Chatmonchy + smoke + bullet time = Awesome
By Jimi on Nov 6th, 2008Chatmonchy is one of those super-talented, (and curiously named,) 3-piece rock bands. They hail from Tokushima prefecture where they competed in and won the local battle of the bands. Soon after, they scored a deal under Sony’s Ki/oon Records label and have been enjoying widespread recognition ever since.
In the beginning, listening to Chatmonchy was a bit of a guilty pleasure. Their first hit single, “shangrila”, was fun, catchy, and lighthearted; a slight contrast to the harder sounding indie rock that that I was used to. But since then, Chatmonchy has been diligently evolving their music away from those humble beginnings into something truly remarkable.
Eriko’s earnest vocals are refreshing and surprisingly raw for such an adorable voice. Her guitar work, while simple, is deliberate and well executed. This goes for Akiko’s bass, Kumiko’s drums, and Chatmonchy’s overall sound as well.
“染まるよ” (somaruyo / stain) brings an incredible sophistication to their repertoire. The titular track is sublimely dreamy with a couple delightful twists as it builds up to its powerful climax. And just as gently as it began, it tenderly eases you out. Also of note is “RPG”. It’s lightweight, carefree and numbingly addictive.
Chatmonchy is a very mature band that doesn’t need to prove that they can thrive in a genre dominated by men. Its apparent they’re not trying to copy any one style or sound. Instead, they blaze their own trail creating music that’s sincere and true to themselves. And after 3 years of being in the mainstream, it’s this integrity that makes them unequivocally great.
Chatmonchy + smoke + bullet time = best PV ever.
“染まるよ”
Jimi is discovering the joys of baconnaise
Email this author | All posts by Jimi
I’ve always wanted to use the word “titular”
It’s a good song =) I agree, their stuff seems to get better. I wasn’t too fond of ‘em a few years ago but the more I hear the more I like ‘em these days. Glad you made the word work, Jimi. Crafty =P
I just love them – it’s especially nice to find a girl band that are so smart and articulate when interviewed – They really DO approach everything in a deliberate manner. They display the same level of thoughtfulness in their radio shows too.
The Lyrics of Somaruyo are great – especially the line about “The tobacco you like more than me”.
I’ve got to say though, on that single the standout song for me is aiseteta. Nice wordplay using dialect accent, and the song just builds so nicely.
about them in english, keep up the good work.
Anyway, glad to see someone writing
Hey michael! I’m glad we’re in agreement on our views of chatmonchy!
After reading your post I gave aishiteta another listen and I really like it now. the song just builds SO nicely.
thanks for stopping by!