August 12th, 2006 postman left me this

postman was nice enough to open my front gate and hide the package by the wall. it was dark by the time i got home, and i only noticed when i sat at the front door untying my shoelaces.

jet set records hooray! i visit their site regularly, since i love browsing their recommendations, and listening to the samples (hint: you’ll get many more if you look it up in japanese).

inside the package: a canvas record bag (as in the first picture), the book of lists 7″, harvard - talkin and loud, hideki kaji - new pretty, and satoru ono - frankenstein. the records i pretty much picked these out on what i heard on the website.

but i am a longtime fan of hideki kaji. his sound is not dissimilar to swedish pop - but this time around has added electronic beats and dance sounds into his repetoire. at least he is trying something new after many years of making music, because a stagnating artist can soon be an earful bore.

i bought a copy from jet set because they were offering an exclusive 60min cdr interview with kaji-kun. mine is numbered 86/100, so maybe there aren’t many left?

spot the “orange juice” (band) tribute

harvard’s “talkin and loud” - general fun from japanese skater boys. not as well playing as the choice cuts in the samples indicated, but at least they seem less concerned with ‘the trendy sound of now’ as their debut. if there’s one thing i can’t stand, it’s emulating the popular sound for no real purpose than to fit in. still, fly (or fly) and i will take paris are driving rock songs, and a title like looks like chloe sevigny will get them notice wherever they go.

the biggest surprise is satoru ono, who does remind me of kaji, but his sounds come from anything and everything - hissing cheap tiny amps, shaken things, saxaphones. frankenstein is his debut album. where did he come from? no mention of previous bands, although he has been a support player for the tenniscoats and maher shalal hash baz. his influences include xtc, jellyfish, and swedish band eggstone, which go down well in my book. or my blog.
i realise i haven’t reviewed the book of lists 7″, but i am totally knackered after a long saturday at work and being out at dinner. next entry, promise!

and in honour of the webcam sitting on top of my computer (my mother’s really) here is another low resolution, colour distorted photograph. of myself. ha.

who needs a phone camera when you can have a webcam. same crappy pictures, one central location. and what did your mother tell you about vanity?!?