Robyn Writes

J-Pop Sunday – Kyary Pamyu Pamyu

It’s J-Pop Sunday once again! This week, things get silly and colourful as it’s the turn of first lady of Harajuku herself, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu! (きゃりーぱみゅぱみゅ)

I told you it would be colourful.

Quick guide:
Act Name: Caroline Charonplop Kyary Pamyu Pamyu (きゃろらいんちゃろんぷろっぷきゃりーぱみゅぱみゅ)
Real Name: Kiriko Takemura (竹村 桐子)
Years Active: 2011 – Present
Genre: Pop/Electronic Pop
Notable Singles: “PONPONPON” (2011)
Official Title: “Kawaii Harajuku Ambassador” (Bestowed upon by the Mayor of Shibuya himself)

Right, where do we start with Miss Pamyu Pamyu? The beginning I suppose: She started life as an amateur fashion blogger while in high school. Her blogging focused mainly on the trends of the Harajuku district in Shibuya, Tokyo; an area famous for “Gothic Lolita” and “Kawaii” (cute) fashion styles. Her blog gained a large following which eventually lead to business and marketing opportunities with the fashion industry, which in turn spread her name to the point where the opportunity for a pop career was presented to her by renowned producer/composer Yasutaka Nakata (中田 ヤスタカ).

Now, the thing about Kyary is – that even by Japanese and fashionista standards – she’s a bit…off. As evidence to support my accusation take a look at the video for her breakout single from July 2011, “PONPONPON”:

Still with me? Told you she was weird. She also likes making weird faces, but more on that later. PONPONPON’s combination of a catchy tune and bizarre video meant that the song managed to reach #9 in the Japan Hot 100 chart and also top the iTunes Electronic Songs Chart in Belgium and Finland. PONPONPON was included in Kyary’s debut mini album “Moshi-Moshi Harajuku” (もしもし原宿 Or “Hello Harajuku” in English). Moshi-Moshi Harajuku also included Kyary’s second single “Jelly” along with 4 other tracks that are equally as catchy as PONPONPON.

“Moshi-Moshi Harajuku” managed to reach #18 in Japan’s Oricon Chart

The tail end of 2011 saw Kyary get her sights on the world at large: Performing at a fashion show in California, followed in 2012 by one-off performances in Shanghai and Hong Kong, followed by a nationwide Japanese tour. Also in 2012 she released three more singles: “Tsukematsukeru” (つけまつける which translates literally to “Putting On My False Eyelashes”), “Candy Candy” and “Fashion Monster”.


Things get spooky in the video for Fashion Monster.

We’re only two months into 2013 yet Kyary has been a busy girl. A double A-side single was released this January – and her first official world tour kicked off in Europe this month. Having already visited Belgium, France and the UK Kyary’s “100%KPP WORLD TOUR 2013” also has dates planned in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and the US between now and mid-April.

So what’ve he accomplished here today? Well to summarise we’ve met Kyary Pamyu Pamyu; a slightly oddball Japanese girl who loves fashion and makes weird pop videos. Now here are a couple more of her songs and after that, as promised, there are some pictures of her making silly faces. They’ll brighten your day.



“Furisodeshon” (ふりそでーしょん) – from the recent double A-Side – is an odd parody/celebration of Kyrary turning 20 and therefore “Coming of Age” in Japan.


I’ve no idea what “Candy Candy” is about, but it’s silly and that onion amuses me.

Crash! Radio – For You, From The Heart [EP]

When you think of Canada, you don’t necessarily think of pop-punk. That’s generally the product of sunnier climes, like California or Florida. Crash! Radio, hailing from Burlington, Ontario, are about to change all of that, and may well become one of your favourite bands with an exclamation mark in the name in the process.

For You, From The Heart is a short and sweet burst of summer, comprised of three glorious tracks. Opener, ‘Be With You’, is a heartfelt, melody driven love song with one of the catchiest choruses of the year. The blend of acoustic and electric guitar works perfectly here, complimenting Michelle Calaveri’s beautiful vocals so well. ‘Walk Away’ takes on a slightly darker tone than the previous track, following the path of the broken hearted, but doesn’t fail to impress. It still has Crash! Radio’s particularly upbeat signature sound, and a totally awesome guitar solo to boot. Ben Lee’s drums are of particular note here, giving the track a certain power that makes it the best of the record, even if the piano at the beginning does just completely disappear out of nowhere. Closer ‘Happy Hellos Are Sorry Goodbyes’ is highly reminiscent of Good Charlotte’s early work, with just the right sense of humour and killer riffs to boot, and winds down the EP just right with some great bass hooks at the end.

If you want female fronted pop-punk done right, get yourself onto Crash! Radio. This EP is available from just $1 on their Bandcamp, and you’d be sorry to miss out on such a wonderful little record. We at TwoBeatsOff can’t wait for a full length!

4.5 out of 5 high fives

Wet Nuns – Broken Teeth [EP]

Wet Nuns are two dudes, one plays guitar and one plays drums. Together they churn out fuzzy-as-fuck red-eyed blues rock that is much more akin to the sounds of the delirious and unforgiving Arizona desert than of the lush Yorkshire Dales. Their latest EP Broken Teeth marks the next step in the duo’s raising profile after a momentous 2012 saw stacks of praise heaped upon them for their incendiary and increasingly notorious live shows, as well as being bestowed with Artrocker’s award for Video Of The Year.

Despite the potential drawbacks of using only one amplified instrument, the guitars form an impregnable wall of fuzz so thick and all consuming that guitarist Rob must have to wear a lifebelt to avoid drowning in it. The down-tuned strings fill out the low end, the fuzz flooding into any dead space within the mix that is looked after by producer Ross Orten of MIA and The Kills fame. The riffs are furious slabs of hard rock infused with gritty blues and the smoke of several hundred spliffs. Not consigned to simple moronic chuggery, Rob repeatedly runs up and down the fret board, showing some rather inventive guitar work manifesting most obviously on the title track’s bluesy licks. Drums are beaten with all the subtlety of a coked-up Andre the Giant wielding two cricket bats as stickman Alexis is seemingly unable to decide whether to hit the skins to within an inch of their lives or simply demolish his kit. Together the instruments create a cacophony that renders any other instrumentation ultimately futile; leaving only room for Rob’s gritty howl which is so coarse and ragged he must surely eat gravel for breakfast, washed down with a few Marlboro reds for good measure. ‘All The Young Girls’ eschews haunting backing vocals whilst standout track ‘Laura’ is an ode to every male teenage rock fan’s enthrallment with girls who play guitars with Rob growling “I wish I was that geetar!” over a stomping blues barrage.

‘Broken Teeth’ is music that demands you reach for the whiskey and become a drunken, sweaty mess. Its raw sexuality and pure aggression will have you coming back for fix after fix of Wet Nuns’ ‘death blues’; an exhilarating joy from start to finish.

4.5 out of 5 high fives!

J-Pop Sunday – World Order

Hello! It’s Kaito again! It’s time for another look at the weird and wonderful world of Japanese music. Today we’re meeting Genki Sudo and his group “World Order”: Proud owners of Japan’s smartest suits and smoothest moves.

Quick guide:
Act Name: World Order
Years Active: 2009 – Present
Genre: Electronic Pop
Notable Singles: “World Order” (2009) “Machine Civilization” (2011)
Suits Provided By: Aoyama Tailor (Since 1964)

You’ve got to love a man in a suit, haven’t you? Well, except from bankers. And politicians. But Japanese pop acts in suits? Yes please. Of course, a band can’t be judged on their appearance alone; it’s the group’s precision choreography and sound that has really caused people to take notice of the group. Curious about what I mean? Well take a look at the video for their debut single “World Order” and you’ll quickly understand why they’re worth taking note of:


The video for “World Order” shot in New York amidst an unsuspecting public.

World Order was founded by former Mixed Martial Arts fighter and kick-boxer Genki Sudo: He’s the bloke in the middle of the photo at the top of the article. (And no, you read that right, he used to face off in combat sport leagues such as the UFC and HERO’S.) Now he leads World Order, supported by the talented group of dancers he has assembled for the act. But he’s not just the main face of the group: Genki also writes the lyrics for the group’s songs, composes the music, and he choreographs the dance routines. Outside of the group Genki has appeared in several small acting roles for major films (including film adaptations for the popular Japanese superhero series “Kamen Rider”), started an amateur baseball team for people over 30 and also written 8 books, with titles such as “神はテーブルクロス” (“Kami wa Teeburu Kurosu”Or “God is The Tablecloth” in English) and “Let’s 猫” (“Let’s Neko” which translates to “Let’s Cat”). Who says there are no more polymaths in the world?

So far World Order has released two albums, two singles and four videos: 2010’s “World Order” was the group’s first album release. “World Order”, which also featured six songs, including the track “World Order” (So, that’s World Order, from the album World Order by World Order) along with “Boy Meets Girl” and “Mind Shift”. “Boy Meets Girl” and “Mind Shift” both had videos created to promote the tracks.


The video for “Mind Shift”

In 2011, shortly after the March Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami disaster, World Order released a new single with a new video, “Machine Civilization”, in response to the incident. It’s a powerful track, and while the video retains the sense of playfulness previous videos have there is a sense of solidarity behind the group’s performance that reaches out to the viewer which is encapsulated perfectly by the message at the end of the video:


The video for “Machine Civilization” culminates in words of solidarity for a nation enduring a time of disaster.

2012 saw the release of “2012”. Six new tracks appeared on this release as well as “Machine Civilization”. (I say, while the music and choreography is exciting and original, the gang sure like to phone it in with album titles, don’t they?) Along with their latest release, the double A-side single “find the light/Permanent Revolution”.

By this point I’ve said all that needs to be said: The music is great, Genki Sudo himself is wicked cool, and the videos are impressive. As such I will leave you with a couple more videos from World Oder and this one last titbit of info that you can do whatever you like with: “World Order”, “2012” and “find the light/Permanent Revolution” are all available to buy in the UK via Amazon MP3 or iTunes.

Anyway, enjoy these last two videos! “Boy Meets Girl” is my personal favourite, both in terms of the video and the song itself.


The video for “Permanent Revolution” sees the gang visit Korea and solve world peace. (I think)


Meanwhile, the video “Boy Meets Girl” sees the lads on a night out, during which they encounter mysterious creatures known as “Girls”.

The Manix – Neighbourhood Wildlife

The words “pop punk” hold a different meaning to modern music than they did ten or fifteen years ago. Nowadays, when you hear those two fateful words, the images that spring to mind are screaming youngsters, pouting singers, and hooks almost as bouncy as band members’ various hairstyles. The old guard of what some may refer to as “proper” or, God-forbid, “real” pop punk seem to have left us. Bands like Green Day and Blink-182 have grown up and started writing straight-up rock anthems, while Sum 41 are, in all honesty, past their best. Only the heroes of New Found Glory stand proud and declare pop punk “not dead”, and as wonderful as they are, they can’t go on forever. However, just as the future of the genre seems set, The Manix step forward, a band determined to continue NFG’s empowering message.

From the opening drumbeat of “Fingers Crossed”, it’s clear that this album is not your average, middle-of-the-road bouncing pop punk half-hour. The thick bassline and power-chord guitars instantly bring to mind early Sum 41 work, while the gruff vocals of frontman Corey Ayd position this band firmly in the ‘punk’ side of the pop punk camp. Ayd is no stranger to the world of punk, having previously been a part of Banner Pilot, and his experience in the genre shows through as you begin to roll through the tracks. “Where Do We Go?” is a simple but effective bang-along tune, while the intriguingly titled “What’s Myage Again?” (no, not a typo) provides the first big highlight of the album, with a great instant-vocal opening and scream-along chorus providing the basis for what would undoubtedly be a beloved anthem in a live setting.

Fifth track, “A Quiet Wry Anger”, provides another highlight for the simple reason that it’s something a little different. Just as the album begins to feel somewhat formulaic, the slightly more rhythmical guitar and longer instrumental sections provide a welcome relief. However, sadly, this track is an exception, not a rule. The band’s reliance on the punk genre starts as a strength, but soon develops into a negative on the album – to put it brutally honestly, much of this album sounds the same. There are a couple of stand out tracks – the aforementioned couple, plus the absolutely superb closer “This Old House”, which is certainly an example of saving the best for last – but overall, not many of the albums’ tracks sound any different from the others. While some bands (yes, Mumfords, I’m looking at you) have made a career out of playing the same song twelve times and calling it an album, one leaves this particular record feeling plenty entertained, but perhaps lacking a sense of inventiveness. If The Manix don’t find that element, then sadly they may be destined to just stay in the pile in future, yet another punk band trying to drag themselves out of obscurity. But if they pull it out of the bag, then based on the raw talent displayed on this record, the music world could have something huge on their hands.

Three out of five high fives!