[youtube=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSm2uafZq-8″] When SCANDAL transformed from high-school-aged rock band capable of hitting on a really good pop-rock hooks into boring AKB-lookalikes holding guitars, it was a sad day for Osaka rock bands and the idea that a group can make the leap to greater visibility without turning into marketing gimmicks. JinnyOops’! recent stylistic change – from…
If I could sit Idiot Pop down right now and, like a parent who has become worried after rummaging under their child’s bed and finding something indecent, stare him in the eyes I’d say…”what are you up to?” Trying to figure what the song “You’ve Got Lost” – or, the entire project, for that matter…
[youtube=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBawYY1BbHE”] Everyone gets their 15 minutes in the warm warm sun, even computer-generated idols and comedians-turned-music-makers. To this point, vocal software/hologram lady Hatsune Miku (who, as these children can’t fathom, isn’t real) been something I associate with the goofy arcade dotting Den Den Town, Osaka’s answer to Akihabara which means geek central. Not something I…
[youtube=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKZCU2PeC3E”] Recently, I went to a music festival mere steps from my home in Osaka featuring a lot of artists I wanted to check out. The ones I caught sounded as good as expected – Nagoya’s Pop-Office wowed about 12 people who crammed into a recording booth converted into a stage, Hosome put on a…
Harvard broke up back in 2007, but recently it became clear they were ready to give it the ol’ college try one more time. The Ivy-League-named duo started popping up on live events posters and getting Twitter mentions. Now, to confirm that this is for serious, they have a new album out and a single…