Fujirockers: The official fansite of the Fuji Rock Festival

Martin Johnson

Anglo-Irish trad music is pretty popular in Japan, as evidenced by how often the Chieftains used to tour here and how quickly their shows sold out. I assume that’s what the “underground” refers to in the name of this band: trad musicians hanging out together in hobby groups playing reels and jigs and sea chanteys. The “overground” in the name refers to the fact that these guys make a living from this; or, at least, part of a living. Several of the members are in the hardcore punk band Brahman, so this could be considered moonlighting. But based on the show they gave at the Field of Heaven Sat. afternoon, it’s not necessarily a softer break. They may play acoustic instruments, but they play them like a hardcore punk band. Continue Reading…

Okay, maybe there’s a trend going on here.  Super Junky Monkey’s members all wore their band tee during their Red Marquee concert this morning.  Following suit, iLL’s keyboardist and drummer both looked snazzy in “iLL” t-shirts too.  A definite plus of flaunting your own merch is that it saves fans the hassle of waiting in the often long lines to see what each group is selling at FRF ’10.

The sun was out and the temperature was high during iLL’s Friday afternoon showing at Field Of Heaven.  Led by former Supercar front man Koji Nakamura, the quartet had a very loose vibe on stage and had little difficulty getting the laidback FOH masses to sway along to their songs.  Handling guitar and vocal duties, when not singing Nakamura was a man of few words simply commenting “It’s hot, isn’t it?” at different points during iLL’s 50-minute set.

The first half of the gig had a strong rock and post-punk feel to it, while the back end was a tad experimental and more interesting.  The group went off on a bit of a spacey, psych-tinged tangent which would have been heightened and definitely way more ‘ill had they been tapped to play FOH after dark when the area is illuminated mainly by mesmerizing mirror balls and candles.

iLL photo report here.

*Photo by 佐俣美幸

The stage here at Field of Heaven has cleared out – probably due to !!! and Muse, but that just means the hangers on are savoring it that much more.

The Clapton-esque blues rock from the Japanese roots rock stalwarts offered a little more laid back vibe than what was going on at the White and Green stages. Lots of camp stools and beers in cup holders were tuning in and crashing out to the stages last performer – and lots of air guitar helping out the vibe, too.

Some blues-Ed out covers, like The Beatles’ Ticket To Ride helped get people singing along and jamming with their air instruments.

Hard not to enjoy as a music fan what with no rain, the Tokyo Ale tent nearby and trippy lights projected all around the dark green mountainous backdrop.

If you don’t want to be in the cattle call of the main stages, a little Char grilling fits the order just right.

There has been some hand wringing here at this website about the French band, Mustang. I’ve described them as rockabilly for lack of a better genre, while others believe they are more of a laid back rock group who don’t have the same energy or the get-up as most rockabilly acts. Well, I tell you this, there was no lack of energy on the Field of Heaven stage when this band ripped into Dick Dale riffs played even faster than the great master himself. I’ll give you the fact that it wasn’t the “stand up”drummer but he was still able to keep pace relatively well. Phil reviewed the band earlier saying  “Jean Felzine’s super twangy hollow bodied Gibson and his Francophone take on every American gulpy vocalist, from Elvis to Orbison to Holly, carries with it so many pre-associations that people knew what they liked even before they heard it.”  And I will basically keep it at that. The band wasn’t terribly original, but they rocked out whatever song or genre they decided to play, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

'scuse me while I point to the sky

The Field of Heaven likes to pass itself off as the last bastion of all that’s hippie and organic, but there’s one thing central to whatever this image means that’s missing: drugs. Alcohol doesn’t count, and neither do the hemp products that they sell there. It’s not my business to say whether this is wrong or right, though obviously drugs are illegal. I’m just saying that there’s a very important component missing from the vibe that the FOH tries to sell. Continue Reading…

Well the others have summed it up pretty succinctly, I think. Not much more to say, other than don’t listen to anyone on what you should like.

But we don’t go for the music. Nope. If it were the music we went to see, then we’d shell out like the rest of you do. Then we could actually relax and enjoy said music. I remember a few years beck, our esteemed leader commented that he was having a near perfect weekend, catching up with old friends, and if only the bands would shut the fuck up and give them some peace it would have been truly perfect! Continue Reading…

Ozomatli

I loved Phil’s idea to watch the band rated lowest on Pitchfork. It reminded me of my very first editor and the first time he asked me to write a movie review. It went roughly like this:

Him: (Handing me a videotape in a plan white case): “Can you knock out a review of this tonight?”

Me: “Sorry, I’ve got no time to watch it tonight.”

Him: “I asked you to review it, not watch it.”

Me: “I don’t even know what it’s about.”

Him: “It says on the box, it’s called ‘Lionheart’. It’s either about Richard the Lionheart or some brave geezer. Just say the acting was wooden, the plot predictable and make a pun about bravery. And give it one star. People like reviews that slag something off.”

So I did. And that piece of advice stuck with me, along with his lessons about how to doctor pictures to match what you wrote or believe. And in the spirit of enjoying the bad reviews, here are the acts I’m excited about, complete with their best (worst) review on Amazon: Continue Reading…

Below you’ll find some of my music recommendations, but first off, a few nuggets of advice:

What to remember:

- Don’t forget sun protection (hat, extra sunglasses and sunblock). And if you use them like I do, bring your own genki drinks for an added late-night boost. Despite all the stalls at Fujirock, I’ve only rarely seen these on sale.

- Walk the entire length of the fest grounds at least once. That’s right: from the Red Marquee all the way to Cabaret Fiesta and back. At sunset or after dark is best, and make sure to take the boardwalk. Try not to look at your watch. You’ll be glad you did.

- Take the Dragondola up to the Day Dreaming stage at the top of the mountain, even if you just turn around and come back. The view, the fresh air and thrity minutes off your feet will do you good.

What to see:

Trying to point out a handful of shows at Fujirock is like recommending only one dish at your favorite restaurant: the entire menu is delicious, but you only have so much room in your stomach. It’s a foregone conclusion that bands like LCD Sound System, Broken Social Scene and One Day as a Lion will be mind-blowingly great live experiences, so I’ll try to point out some of lineup further down the marquee:

My list after the jump

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MUSTANG

Last year’s additional stage was the Moulin Rouge-accented Cafe de Paris tent way at the ass end of the festival. We haven’t heard yet whether or not it will be continued this year, but if it is there are plenty of French or Francophone artists on the menu to provide it with the proper je ne sais quois, though we doubt seriously that the two pop techno freaks of Air would ever deign to play such a puny venue. They are, after all, headlining the Red Marquee Sunday night. Moriarty, though they generally sing in English, is based in France, and they’re already playing at least two gigs during the weekend so it’s likely they could be talked into a third. Then there’s the French swing ska punk ensemble La Ruda, who’s slated for the Orange Court Saturday afternoon. With eight members it might get a little tight in the CdP, but I’m sure they’d be game. And while singer-songwriter Emeline Michel is Haitian, she sings in French and creole and would likely fit right in. Continue Reading…

The Entrance Band

Writers of this blog annually award the Field of Heaven “Best Stage” for its snug  mountain location, crystal clear acoustics, and firm gravel underfoot. For the weary, the stage is flanked by politically correct vendors offering covered seating along with hemp products and coffee w/Kahlua.

Unfortunately, the remoteness of the stage makes it overlooked by the masses leading to light attendance for otherwise big names such as My Morning Jacket and Ryan Adams, leading the artist line-up on this stage to be scaled back in subsequent years. This year, one of the best performers on this terrific stage will be The Entrance Band, a highly regarded LA trio that careen between jamrific tunes to delay-sotted guitars ala early 80’s acts such as U2, The Cult, and Echo & the Bunnymen.

The track “M.L.K.” is equal parts the Edge and Jerry Garcia, a wild traipse into the stratosphere that is so perfectly suited to the Field of Heaven that I can imagine some of the vendors selling rough hewn ponchos for a minute to look up, and jam along with an invisible guitar.

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Derek Trucks

I didn’t pay much attention to Derek Trucks when his name first started getting tossed around about a decade ago. Being kin to the Allman Brother’s Band (nephew to drummer Butch Trucks) and being neputized into service for the band as the ghostly replacement of Duane, I assumed that he was another one of those electric blues-loving mama’s boys to the baby boomers like Jonny Lang or Kenny Wayne Shepherd, showing up every once in awhile to noodle a fretboard and grimace appropriately at one of those very special tributes to B.B. King that Eric Clapton and Bonnie Raitt seem to put on every two months.

But Trucks really is a bit of a new breed, covering Coltrane and Miles on his first album and sitting comfortably alongside modern jazz fusion players, and also branching out from Americana by playing with the likes of Nusrat Fateh Ali Kahn. Playing slide behind Kahn’s South Asian Qawwali, he echoes Continue Reading…

Mountain Mocha Kilimanjaro at FRF '08

After witnessing Mountain Mocha Kilimanjaro’s FRF debut in the spectacular Crystal Palace Tent in 2008, our own Don Coglione proclaimed, “This is a band on the rise and you’ll see them back on a bigger stage before too long.” Proving Mr. Coglione right, this year the Saitama sextet will be tearing things up in the Field Of Heaven with funky instrumental cuts from their 2008 eponymous effort and this January’s excellent “Uhuru Peak.”

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Taylor Hawkins & The Coattail Riders

Someday, Taylor Hawkins may decide to step out from behind the shadow of his 13 year day job as drummer for rock stalwarts the Foo Fighters.  When he does, his fairly extensive musical work experience with Grohl and others he’s played and wood shedded with – like some guys from some band called Led Zeppellin and some other dudes from another band called Queen – should come across in honed chops, creativity and confidence. With journeyman cred like that, he will most likely have found a way to offer something uniquely his own, and when he does it could be wildly entertaining. Until then, though, his current side project, Taylor Hawkins & the Coattail Riders, is pretty much just that, but that ain’t all bad. Continue Reading…

Kitty, Daisy, and Lewis?

Sometimes it’s easy to guess where an act’s going to appear. If Kitty, Daisy & Lewis aren’t booked for the Palace of Wonder, I’ll buy you all tickets to the festival. Quiffs, double bass, retro fashion, swing and rocking blues… even if they play elsewhere, they’re bound to play the Palace. Continue Reading…

Smashing Mag, the premier web site in Japan for live music coverage, has some great live shots from the Liquid Heaven ver.6 gig held on April 29 at Tokyo’s Liquidroom.  The popular event aims to recreate the fantastic atmosphere and positive vibes from Fuji Rock’s Field Of Heaven stage.  FRF veterans Dachambo and Theatre Brook were both on hand to perform at the recent edition.  The latter was especially fitting considering they’ll make their third FRF appearance this summer on July 31.

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Ozomatli first played Fuji Rock in 2000, before they were that band from the iPod ad. Back then we had this to say:

“… on Friday night over at the Field of Heaven, even in the rain everyone was dancing. The hundred or so of us gathered that night ended up abandoning our rain coats to the wind. It was as if the sky was dancing, too, and the rain was simply the heavens perspiring to cool down – and us too, in the process.”

Or in a nutshell, it was pissing down, but we didn’t care. Ozomatli’s cumbia-hip-hop-salsa-some-other-genre-names-jazz-rock is perfect festival fodder and will have the kids dancing with the grown ups.

Four years after that first Fuji show, the band sold its soul to Steve Jobs and shifted a bazillion downloads of their tune “Saturday Night.”

Other iPod ad alumni include Coldplay, the Black Eyed Peas, Paul McCartney and U2. Just saying.

Still, not only did it give Ozomatli the publicity they deserved, but it also lead to a show at the Apple Store in Ginza which ended with them parading down Chuo Dori, still playing. The show-that-ends-offstage is one of the band’s trademarks, but it works better than usual when they’re prancing down Ginza’s main drag, scaring the big brand dollies.

I first found Ozomatli in a rack in Shibuya. It was their first album and I bought a vinyl copy because I saw that (back then) Cut Chemist of Jurassic 5 was a member. It’s one of only two albums that I was hooked on from the first play and never, ever tired of. The other one is the Greatest Hits of Belinda Carlisle. No it’s not really. It’s Coldplay’s “Parachutes.” No, it’s not that either.

Anyway, this makes Ozomatli the only band I’ve ever been ahead of the curve on, and it’s why they’re top of my list of bands to see this year at Fuji Rock.

We’re now live from the fest at: http://www.fujirockexpress.net/09e/

follow us on twitter, as well.

Flickr and Vids to come.

jinki

Hey Japanophiles, help me out here. In Japanese, is Dachambo one of those contracted, composite words, one that happens to mean “big jam band”? It might as well be.

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The guys in Sakerock are oddballs indeed. Then again, few instrumental bands led by a trombonist make it anywhere, so why not play to your strengths?

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Jinki wrote about Diplo’s links to various acts. And there’s an obvious link between the Neville Brothers and the Funky Meters, as well as Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra and Asa Chang. Here’s another one:

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Pink Floyd has approved. Thom Yorke touts them onstage. Who knew a rasta cover band could pull this off with such panache? Take a deep breath (hold it!) and meet the Easy Star All Stars.
The NYC dub reggae collective first caught the attention of stoners in dorm rooms everywhere with their re-imagining of the seminal “Dark Side of the Moon” album. Then came “Radiodread,” a complete dub version of “OK Computer” in its entirety. The latest is “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Dub Band,” an updated Jamaican version of…well, you know. It’s been reported that they asked for and received approval from Radiohead themselves, as well as the remaining members of Pink Floyd, and that Thom Yorke has actually plugged the record during a show. Time will tell if Sir Paul and Sir Ringo will also reciprocate.
On paper, the idea of reggae covers of classic albums made my hipster bones itch, but I have to admit that all three records are fun, and in the Fujirock setting (sun-kissed mountain stages packed with perma-grin college students), their set will be infectious.
Let’s just hope that no lawsuits from the McCartney estate roll in. Hey Paul! Don’t bogart that copyright, my friend.
Video from SXSW on WIRED
Their SITE
Their MYSPACE
Feature on eMUSIC
“Dub” and Oz
jinki

Skirting the grounds between jazz, dub, and simply being labelled experimental, Tortoise will release of Beacons of Ancestorship in late June. Their first release in over three years has eager fans waiting in anticipation. Their friday FujiRock performance has Japanese post rock fans champing at the bit.

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