[Bandcamp] Carpool - Golden Summer [2012]

Carpool is just a crapton of fun. In a way, it's a shame this was uploaded to bandcamp at the tail end of our summer (it was technically released in January 2012, and Aussies will be able to enjoy this for their summer). There are all sorts of influences involved, like The Anniversary, The Rentals, The Get-Up Kids, and probably some newer stuff (I'm old school, yo), but what matters the most is just the sense of fun involved. There seems to be two main vocalists (male & female), but there's a chorus of other people adding in their own singing, hollering, and yelling in the background, creating a general sound of everybody hanging out and singing together.

Anyways, just watch this video. These kids are awesome and you should get this album:

Carpool - Golden Summer

01. xxxx 

02. GOLDEN SUMMER 

03. ロックンロール 

04. だけ 

05. しあわせになろう 

06. とびっきり 

07. 僕はヒッピー 

08. メン募 

09. あいさつ 

VA - Kuruisake Meets Revolution [2004]

Jukeboxxx Records started out as a primarily thrash label. The preeminent label from Nagoya release a lot of Nice View's early recordings, as well as several critical Japanese thrash compilations. This is one of them, and it's pretty dang good. There's a pretty good mix of thrash/hardcore bands that cover a wide swath of different styles.

The standout on this compilation is the first track, from Turtle Island. I saw them in Kyoto in 2002 on a bill with Naiad and The Futures. I had no clue what I was in for, but after setting up kodo drums, flutes, and even a sitar, they totally blew me away. I've never been a fan of "tribal" punk. It usually ends up pretty boring and hokey. Kind of like a drum circle gone awry. But Turtle Island is super tight, and all of their wild instrumentation packs the energy and excitement of punk and hardcore. The entire band is just so into the music and the songs are so well written, you can't help but get into it. I was instantly smitten. Since that time, they've even added the amazing George, from Bluebeard/Naht fame, on guitar. Not sure how he fits, but that's pretty interesting. To taste what Turtle Island is doing, here's a live video from 2008. So amazing:

VA - 狂イ咲け Meets Revolution

1. Turtle Island - どろろ

2. 枯梗 - 歌ってほしいあがる歌

3. Beryneck - ジプシーガール

4. TA-KEN & GoodbanD - VICTORY

5. Cause - Gari Gari

6. Strong Style - 朝日なき夜明け

7. Qua - キラキラ

8. Echo - I Say

Butch - Break It Make It [2000]

Butch is a weird nut to crack. This is their second output on Imomushi Records. It's sort of a mix between post-hardcore and... grunge? They played in the same scene as 1000travels of Jawaharlal, whose singer contributes some vocals to one of these songs, but doesn't quite match stylistically. They released an EP after this, Green, which I also have and it is really amazing. This EP is just a little weird. There are some great tracks on here, but also some tracks that kind of confuse me. Anyways, the main guy went on to be in Strange Over the Sun. Check this out for nostalgia sake, or you may totally dig it. I'll post Green soon, cause that EP is great.

I couldn't find any videos thanks to their ungoogleable name...

Butch - Break It Make It

1. ドライヴ職人

2. MoMoGaNa

3. Farewell Circle

4. ゆうえんち

5. Pioneer under the Sun

6. インドシナ

7. Mass of Majority

[Bandcamp] LEEWAY - Sick of Nostalgia [2012]

I've probably mentioned it, pop-punk isn't really my thing, especially the Snuffy Smile variant. But occasionally a band will come along that I like from that genre. Minority Blues Band, for instance, or as we can see here, Leeway. Now Leeway isn't 100% Japanese, half of the band are foreigners, but they fit right in with that whole scene. Great, female-fronted pop-punk that has great melodies, is played perfectly, and totally makes you feel young again.

The EP I'm talking about here is their new one, being pressed on vinyl shortly (or already? or CD?). It's a follow-up to their first album, Tin Cans Calling Home, which is also fabulous. Unfortunately this will probably be the last output of the band, since Ingrid (guitar/vocals) is leaving Japan this year. Hopefully they'll keep going, because the band shows so much promise.

Here's a nice vid of their live show:

Leeway - Sick of Nostalgia

1. Red Paper Moon

2. Doubts Are Quiet Things

3. Small Town of the Living Dead

4. Losing Sleep

5. A Lie For My Life

6. Remember to Remember

Sense Of Identity - Self-Titled [2002]

Pretty good pop-punk / post-hardcore crossover. They're still more Snuffy Smile than they are Infro, but it's got great melodies. I know virtually nothing about the band and can't even remember how I got this. It was probably just something I randomly picked up at a record store. Anyways, try it out if you like this kind of stuff. Here's a video of them playing:

Sense of Identity - Self-Titled EP

1. To Valuable Stranger

2. Blame Me Only

3. The Back: The Course

4. Call It A Day

5. Faint Light In Pleasant Night

6. You

Strange Over The Sun - This City Is Changing For Better Or Worse [2003]

Strange Over The Sun (SOTS) is a weird nut to crack. This album came out in 2003 on Imomushi Records, probably most popular for releasing 1000travels of Jawaharlal but usually follows the more aggressive types of band that might be on Snuffy Smile. SOTS is a little different. Sometimes you can imagine them playing that type of pop-punk, but other times their music is so hectic and wild that they sound closer to Tiala or something from Less Than TV Records. Add to it these insanely desperate vocals, and you've ended up with this weird band thing that won't fit into any genre smoothly.

That's not to say SOTS isn't good. Quite the contrary, they're super unique and have so much energy that its infectious. This album is 13 songs of fun songs to get your blood pumping. The band didn't last past this album, but members are still playing in SNARE KILLS and Shyboy.

You can still buy this right here: Imomushi Records.

And here's a video from 2003, nostalgically ripped from VHS:

Strange Over The Sun - This City Is Changing For Better Or Worse

1. Kill Your Thoughts

2. はなれた！

3. Teeth

4. インスト

5. Unity Ground

6. Middle Days Won't Be Passed By Us

7. ねこ

8. 手と手

9. 歯科医

10. Trapped

11. Instruments

12. カレヘ

13. Takayuki Goes On

Infro - Melody [2007]

Another week has passed. Now here's Friday where I post something I really, really, really love.

Infro has been playing for years, but this is their first album. 7 songs of emotional, fun, hardcore punk stuff. For fans of 1000 travels of Jawaharlal or Turbostaat. If you haven't heard of them yet, you're a nut, so please download this now. Anyways, back to playing video games. Have a good weekend!

Infro - Melody
1. shirukotowo shirukoto
2. kimiwa moumoku?
3. kotobajanakute
4. ataerudake hageshiikoe ichidokirinara kantanda
5. montage
6. kigatsukeba mounanimonai
7. magatteasenaka

Rise And Fall - I Dance My Dance [2003]

First of all, this isn't that other Rise And Fall. This is the Japanese band and they do not play metalcore. Now that that's out of the way, here's the Japanese Rise And Fall releasing their debut album on HG Fact. They haven't done much that I can see after this release, but I think they might still be together.

I picked this up in Japan in 2003. I can't remember if someone recommended it, or if I just got it because it was from HG Fact and wasn't a normal thrash/hardcore release from them. Also, the art is really cool looking, so that might've caught my eye as well.

Rise and Fall's sound is reminiscent of 1000travels of Jawaharlal and Infro. The disparate factor is the vocals, which are ran through some weird delay and honestly sound like garbage. To some, it might completely ruin the music, but I find that it's not that bad once you get used to it. But really, the vocals on this recording were horribly done. I can imagine that live they would be much better.

No videos of the band, because of their insanely generic name...

Rise And Fall - I Dance My Dance
1. boardgame players
2. on the radio
3. standing still
4. Last Promise
5. Leave In pt.2
6. Enough
7. glides down
8. bitter struggle of the atheist
9. common foundation
10. ill dance my dance

Bo!Rock→1 - Self-Titled [2006]

The end to a weird week, me off my schedule, the releases not the usual screamo/emo that you've come to expect. Well, let's end it weirdly then. Here's Bo!Rock→1 (pronounced Borokichi) with their self-titled CD, one I got blind from a trade with Satire Records. No date on the CD, but I think I got it around 2006.

I'm not sure the best way to describe this, because it's not really in my sphere of musical knowledge. I guess I would call it garage rock? Descriptions on other sites say its like Iggy Pop or The Stooges. I never listened to either, so I'll just have to agree with those references. It's messy, noisy, loud, and fun. Vocals are screamed, everything played with a purposeful sloppiness.

Surprisingly, they're still together and rocking pretty hard. Here's a video of them from two months ago playing the first track on this album, Masturbation:

Bo!Rock→1 - Self-Titled

1. マスターベーション

2. LOVE STOMP

3. フリフリ99'

4. 百人町GOTTA STOMP

5. プラス・ド・ライヴァー

6. P.S.

7. ブロイラー

8. ロッカン・ド・ロール

9. サグルソウル

10. GETTO JET MILK

11. 東京SEX

12. クロイチョウ

13. DEATH GO!

14. ドーナッツ

15. 33rpm

16. ラリラリブギウギ

VA - Here Comes The Bottom Line... Vol. 2 [2006]

Ah, number two. This was some time after the first (around two years) and had a different focus than the previous one. Although the theme of Impulse Records' Here Comes the Bottom Line... seems to really just be about getting great Japanese bands together, each one seems to have a stylistic focus too. The first was a sort of melodic hardcore/screamo/emo mash-up. This one is more about noisy bands and emo bands. You've got the expansive and sneaky Bright and Dark Side next to the wild and chaotic Fountain of Rich Aroma. There's even a solid noise track with 斜陽 (sorry, won't bother translating it). The tying thread, like the first, is that this is the Japanese underground. Aki doesn't collect every band in this series. He would be almost to the hundreds by now. What he does try to capture is the spirit, the ethics of what makes the underground unique. Sometimes its just personal. Most, if not all of these bands have played shows with all the others. They probably know most of the members by name. Styles aside, this is a cohesive scene. And maybe that's the theme of each, he looks at one scene. I'm not sure if many of these bands have played shows with Mule or Minoritybluesband, from the first compilation, so maybe that's it. 


I can see this as also a sort of level setting, to define what makes these bands different. As an outsider to Japan, I don't normally play the scene card. I tend to evaluate bands based purely on their sound, not caring who they play with or what label they're on. And not that those things matter, necessarily, but I think they're indicative of the character and ethics of said band. There's a specific scenario that outlines this point perfectly. Zankyo Records is a slightly prolific label in Japan that releases music in the emo, and sometimes screamo, genres. If you listened to folio and, say, 3nd or The Cabs, you can see a lot of similarities. But, those bands would rarely, if ever, play together in Japan. The reason being, I can only ascertain from what I can see, is that folio is an indie or DIY band, and The Cabs are hoping to "make it big." After the success of 9mm Parabellum Bullet, who were on Zankyo before signing to Sony, it seems that becoming popular while playing indie music with screaming is a real possibility. This is really about the sound of music separated from the reasons that sound was developed. In some ways, that is also the problem with the internet spreading DIY music. Most of the time only the music is communicated, separated from the context that music was created in.


So, these compilations, while not explicitly communicating a message in their packaging, are about the DIY culture and what it means. If so, then it's really some sort of allegorical biography of Aki himself, because the dude embodies what is great about this culture. Playing in about 10 bands, being a focal point and supporter of the DIY scene. His most recent Impulse Fest is a perfect example of his commitment to the scene outside of a specific genre. Do yourself a favor and get into Impulse Records.


This compilation is still available a few places, but hey(!), you can pick it up in the States from me, so DO IT!
http://www.meatcube.com/product_info.php?products_id=293 
And listen at the link below.


For comparison. Folio:

and The Cabs:

Here Comes The Bottom Line... Vol. 2 Compilation

1. Shoutmoskva - Missing? or Nothing?

2. Fountain of Rich Aroma - A View

3. Bright And Dark Side - Mirror

4. Same Place Empty - Consciousness That Was Let Loose

5. Paluka - 荒唐無稽

6. デラシネ - Business For Your Music 10,000,000

7. 斜陽 - 無題

8. Alan Smithee - Stalker

9. 33/45 - 連鎖、共鳴シ続ケル鐘

10. Test Mustard Disco - Irresponsibility

11. R3-N7 - クソッタレ

VA - Here Comes The Bottom Line... Vol. 1 [2004]

Back in 2005, Impulse Records was an upstart label coming out of Shikoku, Japan. I'm not sure who sent the first email, but I think I contacted Aki to get copies of their first compilation (this one) and the Forgetmenot 3 songs EP. This was at a time when most of the bands I'd been friends with were slowing down or breaking up all together. I was busy with Cease Upon the Capitol and not paying so much attention to what was going on in Japan. So when I got the stuff from Impulse, I was blown away by all of these newer bands that were amazing. Forgetmenot was an instant favorite, for sure, but this compilation took time to grow on me. I appreciate it now more than I did then, mostly because of changing tastes.

This is sold out everywhere, but I found a copy at MNM Distro. So, buy it here:
http://mnm.xrea.jp/distro/cd/index.php?page=all#916

Here's a music video from one of Mule's later albums:

Here Comes the Bottom Line... Vol. 1 Compilation

1. Mule - 12

2. Butch - The Day

3. Driftage - Issues Persecute Us

4. Infro - 足跡

5. Infro - 独り

6. The Oxide - Bombed Like This Stereo

7. Hush Puppy - Still

8. Minority Blues Band - Stone Won't Roll

9. Forgetmenot - 理想も忘れて

10. Halka Goat - 光の日々へ

[Bandcamp] Elica - 2 songs [2011]

I'm not an expert on DC-style hardcore. I only dabbled in Minor Threat and Bad Brains. I bought a Fugazi LP from Hot Topic. So, when I say I'm probably not the best person to write about this stuff, I'm just being honest. I'm not even sure I can say this is "DC-style hardcore" or "No Idea" style post-punk. When I listen to it, it reminds me of the times I've listened to that stuff. Unfortunately, those were few and far between.

What I can talk about is how they are fairly unique in the Japanese scene. They hint at the melodic post-hardcore of 1000travels and Infro, but try to stay dissonant through most of their songs. Some of the dissonance and shouted vocals remind me a lot of There Is A Light That Never Goes Out. And their general sound owes much to their label-mates, This Time We Will Not Promise And Forgive, whom they cover in another song on their bandcamp. There are probably more influences that I'm not aware of, and possibly even a solid scene that they fit into in Japan (Snuffy Smile Records or Imomushi perhaps?). But, they mostly play with Tokyo screamo bands, so that seems to be where their loyalty lies anyway.

There are two-songs from their new full-length on Bandcamp, which was released in Japan by Oto Records.  You can pick it up from Go Forward Keep Distro (among others). They are friendly to send around the world, so just send an email. Reading the description in the distro, I can see that I wasn't far off from my understanding of the music.

If it sounds like your thing, check it out!

Elica - two songs

1. letter

2. AM 1:00

VA - Saitama Local Music Reconstruction [2012]

This isn't a part of emo week, it's just something I found and wanted to put out here. I'm not sure who long this will stay up and free. This is a compilation of local Saitama acts. There are 27 tracks & bands in total, and Ototoy (a Japanese MP3 service) has it all up for free. You do have to register and login to download, but it has English instructions and is pretty simple.

The compilation is an extremely diverse mix of styles. It starts with some punk/hardcore, moving into electronic, then hip-hop, then experimental noise, then rounds it off with rock. I liked some of the stuff and did not like others. But, it was fun hearing a ton of bands I was unfamiliar with. S-Explode is the only band I knew on the compilation. Try it out, and quick cause I feel like this won't be free for long.

V/A - SAITAMA LOCAL MUSIC RECONSTRUCTION

1.  Little basterds - DAY BY DAY

2.  HIGH THRASH GIRL - Do You Live Or Die

3.  GLEAM GARDEN - MAYBE TOMORROW ,MAYBE NOT

4,  s-explode - RE:dis heat

5.  Fragment - bluff dance

6. k-over - ネガポジション[改] 

7.  Hirotaka Maki - infiniti

8. アナログ輝 - DOPE ROUND

9. BARZ BEATZ - Sunset Blues

10. Ken sakano - set-your-soul-free 

11. EMDEE1 - INFERNO

12. あなあくやまい - 雨お通り

13. codomotona - ゆびきり

14. 突然段ボール - この世に無い物質

15. ジブンジカン - ループ/ototoy ver

16. Sunnyday hit singers - 作りかけの日曜日(Another mix)

17. Floating Feelings - カラフル

18. Even Sense - Top secret

19. RAGNAROCKS - touch

20. Far apart Daily life - give me my self

21. HOCKLE HOCK - a new song

22. Broken Mountain - From This Town/

23. theビューティフルニー - ガンマンの腕の中で 

24. Lipples - 大嫌い

25. NANISAMA? - 僕の花

26. FUNNY FINE DAY - Flower

27. ゆいだいき - コメットハンター

Infro - Demo [2005]

I first heard infro on the first "Here Comes the Bottom Line..." compilation from Impulse Records. They had two songs that just rocked so good. There sound takes some cues from 1000travels of Jawaharlal, Turbostaat, and early envy. Kind of that whole rocking, but melodic, and screaming punk or hardcore. Not sure what to call it, but it's great. But what I think makes infro so good is that they get better the more you listen to them. Their music is so deep. There's so much going on that you won't notice at first. Listening to this demo again after 7 years, I'm still finding new things to love about it.

Luckily for humankind, these guys are still fucking rocking out. Their site has tons of information, and they even put out a split 7" last year. Impulse Records has put out an almost album (7 songs) and another EP, which is a good amount of stuff to sink your teeth into (I'll probably be posting Melody soon).

Funny note: in searching for this video below, I found that a shit ton of youtube people don't fucking know how spell "info." It's not "infro" you dummies. God!

Infro - 1st Demo

1. Magatta Senaka

2. Digidigi