This won’t be a typical CD review, so let’s get this out of the way first – Nuxx’s Sound Ache is a really really good album. Not a great album, because certain songs tend to drag and the group’s debut includes two undeniable air balls in the form of “I Said ‘No’” (sample lyrics: “laziness,…
Well here’s a fun surprise…electro-dance Osaka-ites Bang Bang Balloon have dropped the Bang Bang Balloon moniker. They have been “reborn” as Nuxx, a nice enough name. The real big news, though, is this rechristening coincides with the release of their debut full-length, Sound Ache. They’ve got a little preview of the album running at the…
As 2009 comes to a close and I eagerly await unwrapping a new calendar on Christmas, this seems like a good point to take a look at this Japan Times’ “year in review” article by Ian Martin. Besides talking about clone army AKB48 and the guy from SMAP running around naked, he also devotes a…
I’ve been thinking a lot about techpop/rock recently, mostly in regards to Perfume’s take on it and what that meant to the Japanese music scene in 2009. Now welcome another band to add to the discussion – √thumm (Root Thumm from here on out). Root Thumm play the same club-friendly electro Bang Bang Balloon produce….
Osaka “techrockers” Bang Bang Balloon have two new demos up on their MySpace. “Night Seeing” features male vocals and ventures into some pretty Cut Copyish territory. The standout though is “Journey To The West,” the most pop song Balloon’s done to this point. Lead singer ecco’s voice reaches some Kylie-levels of excellence here and the…