Press

Bento to Go
Four sensitive guys who drive girls crazy.
Rachel Swan - EAST BAY EXPRESS

If there's one thing the East Bay indie band Bento doesn't suffer from, it's a dearth of swooning female fans. In fact, of the few dozen folks who attended Bento's recent show at the Cherry Bar in San Francisco (which actually boasted a good turnout for a Wednesday night), about 80 percent were young women in improbably high stiletto sandals and Suicide-Girls mascara, sipping Midori sours and self-consciously clutching their purses while they made cow eyes at the guys onstage. When the band burst into its syrupy rock ballad, "Beautiful Girl," it seemed like everyone in the room was listing toward the stage. These guys may be schoolteachers and microbiologists in their early thirties, but hell, they look about ten years younger -- and they've obviously got the bobbysoxer crowd on lock.
Yep, Bento could easily win the heart of anyone whose memories of the '90s are best characterized by Nirvana, the Pixies, Gus Van Sant movies, and Hot Topic paraphernalia. The group's style recalls that glowing era when grunge suddenly catapulted into popular culture: MTV was taken over by flannel-shirted stoners with divorced parents, and the new teenage heartthrob was that sensitive sissy guy who should have been target practice for the high school football team. These sissy rock bands were, in fact, the bandmembers' introduction to popular music.
Bento can actually trace its genesis to 1993, the year in which Scott Iwata spent a semester studying in Stratford-upon-Avon. Though he'd never played in a for-real band, Iwata was an avid alternative rock fan. Inspired by Smashing Pumpkins' Siamese Dream and Nirvana's Nevermind, he frittered away his mornings in a neighborhood guitar shop, plucking out chords and learning basic fretwork.
Iwata eventually got the itch to "start some kind of band" (the connection to Stratford is murky at best). He bought an old guitar for ten pounds, brought it back to the States, and called up the bassist Angelito Mesina and drummer Jamie Quon, whom he'd known since childhood. Together they formed the haphazardly named rock outfit, Like Squish Squash Virgins, which never actually made it beyond Iwata's garage in Union City. Though the fledgling musicians mostly covered Beatles and Weezer tunes, they wrote and recorded one song together, the moony emo ballad "1000 Ways." Iwata could see Blake's on Telegraph and DNA Lounge on the horizon, and within, throngs of careening, screaming girls.
Named for the Japanese word that means "combination" -- think of the frightening variety of tempura and fish in a bento box -- Bento bills itself as a blend of influences, though most of them apparently fall in the alternative-rock camp. Once they aborted their cover-band shtick, these guys ventured into confessional grunge and bubbly indie-pop territory. Last year Iwata recruited another guitarist, Elvin Reyes, who turned out to be a boon: He produced most of the band's 2004 album, Absent Without Leave, and started juicing up its live shows with fancy, melodic guitar solos.
Having run the gamut of Bay Area rock clubs and faux dives, Bento is writing songs for a sophomore album, projected for 2006. Quon says the songs have improved over the years, so hopefully Bento's next effort will have more wallop than Absent. But they'll keep the sensitive-guy thing going, too. After all, chicks dig it.
Bento performs at 12:30 p.m. this Sunday at the Chinatown Street Fest, which runs Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in Oakland's Chinatown, covering ten city blocks from 7th to 11th streets and from Broadway to Harrison streets. The free festival also features taiko drumming, jazz and soul bands, a variety of foods, crafts by local artisans, martial arts demonstrations, lion dancers, rides and carnival games for kids, and much more. Check out OaklandChinatownStreetFest.com for full details.

DOWNLOAD OF THE WEEK:
“Point of No Return” by Bay Area modern-rockers Bento. Download it at www.bentomusic.com.
The foursome was recently featured on Live 105’s “local Lounge” show and, last month, it was invited to open for Filipino American folk-rock sensation True Faith. Catch Bento live on the main stage at today’s Castro Street Fair.
Bill Picture - San Francisco Chronicle

AArising Music Review
Artist: Bento
Title: Absent Without Leave
Genre: Alternative/ Indie Rock
Rating: *****

From the Bay Area comes Scott Iwata, Elvin Reyes, Ang Mesina, and Jamie Quon also known as Bento. What began with just an acoustic guitar and cover songs is now a pleasantly produced debut gem. Bento rocks with infectious melodies and smooth vocals from Scott Iwata. Behind the music is Elvin Reyes, former co-founder of Classified Records and producer of Jocelyn Enriquez, Pinay, and Julieplug. Remember the good ol' sounds of Classified Records? Well it hasn't stopped. Reyes, who was last to join Bento, has helped complete the band's sound and vision. I hope Bento continues their journey and gains the attention they deserve- they are one of the best new artists to emerge from the Bay Area music scene. Pick up "Absent Without Leave" at select retail outlets or drop by the website for more info!
Favorite tracks: Point of no return, Know it's not too late, Beautiful girl, Won't hurt
LeRoid - AArising.com

Bento
Absent Without Leave, 2004
Room506 Records
Wild Bill - Slap Skateboard Magazine

"Music is food for the soul." How often have you read this phrase and actually thought about it? From their namesake, Bento seems to have taken this phrase quite literally. I love band names that have to do with food. Beans is one of my favorite rappers and Pulp, well, they kind of just go without saying (best band in the world!). Any images of tasty teriyaki chicken, beef rice, and soy sauce are quickly wiped away, however, when I actually put this record on. Tunes and melodies, songs I can actually remember after I hear the record for the first time. It's refreshing to hear an album that I don't have to try to listen to. Records get so highly praised in reviews these days you almost feel obligated to buy them. Probably five out of the last six albums I've bought because of reviews have resulted in utter disappointment. Either that, or I'm only feeling a few tracks or listening really hard to find something I like. Bento's the first band I've heard in a while where I don't have to justify my spending. The hype's in the music. Songs like Anti Gravity and Places You Go will have you recalling every word you forgot to say to every girl you forgot to keep. Scott Iwata's lyrics have that uncanny ability to convey universal themes without seeming trite or didactic. The music recalls a short period in time when it seemed like every "alternative" band around was incapable of writing a bad song. Teenage Fanclub, the Stone Roses, and Trash Can Sinatras were releasing so many good songs during the early 90's that they pretty much got lumped in together. Everyone seems to know their songs, but no one remembers who they're by. Fortunately for Bento, no one around at the moment seems to be making music as simple or direct as theirs. Vocals wrap themselves around chiming guitars, basslines glide around galloping drums, these songs have a way of burrowing themselves into your consciousness like they'd always existed. Unlike most of my purchases this year, I don't find myself forcing any redeeming qualities out of the music since it redeems itself with one listen. Immediate without being catchy, deep without seeming introspective, and most of all, familiar without sounding tired, Bento writes extraordinary songs for ordinary people.