Robyn Writes

J-Pop Sunday: No Cars

It’s not unfair to say that there’s often some pretty left-field stuff coming out of the Japanese music tradition. In the UK, we don’t usually get exposed to a lot of it – Polysics are probably what most people who have a vague interest in alternative music conjure up when someone says ‘weird Japanese rock’. Arguably, it’s because we don’t often have access to it, but what if I told you that one of the strangest, most fantastic bands you might ever encounter in your life are a J-pop band based in London?

No Cars are quite simply, bloody mental and absolutely phenomenal.


No Cars like food, the Northern Line and sellotape. Yep.

Quick Guide
Act Name: No Cars
Line-Up: Haruna Komatsu (vocals, guitar), Takaco Iida (vocals, bass), Tomoko Komura (vocals, keyboard), Candy Tanaka (vocals, drums)
Years Active: 2011 to present
Genre: Indie-pop
Robyn’s Choice Tracks: Where Is David Bowie, Do Re Mi Farming, Jap Trap

A couple of weeks ago, I was hanging about at the Worcester Music Festival while Charlie, who does the Notes from the Keybed column, was doing some DJing between bands. We were in Monroes Cellar Bar, which is probably the tiniest venue I’ve been in to date, and all of a sudden, three Japanese girls and a reasonably tall man start bringing a buttload of stuff onto the stage. About 20 minutes later, said Japanese girls come out of the back room in matching white blouses and pink ribbons, and the tall man sits behind a drum set in a tanuki kigurumi. The show hasn’t started yet, they’re all still setting up, but they have their own line check song and it’s one of the most adorable things ever. The keyboardist bashes some keys, nods and pulls out a bag of lettuce. She balances a glass full of pink confetti on her Casio. She peers into a tote bag, checking everything’s in there. They’re all pretty much ready to go. I have no idea what the hell we’re in for.

When No Cars finally begin their set, the place is packed. Everyone’s crowding round, trying to get a brief peek at whatever’s going on up there. And first of all, they all stand in a line, sing a nursery rhyme style song in Japanese while keyboardist Tomoko tries to fan the confetti over them like sakura blossoms in the wind. This is not a band afraid to approach stereotypes and rip the living shit out of them. Then, as lead singer Haruna picks up her guitar, counts the band in and they jump into ‘Cress’, Tomoko sits disinterestedly on a bar stool, chewing on lettuce. Eventually, she hops down and starts offering it to the crowd. A No Cars set is a bizarre piece of performance art – from inviting someone on stage to be harassed as a ‘James Anderson Puppet’ to wrapping up your lead singer’s face in Sellotape, there’s not really anything that can be considered ‘average’ or ‘ordinary’. But it’s far more than just a spectacle – No Cars really do have some brilliant songs, and their surf-rock indie-punk sound is catchy, immediate and indeed, well crafted.


They also have a song about tuna. Tasty, tasty tuna

Let’s take ‘Where Is David Bowie’ as an example. From No Cars’ first record Yoko Eats Whales, it’s genuinely a song about trying to find David Bowie. But it’s super cute and it’s got these great, jangly guitars that are just ever so slightly out of kilter with the rest of the rhythm. When presented live, it turns into a crazy pantomime – Tomoko puts on a David Bowie mask and lurks creepily behind Haruna and bassist Takaco before Haruna stops and asks “where is David Bowie? Where the fuck is David Bowie?!” The audience gleefully yells “he’s behind you!” before it all picks up again, and while it’s utterly bizarre and captivating to watch, it’s just as addictive to listen to. It’s hard to sing along to a No Cars song, as the band often flit between Japanese and English, but the simple melodies provide the perfect backing for the bizarre subject matter. ‘Jap Trap’, from new album Yoko Makes Tits Bigger With Airbrush, is the sort of thing that’ll be kicking around your head for days. ‘Do Re Mi Farming’, all about people banging on some hay bales, has some absolutely wonderful key changes and wicked bass lines – not to mention that retro Casio sound! Plus, I don’t know any band that can craft a ballad to filter coffee that sounds as good as this.

What you have in No Cars is blissfully aware pop music, filled with laughter and joy – it’s impossible to walk away with a No Cars set or listen to a full record without a huge grin on your face. So take a walk on the strange side, pop on over to Bandcamp and prepare to have your mind blown.

Review: As We Draw – Mirages

First things first: As We Draw sound a lot like Converge. Of course, the same could be said of plenty of modern hardcore bands, but what makes this French trio’s second LP exciting is their ability to take the dirge-like, sludgy-but-not-quite-sludge elements of 90’s metalcore, post-hardcore and (ugh) mathcore to create a unique brand of hardcore which favours cerebral thrills over visceral ones.

Opener ‘The Window’ sets the tone for the album, its ten minutes serving as a comprehensive introduction to the sonic space explored through the later tracks. The sound is anchored by a satisfyingly heavy rhythm section, in which busy drum work combines seamlessly with dense, fuzzed out bass. Rather than blending in with this rhythm section, the guitar is given its own space and floats over the track. A more traditional approach to guitar tone might draw the music towards atmospheric sludge in the vein of Thou; instead the distance left between guitar and bass gives the feel of early post-hardcore bands such as Moss Icon and Lungfish, or even second-wave black metal. Jagged guitar leads are layered on top of one another, while the bass and drums move the song along with only an occasional semblance of rhythm guitar to help out. Although the song moves through a variety of complex time signatures and drifts in and out of tonality, the breakneck transitions favoured by similar bands are eschewed in favour of a gradual evolution which feels more indebted to 20th century minimalism than classic hardcore.

The rest of the album follows a similar tack. Most of the songs are possessed of a movement somewhere between plodding and floating, with tricky time signatures keeping the music out of well-trodden sludge territory. Inventive tom-heavy drum work consistently builds tension, and although the music often threatens to boil over into chaotic thrash, the mood is for the most part ominously subdued. In particular, the brutal intro to ‘Fata Bromosa’ feels like it could have been lifted from the last Nails album, but instead of an excursion into grindcore the violence collapses into an unsettling off-time dirge which in turn gives way to Sleep-like riffing. ‘Denial’ is as close as things get to traditional hardcore, with light use of blast beats and a propulsive introductory riff. Throughout the album, songs evolve by increments, and guitar lines interweave both melodically and discordantly. Mirages is most definitely a guitar album, although it avoids both the riff worship which lies at the confluence of modern death metal, crust punk and sludge, and the wall-of-sound shoegazing which has recently found its way into everything from surf punk to black metal. All three band members are credited as vocalists and it’s hard to say who’s doing what, but for the most part it’s a gravelly take on classic screamo which is at its best when it’s most aggressive. In more vulnerable moments the vocals sound rather too much like angsty post-hardcore, but a powerviolence-like grunt occasionally surfaces to add a pleasant dash of viciousness to the songs.

At fifty minutes, Mirage is a long record, and whilst none of the material present could be considered filler, it’s perhaps not varied enough to warrant the album’s length. The majority of the album is given over to post-rock-meets-hardcore dirges, but several short instrumentals punctuate the tracklist, ranging from Spaghetti Western surf to ambient noise to a waltz-like number reminiscent of Pg. 99’s more gothic moments. These instrumentals form an interesting aside to the rest of the album, and suggest that As We Draw are capable of a much more eclectic approach to hardcore than is found on this album.

4 out of 5 high fives!

Notes From The Keybed – This Month In Synths [August]

The sun has been shining throughout much of August, but that hasn’t stopped the bedroom producer generation from locking themselves away and making horrible bass noises. In fact, you’d think it was officially brostep month with new releases from EDM staples Porter Robinson and Steve Aoki. Breaking the mould though is Rustie, whose new album Green Language was released on the 25 August through Warp Records. Lead track ‘Raptor’ is a sign of things to come, a slice of genre-defying electronica that is equal parts vicious and euphoric. It comes highly recommended for anyone bored of the aforementioned glossy EDM scenesters, former dubsteppers who haven’t discovered a decent drop in years, or just those who secretly like trap but are far too indie (or middle class) to admit it (shhhh).

On a gentler note Imogen Heap’s Sparks is another new one for August. The experimental pop singer-songwriter’s fourth album is set to be her most ambitious yet, with her usual mix of tradition and technology bolstered by crowdsourced field recordings, gesture activated music gloves, and a constantly evolving song that will be added to every seven years! Away from the oddities it’s business as usual with Heap’s trademark layered vocal textures matched with soft synthesiser tones and wistful melodies. It’s a welcome return from one of the UK’s most forward-thinking artists, who continues to inspire and confound in equal measure.

A couple of recommendations for all you electro goffs this month – The Wrongchilde record has been reviewed elsewhere on TBO but here’s a reminder to check it out in case you missed it the first time! Goldblooded is ten tracks chock full of 80’s clichés and sultry synths from the Kill Hannah frontman, bringing up the dark side of the electro indie scene with sublime songwriting and understated production. As an alternative check out Anne, whose album was included as part of SoundSupply’s recent Run For Cover download drop. In typical style this is an artist who has decided to fold as soon as I discover them (here’s looking at you Dananananaykroyd…), but the man behind the name has vowed to do something new, which is certainly worth keeping an ear out for. In the meantime, album Pulling Chain is most unlike anything else on the Boston punk label, combining icy synth textures with yearning vocals reminiscent of much-missed New York indie dancers The Bravery. The final remaining Anne music and merch is available at cut-down price from his Big Cartel page.

This month’s Keytar Hero award goes to Kill Paris, producer, DJ, keytar enthusiast, and mate of Skrillex. Standing apart from the dubstep overlord’s OWSLA empire, Kill Paris delivers late-night disco vibes that are dripping with sex. Search out the Kill Paris & Bees Knees Keytar Mix of ‘Falling In Love Again’ for a slice of saucy synth pop punctuated with an ace keytar solo played on a custom painted purple and white Roland beast! Nice.

Review: J Mascis – Tied to a Star

J Mascis has pretty much done it all. From hardcore bands to Dinosaur Jr, doom metal to alt-rock, there’s not a lot of musical ground that he hasn’t covered. Now on his second solo studio album proper, Mascis strikes a heartfelt chord with 41 minutes of sweeping melodies and intricate guitar work. Don’t worry though – there’s still a few wonderfully grungey bits to satisfy even the staunchest Dinosaur Jr fan.

For a dude who famously called guitar “a wimpy instrument”, Tied to a Star is predominately acoustic – the wimpiest form of them all, one might say. The record picks up where 2011’s Several Shades of Why left off, and opening track ‘Me Again’ is soft, pretty and ethereal – not too unlike Elliott Smith’s later work. In contrast, ‘Every Morning’ is an upbeat, jangly affair, and wouldn’t be out of place on a teen movie soundtrack. Mascis dips in and out of different guitar styles throughout the whole record, predominately focusing on folky, indie tones, but occasionally delving deep into country styles and even Eastern-inspired riffs. ‘Heal The Star’ is a great example, blending traditional guitar styles with grunge-tinged feedback in the background. The entirely acoustic ‘Drifter’ is so cleverly crafted that it’s impossible to tell whether it’s double-tracked or just one guitar. There’s even the odd solo in there – ‘Trailing Off’s final few seconds are just fantastic. For such a wimpy instrument, J Mascis completely owns it.

There are fewer collaborations in Tied to a Star than in its predecessor, but Mascis still ropes in a few old friends to help out here and there. The duet with Cat Power on ‘Wide Awake’ is, quite simply, perfect. Pall Jenkins, Ken Maiuri and Mark Mulcahy also make appearances – in particular, Maiuri’s presence on piano is an integral part of the record, and adds an incredible amount of depth to an already intriguing collection of songs.

If there are any issues with Tied to a Star, it’s perhaps that it all blends together too easily. There are a hell of a lot of highlights in the record, but if you’re not listening out for them, it all sinks into one, long, blissful soundscape. Mascis’s soft, slightly croaky vocals lead you through . It’s not inherently a bad problem to have – the fact that everything blends together so well shows just how accomplished Mascis’s songwriting is, but it sometimes feels as if you’ve missed something, and that feels like a real shame.

There are a lot of bands out there doing stuff like this these days. And they probably learned it all from J Mascis. Even in his much heavier records, it’s impossible to find more intricate songcrafting than this. Its release is timely, providing the perfect farewell to summer with a soulful, occasionally melancholic, but ultimately beautiful approach to the ‘acoustic solo record’.

4 out of 5 high fives!

Review: Pale Angels – Strange Powers [EP]

Here’s a little treat for those of you who still hold fond memories of the hard edge of uncle Punk and not just his pleasant, bouncy nephew Pop-Punk. Pale Angels, the creation of Mike Santostefano (Crimes, ex-Static Radio NJ) and Jamie Morrison (The Arteries, Ssssnakes), apparently came into existence as Jamie and Mike threw together some live punked-up Nirvana covers in Florida. As long-time friends and touring partners, they must have known they were on to something, because they decided to go ahead and start life as a three-piece – even though they’d have an ocean separating them (Jamie is a Brit, Mike’s a Yank). But to be a three piece, they needed three people (yes, really) and that’s when Mikey Erg (Dopamines, Star Fucking Hipsters, and obviously The Ergs!) came into the picture. As if Mikey didn’t have enough to keep him busy. Well, the guys got together and bashed out the rough and raw Primal Play, 9 tracks of fist-clenched snare-snapping punk, but that’s not what we’re here to tell you about today.

Instead, Pale Angels gave us another taster of their grungey punk in the form of a four-track live session. Strange Powers was recorded in March with the Amsterdam Recording Company. Clocking in at under 10 minutes, as you’d expect from four punk songs, Pale Angels treat us to 3 brand new tracks and a cover of The Feelies’ Crazy Rhythms. The ever busy Mikey Erg wasn’t available for this session, which is no surprise when you look at the long list of his commitments, so Reza Mirehsan of The Cut Ups sat in for him behind the drums.

With a certain amount of nostalgia, Pale Angels blend grunge and punk into a raw and fuzzy brew that is easy and enjoyable to drink down in one gulp. Packed with a reverbed and muddied sound, it is a turbulent journey that isn’t just a rerun of one of the good old fashioned punk roads. It’s up-tempo, it’s catchy and it still has edge: it’s a pretty damn good punk jam! I especially love how the live sound translates across the recording. The production doesn’t take too much away or add too much in, so you still get the feeling that you’re front row at a show – minus the crowd of punks around you (unless you’re listening to it with a rowdy group of punks).

I also got a lot of joy out of the cover of The Feelies’ Crazy Rhythms too. The essence of the track is left unaltered, but it is given a gnarly facelift as part of the punk-grunge makeover. The distorted/distant vocals top it off and seal it in a package that can really get a punk’s feet movin’. The whole EP is manic, packed with punk jams and has the energy of a live show, so check it out!

4 out of 5 high fives!