I SERIOUS SERIOUS SERIOUSLY think that Tsubaki's Isshiki looks ALOT ALOT ALOT ALOT ALOT ALOT ALOT ALOT ALOT like Arashi's Sakurai~!!!!!

SERIOUSLY SERIOUSLY SERIOUSLY.

But of course... HA! I    L O V E   Tsubaki. Isshiki. PERIOD. (I don't mind Sakurai's dorama but NO, I've not heard any Arashi songs (except the drama ones))

But sadly. shit. I gotta admit.... I think Sakurai is cuter than Isshiki.... Sigh. damn. sorry. Maybe coz Sakurai is younger anyhows. 

BUTTTTTT TSUBAKI ROCKS WAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY MORE.

Sheryl Crow... wow.

"But things always work out perfectly. They just do. Generally, when you let go of your vision of how something is supposed to be, the universe hands you exactly what you need."

America - New York, LA, Boston

FINALLY DONE!!! Three days!!.... I will never be a good editor like my brother :(

SOOOOO... here's to the tune of Kinoshita Riki's Raspberry!....... IMA SO SORRY!!! I had to EDIT the song!!! waaa~ I don't think I have enough videos for the whole song :(

Anyway, here goes~





These are some videos I took of New York, LA and Boston.......

I wanted to practice using Final Cut, so I've been trying to cut some music videos from what I have... I really like Kinoshita's song raspberry... I feel it's like a driving song... haha! But it's kinda weird isn't it?? America with a Japanese song!!

But anyways.... I realized that I only take videos from cars, trains and buses... and I don't take videos of people at all :( And I think I lost a lot of videos... I think the WHOLE WHOLE WHOLE folder with the videos of the last time I was in New York were in the Hard Drive that my brother LOST. WTF. Shit.... Sigh...

Anyway.... The other songs I am going to ATTEMPT to do next are:


神聖かまってちゃん (Sinsei kamattechan) - ちりとり (Chiritori)
- This song is kinda DAMNNNNNN long...................... and there's a whole part where it's really slow...

LOVE LOVE LOVE - カナカナ (Kanakana)
- This song is also DAMNNNN long but fuck... I love love love (haha!) the ending bits of this song, it's so damn inspiring!!!

パウンチホイール (Paunchwheel) - 長電話
- I think this is the MOST doable of all the songs... It's slow and SHORT! lol~ I had an idea of just having it be about Tokyo/Shimokita... We'll see...

last.fm artist cloud

LOL!!!!! EXTREMELY SKEWED!!! lollll~~~~

神聖かまってちゃん (Sinsei Kamattechan)

A caution, this band is definitely NOT for everyone but damn! I love them!!!!!!!!!

What can I say about their style??????????? The SEX PISTOLS meets happy-keyboard punk!!!!! DISTORTED screeching vocals overlaid with catchy keyboards, punctuated with a tinge of electronic stuck together with punkish guitars and percussion. AWESOME!!!!

This band is DEFINITELY weird. The whole damn band is weird led by the weirdest of them lot, only named "no ko" (の子). Except for the drummer (YES, who is an INCREDIBLY CUTE girl), no one knows their names. However, there's a proliferation of homemade videos and documentaries of the band doing weird shit, not excluding a webcam of noko naked in a tub, sexually hugging his bandmate (YES, the incredibly cute drummer), them sitting in messy rooms, noko talking streams of endless gibberish (does he stutter?!), webcams chats from the drummer's bedroom, and all with noko screaming his head off most of the time, which really lead me to really believe that there is something SERIOUSLY WRONG with that boy! lol~

Which is why, I think, their music is the way it is and needless to say, yes damn, I LOVE IT.

I guess, 神聖かまってちゃん (Sinsei Kamattechan) is DEFINITELY a very, very different, different take on the Japanese indie rock sound these days. They definitely don't play Western sounding rock music like most Japanese rock bands (Tsubaki, Art-School, Ajikan, andymori), they're also NOT at all like the usual Japanese-sound indie rock bands these days (plenty, Any, S.R.S, Love Love Love, Co.In, colors department, Prof. Moriarty & Smiley Todd, the court), nor are they like the other types of Japanese-sound rock bands (serial TV drama, butter butter, e-sound speaker, Galileo Galilei, the local art, People in the Box, Setsuna Blue Star) or the heavier Japanese rock types (lego big morl, Multi Colored Vox, syrup16g), or the Japanese post-rock types (lostage, the Novembers, the telephones), or the electronic rock types (hare-brained unity, Ogre You Asshole, Starboard, sakanakusyon) or the more Japanese indie-rock (Merenge, Sekaiichi, Otonamodo), and of course, the recent rise of Japanese indie piano-rock bands (andop, Sekai no Owari)..

I guess... the philosophy of noko and consequently the music he makes can be very, very well summarized with the words he wrote in the song ロックンロールは鳴り止まないっ (Rock and Roll sounds forever). I really, really like this song, not just because it's an amazing representation of their sounds, but also an encapsulation of their (and noko's) music philosophy.


Ima try to translate it!
 
ロックンロールは鳴り止まないっ
昨日の夜、駅前TSUTAYAさんで
僕はビートルズを借りた、セックスピストルズを借りた
「ロックンロール」というやつだ
しかし、
何がいいんだか全然分かりません

do da
turatura
oh yeah!yeah!yeah!

夕暮れ時、部活の帰り道で
またもビートルズを聞いた、セックスピストルズを聞いた
何かが以前と違うんだ
MD取っても、イヤホン取っても
なんでだ全然鳴り止まねぇっ

do da doda
tura tura
oh yeah! yeah!
yeah!

今も遠くで聞こえるあの時のあの曲がさ
遠くで近くですぐ傍で、叫んでいる
遠くで見てくれあの時の僕のまま
初めて気がついたあの時の衝撃を僕に

いつまでも、いつまでも、いつまでもくれよ

もっともっと、僕にくれよ
もっと、もっと、もっと、もっと、
くれよ！

遠くにいる君目がけて吐き出すんだ
遠くで近くですぐ傍で叫んでやる
最近の曲なんかもうクソみたいな曲だらけさ！
なんて事を君は言う、いつの時代でも

だから
僕は今すぐ、今すぐ、今すぐ叫ぶよ
君に今すぐ、今、僕のギター鳴らしてやる
君が今すぐ、今、曲の意味分からずとも
鳴らす今、鳴らす時

ロックンロールは鳴り止まないっ

Last night, at the Tsutaya store before the train station,

I am the rock and roll guy who borrowed the Beatles and the Sex Pistols.
However, the meaning of what is good, I still don't understand.


do da doda
tura tura
oh yeah! yeah!
yeah!

In the evening, on the way home from club activities,
still listened to the Beatles, listened to the Sex Pistols,
Something is different than before,
Holding my MD, Holding my earphones
Why is it that it totally goes on always. (THIS IS PROBABLY WRONG!! I don't understand the sentence!!)


do da doda
tura tura
oh yeah! yeah!
yeah!

Now the distant song of that time that can be heard
is screaming in a distance nearby by my side.

In a distance my mother of that time that can be seen,
the first time she noticed at that time, she was shocked at me (THIS IS ALSO PROBABLY WRONG!)

always, always, always, give me

more more more more more to me, give it to me.

The you at a distance, eyes are.... (I DON'T UNDERSTAND!), I vomit,
Far away and nearby and right by my side, cry

Music these days are just like shit (HELL YEAH!)
The things you say even in any period.


That is why,
right now, I scream,
To you, right now, my guitar is ringing,
Even if you don't understand the meaning of the song.
Rings now, this is the time it rings.

Rock and Roll never ends.

(Inside me, which summer... If I hear that rock and roll, I remember a little)

This Week's Bands!

This week's top bands are definitely 神聖かまってちゃん and amazarashi. 
Maybe I was in a mood for something with keyboards this week after finding amazarashi. 
amazarashi is definitely one of those slower keyboard based Japanese piano rock bands. Quite different from the other same genre bands too.

As for 神聖かまってちゃん... What can I say about them?! They're totally different!! They're like the SEX PISTOLS meet Supercar meet D.W. ニコルス. I'm not joking!! Their music is like happy keyboard based, with extremely distorted Sex Pistol-ish vocals. So go figure! Surprisingly (or maybe not!) I really enjoyed listening to this band! 

Anyway as for the other bands checked out this week:

THE NOVEMBERS

- ok, I knew about them a year or two ago but didn't quite like the first album i checked out so... KINDA MISS OUT ON THEM!!! ごめんね！

Anyway, I like their sound. They have quite mellow slow post-rock songs. Not those experimental type of post-rock (not shoegaze).. Sounds quite mellow and melancholic, actually!

WALKABOUT

Got them from my last.fm neighbor too... They're one of those melodic western sounding rock bands,  quite poppish, actually, and sound pretty much mainstream... VERY radio friendly tracks. I wonder why they're like really unknown, despite having been around for quite awhile.

THE NOVELS

Ok, I actually knew this band last year when I was in Japan and checking out the albums of the bands playin the Shimokita Roundup 2 in Tower Records. I was considering to buy their album, but ended up not doing so... But it's now online... Downloaded awhile ago but didn't properly check them out.
They have tracks that sound ALOT ALOT ALOT like The Pillows. They have other track that are quite punk-rock-ish... Japanese punk-rock-ish.. Quite a good band, great potential to release a great album in the future, definitely.

YUEY

Hmmm... quite a good band, not much stuff out there but... they're like one of those Japanese Japanese indie rock bands. (Yes, meaning their sounds are Japan-ish... not Western).

ナイスマーブルス (Nice Marbles)

- FINALLY get to check out this band!!! Their album "Real" was on the top rated albums of 2009 on many of the Japanese indie/rock fans' list!!
A melodic pop rock band with both western and Japanese sounds. I've yet to check out "Real". So, more on this band later!

カフカ

Yes!! Kafka!!!! I wanted to check this band out soooooooo much 3 months ago!! Like when I wanted to check out androp and  神聖かまってちゃん. Couldn't find anything back then but luck had it, someone loaded an album this week itself!!!

Hmmm Kafka... Not as rock as I would have expected from my last.fm neighbor's usual taste... They're quite indie-rock, actually, with a splice of mellower indie rock sounds... 

サクラメリーメン

This group was on my last.fm's neighbor's top bands this week. They're actually more on the pop side of rock than rock itself. Really radio friendly too... Sounds like mainstream pop rock band... like Walkabout.

COLORS DEPARTMENT

YES! This is the second (or next??) band of the vocalist of Co.in. I ALMOSTTTTTTT!!! got to check out their live last year but alas, missed the date by a day!!! 

So anyway, this band has a mixture of the typical Japanese indie-rock sounds with a sprinkle of "western sound" than most japanese indie-rock bands...

OOOOO that said!!  FINALLY GOT D.W.ニコルズ debut album! ONELBUM! Again, D.W.ニコルズ, doesn't fail to deliver, happy acoustic rock tracks!!! Good release D.W.ニコルズ! Definitely looking forward to more positive vibes from this band!

Actually it's kinda sad I didn't get to check out these bands that I knew about a few months ago until now!!! sigh... But better late than never, I guess!

「ロックンロールは鳴り止まないっ」 神聖かまってちゃん

If you can listen past the distorted nasal vocals, their songs are really good. Something different from the run-off-the-mill Japanese indie rock bands these days.

Actually, the vocal style sound ALOT like that totally silly cheesy Chinese-pop song I liked that everyone said I was stupid to like.

And I think this band sounds are a little like the other Japanese band, The Mad Capsules.

amazarashi「光、再考」

Gosh.... I barely post anything these days... The tumblr wannabe music blog has more post... I guess I'll cross-post the music here too...

Anyway... here's a first band I've checked out in a REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY long time too.... Sorry, this is a PV rip but can't find anything better. Still, I think it's a good song!

The band was one of the playlist of top 20 bands on my two most compatible neighbors on last.fm. I usually get to know alot of great bands from them, and usually if the both of them share a common band, it'd turn out to be something I like... It's just a little hard to get the bands they listen to, sometimes, cause they know most of these bands through live and probably get the records at shows.

Anyway, they're a really cool band (IN MY OPINION!!!) One of those bands with really awesome piano/keyboard-rock tracks. Awesome.

AWESOME local Malaysian music GIG scene blog

DUDE, CHECK THIS ONE OUT: http://klmosher.blogspot.com/

This girl is awesome!!! hahaha... reminds me of the whole gang back in LA!!!! She's like the Malaysian version of Luis&co!!!!! Goes for a BILLION GIGS in KL (well, if there are a billion gigs!) and incredibly insightful into the whole local gig scene... Has been a really really really entertaining and enlightening read!!!!!

check the blog out! AWESOME!!!! Would definitely be something i WISH I could have written myself! But alas~ I'm too damn lazy hahaha!

But dearrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr GOD... how I wish I could be LOST in Shimokitazawa and I could start a frigging blog for EVERY DAMN SHOW within the grasps of Shimokita!!

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!! それはそれが私の本当の夢だ！！！！！！！！！

つばき Tsubaki Twitter!

YESSSSSSSSSS~!

Tsubaki FINALLY is on twitter~!

Hoorahh!!!! 一色さん！岡本さん！

Please follow!

http://twitter.com/noriyasuisshoku

http://twitter.com/okamoto_tsubaki

Ryou Has Officially Left Lunkhead

This time... It's for good... FOREVER. ZERO% left in the band.... (;_;) Ryou Ishikawa has officially left Lunkhead. His last live with Lunkhead is on 8th April 2010, in Shimokitazawa Garage...

-------------

11年間活動を共にしてきたメンバー、石川龍がLUNKHEADを去ることになりました。

この一年間、新しいスタイルでLUNKHEADとしての音を追求してやってきましたが、やってみて初めて解った事、変化した事がたくさんありました。正直、4人の最高の音を出し続けられないジレンマも感じだしました。
LUNKHEADというバンドの事を考えた時、このまま今の4人でこのスタイルでやっていくのか、それとも龍以外の3人だけでもやっていくべきなのか、という事について真剣に話し合うようになりました。
そして俺達4人は、小高芳太朗、山下壮、合田悟の三人でもLUNKHEADとしての道を進むという結論に至りました。

LUNKHEADはこの4人ではなくなりますが、俺達4人が繋いできた絆、創ってきた音楽はこれからも変わりません。
これからも俺達4人は一緒に泣いたり笑ったり酔っ払ったりして、共に歳をとっていく仲間です。
俺達の決断はメンバー各々が一個人としてだけではなく、LUNKHEADがLUNKHEADとして選んだ正しい道だと確信しています。

これからもそれを信じて、俺達はLUNKHEADとして更に精進していきたいと思います。


LUNKHEAD


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------


石川龍です。

突然ではありますが、４月８日に下北沢GARAGEにて開催されるワンマンライブ『W0RLD IS MINE』を最後にLUNKHEADを脱退することになりました。

バンド結成からこれまで、応援してくれたファンの皆さん、支えてくれたスタッフの皆さん、仲間、友人、そして三人のメンバーへ、オレと出会ってくれて本当にありがとう。
心を込めて、本当にありがとう。

何を語ればいいのか、何から語ればいいのか、正直まだ整理ができていない状態です、実は。

まず、この一年間、オレはある企業に就職し、会社員として働きながら、バンド活動を続けてきました。

去年の２月にホームページで「目標のために」という理由で、活動の一部停止を発表しました。その説明が不透明かつ不十分でファンの皆さんには疑問や疑念を与えてしまっていたという話を耳にしました。

そういうことがあったとしたならば、本当にごめんなさい。

当時、脱退という決断はオレにとって自己実現のための最良かつ唯一の選択肢で、精神的にも肉体的にもそうしなければ笑顔で音楽やドラムに向き合うことすらできなくなっていたんです。
そこに可能性や希望を見いだしてくれたメンバーのおかげで、この一年間、オレは音楽やドラムに対して、それまでよりも、もっと誠実に真っ直ぐ向き合うことができるようになりました。
会社員として働くからこそ伝えたい思いやメッセージもたくさん見つかりました。
この一年間、ライブやメンバーとのリハーサルはめちゃめちゃ幸せな時間で、生きていることを心から実感することができました。

そんな中で今回、正式に脱退を決意するに至った理由は、一言で説明できるほど簡単ではないけれど、最終的に会社員を辞めるか、LUNKHEADを辞めるかという自分にとっての究極の選択肢に答えを出さなければならないタイミングがきてしまったからです。

ハゲるほど悩みました。

もしかしたらこれからもずっと悩みながら生きていくのかもしれません。

一緒に歩んでいくことが出来なくなったこと、本当にごめんなさい。
これからもずっと、心はともに。

LUNKHEADのメンバーと楽曲をこれからも愛し続けます。
人生最良の時間をどうもありがとう！

『あなたに会えてよかった』

感謝の気持ちを込めて、４月８日、オレ達のルーツである下北沢GARAGEでワンマンライブをやらせてもらいます。
オレが愛するLUNKHEADの楽曲達をオレが考えたセットリストで時間が許す限り、全力で演奏させて下さい。
突然の告知ではありますが、是非遊びに来て欲しいと思います。

これからも、オレはオレのスタンスで、音楽とドラムと共にあり続けたいと思っています。
メンバーとはいつまでも、一緒に酒を飲んで笑っていたいと願っています。

これからも、LUNKHEADを、そして石川龍を、どうぞよろしくお願いします！

愛を込めて。

LUNKHEAD 石川 龍

March Playlist

Ok... Have not been updating... Had not checked out that many bands in the interim... Not the 3 a week I promised anyway, since I was quite happy with my playlist.

Anyway, here are some bands in the past weeks!

the court (Love love love their song, 524! AWESOME AWESOME song!)
More Love Love Love
Any
ほたる日和
androp (DAMN NICE!)

Recently Checked Out:
世界の終わり (DAMN NICE YO!!!!!!!!!!!!! I really hope I can get their new album next month!)
Weaver (For some reason, just as I was searching for their album online, someone uploaded it a week later! Awesome~)
□□□ (Finally)
AFRICAEMO (gotta listen to this more, not checked out much yet)
神聖かまってちゃん (their album was on Disk Union's top 10 Indies album le!)
Hi-Fi CAMP (I didn't even know this but apparently, I HAD checked out their song exactly a year ago ahahaha)

Going to check out:
Natural Punch Drunker
ラジオボタン
plane

Hmmm... if possible, I'd like to find more stuff by My Autumn Rain and anything by リリィノート (my two usual last.fm neighbors had this band on their list!)


English:
Motion City Soundtrack (Woot!)