The Shins Tour Japan

This article was in Japan Today. I've already got my tickets for next Monday-I'm stoked to see this concert (it's probably only twice the price of tickets to see them in the states, but what can you do?):

Shins finally tour Japan

By Dan Grunebaum

TOKYO — Albuquerque, New Mexico, isn't exactly rock Ground Central. In fact, says the Shins frontman James Mercer in a telephone interview, it doesn't have much of a music scene at all. But this has its pluses as well as its minuses.

"We weren't exactly Albuquerque's cup of tea, and wound up recording stuff instead of worrying about the fact that Albuquerque wasn't real impressed with us. We ended up getting signed by Sub Pop so it's worked out very well."

With two distinctive albums out on the label that broke the grunge movement a decade ago, the Shins are at that point in a band's trajectory when things are looking pretty bright. Both their 2001 debut, "Oh, Inverted World," and last year's follow-up, "Chutes Too Narrow," have sold over 200,000, and the band has repeatedly toured North America and even gone as far as Australia.

So why is the quartet's Japan debut coming so late? "We kind of got screwed up by Warner on our first record. They had the option to license our first record in Japan, and they took that option and decided not to release it," Mercer explains with a surprising lack of ire.

"Chutes Too Narrow" is thus the Shins' first disc to be released in Japan. Domestic indie imprint P-Vine is distributing the album, and has also put together a tour that includes an upcoming date at Harajuku's cozy Astro Hall on Jan 31. "We're trying to make up for lost time," adds Mercer. "Funny thing is, I know a lot of Japanese expats in the States who really love the Shins, so I'm hoping that's some kind of good sign."

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