Gito Gito Hustler

Gito Gito Galore - (Gearhead)

Okay, I obviously don't know what the hell Gito Gito Hustler are singing about since my Japanese is a little rusty but it sure sounds like they're having fun. I know I am.

Gito Gito Galore charges out of the gate with "Muscle Body Ecstasy" - the most frantic thrasher here and one that falsely lures you into thinking you have the band figured out. Things take a pretty dramatic turn when Fusa, Tae, Yago, and my new guitar hero Mitsuko show they're pop smarts on "Ambition" - which they do without compromising the sheer power these ladies produce.

We've come to expect Japanese bands to be the ultimate in pop culture junkiedom (at least since the likes of Shonen Knife's "Twist Barbie"), and Gito Gito Hustler is no exception. They sound like a heavier Cramps on "Melon Sherbert", and show their weakness for power chord hookiness on "Sunflower". All the right ingredients here, folks.

The only real disappointment here is that it is only a 6-song EP. Still, I shouldn't complain too much. I mean, I can always just play it twice, right?

Right!

7.8