New releases from The Pillows 2016-01-01 by dimsim3478 | 12 Comments | In a 2008 interview, drummer Shinichiro Sato of Japanese alternative rock legends The Pillows described the band's frontman Sawao Yamanaka as a "workaholic", and it seems that after 8 years--Yamanaka and his bandmates now in their 50s--that work ethic has yet to give way. Since the release of their first album Moon Gold in 1991, there hasn't been more than a two year gap between Pillows albums despite lengthy national and international tours, side projects, and label/member changes. Even after a grandiose multi-platform 25th anniversary celebration in 2014 and two national tours in 2015, The Pillows are already gearing up for the release of their 20th studio album less than two years since that of 2014's Moondust.
Stroll and Roll is due out in April from Avex Trax (amended: see update below), and is set to feature 10 tracks including "Under the Cuckoo's Nest"--which was showcased on the band's recently completed Lostman Go to City tour--and "Radio Telegraphy", a collaboration with Ryosuke Sasaki of fellow Japanese rock trio A Flood of Circle. Stroll and Roll marks The Pillows' first album in 15 years not to feature "support member" Jun Suzuki, who played bass as an unofficial member of the band from 1999 up until the Moondust tour in 2015. Suzuki--who was fired for continuing "bad conduct"--has yet to be permanently replaced, as the band has been utilising a rotating cast of bassists for their live appearances throughout 2015. Yamanaka has expressed that the band may continue without a "fixed" bass player.
The new album is also speculated to be the first studio effort in what is rumoured to be The Pillows' "4th Movement"--a new era for the band, in some way, shape or form--as the band previously alluded to through merchandise issued in 2014 that bore the slogan "4th Movement is coming."
In addition to Stroll and Roll, The Pillows are releasing a B-sides collection on March 2 entitled Across the Metropolis which features 22 tracks and 7 music videos over two CDs and a DVD. They will also be playing two festival dates in Japan--Happy Jack on March 19th, and Arabaki Rock Fest on April 29th--before going out on another full-scale tour for Stroll and Roll from May to July. With 2015 only just finished, 2016 is already looking like another jam-packed year for one of the most hard-working bands around.
UPDATE: The Pillows announced on the 26th of January that the official release date for Stroll and Roll is April 6, and the album would not be released by Avex Trax as the band have signed a new deal with Yamanaka's own Delicious Label that will include distribution and promotion by The Pillows' former label King Records. King handled all of The Pillows' releases between 1994 and 2007, including the band's most celebrated albums Please Mr. Lostman, Little Busters, Runners High and Happy Bivouac, and have kept the band's back catalogue perpetually in print since then in addition to releasing new Pillows compilation albums in 2007 and 2009. Across the Metropolis will be The Pillows' last release with Avex Trax, who appear to have ceased the repressing of Pillows albums and video releases on their label.
The band also announced that Stroll and Roll would include bass tracks performed by former Pillows bassists Kenji Ueda and Tatsuya Kashima, as well as Jiro of Glay, Tomoyuki Miyakawa of HiGE, and Yoshinori Arie of Vola and the Oriental Machine. With the exception of Jiro--who is Yamanaka's bandmate in their side project The Predators--the other four contributing bassists on Stroll and Roll have all performed with The Pillows at live dates throughout 2015 in the absence of Jun Suzuki.
Pre-orders have gone up for Stroll and Roll which will also be available in a limited edition package with a bonus DVD featuring 3 new music videos.
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Tagged: The Pillows
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This is awesome. I didn't know they had such a great work ethic.
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Just got their "Little Busters" cd in the mail yesterday. Talk about perfect timing. Absolutely lovely band though I haven't heard much of their new stuff yet.
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Their new albums ain't up to par with their Lostman to Smile era but if you're a fan, you'll definitely still enjoy. Even if those albums aren't super consistent, there's still one or two perfect songs on every single one of them.
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Updated with info from January 26, if you haven't already heard about the most intriguing developments over in Pillows-Land.
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the majority of their discography is really mediocre, but Happy Bivouac is fucking awesome and they have a few other good albums.
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It's largely agreed that the majority of their output is mediocre but, y'know, they do have 19 albums so far.
Having said that, a total of 4 amazing albums out of 19 isn't very impressive. Still, those 4 are essential and there's other good ones, as you say.
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Trial was surprisingly good though, considering i havent really liked any of their albums since Thank You, My Twilight.
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Agreed, really dug Trial although part of that strength comes from the fact that it's possibly the most simple thing they've ever done imo. Also dude you gotta give some cred to My Foot as one of the better post-Twilight albums.
I actually think Moondust is solid too except for a couple of tracks. Saw you 2'd it but what'd you think of the two singles?
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not even the singles did much for me.
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idk, Trial just has something that their other albums dont, its hard for me to explain. the reason i like The Pillows is because even when im listening to one of their more mediocre songs it still lifts my spirits, and Trial was able to do that really well. plus i think the guitar leads are some of the most interesting of their discography. that and most of the songs have their own flavors, unlike with a lot of Pillows albums which kind of blend together. plus theyve got that 7 minute song on there which is actually good, and i think it also has one of their strongest closers. im actually gonna have to bump up the rating now.
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It's certainly hard to articulate what makes Trial different or better than the rest of The Pillows' stuff, or even a distinguishable work in its own right. My best guess is it's just a more inspired work overall (i.e. the ideas are more interesting than usual, similar to your comment about flavours), but even that feels like too simple of an explanation. Anyway, glad you dig such a recent Pillows album. Will you be listening to the new one, if only out of morbid curiosity?
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yeah agreed. im sure i will, i always do. honestly not expecting much, but Trial proves theyre still capable of making good music so who knows.
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