Half Japanese’s David Fair Dies at 74

The co-founder of the influential outré punk duo had been living with cancer

The top 3

1. Half Japanese's Most Acclaimed Albums: Among Half Japanese's highly regarded albums are their debut triple album "1/2 Gentlemen/Not Beasts" (1980), praised for its early home recordings, and "Charmed Life" (1988), which garnered strong reviews for its more coherent approach.
2. Artists Influenced by Half Japanese: Half Japanese's homemade approach influenced artists like Kurt Cobain, who invited them to open for Nirvana's "In Utero" tour, as well as Sonic Youth, Daniel Johnston, and Neutral Milk Hotel.
3. Hallmarks of Half Japanese's Sound: Half Japanese's sound is characterized by purposefully amateurish dissonance, a disregard for traditional tunings and song structures, and an emphasis on raw sound and flowing imagination over conventional musicianship.

Sources

• Pitchfork
• Consequence
• Stereogum

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