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Biography
: This article is about the band called Half Japanese . For people of mixed Japanese and non-Japanese descent see: Hafu Refimprove|date=October 2008Infobox musical artist| name = Half Japanese | image = Half Japanese Sxsw 2008.JPG | caption = Half Japanese at the SXSW|SXSW Festival , March 2008 | image_size = 200 px | background = group_or_band | alias = | origin = Ann Arbor, Michigan|Ann Arbor , Michigan | genre = Post-punk , experimental rock , indie rock , alternative rock , punk rock | years_active = 1975–present | label = 50 Skidillion Watts, Safe House | associated_acts = | website = http://www.halfjapanese.co.uk/ | current_members = Jad Fair | past_members = David Fair John Sluggett Howard Wuelfing Don Fleming (musician)|Don Fleming Jay Spiegel Jason Willett Gilles Reider Henry Beckmeyer
Half Japanese is a Punk rock music|punk rock band formed by brothers Jad Fair|Jad and David Fair in their Coldwater, Michigan bedroom around 1975. Their original instrumentation included a small drum set, which they took turns playing; vocals; and an out of tune (but quite distorted) guitar. Both Fair brothers sang, although over time Jad moved into the frontman role.
Band history
Jad is well known for playing an untuned electric guitar . After 30 years, he still does not play in any traditional manner; in the documentary Half Japanese: The Band That Would Be King he states that "the only chord I know is the one that connects the guitar to the amp."
Their lyrics often deal with monsters and the supernatural (especially as influenced by campy Horror films|"creature feature" and Science fiction films|scifi movies ), in addition to more conventional themes, such as young love. They have stated that all their songs are either "love songs or monster songs."
The band played and recorded as a duo until the early '80s when they began incorporating additional members into the group: Mark Jickling (guitar and vocals) and brothers Ricky and John Dreyfuss (drums and saxophone ). Since that time, dozens of musicians have come and gone under the Half Japanese banner, including Howard Wuelfing, Don Fleming (musician)|Don Fleming , Jay Spiegel, and many, many others. Jad is the only member who has been with Half Japanese from the beginning. David Fair eventually left the band in the early 1980s to focus on his family. He has continued to make guest appearances with the band from time to time.
The next line-up of Half Japanese came together in the late 1980s, proving to be a long-lasting and stable unit recording several albums and touring frequently throughout the U.S., Europe and Japan. This incarnation featured guitarist/multi-instrumentalist John Sluggett (also a longtime member of Maureen Tucker|Moe Tucker 's band), multi-instrumentalist Jason Willett , and drummer Gilles Reider . Since then, the group has worked with Moe Tucker from The Velvet Underground , who produced and performed on Fire In the Sky (1992), Fred Frith , and John Zorn , among others.
Fans of Half Japanese include Penn Jillette , who helped the band release some of their albums on his label, 50 Skidillion Watts, and Kurt Cobain , who had them open for Nirvana (band)|Nirvana on the group's 1993 tour. According to reports, Cobain was wearing a Half Japanese t-shirt when he died. http://www.thesmokinggun.com/kurt/kcincident4.html
The band's history and influence are chronicled in the 1993 documentary http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107071/ Half Japanese: The Band That Would Be King by Jeff Feuerzeig . The band have been chosen by Jeff Mangum of Neutral Milk Hotel to perform at the All Tomorrow's Parties (music festival)|All Tomorrow's Parties festival that he will curate in March 2012 in Minehead, England. http://www.atpfestival.com/events/jeffmangum.php ATP curated by Jeff Mangum
Discography
Studio Albums
Half Gentlemen/Not Beasts (Armageddon, 1980)
Loud (Half Japanese album)|Loud (Armageddon, 1981)
Our Solar System (Iridescence, 1985)
Sing No Evil (Iridescence, 1985)
Music To Strip By (50 Skidillion Watts, 1987)
Charmed Life (Half Japanese album)|Charmed Life (50 Skidillion Watts, 1988)
The Band That Would Be King (50 Skidillion Watts, 1989)
We Are They Who Ache with Amorous Love (TEC Tones, 1990)
Fire In The Sky (Half Japanese album)|Fire In The Sky (Paperhouse, 1992)
Hot (Half Japanese album)|Hot (Safe House, 1995)
Bone Head (Alternative Tentacles, 1997)
Heaven Sent (Half Japanese album)|Heaven Sent (Emperor Jones, 1997)
Hello (Half Japanese album)|Hello (Alternative Tentacles, 2001)
Live Albums
Half Alive (Cassette - live at DC Space and the Red Door, Baltimore http://sanantokyo.com/xmouse/hj/subhj.html sanantokyo.com - 50 Skidillion Watts, 1977)
Best Of Half Japanese Vol. 2 (Timebomb Japan, 1995)
EPs
"Calling All Girls" (50 Skidillion Watts, 1977)
Horrible (Half Japanese EP)|Horrible (Press, 1982)
Real Cool Time/What Can I Do/Monopoly EP (Overzealous Editions, 1989)
Everybody Knows, Twang 1 EP (Seminal Twang, 1991)
4 Four Kids EP (Ralph, 1991)
Postcard EP (Earl, 1991)
Eye of the Hurricane/Said and Done/U.S. Teens are Spoiled Bums/Daytona Beach EP (1991)
Singles
"No Direct Line from my Brain to My Heart"/"(I Don't Want to Have) Mono (No More)" 7" (50 Skidillion Watts, 1978)
"Spy" (Armageddon, 1981)
"How Will I Know" (Press, 1982)
"U.S. Teens Are Spoiled Bums" (50 Skidillion Watts, 1988)
"T For Texas"/"Go Go Go Go" (X.X.O.O. Fan Club, 1990)
References
Reflist
External links
http://www.halfjapanese.co.uk The Half Japanese Fan Site
http://trouserpress.com/entry.php? a=half_japanese Half Japanese entry at the Trouser Press website
http://www.alternativetentacles.com/bandinfo.php? band=halfjapanese Half Japanese band page at Alternative Tentacles label website
http://www.jadfair.org Jad Fair's official website
http://www.trilogyrock.com/podcast/232-entrevista-jad-fairhalf-japanese.php Interview to Jad Fair
Listening
http://www.epitonic.com/artists/halfjapanese.html Epitonic.com: Half Japanese featuring tracks from "Hello"
http://www.myspace.com/halfjapanesefanpage Myspace Page featuring tracks from various albums
Half Japanese Category:Family musical groups Category:Noise music Category:Art rock musical groups Category:Musical groups from Michigan Category:Musical groups established in 1975 Category:Drag City artists Category:Alternative Tentacles artists
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