[Machine Translation] Riki Kinoshita, who says he is strongly influenced by not only music but also movies and literature such as Dinosaur Jr., Kurt Cobain, Leon Carax, Martin Scottish, Rimbaud, and Nakaya Nakahara, formed ART-SCHOOL in the spring of 2000 with support members from his solo career. ART-SCHOOL is influenced by alternative grunge bands such as WEEZER, DINOSOR JR, PAVEMENT, and NIRVANA, but also has a POP sensibility deep within its heavy sound. Their music has been highly acclaimed in indie CD stores and music magazines, and continues to be a long seller. Their heavy and charismatic performances have become a hot topic of conversation and have been attracting a growing number of people. ART-SCHOOL's second album "MEAN STREET" has more powerful songs and performances, and the songs that seem to cling to a ray of cleverness in the darkness cannot help but make the listener's soul tremble and tears well up. Like Bjork's "Dancer in the Dark," this is a sad, yet hopeful album. Please give this album a listen at least once.