Fujirockers: The official Fuji Rock Festival blog

So, to recap: MGMT made an album that everybody loved, even the president of France. “Kids” and “Time to Pretend” were the two monster tunes, but the rest was pretty likeable.

Then they made Congratulations, a follow-up that some thought was made deliberately to piss everyone off. I loved it, but then I’ve always loved Love’s “Forever Changes”, which was exactly the same album. To add insult to injury, MGMT have been playing shows recently without playing “Kids”, confirming that they’re just being spiteful.
So any MGMT gig review has to be about how they blend “Oracular Spectacular” and “Forever Changes” into a single show, and whether or not they’re still being bastards and refusing to play the songs we all want to hear.

So, in a nutshell, they played “Time to Pretend”, they played Kids, and they played a lot of their second album and it all blended perfectly well into a psychedelicy spectacular that thrilled the packed White Stage. It seems like I’m not the only one that likes their second album.

Hits ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Other bits ★ ★ ★ ★
Saturday nightness ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

He can change

Though I’d only seen LCD Soundsystem once before I saw them play the twilight set at the White Stage today, I would characterize them as a safe bet. Funk is hard, which is why !!!’s Friday night show was good-not-great, but rock is fairly simple as long as you stick to basics, and James Murphy, who is more of a technician than an artist, understands basics very well. His becoming a singer with LCD Soundsystem seems almost like a fluke, considering how self-conscious he is. On stage he looked timid and cautious, until the music consumed him and drove him to ever more frantic fits of self-expression. Continue Reading…

I started listening to Ian Brown outside the White Lodge, your fujirock.com hq, just up from the White Stage. It sent a shiver down my spine. That’s some milk curdling voice he has going on here. I went inside, and things didn’t get any better… Eventually I bit the bullet and down I went, to get in amongst.

I was regretting the decision to choose this over Air at the Red. But once in situ, the cacophony of sound works with Brown to, err, drown out, err, tone down his voice. Things become much more listenable once here. Continue Reading…

I thought this was going to be a rather faceless Japanese band (Of what kind? With a name like that? Dub?) when they marched onstage looking like they had just taken the train from Shibuya. And then I saw the string quartet warming up in full chamber music finery. Ah, a faceless Japanese band with class. Nice.

The strings couldn’t much be heard once the band started, but with a flautist, trumpet player, a very excitable boy standing (not sitting) behind the drum kit, and a generally happy man sitting (not standing) behind the congas and percussion, plus assorted guitars and keys, what they are is a dance and party band, big pop-band celebration music (a little disco, a little ska, a little punk, even a little hardcore) that I just realized I see a lot of in Japan. Only took me ten years to spot this trend. Somebody call Newsweek and ask them if they need a Japan correspondent. Continue Reading…

The bill for FRF ’10 featured two former members of well-regarded local ‘90s punk trio Hi-Standard.  Saturday saw guitarist Ken Yokoyama whipping punk fans into a frenzy on the Green Stage.  Sunday afternoon, his ex-band mate, bassist Akihiro Namba, performed material from his “The World is Yours!” debut solo effort on the White Stage.

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Good times on the White Stage with Matt & Kim

I admire peeps with a “do as I do” mentality as opposed to a “do as I say” mindset.  During their fantastic Sunday afternoon showing on the White Stage, Matt & Kim definitely led by example.  They wanted everyone to go nuts and have a great time, so the New York duo went all out during their 45-minute set in hopes that others would mimic their behavior.  It worked. Continue Reading…

The White Stage was absolutely packed for The Cro-Magnons Saturday night performance.  Looking for a more comfortable place to watch the concert from, some very smart women went to the special female-only bathrooms that are located behind a security check point near the White Stage and watched from there.  By the time The Cro-Magnons kicked into their high octane closer there was a large crowd of ladies assembled.  And despite announcements from security personnel asking them to return to the general audience area, the women had no intention of giving up their premium standing space before the show was finished.  Way to go, gals!

There are two nationalities that are the winners in the drawcrowd stakes here at FRF. The first is the Brits. It was fellow FRFer Jeff who put it so succinctly when he said if you laid a turd on toast, put it on stage and called it British, people would come to see it.

The second is, unsurprisingly, the Japanese. No matter who they are, regardless of if they’re any good, a local band will always draw a respectable crowd. So it is at White right now, as Straightener show me just why they have as big a group here as One Day As A Lion will later this evening. I expect local rockin faves The Cro-Magnons will draw a bigger crowd still. Continue Reading…

"Watch the drummer," I was told

Every year I see at least one band that know next to nothing about, yet they become one of my favorites of the fest. Vato Negro definitely falls into this category. All I knew is that one or more of the trio come from the Mars Volta and that the set was mostly improvised. Then I ended up hitching a ride with on one of the backroads. The driver was a guitar tech for the band. “Watch the drummer,” he says, “He’s amazing.” The guy wasn’t lying.

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Local Natives were quite taken aback by the enthusiastic reception they received Friday afternoon on the White Stage.  Although the Los Angeles quintet’s “Gorilla Manor” debut full-length won’t be released domestically until next week they drew a sizeable audience causing guitarist Taylor Rice to wonder aloud, “How do you know about us?”

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Special Others

The comedian Paul F. Thompkins hates jazz. Too many solos, he says, and everyone gets one. Whether you call the Japanese four-piece, Special Others, jazz, indie or post-rock, they do come at you with the solos, but unlike Thompkins, I think it works quite nicely. As it poured buckets on the White Stage crowd Friday night, the quartet traded turns in the spotlight. Despite looking like they just stepped out of the pages of Thrasher magazine,these Yokohama boys trade in bright and sparkling refrains, with just enough complexity and edge to steer away from jam-band territory.

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Nic and the new girl

The Brooklyn-Sacramento dance machine !!! scored the headlining slot at the White Stage Friday, which is quite a coup for an indie band of their magnitude (meaning, not much in terms of record sales) but not necessarily surprising given the group’s track record at Fuji so far. It was their third time at the festival, and the last time they were here they totally smoked the Green Stage in an afternoon set that literally had everyone within earshop dancing their asses off. Considering that the Green Stage is where the most sedentary punters park those asses of theirs that’s a real accomplishment. Continue Reading…

Um, this won’t please the hippy contingent, but after dark at the White Stage looks like this. Yes, they keep the light blaring, and zooming around, until at least 3am when I took this. Blimey. Hate to see Smash’s electricity bill. Probably this isn’t that biggest lump of that, but still.

When these nu-jazz pioneers took the White Stage on Friday, I had no idea what to expect. A Norwegian jazz ensemble endorsed by the Mars Volta as a favorite band?? I guess the dedicated crowd knew more than I as they swelled in what would be the biggest downpour of the day.

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I’ve already said most of what I want to say about toe here and here, but I’ll just add this nugget: they didn’t disappoint. It was a 3:40 pm show at the white stage, darkening skies but no rain (that would come torrentially about an hour later, at the tail end of Zappa). It’s hard to get it to where you can hear precisely every note a band plays on a stage the size of white, but it was close enough this time. Luckily toe isn’t just about the torrents of notes they play, but the emotion as well. There was even some dancing going on–drummer Kashikura Takashi manages to maintain the straight down- and up- beat groove, even with the flurry of notes in between.

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Grapevine on White stage

I don’t know much about Grapevine, the Japanese band that took to the White stage here at Fuji Rock around 1pm. My J-team colleagues advise me that they’ve been around for about ten years so it wasn’t much of a surprise to see the stage area packed with people there to rock out with them.

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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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Well I think that we can still say that Disco-Punk is still hot and DFA is still cool, but it doesn’t mean anything to James Murphy. “I spent my whole life wanting to be cool… but I’ve come to realize that coolness doesn’t exist the way I once assumed,” he said. And now we know that LCD Soundsystem show us something in their new album This Is Happening, but I still highly recommend you check the lyrics of the single You Wanted A Hit. It’s crystal clear.

還記得DFA這個紐約廠牌在Disco-Punk潮翻天時，是如何地具有指標性，我相信差不多是現在Ed Banger這種等級，The Rapture的那曲House of Jealous Lovers至今也是歷久不衰（對我而言吧），而廠牌老闆James Murphy與其一人化身的LCD Soundsystem，在紐約Disco-Punk / Post-Punk圈中的影響力到現在都還舉足輕重； Continue Reading…

I was really hesitant to write about Third Eye Blind because, while I think their first album is one of the best pop alt-rock records of the 90’s (right up there with Weezer’s blue album and Semisonic’s first–the one before the one with “Closing Time”), their second record, Blue, is an execrable pile of unlistenable garbage, and I believe we’re supposed to be nice to our bands here. But really, everyone knows 3eb are perpetually one of rock’s great punchlines, and their image could probably do with some reconsideration and rehabiliation, so let’s talk about that first album anyway.

It had their first big hit, Semi-Charmed Life, which to me has always smacked of mediocrity, but if you don’t know the band you probably know this song at least. Two other minor hits, Jumper and Graduate, I love to death. But the real surprise with this album Continue Reading…

Special Others

The term “post rock” is a slippery one, prone to ponderous postulation and pigeonholing.  Post-rock seems to state that its practitioners have tired of traditional rock n’ roll tropes and decided to move on, noodling through music without regard for traditional song structures. The Yokohama-based quartet Special Others certainly fit certain criteria to be included in this camp: they’re instrumental; they rarely reach the squealing guitar crescendo of a rock gig; and they jam like a jazz band covering the indie rock catalog. Well, to be honest, they’re constructed more like a jazz band than anything else, with an upright bass and organ playing prominent roles.

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Belle & Sebastian

It’s been a while to hear from our Glaswegian friends in Belle & Sebastian: their last album came out four years ago and touring has been limited since. But with a new album and global tour in the works, it appears that the hills of Naeba will be alive with twee, indie pop (Twindypop? Oh I am so coining that word right now).

In other news, the band is reuniting with its origins in the form of curating All Tomorrow’s Parties in December, a festival that was inspired by their own “Bowlie Weekender” event in 1999. Then there’s “God Help the Girl” an upcoming movie and soundtrack put together by B&S frontman, Stuart Murdoch (interview here). And now after a four-year hiatus (kinda), the band’s back and on the road.

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The Cro Magnons

For those of you arriving to Japan and the Fuji Rock Festival this year from outside the country, the plethora of choices for Japanese bands can be overwhelming, if not downright intimidating. All those kanji and kana band names looking like squiggles and doodles don’t tell you diddly. Well never fear. The kind people here at Fujirock.com can help point you to some great Japanese artists that just might be in your strike zone.  Shawn has already touched on Ogre You Asshole, Coglione on Straightener, and there will be plenty more coming down the stretch。You can also access our shifty search button in the top right for past posts on Japanese bands you may not know of.  [ED: We should supply a link for that]

I’m gonna start off with an easy one for those who like some straight ahead, stage breakin’, converse high top wearin’, three chord playin’, up and down jumpin’ rock: The Cro Magnons (ザ・クロマニヨンズ). And they certainly won’t be hard to find at the fest. Continue Reading…

The Bloodthirsty Butchers sound check was the loudest thing I have ever heard when the band played in Taiwan in 2008. And for a band that overtly models themselves in the likeness of My Bloody Valentine, dare I say they they were louder?

I witnessed My Bloody Valentine’s set at Fuji Rock the same year when they went into the 20-minute feedback storm for the song “You Made Me Realize.” That was pretty loud, but not in a painful, off putting way. But as a testament to these powerful sound waves, the  fabric on my trousers did begin to flap. A recap of this concert is here.

But where the Bloodthirsty Butchers have them beat is they b-r-i-n-g it every time, with each song being a sonic blast, from the beginning of the show to the end. Also, their sound is not a simple pop melody obfuscated by fuzzy guitars but something more ferocious and experimental.

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Ian Brown

I smoked a joint with Ian Brown once. If my mum or members of the constabulary are reading this, I totally made that up. If not, it’s completely true.
It was around the time that he was launching his solo career. It was 1997 or maybe 1998 and Unfinished Monkey Business hadn’t arrived yet, but we’d heard it was coming. He was playing a charity gig at a club in London where I worked. Also on the bill was Jarvis Cocker and it wasn’t hard to see who the crowd favorite was: the gangly Sheffield girlyman was flavor of the year in Britain back then, and the people were more interested to stare at him Djing than to pay much attention to Brown. Continue Reading…