that foreign music blog🌎

Having found myself spiraling into a SIX LOUNGE obsession, I thought it’d be a good idea to seek out other music to refresh my ears, growing all too used to the melody of my favorite SIX LOUNGE album,”Shinonome”, or “東雲”…which is still amazing, mind you. Lucky for me, one of the indie bands that I’d been a fan of since last summer, Atomic Skipper, posted that they’d be performing at a festival in Nagoya city: Dera Festival. I hadn’t thought about it at the time, but when reporting to my Japanese teacher about the event, she noted how “Dera” was “cool” in the Nagoya accent. Although I’ve lived in Aichi for four years, because a lot of young locals don’t proudly use the Nagoya accent, I haven’t really had the chance to learn it. I can definitely tell when people speak in the accent, though, which tends to be coated with ‘ra’, ‘nya’ ‘ya’ and ‘ga’ sounds.

While it was my first time hearing of the festival, it ended up being a lot bigger than I’d anticipated, as the participating venues stretched between Shinsakae and Osu. I decided to stay in the Shinsakae area, resisting some of my favorite bands like Kobore, who were playing out in the Sakae area. These places are just a station or two away from each other, but considering the travel time between venues, the thirty-minute break between bands made even a fifteen minute walk seem like overkill. Personally, I was happy to have stayed in a single area, as it’d ultimately allowed me to see eleven bands!

The first one I saw was SideChest, who had conveniently posted on Twitter that they’d be playing at Apollo Base from ten-thirty. After receiving my map and wristband, I made the two-minute trip to the venue and was shocked by how dinky it was. Similar to Party’z in Sakae, the second I stepped onto the main floor, I simply could’ve reached out to touch the microphone, which had already been set up. The members themselves causally passed behind us as they moved between the bar and the backroom, vocalist Matsuoka being heard warming up.

Thinking on the first time I’d seen them, I wondered if that Yamada Yuki look-a-like would be there cheering them on in his ‘My Hair is Bad’ shirt again. While I didn’t see him, I DID, actually end up standing behind a familiar blonde girl and her friends. The same one from last summer. I didn’t say anything, of course, but watching how she gazed up at the members, I wondered if they knew each other personally. She couldn’t have been older then eighteen, though, so I’m not sure.

Differently from the the first time I’d seen SideChest, I could actually sing along to some of the songs and got really excited when they played familiar tunes like ‘Spectator‘ and ‘Green‘. The fans kind of surprised me, though, as each song had it’s own special gesture and timing to it, leaving me to feel at a complete loss. It was like I had totally missed the memo, but I tried not to feel too discouraged and just focused on the band. It was an interesting way to start the day, to say the least.

The next band I saw, Half time Old, was in the venue about a block away—if that. It was the biggest venue in the Shinsakae area, DIAMOND HALL, and housed the more popular bands on the Shinsakae setlist. While I’d seen their name everywhere, from posters to convenience store advertisements, I’d never thought to listen to them. I only knew they were popular, so when I rushed inside, I wasn’t all that shocked by the amount of fans that’d showed up. Half time Old had a fun stage presence and good melody with unique vocals. Similar to bands like KANA-BOON, the distinct nasally effect lends them a memorable sound–and perhaps a popular one, given how many bands do this. Their song ‘みんな自由だ‘ or “Minna jiyu da (Everyone is free)” is an upbeat song that has quickly become a crowd favorite with its words of ‘being free and lively’. You can hear it in Family Mart almost every other day because of its success as an AU phone company commercial song. When I heard it for the first time, though, I immediately thought on Disney, and wondered if it was some cover or celebratory rendition. However, after consulting my Disney-fanatic friend, she confirmed that it wasn’t Disney, but reminiscent of the song ‘Ragtime’, which is often played in Disney theme parks. Once I compared them, I felt it was a pretty clever way of advertising; when you hear that melody, you can’t help but feel excited.

The next band I saw was in a much smaller venue within the same block called ‘Heartland’ It was kind of a cramped space that had the stage angled to the right. The band was WALTZMORE, a name that had sparked memories of the From First to Last song, ‘Waltzmoore’.Unlike the early two-thousands screamo band, however, WALTZMORE is an ambient rock group with a soft-spoken vocalist and sentimental aesthetics that made the venue name “Heartland” all the more fitting. While they have some energetic songs, the gentle blues and grays that beamed from the stage calmed us into gentle sways and fluid motions, matching the airy keyboard effects. They don’t seem to have many videos uploaded, but there’s one for a song they played towards the end called “On the Night of our Second Dance“. They also seemed to have changed their name from ‘Goodbyes‘ to ‘WALTZMORE’, so if you’ve heard of ‘Goodbyes’, it’s the same band.

The next band was back in DIAMOND HALL, and was a band that I’d been a fan of since 2014: SAKANAMON. They’re a kind of quirky indie band that’d attracted me with their fishy imagery, such as in “Music Plankton“. In fact, if you didn’t know, ‘Sakana’ means fish, so I’m assuming their name is something like “Fishman” or “Fish things” in English. Since the name is written in romanji, I’m not sure if ‘mon’ is supposed to refer to the katakana pronunciation of ‘man’ (although the romanization would be different), or if it’s like ‘mon’ like ‘mono’…which means ‘things’, but also refers to ‘things’ in the sense that everyone does them. Like obvious, everyday things—expected outcomes in life. Gleaning at their profile, it seems that it might be connected to my latter guess, but it still isn’t entirely clear to me. During their entire performance, though, they actually had their ‘fishman’ character on the stage, which really set the playful atmosphere of the band.

Even better was that they treated us to a song off their new album, LANDER, which you can now stream on apple music and Spotify. The album takes their core sound and incorporates a few more digital effects and piano for a more refined feeling from their boyish stage. At the concert, they introduced the album with the song “Home“. It uses an upbeat, folksy piano joined by an acoustic guitar to illustrate the very thing it’s trying to portray: home. Given that all the members are in their thirties now, I got the impression their focus has shifted to more familial things, and it comes out a lot in this album.

After SAKANAMON, I rushed to R.A.D Seven to see another band I’d been a fan of in my college years: LEFT. The venue was actually about ten minutes away on foot and I was practically running with Google flashing on my screen, leading me to the cramped stage that was marked with graffiti stickers and a kind of gritty appeal. As a fan of punk, it wasn’t an uncommon sight, but I WAS extremely surprised by how many people had tried to squeeze inside. I was initially pushed towards the back and forced to act as something of a doorman, as many people ahead of me had refused to move ahead to make space. Luckily some staff eventually got the lot of us closer to the stage, and I managed to land myself a better position.

LEFT can best be described as punk band with alternating vocals between guitar and bass. Sweat-drenched, they begged us to get crazy and mosh our brains out, which several people close to the stage did. Some of the songs they played included their popular “Mother” and “Hikari“, which express bittersweet reflections of the past, but with an uplifting, fast-paced melody. Many of their songs tend to be rather optimistic, reminding the listener that they aren’t alone. I think this is why several other non-Japanese listeners have come to like this humble indie band.

Seeing that it was around three and that I’d only had a vitamin drink for breakfast, I decided to take my time going back towards the DIAMOND HALL. The band of interest, KUZIRA, wouldn’t be playing until eight, so I stopped at the nearest convenience store to get some snacks. I stood outside the DIAMOND HALL with my pickled-plum riceball and curiously pressed my ear to the door to try to hear a bit of the band playing. What I ended up walking into, however, were four made-up, kimono-donning men dancing like an idol group to fast-paced electronica music. Left agape, I hurriedly checked my festival map and saw that they were Ni-chome no Sakigake Coming Out.

Having been exposed to visual kei bands like GazettE, men in make-up was nothing new. I also don’t really care about those things anyway. However, looking past their colorful performance full of fun choreography and positive messages, they seem to be open supporters of the LGBTQ movement in Japan. While things have improved over the years, LGBTQ people are still often found at the butt of jokes. That isn’t the say that LGBTQ people are necessarily made fun of, but I feel the community and their experiences aren’t taken very seriously. I was moved that their costumes weren’t merely for show or exploitation, but perhaps as a sign of “coming out”. While I can’t get much into their music, I really respect what they’re doing for their community by being so genuine. Here’s one of their earlier videos that has a kind of melancholic piano melody to it: “Mimi wo sumaseba“. From what I can understand of the lyrics, it seems to be a confession…perhaps to someone who couldn’t accept their feelings? Despite the simplicity of the video, I think it’s my favorite one that I’ve seen.

Growing tired, I decided to wait out the next artist at the same venue, sipping a beer towards the front of the stage. I curiously eyed the group of friends practicing their dance moves next to me and noticed one of the boy’s shirts adorned with cute-faced girls. It read “MAXX NAKAYOSHI” and, when I glanced at the festival map, I saw that they were the band up next, the full name reading: “バンドじゃないもん！MAXX NAKAYOSHI”, or “We’re not a band! MAXX NAKAYOSHI”. The term ‘Nakayoshi’ actually means ‘good friends/comrade’, so I guess the name is like “maximum comrade”. I expected them to sound something like BABYMETAL with the recent idol/metal movement, especially when they began to soundcheck their instruments. The drummer was especially impressive and got a round of applause from us early birds. However, once they began their official set, I was thrown for a loop. They’re considered an idol BAND, which explained their high-pitched tones and cute appeal, but I also couldn’t shake the feeling that they were almost mocking the idol genre with their nonsensical lyrics and playful themes. In fact, one of their songs is called “Meaningless Dance“. They may not be mocking idols, but they definitely don’t seem to take themselves as seriously, which is refreshing. That being said, they were extremely entertaining with how they led us through complex choreography and a light show. If you’re a fan of groups like BUONO!, these girls sound KIND of similar. BUONO! is an old idol group in Hello!Project that was known for using rock influences in their music. The latter is definitely more pop than MAXX NAKAYOSHI, but there are some similarities.

Waving goodbye to the band as they left the stage, blowing us kissing and pumping out heart signs, I made my way back to APOLLO BASE to see emo rock band This is LAST. I’d merely circled their name because it sounded like a band I’d like, and I wasn’t disappointed. However, when I entered the room, it was like a completely different venue; compared to when I’d seen SideChest in the afternoon, I could barely get through to the floor and had gotten stuck on the stairs for a good few songs before pushing my way down to the bottom. Having gone to this festival with no expectations, seeing This is LAST had almost felt like fate. That is to say, something in the universe had known that I’d really like this band, because there was really no particular reason I’d gone to see them.

This three-piece band reigns from Chiba prefecture and has a familiar organic rock sound. The members consist of Riusei (bassist), his older brother Aki (vocalist), and Teru (drums). I really love the melody to their bittersweet heartbreak song ‘Koroshimonku‘, which is featured on their recently released album of the same title. It’s available on streaming services, so please give it a listen! What impressed me most about this band, however, was their warm stage presence. They really know how to connect with fans, going so far as to surprise you with a follow-back on Twitter. Even more shocking is that Riusei actually takes notice of fan comments and will make very light interactions that many bands wouldn’t risk. Among the three of them, I get the impression he’s the most internet savvy, though, as he tends to post a lot.

Thirty minutes later and the venue had emptied out significantly, leaving me to stand behind what looked like a mother and daughter donning “ザ・モアイズユー“, or The Moa is You” band-tees. Although the band themselves didn’t seem to be that old, they were popular among older women, which I found extremely adorable. There’s nothing cuter than a fifty-year-old woman gushing over her favorite band like she’s a teenager again. I guessed that their airy melodies was why older crowds could appreciate their sound a bit more, as opposed to the heavy chords of emo-rock or the fast-pace of punk. In any event, I thoroughly enjoyed their soothing performance, made up of gentle blues of the stage lights and hushed vocals. While they do have some louder songs like ” 涙よりはやく“, their appeal is much quieter and sentimental. In turn, their songs tend to be quite romantic, such as in “Sakura no Hanabira” or “Tokyo Train“. They’re a bit similar to Back Number, so if you’re a fan of them, you’ll definitely appreciate ザ・モアイズユー.

As it starting winding down to the last few bands of the night, my feet just nearly giving out, I sleepily dragged myself back to DIAMOND HALL for ガガガSP, a punk band that’s survived since the late-nineties. As expected, they have that kind of grit and vigor that gets the crowd punching their fists in the air and bashing into each other in heated enthusiasm. Actually, I was surprised by how lenient the venue rules seemed to be, as the security guards had merely redirected the crowd-surfers and stage-divers back to the audience. So, when ガガガSP started their summer anthem song “Sparkler” or “Senkouhanabi”, things had gotten particularly wild, and I nearly gotten kicked in the face. Several times. Not that I can complain, but coming out of the calm aesthetics of the previous band, it was a slight shock to the system. Some of their newer songs include “Graduation” and “Koukasen“.

Once ガガガSP left the stage, I quietly cried out in glee that the final band I’d be seeing that night, KUZIRA, was up next. They weren’t the last band of the night, but I was in a lot of physical and mental pain by that point. I even had to sit on the floor to succumb to my fatigue, my eyelids struggling to keep open as my body began to relax. Noticing more people crowding around me, however, I decided to distract myself with my phone and texted my friend, Takuya, from thrash metal band PUNBAA. I ended up telling him that I was waiting to see KUZIRA and, by some weird coincidence, he recognized the melodic punk band because they’d liked one of PUNBAA’s videos. I thought that was really cool.

Anyway, the second the three members entered the stage and strummed the first chord, everyone broke out into a frenzy. I wasn’t all that surprised because I’d seen how fans were in their videos, but I made sure to stay on the outskirts of the madness. Throughout the performance, I noticed a few men who’d lost their shirts and a girl who was rushing out of the audience holding her head in agony. With their fresh faces and lyrics about growing up, KUZIRA is popular among teens and young adults. Their youthful energy radiates from the stage and makes it difficult to resist dancing to. They played a lot of songs from their album Deep Down, which include “Snatch Away” and “The Weak“. They also played one of my first KUZIRA songs, “Backward“, which is off their mini album Pay the Piper.

I managed to get home at about nine-thirty, being sure to stop by the convenience store for my post-concert snacks. Now that Corona Virus has cancelled every live event, resulting in bands doing digital shows, I’m extremely grateful I’d managed to get tickets to this festival. KUZIRA is a band I’d been really anxious to see and, in a way, it’s only fitting that they ended up being the very last one….

As of now, anyway. I sure hope everything goes back to normal soon.