Sandy Beach Surf Coaster venture from the shore to the slopes with their season-appropriate SNOW-FLAKES e.p.

“SNOW-FLAKES”, its PV, and a bulk of Sandy Beach Surf Coaster’s music rock out in a world defined by 90s punk rock nostalgia and a balanced contrast between calm and crazy.

The female-fronted melodic punk rock band’s three-track EP has winter written all over — and it’s not just because “SNOW-FLAKES” is printed on the cover. The scampering title track is guided through a flurry of distorted guitars and gushing percussion by vocalist & guitarist MAYU. Her comparatively calm and detached vocals manage to find their way through the rushing instrumental blizzard that she has a hand in creating.

MAYU’s singing style is not unique to “SNOW-FLAKES” (since its fairly consistent across other tracks), yet the distinction is drawn more drastically in this instance. Even though her vocals don’t always match the wild pace of the music, the contrast allows for MAYU’s voice to actually pop forward more and command attention.

The “SNOW-FLAKES” PV illustrates the winter spirit of the song because what’s more winter than skiing and snowboarding? The PV intersperses freestyle snowboarding clips with footage from Sandy Beach Surf Coaster’s frenetic live performances. Wide expanses of white snow and blue sky are the backdrop as snowboarders launch off jumps and spin in the air. Meanwhile, the antithesis of that riding-the-slopes freedom is shown as the band rocks out on stages of dark and crowded clubs. The music, “SNOW-FLAKES”, glues these two locales together and provides continuity which makes the experience complete.

The SNOW-FLAKES e.p. features three tracks — “SNOW-FLAKES”, “CHANGE”, & ” I Only Want To Be With You” — and is out on February 18th.

The Aichi-based Sandy Beach Surf Coaster (サンディ ビーチ サーフ コースター) is the quartet of lead singer & guitarist MAYU, guitarist Masafumi Aoki (青木雅文), bassist Yukihito Mitomo (三友行人), and drummer Takeshi Enomoto (榎本健志). MAYU doesn’t just lead vocally, she is responsible for writing and composing much of Sandy Beach Surf Coaster’s music.

Sandy Beach Surf Coaster released their first mini album, RIOT GIRL!! in 2007 and their success was knocked up a notch with 2008′s THE KIDS ARE ALL RIOT — the band’s first full-length album. They are currently signed with Baby Rock Diamond.

Here’s a clip of the “SNOW-FLAKES” PV:

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Also, here’s the PV for “NEW STORY”, off of THE KIDS ARE ALL RIOT:

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Visit Sandy Beach Surf Coasters official site and MySpace (higher quality clips of both videos are available on MySpace)

Buy SNOW-FLAKES e.p.

2 Responses to “Winter with Sandy Beach Surf Coaster”

  1. By lops-sama on February 15, 2009 at 2:31 pm

    I’m not a big fan of female vocals and this doesn’t impress as well!^^

  2. By Shay on February 15, 2009 at 6:10 pm

    Ahh man!! j/k =) I think male & female vocals work depending on the circumstance and style of music. In this case, I really like MAYU’s vocals just because her style is unique & smooth and not overly girly or obnoxious (like some other punk-ish rockers). I guess what I’m saying is, imo, there are plenty of female vocalists that I enjoy less that SBSC’s but there are also a ton of weak male vocalists too =P I’m also a fan of falsettos.

    It’s just a matter of personal preference ^^. I know you like some female-fronted bands though

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