Pontiacs-Brand New Cadillac

 My baby drove up in a brand new Cadillac
My baby drove up in a brand new Cadillac
She said, "Hey, come here, Daddy!"
"I ain't never comin' back!"

Baby, baby, won't you hear my plea?
C'mon, sugar, just come on back to me
She said, "Balls to you, Big Daddy."
She ain't never coming back!

Baby, baby, won't you hear my plea?
Oh c'mon, just hear my plea
She said, "Balls to you, Daddy."
She ain't coming back to me

Baby, baby drove up in a Cadillac
I said, "Jesus Christ! Where'd you get that cadillac?"
She said, "Balls to you, Daddy."
She ain't never coming back!

Pontiacs playing old The Clash classic..damn Osiris that looks fun. Pretty rare video too, I mean for Benzie to cover someone else..and for Terui to use the mic other than his occasional 'warcry' in BJC. You can tell the crowd's surprised reaction when he started singing. Pretty sweet..next he's just gotta lose that stupid beret and stop hiding all that awesome inks on his body..

..video's quality is kinda low though..

Jude-KiKi

Just stumbled upon this awesome song from Asai Kenichi's band Jude. That piano bit from Qumico Fucci at the opening is just killer man! There are reasons why she is Asai's main keyboardist for so many songs, her creativity with melody is borderline genius.

At first I felt weird for not recognizing this song, because I had in my possession all Jude's albums. Then I remember one of Asai's trick-he likes to hide a few of his gems in small singles. For example; let see.. in BJC we got the Pepin single which include-Pepin, I love Tokyo and Cosmos. This 3 songs, powerful enough to be  chart-toppers, stay hidden without any album treatment save Pepin with its PV.

But if we think the other way  maybe he got so many song in his head he wont bother to release a song twice like many other artist-you know, the "single" version and the "album" version. A shame though, for casual listener wont hunt for the singles as the die hard fans would. So in a word, these hidden gems is probably Asai's secret gifts for his hardcore fans/collectors. 

Blankey Jet City-Pepin single

Jude-Silvester & Johnny K single


So now I'm off to hunt all his singles, but if you want to watch any of Asai Kenichi's video I would suggest this youtube channel. This guy obviously obsessive abaout Asai Kenichi..maybe more than I do. Even the channel name is a reference to him!

No38special2

Swan Song

Blankey Jet City-Saturday Night single

This song always very special to me. It perfectly captured the raw intensity of early BJC material and the sleekness of their later era. The perfect final song indeed.

The Pontiacs

Their first single; Galaxy Head Meeting/Shinjuku. Full album will be out on 3.11.2010.

Download



 The Pontiacs..
Though however great they will be, I cant help but think of them as a softcore version of BJC. Why, with only just one member change they can resurrect the one of most colossal rock band this side of the globe. I dont think BJC's member bear any bad blood with each other..not unlike certain band..cough!!systemofadown!cough!!
Now where was I..yes.. Asai Kenichi had played the bass(now thats rare) on Nakamura Tatsuya's first Love Shop Losalios album, prove he was in a good term with the drummer. Nakamura and Terui also was  members of an avant-garde band Twin Tails(plus another violinist)..which says they is also on good term.

So why not BJC then?

Maybe Asai is afraid(or not prepared) to mess with the ghost of his old legacy. I remember Sherlock Holmes once said "The rare quality of a good artist is the knowledge of when to stop."..or something to that effect. And I am compelled to ask him when they should start again.
The same case can also be said with Chiba Yusuke's band The Birthday. With Imai Akinobu's withdrawal, and I never really like the guy, I think his solos are pretty weak; Chiba insist of going on with only 3 members.

Which imply he himself will be the main axeman..

This singular idea gave me an equal, that is 45:55 ratio, of curious excitement and dreadful horror.   

For real..Chiba..?
I remembered countless time I tried to search and isolate his guitar from the magnificently-tangled sonic web of TMGE's song."Well the guy standing there strumming a guitar, the must be a sound of it somewhere." And then I remembered meeting countless time of failure, and came to a frustrated conclusion that either

his volume is too damn slow; or his part is too unsignificant;

or we are dealing with a modern case of John Simon Ritchie/Sid  Vicious, that sometime I prefer it when he pick up the tambourine than his Gretcsh. Though I prefer it more when he blows his harp, I wish he do it more often.

Back to the original question. If only The Birthday kick the bassist, and I never really like that guy, save the bassline in Stupid; and install back Ueno Koji(again, just one member change) we will get a semi-reunion of TMGE. Of course the full reunion will be completely absurd. Though the image of a skeleton swinging a guitar might be awesome in the mind of many, on actuality it is really troublesome for there will be many breach of laws and protocols; The Simple Protocols of Life and Death, the Law of Darwinism and most Theology, to name a few...that some say it is borderline illegal.  


ps:Now, you see God..not only the reunion of this 2 bands bring joy and glad to millions of fans around the world, they will also, on further thought, bring some consolation to the irreparable damage that MTV brings to the music of this age.


pss:It also save me the troubles to pay for the down-payment for the time machine from the mad plumber the next door.


Yours Truly,
ME

WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED TO MY COOL CRASS FONT??

I forgot how I did it in the first place..
Damn..
you..

Anyway I found a video which I suspect may be the first ever Blankey Jet City Pv.
Just look at their proud face at the end of the vid..

Priceless..

 Kurutta Asahi & Cat Was Dead

Dad Mom God, The Pontiacs

It seem that two of my bass gods finally get themselves some high-profile gig recently..




1. Ueno Koji( ex-TMGE, Radio Caroline), current bassist for the Hiatus and Muto Syohei solo project has join the band 'DAD MOM GOD'. It is a solo project from ex-TSPO Tatsuyuki Hiyamuta which featuring many veterans of Japanese rock scene like Junji Ikehata(Rock n Roll Gypsies), Masaki Mori (EGO-WRAPPIN’), and Dub Zombi (SOIL & “PIMP” SESSIONS). This might be a shortlived side project though, as Tatsuyuki Hiyamuta is currently..how do you say this.. only on hiatus from TSPO. He is focusing on recovering his leg injury that he got couple of years back in a Thailand car accident. Due to heavy local and worldwide touring schedule of TSPO, his leg never fully recovered. The band's debut album 'Poem Like a Gun'-produced by Asai Kenichi's Sexystones Record-sound a bit like TSPO familiar territory of highly energetic ska-rock-jazz. But with lesser member, the band's sounds appear less messy, simpler and more focused.

And more volume.

Download
Poem Like a Gun

First Single-'Kicking for Kicks'

"No one try to do something, anyway!!"

2. Terui Teshuyuki( ex-BJC, Rosso) is finally reunited with his old comrade-in-arm Asai Kenichi in a new band The Pontiacs. Thats right people, 2/3 of Blankey Jet City creative muscle once again resurrected from the depth of Hades to blow our mind with their destructive Rock n Roll tunes. WAHAHAHAHA!!!Okay..thats a bit overdramatic.
Unfortunately the band currently only produced one single-'Galaxy Head Meeting'- and I cant get my filthy-downloading-hand on them yet, so you guys just gonna have to wait.

The Pontiacs-Teaser Preview

"Do you ever wonder what you're doing with your life? Do you ever lay awake at night, and stare at the stars with your headphones on? Do you ever feel like you can do more with your life, and the rules are holding you back? If you wake up for your 9-5 just to come back home for beer and TV, then The Pontiacs are not talking to you.

The curve of the guitar body, the faded polish of the neck, the hum of the tube amp, the rattle of fingers sliding down the neck, the vibration of the kick drum hitting your chest, the glisten of sweat off the mic., the intense stare of three musicians losts in sound. These are....The Pontiacs."

Blankey Jet City

I cant believe I never put a post for Blankey Jet City. Even as a hardcore fan of TMGE that I am, I got to admit that 90's Japan belong to Asai Kenichi and his comrades. The trio-Asai Kenichi(vo/gtr) ,Terui Teshuyuki(bass) and Tatsuya Nakamura(dr.) first stirred the public when they won the Ikaten Grand Prix, a television show for amateur ' battle of the band' in 1990. They got signed with Toshiba-EMI shortly after and off to London to record their debut " The Red Guitar and The Truth".

Blankey Jet City bring the image of cool bad boys. . However Blankey's true strength is in their sound. Its core- a powerful, raw rock n roll spirit beautifully fused with a perfect portion of blues and jazz and rockabilly. Asai Kenichi is truly a certified guitar genius, nailing that sound unthinkable by others but a select few, the like of Jimmy Hendrix or BB King.
This was a fearless Japanese band with something to say. “Going to Disneyland”, was about “cold people” on what should have been a fun trip, captured the spirit of a dehumanized society. "

This band had been disbanded in 2000, with all member going different direction with their music. Asai Kenichi with his Sherbets, AJICO and Jude project, Terui Teshuyuki with Raven, Rosso and Joe Spider/Jim Brown, and Tatsuya Nakamura with his band Losalios.

Blankey Jet City - To Disneyland