Japanese Music

A song I've discovered on YouTube a few days ago. Judging by the age of the YouTube channel, the band seems to be rather new.

I can recommend their other songs as well.

I can't get this song out of my head. It's so catchy!

Music video of the song "Fanfare" from SCANDAL. It is on the new album "LUMINOUS" that is to be released on 2024-03-20 (tomorrow).

There is also an official YouTube playlist with all the songs from the new album.

My favorites of the new songs are so far 1:47 and LOOP.

New music video from yonige. This is my second favorite songs from the new "Empire" album.

Most of yonige's music videos are rather long. Skip to 1:36 for the music.

The great thing about productive bands with a long and varied discography like BAND-MAID is that you can continuously discover new "favourite" songs. And recently for me it's "secret My lips" from their 2017 album "Just Bring It". (The first one where the band members themselves wrote almost all songs.)

It's sometimes said that in BAND-MAID songs, the bass and even the drums have their own melody lines, unlike most other bands where they're mostly just "there" as support for the main melody. In this song, I think it's especially pronounced with the drum part from the 2:00 minute mark - I just love it.

The awesomeness continues into final stretch of the song, which also features great twin vocals of Miku and Saiki.

The English post title is the apparently band's own (quite liberal) translation, the original would be "Maru de dame na joshikousei wa BANDOMAN ni natta", so something along the lines of "A totally useless high school girl became a band member". Kind of autobiographic maybe? lol

Anyway it's a fun song and they rock out.

Another rocking song by the fabulous ladies, on occasion of today's announcement of SCANDAL's new album "LUMINOUS" which will also include this track.

I like the chill atmosphere in that song with the first part only being with vocals and without instruments.

There are currently only four or five songs from them but they've announced the title of the first album a few days ago, so there are new songs coming. I'm curious and excited to hear what kind of songs the new album will bring.

IIRC, Metabani has won some kind of newcomer contest. The prize was a studio recording of one song.

This all-girl rock band is still pretty new, but they have a few really good songs, including this new one which goes quite hard.

Favorite band, new song, 'nuff said.

Bonus: music video without heartbreak this time!

This is my favorite Scandal song to this day. I love them most when they just rock out!

I found this song a few weeks ago on YouTube and I can't get it out of my head.

Harajuku Metalcore band. Wish there was more like them.

This is the MV of the opening song of the "Scott Pilgrim Takes Off" anime (which, by the way, I can totally recommend; it's awesome).

I really like the 2D "game visuals" in the MV. These are done in the same style as in the "Scott Pilgrim agains the World" movie.

While there are a bit of stereotype against Vtuber in Japan, I can say that Nornis is probably the best Vtuber singing unit out there.

They are so good that Netflix use their song for one of their animes.

Nornis already held a live concert in Osaka and are reaching more people.

One of the heavier tracks from Hump Buck.

I generally like their faster paced (and heavier) songs.

Music video of a new song from Chilli Beans. This song will be on the new album "Welcome to My Castle" that is to be released on 2023-12-13.

I like the relaxed atmosphere of the song.

I strongly recommend this indie singer songwriter. I can feel the emotion every time to their song.

(FYI. Kei Sugawara is non-binary.)

Cut version of music by Itou Miku, MV is really cute and funny too.

Cool song if you like Techno-ish song

Continuing the theme of seiyuu from Bocchi the Rock and also my first forays into idol groups: Wake Up, Girls! was an idol unit active from 2014 to 2019 whose leader was none other than Yoshino Aoyama, voice of Hitori "Bocchi" Gotou. (She's the one singing the very first line in this performance, with the light blue ribbon.)

Far from the absolute nobody before Bocchi the Rock she's sometimes painted as (also by her own presentation), she had before already led this unit throughout the years, culminating in this final concert in a brimful Saitama Super Arena in front of about 35,000 people (full concert playlist) that wowed her senpais Rie Takahashi and Reina Ueda.

During the unit's active years, she also voiced the character based on herself in various accompanying anime productions.

After the unit disbanded after this concert, the only other member that continued to be significantly active in the idol and/or anime space is Minami Tanaka, who e.g. went on to become part of Franchouchou in Zombieland Saga.

A wonderful interpretation by one of my favorite seiyuu (voiced Kita from Bocchi the Rock and sung most of the songs from the show, among others) of the beautiful love song by Aimer.

Another iconic song borne from the Monogatari anime series. This was used as the first ending theme.

The anime adaptation of the Monogatari series has produced many songs that even people like me who never watched it know, like the iconic Renai Circulation. This one however, used as the first opening theme, stuck with me as the one I found most beautiful, with its kind of melancholic mood.