Joanna Newsom – Unit (Daikanyama/Tokyo) – 7th February

Joanna Newsom played her second gig in Japan last night in Daikanyama – Unit.  I am not entirely sure why the gig was on here as it’s a terrible venue which can only be described a big corporate club type black box.  Surely one of the 1000 or so other venues in Tokyo would have been more suitable for her or even a theater.  When I arrived (super late because of work), the already sweaty crowd were restless and obviously not happy being wedged up against each other.  I did manage to wriggle (?) through the rammed sold out venue to get a decent view and I was not stuck behind pillars like some unfortunate folks at the back were.  Joanna’s stage time was delayed for some unknown reason and my heart nearly exploded when a Japanese announcement came on over the PA.  I had no idea what it was but it all sounded very serious.  It was funny to see every foreigner (about 10% of the crowd) look blankly at each other as it came on.  I thought it was all canceled.  Thankfully none of the Japanese budged so it was a good sign that everything was still going ahead.   She eventually appeared, half an hour late, with 2 other musicians – one playing banjo/flute and doing backing vocals and the other guy was quietly drumming and doing backing vocals.  All of her old songs were rearranged for her new band and tour.  New instruments, new rhythms and even new chord progressions thrown in for good measure.  Set list… hmm.

She opened with a new song and the (1 song) encore was a new song.  She also played Emily, Peach Plum Pear (piano version at the end of main set), The Book Of Right-On, Bridges and Balloons and recent song ‘81.  Her set was half new and half old.

I can’t wait to hear he new album as the songs tonight sounded brilliant.

More photos and video of Bridges and Balloons.  The footage is awful as I was kind of up against a wall.  I just wanted to capture the live sound really.  I did record another song but it’s over 10 minutes (expect long songs on her new album!) so it’s getting no you tube action!

Tsukiji Fish Market Tokyo (Tuna Auction)

One of Tokyo’s main tourist attractions although it does require a nasty early rise or in my case – an all nighter drinking whiskey and eating rice balls in my tiny bedroom with my sister and mate from Melbourne.  *shudder*..  We got the first train from Koenji at 4.45am and then transferred at Shinjuku to the Oedo line and we arrived at Tsukijishijo station at about 5.30am which is right in the middle of the early morning madness.  You need to walk past the speedy buggies (they will stop for no one!) and fish stalls to the very back of the market to the main warehouse where the Tuna Autions take place.  It was pretty amazing to hear them shout, dance and sing with such energy at such an early time when most other people are sleeping in their warm beds.  The surrounding fish markets were pretty amazing too.  Everything was sold and I mean everything… Well, no Dolphin.. maybe.  Here is a video I took of the Tuna Auction madness!  (if you are going check the 2010 calendar to make sure it’s actually on >  red dot – tuna auction is not on)

Koenji snow

1st February – one day of snow in Tokyo

Gotsuii [Okonomiyaki] – Koenji

Kansai style Okonomiyaki restaurant in Koenji.

Gotsuii is Kansai dialect for “Awesome!”

The first time I went here was like walking into a toy shop when I was kid upstairs in Super Value in Monaghan/Ireland.  The walls are covered in retro toys, vinyl and old Japanese posters.  It really does blow the socks off every other retaurant in the Koenj.  The tables are kitted out with antique sewing machines, xylophones, small antique toys and pretty much anything they could get their paws on.  I recommend sitting at the xylophone table – here you need to play a song to get the staffs attention.  How cool is that?  Oh, I forgot to mention.  The food is absolutely unreal and it`s the best Okonomiyaki I have eaten to date.  Each dish is about 800 yen which might seem a little steep but they make it (layered style), cook it for you and place it infront of you when they are done.  Easy and delicious!

How to get here - 10 second walk past the Yonchome cafe towards OK supermarket.  It`s downstairs.   Japanese only menu.

My January soundtrack

Patrick Kelleher

Thanks to some very nice birthday and Christmas presents from home, my January soundtrack features a healthy dose of new（ish) Irish albums that I have missed out on over the year.  One of them has been getting heavy rotation on my mp3 player -  Patrick Kelleher / You Look Cold.  I was vaguely familiar of the name before I left but never really heard any of his music.  To be honest, I just assumed he was another singer songwriter which I normally stay clear of.  Patrick is not your average Irish singer/ songwriter though, he seems to play every instrument ever invented and the result is one of the most interesting, darkest, synth driven records I have heard from an Irish artist in a long time if not ever.  “Wonder” is a real stand out track for me, completely stripped of glitchy electronics, drum machines and made entirely from a reverby vocal, an acoustic and some hissy background noise.  It`s really hard to stop listening to this.   He supports Channel One on the 19th of March in the Button Factory/Dublin which really is something to wet your pants about.

Some other things I have been listening to:

Polvo – In Prism
Silver Fins – Untitled
Beach House – Teen Dream (this is just brilliant! Norway is my favourite song of the year already)
HenParty – LADS!
Bear In Heaven – Beast Rest Forth Mouth
Sunken Foal – Fallen Arches
Miracle Fortress – youtube videos/myspace
Twinkranes – Specktrumtheatresnakes
Adrian Crowley – Season of the Sparks
Atlas Sound – Logos
Black Robots – Zero One
Cryuff In the Bedroom – Young and Blind
Crystal Antlers – Tentacles
Eels – Hombe Lobo
Late of the Pier – Fantasy Black Channel
Omar Rodriquez Lopez  – Xenophanes
Pains of Being Pure at Heart – TPOBPAH
Horse Shoes – The Imperial School
Hunter Gatherer – I dreamed I was a footstep..
Jinx lennon – Trauma Themes Idiot Times
Joanna Newsom – Ys
Bats – Red In Tooth and Claw
Friendly Fires – Friendly Fires

Lockup – Monster Jail themed bar (Shibuya)

This is the most bizarre place I have ever been on a night out in Tokyo to date.  As we walk in, we (me, my sister and my mate from Melbourne/Ireland) are greeted by a big metal door surrounded by skulls, darkness, some crazy noises, strobes and a man in a electric chair rocking backwards and forth.  I have to say, it was all a bit weird and creepy.  When we finally reach the official entrance after a lot of strange doors, dodgy floors and booby traps we are put into handcuffs and chains by a seductively dressed female prison officer and we are led to our cell and the gate is slammed shut.  The menu had the usual snacks, finger foods and draft beers but it was the cocktail page that we were most interested in.  Special cocktails in test tubes, beakers, medicine jars, racks of pipettes, alcohol pills and syringes.  We sampled most of them and we decided not to eat at all!  We had some unexpected guests come into our cell during the night which scared the c**p out of us.  Here are some of the photos. ….

this is very strong sheeeet.

Walkie Talkie In The Cornfield – Last show

Our second gig and our last and I can’t wait to play.  Quite possibly the last time I get to play music here in Japan!  Who knows?!

Also, to celebrate the occasion we are releasing our songs for free here (fully tagged).

http://www.myspace.com/inthecornfield

Joanna Newsom – Tokyo – I can`t wait

I have seen some of my favourite artists play here since I arrived last March.  Beck and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs were big stand outs from my gig calendar.  However one of my favourtie artists of the past year and a bit, Joanna Newsom is visiting Tokyo early next month and it is also the last gig in Tokyo for me before I head off on my two week trip around Japan and then head home to Ireland.  I nearly wet my self when she announced her tour here so I snapped up a ticket for her 500 capacity show in Unit in yuppie paradise Daikanyama.  She is playing the following day in Waseda but I not sure what it is exactly.  I think it`s in an old house or something – I can`t find any information on this show.  This will be my first time seeing her and I have no idea what to expect so I am not going to get too excited just in case.  Her new album which is released next month is a triple disc which is a bit strange, so maybe each disc will have a theme or something!  I just hope she does not cancel her shows like she did last May!  pfft.  I am also heading to see Florence and the Machine a few days before this which I am now not so excited about as they have unfortunately gotten the Lady Gaga treatment over the past few months.  They seemed to have just exploded over here.  It`s kind of crazy how bands really make it big so fast.  I remember leaving a tent in September 2008 at Electric Picnic before Florence took to the stage and there was about 10 people there.  Strange eh!   

Here is Joanna`s Japanese tour -

2/6/10	Sunsui	Osaka		Japan
2/7/10	Unit	Tokyo		Japan
2/8/10	Scotthall Waseda	Tokyo		Japan

Brand new song – `81 here on the Drag City homepage or youtube.  Ridiculously good.

Mori Tower – Roppongi

Nightlife in Roppongi is probably the closest thing to a nightmare for me.  It’s just bad and not my idea of fun.  I was a bit dubious about my recent trip there to see the Medicine and Art exhibition in the Mori Museum but Roppongi is actually really nice during the day.  Insane architecture, small cafes, loads of great  museums and the best open air observatory I have been to in Tokyo.  What a view!

Also, this was in the elevator… I have no idea what it says but I want to know!  Something like “Don’t choke your dog in elevators”?  The little girls seems to be enjoying it all a little too much.

Harajuku – The Hello Kitty Brigade

I think I have seen it all in Harajuku now.  Extreme goths, Harajuku girls, Cosplay, Omotosando’s incredibly rare black rubber tanned girls and now this..  I call them the Hello Kitty Brigade.   A recent trend which is not exactly trendy and little bit on the rough side!  Just look at them posing for me as I passed.  I absolutely love their “yeah whatever, this place sucks.  I’m just too cool for this place” attitude.  Hello Kitty tracksuit anyone?