Pizzicato Five, a Japanese pop band best known to U.S. audiences in their later incarnation as a duo of Maki Nomiya and Yashuaru Konishi, is known for their ecletic and energetic compositions, which often sound like "new" releases from the late 1960s hipster scene. Its catchphrase--"A New Stereophonic Sound Spectacular"--captured the group's ironic stance but eager attitude. The band, formed in 1985, broke up in March 2002.
The P5's style matured over the years. The band gradually eschewed covers of 60s standards like the Beatles' "Day Tripper" or "The Girl From Ipanema" in favor of original compositions like "The World is Spinning at 45 RPM." Some of their "original" work was little more than remixes of earlier songs; in their later albums, the band (trying to break into the U.S. market) occasionally reissued tracks with Japanese lyrics translated into English.
