Mr Whippy’s Pop Alternative

We first met Shawn James Seymour and Yoshimi Tomida in 2008 when they toured New Zealand in support of their album The Bedtime Beat. Since then the couple has had a baby (a little boy named Niko) and has maintained a steady outpouring of what is commonly described as ‘pyjama pop’. It’s all been very cute and made in an unconventional minimalistic style, using glockenspiels, Casio keyboards, toy drum kits, bells, whistles and an array of woodwind instruments. The band’s new album, Soundtracks for Everyday Adventures, has only a few subtle differences. The first and most obvious is a lack of vocals – Soundtracks for Everyday Adventures is an instrumental album. Secondly, each song merges into the next like one long composition, making only brief pauses to change tempo or introduce a new instrument.  In this instance it really does sound like a soundtrack, more-so than a lullaby which they’ve previously been successful at. It’s extremely difficult to separate these songs from one another, but that seems part of the charm of this album, described by the band  “as their most expressive and expansive work to date.” It’s easy to get lost following Lullatone’s twinkly rhythms but it’s never overwhelming. The increased addition of string instruments also adds to the album’s beauty and helps to give the songs a traditional pop sentimentality which will hopefully attract new fans previously put off by the band’s adolescent approach.

Soundtracks for Everyday Adventures was self-released today over on the band’s website. It’s available in two formats – digital and CD (which comes with a free bookmark and a signed flyer).

Lullatone- Growing Up: MP3

Also make sure you check out the amazing stop-motion video for ‘Growing Up’

Posted by Nick Fulton under Japan, Nagoya
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Fuck The West

Velocityut

The most brutally noisy of all, Nagasaki’s Velocityut are the grown-ups of the Japanese noise scene. The band formed in 1993 and over the years has released a number of cassettes, 7″ vinyls and CDs; all strictly limited edition. They have a new release coming out soon titled Specimen (not sure what format). Keep an eye on their myspace.

Velocityut- Myspace

Gnawnose

Also from Nagasaki, Gnawnose take inspiration from Velocityut to craft their own messy noise pop. A much younger band, they formed in 2007. Goggle’s translator couldn’t help me find any more information on them, but I tried.

Gnawnose- Myspace

Sika Sika

Sika Sika come recommended by Mika Mika, the Japanese band supported Mika Miko on their recent Japanese tour. The band formed in 2007 and unusually, all four members live in different parts of the country; Nagoya, Osaka, Nagasaki and Kyoto. In some ways they could be described as the Japanese equivalent to Mika Miko as they have a very similar sound, catchy guitar riffs and duel vocalists shouting back and forth. They have one previous release, a self-titled demo CD-R and they have a second untitled demo CD-R on the way soon.

Sika Sika- Myspace

Posted by Nick Fulton under Japan
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Baby, It’s Time For Bed

Shawn and Yoshimi, one of the cutest couples in the world, have just released a new sampler titled We Will Rock You… To Sleep. The eight track album is to serve as an introduction to Lullatone’s music; it contains seven tracks from the band’s previous albums as well as one new track. The couple who live in Nagoya, Japan make some of the sweetest bedroom pop you’ll ever lay your ears upon. Using a minimal range of instruments they arrange soft “pyjama pop” lullabies; the type of dreamy music you play a baby when you’re trying to get him/her to gently fall asleep.

The couple has just had their first child, a little boy named Niko. Shawn also has a segment on a Japanese television show, where he teaches children how to make home made instruments (check out the video below). The new track is perhaps inspired by the arrival of their new child, it’s titled ‘A Mobile Over Your Bed’ and is a sweet chiming arrangement of bells, xylophone and keyboard with Yoshimi whispering some beautifully soothing vocals. As well as appearing on the new sampler, the song will also appear on Lullatone’s upcoming album titled Songs That Spin In Circles.

Lullatone
Whammy Bar, Auckland. 24-03-2008

Posted by Nick Fulton under Japan
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Is anything as cute as Japanese pop?

Music-wise, maybe not! But you can judge that for yourself. The Japanese bubblegum pop duo of Shawn James Seymour and Yoshimi Tomida is hitting our shores next week for four shows. They are playing two shows in Auckland (including Tuesday 25 March with CSS and Glass Candy) as well as in Christchurch and Dunedin.

The duo’s minimalist dream-like pop is packed with smiley, head-bopping beats. Tomida provides Care Bear-cute vocals to accompany Seymour’s delightfully whimsical melodies. Together the pair are cuter than candy floss and tastier than pumpkin pie. To prove this all true they have made this sweet little commercial to advertise their New Zealand and Australian tour.

The tour down under coincides with the release of their sixth album, titled The Bedtime Beat. On their website they describe it as “Our strangest and most pop CD yet, featuring the sounds of bathtubs, underwater humming, snoring cut up into drum beats, Yoshimi’s human beat box and much, much more.” On the downloadable track below you can hear evidence of this, most notably Yoshimi drumming on water.

Lullatone- The Bathtime Beat: MP3

Lullatone- Myspace

You won’t wanna miss Lullatone, so check out the dates below and make sure you’re there.

March 24
Auckland- Whammy Bar

March 25
Auckland- Kings Arms
(with CSS and Glass Candy)

March 27
Christchurch- The Physics Room

March 28
Dunedin- The Dunedin Public Art Gallery

Posted by Nick Fulton under Japan
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