reviews San Francisco Bay Guardian Tomihira.There's been a hefty round of carping in certain circles about the perceived ubiquity of Joy Division as an influence of late, but honestly, people: is this really such a bad thing? What, would you prefer a Men Without Hats revival instead? Besides, many of the faithful followers have brought their own palettes to the "Love Will Tear Us Apart" tableau. Local heroes Tomihira delve into the familiar blacks and whites associated with the Mancunian lodestars, but on songs such as "Pillbox" and "All to Be Undone" — whooshing and thrumming with My Bloody Valentine and Slowdive textures — the band also whirls dreamy Maxfield Parrish blues and purples into its blazing melancholia. Best of all, Dean Tomihira's vocals exude an amorous warmth lacking in the current Interpol-Editors axis. (Lavoie) With Murder of Lilies and Everything Gone Green 9 p.m., $6 Elbo Room 647 Valencia, SF (415) 552-7788 Sixeyes review of Play Dead. June 2006 "to-mi-hi-ra (toe-me-he-rah) n. blues for shoegazers; sonic melancholia The sound of this recording blossoms and spreads out of the speakers; a sad sky filled with melodies burning holes in the ozone and Dean Tomihira's voice soaring and gliding softly, a sleek hawk casting fleeting blue shadows. The omnipresent emotional guitars offer a perfect foil to the smooth vocals - and the effortless vocal delivery contributes to the dreamy aura of the music. An aura generated by the space in the songs and the crisp production by the three band members, Dean Tomihira (vocals/guitars), guitarist Jeff Kay, and drummer Markkus Rovito. I'm sure that when most trios get in the studio they want to fill up all that space, but it's not dead air, that's living breathing ambience, and these musicians add little flourishes that only enhance the music and space. Talented, thoughtful musicians expressing themselves through lovely and sad melodies...take special note of this band, Tomihira, and their full length debut, Play Dead... in fact, buy it and Play Dead loud." 8.1 out of 10 Zero Magazine (www.zeromag.com). April 2006 "Recently hailed as the next big thing to come out of the San Francisco Bay Area, Tomihira is a band of melancholy popsters who have thankfully brought back those sweet sounds of Joy Division and My Bloody Valentine which we have all been waiting for. Awknowledged for his sincere vocal delivery, vocalist Dean Tomihira and bandmates Markkus Rovito and Jeff Kay have embraced '90s era shoegazer and perfected a pulsating and fresh sound all their own. First formed in the fall of 2004, the band, which is a Japanese surname in honor of Tomihira's grandfather, has been enjoying their spotlight success and continually creating a buzz among underground fans. Their moody compilation of songs which range from good ol' indie music to anthems for the heart-broken have earned the band the attention they deserve. Tomihira have already managed to chart on KSCU twice over the past year, first debuting at #9 with their hit "Pillbox," and more recently at #10 with a song called "World Class." "World Class" was also chosen as Bill Picture's Pop Beat download of the Week in the San Francisco Chronicle, an honorable achievement which few are able to attain." Torontoist (www.torontoist.com). 7/7/2005 "The sadly beautiful drone of San Francisco area band, Tomihira, is surprisingly uplifting on this song. A promising unsigned band, Tomihira, is led by Dean Tomihira (vocals and guitar) and supported by the talented pair of Markkus Rovito (drums and percussion) and Chris Zaballos (bass)." FlavorpillSF: (http://sf.flavorpill.net). 7/6/2005 "Melancholy popsters Tomihira lead an evening of promising local acts tonight at the Bottom of the Hill. While giving nods to such brooding luminaries as Joy Division and Interpol, vocalist Dean Tomihira's delivery is uncommonly sincere. The band mines '90s-era shoegaze with a distinctively acoustic touch, such as during a standout rendition of the Cure's "2 Late." Tomihira's atypical "Californian" sound is bound to make waves outside of San Francisco in the not-too-distant future. They are accompanied by moody allies Anaura and the notably more chipper power pop of the Turn-Ups." Naomi Miyoko.Raddatz (the owlmag dot com) "Epic, pulsating, urgent and fresh, Tomihira marries the macabre sensibilities of Joy Division with notes of Interpol, Shoegazer and the ill-famed James Iha side project, sans the ballad-y sentiment. Intelligent lyrics and well-placed, danceable beats on this promo-only release create a mature sound that cleverly strays from the pretentiousness and defensive irony of derivative bands in this genre." "Singer and guitarist Dean Tomihira is a frontman at his erotic, culturally ambiguous best, a hybrid of social elegance and well-conditioned rock star detachment, sharpened by the flawless timing and chemistry from the remaining members." Tomihira will be featured on an Owl Mag compilation in the very near future. We'll have more info on this soon. Bill Picture, SF Examiner February 3, 2005 "Local shoegazers Tomihira use a moody musical palette a la Joy Division and My Bloody Valentine, with hues ranging from sullen purple to heartbroken violet to just-plain-blue, to create indie-stained portraits of longing and desire." send us mail at tomihira@gmail.com