Half Japanese Essentials

Formed in the mid-'70s by Maryland brothers Jad and David Fair, Half Japanese is a prolific avant-garde band. Early albums like 1980's Half Gentlemen/Not Beasts featured Jad playing a completely untuned guitar in a highly idiosyncratic manner. More recent, less abrasive albums like 2014's Overjoyed are more restrained, almost resembling conventional indie rock. What remains constant are their rough, plainly sung vocals with simple and direct lyrics, which are as likely to concern imagined monsters as love.