Here's the video for the new Polysics single "Everybody Say No." It's not super exciting, but you have to admit, the 303 traffic cone head thing is pretty awesome. The song is also not super exciting, but as always Fumi manages to bring the heat on bass and make it almost impossibly groovy.
The single is out on October 24th and their new album Weeeeeeeeee!!! is out in December. GET!
Psysalia Psysalis Psyche is an arty, brooding grunge band formed around 2005, though simply calling them a grunge band is selling them woefully short. Like their alliterative name might suggest, they blend styles and sounds from all over the map with loud guitars and sloppily screamed lyrics just one set of paints on their palette. For every jangly song there is an equally soft and shoegazy counterpart, a slightly psychedelic swirl behind the driving rhythms.
While songs like "Take Me Out" and "Midunburi" seem haunted by Kobain's ghost, others like "Lonesome Valley" and the stunning "Narrow" show a much more modern, almost post-punk aesthetic. There are also more sparse and dreary moments like "Act I Scene II Tremolo," and it's follow-up "Tea For Two," both of which seem pulled from an angst-filled film soundtrack.
Whatever they attempt, Psysalia Psysalis Psyche manage to ride the fine-line between obsessive attention to detail and sloppy rage. They have enough coffee-house flair to grab the beard-wearing, iPhone obsessed art-students, while still waving a middle finger in the air. With only a few small releases and one solid album under their belts, it'll be interesting to see what course this young group chooses to blaze.
It's another year and time for another album from Polysics, a band that's been releasing a new album every year since their first release in 1999 (not to mention a constant stream of singles, EPs, compilations and DVDs along the way). Their profile has been constantly on the rise, hitting its peak in 2006 with the release of the "I My Me Mine" video featuring the robotic dancing of Strong Machine 2. (Oddly enough, aside from the Now is the Time! album, the song was only released as a 7" vinyl single in the UK.) They went on to sign with MySpace Records and go on progressively growing tours overseas.
For the uninitiated, Polysics is a highly energetic surf-rock guitar driven, new-wave band. They augment their four member line-up with with plenty of digital playback, lead vocals from three of its members as well as plenty of robotic, vocoded lines, making their digital material something of a fifth (or even sixth) member of the band. While the songs are pure pop at their core, the outer shell is abrasive, jagged, sweaty and very very loud. This is no gang of posing '80s fashion throwbacks playing pillowy soft-core synth pop or ecstasy-fueled chiptune children's music. This is a hard rockin' punk/synth monster. It's essential to experience Polysics in a live setting as their performances are non-stop mayhem. Front-man Hiro is usually drenched in sweat by the end of their opening song. Their visual look is equally unique, with all four members wearing matching neon-colored jumpsuits and sunglasses that are little more than a large black bar across their faces, a direct and very intentional nod to the band's biggest influence, Devo.
Ever since National P in 2003, arguably the band's strangest and most adventurous album, they have been dialing back the craziness. From Now is the Time! to Karate House and then on to We Ate the Machine, each album has become progressively less noisy and insane in favor of cleaner production and less jagged song structures. (For, again arguably, their best production, one must got back even further to 2002's For Young Electric Pop.) Even their reliance on Kayo's synths and other digital tracks has gone down. On Absolute Polysics she has a much more traditional role, playing less grating sounds and more straight up harmony to Hiro's guitar. She only has one song in which she has a lead vocal part, the album closer "Wasabi," but she is, for all intents and purposes, silent on the other 13 tracks.
By contrast, Fumi has been taking an increasingly dominant role on the band. While Hiro still takes on the lion's share of the song and lyric writing, Fumi has been getting more of a chance to take up this role, almost seeming to become a second band leader at times. This is a role that, in the past, Kayo seemed to fill. Fumi has been writing both lyrics and music more often and has been filling more of the alternate singing roles as well. This isn't exactly new, and probably isn't a major factor in the band's slow sound shift, but it's also worth taking note of.
Absolute Polysics starts off very strong with “P!,” the usual brief, instrumental introduction full of enegertic synths and even a marching band whistle counting off the measures. This is followed up with the album's two singles, "Shout Aloud" and "Young OH! OH!," both of which are among the album's strongest songs. The former is certainly the most intense track on Absolute and contains all of Polysics' signature moves. It has a practically non-stop metal-industrial beat, complete with blinding fills from Yano on the drums, frantic guitar arpeggios and ascending scales all over the place. There are three vocal treatments as well. Hiro's usual, chirpy delivery, a bridge from keyboardist Kayo, a vocoded chorus and even a massive crowd chant mid-way though. "Young OH! OH!" pulls the tempo down just a bit, but it's just as energetic and infectious. The silly, whispered "young oh oh!" breaks and straight-ahead beat make it impossible to not both smile along with and bob along to.
"Hypnotized GO" keeps the fast beats going, but this time in a much more electro/industrial vein. It's actually a bit of a departure for the band, being dark like a late P-Model track than their usual new-wave rock. The songs doesn't really do much more than pound along like a robot hammering out miles of sheet metal.
This is followed by the short instrumental "Time Out." An obvious homage to Devo's "Timing X," it severs as an early break in the album's frantic pace. 
"Bero Bero" is the first strange track on the album, which is what most long-time Polysics fans will be expecting. It has all the de-tuned and jagged synths that are missing from the first part of the album. It also has some pretty bizarre vocals from Hiro who, for what seems to be the chorus, simply goes something like "blublublublubulbulbulbulbulbuuyeah!" That's followed by “Cleaning,” the most straightforward and radio friendly track, written entirely by Fumi. It's much like "You You You" and the Polysics of Die reworking of "Black Out Fall Out." It's a simple, poppy rock song devoid of anything too harsh or wacky. In a way, it's one of the standout track just because it's so “normal.”.
"E.L.T.C.C.T." is another example of what Polysics does best. Sung by Fumi, it has an odd time signature, stuttering syncopation and lots of chaotic noise in the background. Then all of that is cast aside as the shining, sing-along chorus breaks though, bringing back the pure pop-bliss, before then dropping back into the oddly timed "Every girl knows, Every boy knows this, Every thing can cause trouble" chant (again, with a possible nod to the beat in Devo's version of "Satisfaction.")
"First Aid" and "Fire Bison" are again something of a 1-2 punch. They fill in the requisite amount of raw, distorted rock, similar to "Hard Rock Thunder" and "We Ate the Machine" from previous albums. The band simply turn up the amps and fill the air with noise. "Fire Bison" mixes it up a bit, using a more electronic base. Both Fumi and Yano chugging along though most of the song and there's even a heavily effect violin, played by Yuji Katsui (of Bondage Fruit) at the end. Yet both of these songs are a little unremarkable due to their being pretty basic and surrounded by so many other memorable and quirky songs.
In a sort of mirror to the beginning of the album, "Eye Contact" is something of a break from all the rocking. It's totally electronic, featuring a very basic electro beat and bass line. Hiro's vocals sound a bit like the rhythm from Devo's "Redeye Express" and the synths seem to be taken straight from Kayo's version of "Saraba Siberia Tetsudou" from her solo album, neither of which is a bad thing. Overall, it's a nice break in tone, but it's another example of a song that seems to be either half finished or just stuck on the album for filler.
"Beat Flash" is a return to the same clean and fast sound on "Shout Aloud," which isn't a surprise since it was the b-side to that single.
"Speed Up" is the one real clunker on the album. It's almost as if it missed getting mastered, sounding totally flat, muddy and quieter than the rest of the album. It does have a nice, catchy chorus, again like "You You You," but the rest of the sing just seems dull and phoned in. Again, this could simply be a result of the piss-poor production. Any of the other b-side releases from the singles would have been a better fit.
The final track "Wasabi," is the real hidden gem. It's the most unique song on the album, featuring Kayo singing in a high voice that has a feel of the Buggles' "Video Killer the Radio Star." The song itself feels a bit like "Miss Donuts" off of the Kaja Kaja Goo EP. It's very poppy, with twinkling xylophone sounds and a nicely dissonant bridge thrown in. Plus, it's the only song to really feature Kayo, something that is sorely missing from the rest of the album. The very end of the song, and the album, features some backwards screaming and other chaos that quickly fades out, providing a very unceremonious and abrupt end. 
The overall lack of variance to the album's production, the sameness to the feel of every track, makes Absolute Polysics a bit of a disappointment in the “wow” department. There are a some great songs and interesting ideas, but they seem to be spread very thin. "Shout Aloud" and "E.L.T.C.C.T." are packed with exactly the right amount of catchy song writing versus zany structuring. "Bero Bero" and "Wasabi" provide the strangeness and playfulness that really defines the band. Everything else? Certainly not bad, but also not so great. The lack of Kayo's lead vocals and the way in which her usually squelchy and abrasive synths are pushed far into the background in favor of the cleaner production also leaves the songs sounding a little too even. On the other hand, it's much easier to make out what everyone is playing, something that was lost on the band's earlier, and more noisy, releases.
Maybe that is what's missing. That sense of the band playing live in a big room. The feeling that everything is on the verge of falling apart and exploding. That dirty new-wave punk sound. Now they are clean and precise. Once again there is the feeling that this album has been churned out at break-neck speed, written more to meet a contractual deadline than for the fun of playing loud and fast. It's still a work of occasional genius, packing more material into most songs than other bands use on an entire album. Absolute Polysics is an album that only becomes more awe-inspiring on repeat listens. Yet it's tough to not see how the band is evolving (or, of course, DEVOlving) toward an almost clinical, assembly-line method of song writing.
As an added bonus for fans, there is also a special edition version of the releases that includes a DVD. In that disc are the videos for “Shout Aloud” and “Young OH! OH!.” But the real attraction is the six, yes six hour documentary of the band recording in the studio. In this film, we get to see the band recording a new, and very short, song from beginning to end. Hiro brings the song in as an all electro demo, playing it off of a computer a few times for the band to hear and take notes. They then gather together and play the song through a few times, working out exactly what to play. It's all pretty self explanatory, really. The band play the song though together, then they individually go back and re-records their parts until the song is done. The entire session is shot without a break, give it a sort of impossible-to-look-away feel since there are never any obvious gaps. Oh, and as a gimmick, when a band member walks off-camera to go into another room, they almost always return wearing a different t-shirt. It's a surprisingly effective way to keep people watching, since the actual action in the studio is about as dull as you may expect. Fans will no doubt find it interesting to see the band at work, regardless of having to hear a 30-second song hundreds of times.
In the end, Absolute Polysics isn't the best thing Polysics has ever done, but it's not bad by any means. The songs will likely translate better in a live setting, which is where people should be seeing the band anyway. If nothing else, Absolute Polysics is simply a good excuse for the band to go out on tour and tear up stages around the world. Who could blame them for that?
"P!"
"Shout Aloud"
"Beat Flash"
"Young Oh! Oh!"
Plasticzooms is a dingy goth rock band from Japan. Much like Lillies and Remains (more on them in a second) the band blends late '70s and early '80 goth punk with more modern-day post-punk with electro flourishes (My Bloody Valentine, Bauhaus etc...) Their production seems to be intentionally gritty most of the time. Both Sho (male) and back up vocalist TIF (female) sing entirely in English, though it's so heavily accented as to make it virtually another language.
Speaking of bandleader and front-man Sho, he is also the support bassist for the aforementioned Lillies and Remains. Both bands a quite similar, so it's safe to say that if you like one, you'll like the other. In fact, Sho even sings in the same low register as L&R singer Kent. The main difference is that Sho is much more likely to scream and screech. Plasticzooms is also more abrasive and raw, again due in no small part to Sho's performance. Unsurprisingly, the two bands often play live shows together.
Sho also seems to be the band's visual designer. He has a selection of art on their MySpace page, (the band doesn't seem to have any other web presence as of this writing) including the album artwork and t-shirts. As for albums, they have only one mini-album out so far. The five original songs are supplemented with five remixes by other artists, including the current buzz-band Selfish Cunt. A coup, indeed. Unfortunately, the remixes only detract from the album, as the band's own work is very good. On their own, the five originals make a spectacular debut devoid of the need for any embellishment. Keep your eyes on these guys.
Polysics are the pinnacle of new-wave synth-punk, the result of years of work put in by Yellow Magic Orchestra, P-Model, The Plastics and, most importantly, Devo. Polysics itself has been around since 1997, slowly working their way up the charts and oversea into clubs around the world. Signed both to Sony and MySpace records, they are in a unique situation to be able to easily promote themselves all over the globe. They have launched several successful mini-tours of America and the U.K. to larger and larger groups of rabid fans, and have played to massive crowds in Japan. While the band's sound has shifted subtly over the years from an all out wall of synth-punk noise to a much more restrained pop mentality, do not be fooled. There is still much your ears have to fear from Polysics.
For instance, there are the Nord-generated lo-fi glitches and soaring electric melody from Kayo, Fumi's furious bass-lines, Yano's relentlessly pummeling drums and Hiro's spazz guitar and spazzier vocal work. I say "vocal work" because quite often he's screaming, chanting, or just spouting gibberish. Polysics is a great band for anyone afraid of bands singing in a foreign language, because just about everything will be foreign to someone. Poly-lyrics are a mish-mash of English, Japanese and what Hiro calls "space language" that is sent down from above into his brain. There's something there for everyone to be confused by.
While these elements have always been present in their music, it has gradually been cleaned up over the years. Their punk spirit is still there, but their desire for mainstream pop acceptance is showing more than ever. Not that this is entirely bad. Songs like "Electric Surfin' Go Go," You-You-You" and "Moog is Love" are pop masterpieces with a spine, something that is woefully missing from 99.9% of the candy-coated fluff that usually fills the charts. And let's not forget "Baby BIAS," possibly the best pop song ever written, that appeared on Now is the Time!. Now there is a song that could have sold a million copies outside of Japan if handled correctly.
While Polysics have been busy trying to break into the pop world, some of what made Polysics Polysics in the beginning, namely their experimental spirit and abrasiveness, has been downplayed. There are still plenty of head-scratching time signatures, dissonance and totally brutal tempos, but the elements that would have been pushed to the front in the early days are now set far back in the mix as sonic filler for the more obvious hooks.
Much of this change in sound can be attributed to one thing: playing live. Most recently, Polysics has said that they work out new songs in a much more live way, and their live shows are only getting bigger and bigger. The songs are often stripped down to their bare essentials, showcasing the members' incredible proficiency as players over the usual layers of synth noise and sound effects that sometimes obscure the more technical details in their early work.
Polysics are many things, but lazy is not one of them. What never changes is the high quality, originality and genuine sense of fun in all that they do, be it in the studio or on stage. Their albums often feel more like a simple collection of current songs than individual bold statements. More like "here's what we have right now" than "here's what we have to say." People looking for profound introspection into the human condition would do better looking elsewhere. They've also managed to keep their own unique identity despite the high pressure to conform to more traditional sounds. Sure, they've matured, but they are still pushing the limits of new wave rock. They are gradually working their way into the mainstream, subverting it from the inside. For a true new-wave, new-pop, new-rock thunder, you can do no better.
Pasteboard was a very short lived shoegaze duo. Formed around 2001, Makoto Igarashi and Mihoko Tanoue stuck together for a few years before the release of what was to be their only album, Glitter, in 2005.
Yet the real story is that the band never really broke up. Not exactly. Both Makoto and Mihoko were actually working together as Roly Poly Rag Bear for a while before they released their Pasteboard material. Since they are still releasing material under the RPRB banner, it would seem as though Pasteboard was only a sort of side project. The material on Glitter seems to prove this theory, as most of its nine songs are very short, almost unfinished at times, mere sketches of songs that never really came to fruition. On the other hand, songs like "Shoegazer," "Slowdive" and "Squall" are truly great, blurry pop gems.
In a way, it's a shame that the duo doesn't continue to peruse the more rock-oriented sound of Pasteboard in lieu of the more stylish, though no less muzzy bossa/Shibuya-kei style of RPRB. That project is a bit less unique and precious, instead being slight more run of the mill and bland overall. Not that Pasteboard is groundbreaking in any way, but in that case the songs have a stronger presence and a more earnest feel. Of course we can still hope that the duo takes the time to release another batch of hazy, dreamy rock some time down the road.
The Predators are probably exactly what you would expect to hear from a band influenced by Nirvana and fronted by the singer for The Pillows, Sawao Yamanaka. Namely, rough edged songs, played simply, but with the same good natured happy glow that seems to surround just about every track from the Pillows.
The big name band members don't stop at Yamanaka though. In fact the trio is a sort of indie super-group, with Shinpei Nakayama of Straightener on drums and Jiro from Glay on bass. While any one of these guys brings plenty of experience and hard earned credibility to the fore, together they manage to sort of cancel each other out, at least to the point that they can actually get some songs written. Perhaps it's because they stick to the simplistic song structures and straight ahead songwriting, or maybe they all just want to take a break from their more serious bands. Whatever the case, they do manage to produce some nice little grunge tinted indie pop sings.
Their first album Hunting!!!! is the more Nirvana-esque of their two short releases. Each track has the signature three chord rock sound of just about any early grunge band. The requisite out-of-tune singing is missing though, replaced by Yamanaka's easy-going voice. Basically, it's like typical material from The Pillows with more aggressive guitars and louder production. Their second album Kiba wo Misero is like the progression from Nirvana to the Foo Fighters. While still stripped down and rockin' the production is a bit tighter and richer, with the songs being just a bit poppier and bold.
While The Predators are a natural fit for any fan of The Pillows, they also offer up a bit more muscle for those wishing that The Pillows would rock out a bit more. The don't offer up any surprising twists or flashy guitar tricks, instead focusing in very catchy songs and the sort of epic positive vibes we've come to expect from the various bands the individual members usually inhabit.
Rock 'n' Roll Lay Down
Official Site
Members:
Sawao Yamanaka - Vocals, Guitar
Shinpei Nakayama - Drums
Jiro - Bass
Releases:
Hunting!!!! (2005)
Kiba wo Misero (2008)
Bakuon Drop
Live Drive
Live
CRS
Polysics has come a long way since their first release over ten years ago. While their noisy new-wave spirit is still firmly in place, their sound has evolved. While their first album 1st P was full of noise and crazy synths lost on the sea of distortion, their more recent efforts are much more clean and slick, with very clear vocals, drums and razor sharp synths. In a way they've dropped the DIY punk side in favor of studio polish. While some my cry foul of their new pop production, one has to admit that the songs are just as true to the Poly-spirit as ever.
The new single for "Pretty Good", released on 3-19-2008, is exactly that. Pretty good. I really wish I didn't have to resort to that obvious observation, but it's true. It's not their best material, but it's still pretty damn good.
"Pretty Good," the song, is straight up pop rock, with a pounding piano line (something new to the Poly sound) and a straight drum beat. It's a laundry-list of standard Poly-tricks, with a repeated but slight changed chorus, total non sequitur bridge, and tempo change-up at the end. Still, it's supper poppy and catchy and easy to swallow.
"Super Spin Girl" is a more groovy affair. A bit like their version of "My Sharona", only slowed way down. It doesn't pull a single trick, and while it has a nice chorus, it's almost instantly forgettable.
The final track "Uno Dos" is one of their excellent almost instrumental songs. If "Super Spin Girl" was too bland, then "Uno Dos" is the spastic counterpart. It only has a couple main parts to it, alternating from mid-tempo, to fast then faster, then very slow. The main hook is the crazy 8-bit synth line. Once again Hiro plays a really strange half-assed trumpet part out of the blue that's pretty hilarious.
Overall, the "Pretty Good" single is a bit of a let down. The songs are solid, but it does indeed show even more of a normalization of the Polysics sound. They are still crazy and energetic, but they aren't taking the same sorts of chances and challenges. This could be a symptom of over work, as they seem to release both albums and singles almost non-stop, all while touring the world. While it pains me to say it, perhaps it's time for the band to take a break, regroup and reconnect with the fighting spirit they had ten years ago.
Just a thought.
New video from Polysics!
I have to admit that I feel it's a bit on the low-rent side. Of course they have a pretty wide range of simple to complex videos in their history, so this just falls into the "simple" category. Very stylish and bold though.
The song is also a mixed bag. The "Pretty good one. Have a good one. Very good fun." chorus is...well, not very good. I love the overall feel of the song through, and the way they mix it up a lot is nice. They seem to pull out a lot of the usual Poly tricks though. Hopefully the album will find some new territory for them.
Oh, who am I kidding? I'll love it no matter what.
The fuzzy, psychedelic and playfully experimental duo Pine AM have announced a new show in Rhode Island. Saturday March 8th will see the band taking the stage in the RISD Auditorium at the Rhode Island School of Design. Show starts at 9:30pm.
Other details are, well, non-existent, so you'll just have to run on out Saturday night and see what happens. (UPDATE: Japanator reader Borrie thinks that this show may be a part of the Rhode Island School of Design's Asian Cultural Festival.) You can probably expect a couple girls rocking out with synths, laptops, guitars and very loud clothing. And hey, they live on opposite ends of the Earth (Chizuko in Canada, Tsugumi in Japan) so the least you Rhode Islanders can do is waddle on down to check them out. Right?
The Delicious label is bringing both Noodles and The Pillows to America for a mini tour this year. I've already mentioned that The Pillows will be hitting up Anime Boston this year. Well, it turns out that they will be doing a very quick pass around the American outer rim as well, playing LA, Austin, San Francisco, New York and finally Boston. The Delicious Bump Tour In USA 08 will also include the all girl band Noodles. They have been in America once before as part of the Japan Girls Nite tour produced by Benten last year.
Obviously this is great news for all of you disappointed by the previously mentioned one-night-only Boston show. Nevertheless, it's still tough for the other 98% of us who live in the rest of the country. If you make it to one of these shows, make sure to tell us all about it!
March 13 (thu) Los Angeles @ El Rey Theatre (Tickets)
March 15 (sat) Austin @ Elysium [The Pillows only] (SXSW)
March 17 (mon) San Francisco @ Slim's (Tickets)
March 21 (fri) New York @ Blender theatre at Gramercy(Tickets)
March 22 (sat) Boston @ Hynes Convention Center [The Pillows only] (Anime Boston)
Check out some of the most recent music from both bands after the jump.
[Big thanks to Stig-san for the tip!]
Polysics have released a new video for their cover of "Computer Obaachan," their contribution to the Rock for Baby compilation, which also features Shonen Knife, Hoff Dylan, Suemitsu & The Suemith Kids, Ryukyudisko, Tomovsky and the usual MANY MORE!
The song was originally produced by Yellow Magic Orchestra founder Ryuichi Sakamoto and used as one of the themes to a NHK radio show called Sound Street in 1981. It was originally sung by Yuko Sakaitsukasa, and was later covered by YMO cover band Cosmic Invention (sung by Mima Morioka). They even performed it on Minna no Uta (Songs for Everyone), a long running (over 40 years!) TV and radio show that mostly features short segments of children's songs. The original song was released on a 2005 three disc collection of YMO-related material called Yellow Magic Kayokyoku.
The above video is the new Polysics version, which I think fits the children's theme wonderfully. I really love what they do with all of the words being spelled out, and the spinning crab is great. Don't we all wish we had an obaachan this computer savvy? I mean, she is a computer!
More videos and lyrics after the jump!
Here's the original:
The live Cosmic Invention version:
"Computer Obaachan" Lyrics [via Smiletalk, with thanks to Nihonjin_berryz on the Coelakanth boards]
konpyutaa obaachan
Computer grandmother.
Wow wow wow wow wo wo woh.
boku no obaachan wa
My grandmother is
meiji umare no konpyutaa
a computer born in Meiji.
sansu kokugo syakai
mathematics, national language, society,
nandemo donto koi ! sa
come in anything directly! yeah.
monosiri hakugaku ashikosi kakusyaku
Knowledgeable, wide knowledge. Legs are wobbly.
genki ni wan tuu surii
Cheerfully, one, two, three !
eigo mo rakuraku, ireba wo kakukaku
Good at English, the false tooth is shakily.
tokui no ei bi shi !
Skillful A, B, C !
konpyutaa obaachan
Computer grandmother.
iei iei boku wa daisuki sa
Yeah, Yeah, I like her very much.
mukashi banasi kara yufo no hanashi made
From an old tale to the story of the UFO,
boku no kikitai koto, nandemo oshiete kureru
she teaches me anything I want to know.
bamyuda kaiiki, hawai wa waikiki
Bermuda sea area, Hawaii is Waikiki.
sekai wo mata ni
she straddles all over the world.
hyakubun ikken, jiken wo hakken
Seeing is believing. Discovering affairs.
rettu go obaachan
Let's go, grandmother.
konpyutaa obaachan
Computer grandmother.
iei iei puroguramu okei
Yeah, Yeah, program OK !
zutto itsumademo nagaiki shite kudasai
"Please live long much more forever.
yume no uchu ryokou, kitto dekiru hi ga kuru
The space trip of the dream, the day to be able to surely do it will come sometime.
monosiri hakugaku ashikosi kakusyaku
Knowledgeable, wide knowledge. Legs are wobbly.
genki ni wan tuu surii
Cheerfully, one, two, three !
eigo mo rakuraku, ireba wo kakukaku
Good at English, the false tooth is shakily.
tokui no ei bi shi !
Skillful A, B, C !
konpyutaa obaachan
Computer grandmother.
iei iei boku wa daisuki sa
Yeah, Yeah, I like her very much.
I've never made it any secret that Polysics is my favorite band of all time. Sure, here on the A-Z I try to give everyone equal attention and respect, but I must admit, when it comes to Polysics, I have no sense of journalistic responsibility. I love them unconditionally.
I just returned from home from Milwaukee where Polysics played live as part of the first ever MySpace music tour. It was a rather long drive for us (my wife is also a big fan and let's face it, it's not like she has a choice, and a friend and fellow member of The Surfactants also came along) which turned it into a two day trip. All told we drove about 14 hours to see Polysics play for about 50 minutes. Obviously I feel it was worth every second.
I'll try to be brief.
We got to the show at 6pm and ended up waiting around for about an hour before they let us in to the main room. We were all packed into a bar located to the side of the main room and we could look out onto the stage though two large windows. They were still sound checking when we got there and I found it strange that we could just watch the whole thing. It was also very strange to see all of the members of Polysics hauling in their gear!
Now I know that they don't even begin to approach their fame in Japan here in America, but it was still a bit odd that they were forced to lug all of their own gear. I mean, this is a MySpace tour, and Polysics are a band signed to the MySpace record label. You'd think MySpace could afford to provide a few roadies. Apparently not.
Eventually (after many jokes from me and my friends about the relative age and/or appearance and/or finical status of the crowd) we got in. Of course all of the twinkie girls and boys rushed to the front of the stage even though (as it would be proven later) they had no idea who the opening band (Polysics) was. So we were about five or six people back from the front. No big whoop. 
It wasn't long after that that the band hit the stage. Now, if you're totally unfamiliar with the live Polysics experience, let me sum it up: non-stop frenetic energy. Front-man Hiro never stops moving, even doing jumping-jacks whenever he's not madly playing guitar. The other members are also in constant motion, even keyboardist Kayo, who normally projects the air of a lifeless android. The all give 100% the entire time, with Hiro giving at least 1000%. Like my friend Marcus said after the show, "[Hiro] must go backstage afterward and eat an entire cow."
They played a full set, much to my relief. With an opening band you never know if you'll be getting a full hour or as little as 15 minutes. They played for a solid 50 minutes, and I mean solid. Non-stop. They hit all of their most accessible songs, like "Baby BIAS," "I My Me Mine," and "Electric Surfin' Go Go," but also pulled out the more challenging stuff like "Kaja Kaja Goo," "Peach Pie On The Beach" and one of my personal favorites "New Wave Jacket," which really surprised me. They also played "Coelakanth is Android," but the rest of their set is just a blur in my brain.
Overall, the sound in the room was awful. Very muddy and one big wall of static. Then again, that's sort of what Polysics sounds like. The vocals were OK, though the backing vocals were a little quiet, and the drums are well placed. It just wasn't a clear sound. I'm certain that anyone not already very familiar with the music would have had a tough time trying to hear what was gong on. Then again, that's what most live shows are like. Then again, this was, as I've already mentioned, a MySpace show, and I find it very hard to believe that they couldn't have hired a little more sound mixing muscle to do the job.
Speaking of which, later on while were hovering around the merch booth hoping to get some autographs, we had the misfortune of having to sit though the second band's set. Not only was the band a joke (seriously guys, take some lessons), but the sound had only gotten worse. The vocals were popping in and out, the drums were gone, and the wall of mud had only gotten thicker. And goddamn, that drummer's hat was ridiculous!
Anyway...
Despite the fact there there were only a handful of extremely dedicated Poly-fans in the crowd, the band played their hearts out. I think they even managed to win over most of the room by the end.
Then came the end of the set. As the final song ended and they all bowed to the crowd, the lights dimmed and then...they all started tearing down! They never left the stage or took a break, but instantly started unplugging their gear and breaking down the drums. Themselves. I was blown away.
I don't care who you are, if you're playing a tour sponsored and organized by one of the biggest websites in the world, there is no way that any band should have to tear down their own gear after a show. It was embarrassing. Polysics is a band that playes to tens of thousands of people in Japan, yet when they come over to America they have to cart their amps off stage under the house lights? MySpace might have the social networking thing down, but they don't know dick about how to treat a band.
Anyway...
As I mentioned, after we all picked our flabbergasted asses off the floor, we hightailed it over to the merch booth. We all loaded up, and I asked the guy working the booth if the band would be signing autographs. Indeed they were, so we planted our feet and waited. And waited. And waited. All though that second band's wretched set. It was like going to a high-school assembly and watching little Johnny B Nobody show off his "band." Awful.
Just as they were finishing up, there begain to be various sighting of the Polysics members slinking around the booth. Finally Fumi took over the booth and we pounced. (Oh, and big respect to the other guy standing near us who asked "So, are you guys here just for Polysics too?" I think our age was showing...) I came prepared with my full entourage of Polysics Mister Monster figures (designed by Elizabeth Ito.) It took a while for all four members to come out, but eventually they all stepped behind the counter and signed a ton of autographs. They were all very impressed with the Monsters, much to my enjoyment.
Them: "Ah! Sugoi!"
Me: ＼（＾ ＾）／
I also shook hands with them all and they were very nice and talkative. Shaking Kayo's hand was like shaking hands with a cat. It was awesome, to say the least. Oh, and I also gave them Surfactants CDs. I explained to Hiro, "Like Devo inspired Polysics, Polysics inspired The Surfactants." I think he got it. I'm sure we'll be opening for them soon. 八(＾□＾*) ﾀﾉﾑ!!
That's about it.
To review:
1. Polysics is the best band ever.
2. MySpace needs to Google "respect."
3. That second band sucked.
4. Polysics is the nicest band ever.
5. The Surfactants will never open for Polysics.
I'd like to thank Dave and Crystal for not only letting us into their home, but also for feeding us, giving us a tour, and for having the largest and most awesome cat ever (sorry Minty). We would have taken him home, but out trunk wasn't nearly big enough.
***NOTE*** Sorry for those really crappy camera phone photos. It's a crappy camera phone. Also, I had a much better shot of Fumi, but I lost it. Fumi, gomenasai! m(_ _)m ゴメンナサイ
