Which country has produced the stranger musicians, the USA or Japan? Let’s see.
Representing the USA:
Captain Beefheart
The Shaggs
Jandek
(Blame Professor Mondo and Dustbury for bringing the last two to my attention.)
Representing Japan:
eX-Girl
Melt Banana
Boredoms
*****
And now for something completely different, but still strange: The Lord of the Rings plus MikuMikuDance.
Based on those six, I’ll give it to Japan. (Isn’t “anything you can do, I can do weirder” their national motto, though?)
My favorite “weird” bands would be Sleepytime Gorilla Museum for the USA’s team (live in Amsterdam: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znlvvaZl5-k ) and Ruins for Japan’s team ( somewhat live in the USA: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3gt0gOFYns ).
Though my CD collection doesn’t have many choices for Japan’s team… pretty much Ruins, Koenjihyakkei (both Yoshida Tatsuya projects), and Tipographica.
No such comparison is complete without Yatta.
-j