Judy and Mary = pure awesome.

I should at least tell you the genre I suppose. Mostly rock (earlier days), but moved toward jpop (later stuff). Girl singer.

Live it

Love it

http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6loKaLzPzE

dihutenosa Wrote:Dragg -

if you like digital hardcore, try Mad Capsule Markets.

I'm aware this post wasn't directed at me, but thank you for reminding me! I used to listen to these when I was a kid (?!) and forgot all about them.

I too am having a hard time finding Japanese music that I can really enjoy. Im definitely not a fan of Jpop or Jrock, at least from what I've been exposed to (very little...) still, I'm hoping to find bands that I can relate somewhat to my current music tastes. I also enjoy classic/southern rock, but lots of other stuff too--I don't really know what to call it, but a blend of folk, indie, acoustic guitar etc. Think Bright Eyes, Mason Jennings, Joanna Newsom, Ryan Adams etc.

I downloaded a few bands like The Golden Cups and The Tempters, which are good, but I need a little more variety. Any help is appreciated.

I really enjoy Yui:

And GO!GO!7188

They've been around a long time, so their newer stuff has a rather different, but still enjoyable sound:

Yui is apparently J-Pop, Pop Rock, Folk Pop and GO!GO!7188 is apparently Rock, Surf Rock with "influences spanning from surf rock to punk rock to enka," whatever any of that means. I've never found genres to be anything but useless in describing music.

I would suggest in general that people just give stuff an honest try, remembering that this music is in fact Japanese, and not American, and so not bemoan the lack of (American Artist). If one wants to listen to (American Artist), one can presumably just do so - one's desire for AJATT not withstanding. But come on, try to REALLY immerse yourself, not just 'immerse' yourself. Listen to the crappy music, watch those godawful dramas with production values akin to The Disney Channel!

I mean, no one found the Japanese sense of humour amusing at first either, did they? ....did they?

Thanks for those links, I'll definitely check them out.

AdamLeliel Wrote:

phauna Wrote:We need to compile a list with genres and suggested bands.

This sounds like a good idea. It's hard to start off with finding good music, in my opinion (if you have no idea where to look).

I just stumbled onto this thread and I really wish that I had gotten here at the beginning. First of all, this is a good suggestion, but the work has already been done for you. Just start searching for the bands mentioned here on last.fm. Even if you don't sign up and use last.fm, their database is fantastic. I use the site extensively, and my recommendations can be seen there.

I share your feelings The_dude. It seems like anything resembling good music died with the Showa Era. If I were going to give you my must have bands, all of them would be from before 1989. I desperately wish this weren't the case. A couple of current bands I do like are Hosome and World's End Girlfriend (don't look to either for vocal work though). But great bands are few and far between. I feel like Japan's music scene was so successfully dominated by the major labels, that it must be the envy of all the Western majors.

I don't want to step on the toes of anyone who actually likes the tripe they are passing off as music here. All forms of fetishism should be celebrated I suppose. I just encourage people to make a little effort. Dig a little deeper than the soundtrack to Rori Rori-chan's Panty Surprise. Just because it's in an anime soundtrack doesn't mean its worth fetishizing. Just because its on the top 100 chart and easily downloaded doesn't mean it has to be your favorite band. I totally understand the motivation of these people though, I wanted so desperately to like Japanese music that I made the same choices years ago. The bottom line is that there is good music, but it is much more sparse than it should be and finding it isn't usually easy. Sites like last.fm are making it much much easier though.

dilandau23 Wrote:(everything)

Wow.

See that light shining in from around the corner? That's the world outside your own ass.

Not to step on your toes or anything.

(And hey, Rori-Rori has an awesome soundtrack! 'The Surprise is Futanari!' is a classic.)
(Don't google that.)

I'm just wondering does anyone know of any homebrew applications that do Karaoke?
Similar to some of the homebrew DDR applications.

Japanese music appears to be no different than American music in that most people have some small subset of it that they like, and the majority of it they dislike. I have found precious little JP music that I like, and dislike most of the stuff mentioned in this thread, but to call it 'tripe' is wrong. If anyone likes it, it's not garbage. Period.

Art isn't a concrete thing, and there's no way to define good and bad except whether someone likes it or not.

If you like it, that's all that counts, no matter how you came to like it. Also, outside opinions count less than nothing in the end.

Haco "Happiness Proof" was a cool album I stumbled onto this week. Emusic has an ok selection of Japanese music.

plumage Wrote:Haco "Happiness Proof" was a cool album I stumbled onto this week. Emusic has an ok selection of Japanese music.

Very interesting thanks for the suggestion.

Now back on the last.fm topic, I decided to link to a thread were it was discussed. Trust me, last.fm will help everyone find new or different music, no matter their music tastes.

Someone in a local Japanese group here posted a link to http://www.imeem.com/dialogs/standalonep...p=FPR9HYiB on their blog. It's Asian music... Most of it without words. I find it quite enjoyable.

Since there aren't words, it's not much of a study helper, but I thought I'd like it anyhow.

(As far as I can tell, iMeem is completely legal. If this link isn't appropriate, please remove it and tell me and I won't link to it again here.)

Boris is an amazing group from Japan. I just saw them live in Boston a few weeks ago, it was incredible. Their prolific collection of albums ranges from drone metal to hardcore, a lot of really dark stuff but a lot of energy too. With the slow build-up stuff (like Feedbacker), you really have to listen to the entire album through to get the full effect.

They've done collaborations with some other good people/groups. Michio Kurihara plays on the album Rainbows, he's got his own band too. There's also a Merzbow collaboration but I wouldn't recommend listening to Merzbow's stuff

There's good stuff outside of rock too. DJ Krush does some amazing instrumental acid jazz hip hop DJing. Ken Ishii's techno stuff is also cool.

it's all about polysics.

polysics.

find me something better and you win a prize.

TGWeaver Wrote:it's all about polysics.

polysics.

find me something better and you win a prize.

Boris

wahnfrieden Wrote:

TGWeaver Wrote:it's all about polysics.

polysics.

find me something better and you win a prize.

Boris

Amen, smile is the perfect album.

they're a great band, but their music is similar to other stoner rock bands (and i mean that as a compliment). but i haven't found anything similar to polysics. the group is unreal. the most unique thing i've come across in japan.

TGWeaver Wrote:they're a great band, but their music is similar to other stoner rock bands (and i mean that as a compliment). but i haven't found anything similar to polysics. the group is unreal. the most unique thing i've come across in japan.

They're great, but they're just not original, they're pretty much a clone or perhaps a homage to the band DEVO.

i'm pretty sure the word you're looking for is "influenced," because they're certainly not a clone.

but i guess music is in the ear of the beholder. to me, boris doesn't sound like they're any more creative or unique than monster magnet, queens of the stone age or clutch. they're all influenced by each other, so they all sound a bit like each other. each is unique, but they share similar traits.

see what i mean?:

p.s.: the bass player from death from above (the 4:20 mark, har har), went on to become one of the members of MSTR KRFT, a fairly popular electronic duo.

Boris is most directly influenced by The Melvins, so much so that they named their group after the Melvins song 'Boris'. But that was when they were more of a hardcore band than drone metal. They're clearly influenced by Earth more now, as well as Sunn O etc. They may not have invented the genre but they're doing the best things with it imo

If you want super eclectic and original, you've got the Boredoms...

I think it's cool Polysics paid homage to Neu! (the 70's pschadelic German krautrock group) by naming one of their albums 'Neu'. I should check them out again - Neu! is one of my favorite things ever. (BTW - is anyone familiar with Jun Takahashi's Undercover?)


For hip hop heads, there's an excellent mix tape out by DJ Minoyama called Throw Back, which goes through the history of rap and its influences. Minoyama is apparently involved with Nujabes (also Japanese) which are cool but I haven't heard much of.

Savage Scream is a cool 'dark psytrance' guy from Japan. Don't know much about the genre but I saw him do a set after my DJ friend at a BrainBusters festival in Yamanashi and it was excellent

TGWeaver Wrote:they're a great band, but their music is similar to other stoner rock bands (and i mean that as a compliment). but i haven't found anything similar to polysics. the group is unreal. the most unique thing i've come across in japan.

Try P-Model, Polysics are heavily influenced by them I feel(more so than Devo). I also recommend Hosome if you are looking for something unique, energetic and current. Polysics was one of the first bands I found that I could actually appreciate though. There was a compilation called "Tokyo New Wave of New Wave 98" no idea if you can still find it but it was pretty decent.

IMHO most of the Japanese music that was in the mainstream when I was there was pretty mindless, derivative crap. Boy bands, Girl bands, visual kei mindlessness (my opinion), saccharine ballads, etc. But maybe i was just looking for something closer to what i was used to.

Anyway, check out the Brilliant Green (aka BuriGuri). They sound the most like a rockin band with solid guitar work, and actual melodies. Very Western (i mean North American) sound.

And if you dare, you might find yourself some enka--it was weirdly appealing on some level.

The Pillows are, partially to my annoyance, nicknamed 'The Japanese Beatles'. I for myself listen to them a lot and find them an equivalent of good western Rock music. Bump of Chicken fits into that same category. (The lead-singer of BoC has an extremely unique and beautiful voice as well, also, their music does provide for some chilled-out listening as well whereas the Pillows at times have a more rough and unpolished sound.)