Memorable Weirdness - What Do You Want A Japanese To Do Again?

For this week's Monday Music I'd like to present an album that has reached me in a strange way, has stayed me for quite some time, and each time I show it to someone, it gets a reaction somewhere between "what the hell?" and "this shit rocks!" The title of the disc I'm talking about is as obscure as the music it contains: What Do You Want A Japanese To Do Again? - The 2nd Vinyl Japan Sampler

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Not Your Regular Must-Have CD

So it was back in the late nineties... when a good friend of mine told me about a CD he'd bought. Browsing through our favorite second-hand disc shops, he came across an album with a cover he liked. It was a dude with a guitar leaning on a tree. In fact, judging from his clothes, his guitar, and not lastly the tree, he looked just liked he could have been one of us young alternatives in rural Germany at the time. But once he had bought it, all of us friends of his felt like we had to listen to this obscure music. So we put it on, and kept it on, no matter what weird tunes it would reproduce for us.

Our first reaction was: it's really not that bad. None of the songs gave us the urgent feeling of having to change the sound right away. On the other hand, they didn't have the smashing effect of an instant favorite, either. Instead, we decided, it was music that needed to grow on us. Well, after twenty years I can't speak with certainty for the rest of my friends, but on me it did grow... a lot! Some of the songs I count today among my all time favorites, though that could have to do with simple nostalgia, remembering the times I used to listen to them.

What Kind of Music Am I Talking About?

For the longest time I couldn't really explain this album - granted, I never really bothered looking into it. Back when I got a copy of it, this would have required some in-depth research into the publication data of record companies, but even when the internet presented its infinite possibilities a few years later did I not bother even doing a search on it. All until now!

The kinda things I used to imagine, is that these might have been tracks by second to fifth-grade musicians, who never managed to release a hit in their own countries, but somehow mysteriously got to be big in Japan. It's not that uncommon, after all. Then, their faithful Japanese fans might have come out with their own versions of these songs, which got collected on this sampler.

I was wrong! The sampler album is from a UK-based record label (which, however is Japanese owned), appropriately called Vinyl Japan, and the music style is categorized indie-rock, alternative rock, and garage rock. The bands are mostly from the UK, some from Japan, though I have to admit, I have not heard of either one, other than on this album. So it really seems like an excursion into obscurity. But together with YouTube and Wikipedia I managed to get a closer idea. Let me show you:

Punk as Fuck

Skipping over the Love Song for the Dead Che, clearly not a winning first track, the second one is so much better. No Milk by Citrus sounds like some kids who have just gotten their hands on a guitar, a flute, and some random precision pieces. What adds to the skillless sound is their heavy Japanese accents, singing a song in English about... well, no milk! The images in the video, by the way, offer their own type of weirdness. You haven't lived if you haven't given this song at least one try.

Thee Headcoats and Thee Headcoatees

Have you heard of musical prodigy Billy Childish? No, his name is not a joke! This dude really was (is?) a fabulous musician, maybe way ahead of his time, which would explain why he managed to stay in the shadows all these years. Their song included on this album is Action Time Vision, with a lovely distorted sound. What's even better, is one of his all-women side projects called Thee Headcoatees, also on the same label, with their song Have Love Will Travel. As cool as the studio version of this song sounds, I never expected anything THIS AWESOME from their live clip. Check out her eyes, OMG!!!

So Unbelievable

Honestly, up to this day when someone uses the word "unbelievable", especially in a long and exaggerated pronunciation, what comes to my mind immediately is the guitar riff accompanying the song of the same title by the Fat Tulips. The combined sound has remained an all time favorite of mine... possibly because it does happen quite a lot that someone says unbelievable.

More Japanese Than British

In spite of its British location, Vinyl Japan has made sure to retain a lot of its Japaneseness. Of course, it could also be seen as a type of outlet for Japanese artists who are too weird for their own country. (Too weird for Japan, imagine that!) This can be felt quite a bit considering the women's band Floozy Drippy and their Japanese rustic-country-cowgirl-punk sound. Another fine example of this misfit genre is Jelly Roll Rodeo by Tokyo Skunx. If anyone asks, THIS is exactly what I want a Japanese to do again.

The Best For Last

Well, my all time favorite song, which in fact made me come back to this album repeatedly, even when I thought I was done with it all together, is not even on YouTube! (booh!) It is the song Carry Me Home by The Sweetest Ache. I don't actually know what I liked about his song, which particularly sounds like the droopy kind of country music I thought I hated. The lyrics bring to mind some mid-life marital crisis, some hurting toes in cowboy-boots, and the need to change the carburetor in your pick-up. Still, this song manages to bring back memories... and feelings, more than anything.

For lack of a better video, let me share the second best thing from this amazing compilation album, A Greater Notion by Alison Statton & Spike. This has a distinct taste of some jazzy-latin influence, but the images in the video just take the whole thing to another level.

I think with an album like this it comes down to each individual to make their own decisions... on each and every individual song. I urge you to do the same. And if you like what you've found, check out the rest of the songs on the list. You may actually like them, maybe even more than you would have ever expected!