The Blue Hearts

The Blue Hearts was a popular Japanese punk rock band, which debued in 1987 and broke up in 1995. The Blue Hearts are a shining example, with sharper sounds from individual instruments than one typically hears from a punk band, and clearer lyrics, they harken back to the great punk sounds of the early to mid eighties. Inability to understand the japanese is hardly a setback for a foreign listener; the vocals integrate themselves so well into the music that the tone is part of the sound, and is as much an instrument as the drums, guitar or base. The lyrics are odd, yet strongly representative of the punk music that they accompany, with wonderful phrases such as 'you are beautiful like a rat....' Four of their songs are available on myspace which isn't a bad way to check them out.

The recent Japanese film Linda Linda Linda! takes its name from one of the most popular Blue Hearts songs, Linda Linda. An all female band, Paranmaum, in the film learns and covers Linda Linda at the end along with the song Owaranai uta. I must say that I love their rendition of 'Linda Linda' with the backup vocals during the chorus.

The bassist in the film is played by Shiori Sekine the actual bassist of Base Ball Bear. Notice her posture, I do believe that that is the natural posture of all basssists everywhere, some form of requirement to be a bassist.

The two clips form the last portion of the film, Linda Linda Linda!, run consecutively and feature the ffictional band Paranmaum enjoy.
- Linda Linda
- Unending Song (owaranai uta)

You are beautiful like a rat...