BOYS & GIRLS
Swinging Popsicle
I discovered this indie pop band through the good folks at JapanFiles, who have been doing a great job of giving lesser-known bands some much-needed exposure (Ketchup Mania and Budo Grape are two of my other favorite discoveries this year). Swinging Popsicle has actually been around since 1995, but they've been picking up a lot more popularity in the past couple of years. They played some shows in the U.S. (which I missed out on), but I feel it's likely they'll return at some point.
Anyway, Swinging Popsicle is great to just listen to, as they generally give off a very mellow vibe, which indie pop fans should be quite familiar with. It's the type of music that transports you to some place outside, under a blue and sunny sky, basking in an aura of contentment. But that's not to say that it's naptime-inducing - their songs are full of positive energy, almost like a high-above-the-sky feeling. Taking in their tunes is almost sure to put you in a good mood. Two personal favorites are "Clash" and "Rainbounds."
And for those who care, many of their songs are actually written in English, since vocalist Mineko Fujishima seems to be fairly fluent in it.
I Just Wanna Kiss You
JYONGRI
JYONGRI is a 19-year-old pop/R&B singer-songwriter of Korean descent who released her first single just last December. She's fluent in Japanese and English (she attended international schools) and is now studying at Waseda. I've read that in addition to playing piano, she's also studied violin and guitar.
The girl has a great voice, combined with tunes that range from chill to danceable, resulting in very enjoyable pop. She's also perfectly comfortable with ballads, which make up about half of her debut album, "CLOSE TO FANTASY." I don't care much for her music videos - hopefully she can get some better production in the future. It's still early in her career, so I'm looking forward to see where she goes from here.
Getting Funky!
Rock band UVERworld made their mainstream debut in 2005 on a Sony sublabel, and has mainly been known for their tie-ins with anime and television series (such as "Bleach" and "Koisuru Hanikami"). They've done decently well on the music charts, but they still have yet to establish themselves as a consistent hit-maker that can survive without being attached to a popular show.
While their music isn't groundbreaking or anything, it firmly stands as solid pop rock. Their second album "BUGRIGHT" (released in February) is a collection worth listening to, but just don't expect anything really catchy. So even though I don't foresee them becoming especially popular, I expect they'll still have a small place in my playlist in the future.
SHAMROCK
YMCK
Generally described as "8-bit Nintendo meets jazz," YMCK's sound is a throwback to the good ol' days of simpler video games. Like the description says, YMCK uses "8-bit" tones and blends it with pop and jazz, resulting in a sound similar to more familiar Shibuya-kei artists. They combine their music with pixelated versions of themselves in their videos to really tap into the 8-bit aesthetic, resulting in a very fun and nostalgic experience.
Once you get past YMCK's cartoonish and primitive appearance, you'll find that their musical arrangements are actually pretty sophisticated and expertly crafted. But even if you can't appreciate the technical aspect, you can still enjoy their music for its entertainment factor.
Go YMCK, Go!
It's refreshing to hear idol pop that doesn't sound like idol pop. Instead, Perfume is brilliantly engineered electropop with a hint of Shibuya-kei, currently produced by capsule's Yasutaka Nakata. (Those needing a television drama reference may recognize him as the man behind the soundtrack of "LIAR GAME.") Their earlier music - before they signed onto a major label and began working with Nakata - is more typical of the idol genre (for example, "Sweet Donuts" and "Vitamin Drop"), but the synthesized vocals and energetic electro tunes still separate them from other manufactured pop units.
As a young trio attached to Amuse, their appearance and choreography are still characteristic of an idol group, but the image has managed to fit their music fairly well. They've also been able to tweak their style and put out some amazing, eye-catching music videos, particularly the futuristic "Electro World" and "Linear Motor Girl." As they're getting older, they seem to be developing a more sophisticated (or at least, less childish) image, which should help them gain more mainstream appeal.
Electro World
throwcurve
Formed in 2001 by four college students, throwcurve is an awesome indie rock band that I only recently discovered. Their songs are typically lively and quirky, possessing a strong aura of passionate individuality. I absolutely love the vocals of Ryo Nakamura, who manages to be both melodic and somehow raw. And based on the few videos I've seen, the band also has a good sense of visual style. One other way you can tell they rock is what they list as their influences: Monty Python, artist/writer Edward Gorey, Back to the Future, and "nonsense joke," among others.
As far as I can tell, the band has produced three mini-albums and a full album (titled "Retro Electric Mother"). They seem to play lots of shows in Japan and have opened for popular artists such as Remioromen, Asian Kung-fu Generation, and Polysics. It looks like they've gained a small following in Japan, but they're still disappointingly obscure (along with the rest of the indie scene, naturally).
flesh!
The three-piece rock band chatmonchy made their debut in 2005 and quickly began appearing on the music charts, reaching as high as #2 with their latest album, "Seimeiryoku." The three girls are signed to Sony's Ki/oon Records, which is responsible for several artists currently enjoying popularity outside of Japan (Puffy AmiYumi, L'Arc~en~Ciel, Asian Kung-fu Generation, Polysics, and others).
To be honest, there's nothing amazingly impressive or complex about their music. Their compositions are relatively simple, but personally, that's part of the appeal. They produce sweet, bouncy music that is just a pleasure to listen to, best epitomized by their catchy "Shangrila." Some might not like Eriko Hashimoto's somewhat nasal, high-pitched voice, but I think she gives their music a very "honest" sound, especially in their occasional sentimental tune, such as "Renai Spirits" and "Sekai ga Owaru Yoru ni."
While their "cute" pop rock may be what most people recognize them for, I actually prefer their more serious stuff, and I'm hoping they move more in that direction as their music matures.
Jochitachi ni Asu wa Nai
I'm actually embarrassed (and surprised) that I only came across GO!GO!7188 (properly pronounced "go go nana ichi hachi hachi") about a year ago, even though they released their first major label album in 2000. This punk/surf rock trio somehow flew under my radar before, but I'm ecstatic to have finally found them, and in time to have seen them play live this past March.
The band has consistently put out awesome tunes, ranging from hard punk to pleasant pop, always with a flair for fun. For example, take a look at their hilarious video for "Jet Ninjin," or listen to their kick-ass cover of "Cutie Honey." They put a lot of energy into their music, and it's almost impossible to stay still when one of their songs is blasting in your ears. Their blend of rock and pop sensibilities is fairly unique in the J-rock scene, made only more so by vocalist Yuu, who has one of the most distinctive voices around.
It's hard to say whether I like their earlier works or their later ones more, but I'm a fan of pretty much all of it, and I'll be listening them for a long time to come.
Nounai Traveller
ORESKABAND is probably my favorite discovery of the year, partly because I've met them and because I've helped get people interested in them, but mainly because they're really good. Their blend of ska and pop has been branded as "entertainment ska rock," which is a fairly good description - they're not your typical ska band, and they're very entertaining. Those who follow the blog might already know that I've been somewhat obsessing over them since I first saw them play in March at the Knitting Factory in Los Angeles.
The band consists of six girls from Osaka who just graduated from high school this year. They started out small in 2003, doing local shows in their town and handling everything from promoting to burning their own CDs to sell. In 2006, they were discovered by Sony and signed on to release their first mini-album. Within months, they had provided music for a Pocky commercial, done an ending theme song for the "Naruto" anime series, and played at the Fuji Rock Festival. This year, they released their first full album (including a theme song for "Bleach"), went on tour in Japan and the U.S., and are now filming a movie produced by High School Musical's Barry Rosenbush.
The girls have injected some fresh energy into the dying ska scene, attracting fans with their upbeat tunes that make you want to dance and sing along. But their real strength is in their live performances - it's difficult to not get swept up in the moment when they're rocking on stage and the music is blasting in your ears. Seriously, how can you resist a group of cute girls with energetic personalities, pumping out infectiously fun tunes?
Pinocchio
