Identity

サカナクション - アイデンティティ

Genre: new wave, electronic
Song style: very Japanese electro-indie

If you like サカナクション, you'll like this new song of theirs that came out on August 4 - it's very stereotypical of their style (almost to the point of being a little too much like them). I'm still a big fan of this band though cause they temporarily fill the hole for me where フジファブリック was (the singer died half a year ago) :-(. Speaking of which, it looks like フジファブリック has magically released a new album, which I'll be checking out shortly.

Long time no see! And I'm off--

MiChi & The Telephones - Wonder Woman

Genre: new wave, pop-rock, electronic
Song style: catchy, dancey

Looking at this song, I actually wouldn't mind MiChi replacing The Telephones' vocalist! Seems like she's an indie songstress with a half-British, half-Japanese background. These guys made it briefly on the Oricon charts - congrats to them!

So as you can see, I've been MIA for quite some time. Being back at home got me into a routine that kept me away from Japanese indies - and I also wasn't running across any great gems. While I still have a long list waiting, I still want music to be excited about posting every once in a while! Things will continue to be irregular for a while. I leave for Japan in little over a day (almost exactly 36 hours!) I'm very excited :-) But I'll be moving around a lot for a while, so won't have internet access. But I'll definitely be discovering a lot of great music! So when I reconnect to the internet world, I will keep you posted.

Crazy crazy band

モーモールルギャバン - 裸族

Genre: experimental new-wave, electronic
Song style: crazy and erratic, sorta like Of Montreal

Here is a pretty new band, fresh off the press, with their first major album out today - "クロなら結構です". They have a very fun, crazy sound, though this song is by far one of their crazier ones. For a more normal electronicky one, check out ユキちゃんの遺伝子. As I'm writing this I just realized - here is yet another Kyoto band! Kyoto has really been active these days.

In other news, Asian Kung Fu Generation's new album "マジックディスク" is out today as well, with songs like 迷子犬と雨のビート. Not quite my cup of tea, but a respectable band, so check them out too!

I think I found it

Apogee - 夜間飛行

Genre: electronic, new wave
Song style: melancholic and wispy

I think I found a new band to try out as a new favorite! This band has such cheery electronic tunes but behind lurks creepiness and surrealism. All their videos are as skilled as this one at playing off the uncanny. And their melodies are really passionate and can grab you - though a litttttle bit on the predictable side. I'll try out their album today at the gym and see if they are able to grab my heart.

The avengers!

Avengers in Sci-fi - Homosapiens Experience

Genre: new-wave, electronica
Song style: straightforward sorta astro-alternative

I got my hands on two albums today - Avengers in Sci-fi's "Science Rock", which features this song, and Syrup16g's "Hell-see", which features ex-人間 (posted previously). I have to say I love Syrup16g's album!! A very nice melancholic feel that suited the mood and my searches in the attic for items for this weekend. Avengers in Sci-fi's album was good as background music for my cooking, but I found it pretty stereotypical. One of those bands that really goes by a theme (in this case, robots, outer space, technology), but no deeper introspection. But sometimes you need some of one, and sometimes you need some of the other! I'll keep looking into these guys in the future. This song sort of reminds me of Orange Range, but more "indie".

Also, on a random note, I didn't realize this blog would manage to last so long! When I started out, I had about 2 months of material, but I somehow still have 2 months of material - which means enough to last me until I leave this country. Who would have thought the industry would be so vast.

New releases EVERYWHERE again

Monobright - 英雄ノヴァ

Genre: new wave, alternative, nerd rock
Song style: no-frills, simple melody alternative rock that drills through

I'm not very into this new single by Monobright that comes out today, "英雄ノヴァ". The song is very mediocre, normal alternative and Monobright has done much catchier, unique stuff. But the video itself is really interesting! Where did they find all this bizarre footage, and how did they get it all to be timed in sync with the song?

斉藤和義 (Kazuyoshi Saitou) is also releasing his new single "ずっと好きだった" today but I find it so average and poppy (and the clip online is only a short segment), that it's not even worth embedding in this blog. But there is one new release I'm really excited about, which I will blog about later in the evening (hopefully before midnight)!

ちゅうちゅう～

The Telephones - Kiss Me, Love Me, Kiss Me

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!

New releases EVERYWHERE: サカナクション

Of what I know, three bands released new material today (3/17/10)! Here are three blog posts in commemoration of this mid-March material, from "worst" to "best"

サカナクション - 目が明く藍色

Note: A little bit better than the other two... Gold medal for now

Genre: alternative, electronic
Song style: Seems slow and sad but then randomly gets epic and electronic

At first I started listening to this song and I was like ugh sounds really slow... but then I got really into the song, and the video's very interesting too (it looks random but it has a story to it). This comes off of サカナクション's new CD released today "kikUUiki", which also includes catchy song アルクアラウンド. I'm excited to give this album a go. These guys are gonna be playing various rock festivals in Japan over the summer, I hope I can catch them at one!

Yay endless sleeping

your gold, my pink - Are you sensitive?

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)!

End of February!

Vola & The Oriental Machine - Turning Turning

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.

RIP Masahiko Shimura

Fujifabric - 打ち上げ花火

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.

Aruku Around

サカナクション (Sakanaction)　－　アルクアラウンド

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).