Fujirockers: The official fansite of the Fuji Rock Festival

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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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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It’s probably been said before, somewhere by somebody, but the idea popped into my head spontaneously, so I’ma go with it: the best way I can think of to describe Tokyo’s toe (not to be confused with Utica’s moe., also at the Fest this year) is indie-rock instrumental jazz. Of course, there’s no section called indie-rock instrumental jazz at your local Tsutaya; they use the tag “post-rock” for such purposes. But I like my idea better.

The conceit of post-rock is to take the instruments of rock (guitar, bass, and drums) and create something much more rhythmically and harmonically complex than rock. Often there is a generous or even bulk helping of electronic glips and blops in the mix. toe’s got a smidgen of this on their latest album, For Long Tomorrow, released at the end of 2009, but what makes me think of 1960’s jazz is Continue Reading…

The Bawdies begin their nationwide 40-date headlining tour for their recently issued fourth full-length, “There’s No Turning Back,” on May 13 meaning the dapper looking Tokyo foursome’s live set will be firing on all cylinders at Fuji Rock on July 30.

Friends since elementary school, Roy (vocals and bass), Taxman (guitar), Jim (guitar), and Marcy (drums) decided to start playing together as The Bawdies on January 1, 2004.  It didn’t take long for them to begin garnering attention for their infectious mix of vintage R&B-accented rock ‘n’ roll and especially for Roy’s fantastic, soulful vocals.  Since then the group have toured Australia twice and have played a number of large Japanese festivals including an appearance on the Rookie A Go-Go stage at FRF ’07.

On the strength of last year’s “This Is My Story,” The Bawdies were voted favorite Japanese act by record store staff from across the country at 2010’s CD Shop Awards.  And while “There’s No Turning Back” stumbles at times, there’s still abundance of top-notch tunes like closing cut “Movin’ and Groovin’” to get the masses at FRF ’10, um, well, movin’ and groovin’.

Here’s The Bawdies “Hot Dog” music video:

Photos and a live report from FRF ‘07.

Here’s a review of “There’s No Turning Back” that I wrote for The Japan Times.

Photo by Hoya and used with the permission of Fuji Rock Express ‘07.

Few musicians can claim a career trajectory like UA, Japan’s favorite anti-diva.
Links, Vids and more info after the jump.

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As part of their “World Is Yours” tour, Mass Of The Fermenting Dregs will be playing at Shimokitazawa Shelter this Thursday night…

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With his sport coats, Hawaiian shirts and wayfarer sunglasses, Mukai Shutoku looks more like an 80’s silicon valley exec than one of Japan’s top indie-rock darlings.
More vids and info after the jump

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Mass Of The Fermenting Dregs. My vision of a rock band with that moniker and the reality are two completely different things. On Planet Japan, though, it’s a typically everyday and strange band name that doesn’t seem to raise any eyebrows.
What they are not: A bunch of mid-20s males, struggling to learn their instruments, trashed on stage and off, burning through bass/guitar/drum players in some sort of alcoholic narcoleptic haze.
What they are: A melodic-sounding indie J-Rock trio fronted by two intelligent and entertaining young women from Kobe.

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