The J-Music Lovers' International Assembly

[Ryusenkai]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLZP_z2PxCw

 

Now that is a JoJo trailer; interesting soundtrack style for this one, but I'm totally on board considering I really like Diamond is Unbreakable.

[Ryusenkai]

Can anyone recommend any [active] bands or artists similar to Frederic (specifically Owarase Night and their latest album Ototune)?

 

 

 

Same.

 

They're not exactly the same style, but I've always felt that Bentham have a kind of similar groove to their music:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ks1obovYHg0

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsdBeei07iI

[Ryusenkai]

Happy New Year!

 

 

I love FOLKS like omg, like  :rlytearpls:

http://www.jpopsuki.tv/video/FOLKS---Yoru-no-Sabaku-to-Tsuki-no-Hikari/c626357d9f2907c22e92140a13963ed3

 

FOLKS are phenomenal; hopefully within the next day or so I'll have something rather extended as to what I think of what they did this past year.

[Ryusenkai]

Guys, David Bowie just passed away. Right when his new album was just released too. :(

 

I... don't even know what to say about that.  It puts "Blackstar" in a completely different light as an album and makes it all the sadder to consider really.  He's one of the few acts I always assumed would be around for far far longer than this.

[Ryusenkai]

Mark yo calendar for February 24th!

 

"Fukkatsu LOVE" is trending worldwide on twitter. slay

 

Considering how much I like both Tatsuro and Mariya, I'm actually interested in this (though admittedly more interested in the possibility of Tatsuro eventually doing a cover of the song himself like he did with Kiss Kara Hajimaru Mystery).

[Ryusenkai]

Well, looks like Utada's actually coming back - she'll be providing the Asadora theme song starting in April:  http://natalie.mu/music/news/173129

Edited January 20, 2016 by Ryusenkai

[Ryusenkai]

Does anyone know what this is a ranking of?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmYjB7QTH8I

 

I believe, if my memory is right, that that's the Recochoku Top 20 for 2015.

 

 

Large-scale renewal plan for Tokyo Dome, from 2016-2019: http://www.hochi.co.jp/giants/20160122-OHT1T50054.html 

 

Several other venues will start renovation this year too. There'll be tougher competition for music acts to hold concerts starting this year, and the hardest will probably be Kpop acts if they want to hold concerts in bigger venues. I'm expecting priority will be given to local acts.

 

Interesting - what other venues are up for renovation?

[Ryusenkai]

Everything is gone.

 

 

That's what I normally use or jpopsuki. I only liked them for the previews.

 

 

Just Checked. NOOO :( I preferred them becuz of the previews and sometimes they have more releases. Sigh

 

Check the most recent post under the Info tab on the site - all of the old downloads are still there, just under a different site heading.  Seems like they just wanted to reorganize a bit.

[Ryusenkai]

I didn't care for Taemin's song at all. I thought I would based on how it started, but it just ended up being whatever.

 

Anyway, am I officially old if I like these? :horror:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sgtbvt51zo4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V122sM0FPAc

 

"Hello, New Kicks" is debateably my song of the year thus far, so make of that what you will in answer to your question.   :lol:

[Ryusenkai]

When I was listening to the previews on iTunes, all I could think was: "this is fucking gay". So it makes sense.

Don't people here consider you an old man. :derp:

 

Young old man, thank you very much.  Just know what I like musically (like so):

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJjazvJiGwM

[Ryusenkai]

"New generation" definitely left more of an impact than "LIBERTY".

 

 

The album itself isn't bad. It didn't strike me as instantly as "LOVELAND" , but it does have it's moments for sure with the middle probably being its strongest.

 

 

Yeah, I'm listening now and "New generation" is hitting more.

 

 

 

Welcome!

 

I'll third "New generation" being a good album; everything flowed well and the new recordings of their older tracks actually added a fair amount of life to them.  Interested to see where they go next.

[Ryusenkai]

Secret Sensation is interesting...

 

It's the first time I've heard TK produce some songs that I actually might call "happy".   :lol:   On the whole though, really nice mini-album.  Shows growth from his previous releases.

 

 

Yeah, it really did flow well, though this was my first time listening to them so I can't comment on the new recordings.

 

I think it's one of those albums that ends up much stronger when listened to as a unit, since the whole package is really rather striking.

[Ryusenkai]

Brief preview of a new Sakanaction song:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cEi3myCcAg

[Ryusenkai]

LOL, we still have no real idea what this sounds like because this could just be the chorus of a much slower song, like they often do.

 

Very possible yeah, and I could even imagine a more mid-tempo set of verses in my head, based on the sound that song's going for.  I'm hoping for a 30 second version of the CM to surface later.

[Ryusenkai]

I never cared for MONKEY MAJIK, but "southview" is a really nice album.

 

Lyrically, it's not really my thing, but musically I found it to be pretty pleasant - much better than their last album anyway.

[Ryusenkai]

Yeah, I'm not really a big fan of "baby hold on tight" "She's Fahrenheit" and the likes, but musically it's pretty nice. I enjoy the funk influences going on throughout the album.

 

Funk and old-school disco are super prevalent, which at the very least makes "southview" an interesting album to go through.  Kind of wish they hadn't started leaning so heavily on English these days though.

[Ryusenkai]

I second this.

 

I hate to sound critical but "southview" is the first and only album in their discography that I actually like. I could never get into their previous albums because they sounded like 'watered down' versions of what bands like Maroon 5 would put out. I like the collaboration songs they did with m-flo and ravex respectively but that's about it. 

 

For some reason Maynard and Blaise's Japanese enunciation grates me so I'm glad that they're singing more in English than before.  :lol:

 

-EDIT-

 

I have to give songbird JUJU a shout out. Her new English covers album is on point. I don't fancy her original albums but her cover albums are definitely praise worthy.  :dave:

 

While I do like "southview", I think that my favorite album from Monkey Majik is probably still "Somewhere Out There", largely because I think it's in some ways their most inspired and definitely their most emotionally charged full length (was written in the year following the earthquake, and MM are based in Sendai).  That said though, I'd say my biggest criticism of them as a band is that they're inconsistent, since they've done some good work, but have also put out albums like "DNA" and "Colour By Number" (and to a lesser extent "westview") which are right on the edge of being incredibly generic.  At times I almost feel as though they're two different acts, if that makes sense.  

 

I can totally understand the enunciation point, for what it's worth, since I remember it being an issue for me at first; don't know what changed honestly, but it did at some point.

Edited March 12, 2016 by Ryusenkai

[Ryusenkai]

Never really realized how bland I found Namie's discog along with a few others (Scoobie Do, Galileo Galilei, FLOW, etc). Or how much music I had that I never listened to or even heard of.  :lol: I think I must have deleted  25+ albums today.

 

The only GG album I think I still have in my collection is "PORTAL", which is really because it's kind of proto-FOLKS in some ways.   :lol:

[Ryusenkai]

Ironically, they made my list, but from Natalie.

 

That's interesting though.

 

Too lazy to make a thread so vote for one of the following, or post your own like Doc (though multiple people will have to agree).

 

I'd second Ame no Parade, though add Monkey Majik as a runner-up (from perusing their natalie interview myself, it seems that we were dead on about the 80s dance influence there  ).

[Ryusenkai]

Well, looks like RADWIMPS' Noda is restarting his solo project (illion) this year; hoping to see an album around summertime since he has a fair amount of lives scheduled towards the end of July.

 

http://natalie.mu/music/news/180973

[Ryusenkai]

 

 

I'm always late when it comes to finding music.

 

That's... really good, honestly.  *looks into*

[Ryusenkai]

I'll be sending a PM your way shortly. I just bought the album off of Ototoy. Almost bought "BLACKBERRY JAM" too, but I'll give that one more time to leak.

 

I've actually been eyeing both of those as well, though I suppose you beat me to the former.      I'll give it a few weeks, but depending on things I might pick up both "BLACKBERRY JAM" and Sekaiichi's "Round Table" if they don't leak (still wish Suga Shikao's new album was on Ototoy, since I'd pick it up in a heartbeat).

[Ryusenkai]

The artwork for his second mini due in April really caught my eye and the first was only $10 and sounded good so.. why not? I'm going to try my hardest to hold out on "BLACKBERRY JAM," but the previews were really good so we'll see how long that will last. I'm still waiting for that too. Hopefully it pops up somewhere soon.

 

You're right about that artwork; it's interesting, if nothing else (as is his current promo picture).  Honestly, the groove is strong with so many releases this year, in the best way.

[Ryusenkai]

*taps foot*

 

 

[Ryusenkai]

It's funny cause now the guys voice is throwing me off and I don't mind her voice as much as I did before.

 

New song

 

 

Maybe it means that the right balance will eventually strike you and you'll come to like it.     I like "INAZUMA" a lot, since it's a good bit rockier than most of "RAFT" was, but you can still hear where it came from in the groove and the electronics.