Asylum Street Spankers

Sep 12 & 14

Club Quattro, Osaka • Taku Taku, Kyoto

American Folk, Country Blues maestros

Upon hearing the name you may be forgiven for wondering if this is a band or some dodgy theatre troupe. The Spankers from Austin, Texas, first started out way back in 1994 when two members met at a ‘booze and hallucinogen-fuelled party'. They quickly gathered around them more likeminded musicians and began playing free shows as well as busking locally. It was actually the location of their busking that brought about the bands unusual name. Guadalupe Street was the name of the street upon which they used to perform and it was this very street that was nicknamed ‘asylum street' as it led to the states ‘special' hospital. The band's name was finely topped off with the old musician's term ‘spankers', which means someone who plays their instrument vigorously and proficiently.

After a year together they started venturing out of Texas taking their brand of country-blues to new audiences and in ‘99 they founded their own label Spanks a Lot Records.

The band call themselves a ‘world renowned underground institution and one of the planets most distinctive acts'. With a mix of jazz, swing, country and blues and their energetic performances they offer a most entertaining evening (be warned, many of the bands lyrics have illicit drug references or sexual connotations!).

The band is also not afraid to advertise their political leanings and for every copy of their new single that is sold (available as a download from the band's website) a donation is going to ‘Iraq Veterans Against The War'.

Sep 12: Club Quattro, Osaka
Time: 7pm • Entry: ¥6,500–¥7,500 06-6281-8181
Sep 14: Taku Taku, Kyoto
Time: 7pm • Entry: ¥6,000–¥7,000 075-351-1321
Genre: Country-Blues

Sonya Kitchell

Sep 12

Blue Note, Osaka

A young and refreshing easy-on-the -ear American debutante vocalist.

Sonya Kitchell is a singer/song-writer reminiscent of Carole King and Joni Mitchell with a twist of Suzanne Vega who has maturity in her voice and songs that belies the fact that she is just seventeen years of age.

Her music is a comfortable blend of different styles though predominantly acoustic jazz, R&B and folk. Since releasing her debut EP ‘Cold Day' in 2004 she has been performing live with her band supporting such greats as Taj Mahal and Dar Williams.

Her debut album Words Came Back To Me was released in April of this year and since has had a busy schedule as her popularity grows. She is a young lady with a great voice and an exceptional talent for songwriting, serving the song as opposed to many artists who seems hell bent on serving a genre. And she puts her lack of slavery to a specific musical style down to the fact that she has always been a sponge for everything around her, ‘when I hear something that I think is amazing … I think, “I want to do that”'.

At such a young age it's difficult for an artist to think about what their future goals are but Kitchell seems to have a clear idea already ‘to write a lot of songs that stick around', simple and straight to the point.

Time: 6:30pm/9:30pm • Entry: ¥4,000-¥6,000
Tel: 06-6233-8888
Genre: Singer/Songwriter

KiLA with Jean Butler

Sep 28

Club Quattro, Osaka

A refreshing perspective of Irish folk music and dance.

KiLA (pronounced Keela) is a seven piece Irish folk band with a sense of humour that has been praised as having ‘done more for traditional Irish music's perception than nearly all of their contemporaries put together'. Formed in Dublin almost twenty years ago when the lads were still in their teens they played their very first gig to just three people. From there though, it didn't take long for things to look a little rosier and over the past two decades the band have toured the world (nearly thirty countries in all) and built a reputation of bringing Irish music to a much broader audience than it had previously enjoyed.

KiLA will be joined by renowned Irish dancer Jean Butler, born and raised in New York to an Irish mother. At just seventeen after already winning numerous accolades for her dance she was invited to tour with The Chieftains and did so across three continents. Her career turning point though was in 1994 when she was asked to perform a seven-minute intermission piece at the Eurovision Song Contest. This piece was ‘Riverdance' and the rest is history, as they say. Jean Butler has performed with many musicians and bands from a wide range of genres from The Pogues to The Rolling Stones. KiLa and Jean Butler together will introduce a mesmerizing night of Irish tradition.

Time: 7pm • Entry: ¥5,500
Tel: 06-6281-8181
Genre: Irish Folk Music & Dance

James Dean Bradfield and Nicky Wire

Sep 21

Big Cat, Osaka

Two third of Brit-Rock pioneers. The Manic Street Preachers.

Having decided to take a break of a year or two from the Manic Street Preachers it was no surprise to find the singular elements of the band exploring their own solo projects. What is surprising though is that vocalist/guitarist James Dean Bradfield and guitarist Nicky Wire (he's the one that is partial to wearing dresses) are strutting their stuff live together as a double-billed tour. May as well get drummer Sean Moore back on his stool and call it the Manics you may say, but for die-hard fans of the band the fact that they are together whilst apart it's a healthy sign that it won't be long before we see The Manics as The Manics again.

Both Bradfield and Wire have new albums out, Bradfield's The Great Western and Wire's The Shining Path. Those familiar with the Manics will be well aware of Bradfield's strong vocal and songwriting style so will not be disappointed with what they hear. As for Nicky Wire, listening to a preview of the album brings recollections of Lou Reed and The Velvet Underground, which can only be a compliment.

Time: 7pm • Entry: ¥7,500
Tel: 06-6362-7301
Genre: Rock

Live Listings September

Larry Carlton & Robben Ford

9/1 @ Blue Note, Osaka
6:30pm/9:30pm • ¥6,900 • Tel: 06-6342-7722
Fusion Blues Guitar

Kemuri

9/1 @ Club Quattro, Osaka
7pm • ¥4,000 • Tel: 06-6362-7301
Punk/Ska

The Futureheads

9/4 @ Club Quattro, Osaka
7pm • ¥5,500 • Tel: 06-6535-5569
Britrock

Overground Acoustic Underground

9/5 @ Umeda Shangri-La, Osaka
7:30pm • ¥3,570 • Tel: 06-6535-5569
Rock

Blondie

9/6 @ Namba Hatch, Osaka
7pm • ¥7,500 • Tel: 06-6233-8888
Pop/Rock

Dark Tranquility

9/7 @ Club Quattro, Osaka
7pm • ¥6,000 • Tel: 06-6535-5569
Thrash

Towers of London

9/11 @ Club Quattro, Osaka
7pm • ¥5,500-¥6,000 • Tel: 03-5466-0777
Rock

Graham Coxon

9/11 @ Big Cat, Osaka
7pm ¥6,000 • Tel: 06-6535-5569
Britpop

Joyce with Roberto Menescal

9/11 @ Blue Note, Osaka
6:30pm/9:30pm • Tel: 06-6342-7722
Bossanova

Primal Scream

9/12 @ Zepp, Osaka
7pm • ¥6,500 • Tel: 06-6535-5569
Rock

Sonya Kitchell

9/12 @ Blue Note, Osaka
6:30pm/9:30pm • ¥4,000-¥6,000 • Tel: 06-6342-7722
Singer/songwriter

Asylum Street Spankers

9/12 @ Club Quattro, Osaka
7:30pm • ¥6,500-¥7,500 • Tel: 06-6281-8181
American Folk Country Blues

Brad Mehldau Trio

9/13-14 @ Blue Note, Osaka
6:30pm/9:30pm • ¥5,400-¥7,400 • Tel: 06-6342-7722
Jazz Piano

Soulive

9/16 @ Blue Note, Osaka
6:30pm/9:30pm • ¥4,300-¥6,300 • Tel: 06-6342-7722
Jazz Funk

Asylum Street Spankers

9/14 @ Taku Taku, Kyoto
7pm • ¥6,000-¥7,000 • Tel: 075-351-1321
American Folk Country Blues

Fiddle Festival (various artists)

9/18 @ Ikeda Cultural Hall, Osaka
1pm • ¥4,200-¥4,750 • Tel: 072-761-8811
Fiddle

No Use For A Name

9/21 @ Club Quattro, Osaka
7pm • ¥5,500 • Tel: 06-6344-6618
Rock

James Dean Bradfield & Nicky Wire's Secret Society

9/21 @ Big Cat, Osaka
7pm • ¥7,500 06-6362-7301
Rock

Venus Peter

9/23 @ Club Quattro, Osaka
6pm • ¥3,500 011-261-5569
J-Rock

Overground Acoustic Underground

9/24 @ Zink, Kobe
7pm • ¥3,570 • Tel: 06-6535-5569
Rock

Hard-Fi

9/24 @ Club Quattro, Osaka
7pm • ¥5,800 • Tel: 06-6535-5569
Indie-Rock

Average White Band

9/22-23 @ Blue Note, Osaka
6:30pm/9:30pm • ¥6,500 • Tel: 06-6342-7722
Funk

KiLA & Jean Butler

9/28 @ Club Quattro, Osaka
7pm • ¥5,500 • Tel: 06-6281-8181
Irish Folk Music and Dance

The Pogues

10/2 @ Namba Hatch, Osaka
7pm • ¥7,000 • Tel: 06-6535-5569
Folk

Ginger ex-Wildhearts

10/2 @ Club Quattro, Osaka
7pm • ¥6,000 • Tel: 06-6535-5569
Rock

Leyona

10/3 @ Taku Taku, Kyoto
7pm • ¥4,200 • Tel: 075-351-1321
J-Pop female vocal

The Zutons

10/4 @ Big Cat, Osaka
7pm • ¥5,800 • Tel: 06-6535-5569
Brit pop/rock

Michael Franti

10/4 @ Club Quattro, Osaka
7pm • ¥6,000-¥6,500 • Tel: 06-6535-5569
Singer/Sonwriter/Poet ex-Spearhead frontman

Compiled by Phillip Jackson