Japanese Music Is Some Kind Of Awesome

[ourchair]

A thread where all of us can post about really awesome Japanese music.

Well okay, by "us" I mean mostly ME, but hey don't let that stop all of yous from throwing in your own pimpage of pure awesomeness from that pop cultural superpower of a dinky little country.

GO!GO!7188​

Right now, the band I keep coming back to is GO!GO!7188, which is a very talented trio of rockers --- Yuu Nakashima on guitar, Akko Hamada on bass and "Turkey" Hosokawa on drums. They are a rock group that draws influences from surf rock, 60s psychedelia, punk and um... enka ballad music (which is basically 'country' music in Japan). Neither Hamada or Nakashima is particularly pretty, so unlike Anna Tsuchiya, Olivia Lufkin or Shiina Ringo, they can't exactly coast on being good-looking.

They started out in 2000, and eight years later they're still rocking awesome. At first glance, they look like another girl rock band, but once you've dug into their material further you'll notice they're musicians first and foremost. Yuu knows how to do some mean solo/bridge work, and Turkey's drumming is inventive and crazy fast.

Suponji Wiki puts it best:

As old-school a rock trio as you're going to find in Japan nowadays ... their style is that of a classic rock outfit, and their focus lies in creating simple but intelligent songs without the aid of extensive production, samples or effects. Much of the group's work is composed solely for guitar, bass, drums and vocals, giving them a naturalistic sound.

Anyway, here be some videos:

"Aoi Kiretsu" from their 2004 album Ryuzetsuran.
[youtube]RL_lbLap2uM[/youtube]

"Kimi Dake ni Ai Wo" from their 2002 'covers' album Tora no Ana.
[youtube]RafuD7JP6LY[/youtube]

Also, GO!GO!7188's most awesome live track EVER:

http://www.stage6.com/LULU-Street/video/1637765/GO!GO!7188---Rock

Watch out for the really awesome guitar masturbation at 4:01.

 

[Iceshadow]

I like the first video, but the second is kinda meh for me.

I like this song "To the center of the sun" by some band called Bivattche (sorry I couldn't find a better video).

[youtube]3s5WiOPsuPc[/youtube]

 

[ourchair]

I like the first video, but the second is kinda meh for me.

Interesting. I posted it because it was fun rocking more than the crazy 60s ish insanity of their earlier work.

I would have posted the videos from their first album, but I thought people would run away from their scary unglamorous faces.

I didn't really care much for the song, but I ended up running a few searches and going around the various J-rock databases.

The name of the band is Bivattchee, and I actually like the music that plays on their official website. Very fun 60s garage like sound.

 

[Iceshadow]

Interesting. I posted it because it was fun rocking more than the crazy 60s ish insanity of their earlier work.

It would probably help if I could understand the lyrics.

I would have posted the videos from their first album, but I thought people would run away from their scary unglamorous faces.

I didn't really care much for the song, but I ended up running a few searches and going around the various J-rock databases.

The name of the band is Bivattchee, and I actually like the music that plays on their official website. Very fun 60s garage like sound.

I'm checking it out now, I like.

 

[Jaggyd]

I freely admit, I got sucked into the whole Visual Kei thing myself.

 

[Random]

I really do like Japenese music, mainly because the language is so different and I don't understand, I listen on another level

 

[ourchair]

I freely admit, I got sucked into the whole Visual Kei thing myself.

*pat pat*

It's okay.

I have come to the conclusion that I cannot completely trust any recommendation of a Japanese rock group if the members are good looking. Especially girl rock groups... which is why I still haven't given fra-foa a listen no matter how many times last.fm recommends them to me.

Which pretty much relegates me to the Japanese indie rock scene, and not really being able to relate to what everyone else listens to like say High and Mighty Color or Acid Black Cherry, but STILL.

Also, GO!GO!7188's most awesome live track EVER:

http://www.stage6.com/LULU-Street/video/1637765/GO!GO!7188---Rock

Watch out for the really awesome guitar masturbation at 4:01.

 

[ourchair]

Things that are awesome in a rock video:

Shiny confetti and smoke machines.

Girls with headphones.

Guitars being thrown in slow motion.

Guitar picks and audio jacks spinning also in slow motion.

[youtube]RbCb0EcpeF8[/youtube]

Higher quality version here.

 

[Jaggyd]

*pat pat*

It's okay.

I have come to the conclusion that I cannot completely trust any recommendation of a Japanese rock group if the members are good looking. Especially girl rock groups... which is why I still haven't given fra-foa a listen no matter how many times last.fm recommends them to me.

How nice and condescending of you. I do happen to enjoy a wide range of music, please forgive me for the occasional enjoyment of fluff.

 

[Ice]

The Pillows FTW! :rockon:

 

[Random]

The Pillows FTW! :rockon:

Verily

 

[moonmaster]

Things that are awesome in a rock video:

Shiny confetti and smoke machines.

Girls with headphones.

Guitars being thrown in slow motion.

Guitar picks and audio jacks spinning also in slow motion.

[youtube]RbCb0EcpeF8[/youtube]

Higher quality version here.

Don't forget the random, flashing lights.

The Pillows FTW! :rockon:

HELL YES.

 

[Iceshadow]

Things that are awesome in a rock video:

Shiny confetti and smoke machines.

Girls with headphones.

Guitars being thrown in slow motion.

Guitar picks and audio jacks spinning also in slow motion.

[youtube]RbCb0EcpeF8[/youtube]

Higher quality version here.

Funnily enough I have heard that song before, I like it.

 

[ourchair]

How nice and condescending of you. I do happen to enjoy a wide range of music, please forgive me for the occasional enjoyment of fluff.

It's not condescension, it happens to all of us. You're ALWAYS in my book of awesome when it comes to Japanophilia.

And I for one would NEVER pretend that I don't enjoy fluff.

Funnily enough I have heard that song before, I like it.

I think it was used in the anime Bleach, but I've never watched it.

 

[Iceshadow]

I think it was used in the anime Bleach, but I've never watched it.

Yeah that's where I first heard it.

 

[Iceshadow]

I'm kinda digging the Stance Punks right now. I first heard them back when I started watching Naruto, and I enjoy the energy they put into their songs.

[youtube]4UAi1SEXtV8&feature=related[/youtube]

[youtube]Q1DVeZitmCI&feature=related[/youtube]

[youtube]UCUTYLXEvAM[/youtube]

 

[Entropy]

I probably should listen to more Japanese music. My fluency extends to Boris and not much further, and I don't think they really count.

 

[Iceshadow]

I probably should listen to more Japanese music. My fluency extends to Boris and not much further, and I don't think they really count.

Who's Boris?

 

[ourchair]

Who's Boris?

Underground metal act with a constantly changing sound, varying from hardcore punk aesthetic to drone metal to blues rock inspiration. Anglophonic critics note that they seem to be influenced by groups like Motörhead, and Cream.

Interestingly, one can determine the sound of a Boris album depending on the casing. If its in uppercase, then it is conventional metal/rock. If it appears in lowercase, it is meant to be an experimental record.