Kyoto's punk-rock-garage quartet Otoboke Beaver have released their EP Love Is Short today via Damnably Records. Love Is Short is their second EP and third release outside of Japan. Otoboke Beaver made their US performance debut at SXSW to critical praise. NPR All Songs Considered listed them in their "What We Loved At SXSW" coverage: "Their hardcore punk sound was tempered by their presence onstage, which was at turns coy, flirtatious and completely badass...their energy was so infectious, it crossed all language barriers." Otoboke Beaver will have a headline tour of the UK following in May.
Otoboke Beaver describe themselves as: "Japanese girls 'knock out or pound cake' band". Formed in the summer of 2009 in Kyoto, Japan, and consists of Accorinrin (lead Vocal & Guitar), Yoyoyoshie (Guitar &Vocals), Hiro-chan (Bass &Vocals), Pop (Drums &Vocals). Live, the band invade the audience and have shared stages with Shonen Knife, Guitar Wolf, BO NINGEN and more. "Love is Short!!" is the second EP and third release (outside Japan) from Otoboke Beaver.
The band's name is taken from a local 'Love Hotel' and the song subject matter is a screw you to bad love, devious boyfriends and general sexism. Their early releases carried artwork with scary visual beaver puns and
Otoboke Beaver are part of a new wave of feminist Japanese bands, defining themselves sexually and musically. The pressure of the conformist and patriarchal society is palpable in their music.
Love Is Short sees the band blood-letting a generation's gender frustration. Introduce me to your family has more vocal playfulness, funky bass and buzzsaw guitar that eventually tumbles into a volcano of noise, with beats tripping over themselves and looks at relationships as a kind of personal war. Ikezu (Mean) at 19 seconds is a stamping flash of anger. There's something about the Kansai triangle (Osaka/Kobe/Kyoto - it's Japan's Midlands, America's midwest) that's produced some great and very varied music with a great sense of unity, though each city is radically different.
Otoboke Beaver have emerged from one of those many provincial scenes, influenced by western Riot Grrrl attitudes and the sounds of punk and angular post-rock, make easy work of the complex arrangements, reminiscent of inventive jazzy queercore punks 'God Is My Co-Pilot', or more recently 'Afrirampo'. The band sing in Japanese, and often in difficult to translate Kyoto slang.
Love Is Short Tracklist:
1. (Love is short)
2. (Introduce me to your family)
3. (Mean)
Golden Week UK Tour 2017 w/ Say Sue Me (Korea)
May 1 - London - 100 Club
May 2 -
Bristol - Exchange
May 3 - Glasgow - CCA
May 4 - Leicester- Musician
Buy Love Is Short Here
Otoboke Beaver Links
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