https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-Nfjg1HU2A
― _Rudipherous_, Monday, 14 December 2009 00:36 (fourteen years ago) link
Well, if you needed video evidence that this band is operating on a level beyond most conceptions of "levels."
― Brad Nelson (BradNelson), Monday, 14 December 2009 00:42 (fourteen years ago) link
ZAZEN BOYS II is, incidentally, sometimes my favorite record, all rhythmic abandon and occasional Prince references ("You Make Me Feel So Bad").
Also this thread needs more videos.
― Brad Nelson (BradNelson), Monday, 14 December 2009 00:45 (fourteen years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlvwVu9efq4
I think everything is the "best thing ever" but I sometimes am really convinced that this is the best music video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-ZjYq8-SHw
― Brad Nelson (BradNelson), Monday, 14 December 2009 00:47 (fourteen years ago) link
This song and video convinced me long ago that I was destined to let ZAZEN BOYS forever pollute my blood. It is basically a math rock song but it'll break your brain.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OyY4FL7ztDE
― Brad Nelson (BradNelson), Monday, 14 December 2009 00:54 (fourteen years ago) link
Zazen Boys II is my fav from them. Himitsu Girl's top secret too. Mukai's the man
― kaitokid05, Thursday, 17 December 2009 07:28 (fourteen years ago) link
zazen boys are great! though perhaps cause "weekend" was the first thing i ever heard by them, i preferred IV and was more put off by their earlier, harder stuff.
― messiahwannabe, Thursday, 17 December 2009 07:53 (fourteen years ago) link
all right, i was embarrassing in 2009
anyway, hope there's a zazen boys record in 2012. did anyone check out the kimonos record from 2010 (mukai shutoku's collaboration w/ leo imai)? sort of talking heads/police-ish style, with synth darkness
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CiMiq45_VfA
― Whiney vs. (BradNelson), Friday, 10 February 2012 16:39 (twelve years ago) link
Number Girl were way better.
― queequeg (peter grasswich), Friday, 10 February 2012 18:25 (twelve years ago) link
probably!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDov0DF2pZ4
― Whiney vs. (BradNelson), Friday, 10 February 2012 18:34 (twelve years ago) link
oh, another awesome thing about the kimonos record is it contains this yellow magic orchestra cover
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gi8futLRbM
― Whiney vs. (BradNelson), Monday, 13 February 2012 01:22 (twelve years ago) link
well not ymo exactly but haruomi hosono. close enough
Whoa!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYG5jU_GilY
― _Rudipherous_, Wednesday, 16 May 2012 22:05 (eleven years ago) link
shiina sings a bunch of the backing vocals on zazen boys ii as well
― Whiney vs. (BradNelson), Wednesday, 16 May 2012 22:13 (eleven years ago) link
I knew there was some connection (I don't really know my Zazen Boys as much as I would like) but I wasn't expecting this. It's the total package. For example, the generic background music is ridiculous.
― _Rudipherous_, Wednesday, 16 May 2012 22:15 (eleven years ago) link
number girl is shiina's favorite band, and there was a shiina tour where she formed a pre-tokyo jihen band with number girl guitarist tabuchi
― Whiney vs. (BradNelson), Wednesday, 16 May 2012 22:34 (eleven years ago) link
favorite song is RIFF MAN
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfaA9sH_xo8
and especially in the live version, when they finally drop the direct reference to the original inspiration -- watch from 4:00
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5OGe47h_JU
― Milton Parker, Wednesday, 16 May 2012 23:06 (eleven years ago) link
(Anything (of any type, musically speaking) you think I would like from 2012, Milton? It's been pretty dry for me but I haven't been looking that hard either.)
― _Rudipherous_, Thursday, 17 May 2012 00:01 (eleven years ago) link
(At least tissue box design seems to be thriving.)
― _Rudipherous_, Thursday, 17 May 2012 00:04 (eleven years ago) link
If you like this track, the entire album is guaranteed to sustain your interest
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xN09THSNo_k
― Milton Parker, Thursday, 17 May 2012 04:53 (eleven years ago) link
That's really something.
― _Rudipherous_, Thursday, 17 May 2012 14:20 (eleven years ago) link
New Zazen Boys:
http://soundcloud.com/matsuristudio/zazen-boys-potato-salad
At no listen, it sounds kind of like a return to a little more of an edge (after 4) but with sweet electronic or keyboard sounds in the mix, kept on from 4. But I'm not the expert some of you are.
Mmmm. This is pretty good.
― _Rudipherous_, Monday, 3 September 2012 17:00 (eleven years ago) link
new album's out on the fifth and i may just import the thing
― emo canon in twee major (BradNelson), Monday, 3 September 2012 17:02 (eleven years ago) link
although i remember buying zazen boys 4 on itunes pretty much the day it came out, hope there's a similar thing planned for this release
― emo canon in twee major (BradNelson), Monday, 3 September 2012 17:05 (eleven years ago) link
I feel like I should buy a geiger counter before I import anything from Japan. Not trying to be obnoxious, I seriously think it's potentially that bad. You can't have all that radiation constantly being released.
― _Rudipherous_, Monday, 3 September 2012 17:08 (eleven years ago) link
Just found this while looking for the song on youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mVpGmoES3w
Oddly I could see this working as a Jpop song!
― _Rudipherous_, Monday, 3 September 2012 17:13 (eleven years ago) link
OSCA style dance moves.
― _Rudipherous_, Monday, 3 September 2012 17:16 (eleven years ago) link
That's actually kind of scary to watch.
― _Rudipherous_, Monday, 3 September 2012 17:17 (eleven years ago) link
Way beyond OSCA dance moves, actually. I hadn't seen that much of it when I said that.
― _Rudipherous_, Monday, 3 September 2012 17:21 (eleven years ago) link
THIS ALBUM RULES
― emo canon in twee major (BradNelson), Tuesday, 11 September 2012 04:36 (eleven years ago) link
GET DRUNK AND LISTEN TO THIS ALBUM
http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/stories/id559888590
This is pretty good, but the vocals just get too annoying after a while, which is my main problem with the Zazen Boys. Otherwise, they sometimes hit some really nice, maybe fresh, combinations of timbre and rhythm.
― _Rudipherous_, Monday, 1 October 2012 14:50 (eleven years ago) link
So far I don't think there's anything else on here as good as "Potato Salad."
― _Rudipherous_, Monday, 1 October 2012 14:53 (eleven years ago) link
aha i think most of the record is better than "potato salad"
― emo canon in twee major (BradNelson), Monday, 1 October 2012 15:56 (eleven years ago) link
Hmmm.
― _Rudipherous_, Monday, 1 October 2012 15:59 (eleven years ago) link
"a morning of bursting sound" especially, which has this whole rising action aspect that reminds me of '90s emo
― emo canon in twee major (BradNelson), Monday, 1 October 2012 16:01 (eleven years ago) link
'90s emo
My favorite. No, no, I'm sure it could be good as re-purposed by Zazen Boys.
― _Rudipherous_, Monday, 1 October 2012 16:02 (eleven years ago) link
You're so obviously influence by McKuen!
― _Rudipherous_, Monday, 1 October 2012 16:06 (eleven years ago) link
shoot i hate to be wrong
― emo canon in twee major (BradNelson), Monday, 1 October 2012 16:08 (eleven years ago) link
"Morning of Bursting Sound" reminds me more of some sort of pretty well done 80s fusion by bands whose names I've mostly forgotten now. Plus vocals, obviously.
― _Rudipherous_, Monday, 1 October 2012 20:19 (eleven years ago) link
Although for some reason I like the brief moment when his voice gets very John Lydon like on this.
― _Rudipherous_, Monday, 1 October 2012 20:21 (eleven years ago) link
I have to admit "Morning of Bursting Sound" is growing on me a bit. It has an epic feel to it.
― _Rudipherous_, Wednesday, 3 October 2012 14:31 (eleven years ago) link
I'm liking this a bit more at this point, but possibly because I am letting it sit in the background more when I listen to it. And since "Ankokuya" just came on, let me mention that it reminds me, particularly in its rhythm section, really specifically of parts of Fred Frith's Speechless.
― hello, I just had a quick question? (_Rudipherous_), Monday, 22 October 2012 14:58 (eleven years ago) link
this record is so good. starting to consider it my favorite of theirs
― emo canon in twee major (BradNelson), Monday, 22 October 2012 16:16 (eleven years ago) link
oh hell this is on spotify http://open.spotify.com/album/1g3QRORSzdLU6E00Iuo2wG
people get on this!
― emo canon in twee major (BradNelson), Monday, 22 October 2012 16:31 (eleven years ago) link
I know there is at least a handful of people here who would like this if they checked it out. Getting them to check it out is another matter.
― hello, I just had a quick question? (_Rudipherous_), Monday, 22 October 2012 17:17 (eleven years ago) link
Re-listening to 4, why don't these guys make more records?? They tour all the time, tsk....
― MaresNest, Friday, 22 September 2017 21:16 (six years ago) link
When you revived this I hoped it was because they'd announced something :(
― ultros ultros-ghali, Saturday, 23 September 2017 10:08 (six years ago) link
Sorry! :) This is the closest thing of late anyway.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8WU-Jx3Ha0
― MaresNest, Saturday, 23 September 2017 10:19 (six years ago) link
Yes, they're one of the groups you've introduced me to, I don't listen to a large amount of hiphop but I like how awkward and lopsided their beats can be (I know the above isn't the best example of that)
― ultros ultros-ghali, Saturday, 23 September 2017 10:39 (six years ago) link
miss these dudes. from what i can tell from their website, the bassist left the band (again) :\
― flamenco drop (BradNelson), Thursday, 26 April 2018 12:57 (five years ago) link
still the greatest music video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsuyY5MTM_E
― flamenco drop (BradNelson), Thursday, 26 April 2018 12:58 (five years ago) link
first NUMBER GIRL thread, i think?
― Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Thursday, 14 March 2019 18:48 (five years ago) link
spending today remembering how rad stories is
― american bradass (BradNelson), Thursday, 31 October 2019 14:26 (four years ago) link
i like to think i am constantly checking their youtube for new material but i guess i'm not? because kimonos did this remote cover of "this must be the place" a month ago that is absolutely destroying me rn
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hwk165YkJuo
there are also some live videos they uploaded last year ;_;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wcu19bg9CIc
― mellon collie and the infinite bradness (BradNelson), Saturday, 13 June 2020 01:56 (three years ago) link
god that live performance is fucking phenomenal
― mellon collie and the infinite bradness (BradNelson), Saturday, 13 June 2020 02:00 (three years ago) link
zazen boys ranked:
4 / i don’t wanna be with youstories2 3 / himitsu girl’s top secret 1
― STOCK FIST-PUMPER BRAD (BradNelson), Sunday, 6 March 2022 18:28 (two years ago) link
New album!!!
Translation warning but you'll get the gist.
ZAZEN BOYS ' new album "Land" will be released on January 24, 2024.
This album, released for the first time in 11 years and four months since the previous album ``Stories'', includes a total of 13 songs, including new songs ``Barracuda'', ``Greetings to Tchaikovsky'', and ``Eternal Girl''. Regarding this work, Hidenori Mukai (Vo, G, Key) commented, ``The title of ZAZEN BOYS' new album is ``Land''.Here is a song about a person who continues to be haunted by the sunset of the turbulent world.'' There is.
Additionally, additional performances for the currently ongoing tour “ZAZEN BOYS TOUR MATSURI SESSION 2023” have been decided. A total of 5 new performances have been added, from Kumamoto B.9 V1 on February 3rd to DIAMOND HALL in Aichi on March 20th. TICKET FROG is currently accepting official advance reservations for tickets until 23:59 on November 12th.
― MaresNest, Monday, 6 November 2023 13:15 (five months ago) link
ahh!!!!!!
― ivy., Monday, 6 November 2023 14:33 (five months ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bh2K_JorLIM
― ivy., Saturday, 6 January 2024 17:00 (three months ago) link
i should've posted the official video bc it's awesome!!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6C8wFKd1t0
― ivy., Saturday, 6 January 2024 17:23 (three months ago) link
Today's the day!
― MaresNest, Wednesday, 24 January 2024 12:31 (two months ago) link
this album is soooooo freakin good
― ivy., Monday, 29 January 2024 19:07 (two months ago) link
their most relaxed. which sounds really good on them!
Had no idea they had a new album coming out. What a treat! "Barakuda" is funky as hell
― feed me with your chips (zchyrs), Monday, 29 January 2024 22:30 (two months ago) link
Does it sound like a very early Chili Peppers, or am I mad.
― MaresNest, Monday, 29 January 2024 22:48 (two months ago) link
I thought it sounded like Remain in Light-era Talking Heads, or otherwise Fela-influenced. But I am loathe to compare anything I like to RHCP.
― feed me with your chips (zchyrs), Monday, 29 January 2024 22:50 (two months ago) link
Even (and maybe especially) when the comparison is warranted
― feed me with your chips (zchyrs), Monday, 29 January 2024 22:51 (two months ago) link
I was thinking like, the first two RHCP records but idk. I love how the arrangments are slightly more stripped down, there's an openness I don't often hear.
― MaresNest, Monday, 29 January 2024 22:54 (two months ago) link
One thing I'm hearing (and it might be my imagination) is an increased weariness in Mukai's voice. He sounds ever-so-slightly older & sadder...? It absolutely doesn't help that I don't know Japanese.
― feed me with your chips (zchyrs), Monday, 29 January 2024 23:05 (two months ago) link
here are the translations:
ZAZEN BOYS らんど LEO今井による歌詞対訳ZAZEN BOYS - Rando Lyrics english translations by Leo Imaihttps://t.co/dNaxhhbZXs pic.twitter.com/8bJGfxrJiS— Matsuri Studio (@MatsuriStudio) January 24, 2024
really gorgeous lyrics but yeah a pretty melancholy record
― ivy., Monday, 29 January 2024 23:20 (two months ago) link
btw i have come pretty close to comparing zazen boys to rhcp in the past, just haven't quite had the courage
― ivy., Monday, 29 January 2024 23:21 (two months ago) link
By Leo Imai no less!
― MaresNest, Monday, 29 January 2024 23:24 (two months ago) link