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New Erik Luebs: “Cycle 2.6 / June”

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Erik Luebs (formerly Magical Mistakes) has kept up with his Cycle project, and the results have been solid — I’m a particular fan of Cycle 2.4 / April — but have also kind of just slipped by the ol’ blogging schedule. Let’s change that with this installment, focused on the song “Wavering.” Luebs finds a balance between pounding and lightheaded, the beat smacking away while electronics flutter around. It makes for a nice tension, one which Luebs has been exploring for a bit now. Get it here, or listen below.

New Have A Nice Day!: “Smells Like Teenage Riot”

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Simplicity has always been central to what makes Have A Nice Day! standout from the pack. They find an emotion, grab some guitars and floor-ready electronics and just burrow into it until they get to the gooey core. “Smells Like Teenage Riot” is a celebration of youth and making the most of those limited years, backed by an energetic bounce (finding the project touching on…French house? At least a little ?) and the come-together-now singing that is one of the other defining points of their sound. There’s something a little bittersweet about this coming from an artist who has passed that period (or perhaps I’m just getting that vibe since I past the point of adolescent wildness even longer ago), but that feeling only makes the word and enthusiasm come through more clearly. Listen above.

Not A Calm: Kiki Vivi Lily’s “Copenhagen”

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The general chillness of Japanese rock over the last two years appears to have gotten so laid back as to drift off into stranger places. The past month saw Tempalay put out their zonked-out opus With Love From The 21st Century and Half Mile Beach Club’s first stab at a bigger audience with their alien beach tunes. Even the new Sakanaction dabbles in it. Worthy of being mentioned with all of the above is Vivid by singer/songwriter Kiki Vivi Lily, which might be the best example of in-no-hurry melodies being taken to more interesting places than just something to play over a car commercial. “Copenhagen” is a highlight, and slightly livelier, finding the artist singing about a whirlwind trip to the city over music provided by Tomita Lab. It’s bouncy and sunny, but also allowed to be a little twisted around the edges, giving this reflection of time spent in the European city a little more unpredictability than simple nostalgia. Listen above.

New K BoW: “Remixez 3”

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You ever feel like you are growing too old, and fear that your excitement for all this music stuff is starting to wane? Listening to any of K BoW’s remixes, even when I’m deep in those moments where you start really thinking if you should give up on logging into Spotify, reminds me “fuck no, this rules.” His Jersey Club reworks of pop songs reveal new perspectives on familiar tunes, turning even the catchiest Top 40 has to offer into something ecstatic. I’ve gotten through many rough times by simply turning to K BoW’s Remixez 2, because it’s hard to be mopey when listening to something that makes you want to break your wood flooring. Remixez 3 continues this tradition with a set of reworks drawing from Japanese rap and Western pop (well, and rap), turning even the paranoid dude-bro shivers of Post Malone’s “Psycho” into a rave. Highlights abound — that Charli XCX flip! — but if you are looking for a little extra depth here beyond “I want to drink a Strong Zero pitcher and bounce around the streets,” it is noteworthy how much Japanese rap K BoW works with here, from speedy takes on recent viral hits to finding a way to make Mall Boyz sound more fired up. Hook it to my veins. Get it here, or listen below.

Good Snacking: Peanut Butters’ “Kuso Poem”

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Tokyo’s Peanut Butters description on SoundCloud reads “We like The Drums.” A simple statement and one that puts them in league with, well, dozens of other bands in the capital. While that affection comes through in other songs by them, “Kuso Poem” embraces a different vibe en route to some indie-pop sweetness. They deploy some string samples to add a touch of drama to a skippy beat and sung-together verses that conceal a bit of heaviness the music can’t totally mask. There’s plenty of reference points, but why settle for just one when you can celebrate how well they catch the spirit of the genre as a whole? Listen above.