Shinjuku Motion

I went to my first show in Tokyo last week at Shinjuku Motion. I was on the guest list because I knew one of the bands from some friends in Taiwan. Six O' Minus actually played Taiwan several times including Spring Scream, the Formoz fest as well as some shows at the Wall in Taipei. Well I took the elevator up to the fifth floor, paid the 1000 yen entry fee for 2 drink tickets (yeah, guest list in Japan doesn't mean free), the indie girls at the door handed me what seemed like a booklet of flyers and I entered the small but cozy loft bar.

I found my new friends from Six o' Minus and had a couple drinks watching the opening bands. The first was called something like Hnywo with two girls on guitar and bass playing some disco beat rock n' roll. Next was Nanocycle, another band I met while hanging out at the venue that created some wall of sound shogazer music with a laptop, guitars and female vocals on bass. Six o' Minus didn't disappoint me with their melding of dub reggae and post rock. There were a few other bands that night, but I spent a lot of time talking to the guys from Six o' Minus about Taiwan, Spring Scream and Pacifiction Records.

Pacifiction Records: Items for Sale!!

OK... Finally I have some stuff for sale on Pacifiction Records:

1) Baseball - ep - Manic Pixies/ Dirty Three influenced indie rock with searing violin!

2) Chasing Sparrow/Fall of this Corner - split CD - Two of Taiwan's only post-punk bands. Sounds ranging from minimal indie punk to screamo!

3) Armedalite Rifles - Orange County NY mod influenced punk with reggae and a touch of 80's hardcore.

4) Love Cinema Vol. 6 - North Jersey trash punk by way of Takashi Miike, complete with bondage anthems and Blondie covers!

Yokohama, Mon Amour!

Well, I'm living in Japan now! I arrive at Narita airport with a few battle scars. One of my large bags was left behind in Toronto and I started getting a sore throat on the airplane. Well, I got the bag back two days later and I finally feel a little better. But the first weekend I was in Japan, I missed Guitar Wolf, the Vickers aaaaannnddd Last Target!!! T_T And this weekend, there's not much going on... why do I always have such bad timing. Well looks like it will be a punk rock X-mass cause I'm planning on going to see Guitar Wolf and the Vickers on Christmas in Nagoya!

Last Barn Party

The weekend after Thanksgiving was my official last weekend in the US, so I threw a barn party. I invited a bunch of bands and people but only a handful of people that I invited showed up. Special thanks to Ideal Brain Tonic for bringing the crowd! The night started of with Soviet Spies and the Robotapocalypse from West Point with sampling and screaming. Then Ideal Brain Tonic with their out their experimental hard rock. The night ended with Third Part Reverse from north Jersey playing stoner post-rock accompanied by the theremin. Thanks to Deuce for stopping by and although all members of Butterface were in the same time-zone, they were all too hung-over to do a reuinion show.

Rebel Night!

Well, usual, I have some blogging to catch up on... a lot has happened in the past 3 weeks!

About two weeks ago I had Good Bye NYC / Pacifiction Records website launch party at Otto's Shrunken Head in the East Villiage. It was also Rebel Night with guest DJ Mike Mortician spinning incredible rare 50's rock n roll and rockabilly (he even threw in a car/motorcycle noise theme set!!). It was a real sock hop with all these Japanese cats with pompadours and white tee-shirts doing the Twist! The girls in more 60's mod fashions did occasional line dances to the slower songs and there were a lot of couples spinning and shaking at the rave!

I have to thank all my NYC friends who cam out: Amy Uzi, Tony and Chris, Anna Bananarchy and Mary, Paul Wheeler (Rock of Japan) and my web designers Antonio and Peggy (Freckles Studio) ans well as all the people they brought with them.

I also have to thank the DJs and Rebel Night gang: Sei, Kick and June!