NMFT8: Finalizing the Line-up
Dalljub Step Club and 午前3時と退屈 are officially part of the line up for NMFT vol 8 in May, 2016.
There will be five bands altogether and I'd like your input on helping decide the final three bands.
In addition to 午前3時と退屈 (Gozen Sanji to Taikutsu) I will bring one more female band or... for the first time maybe even an idol group.
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Whaaaaaaaat?
Yeah you heard me. I am typically vehemently against Japanese idol culture because it's extremely superficial, capitalistic and attracts seedy individuals who need their lolita-pedophilic fetishes satiated.
But I can make an exception for:
Maison Book Girl
Maison Book Girl are an idol group whose music is composed by Kenta Sakurai.
The music isn't the usual vapid, saccharine-laden fluff but has a more sophisticated French-Indie-meets-math-pop vibe.
The group was built around Megumi Koshoji who was a member of BiS, the original anti-idol group. They do a monthly show at Shinjuku Motion of all places which happens to be my favorite underground live house in all of Japan.
Last year I was thinking about bringing Suiyoubi no Campanella but ended up waiting and bringing Atlantis Airport instead. Well as some of you know Suiyoubi is the hottest act in Japan right now and my chances of bringing wed_camp to Canada now are pretty impossible unless I pay a sh*tload of $$. Same thing happened with megastar Oomori Seiko who I was also considering for NMFT7. By the way here's a video of Oomori Seiko with Megumi Koshoji of Maison Book Girl. If I decide to hold off on MBG they might be too big to participate in NMFT if I wait a year.
I don't know If I'll really follow through with bringing an idol group since it almost goes against the very moral fiber of NMFT but I actually like some of their music quite a bit and it would be hella fun hanging out with them in Canada. I'm going to see them live Dec 22 and if their performance kicks my ass then game on.
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硝子越しの暴走
Garasugoshi no Bouso is a band I've practically promised I'd bring to Canada next year so I'll feel bad if I didn't and they'll be a bit choked and pissed in return. I won't go into too much detail since I already discussed them in the previous post as one of the best up & coming female bands in Japan. What I like about this band is that there is nothing fake about them. They just play soulful, blues/folk-tinged rock and roll with occasional bursts of hardcore fury. They are great at interacting with the crowd and rock out as much as possible without going overboard.
They are a great band. I'll be honest that their studio recordings don't excite me all that much but they put on a solid, energetic live performance and they wear their hearts on their sleeves. Straightshooting, honest and soulful.
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These girls are only 17 years old!! They're still in high school! But they already show the makings of becoming one of the best female bands in the next few years if not sooner.
Although Regal Lily's stage presence isn't as charismatic and polished as Garasugoshi no Bousou their music much more frequently gives me 'the feels.' Compared to Garasugoshi, Regal Lily's music has much more emotional umami or... emomi. LOL.
At only 17, Honoka Takahashi is already a better songwriter than 90% of her peers who've been at it for much, much longer. I love how their music is clean and melodic but then out of nowhere surprises you with intense power and shoegaze distortion.
Honoka's singing is a bit nasal and her voice cracks and occasionally she's off keybut that's also part of the charm since she's never had any vocal training.
I saw both Regal Lily and Garasugoshi no Bousou play together the same night at Shinjuku Motion which allowed me to directly compare them. I even asked Ryo of PENs+ to watch the show with me to get a 2nd opinion. Ryo watched all of Regal Lily and half of Garasugoshi no Bousou's set before he had to catch the train home. And his verdict was that Garasugoshi no Bousou was the stronger band and that's even without seeing/hearing the best songs that Garasugoshi saved for last.
I was surprised because to me Garasugoshi are definitely solid, no question, but in Regal Lily I see so much potential for greatness. Ryo was impressed by the fact Regal Lily uses "The Summer Ends" by American Football as their theme song when they enter the stage but he felt they were too inexperienced and raw whereas Garasugoshi were already at a level suitable for NMFT.
Hmmm. What do you guys think?
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虎の子ラミー
Toranoko Rammy. I initially felt their music was too generic and garage but after watching them perform live and listening to their CDs more closely I realized they have some pretty decent songs and variety in their music. They easily put on the most dynamic and energetic show of any female band. Based on entertainment from a live performance standoint they beat out Regal Lily and Garasugoshi no Bousou hands down. But in terms of quality of music I definitely prefer the latter two.
They're sort of like a female version of Gekitetsu if you think about it. At first they were a longshot but now I would definitely consider inviting them for NMFT8 especially if readers rank them highly in this vote.
So out of the four female contenders: Maison Book Girl, Garasugoshi no Bousou, Regal Lily and Toranoko Rammy which one (maaaaybe two) would you want to see most. Who is the best fit for NMFT? Who is least suited for NMFT? I'd like to hear your thoughts.
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Now that we got the girls out of the way, let's concentrate on the spots available for the guys.
Most likely I will be inviting this band to NMFT8:
NETWORKS
Each year I try to bring at least one skilled instrumental or math-rock band eg sgt., NATSUMEN, mouse on the keys, JIZUE
Next year I plan on bringing NETWORKS because they're super tight with a unique, chill but emotionally powerful sound. The drummer alone will have you wetting your pants with his stamina and chops.
They have some really beautifully artistic videos as well:
Does anyone actually object to me bringing NETWORKS?
I think they give the crowd a nice opportunity to sit back and relax for a bit and then be pleasantly surprised when the music gets intense
And there's really no other band that makes music quite like their's.
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NENGU
When I interviewed Ryo of PENs+ earlier this year he said one of his absolute favorite bands is NENGU. And when I bought their CD via bandcamp I could see why. (Take a listen!)
The drumming is frantic and powerful and there's alot of melody in the guitars similar to Irish math rock bands like ASIWYFA and adebisi shank. Although they're a bit sloppy and nowhere near as skilled/polished as their Lucky Charmed counterparts.
When I watched Nengu play live with WOZNIAK last month I was actually with Kinoko Teikoku's drummer, Nishimura Kon.
By the way the girl is Mio of Microcosm who now plays in WOZNIAK and the guy on the far right is Nengu's guitarist.
Anyhow Kon was pretty impressed with Nengu and thinks they'll be a hit if they come to Canada.
Maybe my expectations were too high based on them being Ryo's (PENs+) favorite band but I thought they were decent but not necessarily amazing live. Although I REALLY like their studio recordings which sound a lot cleaner than their live performances.
But Kon and Ryo give them a big thumbs up, so what do you guys think?
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skillkills
skillkills are f*cking dope well at least I and pretty well any guy or girl in the Japanese underground scene with decent taste thinks so. Just like NETWORKS they have a unique sound like no other band. This is funk on the next, next, next level.
But there will definitely be a large portion of NMFT fans that won't like this band because.. I don't know.. they're too eccentric and abrasive?
But there will also be a large portion of NMFT fans that will see them as one of the best acts to come to Canada assuming I invite them. These are the more open minded fans that can see the genius in a band like Death Grips for example.
Yeah, if you like Death Grips then skillkills will definitely be up your alley too.
Since skillkills will polarize the audience and have a good share of detractors I am a bit hesitant to invite them. But personally I think they're badass and their music is uniquely sick. If I end up bringing Maison Book Girl then I might bring skillkills to balance things out with their nastiness. :)
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THIS IS JAPAN
THIS IS JAPAN are otori's best mates. Miyata, otori's bassist, was even wearing a TIJ (THIS IS JAPAN) T-shirt during the NMFT shows (here).
They play fast, melodic punk with surprisingly intricate guitarwork and are absolutely FIERCE live. The members of harafromhell insist they're the one band I HAVE to bring to Canada.
Even my friend Eric who didn't think much of them based on Youtube clips flipped out when he actually saw them live.
Skip to 1 min 12 sec mark for the chaotic guitar bliss.
THIS IS JAPAN are also good friends of Garasugoshi no Bousou since they both use Shinjuku Motion as their homebase. So it might be nice to pair them together during NMFT.
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So Dalljub Step Club and 午前3時と退屈 are far sure and I am 95% sure about NETWORKS.
That means there are two spots left.
I will probably go with Garasugoshi no Bousou and NENGU
but Skillkills and Maison Book Girl is a possibility if MBG impresses me.
Torako no Rammy is the most entertaining of the female bands and I like Regal Lily's music the most and Regal Lily has more potential for greatness than any of these bands.
THIS IS JAPAN would rock the crowd the most out of the four male bands listed.
I'll be seeing all these bands again in 2 weeks to make a decision but any input from you readers will also be strongly considered.
Thanks in advance and please write your thoughts in the comments section!
