PINE*am

Taeca Kinoshita (keyboards), Chizuko Matsubayashi (guitar) and Tsugumi Takashi (bass) formed PINE*am while studying at Osaka University of Art in 1999. Chizuko notes that by drawing on its members’ diverse influences, the band “strives to create a distinct sound.” PINE*am’s blend of machinated drum loops, synthesized swirls, rip-roaring guitars, back-bone bass, and three-part harmonies makes for a Buffalo Daughter cum XXXX cocktail that effortlessly ping-pongs between rock and electronica. A dusting of pop smarts and art-school invention add the finishing touches to an aesthetic that defies categorization.