I Have a Finger to Shake

Hey yo hey,

Long time no see, m'friends. This means long post. I am here because I have no class now. WOO! 500 glassy staresssss a week sux. But it's harvest time now and the sake is fresh. Sushi is cheap. Sales are aplenty. In one department store chain, they play the Indiana Jones and Star Wars themes on a loop.　Never have I felt so accomplished finding that discount on fish egg spaghetti. Jesus, I love this place. I will only leave when they throw me out.

May I take some suggestions from you with the know? This is actually work related. A popular classroom activity is printing out lyrics to a song and then mixing them up so the kids have to listen to the song in class and arrange the verses in the correct order.

Green Day's When Semptember Ends has served me well so far. But does anyone have any other suggestions? My limitations are accents, slang and speed. Ixnay on the Brit punk and extended vocabulary. Even Bowie's diction is too difficult for them. Slow, simple American rock/pop works best. I have been toying with the idea of Ted Leo or the Barenaked Ladies.

Oh yes, I had a finger to shake.

What the F is this???

Ok, this is where I call Disney AND Japan into my office for a serious dialogue. Now I love Disney as much as the next Tavie but jesus. Japan is completely in love with Disney in ways that are unthought of. The more obscure the better. Songs from films I heard on shitty bootlegged videos covered by lukewarm Japanese punk bands. Dad has a word for this and it is DREK.

Yeah, that would SO sell here.

*siiigh*

November is the crunch month for Japan's music industry. The big names are readying new releases like a well-oiled machine. Quruli will release a new album and go on tour. Rapture! I want mooore, yes moooore! I am still on the prowl for their first album MoshiMoshi. The search continues. Hajime Chitose will have a new single. I hope it is in Uchinaguchi. But most importantly, I am a happy happy fiend...

Tokyo Jihen will release a new single on November 2nd. The title is "Shuraba" or "Scene of Carnage". I await this with optimistic anticipation. Tokyo Jihen's debut didn't thrill me and I honestly had little expectation for any future releases. Shiina, free to her own devices, still puts out quality work but Tokyo Jihen sounds like she's just doing the same thing as her critics' darling Karuki Zamen Kuri no Hana. Not that it sucked but I don't want just more of the saaaame. Well, the band recently lost and replaced two members. Maybe this will shake up the lizard mixture?

Dear Shiina Ringo,

Halt your obscure song covers now. Put down those jazzy lounge standards.
You have Kenichi Asai's phone number. Call him when you're ready to collaborate. Do it before I plotz. Love, Kirsten

Speaking of Kenichi (UNNNN) Asai two songs by the Sherbets have been dominating my Ipod of late. Lemon Lime (レモンライム) and HIGH SCHOOL. The Sherbets were less focused on putting out singles than they were about giving Kenichi free reign. That is why NO one has heard of them. Self-indulgence isn't always a bad thing. Especially when you've done your time. Lemon Lime begins simply with a pensive piano and moody guitar. It's got a Calvin Klein ad aesthetic I can't tire of. No, I have no idea why it is called Lemon Lime. I think all Japanese musicians just have a random title generator. HIGH SCHOOL pummels with pleasing violence, Kenichi shouting about high school woe more desperately than pissed off.

AHHHHHH! Why is Hyde's new album playing over the school PA? NONONO! BAD! Stop the mewling! AGHGHHHHHHHHHHHH! Hyde just wrote a hit single for a hit film and now the fucking thing is EVERYwhere.

Oh wait. They've stopped. Now it's Madonna's "Like a Virgin".

Sometimes I am deeply in love with the way this place makes me go WTF???