June 17, 2010

Indie Music Japan: 4 Bonjour's Parties


The third installment (1 and 2) exploring the indie music scene in Japan brings us 4 Bonjour's Parties.  A group of seven members based in Tokyo.  Their instruments range from your standard fare to wind instruments, glockenspiel, an accordion, and a sprinkling of samplers and synthesizers. 

In the above video, true to Vincent Moon fashion you can only play what you can carry.  The group roamed love hotel lined streets as they strummed their instruments and lent their intimate voices to  couples looking for an intimate time.

June 16, 2010

Indie Music Japan: Shugo Tokumaru (トクマルシューゴ)


Our second entry ( previous ) exploring indie music in Japan features  Shugo Tokumaru (トクマルシューゴ).  He is incredibly talented and has a beautiful voice.  If you think all the music in Japan is cookie-cutter J-Pop, you will be relieved to hear this his melodic voice.  Again, the filming was done by  Vincent Moon as part of the collaboration between La Blogotheque and Black XS.

June 15, 2010

Indie Music Japan: Lost and Found


I found this video on LaBlogotheque's Youtube channel, which is composed of single shot music video's of great mostly unknown (by me) groups performing out in public.  One of the guys behind this project is Vincent Moon, a Frenchman, with great sense when it comes to camera work and capturing a moment and emotion.  This particular video is part of a new series aimed at finding local groups all around the world.  The Japan section is particularly interesting to me.

Above is a video of Lost and Found, composed of one fair-voiced American man and four Japanese women, preforming two songs.  I particularly enjoyed the second one.  It was almost reminiscent of Belle & Sebastian.