Kawaguchi Masami's New Rock Syndicate - Cat Vs. Frog

Palindrone Recordings are proud to announce
our second release, and the debut LP by
Kawaguchi Masami's New Rock Syndicate, Cat
vs. Frog (PALP002).

Kawaguchi Masami is a Japanese guitar monster* who has
done time in Miminokoto, LSD March, and
Broomdusters, and played with Keiji Haino for a time.
This, his new band, also features bassist Akira Kikuchi
and drummer Nao Shibata (Hijokaidan, Doodles). A track
by New Rock Syndicate featured on the recent PSF
compilation Tokyo Flashback vol. 6.

The new album is called Cat vs. Frog and clocks in at
around 40 min. It's exceptional wailing, burning garage
psych-rock grounded in Kawaguchi’s trademark
heartbreakingingly melancholic emotional intensity,
instantly-hummable, head-nodding toe-tapping riffs and
melodies and unavoidably air-guitaring white light, white
heat guitar solos.

Cat vs. Frog is pressed on white vinyl, in an edition of

500. The cover art (by German artist Sandra Schmidt) is
entitled "OMS, involved in a battle".

There’s a battle going on all right; it’s the eternal battle for
the rockin’ hearts and psychedelic souls of all mankind.
Led by heroes such as Masami, the good will surely
prevail over the evils of second-rate pap.

* according to Mason Jones; however we concur 100%

Praise for MASAMI KAWAGUCHI:

-- Miminokoto carved a niche for themselves as they
pushed the VU meters (and comparisons) both with heavy
duty guitar excess and almost-poppy punk jangle.
Kawaguchi's new trio carries on the tradition, with a
variety of sound from all-out psych overload to more
relatively restrained fare (Mienakunaru) and the (mostly)
gentle balladry of Everything Is, wherein everything is
aching with misery. None are untouched by the shrapnel
coming off of Kawaguchi's six string, though, which is
definitely a forced to be reckoned with on the final track,
Tottemo, with more than enough distortion and feedback
and destructiveness to give you Tokyo Flashbacks for
weeks...

-- With weary vocals of which maybe even Jandek would
be proud, Miminikoto can create a sense of sadness which
makes Kawaguchi's howling guitar, when it kicks in, all
that much more cathartic. They also aren't afraid of some
poppy jangle too, so you're never sure what's around the
corner. From track to track, one cut might be a punked
out stormer, the next a gentle web of fragile notes.

Be the first to review this record. Best reviewer each month gets £10 off their next order!