Rainbow Destroyer Blog

Had a strange and wonderful day yesterday. Met a friend in Kobe, got some ramen, and ended up meeting this really cool Japanese artist/music guy in a hat shop. He took us around different record shops for a while. Seo is his name (see pic on left).

From Kobe I left on the express train to Osaka, to a little place called Ogimachi park. Right across the street is this super small bar/livehouse called MUSICAJAPONICA. I got my name on the list for Nagisa Ni Te in two weeks and decided to stay and get drunk/listen to some music. I ended up hanging out with some Japanese guys, who I subsequently discovered were playing in this band from Kobe called Valva. They were gonna play later on in the night. Valva is basically like a throwback to some 60s/70s psychedellia with some strange peculiarities. The vocalist, MATSUO, is this super flamboyant dude, with a voice that is somewhere between a girl and a child. He might have been hitting on me, but I dunno. Either way he was chill. The guitarist (on the left in the videos) is SHIBUYA. We were talking about music for a while. Noise and stuff.

Other bands I saw: this band ジョズエ。and インコフェイス.
That would be Jozue and Inkoface. Inko means like fucked up. So fucked up face. They were really good too. Jozue isn't too different from Nagisa ni Te. Lots of 4ths and stuff. Nice and sad. Inkofacccee is a bit different. Got some video of them too. But it's shitty cell phone footage so apologies


VALVA
here's some cell phone footage. the file is called 3GP. it'll play in quicktime.
video001.3gp ジョズエ
video002.3gp　インコフェイス

Labels: Kobe, Musica Japonica, Ogimachi Park, Osaka, Valva

This Sunday I went over to Club Quattro in Shinsaibashi in Osaka and saw Sparta Locals, all by my lonesome self. Nonetheless, the concert was amazing, the whiskey was enjoyable and the general crowd/band dynamic was admirable. There is a certain sense of organization and regimentation that the Japanese appreciate much more than we do in America. Concerts generally start at 6 or 7 PM and lateness is not tolerated. The crowd cheers when appropriate and shuts up when appropriate also. This is in stark contrast to any concert I've seen in America, where drunken yells of "LOUDER!" often ruin the most beautiful moments of songs.
Here's my concert schedule for the upcoming few months. Additions are being made every few days, so it's still a tad incomplete.
October 3 OGRE YOU ASSHOLE at Shangri La
October 11 NAGISA NI TE at Musica Japonica
November 1 AFURIRANPO AND SQUIAMOTO, along with a member of Bufallo Daughter at Sound Channel
November 27 POLYSICS at Namba Hatch
December 12 ZAZEN BOYS at Namba Hatch
December 14 BORIS in Tokyo (doubt I'll make it to this one)

That's my must see list. I also have some other random plans here and there to go to whatever livehouses (clubs) whenever I'm bored. Probably go to Musica Japonica this weekend. A few bands are playing. Could be fun.

Labels: Afuriranpo, Boris, LIVE HOUSE, Nagisa Ni Te, Ogre You Asshole, Polysics, Sparta Locals, Squiamoto, Zazen Boys

Health and Foals played at the Glass House in Pomona tonight, and let me tell you. Yes, I will tell you. It was great. Health's sound was so good this time (comparatively, for instance, when they played Sunset Junction and the sound guy was a jerk). Although the turn out was disappointing, the show was awesome. As always, if you have the opportunity to see them, do. Plus they got me into the show for free, as I interviewed them earlier for KSPC (expect the full, non-radio edit soon). In summary, Health is super cool and super nice. You will love each other.




For not being a Foals fan, I have to say their performance was pretty good. I especially love thier love of the disco beat. Fairly post-punk/post-rock but pretty dancey. They did not do an encore (according to Rachel, its not a British thing), but we all know encores aren't hip anymore anyways.



Expect full Health interview soon, courtesy of KSPC (kspc.org).

Labels: 88.7 FM, art, concert, foals, health, KSPC, Music is GREAT, Noise, past life regression readings

Warm Up


New Fitness remix album, Warm Up.

1. A Blur Through Spotless Windows (Fitness Remix) - Death By Panda
2. Press On (Fitness Remix) - Relitron
3. End Of Time (Fitness Remix) - Goomy
4. What I Know (Fitness Remix) - Too Much Fun
5. Slip Away (Fitness Remix) - Let's Go Guantanamo
6. Return To Space (Fitness Remix) - Relitron
7. Where's The Bear Come From (Fitness Remix) - Roger Goodman
8. Cigarette (Fitness Remix) - Let's Go Guantanamo

Labels: Fitness, Music, Music is GREAT, remix

Aural Load (Feat. R. Kelly) - Urban Planning

Recorded in Dominique's closet, Live in America is Urban Planning's newest release. With the temporary absence of the Public Utility and Sewer System Administrator, this recording features not only R. Kelly, but guest musician Seaport/Airport.

Labels: architecture, art, aural, brown, load, Mp3, Music, music for every orifice, Music is GREAT, Noise, planning, post, R. Kelly, sim city, urban

Well. Fourth time seeing these lads from Scotland and the comedown feels real good, real fuzzy. Are Mogwai loud? Yes. They are. That is cliche at this point though. Of course they are loud. That's why they are Mogwai. But what they really excel at is stretching the decibel level while maintaining absolute perfection throughout the entire EQ spectrum. There is none of that white noise resonation from overdriving the amps too much. My ears aren't filled with that strange and cacophonous sound that comes when bands are being too loud without the nuance. You know, it's possible that I've seen louder shows than Mogwai. Any show at the Smell is a great example. They turn everything up. It's loud as fuck, and yet it's still lacking. Things reverberate within my eardrums and I can't make out any of the actual instrumentation. Rather, I feel like I've buried my head between someone's shitty tweeter and their other second hand woofer. Yes, it's loud as fuck. Yes, I might vomit the decible level is so high. But unfortunately, I still don't really feel blown away. This is where Mogwai succeeds. Imagine a volume that exceeds that awful "shit/cacophony sound" and transcends to yet another level, where the intricacy of the guitar work is simply embellished by a staggering, perfect wall of sound. I'd attribute this to the fact that Mogwai are rich. Really fucking loaded, exemplified by the double Marshall stacks and taller-than-I-am bass cabs. It also doesn't hurt that their roadies take on a cultish, my-role-in-this-show-is-of-the-utmost-importance demeanor. Dude found it necessary to jump on stage to fix a slightly stray microphone cable. God forbid it's not perfectly knotted to the stand's pivot. I guess that's where it pays to be on a semi-major label (matador? rockaction (their own) in the uk? pias?).
Oh yeah, and Fuck Buttons were good too.

Labels: Fuck Buttons, Loud, Matador, Mogwai, Noise, Perfection, PIAS, Rock Action

Fuck Yeah Fest 2008: An (Selected) Overview

Mika Miko: Better at the Smell.

Japanther: Cute, would probably sound better at the Smell.

Fucked Up: Fuck this band and everything they do. The lead singer got naked, I got punched in the face.

High Places: Looked cool, sounded awful. Setting levels correctly before performing is best for optimizing audience interest. Apparently, their recordings are good.

Glass Candy:











Best show I've seen all summer. It was worth getting punched in the face to see this. A fan gave Ida a book titled "Man, Creature, and Myth" which she opened up and started singing the text with Mr. Jewel synthing it up. Talked to the band post performance and they were super nice, informed me about their record label (Italians Do It Better), the status of their vinyl (will be ready in a month, but will come with a free 7"), their recent tour with the Chromatics, and general chatting. If you have the ability, go see them.

Matt and Kim: Too chatty. Matt is officially an asshole for his terrible stage antics. Kim only smiles. The music is unoriginal, boring, and to put it bluntly, shitty.

No Age: Sounds better at the Smell. Of course, they don't really sound that good in the first place. The hype for No Age is misplaced. They sound like every other Smell band plus some post punk. BORING.

Fuck Yeah Fest (2008) was fun, I will admit. Hopefully next year the lineup will be less Smelly, or at least a better Smell.

We will see.

Labels: art, concert, fuck, Fuck Yeah Fest, posters

Let's Go Guantanamo has their live show from kspc recorded. we were in a strange mood. listen to it by clicking all this blue.

Labels: KSPC, Let's Go Gauntanamo, Live

To Japan. Where they put famous novelists and scientists on their currency, not presidents! although this is probably the result of the anti-military measures enforced by the US after WWII.
either way, any nation that honors its artists/scientists over their presidents is a country for me.

i should note at this time that i absolutely despise the american political realm, and the rhetoric that continues to bind our individualism to abstract (and meaningless) constructs of patriotism/nationalism.

"In Afghanistan and Iraq, 50 million people are now living in freedom. And let's not forget, President Bush is keeping the American people safe." -Laura Bush, RNC, just said that...
Rhetoric...

Labels: America