SEBASTIAN X - Wonderful World

1.　ツアー・スターピープル
2.　新世界によろしく
3.　ワンダフルワールド
4.　世界のガッシャーン
5.　ASO
6.　エイリアンズ
7.　若き日々よ
8.　食卓の賛歌

I was surprised to see SEBASTIAN X's name on the elbo.ws Hot Tracks list today. Apparently there's this thing called Music Alliance Pact which is this project of blogs which share tracks from bands from all over the world. For the November edition SEBASTIAN X's "Tour Star People" from their new album "Wonderful World" was elected as the Japanese contribution.

To be perfectly honest though, I think "Tour Star People" is probably my least favorite song on the album. It's just way too frantic and all over the place for my liking. Still, I like this band a lot. I don't have the record though, so I shouldn't be writing about it, but what the hell. I've heard the tracks on their myspace site. For some reason, "Wonderful World" is entitled as "their first mini album", but I'd say that the brilliant "Life vs Life" which was released last year is their debut? Anyways, I love their quirky indiepop which also has some rough, punk-ish moments. The lack of guitar which is substituted by playful piano works great. Manatsu Nagahara's vocal's might be a bit much to handle at times though, especially in the high-pitched parts. A more mellow tone would better suit the down-beat songs. Her intense voice works great on the more punky songs though.
SEBASTIAN X seems like a band with a really playful imagination and this creativeness which has no restrictions. Sometimes it would've been nice if they had toned down a notch, but at the same time it's that intensity which makes them the band they are.

The new album includes studio versions of long time live favorites "Aliens" and "shokutaku no sanka" which I've been impatiently waiting to hear the studio version of. Especially the last one is truly an amazing song (I posted the video in my previous post about SEBASTIAN X). The new album also features a new recording of "wakaki hibi yo", although I think the original version is perfectly fine. It is my favorite from their first album, so I can see why they would want to put it on this album too.

SEBASTIAN X - tour star people

from Life vs Life:
SEBASTIAN X - LIFE PLEATS
SEBASTIAN X - wakaki hibi yo
SBEASTIAN X - yuigon

www.myspace.com/sebastianx2008

Wonderful World:


tour star people:

sokabe keiichi band - present

New single from sokabe keiichi band. I tell you, Keiichi Sokabe is one productive man. The band released their second album earlier this year, before that the single "hoshi", then the EP "minna no uta" then a live dvd. Plus various releases and remixes as a solo artist, playing solo, playing festivals with the Rendevouz Band, long touring with the band, reuniting with Sunny Day Service and doing some live shows with them, releasing a book (although only containing previously released song lyrics). He also runs a café in Shimokitazawa called City Country City, and the label Rose records etc etc. Plus he has a wife and at least 3 kids. I have to wonder how he finds the time to do it all?

Anyways, enough of my babble (rant continues below), here's the video for "present". The single was also released on a limited edition 7" vinyl. 500 copies personally decorated by Sokabe himself.


It's a cute and catchy song, but not unlike the latest album "happiness!" I'm starting to think that the songs have become a bit too soft. They don't make as much of a strong impression on me as the earlier songs have. I think it might be because it's become a bit too sunny and rosy red in the sokabe universe. By all means should the man be allowed his happiness, but I'm just saying... Not saying that the self-proclaimed "king of mellow rock" should be miserable, I love that feel good-atmosphere that sokabe keiichi band has, but if you compare to the first album of theirs "kira kira!" it simply has better songs, like the title track, "umi to autobai" or my favourite track "yume miru youni nemuritai". There's a stronger nerve in these songs, I think. Either that, or the problem is that I'm miserable.

"hoshi" got my hopes up for the second album, but it did not turn out to be representative of the rest of the album. "Pure & True" and "nagai yoru" are quite good though. I read in an interview that Sokabe wanted to focus more on the live aspect of the music for the second album, so that could definitely have something to do with the outcome. Their live shows are always incredibly fun. Also, he might be saving up some songs for the Sunny Day Service comeback. Who knows. At his rate there'll probably be at least 50 more albums released before he retires.

Speaking of releases, the cover album "Sokabe Sings" that was previously only available for sale at his solo tour around new years will be released on Dec. 4th, containing covers of the Beatles, the Pixies, the Velvet Underground and Madonna(!) among others.

This post got a bit longer than intended, so if you made it this far here's the video for "nagai yoru".

andymori - s/t

I had some problems getting into this band in the beginning. I mean, can you take a band whose songs are titled "Life Is Party" and "boku ga hakujin dattara" ("if I was a white guy") seriously? The answer is you can. The more I've listened to them the more I've come to like them. I've seen them live twice, but I think they lack that little extra to be a solid live band. Anyways, this album is awesome.

They remind me a lot about British rock a la The Libertines, The Fratellis etc. I used to be a huge fan of British music a couple of years ago. Recently I've haven't been up to date on music coming out of Britain, but I still enjoy a lot of the bands I used to like. andymori seems to be greatly influenced by this scene, and I think they're doing a good job incorporating into their own thing. They have catchy up-tempo tracks like "FOLLOW ME" and "everything is my guitar" with humorous lyrics about everyday life and situations. Slower tracks like "aoi sora" and "happy end" that could easily be written off as shallow attempts to be sensitive, but I must say I like their naivety. I think that's what Andymori wins on. Simpleness. Simple and catchy, but more important they're able to create a good atmosphere throughout the album which makes it perfect for a warm, sunny day.

I also believe they have a good portion of self-irony. They have t-shirts that say: "WE ARE THE GROUPIES". 'nough said.

http://www.myspace.com/andymori

andymori - everything is my guitar
andymori - mongoloid blues
andymori - bengal tora to whiskey
andymori - sugoi hayasa



(notice the video budget rise from the first video to the other...)

おとぎ話－青春GALAXY ep + tour

tracklist:
1. GALAXY
2. 青春 (seishun)
3. you
4. 火星 (Mars)

New EP from Otogi Banashi called "seishun GALAXY ep". They truly seem like the nicest people in the world, and they're so adorable in their own nerdy way. Add catchy melodies, cool guitars, lovely lyrics and what more can you ask for? I think Otogi Banashi are a band that you either think are incredibly charming or just they're downright lame though. I'm obviously in the first category.

(photo taken from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/otgbanashi/)

Otogi Banashi played a oneman show at Club Quattro, Shibuya on May 31st. Vocalist Kazuki Arima was wearing glitter on his cheeks. Apparently he had been watching Sigur Rós on YouTube and became inspired. It looked more goofy than cool. Did I mention that they're nerdy? It was a really nice concert though. Great vibe throughout the entire set. I especially enjoyed "new song", "NEON BOYS", "FESTIVAL EXPRESS" and "tobira akeru".





mp3:
おとぎ話 - BOYS DON'T CRY
おとぎ話 - ネオンBOYS
おとぎ話 - 火星 (Mars)

www.otgbanashi.com/
www.myspace.com/otgbanashi

CLISMS - s/t

tracklist:
1. Running Future From Now
2. Love Me True Poor Boy
3. OK OK OK

I know that their name is looks like some kind of nasty disease, but apparently you're supposed to pronounce it kurisumasu (the japanese way of pronouncing "Christmas").

I saw CLISMS in February and I thought they were so-so, but afterwards I listened to them again and I realized that they are kinda cool after all. Their Myspace music-player is messed up though, so I decided to just by the damn cd. It was released last year, but you can only buy it at their gigs or at Disk Union. They don't play that often either, I guess partly because two of the members are pretty busy with Otogi Banashi.

This cd only has three tracks, but two of them are very awesome. 70's inspired rock with twin drums and twin guitars that sound catchy and are lots of fun. As for the lyrics, it's written on the disc: "Hello! My Girlfriends & Boyfriends, This Season For You." and that pretty much says it all, doesn't it?

CLISMS - s/t

group_inou - ESCORT

tracklist:
1. ESCORT
2. CHAIR
3. RIP
4. SOS
5. BOTTLING

New EP from group_inou. Following their brilliant debut album "FAN" from last year comes another cool cd entitled "ESCORT". It took me a while to really get into "FAN", but I've been loving this one since I first listened to it. I really think their mix of electro and hiphop is quite unique. There are both fun danceable tracks and tracks you can sit down and listen too. My favourites are "ESCORT" and "BOTTLING". I suspect that "SOS" is the song with "the worst lyrics in the world" that they were talking about during their oneman before christmas last year. They have a new oneman coming up at the end of the month, but I'm afraid I can't afford to go...

group_inou - ESCORT
group_inou - CHAIR

http://www.myspace.com/groupinou

Shugo Tokumaru - Rum Hee

The new single from Shugo Tokumaru includes 8 tracks, a DVD with live footage from the US tour plus all four music videos from his latest album "EXIT" AND guitar tabs for "Parachute". Although it seems like quite a nice package, I have to admit that I don't find everything that interesting. Remixes and alternative versions of old songs will only get you so far. The main focus is obviously on "Rum Hee", which is a playful and charming pop song. "Alaska" is a bit more mellow, but also in the same musical vain. The sound is very close to "EXIT" in terms of instrumentation and vibe, but this is maybe one step even more lush and vibrant. That is even more apparent in the alternative versions of the songs from his previous albums. They all (even "Parachute") seem to have been injected with a big dose of "EXIT" infectious pop magic. I like the alt. version of "Vista", but I prefer "Typewriter" to be more tone-downed as it is originally. The remixes are neither particularly interesting or off-putting. The remix by Deerhoof isn't too bad actually, but I prefer the original version by far.

Shugo Tokumaru has been booked to this year's Roskilde Festival. It would be very cool if he played in Norway as well. I'm going to see him live again soon on his Rum Hee release tour.

tracklist:
1. Rum Hee
2. Alaska
3. Inatemessa
4. Vista (alt. version)
5. Typewriter (alt. version)
6. Parachute (alt. version)
7. Rum Hee (Oorutaichi remix)
8. Rum Hee (Deerhoof remix)

Shugo Tokumaru - Rum Hee
Shugo Tokumaru - Vista (alt. version)

www.myspace.com/shugotokumaru

THE NOVEMBERS - paraphilia

New mini album (EP) from The Novembers. The first time I heard The Novembers in 2007 I sort of wrote them off as merely another emoband (nothing wrong with emobands though), but they have evolved so much since then. Their shoegaze influences have been apparent before as well, but this time they've really accomplished a great sound. I particularly love the opening track "philia". The sound is light and lush, and it stands apart from all their previous songs. They still keep their characteristic screamo-ishness intact with the second track "dnim", but the arrangements are definitely more nuanced now.


As for the lyrics, vocalist Yusuke Kobayashi is still brutally honest. The contents are indeed emotional, but also dark and twisted, and the way he rips his heart open sure keeps your attention. Hearing "keep me keep me keep me" and "mer" for the first time I almost thought they were a bit over the top, especially the parts with high pitched vocals, but if you're in the right mood I think it works well.

I've been listening to this record almost non-stop since I bought it, and I think it's great. May 1st the band is doing a oneman show at Shibuya Quattro, and I'm excited to hear the new songs live.

tracklist:
1. philia
2. dnim
3. keep me keep me keep me
4. para
5. mer

THE NOVEMBERS - philia
THE NOVEMBERS - dnim

OGRE YOU ASSHOLE - pinhole

With the release of "pinhole" Ogre You Asshole have been signed to major label VAP. It looks like they had a bit more money to spend on the music video, and the song will also be used as an ending theme for an anime tv series.

The song itself is up-tempo and catchy, and puts me in a happy mood. The video is cute too. Second track "necktie" is over 7 minutes long, and like "doughnuts" was on the "tanishi"-single this one's more experimental. But compared to the aforementioned this one seems more calculated, and I wish it was more spontanous and rough on the edges. It's still pretty cool though. Half-way through the track the tempo changes and I like the swirling guitars towards the end. Last song "boat" is slower and sounds like filler material to me. It's not bad, but it feels unnecessary. Overall I guess their sound is gradually becoming more polished and available to more people, but I try to ignore that as I fear the major-label-sellout-doom. ahem.

tracklist:

1. pinhole

2. necktie

3. boat

OGRE YOU ASSHOLE - necktie

If anyone can enlighten me on what the bassist is playing on in the beginning of the video, please...