I'm working on a pillows mix CD for a friend, and she was wondering what exactly the pillows are like. I usually just go the route of saying "They've been said to be a lot like the Japanese version of the Beatles" and that "They're a band that sort of developed over 20 years-- starting out with jazz and Britpop influences, and eventually evolving into a pop-rock/alt-rock band". But that explanation seems a bit sparse to me.

Any short "blurbs" I could use? Short and sweet, but still accurate? Any comparisons to Western/more popular bands would be appreciated. You can refer to the following songs (which I intend to put on the CD) to help illustrate points (the playlist is a work in progress):
1. My Foot
2. Ladybird Girl
3. Tokyo Bambi
4. Moon Margaret
5. New Animal
6. Wake Up Dodo!
7. Hybrid Rainbow
8. Terminal Heaven’s Rock
9. Robotman
10. Pied Piper
11. Last Dinosaur
12. Carnival
13. Degeneration
14. Kim Deal
15. Third Eye
16. Paper Triangle
17. Youngster
18. White Summer And Green Bicycle, Red Hair With Black Guitar

Will I get detention if I don't turn my essay in on time?

No songs from Please, Mr. Lostman?














[img]http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i268/Cloudy_Two/sonIamdisappoint.jpg[/img]

I think you should try and get songs from more periods of their discography in there. Use Patricia, for instance, as a possible example of how they can convey a certain feeling or something. I'm not so good with words. Also put Monochrome Lovers because it's awesome, and who doesn't love it?

I'd just give her the FLCL OSTs, and let her use the same process that 90% of everyone else did to become a pillows fan.

...unless you're just trying to give her a snapshot of the pillows, rather than trying to indoctrinate her into pillowsdom, then just pick two songs from each album and you're done.

[quote="Takagi"]18[/quote]

I think that's too many tracks. I mean, regardless of the physical capacity of your CD-R, 18 tracks of new music can be a little overwhelming if you're really trying to get someone into a band. I'd go with 10, max. Make them good, with a bit of variety. I can connect better with 10 seconds listened to twice, than 20 songs listened to once.

[quote="sheerheartattack"]I'd just give her the FLCL OSTs, and let her use the same process that 90% of everyone else did to become a pillows fan.[/quote]

Word. Can't go wrong with most of the holy trinity.

I agree with blank in that, if you want them to get "into" the pillows the easiest way would be to give them songs that will appeal to a broader demographic. Unless you know your friend will love a jazzy japanese song, its best to stick to something with more appeal. Then, once they can transition to listening to music where they cannot understand 90% of the lyrics, you can show them selections from the other albums, or even acoustics/lives, etc. Maybe let them have a pass at a tour DVD.

I also second that 18 is too many tracks. Do something like 7-10. GRG made a good point in that 10 should be max. This isn't a science of course, so he could be wrong..for once.

opinions people, opinions..

in the end, just make it enjoyable. if they don't get into it, no sweat; you'll find someone who you can non-internet converse with about das kissen(s).

Ride on Shooting Star.

PlanoBuster-- that's why I'm not going to put some of their older Kool Spice-esque stuff on. I tried to aim for the most appealing songs, but does anyone have a definitive definition of the pillows that's short and sweet?

The Pillows: the band for every occaision. oh reah!

really though, they cover so many styles of music, and have changed so much with the years that it's hard to say a musically descriptive phrase that will hit them spot on. Thinking about this, having no quick way to describe them is a good thing. If you could just say Jrock, and they WERE strictly jrock, how long do you think you'de listen to them before you get bored?

A Japanese beatles/simon n garfunkel/the pixies/nirvana inspired band that has great lyrics and band chemistry. Lame, but off the top of my head that's what I came up with.

P.S. you could let you friend listen to the album you make, and then ask them if they can describe them. I'de like to see them try.

That [i]was[/i] lame.

Also, ROSS may have single-handedly made me a pillows fan.

Can someone explain the Pillows/Pixies comparison to me?
I'll be honest, the only real exposure I have to Pixies is Doolittle. And the only song that sounds REMOTELY like it could be a pillows tune is Here Comes Your Man.
Don't we have any other better comparisons?

[quote="GoldenRhino"]Don't we have any other better comparisons?[/quote]

Japanese Weezer.

I have Surfer Rosa, Come On Pilgrim, Doolittle, and I've heard most songs on Bossanova and Trompe le Monde. pillows, they ain't.

[quote="GoldenRhino"]Don't we have any other better comparisons?[/quote]

Hieroglyphics?

I don't know about comparisons as a selling point. Just sell them as a cool rock band with catchy guitars, plenty of solos and a positive energy feel. Just a no-bullshit rock'n'roll band playing the songs that make you feel happy. The listener can draw their own conclusions on similarities.

And same for everybody with ROSS. Sure, you heard cool music that was obviously done by the same artist as you were watching FLCL for the first time, but when "Ride on shooting star - the pillows" scrolls across the screen amid a flurry of foreign writing in the credits, it's at that moment that you connect the dots. "the pillows, ok, I'll look them up!"