War Plan Orange

The Top 25 Albums/Songs of 2007!

2007-12-14T12:49:00.000+09:00

Album #25: Deerhoof - Friend Opportunity

If you recall, Deerhoof are one of my defending champions. They hold the title of "Best Album of 2005" with The Runners Four. And last year was the only year where Deerhoof missed the list, for the sole reason that 2006 was the only year Deerhoof did not release album this decade. Usually, they end up somewhere between 15 and 25. The Runners Four happened to be a great album, and 05 happened to be a weak year. Well, 07 is a much better year, and Friend Opportunity is a normal Deerhoof album. That is, it's pretty damn good. Over the past few years, Deerhoof have developed a lot. 4 or 5 years ago, they were really spastic, and rather abstract. Now they are a lot more acessible, and this is probably their most accessible album. This is the Deerhoof album for everyone. If you hated them before, you may like them now. If you liked them before, this is a good, but not great album.

Song #25: Klaxons - Magick

Once again, we visit Klaxons. And not for the last time. This band has a lot of potential. All they have to do, is keep writing songs like "Magick." It's an incredibly simple song, of which I learned to play on both keys and guitars rather quickly, without sheet music or tabs. But that's not whats important. What is important, is the song is a lot of fun. It's fast, bouncy and catchy as shit. Klaxons may be the band of the future...

Album #24: Deerhunter - Cryptograms

Deerhunter was quite a surprise to me. I've heard scattered songs by them before, but never really got into them. I always thought they were not focused, and sort of all over the place. But I digged the sound. They produced some massive volume, and thats something we've been missing lately. If you look at some of the best bands recently, you'll find very fun bands, dancey bands, talented bands, but very few loud bands. On Cryptograms Deerhunter are much more focused, but didn't turn the volume down. It's just solid guitar rock, and thats something I've been missing. In fact, it's one of 3 solid guitar rock albums released this year. Can you name the other two?

Song #24: Kevin Drew - Lucky Ones

I was a little sketched out by this release. I love Broken Social Scene, and I quite like Stars, but I think everything else out of this school of musicians is a bit bland. Well I suppose this is almost like a Broken Social Scene album. Either way, there are some true gems on this album, and this is one of them. It's catchy, and a little more raw compared to other songs from this group of artist. And of course with Kevin Drews great vocals.

Album #23: M83 - Digital Shades Vol. 1

I have a soft spot for M83. And I like the word Pitchfork used to describe him; maximalist. I think it's quite fitting. Anthony Gonzales takes about every sound he can possibly squeeze into a song, and crams it in. Plus some. There are very few guitars on this album, unlike say Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts which was filled with them. This album is mostly synths and samples. Hence the name of the album, Digital Shades Vol. 1. What is different about this album from past M83 albums, is the absence of the cheeze. His last two albums some really, REALLY cheesy bits. We all remember "Car Chase Terror" from Before The Dawn Heals Us. This album is almost entirely instrumental, so the horrid vocals are gone. Thankyou.

#23: Shout Out Louds - Impossible

This is The Shout Out Louds at their most Cure-tastic. And while they sound shockingly similar to the Cure here, they are not trying to mimic them. They may sound like the Cure, but they don't feel like them. They have their own vibe going on. They are much more fun than the Cure, and that's why I dig them. Though the lyrics are a bit sappy, the vocals are quite nice. I usually hate sappy lyrics, but lyrics are not that important.

Album #22: Justice - t

A horrible band name, with an even more horrible album title. Before even listening to the album, you think it's some sort of like, Prince wannabe bullshit. Well it's quite far from it. I don't know about the rest of the world, but Justice are fucking huge Japan. In January, they are playing a massive gig, which has been sold out for months. They are being looked at as the next Daft Punk, or Underworld here. Well, they're not THAT good, but they are still a good listen. Once again, the running theme this year, and the past couple for me, is fun. In parts the album is quite cheesy, but that seems to be kinda common in French music. Over dramatic. But at the sametime, that is part of the fun. I don't know how this album is being accepted in America, but I bet it will be tagged "party in a box" like so many great, fun albums do.

Song: #22: !!! - Bend Over Beethoven

This song is not single material. On and album with some catchy singles, it's the long driven out dance-off that stands out to me. Though !!! has always been known for longer songs. What they are also known for, is a beat that wont let up. And thats what we have here. We have great instrumentation. Delayed guitars, into chopping guitars, to funk guitars. All with that beat that just won't let you be, until the break down, only for it to pick you up again. Once again, the theme here is FUN.

Album #21: !!! - Myth Takes

I grew tired of !!! a couple of years ago. "Me and Guilliani Down By the School Yard" was a great song, but the album wasn't so hot. But I was into a lot of bands in the same vein as !!!, such as The Rapture and LCD Soundystem. So called "dance punk." So when !!! released a rather good album this year, I wasn't completely surprised. I knew they had it in them. Although there are only a couple of high points on this album, such as "Bend Over Beethoven" and "Heart of Hearts," there are no low points. That's what makes this such a good album. You put it on, it runs for 50 minutes, and you enjoyed it all. Many people call "dance-punk" a stale genre, but I think we're just getting into it. The best is yet to come.

Song #21: Polysics - Catch On Everywhere

OK, when this single dropped in February, this is not what you expected from Polysics. It's led by a bouncy beat, with catchy guitars, and an even more catchy chorus. The lead vocals however, are vocodered to an incredible pitch. It sounds like some sort of like, chipmunk on speed or something. It's really quite funny to watch lead singer Hiroyuki Hayashi sing them. Then of course the sugary female chorus donated by Kayo. Oh wait, this is exactly what we expect from Polysics. And why we love them so very much.

Album #20: Bjork - Volta

Usually, when Bjork releases an album, it's in the top 5 of the year. If not, at least the top 10. Well, sorry Bjork, but you got stopped at #20. Not that the album is bad. It's not bad at all, it's just nowhere near the level of past Bjork albums. Every Bjork album has a certain feel to it. And that's what missing here. The songs themselves are fine. There are some great tracks, such as "Innocence" and "Declare your Independance." However, there are two songs that really bring this album down; "The Dull Flame of Desire" and "My Juvenile," which are led by the ridiculous Antony dude. Seriously, that guy is a load of shit, and his voice drives me out of my mind. I don't know why people are raving him so much. There are not many times out there when an album is actually brought down by a song or two. But, well, that's what we have here. If these two songs were not on here, the album would be higher up. But I cringe during these two songs.

Song #20: 31 Knots - Sanctify

The standout song on what i consider to be an overall great album. The song is quite busy. There are guitars, pianos, bells, all sorts of shit happening. The vocals on the track are through the roof. I don't really know the band that well, but the singer seems to put everything he has into the track. I don't know why it took me song long to discover this band, but they are really interesting.

Album #19: Simian Mobile Disco - Attack Decay Sustain Release

I really have to be in the mood for Simian Mobile Disco. Right now, I'm not really in the mood for them. But when I'm in the mood to dance, drink heavily and it's a dark cold night in the city, this album would be much higher on the list. But now, It's 1:30pm in the afternoon in a Japanese suburb. It's sunny out, unusually warm for December, and I'm going out for a bike ride in a bit. It just doesn't fit. The albums flows wonderfully, and can totally set the mood for a night. It's generally upbeat, but I wouldn't say it's a happy album. There are a couple of annoying songs on the album though, such as "Hotdog." The song is fine until the annoying ass vocal samples come in. But songs like "It's The Beat" and "Hustler" make up for it. "Hustler" has one of the best lines of the entire year on it: "What the fuck is you gonna do about it? Nothing." Also a great, catchy album title. Synth up!

Song: #19: A Place To Bury Strangers - Another Step Away

FUZZ. Don't you just love the fuzz? This song is very reminiscent of The Jesus & Mary Chain, but a little more aggressive. The song has a great mix of the light strumming, and the hardcore lets fuck em' up peaks. I think this band is one of the more promising bands to emerge recently. But then again, I thought Refused and Polysics were going to take over the world, and we all know that didn't happen.

Album #18: Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank

I know this album gets a lot of shit. Well, we know the Modest Mouse we used to love is dead. We all know there will never be another The Lonesome Crowded West or The Moon and Antarctica. Some people wish Modest Mouse would just retire. But that won't happen, they're making too much money. I don't blame them. And that aside, they are still releasing some good music. They did an interesting thing here, and grabbed Johnny Marr to play some guitar. And not like a guest guitarist, but as a full time member. I can only really catch his influences here and there, usually on a chorus or an intro. So I'm not entirely sure what he did on the album. Once again, like the Bjork album, and as Sean brought up on a couple of other releases, there is a song that really hurts the album. ONly 3 tracks in I cringe when "Fire It Up" comes on. God dammit.

Song #18: Enon - Mirror On You

I think this song gets a lot of credit for being the first song I heard on this album. It sounds quite similar to most of the album. And that's definitely a good thing. In fact it's a great thing. Except for the fact that there are no Moogs on this song, which is my favorite part of Enon. Instead there is a heavy bass and spastic guitars. But all the energy is there. And its kicked out in under 2 minutes.

Album #17: 31 Knots - The Days and Nights of Everything Anywhere

Earlier this year, I had a extremely boring evening. There was just nothing to do. Everyone was busy, so I just started downloading new music I hadn't heard of. One of those bands was 31 Knots, whom I believe I first heard from Kevin and Chad. I can't quite remember though. The album usually isn't something I'm into. It's definitely the most obscure album on my list. The first thing that caught me on the album, was the vocals. There is no real, control over the vocals, and thats part of the fun. It's completely unpredictable. The guitars sound like an early Sonic Youth. Like REALLY early, pre-Bad Moon Rising, and more on the lines of their self-titled debut EP. Then there are some nice pianos on some of the tracks, making an interesting combination. I think the main reason I liked this album so much this year, was that it was completely fresh to me.

Song #17: Arcade Fire - Keep The Car Running

There are so few songs out there that are led by a music box and a mandolin. But thats why we love Arcade Fire. They can incorporate unusual instruments into great pop songs. This is the catchiest song on Neon Bible, maybe aside from "No Cars Go," which doesn't count because it was originally released in 2003. And once again, like almost all Arcade Fire songs, Win Butler puts everything he can and then some into his vocals.

Album #16: Interpol - Our Love To Admire

I think people cut this album up too much. While it's nowhere near the level of their debut album, I think it's a big step up from Antics. I thought Antics was bloody terrible. On this album though, there are some pretty damn good songs. The opener "Pioneer To The Falls" is fantastic. It does make it hard for the rest of the album to live up to, but then there are still some other great tracks. I personally really liked "Pace Is The Trick." Another good thing about this album, is a lot of the cheesy lyrics of Paul Banks are gone. I think he is a great vocalist, but a fucking terrible lyrics writer. Everything else on the album is pretty consistent. Though I do wish Interpol would turn up the volume. I imagine they would be a great shoegaze band. They just need to mess around with effects and noise.

Song #16: The Shout Out Louds - Normandie

This is the stand out song on the latest Shout Out Louds album. The song is kinda sappy, and sounds ridiculously like the Cure. But thats a good thing in this case. The song is wonderfully catchy. The guitar melody is simple, and the vocals follow quite nicely. Then there is the little string break down in the mix. Just a nice little pop song.

Album #15: Burial - Untrue

Burial had good timing. I have a feeling if the album came out earlier in the year, it wouldn't have made the list. Not so much that I would have grown tired of it, but the album really fit the atmosphere of my life when I first listened to it about a month ago. Burial makes really good hanging out/mild party music. If you want to throw a massive party and wreck shit, this is not your album. But if you're going to have some people over, have a few drinks, and just sort of take it easy, Untrue is perfect. And I've been having a lot of those gigs lately. The songs are relaxing, but at the same time they have a beat to keep you awake. Goes well with a glass of red wine.

Song #15: Capsule - Reality

I think of Capsule as a dance band. I mean, Yasutaka Tanaka (How badass of a name is that?) is one of the premiere club DJs in Tokyo. But here, this is a very poptastic Capsule song. If Capsule wrote more songs like this, they would definitely be topping more charts, instead of being the underground Shibuya-kei band they are now. Also interesting, is that Toshiko does not sing on this song, and her vocals redefine the term "sugar pop."

Album #14: The Tough Alliance - New Chance

I think this album is the most criminally overlooked of the year. The running theme here once again is FUN. I downloaded the album one night via Pitchforks recommendation, which is often hit or miss. This time it was a total hit. Oddly enough, I didn't hear much talk about The Tough Alliance, but I suggest we start that now. They produce a lovely blend of ridiculously catchy synthetic pop, which the Swedes are ever so popular for. (It's either blissful synth-pop or death-metal for the Swedes, right?) The vocals on the album were kinda annoying at first, but they grew on me and now I quite like them. The album ends with a great song called "1981," which was the year I was born, and oddly enough Simian Mobile Disco ended their album with a song simply entitled "Scott."

Song #14: Polysics - Shizuka is a Machine Doctor

The lyrics to this song are in English, but it makes no sense. Though even in Japanese, Polysics make little to no sense. The term "Shizuka" means quiet in Japanese, but it can also be a girls name. Here I'm questionable as to what meaning they are getting at. The song is something like a first-person narrative about being a robot which is broken, and can no longer play guitar. But then It's fixed, and can jam again. So, it sounds like this person, Shizuka, is the machine doctor. But then, it also seems like it was done quickly and with no pain, and the Japanese often use "is a" to include adjectives. In other words, I don't know what the hell is going on. But it doesn't matter. The song purely rawks.

#13: Apples in Stereo - New Magnetic Winter

This was the surprise album of the year for me. I always liked Apples in Stereo, but I wasn't that much into them. I was quite taken by this album though. First thing that caught my attention was the fantastic song, "Energy." When I heard the song, I didn't know what to think. It's both modern sounding, and vintage at the sametime. Then it is followed by "Same Old Drag," which really reminds me of the Olivia Tremor Control, who really remind me of The Beatles. In fact, the whole album is reminisent of Dusk At Cubist Castle by OTC. It's a nice mix of pop songs and quirky electronica, but it's a lot more straightforward than Dusk At Cubist Castle, and less epic. Nontheless, it's a great album with some fabulous songs.

Song #13: LCD Soundsystem - North American Scum

Why this song wasn't a monster single is beyond me. Perhaps it's the subject matter? I mean, for a good-ol-boy, this song would be quite offensive. Even though it kinda sticks up for Americans, without any thinking it can be a bit difficult. That aside, the lyrics are fucking hilarious. James Murphy has a great sense of humor, and he uses it well in his great music. This song has the beat, the bass, the catchiness and the hooks. Thus, everything you need for a hit single. Oh wait, it's interesting and involves some thinking.

Album #12: Kevin Drew - Spirit If..

It's not quite a Broken Social Scene album, but it's still pretty good. OK, so it might as well be a Broken Social Scene album, with the only difference being that Kevin Drew wrote all the songs, instead of just a few. For some reason I didn't have high hopes for this album. I never like it when artists from a band have solo projects. But then again, Broken Social Scene is a collective, and everyone has their own thing. And now Kevin Drew has his very own thing. The album drags a bit in my opinion, but there are some wonderful indie songs on here, such as "Safety Bricks" and "Lucky Ones." In fact, I don't really care for this type of sound usually. I find it bland and overplayed. But here we are told that it can not only be interesting, but generally good at the same time.

Song #12: Arcade Fire - Ocean of Noise

This is the highest Arcade Fire song on this list. But it is only the 3rd best on the album. How does that work? Well, the second best is "Intervention," which is the #1 song on my 2006 list. And the best, naturally, is "No Cars Go," which was first released in 2003, thus it is not on this list. But Neon Bible is a good album, and the 3rd best song is still one of the best of the year.

Album #11: Capsule - Sugarless Girl

I got into Capsule last year. Most of you are probably not familiar with them. They are one of the premier Shibuya-kei bands in Tokyo. In the past they've had more of a sugar-pop vibe going on. You know the sound, that ridiculously happy Japanese theme, which is always odd because the Japanese are the least happy people on the planet. But time, they've dropped that and gone for more of a Euro-pop sound, with the heavy bass and thumping beats. This year has seen the return of electro-pop, with Justice, Simian Mobile Disco, ect. And I put Capsule in this group now. Toshiko's vocals are still there, so the Shibuya sound isn't completely gone. From start to finish it's just a fun album, and I recommend it for anyone who has gotten into that sound this year. Oh and the album artwork is through the roof. And yes, that is Toshiko's chest.

Song #11: Sigur Ros - Hljomalind

This is by far the most normal sounding Sigur Ros song ever. That sounds like it might be a bad thing, but it is in fact, a good thing. I never got into the live version of this song, but when it was released on the EP this year, I really dug it. It has a full chorus and everything, which is something quite rare for Sigur Ros, a band more known for writing linear songs.

Album #10: Dinosaur Jr. - Beyond

This is how all reunited bands need to do it. Instead of slopping together a half ass album to make a few bucks, think it out, and release something you are proud of. (Pay attention, Stooges) Dinosaur Jr never missed a beat. They rocked when they were originally together, and they rock now. The deal is, J Mascis never stopped. He's been releasing solid guitar rock since his old band split. He just got the original lineup together. The opening song is the one that gets you. Right in the same vein with "Freakscene," "Almost Ready" kicks the album right into gear. Although I never really cared for J's vocals, and on this album I still don't really. But what is important here, is the guitar rock. Welcome back.

Song #10: Klaxons - Atlantis to Interzone

This was the first Klaxons song I heard. I downloaded the single, really confused. I mean, the band is called Klaxons, and the song is called "Atlantis to Interzone." It just sounds fucking weird. But what we have, is a total kick you in your teeth blast of a song. The song starts out with the "DJ!" yell, before the bass hooks you in. The vocals are terrible, but perfect. This is a song that must be listened to at full volume.

Album #09: Dan Deacon - Spiderman of the Rings

One of the most fun albums of the year, and at the same time one of the most confusing. It's one of those albums that I listened to and loved at first, and assumed I'd get tired of. But alas, I didn't. Though it's not an album I would necessarily listen to on my own at home. It's definitely a party album. It's good in the mornings though, to get you going. Basically, it's just really silly. And I love silly. So I love this album. The opener, "Woody Woodpecker," is the silliest song on the album, but then it's picked up with a little more straightforward song, "Crystal Cat," which is still not without it's silliness. The album is centered around the epic middle song, "Wham City," which clocks in at just about 10 minutes. It's 10 minutes of sort of randomness, but that's why we love it. Dan Deacon, you're the man. Keep up the good work.

Song #09: Apples in Stereo - Energy

If you look up the term "catchy motherfucker" in the dictionary, you'll find a sample of this song. I mean, the hooks are through the roof, the chorus is ridiculous, and vocal harmonies, synths and the tremolo guitars at the end all work together to make this song one of the best pop songs of the year. I haven't been in the states in a while, but I would expect this song to be in loads of television commercials. If it's not, it so should be.

Album #08: Blonde Redhead - 23

Arguably the most consistent band on the planet. I mean, when was the last time (if ever) Blonde Redhead did something wrong? Their first few albums were good, but not great. But the last 3 have been brilliant, and they've backed it up with a stunning live show. I first got into Blonde Redhead with Melody of Certain Damaged Lemons. When I first heard it, I loved it. Then I heard Misery is a Butterfly, and I loved that even more. And now, 23 is my favorite Blonde Redhead album. The progression on this album is great. This time around, Blonde Redhead have turned up the volume a little more, a little more reminisent of Sister/Evol era Sonic Youth, as opposed to the their last couple of albums, which were more in the vein of very early Sonic Youth. Not that this album is a Sonic Youth rip, it is definitely a unique sound, but has a Sonic Youth influence. Blonde Redhead have often been known as a great vocal band, but they are also a guitar band, and this is their best guitar album.

Song #08: Wire - 23 Years Late

How old are these dudes now? Lets see, Pink Flag came out in fucking 1977. And they're still writing music like this? Wire were always known for their progression on their first 3 albums, and this song definitely has the feel of 30 years of progression. The song is near 10 minutes long, and is centered around an organ piece, and a talking monologue done by bassist Graham Lewis, before Colin Newmans signature wail chimes in. Fucking through the roof, I love it.

Album #07: Enon - Green Geysers... Carbon Louds

Enon will forever have the difficulty of living in the shadow of Brainiac. And as amazing as Brainiac is, we really should look at Enon in their own light. The deal is, this is a fantastic band, who has been making great music for some time, and continues to do so. They combine spastic guitars, distorted bass, and great analog synths, along with both male and female vocals. It all mixes very well. Though on this album, there may be more of a concentration on guitars than their old pal Mr. Moog, which I normally wouldn't like, but it plays out great. Every song is a blast of energy, usually clocking in at about 3 minutes, which is perfect for music of this nature. Not many people paid a lot of attention to Enon this year. Not quite sure why. But I highly recommend this album. And this album also has one of those songs this year that oddly relates to me; "Colette," which is my mothers name, and not a common one at that.

Song #07: Radiohead - Nude

OK, so how long did it take for this one to come out? 11 years? I think it was originally played live in 1996. Maybe 1997. This song has taken many different shapes in the past decade. At first it was a Brit-pop masterpiece, utilizing the organs and keys. I believe it was played once in 2002, and was played out more as a straight forward song, though I believe it was unrehearsed. Then, it was played regularly on the 2006 tour. By this time they had slowed the song down a bit. And now, it's become a dreamy masterpiece, and probably Thom Yorkes most sincere vocal performances. Now, we just need "Lift" to be released...

Album #06: Polysics - Karate House

Much in the same vein as Enon, except a little more nuts. In fact both bands are open supporters of each other, and Polysics list Brainiac as one of their heaviest (And obvious) influences. Polysics took a bit of a turn on their last album, Now Is The Time, which gave them commercial success not only in their motherland of Japan, but also got them some recognition in Europe. Still, they just can't cut it in the US. This album however, was only released in Japan. Instead they released another take of Polysics Or Die!!!! in the US. I don't get it, because this a fantastic album. It's quite different from the structured pop songs of Now Is The Time. In fact it sounds much more like their very early songs. I believe it isolated a lot of their fans in Japan. And certainly, if they were trying to gain fans in the US, songs like "Catch On Everywhere" were not going help. Polysics have interesting ideas sometimes...such as they do here. Definitely going back to more Devo-esque guitars, but starting to get rather complicated with their electronic configuration. Either way, Hiro, Kayo, Fumi and Yano definitely know what they are doing.

Song #06: A Place To Bury Strangers - To Fix The Gash In Your Head

The first thing that gets you on this song, is the beat. Utilizing a drum machine on this one, ATBS crank up the tempo, getting all new wave up on it. The bass is also key on this song, very Peter Hook-esque. But like all ATBS songs, it's the guitars that make the song. Oliver Ackerman blasts solid fucking volume with massive distortion, with quite simple leads. In other words, the way guitars should be played. So to imagine this song if you never heard it...imagine like, Primal Scream meets New Order, meets the Jesus & Mary Chain. Fuck yeah.

Album #05: A Place To Bury Strangers - A Place To Bury Strangers

Oliver Ackerman is exactly what the music world needs, at exactly the right time. We need a new guitar hero. Not the ridiculous video game. And not some asstard meta-head picking away like a madman. What we need, is someone who can produce some fucking volume. Sure Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo are still swinging away. Along with J. Mascis, and now we are seeing the return of Kevin Shields. But we need something fresh. And I believe Oliver Ackerman and the man for the job. The album is a bit messy, and sort of unfocused, but the reason it cracks the top 5 is simply because of the massive sound on this album. Oliver Ackerman actually produces his own pedals, and whatever they are, they are insane. And of course he uses my axe of choice, the Fender Jaguar, and on certain songs that floating tremolo is clearly heard, very reminiscent of My Bloody Valentine. They are the power trio of the future. Guitar, bass, drums. And although the guitars get most of the attention on this album, we can't forget the drums and bass, both of which I feel get heavy influences from Joy Division/New Order. So yeah, thats their sound. Those great beats and bass hooks, with ridiculous guitars. It's a sweet combo. I expect big things from this band in the future.

Song #05: Sigur Ros - I Gaer

I'm told this song was played live back around 2000. I don't know, but I hadn't heard the song until now. This song sounds flat out amazing. Starting out with the subtle chimes, before the bowed guitars roar in. Jonsi's vocals are incredible on this song, even for him. I mean, his voice is always great, but it's really something else here. I think he needs to sing like this more often, and not so much in his falsetto. What makes this song so great, is the atmosphere. It's one of those songs where it's hard to do anything else while listening to it.

Album #04: Radiohead - In Rainbows

Radiohead score big with the surprise on this one. On October first, they announced it was being released in 10 days? That's pretty damn smooth. And for some reason I didn't have high hopes for this album. Hail To The Thief was good, but not great (at least compared to their previous albums) and it took them 4 bloody years to get this one out. And well, lets face it: Radiohead are getting old. (Not as old as James Murphy, though) But I was pleasantly surprised on this album. There is definitely a unique feel to this album, which Radiohead is so damn good at. (Also see Bjork, who failed to do that this year, and why she was only #20) As Chad stated in the Radiohead forum, this is possibly their most emotional effort. I think second, behind The Bends which I think is one of the most moving albums ever recorded, which still makes this album very emotional. They finally got around to properly recording "Big Ideas" (I refuse to call it "Nude") and it came out great. There are though, some kinda boring songs, which keeps this album from being even higher on the list. For example, "Weird Fishes/Arpeggi" doesn't do anything for me. I never liked the old live version either. And on "Jigsaw Pieces Falling Into Place," they seriously need to turn down the reverb. But tracks like "Bodysnatchers," "All I Need" and "Videotape" more than make up for it. And the complete re-tooling of "Reckoner" is pretty cool.

Oh and the second disc also helps out a lot here. The MK tracks are quite cool filler, I think that should have been used on the actual album. "Down Is The New Up" is a bit disappointing, but I never did get into the old version. And "Go Slowly" is pretty weak. But it's a bonus disc, so like, I can't really complain about those songs. Especially when there are some great tracks like "Last Flowers," "4 Minute Mile," and "Up On The Ladder," which got the same treatment as "Reckoner." Pretty cool bonus disc.

Song #04: Dinosaur Jr. - Almost Ready

Rock. Just, fucking rock. Thats all there is to say about this song. This song comes right out and just kicks your teeth in. The opener to the album lets you know that J hasn't missed a step. Despite the long grey hair and the several pounds he's put on, the man knows how to swing an axe. It reminds me of "Freakscene," the opener to Bug. They just waste no time, and you're in. I know J always gets all the credit for Dinosaur Jr. I mean, he does write the song, but also the bass donated by Lou Barlow is key on the song. He keeps the rhythm together, which allows J to do his thing.

Album #03: Arcade Fire - Neon Bible

I think this album will be treated much like Second Coming by The Stone Roses. And that's not really fair. It is literally impossible to follow up a debut album of that caliber. Funeral is one of the greatest albums ever recorded, and we can't expect a band to do that. So, instead of looking at this album as "not as good as Funeral," we should look at it as a completely separate album. And it's really damn good. Of course there are the songs that get all the attention, such as "Keep The Car Running," the single "Intervention," and of course the already classic "No Cars Go." But there isn't a bad song on this album. I know "Neon Bible" gets a lot of shit, but I like it. And "My Body Is A Cage" does as well, and yeah it is the worst song on the album and the opening is pretty nauseating, but the end of the song ends the album greatly. The reworking of "No Cars Go" is brilliant, but oddly placed on the album. I think if you listen to the album with "Windowsill" as the closer, with "No Cars Go" as a bonus single and "My Body Is A Cage" as the odd b-side, the album makes more sense. But as I stated before, the lyrics are great on this album. I usually don't care about lyrics, but I think Win Butler is a great poet. The lyrics on songs like "Black Wave/Bad Vibrations," "(Antichrist Television Blues)" and "Windowsill" are great.

Song #03: Jens Lekman - A Postcard To Nina

Ah Jens, is there anything you can't write about? You take subject like pretending to be the boyfriend of your lesbian friend so she can fool her father into thinking she is straight and she can run away with her female lover, a subject I'm sure we can all relate to, and turn into a beautiful little tune. Musically, this song is really simple, and there really isn't much to it. But lyrically it's the best song of the year. And perhaps the catchiest chorus of all time...

Enjoy..

Nina I can be your boyfriend
So you can stay with your girlfriend
Your father is a sweet old man
But it is hard for him to understand
That you wanna love a woman

Nina I can be your boyfriend
If it puts an end to all this nonsense
First time I see you in Berlin
And you don't tell me anything
Until outside your dad's apartment

Oh, God! Jesus Christ!
I try to focus on your eyes
We're having dinner with your family now
Keep a steady look at your left eyebrow

If it's raised, it means yes,
If it's not it means take a guess
Hey! You! Stop kicking my legs
I'm doing my best
Can you pass the flakes?

Your father puts on my record
He says: so tell me how you met her
I get a little nervous and change the subject
And put my hand on some metal object
He jokes and tells me it's a liedetector

He takes out the booklet and starts reading
So i heard you're moving out next season
I say: Yeah, New York is nice that time of year
Almost as green as it is here
He says: I thought you were moving to Sweden?

Oh.

Oh, God, what have I done?
I came to Berlin to have some fun
And clock on the wall strikes 4:56
My eyes can't buy a big crucifix
Guess that's why he won't let you go
His catholic heart is big and slow
You know I'll do anything for love
But Nina what were you thinking of?

But Nina I can be your boyfriend
So you can stay with your girlfriend
Your father is mailing me all the time
He says he just wants to say hi
I send back "out of office, auto-replies"

Nina I just want to check in
'Cause I think about you every second
So I send you this postcard just to say
Don't let anyone stand in your way
Yours truly, Jens Lekman

Don't let anyone stand in your way
Don't let anyone stand in your way
Don't let anyone stand in your way
Don't let anyone stand in your way

Album #02: Jens Lekman - Night Falls Over Kortedala

This album came out of left field for me. I had heard Jens Lekman before, and enjoyed his CDs, but not at this level. Usually I'm not into this sort of music, but Jens does it right. He brilliantly rides a line between the wonderfully intelligent, and the just plain silly. All I have to say, is he one charming bastard. Oddly enough, the opening song to this album is my least favorite of this collection. It's not bad, but a little too theatric or something. But it's all solid gold from there. "Opposite Of Hallelujah" is the first song that really grabs your attention, and "A Postcard To Nina" makes sure you're not going anywhere. If you want to dance around a bit, "Into Eternity" is there for you. "I'm Leaving You Because I Don't Love You" makes sure you're still paying attention with it's obscure samples thrust upon beautiful pop, then "Shirin" saves your soul with one of the most moving pieces of the year. (Really should have been on my song list, but I opted for only one Jens song on the list) "Kanske Ar Jag Kar I Dig" has one of the catchiest intros of the year. And of course it's all brought down by "Friday Night At The Drive In Bingo," a bouncy little vintage number that leaves you smiling as the albums ends. Lyrically the album is wonderful. Jens tells us stories about his sister, lesbian friends, getting his haircut, to Friday nights in rural Sweden. Generally, I find the vibe of this album to be very happy. And thats what I like about it most. Once it finishes, you can't help but smile. Thank you, Jens.

Song #02: Asobi Seksu - Stay Awake

Asobi Seksu's self-titled debut album got mixed reviews, but I thought it was quite good. Good enough to be the #3 album of 2004. Their sound was a bit messy, but everything was there. Their second album, Citrus got them the critical acclaim they deserved, and I bloody loved it. In fact I loved it so much that it was my #1 album of 2006. (Not to take away from Asobi Seksu, but 2006 was a weak year) It had all the brilliant elements of their debut, but it was much more refined. And now, we have "Stay Awake." The progression of this band is stunning. They have all the elements, refined it, and are now giving it their own style. The guitars are tremoloed to hell and back, making them the dreamiest yet from this band (and thats a bold statement) Yuki's vocals are really something else here too. Instead of going the more shoegazey route we would expect here, she is taking more of a sonic lounge approach to the music. Then it all blows up. And finally fades away at the end. I seriously cannot wait to hear what this band will do next year.

Album #01: LCD Soundsystem - Sound Of Silver

I heard LCD Soundsystems latest about this time last year when it leaked. It was the second album of 2007 I heard, after The Shins disappointing effort. I had already started a running 2007 list. So I put LCD Soundsystem on top of it. And thats where they stayed all god damn year. Nobody could dethrone Mr. Murphy. "Losing My Edge" was a contender for song of the year in 2002, and "Yeah" again in 2003, but they didn't quite have that list topping vibe. The self-titled debut album was pretty good, with some catchy songs like "Tribulations" and "Movement," but there were a lot of holes. What we have here, is just a solid album from start to finish. 9 fantastic songs, that flow together beautifully. Only LCD Soundsystem and Jens Lekman were able to produce such albums this year. The album starts out with the bubble to get you into it. The vocals on "Get Innocuous!" throw you off at first. Very sort of Eno/Bowie-esque. It wasn't what we were expecting, but it was pulled off perfectly. The big single on this album was the witty "North American Scum," which I don't believe got the international attention it deserved. "Someone Great" is the most touching song on the album, and when you move around overseas, the song makes a lot of sense. "All My Friends" is the centerpiece of the album, and the #1 song of the year. A lot of people give the title track a lot of shit, but I think it's quite good. The opening is a bit silly, but once the initial vocals die off, it turns into a great song. The albums ends with the cheesy yet perfect "New York I Love You But You're Bringing Me Down." It's an overall great experience, one that is quite rare to find on an album this decade.

Song #01: LCD Soundsystem - All My Friends

This song has received more than it's fair share of praise this year. It's topped loads of lists, it's been covered (quite well, actually) by Franz Ferdinand. It's sold quite well as a single in Europe and Japan. A lot of it has to do with the lyrics. I agree with Sean. I think a lot of people in their late 20s can really relate to this song. We're not young anymore. But then, we're not quite old, are we? Perhaps, it will inspire us to take advantage of our remaining youth, and spend some quality time with our friends while we can. Before we get old. So, maybe thats why so many people, and myself, love this song. Or...perhaps...it's just that the song fucking rocks like there's no tomorrow. Yeah, that's it.

THE TOP 25 ALBUMS AND SONGS OF 2006!

2006-12-28T15:50:00.000+09:00

OK, so it really wasn't that great of a year in music, but I did listen to enough albums to make a list. And of course there are enough songs out there. So here it is...

Albums:

#25: The Liars - Drums not Dead
#24: The Flaming Lips - At War with the Mystics
#23: Hope of the States - Left
#22: Lambchop - Damaged
#21: Pet Shop Boys - Fundamental
#20: The Hold Steady - Boys & Girls in America
#19: Grandaddy - Just like the Fambly Cat
#18: Ghostland Observatory - Paparazzi Lightning
#17: Mogwai - Mr. Beast
#16: Junior Boys - So this is Goodbye
#15: The Knife - Silent Shout
#14: 120 Days - 120 Days
#13: Charlotte Gainsbourg - 5:55
#12: Poni Hoax - Poni Hoax
#11: Thom Yorke - The Eraser
#10: TV on the Radio - Return to Cookie Mountain
#09: The Decemberists - The Crane Wife
#08: Primal Scream - Riot City Blues
#07: Muse - Black Holes & Revelations
#06: The Pipettes - We are the Pipettes
#05: Sonic Youth - Rather Ripped
#04: The Rapture - Pieces of the People We Love
#03: Belle & Sebastian - The Life Pursuit
#02: Islands - Return to the Sea
#01: Asobi Seksu Citrus

Songs:

#25: Polysics - Munsun de Hiraite
#24: Thome Yorke - The Clock
#23: Primal Scream - Little Death
#22: Sonic Youth - Pink Steam
#21: Mogwai - Autorock
#20: Ghostland Observatory - Sad Sad City
#19: 120 days - Come Out, Come Down, Fade Out, Be Gone
#18: Thom Yorke - Anaylse
#17: Islands - Swans
#16: The Decemberists - O! Valencia
#15: Belle & Sebastian - Another Sunny day
#14: The Rapture - Gonna Get Myself Into It
#13: Primal Scream - Country Girl (Live)
#12: Muse - Take a Bow
#11: Islands - Where theres a Will, theres a Wishbone
#10: TV on the Radio - Province
#09: Lambchop - Paperback Bible
#08: Asobi Seksu - Thursday
#07: Belle & Sebastian - Suki in the Graveyard
#06: Sonic Youth - Turquoise Boy
#05: The Pipettes - Dirty Mind
#04: The Knife - Marble House
#03: Franz Ferdinand - L. Wells
#02: Poni Hoax - Budapest
#01: Polysics - Electric Surfing, Go! Go!

Chapter 15: Thanksgiving Holiday vs. Punk Routine

2006-11-28T05:30:00.000+09:00

A couple of weeks ago, I made my first venture back to the old country since I left 9 months ago. I was excited to go back. I wanted to see my family and friends. I wanted to eat pizza and Mexican food. I missed Seattle. It's a good place, and eventually I want to move back there, or to Vancouver. (Actually, preferably Vancouver) However, the trip was not exactly how I had expected it.

First, the good things. It was absolutely wonderful to see my family and friends again. It had been 9 months, and those who had said they would visit me, never did. Of course with the exception of Yuki and CJ, who made it to Tokyo earlier this month, and Jake who had a sort of surprise visit which was cool. But on this trip, I saw my parents, my sister, and all my friends.

The other great thing, was the weather! Seattle and Vancouver were both gloriously cold! The weather in the greater Tokyo area before I left was in fact rather hot. A little under 20C (I think in metric now) which is unusual for Tokyo this time of year. I'm used to much colder Novembers. Usually in Seattle its between 5-10C in November. However, this November, the average tempature was around 0C, and we actually got snow the last few days! I love it.

But, Seattle just isn't how I remember it. I don't remember the city being so small. Tokyo redefines the term "urban." Everything is much more simple in Seattle. You go to the same places all the time, and you see the same people all of the time. Half the time I just ended up being bored at home with nothing to do. Everyone works during the day, watches TV in the evening, then watches football on the weekends. I suppose this is the inevitable American lifestyle though. The Japanese have a similar bland lifestyle that they reach at a certain age as well. But the people I'm around in Japan have not reached this point in their lives.

Tomorrow, I head back to Japan. And I'm quite happy. I mean, of course I'm going to miss my family and friends here in the old country, but at the moment, the lifestyle I live in Japan is more fitting than the one I would have in the states.

Chapter 14: The Splash of October Swimmers

2006-10-25T01:30:00.000+09:00

OK, so this was a weekend I wasn’t expecting. Lets see, where to start...Friday and Saturday nights were rather calm. Scrabble, watching DVDs, nothing too serious. Everything went down on Sunday and Monday nights. Saturday was a shit day at work, so I think I just wanted to rest. So lets start with Sunday, shall we?

The day was rather calm. Didn’t do a lot really. I had plans at night though. My friends band in Tsuchiura (Neighboring town) were playing a gig. I really wanted to check out their band, but sometimes Tsuchiura can be difficult to travel to and from, especially late at night. What I had planned on doing, was going with a few people from Tsukuba. We would take the bus there, then split a taxi back. The taxi runs Y4000, which split 4 ways, not bad, but not something you want to do on your own. Unfortunately, ALL of my friends bailed on me. So like so many gigs in Seattle, I was looking at going by myself. This was a dilema. I didn’t want to pay for a taxi back by myself. It was a nice night out though, so I decided to just ride my bike. I’ve done the ride before, it’s only an hour and a half or so. Not the end of the world. And if the weather holds out, it’s quite a nice ride.

For the ride there, the weather did hold out. Nice ride, made it in just under 90 minutes. I went to the concert, had a great time. Their band sounded pretty cool. The gig got over at 1:00am, and I looked outside. It was a total fucking downpour. I did NOT want to do this ride in the rain. So I went to another bar with my Tsuchiura friends, and ate squid rings for a couple of hours waiting for the rain to stop. At 3:00am, I decided it wasn’t going to stop, so I should just deal with it and ride off. So I did. About 10 minutes into my ride, I was flying down the street in the outskirts of Tsuchiura, when at full speed I hit a curb square. The bike stopped, but Scott went flying forward. I flew forward and landed in a puddle, which is OK I suppose, I mean it could have been straight pavement or a fucking telephone pole or something. I wasn’t hurt really, just bruised here and there (Actually I’ve never seen so many bruises on my body at one time) but I ruined my jacket, and a nice pair of jeans. Fortunately I had my glasses in my bag, other wise I think they would have been fucked.

I’d like to say it got better from there, but it didn’t. I proceeded to ride through the weather. Only this time I was shaken up from a nasty bike crash. The ride took me just over two hours. I got home just after 5:00am.

And the next day, I had plans to meet Naoko in central Tokyo. In the morning I felt terrible, but once I met her in Ueno, I was feeling OK. I had a lovely day with her, just walking around Ueno, then went to Akihabara where I purchased a new digital camera. I quite like it, it’s tiny as hell.

But then I got a text from Aohdan, who is another teacher at my school from Australia. He was supposed to meet a friend in Ginza, who didn’t show. So I invited him up to Ueno to go to an izakaya with Naoko and myself. The izakaya was quite nice, reasonably priced, strong drinks, and pretty damn good food. After the izakaya however, we went to an English style pub, where we drank absinthe and tequila. And thats when all hell broke loose. Naoko went completely out of her mind. It was still raining, really hard, and she was going out nuts, running and falling all over Ueno. At one point we ended up on a roof top of a karaoke, sitting in the rain. Well Aohdan and I were sitting in the rain, Naoko was laying on the ground struggling to breathe. I someone how managed to calm her down, and we rushed back to Akihabara to catch our transfer to Tsukuba. Then back in Tsukuba, we got some gin, iced tea, and a pair of scissors.

I love Japan. I want to be a Japanese gutter punk.

Chapter 13: Live Music, Tokyo Style

2006-10-25T01:29:00.000+09:00

There is just something about seeing a gig in Tokyo...just something that gives an edge. An intesity that cannot be explained outside the context of Tokyo. And you will only understand if you’ve seen a gig in this monster of a city. In the month of September I witnessed two of these events: September 10th, Polysics at the Loft in Shinjuku, and September 20th, Primal Scream at the Zepp in Odaiba.

First we’ll start off with Polysics...are you familiar with them? Imagine like, a Japanese Devo on Speed. But like, more crazy. I snatched a ticket to see them at a tiny venue, maybe with 500 people, at The Loft (Although it was actually in a basement) in the Kabuki-Cho neighborhood of the Shinjuku ward in Tokyo. First off, Kabuki-Cho isn’t really a fitting neighborhood for Polysics. During the day its a busy shopping district, but it gets extremely seedy at night. After the gig you could definitely tell who the Polysics fans were, dashing for the station. Anyways, back to the gig. It was just plain madness. The band ran out in their orange jumpsuits, and improved some bizarre techno freakout with whistles. Then Hayashi yelled “XCT 123!!” and they busted into the psychotic punk tune. I’ve never heard them play that tune, and I was thinking it would be a fantastic opener. But as an older single, I didn’t think they would open with it. Lucky me, ne? Anyways, the rest of the gig was rock. Played some of my favorites like “Kaja Kaja GOO” and “Baby BIAS,” but did skip out on some of my favorites like “Black Out/Fall Out” and “For Young Electric Punk.” Great gig all together though. Their live energy is through the roof. I highly recommend these kids.

Then I had the opportunity to check out the UK legends Primal Scream. Primal Scream never tours in America, so when they announced their Japan tour, Naoko and I picked up some tickets. I really didn’t know what to expect from this gig. I was thinking, it could be fantastic if they played loads of their older material. But then, I was thinking it could suck if they just played songs from their crappy new album. But I was in luck, as they played very few songs from their new album, and almost all of my favorites, with the exception of “Miss Lucifer.” I knew right away the gig was going to be great, as Bobby and Mani led the band out, Bobby took the mic and simply yelled “MOVE US ON UP, TOKYO!!!” Highlight of the gig had to be the encored “Accellerator.” The song is destructive live. Other great points were “Swastika Eyes,” which sent the crowd into a frenzy I’ve never witnessed, and a personal favorite of mine “Shoot Speed/Kill Light.” Great show.

Now in the future...I only have a few of gigs ahead of me. Couple more Polysics gigs, one for free at Tower Records in Shibuya, and then again in December, and in March Muse will be putting on an epic gig in Tokyo which I must witness.

Chapter 12: The month of August

2006-09-13T12:32:00.000+09:00

OK, sorry for not updating this much, for those of you who actually read it, which I believe is very few of you. But anyways, August was quite a busy month. Saw the departure of a few good friends I've made here, the arrival of a few more, and a lot of long nights.

First thing, we saw the sad departure of Ros. Ros was the first person I hung out with here in Tsukuba. She moved back to England earlier this month, after 2 years in Japan. She was always fun to hang out with, and man, could she drink. I couldn't keep up with her. The last 2 weeks with her were tough, I just can't drink that much. So for the first two weeks of September, I've given up alcohol completely. Which well, we're almost finished with. I'll drink a little on my birthday.

We also saw the departure of Suz. Kinda. She just moved more into central Tokyo. So I still see her, I just don't work with her anymore.

Then we saw the arrival of Jon and Aodhan. Things were looking pretty down in Tsukuba in late July, with Paul gone, Suz down in Tokyo, and Ros on her way back to the states, but Jon and Aodhan have picked things up. They are fun, like to hang out after work. Good times. Oh and Jon is also a drummer, so me him and Steve have started a band. I really don't know what we'll sound like. Jon is more into metalish stuff, Steve is into experimental noise, and I'm into like, post-punkish new-wave stuff. But we all have a soft spot for electronic music, so we'll see. Should be interesting.

Oh and I saw Polysics in Tokyo the other night, but that gets its own post.

Chapter 11: I Think I'm Turning Japanese

2006-07-24T01:41:00.000+09:00

OK, so you knew a post of this title was due eventually. It happened last tour, and it happens this tour. There are times when I thought the title was appropriate, but it wasn't until this this moment that I KNEW it was appropriate.

It's 1:46am. I'm laying on my futon. On my tatami floor. My Japanese girlfriend is passed out cold next to me. Absolutely adorable. I have the album "Sister" by Sonic Youth on, appropriate since my sisters birthday is tonight in Seattle. Thought she isn't out of her mind, like Thurston Moore's friend's sister. I haven't driven a car in over 4 months, and I have absolutely no ambition to do so.

I have no complaints.

[radioliketransmission]

2006-07-15T02:21:00.000+09:00

Mmmm...square watermelon. For $50...

Chapter 10: And the Cicadas sang

2006-07-13T00:28:00.000+09:00

And then one night, it happened. The cicadas started to sing. And this could only mean one thing: summer is here. Horrible, horrible summer. And not just a summer, but a Japanese summer. Which is one of the most painful things in the world. Especially for me, who is not used to such weather. I’m from Seattle. Seattle summers are round about 30C, and dry as can be. The Japanese summer, is pushing 40C in August, and the humidity is through the roof. I don’t think I could live here without the AC. Seriously, I think I would just die.

At the moment, it’s not that hot. Maybe 33C. But what gets to you, is the humidity. The humidity is terrible. To the point where the moment I step outside, I feel like I need a shower right away. At the moment I’m taking 3 showers a day. I just can’t help it. I always feel sweaty and messy. Last night was the worst. I spent all day wandering around Tokyo with Naoko. All we did was walk around, and I don’t know if I’ve ever seen myself such a sweaty mess. It was terrible. For dinner we just went to an izakaya (Nice Japanese barish restaraunt type place) with a lovely AC, and ate ice cold soba noodles., and drank apple sours. Quite refreshing.

I quite like going to izakayas, especially just with Naoko. They are quiet, and we can be alone, have a nice chat, some tasty food, and a few drinks. They are especially nice in central Tokyo, where everything is so damn warm.

Oh and the new Polysics single has been released. It’s called “Electric Surfin, Go! Go!” and it basically rules.

Chapter 9: We're singing for Nippon! (2006 World Cup)

2006-06-13T18:03:00.000+09:00

For having such a mediocre team, the Japanese are REALLY into the World Cup. Like, friggin hardcore. Every game is televised, with extensive coverage, and whenever Japan plays, the entire nation shuts down and parties. It's so much fun! I wish the people in the US got into the World Cup like this. US has a much stronger team than Japan, but nowhere near the support. Everything is so exciting around here these days. I love it.

Anyways, the big game was last night. Japan and Australia. Neither team is especially good, but it's a big rivalry. Especially around these parts, since I work with so many Australians. I went to a mostly Japanese bar, with some minow Australian support there. I decided to forego the Aussie bar...but yes, for those of you who watched the game, it was absolutely heartbreaking. Japan had the lead for the majority of the game, 1-0. But then gave up 3 unanswered goals to the Aussies. People were crying in the streets. Today, the entire nation is depressed. Tokyo is so quiet.

Afterwards was the US/Czech Republic game. There are not many Americans around here, most of the foreigners seemed to be from Australia or Scotland. But my roomie Paul and I were psyched for the game, despite the fact that they were taking on the powerhouse Czech Republic team. And yeah, the Czech's mauled the Americans 3-0, and it could have been worse. The US can still make it out of the pool, but they will have to take out the Italians, and that's easier said than done. I, on the other hand, have a lot of money riding on the Czech Republic. They are my pick to win it.

Chapter 8: Watching the Sunday gang in Harajuku (6/5/6)

2006-06-08T23:34:00.000+09:00

Seems like I bought the ticket ages ago, but last night I finally saw Belle & Sebastian in Tokyo. I’ve been looking forward to this gig more than anything. When it comes to music here, I’m seriously in my own universe. Some people may know some bands here and there, but in general when we talk music, I’m talking to myself. So I was hoping this gig would be a bit of a relief.

And it was! It was like taking a pilgrimage to my Mecca. I was finally surrounded by people like me. The gig was held at Shinagawa Prince Stellar Hall, which is well, in Shinagawa. There is this whole “prince” area of Shinagawa, so I figured the venue must be around there. So I went down there at about 1pm to find the venue, and I couldn’t find it anywhere. I asked several people, and they had no idea what I was talking about. I was about to call a friend to come help me, but then I saw a Japanese guy with a shirt that said “Scotland’s for me!” So I went and asked him. Sure enough, he told me exactly where it was, and we actually had a good chat in Japanese. Funny enough, the venue was actually in the aquarium. Walking in there were fish tanks all over, but sadly none in the actual concert area. How cool would that have been?

At that point, I decided to go to Harajuku. It just seemed appropriate. It was Sunday, it was the day of a Belle & Sebastian gig, and plus Harajuku just plain rules. So I went and watched the Sunday gang in Harajuku, hoping that I would see Belle & Sebastian, but alas, no luck. The gig was scheduled to start at 6pm, so I headed back to Shinagawa around 5ish to get in line. I got back, and there were a a few people lined up, but nothing too serious. But at 5:30 they started letting people in, and Belle & Sebastian took the stage at the strike of 6pm. No opening acts or anything. Quite strange, really.

While waiting in line, I met a great little girl named Naoko. She is 21, originally from Fukushima prefecture up north but now goes to school at Waseda in Tokyo. She was there by herself, and I was there by myself, so we decided to watch the show together. For having never left Japan, she spoke quite good English. There was this like, sudden rush of calling numbers of tickets, and I thought I almost lost her for a second. Everyone had to get into order by letter and ticket number. We had like, a rush to try to swap phone numbers so we could find each other inside, but then we looked at our tickets, and realized that she was B16, and I was B17. There were some 6000 people there, what are the odds of us being right next to each other...kinda crazy. So we decided to swap numbers after the gig.

So we go in, and were in there for no more than 15 minutes before the band took the stage. And as expected, they were wonderful. The band came out with Japanese World Cup scarves on, and started a little “NIPPON!” chant. They started off with a few songs from the new album, then a few from “Sinister.” The highlight of the gig was definitely about 10 songs in, when Stuart Murdoch started playing the opening piano part to “Mornington Cresent,” and stopped and said “Oh come on Stevie, lets give it a try.” Stevie and Stuart argued for a bit, and Stuart finally said something like “OK, if you want to go out and have a cigarette, or get some whiskey, now would be the time, we’re about to butcher the shit out of this one.” The band scrambled a bit, and swapped instruments a few times. They seemed really confused, and then Stuart said “Someone requested it, we haven’t played it in a while but I’m in the mood to sing it. This is called ‘This is Just a Modern Rock Song.’” It was absolutely wonderful. Other highlights of the gig were “Judy & the Dream of Horses,” “Sukie in the Graveyard,” the “Legalman” teaser, and of course the encored “I’m a Cuckoo.” Stuart came out and said “How could we come all the way here and not play it?” Of course Stuart’s commentary throughout the gig was great. I liked it when he pointed out all the foreigners. Turns out about 20% of the audience was from overseas.

Wow, this is by far my longest entry. Anyways, getting out was an absolute mess. The venue is up this little hill from Shinagawa station. And in this mess, I managed to lose Naoko. She simply got swept off in a sea of people. I just thought, “Oh, I’ll find her at the bottom of the hill before the station.” HA! Yes, let’s find a 5’ Japanese girl in this swarm of people. I was out in front of the venue for about 30 minutes, hoping that I got out in front of her and I’d somehow catch her. It was impossible, I knew it. And if you recall from earlier, I never got her phone number. All I had was Naoko, and that she lives somewhere in the general Tokyo area. So in otherwords, she’s gone forever. I thought maybe she ditched me, I mean, it was definitely easier for her to spot me than me to her. There was nobody else coming out of the venue, and I was rather sad. So I start to walk over to the station, to catch the train back to Tsukuba, when someone pokes me in the back. I turn around, and it was Naoko. She was doing the samething I was doing, but more near the station. She thought I ditched her like I thought she did me. Anyways, it was a pretty close call, so we decided to immediately swap phone numbers in case anything like that happens again. But yes, as I also told you, the gig started early, so it ended early as well. It ended about 7:45pm. I asked Naoko if she wanted to get something to eat. She said yes, so we walked around Shinagawa a bit, until we found a Chinese restaraunt . We sat down, ate, and got to know each other a bit more. We spoke a split of English and Japanese. She is pretty cool. She has learned most of her English from listening to music. Her favorites are Belle & Sebastian, Radiohead and Teenage Fanclub. She has a thing for music from Scotland, and likes the fact that my name is Scott.

Chapter 7: This is my Tokyo

2006-06-08T23:32:00.000+09:00

OK, so my connection has gone from poor, to none. Usually I struggle to maintain a connection here, because like, well, I don’t know, but now I just plain can’t connect. For some reason this country doesn’t get along with the internet. They may have the most bizarre mobile technology and some amazing TV’s, but they could really careless about the internet. It’s a bit frustrating, really. I mean, I don’t even want to spend much time on the internet, but if I could just log on for a few minutes a day to read emails and post some photos, that would be wonderful. But I can’t even do that. I write this on Monday the 22nd of May, but hell if I know when it will be posted.

Outside of internet connections, and the fact that I would seriously murder someone for a clothes dryer (another thing I still don’t understand why this country lacks) everything is going quite well here. I’m meeting all sorts of cool locals, which is just something most teachers here don’t do. Most of the foreigners stick to each other. I think it’s quite annoying, and I’m already sick of seeing the same faces down at the gaijin bars. I don’t even bother going to them anymore. I’ll still run around with some of the other teachers a bit, but in general I mostly hang out with Japanese people now.

Some of the cool Japanese people I've met...the Hot Stuff gang, which is Kiwa, Asami, Masashi, and so forth. Actually normal people which is what I like the most, though they are all much older than me other than Asami who is 27. Yuka, a friend of my roomie Paul, she actually used to live in Bellingham a few years ago, so that's a cool connection. Keita, who is now my Tsukuba connection. Um, yeah, there are more, like the office girls Chie and Akiko, but they need to get out more. That's all I'll talk about for now. More elaborate stories to come, I'm sure.

Chapter 6: And it was the best bowl of noodles ever

2006-06-08T23:31:00.000+09:00

So let me tell you about my favorite restaraunt here. It’s called Dragon Ramen. It’s quite close to my apartment, maybe 3 minutes by bike. It has kinda strange hours, from 12-2pm and from 6-10pm. I suppose thats pretty good though. It’s owned by a Chinese family, who speak very little English and Japanese. But we communicate just fine.

Anyways, this place specializes in a dish called “choshu,” which is like a Chinese style grilled pork. And they don’t just make choshu, but they make it, and dump it in a bowl a miso ramen. The result, is this absolutely fucking amazing bowl of ramen. You have your noodles, pretty standard, you have a rare hard boiled egg, which when you break it, the yoke pours out into the soup, you have mushrooms, your onions, a little nori, then the beautiful, beautiful choshu. It’s really a combination of the choshu and the broth which makes it so good. I’ve had some good noodles in Seattle, but nothing compares to this.

It’s a little spendy for a bowl of ramen, just about 1100en, so around $10US. But trust me, it’s worth every yen.

Sorry for not posting more on this thing, for those of you who actually read it. It’s not that I’ve even been that busy, though I have been. It’s just that, if I have free time, I generally don’t like to spend it on the computer. I like to explore the area. I’ve been finding all sorts of great stuff around lately.

Oh and I’ve also started to collect Super Famicom games lately. They are dirt cheap here, usually about 100-300en. I bought the Super Famicom itself for 1000en, which I thought was a steal. Since then, I’ve picked up Super Mario Kart, Super Bomberman 4, Super Famista 4, Powerful Pro-Kun Baseball, Chrono Trigger, Dragon Ball Z 2, Rider’s Spirits. My favorite right now, is, well, Super Famista. I was addicted to that game on emulator, and I’m addicted to it again. I love it. Playing Chrono Trigge

Chapter 5: Mmmm...$200 pizza

2006-04-24T22:47:00.002+09:00

You heard me. I did indeed have a $200 pizza. That also doesn’t include the other 4 courses we had, or the many, many beers. Of course I didn’t pay for this. This was a dinner I went out to with my host family from Kyoto who came up to visit me. The bill had to be an easy $500, and I’m thinking more like $700.

But putting money aside, it was wonderful to see them again! I hadn’t seen most of them in about 5 years. We just talked, got caught up with what happened in our lives in the last half a decade. It was good times. I reall like those people. Also, I noticed something funny. Something I hadn’t even thought about since being in Japan. OK, I’ve been here for a little over 4 weeks now (Seems much longer, ne?) and I struggle with my Japanese. I mean, I can get by, but things seemed easier before. Then on Saturday night, while having dinner with my host family from KYOTO, I could understand essentially everything they said, and I was able to easily respond. And I realized my Japanese teacher from UW was from OSAKA, and it hit me. Do you understand this? See what I’m getting at? KANSAI-BEN! It’s a dialect that the people from the Kansai (Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe) speak. Never occured to me that I’m not used to listening to Kanto people speak.

Here's a picture of me, Chiari, and Fukuyo

But anyways, we split at about midnight, and I hopped the Yamanote line. I then briefly met up with my old friend Sadako from Kyoto in Shibuya for a quick drink. It was basically a get caught up with old friends night. However, it seemed to also be a transfer night...from Kansai people, to Kanto people. Both with the language, and the people. I won't be seeing my host family too often, and Sadako is so damn busy with work it's essentially like she is dead. But new faces are too come, and good times as well.

Chapter 4: The People of Tsukuba

2006-04-13T23:06:00.000+09:00

OK, now that I’ve been in Tsukuba for 3 weeks, I’ll give a few comments on the people. The people are BORING! Seriously, this town doesn’t do shit.

First, the other foreign teachers. Most of them are pretty nice, but don’t go into the city enough. They mostly just float around Tsukuba, but don’t really do anything. They are always short on money, because they send most of what they make back home. There are very few Americans, which is cool. Most are from Scotland, and a couple of Australians. The Australians are the most fun by a long shot, along with this guy from California, but he lives kinda far away and commutes. The Scot’s and the other Americans are a bit dull.

Most of my nights out have been spent in Tokyo hanging out with friends from Kyoto. Most of the people I have met are friends of theirs. They are loads of fun, and Tokyo is fantastic with them because they know what to do, but I can only spend so much time in Tokyo. It’s an expensive city.

So, what do I do on the those Tsukuba nights? Nothing, really. Sometimes go to this Australian bar called Corkheads, with, well, the other Australian teachers. It’s an OK place, they make a pretty good burger, and have Bundy! But it just reminds me of an American style bar, which is something I’m trying to get away from. We also go to the karaoke a lot, but nobody ever knows the songs I sing. Oh, and I have to say the best karaoke songs ever are “Parklife” by Blur and “Common People” by Pulp.

So how about the Japanese in Tsukuba? Well, Tsukuba is mostly a research town, so most of the Japanese are researchers in this area. In other words, they don’t really do a lot. They sit around and talk about their research crap. We’re not supposed to hang out with our students, but I’ve found a connection with one of the girls from the conversation table. She is a university student who finds the same problems I do with Tsukuba. The thing is, we really can’t think of anything to do in Tsukuba, so we’re just making plans to hang out in Tokyo. Blast.

But yes, I’m going down to Tokyo for the entire weekend. My host family from Kyoto is coming up to see me, so we’re going to check out the city. Good times that should be.

[radioliketransmission]

2006-04-07T00:01:00.000+09:00

Nobody sells butter biscuits better than Bobby Valentine

Chapter 3: 14 Seconds over Shibuya

2006-04-04T00:11:00.000+09:00

Shibuya. Are you familiar with it? No? Well that’s OK, I’ll explain it to you. Shibuya is a section of Tokyo. It’s a busy commercial district. Lots of shops, lots of bars and clubs. Shibuya is most famous for it’s main intersection. You’d know it if you saw it. Google it. It’s the busiest intersection in the world. There is even a popular Radiohead poster of the band standing out in it. Some 1500 people cross it every minute.

I had to work in Shinjuku, which is a ward just to the north of Shibuya. So I decided to have a look around Shibuya before hand. Somehow I managed to grab a spot right at the edge of the intersection, waiting to cross. I was there for about 30 seconds, when there is a loud DING. And everyone floods into the intersection. If ever there was truly a sea of people, this was it. Thousands of people walking straight at me. I managed through it just fine though. I decided to walk through it a second time, but this time I had my camera out and set to video mode. I made a 14 second video, which I’ll try to post soon. It’s insane.

But yes, I hurried up to Shinjuku (maybe a 30 second train ride on the Yamanote?) work was boring that day, mostly just filling out paperwork and that kind of nonsense. But I was done at about 5pm. I met a few other teachers in the area, we went to this Irish bar in the lobby for a bit, then decided we would go to the Mori Tower in Roppongi to get a good view of the city. The Mori Tower has a kickass observation deck on the 52nd floor, and cost about $10 to get up. Probably worth it for the view. However, as we were walking about, one of my friends called me, and I invited her along. She asked if we were all dressed nice, which we were, and suggested that we go to the Hyatt Hotel bar. If you have seen Lost in Translation, then you know this bar. It’s also on the 52nd floor, and doesn’t cost anything to get in. Drinks are wicked expensive, but totally worth it. We made our way up, grabbed a seat next to the window...and wow. I really can’t explain it. The view is just...that night will go down as one of the best of my life. Mostly I just sat and quietly chatted with some friends. But...that view...if anyone comes to visit me, we HAVE to hit this place up. So bring nice clothes, because they do have a dress code.

It was strange, because this was the first time I had seen Tokyo Tower. I had been really near it, but I could never see it. Why? Urban Sprawl. There actually isn’t a lot of really tall buildings in Tokyo. Just a few. But what they have, is buildings that are 10-15 stories tall, that are just everywhere. I noticed this while walking around in Shibuya. It’s quite easy to get turned around because you can never see a landmark. In Seattle you just can look our for the Space Needle or the Columbia Tower, but structures like those are impossible to see in Tokyo because you are surrounded by other buildings. You really get the feel of an “urban jungle.” All you can see is buildings and concrete. The view at the Hyatt Hotel further gives you the impression of an urban jungle. It’s nothing but urban sprawl for as far as the eyes can see. Seriously, thats all I could see. According to that view, the city goes on forever.

Chapter 2: Tsukuba Diving

2006-04-03T23:42:00.000+09:00

OK, so the name of the town I’ll be living in is called Tsukuba. From reading websites about Tsukuba, it seemed like a northern suburb of Tokyo. Well, it’s a lot further out than I expected. The train ride is pretty preicse though, just about 45 minutes and I’m in central Tokyo.

However, things are a bit slow here in Tsukuba. It seems to shut down early, and the people are quiet and stick to themselves. I haven’t decided if this is a good or bad thing. If I want to take it easy and relax, it’s great, and the intensity of Tokyo is just 45 minutes away. I’m thinking that living in the heart of Tokyo might drive me crazy. For those of you who have been to Tokyo, you know what I mean. If you haven’t been, you wouldn’t understand. It’s something you have to witness. It’s not like living in downtown Seattle. No, living in Tsukuba is probably more on par with living in downtown Seattle. But I like the urban life...in fact I have spent most of my nights out here down in Tokyo.

But yes, a little more about Tsukuba, and my apartment. My apartment is fine. Nothing really to complain about. It’s a tad small. I mean, I expected it to be small, but it’s even smaller than I thought it would be. My room barely holds me, but all I do here is sleep. I leave in the morning, and don’t return until late at night, and sometimes I won’t even come home until the next morning, catching an AM commuter train. We’re on the second floor out of five. Seems fine to me. We have a big balcony, which is mostly reserved for hang drying clothes. Which is so strange...I probably won’t get used to that.

A little more about the area...it’s quiet. Surprsing...there is a little park just to the east of the building. Nothing too major, but it’s pleasant. I like to have picnics there. Theres a 7-11 about 2 minutes by bike, and I do most of my shopping at the Dayz Town, which is a sorta upscale grocery store thats about 3 minutes away. There’s a Jusco in town, but it’s kinda...I don’t know. I don’t like it. You know how I am about things like that. The Dayz Town is like, a mini-mall, which has a nice grocery store, a shoe store, an arcade, a nice hair salon, and a Daiso (Dollar store) I’ve done a lot of shopping at the daiso. I got a lot of stuff like hangers, cups and plates, and a hairbrush. Something I just didn’t think about...hairbrush. Completely forgot one. Oh well, I got one for 100 yen. Sadly enough, the closest restaraunt is a KFC. And even more sad, they don’t have those Buffalo Chicken Snackers. Those things rule, and the only reason I’d go to a KFC. Otherwise...there is a Yoshinoya, but thats a bit of a hike, same with a McDonalds, then there are a few local places. There really isn’t a ramen place near. Funny though, there is an Australian bar nearby, and they have an “Aussie Burger” which just like a heart attack in sandwhich form. And they have Bundaberg Over Proof!

There is a mall about 5 minutes away by bike, which is called the Tsukuba Center Station, because, well, it’s also the train station. Nothing too much going on there, it’s nice enough, but if I want a mall, I’ll just go to Tokyo.

Oh yeah, and I bought a bike. It may sound strange, but it’s wicked handy here. It’s one of those goofy bikes that nobody in the states rides anymore. Only one gear, and it has a little basket. It works out well, gets me to the train station in a hurry, and I can go grocery shopping with it. I actually had a pretty nasty bike crash last night. I’m OK though. My wrist is a bit jammed, but I’ll get over it.

Chapter 1: Departure and Arrival

2006-04-03T22:56:00.000+09:00

OK, so sorry I haven't been updating War Plan Orange. I still don't have a solid internet connection, and I never hold onto a connection long enough to post. But right now I have a pretty slick connection, so we'll get caught up! Still can't do photos, but they'll be up soon enough.

Alright, so after a roughly 14 hour journey, I made it to Japan. Everything went smoothly at Sea-Tac. For those of you who know, the weight was questionable for one of my bags. The weight limit is 70lbs, and this bag was friggin heavy. The tossed it up on the scale... 68.5lbs. Excellent. A sad teary eyed goodbye to my parents, which was expected. I’ll miss them very much. I love my parents, and it’ll be tough to live so far away from them.

US security was a total bitch, and they scratched my iPod pretty good. It works just fine, but there is a big slash across the screen now. I bitched at the guy, but he just gave me some Homeland Security Act disclaimer. I then vowed revenge with the blood of his children. I had a an hour or so before boarding, and decided to go shopping with the $1.75 worth of American money my mom gave me. I got some Reeses Pieces. It’s been 2 days now and I still haven’t opened them.

I don’t sleep on planes. Not that I’m scared of flying, I actually quite like it, but it’s just like, there are so many people around, and people are always moving. So I was awake the entire time. The movie selection was horrible. First up was The Ringer with Johnny Knoxville. I found it horribly offensive. Offensive that is for it’s cinematic value, which is none. Offensive to handicap people? Perhaps. It’s a total rip off of a Southpark episode, which was great. Intead of subjecting myself to anymore of this cinematic monstrosity they call a film, I popped in Apocolypse Now into my laptop. Much better...and that movie is fucking long. I have the redux DVD, which clocks in at just under 4 hours. I also found that the charge on my laptop lasts for just over 4 hours. This cut into the run time of Chicken Little, which I skipped all together, and Aeon Flux, which I skipped as well in favor of listening to some music.

As I write this, I have Tokyo TV on. As they are running through the sponsors for a news program, they have a video of a guy feeding a hippo with a bottle. People think Japanese TV makes no sense probably because they don’t speak Japanese. But I assure you, if you can understand the Japanese, it makes even less sense.

Right. Some 11 hours later, we landed at Narita Airport in Tokyo. Landing went fine. Customs was easy, probably since I have a visa. I met up with some people from the school system, and they popped me onto a bus. The bus was a total pain in the ass. It was comfortable, but slow, and had to go to Tsuchiura before getting to Tsukuba. At Tsukuba, I met a teacher from my school named Steve who took me to my apartment. The station (bus and train) is about a 15 minute walk to my apartment, or about a 5 minute bike ride. Oh yeah, and I bought a bike right away. Right off, Steve asked me to go out to eat with him and some of the other teachers. The other teachers seem pretty cool...most are actually from Scotland. We went to a great yakiniku place. (Grilled beef kinda stuff.) None of them speak Japanese, which I think is odd.

Now on TV there is a guy in a cell phone suite playing some singer girl in some sort of live sized version of air-hockey.

OK, so thats it for now. I know, this entry was a tad boring, but I promise, things will pick up. In a few days I’ll post “Tsukuba Diving,” which will be about the exploration of my neighborhood, and then “14 Seconds Over Shibuya,” where I’ll post a video I recorded at the crossing in Shibuya, which is the busiest intersection in the world. It’s fucking nuts.

Prologue: Beware the Ides of March...

2006-03-16T06:12:00.000+09:00

Hello, and welcome to War Plan Orange: The comprehensive guide to my move to Japan. I’m going to try to document most of my stay in this blog, and also on my computer. It’s designed to keep my friends in the western world a part of my life.

First things first...this is NOT a normal blog. I’m really anti-blog. I mean, most of them are just “blah blah bitch bitch, so and so doesn’t like me, I’m LAmeZ0rZ.” No, my blog will not fall into this void. This will be more of a story. A true story. Will it be interesting? I’d like to hope so. Pretty much, I’m trying to target two audiences with this: my friends, and those interested in living in Japan. My friends will hopefully want to keep in contact with me, and this will be a good way to explain what I’m doing with myself across the sea. And then, I hope to show the ups and downs of living in Japan. It will also be a great way for me to keep track of everything I’ve done.

And now, to answer a question I’ve already been asked several times: What exactly IS War Plan Orange? War Plan Orange is the US Defense Departments attack plan in case a war with Japan breaks out. It was established in 1907, and is still in use today. In fact in 1907 they named Pearl Harbor as a possible point of attack. Interesting. So why did I pick this name? I’m not really sure. I suppose it’s like more own personal invasion of Japan. A peaceful invasion, of course.

I also plan on having [radioliketransmission] entries. These entries will be rather cryptic, and are designed to confuse the reader. They will most likely be strange pictures with quick captions. For those of you who have been to Japan, you know there are loads of strange things to photograph.

And I shall tag every post with a Simpsons quote ...to further show that the Simpsons are superior to the Bible. I’ll try to relate it to the post.

Being the Ides of March, I thought this was appropriate:

Homer: I've always wondered if there was a god. And now I know there is-- and it's me.
Marge: You're not a god, Homer.
Lisa: Remember Dad, "All glory is fleeting."
Homer: So?
Lisa: "Beware the Ides of March."
Homer: No!