Hi-STANDARD

The wickedly original Japanese punk revival band Hi-Standard made a name for themselves in their native Japan in early 1992 when they released Growing Up, which also saw an American release. Their second full-length, 1997's Angry Fist, opted to replace the irreverence of Growing Up with caustic, sarcastic humor, yet the music remained much the same: friendly, skilled, and accessible. The group went on hiatus after another album (1999's Making the Road) and EP (2001's Love Is a Battlefield), until 2011, when they reconvened for a one-off show, which they followed with additional, rare live appearances. Hi-Standard finally returned to the studio for 2016's Another Starting Line EP and the next year's The Gift album, their first new music in 15 years.