CLEAR AND REFRESHING

Something Gold Social Alienation (2010)

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Last month I interviewed Tachibana Hajime of new wave pioneers the Plastics in advance of their reformation and new tour. The article is now up on CNNGo, but due to space constraints there was a lot of stuff I had to leave out, so I'm posting a more complete transcript of the interview for anyone who wants to get a bit further beneath the surface.

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As a rule, I have a strict policy of not allowing C.A.R. to be used for the recycling of event and CD release propaganda, regardless of who it is for (for the record, I rarely even write special posts here about my own events or releases). Nevertheless, this is a case where I'll make an exception because the person responsible, a Canadian chap (and possibly a certifiable lunatic) Steven Tanaka, is putting himself out in a quite extraordinary way to not only promote, but also bring across the Pacific, a quintet of almost completely unknown Japanese underground bands, all of whom offer something quite different from the norm, and all of whom I believe will spread sweetness and light into the hearts of all who perceive them.

Steven is interviewed on Anusaya here, and his tour's web site, Next Music from Tokyo, is here. I strongly recommend following the link to check out the bands and tour dates. They will be in Canada, starting in Vancouver, from the 22nd until the 29th, with four shows in total, finishing on two (with one an all-ages show) in Toronto.

As someone who has tried booking Japanese bands abroad (in much less ambitious circumstances) and who knows a lot of the problems that can come up, I demand that anyone in a relevant part of Canada, with any interest in hearing something different, check these shows out and support this worthy enterprise.

To coincide with capsule's new album Player, his work on the Liar Game soundtrack, and the group's appearance at the Harajuku Girls' Collection fashion show, I did another brief interview, this time for CNNGo, with Nakata Yasutaka. I met up with him at Studio Ghibli's Ebisu office, where they keep a radio studio near the top of a fancy apartment building. As before, his comments about his own music weren't particularly illuminating, but his comments on fashion were, as usual, delivered with great enthusiasm and at great length, which is in itself an interesting revelation about his inspiration and creative process.

Otaku idol Nakagawa Shoko's latest collection of anime cover songs is reviewed at The Japan Times now. I didn't have space to say half the stuff I wanted to about it. To summarise, the idea's more interesting than the result, but it's still far less annoying than it could have been.

Ex Judy And Mary singer Yuki has another useless new album out now. For reasons why not to buy it, check here.

I shan't post it up here as well since it's already on two other blogs of mine, but I wrote an article about the legendary 1970s pop trio the Candies last week. I posted it on the Call And Response Records blog since it ties in with the label's latest release, but the article itself crosses over into the general interest area of Clear And Refreshing, so by all means check it out.

Short feature on the disco-punk quartet published in the Japan Times last Friday. You can read it here.

A long feature for the Japan Times last December summarising some of the key events in music over the previous twelve months, and looking forward to some of the best new music of 2010. Read it here.

Very late to link to this, but here's the Japan Times review I wrote last December for "henachoco"'s new album.