At 8:05 p.m., the house lights inside Liquidroom began to slowly dim. When the entire venue was blanketed with darkness, Jimmy LaValle made his way on stage and began extracting a series of electronic bleeps and light buzzing sounds from a laptop. Standing with his back to the crowd, the brainchild behind The Album Leaf continued to turn out a soft bed of electronica as the three members of his touring band emerged.
With the majority of the lighting coming from occasional black and blues shapes that lazily floated across the large video screen positioned behind the group, the San Diego, California act eased into their first dreamy, electro-pop number. The combination of the minimal lighting and warm instrumentation - piano, violin, synthesizer, and drums - made for a subtle, but moving opening.Early into the set, LaValle introduced the band and informed everyone how happy he was to be in Japan again by saying, "It's fucking awesome to be back here," before easing into the next number. The large audience of late 20 and early 30 year olds stared on attentively and slowly swayed back and forth as random video footage of horses and fingernails were shown while the group performed their pretty, lush songs. 
Things have changed for the better for The Album Leaf since their last visit to Japan, a seven date tour that took place in April 2004. Shortly after their Japanese dates they released their third full-length, In A Safe Place. Recorded in Iceland at Sigur Ros' studio, LaValle's friendship with Sigur Ros helped expose more listeners to his own project. Additional exposure from having Album Leaf songs appear in commercials and on television programs helped build a larger, more diversified fan base. This was evident by looking around at the throngs of people packed into the almost sold-out Liquidroom.Expertly making their way through selections from last year's Into The Blue Again, LaValle and company's post-rock gems created a wonderful, laidback vibe throughout the club. The only thing that would have made this night better would have been big comfy cushions for everyone to lounge on, close their eyes, and get carried away into the wonderful, slumber filled world that The Album Leaf's music invokes. |
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report by shawn and photos by saya38 |
| photos : para | the album leaf ] |
 mag files : The Album Leaf, Para Dream A Little Dream (07/01/13 @ Liquidroom Ebisu) : review by shawn, photos by saya38音に似合わぬ人間味 (07/01/13 @ Liquidroom Ebisu) : review by funabashi, photos by saya38photo report (07/01/13 @ Liquidroom Ebisu) : photos by saya38 |
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The official site The Album Leaf http://www.albumleaf.com/ check 'em? --> 
The latest album  "Into the Blue Again" ( US import / )
previous works |
The official site Seiichi Yamamoto http://www.japanimprov.com/syamamoto/syamamotoj/ The latest album  "X-GAME" check the albums? |
 2007You Can Always Come Back Home : Deerhoof (20th Jan. @ Shinjuku Loft)The Untouchables : The Roots (15th Jan. @ Shibuya O-East)Dream A Little Dream : The Album Leaf (13th Jan. @ Liquidroom Ebisu)2006Here Today ... Gone To Hell : Arab Strap (11th Dec. @ Shibuya O-Nest)Mo' Mo' Mo' Mo'some : Mo'some Tonebender (2nd Dec. @ Shibuya AX)Good Things Come In Threes : Bleach with Ni-Hao!, Watusi Zombie (5th Nov. @ Yoyogi Zher the Zoo)Glitter And Mop-tops : The Zutons (2nd Oct. @ Shibuya AX)Twisting Minds And Tanning Behinds : Asylum Street Spankers (17h Sept. @ Shibuya Club Quattro)DVD review : I Know I'm Not Alone : Michael Franti & Spearhead (4th Oct.)Melodic Metal Monday : Dark Tranquility w/ Galneryus (1th Sept. @ Daikanyama Unit)Give Me Something I Can Dance To! : Fangsanalsatan Extra feat. The Stars, Boris, Guitar Wolf (22nd Jul. @ Shinjuku Loft)Melting Everything In Their Path : Melt-Banana (9th Jul. @ Yokohama Club 24)Never Too Old To Party : Shonen Knife (8th Jul. @ Shibuya Club Quattro)An Early Summer Night's Dream : Belle and Sebastian (3rd Jun. @ Shinagawa Prince Stellar Ball)Zoobombcrazy : The Zoobombs (6th May. @ Yoyogi Zher The Zoo)F-U-N : Limited Express (Has Gone?) (2nd Apr. @ Yoyogi Zher The Zoo)Full CCCIIIRRRCCCLLLEEE : Cave In (25th Mar. @ Shibuya Club Asia)The Perfect Storm : Mono (18th Mar. @ Shibuya O-Nest)School Of Rock : The White Stripes (6th Mar. @ Zepp Tokyo)Far From Extinct : Dinosaur Jr. (27th Feb. @ Shibuya AX)Vintage Valentine : Showa Genroku Crazy Tangoku feat. Thee 50's High Teens, Salome no Kutibiru, The 50 Kaitens & The Captains (13th Feb. @ Shimokitazawa Club 251)Walk The Line : Afrirampo (29th Jan. @ Higashi Koenji UFO Club)Every Girl's Crazy About A Sharp Dressed Man : Kaiser Chiefs (23rd Jan. @ Liquidroom Ebisu)All That And Looks Too : Tristan Prettyman (22nd Jan. @ Shibuya AX)2005Merry Christmas and Happy... Halloween?!?! : Afrirampo with Oshiripenpenz and Watsui Zombie (19th Dec. @ Daikanyama Unit)Brothers In Arms : Bloodthirsty Butchers with +/- {Plus/Minus} (4th Dec. @ Shibuya AX)This Is Rock N' Roll : Oasis (20th Nov. @ Yoyogi Daiichi Taiikukan)Shake Your Rump : Rovo (5th Nov. @ Liquidroom Ebisu)Majestic Doves Battle Evil Spirits In Tokyo : Doves (30th Oct. @ Shibuya Club Quattro)DVD review : RGB : sianspheric (17th Oct.)Needs To Be Seen To Be Believed : Shibusa Shirazu Orchestra (16th Oct. @ Yokohama Thumbs Up)Shimmy Shimmy Ya : Zilli**Sweet Oriental Dance Show feat. Zilli, Eshe, Ken, Shinshi, and Mananbu (8th Oct. @ Shibuya Udagawa Cafe)Something Old And Something New : Time Bomb Records 15th Aniversary Feat. Blind Beast (Thurston Moore+Jim O'Rourke+Yoshimi), The Evens (Ian MacKaye+Amy Farina) with Ruins alone, Tamio Inoue (18th Sept. @ Shibuya Club Quattro) |