Fujirockers: The official fansite of the Fuji Rock Festival

May

This is like the 2nd coming of Jesus! Only better! ATDI reunites after 11 years

Artists, Recommended

AT THE DRIVE-IN LIVE IN TOKYO, JAPAN (2006 US limited edition vinyl LP released by Lost Horse Records and featuring 8 tracks captured live on the 18th January 2001, presented in a unique sealed picture sleeve).

I must confess something. While I am not usually into idol worship or fanaticism, listening to At The Drive-In (ATDI) makes me giddy like a high school kid getting felt up in a movie theater again.

When I was 19, I played guitar (not nearly as sexy as Omar Rodriguez-Lopez mind you) for an ATDI cover band—and got chills every time I played the intro to Napoleon Solo. Later at university, I took a music rhetoric writing course and wrote eight pages about The Mars Volta’s epic debut album “De-Loused in the Comatorium,” only to “happen” across lead singer Cedric Bixler-Zavala casually hanging outside the tour bus parked on 6^th street in downtown Austin outside Emo’s where the band was set to play in a few hours. I “happened” to have a copy of my 8-page report and handed it to Cedric, wide-eyed, blushing and bowing like a Japanese schoolgirl. We exchanged a very few words, something about eating vegetarians.

Needless to say, after 11 years on hiatus (hardly so– as Mars Volta, Sparta and a smattering of other super side projects with fries have deliciously transpired), At The Drive-In broke their silence with a simple Tweet (January 9^th, 2012) and a minimalist homepage update declaring, in a semblance of lyrics from their hit track “One-Armed Scissor” that, “This Station Is…Now…Operational;” cue crushing guitar distortion! Continue Reading…

Jul

0

Silence ain’t yours, iz Mine.

Artists, Rookie a go-go

Now there’s a title worthy of a Lolcat.

For the last few weeks, I’ve been doing a lot of digging. I’ve looked into bands I’m pretty familiar with as well as bands I didn’t know so well… and bands that were off my radar completely.

Often, admittedly, the latter category includes genres and styles that I’m not always super-interested in. I probably like it if I listen to it and that’s pleasant enough, but… it’s not what gets me excited.

These guys?

Oh yeah.

There’s some excitement there.

And surprise.

Jun

1

No Age is a good age

Artists, White Stage

One plays guitar, the other doesn't

No Age, the punk duo from Los Angeles, played Shibuya Club Quattro last Feb. 16 in front of a good-sized crowd that was appreciative and at time stoked; but it never quite dropped over the edge into total punk ecstasy. Drummer/vocalist Dean Spunt and guitarist Randy Randall have a slightly artier take on punk’s hard-fast-short credo. The frantic tempos, bullet-proof melodies, and pocket-sized compositions are all there, but augmented by interludes of guitar squall and loops/effects that were recreated on stage by a serious-looking friend in a tie and windbreaker. Randall played the same hollow-bodied guitar through the entire 75-minute set, and the pair only paused between songs maybe twice. The show had momentum but lacked the kind of sharp definition, both aurally and visually, that usually makes live punk so bracing. My companion mentioned that just when a song started to hit its stride, it tended to end. He liked the fact that they were expanding punk’s parameters but thought they didn’t go far enough: It’s possible to take hard-fast-short too seriously. Call me old-fashioned, but that wouldn’t be punk; which, of course, is hardly a flexible position to take in an indie rock world where anything is acceptable and rules mean nothing. Continue Reading…

Jul

0

EAR OPENER: HAWAIIAN6

Artists, Green Stage, Live From Festival

men in black

Get the fist pumping and the blood will follow: that’s a worthwhile credo for Saturday morning, at least for those who were at the festival Friday and stayed up a bit too late doing a bit too much the night before. Hatano, the drummer and spokesman of the punk band Hawaiian6–which is not from Hawaii and counts only three members–obviously understood what he was up against and was gracious about thanking people sincerely for moshing and genuinely acting unrestrained. “You usually don’t have to thank foreigners,” he said, “but with Japanese it’s necessary.” Everybody wants to be appreciated, even if it’s for their own good. Continue Reading…

Jul

0

GOOD 4 NOTHING WISH YA A GOOD MORN

Artists, Red Marquee

GOOD 4 NOTHING

Osaka punks Good 4 Nothing will be opening up Sunday’s festivities with a 10:20 a.m. set at the Red Marquee. I’m not going to lie to you – after a big Saturday night getting up early enough to make it to their set will be tough. However, pogoing near the stage for 40 minutes to the act’s melodic, high energy skate anthems is likely to quickly clear the cobwebs in your head and keep you fired up for the final 19 hours of Fuji Rock ‘10 goodness.

Jun

0

Introducing: Funeral Party

Artists, Red Marquee

One of the late additions to the line-up is Funeral Party from East Los Angeles. Relative unknowns to many – they’ve only released a 3-song EP called “Bootleg”- the band are getting lots of attention and big time management as somebody must have figured out they sound a lot like that other youth dance party sensation, MGMT.