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Any JPop/JRock/KPop love here?

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    Any JPop/JRock/KPop love here?

    Occurred to me the other day as a person who mainly listens to JPop, and has absolutely no idea about western music for the past 5 years or so, that I have no idea if anyone else round here listens to that stuff? Anyone?

    Obviously I listen to the usual Ayumi Hamasaki/Utada Hikaru that everyone listens to (adore Hikky, Ayu is love/hate), but I listen to a huge amount of idol music. Anything Hello!Project such as Morning Musume, Berryz Koubou and C-ute, as well as AKB48 and psudo-idol stuff like Perfume. I don't really like branding Perfume as mere idol though, because their awesome mix of idol/electronic/gaming-style sounds makes them the most refreshing JPop I've heard over the past 5 years.

    I definately need to expand into JRock proper. Heard plenty of Dir en Grey and L~arc en Ciel, though I feel I've not given enough time to Gackt, Malice Mizer, AnCafe etc. And for KPop, REALLY need to get more informed in that field, mainly heard So Nyeo Shi Dae because of my aforementioned idol love, should branch into Wonder Girls I guess.

    Anyone else wanna share their interests, have some recommendations? Or feel like also confessing an idol addiction? (I can hope).

    #2
    Guitar Wolf and Vow Wow in particular are super great but thats as far as my jap listening goes.

    Edit, monumental badass: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZCncAXaXbc
    Last edited by Baseley09; 03-10-2008, 11:35.

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      #3
      Do Electric Eel Shock count?

      I went to see Bloodhound Gang and EES were supporting. Their songs, guitar skills and crowd interaction was amazing. They're one of the best bands I've seen live and I've seen a lot of bands live!

      I liked them so much, I've joined the fan club, which means I'm on their guestlist for life.

      They've just tried a new venture where they get people to pledge money to pay for the new album using a site called sellaband.com. They were the most popular artist and the fastest to ever reach their target amount.

      If you ever get chance to see them live - DO IT!



      If you want to see more, here's a HD video of them headlining the Paradiso in Amsterdam

      Other than Electric Eel Shock, I've dabbled with Guitar Wolf and seen their film Wild Zero, I've listened to Sambomaster and Boris, but none of it excited me like EES do!

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        #4
        I think Guitar Wolf are over-rated their good, but still. I also liked EES till I purchased their album I had only heard a few songs but their album left alot to be desired my favourite song by them is probably Rock and Roll Can Rescue the World.

        A band I like alot from Japan are Seikima II (Seikimatsu).

        I don't see how you can be so out of touch with Western music as you claim, just cause its from the east does not qualify it as decent, your missing out on alot of good home-grown music.

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          #5
          I absolutely love Perfume. Totally hooked on them currently. Musume have been a bit **** for a few years though (if they were every really any good, before anyone says it...)

          Love Ai Otsuka as well, she's great fun.

          Asian Kung Fu Generation is the only J-rock stuff I'm into i guess though.

          Oh! Met a bunch called The Pinky Piglets in Yoyogi park a few weeks back, girly punk pop bunch, apparently done theme tune for some anime. They were good for a laugh, and the CD ain't bad. Kinda reminds me of Hysteric Blue.

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            #6
            JAM Project of course!
            They be responsible for most of the best anime/SRT songs. And they did a very funny cover of the LuckyStar OP.

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              #7
              Not a big fan of Japanese music, but I feel obligated to mention Ulfuls as my friend's cousin is the band's drummer and I met him at a funeral a couple of months ago (top guy, by the way ). Probably their catchiest tune is on the first Ouendan game (Gattsu Da Ze on the horse stage), another called Banzai is very famous also.

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                #8
                Japanese: Sex MachineGuns, Aural Vampire, Balzac, DJ Krush, t+pazolite, Zard.

                Korean: J, Fly to the Sky, See Ya, Chae Yeon, Lee Soo Young.

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                  #9
                  I listen to Asian Kung Fu Generation, Plastic Tree, Flow, Sambomaster, Dir En Grey, Nightmare, Siam Shade, NICO Touches the Walls, Long Shot Party plus a few more...

                  I just see it as music as long as i like the song the lyrics don't bother me at all.

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                    #10
                    Originally posted by Brodie View Post
                    I absolutely love Perfume. Totally hooked on them currently. Musume have been a bit **** for a few years though (if they were every really any good, before anyone says it...)
                    Well admittedly I'm not unbiased because I'm a Musume fan, but their newest album 'SEXY 8 BEAT' is brilliant (Genki+ is one of my favourite Musume songs), and their singles have all been of high calibur (Resonant Blue, Mikan, Kanashimi Twilight). However, I recognise that they're perhaps not as standout as back in their heyday, and their current lineup (as much as I like them, as a fan) does lack the character of the likes if Yaguchi Mari, Abe Natsumi, Kago Ai and the like. I speak as someone who loves idol music though... for anyone who hates that stuff, then they'd of always hated them!

                    Morning Musume are increasingly being outshadowed by AKB48 too, who are undeniably more interesting than anything Hello!Project produces these days.

                    As for Perfume, I never believed they could top their previous stuff on Complete Best, but GAME absolutely blew me away. A real example of suppassing the hype. Polyrhythm, Chocolate Disco, plastic smile, all brilliant.

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                      #11
                      I'm a huge fan of J-Pop. So much so that I really don't pay much attention to UK music and have to get my missus to tell me what is popular so I can make suitable playlists for work

                      I used to be a fan of what many would call "bubblegum pop" but recently my tastes have broadened considerably so, whilst it probably still falls under the genre of pop, I'm enjoying the likes of Double - the 10 year compilation and her best collaborations album were both great, Melody, Aya Kamiki - her new album is fantabulous!, Yui - she's like the Japanese Lene Marlin (if anyone remembers her?), Monkey Majik - those boys are teh awesome. Just some amazingly catchy rhythms, warm lyrics and songs that I can listen to over and over again. Their last album "Sore wa Maru de" was genius but the recent release of "Time" has surpassed my expectations. The mid-album trilogy of "Goin' Places", "Broke Down" and "Closer to You" is just superb!

                      M-flo are also one of my favourites. Verbal has some amazing lyrical skillz (oh dear) and DJ Taku is a genius on the "wheelz of steel" (although it's most probably some fancy editing software on a PC ). It's a real shame that their M-flo loves collaborations have finished now as some of the tracks they put out during that period were brilliant. In fact, it was a lot of their work that led me to check out artists like Melody, Double, Ryohei, Bennie K and a whole load of other ones!

                      Deep down my favourite will always be Aya Matsuura. I her! Seriously. Her albums are always of a high quality. Her acoustic album "Naked Songs" was incredible, her last album "Double Rainbow" was something a bit different from what she used to put out and she was in the ridiculously fun "Yo-yo Girl Cop" based on the "Sukeban Deka" anime. I also liked the GAM spin off group that H!P put together as well as Def.Diva too.

                      Shakey, Genki+ is indeed a great song but I prefer "Egao, yes nude" from that album. Morning Musume are great

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                        #12
                        Originally posted by teddymeow View Post
                        Deep down my favourite will always be Aya Matsuura. I her! Seriously. Her albums are always of a high quality. Her acoustic album "Naked Songs" was incredible, her last album "Double Rainbow" was something a bit different from what she used to put out and she was in the ridiculously fun "Yo-yo Girl Cop" based on the "Sukeban Deka" anime. I also liked the GAM spin off group that H!P put together as well as Def.Diva too.

                        Shakey, Genki+ is indeed a great song but I prefer "Egao, yes nude" from that album. Morning Musume are great
                        GAM are pretty great. I've never been much of a fan of Fujimoto Miki (though she has her cool moments), Musume have been much closer without her though, the air of negativity lifted, Mitsui Aika broke out of her shell, and Takahashi Ai has really proved herself this year. There's no doubting Fujimoto Miki's ability, she's one of the best, but she was dragging the boat down. The fact that GAM eventually came to a stand-still because her and Matsurra Aya grew to hate eachother says quite a lot, given how long Aya has been doing the thing. Yoshizawa Hitomi was irreplacable, however.

                        Eago YES Nude is great, though many people dislike. I think Shanimuni Paradise is my second favourite track on the album. They're a bit overdue a new album though, Berryz have had two released in the meantime!

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                          #13
                          Originally posted by Shakey_Jake33 View Post
                          Berryz have had two released in the meantime!
                          Berryz most recent album was very good. Not sure what my favourite track is. I think I need to listen to it a bit more before I make a decision.

                          That Youtube video is priceless. I was laughing so hard Sometimes I find Japanese TV to be a bit forced but that seemed to be genuinely funny.

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                            #14
                            The entire episode is great, it's one of the best Hello!Morning episodes (though I've not watched loads). The Kamei Eri 'CHEESE BOX COOL' bit is legendary!

                            I really need to give the new Berryz album more of a play. I don't know why I've not, I loved their 4th album to pieces, and I also love Dschinghis Khan... I think I'm just getting lazy! Or distracted by AKB48 *cough*

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                              #15
                              Originally posted by Shakey_Jake33 View Post
                              I really need to give the new Berryz album more of a play. I don't know why I've not, I loved their 4th album to pieces, and I also love Dschinghis Khan... I think I'm just getting lazy! Or distracted by AKB48 *cough*
                              Ah, AKB48. When I was out in Tokyo on my Honeymoon they had released "Seifuku ga Jama wo Suru" about 2 weeks previously and it ws bloody everywhere! Handy really as it's one catchy song. I'm sure that their outfits have *nothing* to do with them being so popular.

                              It was only after I had come back to the UK that I realised I could have gone to see them live. Grrrr.

                              Same with Mihimaru GT. Our third night out in Tokyo this year we went to Odaiba to see the cool neon and the like and there was a Mihimaru concert on! Damn my lack of pre-arrival research. One day I'll know before I get to Tokyo that either (a) there's a group I really like playing a gig or (b) the Japanese national football team is playing and I should get tickets.

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