Japan's Coolest Pop Act Pizzicato Five

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'Twiggy Twiggy' alone I would think would make them classic on idiot joy, but there is also sometimes a curious and quite subtle meloncholy in their lyrics, or the translations of.

― matthew james, Saturday, 23 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Whatever *did* happen to Shonan Knife?

I think Everett True should tell all.

― DavidM, Saturday, 23 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Ick! Cibbo Matto, Shonen Knife, Boredoms, Pizzicatto Five....it's all horribly jingoistic crap. No thanks.

― alex in nyc, Saturday, 23 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

At the risk of being grossly misinterpretted, let me clarify the above statement. I sort've object to much of the adoration towards these bands as if often smacks of derisive stereotyping. That sort've "oh, arent' they cute? They're trying to rock!" reaction, which I find a bit offensive. I don't think the members of Shonen Knife are trying to be perceived as a novelty or a joke, yet that is largely how they seem to be interpretted. Moreover, the purposely kitschy, wink-wink "irony"-fueled crap of Pizzicatto Five and -- most deplorably -- Cibbo Matto really puts me off my food. So pretetious, yet so devoid of merit. I respect the Boredoms for their singular aesthetic, but I have to confess that I don't enjoy their music in the slightest.

― alex in nyc, Saturday, 23 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

"I like Shonen Knife. They're fun"
"That's derisive stereotyping"
"I like Kiss. They're fun"
"Yes, they really rock, don't they"

― mark s, Saturday, 23 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Pizzzzza called it quits, no? I can't really enjoy'em cause I have been exposed to Amerika Mura: screaming teens and loud music played in second hand clothes shops. Eck!

― Stevie Nixed, Sunday, 24 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Cibo Matto take all the fun out of vacuity.

― tarden, Sunday, 24 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Whatever *did* happen to Shonan Knife?

Shonen Knife are still going, but one of them left the band a couple of years ago. They replaced her with, I think, one of their husbands or something, and some other guy on keyboards. They released an album called "Strawberry Sound" last year which I haven't heard.

― Chris Lyons, Sunday, 24 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Cibbo Matto kitschy and vacuous? It sounds like nobody bought their last album 'Stereotype A' which is, if anything, worryingly mature and deep.

― Momus, Sunday, 24 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Nothing cute about how the Boredoms rock, I don't think. That's the real deal there.

― Mark, Sunday, 24 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Actually once referred to "Shonen Spoon". True.

I probably wouldn't find them as much fun now as I used to, but I still adore "Happy Sad", shameless steal of the flute line from "The Hustle" and all. "Magic Carpet Ride" and "World Is Spinning At 45 RPM" = joy distilled.

But I'm not proud of what I was when I followed their aesthetic to its logical conclusion.

― Robin Carmody, Sunday, 24 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

= P5 referred to *as* Shonen Spoon, possibly by Everett True.

― Robin Carmody, Sunday, 24 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Alex - How do you justify linking 4 different bands working in entirely different musical styles on the basis of their race (and possibly the fact that they all have women involved)? What else do The Boredoms & Pizzicato Five have in common? And then accusing their fans of "derisive stereotyping"? I'm sure some people are attracted by the novelty factor of bands from Japan, and a lot of the press they get may be flavoured by the "how cute, they're trying to rock" attitude that you abhor. However, I think that music fans ultimately judge these bands on their own musical merit. If some people stereotype Asian women as being cute and childishly naive, that's they're own damn problem, not the bands'. Paternalistic "how cute they're trying to rock" attitudes crop up whenever a band is "rocking" in an unconventional way. I think a lot of the interest in the riot grrrl thing stemmed from the same sort of cultural voyeurism. "Trying to rock" implies that there is a right way to rock, this band is not following these rules & therefore must be doing it wrong. Which, of course, denies the artist any freedom to make up their own rules or toss out the rules all together. The same logic tells people that they if they like this music which is all wrong, then they must like it for all the wrong reasons. No-one could honestly actually like Shonen Knife because they write cool, smart, witty pop songs, right? No-one could actually respect them for being among the first independent rock bands from Asia to tour internationally? No, they're a joke. They get it all wrong. Bullshit. Jingoistic crap, indeed.

― fritz, Sunday, 24 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Fair point, Fritz. To be honest, I don't follow these bands, so perhaps I'm not qualified to answer this question in the slightest. My reaction was based on friends/acquaintances of mine who *DO* like them, and mention them all in the same sentence. In any event, I'm sorry if I've offended anyone with my statements. Sincere apologies.

― alex in nyc, Sunday, 24 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Alex - In fairness, I may have reacted a little strongly to your post. I'm just bothered by some stereotypes about Asian culture - and after rereading your post, I think you were also making the same point. Just different takes on the same issue - you criticizing those who celebrate those stereotypes and me criticizing those who can't see past them. Sorry if I flew off the handle.

― fritz, Sunday, 24 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

quit ethe opposite! there was, initially, a novelty factor in their referencing entirely different musics to our western cannon. kind of, "how fresh! they don't reference the beatles!". they're not unable but unwilling to rock - something like 'Roma' or 'Twiggy Twiggy' is a storm of joyfulness and a powerful beat.

― matthew james, Sunday, 24 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

I got a lot of pleasure out of Side A (and to some extent Side B) of the first (vinyl) disc of Happy End of the World. "It's a Beautiful Day" is a great song, like being in a scene at the end of a movie when you're on a seaside terrace and spinning your lover around while the credits roll. And I think there's something almost moving about "Fortune Cookie" off The Sound of Music. The execution's a bit off, but the seeds of something very sweet-natured are there.

Their other stuff, though, doesn't generally do much for me.

― Phil, Sunday, 24 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

The only qualm I have about classifying P5 as "great" --- not mindblowingly spectacular / important, but pretty great --- is the fact that their significance is pretty limited to a certain time period and a certain aesthetic, as evidenced by the fact that most of their stuff *already* sounds sort of dated. Perhaps you just had to be there and buying records in that particular vein as they came along. . . Regardless, I'd argue that their material was pretty wonderful at the time --- in about the same way that "So Tough" was wonderful at the time --- and they really do deserve some credit for popularizing, if not inventing, two worthwhile developments in mid- 90s indie: (a) the idea that electronically-based music could be bouncy and happy as opposed to dark and sultry, and (b) the big influx of non-rock rhythms and influences. (Was bossanova overrepresented in this influx? Surely. But the musical vocabulary of a demographic previously limited to the Velvet Underground, the Sex Pistols, and the Beatles really blossomed around this point.) Thus . . . classic. Classic like a piece of technology that seems revolutionary when introduced but quickly becomes quaint and dinky. The Commodore 64 of the 90s.

Funnily enough, my most-listened-to P5 record remains the "Happy End of You" remix album --- with great contributions by St. Etienne, 808 State, Oval, and Momus. (And no, that last one is not my way of kissing ass.)

And since they've been brought up, let me mention that the Boredoms' latest --- "Vision Creation Newsun" --- is just about the most fantastic thing I've heard this year. For all those who were dismissive of their earlier noise/funk/squall incarnations, please check in on them again --- much development there.

And I'd also mention that the kitschy / cute manner in which many people enjoy Shonen Knife is pretty similar to the kitschy / cute manner in which many people enjoy lots of non-Japanese or non-female bands---Cub and Busytoby come to mind.

Are we ready for the Cornelius C or D?

― Nitsuh, Monday, 25 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Yes, because I genuinely have no idea what I'll say in such a thread.

― Robin Carmody, Tuesday, 26 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

five years pass...

I want to finally hear this group, but where the heck do I begin??

― Jack Burton, Wednesday, 18 April 2007 06:38 (seventeen years ago) link

1995

― jaxon, Wednesday, 18 April 2007 06:49 (seventeen years ago) link

four years pass...

Happy Sad

― Wii man (admrl), Wednesday, 24 August 2011 18:23 (twelve years ago) link

still not sure where to start with these guys.

I dig the Hosono-produced debut, but the next 3-4 albums all left me cold outside of a couple tracks

I gather the later band is much different than the early one?

― frogbs, Wednesday, 24 August 2011 18:28 (twelve years ago) link

two years pass...

Trying to DL "Playboy Playgirl" cos i bought it when it came out and lost it over ten years ago and haven't heard it since! I'm excited!

Playing Katamari Damacy got me back in the mood for Shibuya-kei stuff, I have to admit.

― Emperor Cos Dashit (Adam Bruneau), Wednesday, 1 January 2014 16:22 (ten years ago) link

one month passes...

There needs to be a complete P5 box set. All the music, all the videos. I'd pay good money for such a thing.

― EZ Snappin, Wednesday, 12 February 2014 16:20 (ten years ago) link

Mercy, me too!

― MaresNest, Wednesday, 12 February 2014 17:22 (ten years ago) link

five years pass...

I'm so annoyed they only have one album on Spotify ("Playboy & Playgirl") and their release history is so convoluted what w/ all of these Matador rerecordings and repackagings. I guess I should just download all of their albums as they were released in Japan and start from the beginning?

― vision joanna newsom (Stevie D(eux)), Wednesday, 13 February 2019 18:50 (five years ago) link

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Japan's Coolest Pop Act Pizzicato Five - Classic or Dud?