuck on, even during live gigs. It shows a strong dedication to an idea, something with is equally reflected in the band's unwavering adherence to its own musical style over the years.
"Hit in the USA"
Official Site
Members:
Toru Hidaka - Vocals, Guitar
Masahiko Kubota - Bass
Taro Kato - Guitar
Hirofumi Yamashita - Drums
Keita Tanabe - Keyboard
Albums:
HOWLING SYMPHONY OF...- 1999
ALL YOU CAN EAT - 2000
FORESIGHTS - 2001
SEXCITE - 2002
A PopCALYPSE NOW ~ jigoku no POP shiroku ~ - 2005
P.O.A.~POP ON ARRIVAL~ - 2005
EpopMAKING ~ Pop tono sogu ~ - 2007
popdod - 2008
"Phantom Planet"
"Windom"
"Firestarter"
"Arienai Kurai Kiseki" (with Tsuji Ayano)
"99 luftballons"
Buck-Tick
It's pretty tough to sum up a band that's been around for twenty five years and who has evolved as much as Buck-Tick, not to mention the huge influence they've had on the music world both in Japan and in the West. They were a big part of the early vis-kei movement in Japan, and they also managed to work closely with and influence many musicians overseas.
While the band has jumped genres over the years, at the same time Buck-Tick has retained their own signature sound. They've never been afraid to use electronic textures and special effects in their music, which is something else that has traveled with them to various degrees through the years. In the early days they were more of a pop/punk/glam band, with just as much of a focus on their outrageous visual style as on their music. They slowly became darker and more noisy until they eventually moved to almost entirely electronic and industrial sounds. After that they became even more grand and gothic before seeming to reach a sort of elaborate-production saturation point. Most recently they have dropped almost all of the fancy pretense in favor of much more direct and raw rock and roll. If their own personal lives are mirrored in their music, then things must be going very well in the world of Buck-Tick these days.
Even during all of these changes the band has never been afraid to experiment with their sound. Their songs are almost always rooted in a kind of dangerously playful, swaggering rock. With the exception of their most industrial work, they have always been a rock band first. It's this solid rock foundation (and their label's willingness) that allows them to wander off in whatever direction they choose. This doesn't always work out, but it does let them peruse their own interest, a genuine, honest quality which is something not lost on the fans. It doesn't hurt that the band members play up their looks for all they're worth, though again in a more subtle, understated way these past few years.
It would be folly to try and predict where Buck-Tick is going to go from here. They've already done much more than many other bands, and had a freedom to pursue their own ideas from the very beginning. While they obviously have strong overseas influences, they also seem content to stick to Japan for their main audience. A band so content with who they are (their lineup has never changed)and where they are, both literally and figuratively, is a rare thing indeed. Whatever happens next, it's sure to be interesting, as always.
Official Site
Members:
Atsushi Sakurai - Vocals
Hisashi Imai - Guitar, Backing Vocals
Hidehiko Hoshino - Guitar, Keyboard
Yutaka Higuchi - Bass
Toll Yagami - Drums
Albums:
Hurry Up Mode - 1987
Sexualxxxxx! - 1987
Seventh Heaven - 1988
Taboo - 1989
Aku no Hana - 1990
Kurutta Taiyou - 1991
Koroshi no Shirabe This Is NOT Greatest Hits - 1992
Darker Than Darkness -style93- - 1993
Six/Nine - 1995
Cosmos - 1996
Sexy Stream Liner - 1997
Kyokutou I Love You - 2000
One Life, One Death - 2000
Mona Lisa Overdrive - 2003
13kai wa Gekkou - 2005
Tenshi no Revolver - 2007
Memento Mori - 2009
Live
Heaven
Galaxy
Romance
Aku no Hana
Kagerou
Dress
Boris
While most might think of Boris as a band of extremes, they are also a band of rather pure and simple work. "Loud" would be one facet of their sound. "Heavy" and "huge" a couple others. "Uncompromising, "unfashionable" and "unrelenting" even more. While they may be very experimental at times, they also limit themselves to a small pallet of sounds, sticking almost entirely to the traditional line up of guitars, drums and vocals.
While they occasionally fall into the stoner-rock sound, they are anything but dull and boring. Droning, yes, but at the same time their music is active and full of a sort of inevitable weight. Their album titles alone are a useful look into their sound: Amplifier Worship, Heavy Rocks, Dronevil, Megatone (with Merzbow!), Sun Baked Snow Cave (again, with Merzbow!), Pink. OK, that last one might be ironic. Anyway, think lots of lumbering guitar riffs, lumbering drums, etc etc.
But it's not all blissed-out guitar drone jams. Very far from it. Over the years their sound has slowly drifted into territory a bit more palatable to the hard rock masses. Their songs are more like songs and less like steaming rivers of slow-moving tar. Their latest album Smile ranges from all-out rockers to downright sentimental tunes. Of course there's also plenty of noise and obliterated instruments, but on the whole it's a solid, thundering, rock and roll album.
Statement
Official Site
MySpace
Members:
Takeshi - Vocals, Bass, Guitars
Wata - Guitars, Vocals
Atsuo Mizuno - Drums
Albums:
Absolutego (1996)
Amplifier Worship (1998)
Flood (2000)
Heavy Rocks (2002)
Akuma no Uta (2003)
Boris at Last: -Feedbacker- (2003)
The Thing Which Solomon Overlooked (2004)
Dronevil (2005)
Soundtrack from Film Mabuta no Ura (2005)
Pink (2005)
The Thing Which Solomon Overlooked 2 (2006)
The Thing Which Solomon Overlooked 3 (2006)
Vein (2006)
Smile (2008)
My Neighbor Satan
Heavy Friends
Pink
Base Ball Bear (ベースボールベアー)
Formed, like so many other bands, in high school and as something of a one-off lark, the band that would eventually become Base Ball Bear managed to stick together and become one of the more prominent bands in the modern Japanese music scene.
They say they were influenced strongly by Supercar, and Base Ball Bear's warm, upbeat and slightly nostalgic rock does echo that of Supercar at times. It helps that they also have a female bass player who contributes occasional back-up vocals and harmonies just as Supercar did. Yet while Supercar could be a bit abrasive and experimental at times, Base Ball Bear sticks more toward the straight-up pop/dance rock style. They do have a slight indie-rock vibe from time to time, but they are decidedly more mainstream than their now-defunct progenitors.
Their pop mentality only strengthened once they signed to a major label. While their early work is a bit angular and brash, their newer material is predictably refined and focused, both sonically and melodically. Their disco/dance beats also gained prominence, holding precedence over their earlier rock approach. Their songs are still just as catchy and upbeat as ever, if not more so. If you find bands like Vola and the Oriental Machine to be a little too intense, or Ogre You Asshole to be a little to twee and indie, then Base Ball Bear might be the perfect fit.
Aishiteru
Official Site
Members:
Yūsuke Koide - Guitar, Vocals
Shiori Sekine - Bass, Vocals
Shohei Yuasa - Guitar
Daisuke Horinouchi - Drums
Albums:
Jūnanasai 2007
C 2006
Band B ni Tsuite 2005
High Color Times 2005
Yūgata Generation 2003
Changes
Dakishimetai
Dramatic
17sai
Matsuri no Ato
Girlfriend
Album Review: BLOOD - Lost Sky
It's a sad thing to see a band that has worked so hard for so long, all on their own, without major label support, suddenly throw in the towel and call it quits. Such is the case for the electro/goth/industrial band BLOOD. After six years of touring around the world on their own dime, BLOOD will be making a pass through America one last time before disbanding. This came a something of a shock to their fans, and in an interview I did with the band not too long before their announcement, everything seemed just fine. They were a little upset at the current state of the visual-kei music scene that they had abandon in favor of their more purely industrial format, but otherwise there were no outward signs of their impending doom.
Before they exit the stage however, they've left a few treats for the hardcore fans. On their last tour they plan to do everything possible to meet and greet with fans, even hosting a dinner at one event. They also provided material for a remix competition open to everyone.
The results of the competition make up two-thirds of their final album Lost Sky. Seven different versions fill up the second half of the album, along with three other remixes. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
The real album, the new stuff, kicks off with the title track. It's a rather subdued dance track (well, all of the songs on Lost Sky are very techno oriented) with soft synth pads and all of the guitars pushed far back in the mix. "Lost Sky" is all about the softer side of their electro goth sound, full of fog and gauze.
That's followed up with one of the best songs I've heard from the band, "Captured." Here the guitars are much heavier and upfront. The beats are still a little pillowy, but but the synths have a nice hard edge and the arrangement is closer to the elegant sort of orchestration we've come to expect from the visual scene. "Nothing" ramps things up even further with a fast tempo and a totally pummeling chorus much more like heavy metal than techno. Forget what I said about "Captured," this is the best BLOOD song I've heard. It's full of the sort of energy missing in the previous tracks. If they had to go out, this is a good note to go out on.
"Absolute" has a very similar feel to "Nothing," only more chaotic and a little too muffled. This time it's the vocals that are pushed far back, making the song feel a bit more like an unpolished rush job than a finished album track. "Oroboro" also has a slightly off-kilter feel, through the choruses have a very nice melody, pushing Fu-ki's vocals to the limit. The album proper ends, fittingly, with "The End," a short, instrumental track that really just stumbles to the finish. It's an odd choice considering the general power that the rest of the album contains.
Which brings us to the albums seven "Lost Sky" remixes. The Noir du`Soleil remix substitutes some early Aphex Twin beats for the more pulsing original, along with a lot of swooshy synths. It has an austere feel, slower and buried under layers of arpeggiated lines.
The sawDUST in me remix sticks very closely to the original and is incredibly out of tune in the choruses. This track should not have seen the light of day. Let's move on.
Thankfully the marlee remix is there to save the day. While it doesn't add anything new structurally to the song, it has an absolutely huge break beat and added guitars that really stomp along, giving it a much needed edge. The Spectrum-X remix is just a mess, end of story. The Shiv-r remix, however, is excellent. It manages to find new avenues to explore with the melody, using only the original vocal track and rebuilding the entire track from the ground up. Sure, it lumbers along, but the stark and brooding atmosphere hits just the right spot.
The Mizuh remix speeds things up with the first, and only, tempo change fromt he remixes. Mizuh adds in a few trance elements, filtering the building synth lines that are a bit reminiscent of all those "1998" remixes. It certainly adds more underlying pulse and throb, through the swirly synth strings are a bit overpowering. Finally, the Broken Lullaby remix by Echostream is the only track that actually takes the song in a completely new direction, substituting toy pianos and fuzzed out organs for the cyber-goth constructs. It all works out extraordinarily well. That is, until the unfortunate guitar-on-a-mountain-top solo right at the end.
The final three tracks are also remixes, though of older BLOOD tracks. "Crimson," "BLOOD" and "d.T.M.H." all get the once over, but all fall a little flat. Perhaps the initial six tracks are to blame. They far outshine the remix material, making the end of the album a drag. If purchased in an mp3 format, I can't imagine many of the remixes lasting for very long on anyone's hard drive.
Yet it's not the legacy of these remixes that listeners will be getting into Lost Sky for in the first place. It's the quality of the actual original content, as well as the legacy that BLOOD leaves behind. Sure, they may not have taken over the world with their music, but their independent energy and determination in a sea of flashy mediocrity are something to admire, and something for them to be proud of.
[Special thanks to Roger at Tainted Reality
And in one final note, in the interest of full disclosure,, I also entered into the remix competition myself. You can download my mix here.]
BLOOD
BLOOD is a vis-kei band formed in 2002. The have the typical over the top visual style and typically gothic subject matter, from vampires to faux-French affectations. Yet behind the pomp and showmanship lies a truly dedicated band who maintain a very loyal group of fans from around the world.
I had a chance to interview the band in January of 2008. You can read the entire interview here, but for the purposes of this profile, here are a few choice cuts:
Kiwamu: I formed BLOOD in 2002 when I met Kaede. After that, we changed vocalists twice. Fuki is the third vocalist. He joined in 2004. After we made this lineup, we are going well now. BLOOD has carried out its own activities as an independent group belonging to no company. We have achieved great success, having sold a total of 18,000 CDs and performed over 50 one-man live shows around the world, including in Europe and America. I also sponsor gothic events in Tokyo on a regular basis. From 2004 to 2006, BLOOD worked under the concept VENGEANCE for BLOOD, basing all band activities on the theme of vampires. From 2006 to 2007, they conducted all activities under the concept of the French poetry collection Les Fleurs Du Mal (The Flowers of Evil) by Charles Baudelaire. As of April 2007, they are currently working with a new concept "Symphony of Chaos". Before BLOOD, I was the only person had some activities in Japanese indies scene. My past work is in our website. If you have interest in this, please check them.
Their sound has evolved over the years from a simpler glam-rock based style to a more electronic and metal approach.
Kiwamu: Last year, we started to change our sound style to Gothic. Maybe our new style is electric gothic. When I talked with Fuki about our next vision, we noticed "we have not listen to visual kei music for 5~10years." Recently visual kei bands are very boring. Stereotype, copy-cats. So we changed the styles. Our melody is Japanese-style. And backtrack is European gothic-style.
They are also well aware that a worldwide fan-base also brings about much more piracy and illegal downloading of their works.
Kiwamu: I know this situation. Without internet, we can't make good activities. So I just dislike lazy fans. They want to get songs without any respect. We're always getting strange emails from lazy fans. "Can we meet at the guest room?" "Where can we get your songs by free?" "Send me autograph pictures." "Lets talk!" etc. We are very tired to read these strange emails. So I think illegal downloading is not a problem [for the] songs. It is a problem of fan's thinking. Lazy fans act in strange ways. So good fans buy our CDs and download from iTunes, because they know musicians work for songs very hard. Of course, we respect these fans too. MySpace is a very good tool. Owing to this, we can get many fans all over the world. Roger [from Tainted Reality] made this first for us. It was a good choice.
BLOOD is a rare example of band willing to push both themselves and their fans to the limit. By actually pounding the pavement themselves, doing everything without major label backing, they seem to have a much stronger appreciation toward their fans, while at the same time holding them to very high standards.
Make sure to keep an eye on the calendar for all upcoming BLOOD shows, as well as Kiwamu's solo DJ gigs.
Unforgiven: Live In Mexico
Official Site
MySpace
Members
Vocal: Fu-ki
Programming & guitar: Kiwamu
Bass: Kaede
Manipulator: Ryo
Releases
The Reaper Behind Me (2008)
DEAD-HEARTED (September 9, 2007)
best collection 2002-2007 (August 8, 2007)
LES FLEURS DU MAL (July 7, 2007)
Spleen ~Despair~
VENGEANCE for BLOOD
VENGEANCE for BLOOD2
2nd PERIOD DX
1st PERIOD DX
THE FUNERAL FOR HUMANITY
Blam Honey
Blam Honey were a short lived Japanese industrial band. Formed in 1995, they didn't release an album until 1998. They followed it up with another in 1999 and then disbanded. This is a shame because they produced some quality stuff. While their look may make you think they're just another visual band, their music falls well outside of the genre. They list Skinny Puppy and Nine Inch Nails as their main influences, and it shows. Blam Honey definitely has an early American style industrial sound. Think Skinny Puppy production with a Ministry vocal delivery (minus the distortion), samples and an overall gritty, dirty electro sound. Makes me want to break out some old Pigface albums!
Deep Hole
Unofficial but useful site
Members
Tatsuya (vocals, guitar, percussion)
Ryonai (programming, percussion)
Major Releases
Artificial Delusion (1998)
Typical Ingeniousness ~suggest~ (1999)
Hyper Aesthesia
The Brown
The Brown are a relatively young post punk, progressive indie rock trio (with a revolving bass player.) They're a bit like Buggy Craxone with a dose of Evanescence in the vocal department. The Brown throws out a lot of changes in every song, bouncing from frenetic, almost heavy metal riffs ala 9mm Parabellum Bullet, to softer passages where vocalist Ai gets to strut her stuff. All of the arrangements are equally schizophrenic, with waltz tempos and acoustic guitars interjecting in between the faster passages, all the while gradually building back into a massive math rock workout. With only one album released, there is hopefully much more to come from this very promising group.
BUY THE BROWN RELEASES HERE
Border
Official Site
MySpace
Members:
Drums: KOICHI
Vocal: Ai
Guitars: ATARI
Releases:
Struggle In A Whirl 2007.08.08
Cross Drawn By Finger
Balloons
Balloons are a middle-of-the-road indie rock band. They have a strong focus on instrumentation, their songs often having extended instrumental passages with lots of dips and twists. Much like Burger Nuds or Yogurt Pooh, their detailed approach is accentuated with their clean guitar sound and extremely tight grooves. The guitars and drums often walk hand-in-hand, which propels the punchy rhythms even further. A bit progressive indie rock, a bit grunge, a bit art rock, they really mix things up in a very interesting way.
Formed in 1996 by brothers Daisuke and Kyohsuke Fujimoto, the band has had its share of ups and downs and line-up changes. Nevertheless, they've toured in the US several times, forming many strong alliances with foreign bands. They seem to be the very definition of a hard working band, putting in the hours grinding away both on tour and in the studio. Hopefully they will continue to find the support they deserve and keep touring overseas.
Brevity of Anxiety (Live on April 16th, 2006)
Official Site
MySpace
Members
Daisuke Fujimoto: Drums
Kyohsuke Fujimoto: Vocals, Guitars
Takeshi Shiokawa: Guitars,
Jun Endo: Bass
Releases:
Last Front EP (2002)
9:40am (2003)
451 deg F (2007)
Time Has Been Being Stuck On The Line
June Calendar - Blood - Australia Tour
Blood Stain Child
It's not often that you see electro-trance synths and screaming black metal combined, but that's exactly what you get with Japan's Blood Stain Child. Since their formation in 2000, BSC has gradually ramped up the inclusion of synths in their speedy, grunting cyber metal. A bit like In Flames mixed with Dragonforce, only with gargoyle screams and less flair, their songs relentlessly chug along, occasionally striking major chords, sending the normally dark and murky atmosphere soring into the light.
They've definitely progressed over the years, at least in overall sound and production, becoming much tighter and glossy, with the electronics often taking center stage over the walls of static-distorted guitars. The addition of their new singer Sadew in 2007 has also provided them with more variety in the vocal department, making them a bit more like Linkin Park in that respect. Their clean vs. scream vocals are also a reflection of their dance beats vs. death metal music. They seem to sing exclusively in English, though it's often impossible to tell due to the total obliteration of words due to the high gargoyle factor.
Overall, Blood Stain Child is a refreshing break for anyone tired of cookie-cutter black/death metal bands with Cookie Monster vocals. Sure, they stick to the guttural darkness most of the time, but the moments of electro-bliss more than make up for the screaming sonic assault.
Freedom
Official Site
MySpace
Members
Sadew – Vocals
Ryo – Bass, Vocals
Ryu Kuriyama – Guitar
G.S.R – Guitar
Aki – Keyboards
Violator – Drums
Releases
Silence of Northern Hell (2002)
Mystic Your Heart (2003)
Idolator (2005)
Mozaiq (2007)
Metropolice
Truth
True Blue (Luna Sea cover)
Under the Sin of Grief
Infernal World
Silence of Northern Hell
Bespa Kumamero (ベスパ☆くまメロ)
Formed in 2001, Bespa Kumamero is a rather unique techno duo. Their sound has a certain anachronistic feel, perhaps due to their DIY style. They mix early '90 era industrial tracks with super slick synths and Azumi Kuwadate's stoic/matter-of-fact vocal delivery. They like to mix things up and seem just as at home with primitive industrial production as they are with more modern (ironically) 8-bit sounds ala Floppy.
The trance-like music is only one half of the equation however. Their live performance is also a huge part of the music. While their new (and so far only) album Romantic Waves seems to be padded out with many instrumental songs, they are in fact just the backing tracks for their live dancing. Dance is a major component of Bespa Kumamero. While most techno bands and DJs are more than happy to leave the dancing to the crowd, Bespa Kumamero takes matters into their own hands (and feet,) offering up an interesting (and at times humorous) visual performance during the show. Sort of a cyber-budo dance involving many poses, sword demonstrations and glowsticks.
It all sounds a like a bit much, but they manage to pull it off with style and good humor. Perfect for any jaded old ravers out there.
Bespa Kumamero will be performing at Anime Matsuri March 21-23 in Huston, TX along with Aural Vampire and Nirgilis.
Muddy Romantic (Live)
Official Site
JapanFiles.com
MySpace
Members
Azumi Kuwadate - Vocals
Monkicihi Irikura - Programming/Guitars
Major Releases
Ramantic Waves - 2008 JapanFiles.com
Julie & Anna
Live
Hagure Kumo (1 - Live clip)
Hagure Kumo (2 - Live clip)
Bacon (ベーコン)
Formed in 2000 in Osaka, Bacon is a hard rocking, upbeat band featuring lots of big guitar chords and a signature Moog synth. Over the past seven years, Bacon has only released two full length album as well as a split single with the now hugely popular Base Ball Bear in 2005. While Bacon hasn't managed to obtain the same success as their friends, they certainly have the same positive sound and feel-good vibe. The Moog elements have a strong feel of The Rentals or early Weezer, which fits nicely with their solid indie-rock songs. Much like Asian Kung-fu Generation and Yogurt Pooh, who they also sound a bit like in their more rocking moments, Bacon is the sound of emo before emo was emo. Namely, extremely melodic and slightly retro, but with very loud rock guitars and earnest vocals.
未来日記
Official Site
MySpace
Members
コウド タクヤ(Vocal/Guitar)
モリヤマ ユイ(Bass/Cho)
ヨシカワ"ショウヘイ"ヒロユキ(moog)
ナガエ ユウジ(Drums)
Major Releases
Bacon 2004/5/26
B Beginning!! 2004/12/24 (split with Base Ball Bear)
BUTTERFLY 2005/2/16
9tracks Hi! 2008/06/11
Budo Grape
Formed in 2001, Budo Grape is a happy faced new-wave quintet. They are very much in the style of Japanese new-wave pioneers The Plastics, as well as Icelandic art-rockers The Sugarcubes. They blend super-cute female vocals (and occasional male vocals) with playful low-fi keyboards and tight, clean electric guitars. There are also occasional nods to Devo in some of their arrangements and instrumentation, but overall they are far too upbeat and childlike to fall into Devo's more bizarre style. Budo Grape is first and foremost a fun band. Sort of a Polysics-lite.
They are planning a trip to America to play at A-kon in 2008. They are also part of JapanFiles.com, so hopefully we'll be seeing a lot more of Budo Grape and their quirky synth rock in the near future.
Botan wo Osinaose
Rescue Rescue / Penki Nuritate (live)
Official Site
On JapanFiles
MySapce
Members
Quminco Grape - Vocal
Nagai Grape - Vocal, Guitar
Matsui Grape - Vocal, Bass
Taichi Grape - Drums
Major Releases
Koibito wa Koushite Tsukuru 2005.3.16
Sokokara Detekinasai 2006.03.15
Otonatachi x Kodomotachi 2007/03/21
BO-PEEP
Originally from Fukuoka Japan and now stationed in Tokyo, BO-PEEP is an all girl indie rock power trio. Raised on a diet of '90s grunge and '70 punk spirit, BO-PEEP blends the undisciplined rage of the former with the revolutionary sound of the later.
Their three albums show a very delineated progression, from 0x3's first tentative steps into fuzzed out guitars, distorted drums and screeching vocals much like Mo'some Tonebender's early albums, to Time of Rock's full-on Guitar Wolf obliteration (the irony here being that Isamu Fujita of Mo'some Tonebender produced the album), and then to 2007's Is It Good For You?!! which is truly the best of both worlds.
Blending the razor sharp production of Time with the much more melodious Ox3, Is It Good For You?!! showcases both their abrasive balls-out rock and a new found melodic appreciation. Not that they've lost their edge over the years. Not in the least. Singer Mika Yoshimura still sings like an angry banshee while bassist Junko Himei and drummer Ryoko Nakano bring an unrelenting rhythmic barrage. While there are no concessions to anyone looking for an easily hum-able tune, there are moments of calm when the songs shine through, if only for brief moments.
Much like Mass of the Fermenting Dregs or Bleach03, BO-PEEP is part of the small but strong group of woman who aren't afraid to offend, and I mean that in a good way. BO-PEEP are unapologetically rough and raw, something both rare and desperately needed in the sometimes overly pop and plastic world of women in Japanese music.
BO-PEEP are a new addition to JapanFiles.com.
Official Site
JapanFiles
MySpace
Members
Vocal Guitar: MIKA YOSHIMURA
Bass; JUNKO HIMEI
Drums: RYOKO NAKANO
History
2000 BO-PEEP is formed in Fukuoka
2000 First live show at CB in Fukuoka.
2001 1st album "8" is released.
2001 "Thousand-year Lighter" was released independently.
2001 Touring Tokyo, Osaka and other areas.
2002 BO PEEP goes on the road for a full tour.
2002 BO PEEP makes Tokyo their new home.
2003 Mini-album "0x3" (Mother Records) is released.
2003 "Heavy Baby", a self-produced event is regularly held at ZEPP Fukuoka.
2003 Touring Fukuoka and Osaka.
2004 Appearances at Shelter in Shimokitazawa.
2005 Performed at the "Independence D Vol. 0" event.
2005 "Time of Rock" (3rd Stone Records) produced by MO'SOME TONBEBENDER's Isamu Fujita is released.
2005 April / May Kansai and Kyushu tour was successful.
2006 April Touring in UK London, Brighton, Bornmouth and other areas.
2006 Fall Appearances at IN THE CITY in UK
2006 Fall Touring in UK London, York, Bath, Manchester and other areas.
2007 Jan. 3rd Album "Is It Good For You?!!" (3rd Stone Records) is released.
Album Review: Buck-Tick Tenshi no Revolver
Twenty years is a long time on an everyday human scale, but it's a lifetime, if not several lifetimes, in the world of music. One hit wonders come and go every year, with only a few bands managing to maintain any level of fame for more than a couple years at a stretch. There's also the question of the flat out attractiveness of the band's members after years of abusing themselves on the road. Time does not favor rock and roll.
It's amazing, then, that any band can achieve the unrelenting popularity of Japan's Buck-Tick. Not only are they often credited for starting the goth or vis-kei movement in Japan, but their legions of fans have followed them through all of the subsequent shifts in style, from glam to industrial to goth.
Their fifteenth studio album Tenshi no Revolver is yet another shift in style for the aging band. Where the previous album 13kai wa Gekkou was possibly their darkest to-date, Revolver is a bright, shiny, dare I say upbeat affair. It's a little unnerving.
Expectation is always a fool's game. For the rabid fan, a long wait and heightened expectation will almost always result in a let down. The band can never fulfill the dreams of every fan boy and girl, nor should they. Nevertheless it's still a shock when a band does a 180.
Tenshi no Revolver is that 180.
"Mr Darkness and Mrs. Moonlight" starts off the album with the expected dry and dark intro, but it quickly raises its hands to the heavens with a chorus that breaks into an jaunty jog halfway though. "Rendezvous," "Montage" and "Lily" take the ball and run with it, keeping the tempo loose and the spirits soaring. They all have a rock and roll swagger I can only equate with the likes of the Rolling Stones or early new wave rockers like Adam Ant. Beach parties and feathery pillow fights all around.
One thing that makes all of these tracks, and in fact the entire album, stand out, is that the arrangements are all totally stripped down to the basics. There are very few fancy studio effects or synthetic backing tracks which were a staple of just about every other album previous. The songs are all bright and dry, which only adds to the overall "nice" feeling. There are no dark corners, no echoing hallways and no bats in the belfry. Just a few dudes playing music in a posh studio.
The good times continue on through "La Vie En Rose" and "Cream Soda" until "Rain" hits. At first it seems like a return to the good old dour Buck-Tick, but then it turns into a ballad more suited to a 90's hair band like Poison or Warrant. It's horrifying, but in all the wrong ways.
They don't waste any time in getting back to the jaunty rock style, hitting up a host of instantly forgettable songs. It isn't until the second to last track, the truly strange (for them) "Alice in Wonder Underground" that anything resembling a hook can be heard. Again, this is a very happy, upbeat rock song, full of puppy dogs and lollipops and totally not goth, even in an ironic The Cure "Friday I'm In Love" sort of way. It is very catchy though, but marred by a very sour resolution to the chorus, at least in my opinion.
The final title track is the first to showcase the kind of strange experimentation that we've come to expect from Buck-Tick. It's another rocker, but it's full of strange wailing voices and effects and, for the first time, something resembling balls. Singer Atsushi pushes his voice into juicy, jagged territory while Toll bashes through the chugging guitars. In the past this song would have featured huge industrial drums and snarling synth bass lines, but here it's just another rock song.
That's the basic tone of Revolver. It's just your basic rock album. It has its high points, but if you were harboring any expectation for more of the overwhelming gothic darkness and smoke of previous albums, they will be quickly dashed on the rocks outside the castle as Buck-Tick merrily skips off to play in the meadows.
[Read more on Buck-Tick here.]
Burger Nuds
From anime nerds to burgers nerds. At least that's what we're led to believe. Fast-food habits aside, Burgers Nuds were an all too brief flash across the Japanese indie scene. Their arrangements are slightly more complicated than your average band, their melodies are slightly more heartrending than your average band, and their delivery is slightly more precise and polished than your average band. Why they either broke up or were dropped from their label in 2004 we may never know, which only serves to make the few release they left behind (the Kageokuri album is one of my favorite albums of all time, which is an admittedly long list) that much more iconic. Their fans would seem to agree, as their BBS is still alive and well to this day.
Bump of Chicken
Bump of Chicken's Wikipedia entry goes a long way to explaining the origins of their overly positive, earnest rock sound. There are several mentions of "anime," "otaku" and "video games" and well as introversion and reunited kindergarten friendships. This also explains why their music has made it onto various anime and game soundtracks. Personally, I don't think anyone can go wrong with a band that writes songs dedicated to Rei Ayanami.
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