The fact that major record labels in Japan fail to tap the wealth of excellent underground bands undoubtedly irks a lot of these groups who -- with live, recording and practice schedules to keep -- cannot take up salaried jobs and instead have to work arubaito on a permanent basis. They carry on with their musical "careers," despite knowing it will likely condemn them to a life of poverty. They rarely even talk of "getting big."
Ironically, this acceptance of perpetual obscurity is a blessing for the fans. Instead of following the latest fad and trying to imitate whatever is "hot" in the hope of being spotted by a music scout, Japanese underground bands basically do what they like. I mean, virtually every band in Britain is now trying to sound like The Strokes. Their eyes are more on the A & R men at the bar than on the fans in the front row. Unique bands like Japan's Anadorei are extremely unlikely to emerge over there.
The problem is finding out about these bands, as there are so many out there. This is where compilation albums like "Captain Trip Records Sampler Vol. 1" come in. This collection -- 15 songs by 15 different bands -- saves you much time, cash and energy by bringing the bands right into your living room. The sheer variety on this album and the determined experimentation of many of the artists included mean there's something for everyone.