The MacGuffins compilation is shaping up nicely and should be able to take pre-orders soon. The fanzine is almost done as well. Just waiting for the last 2 songs.

Now in 2 weeks I travel to Peru. And that should be fun. So let me know if you are interested in me bringing some records. I will make a post on Facebook too as I feel most Peruvian indiepop fans follow Facebook and Instragram much more than the blog.

Of course I can’t say 100% that I will be able to fly with all the Coronavirus situation that is going on. At the moment there are no issues flying there and back to NYC, but I suppose things can change. It is making me very anxious to say the least.

Anyways, I suppose we can get happy by listening to new music, right?

Tvärtom: one of my favourite bands as of late is this Helsinki combo. It feels they can’t make a bad song! Sure, I don’t understand a thing they sing about. But it doesn’t matter. It is catchy, it is quality. I wonder when will they be releasing a proper record. I’d buy it immediately. This is their latest, a song called “Järkytys”. It is GREAT!

Winona Dryver: this Yogyakarta band is terrific! Some fuzzy indiepop that hits you in the face. They have a new EP called “First Echo Solution”. It has 5 songs and it will be available this month on cassette on the label Winona Tapes, also from Indonesia!

Sleepy: it feels every post I do has an Australian band on it! It is quite incredible the amount of good music coming from down under. This Sydney band is the latest discovery for me. They have a new album out called “New Shanghai Night” that is available on CD right now through their Bandcamp. Worth checking it out!

Mañana el Espacio: this is for sure the first ever Venezuelan indiepop band I have heard in my life. A true surprise! This band has just released their first EP called “Señal”! The Caracas band presents us here with 6 bedroom-pop songs. It is catchy, innocent and sweet!

Even as We Speak: the other day I shared the song “Forgiving” on Bandcamp but I wasn’t aware that there was a video for it! SO for sure I have to share it! The video shows a lot of footage of the band’s different gigs in the UK last summer with Boyracer and Secret Shine!

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I think it has been a while since I had a Japanese band on the blog, right? So let’s find out more about a very obscure one, Bad at Bowling.

I believe this band was a duo formed by Shinsaku Moriyama (more known through his band Petset) and Tomonori Hayashibe (more known through Plus-Tech Squeeze Box). They only released, I think, two songs. They each appeared on a compilation. And that seems to be it. Maybe it was a fun project for both of them to do on the side. Who would know?

The sounds of Shibuya-kei are so present in the one song I know, “二人はボウラー!!“. I believe that translates as “The Two are Bowlers!!”.  This track, is not in Japanese, it is actually sung in English. It appeared on the very fine Bluebadge Label, on a CD compilation called “Pop Comes Up! Bluebadge Compilation Vol. 2” (bbcd-002) from 2002. I’ve talked about this compilation in the past I believe as I have featured Margarets Hope*, Unknown Readymade and Cyclon86.

The other track they contributed dates from 2002 as well. That’s why I thought it was a short project by them, trying to do something new. This other song is called “Hutari Wa Bowler!!”. Hmmm. Wait a moment. That seems to be the same song, right? I don’t know Japanese but it does look to be the same song. In any case it appears like that, in Latin alphabet, on the CD compilation “Future Standard Adventure Wave 2002” that was released by Vroom Sound Records (VRCD-3323). On this record the members’ other bands appear too. We see both Petset and Plus-Tech Squeeze Box.

So ok. It does feel it is the same song. This would even confirm more that this was a one off project. Though I still would love to find out if the band recorded any other tracks. Or just this one? Did they ever play any live gigs? Who’d know?

Probably we can find out much more information about the other bands, but today I am curious about them. Any of my Japanese friends are able to help?

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Listen
Bad at Bowling – 二人はボウラー!!