Another year draws to a close, but 2011 wasn’t just another run-of-the-mill desk calendar for Japanese songs. The past 365 days saw an abundance of great tunes from Japan-based artists, ranging from shadowy electronic movers from Tokyo to dreamy pop numbers born in Osaka to space-tripped clackers via Kyoto. Just as exciting, though, were how…
Surprise surprise, some people get turned off by the name Three-Weeks-Old Lovesick Puppy. Not that this is shocking in any way – it is the sort of moniker bound to put off a lot of people. Factor in the whole “twee” sound…and the fact people seem more repulsed by the idea of “twee” than actual…
“If you’re young and starry-eyed, here’s your chance to get in ahead of the game: Grab a cheap guitar or a cheap keyboard, a four-track or a boombox, and make what you can. Someone, somewhere, will love you for it.” Nitsuh Abebe, Twee As Fuck, on Pitchfork in 2005 The above sentence captures the charm…
It has been a long time since we first wrote about the twee-tastically named Three-Weeks-Old-Lovesick Puppy. Now about a year and a half later she’s gone and released her first mini-album, the adorably titled Tickle Tickle. This six-tack album features a few new songs and some re-recorded versions of old Puppy tracks like the Three-Berry-Ice-Cream-evoking…
This blog is currently so young (and I’m still so new to life in Japan) that trying to carve out an identity proves to be tougher than originally imagined. Should I strictly write about contemporary artists, or should I take a broader look at Japanese music, including older acts? And how does mainstream Japanese music…