銀杏BOYZ (Ging Nang Boyz)

[ASHIKAGA]

I've been listening to their "I Don't Wanna Die" (あいどんわなだい/Aidonwanadai) that I'd downloaded the other day non-stop for a few days now. This just might be THE best rock tune ever.

It was a few months ago when I came upon the video for this song while channel surfing one late night/early morning, and it just killed me. How I wish that this song (and this band) was around when I was a teenager! It might have changed my life...

I finally bought the 12inch vinyl single yesterday afternoon and listened to it late last night. The song on the flip side is great, too. It was 2 in the morning and I was crying listening to these violently beautiful songs. I think it was the first time in many years that I've cried so hard.

Now I have to get the 2 albums that they have out.

Any Ging Nang Boyz fans out there?

[Half-n-Half]

I had never heard of them before I read this thread, so I gave the song a listen. The music video was pretty amusing to say the least.

I wouldn't say THE best rock tune ever, but there might be more to the lyrics that I can't understand. I'm glad you enjoyed it so much. Overall I was pleasantly surprised and will probably look out for more of their songs. Thanks for the heads up!

[ASHIKAGA]

You watched the video, eh? I thought about posting it here but I wasn't sure if the graphic nature of it was suitable for the forum.

I have only listened to a handful of the band's songs but it seems like most of their lyrics are about a teenage boy in love/lust with a girl, something that most of us can relate to. It is the awkward, painful, ecstatic and at times downright violent way that the songwriter/lead singer, Kazunobu Mineta reminds us what it used to be like to be adolescent boys, and to be in love, that rings so true to me.

"I Don't Wanna Die", I think, is about the pure euphoria of being in love. You, HnH, are practically a teenager. You must remember that feeling when you are so completely in love with a girl that you just want to scream, jump up and down... you don't know how and where you should direct this pent-up tornado of an emotion that threatens to make you do things against your better judgement.

I suppose the song moves me because it's been such a long time since I'd felt that way and I feel nostalgic about the adolescent boy that I used to be. Come to think of it, as a teenager, I used to hate this type of music. lol

I know that a 40 yr old man listening to Ging Nang screams out "Midlife Crisis" but I don't care. I've found that the 2 albums they have out are on the Japanese i-tunes for 1,500 JPY a piece . I will DL them tonight and let you know how they are.

[ASHIKAGA]

Here's one of their songs, "駆け抜けて性春 (Kakenukete seishun)" with some random live performance footages.

The song was originally released by GOING STEADY, Gingnang Boyz' previous incarnation. Gingnang's version heard here includes a guest vocal part performed by Yuki, formerly of JUDY AND MARY.

The song can be found on their album, "君と僕の第三次世界大戦的恋愛革命 (Kimi to boku no daisanji-sekaitaisen-teki ren-ai kakumei)".

[Steve Red]

Heart-touching music - thanks for sharing - Ashikaga my big bro!

THIS is the kind of interesting subject we should talk about more!

[djprofessork]

i love this band! they were also in another band before this called "going steady" that was also really good. but i think they really perfected their sound when they formed Ging Nang Boyz. very soulful music.