Jrock Revolution

 

KESHIKI means 'landscape' in English and as one could comprehend from the band name, their endeavors to create songs that would bring visions of landscapes to whoever listens to their music. This band is well known in not only Japan, but all over the West Coast of the United States as well because of their formation in Los Angeles. It all began in the United States, and the way the members united to form KESHIKI was quite peculiar.

In 2005, birthed from a series of exchanged emails and a meeting at a convention, the German band Cinema Bizarre came to life as a highly diverse band. Alongside playing a wide variety of sounds and genres, they also have a common love for visual kei and have adopted it in a manner that suits them best.

Since 1996, Japan Nite has been bringing Japanese music to the SXSW Music Festival in Austin and dotting various cities in the US with alternative and indies Japanese bands. Some bands experience such surprising success, like ELLEGARDEN, that they come back to do solo lives. Nearly a dozen bands were on the roster for 2009, although not all bands played at all stops. The live in Denver nearly didn't happen due to the insane surprise blizzard (I guess the snow wanted to go to Japan Nite too), so many fans were forced to stay home for their own safety. Luckily, no other spots faced weather hardships, and most concerts went on relatively on time.

Japan Night at the Los Angeles Knitting Factory was packed in a sea of rockers, punkers, and normal-lookin' folk, but the lolita tribes that flock to these events were mostly absent. The age range was a bit higher than the teenage demographic.

To kick off our series on international Jrock, here is our first piece. Read on for our interview with RUSIKA!

In sitting down at a computer, clicking the way to your favorite search engine and proceeding to type in three key words, "Jrock influenced bands," you are bombarded by a variety of links. Shifting only through the first few pages, a pattern is quickly uncovered.