New Music Scottish Bands Unsigned: japanese war effort
by Matthew
17 comments
Toad 2.0
The Japanese War Effort
Jamie, who is the Japanese War Effort, also plays bass in the Occasional Flickers, so he’s not entirely new to the scene around these parts. He is new to me however. I only heard about him when he got in touch to ask about playing a couple of songs during the open mic part of the Toad Christmas Party last week, so I’ve been familiar with his music for about, erm, a week perhaps.
His music struck me as a little odd, first and foremost. I thought it was okay, and certainly found it interesting, so I thought fuck it, why not pop him on the bill. After that was sorted I listened a little more and began to like this stuttersome, introverted music more and more. His performance on the night itself was a rather excellent combination of shyness and conviction, and the simple, insistent guitar playing rolled away underneath his peculiar, rambling monologues in a rather beguiling way.
It’s not pop music by any means, but it is strangely addictive. The recorded versions add layers of clicks and drones from the world of experimental electronica, filling out a slightly spooky mood. There may not be loop pedals involved, but there’s something rather David Thomas Broughton about it all.
He has an album, Snowbird, available on, erm, cassette and I would definitely recommend it. Having listened to it pretty constantly for the last week I have now decided that far from being strange, it’s really rather good. And strange. But good too.
The Japanese War Effort – Punk is Not Dead
The Japanese War Effort – Kocham Cie
Actually, if you go to the MySpace page there are links to download pretty much all previous stuff. There’s quite a lot of it, so I’ll be taking my time in the next few weeks to go through it all.
He made me smile a lot at your party – such an endearing character. Wasn’t sure how it would translate away from a little live set, but these sound great
Excellent, look forward to hearing more. I agree Shonagh, his guitar playing was lovely on the night. Plus he gets bonus marks for using the word poo in a song!
i like Jamie, he’s a nice lad…..bought one of the tapes…..but can’t find anything to play it on!!!!
I have a tape player – I’ll play it at our party on Saturday. Perfect disco music.
Tom, have you ever thought of going out for a bit & getting some fresh air?
Not on yer nelly. That will be in the Music Nazi suite upstairs. Downstairs is proper party music like madge and girls aloud this year. Not you slumped over the record player threatening anyway who wanted a change from Leonard Cohen with the removal and subsequent catering of their genitalia
he’s playing trampoline in february supporting glissando! should be a good one. hist stuff is excellent. and a top bloke too.
“Downstairs is proper party music like madge and girls aloud this year”
Is. It. Fuck.
There will be none of that shit in any house in which I live. I will fuck off to Trampoline and watch Rob and Withered Hand if you even try and pull any of that shit.
Cheers for the tip Drunk Country…..however, i did just that around hour ago…..felt a little sick around the gills, and did two rounds of Charlotte Square….feeling a whole lot better now thanks….
Or were you meaning something else?
I find cassette strangely reassuring.
I know it’ll never have a resurgence the same way vinyl has, but I think it has a certain tactile charm.
I listened to this album last night, and then the Plaaydoh single that came out on cassette.
And it made me very happy.
Plaaydoh make me laugh
I am going to pop the album on tonight on the old tape player and smile inwardly to myself at the inexorable onward march of technology. I still have loads of tapes, actually, I just need a USB input for the Mac so I can rip them. Rip in the digital sense, of course.
He made me smile a lot at your party
I thought that was just the cider..
I don’t touch the dubious Bowery cider anymore – too meaty! And it was before the Red Stripe took effect…
What about all those pints of ‘Bow we downed in the Wark before heading up to the Bowery?..
You know, when you ate all my chips…
You can download it here: http://www.winningspermparty.com/jwe