Category Archive for Visual Kei + Music
HANGRY & ANGRY BAND: JAPANESE POP PUNK & GOTHIC LOLITA GROUP FROM H.NAOTO.
Paris denim brand April77 launched a record label; UK’s Rodnik started a rock band with Peaches Geldof. Now, Japan’s h.NAOTO is getting into the musical act… with the emphasis on “act.” The designer roped in two former Morning Musume members, Hitomi “Yossie” Yoshizawa and Rika Ishikawa, to play his Goth/punk kitty mascots Hangry & Angry (above).
The group’s marketing budget must be as huge as the vocalists’ spiky hair. Last November, Hangry & Angry’s 5-song album “Kill Me Kiss Me” was released in both Japan and America. (Reader Dragonswyng even found their CD in Hot Topic! ) The group made its American debut last month at Seattle’s Sakura-Con, and a Japan-USA-Europe tour is in the works.
Of course, the group is a marketing device for h.NAOTO’s Hangry & Angry clothing line (which will likely be in American stores this year). And why not? Fashion is a business, not a notepad of pretty sketches.
But to me, Hangry & Angry lacks… anger. Heart; passion; whatever you’d like to call it. Everything is too perfectly calibrated: the girls are edgy yet cute, the single is punky-catchy and throws in some English words, and there’s even a nod to eco-awareness (the cats “came from the H44 Star Nebula in order to save the world from global warming.”)
The campaign appears to target the Hot Topic / emo / “vampire kids” set. And I use these terms without judgment – I think Hangry & Angry is a great fit for this (lucrative) young market. But is manufacturing a band the best way to present the brand? Personally, I think h.NAOTO’s designs speak for themselves…
… and I don’t have much to say about their music. What do you think? Is Hangry & Angry a quick gimmick? Will it make an impression in the States?
Song of the Day #21: Hangry & Angry – Kill Me Kiss Me
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THE CABINETS: LOLITA PUNK BAND FROM JAPAN, SWEET LOLI MEETS HARDCORE MUSIC.
Reader Trashtastika alerted me to one of her favorite Japanese bands, The Cabinets. Four dirty punk rockers sandwiching a Sweet Lolita? I was instantly intrigued.
The story began over two decades ago; The Cabinets were an all-male hardcore unit that evolved into Beat Punk before calling it quits in 1989. Last year, the band re-united with a new musical direction (Lolita + Punk) headed by pretty vocalist Mikako. The Cabinets’ first EP, “Pierrot,” is now on sale in Japan.
I discovered an interview with the band on Ambi-Japan (the website is currently down). Here are excerpts, which I’ve translated from French.
Q: The Cabinets has been on hiatus for a long time. Why have you returned to making music?
A: We think that punk music is now a rarer genre, so we wanted to give a new life to our music.
Q: And why did you invite a girl to join you?
A: In the 80s, there was a new wave of culture; punk groups had a lot of Lolita fans, but today, they listen to Visual Kei. So we want to bring Lolitas back to Punk. Our Lolita also adds liveliness to our group.
Q: What does Mikako bring to your band?
A: Mikako is a respectful and cultured Lolita with a distinctive voice. Her presence is important for our group at the present time.
Q: You’re entering the world of Sweet Lolita; how do you mix this with your old musical style?
A: We think Lolita culture is an antithesis to popular culture. In this way, it’s a lot like Punk culture.
Q: Are many of your fan-girls Lolitas?
A: Yes. The number of our Lolita fans, both in Japan and worldwide, grows every day.
Q: What are your plans for the future?
A: We always want to put 1980s Punk and Lolita style at the forefront.
Q: Do you want to tour around the world?
A: Yes, we’d love to travel worldwide and play at outdoor festivals.
Q: A word for your fans?
A: We love you all! Thank you for supporting us!
Song of the Day #16: The Cabinets – Pierrot
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