Just some random bands, take it or leave it…
Bump of Chicken
The members first met in kindergarten and were classmates throughout their primary and secondary education. Bump of Chicken’s first performance was in 1994, during their ninth grade cultural festival, playing a cover of The Beatles’ version of Twist and Shout. In 1996, their song, Danny, won an award on 96TFM.
In 1999, Bump of Chicken released their first album, Flame Vein, on High Line Records. Later that year, they released their first single, “Lamp”. In 2000, they released The Living Dead, their final release on High Line. They also held their first live tour, “Tsuaa Pokiiru (ツアーポキール?)”, during March and April.
Later in 2000, the group switched to Toy’s Factory, releasing their first single on the label, “Diamond”, in September. Bump of Chicken’s first big success occurred when their single, “Tentai Kansoku”, appeared on the Oricon Weekly Charts in 2001. They held two live tours, “Star Porking Tours (スターポーキングツアーズ Sutaa Pookingu Tsuaazu?) 2001″ beginning in March and “Surf Porkin'” beginning in July. In October, they released “Harujion”.
They released their first album on Toy’s Factory, Jupiter, in February 2002 and was their first number one on the Oricon Weekly Charts. In the summer of 2002, their music was featured on the Japanese TV drama, “Tentai Kansoku”, giving them more exposure. At the end of 2002, the group released the single “Snow Smile”. 2003 saw the release of the double A-side single “Lost Man/sailing day”. “Sailing Day” was used as the ending theme to the animated movie, One Piece: Dead End Adventure”.
The beginning of 2004 saw a slew of re-releases. “Arue”, from their album Flame Vein, was released as a single in March. They re-released their first two albums in April. Flame Vein received an extra song and was re-released as Flame Vein +1. The Living Dead received no modifications. In July, the group released “Only Lonely Glory”, which became their first single to chart at number one on the Oricon Weekly Charts. A month later, they released their fourth album, Yggdrasil, which was their second album to reach number one on the Oricon Weekly Charts. Shortly after, they released “Sharin no Uta”, from Yggdrasil, as a single.
In 2005, Bump of Chicken released two singles, “Planetarium” and “Supernova/Karma”. Karma was used as the theme song for Namco’s “Tales of the Abyss. The band’s next single, “Namida no Furusato” was used in a commercial for Lotte Airs. It became the group’s second number one single. In 2007, they released the singles “Hana no Na” and “Mayday” on the same day. The two singles reached number one and two respectively on the Oricon Weekly Charts. Bump of Chicken released their second latest album, Orbital Period, on December 19, 2007. Their latest album is “present from you”, released on June 18, 2008. This album is a compilation of b-sides and other non-album tracks.
They will release double A-side single “R.I.P./Merry Christmas” on November 25, 2009, becoming their first single in two years.
Motoo Fujiwara （藤原基央）
Motoo Fujiwara is the composer, lyricist, guitar, and main vocalist of the group, also acting as the leader of the band. He has written most of the music, and has also drawn the artwork for their albums ‘The Living Dead’ and ‘Yggdrasil’. He was born April 12, 1979 with blood type O. He enjoys doing laundry, cannot eat spicy foods, has poor eyesight, likes to eat chicken, and enjoys playing the harmonica. In March 2006, he released a solo album titled “Song for Tales of the Abyss,” which included “Karma” and instrumental versions of songs from the game Tales of the Abyss. Uses Gibson 1960 Les Paul Special Single Cutaway, Sonic fender, Gibson J-45.
Hiroaki Masukawa （増川弘明）
Hiroaki Masukawa is the guitarist of the group, and also writes most of the hidden joke tracks for albums. He was born December 20, 1979 with blood type A, and is left-handed. He is referred to as the shy member of the group, and calls himself pessimistic. His hobbies are largely anime and games. His nicknames within the band are “Hiro,” “Hose,” (meaning “very thin”), and “Nikke”. Uses Gibson Les Paul Standard, Fender Stratocaster.
Yoshifumi Naoi （直井由文）
Yoshifumi Naoi is the bassist of the group, and is referred to as the “crowd pleaser”. He was born October 9, 1979 with blood type A, and jokes that he “falls ill exactly four times a year.” He also calls himself an anime and game otaku, and a “rare genius”. His hobbies are photography and drawing; he has released an artbook containing his works, and helped with some of the album artwork. His nickname within the band is “Chama,” a play on the Japanese phrase “Obotchama” referring to a rich family’s son. Uses Sonic Bass, Fender Jazz Bass 65.
Hideo Masu （升秀夫）
Hideo Masu is the drummer for the band. He was born August 10, 1979 with blood type A, and describes himself as an introvert. He also mentions that he has good eyesight, cannot write kanji well, likes to go outdoors, and often gets headaches. Uses Canopus Maple Shell.
Shocking Lemon
Shocking Lemon first formed in 1996. In 1999, they released their maxi-single Pastel Room and went on a tour named after the single later that year. The next year, Shocking Lemon switched to Alinosrecords and released their second mini-album. Since then, the band has continued to release more music and is now working with One-Coin Records. They also got the chance to do the opening for the anime Hajime no Ippo.
Ass Baboons of Venus
The Ass Baboons of Venus are a duo that combines the innocent cuteness of Japanese pop with the ridiculous toilet humor of Los Angeles trash rock. Comprised of comedian Naoko Nozawa and punk rocker Bob Limp, they tend to cross the boundaries between new wave and twee pop with their humorous sound. After releasing several singles, the Phucket a la Bum Bum compilation was released in the summer of 2002. ~ Bradley Torreano, All Music Guide
Green Milk form the Planet Oarnge
Green Milk From the Planet Orange formed in Tokyo, Japan, in July 2001. Combining prog rock, psychedelia, jazz, and indie rock, the band was formed after the breakup of No Rest for the Dead. The bandmembers are known by the monikers of Benjian (bass), A (drums and vocals), and Dead K (guitar and vocals). The band lists Miles Davis, Sonic Youth, Soft Machine, My Bloody Valentine, and Tortoise as influences. ~ Stephen Cramer, All Music Guide
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