So it’s been a while since I’ve listened to my favorite J-rock band. I’m ashamed of myself. And yes to those who don’t know, their name really is ((the pillows)) .
The latest album I have would be My Foot, I can’t really find the latest one ; Wake Up! Wake Up! Wake Up!
Ever since I heard Ride On Shooting Star at the end of Furi Kuri back in the day, I just had to listen to it again. Little did I know, I would be stumbling upon one of the most talented, infectious bands that I’ve never heard. This may sound a bit cheesy but this band really opened my eyes to foreign music. It’s common for non-otakus to simply dismiss foreign bands mostly because they don’t understand what the song is about. But that to me is the beauty behind listening to music in different languages.. It’s true I don’t understand anything the pillows say in japanese, but that doesn’t stop me from appreciating their music as a whole. Sure I’d love to find out what they’re singing about someday, but for now I’m completely satisfied with how the singing fits in with the music, much like a whole other instrument. Not to mention Japanese is such a complex and beautiful language.
I guess in a way, the pillows are a band that gives me the feeling of nostalgia. I found out about them during summer quite a long time ago, I think maybe the second time FLCL was running on Adult Swim, and ever since that day I had been listening to the band nonstop. It’s definitely not the only reason I listen to them, but it’s a good one. Their music evokes plenty of emotions, and touches on a wide array of musical genres. And no, I’m not the otaku FLCL music fan, I’ve listened to practically all of their albums, minus the latest. It’s not bragging honestly, it’s just a lot of people aren’t giving their old material a chance. To me, It’s extremely interesting and entertaining to see how a band evolves musically. With that many songs, it’s hard to believe they still sound fresh now.
Recently, the pillows toured America and Mexico, but didn’t even touch North Carolina… Yes I am angry but there’s a reason for that : North Carolina must be one of the least musically active states. Now that may not be true, but that’s how I feel. I rarely hear about musicians having clinics around here, or anything. Maybe someday we’ll climb the ranks and become a commonly toured state, much like California ^^; (right..) Whenever enough Carolinians send requests to the pillows, that’ll be the day.
It’s a shame I have nearly 180+ Pillows songs on my old computer, but to be honest import cd’s are just way too expensive. Maybe whenever I go to Japan I’ll buy all the cd’s I can. I have however, seen Geneon (I believe) bringing over domestic pillows albums, Penalty Life and My Foot.
The band has been around since the late 80’s, and still manages to pump out fresh music. I’m not telling you to go buy everything pillows, but I am confident enough to recommend that you give them a listen. Who knows, they might become one of your favorites as well.
When I first saw the 1st episode of FLCL I didn’t really care for the animation at all, but I was pretty close minded then. But I do recall that it had some of the best music I’ve ever heard for an anime. “Instant Music” is my favorite song from The Pillows, still play it often.