Rat Holic - Not For Sale 2

R is for Rat Holic

Be it Rockabilly, Surf Rock, Proto-Punk or just some good old fashioned Rock'n'Roll there seems to be no end to the number of retro rock Japanese bands that shimmy their way onto stage. I've always been a little baffled by just how prolific this seemingly long extinct little sub-genre has been in the land of the raising sun. Perhaps it's the glamorous allure of Americana that seems so exotic and mystifying to this small pacific island. Or maybe there's a Toyota like assembly line built sometime in the 50's that pumps these bands en masse but someone just forgot to flip the switch and shut it down.

Whatever the reason I'm glad they exist and Rat Holic like many of their legion are refreshingly authentic sounding. The Tokyo based 5-piece (Drums, Guit, Bass, Organ and Sax) who formed in 1999 have no shame in how doggedly they stick to Surf Rock's sunblasted formulas and twangy tropes. Besides the occasional sprinkling of some far eastern flavour there's no attempt to fuse their music with more contemporary genres and influences. The band run through a number of Surf Rock standards like "Church Key" and "Red River Rock" as well as a number of their own original compositions. The slightly fuzzy analogue sounding recordings also lend to the sense of authenticity the band possess making them sound like some long lost obscure 60's Japanese Surf Rockers.

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The Impacts - Go! Mask Man From Hell!

A quick rhetorical question. Do you like Guitar Wolf? Ever wondered what they'd sound like even scummier and trashier than they already are? Well look no further because the appropriatley named Impacts are here to blow your eardrums straight out your ass. The Osaka trio who play their shows wearing all over chequered body suits were an impulse buy for me. Picked up from Timebomb for just 100 yen (That's roughly $1 U.S.) the band clearly aren't too interested in actually making much money. The only problem with the CDR is that it's only 4 tracks long and is over before you know it. Rock'n'Roll!

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Outdoor Homeless - Kawaii Ossantachi No Tetsukuri Album (アウトドアホームレス - かわいいおっさんたちの手作りアルバム)



Outdoor Homeless aren't so much a band as they are a drunken rock'n'roll mob. The 13 member strong posse counts Pen Penz drummer Yusuke and Guitarist Kirara as well as a number of other miscreants from Osaka's underground amongst its participants. The bands is a loving celebration of the titular Japanese "Ossan" (おっさん). The word is literally an informal version of the word "Uncle" but is often used to describe the tragically unhip, middle aged Japanese men who litter Japan's bars nightly with their awkward drunken mis-adventures. Musically the band's sound staggers between retro surf-rock/garage, jazz, soul, ska and hip-hop with a fair smattering of traditional Japanese chants. All executed with the finesse and grace of a weathered drunken mob. The music is as bizarrely inspiring as it is infectious and you'll find yourself breaking out the sake and chanting along with your best drunken draul. Great album to throw on at parties.

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Kinoko Hotel - Marianne No Yuutsu (キノコホテル - マリアンヌの憂鬱)

Picture this if you will. 4 sexy, cute Japanese girls wearing matching sassy mini-skirt hotelier uniforms and kinoko (Mushroom) bob style wigs. The lead singer is straddling her keyboard between her slender thighs while the guitarist is on her knees at the front of the stage ripping a solo. Now it's easy to see how these Tokyo girls have been working up quite a reputation for themselves over the last year or 2. Thankfully there's also some substance to their style. Kinoko Hotel rock some fuzzed out retro Psychadelia-tinged garage rock with a dark and sultry edge. The lead singer and keyboardist "Marianne" takes her name from the classic Jacks track which earns the band an extra dollop of kudos in my book.

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