& Others
--One-shot CD reviews (F-L)--
| FIRESTARTER | ||
| Fifi--vocal & guitar Fink--guitar & vocal Sammy--bass & bg vocal Jimbo--drums & bg vocal |
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Firestarter -- (40:48) -- (2000) -- Mangrove Label -- root-072CD | |
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| Arising from the ashes of TEENGENERATE, FIRESTARTER surprised me! The brilliant cover of ‘Do Anything You Wanna Do’ says it all. This is the best record GENERATION X never made. It’s got that early punk sound, with sparkling leads, and a nice pop vocal gloss. TEENGENERATE’s garage punk is gone. In the pictures, Sammy’s got a 20/20 T-shirt on, and that influence is there, but FIRESTARTER has more of the punk attitude in their sound. If you like it, you’ll love it, ‘cause the consistency is startlingly strong. Every song is an energetic blast of pop/punk as fresh and shiny as new boots. | ||
| FLAMENCO A GO GO | |
| Satomi Asano--vocal & kazoo Fusae Oyanagi--guitar Wakana Katsuta--drums & bg vocal Ryosuke Izuhara--bass |
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Early Days -- (16:42) -- (1992) -- Benten Label -- BNTN-014 1. Flamenco A Go Go |
| FLAMENCO A GO GO were three women and one guy in a good, fun, rockin’ band. Ryosuke Izuhara wrote the songs. They’re sung in English; they’re adventurous; they’re pleasingly clever; and they couldn’t be pretentious if they tried. Their first CD’s production is wanting, but the songs are so strong, I recommend everything this band did. Between this and Fully Fed Freaks (their 2nd CD), I like these songs better, and the less raucous nature of the band here presents them as a celebration of adolescent fun! They’ve left us something well worth remembering. | |
| GASOLINE | |
| Gan--vocal & guitar Shuhei Rock--drums & bg vocal Hiroshi Hell--bass & bg vocal |
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Take It To The People -- (37:54) -- (2002) -- Estrus Records -- ES1021D (U.S, Release)
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| There is a surprising soulfulness to this rockin’ mania. They nail both R&B grooves and guitar freak-outs. Earlier, GASOLINE didn’t quite pull off either believably, but managed to throw a good rockin’ party. Here they have the mania in spades. All three members of GASOLINE are technically very good, and somehow, their occasional sloppiness works both to give them the soulfullness they seem to desire, and an inspired mania, as if things are just beginning to spin out of control. The last four tracks come from an earlier 7" where the band sounds quite over the top, even out of bounds. | |
| GITOGITO HUSTLER | |
| Yago--vocal & guitar Mitsuko--guitar Tae--bass Fusa--drums |
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Gitogito Galore -- (16:21) -- (2005) -- Gearhead Records -- RPM058 (U.S. release)
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| Like rock? Then the only reason not to like Gitogito Galore would be an aversion to cuteness. GITOGITO HUSTLER scored a U.S. label, and have laid down some of their best tracks yet. They rock hard, their hooks are classic, and they sound deliriously happy. The musicianship sparkles. Everyone shines. Best of all, their songwriting and arrangements are worth getting excited about. ‘Hyper’, a favorite from the live show, is brilliant. The slower ‘Sunflower’, a magnificent pop song, shows their range. For your own good, you need to let GITOGITO HUSTLER kick your ass! They’ll do it with a smile! | |
| GO BANGS | ||
| Kaori Moriwaka--vocal & bg vocal Mitsuko Saitoh--drums, percussion & bg vocal Misa Tanishima--bass & bg vocal |
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Samantha -- (57:49) -- (1991) -- Pony Canyon -- PCCA-00226 | |
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| You’ll need a sweet tooth to enjoy this sugary pop treat, but the songs are well written, and surprisingly diverse. There’s even a song celebrating punk rockers, listing, and imitating, some of their favorites. A high energy level is regularly reached, but it’s all so joyful it seems aimed at 5-10 year olds. Sassy is as punky as these girls get, but the rich production and support musicians give them a big field to play in, and they make good use of it. I own many of their CDs, but this is easily my favorite because of the playful punk/new wave flavors. | ||
| GRAPVINE | |
| Kazumasa Tanaka--vocal & guitar Hiroyoshi Nishikawa--guitar Makoto Nishihara--bass Toru Kamei--drums |
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Flowers Of Boredom -- (48:02) -- (1998) -- Pony Canyon -- PCCA-01201
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| Every song here is luxuriously beautiful in a very ‘70s Beatlesque way. I knew GRAPEVINE had a great record in them, and this one has completely won me over. Hoppy Kamiyama adds some spicy flavorings on three songs, but each song has the kind of maturity and beauty that rock bands only rarely achieve, and even fewer maintain for an entire recording. Friends noticed a resemblance in the vocal styles of Kazumasa Tanaka and Sho Wada of TRICERATOPS. It’s a shared John Lennon influence. The melancholia is enveloped and dissipated by the warm richness of the sounds. | |
| GREEN MILK FROM THE PLANET ORANGE | |
| dead k--vocal & guitar A--drums, keyboards & vocal T--bass & whistle |
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City Calls Revolution -- (73:34) -- (2005) -- Beta-lactam Ring Records -- mt108a (U.S. release)
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| If this is progressive rock, as they claim, they’ve taken it into a new dimension of psychosis, which, apparently, is just what it needed. The playing is top-notch and energetic. The singer sounds sincerely demented. Each of these songs takes you on an elaborate journey, and they don’t care if you ever get back to where you started from. Honestly, I don’t like progressive rock, but I like to hear people stretching the boundaries. GREEN MILK FROM THE PLANET ORANGE are an accomplished trio, who seem to design their music to stretch the listener’s self-imposed limits. Go ahead! Take the trip! | |
| GUINNY VAMPS | |
| Keiko Ono--vocal Emiko Shirasaki--guitar Misono Shimizu--guitar Kana Sakai--drums |
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Snake Lane -- (32:43) -- (1994) -- Riot Label -- RICD-002
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| Every song here rocks, and at a good clip, too. The title song goes for a CRAMPS sound, and does it justice. The vocals are innovative and ballsy. Hell, it’s all pretty damn ballsy, and it’s four women putting this engine through its laps. I don’t miss the bass at all. Fact is, I thought they had one till I checked, ‘cause the bottom’s there. It’s all there! The songs are good. The playing’s good. Variety? It’s all one sound, but they put it through enough changes to keep me tuned in. It should be pumping out of a car-stereo, ‘cause it moves! | |
| GYOGUN REND’S | |||
| Hurricane “Patch”--guitar & vocal Hiro “King”--bass & bg vocal Tommy “The Kid”--drums & bg vocal |
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Ending Tumblin’ -- (138:00) -- (2002) -- King Record Co. Ltd. -- KICS 946/7 | ||
| Disc One: Live at Doors (January 22, 2002) | Disc Two: Best | ||
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| I’d heard of GYOGUN REND’S, a leading light in the Japanese underground garage scene, but this is the first CD of theirs I’ve managed to get my hands on. It’s a celebration of their ten year career. Though definitely in the garage mode, they had a lot more ‘60s beat group/R&B influences than most, with an even more hopped-up and rowdy DR. FEELGOOD approach. The collection of their recordings is well worth having, but the live disc is the one that makes it plain what a great and classic band they were. Together, the two discs are a great introduction to a great rockin’ band. | |||
| HAL FROM APOLLO ‘69 | |
| Hal--vocal Takahisa Yamada--guitar & programming |
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Pyramid Of Venus -- (26:32) -- (1994) -- Toshiba/EMI -- TOCT-8546
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| This band gets better the further back into their history you go. Filled with pre-Christmas tension, this CD relaxed me with gentle, but rich, techno magic. Bass and keyboards support the guitar and programming which make up the sound. Even when the rhythm pounds, there is a soothing quality that calms as it intoxicates. Hal’s vocals don’t impress, but they certainly charm. They play it cool, while the beautiful music warms and seduces you. I haven’t felt this much warmth in their music before. It’s pop, yet mature. Future listens will reward, as they unveil the richness of its many layers. | |
| HAVANA EXOTICA | |
| Madam J--vocal Sugar Yoshinaga--guitar & bg vocal Nõnõl--bass & bg vocal Chari--drums & bg vocal |
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Love Ga Daiji (Love Is Important) -- (27:41) -- (1990) -- Yoroshita Music, Inc. -- MDCT-99003
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| Sugar Yoshinaga and Yumiko Ohno, who is Nõnõl, later formed BUFFALO DAUGHTER. This band came first, achieved some success, releasing several CDs and later brought electronics into their arsenal. The sound, though, seemed to get gentler and sweeter as it expanded. Here, in the early days they’re working with a simpler rock/funk format, featuring well developed vocal arrangements. Sugar and Yumiko already have chops, and cook things up tastily on some of these tracks. HAVANA EXOTICA eventually morphed into BUFFALO DAUGHTER, whose sound is still changing today. | |
| HIGE | |
Yuki Saito--guitar & piano Koichi “Koteisui” Sato--percussion |
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Thank You, Beatles -- (29:27) -- (2005) -- Speedstar Records -- VICL-61639
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| Certainly, THE BEATLES deserve whatever thanks they’re still getting, but if you’re looking for BEATLES influences here, you’d be out of luck. Strangely enough, though, I do hear some OASIS influence. That’s not a put-down, though actually, HIGE seems to have a broader range of sounds than that BEATLES influenced band. So, though most of it doesn’t kick my ass, overall, it’s good solid product by a savvy and very clever band. The riffs and vocals are classy, sassy, and rockin’, and the producer has done a good job of taking their surprisingly wide range and tossing in a few nice twists of his own. | |
| HOOVER’S OOOVER | |
Masami Iwasawa--vocal & guitar Masato Koga--drums |
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Futoushiki To Sono Kai (Inequation And Its Solution) -- (34:56) -- (2007) -- 3Watt Records -- LTDC-096
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Masami Iwasawa has a delightful voice that is known for the speed she can rattle off her lyrics. Her band has changed some, but here they put a nice spin on her clever pop songs. After hearing a few songs you can almost predict the way she’ll sing the next line, and that may account for some of her charm, but she can surprise. The songs are generally peppy, sweet, and there’s a wholesome sincerity involved. I can’t think of another pop band that’s charmed me as quickly and consistently as HOOVER’S OOOVER has, and until I hear a better one, this is my favorite of their releases. |
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| INVISIBLEMAN’S DEATHBED | |
| Deathbed--vocal & guitar Masayuki Takeda--guitar Keita Nishii--bass Daisuke Miyano--drums |
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Seishun No Satetsu (Setback Of Youth) -- (39:38) -- (2002) -- Blitz ¥ Pia Records -- BPCA-1011
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| Deathbed’s vocals are distinctly individual, and always passionate. It’s the most consistent aspect of the band. Musically they range over a wide spectrum of pop structures and hooks, psychedelic guitar effects and instrumentals, with a good amount of pounding rock. It’s a mature, thoughtful sound created by technically adept musicians who seem to be on a quest, exploring a new world as they create it and push to broaden its horizons. There’s a minute of silence at the end of the disc, and it feels a well deserved moment for reflection. | |
| JET BOYS | ||
| Onoching--guitar & vocal Kazuo--drums & bg vocal Kodama--bass & bg vocal |
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Jet Patrol!! -- (35:48) -- (2004) -- Discus Co., Ltd. -- DLJP-2001 | |
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| My first JET BOYS CD, and it’s so stupid, it’s smart! It’s straight punk rock, stripped down to the basics. The band is tight. The guitar playing is better than it needs to be. Hell, it’s better than it deserves to be! Fact is, even in this stripped-down punkoid state, there are sly pop hooks that comment subversively, yet positively, on the sweetness and innocence of youth. The booklet contains a comic, the lyrics, pictures of the JET BOYS, and even pics of lusty women. Buy this CD! Invite your friends! Have a party! Annoy the neighbors! It’s rock! It’s energy! It’s exciting! It’s stupid and smart! It’s fun! | ||
| JITTERIN’ JINN | |
| Reiko Harukawa--vocal & piano Jinta Hashi--guitar, harmonica & bg vocal Miyuki Irie--drums & bg vocal Matsuzo Urata--bass |
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Punch Out -- (34:00) -- (1990) -- Nippon Colombia Co. Ltd. -- COCA-6645
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| This is an early release by a band that, considering its uniqueness, was surprisingly successful. They released a few records that did well, took a number of years off, and then surprised everyone by reforming and having more success. They’re two men, and two women (vocal and drums). Their roots are rockabilly, but the beat is often more uptempo than you’d expect. Technically they’re all very good, but the playing modestly serves the lively, and well-crafted songs, whose honesty, energy, and quirky simplicity surprises and delights. | |
| JUDY AND MARY | |
| Yuki--vocal Takuya Asanuma--guitar & bg vocal Yoshihito Onda--bass, bg vocal, keyboards & percussion Kohta Igarashi--drums, percussion & bg vocal |
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J•A•M -- (37:39) -- (1994) -- Epic/Sony Records -- ESCB 1466
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| This was the first (my favorite) release by a classic band that have called it quits. They named themselves “glamour punks”, and were a talented bunch, technically, and in their songcraft. The songs bounce about in an adrenaline craze, but the writing and Yuki’s vocals are so sweet, they put a pop sheen on top that’ll make anyone smile. Their next, Orange Sunshine, in the same vein, is just as wonderful. Their sound matured. Their range and subtlety increased, but they left behind some of the energy, excitement, and sheer joy of this release. | |
| KAZHA | |
| Kazuha Oda--vocal Hideki Matsushige--guitar Yota Sato--bass Rui Aranai--drums |
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Overture -- (36:52) -- (2010) -- OzzOn Japan Co., Ltd. -- 21057-1
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Overture is dignified classic rock with Kazuha Oda’s gentle vocals enticing us on. Her vocals could have been enriched, but they're beautiful as they are, and with the hint of fragility, there’s room for the wondrous rock band behind her to shine. Hideki Matsushige spins out guitar lines that enrich the songs, and the rhythm section dramatically lays the structure that Kazuha and Hideki build their songs upon. It's a rich release with a variety of sounds from romantic love songs, to powerful rock songs that will shoot above the heads of the party crowd, but are sure to charm yearning hearts. |
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| KEGAWA NO MARIES | ||
| Fujio Fujiyama--drums & bg vocal Kazuma Koshikawa--guitar & piano Ryohei Shima--vocal, guitar, blues harp & tambourine Hiroko Kurimoto--bass & bg vocal |
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Gloomy -- (50:14) -- (April 8, 2009) -- Jesus Records/Sputniklab Inc. -- JRSP-002 | |
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| This CD’s a glorious mess! I love it! They open and close with soft accoustic numbers. Their singer can sing when he wants to, but often sounds like he’s playing at being a punk, by whining through a tin can. They blatantly rip off BEATLES’ riffs, and then go haywire, as if only half the band ever heard the songs before. Respect or disrespect? I can’t tell, but I love the attitude. They’re accomplished musicians, but obviously don’t give a shit! It’s surprising! It’s hilarious! I was expecting another Tokyo punk band. KEGAWA NO MARIES are that, and the devil’s jokers on hallucinatory drugs, as well. | ||
| LIN CLOVER | |
| Ren--bass Nao--guitar Yuri--vocal |
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Slumber -- (47:50) -- (2007) -- JapanFiles.com
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| Slumber is assembled from LIN CLOVER’s three releases so far. It holds together well. It feels like a whole. There’s a strong support drummer involved. The music is dark and off-centered. Yuri’s vocals make attempts at beauty, but sometimes appear to be just off-handed comments on the strangeness of the world. The music is simply, but wonderfully, constructed to not quite fit together. It’s a living thing that hasn’t yet found its shape. I don’t advise slumbering. The darkness of this music would likely give you bad dreams. Its presence seems to be a kind of rich, magnificent haunting. | |
| LING TOSITE SIGURE (Rin Toshite Shigure) | |
| Toru Kitajima--vocal & guitar Miyoko Nakamura--bass & vocal Masatoshi Nakano--drums |
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Inspiration Is Dead -- (42:33) -- (2007) -- Nakano Records -- ANTX-1009
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This is amazingly played, often frantic, music. Toru Kitajima, the guitarist/vocalist, sings in nearly as high a register as Miyoko Nakamura, the bassist, who regularly shares the vocals with him. The guitar is often breathtaking. The songs jump about from one style to another, and the vocals shout out like the singer is being attacked, though perhaps only by emotions that can’t yet be dealt with in any other way, and then, when things settle down for a moment, it can all become quite beautiful. If LING TOSITE SIGURE’s inspiration is dead, it’s because they put everything into this record. |
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| LOLITA NO. 18 | ||
| Masayo Ishizaka--vocal Ena--guitar Kim Rin--bass Aya--drums |
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The Great Rock ‘N’ Roll Festival!! -- (43:24) -- (2001) -- Sister Records -- CRCS-1013 | |
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| I still can’t quite accept Masayo’s vocals, but here, on a collection of covers, they almost work as a kind of punk mockery. THE RAMONES get two songs (plus Joey’s the subject of an original), and THE TOY DOLLS get two. Those five are probably homages. The rest are most likely either songs they liked, or songs they liked to play. By this point in their career (toward the end) they were a hearty band with real chops. Ena, especially, gets a nod. The tunes show good taste, and when a cover blows away the original, like their version of ‘Video Killed The Radio Star’, either be amazed, or just enjoy! | ||
| LOVE PIGS | ||
| Tama--bass & vocal Hiromi Kawasumi--guitar Tomoko--drums |
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Pokin’ The Pork Pie -- (30:33) -- (1995) -- God’s Pop Records -- SMGP-4003 | |
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| The recording and playing are primitive, but the arrangements are inventive, and the musicians are good and easily raise themselves above the limited recording technique. This trio of women rock hard, Tama sings in English, and the lyrics are included. They’re like unhappy diary entries, but impressively bold, dealing with a tormented sexuality, societal pressures, and parental friction. They’re serious, and their rocking has an urgency and a vitality that is refreshing! There’s a hard-core approach, but a very punk/hard rock styling. It’s powerful music. Tomoko now drums for the band PAPPYS. | ||
| LOVE PSYCHEDELICO | |
| Kumi Sato--vocal & guitar Naoki Sato--guitar, bass & keyboards |
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The Greatest Hits -- (46:09) -- (2001) -- Victor -- VICL-60666
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| This is a wonderfully warm CD. LOVE PSYCHEDELICO is now topping the charts in Japan. The musicianship’s good. The production is big and beautiful, and the songs and performances are heartfelt and rich. They’re also damn catchy! English and Japanese are mixed and stirred to a colorful blend. There are lots of nice ‘60s folk and rock influences, but the imagery has a darker, more current feel, that keeps it all real. Personally, I’m amazed anything this traditional sounding can be this great, but it is! Take THE SHOCKING BLUE, add production, depth, some right now, and you’re closing in! | |
| LUMINOUS ORANGE | |
| Rie Takeuchi -- guitar, vocal & synth Tarow Nisawa -- bass & vocal Masakazu Suzuki -- guitar Hiroyuki Tateyama -- drums |
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Drop You Vivid Colours -- (47:32) -- (2002) -- Tone Vendor -- TVIP-1023
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| Rie Takeuchi’s LUMINOUS ORANGE has a very feminine sound. Even when the guitars rise up loud enough to rock, which they often do, they’re more likely to swirl around you, lifting you up into a dream. Sometimes the vocals, in either English or Japanese, float high enough above the fray to attain an ethereal glow, but generally they hide beneath the surface, along with occasional synth effects, as if shyness has taken hold. It’s the guitars that rule the roost here, intricately arranged, enough to seem orchestrated, the subtleties hide their power, but the beauty softly emerges. | |
& OTHERS (M-Z)
