Turning It All Around

[PV] VOLA & THE ORIENTAL MACHINE - Turning Turning

Newest PV from VOLA & THE ORIENTAL MACHINE in support of their newest album "SA-KA-NA ELECTRIC DEVICE". This song demonstrates pretty well what the main changes that have been made from VOLA's previous sound, as the entire album is filled with a much stronger emphasis towards a synth-based, new-wave dance rock and moving away from the post-punk twin-guitars that had drawn me to VOLA in the first place. If I had known that they were going with this before I had seen them back in June, it might have made seeing them live a little less disappointing as most of their set was filled with the new songs off this album. But, yeah, ultimately, all I can say is that it's different. I know people say that change is good, but in my opinion, it's not necessarily better or worse in this case. Just different. Take it as you will.

As there isn't too much of significance that has been going on with me as of late (yet), I've decided to talk about something I forgot to mention in my last post. I found out last week that the Japanese band SPARTA LOCALS had announced they were going to break up next month. Initially, as with many other fans of the band, this came as quite a shock as the band was apparently in the midst of recording a new album. Many people believed that the future of the band was looking bright. It seemed like they had recovered from losing one of the founding members, drummer Akihito Nakayama. They had a pretty successful return to indie grace as they released a generally accepted album "Leecher". They had just toured the US for the first time this year, with SXSW's Japan Nite Tour. Plus, judging from my experiences with seeing them live in Japan, it seemed like they would go on for a good number of years. But, it seems like the exit of Nakayama has caught up to them. While the band has not released an official reason for its breakup, it was pretty obvious for everyone that the essence of the band changed a bit after his departure. Whether for better or for worse is debatable, but, regardless of opinion, one of the premier bands in the Japanese indie world and one of the first Japanese indie bands I got into is ending. We can only hope that the members of SPARTA LOCALS will find other promising projects to join or start.

-REG

Work Diary

[PV] BUGY CRAXONE - Cheeseburgers Diary

One of the songs from the punk band BUGY CRAXONE off their recently released best-of. Really fun/interesting PV. The list is obviously of likes/interests of members of the band, but some of the people that were mentioned on the list were quite surprising like Gus Van Sant, Bob Greene, and Michael J. Fox of all people. And, as many fans have been quick to point out, vocalist/guitarist Yukiko Suzuki looks quite cute sporting the bob cut. Now, I'm disappointed I didn't get to see them while I was in Tokyo. I had an opportunity, but it was on the day of a midterm for a class.

So yeah, it's been quite busy for me lately. I've been picking up more shifts at the restaurant. While it'll be nice to earn back some of the money that I spent in Japan, part of me really wants to just take it easy in the two weeks before school starts. I've been researching a bit on graduate schools and other programs like JET and whatnot for when I finish school this coming December. It's making me anxious to get it over with and also quite sad that my college career is coming to an end. Hooray for uncertainty concerning my future. Now off to work, again! [/short entry]

-REG

Froggy Friends

[PV] Veni Vidi Vicious - Sekai ha Kaeru

This quirky/wacky stop-motion video is of one of the newer Veni Vidi Vicious songs off their recently released first mini-album "I Like Beethoven. Especially His Lyrics." As you can easily tell from the band's name and their music, one of their major influences is The Hives. Continuing in the garage punk stylings of that famous Swedish band, this band has been making some noise lately in the Japanese indie rock world.

The past week has been pretty normal. Been working a bit at the restaurant, filling in for my mom while she's been visiting family in Hong Kong. Some of the highlights include the send-off party for Jimmy. There was also a little birthday party held for me by some of the restaurant staff.

Jimmy's send-off party/concert was pretty fun. After work that day, I met up with Jimmy beforehand to catch up and show him all the stuff I was giving him for his trip. Soon after that, we met up with a bunch of the other people who were going and we headed off to the Middle East. It was the first time I had been in the Middle East Downstairs and I have to admit, I was a bit surprised as to the size of the space. It was pretty enormous. Soon after getting a few drinks at the bar, the first band headed up on stage. It was the all-girl band Bad Girlfriend. And boy, were they bad. We're talking, insanely simple 2-3 chord, same lyrics over and over, and no lead guitar bad. I have a feeling the only reasons they were on the tour is their looks and their relationship with the frontman of We Are Scientists. He actually filled in as their drummer during their set.

After Bad Girlfriend finished their way-too-long set, Bear Hands got on. And I have to say, I really liked them. Had a real post-punk/Modest Mouse feel to their sound at times. Real interesting to listen to. It wasn't until almost midnight that We Are Scientists hit the stage, so unfortunately, we had to cut it a bit early, as I had to drive a few people places before heading home. But, definitely a great way to send off Jimmy to Japan. I really hope he has a great time during his orientation in Shinjuku and ultimately his placement in JET. Hopefully, I'll be able to do something similar when my school time is over come this December.

Oh, and as for the other notable event, a bunch of people at work threw my a mini-birthday party. All that pretty much happened was me coming in, getting a cake made out of sushi created for me (AWWWEESOMEE), getting a real cake, and getting a few drinks while I was at in. Cool stuff. It was a nice relaxing birthday for me. Oh, and I got a nice call from Michelle. (WHICH WAS AWESOME.)

-REG

Overflowing Feelings

[PV] lego big morl - Afureru

The latest single from the indie rock band lego big morl. Musical comparisons could be made to other Japanese acts such as UNCHAIN and NICO Touches the Walls as the band is focused on creating a melodically-driven pop-punk sound. Feel free to check 'em out if it tickles your fancy.

So yeah, been a while, eh? Just got back from my trip to California a couple of days ago. Spent a crazy amount of time unpacking all my stuff, but I can't help but reflect on how awesome my time was in California. Got to spend a lot more time with Michelle. Plus I got the opportunity to explore San Francisco, meet up with a bunch of family members that I haven't seen in a while, and meet some of Michelle's friends. I do wish I got to do more stuff in LA, but it was still a definite fun experience.

Kind of crazy when you consider all the stuff I have to do during the time until school starts. I get to start looking into my options after school ends. Plus, I have to brush up on my Japanese. And, I get to work a couple of shifts at the restaurant, which will be weird to get used to again. Speaking of which, I actually should be getting ready for my dinner shift tonight, so I hate to cut this short. Hopefully, I'll post a more meaningful post next time.

-REG

Bright Ending

[PV] Far France - Burebura

One of the songs off the band Far France's latest album "AHYARANKE". Upon first impressions, I thought Far France sounded pretty similar to the band monobright. But, as I listened to more of their music, while some of it is similar, they certainly take many more risks and therefore have a much more interesting sound than monobright. You also have to admire the dedication of being hit by paint in order to make an awesome video. So, by all means, I'd recommend checking them out if you are interested.

Yeah, this is going to be a much shorter post than usual. Not really a whole lot has been going on lately. Finishing up my semester here in Japan. Just took my Japanese final yesterday, which went well. (Hopefully.) All I have left to do is a presentation for Japanese tomorrow and a 5-page double-spaced paper for Japanese Urban Society. Shouldn't be so bad. Really can't believe I'm so close to being done. I do have mixed feeling about this. On the one hand, I feel like I'm just getting used to living in Japan and could go for a few more months to explore places that I haven't done so nearly enough. Also, the fact that Nano-Mugen Festival takes place mere days after I leave and most of the major summer rock festivals take place within the same month doesn't help things either. But, on the other hand, I have started to miss home. Plus, there's always the fact that I'll be seeing my girlfriend upon my return to the States. (Something that I'm GREATLY looking forward to.) So, yeah, mixed feelings. But, overall, I have to say it's been a great 3-4 months. Expensive, sure. Slightly uncomfortable at times, of course. But, an overall great experience.

And to answer what some of you might be wondering, yes, I will be continuing this blog after I get back. It might take me a while to start it back up again, seeing as how I'll probably be a bit preoccupied in California with Michelle. But, it's gonna happen.

-REG

Go to the Ghost of Nonfiction

[PV] susquatch - Ghost

A song off the relatively recently released full-length album "In This World" by the indie rock band susquatch. It's their first full-length, but the band already shows an incredible amount of depth in their music. Blending the musicality of post-rock/shoegaze and the airy and reflective tone in their vocals ultimately creates a sound that reminds me of other post-emo bands such as the defunct Bluebeard. So, if that tips your fancy, I recommend checking them out.

Yeah, a bunch has happened since my last entry. So much so, that I'm not fully confident that I can tell all of it properly in the limited amount of time I have to make this entry. (Technically, I'm supposed to be working on my final papers/midterm I still haven't handed in yet. But you know how that went obviously.) Anyways, I've gone to two different concerts since the last post. I'll start with seeing lostage on the finale of their tour for the recently released album "GO".

I'm not going to lie, lostage was pretty average to me. CLUB QUATTRO was a pretty nifty venue. The sound was pretty nicely set-up. The only complaint I have in regard to the venue is that the drink menu leaves something to be desired. I ended up going with a couple of kids from my program and, don't get me wrong, a good time was had by all. But, even though lostage played a lot of the songs that I liked from their recent releases such as "SUNDAY" and "Bonyuu", something felt missing from the performance. Then, I realized what it was.

Most of the songs that lostage ended up playing were from "DRAMA" onwards. I spend a good portion of the show, waiting/hoping for the band to push back a little further and perhaps play a song like "TELEVISION CITY" or to even a song like "DIG", which would be quite fun and energy-filled. But, it never happened. This ended up making the whole performance sound really..."same"-y. I mean, there were cool moments like bassist/vocalist Gomi Takahisa doing some stage diving. But, overall, the hard-hitting energy that drew me to lostage in the first place seemed absent. I mean, I guess I should have seen it coming, seeing as even though "GO" had some really nice tunes, it wasn't really all that hard-hitting either. Oh, by the way, I totally witnessed other gaijin besides me and my friends at this particular show. And, one of them totally took pictures of the band on stage with her cellphone. (In Japan, in most cases, you're not allowed to take pictures at live shows.) Needless to say, I was pretty peeved that she was doing it, getting away with it, and that I had no chance in hell to get away with it if I tried. Being Asian in a predominately Asian country can really suck sometimes.

Okay, onto Base Ball Bear at their show dubbed "Hibiya Nonfiction". I actually was kind of really late to this show, just making it in time before it started. But, I have to say that even though I didn't really have time to enjoy the view of the park so much as I was running to the venue, Hibiya Park is really nice. If you didn't know, the live took place at the Hibiya Open-Air Concert Hall, which is in the middle of Hibiya Park. Well, I eventually made it and I have to say it was ridiculously packed. This shouldn't have come to that much of a surprise, seeing as how Base Ball Bear is the most famous band (at least in Japan) that I've seen during my time here. But, I kind of wish I had made it there earlier so I could have gotten a better view. Either way, I've definitely never seen so many Japanese people doing the whole "synchronized pointing" thing at once. The band went through most of their hit songs and some older ones such as "YUME is VISION". They also played some new songs. (As in unreleased songs.) It was definitely fun to see them live. I was also able to get a view gifts for friends back home. Unfortunately, I decided to leave just a little early, so as to make it back at a reasonable time. So, I only was able to catch up to the second encore, which was pretty cool. Ended with "Matsuri no Ato".

Anyways, thus ends my experience with concerts in Japan. It has definitely been a pretty cool experience going to shows here. It should make for a good final paper for my Popular Culture class. (That's right, I'm writing about all this stuff for an academic paper. Kickass.) Hard to believe I only have about 2 weeks left here. But, it should be a fun time, at least after all my work is done. God only knows when that is going to happen.

-REG

Curly Ecstasy in the Mashed Machine

[PV] mothercoat - Curly Mash

Newest song from the indie rock band mothercoat off their first full-length album "Patchwork Shiki". The only other song that I've listened to from them was "galileo" off of the album "interphone", so I have to say I was pleasantly surprised to hear this one. It is much more of a playful and quirky indie pop song that borders on experimental/post-rock. It really reminds me of the song "STROBOLIGHTS" by SUPERCAR. The tone of the music carries through into the video as well, which is nice.

Apologies for the lateness in updating. It's been tough finding new things to post on. Plus, it's been getting kind of crazy busy with all the midterms and the upcoming finals. Ugh. Anyways, I'm sure some of you are wondering how my "ECSTACY IN THE MACHINE" show went. It went, um, swimmingly? Yeah, even though I had a paper and a presentation to do the following day, it's probably the most at ease I've felt at the Japanese concerts I've been going to. And by at ease, I mean not feeling totally awkward while desperately trying to figure out what I'm supposed to be doing.

In any case, LIQUIDROOM was nice as usual. A funny moment in the beginning was when Ahito Inazawa (the frontman of VOLA) made his way to the DJ booth to run it for a bit and, when people noticed it was him, all of girls got crazy excited and practically bum-rushed the booth. It was kind of funny to see how even Inazawa has rabid fangirls. It really seemed less of actual DJing though, and more of "Inazawa picks random songs he likes and he dances to them. If you like them, you can dance too". But, yeah, eventually, the opening band you're gold, i'm pink made their way to the stage. Can't say I really liked them at all. It was cool that the band had a bit of variety in their instruments. But, they had too much of a unrefined pop sound that ended up reminding me of a Hanson-type band that depends far too much on their looks and their soft and whiny harmonies.

After you're gold, i'm pink finished their short set, Riki Kinoshita from ART-SCHOOL had his turn on the DJ booth while VOLA set up. It was pretty much the same thing as when Inazawa ran the booth. But, I thought it was pretty awesome that Kinoshita picked both "SUNDAY" by lostage and "Coin Laundry" by OGRE YOU ASSHOLE during his DJ session. I was pretty into those two songs. Anyways, eventually, VOLA started their set. I'm not going to lie, I was a bit disappointed. I know this is going to sound bad, but I really dislike it when bands just play new songs and don't play any of the songs that they are known for. It leaves me trying to listen to the new songs and not getting into it as much. It didn't help that I wasn't really liking the way the new songs were sounding. There was way too much of Inazawa just dancing and not enough of the delicious twin guitar licks of the past. The one saving grace was that the set was started with "self-defense" moving into "An imitation's superstar". The closing of the set with "Mexico Pub" was pretty awesome too. But, seriously, no "A communication refusal desire" and no "Principle of machine" made me sad.

As I had that long paper and presentation due the following day, I decided that it would be best if I had left after VOLA. My sincere apologies to those who were interested in seeing how ART-SCHOOL was. But, anways, onto the crazy concert week that includes Base Ball Bear, lostage, and possibly even more. Yay. (Also, onto finals. Boo.)

-REG