These guys bring the funk. And that is a GOOD thing. Bright Like Japan won't disappoint any fans of the genre, mixing present-day funk-a-holics (Justin Timberlake, Maroon 5) with old school funk-Gods, George Clinton and the like. Bright Like Japan also has a great pop sensibility, with songs like Look Back that are about to blow up on the radio (check your radio to see if it hasn't yet - it could at any moment). I'm keeping a close eye on these guys. I'm afraid they'll be too bright for even Japan in the near future. Here are some recent pictures from their EP release show in March 2009 at Subterranean.


Friends since high school, Trevor James and Michael SanFilippo separated after graduation to pursue independent paths. James headed to California to help his family with a business opportunity and SanFilippo stayed in the Midwest to follow his dream of being a singer/song writer, becoming one of the top 50 contestants on the seventh season of Fox's "American Idol."

Upon returning to Chicago, James, a fiery guitarist steeped in the blues, reconnected with SanFilippo and Bright Like Japan was born. Now, two years later, the band (rounded out by drummer Rob Andre and bassist Dorian Duffy) is poised to become one of the great success stories of 2009.