Bleaching Out Kawaii in Okinawa

One of the more creative and definitely the most energetic punk band to come out of Japan lately is an all-female trio from Okinawa that goes by the name Bleach. Well, that’s their name everywhere except North America, where they go by the name Bleach03, thanks to the fact that the name Bleach had already been taken there by a Christian alt-rock band out of Kentucky. For a good time, check out the comments on Amazon for their first English-language release, Three Girls from Okinawa, by “Brother Chad” and “Dogtreat” Coldiron, who apparently saw the title and the cover (left) and still didn’t realize that the disc was not what they expected.

Doesn’t anybody remember CBGB? I weep for the young generation….

Anyway, this particular disc is English-language only in the sense that the liner notes are in English. None of the songs are in English. In fact, it’s hard to tell sometimes what language they’re screaming in. And isn’t that part of the punk aesthetic? Really, a brief listen to this disc and there will be no question that punk is the touchstone for their style. The first cut, “Width of a field of view,” features lead vocals by guitarist Kanna (“blood type A, hobbies: fishing, watching movies”), with the chorus lovingly shrieked by bassist Miya (“blood type B, hobbies: embroidery”). Nevertheless, across the various albums that have come out, they mix into the punk aesthetic shots of dancehall, electronica, a little surf (perhaps as a tip of the hat to punk-pop predecessors Go!Go! 7188), some acid jazz. They even do some gentle ballads. Well, relatively gentle, anyway.

I originally heard of them courtesy of a fellow graduate student, who had seen them at the High Noon Saloon in Madison, Wisconsin, the proprietor of which, Cathy Detmers, periodically books unusual Japanese bands. My friend snagged a copy of Bleach’s eponymous CD and then burned me a copy. Dedicated researcher that I am, I then purchased a copy from Amazon Japan. But in the intervening couple of years, more and more Bleach discs have been released with English liner notes and are available through Amazon US or Amazon UK. Be warned that they are not the same as the Japanese releases, which often have bonus tracks easter-egged at the end of the disc, or in the case of the most recent release, The Head That Controls Both Right and Left Sides Eats Meats and Slobbers Even Today (右も左も支配する頭は今日も肉を食いヨダレを垂らす), an entire DVD with live performances in Okinawan clubs filled with US servicemen. Ahem. The videos are worth seeing–nobody staggers around a stage shrieking like Miwa, trust me. Some of the videos from the Japanese releases (as well as the bands appearances at SXSW and the Knitting Factory) are available on YouTube, so check them out. You’ll never see the stereotype of the kawaii Japanese female the same way ever again, I guarantee it.