Japanese punk
October 2, 2008 2:53 AM Subscribe
Japanese punk recommendations please. Era irrelevant. That is all. Thank you.
When I read this post I realized that there was a strong possibility you had not heard Meshi kuu na! (メシ喰うな！) by Inu (Machida Kō's first band). The idea sent a chill down my spine. Run, don't walk.
posted by No-sword at 3:53 AM on October 2, 2008
posted by No-sword at 3:53 AM on October 2, 2008
Punk, particularly in Japan, is a broad church. With that caveat, I recommend Boredoms, Melt-Banana and Acid Mothers Temple.
posted by macdara at 4:03 AM on October 2, 2008
posted by macdara at 4:03 AM on October 2, 2008
Seconding the Melt Banana recommendation. They not only tear it up big time, but are wonderful folks, to boot!
I also heartily recommend Kirihito (that link features pix of them as well as Melt Banana and others). One of the members of Kirihito (drummer Cob, that is Kobu-chan), by the way, runs a club in Okubo (just down the street from Shin-Okubo station, Yamanote line) called Earthdom, which features mainly punk and noise shows. I just played there the other night: they have a great PA.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 4:38 AM on October 2, 2008
I also heartily recommend Kirihito (that link features pix of them as well as Melt Banana and others). One of the members of Kirihito (drummer Cob, that is Kobu-chan), by the way, runs a club in Okubo (just down the street from Shin-Okubo station, Yamanote line) called Earthdom, which features mainly punk and noise shows. I just played there the other night: they have a great PA.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 4:38 AM on October 2, 2008
Yeah, I guess this really depends on what you consider "punk" (I don't agree with macdara that Acid Mothers Temple are, for instance).
Japanese hardcore is all over the place, but arguably the two most well known ("classic"?) examples being GISM and Gauze.
posted by anarchivist at 5:20 AM on October 2, 2008
Japanese hardcore is all over the place, but arguably the two most well known ("classic"?) examples being GISM and Gauze.
posted by anarchivist at 5:20 AM on October 2, 2008
I need to call a warning on the Boredoms. They're more of an avant garde noise collective. If you're into it, cool, but if you're not (vivid memories of seeing Nirvana in Kalamazoo. The Meatpuppets went over all right as an opening act. The Boredoms did not.)
It depends on the punk you want. Check out (mostly English/non-mangled lyrics) Ellegarden, sort of a pop-punk fun band, Asian Kungfu Generation for your more glasses wearing emo-punk, Go!Go!7188 for your hot girl 50's pop crossed with punk, Shakalabbits for some ska-punk, or, for the absolute best video ever, Bloodthirsty Butchers, a more indies/punk band.
There's also Ore No Ska Bando, who played at the Warped Tour this summer. High school girls from Osaka playing ska, you can't ask for more.
My first, though, was Mongol 800, or as they're commonly known, Manpachi, silly pop-punk from Okinawa.
Those are off the top of my head, and I have, and enjoy, albums by all of them.
posted by Ghidorah at 5:22 AM on October 2, 2008
It depends on the punk you want. Check out (mostly English/non-mangled lyrics) Ellegarden, sort of a pop-punk fun band, Asian Kungfu Generation for your more glasses wearing emo-punk, Go!Go!7188 for your hot girl 50's pop crossed with punk, Shakalabbits for some ska-punk, or, for the absolute best video ever, Bloodthirsty Butchers, a more indies/punk band.
There's also Ore No Ska Bando, who played at the Warped Tour this summer. High school girls from Osaka playing ska, you can't ask for more.
My first, though, was Mongol 800, or as they're commonly known, Manpachi, silly pop-punk from Okinawa.
Those are off the top of my head, and I have, and enjoy, albums by all of them.
posted by Ghidorah at 5:22 AM on October 2, 2008
Seconding the Inu recommendation, as someone who prefers poppy or post-punk like Plastics and P-Model rather than the noisier stuff. Oh and Plastics and P-Model :)
posted by p3t3 at 5:39 AM on October 2, 2008
posted by p3t3 at 5:39 AM on October 2, 2008
Okay, if Machida Machizo (Ko) is gonna be mentioned in this thread, then we can't let The Stalin by Michiro Endo go by unmentioned. Here you go.
posted by misozaki at 5:40 AM on October 2, 2008
posted by misozaki at 5:40 AM on October 2, 2008
My favorite Japanese label is Snuffy Smiles. A few of the Japanese bands that recorded with them also released stuff on Broken Rekids, including some of my favorites (Sprocket Wheel, Blew, Watercloset, and The Urchin). Dave Parasite of the Parasites also put out a pretty good compilation about ten years ago or so.
posted by toddst at 5:55 AM on October 2, 2008
posted by toddst at 5:55 AM on October 2, 2008
Second vote for Guitar Wolf. Always, and forever.
(They are Ramones-style punk.)
posted by JoanArkham at 6:00 AM on October 2, 2008
(They are Ramones-style punk.)
posted by JoanArkham at 6:00 AM on October 2, 2008
Mrs. flapjax would like to add Uchoten and Laughin' Nose to this hallowed list of J-punk.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 6:12 AM on October 2, 2008
posted by flapjax at midnite at 6:12 AM on October 2, 2008
Oh, also Nicotine. Kind of a silly, early Green Day kind of punk band. Also English lyrics, slightly fractured.
Oh, and if you like ska-punk, Kemuri is the god of all that is good, though they decided to call it quits last year.
posted by Ghidorah at 6:26 AM on October 2, 2008
Oh, and if you like ska-punk, Kemuri is the god of all that is good, though they decided to call it quits last year.
posted by Ghidorah at 6:26 AM on October 2, 2008
This wiki on Japanese hardcore has a bunch of bands you might want to check out.
posted by The Straightener at 6:30 AM on October 2, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by The Straightener at 6:30 AM on October 2, 2008 [1 favorite]
no one is going for the ultimate classic! the blue hearts!
train train
linda linda
posted by eatdonuts at 6:59 AM on October 2, 2008
train train
linda linda
posted by eatdonuts at 6:59 AM on October 2, 2008
When I was into Guitar Wolf, I also loved Teengenerate and the Registrators.
posted by mullacc at 7:16 AM on October 2, 2008
posted by mullacc at 7:16 AM on October 2, 2008
Punk: Fuck on the Beach.
New wave, but you should know The Plastics.
And the amazingly named, but ska, Snail Ramp.
posted by beerbajay at 7:50 AM on October 2, 2008
New wave, but you should know The Plastics.
And the amazingly named, but ska, Snail Ramp.
posted by beerbajay at 7:50 AM on October 2, 2008
Eastern Youth!
They have a kind of pop-punky sound, but with super gnarly guitars and a lot of shout alongs. They're noted for their wacky live performances. Totally worth your time.
posted by GilloD at 8:17 AM on October 2, 2008 [1 favorite]
They have a kind of pop-punky sound, but with super gnarly guitars and a lot of shout alongs. They're noted for their wacky live performances. Totally worth your time.
posted by GilloD at 8:17 AM on October 2, 2008 [1 favorite]
How did we get this far without someone mentioning
Envy??
They've been together forever. They started playing hardcore, quickly evolved into an incredible screamo band and now they sound vaguely like Mogwai. Without a doubt one of the biggest Japanese screamo/punk/hardcore bands in NA.
posted by The Wig at 9:23 AM on October 2, 2008 [2 favorites]
Envy??
They've been together forever. They started playing hardcore, quickly evolved into an incredible screamo band and now they sound vaguely like Mogwai. Without a doubt one of the biggest Japanese screamo/punk/hardcore bands in NA.
posted by The Wig at 9:23 AM on October 2, 2008 [2 favorites]
Hell yes to Eastern Youth. they were my introduction to the genre as practiced in Japan.
posted by zennoshinjou at 9:27 AM on October 2, 2008
posted by zennoshinjou at 9:27 AM on October 2, 2008
Envy is also good.
posted by zennoshinjou at 9:28 AM on October 2, 2008
posted by zennoshinjou at 9:28 AM on October 2, 2008
eX-Girl are apparently pop, not punk, but they sounded pretty punk to me. Also awesome.
posted by Artw at 10:25 AM on October 2, 2008
posted by Artw at 10:25 AM on October 2, 2008
Oops, and everything else that Ghidorah already said
posted by pantsrobot at 11:05 AM on October 2, 2008
posted by pantsrobot at 11:05 AM on October 2, 2008
Les Rallizes Denudes Live '77 album (just recently made more available again, on Forced Exposure I think...) is a total stretch I think, but my boyfriend pointed out by this time the head guy was "reinvigorated" by the Japanese punk scene. So...maybe.
posted by ifjuly at 11:43 AM on October 2, 2008
posted by ifjuly at 11:43 AM on October 2, 2008
The Gaia were an awesome all-female hardcore band in the '90s. I saw them play in a pizza place in Davis, CA a decade and a half or so ago. If you can find a copy of their debut album, Kick Up Ass!, on CD anywhere, get it! Then burn yourself a copy and sell it to me. Otherwise, their second album, This One, and their "best of" collection, 777, also come highly recommended.
posted by infinitywaltz at 11:50 AM on October 2, 2008
posted by infinitywaltz at 11:50 AM on October 2, 2008
NUMBER GIRL, although they've broken up, but each member went on to form other bands:
toddle
VOLA & THE ORIENTAL MACHINE
ZAZEN BOYS
SLOTH LOVE CHUNKS (No link because I think they've broken up as well)
Not really punk, but Shiina Ringo can get pretty hard. She's also good friends with the folks in NUMBER GIRL.
Some others I can think of:
ART-SCHOOL
STRAIGHTENER
unkie
fra-foa (that one might be a stretch)
I can probably post another few suggestions after I've browsed my collection a bit.
posted by NemesisVex at 1:37 PM on October 2, 2008
toddle
VOLA & THE ORIENTAL MACHINE
ZAZEN BOYS
SLOTH LOVE CHUNKS (No link because I think they've broken up as well)
Not really punk, but Shiina Ringo can get pretty hard. She's also good friends with the folks in NUMBER GIRL.
Some others I can think of:
ART-SCHOOL
STRAIGHTENER
unkie
fra-foa (that one might be a stretch)
I can probably post another few suggestions after I've browsed my collection a bit.
posted by NemesisVex at 1:37 PM on October 2, 2008
I don't agree with macdara that Acid Mothers Temple are, for instance
Fair enough, I guess most people would call them 'psychedelic' but I didn't really hear that in the incarnations I've seen them in.
I should also have mentioned Envy earlier; I saw them play live this summer just gone and they blew me away so much I ordered three of their albums online as soon as I could.
Fuck on the Beach are power-violence; like grindcore, technically a punk subgenre but oft classified as extreme metal. I dig that kind of stuff, but it might be too much for some.
If noise rock isn't too leftfield of the punk-o-scope, I highly recommend Ruins. For the most part, just bass and drums, like Lightning Bolt, but far awesomer (plus the drummer is simply astounding).
posted by macdara at 3:26 PM on October 2, 2008
Fair enough, I guess most people would call them 'psychedelic' but I didn't really hear that in the incarnations I've seen them in.
I should also have mentioned Envy earlier; I saw them play live this summer just gone and they blew me away so much I ordered three of their albums online as soon as I could.
Fuck on the Beach are power-violence; like grindcore, technically a punk subgenre but oft classified as extreme metal. I dig that kind of stuff, but it might be too much for some.
If noise rock isn't too leftfield of the punk-o-scope, I highly recommend Ruins. For the most part, just bass and drums, like Lightning Bolt, but far awesomer (plus the drummer is simply astounding).
posted by macdara at 3:26 PM on October 2, 2008
(plus the drummer is simply astounding).
He is Yoshida Tatsuya, and aside from his work with Ruins, he is very active on the Tokyo/Japan/international creative music scene.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 6:21 PM on October 2, 2008
He is Yoshida Tatsuya, and aside from his work with Ruins, he is very active on the Tokyo/Japan/international creative music scene.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 6:21 PM on October 2, 2008
Super Junky Monkey?
posted by flibbertigibbet at 6:41 AM on October 3, 2008
posted by flibbertigibbet at 6:41 AM on October 3, 2008
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by armage at 3:04 AM on October 2, 2008