October 04, 2006
Guitar Wolf
Loud, fast, distorted garage punk - AND it's Japanese! Call my momma, I'm going to heaven.
Guitar Wolf. A band so cool, so unique, they created their own genre. They call it "Jett Rock 'n' Roll" . . . a combination of garage, punk, rockabilly, and noise rock, heavy on distortion to the point it's often nearly unintelligible. Heavily influenced by The Ramones and (by their own admission) Joan Jett, they have inspired a resurgence in the popularity of punk rock in Japan. And like The Ramones, they have adopted the band name into their own names. The lead singer/guitar player (Seiji) goes by the name "Guitar Wolf", the drummer (Toru) is "Drum Wolf", and of course, the Bass player (originally Billy) is "Bass Wolf". Billy died of a heart attack in 2005 and has been replaced by U.G.. Lyrically, assuming you can understand the lyrics or trust the translations, they have a healthy obsession with alcohol, sex, and UFO's (more on that later).The bands albums are a mixed lot, many are very poorly recorded and enjoyable only to fans. Listening to a CD rerelease of their first album, you can swear you hear the needle tracking in the vinyl. The beauty of Jett Rock is that you don't care! It's loud, fast, fun, and most importantly, it makes eardrums bleed. Matador records claims that their album Jet Generation is the loudest album ever recorded.
Guitar Wolf are best appreciated in their live shows. They often use an elaborate (for punk) stage show, including lighted banners and microphones that spew flame. Their shows are (of course) loud and energetic, and often times they band does not even stop between songs. They have been known to play an entire set without pausing. The band is always seen in their trademark black leather, sunglasses, and greased hair, often done up in rockabilly pompadours.
One of my favorite things about Guitar Wolf (and Japanes rock in general) is their tendency to mix Japanese and English in the same song. They do a great cover of Eddie Cochran's Summertime Blues in which all the verses are Japanese, except the titular line which is shouted in poorly enunciated English.
Why does Guitar Wolf get the CyberMonkey seal of approval? One exposure to these guys will convince you - they do it for the love of the music and the love of performing. These guys eat, sleep, and breathe rock'n'roll. The spirit of the music is what matters, not polished production, not record sales, not fame and popularity. They ROCK!
Oh, and by the way . . . they are also movie stars. The band play a rather prominent role in one of my favorite Japanese zombie films, Wild Zero, which includes scenes of their live performance (including the flame spewing microphones), Guitar Wolf fighting zombies using glowing guitar picks as shiruken, and a scene where Guitar Wolf (Seiji) destroys the UFO using his guitar. (What UFO? I thought this was a zombie movie?) It's Japanese, my friends . . . don't try to understand it, just enjoy it. Guitar Wolf is currently looking for financial backing for a sequel.
If you've never heard Guitar Wolf and want to check them out, you should probably start with some of their more professionally recorded albums, like Jet Generation and Loverock, before you try the more truely indie recordings. There is also a DVD available called Red Idol which includes live performances and videos. The DVD is very well produced, much better than some of the albums. And of course, check out the movie Wild Zero.
Guitar Wolf - "The World's Greatest Jett Rock 'n' Roll Band", is cooler than you are.