SPOTLIGHT
Anamanaguchi
Hey y'all wanted to get one more write-up before I got back to my work that I need to do.(can you tell I'm procrastinating yet??
)
Anamanaguchi is a chiptune rock band from New York City. I first heard these guys when a friend of mine gave me a copy of the soundtrack to
Scott Pilgrim Vs The World The Game and I was instantly hooked. What's interesting about these guys is how they literally use a cracked NES console and Game Boy to create their distinct sound rather than that faux sound you might get when someone tries to do "8-bit" in Reason or FL Studio. Along with that are guitar, bass and drums which help to round out the sound and make it much a great mix of electro-rock. That's what really separates it from other music of it's genre in how rocking it can be while still having this very electronic sound.
What I really love about this band isn't the 8-bit sound, cause these days stuff like that can come a dime-a-dozen, but it's how well composed the songs are. They utilize the 8-bit sound to really bring out their songs and give them life as well as having enough complexity with song structure and riffs that you won't find in alot of this music. All of their tracks are instrumentals, and they really use that to their advantage, making the riffs and melodies jump out and more than any singer could for them. They are a great example of how you don't always need a singer or lyrics to make great music.
The music also gives loads of energy, and with what I hear about their live shows, they not only have a very tight set, but they leave quite the impression with a high-energy performance. The music is also happy and colorful as sh*t; I can put it on and can be out of a bad mood in no time.
Along with the Scott Pilgrim game, their song "Blackout City" was used for the 2010 indie game
Bit.Trip.Runner, they have an album by the name of
Dawn Metropolis and an EP called
Power Supply, and they have released several singles that are available for free on their website
ANAMANAGUCHI
In short, if you like happy and energetic tunes with some serious chops, give these guys and earful and let me know how you like it.