On the Boom: My Female J-Rock Primer #1
Just a few of my favourite female J-rock bands.
The debate surrounding gender inequality in music continues to rage on, especially in rock. But where female rock truly reigns supreme is in Japan.
Gaining prominence in the 1970s and 1980s with the likes of Shonen Knife, The 5, 6, 7, 8’s, MESCALINE DRIVE, GO-BANGS, Zelda and Princess Princess, the female J-Rock scene is one that continues to thrive, delivering a fun, infectious mix of unabashed kawaii, deft musicality and tomboy cool. It truly is about girl power, but not in that corny, heavily commodified sense.
What I especially love is that there’s no pressure to prove oneself; these girls just get on with it and let the tunes speak for themselves. Even J-Rock News declared the 2010s the ‘Decade of J-Rock Girl Bands.’
In no particular order, here are my Top 5 Female J-Rock picks:
1. Tricot:
When it came to discovering this band, I literally judged an album by its cover.
Back in 2013, I stumbled upon the Kyoto trio’s debut album T H E, where I was introduced to the wonders of math rock, employing a nervous energy combined with poppy hooks and unpredictable yet melodious rhythms.
Since 2010, the band has built a small but committed fanbase, earning praise from the likes of NME, Noisey, NPR and The FADER, and even supported The Pixies during their 2015 UK tour.
Tricot have gone on to release a whole slew of albums and EPs, including 2015’s A N D, the breezy, funk-inflected 3, 2016’s Kabuku, 2019’s Repeat, Makkuro and 10 in 2020, and Jodeki and Fudeki in 2021 and 2022, respectively.
Choice Tracks: ‘After School,’ ‘Break,’ ‘E,’ ‘Setsuyakuka,’ ‘On The Boom,’ ‘Munasawagi,’ ‘Pork Ginger,’ ‘Tokyo Vampire Hotel.’
2. TsuShiMaMiRe (TSMMR):
Hailing from Chiba, this trio are delightfully batshit, to say the least.
You like your ska to feel like you’re about to harvest a few souls for the Reaper? Give ‘Tea Time Ska’ a spin. Want a self-love anthem that celebrates being ‘fat and food-loving’? How about ‘American Hamburger? A gut-wrenching tale about a daughter longing for her fisherman father lost at sea? Try ‘Na-mellow (Nameru).’
Active since 1999, TsuShiMaMiRe, (an amalgamation of all three band members’ names) embrace the strange with their frenzied brand of art punk, inspired by the likes of Rage Against The Machine and even classical music while also addressing themes of food, sex and death in rather funny and disturbing ways.
As well as in Japan, the trio have also enjoyed moderate success in the US, performing at SXSW in 2004 and even opening for the Suicide Girls Live Burlesque Tour a year later.
In 2017, drummer Mizue Masuda left the band and was replaced by Maiko Takagi. TsuShiMaMiRe’s most recent album, Sake Mamire, was released in 2021, which includes such alcohol-related tracks as ‘Beer,’ SAKE,’ ‘Give Me Whiskey,’ Vodka War’ and ‘I Am a Wine.’
Choice Tracks: ‘Tea Time Ska,’ ‘Jaguar,’ ‘Human Coating,’ ‘Sex On The Beach,’ Speedy Wonder.’
3. Stereopony:
Occupying that sweet spot between power pop and early-era Paramore, Stereopony’s time was sadly short-lived after releasing just 11 singles and three albums, the Okinawa trio deciding to go their separate ways in 2011 after vocalist Aimi Haragumi underwent throat surgery to remove polyps.
But at least we still have the memories. Though polished, Stereopony’s sound is breezy and melodious, even leaning towards J-pop at times. But they fuel it with just enough tasty riffs to keep you coming back for more! You might’ve even heard them on your favourite anime, contributing their songs to the likes of Tegami Bachi, Bleach, Mobile Suit Gundam 00 and Eureka Seven AO.
Choice Tracks: ‘Stand By Me,’ ‘Hitohira No Hanabira,’ ‘I Am A Hero,’ ‘Okami,’ ‘Namida No Mukou.’
4. Chatmonchy:
Yet another band that’s since split, the Tokushima trio released their mini-album, Chatmonchy Has Come, in 2005. But it wasn’t until ‘Shangri-La’ was featured on the soundtrack to the 2006 anime Hataraki Man that the band finally started to gain a cult following.
A string of other singles followed over the next several years, though none of them ever reached the heights of ‘Shangri-La.’ They did, however, managed to score four Top 10 albums.
By 2011, drummer Kumiko Takahashi left the band, stating: ‘I’m losing my inspiration to move forward in music. That’s fatal to creating new music, and with the difference between me and Ecchan and Akkochan’s passions, I can’t make new songs while lying about my feelings,’ and while Chatmonchy went on to release three more albums as a duo, they eventually decided to disband in 2018.
Takahashi is now a poet and writer. Lead singer Eriko Hashimoto has since gone on to record her own material, while bassist Akiko Fukuoka has produced music for Osaka female duo yonige.
Choice Tracks: ‘Daidai,’ ‘Sekai Ga Owaru Yoru Ni’ ‘Caramel Purin,’ ‘Butterfly Fish,’ ‘Oyashirazu,’ ‘Bus Romance.’
5. SCANDAL:
OGs of the female J-Rock scene, SCANDAL have gone on to redefine what it means to be an all-girl band, telling Billboard Japan: ‘We like being called an “all-girl band.” People come up to us and say, “You’re not an ‘all-girl band’ anymore, you’re a rock band,” and we find that so weird. Who says you can’t play rock while also enjoying being women? It’s one of our themes as a band. I wish more people would accept all-female bands in a more positive way.’
Formed in August 2006, the Osaka quartet have built up a stellar catalogue of work, starting with 2008’s ‘Doll.’ Other notable singles include 2010’s ‘Shunken Sentimental’ (which appeared in Fullmetal Alchemist), ‘Sakura Goodbye,’ ‘HARUKAZE,’ ‘Doll,’ ‘Shoujo S’ and 2020’s ‘Living In The City.’
SCANDAL have since gone on to form their own record label called ‘her,’ and released their ninth studio album, A kiss from the darkness, in 2020. Their latest record, Mirror, was released last year via Japanese label Victor.
Choice Tracks: ‘Koisuru Universe,’ ‘Fuzzy,’ ‘Mabataki,’ ‘Platform Syndrome,’ ‘Pinheel Surfer.’
Honourable Mentions:
‘Oh Darling!’ – FliP
‘Nancy’ – BURST GIRL
‘BYE BYE’ – SHISHAMO
‘「LOVE TRIP」’ – The Peggies
‘Lucky’ – Lucie,Too
‘Glory’ – BAND-MAID
‘Dancer in the Hanabira’ – negoto
‘Slacker’ - yonige
‘OIRAN’ – NEMOPHILA
‘Yuryorenai’ – MUTANT MONSTER
‘Taking You Out’ – PassCode
‘Leaving’ – NEVE SLIDE DOWN
‘To The Town’ - Dialuck
‘To The Moon’ – Hump Back
‘IF A SURFER’ - Mass of the Fermenting Dregs
‘Hasharu Kids’ – Regal Lily
‘Double Fist’ – Thug Murder
‘Ms Downer’ - BRATS
‘Up To You’ – SILENT SIREN
‘Marionette’ – MARY’S BLOOD