the jrock thread

19-08-2007 10:12pm #1

is there any other person here that is partial to some jrock?
dir en grey
d'espairs ray
D
moi dix mois
are the bands i like, though i like the odd gazette/vidoll/kagrra/x-japan/bucktick tune too
i think more people should give it a try. sure they sing in japanese but many are good musicians too. and it beats most of the new stuff over this way, IMO

Karl Hungus · 20-08-2007 6:12am

There's been an odd few threads about Japanese music popping up here, so there are certainly a few fans out there, myself included.

I really like Gackt, probably one of my favourites. I like Malice Mizer also. Dir En Grey, well I have their album Withering To Death, and I'm not too gone on it. Perhaps it's a bit too nu-metal for my tastes.

There are some good bands out there, but aside from Dir En Grey, I just don't think I've seen any Japanese band making much of a stir here. Maybe Blood Stain Child, and Sigh. So it's all well and good saying that more people should give it a try, but the fact is, a hell of a lot of Japanese music is very hard to find, and very expensive to import.

I shall end my post with a video from the kickass Japanese hair metal band, Loudness:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRJ4Re8jKWU

Cheesy goodness.

nadir · 24-08-2007 1:24pm

one word
Galneryus
Best band EVARRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pugsley · 24-08-2007 2:16pm

Sigh are the only real japanese band I listen to, but if you go to Taiwan I can't recommend Chthonic enough, absolutely superb band, especially the Shanling album, 9th Empyrean is also very good.

Karl Hungus · 24-08-2007 2:25pm

Sigh, Galneryus, Chthonic. Yes, I really approve.

Speaking of Sigh, picked up the new album yesterday. Haven't listened to it yet though.

JC 2K3 · 24-08-2007 2:26pm

Deleted User wrote:

sure they sing in japanese

No, see the problem is, they don't - they try to sing in English and it sounds comical due to their accents.

Deleted User wrote:

it beats most of the new stuff over this way, IMO

Hell no, it's as generally shíte as over here. I'd say there are the same amount of good Japanese bands as there are good western bands.

What I don't understand though, is why it's specifically called J-rock and why there should be a thread dedicated to it. It's just rock music from a different country.

I mean, were Thin Lizzy I-rock?

Karl Hungus · 24-08-2007 2:45pm

JC 2K3 wrote:

No, see the problem is, they don't - they try to sing in English and it sounds comical due to their accents.

The bands the OP mentioned don't sing in English.

JC 2K3 wrote:

Hell no, it's as generally shíte as over here. I'd say there are the same amount of good Japanese bands as there are good western bands.

What I don't understand though, is why it's specifically called J-rock and why there should be a thread dedicated to it. It's just rock music from a different country.

I mean, were Thin Lizzy I-rock?

I'd agree with you about there being the same amount of good Japanese bands as western bands (percentage wise at least).

The whole J- prefix thing is just a Japan fanboy thing that gets put infront of everything originating from Japan. I've often heard people on various film boards using the term J-Horror, so really, it's just blatant fanboyism for all things 'J' and I wouldn't read too much into it.

JC 2K3 · 24-08-2007 5:37pm

Karl Hungus wrote:

The bands the OP mentioned don't sing in English.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaIzpVe6tYs

Karl Hungus wrote:

The whole J- prefix thing is just a Japan fanboy thing that gets put infront of everything originating from Japan. I've often heard people on various film boards using the term J-Horror, so really, it's just blatant fanboyism for all things 'J' and I wouldn't read too much into it.

Stupid Wapanese people......

Karl Hungus · 24-08-2007 5:48pm

You know, I've listened to Dir En Grey a lot, and didn't even know they sung in English... Although, as someone who speaks a bit of Japanese, I just figured the lyrics were incomprehensible either way.

JC 2K3 · 24-08-2007 5:52pm

Heh, when I saw that video first, I thought it was one of those interpretation jokes.

I haven't listened to them much, but I think Clever Sleazoid is awful....

adox · 24-08-2007 6:13pm

Karl Hungus wrote:

I shall end my post with a video from the kickass Japanese hair metal band, Loudness:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRJ4Re8jKWU

Cheesy goodness.

I still have that album,some great riffs on it.:D

Perhaps their most well known track is:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkIIScXJt3I

Another band we used to listen to back in the 80s were Earthshaker:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SdV7eWvWfU

Hairspray was a big seller back then.:D

MoominPapa · 26-08-2007 7:03am

Not exactly jrock but the coolest bunch of motherfcukers on the planet: Acid Mothers Temple

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KL3agMApaJU

Cool in the way that only japanese hippies can pull off
(it really kicks off around 3:45)

Tar.Aldarion · 26-08-2007 3:13pm

I too like videos of hot japanese girls with guitars.
PANDA

John · 26-08-2007 4:27pm

MoominPapa wrote:

Not exactly jrock but the coolest bunch of motherfcukers on the planet: Acid Mothers Temple
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KL3agMApaJU

Cool in the way that only japanese hippies can pull off
(it really kicks off around 3:45)

****ing awesome band! Some of their albums are hit or miss (but when you release 50 a month there's bound to be some crap) but live they absolutely blew me away. Amazing!

Boris is another firm favourite. Not really rock, mostly sludge/doom/extreme noise, but some of their albums are fairly accessible like the recent Pink and Rainbow.

Ghost are Pink Floyd of the east but a hundred times better. Cool mix of musical styles but still with a Japanese elegance. Another amazing live band.

MoominPapa · 26-08-2007 8:13pm

John wrote:

Some of their albums are hit or miss (but when you release 50 a month there's bound to be some crap) but live they absolutely blew me away. Amazing!

Bit hit and miss live too, I reckon. Saw them in Whelans bout 5 year ago and they were cosmic, few months later in The Village they were muck.

Have to check out your other recs though:cool:

nadir · 27-08-2007 1:49pm

Karl Hungus wrote:

The whole J- prefix thing is just a Japan fanboy thing that gets put infront of everything originating from Japan. I've often heard people on various film boards using the term J-Horror, so really, it's just blatant fanboyism for all things 'J' and I wouldn't read too much into it.

hmm not true I'm afraid, jpop jrock is a category of music, not a wapanese thing.
What I mean is, if you go to HMV in Japan or HK or many other parts of asia, there will be a jpop section or jrock section, of cd's etc.

anyway, I"m still waiting for the new galneryus album to arrive, maybe tomorrow. can't wait.

Karl Hungus · 27-08-2007 2:02pm

nadir wrote:

hmm not true I'm afraid, jpop jrock is a category of music, not a wapanese thing.
What I mean is, if you go to HMV in Japan or HK or many other parts of asia, there will be a jpop section or jrock section, of cd's etc.

anyway, I"m still waiting for the new galneryus album to arrive, maybe tomorrow. can't wait.

I don't agree there, because I can pop into HMV in town and they have a 'World Cinema' section, but I wouldn't for a second consider world cinema a genre of it's own.

nadir · 28-08-2007 1:10am

Ok but it's not for discussion lol.
jpop and jrock (to a lesser degree), kpop, cpop is how the Japanese, koreans etc organize their shelves, I'm not talking about whether you agree with that or not. That's beyond the scope of my discussion :>
I'm just saying its not really a wapanese thing, this is how it's done!

JC 2K3 · 28-08-2007 1:48pm

nadir wrote:

Ok but it's not for discussion lol.
jpop and jrock (to a lesser degree), kpop, cpop is how the Japanese, koreans etc organize their shelves, I'm not talking about whether you agree with that or not. That's beyond the scope of my discussion :>
I'm just saying its not really a wapanese thing, this is how it's done!

But we're not in Japan or Korea.....

In Ireland, calling rock from Japan, "J-Rock", IS a Wapanese thing.

John · 29-08-2007 6:15pm

MoominPapa wrote:

Bit hit and miss live too, I reckon. Saw them in Whelans bout 5 year ago and they were cosmic, few months later in The Village they were muck.

Have to check out your other recs though:cool:

You mean the Crawdaddy gig? They blew my socks off that night!

projectmayhem · 29-08-2007 7:25pm

mad capsule markets ftw.

that is all.

MoominPapa · 30-08-2007 8:13am

John wrote:

You mean the Crawdaddy gig? They blew my socks off that night!

No, it was the Village (didn't catch the Crawdaddy gig), which may have added/caused the sh*tness - awful venue. They were feckin around for ages, stopping and starting, and just seemed unable to get into the groove so it never took off.

John · 30-08-2007 11:14am

I must have missed that one, I knew we couldn't have been talking about the same show!

projectmayhem wrote:

mad capsule markets

Agreed. Fun band.

nadir · 31-08-2007 1:10pm

JC 2K3 wrote:

But we're not in Japan or Korea.....

In Ireland, calling rock from Japan, "J-Rock", IS a Wapanese thing.

yea I guess you might be right there.
I'm just a huge wap so.

Karl Hungus · 10-12-2007 1:37pm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tookjuYabvA

Listening to these guys a lot lately, still haven't got their new album yet, but soon probably.

projectmayhem · 10-12-2007 7:45pm

anyone for a bit of "wtf?"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IduCbK76Buc

Karl Hungus · 10-12-2007 7:48pm

projectmayhem wrote: »

anyone for a bit of "wtf?"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IduCbK76Buc

I'm always up for a bit of WTF!

Karl Hungus · 19-12-2007 3:39pm

Sweet!

The new Galneryus album arrived today, just in time for christmas!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzAfatAMOQ4

gizmo · 19-12-2007 7:53pm

That sounds great, must get more of their stuff, thanks Karl.

While not as technically proficient as the above I've found myself humming this one constantly for the last few days. It's more J-PopRock but still loving it...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItTSWV4h6Kc

[/QUOTE]

Karl Hungus · 19-12-2007 8:10pm

Yeah, that wouldn't quite be my thing, Gizmo.

Although more on the poppier side, I absolutely love Gackt:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEN_18u21_M

Freakin' love this song as well:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbRcW0vhu1w

SxE Punk · 22-12-2007 9:27pm

The Mad Capsule Markets
GAMY
Geronimo
Undown
Uphold
Vivisick
BO0WY

Are all pretty sweet bands from various genres that happen to be Japanese.

Ehh, Vivisick could be Filipino but they're still a ****in' serious hardcore punk band.

Karl Hungus · 01-01-2008 10:20am

Damn, I've been listening to that Galneryus album almost religiously since I got it. Absolutely incredible, there's some awesome songs on there, rarely a bad moment. It's nothing too original, but it's just such a solid album I freakin' love it!

10-01-2008 7:18pm

as regards the whole 'j-rock' label..what would you have us call it? thats what the bands themselves call the genre, the label's been around since before x-japan and has had a long time to stick. generally, its hard to place these bands into 'western' genres because they've developed in a completely different region, with different influences and styles.

some good news for girugamesh fans: they're coming to europe! i'll be attending their live in london on the 29th. they're also booked for this years wacken festival!! >.< yay for giru! <333333

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2_5EKFhd10
also, if anyone's interested, i've set up a community for irish jrockers. i'm not sure if advertising is allowed tho...?

the jrock thread

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