I've failed a few times, and being marginally successful a few times.

I got one of my friends into them a bit (he already loved Ride on Shooting Star and Hybrid Rainbow from FLCL, but strangely, it's hard to get him to listen to anything else).

However, my last failure came with a friend of mine named Chealsea.

We were riding around in her car, and I started playing Little Busters.

She was like "!?", so I was like "Oh, this is a Japanese band I like, they're called the pillows."

She didn't say anything as the song finished, so I just asked, "So, what'd you think?" She said it was OK, so I said, "Alright, I'll play you some more songs, just say something if you want it to stop."

So anyways, we're riding along. First I played Funny Bunny. Somehow, she hated it. I don't know how... I've never met anyone who hates that song... but she did. I'm guessing it is because the language barrier.

At this point, I'm like "SHIT! The next song is gonna' make or break this shit!" My fingers are looping the touch pad, my eyes are searching song to song. I went through the Special CD, Kool Spice, (didn't have Moon Gold, White Incarnation, Living Field, or the complete Mr. Lostman album, sadly), Little Busters, Happy Bivouac, My Foot, and finally Wake Up!

I chose Hybrid Rainbow. In my mind, as I hit play, I was like "YEAH BITCH! This is the SHIT!"

LOL NO

By the time we got to the guitar solo, she simply said, "Can you please turn this crap off?" MUCH TO MY HORROR.

I litterally said "You can't feel!?"

...

A few weeks later I play Twilight Park Waltz in her car. And she said it sounded better than that crap I played for her last time. She then went on to comment that Sawao sounded like Jackie Chan and asked who the artist was. When I told her it was still the pillows she basically lost all interests in the music and said "I don't care if I'm being closed minded; I don't want to listen to this (and I quote here) STRANGE, WEIRD, CHINESE MUSIC!"

At this point, I'm PISSED, so when we get to a stop sign, I get the fuck out of her car and walk my ass home.

I remember when I tried to get a friend into the pillows but he'd flame them all the time but then I bought him a ticket for the concert this year and after the show he become a huge fan of them ever since.

@Tidus: Ouch, ouch, ouch. Wow. Kudos for sticking it out and trying again.

I don't generally play them for people unless I have an idea whether they're open-minded, like rock music, or like Japanese music. I haven't gotten anybody into them as much as me, but I have had a couple of friends say they sound cool and/or put up with going to the shows with me.

[quote="kininku buster"]I remember when I tried to get a friend into the pillows but he'd flame them all the time but then I bought him a ticket for the concert this year and after the show he become a huge fan of them ever since. [/quote]

That's what happened with a couple of my friends, too. Lols.

For my parents, they take very deep concern in the lyrics so the whole language barrier is a problem. For my peers though, if they are into complex music or just rock, they treat the vocals more or less as an instrument or percussive beat, which is what I like to do. Others who are into sappy pop music or hip-hop, the pillows just don't work, not only because of genre, but also because of language.

One great thing about the pillows though is that they span so many different genres that almost anyone can pick up. (Living field is definitely the trump card)

Most of my friends are close-minded 'tards.
But I have gotten people into them with carnival and one life (and white incarnation).
One of the close-minded friends says that if he can't understand it, its crap, and then continues to make asian and indian jokes about the pillows and me, respectively.
My dad thinks they're ok, not the best but ok.

My mom said "I'm sorry but what do the japanese know about rock?" while we were in the car and then i put on carnival.
She liked it.
But she doesn't like the pillows.


I gave the dean from school my foot, please mr lostman and a bit of living field, White incarnation, and the turn-back version of Bokura no HAREE Suisei ( loved that one). which he played first thing in the morning on the intercom during the 2nd to last week of school ( the solo and the chorus )


So I'm trying. And I might have more success later.

Anyone who doesn't like Bokura no HARE Suisei needs to stfu and gtfo of mai raifu.

The Pillows, along with a bunch of other bands, fall under a strange category of music for me. It's the type of music that only I seem to like; I listen to it and I absolutley love it. I don't see how anyone in their right mind wouldn't enjoy it, but no one ever feels the same about it. Other bands in this category include Dr. Dog, Fastball, and loads of other indie/alternative bands.

I put on Please Mr. Lostman at school all the time in my room, people come in and are like, "what is this weird shit?" I say it's Japanese, and which somehow translates into, "Hi, I do nothing but watch anime all day! ^___^" It sucks, really. It's almost impossible to enjoy japanese music without being accused of being a random nerd/fanboy.

I don't see why people can't overcome the language barrier. They say, "Why do you listen to it if you don't know what the fuck they're saying?" and I always respond with, "How many songs do you know EVERY lyric to?" People seldom even notice the lyrics as words in music, unless they're either incredibly thought provoking or funny. At least I dont. I tend to view lyrics as part of the melody, the big picture. I could care less about what a band is singing about if the melody is fun and unique.

I mean, look at the Beatles. People ALL OVER THE WORLD listened to them, regardless of whether or not they spoke English. It just proves that great music has no barriers.

I've never been able to turn anyone on to the pillows, sadly. Everyone that I show them to dismisses them as soon as they know they're japanese. Then they go off about how all azns are the same at which point I usually kick them out of my car for their cultural ignorance (there's seriously people out there who think like that).

- Removed by terra. Let's keep the mockery out of the pillows subforum. -

-Edited by Blank.

Sorry.

its been kinda wierd because since moving to the city I've been getting into the whole hard rock/punk underground thing. I never hide my pillows cd's but I usually dont offer up to put em in when I'm hanging out with people.

I've shown a few people The Pillows, but they're usually turned off by the poppiness of the singing more than the fact that they're japanese. I got a roomate who is into more mellow music and liked more of their older stuff.

but even after being out all night and I stumble onto the el, I usually put the pillows on my ipod

[quote="Sawao Yamanaka™"]words[/quote]

It's unfortunate. But I think more than just being musically narrow-minded, the people you're talking about are probably just narrow-minded d-bags in general. Their loss. Notice how the people who are genuinely interested in new, good music (even if it's international) are the cool people you want to be around? Rather than: "Fuck you man I'm gonna listen to Slipknot"

not everyone that listen's to slipknot is a d-bag. i don't listen to them myself, but i just wanted to throw it out there since you usually make calculated responses, yet this one seems fleeting.

I hope you didn't miss the point there on purpose.

[quote="Planobuster"]not everyone that listen's to slipknot is a d-bag. i don't listen to them myself, but i just wanted to throw it out there since you usually make calculated responses, yet this one seems fleeting.[/quote]

Sorry, I guess there was some bias there. I don't think you completely missed the point as Mare implied. In my experience, the people I know who own Slipknot t-shirts and really dig that band are hopelessly stuck in the genre. Their musical palette isn't diverse at all, and they seem like they're perfectly content ignoring all other forms of music that isn't HARDxCORE and/or TOTALLY FUCKIN' BRUTAL. That's no insult to Slipknot fans, it's just what I've seen, and I'm not saying being way into a band is terrible at all (lol, that'd be some irony right there.) Maybe you're somewhat of an anomaly?

[quote="GoldenRhino"][quote="Planobuster"]not everyone that listen's to slipknot is a d-bag. i don't listen to them myself, but i just wanted to throw it out there since you usually make calculated responses, yet this one seems fleeting.[/quote]

Sorry, I guess there was some bias there. I don't think you completely missed the point as Mare implied. In my experience, the people I know who own Slipknot t-shirts and really dig that band are hopelessly stuck in the genre. Their musical palette isn't diverse at all, and they seem like they're perfectly content ignoring all other forms of music that isn't HARDxCORE and/or TOTALLY FUCKIN' BRUTAL. That's no insult to Slipknot fans, it's just what I've seen, and I'm not saying being way into a band is terrible at all (lol, that'd be some irony right there.) Maybe you're somewhat of an anomaly?[/quote]


I agree with you there, they're the kind of people that don't like The Beatles cause they didn't manically flail their guitars at full force.


At first I was pretty secretive that I listened to the pillows until I actually knew the person and saw that they like music for things other than social status.

A friend of mine mocked me cause I listened to them alot, I burned Fool on the Planet for him, and was instantly hooked, but never understood why.

Then a few months later, he gradually started getting more albums, until he listened to "Tonight". Now he understands me completely and took everything back.

My girlfriend knew about them from FLCL, she doesn't listen to them everyday hardcore, but she likes them and plays them alot.

There are more in-depths stories, most people like them alot, I've recruited at least 3 or 4 Busters OH YEAH

I've semi-recruited two semi-Busters. A friend of mine and my mom... but I don't think I've got anyone into them.

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