& Others--Live (S-Z)

Sabbat

Sabbat/The Chasm/Sun Descends/Dimentianon/Superchrist--Northsix--9/18/05
It was a long night of heavy metal. It’s been a long time since I was a fan of heavy metal, but if you are a fan of heavy metal now, it was a great place to be, maybe even the only place to be.
SABBAT came out in their stage clothes, and began setting up their stage. That got a few hoots from the audience, because the bassist wasn’t wearing any pants. He was wearing thong underwear, which was what elicited the whoops, laughter, and screams. The drummer was wearing a pair of more conservative underwear, and the guitarist wore all black with a kind of tuxedo jacket with tails, oh, and full-length pants. It took a while to get their equipment together, and it was getting late, but a good number of people had stuck around to see SABBAT, and when it was over, those who had stayed seemed very pleased. The trio began their rocking, and did it in a very friendly manner, with even a certain amount of humor. Technically the bassist was easily the best of the evening. At times he seemed to be following the guitarist note for note. Stylistically the guitarist rose high above any of the other guitarists I heard this evening. His leads regularly displayed a structural beauty, and I heard a strong classical music influence in some his lead lines. The bassist handles most of the lower range vocals, and the guitarist takes most of the higher range ones. The drummer, though he blew the opening of one song twice and was chastised for it, rocked it hard throughout a long set. They closed their set with a song they claimed they had been playing now for twenty years! Their music remained in the heavy metal realm throughout, but their playing was impressive, the music often beautiful, and they were obviously having a great time. Plus, their rocking kept the dancers wild, and the rest of us on our toes, dodging body blows.

The Salinger

Japan Nite 2002: Bleachmobile/The Salinger/ Understatements/Bonkin’ Clapper/Nananine/Clammbon--Elbow Room--3/18/02
Again Supervoid.com sponsored Japan Nite, and like last year, as we left we were given a various artists CD with two songs each by ten Japanese bands, five of whom had performed for us that night.
THE SALINGER were on before long. It was kind of embarassing that the top of the lineup was playing to a very diminished house. It didn’t seem to worry them, though. They cranked it up, and rocked it hard. They’re another trio, with a singer making them four. Technically they were a good band, but their major strength was in their ability to rock it out, and keep it coming. It may very well have been the longest set of the evening, and they didn’t slow down until near the end, when they delivered a more soul-stirring number. Even it had a pounding beat, but it was a considerably slower pace than the rest of the rocking set they’d entertained us with. They put on a good show, and the vocals seemed to have a bit of a rap influence. Their material, except for that one song near the end, wasn’t especially wide-ranging, but they’re a strong band, they rock hard, and they keep it coming!

Scandal

photo by John Li

Japan Nite: The Beaches/Detroit7/Ketchup Mania/Petty Booka/The Emeralds/Scandal--Knitting Factory--3/16/08
It was another great night of Japanese rock ‘n’ roll brought to us by Audrey Kimura and Benten/Sister Records. They sold out and Knitting Factory was jam-packed with smiling, happy people who knew they weren’t gonna get another onslaught of Japanese rock like this until Japan Nite rolls around again next year. Oh yes, and, of course, all the bands told us they loved New York.
SCANDAL were four cute, young women playing catchy, pop songs with two guitarists. All four, even the drummer, wore schoolgirl outfits with plaid skirts. The songs were surprisingly catchy, and my friend Keiko even suggested that they probably had some pop wizzard writing their material for them. What surprised me was how hard they rocked them. Technically they were good musicians, and though the songs were catchy and cute, they were rocking them hard, and having a great time doing it. They would get excited, and jump up into the air, and the drummer just rocketed them through every tune. The rhythm guitarist and bassist handled most of the lead vocals. At first I was thinking that their harmonies were noticeably off, but they tightened those up pretty quickly, and the band did a good job, not only playing through the energetic material, but also in exuberantly letting us know how much they were enjoying performing for us.

Seikazoku

Japanese New Music Festival: Acid Mothers Temple SWR/Zoffy/Ruins Alone/Ronruins/Zubi Zuva X/Shrinp Wark/Akaten/Seikazoku--NorthSix--9/3/06
The Japanese New Music Festival was Atsushi Tsuyama and Makoto Kawabata of ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE, and Tatsuya Yoshida of RUINS in various combinations. The only exception was RONRUINS, a project of Yoshida’s which included Ron Anderson on guitar and vocals, and Jesse Krakow on bass and vocals. The majority of the people attending understood the situation. All the bands were there. They were just made up of the same three people, and many didn’t play more than a few songs. At one point I was just going to do one report of the entire evening, but as it turns out, I’ve divided my reports up for the different “bands”. Throughout the evening, the three principals regularly welcomed us to “The Japanese New Music Festival”. They did it so often, it became a running gag. All three of the principals sang in most of the “bands”, though Kawabata tended to stick to back-up vocals.
SEIKAZOKU started things off. Kawabata began on the violin, but soon switched to guitar, though for a while he continued using the violin bow on his guitar. In the beginning he also tinkered with a small eclectronic toy thing with some small mallots, and it sounded like a xylophone. Yoshida also had some kind of electronics back behind his drums, and tinkered with them occasionally, but mostly played his drums. Tsuyama switched back and forth between two guitars, one of them pink and miniaturized. The eclectic combinations of these various instruments was quite improvisational, and a bit on the noisy side. They only did a couple of songs, or one long one, and then it was AKATEN’s turn.

Shrinp Wark

Space Combine

Electric Eel Shock/Space Combine--Continental--4/23/00
I walked in, and SPACE COMBINE were setting up as a trio. When they were ready, their lead singer jumped up and joined them. They were a competent band, and rocked through a set that covered a lot of ground, but never strayed far from traditional rock. A couple of the songs were intricate enough to show off the band’s chops. The lead singer commanded the stage well, and established a good positive rapport with the small, but enthusiastic, audience. His jumping about and gooning added a good rockin’ spin to the band, who managed to give him some of the background vocal support he needed. It was an enjoyable set.

Sparky Quana

IsFest 5: Bullet Proof Junkies/Uzuhi/The Ricecookers/Sparky Quana/The B.C.P.--Knitting Factory--2/22/07
Sparky Quana is a guitarist from Japan. He’s a solo artist, and a very impressive guitar player. He had a wide array of boxes spread out on the stage in front of him. There were three loop boxes, and a wide variety of effects boxes. He used these to create a variety of instrumental soundtracks, which he would jam on, and add different odd vocal sounds to give the music an eerie effect. His quasi-soundtracks had a good range, and while jamming on top of them he used his many effects boxes in a wide variety of intriguing ways. He easily proved that he was a superior guitarist, and though he’s not Gary Lucas, he’s certainly not that far behind. He created all the music right there, and by himself. He even danced around a bit while he played guitar. It wasn’t a terribly exciting show, but the music was very impressive.
UZUHI and Sparky Quana were my favorite acts of the night.

Spoozys

Japan Nite 2000: Lolita No. 18/Polysics/Number Girl/Spoozys/Mummy The Peepshow--CBGBs--3/20/00
What a great night! I can’t remember the last time I saw five bands in a row that were all good!
I was surprised to see THE SPOOZYS come out second. I assumed they’d be saved for later. Appearing in astronaut suits, complete with the helmets, they made an immediate impression, and started rocking from the start. This is a great band! The guitarist rocks full-on, and is way on top of his game. Meanwhile, the woman on keyboards, and the guy on effects, are taking this great rockin’ guitar and seasoning it with cheesy ‘60s sci-fi sound-effects. It’s a great sound! It rocks hard and it’s fun. The performance was good too, with the guitarist and the effects guy bounding across the stage in spastic syncopation. They were better than I expected, and their record’s so good, I was expecting a lot. They delivered with humor, rockin’ energy, and smarts!

The Pleasure Unit/The Spoozys/12 Rods--Brownies--7/11/00
THE SPOOZYS came out in their astronaut outfits with helmets, and slowly made their way to their positions on the stage as if they were walking on the moon. The helmets came off immediately this time. Hey, it’s summer! THE SPOOZYS then started up a rockin’ set that had the good-sized crowd all smilin’ goofy grins in no time flat. There was quite a bit of energetic showmanship. Jun Matsue has actually toned things down a bit since last time I saw the band, but he did get out into the audience once, and showed-off his guitar-slinger chops several times. Mostly though, he left the choreography and gyrating to the bandmates on either side of him, and stuck to pounding out the songs, one after the other. They started with the newer material, and closed out with a few older, easier to recognize, tunes. He did take a break at one point to play a very spacy ‘Happy Birthday’ to a friend, and later stopped to make a series of announcements, including that they had recently been signed to Jetset Records here in the States. Congratulations! He also apologized for his bad English, explaining that, after all, they were from outer-space! The set was longer than last time I saw them, which I appreciated, but it still seemed too soon when they put back on their helmets, and slowly crossed the moon’s surface again to exit the stage.

Qypthone/Himawari/Creme Blush/Spoozys/Peelander-Z/Condor 44/Fantasy’s Core--New York -- Tokyo Music Festival--5/26/02
This night of the New York -- Tokyo Music Festival was quite the success. Let’s hope it does become an annual event! The pier was a nice place to be. The wide variety of bands was intriguing. The MC regularly mispronounced the bands’ names, when he knew them at all, but that’s a small complaint. The bands set up quickly and kept coming.
The SPOOZYS, introduced as “The Smoozys”, came out in their astronaut suits, except for Jun Matsue, the guitarist, who wore an alien mask. They played through a couple of songs before removing their helmets, and it was nice to hear them again. The performance was pretty straightforward, except for one point in the middle of the set when Jun stepped out into the audience and unleashed some of his guitar wizzardry. Their sound is maturing, which seems to mean longer periods of jamming in their songs. To aid them in this they’ve ditched the guy who previously jumped about over on the side and occasionally twiddled some switches, and replaced him with a bassist and a second keyboard player who was quite good, and seemed to be mixed louder than anyone else in the band. I’m not sure I like the new direction. They seem to have cut down on the humor, and the previous quirkiness of their songs, but this is a good band, and I enjoyed seeing them again.

Stance Punks

Benten Tokyo Presents Japan Nite: Tsu Shi Ma Mi Re/Pe´z/Ellegarden/Stance Punks/The Rodeo Carburettor/The Emeralds--Knitting Factory--3/20/06
Australian Cattle God Records have started up a side label for Japanese bands, apparently in connection with Benten/Sister Records, called Benten Tokyo Records. This tour is kind of an announcement of that, with TSU SHI MA MI RE, who are already signed to Cattle God Records, headlining the bill. The audience was evenly mixed between Japanese and caucasians, and many of them were much younger than are usually seen at these shows, which is certainly a positive thing. Six Japanese bands in a row! Oh, and almost every band made a point of letting us know that they, “Love New York!” I’m exhausted, and I’ve only just begun writing.
STANCE PUNKS were next. They had three CDs for sale in the bar, so they’ve obviously been around for a while. They had a guitarist, bassist, drummer, and a lead singer, and mentioned several times their admiration for THE RAMONES. They had a bit more of the bar band/punk in their sound, but they had a good deal of humor in thier songs, and the lead singer was an energetic clown. Several times the bassist, who had a very cool “Who? Kill Felix” T-shirt, with a picture of Felix The Cat on it, talked to us in fairly good English, but about halfway through the show he seemed to have run out of things to say. The singer, who admitted he didn’t know any English, substituted for it by leaning out toward the audience and comically staring blankly at us in between songs. He was a likable guy, and a very energetic entertainer. A number of audience members responded to a slower number toward the end of the set by raising their arms and gently swaying to and fro, which looked like something out of a Broadway musical or a football game. The band wasn’t really adding anything new to the classic punk they were playing, but they were obviously having a great time, and the crowd was beginning to get good and rowdy in their enjoyment of it, too.

Stone Deaf

Stone Deaf/Winston Like That--Midway--9/23/07
STONE DEAF began setting up. I’d been talking with them, and had learned that they had all lived and played in England for a while. The bassist and drummer had even played in the same band there, but it was the guitarist and drummer who had formed STONE DEAF, and the bassist was a replacement for the original bassist. They didn’t know many of the Japanese bands I mentioned, but when I asked them if they knew MIKABOMB (who also lived in England), they all responded warmly. I had asked them what kind of music they played, and been given very vague answers. When they started up, with a flurry of drums from Ai, the female drummer, it was quickly apparent that they were a rock band. They opened up with ‘Get & Loss’. It’s the video I’d seen on their website, an instrumental that has a bit of a spy movie theme sound to it. It’s a good riff, and has a lighter feel than most of their material. They seem very influenced by the English rock they must have listened to. The lyrics, all seemed to be in English, and seemed to be straighforward rock lyrics, dealing with traditional rock subject matter. The music was the most impressive thing. The guitarist, Yukio, keeps his leads reserved, but he plays some of the hottest riffs I’ve heard in a while. They give the songs bite, and add a bit of a subtle psych reverberation to their sound. Otomu, the bassist, is also quite subtle. His fluid bass lines flow through the songs, and caress them from the inside with a cleverness that was a joy to hear. Ai, the drummer, is a good, strong drummer, though she lacks the subtleness of her bandmates. She keeps a strong, steady beat, and yet, is not a pounder, so there’s some subtlety. It’s a straight-ahead, modern, rock band. Yukio handles the lead vocals, but they all sing, which adds a hint of beauty, and the guitarist’s edgy and precise riffs, and the bassist’s seductive meandering, make this a band worth checking out. There’s very little theatre, and they didn’t say much more than, “We’re from Tokyo, a long way away.” It must have seemed even farther away with only about ten people looking back at them, but they played a strong set, and it was fun to watch Ai slamming away at her drums.

Strike Out

Dynamite Club/Skyflower/The Plungers/Strike Out/The Spunks/Sun Sui Chi--Continental--8/12/01
Strike Out, who are from Nagoya, took the stage and rocked from start to finish. Technically they’re pretty strong, though the drummer muddied the changes with too many cymbals. There wasn’t a wide range in their material, from what I could hear, but they consistently rocked hard, and the lead singer was obviously enjoying himself. He bounded around the stage as if trying to find a way off, but he was obviously right where he most wanted to be, and his sheer exuberance brought a party atmosphere to the performance. The band was obviously having fun, and the audience gave them a warm reception.

Suishou No Fune

Suishou No Fune/Malkuth--Club Midway--10/24/06
SUISHOU NO FUNE are also a trio. Unlike most trios, though, they are two guitarists and a drummer. The guitarists are male and female. The male mostly seemed to play chords, strumming the substance of the songs, while the woman often seemed to be hunting around for single notes, which hung in the air with lots of sustain. Before they began, both guitarists had a row of effects boxes set at the front of the stage. The woman had some trouble with hers, though, pulled out two, which she hooked up together, and kicked the rest of them over into a pile on the side of the stage. They started their set off gently. The male guitarist slowly introduced various effects. The drummer softly added some cymbals, and then some light drums. The woman eventually joined them in the slow, swirling, psychedelic swelling of strange sounds. The woman sang a couple of softer numbers, and the male guitarist sang one. These softer numbers, especially the vocals, had a folky feel. They were sung sensitively and warmly, but the music continued to have psychedelic and improvisational overtones. The drummer was playing a large set of drums, with two bass drums, about five tom-toms, and about that many cymbals. He used the full set subtley, and impressed me quickly. The band wound things up with a chaotic, and rocking, psychedelic rave-up. It roared, and was a release after the gentle excursions of the earlier material. The guitarists both rose up magnificiently, and the drummer came alive, as if he had been set free. He used that large set to forcefully pound that song, and the set, to a majestic close. He’s an amazing drummer, with a full head of hair, and in that last rocking number, I was reminded of the power and the eclectic nature of Ginger Baker.

Suishou No Fune/Mata Llama/Malkuth--Glasslands--3/18/07
Tonight, SUISHOU NO FUNE, which means Holy Bridge, was just the two guitarists. They are a male and female, and came off a bit like a hermit couple, isolated from society, and creating their own unique music to enrich their lives. Yeah, it’s probably just my imagination inspired by their music. They started off very slowly and gently, then the woman began singing. It came off as a haunting folk ballad. There was a lot of delayed reverb on all the vocals, and it enriched them and added to the haunting quality. The man stuck mostly to chords, playing the rhythm, and she picked out slow lead runs. Often each note seemed to be chosen at the moment she played it. Then the man would choose an effects box or two from the row of boxes in front of him. Following his lead she would choose from her row of effects boxes, the song would lurch into a more rocking rhythm, and the effect was like a kind of witchcraft that again added to the haunting qualities of the song. The man sang the second song, and they both sang on the third song. They were all long, slow songs that followed somewhat similar patterns, and were all rich in depth and sorrowful magic. The songs would come to a dramatic end, the small audience would applaud generously, and with the delayed reverb, she would softly say, ÒThank you--kyu--kyu--kyu...Ó At the end of the third song they took off their guitars, an audience member encouraged them to do, ÒOne more!Ó, the audience applauded again, and they were pleased to play us one more, as requested. The male sang this one, and his vocals became a bit rougher this time out. They slowly built it up again, and he closed it with some very noisy guitar, bringing their set to a firm and hearty close.

The Suzan

The Suzan/Macarthur a Contti/The IO’s/Tryst--Pianos--3/1/06
THE SUZAN were up next, and I wasn’t really sure what to expect from them, either. They were four young women, and, unfortunately, they were only barely competent musicians. At first the lead singer stuck to singing and shaking an emphatic tambourine. It got a bit better when she picked up a guitar, or traded the keyboards with the other guitarist, as it helped to fill out their fragile sound. Their playing kept things primitive, and only the lead singer seemed to muster much enthusiasm, waving her tambourine around, and enthusiastically strumming up some rhythms on guitar. The songwriting, though, was quite good, and displayed an impressive amount of variety. Their primitive playing kept things in a garage vein, but they were obviously aiming for pop, and managed to squeeze some r&b shouts, and maybe even an ounce of soul into the material. The songs are well developed, and the singer’s vocals are strong enough to put them across and even provide both sweetness and punch when needed. If they beef up the musicianship, they might have something.

Swinging Popsicle

Swinging Popsicle/Love Etc.--Knitting Factory--6/19/07
LOVE ETC. were the perfect band to open up for SWINGING POPSICLE.
SWINGING POPSICLE are a trio of a guitarist, a bassist, and a female singer/acoustic guitarist. They were supported by a drummer and a keyboardist. SWINGING POPSICLE are a very pleasant pop band. The woman has a nice voice, as do her fellow bandmates, who regularly supported her with back-up vocals. Except for the support drummer, everyone in the band played with a lot of subtlety. The songs were clever and well arranged. Technically everyone was very good. Now and then the bassist would do something like start out a song with a strong bass riff that showed his stuff, or the guitarist would do a well-written lead that truly decorated the song and expanded its flow. Most of the songs were sung in English, and the lead singer’s English was quite good. The only time she let us down as a spokesperson for the band was when she had difficulty setting up her acoustic guitar for the second song. At one point about halfway through the set someone let out a soft “meow”, and it was funny the first time, and got some laughter. Unfortunately, it kept happening, and wasn’t nearly as funny the tenth time. The band would laugh politely, though, and continue their very sweet, and warm, music. Perhaps because the singer was too polite to introduce herself, the pianist introduced the bandmembers. During one song the singer went back to the keyboards and played with an effect. Near the end of the set they did a song called ‘Change’ which rocked a bit more than most of their material, and gave them all a chance to step out a bit, but even it had a certain restraint that took the forcefullness of the playing, and turned it into a positive emotional release. The songs were all presented in a respectful way, and the last song was another gentle song with a natural flow. This trio is probably too mature for U.S. pop radio these days, but its music is clever, well done, sweet, and all the songs had an undeniable warmth. It was a pleasant show, and JapanFiles.com succeeded in getting out a good crowd of people for a Tuesday night, including representatives from The Daily Sun, Purple Sky, KarateRice, and Genki Shock.

Techma

Japan-Smacksdown-NYC: Do Thank Anal/10 Yen Ana Kinoko/Petit Mit/Bossston Cruising Mania/Electric Eel Shock/Techma/Mong Hang--Continental--10/17/00
This show, apparently presented by Micro Music who handed out a complimentary CD of their artists, was well attended throughout the evening. About half the audience wasn’t Japanese this time, which was nice to see, and Continental was the perfect club for this event.
Techma is one guy. He turned on the tape-player and began his performance. Basically, it was karaoke, except I presume the music was original, and that he had something to do with the recording of it. He only sang for us, but he threw himself into the performance with much gusto. Imagine an intellectually mature, Japanese Pee-Wee Herman, singing in good voice to a wide range of musics, and you might be getting close. He mentioned that a year ago he had played Continental, and wondered aloud why his picture wasn’t on the wall. There were a fair number of fans up front who obviously enjoyed his performance and reacted enthusiastically to every dramatic gesture. At the end of the show, he rewarded them by opening up a bag of Hershey’s chocolates and tossing them out to his fans.

Japunks #7: The Spunks/Gito Gito Hustler/Peelander-Z/54 Nude Honeys/Blue III/ Techma--CBGB--5/22/04
Japunks once more treated us to a wonderful evening of rock ‘n’ roll. I’ve actually seen all of these bands before, and yet there is no way I would have missed this. It was a great collection of bands, and the largely white audience got more than they ever could have wished for. The women carrying the cards with the round numbers on one side (each set was a round), and each band’s name on the other, were dressed tonight in black vinyl nurses outfits, with black crosses rather than red ones. Again, the result was a knockout show!
I was outside talking with some of GITO GITO HUSTLER when the door opened, and I heard the sound of processed beats, and could tell that Techma’s set had begun. Tonight he was dressed in a red uniform with blue eye make-up generously applied, giving him the look of a robotic/sci-fi bell-hop. His music had a wider range than I remembered, including some ballads and some dramatic rockers, but largely dwelling in the disco/club/techno fields. He sings along to prerecorded tapes, basically doing a karaoke performance. He moves about the stage dynamically, mixing odd poses, with mime, and strange effeminate dance moves. One of his most repeated gestures mimicked the Nazi salute, but to the side rather than forward. By the end of the show, with his encouragement, he had most of the still smallish audience aping this move. Members of some of the bands that would follow him, notably BLUE III. PEELANDER-Z, and THE SPUNKS, were right up at the front of the stage cheering him on. At one point he stopped the music and explained to us that on the very long trip from Japan all of his fellow band members had perished and left him to perform the material alone. He announced that the next song would be performed in their honor, and then did a version of Bowie’s ‘Ziggy Stardust’. I was struck by the idea that he appeared much like a distressed clown trapped inside of his costume, but he was able to pull the audience in with him, and it was certainly an interesting and enjoyable way to begin the evening.

Teengenerate

Teengenerate/The Little Killers/The Plungers--Maxwell’s--7/24/05
It had been a good evening of rock and roll, and now it was time for TEENGENERATE. The only thing said before they began was from the guitarist on the right, who announced, “We are TEENGENERATE, again!” It was pretty strange that they were playing. As far as I know, Shoe, the drummer, is currently playing with SUPERSNAZZ, and the rest of the band had put together a band called FIRESTARTER. However it happened, and for whatever reason, here was a band calling itself TEENGENERATE, and it may have been the original personnel. A healthy mosh pit started up as soon as the first song got underway, and though it died down a bit in the middle of the set, most of the time there were a good number of people happily bounding about. It was not so much a mosh pit, as an exuberant dance party. The band rocked, and were tight. The very warm reception obviously energized the band. The rhythm section pumped away like a big engine, and both the guitarists served us up some very tasty treats. The biggest surprise was the material. From their CDs, I had decided that TEENGENERATE was a rather uninteresting, much too generic, garage band, but their live presentation gave their songs a kind of classic feel. The guitarist on the right’s vocals especially reminded me of the vocals I’d appreciated in FIRESTARTER. Though everyone got a chance to sing, the guitarist in the center sang the most, and he performed with the most energy. Their fans were enthusiastic, and when TEENGENERATE finished their set, the fans let them know they were not done. This time the guitarist in the center made the announcement. “We’re too old!” he claimed, before launching the band into three more very hot numbers. After the third one he commanded us to “Go home!”, but the crowd began chanting “Wild Weekend!”. TEENGENERATE answered the call, and I believe there were two more similar requests, before the band finally decided they had fulfilled their side of the contract and left the stage. I still don’t know why they were back, but their fans made it a glorious return.

Titan Go Kings

Tokyo Pinsalocks

Tokyo Pinsalocks/Sakura Madams--Knitting Factory--3/25/08
SAKURA MADAMS were a good choice to open for TOKYO PINSALOCKS.
TOKYO PINSALOCKS were up next. They’re a trio, a drummer, a bassist, and a Korg synthesizer/keyboard player who handled the lead vocals. The singer had sparkles under her eyes, and she and the bassist both had foam flower balls in their hair. The drummer was wearing headphones with flowers on them a good deal of the time. I couldn’t tell why. From what I had heard previously, I wasn’t terribly interested in TOKYO PINSALOCKS, but live they were charming. The vocalist sticks to a very sweet, happy vocal style, regularly beaming out at the audience and spreading her love. Often she had some kind of loop that she started up for a song, at least one of which she created on the spot, and on top of that she would play fairly simple repetitive riffs, which in an odd, more modern and spacy way, reminded me of QUESTION MARK & THE MYSTERIANS. The drummer also sticks to simplicity. She constantly kept a simple beat that supported the rhythm, and didn’t seem to do much else, though she had some kind of sample board and seemed to get a wide variety of sounds out of that that she used to add interesting accents. The bassist was the real suprise, though she also kept her riffs very repetitive, they were always very active funk riffs, and she regularly danced along to them. As no one else in the band could really move much, due to their chosen instruments, it was nice to see her bopping about, which she did a good deal. She and the drummer also helped out on the background vocals. The songs were cute and kind of spacy pop, and live they had that funk groove going, which was a nice addition to the spacy, pop sweetness. They didn’t have a wide range of sounds, and the number of people up front dwindled after a while, but toward the end of the set, they played some of their newer material, and a few singles, generated a bit more energy, and got some of the people back up front again. They also seemed to be selling a reasonable number of CDs after the show, and were happily offering to autograph them for anyone who desired.

Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra

Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra/Gaijin ˆ Go-Go/Yukiko--S.O.B.Õs--6/9/04
S.O.B.’s seemed to have upgraded a bit since last time I was there. Or maybe it was just that they pulled out all the tables and chairs for the packed house. That big fake tree is pretty memorable, though, and I don’t remember seeing it before.
It was a long time before TOKYO SKA PARADISE ORCHESTRA appeared in their white suits. There are ten of them. Four of them were on various horns. Then there was a guitarist, drummer, stand-up bassist, keyboardist, and conga/percussionist. The man who usually sang lead, also played a variety of instruments including saxophone and guitar, and sometimes sat, leaving the front-man role unclaimed. Like in a jazz band, the various musicians often took turns soloing, and the musicianship was excellent. The material stuck closer to ska than I was expecting, but they played just about every form of ska anyone has come up with, and added a bit of jazz here, and a bit of rock there. They just kept going! Early on they announced that this was the first show they had ever played in America, and that they were happy to have such a good sized crowd to play to. It was mostly made up of young Japanese, and the audience’s enthusiasm grew as the set continued. The only song I recognized was an instrumental version of ‘The Look Of Love’, but without roaming far from the ska rhythms, they covered a wide variety of music. The band largely concentrated on the music, but if the music wasn’t quite enough, occasionally the guitarist would leap into the air, and it was impressive what a dynamic stage presence the slide trombonist had as he swung his horn from side to side. The band played a good hour and a half, and the audience only needed the music to get them dancing and waving their arms in the air, but now and then they got encouragement, too, and a joyful time was had by all. Late in the set, several of the bandmembers left the stage for a few numbers, and the remaining band took things down a level. When the rest of the band returned though, they were ready to rev things back up in good style, which they did for long enough that they needed to bring it down one more time, before finally closing the set with a last rousing number. The band did return for a well deserved encore, but kept it short and sweet. They had already played longer than anyone could have expected.

Tomiya

Tomiya--Sidwalk Cafe--11/18/07
Tomiya appeared with a drummer, a bassist, and a guitarist. From what I could gather, she is a radio DJ in Japan. She’s already recorded five CDs, and is recording another one now in Brooklyn. All of these CDs have been released on her own label in Japan. Her band was quite good, and the guitarist, Brad Craig, was excellent. Tomiya was warm-hearted, energetic, and almost childish. The band and the soundman began setting up, and once she mounted the stage she began doing a series of stretches and jumps, seemingly to both warm-up and work off her nervousness. They started off with a few rock numbers. Tomiya obviously enjoys singing, and she puts her soul into it. None of the songs were especially brilliant, or catchy, but they were good rock songs, played well, and sung with enthusiasm. Tomiya, who had explained that her English was very broken, apologized for breaking our eardrums with her loud rock songs, and introduced her next song as a more gentle, comfortable number. Brad Craig, who had dropped some very nice solos during the rockers, opened up this more folk-like number with a very beautiful, intricate melodic run. They were back to the rockers soon enough, and Tomiya bounced about the stage, and expressed herself with a generous amount of hand movements. She was obviously enjoying herself, and her openness and friendliness made it easy for the good sized audience to enjoy themselves along with her.

Tomovsky

Tomovsky--Spiral Lounge--9/18/99
I went to this show because I had found a dream shop in my neighborhood called Japan Music Shop. I bought two CDs there and heard lots of different music. They were quite kind and the woman who owned the shop manages Tomovsky.
At Japan Music Shop I had heard some of Tomovsky’s CD, on which he’s got a full band behind him, and though not blown away I had liked one of the songs quite a bit. I arrived a bit late and missed the first song, but Tomovsky had obviously already won over the crowd. I quickly saw why. He was a charming young man. It was just him playing on a keyboard, until the last two songs when he switched to a guitar. The songs were wonderful inventions which he sang in a versatile, childlike voice. The keyboard illustrated the songs better than the guitar did, but the highpoint was definitely his winning presentation of the material.

Tsu Shi Ma Mi Re

Petty Booka/Gaijin A Go Go/Titan Go Kings/Tsu Shi Ma Mi Re/Puppypet--Sin-é--3/21/05
      Some nights are just so good, they remind you of how good life can sometimes be. Tonight was a night like that. Thank you Audrey Kimura, Benten, and Sin-é. Japan Girls Nite U.S. Tour 2005 was a wonderful celebration of life. The highlights (along with the bands) included Audrey pinning a pin on my shirt when I first arrived, a fan of Rock of Japan coming up and thanking me, and a very nice conversation with Mari, of TSU SHI MA MI RE, and Kazuya, of THE EMERALDS, who are also currently touring the U.S. from Japan. It was a wonderful evening.
      Next up were TSU SHI MA MI RE, who were actually the band I was most excited about seeing tonight. They tested their instruments, and created a short, freeform, noise improv. When they were satisfied with the results, they stopped, and Mari, the guitarist/lead vocalist, announced that they were ready to begin, and asked everyone to come up closer to the stage. In between songs, while talking with the audience, Mari had a very sweet demeanor, explaining some of the wordplay that inspired their songs, or explaining that the microphone stand she was waving in the air was meant to represent an oar that a fisherman would use to row a boat. That was during a song about fishermen, in which she acted out in dance form various parts of a fisherman’s life, like casting and retrieving a net, or rowing a boat. It was one of the longer songs they did, and it had several parts, some with guitar, and some without that gave Mari the chance to pantomime the fisherman’s life. She was able to do this because Yayoi, the bassist, was so innovative and fluid on her bass that she probably could have handled those sections solo, but she also had Mizue, on drums, to keep things rhythmically alive, and to pound home the accents when they occurred, or to stomp home a rocking beat when that was called for. Mari’s guitar work shouldn’t be overlooked either. She often used intricate fingerwork, not so much for hot leads, but to give unique textures to the band’s songs. Their range is incredible, and a song that goes along in one direction for a while, will often be jolted into a new dimension by something completely out of pace with anything preceding it. Their song, ‘Ocha Ska’ was introduced by Mari, who explained that it was a ska song about tea, and that in Japan they called tea “ocha”, at which point she started repeating, “cha-cha” in a sing-song way. Sure enough, not only did the slightly funky, ska song have a deep, throaty vocal accent, it also had a cha-cha break. It was hard to know what to expect next, and it was wonderful. Yayoi seemed to be having the best time of anyone in the room. She was always moving. Sometimes she would dance in a rowdy manner, her feet bounding this way and that. At other times she’d be headbanging, shaking her long hair forwards and backwards, or swivelling seductively behind her microphone stand with a broad smile that seemed ready to consume the room. Everyone in this band was obviously enjoying their job, but Yayoi expressed that joy the most transparently.
        I spotted Mari in the crowd during GAIJIN A GO GO’s set, and she and Kazuya, from THE EMERALDS, joined me outside, where I asked her some questions about TSU SHI MA MI RE. She explained that the band had been together five years, and that they had been performing regularly for two. When asked how they had teamed up with Benten, she told me that they had sent a demo tape to Toshiba/EMI, and someone there had put them in touch with Benten. I asked her what she was trying to say with her music, and she responded that they were singing about things that happen in normal life. I mentioned that often parts of their songs seem scary or spooky. Seemingly, in agreement, Kazuya commented that TSU SHI MA MI RE were the strangest girl band in Japan. Mari replied simply, “Girls are scary!” When the door opened and I could hear that PETTY BOOKA had begun their set, I thanked Mari and Kazuya, and made my way back into the club.

Suicide Girls/Tsu Shi Ma Mi Re--Knitting Factory--10/10/05
When TSU SHI MA MI RE stomped into their first rocking number, the crowd seemed to buzz with surprise and appreciation. This is a masterful group. They had caught the audience’s attention immediately, and soon had them firmly in the their grasp. They’ve been touring with the Suicide Girls burlesque show for a little over a week now, and are a great choice for an opening band. The only possible similarity is that Yayoi, the bassist, bounds about the stage with a lusty vigor. Mari, lead vocalist/guitarist, sings the band’s unique songs boldly, as well, but when she talked between songs, she behaved like a bubbly schoolgirl, thanking the audience for their warmth and appreciation, and proclaiming several times how happy she was. Once she introduced a song by singing and then repeating the refrain slowly and carefully, and asking the audience to sing it back to her. A surprising number of the audience gave it a good try, and I was thinking in a portion of the song we’d be asked to sing again, but we never were. Mizue, on drums, was a stronger drummer than I remembered. She has to be just to keep up with all the surprising stops and starts, and intricate changes of each song, but strangely, whenever she wasn’t playing during a song, she would bow her head down, as if resting. The music is excitingly fresh, and has so many facets that it stays fresh throughout the performance, regularly making unexpected changes, from childish folktales, to mythical fantasies, and slipping through an amazing number of different musical styles including, ska, cha-cha, gentle folk music, boogie, pop, and rock. The musicianship is impressive. Yayoi’s fingers move up and down her fretboard like a dancing spider, and her back-up vocals give Mari’s lead vocals full support. Mari approaches each guitar part from a different perspective, often using elaborate picking motifs, when she hasn’t put it down completely to act out the life of a fisherman. Toward the end of the set, Mari introduced the band. Previous to that, Yayoi had been jumping about the stage rather vigorously, and toward the end of the song had rested against the wall. When she was introduced, Yayoi came out center-stage, then turned, bent over, and threw-up. Mari quickly responded, laughing and pointing, “She’s a dirty girl!” “No, I’m not,” said Yayoi, picking up a small hand-towel, “I’m a clean girl!” and she got down on the stage and cleaned up her mess. I’ll be back tomorrow to enjoy this amazing band again!

Benten Tokyo Presents Japan Nite: Tsu Shi Ma Mi Re/Pe´z/Ellegarden/Stance Punks/The Rodeo Carburettor/The Emeralds--Knitting Factory--3/20/06
Australian Cattle God Records have started up a side label for Japanese bands, apparently in connection with Benten/Sister Records, called Benten Tokyo Records. This tour is kind of an announcement of that, with TSU SHI MA MI RE, who are already signed to Cattle God Records, headlining the bill. The audience was evenly mixed between Japanese and caucasians, and many of them were much younger than are usually seen at these shows, which is certainly a positive thing. Six Japanese bands in a row! Oh, and almost every band made a point of letting us know that they, “Love New York!” I’m exhausted, and I’ve only just begun writing.
TSU SHI MA MI RE were the band I was most looking forward to seeing, and they didn’t let me down. If anything, Yayoi, on bass, and Mizue, on drums, are tighter than they’ve ever been. They’re playing the same material they were the last time I saw them, so that makes good sense. Yayoi moves about the stage with a vivacious lustiness, when she isn’t acting out dramatic extremes, or smiling broadly and letting you in on how much she’s really enjoying herself up there. Mizue is working hard back behind the drum kit. She takes their percussion through an amazing array of beats, often in one song, and when the beat starts to really stomp, the rest of the band is doing their part, but she’s the one keeping the beat driving along at that steady clip, and sometimes doing back-up vocals along with Yayoi at the same time. They’re getting tighter, but Mari, if anything, seems to be getting looser, and that’s cool, too. She presents their material as if it was all just a hobby she cooked up with her friends, and she’s happily surprised, and a trifle embarrassed that anybody besides them would want to hear it. Some of that may be true, but some of it’s an act, because when she goes into some of her other characters in their various songs, she does them with an enthusiastic glee. They put on a wonderful show, and even though I’ve seen it before, I can’t help but be caught up in it all over again, and feel a surge of joy when they suddenly jolt into a climactic section of a song, Mizue kicks the beat into overdrive, and Yayoi and Mari step forward on the stage and shake their hair and guitars, and the sound swells into a fever only matched by Mari’s swirling hair, and Yayoi’s Cheshire cat grin. The originality and variety of their sound is a wonder. I’d be happy to go see them again tomorrow.

Tsu Shi Ma Mi Re--Southpaw--10/21/06
I’ve been looking forward to this second TSU SHI MA MI RE tour with Suicide Girls since I first heard about it. The curtain opened up, and what seemed like an old style Japanese pop song started playing. About halfway through the song, Mizue, the drummer, came out, walked up to center stage, bowed, waved, and took her place behind the drums. Then came Yayoi, the bass guitarist, and, following her, Mari, the guitarist/vocalist. Actually, they all sing, and the one new song they did, which may have been called ‘Sakura Boy’, had a beautiful section where they all sang together very melodiously. This band just keeps getting better, and when Yayoi launched into her first rousing bass line, even many of the guys who were there just to see the Suicide Girls seemed to take notice. By a few songs into the set they had easily won over the crowd. Mari is working up her cute act, charming the crowd, and the cuteness pays off when she gets flustered at her limited English. Yayoi keeps things stirred up and hot with her waves of powerful bass, her enthusiastic dancing, including kicks, head-banging, lots of strutting, and a smile that announces to the world she’s having the time of her life. Mizue, meanwhile, is kicking those drums, and putting every bit of her energy into owning that beat. Between songs she puts her head down, as if trying to recoup as much energy as possible for the next workout. Her partners are top-notch, but Mari’s no slouch on guitar. It’s the heart and energy of their sound. Early in the set, she announced, “I’m hot. Are you hot? We are going to play air-conditioning song for you.” and they played ‘Air Control & Remote Control’. The growing confidence of this band, in everything but their English, is exciting. They obviously love their material, and it’s so wild and varied, you’ll love it, too. Toward the end of their set, Mari announced, “My brain is shortcake from too much head-banging. Eat my brain shortcake!” and they launched into ‘No Miso Shortcake’. I loved the song the first time I heard it. It’s even more amazing now. Mari spits out rapid fire wordage, and then, when she takes a break, she and Yayoi step out front and do some vigorous head-banging. Yep, I’ll be there tomorrow to see them at Knitting Factory.

Noriko Tujiko

Understatements

Japan Nite 2002: Bleachmobile/The Salinger/Understatements/Bonkin’ Clapper/Nananine/Clammbon--Elbow Room--3/18/02
Again Supervoid.com sponsored Japan Nite, and like last year, as we left we were given a various artists CD with two songs each by ten Japanese bands, five of whom had performed for us that night.
I was wondering how UNDERSTATEMENTS were going to follow BONKIN’ CLAPPER’s hot set. They did it by being the only band of the evening to take their time setting up. When they did finally get around to it, they tested their various instruments, and then walked off the stage again. By the time they came out to play, a good number of people had left the club. By the time they finished, even more had left. They’re a four-piece with keyboards. The guitarist plays an acoustic guitar with a pick-up, Ed pointed out that you couldn’t differentiate it from an electric guitar. It rocked just as hard, and it was the only guitar they used. They seemed to be going for a kind of r&b/soul type thing, but for the most part, I don't think it worked, especially in the now much emptier room. The biggest hole in their set occurred in the middle, as they ponderously played a song with the lyrics, “Disco/It sounded like disco” repeated over and over again. They followed that up with my favorite song of the set, a rather catchy soul/pop ditty, and I began to think that they might have saved the best for last, but only one other song even approached it.

Unicorn Table

Unicorn Table--New York Anime Festival at The Javitz Center--12/8/07
This was the first New York Anime Festival, and it was my first anime festival. I fear a description will do little more than show my own ignorance, but here goes: There were a lot of young people, many of them dressed in silly costumes, and most of them having a really good time.
By the time I got in line for UNICORN TABLE’s performance, it was already long. It had more than doubled by the time they let us in. They were introduced by a radio DJ from Tampa. The area divided off for the performance space was big, and there was a large screen to the left of the stage, so that everybody could see the band well. Besides the two stars of UNICORN TABLE, Salia, the female singer, and Shingo, the male guitarist, there was also a bassist, a keyboardist, and a female drummer. Salia mentioned early that usually just the main two appear live, but that tonight, for this special occasion, they had brought “the whole crew”. It’s a very professional group, and though I believe they were using some support recordings to flesh out things like back-up vocals, the band and the singer could be heard well, and were not only holding their own, but overpowering most of whatever support they were using. The music was slick pop music, with a rock backing band, and Shingo added an occasionally edgy guitar lead to take things one step further. This talented band could easily have taken their music in a number of different directions, but they stayed with the pop/rock, allowing Salia’s beautiful vocals to lead the songs forward. Salia and Shingo both covered the stage well, and later on the bassist did, too. The audience loved it and cheered them on with lots of dancing, hand-waving, and cheers. After they’d done about a set’s worth of material, the band left the stage and were replaced by a black, male DJ and two black, female dancers. A nice funk sound started up. The dancers introduced themselves, and soon Salia was back to sing some songs from her new solo release. She sang with support tapes, and the DJ added a bit of a hip-hop mix to it. So, you had a funk thing going on, with a bit of a hip-hop spin added, but Salia sung her songs in the same sweet pop way she had sung the UNICORN TABLE songs. It didn’t receive as warm a response as the UNICORN TABLE material had, but Salia sang about four songs, and they were politely received. Plus, the one which had been featured in an anime got her a good amount of applause. UNICORN TABLE reappeared after that, and did an instrumental before Salia rejoined them. This time they were all wearing UNICORN TABLE T-shirts. Throughout the performance, whenever they played a song that had been used prominently in a well known anime movie, the audience made its recognition and appreciation known, and there were quite a few of the songs that seemed to be well known by the large crowd. The band played a few more songs, and then raffled off a piece of jewelry designed by Salia, a DVD of the band, and a UNICORN TABLE T-shirt as Christmas presents for the audience. A number of the raffle numbers called brought no response, which slowed things down a bit. They followed that up with their last song, during which they got most of the crowd singing along with them. It received a good amount of applause, but when they left the stage, there was almost no call for them to return, so they didn’t. No encore was a surprise, but they had certainly played a good long time, and probably most of the audience had been at the festival since that morning and were ready to go home.

Up-Tight

Up-Tight/Coptic Light--Tonic--10/23/05
Amica introduced me to Aoki, who was UP-TIGHT’s singer/guitarist, and Aoki pretty quickly let me know that VELVET UNDERGROUND were a big influence on the band. They set up quickly, launched into a slow, somber rocker, and Aoki was right. I could hear the VELVET UNDERGROUND influence, though certainly UP-TIGHT has its own approach. The rhythm section of the trio played simply and kept to the basics. Aoki closed off the song with an extended guitar solo, making good use of some feedback. The second song was a much softer song. At times, Shirahata, on drums, would stand up while he drummed. At other times he’d quit playing completely. That song, too, closed with a raucous guitar solo. Aoki announced that the next song was inspired by VELVET UNDERGROUND’s ‘Sister Ray’, and was called ‘Sister’. It was more expansive than the other numbers, rocked harder, and brought out Shirahata’s most ardent immolation of Mo Tucker’s riding of the floor tom-tom. It also brought out some of the most intense feedback, toward the end of which Aoki raised his guitar up by its whammy bar and then dropped it back down several times. They managed to stretch ‘Sister’ out about twice as long as the previous numbers, but I was still surprised when they closed the set. The small audience gave them a good response, but Aoki claimed that his strings were totally gone and that they couldn’t play any more if they wanted to.

Vampillia

Noriko Tujiko/Vampillia with Noriko Tujiko/The Present/ Kocho Bi-Sexual--Pianos--5/2/08
It was a nice combination of performers tonight. All of them were working in unique ways to push boundaries of one kind or another, and they generally kept the late night show interesting.
VAMPILLIA tonight were an eleven member troupe. Some of the members hadn’t been able to make the trip from Japan. There was a bassist, a drummer, two guitarists, two violinists, a keyboardist, and a man their info card called a DJ. He had some kind of box, or perhaps several, but there were no turntables, and there was so much going on, it was difficult to tell what he was adding to the sound. Out front were a couple of singers, one in a Japanese-style robe, and the other, stripped to the waist with “Michael is in my house“ written on his chest, and “X Japan” written on his back, both in red ink. That one handled the punk style vocals, and had a partially shaved head with a flurry of hair coming out of a semi-mohawk cut. When he wasn’t singing it was almost more interesting. He would often hold a pose, with his mouth open in a circle, almost as if he was performing butoh. He definitely gave VAMPILLIA a distinct look. The singer in the robe would sometimes sing, sometimes bellow, and once threw himself off the stage and lay on the floor in front of the audience groaning. One of the guitarists was also a vocalist. He sang in an operatic falsetto, was quite good at it, and apparently quite serious about it, though he wore a long black dress, and a blonde wig. I would have thought him an attractive woman, if I hadn’t been alerted by Jun (of GELATINE). The musicians all seemed competent enough, and the featured musicians seemed to be the the women of the group--the female violinist, and the woman on keyboards. During softer, more melodious moments, it was often only the two of them performing, with perhaps the drummer playing delicately on the cymbals. Now and then Noriko Tujiko would come up on the stage and sing in a serious and more full-throated way than she did later when she performed alone. So, you had the stage crowded with musicians, and the theatrical singers were out front. Songs often started out very beautifully and sweetly, usually featuring the keyboards and a violin, and then the rest of the band would come in, and from there the sound could go in a variety of directions, from a number of rock styles, to burlesque, to European drinking songs, and there were definitely frequent opera influences at work. Often, for a crescendo (sometimes lasting half the song), the band would go into an all out freak-out, which occasionally sounded like something from a horror soundtrack, and at other times just became a noise improv, with everyone in the band making as much of a racket as they possibly could. Their sound was more often baffling than intriguing, but the great number and variety of performers kept things interesting, and the whole thing was quite a spectacle. I’m not sure I need to see it again, but I’m glad I saw it once.

Veronica’s Violet

Veronica’s Violet/The Morning After Girls--Pianos--3/24/05
Unfortunately for VERONICA’S VIOLET, most of the crowd who showed up for THE MORNING AFTER GIRLS left immediately after their set. When VERONICA’S VIOLET began, there were less than ten people in the room, and some of them left almost immediately. The band is made up of two men and two women. One of the women sang lead and the other played bass and handled the back-up vocals. The reason that some left immediately, was no doubt because as soon as VERONICA’S VIOLET began, it was obvious that they were a fairly straight hard rock band. There were no real surprises, but they did rock hard, and they rocked well, especially the bassist and guitarist. The bassist had a wonderful style that kept the songs active and throbbing. She also had a very nice, sweet voice, which I actually liked better than the lead singer’s vocals. The lead singer tended more toward a standard gruff, rock style, that worked fine for this standard rock band. The guitarist was technically very good, and surprisingly subtle for a hard rock guitarist, as they usually tend toward overkill. The arrangements were strong, and the songs themselves, though very much in a standard hard rock mode, were good, and I enjoyed their set. Probably my favorite aspect of the band was the contrast between the sweet and rough vocalists. The lead vocalist remained fairly low-key throughout the set, often allowing the bassist and guitarist to take center stage, but for the last song she surprised me by leaving the stage and actually getting in our faces a bit. By then, they had drawn some more people into the room, and though the crowd was still small, it gave them a warm reception.

Volume Out

Guitar Wolf/Peelander-Z/The Spunks/ Goggle-A/The Young Ones/Rocket Jack Vaders/Volume Out--Japunks Jamboree #6 @ CBGB--11/18/03
That was a wonderful night, a kind of miraculous night, and with GUITAR WOLF on the bill, the size of the crowd grew very fast, and the palefaces may have actually outnumbered the Japanese! One of the nicest touches were the women who came out at the beginning of each set and held up signs with the “Round” number for each set on one side, and the name of the band on the other side. There were seven rounds in all, and, yes, it was a knock out. Thanks Japunks!
At about 7PM exactly VOLUME OUT marched onto the stage, paper bags over their heads with holes cut in them for the eyes and mouths. Round One had begun. They took the bags off after the first song. There were three of them and they played bass (a Hofner copy), a lyre-style guitar, and a female drummer played standing up on just a tom-tom, a snare, and a cymbal. They all wore white shirts with what looked like blood stains on the left side of their chests. They weren’t strictly rockabilly, but they were in the neighborhood. They could play, though the drummer seemed to play basically the same thing for every song. Unfortunately, neither the bassist nor guitarist, who both sang lead at different times, could sing terribly well. Still, considering the smallish crowd at that point, they worked it pretty well. The most interesting thing they did was a variation on ‘Louie, Louie’, which they called ‘Fujiyama’. For their last song, the guitarist replaced the bag on his head, and closed the set by leaning backwards until only his feet and head were touching the ground. In that position he played his best lead of the entire set. Not a bad way to close out what was otherwise a fairly iffy set.

We Acediasts

We Acediasts--Brownies--7/8/01
An acediast is someone suffering from the sin of sloth, in case you wondered. Yes, I looked it up. Whether this band was suffering from that sin, I’m not prepared to say. Its music may very well have been, though. They were made up of a drummer, a bassist, a paleface guitarist, and a singer. They started out with a slow throb, and much of their music continued in that vein, ranging between a somewhat less talented CAN to, when they picked up the beat a bit, a milder version of THE BUSH TETRAS. The singer was the show. He ranted into the microphone, reminding me of a schoolboy answering back after being picked on in the schoolyard. He seemed to be improvising to the pulse provided by the band, and occasionally he would dance/stagger about the stage, almost always to a rhythm noticeably faster than the band was playing. It was certainly a unique performance, and they have the potential to develop into something interesting, but that may be a ways off yet. Their set was over quickly, and the audience seemed satisfied with that.

Fuyuki Yamakawa

Some Cats From Japan: Atsuhiro Ito And C. Spencer Yeh/ Kanta Horio/Fuyuki Yamakawa--The Kitchen--9/28/07
When the doors opened at 8PM there weren’t that many people there. I was able to get a ticket at the door, and had a wide choice of seating. People slowly kept coming in, though, and they had every seat filled before the show began. Personally, I found this show to be a meaningless experience. Granted, each of the artists had invented their own forum for presenting their artistic selves, and that’s something, but I feel confident that had the artists allowed members of the audience to get up and play with their contraptions, with no previous experience, the novice performances would have been just as interesting as the performances these “artists” presented for us.
Fuyuki Yamakawa is a very skinny man with long black hair. He walked to a microphone stand set up at center stage, adjusted a few knobs and microphones, took off his jacket, and tossed it into the air. As it landed he stepped onto a footpedal and assaulted us with a barrage of sound, most of which, I believe, came from his vocal chords. I’m not sure how it was done. There may have been a small microphone up his nose for all I know, but when he changed the shape of his mouth, it changed the pitch of the sound. Next he adjusted a microphone that amplified his heartbeat, and began mixing that with his breathing, and the vocal chord sounds, which may very well have been his version of traditional “Khoomei” overtone singing, which they mention in the program. It was unique, and it was interesting at first. He’d do it one way, and then he’d mix it up and do it differently. Then the lights went down, and a set of bright lights began to flash along with the beat of his heart. You almost had to squint your eyes. He was able to manipulate his heartbeat some, but it was probably more interesting that he had removed his shirt, and had tape all across his chest. Next he took up a guitar. He almost never touched the strings, but played it by tapping on the body and the neck, blowing on it, banging it against his body, shaking it, and bending it around in front of the amp to extract feedback. After playing with the guitar for a while, and mixing it with some of the other effects--the stage lights were still turned off, and his lights were still flashing--he began singing in a deep voice, unlike the vocal chord singing, which had been higher pitched. He sang a few things, and it was the most traditional part of his act. It sounded remotely like an ancient Japanese monk leading his sect in a celebration and a spiritual search for macabre enlightenment. When he stopped, the lights came on, and there he stood with his hair draped down in front of his face, like a taller, skinnier, black-haired Cousin It. The audience clapped politely as Fuyuki Yamakawa took his bows.

The Young Ones

Guitar Wolf/Peelander-Z/The Spunks/ Goggle-A/The Young Ones/Rocket Jack Vaders/Volume Out--Japunks Jamboree #6 @ CBGB--11/18/03
That was a wonderful night, a kind of miraculous night, and with GUITAR WOLF on the bill, the size of the crowd grew very fast, and the palefaces may have actually outnumbered the Japanese! One of the nicest touches were the women who came out at the beginning of each set and held up signs with the “Round” number for each set on one side, and the name of the band on the other side. There were seven rounds in all, and, yes, it was a knock out. Thanks Japunks!
Round three brought us THE YOUNG ONES. No, not the English comedy show, but a Japanese trio of straightforward punkers. Their performance style was quite workmanlike, but they could all play quite well. Their set rocked hard. Every song slugged away at the still growing audience. The bassist provided a nice flowing style, and moved around the stage comfortably. It was about the only movement. The guitarist, who sang, regularly went back to his amp and turned his back on the audience while he tuned up. He didn’t offer us much more commentary than an occasional one word like, “CBGBs!” before launching the band into the next song. On his collar he wore a button that read, “DAM NED”. I believe that referred to the band, THE DAMNED. They closed their hard-driving set with a cover of THE DEAD BOYS’ ‘Sonic Reducer’.

Yura Yura Teikoku

Yura Yura Teikoku/A Soft Circle--Tonic--10/14/01
YURA YURA TEIKOKU set up fairly quickly. They are a trio and started in on what seemed like a late ‘60s pop song structure in a rock format. It was interesting how much of a poppy aspect the guitarist could get out of just his guitar and vocals. Then the band would take things into a rocking release. The second song was reminiscent of a KINKS riff, and the rocking worked especially well. They were a good rock band, but the pop aspects kept surprising me. Then as we moved into the middle of the set the songs got mopier. As the songs began trudging into the mud at the side of the road, the breaks became like Roman candles which shot off into an unseen orbit, never to return. At times the bassist would let his fingers flow on the fretboard. At other times he’d keep a couple of notes pulsing like drone notes. As the set continued, the pyrotechnics expanded, and during the breaks the guitarist began turning and lunging his way around the stage, twice bounding off a ledge up into the air above the stage, as the leads shot farther and farther out into the cosmos. Toward the end, the occasional song would start out at a more rocking clip, and the escapes went on for longer periods of time, until after one of the longest interludes, the band brought the song and the set to a dramatic close. The crowd gave them an enthusiastic response, but the band left the stage and only returned to pack up their equipment.

Yura Yura Teikoku/Endless Boogie/Invisible Conga People--Knitting Factory--7/9/06
It was great to have ENDLESS BOOGIE opening up for YURA YURA TEIKOKU! The crowd seemed to appreciate them, and I even overheard someone in the audience commenting that it was obvious they had been chosen because they were kind of an American version of YURA YURA TEIKOKU.
As I waited for YURA YURA TEIKOKU to take the stage, I recognized both Nao of SEAGULL SCREAMING KISS HER KISS HER, and Mark of IN CORRIDORS standing next to me, and happily chatted with them while we watched YURA YURA TEIKOKU set up their stage. As if in appreciation of ENDLESS BOOGIE, YURA YURA TEIKOKU started off their set with a couple of boogie style songs. It wasn’t how I remembered them, and my appreciation of their wide range of material grew as the set continued. As a trio, they’re amazing. They started changing things up almost immediately. Some songs would start with slowly repeated riffs. One reminded me of a kind of DOORS slow strut. Another was kind of choppy with a funk groove interweaved mostly by the bassist. Some were straight rock songs, and there were a few that reminded me of the poppier material they had been playing last year, but the guitarist’s singing didn’t seem as pop oriented as I’d remembered. Toward the end of the set, the echo effect on his voice would send it bouncing around the room. It was amazing to watch them run through such a rich variety of song forms. The YURA YURA TEIKOKU signature on all these different styles, though, was that when the guitar break came, they would sometimes loosen up with some slow expanding riffs, but often would just shoot off into manically psychedelic excursions. When the guitarist really took off, he’d move about the stage, and his body would move like the guitar sounds he was playing, either weaving, or sometimes jerking spastically. The good sized crowd was getting just what they wanted, and were eating it up. I was informed later that the band has been around for a good ten years now, and it shows. The bassist and drummer are well chosen. They had no problem enriching the variety of material, and when things took off, they were the power that accelerated things out into the cosmos. The set lasted easily over an hour, and the last three songs were all climactic enough to have each justly been the last song of the set, but then they’d start up again. Finally they ended their wonderful set, and the crowd was energized enough to demand even more. The band returned, played a short rocker and were gone, leaving a guitar feeding back, and drowning out the music that was quickly turned on as they left the stage for the last time.

Zoffy

Japanese New Music Festival: Acid Mothers Temple SWR/Zoffy/Ruins Alone/Ronruins/Zubi Zuva X/Shrinp Wark/Akaten/Seikazoku--NorthSix--9/3/06
The Japanese New Music Festival was Atsushi Tsuyama and Makoto Kawabata of ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE, and Tatsuya Yoshida of RUINS in various combinations. The only exception was RONRUINS, a project of Yoshida’s which included Ron Anderson on guitar and vocals, and Jesse Krakow on bass and vocals. The majority of the people attending understood the situation. All the bands were there. They were just made up of the same three people, and many didn’t play more than a few songs. At one point I was just going to do one report of the entire evening, but as it turns out, I’ve divided my reports up for the different “bands”. Throughout the evening, the three principals regularly welcomed us to “The Japanese New Music Festival”. They did it so often, it became a running gag. All three of the principals sang in most of the “bands”, though Kawabata tended to stick to back-up vocals.
Yoshida got a break for the first part of ZOFFY’s set, though he did join them for the final few "jazz" songs. ZOFFY were Tsuyama and Kawabata. Again, Kawabata began on violin, but switched to guitar after a couple of songs. Tsuyama started on flute, but also played some on his small pink guitar. The first song was a “very very old” song. With the flute and violin it passed as the most serious song ZOFFY did. The next song was a “very very famous” song. It turned out to be DEEP PURPLE’s ‘Smoke On The Water’, featuring Kawabata on scratchy guitar, and Tsuyama singing in mock Dylan style vocals. All the songs after that were announced as “very very famous”, and things just kept getting sillier. Tsuyama began using his “Mongolian style” vocals on LED ZEPPELIN’s ‘Immigrant Song’, and used them again on THE ROLLING STONES’ ‘(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction’. Yoshida joined them again for a few “very very famous jazz” songs by Miles Davis. Each of them started with Kawabata masterfully presenting full-bodied, funky introductions to the songs, each supported vibrantly by Yoshida on drums, and each ended by Tsuyama with one squeak from a small toy trumpet. The first song had seemed serious, but they had quickly become silly, and were obviously just having some fun, perhaps to loosen us up for ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE SWR.

The Zoobombs

The Zoobombs/The Elegant Too--Brownies--4/28/00
THE ZOOBOMBS, bass, drums, guitar, and keyboards, came on and rocked. I had heard their sound described in various ways, but didn’t expect what I heard. They did have some funk, but I heard a lot more blues in their sound. To me, they seemed in many ways like a good ‘70s rock band minus the long solos. They rocked with a respect for funk and rhythm & blues, and jammed on it when they got a good groove. Because of that, of the Japanese bands I’ve seen they reminded me most of BUFFALO DAUGHTER, but are much closer to a straight rock band. The band members are all technically good, and the songs grew as the band worked them through the sometimes extended constructions. They always had a groove going and they usually rocked it for whatever it was worth. The guitarist/lead singer was the show. He jumped around the stage, signalled the changes, and worked the crowd when he felt like it. It’s an impressive band and they put on a good show. I was disappointed it ended so soon, and I’ll look forward to seeing them again.

Detachment Kit/Zoobombs/Voicst--Knitting Factory--9/17/05
It was a pleasure to see a good band warming things up for ZOOBOMBS.
Since Knitting Factory had been calling them THE ZOO BOMBS, I was relieved to find out that it actually was THE ZOOBOMBS. There they were, setting up their stage. It had been so long since ZOOBOMBS had played in New York, and the young boy that I noticed Matta looking after later is probably one of the main reasons. I was excited to see them again. They’re a quartet with guitar, drums, bass, and keyboards. They did a fine set of rock and rhythm and blues. There was some early trouble with the bass, and none of them seemed particularly happy, but they knocked out their songs, and Don, on guitar and vocals, did put some energy into his performance, directing the rest of the band, and raising his guitar in the air as the songs built in intensity. It was the last song that brought some real drama to the set. Don pulled up the microphone that had been positioned in front of Moostop’s bass speakers, and began singing through it. They’d taken the sound down to a throb, and Don began intoning some strange recitation as if he was channeling Damo Suzuki, of the band CAN, who once upon a time managed some very strange, yet hearfelt musical journeys. It was a new sound for ZOOBOMBS, and exciting to see that they are still reaching to expand their range. They topped the song off by building it up again with Don, on guitar, and Matta, on keyboards, trading leads, bringing some psychedelia writhing into the mix. I was warmed up now. Unfortunately, it was the close of their set. A great one, certainly, but it had come much too soon.

ZOoOoOm

ZOoOoOm--108 Starr St.--11/3/06
It was like a prank scavenger hunt. I got off the L train at Morgan, and there were messages taped to the wall that the show had been moved with instructions on how to get to the new location. Eventually, a group of us who had met during the search were ushered into the place. ZOOOOOM were already playing in a corner of the basement. There are three of them, a guitarist, a drummer, and a woman on drums and percussion who also sings. They had a good strong beat going, and were pounding hell out of it. The woman put her sticks down, picked up maracas, and began singing what seemed close to tribal chants, and then began drumming with her maracas. The male drummer was working hard the entire time I was watching. The guitarist sometimes put his foot up on the bass drum. His guitar lines followed the rhythmic nature of the drums, and seemed to be cheering them on. The woman, who stood while she played and sang, had long hair, which she thrashed around to keep it out of her way as she performed. She had a peculiar looking drum that I asked her about after the show. She had made it out of a bass drum, and it was that wide, but it was only about 7" deep. She called it her tympani drum. It was fun to watch them play, and they had a small crowd circled around them as they spiritedly pounded out their mystic ceremony. About fifteen minutes into their set, of which I saw only about ten minutes, someone came down and told them they had to quit because they were too loud. They should take that as a compliment! I wish I’d been able to see more of ZOOOOOM, and spent less time traipsing around East Williamsburg. Fifteen minutes? Too loud? It was time to go!

Zubi Zuva X

Japanese New Music Festival: Acid Mothers Temple SWR/Zoffy/Ruins Alone/Ronruins/Zubi Zuva X/Shrinp Wark/Akaten/Seikazoku--NorthSix--9/3/06
The Japanese New Music Festival was Atsushi Tsuyama and Makoto Kawabata of ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE, and Tatsuya Yoshida of RUINS in various combinations. The only exception was RONRUINS, a project of Yoshida’s which included Ron Anderson on guitar and vocals, and Jesse Krakow on bass and vocals. The majority of the people attending understood the situation. All the bands were there. They were just made up of the same three people, and many didn’t play more than a few songs. At one point I was just going to do one report of the entire evening, but as it turns out, I’ve divided my reports up for the different “bands”. Throughout the evening, the three principals regularly welcomed us to “The Japanese New Music Festival”. They did it so often, it became a running gag. All three of the principals sang in most of the “bands”, though Kawabata tended to stick to back-up vocals.
Next up were ZUBI ZUVA X, who were all three of our principals doing acappella. They placed two microphones close together, and began repeatedly singing “Zubi Zuva X”, their band name. Tsuyama seemed to be leading the proceedings, but all three were enthusiastically adding their contributions. The second song seemed to be based around the same lyrical catchphrase, but the third song developed from the repetition of the name, “Maria”. Early on, it was sung like a West Side Story reference, and each of the men counted the rhythm. Yoshida used a drumstick like a baton. Kawabata had a stick as well, but Tsuyama was waving a fan to direct the beat, and once or twice unfurled it for dramatic effect.