The Novembers are a Japanese alternative rock band formed in 2005 who have released 8 albums and an assortment of singles and EPs so far. Their sound is unique and complex far beyond what you would expect from so few instruments, reminding me of Pink Floyd or Brian Eno. Their acknowledged musical influences include David Bowie, Einstürzende Neubauten, Siouxsie And The Banshees, Jesus and Mary Chain, L’Arc～en～Ciel, Erik Satie, Stereolab, Nam June Paik, The Flaming Lips, and a host of other truly creative folks. They just released “TOUR Romancé” LIVE AT STUDIO COAST, and I thought this might be a good time to share a few tracks from them. The first one is Romancé, the title track of their current endeavor, the next is Xeno from the same project, the third is their 2014 release Meursault and the last is The Iron Dream from 2013. That was the same year they formed their own music label MERZ (not that you can do anything on that web page without a set of the deeper links), and a year after their music became available on iTunes. These are only a few of the songs they have to offer, if you enjoy any of these continue to explore their collection, you will find a lot more to like.
When Taka (of One OK Rock fame) decided this was a band he liked so much he wanted to create music with them/her, I figured it was time for me to check them out. The band is Against The Current, which has manifested in a number of different ways over the past 4 years. But it boils down to the talents of Chrissy Costanza and whoever is working with her this time, with Alex Goot managing to keep up with her for a few years, and an assortment of other talented people. The Duet with Taka comes first, of course…
Wye Oak played quite a tasty set when they were on KEXP last month, and after the 15th time I went back and re-listened to it I realized I needed to share it. The band is a couple of very interesting people from Baltimore, MD, named Andy Stack and Jenn Wasner, who have had tracks included in shows like The Walking Dead and the US version of Being Human. Check out this performance and see if you don’t also conclude they are worth tracking down and hearing in person.