Japanese Rock

[corporategrunt]

love Fishmans' 'Long Season' - really great cd to put on during summer sundowns.

Shonen Knife gets props over stateside (albeit in a very minor way)

I don't mind Love Psychedelico - I guess I ease my standards when a Japanese person pronounces English right (for the most part)

[psyence]

number girl!

Word. Zazen Boys too.

Tokyo Jihen - new single coming out the 22nd.

Girugamesh

Most other bands have been mentioned already. Any more? I need new musics.

[cyberPUNK]

if you're into new wave, devo, and stuff i'd highly recommend p-model, suki suki switch, or the plastics. one of the members of the plastics recently came out with a new album under the band name plasticsex which i also highly recommend. as for as noise music is concerned my first love was melt banana. happy hunting.

[snickersnicker]

Wait...have you listened to Pink? That album is brilliant.

I would be far more apt to call it "boring" instead of "brilliant." Vein, on the other hand, is probably their best recent work (but that's more in the style of Japanese music I particularly enjoy). The band tries waaaay too hard to pull a Boredoms and it just backfires horribly as far as I'm concerned.

[totally epic]

So do you just hate drone in general, or do you find Boris particularly "boring" out of all the drone bands?

[superBobo]

not very "rock", but Maher shalal hash baz are amazing. A japanese potter from the countryside doing really navistic folk pop.

[snickersnicker]

Drone in general. Or really most music that tries to be "epic" but just ends up being a snoozefest. I think Envy is a great example of a band that has a lot of epic songs, but doesn't get boring (with the exception of the newest album which drags a bit at points). Portraits of Past, the band from which I took my screen name and from which semi-recent Envy material took its cues, is another example of a band which had an epic, slightly droning LP that didn't get boring at all (and they did it in 1995, to boot). There needs to be some loud/soft, fast/slow dynamic to keep things interesting.

[omarion111]

Everything Partytaco said, but you'll probably hate it all. Add Paintbox to that list, too.

Nah, i listen to almost everything from metal to classical (except country) so throw it all out there, and i'll check it out.

[omarion111]

Alice nine and Gazette look so fucking ridiculous, and they both sing such soft songs that i cant take them seriously. i was expecting some screaming or something.

[DaBestSpoona]

I dont think they really classify as jrock but Southern All Stars has amazing concerts, where the lead singer grinds against hundreds of really hot chicks asses while they're doing head stands while his wife watches on.

[denimdestroyedmylife]

nagisa nite

ghost

maher shalal hash baz

boris

ruins

melt banana

high rise

fushitsusha

boredoms

cornelius

[ddohnggo]

whatever partytaco, ddml and asuzano said. + corrupted, total fury, les rallizes denudes

[totally epic]

Drone in general. Or really most music that tries to be "epic" but just ends up being a snoozefest. I think Envy is a great example of a band that has a lot of epic songs, but doesn't get boring (with the exception of the newest album which drags a bit at points). Portraits of Past, the band from which I took my screen name and from which semi-recent Envy material took its cues, is another example of a band which had an epic, slightly droning LP that didn't get boring at all (and they did it in 1995, to boot). There needs to be some loud/soft, fast/slow dynamic to keep things interesting.

This is where we're going to have to agree to disagree. I hate bands like PoP, for the most part. And Pink has loud/soft fast/slow dynamic...it doesn't all have to be in the same song.

[ddohnggo]

dude, portraits of past fucking ruled/rule.

[Double D]

Drone in general. Or really most music that tries to be "epic" but just ends up being a snoozefest. I think Envy is a great example of a band that has a lot of epic songs, but doesn't get boring (with the exception of the newest album which drags a bit at points). Portraits of Past, the band from which I took my screen name and from which semi-recent Envy material took its cues, is another example of a band which had an epic, slightly droning LP that didn't get boring at all (and they did it in 1995, to boot). There needs to be some loud/soft, fast/slow dynamic to keep things interesting.

Mono are my sleepy/working music of choice at the moment ahead of Pelican. Not everything has to be completely engaging at all times.

I'm presently rather fucking hyped about Envy touring the UK in November, somewhat annoyingly in the same week as Dillinger Escape Plan/Meshuggah which is going to leave me having to do some serious travelling at some point.

[Chicken]

the same friend who recommended me ghost somewhat recently recommended me elekibass. even though they're completely different: a fun-party-happy-go-lucky indy band kind of vibe.

but if you like the pillows, you might want to check out o.p.king and the noodles. and maybe nujabes.

[cuddlysheep]

nujabes ey...or if you like japanese hiphop.only group to really listen to is Gagle.

the same friend who recommended me ghost somewhat recently recommended me elekibass. even though they're completely different: a fun-party-happy-go-lucky indy band kind of vibe.

but if you like the pillows, you might want to check out o.p.king and the noodles. and maybe nujabes.

[superBobo]

if I love Maher shalal.. what should I check out? anything with similar vibe?

[snickersnicker]

dude, portraits of past fucking ruled/rule.

I can say with a pretty straight face that Portraits of Past was and still is the best hardcore band ever. Funeral Diner is definitely among the best active bands, too.

I'm presently rather fucking hyped about Envy touring the UK in November

I drove across Michigan for three hours with two friends in the frigid cold in a car with no heat to see Envy a few years back. No regrets.

[ddohnggo]

mad skr34m0z

[Chicken]

my gf loves guitar wolf, if you're looking for a loud band.

(btw, seiji's jacket collection is sick.)

[Dachink]

I'm going to have to go against everyone in this thread who mentioned Boris or Mono. Honeslty, that stuff is awful. It's bad enough that every other American band is jocking that style, but now so many Japanese bands are doing that instead of being in awesome raging hardcore or thrash bands the way they should be. Put down the bong and chuck that Orange or Sunn amp for a shitty Gibson and some GISM records.

LoL.

anyways, the last Japanese band I'll recommend is Doom. Best band from Japan.

[suremanok]

Nujabes is all over myspace. I'll have to check out Gagle though.

[sycamore no more]

If you don't already know what www.pizzaofdeath.com records is, then you should never know.

[unklesteve]

I can back Guitar Wolf, Envy, Boredoms, Endzweck, Balzac, and Boris of the bands already mentioned. I've got an Endzweck DVD that pretty much rules, and Envy's "All the footprints...." is one of the best albums of all damn time.

Also worth checking out are Electric Eel Shock and Yamatsuka Eye. EES are just a killer rock and roll band, and YE was the guitarist for the Boredoms. He's got some solo stuff that just kills, although everything I have is on 7".

[Renny]

Cant believe i missed envy when they were justt playing 5mins from my place... at least will be seeing mono soon

[Quincy Hoist]

Ah... great thread... I stick to the psych end of the spectrum...

Ai Aso

Chouzu

Kan Mikami

High Rise

Fushitsusha/Keiji Haino's solo/collaborative work (big fan of Era of Sad Wings under the Nijiumu moniker)

Che Shizu

Flower Travellin' Band

LSD-March

Taj Mahal Travellers

Les Rallizes Denudes (can't recommend enough)

I'm missing tons, but these are definitely some faves...

[alf]

The only Boris album I really come back to is the Rainbow collab with Michio Kurihara.

Yura Yura Teikoku is fun

http://www.myspace.com/yurayurateikoku

Not really rock, but Pop-Off Tuesday is fun psych/electro/pop

http://www.pickled-egg.co.uk/unworldly.mp3 <- MP3

http://www.pickled-egg.co.uk/pop-off-tuesday.htm

[xcoldricex]

gotta love the name:

[dinghy]

lostage

vola & the oriental machine (ex-number girl)

fuji fabric

special others

back horn

tsubakiya shijuusou

condor44

apogee

are all pretty decent, but my favorites are quruli and supercar (rip). both furukawa miki and nakakou (iLL/nyantora) have put out nice stuff after the split, though.