The main talking point when dealing with Soutaiseiriron is usually the band’s relative mysteriousness. Japan Live runs down the band (translates to “Theory Of Relativity” in case you wondered) and their secretive ways pretty well, but here’s the Sparksnotes version – group boasts very few publicity shots, a blank MySpace page and make it clear…
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfgB3bX0sLg&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=fr_FR&feature=player_embedded&fs=1] Two of Japan’s best musicians got a chance to shine on one of the Internet’s best live-music shows this week. La Blogotheque’s genius “A Take Away Show,” where bands perform stripped-down songs usually in public places, featured Shugo Tokumaru and Tenniscoats performing in the streets of Tokyo. Tokumaru, who managed to sneak a new…
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUQs_1BGskU&hl=en_US&fs=1&] One of 2010’s better J-Pop surprises has been IMALU. Her song “そんな名前 欲しくないよ” has been one of the best singles of the year thus far, it’s mix of feel-good pop rubbing against her rather ennui-rich voice. Now she follows that number with “Uh Uh,” the title track to an upcoming film I know nothing…
Watch it here. Over-analysis later.
For the most part, I’m not a big fan of Salyu. Listening to a smattering of songs off her recently released album Maiden Voyage left me pretty unimpressed. A few interesting production ideas here and there (peep the stripped down march of “HALFWAY”), but for the most part straightforward vegan vanilla flavored J-Pop anchored by…