Another year draws to a close, and that means its time for the annual rush of year-end blog posts looking back on the year that was. And, again, I try to write an intro to this collection trying to say something original, about putting together lists and what it all means. But at this point,…
Good couple of days for folks who like J-pop, but prefer the artists operating in the middle-class zone rather than the upper echelons (which is not to say Nishino Kana lacks solid moments). A few familiar mid-tier faces released new songs (and accompanying videos) over the last two days. One outfit was Sugar’s Campaign, the…
If the sounds of that thing called the “city pop revival” are here to stay for at least another year and a half, then let’s put all of our mental energy into making sure Shiggy Jr. end up the main staple of this style represented on the radio. They aren’t a group that you sit…
Buried in the Make Believe Melodies post graveyard is a very very long-winded entry about Kyary Pamyu Pamyu’s “Crazy Party Night.” The not-600-word version — I get what it is doing and I think it is a smart move commercially, but woo boy is it so clearly her worst single to date. Part of me…
Tokyo outfit Shiggy Jr. are specifically talented at two things: 1. Songs about the summer 2. Late breakdowns that up the drama of the proceeding pop jam significantly. Point two is especially worth pointing out, as it is what transformed last year’s hoppy “Listen To The Music” from a very good single to something I…