Tsu Shi Ma Mi Re
Encyclopedia
Tsu Shi Ma Mi Re is an all-girl Japan
ese rock trio. Their style is energetic hard rock, mixing punk and pop tendencies with idiosyncratic, quirky, often funny or disturbing lyrics. They are one of the many bands to have become famous in the United States through the Austin, Texas South by Southwest
music festival, and also through their performances at anime conventions, with the Suicide Girls, and at Benten Label
's "Japan Girls Nite" U.S. tours.
Food is a noticeable subject in their lyrics. In the rap-rock title song from no-miso shortcake (brain shortcake), lead singer Mari invites the listener to eat her brain. In Kamaboco (Fish Cakes), all three girls play the roles of food ingredients in Japanese hotpot, with fish cakes (Mari) feeling rejected and lonely because she is never added to hotpot. In their very first single, American Hamburger, an upbeat pop song, the singer describes herself as fat and food-loving but beautiful; the first line is, "I'm a pig so I eat pork." (Actually, all three band members are usually quite svelte.)
Some of their most powerful songs address death and its inevitability. In Na-mellow (Nameru), the singer plays the role of the young daughter of a fisherman, who gradually realizes her father will never return from a fishing voyage. In Manhole, the singer speculates about where manholes in the street might lead to, perhaps to the land of the dead.
Another common theme is sex, which is frequently juxtaposed against the squeaky-clean stereotype of the innocent-looking Japanese girl. In the title song from Pregnant Fantasy, the unborn baby of a pregnant teenager asks why her mother will bear her when she is not wanted. In World Peace & BOU, the singer appears to be speculating that world peace can be brought about by a cartoon penis.
Tea Time Ska, the song which often closes their live shows, features a unique mix of punk-rock screaming and sweet harmonies. It describes an innocent young girl who invites her first boyfriend home for tea. However, her father, "who loves me too much", becomes jealous of the boyfriend because his daughter has never made tea for him.
, as well as releasing their first demo single Hamburger Set in 1999 and then their second demo single Bloody Mohawk [Ryuketsu Mohikan] in 2001.
In 2004, they toured with other native Japanese bands Petty Booka
, Bleach, Noodles
, and Kokeshi Doll in the United States
as well as performing at the South by Southwest music festival. On August 25 of the same year they released their first full length album Pregnant Fantasy
on Benten Label
.
In March 2005, they toured the United States once again in the “Japan Girls Nite US Tour.” Along with some of their previous tour mates, this excursion included notable rock group The Pillows
. Though the short tour only went through a few cities such as Chicago
, New York
, Seattle, Boston
, Los Angeles
, and San Francisco, the tour was met warmly and gave them extra exposure. This prompted Benten Label to release the girls' first album and future records in the United States through the Australian Cattle God label.
Also in 2005, they performed as an opening act for the "Suicide Girls Live Burlesque Tour" which involved a grueling thirty-five shows in about one month's time, September 30 through November 5. After the Suicide Girls tour, they also played a few small west coast
dates with other Japanese girl bands, once again part of the Benten Label's “Girls Nite Tour.”
In 2006 they were invited as musical guests to perform at Anime Central
, making it their first American convention appearance. Afterward they toured a second time with Suicide Girls. This tour was cut short when the Suicide Girls changed plans to become the opening act for Guns N' Roses
. As the last several shows were suddenly cancelled, Tsu Shi Ma Mi Re played a few hastily-arranged shows on the west coast
.
On July 7, 2007, Tsu Shi Ma Mi Re released their most recent album no-miso shortcake [脳みそショートケーキ] (called brain shortcake in English-speaking countries). This was released through the July Records label, unlike their earlier CDs which were released through Benten
, apparently indicating a change of label. This is an enhanced CD, containing seven songs and a Flash animated music video for "Air Control Remote Control." The CD was initially listed as available on Amazon.com in the USA, but later its status was changed to unavailable. As of September 2007, the CD was currently available as an import from Amazon in Japan and from www.hmv.co.jp.
On Sept. 15th. 2007, they were featured on the Firefox Rock Festival which was streamed from Tokyo live over the internet.
Again, according to a post by Yayoi on the official TSMMR Myspace page, they plan to tour the United States in September.
During an interview with TADA Music in June 2008, all three girls stated their excitement at touring the United States for a 7th time in September 2008.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese rock trio. Their style is energetic hard rock, mixing punk and pop tendencies with idiosyncratic, quirky, often funny or disturbing lyrics. They are one of the many bands to have become famous in the United States through the Austin, Texas South by Southwest
South by Southwest
South by Southwest is an Austin, Texas based company dedicated to planning conferences, trade shows, festivals and other events. Their current roster of annual events include: SXSW Music, SXSW Film, SXSW Interactive, SXSWedu, and SXSWeco and take place every spring in Austin, Texas, United States...
music festival, and also through their performances at anime conventions, with the Suicide Girls, and at Benten Label
Sister Benten Online
Sister Benten Online is a record label based in Japan. It is predominantly female, and features Oi! music. The operator of the label is Audrey Kimura. Since 1994, The record label has produced over 30 releases and are still going strong....
's "Japan Girls Nite" U.S. tours.
Origin of the name
Although tsushimamire sounds like a Japanese word, it is not. It is a combination of Tsushima (the family name of bassist Yayoi) with "Ma" (from guitarist/vocalist Mari) and "Mi" (from drummer Mizue). In addition, mamire means "mixed up" in Japanese: thus the effect is that of "Tsushima (Yayoi), Mari and Mizue all mixed together."Musical Style and Themes
Tsu Shi Ma Mi Re's musical style can be broadly classified as hard rock, with eclectic influences of punk and Japanese pop music. Several of their songs begin with strong bass lines by Yayoi, but Mari's guitar and Mizue's drums finally make equal contributions. Several songs combine sweet female vocal harmonies with hard drum playing and punk guitar riffs, for a deliberately ironic effect, for example in their signature tune, Tea Time Ska. The lyrics are consistently quirky and idiosyncratic, with the most common themes being sex, food, and death, and sometimes all three at once. Underneath sweet vocal harmonies, the lyrics frequently hint at far darker, scarier themes.Food is a noticeable subject in their lyrics. In the rap-rock title song from no-miso shortcake (brain shortcake), lead singer Mari invites the listener to eat her brain. In Kamaboco (Fish Cakes), all three girls play the roles of food ingredients in Japanese hotpot, with fish cakes (Mari) feeling rejected and lonely because she is never added to hotpot. In their very first single, American Hamburger, an upbeat pop song, the singer describes herself as fat and food-loving but beautiful; the first line is, "I'm a pig so I eat pork." (Actually, all three band members are usually quite svelte.)
Some of their most powerful songs address death and its inevitability. In Na-mellow (Nameru), the singer plays the role of the young daughter of a fisherman, who gradually realizes her father will never return from a fishing voyage. In Manhole, the singer speculates about where manholes in the street might lead to, perhaps to the land of the dead.
Another common theme is sex, which is frequently juxtaposed against the squeaky-clean stereotype of the innocent-looking Japanese girl. In the title song from Pregnant Fantasy, the unborn baby of a pregnant teenager asks why her mother will bear her when she is not wanted. In World Peace & BOU, the singer appears to be speculating that world peace can be brought about by a cartoon penis.
Tea Time Ska, the song which often closes their live shows, features a unique mix of punk-rock screaming and sweet harmonies. It describes an innocent young girl who invites her first boyfriend home for tea. However, her father, "who loves me too much", becomes jealous of the boyfriend because his daughter has never made tea for him.
History
Mari (Vocals & Lead Guitar), Mizue (Chorus & Drums) and Yayoi Tsushima (Chorus & Bass Guitar) formed Tsu Shi Ma Mi Re in 1999 while they were all still college students. They started playing in various clubs in the Chiba prefectureChiba Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region and the Greater Tokyo Area. Its capital is Chiba City.- History :Chiba Prefecture was established on June 15, 1873 with the merger of Kisarazu Prefecture and Inba Prefecture...
, as well as releasing their first demo single Hamburger Set in 1999 and then their second demo single Bloody Mohawk [Ryuketsu Mohikan] in 2001.
In 2004, they toured with other native Japanese bands Petty Booka
Petty Booka
Petty Booka is a Japanese musical group that consists of two women, Petty and Booka, who sing and play ukulele. Most of the band's early output consisted of cover versions of Hawaiian ukulele classics. The two also do many covers of well-known rock songs. Petty Booka is part of Sister Benten...
, Bleach, Noodles
Noodles (band)
Noodles is a Japanese alternative rock band currently consisting of Yoko , Ayumi and Ikuno . The band is originally from Yokohama, where they performed their first show....
, and Kokeshi Doll in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
as well as performing at the South by Southwest music festival. On August 25 of the same year they released their first full length album Pregnant Fantasy
Pregnant Fantasy
Pregnant Fantasy / 創造妊娠 is the debut album of the Japanese indie and J-rock band Tsu Shi Ma Mi Re. Released on August 25, 2004 in Japan then on November 1, 2005 in North America.-Japanese Track listing:#"うめうまいタネデカイ" Umeumai TANEDEKAI...
on Benten Label
Sister Benten Online
Sister Benten Online is a record label based in Japan. It is predominantly female, and features Oi! music. The operator of the label is Audrey Kimura. Since 1994, The record label has produced over 30 releases and are still going strong....
.
In March 2005, they toured the United States once again in the “Japan Girls Nite US Tour.” Along with some of their previous tour mates, this excursion included notable rock group The Pillows
The Pillows
The Pillows are a Japanese rock band. The group has released more than a dozen original studio albums, along with several EPs, singles and compilations...
. Though the short tour only went through a few cities such as Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Seattle, Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, and San Francisco, the tour was met warmly and gave them extra exposure. This prompted Benten Label to release the girls' first album and future records in the United States through the Australian Cattle God label.
Also in 2005, they performed as an opening act for the "Suicide Girls Live Burlesque Tour" which involved a grueling thirty-five shows in about one month's time, September 30 through November 5. After the Suicide Girls tour, they also played a few small west coast
West Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
dates with other Japanese girl bands, once again part of the Benten Label's “Girls Nite Tour.”
In 2006 they were invited as musical guests to perform at Anime Central
Anime Central
Anime Central is an anime convention that is held yearly in Rosemont, Illinois, United States. It is one of the fastest growing anime conventions in the U.S. and has ranked as the 3rd largest North American anime convention since 2010. The convention is like many other anime conventions; it runs...
, making it their first American convention appearance. Afterward they toured a second time with Suicide Girls. This tour was cut short when the Suicide Girls changed plans to become the opening act for Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
. As the last several shows were suddenly cancelled, Tsu Shi Ma Mi Re played a few hastily-arranged shows on the west coast
West Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
.
On July 7, 2007, Tsu Shi Ma Mi Re released their most recent album no-miso shortcake [脳みそショートケーキ] (called brain shortcake in English-speaking countries). This was released through the July Records label, unlike their earlier CDs which were released through Benten
Sister Benten Online
Sister Benten Online is a record label based in Japan. It is predominantly female, and features Oi! music. The operator of the label is Audrey Kimura. Since 1994, The record label has produced over 30 releases and are still going strong....
, apparently indicating a change of label. This is an enhanced CD, containing seven songs and a Flash animated music video for "Air Control Remote Control." The CD was initially listed as available on Amazon.com in the USA, but later its status was changed to unavailable. As of September 2007, the CD was currently available as an import from Amazon in Japan and from www.hmv.co.jp.
On Sept. 15th. 2007, they were featured on the Firefox Rock Festival which was streamed from Tokyo live over the internet.
Upcoming Tours and Albums
According to Mari's blog on the official TSMMR Myspace, they are currently in production of a new American release album which will include previous songs from their 2nd album and new songs, including an English language one.Again, according to a post by Yayoi on the official TSMMR Myspace page, they plan to tour the United States in September.
During an interview with TADA Music in June 2008, all three girls stated their excitement at touring the United States for a 7th time in September 2008.
Awards
In 2007 they were voted "Best All-Girl Group" by Shojo Beat magazine's Reader's Poll, with 73.4% of the vote.LPs
- Pregnant FantasyPregnant FantasyPregnant Fantasy / 創造妊娠 is the debut album of the Japanese indie and J-rock band Tsu Shi Ma Mi Re. Released on August 25, 2004 in Japan then on November 1, 2005 in North America.-Japanese Track listing:#"うめうまいタネデカイ" Umeumai TANEDEKAI...
/ 創造妊娠Pregnant FantasyPregnant Fantasy / 創造妊娠 is the debut album of the Japanese indie and J-rock band Tsu Shi Ma Mi Re. Released on August 25, 2004 in Japan then on November 1, 2005 in North America.-Japanese Track listing:#"うめうまいタネデカイ" Umeumai TANEDEKAI...
(Souzou Ninshin) (2004) - 脳みそショートケーキNoumiso Shortcake脳みそショートケーキ is the 2nd album by the Japanese indie and J-rock band つしまみれ .-Track listing:#"エアコンのリモコン" EAKON no RIMOKON / Air Conditioner Remote#"バカ元カレー" BAKA moto KAREE / Stupid Ex-Boyfriend...
(Noumiso Shortcake) (2007) - つしまみれとロックとビアで (With Tsushimamire and rock and beer) (2008)
- Ah Umi Da|あっ、海だ。 (2009)
- Sex on the Beach (2010)
- GIVING BLOOD (2011)
Singles
- ハンバーガーセット (Hamburger Set)(2001)
- 流血モヒカン (Ryuketsu Mohikan) (2002)
- 献血ソング / キッチンドランカー (Giving Blood Song / Kitchen Drunker) (2010)
Music videos
- エアコンのリモコン (Air Control & Remote Control) (animated, 2007)
- HYPER SWEET POWER (2009)
- タイムラグ (Time Lag) (2009)
- まつり (Matsuri) (2009)
- ストロボ (Strobe) (2010)
- 献血ソング (Blood Song) (2011)
- グレープフルーツガール (Grapefruit girl) (2011)