Being a Deerhoof fan requires a lot of effort. I don’t mean in terms of appreciating the actual music – though jarring at first, the Bay Area group’s rough-meets-cute dissection and subsequent rebuilding of rock stands as some of the most spellbinding sounds of the Oughts – but rather all the baggage that comes with…
The Fuji Rock Festival announced its first wave of performers for this summer’s remote, tree-day fest. The big Japanese acts so far include Boom Boom Satelites, toe and Riddim Saunter. As for the foreign acts, heavy hitters include LCD Soundsystem (prepping a new album, Broken Social Scene (ditto), Belle And Sebastian (heading into the studio),…
Seeing a harp sitting on stage at Osaka’s small Sunsui venue Saturday night required a few moments to process. Joanna Newsom’s primary instrument makes sense in the context of an opera house or a Victorian garden party, but looked out of place in a darkened, beer-smelling underground club. It was like someone stole a prop…
Considering the two people performing live as HNC Saturday night at Flake Records in Osaka also make up the twee-crunk duo Love And Hates, I went into the (free!) show expecting the same sort of goofy chaos I’d witnessed several months ago. Color me surprised: HNC knows how to keep their alter-egos in check, and…
The prospect of seeing Yo La Tengo live initially feels less like something to get excited for but more like an indie-rock requirement. New Jersey’s finest rock band has been at it for over 20 years now, so even though I’d never gotten around to seeing them in person I still heard enough live show…