Americanized?

Yea, I've got this question that Dir en Grey has helped bring up but it invloves other jrock bands, to so here its is:

Ok, you know people are saying that jrock bands are becoming "too Americanized"? Well didn't alot of these bands get inspired by American bands? So how is it that they are becoming too Americanized?

I'm not trying to be a biatch or stupid about this, it's just it kinda got me thinking.....All I'm really asking is for opinions^^

That whole too Americanized thing seriously gets on my nerves. Its like well yea Rock had its roots in the U.S/U.K. So for it to make it to Japan is a sign of influence. Now true they did take the music and make it their own. But I don't know what I want to say or even how I want to say it without rambling off somewhere.

BUT No I don't think they are becoming to Americanized.

I don't think "more Americanized" fits the bill when speaking about a band like Dir en grey at all. Their brand of rock music is something I've only heard out of Japan, period. They have a few songs that may have "parts" that sound like a "typical western rock song", but then something about it will switch up in a way that is distinctly 'Diru'. I've only heard their style imitated by other Japanese artists, so no, definitely not too Americanized.

On the other hand, you've got your bands like Asian Kung Fu Generation or Ellegarden which, to me, sound like the same old recycled crap you hear on radio stations over hear ... and those bands are quite popular. So in that way more "Americanized" bands may be becoming more of the thing of the day, but Japan still has many artists that may not be unique within Japan, but are unique from a worldwide perspective. Bands that have a distinct sound that isn't really "Americanized" at all. I mean it's rock, but its own brand of rock.

Make sense?

example: Sel'm, SCREW, -OZ- <-- 3 indies bands that I love to death. Now, they all may make songs that sound similar to one anothers' songs, and when I hear their music I can distinctly make it out as Japanese (regardless of the obvious language thing, I'm talking just the style of the song ... vocal stylings, instrumentation, etc.) I know of no American band at all that sounds like them, though they all may sometimes sound like each other.

example: lynch., deathgaze, deadman <-- 3 Nagoya kei bands, same thing. Unique Japanese (Nagoya) style and very similar song styles, but not even close to "Americanized".

So in short, no, I don't think that bands are becoming too Americanized. Well, not the ones I like anyway...

Almost all Jrock bands have recognised and confirmed that they're influenced by American bands - e.g., alice nine., who said (in some interview I read a while back) that they wanted their newest album to reflect an "east meets west" style. A whole bunch of other Jrock bands have many a western, if not only western artists amongst their influences. Jrock = rock done Japan style (and IMHO, they do it a lot better ^^;, and rock has it's roots in the west.

I think regarding Dir en grey, most long time fans are disappointed with them dropping their VK look and the fact that their music has become more melodic, whereas it used to be quite discordant. Most mainstream western music is melodic, and not discordant, so perhaps the fact that Dir en grey are now on the FV tour, shortly after changing their style to a more melodic one, suggests to some people that they're changing themselves for the western market.

Personally, I'm just upset that they dropped their VK style. I like Withering to death, but ugh, their look now is so... drab? I was never into Jrock for just the music, you know. So although I'll buy the newer music of theirs, I doubt I'll be rushing out to buy a DVD... although I'm not going to turn snobby and say that their music sucks because it's different than it used to be on Gauze and Six ugly, for instance, because I love a lot of the stuff they've done, from all the different time periods.

So ya, I'm just slightly miffed about the lack of VKness these days. -_-;; If they changed their look back I'd be completely happy

Like people have already said, rock in Japan is (and always was) heavily influenced by American and European rock music. Most 'legendary' Jrock bands list their influences as 'western' (for want of a better term) bands. Some Jrock musicians in fact listen primarily to western music. I'm not saying they don't listen to Japanese music at all, but I can't think of any bands offhand who say they only listen to Japanese music - and they are bound to be influenced, even if only a little, by all they listen to.

My view is that music and its influence is a big, complicated web stretching across the world. Japanese musicians are influenced by each other and by western bands, and vice versa. Not so many years ago, influences weren't so widely available like this, and people would usually be fairly limited in the music they could get hold of. Not necessarily limited between countries, but probably between continents, unless you happened to live near a border, or do a lot of travelling. But with the internet, not just music 'intellectuals' but anybody can listen to music from all around the world. So influences go backwards and forwards a lot! :music:

Some Jrock bands sound like western bands, some don't. That's about the long and the short of it!

Sorry to drift a little offtopic, but regarding Dir en grey, I don't think their recent music is more "melodic" than previous. ☝ If anything, the older work seems to contain more melodic and more gentle songs, whereas Withering to Death was heavy pretty much all through. Sure, it contained melodic elements too, but not as much as Gauze or Missa, for example.

I think WTD does sound more like 'typical' western rock/metal than Dir's previous albums, but... why do people always act like that's a bad thing? Either the music is good, or it is not, that's all that matters. (Of course, people's opinions about that will differ, but it's about what is happening in the music, in the songs, not about whether they 'sound American'.)

People who complain that Dir are sounding more 'American' are implying that there isn't any good American music, which is a stupid thing to say. If people say they dislike Dir's more recent music for some sensible reason, their opinion would be more likely to be respected.

@ solittletime: I like your honesty! ;-) Seriously, it's nice and refreshing when someone says outloud that they aren't into Jrock just for the music, but for the looks as well. Well, fair enough, but I don't like it when people are snobbish about it. Let people enjoy looks if they want to! Personally I don't care about Dir's looks - that's not to say I don't think their VK style was cool, but I don't care that they've dropped it, since I still like quite a few of their songs. But I can appreciate where you're coming from.

wow,all of you gave REALLY good opinions^^. I pretty much feel the same way about this subject. I just want to see how others think about it 'cuz it suprises me how many different thoughts people have of this topic.

Yeah... I dont think that they are becoming to "Americanized"... like Nana007 said... Rock music has its roots and when it made its way to Japan, they had an effect on them… being influenced by the music… they have taken it and made it into something better… so I dont think that they are becoming too "Americanized"...

Well thats my opinion Kagura... <33