A License To Reach the R' N' R' City--The Cokes--Japanese PopPunks 1st!

Just poking around and came across this nifty little Japanese import by The Cokes, who play some pretty cool old school punk, sounding a bit like The Buzzcocks, NY Dolls, The Ramones, Undertones. And they do it with the requisite enthusiasm, albeit with fractured English.

The Cokes have a Facebook account, but aside from that I don't know too much. I found an old historic blurb from the now defunct Not Lame Records site; apparently they were selling their second album Heatwave. I have to assume I picked up this, their eponymous first record, from Not Lame also. Unfortunately between items about the Georgia soda giant and some Japanese Irish Punk band called The Cherry Cokes who have piqued the interest of the English typing sector of the blogosphere (did not find any other soft drink bands like The Diet Mountain Dews), I have had trouble locating more info. It looks like they have a third album entitled New World, so it seems they are still in operation.

You have to love what they are doing. When you hear them play, you know they are absolutely having a great time. It's simply a fun record, infectious. These guys bash it out pretty good here, ragged and raw like it's supposed to be, but with plenty of hooks and harmonies.

They apparently are doing a Ramones thing with their names, only with License.

Ogawa G License--Guitar, Vocals
Matsui B License-- Bass
Takumi G License--Vocals, Guitar
Takashi D License--Drums

And check out the New Wavy cover art--you would think they were a Dirtnap Records punk revival band. Which is not a bad thing at all. Aside from the song Don't Ring Me Up, which I find kind of annoying, it's one high energy pop-punk song after another. Songs like Johnny Will Come to Rock 'N' Roll City, My Vision Love Elevation, Traveling Romance and Don't Knock On My Door make this a recommended record.



As far as obtaining this music I think you would have to order directly from a Japanese vendor. I saw a company called CDJapan which is selling their first two albums. I have never used them, but that is one option.



For some reason I always smile when I think that people around the world can connect through music, whether it be Japan or Belguim, or Argentina. Going to see Stiff Little Fingers and looking at the diverse crowd in the audience was always satisfying, that the basic empowering message of their punk rock went beyond superficialities. Of course things aren't always this way in the real world. But when you listen to The Cokes, you feel them channelling that same excitement they must have felt listening to the Ramones, or the Damned, or The Pointed Sticks for the first time. I know I can feel it.