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Le Diamant Brut: Eastern Youth & Rae Davis
What’s the Deal: They’re one of Japan’s greatest and most under-appreciated indie punk exports, and they’ve been going strong since the late '80s. One member of the Le Diamant team fondly recalls an interview with the group for a zine back in 2003 via translator. Some consider them the Japanese equivalent of Cursive, but that could be because the two groups have a strong relationship from touring together and sharing space on an impressive split CD, 8 Teeth to Eat You.
The relationship between the two bands is most clear on songs like “Muyohnosuke” where singer Hisashi Yoshino opens up yelling almost to the point of hoarseness while a steady stream of indie rock jangle and hum floods outward from the instruments of this 3-piece. “Nisokuhokohkouta” begins a little more in the soft and sweet category with sentimental whispers and chiming chords, but soon agitates and subsides once more. We all know half the fun of indie rock is being able to sing along to catchy choruses, but being that it’s all sung in Japanese, you have a chance of learning something as well.
Something Interesting: Eastern Youth began as an Oi! band before turning inward and becoming more emotional.
Other Tracks Worth Checking Out: “Itsudemo Kokoniiru” & “Corrected Eyesight”
Eastern Youth Official
Eastern Youth MySpace
What’s the Deal: Sometimes everyone needs to be reminded that not all of the noteworthy bands are indie pop or garage rock. Sometimes they don’t even have lyrics. Such is the case with local musician and trafficker in ambient beats and sounds Rae Davis. It’s the kind of music you want to listen to with headphones turned up high late at night so you can get lost and completely enveloped in the sounds. It doesn’t take only fans of jazz, hip hop and electronica to find a groove that fits in his just released record, Positive Thinking.
A track worth pointing out on the record is “Old Pianos Ft Diego Chavez”, which is stunning and entwining and experimental. Complex and exploratory beats are compounded by the sounds of a welcoming wind, light piano keys, crunches and digitized clicks. “Pyramids” is also packed with drums and various trance-inducing sounds like a softening flute, but it’s a tad more mellow.
Something Interesting: As a fan of J Dilla and Terrence Malick, one of his musical goals is to score films.
Other Tracks Worth Checking Out: “This I Dig of You”
