| OreSkaBand | |
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OreSkaBand in Los Angeles, during SXSW Asia's JapanNite US tour. |
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| Background information | |
| Also known as | オレスカバンド |
| Origin | Sakai, Japan |
| Genres | Third wave ska |
| Years active | 2003-present |
| Labels | Sony Music Japan |
| Website | oreskaband.com |
| Members | |
| Ikasu Tae-san Leader Saki Moriko Tomi |
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OreSkaBand (オレスカバンド Oresukabando) is an all-female ska band from Sakai, Japan. They have released two full albums in Japan, Ore in July 2006, and WAO!! in May 2007, as well as a self-titled compilation album for a US release, Oreskaband. They have performed in Japan, Canada and the United States, including the Fuji Rock Festival.
The band name, "ore ska band," literally translates as "we're (a) ska band." While "ore" is normally considered a masculine pronoun and an informal way to say "I" in Japanese,[1] and the suffix "-tachi" is added to personal nouns when emphasizing that they are plural, in this context the term "ore" means something more along the lines of "we fellows." The choice of "ore" is also one of gender play, as the band usually appear wearing boys' school uniform in their videos and concerts.
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Oreskaband began in 2003 when the members were still in middle school. Ikasu saw Tae-san playing in a local band and asked her to form a new one with her and some of their other friends.[2] They self-produced their first album, Penpal, in 2005 and were signed by Sony Music in 2006 while they were still in high school. The band received media attention from their appearance in a commercial advertising the popular Japanese snack Pocky, as well as having their song Jitensha featured as the 13th Naruto: Shippuden anime ending theme. In July 2006, their debut album Ore was released and a month later, they appeared at the Fuji Rock Festival attracting 1,000 attendees, a record for a new artist. In March 2007, the band members graduated from high school and toured in the United States appearing in Austin, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. In April 2007, their song, Tsumasaki (爪先 Tiptoe), was featured as the 11th ending for the anime Bleach. They played at Anime Expo in Long Beach, California in July 2007 and at the Vans Warped Tour in Marysville, California and Portland, Oregon. The band also played the entire 2008 Vans Warped Tour. The band was featured in executive producer Barry Rosenbush's film,[3] Lock and Roll Forever, which was set for a 2008 release in Japan.[4]