Fujiya & Miyagi - Lightbulbs

From when I first saw Fujiya & Miyagi in January 2007 (for $3!!), before they were a foursome. Gotta love the Barnard College Radio sign.

As they confess in "Photocopier," Fujiya & Miyagi are not Japanese, as the name suggests. And yes, they may repeat their name too often in their songs, but somehow that's acceptable in my book.

Fujiya & Miyagi return with Lightbulbs, available on September 9. Their first single off the album, "Knickerbocker," is very reminiscent of...well, a lot of the songs off their first album, Transparent Things. In typical F&M fashion, David Best chants a bunch of random words that are either related or unrelated, depending on how much you want to read into the song. "Knickerbocker" begins with a repetition of the following words: vanilla, strawberry, knickerbocker glory. I have no idea what this song is about, but I dig the minimalist electro-pop and Best's wispy voice.

Judging by "Knickerbocker," I don't expect any surprises from F&M's Lightbulbs. And, somehow, I appreciate the predictability. Sometimes, you just want to kick back and listen to some positive, relaxing music. That's probably why I've been listening to "Dishwasher" in the mornings. I really like the intro, which consists of a simple riff (is this a bass or a guitar tuned down to a low register?) and percussion. All in F&M style, of course.

Fujiya & Miyagi will be at Webster Hall with Crystal Castles on October 23. See you there.


Dishwasher - Fujiya & Miyagi


Knickerbocker - Fujiya & Miyagi


Photocopier - Fujiya & Miyagi




This is pretty trippy. Great song.