Comments on: Japanese voice actresses cover legendary punk songs

Japanese voice actresses cover legendary punk songs

MegoSteve — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 15:56:34 -0800

Japanese voice actresses cover legendary punk songs (SLYT)

By: dydecker

dydecker — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 15:58:53 -0800

Oh, those crazy Japanese ™

By: lone_one

lone_one — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 16:05:42 -0800

Interesting, "Ruby Soho" cover sounds just like any given Judy and Mary song. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" sounds very ethereal abit unnerving. Interesting.

By: Ufez Jones

Ufez Jones — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 16:07:23 -0800

..and here I thought Kidz Bop made me stabby.

By: sunshinesky

sunshinesky — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 16:08:50 -0800

punk?

By: dydecker

dydecker — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 16:13:22 -0800

It reminds me of this, the first album I ever bought with my own money

By: Caduceus

Caduceus — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 16:28:19 -0800

That has by far the best YouTube comment I've ever seen: "this is what going mad sounds like" However, I pretty strongly object to the classification of Pretty Fly (For a White Guy), Call Me, and Smells Like Teen Spirit as "Legendary Punk Songs." Neither Call Me or Teen Spirit are punk, and Pretty Fly, well. Let's just say that wasn't The Offspring's best song ever.

By: Ian A.T.

Ian A.T. — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 16:31:19 -0800

That has by far the best YouTube comment I've ever seen: "this is what going mad sounds like" I came here to post the exact same thing. Like, verbatim. (I'll admit I still chuckle when I see someone post "fake" in a video that's completely prosaic, like an interview on Regis & Kelly or someone's kid.)

By: cog_nate

cog_nate — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 16:35:26 -0800

Petty Booka has 'em beat by half a decade.

By: Afroblanco

Afroblanco — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 16:36:12 -0800

Do their voices really sound like that, or are they just sped up chipmunks-style?

By: dydecker

dydecker — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 16:40:34 -0800

Do their voices really sound like that, or are they just sped up chipmunks-style? Yeah, and people really talk like that, too. For Japanese girls, speaking in a really high squeaky voice is polite.

By: Confess, Fletch

Confess, Fletch — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 16:48:59 -0800

It's like Petty Booka but worse.

By: Pope Guilty

Pope Guilty — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 17:04:50 -0800

Pretty Fly may be their most visible, though, Caduceus.

By: Smart Dalek

Smart Dalek — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 17:14:30 -0800

Edith Massey called. She wants you to get off the grass.

By: DecemberBoy

DecemberBoy — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 17:47:03 -0800

However, I pretty strongly object to the classification of [...] Call Me Why? Few bands have more punk rock cred than Blondie. They are one of the earliest punk rock bands. They were part of the NYC punk rock scene from its inception and were regulars at CBGB and Max's Kansas City along with The Ramones, Talking Heads, Dead Boys, etc. etc. "Call Me" is well into their more mainstream period, but it's not completely out of left field. Maybe they should have done "X Offender" instead, though. Also, this is totally worth it for the Exploited song at the beginning. It's pretty hard for anyone to make it possible to get any enjoyment out of The Exploited, but this accomplishes it.

By: DecemberBoy

DecemberBoy — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 17:49:47 -0800

Also, Blondie are exponentially more punk rock than the fucking Offspring. Biggest bunch of wannabe me-too poseurs to ever walk the Earth, but I could forgive them for that if their music wasn't complete formulaic shit too.

By: mephron

mephron — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 19:30:15 -0800

A few years ago, I saw Puffy AmiYumi in concert. They did a bunch of stuff I knew, including the themes they did for the Teen Titans cartoon, as well as the cartoon based on them (which they claimed they hadn't seen yet). They left the stage, then came out for an encore. "This is one of our favorite English songs!" And then, these two trippy Japanese girls launched into... "Do you have the time to listen to me whine?" Some of you people are learning the sense of the world being smaller than you expected it to be right now, the sense I had when that happened. (Then they did my favorite song by them, "Asia no Junshin", which sounds like someone took 1970s ELO, ripped out Jeff Lynne and put in, well, two trippy Japanese girls.)

By: ErWenn

ErWenn — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 19:55:28 -0800

Does anyone have any links to one or more of these songs in their entirety?

By: Xoebe

Xoebe — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 20:20:46 -0800

Not all the Japanese girl bands are so terrible. Although I do wish this song had not been co-opted for advertising. And the inimitable Shonen Knife. Here's one a little more Ramones-ish. There we go.

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 21:59:23 -0800

Not all the Japanese girl bands are so terrible. Righty-o! OOIOO, for example, are totally kickass.. That said, I don't happen to think the *punk* covers by these gals are really so terrible... they're really kind of beyond good or bad, no? I mean, by what yardstick do you measure that kind of thing? It's just, um, what it is. Or, it's just... marketing, really. Just oji-san (middle-aged) music biz guys in Japan handing these girls these songs to record. I'd wager that very very few (if any) of these voice actresses really knew any of these originals.

By: telstar

telstar — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 23:36:41 -0800

Not punk, not rock. Still, I kinda enjoyed listening. Thanks!

By: piratebowling

piratebowling — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 04:40:26 -0800

Lubey Soho, indeed.

By: zengargoyle

zengargoyle — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 06:06:16 -0800

Ex-Girl. more. more.

By: PontifexPrimus

PontifexPrimus — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 06:15:20 -0800

Well, there's also this bizarre punk band with a Japanese singer... Deerhoof - Panda *pandapandapandapanda*

By: bokane

bokane — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 09:45:55 -0800

Favorite YouTube comment: "Esta es la peor mierda que he tenido el desagrado de escuchar."

By: Marisa Stole the Precious Thing

Marisa Stole the Precious Thing — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 11:27:46 -0800

Rie Tanaka doing Anarchy in the UK?!?!?! I think I'm going to faint. Tanaka does the voice of one of my favorite anime characters ever, Suigintou (the one in black) from the series Rozen Maiden. It's a character with a great deal of depth, not just "for an anime" but even in a literary sense. And Tanaka embodied her perfectly. I can think of no better song for her to cover.

By: dydecker

dydecker — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 12:50:37 -0800

(Then they did my favorite song by them, "Asia no Junshin", which sounds like someone took 1970s ELO, ripped out Jeff Lynne and put in, well, two trippy Japanese girls.) That's a nice song. Another is Watashi No Ikiru Michi But god, they are they exception. J-Pop is simply the worst music in the world - man, it's just the worst. I lived in Tokyo for 11 years, and you come to dread switching on the television because the music on it is so rubbish. I swear I think I heard six decent songs on Japanese TV in 11 years, and half of them were written by Okuda Tamio, includin those tracks by Puffy

By: Marisa Stole the Precious Thing

Marisa Stole the Precious Thing — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 12:55:31 -0800

J-Pop is simply the worst music in the world - man, it's just the worst. That's a bold statement. Even Bennie K put out a couple good songs.

By: dydecker

dydecker — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 13:00:48 -0800

Who is Bennie K? Can I have a link.

By: Marisa Stole the Precious Thing

Marisa Stole the Precious Thing — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 13:06:25 -0800

Here's one. They're not entirely my favorites, to be honest. I'm more a fan of IOSYS, Halcali, Shonen Knife and Albatrosicks. But Bennie K are alright by J-pop standards.

By: dydecker

dydecker — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 13:10:35 -0800

There is this theory that there are food cultures, and music cultures, and it's very rare that you get both in one place. English speaking countries like the US and the UK are music cultures - the sounds are good, but the food is generally revolting. Same goes for Germany, the South Pacific, and Africa. OTOH China, France, Italy, Korea, Japan and Asia generally are food cultures - people go on and on about food 24/7 and they don't pay the same attention to music. The only exception to this watertight theory that I can think of is India, which has both.

By: Marisa Stole the Precious Thing

Marisa Stole the Precious Thing — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 13:21:47 -0800

PS: On review, I realize that Halcali are a pop group with hip-hop overtones, IOSYS and Albatrosicks are both J-core, and Shonen Knife is rock/pop-punk. So maybe your assessment of J-pop was on the nose after all!

By: Kutsuwamushi

Kutsuwamushi — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 13:45:59 -0800

"African" food is revolting? And what is "African" food, anyway? Doro wat? Couscous? Ethiopian or South African? Holy hell, dude.

By: dydecker

dydecker — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 14:00:01 -0800

Until African restaurants spread African food across the cities of the world, I'm afraid you're going to have to put up ignorant opinions such as my own, which in truth is entirely based on two trips to an Ethiopian restaurant in Central Tokyo, where I was served battered crocodile, aka Very Expensive Frozen Chicken. Please recommmend me your favourite African cuisine, and let me know what I'm missing out on.

By: lizarrd

lizarrd — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 14:23:02 -0800

hey dydecker. I have another one for you. We aren't quite a country but Puerto Rico has some awesome if I may say food and we have also you know Salsa which a grand majority of us think is great to dance and listen to. Also, there's a lot of other music in PR. So, I dunno.

By: dydecker

dydecker — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 14:36:25 -0800

Yeah it's only a tinpot theory and there are holes in it. As a matter of fact Central/South America sounds like one huge gaping hole--because it has undeniably good music (barring of course those panpipe people from Peru who play in train stations, even my mother doesn't like them) and there is good food also, although I can't say I've eaten Puero Rican. The question is really do you talk about food 24/7 because that's what the Japanese do, and god that gets boring. Music, on the other hand, means nothing to 75% of Japanese I've talked to plenty of people who don't even own one CD.

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 15:22:34 -0800

...two trips to an Ethiopian restaurant in Central Tokyo, where I was served battered crocodile, aka Very Expensive Frozen Chicken. I must say after 13 years living in Tokyo, I've not yet once been to any Ethiopian restaurant here. But I will say I've had some slamming Ethiopian food in Washington DC (big Ethiopiuan popuation there, I believe) as well as NYC. When it's good, it's damn good. Then again, it might just be one of those cuisines that doesn't float your boat. The 6 months I spent in Nigeria (back in 1981) left me with the opinion that food there was very... limited. Pounded yam or rice served up with an oily, spicy soup and a few pieces of goat or chicken. That's pretty much what I ate every day, living with a family there. That got a little old, I have to say. Now, there was also fried plantains, which were also pretty oily, but I quite liked those, right up until the day that I got really sick after eating a plateful. After that I couldn't go back to 'em. Not to this day.

By: dydecker

dydecker — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 15:36:14 -0800

flapjax: a friend reccomends Queen of Sheba in Naka-Meguro for authentic Ethiopian - although I've never been. I remember the restaurant I ate the crocodile was actually not Ethiopian but one of those bad pan-African jobs with kangaroo fritters and such on the menu - pretty geographically as well as gastronomically challenged if I may say so. I really miss the restaurants in Tokyo - you can just about find anything there. Nothing in Germany really compares.

By: lizarrd

lizarrd — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 15:40:09 -0800

We talk about both food and music 24/7 actually. I've never met a Puerto Rican who doesn't talk about both and/or politics as well. We're a very pleasures sort of culture. The ancient Spanish refrain to keep us under control was "Baile, Barajas, y Bebidas" which means dancing, cards, and drinks. In other words, just give us that and we'll be fine. So, in short, yes I do believe we do. It could though be American influence on the music and our own on the food, but then again South America also is a huge gaping hole.

By: dydecker

dydecker — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 15:47:55 -0800

Nigeria: the food may be limited but they produced this so let's forgiven them. Lizarrd can you link to your favourite Puetro Rican musical export?

By: Marisa Stole the Precious Thing

Marisa Stole the Precious Thing — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 16:06:09 -0800

Didn't Puerto Rico invent reggatón? Or is that pan-Carribean?

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 16:11:15 -0800

Nigeria: the food may be limited but they produced this so let's forgiven them. Well, like you said upthread, we're talking music or food, and rarely both. I went to Nigeria for the music, that's for sure. And thanks for that Tokyo restaurant recommendation: I'l check it out!

By: lizarrd

lizarrd — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 16:43:07 -0800

Hmm, favourite Puerto Rican musical export huh? Well in Salsa there's El Gran Combo with Brujeria and Hector Lavoe - Bandolera (the woman is dancing there because he's singing about a woman who wronged him in a way). If we're talking rock or something of the form there's my favorite Robi Draco Rosa - Vagabundo. Amusingly enough I keep ending up with live versions which are really good. Clearly, we mostly export salsa and such. On the Reggaeton question, it's a pan-Latin American thing really. It started officially I think in Panama. Wikipedia seems to confirm what I know. However, it's the Puerto Rican craze, officially starting with Vico C who brought it to us, that has truly made it popular. In essence, our version of reggaeton which everyone else also know is a completely different beast, but does owe its roots to the one created in Panama. That could be considered a bad musical export as far as I'm concerned.

By: 5imian

5imian — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 03:23:10 -0800

sometimes.. the Japanese ™ flair for the absurd results in something strangely polished and beautiful I'm more a fan of IOSYS, Halcali, Shonen Knife and Albatrosicks. I saw one of the very last DMBQ performances before Mana "China" Nishiura, Shonen Knife's old drummer, died. She was an incredible drummer to see in person. I believe they opened for Sleepy Time Gorilla Museum. This was back in late 2005.

By: 5imian

5imian — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 04:35:39 -0800

Or right. DMBQ very kickass.