Random Scene & Herd

[tangerinesun]

I made a bucket for ephemeral J-music scene news. As opposed to posts about something more permanent like a band or a producer or a genre or...

[tangerinesun]

Annual Festival: Benten Rockers (弁天ロッカーズ)


Not much farther to reach than Rockaway Beach

Enoshima Island is less than 2 hours Southwest of Tokyo by train.

It's a scenic lump of rock on an apron of sand in Sagami Bay, 300 meters off the crowded city beaches that bracket the town of Fujisawa. The tiny island and the big island are connected by a 4-lane motor causeway. For pedestrians, there's the Benten Bridge, which has been there in some form since the 1890s.

In myth, Enoshima is the creation of the heavenly maiden Benten, also Benzaiten — the lone female among the Seven Gods of Good Fortune, and, as all know, the official Goddess of Rock'n'Roll. That part is important.

At the Fujisawa end of the Benten Bridge, there's an Indian curry house called Oppa-La, partaking of the thin film of beach culture that clings to the coastline. In an otherwise boring office tower, Oppa-La is a haven for DJs and local live music.


Spicy red and green curries pair well with advanced rock attitude



Restaurant, bar and club all in one, with real clam-shack ambiance


Once a year on the beach between the mouth of the Katase River and the head of the Benten Bridge, in a weathered canvas and plywood shed, Oppa-La sponsors a one-day micro-festival: Benten Rockers. It's not the big-time. 


The bandstand is basically plywood pallets. Sucks in wet or windy weather, but the bands are undeterred.


It's here again for the 14th time, a local scene that hangs on like an un-killable weed. A dozen bands you've never heard of are scheduled in the space of 9 hours. Half the audience is probably hanging over the rail of the walkway above, on the way to somewhere else. Hope the rain gives them a break on Sunday! 




〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜

VIDEO: Benten Rockers 10 - 2010 SEP 11
2012 MAY 21 by TOMANIY

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜

Oppa-La Curry Diner
Enoshima View Tower 4F, Fujisawa, JP
Excite: oppala.exblog.jp
Twitter: twitter.com/oppala
FB: facebook.com/oppala.dinner

Enoshima Island in Japan Travel Digest
Enoshima--Beach.Island.Aquarium.Cave.Water.Sports

Enoshima at Japan-Guide.com
japan-guide.com/e/e3117

[tangerinesun]

Benten Rockers 14 tore it up, broke it down, and got off the beach again till next year. Multiple stages helped, at least if you don't count build and strike time.



They're more polite when it's time to take your money. Photo by Ibatasan from Instagram.



As Punk Ninjya Brigade were getting ready to go on, things looked pretty in spite of the predicted no-sun.



It's not the size of your tent. It's the size of your IN-tent. Photo by @deltamarket on Twitter

Delta Market, another local business, had this to say: "Perfect for meeting people you haven't seen in a long time, meeting new people — thanks for everything, Benten Rockers!
Congratulations on your 14th anniversary! The first time I went to Oppa-La, it was ECHO live, all night!"



The Live Loves hold down the main stage



That's it! Summer's over! Don't worry, we'll have another one next year!

[mikado-AKA-Shoknifeman]

The Goddess Benten


image sharing

[tangerinesun]

Not as kawaii as expected, but in her younger days it was easier to see what grabbed the white dragon's attention.

[tangerinesun]

https://instagram.com/p/BEECTJ5EG-b

Miu Sakamoto took down her Afrirampo pic from commons 10. Maybe 'cause it was
better than Afrirampo's. Or they claimed image rights.
Here's Yuka Honda with Nels Cline instead.


The re-formed Afrirampo performed at the commons 10 conference held at
Ebisu Garden Place in Tokyo. They were photographed with moderator
Ryuichi Sakamoto. Ryuichi who?

Ryuichi Sakamoto article at EN.wikipedia

https://www.instagram.com/p/BEBgbM7gPzc

Afrirampo announced their 10th anniversary as if they'd never taken a day off.

https://instagram.com/p/BEBeYY2P0LY

Above, no truth to the slanderous rumor that Japanese girls are nuts.

[tangerinesun]

Boris having sense of humor
I was just trying to chase the Electabuzz out of my guitar amp! 

Based on dates, this would have been at Warsaw in Brooklyn, NY.
The BrooklynVegan reported on that here:


Boris performed Pink with Earth opening at Warsaw (pics)
2016 August 09 by BrooklynVegan Staff
brooklynvegan.com/boris-performed-pink-with-earth-opening-at-warsaw-pics/

[tangerinesun]

ATOMIC TV ICHIBAN!
Baltimore, Maryland's “Best Worst TV” 1997—? 






Atomic TV has 115 items posted at Vimeo.
vimeo.com/atomicteevee/videos/


From 1997 to at least 2001, Atomic TV was a phenomenon of US public access television
in the City of Baltimore. It was late fruit of the era when Americans found out that Japan
had surpassed them in important ways... and also discovered windup sushi.

It was a lo-fi, lowbrow, late night masterwork from two questionable, overeducated low-culture
aficionados in/near the city that gave us John Waters.

I don't know that the name was ever explained. Call it a legacy of growing up through the
Reagan years, with touchstones like Watchmen and The Atomic Cafe.

〜〜〜

Tom Warner's other job was at an epicenter of culture called Atomic Books (acknowledged as
a program sponsor — the TV program was a brand extension into other media). With partner
Scott Huffines, Tom recorded whatever interested him and edited it together with whatever
was within reach. This must have meant a *lot* of work in the still-analog-editing 90s.
In fact, they were using equipment introduced in the 1970s.


Warner was/is a genuine Japan nut and J-rock fan. When Shonen Knife stopped in Baltimore 
on their 2011 NA tour, he was on hand to receive them at Atomic Books with co-conspirator 
Dave Cawley.   baltimoreorless.com/2011/10/shonen-knife-cuts-thru-baltimore/



Tom left, Dave right. Photo from Baltimore or Less


When ATV started, there was rots of ruv in the West for novelty Japonaica, especially by
young hipsters bored with their own culture. They loved seeing themselves reflected in the
Japanese Fun House Mirror. Uniformly, what they liked best was whatever struck them as
trashy, kitschy, freakish, or bizarre. Atomic TV's programming reflects this.

There was generally no clue that these fascinating things were also bizarre and foreign-feeling
in Japan. So all the appreciation was tainted by exoticism bordering on unconscious racism, which
persists in the "weird Japan" meme. Atomic TV called this out, at the same time as they participated
in it. The program was not always aware of how its lack of manners would be received. When it
interviewed Cibo Matto, the band didn't know what to do with the hosts' mix of hipster cool,
starry-eyed sincerity, and shocking gaucherie. They gave non-answers and ran away. 

〜〜〜〜〜

Since Atomic TV ended its run, Warner has found other less flagrant outlets.
He's started umpteen blogs in addition to his library day-job and likely does
other stuff I've never found out about.

Atomic TV website
atomicteevee.com

Tom Warner Blogger profile
blogger.com/profile/16838536001781839730

The Media Maxipad blog
mediamaxipad.blogspot.com

[tangerinesun]

What, you may wonder was the point the earlier post?
This.




Atomic TV #13: The “Turning Japanese Part 1″ Episode 
2013 OCT 22 from Atomic TV (01:58:04) 

VJ host: Tom Warner
Total runtime: 01:58:04

Featuring:　 
Pizzicato Five
Guitar Wolf
Sugar Plant
Cibo Matto
Many more

For a bigger screen, open in a new browser tab/window. You can 
use the page link here:  ATV ep 13 at vimeo.com/77536932

On one level, this is a freak show to entertain stoners at 2am, so
don't expect continuity or explanations. They made a tossed salad
from tapes of Japanese music TV for filler.

Program: 

00:00:00  ID  Station ID and disclaimer
00:00:20  GZ  Godzilla "living hell" program ID
00:01:15  P5  "Mon Amour Tokyo (English version)"
00:04:45  P5  "Bang! That's Wild." VJ commentary
00:04:55  P5  Bikini H-bomb count: program intro
00:06:06  P5  Godzilla "sea of fire" VJ commentary
00:08:18  P5  P5 "Making Movies" (30 minute P5 Matador MV set)

00:29:08  GZ  Godzilla tower-chew intro
00:30:15  GW  Guitar Wolf MV, "Invader Ace"
00:33:37  SP  Pee-Wee Herman JP bumper and intro
00:35:09  SP  Sugar Plant live at Fletcher's (1997)
00:37:13  SP  Sugar Plant interview at Fletcher's
00:38:35  SP  Sugar Plant live at Ferry Bar Park for Powwow Festival 1996
00:41:40  SP  Sugar Plant channel ID
00:42:07  SP  Sugar Plant at Fletcher's (mix)
00:44:45  CM  "Mothra come get us" intro
00:49:10  CM  Cibo Matto MV "Sugar Water"
00:53:17  SK  "Mothra awaits" bumper and intro
00:53:47  SK  Shonen Knife "Explosion" live at 9:30 Club (1997)
00:58:38  ID  "Bang!" Nuclear devastation program sign-off

00:59:12  P5  P5 "Mon Amour Tokyo" live at 9:30 Club (1997)
01:05:10  SK  Shonen Knife MV, "ESP"
01:08:40  GZ  Godzilla vs. Hedorah, "Save the Earth"
01:09:58  SK  Shonen Knife MV "Explosion" with promo
01:14:13  GZ  Godzilla vs. Hedorah theme, "Kaese! Taiyou O"
01:15:44  P5  Music Fair: Maki Nomiya w/ Mari Natsuki & Kyôko Koizumi, "Sweet Soul Review"
01:18:45  P5  Music Fair: Guest introductions & small talk
01:20:22  TV  CM: Vanessa Williams for SEDES
01:20:52  P5  Music Fair: Mari Natsuki w/ Maki & Kyôko, "Silk Stockings"
01:22:18  P5  Music Fair: Mari Natsuki, "Namida no kawaku made (Until the Tears Are Dried)"
01:22:50  P5  Music Fair: Kyôko Koizumi w/ Maki & Mari, "Josei joui banzai"
01:24:52  P5  Music Fair: Maki Nomiya, "Kanashii uta, Sad Song"
01:26:26  TV  CM: Milk "Mama daisuki" program ID
01:27:16  TV  Witch anime UID end theme
01:28:21  CM  Cibo Matto live & interview at Fletcher's (1997)
01:34:45  TV  "Mr. Jitsu" program sign-off

01:35:42  GZ  Godzilla vs. Hedorah, main titles & "Kaese!" theme
01:38:31  MV  Rina Chinen, "Do-Do For Me"
01:41:48  MV  The Piss Kids, "Aigatarinai (Not Enough Love)"
01:43:46  TV  CM: KISS, Why?
01:44:18  MV  MAX, "Get My Love" (Dolly, "Take My Gum" re-write)
01:46:45  MV  Namie Amuro, "Body Feels EXIT"
01:49:12  MV  Puffy, "Circuit no Musume (Wild Girls on Circuit)"
01:52:17  TV  Strange compilation bumper
01:52:47  MV  SHARAM Q, "Nice Boy"
01:53:27  MV  Eddie Fukano (?), "I Had a Beautiful Time" (Merle Haggard cover)
01:53:33  MV  Performers UID, "UFO" (Pink Lady cover)
01:54:46  TV  CMs: Quentin Tarentino, Ringo Starr, Maltesers; pantsu
01:55:46  ID  Takeshi "Terry" Terauchi w/ the Launchers in Eleki no Wakadaishou (1965, aka Campus A-Go-Go), sign-off and end credits

[lazybone712]

Wow - very cool! I notice a couple from Washington D.C.'s 9:30 Club in 1997. I was at the Shonen Knife show (also filmed in "Blast Off!"). But sadly I missed the Pizzicato 5 show:( What was I thinking? Argh! Anyhow, thanks for sharing!

[tangerinesun]

Aug 29, 2016 6:52:26 GMT -5 lazybone712 said:

Wow - very cool! I notice a couple from Washington D.C.'s 9:30 Club in 1997. I was at the Shonen Knife show (also filmed in "Blast Off!"). But sadly I missed the Pizzicato 5 show:( What was I thinking? Argh! Anyhow, thanks for sharing!

 

I find 3 other episodes of ATV you might like. Not sure 
what-all is in them yet. 

Threshing through a show takes a loooooooong time, so...
they might be a loooooooong time coming. 

[tangerinesun]

ATV continues turning Japanese:



Atomic TV #14: The “Turning Japanese Part 2″ Episode 
2010 JAN 14 from Atomic TV (58:32) 

VJ host: Tom Warner
Total runtime: 00:58:32

More pop perfection from the Land of the Rising Sun, with an emphasis on
rare Japanese TV clips showcasing cutesy Idol Singers, live performances by
Les Pizzicato Five, music vids by Cornelius, Puffy and Shonen Knife...crazy
Japanese commercials featuring Pee-Wee Herman, KISS and Quentin Tarantino...
the Japanese Ventures...an interview with Cibo Matto...and a karaoke version
of the theme from Godzilla vs. The Smog Monster!

In a separate window: vimeo.com/11907854
Or at atomicteeve.com: atomicteevee.com/2010/01/turning-japanese-part-2/　

A lot of the same clips re-run, with some additional material and a bit of
ill-considered voiceover. Shut up, Tom! 

Program

00:00:00  ID  Kill Your TV program ID
00:01:41  GZ  Godzilla vs. Monster Zero montage
00:02:08  P5  Pizzicato Five "Mon Amour Tokyo" at 9:30 Club (1997)
00:08:03  ID  Bang! "All of you join me in… escape!" bumper
00:08:20  CS  Cornelius intro
00:08:51  CS  Cornelius MV "Star Fruits Surf Rider"
00:13:06  ID  "Check this out!" bumper
00:13:10  SK  Shonen Knife MV, "ESP"
00:16:40  ID " Check this out!" bumper
00:16:44  GZ  Godzilla vs. Hedorah, "Save the Earth"
00:17:55  SK  Shonen Knife MV "Explosion" with promo
00:22:15  ID  Bang! bumper
00:22:21  P5  Music Fair: Maki Nomiya w/ Mari Natsuki & Kyôko Koizumi, "Sweet Soul Review"
00:25:25  P5  Music Fair: Guest intros & small talk
00:26:59  TV  CM: Vanessa Williams for SEDES
00:27:30  P5  Music Fair: Mari Natsuki w/ Maki & Kyôko, "Silk Stockings"
00:28:38  P5  Music Fair: Mari Natsuki, "Namida no kawaku made (Until the Tears Are Dried)"
00:29:26  P5  Music Fair: Kyôko Koizumi w/ Maki & Mari, "Josei joui banzai (Cheers for Girls on Top)"
00:31:30  P5  Music Fair: Maki Nomiya, "Kanashii uta (Sad Song)"
00:33:05  ID  "Turning Japanese" black title bumper
00:33:12  TV  Witch anime UID end theme
00:34:16  CM  Cibo Matto live & interview at Fletcher's (1997)
00:40:40  TV  Strange compilation bumper
00:40:47  MV  Rina Chinen, "Do-Do For Me"
00:43:28  TV  CMs: KissMint breath mints, Pizza-La Funky Egg,
00:43:56  MV  The Piss Kids, "Aigatarinai (Not Enough Love)"
00:46:10  TV  CM: KISS, Why?
00:46:28  MV  MAX, "Get My Love" (Dolly, "Take My Gum" re-write)
00:48:56  MV  Namie Amuro, "Body Feels EXIT"
00:51:22  MV  Puffy, "Circuit no Musume (Wild Girls on Circuit)"
00:54:28  MV  Performers UID, "UFO" (Pink Lady cover)
00:55:42  TV  CMs: Quentin Tarentino for Dokomo, pantsu
00:56:08  ID  Takeshi "Terry" Terauchi w/ the Launchers in Eleki no Wakadaishou (1965, aka Campus A-Go-Go), sign-off and end credits
00:56:08  ID  GET dirty ③ 

It's breaking my heart that I can't figure out who the two guys are, doing the Pink Lady parody in silver suits. 

[tangerinesun]

ATV still working the Japan vein: 



Atomic TV - Turning Japanese 3 [MATURE] 
2015 JUN 17 from Atomic TV (01:01:57) 

VJ host: Tom Warner
Total runtime: 01:01:57

A Celebration of Japanese Pop Culture featuring: 

• Guitar Wolf　
• Puffy　
• Pizzicato Five　
• Kahimi Karie　
• And with: Johnny Sokko, Gigantor, Astroboy, Speed Racer, and more!　

In a separate window: vimeo.com/131004404 
Or at atomicteeve.com: atomicteevee.com/2015/06/atomic-tv-14-the-turning-japanese-part-3-episode/ 

[tangerinesun]

ATV Special Topic in J-pop:



Atomic TV - The “Pizzicato Five” Episode 
2015 MAR 16 from Atomic TV (59:02) 

Pizzicato Five - "Sweet Soul Revue" -- This was my first glimpse of my fave J-Pop
band Pizzicato Five and the images of Miss Maki Nomiya shaking those maracas and
evoking the style and charm of Audrey Hepburn in the roof concert scene while P5
mastermind-maestro Yasuharu Konishi boogies away on his Hofner bass and original
guitarist Keitaro Takanami strums his Fender guitar have become iconic for me...
This was my first transmission from a band that never made a bad or uninteresting
video and it always stuck with me. I read that this song was a big hit in the Philippines
and that it was used on Japan's Ranma 1/2 syndicated TV show. A real treat! —Tom Warner

VJ host: Tom Warner
Total runtime: 00:59:02

In a separate window:  vimeo.com/131004404 
Or at atomicteeve.com:  atomicteevee.com/2015/03/atomic-tv-the-pizzacato-five-episode/ 

[lazybone712]

Aug 29, 2016 20:40:14 GMT -5 tangerinesun said:

ATV Special Topic in J-pop:



Atomic TV - The “Pizzicato Five” Episode 
2015 MAR 16 from Atomic TV (59:02) 

Pizzicato Five - "Sweet Soul Revue" -- This was my first glimpse of my fave J-Pop
band Pizzicato Five and the images of Miss Maki Nomiya shaking those maracas and
evoking the style and charm of Audrey Hepburn in the roof concert scene while P5
mastermind-maestro Yasuharu Konishi boogies away on his Hofner bass and original
guitarist Keitaro Takanami strums his Fender guitar have become iconic for me...
This was my first transmission from a band that never made a bad or uninteresting
video and it always stuck with me. I read that this song was a big hit in the Philippines
and that it was used on Japan's Ranma 1/2 syndicated TV show. A real treat! —Tom Warner

VJ host: Tom Warner
Total runtime: 00:59:02

In a separate window:  vimeo.com/131004404 
Or at atomicteeve.com:  atomicteevee.com/2015/03/atomic-tv-the-pizzacato-five-episode/ 

Wow how cool is this?😃