j1m0ne’s blog

27 February 2007
In amongst all those releases last week I totally failed to notice that DEPAPEPE had a new single out. D’oh. It’s not that good anyway so I guess it didn’t really matter -_-; I somehow forgot to mention this last week as well but ONITSUKA CHIHIRO IS RETURNING TO THE MUSIC SCENE OMFG. AT LONG LAST!!

Singles
Mosaic Kakera. SunSet Swish

I’m less enthusiastic about Code Geass now than I was about 2 months ago (recap episodes be the bane of me), plotwise it seems to be all going south. I could’ve done without all that Mao rubbish really….anyway, Mosaic Kakera is a great song - shame that the second opening by Jinn is so appalling.
Rating: ★★★★☆

Flavor of Life. Utada Hikaru

Ah, Hikki. She’ll always have a special place in my heart. It was songs like Automatic and Addicted To You that got me hooked on Jpop…. hard to believe it’s almost 10 years since she debuted. Unfortunately since the debacle that was the EXODUS album, her singles have been pretty hit and miss. Flavor of Life is just about a ‘hit’ for me, though I prefer the original version - most ppl like the ballad version more but it’s just sooo slooooww. I’m not fond of her supposed ‘vocal style’ either (sounds more like she’s struggling for breath if you ask me) .
Rating: ★★★☆☆

Ichibanboshi. Suara

It seemed like a long wait, but it’s finally out. Ichibanboshi is one of her happy tunes, and I think I mentioned before; very reminiscent of Amaneuta songs. I don’t like the ToHeart anime series but the songs are always enjoyable.
Rating: ★★★★☆

Konna ni chikaku de…. Crystal Kay

Normally avoid her songs like the plague (bland, unexciting) but this is the Nodame Cantabile ED so I had to get it. Somehow it sounds better when I’m watching the anime ;_; Sorry, I just can’t make myself like her songs, they lack oomph.
Rating: ★★☆☆☆

Naked Flower. Paku Romi

I’ve always thought she’s a great singer saddled with rubbish material (like Orikasa Fumiko). This is the upcoming Murder Princess OVA’s ED theme, and the first time I heard both Naked Flower and the c/w song don’t console on radio I was like ‘Damn, finally she gets a decent song to sing’. Good stuff.
Rating: ★★★★☆

Coin Toss. Aobouzu

I like Aobouzu. Though they’re very similar to a lot of melodic-rock bands out there (UNDER GRAPH, Onsoku Line, Tsubaki, The Local Art, LUNKHEAD etc) it’s hozzy’s earnest, shouty vocals that set them apart. I just wish their singles consisted of more than two songs.
Rating: ★★★☆☆

Sakura Uta. RYTHEM

My fondest memory of RYTHEM is hearing Kokoro Biidama in a second-hand LV/designer goods store in Shinsaibashi, Osaka. OK that was completely random, but it just popped into my mind for some reason. This is a brilliant single, like 91% of all their other singles (the 9% I don’t like is Blue Sky Blue). And as usual, the c/w song Kasumizakura is really good; in fact I’d say it’s better than Sakura Uta. RYTHEM are definitely one of my fave pop groups; really like their harmonies. It just irks me that their albums hardly have any new songs.
Rating: ★★★★☆

Fate/stay night Character Image Song III: Matou Sakura. Shitaya Noriko

The best one in the series so far. Never heard Nori-chan sing before but she’s pretty good on this. Egao hitotsu de started off sounding like sophisticated porn music but thankfully it got better. Incidentally, Shitaya has formed a ‘proper band’ with fellow seiyuu Tsuchiya Miki (vocals), Kojima Megumi (keys) and Ishizuka Sayori (drums) called Cri☆siS. Noriko will be playing guitar and will probably be the group leader! They’re not all household names but I’m really interested to see what sort of music they come up with ^^
Rating: ★★★☆☆

winding road. Ayaka X Kobukuro

Erm. I’ve liked Kobukuro since the first time I saw them on TV (think it was NHK Popjam) performing Kaze and was pleased when they finally got the huge success they deserved. Don’t like this single though. Maybe it’s Ayaka’s presence? Not a fan of her songs.
Rating: ★★☆☆☆

Kakegae no nai uta. mihimaru GT

Closet mihimaru GT fan here. Some of their songs are really cheesy they make me cringe sometimes - but they’re just too damn catchy. The first time I heard Itsu made mo hibiku kono melody (the one with the sample of Joseph Garland’s In The Mood) I wanted to crawl into a hole somewhere…. but I absolutely love it now. Unfortunately Kakegae no nai uta is a rather boring ballad from a Doraemon movie or something. Yawn. Future Language is better!
Rating: ★★★☆☆

O.K.FUNKY GOD. Suzuki Ami joins BUFFALO DAUGHTER

“What an unholy mix” was my initial reaction upon hearing of this single. This is the first of washed-up popster Suzuki Ami’s project of 3 consecutive collaboration singles (the other two are with rockers THC!! and the very cool Kirinji) followed by an album Connetta which will feature some of her recent singles plus a bunch of collabs with Scoobie Do, Tsuji Ayano, NORTHERN BRIGHT and Kaji Hideki. An attempt at gaining credibility perhaps? Don’t care much for Suzuki but that stellar list has certainly piqued my interest in the album.

Buffalo Daughter are just……odd. Their style seems to change from album to album; straight-out indie rock to weird psychedelia to the funk rock mish-mash of last year’s Euphorica. O.K.FUNKY GOD is a bass-heavy funk tunk; it reminds me a little of Deo Volente (from Euphorica). I certainly won’t recommend this to fans of her Hamasaki Ayumi-lite pop.
Rating: ★★★☆☆

Albums
Shalom. mink

I was never into mink (made in Korea) much but her recent Innocent Blue single convinced me to her another go. So why are there so many old songs on this ?_? I wanted to give this 2 1/2 stars but unfortunately I can’t get a half white/black star so had to round it up. It’s not really a bad album, but I guess if you weren’t into her earlier releases this won’t change your mind.
Rating: ★★★☆☆

Anna Tsuchiya inspi’ NANA (Black Stones)

Anna Tsuchiya/NANA = misses>hits
At least the music in the anime is better than the movie’s.
I wanted to give this 2 1/2 stars too but I’ll give it a half star more because of Kuroi Namida.
Rating: ★★★☆☆

OLIVIA inspi’ REIRA (TRAPNEST)

OLIVIA > Anna Tsuchiya
ÞReira> NANA ?
Fantastic album. Could’ve done without the live version of Wish though. That Tsuchiya is currently outselling OLIVIA makes me weep.
Rating: ★★★★☆

Bitter Sweet Friday. Kanda Akemi

Aaaaaaaaah she murdered Kagami no Naka (stabs eye with fork). Bitter Sweet Friday is a collection of character image/theme songs taken from various anime/games (Da Capo, Ultra Maniac,Tokimemo) some of which are re-recorded; Negima’s Happy Material and Believe (love them), the aforementioned Kagami no Naka (can/goo’s Ultra Maniac OP), her seiyuu unit DROPS’ Bakappuru etc.

There’s also two new songs; the title track (bad) and Ari no mama no sekai (good). Apart from a couple of blips, the album is generally solid; though I really do prefer the duet version of Koisuru Balance (with Horie Yui) rather than Kanda-san’s solo version. And I wish she had picked Koisuru Mirai instead of Oh! My Darling from the Tonagura! character albums >_>
Rating: ★★★☆☆

Tindharia no Tane. Shimotsuki Haruka

Never heard of Shimotsuki? She’s part of kukui who’ve done a few anime themes (Rozen Maiden, Kagihime), also does loads of doujin/video game songs and frequently collaborates with Katakiri Rekka and Chata. If you want a comparison, I’d say Itou Masumi or Ueno Yoko - there’s a very dreamlike feel about Shimotsuki’s songs.

It’s her first proper album! With 12 all-new songs \^o^/ Anyone who remotely likes anime music should listen to this. Nevermind that half the songs have lyrics in some gibberish language (if someone understands it, please do enlighten me).
Rating: ★★★★☆

UNION. Chara

What is up with that cover lol. That’s one really huge bowl there….anyway. Chara possesses one of the most distinct voices in Jpop; a throaty, childlike whisper that you either love or hate. UNION has a good mix of styles; dance (Crazy For You), mainstream pop-rock (FANTASY) and the occasional ballad (This Is My Car). Happy to see this selling well in the Oricon.

Geek trivia: Sasahara’s ringtone (Genshiken ep 6, when his sister calls him) is Swallowtail Butterfly by Yen Town Band - a fictional group from the 1996 film Swallowtail in which Chara plays the lead vocalist. It’s one of my all time favourite Jpop songs! I was giggling like a fool when I first heard it in the anime.
Rating: ★★★★☆

Stuff I skipped:
Jinn’s album (I don’t want to worsen my tinnitus thanks very much)
Nice Hashimoto (hip-hop :/)
Jamosa (yawn)
ACID (Hated it the first time I heard it)
Nightmare’s album
misono (singles were all crap ∴ album must be crap)
Kusumi Koharu (Yeah.Right.)
Hamasaki Ayumi’s Best Collections (I don’t like her music. Never have and never will)

Stuff I want:
Gentou Meisaku Gekijou. Gentouki (this is in my shopping basket)
Yuki toke no koro ni todoku tegami. Hirakawachi 1-chome
Flora. Art-School
Franken Coaster & Babee Go Round. SPLASH CANDY

And thank you LosslessONE for releasing Minagawa Junko’s Shout it Loud. I was seriously considering buying it but I prefer to hold out for albums; singles cost a bomb.

Posted on March 1st, 2007 under music, this week in japan • RSS 2.0 feed • Leave a response, or trackback