Sing in Japanese

I picked up an actual CD at a Tower Records recently. We still have those in Japan - people who buy physical CDs, that is.

Given my shameless love of a number of JE boys, you may be surprised to find out I purchased a cover album by an American group doing Japanese punk songs! Allow me to present to you Me First and the Gimme Gimmes: Sing in Japanese~

Japanese language covers of 6 songs!

They traded their signature tacky aloha shirts for yukatas. Classy.

Me First and the Gimme Gimmes are like the cheap, cheesy, fairly obscure punk version of S.K.I.N. Kind of. Each member has his own group, the most recognizable one probably being Fat Mike of NOFX, and they come together for this kitschy side project every now and then. They've done a number of albums and I'm sure most people can find a song or two they know in the Me First catalog.

In one of my adult classes, I brought in an article from the Japan Times about their recent Tokyo show. I have to start paying attention to who comes to do shows here since NO ONE EVER GOES TO HAWAII. My two students had heard of half the artists they covered and we all recognized "Linda Linda."

Start to finish the whole CD isn't even 20 minutes but it's fantastic and magical and just what I'd want out of this band. I'm sure some people will come to the inevitable conclusion that they butchered these classics, but since I don't know the originals I LOVED it. And I have to say, Spike's Japanese was much better than expected. I listened to Andrew WK's version of  "Kiseki" by GReeeeN and was disappointed at the fairly awkward English lyrics, so I'm glad Me First did it right and stuck to Japanese.

I bought the last copy at the Sakuragicho Tower Records, so go somewhere else and buy it!