Tag Archives: Japan

ANGEL FACE: Out In The Street.

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Last year I wrote about one of the best bands from Japan- Angel Face, and tomorrow sees the release of their new record, Out In The Street. The title fits this record. This is a record to play whilst wandering the streets, whilst doing a bunch of nothin’ in the streets. It’s a record to kill time to, and it’s a glorious Punk record that feels like something the Dead Boys could have churned out decades ago. It’s a fantastic record, and I have to tell you all about it!

Alright so what you need to know that there’s no second record curse here. This is a record that’s as tough as old leather and stands out, and stands up. I’ve started noticing more when I listen to new records if my friend Raz would have like it or not, and I’m pretty sure he would have been into Angel Face. I’m playing the record pretty loud, and my cat is happily sleeping through it and I always think that’s a pretty sure fire way of judging how great a record is. If she doesn’t like something, she finds a way to let me know. So, this record is Mary approved. Do you need to know anything else? Probably.

Something to really love about this record is how raw it is, y’know? You feel like you’re listening in on a band practicing and you feel you need to be quiet so you don’t disturb the atmosphere. It’ll make you want to jump around and throw things about. It’ll make you wish you could go to their shows and really feel what the band are about. I like bands that make you feel like their live shows could absolutely transform how you listen to them, and Angel Face do exactly that. Listening to the record and knowing they’ve been together a short amount of time, and have put out (nearly) 2 records is just so cool! Their sound is everything I’d want from a record- not just a Punk record. It’s got a real DIY feel to it, and these 10 songs were made to be played loud and this a band that know how to play one way and that’s FAST. Okay, maybe FAST and LOUD. Thankfully there are no sloppy, slow love songs here. Just unfiltered Punk- how it’s supposed to be.

In just 10 songs Angel Face let you know yet again who exactly they are. They’ve all played in some really great bands prior to what they do as Angel Face, and when you take that experience and make something new- you end up with a bloody mammoth of a record like this. Out In The Streets. For me, it’s the record you put on and do nothing to. Go out for a walk and waste your day however you want, but make sure this is your soundtrack. I standby everything I wrote about Angel Face last year, but you can happily increase my love for them for sure. This is great second record, and like I said, they’ve played in some amazing bands too, so I guess it’s expected that they’ll always put something brilliant out. I just love the snarly vocals and how it makes you feel like you’re listening to Punk for the very first time. You can just imagine how wild their live shows are!

Out In The Streets is a strong record, and irrespective of it being record number 2- hell, if it was record number 5 it’d still be this great! It firmly shows you exactly what Angel Face are made of, and just how effortlessly slick their sound is. It’s a record that you’ll have on repeat and in about 10 years’ time you’ll still be talking about how good it is! The Punk scene in Japan is clearly something that needs more attention, and we need to bring bands like Angel Face over to the UK to tour. There’s so many venues here that they could tear the roof off of. I just know that their shows would be something else! But, until that day happens- we’ve got the music.

For me, the best tracks are…well… all 10 of ‘em! But I think right now, Wastin’ Time is my favourite. It’s the one that totally nails the Angel Face sound fully and makes you want more and more. This is the one you need to play the loudest. It’s got a little Ramones kick to it, and it’s just a real joy to listen to. The production and the sound of the record is just a real delight- you can’t get enough of it!

The new record is out tomorrow (10th October) and is being released by Slovenly Records. Buy it and play it really, really loud.

THE FADEAWAYS.

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I know I should probably keep track of the bands I write about it, but my brain doesn’t work in that way. God knows what kind of way it works in (if it even works at all!) Anyway, all I know is that I’ve written about a fair amount of bands from Japan but there’s one in particular that I should have written about a LONG time ago, but never did because I’m an idiot.

So, I’ll put me being an idiot aside for a bit and write about The Fadeaways and their newest record, Pretty Wild which came out only a few weeks ago.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=yT62UfKbBlg%3Fsi%3D-0NhZ6G53JWjCccW

The Fadeaways are THE perfect 60s Garage Rock style band. For me they are every band I love (that fit this genre) and more. They remind me of very early The Pretty Things, The Gruesomes (aka greatest band of all time) and there’s definitely hints of the most beloved band- Ramones. If I listen to something and I can hear the Ramones or The Gruesomes lurking in there somewhere- then I’m happy.  

I’ve made myself believe I’ve written about the band before, but even if I have- it doesn’t matter. What matters anyway! The Fadeaways make me want to ignore all my daily responsibilities and just listen to music like this all day. The true test of how great the band are? Well, my cat hasn’t run off the second I started playing them so that’s something. Normally she goes off into another room and sleeps. Not this time- I think little Mary has good taste. Anyway, back to The Fadeaways. I won’t limit myself to telling you just about their most recent release, but the band have been around FOREVER and there’s a lot to cover. For me they just have that really, really strong and addictive sound that, no matter what they do, it’ll always be the most energetic and mind-blowing thing you’ve ever heard. There’s this beautiful snarl in Toyozo’s voice that just makes you feel like you’ve heard music (in general) for the very first time.

They’re the kind of band you would play if you wanted to influence a younger relative, so they go find their own path musically. They just have this bite to their sound that you cannot help but fall stupidly in love with. The second you play their record, Teenage Hitsville- that’s when you know..that’s when you brutally know you’ve found something to really submerge yourself in and to just ignore everything around you. Will it sound like this record? No. Never. Go head first into this record and take it from there. Let it burst your eardrums and take your soul. That’s how they all get you in the end!

Japanese Garage Rock and Japanese Punk is MASSIVELY underrated, and when you have bands like The Fadeaways- how can you even THINK about ignoring how great it is? It makes you want to sack off where you live, take your possessions and your cat- and move to where the bands are. That’s how good they are. But we have social media, so it makes that kind of dreaming easier to do! Everything about The Fadeaways is just cool, and I know that the term “cool” is so redundant and I think I’ve only ever called one person cool (Lou Reed. The coolest ever.) Their sound and their style is perfect, and the way they play…my god! Have you ever heard anything so rowdy and so wonderfully chaotic? You probably have- but not like this. They make the kind of music that bar fights break out to, and all you can do is watch and throw the nearest beer in the direction of the biggest person there, then bolt out the door like the cowards we all are!

The band formed nearly 20 years ago, and in that time, they’ve toured the world and put out some incredible records. It should be illegal for a band to be THIS good; they’ve got this sound that, sure we’ve heard in other bands to a degree, but there is something about The Fadeways that stands out. They’re louder (even though there’s only 3 of them) and the noise they make is nothing short of “INJECT THIS INTO MY BODY RIGHT NOW” kind of feeling. Like, sure you can feel every vocal and note in your ears, but you want it to hit you deeper. You want the songs pouring out of you. That’s how great they are. What are their live shows like? Probably as intense. I will make a promise to myself to try see them if they ever play the UK again because a band like this cannot be missed at all. I think they make the kind of music that is designed to be heard live. To really experience it in a dark and sketchy basement bar and at the end of the night you leave covered in warm beer, probably without one of your shoes and don’t even try looking for your jacket- why did you even bring one?

https://youtube.com/watch?v=vmPvd6Vm-2w%3Fsi%3DTjPYdTvEbfYtzWIY

The band are wonderfully chaotic, and I can only apologise for not writing about them sooner (the apology is to myself.) For me, The Fadeaways are the kind of band that you listen to (how you are feeling doesn’t matter) and you just immediately feel better. I love the loudness; I love how together their sound is and I just love how they combine everything I love about music and make this beautiful noise. You feel like you’re hearing the greats for the first time- The Dead Boys, Ramones, Count Five, Beefheart…all of them and more. The Fadeaways make you want to start a band, and I hope there’s a bunch of Punk kids in Japan listening to them and feel the urge to start their own band and in 20 years’ time- someone will be writing about them.

* I didn’t write about the new record. All I did was tell you how great the band are and to be honest, that should be enough (if you weren’t already aware of how great they are!)

ANGEL FACE.

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There are so many records that have been released by Slovenly Records that are just incredible, and one of their most recent is debut by one of the best Japanese bands around- Angel Face. This is a proper rowdy and loud record that will totally annihilate your eardrums.  A glorious Punk record and a solid debut record.

The record kicks you in the kisser with You Ain’t My Angel and immediately you can hear that snarly tone that Stiv Bators had on this record. This is everything I could possibly want from a Punk record and so much more. They make the kind of music that would have your neighbours making noise complaints about. I’m pretty sure it’s scared off my cat too but to be honest, she’s scared of the spray mop I bought so I won’t trust her judgement here.

This record is something else. If you love bands like Bruise Control, Pancakes, Dead Boys- I could go on. If you love them, then you’re going to love this. Angel Face will make you want to sell whatever you own that’s of worth so you can fly off to Japan and immerse yourself in the Punk scene there. This is some rowdy shit that you cannot get enough of. I want everything I listen to to be as loud as this.

They’ve only been making music together since 2021, but this record sounds like something from ’76 or ’77- it’ll make you feel like you are discovering Punk for the first time, and you’ll wonder how you made it this far without it. How did I make it this far without this record? Every song on this record will make you feel like you’ve snuck into somewhere you shouldn’t have. Bad Feeling and I Can’t Stop are the ones that’ll have you waving your limbs about the most. Then you’ve got the ferocious Bring Me Back; the vocals on this are SO good. That proper gritty and menacing style; it’ll make you feel super tough when you listen to it, even if you’re just a delicate little flower.

Everything about this record screams PLAY THIS LOUDLY. There are no quiet or dull moments on this record; and it just makes you want to unapologetically lose your shit. This is the kind of band that you just know will destroy their live sets- the crowd will leave feeling bruised all over in the most pleasing way imaginable. They make the kind of music that has to be witnessed live. The urgency on this record is nothing short of vital and divine- you cannot help but get caught up in it. How else can you tell that this band are something else? The lead singer is called Hercules- that alone should sway you into digging this band.

Angel Face is anything but angels, and that’s part of the charm. Their sound is dark, raw, and loud- you cannot get enough of it. One casual listen just isn’t enough- you want to just let it consume every part of you, and when you find bands like that you have to hold onto them. Even if they are on the other side of the world and they’ll probably never end up where you are! But hey, we live in hope, don’t we?! It’ll get us through, as always. They make the kind of music that makes you think you’re part of a motorcycle gang or something. I honestly can’t think of a band who are making noise like this right now, and if this is what one record can do, then the world is theirs.

PANCAKES.

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There are many brilliant things to have come from Japan, and Punk is definitely one of them. There are so many incredible Punk bands from Japan. There’s one in particular that I’ve become obsessed with, and they are called Pancakes.

Pancakes are a real underground gnarly band with songs that have the same attitude of the greats we all know and love. The snarliness of Stiv Bators flows throughout every song on their newest record, released via the always exceptional Kafadan Kontak Records. This is a proper raw record that sounds like they did it in one take in someone’s bedroom or basement. That raw sound is what makes you become obsessed with the music. Every song sounds like an anthem, and every song makes you wish you could go to Osaka to catch one of their shows, and live in that moment forever.

There’s no soppy love songs here thank god! Just a real ferocious bunch of Punk songs that you need to play loud. This is the kind of music that makes me miss going to gigs, and feeling like I’m part of something. This is the kind of music that makes you lose your mind in the most freeing way possible. You can just imagine beers being thrown about, bodies jumping around and into walls of people as the music kicks in. Pancakes are one of the most underrated bands around, but that’s okay because to the 5 of you who read this- I hope you buy their music!

The 6 songs on this record don’t hit the 3 minute mark at all- they’ve got that Punk sound nailed good and proper. It’s the kind of record that you just keep playing over and over, not because it is THAT good because it gives you everything you want from music, irrespective of the genre. These 3 friends make beautiful music, and to pick 1 standout song on this record is impossible. Which is why you just can’t help but play it over and over, almost religiously. The record opens with Trash which instantly makes you fall in love with the band. It is so loud, so obnoxiously rowdy- it is perfect. Honestly this is one of the best Punk records I’ve ever heard; I could happily put this record next to Rocket To Russia. It doesn’t sound like a record from now, or then even. It has something about it that defies time, and that’s what makes it so fucking cool!

If you’re in search of a band with fast, hard-hitting songs then Pancakes are the band for you. They’ve got something about them that just leaves your ears wanting more and more. Bands like this don’t come around often but my god when they do, it is a blessing! I Say Shit and No Future Boy are such great songs, all you can do is play them as loud as you can and just throw your body around. Seeing as we can’t go to shows at the moment, just trash your room and throw drinks around to get the experience of it all! Such a fantastic record, and I’m so excited to hear more from them.

They are noisy as fuck, and that’s part of the appeal. They have this real DIY feel to their songs, and you feel like you’re listening to a band go at in their rehearsal space- there’s that unfiltered sound that just makes you crave this kind of music. As I mentioned earlier, Japan is home to some pretty cool things and people.; Pancakes are probably the coolest. And best.

So if you’re looking for something to blow your mind and to play loud, then Pancakes are the band for you. Who knows if the band will ever make it to the UK with how things are at the moment, but for now, buy the records and enjoy.

GŪTARA KYŌ.

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What do you know about Punk from Japan? You probably know more than I do. It’s not difficult. If you’ve never heard of Kobe’s finest, GŪTARA KYŌ- then prepare to get schooled.

Punk can be whatever you want it to be, right? Except for Pop-Punk- that shit needs to disappear forever. GŪTARA KYŌ are a bunch of noisy pals who’ll make you want to scream back every word at them until blood falls from you- no idea where from, I’ve not though it through. They’re the kind of band you play to impress someone, if you work like that. I’m not, but I could imagine some snotty kid going, “Yeah well… have you heard THIS!” and breaking out into some GŪTARA KYŌ. How cool would that be.

The band is loud, but not in an overbearing way. Their songs just have to be heard. It doesn’t matter where you are, just play their music as loud as possible. I know nothing about them, but I know that they are one of the most exciting and different bands I’ve ever listened to. They have this proper sleazy sound going on, and it’s really prominent in their song, Romantic. Maybe romance and sleaze go hand in hand. You’ll probably need a nap after listening to this band- their noise will tire you out, but in a good way. I always want a nap, mind. So I’m probably the worst person to listen to.

I love how they can take a classical Rock ‘n’ Roll sound, and just turn it into something so out there and way beyond anything you’ve ever heard before. The reverb is there to deafen you, then it goes right through you like an electric shock and you cannot keep away. Go is the song that definitely expresses this the most. I think that’s the song you need to make yourself listen to the loudest. The drums are the backbone of this song, and the guitar sounds like someone is being chased. The drums are a weapon smacking you across the head until you give in, and love this band.

I don’t think anyone could be prepared for their live shows. I can’t begin to even put down how I think it would go. I’m pretty sure the place would get trashed and people would leave covered in god knows what. The songs are so good. They’re not that long at all, but what they do in the short amount of time you have to get yourself acquainted with them is mind-blowing. They’ll just make you feel like no other band has. I love how loud they are, I love how utterly fearless they are and how they are obviously out to hunt down us all. It’s such a joy to find a band like this who are probably oblivious to how amazing they are. The way they play is delivered with such urgency. You feel the band are possessed by their music, and that just feeds right in to the listener. The songs will stay with you, and seep right into you. As if you would have it any other way.

I know nothing at all about this band, but I do know that they are probably one of the best bands I’ll ever write about. Again, I want you to play their songs as loud as you can- then go a bit louder. Take in the reverb, take in the fury, take in the ferocious sounds and just go apeshit.