RFI: Japanese Rock

Pink Lady? Dunno, if you want to learn the language you're better off taking lessons really. Going by personal experience anyway.

As far as 70s stuff goes, I'm not too well-versed, but I can definitely recommend Happy End, who were sort of the Japanese CSNY. Their album "Kazemachi Roman" is pretty solid.

I'm a very big fan of a lot of more recent J-indie/punk/weird rock etc. I recommend the following:

NUMBER GIRL were a pretty good and also quite successful indie band who started out as a Pixies/Husker Du homage (they actually had a song called "Pixie Du"), and gradually metamorphosed into something like an abrasive, Shellac-influenced dub band. They broke up in 2002, but their main songwriter Mukai Shutoku has a new band called Zazen Boys, who continue making rad math-y, jazzy, angsty rock. They just had a recording session in the US with with David Fridmann!

Number Girl:
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Zazen Boys (Live in Fredonia, NY)
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My personal faves, Sambomaster, who specialize in emotionally intense soul-inflected power-punk-pop:
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Classic punk-rockers The Blue Hearts:
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I really think you ought to take classes if you want to learn the language, but yeah, song lyrics can be an excellent way to supplement said classes. Good luck!

<mother fucking tags>

part 1 of the Fredonia show is my favorite song of theirs 'Riff Man'

noteworthy news from sidebar of those youtube links from Fredonia, NY show:

The Zazen Boys from Tokyo,Japan are currently recording with Flaming Lips producer Dave Fridmann.

During the recording time, Dave will sometimes bring the band down the road to BJ's Bar in Fredonia, NY to play a basically unannounced show.

This is part 4 of that amazing show.

obligatory link to the Shiina Ringo thread

Japrocksampler

still searching for that version of "kimochi" w/ shiina ringo that i once found on myspace and is now missing. anyone have it?

Thx for the recommendations all ~~~

Rolling Stone Japan's 100 Greatest Rock Albums:
http://neojaponisme.com/2007/11/09/100-greatest-japanese-rock-albums/

Shiina Ringo is awesome but she uses pretty archaic Japanese a lot of the time, you're not gonna learn much listening to her.

There's a guy named Yoshida Takuro who's been big since the 70's, very classic-rocky, if that's what you're looking for. He has a has some folky stuff which could help you with your studies. Search: the song "Kyou made soshite ashita kara," which is fucking brilliant.

But yeah, take lessons.

I kind of like this, god help me:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Q7Gcw-fqJg

B'Z is touring the USA right now, they are probably the biggest band that you have probably never heard of.

I just heard of them 20 minutes ago!

this is MAN WITH A MISSION, right? are they related to B'z?

I don't know. Yes, Man With a Mission. I think I'm already over them, however.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EWaVmNwQyw

does anyone know the lyrics to My GTO?