Spring 2009 Underground Japan CD
Track 1: Sky, horse and death: Concrete Music - Toru Takemitsu
Page at World Visionaries
Track 2: Sniffin' & Snortin' Pt. 1 (Vitamine C) - Speed, Glue, and Shinki
Info page @ Japrocksampler
Another song on Youtube
Track 3: Flower Travelin' Band - Satori Part III
FTB in their heyday
FTB reunites!
Track 4: River of Soul - Far East Family Band
Page at Gnosis
Track 5: Phantasmagoria - Melt-Banana
Melt Banana Website
Track 6: Yes I Do - The Go-Devils
The Go-Devils are still going strong, playing the same material and I kind of can’t believe they aren’t one of the most popular bands on the planet. Here’s their homepage:
Homepage
Video
Track 7: Won Won Killer - The Won Wons
The Won Wons were a band that lasted only a few minutes. Won Won is the sound a dog makes in Japanese (like woof-woof), and the band itself consisted of drums, base, and guitars. Most people thought they were a joke as the guitarist and bassist didn’t really know how to play their instruments, but when they traveled to Tokyo they were treated like rock royalty.
Track 8: Katsumiya Tabacco City - Guitar Wolf
Homepage
Video on Youtube
Track 9: Ari-Bri - The Bakans
Ari-Bri is a girl group in the same vein as the Raincoats – off-key and basically strange pop music.
Lyrics:
I want to go on a vacation
In a scarlet swimsuit
Taking a nap in the shade
Whoo-hoo
I want to go on a vacation
Going for a drive in a convertible
Macadamia Nuts
Whoo-hoo
I want to go on a vacation
Track 10: Jaiduioqofjomb - Haino Keiji and Tatsuya Yoshida
Youtube video with Makoto Kawabata of Acid Mothers Temple
Magaibutsu - Ruins label
Track 11: Secrets - Nagisa Ni Te
“Secrets”
Like a secret, the song just is
Dreams' dark corners, burning red dawn
So it must surely seem
Because of the devices of the night
Like a woman, the song just is
Sweetly damp, a tender place
A night like this, just once more
Let me stay, softly
Now we must leave
Trusting in that star
Like a wild beast, the just is
An earthen den marked by wild roses
Waiting
To be uncovered by a dwarf
Come let us go
Trusting in that star
Liek a memory, the song just is
A phantom form, once glimpsed at sea
Floating closer, can't you hear?
Our secrets
Nagisa Ni Te means “On the Beach” in Japanese, and probably comes from the Neil Young album title. Their sound is described as psychedelic folk – most of their songs are quite a bit longer than this one. Anywho, here is their press page from their label.
http://www.jagjaguwar.com/press/nagisanite/nagisanitepress.php
And a video
And their cool friend Maher Shalal Hash Baz
Track 12: Akuma no Uta (The Devil's Song) by Boris
Homepage
Track 13: Honey and Snorkle by Indian no Echo Sine Bine No
Indian No Echo… started in 1999 and is a three (sometimes four) piece band with drums, violin, and bass. They’ve only released their demo (which this track is from) and one live album.
Homepage (Japanese Only)
Track 14: 2nd Big Bang!!! - YDestroyde
Video on Youtube
Myspace Page
Track 15: Ant 10 - the Boredoms
The Boredoms are one of the great uniting (yet destructive) influences on the Japanese underground music scene. This song is from their Super Roots series, which more or less documented the music they made in between albums. Here are some interviews with the Boredoms that may or may not shed some light on their music.
Browbeat
Myspace
Video from US Tour
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