Speaking of diversity, how do you feel about bands from other countries? Bands that sing in languages other than English, I mean. When I was younger, I took a sort of secretive delight in listening to, say, Rammstein or Megaherz or Oomph! -- not only did I love the music, but searching out translations of the lyrics gave me sort of a thrill, like I'd deciphered a code, like I was privy to a secret, like I could speak German.
Oomph! - Die Maske
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Now, though, it's different. Not that I don't still enjoy the Neue Deutsche Härte (although Rammstein's career has been in the crapper for the last two albums and is, if you ask me, probably there to stay), but I feel differently about lyrics in music now. Not just non-English lyrics, either. I think my days of being "spoken to" by song lyrics are mostly over -- music just isn't the format where I find the kind of writing that really moves me, apart from the odd well-turned phrase -- and unless there's something about a song that really makes me want to sing along, I usually don't pay much attention to lyrics at all.
In a way it's also not-different, though, because I still listen to non-English-speaking bands. Today I'd like to introduce you to one of them. They're from Japan, and they call themselves Ogre You Asshole (hereafter abbreviated OYA for the sake of those of you with sensitive sensibilities).
OYA - また明日
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I don't have a lot of information about OYA because, well, the problem with Japanese bands is, their websites are frequently in Japanese, which I can't read. There's some stuff about them on Wikipedia, though.
OYA - クラッカー
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What I can tell you (and what you'll have heard for yourself by now) is that they're... sort of like... happy math rock? That's not very math-y? I don't know. I'm terrible with genre descriptors, mostly because I believe they're a lot of foolishness -- the dogma of the religion that is music -- and I think people sometimes get too bogged down in bandying around labels and forget to tell each other what the music is actually like. Anyway, I say "math rock" because I hear echoes of, say, Frodus in their rhythms and in the way the guitar parts sometimes twine around each other. Here, let me play you a Frodus song (and with my luck, probably inadvertently disprove my own point).
Frodus - Out-Circuit the Ending
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Hear what I mean? Sort of? Okay, so but I say "happy" because Frodus overall has more of an angsty sound. OYA just sound like they're having a good time. I imagine it'd be hard not to dance at one of their shows, and I'm an inveterate non-dancer. I mean, come on. If you don't at least feel your face breaking into a smile listening to these songs... invite some friends over, have a drink or two, and give 'em another spin.
OYA - ロボトミー
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I hope some of this music has moved you. If not, bear with me for a total about-face: I promise my next post'll be about moody music to sulk and stare at the wall to -- not so much because I think you do that, but because I know I do.
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