Comprising guitarist/vocalist Ehi, bassist Nao and drummer Yatch (the group's sole male member), squeaky-voiced punkers Who the Bitch formed in Tokyo in 2006. Since then they have made a name for themselves with their slick, harmony-infected take on the kind of quirky, chirpy garage punk that fans of groups like Shonen Knife (Osakans like Ehi and Nao) and anything on the Benten label will probably find familiar.
Where contemporaries like TsuShiMaMiRe channel their creative energies into experimental song arrangements, Who the Bitch offer up nothing so baroque, charging ahead with Ramones/Runaways-style three-chord rock 'n' roll and playfully suggestive lyrics, as evidenced by the track title "Sadistic," and the song "Cherry," in which Ehi's tale of lost love is coyly ambiguous about the other's gender.
Despite the confrontational nature of their endearingly illiterate band name, their music is high on crowd-pleasing, fist-pumping, singalong choruses and low on swearing and snarling. This ensures that, for all their punk-rock moves, Who the Bitch nevertheless offer a night of good, clean fun.
In common with a lot of bands with their origins in the Kansai region, Who the Bitch like to work the crowd when they play live, so make sure you go along prepared for a bit of pantomime-style call-and-response audience participation. The band have already started a grueling schedule of touring in support of the minialbum "Miracle Fight de Go! Go! Go!," released March 18. These shows take in most of the country, from Sendai down to Kagoshima, in southwestern Kyushu. As a result, wherever you are, you should be able to experience a piece of Who the Bitch's rock 'n' roll theater near you soon.
For info check www.whothebitch.com
