HEART ROCK of NO EVIL

[PV] monokuro - HARD ROCK,HEART ROCK

One could find this catchy little alt-rock number off monokuro's recently released album "CLASSIC". When watching this video, I can't really help but be reminded of (the pillows') Sawao Yamanaka's side-project THE PREDATORS. Stylistically speaking, both in terms of music and even visually, there are definitely some comparisons to be made. Makes sense, seeing as how monokuro is signed onto Sawao's DELICIOUS LABEL. Sawao was also responsible for producing monokuro's new album. Oh well, take it as you will and feel free to check them out if you like.

Let's see, yesterday was pretty eventful. Ended up going to Akihabara with Griffin and picking up a brand spankin' new DSi and a few games to go along with it. I ended up going with Ouendan 2 and the very necessary Kanji Sono Mama Rakubiki Jiten. Also had the chance to go to Mos Burger for the first time ever. At the time, they were promoting donut burgers. Yeah, weird I know. But, nonetheless, it was pretty delicious (albeit expensive as hell). Griffin decided to head back after that, and I ended up heading into Shibuya to do some extra research at Tower Records (AWESOME, right?) for a paper I have to write (and am currently procrastinating on) for my Japanese Popular Culture class. After spending about an hour or so there, I made my way over to Ebisu LIQUIDROOM for NO EVIL NIGHT.

I have to say NO EVIL NIGHT was pretty damn awesome and a great way to end the day. Firstly, I was pleasantly surprised by the set-up of LIQUIDROOM. The actual space itself was a bit bigger than O-NEST, but not up to the same size as STUDIO COAST so it still felt pretty cozy. MASS OF THE FERMENTING DREGS opened the show with about an hour-long set. Kicking it off with "She is inside,He is outside", the band pretty much went through most of the songs off both their self-titled and "WORLD IS YOURS". One thing I want to mention about this band is that bassist/vocalist Natsuko Miyamoto really looked like a Japanese Karen O (of Yeah Yeah Yeahs) at times, except with the demeanor of a cute Japanese schoolgirl. My only complaint at all about their performance was that the back half of the audience was pretty dead, which is a trend I'm starting to notice with more indie bands here.

Headliners MO'SOME TONEBENDER headed out about 10 mins after MOTFD finished up. Opening the show with "TIGER" (SO AWESOME), quickly followed by "You are Rock'n Roll" and "Unhappy New Age", it was pretty awesome and the entire crowd was definitely into it. The overall swagger that MO'SOME had the entire show definitely added to the fun factor. The band did break up the action with a couple slower songs, but, to be terribly honest, all they ended up doing was breaking up the pace of the show. All in all, it was a pretty fun experience though. Overall, I do have to say that it was one of the louder shows I've been to here though.

Alright, back to that paper that I should be writing.

-REG

Pride of the 1989 Marines

[PV] the pillows - 1989

Newest song from the famous Japanese power-pop/alternative-rock band the pillows set to be released in their upcoming compilation album "Rock stock & too smoking the pillows" in June. As some pillows fans have been quick to say, I have to agree that this probably has to be one of the best songs that the band has released the past few years. You can really feel the emotion in this song, especially as it comes to a close. The touching animated story that was created for the PV is such a great compliment to the song as well. Definitely looking forward to seeing them here in Japan next month when they hold their 20th anniversary tour.

Whoa, the last week has gone by pretty fast. Haven't really done too much. I did end up going to a Chiba Lotte Marine baseball game yesterday with a couple of friends. It was pretty fun. For me anyways, probably not so much for Marines fans as their team lost in pretty terrible fashion to the Saitama Seibu Lions (18-0 in their home stadium, ouch...) much to the disappointment of Griffin who had bet me 20 yen that they could score at least one point by the end of the game. Fun times either way, and it was interesting to see a Japanese baseball game after going to a few in America. There was an awesome fireworks show during the 5th inning, I think, and the cheering sections in particular were definitely very entertaining to watch.

Well, don't have too much planned in the near future. I will be going on the IES program trip to Okinawa in about a week and a half. Probably gonna try and pick up a new DS before the trip as I've been holding off on getting it for a while, and it'll be useful to have as a kanji dictionary and obviously the games. Ooh, I also got that MO'SOME TONEBENDER/MASS OF THE FERMENTING DREGS show at Ebisu LIQUIDROOM coming up next week, which should be hella fun. Yay.

-REG

Cloudy Skies on the Sound Festival

[PV] DOES - Donten (+ Shura + Subterranean Baby Blues)

The three-piece hard-rock/blues-rock band DOES is featured in this PV/live compilation that was put together on YouTube. The first song, "Donten" (which can be translated to "Cloudy Skies"), serves as a pretty good example of the type of music they generally put out. Almost minimalist in nature, the band serves up ridiculously simple yet catchy rock ballads, depending largely on the vocal stylings of vocalist/guitarist Ujihara Wataru to pull listeners in. I almost want to make comparisons to Nirvana in that regard. So depending on your opinion of the vocals, it will probably be very hit or miss. Also, before anybody bothers to point it out, yes, DOES has become pretty famous for their contributions to the hit anime Gintama.

Okay, time to go into my experience with the highly-anticipated Hibiki Rock Festival 2009 last Wednesday. I have to say for my first actual rock festival, it went pretty well. I also have to say that it went pretty differently than the other shows I've been to so far. The first difference, obviously, was the fact that it rained most of the day, which kinda sucked. It was also packed as the concert sold out (which prevented one of my friends from coming along unfortunately). It was weird seeing STUDIO COAST set up the way it was with food stands, a make-shift second stage outside, and all the people milling about. But, overall, it was definitely a blast.

I got to watch the entire set of te', THE BACK HORN, SPARTA LOCALS, and POLYSICS. Also caught a bit of sleepy.ab on the second stage. POLYSICS was definitely the highlight of the night, as the band always manages to bring out the energy in the crowd. They also manage to always bring out hardcore POLYSICS fans who cosplay in homemade POLYSICS outfits and start mini-mosh pits through a ring-around-the-rosey type move. Needless to say, it was really fun to take part in that. My only complaint was that the bands had way too short sets (~45mins or anywhere from 5-6 songs). I know this is probably because the event was only 6 hours long for 12 bands. But, it still left me wanting more by the end of it, even though I was exhausted.

Also, ended up spending tons of money. A warning for people going to lives in Japan, band t-shirts/merch are usually really expensive. I bought a POLYSICS tee, a SPARTA LOCALS tee, and a 9mm Parabellum Bullet baseball tee, which led to me spending around $70. I know I can justify it in my head, by saying I wouldn't have any other chance of getting those shirts without spending even more on shipping and what not. Either way, not spending that much on band merch again anytime soon...I hope.

-REG

Perfect Garden of AMAZINGNESS

[PV] People In The Box - Kanpekina Niwa

A song from People In The Box's latest mini-album "Bird Hotel", "Kanpekina Niwa" or "Perfect Garden" is an ironic choice for this post. (Details for that coming later.) I was able to get my hands on the album People In The Box released before this one, "Frog Queen", and, judging from that, I have to say that this song is very similar to their other works. Overall, People In the Box generally manage to find a suitable balance between creating a sound pleasant to the ear and a sound that can be interesting from a musical standpoint.

Now onto the irony. Just got back from the trip to Ashinoko Camp Mura. If you don't see the connection between a perfect garden and my trip, just Google image search it and you'll see what I mean. The area around the camp is just amazing to witness. The trip to and from the campsite was a bit long (~3 hours), but it just as amazing as the campsite itself as we got to ride a freakin gondola over the mountains and get the most amazing view of Mt. Fuji. I really have to stop saying amazing now, but that's how fun the trip was. Did I mention that the campsite was right next to a lake(?) and that there were "pirate ships" doing cruises?

Unfortunately, I didn't get to go on said pirate ship because I headed back a little earlier than the others on the trip. The reason for this was so that I could catch the VELTPUNCH/condor44 show in Shibuya. One of my classmates from IES, Brian, managed to catch the show with me, and I have to say a lot of things about the show caught me off guard:
1. In smaller venues, the bands strut in and out the main entrance like it's no big deal. I guess it's because they are more unknown. Either that or Japanese people are really good at holding in their rabid fan behavior.
2. The crowd was even deader than the band apart show. Me and a few others were the only people really getting into it when VELTPUNCH was playing. And even then it was only collective head-bobbing and/or slight movement.
3. VELTPUNCH played for only about an hour. And I didn't stay for condor44 due to my nonchalant feelings towards them and my desire to get back to the dorm at a reasonable time.
4. I totally forgot that there was a drink ticket charge. Thankfully, I didn't put my change pouch in the coinlocker at the time. But, I ended up looking like a concert noob. Awesome. [/sarcasm]
5. VELTPUNCH's Hidenori Naganuma (vocals/guitar) pulled an awesome stage antic move on the last song. ("Your corolla" for interested VELTPUNCH fans.) First, he jumped into the crowd. Then, he jammed out for a bit. Then, he handed his Stratocaster to a random fan who proceeded to jam out on it while Naganuma did his vocals for a good portion. Then, Naganuma took his guitar back and played the rest of the song up until the outro in the crowd. All I have to say is amazing.

Really looking forward to the rest of Golden Week now. Firefly + Serenity marathon with friends, reviewing my Japanese, maybe meeting up with Sabbanban, and, last but certainly not least, going to Hibiki Rock Festival. FUN.

-REG

Native Dancer vs Native

[PV] Sakanaction - Native Dancer

A song from Sakanaction's third (and latest) album "Shinshiro". Sakanaction is a new-wave/alternative rock band that has recently started to become popular in Japan over the last couple of years. And judging from the sound of "Native Dancer", it's pretty easy to see why. This accessible and catchy electro-pop tune really beckons comparisons to other hit artists both in America and Japan. The video's pretty entertaining too.

Osashiburi desu ne. Apologies for the long wait between entries this time around. It was tough to find a new video to post up and not a whole lot has been going on lately. Classes are (already) starting to become a blur. It's hard to believe that Golden Week is coming up next week. Don't really have any major plans for Golden Week. I might be heading to an onsen with some friends. I also know I'm planning on going to a couple shows in Tokyo during Golden Week. On the upside, I will be saving more money than if I went to someplace major like Korea or even Kyoto. Also, my parents gave the "OK" to go ahead and sign up for the trip to Okinawa that IES is doing at the end of next month. So, that'll be fun.

I guess the other news is that I recently was able to get a guitar from the Shimokura Secondhands guitar shop in Ochanomizu. ~$100 for a used guitar ain't half bad. Plus, over the past couple of weeks, I've been aching to have a guitar with me, so I can have something to do while I'm bored in my room. And now, I do. BTW, for those interested in the specifics, the guitar I got was an Aria Pro II MAGNA Series. [Pic] Fun.

-REG

P.S. More and more, I'm noticing how often I get mistaken for Japanese. Awesome.

Concert Ozis

[PV] mudy on the Sakuban - Ozis

PV of the song "Ozis" from the post-rock/instrumental band mudy on the Sakuban. On the first listen, I actually felt that mudy was ridiculously similar to their Japanese post-rock peers te'. But, after listening to them a bit more, there can be similarities in terms of the pace of their music. But the aesthetic feel of the bands is certainly different. Oh, and I particularly got a kick out of this video due to the fact that, unlike in America, those photo booths are EVERYWHERE. I mean, they are almost as common as vending machines over here.

Okay, now onto the (highly?) anticipated report on the concert I went to yesterday. First of all, I have to say that going to a show in Japan definitely feels different from shows in America. I showed up at the venue about an hour before the doors opened like most fans do in America. It's a good thing I did, not because there was a line of people (I'll get to that in a bit), but because they started selling band merch like t-shirts right outside the venue almost a few minutes after I got there. And then they stopped like half an hour later. Another thing that is pretty different that some of you might know about already is the fact that there is no line when it comes to getting into the venue. When you buy your ticket, you are assigned a number. The venue staff will then call you up by number when the doors open. (Hooray for practicing my Japanese numbers.) Also, this might not be the same for everyplace, but the venue I went to forced you to purchase a 500 yen drink ticket upon entering, which you could use at the bar for practically anything on the menu.

As for STUDIO COAST, it looked really nice on the outside, but it really wasn't as big as I expected. The actual size of the stage/floor was about the same as House of Blues (the last venue I went to in the States), but the neat thing is they had what seemed like metal separators (to prevent moshing perhaps?) in the floor. I ended up choosing a spot in the back, as I didn't want to get sucked up in the mosh pit that I was expecting to appear. But, when the show started, it really wasn't as bad as I thought at all. I almost regretted choosing a spot in the back, because all the people in the back were barely moving at all. Everyone seemed to have their own personal space for rocking out. The actual "moshing" seemed more like synchronized jumping and finger pointing. Now, I don't want to generalize the entire Japanese crowd as tame. It might have been because the band I was seeing wasn't a real punk/metal/"rock out" band. Either way, it was really fun, especially for someone like me who gets sick of dealing with the shovers and pushers of a normal American concert.

Oh, and for fans of the band apart, being able to see them live was amazing. When I got to see/hear the transition from "higher" to "amplified my sign" for the first time live, I really couldn't hide the smile on my face at all. Plus, now I totally understand the reason why bassist Hara Osakazu is such a fan favorite with his antics and sense of humor during his running dialogue with the crowd between songs. Getting cheered on for chugging water bottles sums it up pretty nicely. The ending of the first set was pretty cool too. Hara and drummer Kogure Eiichi did a fun little switcheroo during the outro of "beautiful vanity". The final encore of "K. and his bike" was also a nice touch.

Needless to say, I can't wait for the next show I get to go to. (Which is apparently VELTPUNCH and condor44. Nice.)

-REG

P.S. Doing much better in Japanese class now. Yay.

Who LOOKS YOU Why I DO

[PV] Base Ball Bear - Kamigami LOOKS YOU

Newest single from power pop band Base Ball Bear. Is it just me or do they use an acoustic in this song? And is it just me or does vocalist Yuusuke Koide sound ever so slightly different than usual? Well, either way, I always find it interesting that the band was actually originally an Oasis cover band, because I think you can hear the connections between Oasis and Base Ball Bear musically pretty clearly. This could be why they are oh so popular with the Japanese kiddies. It could also be the fact that their bassist Sekine Shiori was in the film "Linda Linda Linda". Also, yay for zombies.

First week of classes went good I have to say. Haven't exactly been doing the best in Japanese so far. Been struggling a bit on kanji dictations for no good reason. I will say that it has been a lot of fun in class, and I feel like I'm getting much better with speaking. The other classes I am taking on Japanese culture both seem interesting so far. (Contemporary Urban Society and Japanese Pop Culture, for those interested.) Not looking forward to the papers I am going to have to write on those classes though.

As for the weekend, I went to karaoke with a bunch of friends last night. T'was fun albeit a little more expensive than I thought. And today, I got to travel to Narita for the Taiko Matsuri (Japanese Drum Festival). Very fun. Got to eat quite possibly the best unagi (eel) that I've ever eaten. Also got to see the sights around Narita which I have to say was very nice. The temple that the festival was located in was complete with Buddhist shrines, waterfalls, koi (and a random mallard), and that is not even mentioning the actual performances by the taiko players. Good times.

-REG

P.S. My first concert in Japan is on this coming Wednesday. Impressions coming soon!