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Tag Archives: twee as fuck

A Helping Hand: Friendly Hearts Of Japan

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Somebody in the Japanese government make Friendly Hearts Of Japan an official cultural ambassador. Dude clearly is up for the job – he isn’t calling himself just Friendly Hearts, but Friendly Hearts Of Japan like he’s already a valued export sitting in a World Market in Chicago. Besides having a proud name, FHOJ also make the sort of bouncy indie-pop that could work wonders counter the well-held belief Japan’s sliding into obscurity. This stuff’s just so upbeat – listen to the head-nodding stroll of “Pablo” and try not to bob along when he breaks out the sugary “do da do’s.” It’s not entirely wimpy twee, as FHOJ sometimes hides more intimidating sides to his sound, though always far enough away so they don’t spook the rest of his sound. Catch the electric guitar buzzing beneath the standout “Headless Song,” present enough but not taking away from the happy skip at the center of the track. Listen here.

I doubt many folks in Osaka actually read this but if ya do, catch Friendly Hearts Of Japan playing a show this Sunday with blog-loved outfit Ice Cream Shout this Sunday at Para-Dice. I assume the venue’s named after the terrible Lil’ Wayne song.

Sloppy Joe Prep New Album With Kisses Four, Share Some New Songs

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Need another reason to stay strong during the last month-and-something of winter besides the hope of not having to wear a peacoat inside anymore? Indie-poppers Sloppy Joe got one for you – they will drop a new album called With Kisses Four on March 9, and if that seems far off they’ve posted a quartet of songs from this LP over here. “The Boy Who Talks About Someone” has the most listens of the new tracks thus far and it deserves them (ignoring the fact it’s probably got the most because it’s at the top of the page). Sloppy Joe split the difference between the romantic chug of The Cure and the vocal tics of Morrissey – the way the lead singer lifts his voice! – with great results worthy of a lot of replays. The title track takes things much slower, turning into a longing, molasses-paced slow dance, while “The Country” plugs horns and skippy drums in to make the most unabashedly twee track here. They also roll out the previously released single “Portrait” for With Kisses Four, and you can watch the video for that tune below.

[youtube=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9fetf6Hkfc”]

That’s One Goal: Concentrate On Popping

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The charm of indie-pop lies in the promise of anyone being capable of taking part in it. Twee isn’t all cardigans and crudely drawn cats, but also (at least hinted at by the Sarah Records lineup of yesteryear) a celebration of DIY pop unafraid to show off uneven edges. Concentrate On Popping sound very indie-pop, all fuzzy recording quality and skippy guitar work, yet their music also hides some qualities that an average dude on the street couldn’t replicate regardless of how many K badges adorn his messenger bag. COP can sing – vocalist ハシグチナツコ boast an easy, breezy delivery not far removed from what Vanilla Beans do. She sounds especially stellar on the skeletal but galloping “サボテン,” where the chorus of “sing sing in the high voice” feels less like a command and more like a cute placeholder for what she’s doing. The more languid “レインコートとねこ” finds her stretching out a little, her singing now strolling along save for giving into the moment every once in awhile via wordless rises. COP aren’t avoiding the twee label…they mention cats in the latter track, I believe…but there’s some gifted stuff happening here. Listen here.

Softly Ringing In: Twelve Fluffy Chair

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We are officially back from break and, if like us, you remain in a New Year’s Eve induced stupor you probably don’t want to be confronted with walls of noise. The mid-day nap indie-pop of Twelve Fluffy Chair might be just what you need after you roll out of bed at one in the afternoon. The group only boasts three songs online as of now, and two of those choose to unfold slowly. “Nowhere” and “Remains” space out the guitar, bass and drums so that the whole tune moves as fast as a lazy cloud. They sneak in a little bit of a thump, especially on “Remains,” but the effect feels less like breaking out into a sprint and more like semi-jogging towards a hammock. The third song – the one you don’t want to listen to if you are fending off a hangover – hints at more aggressive places. “Trickster” embraces feedback and messiness, save for a few instances of daydreamy relaxation, and pulls out a particularly bumpy finale. Again not great now, but it’s a highlight worth hearing when your head is ready for it.

Side Treats: Mikafika

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One of the better stories to come out of the Japanese music landscape in 2010…especially from the Osaka scene, represent…would be bouncy outfit Ice Cream Shout getting some blog traction for the tune “Tattooed Tears.” This came with some bonus treats – the group’s 2009 album got some attention from blogs, and the various side projects of the band also got a little love. Most prominently would be lead singer Bob’s Cloudy Busey effort, the song “Pound Your Town To Hell” nabbing some exposure. You can listen to that song here.

Not as used to the blog spotlight would be Mikafika, the solo side of ICS member Mika Tsubakino. Like Cloudy Busey, Mikafika’s general sound doesn’t deviate to far from the primary band…but simply saying it’s a dumping ground for unused ideas would be far off the mark. As a solo artist Tsubakino plays twee-as-fuck, minimal indie-pop, often guided by ukulele and sparse percussion. Her most listened to track “The Room Of Pain” pretty much sums it all up – it’s a lightly swaying song populated with a cutesy beat and sweet vocals. “Between You And I” lives in a similar place, though slowing down even more and thus coming off as a little more melancholy. “Black Cassette” drops the ukulele in favor of piano and comes off as the most atmospheric track on display, a little haunting ditty. Get your daily dose of sweetness here.