Surprising to many in Japan, in America the best known of the extensive Japanese line-up is probably Acid Mothers Temple, who despite their long history remain pretty much a cult band in Japan.  The hippie-ish outfit was founded by free spirit Makoto Kawabata in 1995, and has since undergone may member changes, keeping the band vibrant and evolving. They are a hard touring bunch, who have had many collaborators, foreign and domestic and released albums on various labels around the world, including a number on the highly regarded Canadian label Alien 8.  Acid Mothers Temple have become quite well known through their frequent international excursions, which have taken them all over the world and sometimes to play out of the way and unusual venues.  The band perform their own unique space jam style, with a wild mix of influences, and have impressed many with their musicality, including folks at SXSW in 2002. 

 

Within Japan, certainly the best known are the young  female trio chatmonchy, who are signed to Sony and have had a string of pop-geared albums selling in the hundreds of thousands. SXSW will be their first time to play in America, so it remains to be seen how well their pop songs sung in high-pitched Japanese will be accepted Stateside. In America some may know chatmonchy for their song “Dai Dai” which was used as the title song for the anime  Bleach.

 

Veteran powerhouse Boom Boom Satellites are pretty well known outside of Japan, and major artists in Japan as well.  The group formed in 1990, and named themselves after a Sigue Sigue Spitnik song. Generally considered part of the club world, BBS however play instruments live, giving them a rawer more dynamic sound. The band’s very first single was released on Belgium’s R&S label, and drew praise from the English music press.   Boom Boom Satellites have played extensively outside Japan, including shows with Fatboy Slim, Underworld and Moby.  Their international profile has also benefited from their music being used in a number of movies and video games.  Theoretically the band is a guitar and bass duo, but they in fact play with a “support” drummer, who adds much to their sound.   Boom Boom Satellites are a world class band, and a dynamic live band well worth checking out if your tastes run to Prodigy, Chemical Brothers, Primal Scream or the Qemists.

 

A band that will probably draw a good deal of attention is the up and coming “visual-kei” band Dolly.  It is somewhat unusual for “visual-kei” bands to play at SXSW, but one that did was Dir en grey, who are now probably the most internationally famous visual-kei band going. The last few years have seen interest in “visual-kei” grow tremendously, and a handful of labels such as Maru, Japan Files and Jrock Revolution in America and CLJ and Gan-Shin in Europe are releasing visual-kei outside Japan, and the digital retailer Hear Japan and news site JAME steadily helping grow the scene.

 

As has often been the case in the past,  the Japanese line-up will include a number of young all-female rock bands.  One to watch for is Bo-Peep, a trio whose sound mixes elements of Pixies, Nirvana, and L7. This is a dynamic band best experienced live. Their UK  shows received gushing reviews from media large and small.  Also on board are the garage punk trio Red Bacteria Vaccuum, who formed in 1998, have toured America a number of times and developed a decent US following .  Making their first appearance to the States will be the young five piece Osaka based pop-punk-with-horns group Jinny Oops, who just recently released their debut album.

 

The Okamoto’s are a four man rock group, gearing up for their first international appearances. Their debut album Here Are the Okamoto’s was released last summer, and drew many comparisons to the R&B tinged garage rock sound of early Rolling Stones. Not on their album, but streaming on their MySpace page are covers “The Witch” and “Have Love Will Travel”, both made famous by Seattle protopunks the Sonics, an indication of where they’re coming from.  

 

Also likely to catch some attention are Caucus, a band with a soft touch that suggestions Death Cab and the Pastels. Their recent album In Vain You Are was produced by underground cult hero Kramer, and is available thru American indie Shimmy Digital.   

 

From a completely different, and quite unique direction is Omodaka, the nom de music of Soichi Terada, who mixes Japanese traditional music, electronics, classical music, 8 bit sounds, costumes and sometimes crowd participation, to make for intriguing and entertaining performance.  

 

Further in a funky/fun/far-out direction are the make/female duo Camisama, who suggest a mixture of the White Stripes, the Raincoats and Local Express (Has Gone?).  A bold group to name themselves “god”, they in fact are a rambunctious uninhibited force, who so impressed Sunny Day Service’s Keiichi Sokabe that he signed on to produce their debut album.  

 

And coming from a still more eccentric and extreme angle is one man band Maruosa, who uses a laptop as his primary instrument/ weapon.  He has played abroad extensively, starting with a US tour in 2003. Since then he has performed in Australia and done three tours of Europe, including stops at Spain’s Sonar Festival and Denmark’s Roskilde.  Expect a wall of intense blitzing grindcore.  If your tastes run more to Melt Banana than Morning Musume, this might be right up your alley. 

 

Following SXSW, there will be a national Japan Nite tour with the Okamoto’s, Red Bacteria Vacuum, Jinny Oops and Omodaka and possibly others playing.  Dates are...

 

March 21 Bowery Ballroom, NYC

 

March 22 TT the Bear, Cambridge

 

March 23 Empty Bottle, Chicago

 

March 25 High Dive, Seattle

 

March 26 Independent, SF

 

March 27 Viper Room, LA