Pistol Valve

The Andrews Sisters, the Supremes, the Spice Girls. The girl group is a formula that has withstood the test of time. Today's Global Hit is a girl group. But it may be one of the oddest you've ever heard. Still, The World's Marco Werman just had to tell you about it.Pistol Valve is composed of ten young Japanese ladies. Their average age is 21. They're cute, they're talented and they rock. And when they take to the stage, you suddenly see how their schtick has made them one of the most popular bands in Japan these days. With the exception of a violinist and a DJ on turntables, the women of Pistol Valve all play brass instruments.

Pistol Valve's lyrics are kind of irrelevant. What do you expect from a song called Fo Fo? This band's just about having fun. It's been that way since the ten women formed the group in 2005. They were in high school together, playing in the orchestra and band. They know each other's habits and chops.

In concert, they occasionally dust off Eddie Cochran's rock and roll classic "Summertime Blues." Although it really doesn't matter what Pistol Valve plays. The band's tune "Flap Up Elephant" for example has an absurd title set to late 70s British ska. But who cares when one of the most surreal marching bands ever is knocking it out?

Listening to the band's music on CD, you can kind of get a sense of the energy Pistol Valve generates. It's even more palpable live. The spectacle of a Pistol Valve show doesn't fully translate to a CD. But there is at least one track that'll get the party started.

Pistol Valve's most recent CD is called "Pistol Whip." And the band's own DJ Lilya takes a whack at remixing the band's most popular song, "The Best House." It doesn't convey the same effect as seeing these ten musicians on stage with their shiny instruments and trademark pork pie hats. But you still get the picture.

You may even start to believe the line in their own press kit: "These girls are here to change the modern music scene with their hip groove and heavy sound!"



from theworld.org