Search - Mongol 800 :: Message

Japanesse pop-punk goodness

Beardyjin | New Orleans | 05/06/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Mongol 800, or "Monpachi" as their Japanese fans call them, are one of the most exciting bands I've come across in a LONG time. This trio of college kids from the small Japanese island of Okinawa pack all the power and ferocity of their American counterparts such as Green Day & Blink-182, but with an added touch of heart and vulnerability.Some tracks I love:
2. Song for you - Up-tempo number about repeating mistakes of the past, being open minded, and the idiocy of war. Relevant today even though it was written pre-9/11.
3. Chisai Ai no Uta - Song that launched the band from indie obscurity to MTV in Japan. Translates to "small love song."
4.Melody - Song through the eyes of an ideal and naïve man about wanting to change the world for the better.
6.For Life - A son sings about his life going on after his father turns to crime.
8.Hey Mommy - Great punk song about being lost in the world and not knowing what to do. I love the chorus: "I don't know what I wanna be/Please somebody/tell me what is most important!"
9.Marriage Blue- Mid-tempo song about pre-proposal anxiety and wanting the good and bad that comes with marriage.MESSAGE is Mongol800's second album and probably my favorite of their three albums (Go On As You Are & their new release MoMo are also very good). This album is sung in both Japanese and English, but these guys have such a gift for melody that even when they are going on in Japanese you don't notice because you're too busy banging your head along. Import prices are always a bit of a bummer, but if you're a fan of modern punk and tired of the Blink-182 "nasaly" punk singer clones flooding the airwaves in the USA, well, then give this Japanese band a try. The CD is well worth the price."

Solid

daniel bruce | USA | 08/18/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"this is like the green day from across the sea. Well I think there better than green day. You will enjoy this rocking disc"