Tokyo's Coolest Sound

Until recently, Vanilla Beans had always performed their shows "idol style", singing karaoke over a backtrack of the music. Last year marked their 5th anniversary, and then came 3rd album "Vanilla Beans III" which featured a steady band of four musicians. Following the release, Vanilla Beans started a series of two-man with always another band playing as the opening act, and Vanilla Beans backed by a live band of their recording musicians. Vanilla Beans, despite their "idol" branding, keep surprising by doing new things out of the common.

On May 1st was the 3rd show of this series, and the front act was Kaji Hideki who is producing their upcoming single "Muscat Slope Love". The event was held at rock venue Shinjuku Loft. This evening was definitely going to have a high dose of Shibuya-kei essence.

I had booked my ticket on Vanilla Beans' free official mobile site (vanillabeans.jp), which offers a newsletter with early info about upcoming events. Being a member also lets you collect "beans" when you go to their events (I got 5 this time), and those beans can later be used to attend member-only events, etc. Upon entering I was also given a numbered "special fan pass" featuring a photo of the girls in their brand new costumes for the upcoming single.

On Friday April 19 was the 133rd edition (!) of electro-themed event series "Joy Ride" that started in 2006. That's an average of 2+ events per month! I went to this one especially to see CTO LAB., the all-star band of polymoog (Elektel), Okada Tohru (Moonriders) & Imai Kentarō (Aprils), who I felt I hadn't seen in a while. Although I hadn't heard of the other acts before this show, I found myself enjoying all of them very much.

soyuz project is the solo project of Fukuma Hajime (ex-P-Model). Actually it used to be a unit with other members, but after a split-up he turned it into his solo project. His set consisted of him standing in the middle of 3 tall stands, respectively holding a laptop, a small keyboard and a mixer, and in the center of which he stood controlling each device in turn.

Here's a report of Kyary Pamyu Pamyu's latest show, held last weekend in New York. Big thanks to correspondent Nicholas D. Kent. Read on!

Kyary Pamyu Pamyu
April 14, 2013, Best Buy Theater, NYC

While waiting on a line to get in that wrapped around 2 corners and half way down the long block, a teen with her grand dad in tow randomly stopped by some 20-somethings next to me and asked "Could you explain to him who she is?", as if she had just tried and failed. He volunteered "This has something to do with animation, right?". Actually on line there were many small nods to Harajuku style, lots of bows, a few in full cosplay gear, a couple punks and goths who might always go out that way, but the audience to me seemed to be lots and lots of anime fans.

To digress a moment. I found out about the NYC show because I had been curious about Lowe's Astor Plaza, the largest movie theater (single screen) in NYC from the 70s to the 2000s. I remember seeing Star Wars movies there. I suspected it had been closed years but I was curious what was there now. Last time I was there was in 2001 to see "2001". Kubrick had it in his 1960s contract that MGM had to show the film in NYC properly in 2001. Quite an experience as it was a great theater. So one day, I walked to where it used to be and up on the big color LED marquee was splashed "Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, April 14" with her face and lots of colors... and unfortunately "Sold Out" over 6 weeks before the show. I found out the movie theater had become a 2200 capacity music venue and Kyary could sell it out well in advance.

On Sunday, I finally got to see an artist I had been wanting to see for about 15 years, ever since I got "Cloudy Cloud Calculator"! That's right, Takako Minekawa is back this year as a new unit with Baltimore-based guitarist Dustin Wong. Their album "Toropical Circle" has been announced for release on May 15, and they're doing some shows ahead of it.

So on March 24 was their so called "proper debut live" in Mineko's homeland, held at Soup in Ochiai, on the edge of Shinjuku and Nakano wards. They had invited indies band Living Astro as the opening act. The event was sold out without over-crowding the small venue.

I had seen Living Astro before at a "Farm Party" event organized by Tokyo Gig Guide (report), and it was fun to see them again. Members Guacamole K (girl) and Dokkun (boy) both play Korg Electribe sequencers, not synced together by anything but the two's great complicity. On top of that both also use samplers, and bass and guitar. Songs are very short, and their end is always indicated by Guacamole K's small bow and a shy laugh. They played about a dozen of them, all stuffed with creativity.

On March 6 was event "Monochromoon!" at yumemiru kimiomou (aka Moon Romantic). I wanted to go there for at least 3 reasons. The first was to see Nosa Lena, a band featuring singer Nosa Reina who released a solo album last year. Another reason was to see Tabuchi Jun, lately also active in band Love & Revolution with Sally Kubota which I saw a little while ago (report) and really liked the singer's voice and personality. The third reason was that I had never been to this venue, and I was attracted by the large moon that shines over the stage, which I had seen in photos many times before.

I arrived as Tabuchi Jun began his set. When entering you find yourself on the upper floor looking down to the stage, and it took me a minute to find the stairs on the opposite side, which I took to get a table seat on the main floor. The singer's repertory goes from folk to G.S. (group sounds) oriented rock. He performed mainly covers, and for a few songs he was joined by guitarist Kitamura Katsuhiko of G.S. band The Skeleons (later known as Lemon Roots). The set had a hilarious break where the singer shows off his imitation skills. At the end of his set he sang the theme song from "otoko wa tsurai yo" (original), complete with narration, to close with original song "yoru o makimodose" during which he walked through the audience throwing his own advertisement pocket tissues with his phone number on it (he said his parents got thousands made when the single was released). A really funny and charming guy!

On Sunday January 6, I went to an event at Koenji U.F.O. Club part of a series celebrating the 17th anniversary of the popular GS (Group Sounds)/garage rock oriented venue. I first knew of the show because a friend's band was playing, Saitō Neon Sign, but coincidentally another band I had been wanting to see was also on the bill, bassist Sally Kubota's latest band Love & Revolution.

Because of other plans that day I got there a bit late and unfortunately missed the first two bands, but what I caught was great though. Emmy Lee & The Psyzans had just started playing when I got there. Drummer and vocalist Emmy Lee is also part of Goggle-A (a band on the Sazanami label). They gave a good energetic show, Emmy Lee leading the whole thing from behind her drumset. She sings in a low voice that reminded me of Kinoco Hotel's Marianne. Her band's guitarists and bassist took turns doing solos.

My last show of 2012 was Beat Communist, a regular event organized by Nakatsuka Takeshi every 2 or 3 months at cool jazz lounge JZ Brat located in Cerulian Tower, Shibuya. While having a club-oriented atmosphere, the event is held on a Sunday at a last-train-friendly time.

Aside from resident acts (Nakatsuka Takeshi and twin rappers P.O.P ORCHeSTRA), this time the event also featured big band Iga-Bang BB, jazz singer Aoki Karen and singer-songwriter Rie Fu.

Iga-Bang BB is an instrumental brass big band (hence the "BB") led by trombonist Igarashi Makoto. The band had a total of 18 musicians: 5 trombones, 5 saxophones, 4 trumpets, piano, guitar, bass and drums! They've had 2 singles released on iTunes last year, on Takeshi's digital label ("Bang!" and "Bang! Bang!"), and they played 3 tracks from these singles, as well as title track from album "Smile" (Amazon).

Set list: Second Line / Brooklyn / Fractale / The Sputnik Sweetheart / Smile

On Christmas day, I went to a show of The Scooters who got active again this year after some 30 years! Last summer was released new album "Une Manche et La Belle", and loving it I had been really looking forward to seeing them live.

I first knew about The Scooters when hearing "Scooters Complete Collection" playing in a record shop almost 10 years ago. I bought it and have loved it ever since, but the band remained a bit of a mystery to me, only knowing that Shindō Mitsuo (famous graphic designer responsible for most of Pizzicato Five's discography) was involved. I was surprised when I found out that they were an early 80's band, despite having a Motown-like sound. I never knew if it was really a band or made up from smart sampling. Seeing this show made me realize that The Scooters are very real, and very back too!

The band's line-up is fronted the 5 girls (left to right: Jackie, Beauty, Ronnie, Beat Himiko and Lucy), along with original members MC Turban Chana Jr. on acoustic guitar, Shindō Mitsuo on guitar and glockenspiel, Ishikawa Eiji on guitar, and new members Sally Kubota (Sally Soul Stew) on bass, Emerson Kitamura on keyboards, and Oya Ryoji on drums.

On November 30, I went to the release party for Nosa Reina's first album "don't kiss, but yes". Producer Takanami K-taro was on stage too part of the band, more on that in a minute!

The event's opening act was Portable Rock, Nomiya Maki's 80's new wave band that's been getting active again since this year. The 3 members of Portable Rock appeared on stage, Maki wearing a dress of thick black and white horizontal stripes, a black beret and glittery black gloves. The set was shortish but full of great songs. Also played were the two songs that resurfaced this year after having been sleeping for about 20 years, both have lyrics written by Konishi Yasuharu.

I love the dynamics of Portable Rock on stage, the three definitely seem to have fun and you can feel a tight complicity of having been friends for so long. Also they said that they had planned to write new songs this year but time flew away, however they seemed positive about doing so next year! I'm crossing my fingers! :)

On September 15, 2012, was the release party for frenesi's album "gendai". It was held at Shibuya WWW, one of my favorite venues lately (it used to be a movie theater), and like last time I saw her last year there was a funny school theme where frenesi is the principal and all her musicians and the audience are students. :) The show was also paced with school chimes, which were actually useful to hint people at the bar that the show was about to continue.

The show's first set started with just frenesi and band member Obata Yasuhisa (PC and keyboards), the first songs had a backtrack on which frenesi added vocals and phrases played on her red shoulder-worn keyboard (Yamaha SHS-10).