I guess this is the obligatory music post from a guy working at Japan’s oldest recording company. All of my friends end every one of their blog posts with a “currently listening to” section that spotlights their favorite tunes. I never thought to do this because I figure that my reader’s don’t really care about what I am listening to.
Remember those Toy Grab contests they used to have on Fox Kids years ago? They were those things where one lucky kid would get to charge through a Toys R’ Us with a shopping cart and stuff it full of as many toys as they could get their hands on in two minutes. Sadly, after the Toy Grab, the family would have to jump states and change their last name, for fear of being attacked by mobs of jealous school children. Substitute toys for CDs and give one an unlimited time limit, and you basically have my job.
Since I have full access to any and all of the company’s albums, and spend a large amount of time listening to piles of CDs at my desk everyday, I figured I would give a few shout-outs. Every now and then, something really good comes along.
The first recommendation is a new rock band called Chocolate Parfait (チョコレートパフェ). Their 10 song self-entitled debut album will hit stores in Japan on 9/20. There versatile rock has a smooth melodic drive similar to Five for Fighting or Ben Folds. There is also plenty of guitar-driven pop rock songs with catchy choruses as well. If you’re looking for hard rock, though, this isn’t the album for you.
Next up is Asami Yamamoto (山本朝海), a young, solo pop vocalist, with her new single “Piece.” What sets Yamamoto apart from the hordes of female pop clones in Japan is her soulful voice, and uncharacteristically complex bluesy melodies that stay interesting during repeated listening. Fear not, her songs all feature the essential hook and sing-along-able pop choruses.
Finally, there is Keitaku (ケイタク), my #1 recommended group. Two young guys from Fukuoka play guitar, drums, bass, and harmonica to create excellent indie music. One part folk and one part blues, Keitaku produces a string of beautiful ballads (sparing on the instruments, except for a guitar and bass) and upbeat blues numbers that make you want to get up and dance. If you like Japanese music, I can’t recommend their work enough. Their new single Shonen (少年) contains three great songs that your ears deserve to be listening to right now!
Happy listening,
B.E.W.
P.S. – Though not a Columbia artist, Ulfuls (ウルフルズ) is my all-time favorite Japanese band. They are a group of four guys from Osaka, and throughout their past ten years on the music scene, they have created a string of quirky, hilarious (if you can understand their lyrics), and musically memorable pop-rock hits. The Ulfuls were among the first in the biz to buck the trend of traditional Japanese pop music by using harmonica, spoken comedic monologues, and electronic sound effects in their songs. Great music for any occasion! Pick up Ulfuls today - BANZAI!!!!!
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