Since then, the band has released a whopping 19 studio albums, including its latest, Adventure. Their sound—bright, pogo-ing DIY guitar pop with roots in punk and hard rock—has earned them a devoted global following, including high-profile fans such as the late, great Kurt Cobain, who invited the trio to open for Nirvana’s ’91 UK tour. Here are 10 tunes that have colored Yamano’s travels, from Scottish pop rock and Brummie metal to American prog and obscure Japanese post-punk
‘January’—Pilot
I knew Pilot in the ’70s by name only. I spent a long time thinking they were a hard rock band, but, in actual fact, they made very sweet pop music. I’m not sure how their music found its way into my life, but I starting listening to them just after the millennium. I researched the band and discovered they were from Scotland, and that their main member—David Paton, who sings lead on ‘January’—was a member of the Bay City Rollers. Their melody lines are fantastic, and the vocals are so sweet. I always feel happy when I listen to this band.
I didn’t really start listening to Judas Priest until about 10 years ago. I discovered them in high school, but I liked punk and New Wave at the time—I thought of hard rock as being out of fashion. I attended one of their shows a few years back and was surprised to see that they had a huge, shiny motorcycle on stage with them! Rob [Halford’s] roar and the band’s beautiful twin guitar solos always fill me with energy.
The Buzzcocks are another band I fell in love with during high school. I liked them for their speedy drum lines and Pete Shelley’s weak [nasal] vocals. They’re a punk band, but their melodies are very pop. They’re one of my favorite ’80s bands, along with the Ramones.
Convex Level are from Osaka and formed about 30 years ago. We played with them a few years ago in Tokyo. Their music is quite unique; it reminds me of XTC or Wire in some ways. I don’t pay a lot of attention to mainstream music in Japan but there are plenty of great bands making music on the underground scene here, including Convex Level.
I like Ozzy Osbourne-fronted Black Sabbath, but I have a lot of love and appreciation for the music they made when Ronnie James Dio was fronting the band too. His vocals are big and brave on this song and the album of the same name. I enjoy British hard rock from the ’70s a lot, partly because it usually has a lot of pop melodies.
OM are an experimental psychedelic rock band from California. Our tour manager put this record on one day and the sound had an instant effect on me. Some might consider this music a bit too heavy to play on a tour bus, but when we were in North America last year I listened to this in the van all the time. I’ve been listening to Sleep—a doomy, stoner rock band from San Jose, California—for a few years now, and recently discovered that Sleep and OM share some of the same members. I can’t understand the lyrics, but I can feel the music.
‘Clockwork Angels’—Rush
Rush are a Canadian rock band that formed in 1968. They’re so cool! Their rhythms, sound, vocals—everything they do is wonderful. A lot of their music is complex, and very technical. Their lyrics are often inspired by sci-fi, fantasy and philosophy. I can slip into other worlds when I listen to their songs.
This song is a lovely example of [Boston frontman] Tom Scholz’s clear, beautiful vocals. I also really enjoy the band’s unique guitar sound. Sometimes I sing Boston at karaoke. I don’t always understand English lyrics when I listen to the music alone, but I get to decipher the meaning of the songs a little when I see them spelled out on the karaoke monitor.
In the ’80s, our US label guy was friends with this band. They were an alternative rock act from California who’d started out as punks. I was introduced to them when I went there in the ’80s and attended one of their shows. Their stage performance was great. I was surprised to discover they were fans of Shonen Knife, and that they’d named a song after us. It’s a really cool hard rock tune. I was so pleased that I returned the compliment, and wrote a song named after them. Their music always reminds me of the warm, sunny weather in LA.
‘Get Up! (Don’t Fight It)’—The Datsuns
The Datsuns are a hard rock band from New Zealand. I like their music because it’s heavily influenced by ’70s-style guitar riffs. We toured in Australia and New Zealand in January last year. It was the first time I’d been to cities that weren’t Auckland. This song makes me think of the beautiful scenery we saw there; the day after the show, we went to the beach and the ocean was so blue and beautiful. When we visited Christchurch, I was surprised to see several vacant lots and damaged buildings. The city was still recovering from the [6.3 magnitude] earthquake that happened there five years ago. I hope the city manages to revive itself soon.
With thousands of breathtaking options on offer, deciding where to holiday in Indonesia can be hard work. That’s why we’ve come up with 10 simple questions to steer you towards your perfect island partner.
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Lombok
Best for: beaches
The beaches of Indonesia are the stuff of castaway fantasies. There are literally thousands to choose from, but the place that best combines extraordinary beauty with the convenience of easy transport links is Lombok – you can fly direct, or nip over on a fast boat from Bali.
There are beaches on the island for every occasion, but the standout for many visitors is Mawun. It goes without saying that Mawun has white sand and stunning, turquoise water, but the bonus here is the seclusion of an enclosed bay. The beach is rarely busy, and at “off-peak” times there’s a very real chance of having it all to yourself.
Another winner is Senggigi Beach, where can sit on the sand and watch the surfers do their stuff (or, if you’re so inclined, borrow a board and join in).
Jimbaran or Nusa Dua, Bali
Best for: children and teenagers
Older kids will love Jimbaran in Bali for its range of watersports. Close your eyes and try not to worry as you send them off parasailing, jet skiing, water skiing or bouncing along on a banana boat.
If you want to take it down a notch, there’s snorkeling and learning about turtle conservation.
If you’ve got younger kids, you might want to stay at a family-friendly resort to make use of the various kids clubs. (It’s your break, too, and it’s easier to relax by the pool knowing that your child is being professionally entertained in a purpose-built playroom.)
If you’re trying to cater for more than one age group, you might want to take a look at The Westin Resort in Nusa Dua, Bali. They have a “teen zone” packed with PlayStations and dedicated clubs for both toddlers and younger kids.
Ubud, Bali
Best for: wellness
If your holiday packing is pretty much sun cream and yoga pants, and you like to come back from time away cleansed and invigorated, Ubud is for you.
Ubud is Bali’s center for healing, and in fact the name of the area comes from Ubad, which means medicine. This is the place to head for the full menu of luxury spas, Ayurvedic treatments, acupuncture or panchakarma programs.
Ubud is also Bali’s cultural nexus, and you can easily fill your days with temples and art galleries, ceremonies and dancing, and great cuisine.
After all that, enjoy a hedonistic four-handed massage before settling into bed to re-read Eat, Pray, Love.
Kuta, Bali
Best for: partying
With a reputation for good times, busy, crowded Kuta in Bali draws a young, energetic crowd ready to party.
Days are spent swimming, shopping, sunbathing or just chilling. Nightlife ranges from places where you buy beer by the bucket to the kind of upscale establishments where the barman takes care not to bruise the gin in your martini.
It’s not the prettiest of places on the island, or the most authentically Balinese, but it has an appealingly brash, good-humored vibe all of its own.
If hardcore partying isn’t your thing, you’ll also find a few quieter, less high-octane places for watching sunset turn into sunrise.
Yogyakarta, Java
Best for: cultural experiences
As it’s the history, culture and ceremonies of a new place that thrill you, you’ll probably find Yogyakarta the perfect destination.
This is the city where Java began, a place that was a powerhouse in the 8th and 9th centuries, and an opportunity for modern visitors to enjoy fascinating Javanese arts and traditions at every turn.
Beyond the urban sprawl are two of Indonesia’s most astounding archaeological sites: Borobudur and Prambanan. The Mahayana Buddhist temple at Borobudur boasts nine stacked platforms, six square and three circular, topped by a central dome, while the UNESCO World Heritage-listed temple compounds at Prambanan makes for a stunning spectacle in the style of Cambodia’s Angkor Wat.
Thanks to Yogyakarta’s surprisingly mild climate, a bit of exploring won’t leave you exhausted. That’s good news as there’s still the Sultan’s Palace to see, local silversmiths to admire in action at Kotagede, and endless pavement stalls selling the must-try local specialty gudeg: a stew of jackfruits simmered in coconut cream and served with chicken, egg or tofu.
Jakarta, Java
Best for: urban buzz
Beaches are OK, but who wants to spend a couple of weeks just lying in the sun? If you find lazing around a recipe for boredom, then your best bet is Jakarta.
From the aromatic, old-fashioned streets of Chinatown to the crazy nightlife in North Jakarta, you really can have any experience you like in this city of 10 million people.
You’ll find haute couture in Plaza Indonesia and the Grand Indonesia shopping town, but bargain hunters will be in heaven in the wholesale textile malls of Tanah Abang.
For a Jakartan market with edge, head to Pasar Santa on Jalan Wolter Monginsidi. This was a conservative indoor market until 2014, when it was transformed by a group of young entrepreneurs who wanted to use it to showcase their start-up companies. Now Pasar Santa has a unique mix of style-conscious places to eat, vinyl record stores, vintage clothing shops and cool coffee lounges. We promise you’ll go for the shopping and stay for the people watching.
Lombok’s Gili islands
Best for: diving
The Gili islands off the northwestern coast of Lombok are famed for their fantastic diving. The conditions are rarely difficult, the current is near non-existent, and you’ll pretty much always have at least 20m of visibility for spotting the first-class marine life.
Advanced divers will enjoy the deeper reefs, which have vast areas of pristine coral, swathes of hard corals and brightly colored fans.
A speedboat from Lombok’s main beach resort of Senggigi gets you to the trio of islands in around 20 minutes.
Trawangan (which everyone refers to as Gili T) is the funkiest of the three with chic bars and cool restaurants. Gili Air is more traditional and Meno is the least developed.
In recent times the waters surrounding Lombok have been intently watched by conservationists, so turtles are a common sight once again. You may also come face-to-face with a manta ray, reef sharks or even the rare Mola mola – the heaviest bony fish in the world, capable of weighing more than 950kg.
Not desperate to swim rapidly away from a fish that weighs much the same as your car? Fear not: there are endless colorful, pleasingly small fish pottering about in the shallows, too.
Lampung, Sumatra
Best for: wildlife
Lampung is an easy hop from Jakarta—take a 40-minute flight, or a seven-hour bus trip, your call—and you’ll soon be surrounded by what the World Wildlife Fund has called ‘one of the planet’s most biologically outstanding habitats.’
Elephants inhabit the rainforest of the Way Kambas National Park, while Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park is home to Sumatran rhinos and tigers. The park is also famous for the many bird species that prefer foothill climates, as well as for several species of sea turtle that nest along its coastal zone.
While you’re in Sumatra it would be remiss not to give a few coins to help orangutans. There are now less than 700 in the wild, making them critically endangered. It feels unimaginable that orangutans share 97 percent of our DNA and yet could be extinct in 20 years.
The one piece of nature that you don’t want to see at its most magnificent is Mount Krakatoa. Happily dormant right now, the volcano holds the record for creating the loudest sound ever heard in modern history: its 1883 eruption was audible up to 3,000 miles away.
Nusa Dua, Bali
Best for: loved-up luxe
Many resorts in Indonesia are aimed at honeymooners, but the neatly groomed enclave of Nusa Dua in Bali turns the sense of seclusion and luxe up a notch.
Just 14km southeast of Kuta, it’s easy to get to, unlike some of Indonesia’s more remote beauty spots. (After all, nothing ruins a romantic holiday in paradise faster than three hours uncomfortably bouncing on a wooden speedboat.)
The beautifully quiet coastal stretch is home to an array of five-star resorts, fully mod-conned-up, with plenty of spas and options for candle-lit dinners on the beach.
Take a look at The St Regis, The Westin or The Laguna, which is encircled by a network of seven large, swimmable lagoons and pools.
Bali
Best for: when you can’t make your mind up
There’s a reason that Bali is the most famous island in Indonesia. It’s because it’s easily the best all-rounder, with a beautiful hinterland of volcanic mountains and rice paddies and some pretty outstanding beaches. There are so many that you can even chose your preferred sand color—soft and white in the south; exotic volcanic black in the west.
The Kuta-Legian-Seminyak strip is an 8km sweep of golden sand that’s well known as a weekend hangout for visitors who’ve hopped over from Australia. Now, however, it’s increasing in appeal to other travelers drawn to chic restaurants and designer shops.
Hardcore divers will gravitate towards Malibu Point for glimpses of sharks, tuna and manta rays, while snorkelers will enjoy Crystal Bay, where the clearest water in the region offers visibility between 30-50m.
Honeymooning couples head toward the luxury of Nusa Dua, party people take on Kuta and parents simply find one of the many child-friendly resorts and hunker down while the kids clubs do all the work.
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1. Question
What is your personal paradise?
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What’s on your 90s pop mix tape?
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Which of these most appeals to you?
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After a holiday, is your camera filled with shots of:
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If your friends planned a surprise for you, would you like it to be:
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6. Question
Complete this sentence: “The buzz of a big city makes me feel…”
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7. Question
A friend tells you they’ve spent the morning aligning their chakras. Do you…
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Question 8 of 10
8. Question
When you’re sitting on your suitcase trying to squash it closed, is it because you’ve tried to squeeze in: