Sorry, had to break the Kyoto streak for just a little bit - though these guys formed in the next-door Osaka. Not going to write much cause things are strange tonight. Some things have come out of the blue. I quickly wanted a song to suit my mood, and this one worked for me. Though the band has been around for a while (since 1993), I know nothing about them. Don't know if I will continue my search on them, but this song is good enough for me.
An song in honor of the time when I was a university student in Kyoto... feels so long, long ago. This comes from band Quruli, whose members all went to Kyoto's 立命館大学 (Ritsumeikan University). I'm proud to see some Kyoto-ites make it so far in the music industry. Actually, the Kansai area has a lot of successful musicians! This post is also to celebrate Quruli's new compilation album, out "僕の住んでいた街" which came out May 26 (okay so a little bit old news but hey), which this song appears on. Also haven't had enough chill music on this blog for a while. I miss Kyoto, Kansai, and Japan...
Genre: alternative, indies Song style: heavy, fast-paced, but melancholic
Yet another Youtube discovery I really like! I've never heard of these guys... but they've released a lot of full albums under the mainstream label so maybe I've just overlooked them? Also yet again another band where I'm wary of their other songs, but I like this particular one. It's very easy to please me musically, just a very specific song style like this one will get me.
I'm starting to wonder what this blog is for. Is it for me, is it for other people, and to what point do I keep sustaining it or call it the end? I still have several months of music on my list and it's constantly growing. But as I discover music through this journey, I find I only like a small handful of what I find. For example, I've recently checked out the albums from A Flood of Circle, FLiP, Avengers in Sci-Fi, Syrup16g, Salyu, Scoobie Do, and Baseball Bear. While I like the songs I posted for each of these groups, there were only a couple of songs I really liked any further - specifically, songs from FLiP, Salyu, and maybe some Syrup16g. I'm ready to find a band to really wow me and get me obsessed. 凛として時雨 had my heart for a little bit but I want to find something fresh. Or would I have already found it if it existed?
Genre: indie Song style: chill alternative, almost folksy
I've heard this band's name so many times but never followed up because they always seemed a bit too much on the soft side for me. But here they are - and I find this video really entrancing! It adds flavor to the song too. This seems like the perfect song for a beautiful day like today, just chilling out in the grass with the breeze softly blowing around. This band seems very fun, I'm sure they'll put on a good show.
Genre: indie, alternative Song style: normal catchy indie
Goodbye nostalgia, goodbye college! Today I am studying intensely for my last final ever, being held tomorrow. It's a time to refresh for everyone. Over in Japan, it's the longest holiday of the year - Golden Week - and over here, students busily working away like me are wrapping up their work and their finals. I wonder if I will come out of this last semester unscathed. This is one of the first indie singles from the band Base Ball Bear, from back in 2003. They've since gained in popularity and are now releasing "major" albums, but I still like this single a lot. I remember hearing it as my friends were over chilling, doing work or something, and it came up on a friend's playlist. The band is a little bit off from what I usually like (a little too soft or cookie-cutter) but this song is nice. Don't know what's up with the video though!
Genre: indie, alternative Song style: vocal-based, low instrumentals, Radiohead-like
This song perfectly fits my mood, I love the guitars here and how they build up. I don't know the band well but they have been suggested to me based on my other favorites. Too bad they split up in 2008. This music video is cute too. But I'm feeling the mood for the song, after a rather bizarre and incomprehensible weekend.
In a couple of hours, I'm gonna go see an American show - The Fall of Troy (their last tour) and Envy on the Coast. I used to like Fall of Troy's old stuff but the new stuff is gross. But luckily, upon hearing the new Envy on the Coast album, I've fallen in love and it's been hard to concentrate on Japanese music: my favorite song of the moment (skip the movie dialogue).
Genre: indie, pianoy Song style: beautiful, soft, and artsy
I was enraptured by this song when I heard it on an Oricon countdown a week ago. It comes off of her month-old album "Maiden Voyage" as the first single. She's just one of those women who seems so powerful and embedded in their artsy folksiness. She has been called the "Japanese Bjork" and her vocals remind me a bit of Ego' Wrappin. I don't know her other work, but I'll look into it someday when I feel contemplative and ready to be whisked away.
Genre: indie, alternative rock Song style: catchy, nostalgic, a little new-wavey
It's almost like the apocalypse - millions of bands are coming out with new releases tomorrow! So I thought I'd get a head start. This band made it onto the Oricon charts, and the single album for this song "バクチダンサー" will be released tomorrow. From what I can tell, this band is straightforward normal alternative most of the time, but this song caught my eye. The video is so reminiscent of the White Stripes' Seven Nation Army! (Plagiarism?) And I really like this singer's manly voice. Mine may become manly too, I feel an itching in the throat that I haven't felt in ages... (meaning a cold).
Genre: new wave, indie, dance Song style: chill and really simple
Not quite my favorite song but it is off of The Telephone's new mini-album "Oh My Telephones!!!" out today! The Telephones have very fun, light-hearted music and so far every album of theirs has had a song featuring the word "disco" (including songs like Love&DISCO, Urban Disco, Monkey Discooooooooo, and ABC Disco). How many discos can you have, and were these guys even alive during the 70s!? Regardless it shows they're fun at heart and are ready to party! I've known about these guys for about a year now but their music hasn't been compelling enough for me to actually pursue it. But I appreciate the hole it fills in Japanese indie, for danceable meaningless indie tunes (sort of reminiscent of MGMT)? It's a DISCO!
Genre: indie Song style: soft, very "adult" indie. Somewhat reminiscent of Jimmy Eat World
First of all, Happy Easter and Happy April Fools day! I didn't have the guts to pull a lame trick on you guys. The weather has become nicer here but so much has been going on (both academically and not) that it was hard to update in the last couple of days. I'm in the mood for something chill like Half-Life to help me relax this last day of the weekend. This band actually started off in Canada and then moved their activities to Japan (and they're all Japanese members). I have to say it's quite unfortunate they chose a band name that shares the name of a popular video game, because it's hard to find info on them specifically. However, I've had their 2009 debut release "Second Narrow" in my computer for a while, and it's very relaxing (but not too mentally stimulating music) that's perfect for an airy, springy day like today.
Genre: alternative, indie Song style: slow, soft, contemplative melodic vocals
I can't believe I missed this - Straightener's new album "Creatures" came out about two weeks ago, on March 3. Here's a song off of it, which is nice but somewhat slow. My first post ever on this blog is still their best song thus far and definitely the best of the album. I find some Straightener songs really hit the spot but often the rest of the album lays flat. I like this album most compared to their others so far, but I'll still probably only pick out specific songs for my mp3 player rotation. Since starting this blog, there's such a torrent of new music for me to listen to! It's exciting but also hard because I still try to keep up a variety without putting complete junk on here, but I'm also afraid of one day when I run out of artists to talk about. I have so many albums I'm trying to get into right now but also so many "waiting in line". Hopefully I'll reach a good balance, 頑張ります！
Genre: new wave, indie Song style: somewhat high-pitched and really happy!
This video and band looks so cute and happy, just makes you want to join the party! These guys are somewhat new - starting out in 2007 but getting their first real break into the music industry last year as a part of the big Summer Sonic 2009 tour, and releasing their first real album. I haven't heard any of their other songs yet, so hard to say much else but they seem like a fun "safe" band. Now back at home and relaxing (I slept something like 13 hours last night!) Hope you're all enjoying the beginning of spring (finally some 50 degree weather)!
Genre: indie rock, new wave Song style: catchy song reminiscent of the old The Killers (+ some Interpol)
I'm starting to become a big fan of this band. This comes off their good (but pretty experimental) 2009 album "Sa-Ka-Na no Electric Device," which I highly recommend. For some reason, some of their older songs really really sound like Interpol to me (for example, this older song). I really like the singer's silly dancing in this video, it's so Japanese but really suits the mood of the song. Every so often when I had free time, I would go up to the top floor of Kyoto's Loft, where there was an HMV. You would think a major CD store would "cater to the mainstream" but they always had sections of indie music to sample around the store, and that's how I discovered this band. I sometimes feel like the Japanese music industry is more open to new things - the countdown is always filled with pop, hip hop, rock, electronica, oldies (enka), and even joke songs, versus America's which is predominantly club music and country. Perhaps Japan's music industry is in such transition that it doesn't have to be set in its ways. And Japanese cds and dvds are so expensive that only people truly passionate about their music can afford to make these purchases that put the bands into the charts.
Genre: indie rock, according to Wikipedia "shoegazing" Song style: sorta flowy, drifty, wailing music
I'm chilling now in my room, studying with my friend, getting ready to go to a male beauty pageant so I'll keep this short. It's been raining for days here. I chose this band because of the recent slew of male band posts and I wanted something where it was relatively easy to pick a video. I saw these girls perform as openers for 9mm Parabellum Bullet last year in a small club in Kyoto. They were very talented and their music was very passionate, but it all sort of follows the same tone as this song. I like the style, but more as background music than something for me to totally fall in love with. So it will be a good drifty band to support our lighthearted studying.
Genre: indie rock Song style: starts up slow and floaty, builds up to a large rocking finale
It has been exactly two months now since vocalist and lyricist Masahiko Shimura of Fujifabric has left us. The same day, I was leaving Japan, sad and overwhelmed with the brief but packed trip I had there. That day, I experienced one Christmas Eve in Kyoto, one in Tokyo, and one in America. Little did I know that one of the greatest recent Japanese indie geniuses was leaving the world. This song is a great last testament to them, I often used it during my contemplative long walks home from work over the summer. Shimura died of unknown causes, December 24 2009, and was the last remaining original member of Fujifabric. The rest of the band has said they will try to play on, but it is impossible to imagine Fujifabric's style being preserved without Shimura. If you would like to hear a more upbeat song of their's, please check out 銀河 as well (most of their songs are blocked for youtube embedding). Rest in peace Masahiko Shimura, I will miss you.
Genre: Indie Song style: Complex instrumentals, contemplative vocals, catchy rhythm
Each time I hear wisps of intricate guitar parts or meaningful and fast-paced vocals, I instinctively reach for my phone because this song has been my ringtone for the past half-year. It's nice to experience phantom ring syndrome with such a catchy tune. I would have to say this was the best Japanese song of 2009, and also by far the Radwimps's best song (gotta say, not a big fan of Order Made, いいんですか, etc). I remember in my last week in Kyoto, playing this song on repeat and going for an hour-long walk through the town. I eventually reached the river, where I found a friend and a set of fire dancers. We laid out a sheet, plugged the song into some speakers, and twirled around and danced like crazy people, almost falling into the river. I only wish the Radwimps could put out more well thought-out songs like this. After constant play, I'm still not sick of it.
Genre: electronica, indies Song Style: catchy chill electronic vibe with some rock-like twists
Another great song that made the top-ten Oricon last week, this is サカナクション's (Sakanaction) new single. The band is a very "staple" Japanese electronic band, slightly reminiscent of American bands like The Bravery. The video for this is cute, trying to look like one of those "everything falls into the right place" sorta amateur-ish setups. If you like this sound, I recommend you check out their 2009 album シンシロ. Although some songs get repetitive, it has gems like their first single Native Dancer and I really like their song Ame(B).
Genre: straight-up indie rock Song Style: beautiful guitars, sad but chill, an electronic touch
This song made me start this blog. I discovered it yesterday and it was so beautiful that I had to tell someone about it. The mood of the video really fits the eerie flowing feel of the song. And the lyrics are beautiful as well. This song was #8 on the Oricon charts last week, I hope it does well!
This is their newest single, probably to come out on their album "CREATURES" which will be released in March. I just downloaded their 2009 cd Nexus and I'm liking what I hear - though most of their music is very sad. I look forward to their new cd!
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