As a rabid collector of music, it is not so odd for me so occasionally purchase albums that simply catch my eye, regardless of if I have previously heard the artist. I would say my success rate in such affairs is at about 50/50 which is not so bad considering what a rewarding experience it can be to take so blind a chance and discover something that I will listen to for many years to come.
In the summer of 2006, I took such a chance at a Tower Records in Tokyo, Japan. I had been in country for only a couple of days and had engrossed myself in music magazines and entertainment trades. This was, after all, a perfect place to take chances in that realm as I had almost no deep knowledge of music from the area. The few bands that I did know of had at least some success in the States, however small it may be, but to come across something truly Japanese, with no prior Western success, was my ultimate goal. I soon came across a picture of three young women standing in a field, dressed rather hip and for one reason or another, it reminded me squarely of Sleater-Kinney. And so as my other companions were busy searching for discs by American artists that hadn't yet been released State-Side, I went searching for the band in the picture. That band's name was Chatmonchy.
They are a three-piece rock band from the small island of Shikoku off of the southern coast of the main island and they can produce melodious, dance-inducing rock like no other. Their 2006 album Mimi Nari, is dripping with it. The guitars are crisp without sounding overproduced, the bass is thick enough to be felt in your chest with enough space left over for more complicated melodies when needed and the drums pack a wallop as they move with ease between simple dance rhythms and complex syncopation. Eriko Hashimoto's voice is alarmingly petite at first in comparison with American vocalists, but there in lies her strength for she does not let it hinder her, instead belting out harmony with as much passion as she can muster until her voice cracks. Our guide dismissed it as J-Pop, mainstream pop rock, but I have to disagree. While they do call Sony Music Japan home, their songs are full of far more fits and spasms than anything I have heard come out of the corporate works on this side of the water. If they ever did make it here, I believe they would remain just enough on the fringe gain respect from both the indie rock and mainstream crowds.
Since discovering them in 2006, I have followed them as closely as I can but finding stores that will bring in their albums has been difficult and I have shelled out some serious money for imports. Their output has mostly been in the form of singles, one of my favorites being "Shangrila," an infectious, uptempo dance-fest that follows the kinds of interrupted time signatures that I adore. But 2007 did see the release of another album titled Seimeiryoku that can actually be found on Amazon for a hefty price. February 4th of this year will see the release of another single, "Last Love Letter," which will we available on their website and as far as I can tell, the next album will be released March 4th and be titled Kokuhaku.
I eagerly await their arrival in the US, but I have yet to hear of such plans. My hopes had been raised ever so slightly by their initial push on myspace, but they have since dropped from the site as far as I can tell and I am once again resigned to the fact that I must travel to Japan if I ever want to see them. sigh.