April 29, 2005
My Way My Love | Hypnotic Suggestion 01 |File 13 | Japan
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Guitarist/vocalist Yukio Murata used to share the stage with fellow guitarist Taakira Goto in a band called the Cimons. After they split ways, the two pursued separate substyles of the noise rock that Japan has become so well-known for: Goto's band, Mono, has something of a Chicago post-rock sound; Murata's My Way My Love is all-the-way New York City. The new CD Hypnotic Suggestion: 01 seems to pay tribute to and update the sound of Sonic Youth, much as Polysics NEU did for DEVO. Though I'm generally a little wary of such postmodern paeans (which seem to have all but replaced innovation in rock), My Way My Love pulls it off with skill and verve, creating an album far more exciting than the current Jim O'Rourke-era efforts of the real McCoy.
April 26, 2005
News | "Ni de mama steals cheap rice wine from 7-11!" |
This year's Spring Scream unearthed a little-known (but energetic) music subculture in Taiwan. Leonie Sanderson throws a little more light on the subject:
Rockabilly is undergoing a resurgence… in Taiwan. Perhaps never that popular in the first place, rockabilly has become an underground favorite replacing death metal in the popularity stakes.
The recent Spring Scream music festival saw four rockabilly bands play in a row, including popular Japanese band, Greassy Spoon. Resplendent with duck’s tail haircuts and cuffed denim jeans, Greassy Spoon played to packed crowds and lived up to their description as a cross between ‘ Jerry Lewis, the Sex Pistols and Quentin Tarantino’. Not to be outdone, Taiwanese bands Full House, Sugar Lady and Chicken Rice also hit the stage running, and played long and loud.
READ FULL ENTRY...April 19, 2005
Various | Radio Phnom Pehn |Sublime Frequencies | Cambodia
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This site's first mp3 entry is a review of the Sublime Frequencies label's compilation Radio Phnom Pehn. But perhaps "compilation" isn't quite the right word. In recording and presenting selections from Cambodian AM and FM broadcasts, producer Alan Bishop has created something in between an audio documentary and long-form sample art. This disc isn't the perfect introduction to the of magic world of Cambodian pop, but I don't think it's meant to be. If you're already a fan or want to do some aural armchair travel, this disc will do the trick.
MP3 samples and review (9:55): Far East Audio Podcast
April 18, 2005
News | More on Taiwan's Spring Scream |
Last week we posted a first report on Taiwan's alternative music festival, Spring Scream. Today Jennifer Roberts brings her pen and lens to the fest for this photo essay, pointing out the large showing of talent from the town of Taichung:
If Hedwig and his Angry Inch went on world tour, he would definitely make a stop off at the Spring Scream Festival. Is it a drag queen jamboree? Oh no. But Hedwig would fit right in alongside fellow unknown punk talent and mad fringe performance artist-musicians. Angry fairy grrls, boys in animal suits crowd surfing, and guitarists sporting tighty whitey’s below their muddy bums is just the icing on the cake. The trendy Taiwanese crowd carries an atmosphere of creative cool rarely seen on the island of Formosa, while the foreigners cover every character from a backpacker hostel. The eclectic range of music seems to traverse time and space simultaneously. From Mandarin Rockabilly to Kung Fu 70’s Funk Revival to mystical Brooklyn hipster duos, the mind swirls at the global mish-mash.
April 10, 2005
News | Taiwan's Spring Scream 2005 |
Kenting, Taiwan's Spring Scream has become something of a subcultural institution. When I went to the first one, over a decade ago, it was more like a big party than a small music festival. Much has changed--now some 3,000 to 4,000 local and expat rockers migrate to the southern beach town each year for a fest that has nonetheless stayed true to its non-corporate roots. We'll have a couple of reports on what went down at the Scream this year, starting with this overview by Taiwan-based writer Leonie Sanderson:
April 07, 2005
News | 60s Links & Shin Jung-Hyun | Various
Big thanks to my friend and inveterate record collector/researcher Stuart Ellis for sending me links to some Asian 60s music pages.
http://progressive.homestead.com has some deep pages on Japanese folk and psych, which feature links and band names a plenty. I also like the Southeast Asian page with its many pictures and links (including one to a review of my own). But the coolest discovery for me on the site is the extensive information on a genre I knew almost nothing about: Korean psychedelia.
In particular, the story of the diminutive band leader Shin Jung-Hyun (seen dwarfed by a Gibson SG in this photo) is fascinating. Shin began his musical career in 1955 and went on to make something like 100 records in various groups. His group Add 4 is said to be the first Korean rock band. Jang Hyun and the Men, the only Shin group I've heard (thanks again Stuart), sound a lot like "Nights in White Satin"-era Moody Blues. Great stuff.
April 04, 2005
News | Oakland Fourth-Grader is Budding Chinese Opera Star | China
An African-American fourth-grader in Oakland, California has impressed Chinese Opera aficionados with his ability to sing roles in Mandarin. Tyler Thompson, a member of Oakland Chinatown's Great Wall Youth Chorus, has even performed solo for millions on China's CCTV network during Chinese New Year. The Bay Area's CBS 5 TV has posted video and a transcript on its website.