detroit 7 - detroit 7

detroit 7 is a garage rock band that has been around since 2001. They are a bit unique in the rock scene as two of the three members are women: vocalist and guitarist Tomomi Nabana and drummer Miyoko Yamaguchi. The final member, Nobuaki Kotajima, plays bass. Recently, they have signed with Daruma Label, a brand new label based in California hoping to bring more Japanese music over to the U.S. Their newest album, the self-titled detroit 7, will also be sold in the United States. Though not officially on sale until March 10, the CD is already available for order.

The name detroit 7 was Tomomi's idea; she named the band after her favorite city. Thus, it comes as no surprise that detroit 7's music is highly influenced by another well-known band from Detroit - The White Stripes. From the aggressive first bars of In The Sunshine, it's hard to shake the image of Jack White, but Tomomi's voice does have its own charm. Her singing is somewhere between a growl and a back of the throat whine, and while it's a bit grating it matches the guitar riffs perfectly. Plus, at least in the Japanese rock scene, there isn't a female vocalist with a voice like hers yet!

Watering! takes after the first track in sound, all thrashing guitar and pounding beat, and Fatman Blues pays homage to blues-punk music with its bass heavy melody and steady drums. Tomomi's drawl makes the lyrics hard to understand, but for the most part the choruses are clear and mostly in English. Mr. Kato On The Road is another fast-paced track; it spirals into a wild guitar solo that is all over the place. However, the song manages to come back to itself and power through neatly to the end.

The fifth track on the album is a cover of the American classic Louie Louie. detroit 7's version is more compact and tightly packaged than the original, and the delivery is both entertaining and fresh. 24 Hours starts with a drum intro that sounds like Royal Crown Revue's Hey Pachuco! However, the guitar gives the swing based song a very rock feel. During the instrumental break, the guitar and drums don’t match up at all, making it hard to decide which is more important: the swing beat or the free-wheeling guitar licks. Either way you decide, you'll be dancing the whole time!

Down Beat offers a little down time to rest; it's a bit slower and features heavy, thrumming guitar playing. Tomomi chants almost tauntingly, as if goading the listener on. The following Torch Song also starts low tempo. The guitar and drums are lighter, and for the first time we hear Tomomi actually singing, her voice rough and throaty. Towards the end, the sound goes back to the usual detroit 7 rock style, which is actually a bit disappointing as the beginning of Torch Song was a nice breather - one that could have lasted longer.

The last two tracks on the album, Zelda and Lovers Fight, are similar to the songs we've heard before. Zelda is a relentless, guitar driven piece, while Lovers Fight is only slightly slower. Though not bad on their own, by the end of such an energy packed album you might be too exhausted to enjoy them fully.

For their U.S. debut, detroit 7 is an album that boldly introduces the band to their new audience. With their powerful sound and flair for going wild, detroit 7 should have no problem fitting in to the American rock scene. The band will play at Japan Nite 1 SXSW at Austin, Texas on March 20 and go on Japan Nite Tour to seven cities in the U.S. If you're able to go, definitely check them out!

Find out more about the band at Daruma Label's artist site, or check out the band's official site. Both are available in Japanese and English.