Melt Banana --- Scratch or Stitch

Them crazy Japanese. When they're not busy making wonderful cartoons full of pretty pretty girls or giant killer robots, they're making unbearably hip music, knowing full well that it will be embraced with open arms by the American hipsters. And, if they play their cards right, will be released by a record company with a zipcode in the Chicago area.

This record came out in 1996. Sorry. But I got it for $5 at Border's, and they have more copies, so I thought I might as well review it.

Melt Banana are very good at what they do. They're nowhere near as great as The Boredoms or Keji Haino, but they really don't play the same type of music. I don't think it's their intention to be as serious as either artist(s). They play FUN Japanese noise. Not fun like Jad Fair, fun like Bis, i.e., fun to be taken in measured doses.

The record isn't ground-breakingly ecclectic, but there are some nice changes of pace inserted seemingly randomly. The biggest drawback of this band is that they are far too willing to let a lot of their songs some near-identical to the next one. If they got over this, they would be VERY good. But for now (of course, they could have completly changed --- this record is kinda old now), they've simply made a record good for more than a few spins. Slightly above average, I guess. (Skin Graft Records Over Mid-America: P.O. Box 257546 Chicago, Il 60625; Nux Organization 3-690-47 Hibarigaoka Zama Japan )

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Michael Keegan
4.25.1999