Japan Nite
SXSW showcase reviews
Reviewed by Dan Oko, Fri., March 19, 2010
Japan Nite
Having conquered American baseball, the land of the rising sun has long set its eyes on yet another American distraction: rock & roll. The lovely ladies of JinnyOops!, touring as a trio after losing their horns last year, poured it on a bubble-free set that rocked Runaways hard. The wonder-twin powers of vocalist/guitarist Mituyo Ishibashi and backup vocalist/bassist Chihiro Ishida collided particles and looks borrowed from both Joan Jett and Björk. Loaded with Bad Brains thrash, JinnyOops! threw down dance beats, played their single "Toki," and pleaded with the crowd to buy the album. The sixpiece genre-bending Riddim Saunter swung with brass and a flute, adding to their jazziness; bandleader Keishi is a force to be reckoned with, and his bright falsetto on a strangely faithful cover of Joni Mitchell's "Big Yellow Taxi" was a thing of beauty. Their club-ready "Point of No Return" channeled MGMT. By the time the faux-bro four of Okamoto's arrived, the house was filling. Led by Shou Okamoto, an obvious and talented student of Jagger-like dance moves, the garage act killed with the Detroit-worthy "M Song," "Insane Man," and "Run Run Run." Keep an eye on these kids. Our meter was up as all-female conceptual punk trio Red Bacteria Vacuum filled the space with their strain of weirdness. "Hi Austin," they chimed. "You so weird. We weird. We keep you weird."