Rant and Short Hiatus...

Ok, I have a stalker from a Japanese site who is getting my videos removed. This makes a lot of my introductions to artists kind of pointless, as you can't really get the flavor.

Note to stalker (and to Japanese music companies being b*tchy here), I don't provide download links. I don't provide even a smidgen of anything that would hurt an artist. I do nothing but provide information and help others discover some talents they might not yet know about. That's a GOOD thing. Help me out here...

So I'm taking a brief hiatus to figure out another way to get the videos up. There will still be no downloads, but maybe a more liberal video site.

Note: The figure skating was great! I was so proud of Mao-Chan (Mao Asada) as she showed great poise in pretty difficult circumstances (her second performance, coming after Yu-Na Kim basically finished the greatest showing in Olympic histor had to be terribly hard). It's not gold, but that silver medal represents great heart and determination for what is a very young girl.

I was also proud of the american, Mirai Nagasu who was CLEARLY (inarguably) the third best skater out there, cheated out of a medal by judges who mistook a heroic performance for a medal worthy one.

As for Yu-Na Kim, what else can you say? (Besides a big FU to the Korean Media, who needs to chill and let her live her life, and a bigger FU to the haters, people who desparately want her to fall.) She was magnificient. I was rooting against her (Mao-chan all the way!), yet I was amazed by her performance. Absolutely amazing...

2PM (K-Pop)

2PM is a 6 member (formerly 7) Korean R&B / Hip-Hop group. They released their first single in 2007 as a member of a group called THE ONE, whose members split into 2 different groups (their brother group is called 2AM). Their leader Jaebom was kicked out of the group last year after a controversy involving what he was posting on his Myspace (something like that). I don't know the members well enough to get upset over things like that.

They just released their first cd in December. I really like their music, think EXILE with rapping (similar to Thelma Aoyama's hit or someone like Shimizua Shota). I am not going to ramble on as I don't know much about them, but I do know this is a group I'd expect good music to come from for a long time (unless they implode or are forced to split - with groups like this it's always a possibility).


2PM - Again and Again

Links
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2PM - Wikipedia Page
http://2pm.jype.com/ - Official Site

Ikimono-gakari (J-Pop)

Ikimono-gakari is a three piece pop-rock band that came onto the scene in Japan in 2007 after a few years performing on the street and releasing albums on independent labels. Kiyoe, the singer is female while the other two members are male. All three members participate in the writing of the music. (The other two members would sing occasionally as well back when they were indie, but only Kiyoe really sings now.)

Ikimono-gakari is a term used for a child who looks after the plants and animals that belong to the class. It's a good name for a band that is very playful but also makes very moving pop songs. Kiyoe is a very soulful singer. She does not have the greatest voice, but she makes up for it in terms of feeling and attitude. The first time I ever saw her (and the band) was during a New Years special where they seemed absolutely overwhelmed to meet the other artists in the show and seemed overjoyed to be allowed to participate. They are very grounded individuals, even now after 4 albums and a ton of hit singles.

They have been popular for a few years but seem on the verge of becoming huge stars. Their version of YELL during this year's Kohaku was a high point of the show and garnered them a lot of recognition.

Ikimono-gakari - Yell (Subtitled): Great example of their songs, a very moving ballad that captures the spirit of the younger people in Japan. The song is about saying (Yelling) goodbye as you move on to other things in your life, graduating (literally and figuratively) to new things.


Ikimono-gakari - Kimagure Romantic (Subtitled): Another great example of their songs with a very fun and upbeat song with a great video.

Ikimono-gakari keeps getting better and better. I highly recommend you check out this talented act as they continue on their way up and up.

Links
http://www.ikimonogakari.com/ - Official Site
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ikimonogakari - Wikipedia Site

Nodame Cantabile (Japanese Drama)

Nodame Cantabile is a very successful Japanese manga (and later anime) that was made into a very popular Japanese drama. There are some dramas that are almost iconic in nature to the foreigners (like me) who follow Japanese dramas and Nodame definitely falls into this category.

Nodame Cantabile is primarily a comedy / drama following the love story between two very different people set in the backdrop of a school for music in Japan. Chiaki is a serious, arrogant and impatient piano student who wishes to become a conductor. Megumi Noda (Noda Megumi = Nodame) is a piano student who wishes only to use her talent to become a kindergarten teacher. She also is eccentric, lazy and pretty strange.

They meet by accident (don't they always?) and Nodame quickly falls for Chiaki while he takes much longer to come around. All of this also occurs while Chiaki discovers a deeper love of music and begins conducting a student orchestra (of misfits) of which Nodame plays a large part.


The supporting cast is great (lots of funny characters) and the story is charming and draws you in despite being filled with silly moments. Takanaka Naoto is especially good as the eccentric lech / famous conductor Strausburg. (Takanaka is the bald man who is in the main character's dance class in Shall We Dance. He is a very respected actor in Japan and is his usual talented self here.) He is just great, he helps Chiaki and Nodame toward their goals at the same time he seemingly doesn't even care about anything except his pursuit of women and drink (and usually both).


The drama also has a great classical music soundtrack and there actually is a good deal of information about composers, their works, etc. I absolutely love the soundtrack and this show (no exaggeration) really helped me to form a much deeper appreciation for classical music than I ever have had before.

NODAME CANTABILE - THE MOVIE Trailer (2009)

The drama ran 10 episodes, and there were also 2 specials and a Movie (which i have yet to see). This should pretty much end the story which ran in the manga. Hopefully the movie ends differently because like many manga, the story ran past the main story arc which makes the later chapters seem almost like a coda. They can do more with the characters I believe.

This drama is the kind of thing that can only work in an asian drama, as US dramas tend to be too serious or funny, and have no middle ground. Japanese dramas can be almost slapstick, and yet can make you care deeply for the characters and what happens to them.



I HIGHLY recommend this drama. It has been subtitled by several great groups and you can probably find links for the episodes pretty easily (or email me and I will tell you where to find them).

Links
http://nodamecantabileresource.blogspot.com/ - Nodame Resource Page
http://wiki.d-addicts.com/Nodame_Cantabile - JDrama Wiki Page

Kana Nishino (J-Pop)

There are always times in the J-Pop scene where you can see the next generation of stars developing. This is one of those time and Kana Nishino is one of these people. (I am also very high on Tokoshinki, Juju, Shimizu Shota and I think Ikimonogakari is on the verge on being enormous A level stars). 1 Album and 7 Singles into her career, this young woman has developed an interesting style, clearly R&B influenced but not straying too far from mainstream J-Pop. Her sparkly personality and quirky sense of style and humor helps her pull it off. (Basically, she looks like someone out of an idol group, but has the sensibilities of a indy R&B artist.) She has quickly become a favorite of mine and I really look forward to her singles now. Her first cd was very good and I reccomend it highly. She was an english student before and her english is very good - unlike some J-Pop artists her english flows naturally and sounds great.


Kana Nishino - Motto. One of her latest singles (not on her first cd). Great song.


Kana Nishino - Dear. Also not on her first cd, great J-Pop song. Reminds me of something you'd get from Koda Kumi early in her career.

An artist like Kana Nishino is exciting as you can get in on the ground floor of what will probably be a very long and interesting career. She got a featured spot in the 60th Kouhaku with "Motto" this year and I would assume she will be a prominent part not only of that show but of the J-Pop scene for years to come.

http://www.nishinokana.com/ - Her Official Site
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kana_Nishino - Wikipedia Page

Kohaku (New Year's Eve Red & White "Battle")

The Kohaku is a singing "competition" held every year in Japan on New Year's Eve between the best male and female artists in Japan. It's more an event than a competition, no one cares who wins (the actual naming of the winners always feels awkward) and anyone who is anyone in Japanese Music or TV is at the event. It is a huge deal, although it's ratings have fallen in recent years it still pulls in Super Bowl level ratings on New Years Eve! It's about 70% contemporary artists and about 30% enka (more traditional Japanese Music). It's a bit too long and boring at times, but it is a lot of fun. For someone like me who is a big J-Pop fan, the Kohaku is great. I get to see all my favorites, some of which (Kobukuro, Ayaka) are pretty much show staples now, and perform every year.

Think grammys but everyone came to perform and all the real stars came to watch, if everyone did a featured performance (dancers, etc.), with a ton of suprises. That's what the Kohaku is.

I thought this show was pretty good, the pacing was better than normal and there was a good mix of old and new. AKB48 has replaced Morning Musume as the idol group (they have 72 members all on stage at one time, just nuts) and Ayaka just KILLED. She was fantastic. I also though Ikimonogakari was just awesome. I really need to do a post about them soon. Don't bother look on youtube for clips - NHK hates youtube and doesn't allow posted clips, even though the show is over, they don't sell the show and there is 100% no downside to anyone wanting to see clips of the show after it is done.

I'll try to find some clips or pictures but this post may remain very barren unfortunately due to NHK being shortsided nimrods.

Links
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C5%8Dhaku_Uta_Gassen - Wikipedia Page
http://www9.nhk.or.jp/kouhaku/ - Official Site
http://www.criteriamusic.com/h/view/id-7523/%C2%AD-60th%20NHK%20Kohaku%20Uta%20Gassen%20Review.html - Great blow by blow review of the show, really gives you a feel of the scope.

Korean Invasion of Summer 2009 (US Pop)

Utada Hikaru started off as 2009's hope to become a hit in the American market, releasing her second cd. Then swine flu hit, she used it as an excuse not to come to the US (never mind the fact her album was at best forgetful). Then a funny thing happened. The Korean pop stars moved in (to NY!) and took her thunder away totally in the press, and actually experienced some success (although no one hit big). (Funny thing, all the Korean pop stars who came to the US not only stayed in NY, but all stayed in the upper East or West side in Manhattan. Did you see a pretty girl shopping at Zabar's on Broadway? Or taking pictures near Uniqlo downtown? It may have been Sun of the Wonder Girls. See a tall handsome Korean guy drinking coffee outside near Central Park? It may have been Se7en.)

Let's start from smallest impact to biggest...

SE7EN

He released his debut single, GIRLS with Lil Kim. It actually got some play on local radio stations, and Hot 97 actually mixes in his sample of him saying GIRLS with their mixes. It came and went without much fanfare. He is still in the process of making his US cd, and some have suggested (not farfetched in my opinion) that he is using the cd to get his green card as he has a valid US job, and not return to Korea for his millitary service. A US career and no army service?
Hardly sounds like a bad thing to me.


Se7en - Girls

Grade: C. Did a few local shows, got some attention, got on TV. It's a question right now if his album is actually moving along, or will move along. He may need to go back to Korea to resurrect his career there, which would trigger his millitary service and probably kill any chance of a US career. His album needs to come out and soon for him to have any chance at US stardom.

THE WONDER GIRLS

Some groups come to the US to become big stars. The Wonder Girls did just this, although I'm getting the feeling they wanted to be bigger stars in Korea. Their driving force, JYP got buzz for their English single prior to release, got them on tour with the Jonas Bros (which finished in August), and then....nothing. No TV push, no real single release (just the ITunes), no album even looking like it's planned. Their buzz was great, they came across great, their web presence is outstanding and yet I get the feeling that nothing else is planned.

WONDER GIRLS - NOBODY (US Version)

Grade: C+. I really saw potential here. I hope I'm wrong, but I think the cute korean girls visiting NY for the summer was just them doing a great angle for their TV show, and nothing more.

BOA

BoA is the artist out of the three listed here, who seems to have a personal vested interest in wanting to be a US star. And it's not surprising, BoA is a very driven young women. She is a huge star in Japan, probably bigger than she ever was in Korea. Seeking an even larger market isn't much of a stretch. And she did what no one else could do, she charted on radio (Two Singles - Top 100). On the internet (and ITunes) she had much more success. Her album was 11th most downloaded the week of its release, she has a few singles which have done well, enough so that a second version of her debut album is being released in a few weeks. The truth of all these artists is even a small US presence helps their popularity in their home country immensely, but only BoA seems to be striving for US success for simply that reason - US success, and not translated success at home.

BoA - I Did it For Love (1st Single)

BoA - Energetic (2nd Single)

Grade: B. Did she get a radio hit? Nope. Did she get video rotation? (Does anyone play videos?) Did she get name recognition? YES - some. She made a real push at being a presence in the US pop scene, enough so that a future US BoA release seems not only possible, but likely. BoA suprised me a lot. And the best thing. The CD is REALLY good. Pick it up if you can. (Note: A 3rd single seems possible.)

Note: 2NE1, a fairly new Korean girl group were hanging out in NY for a few weeks this year at the same time the Wonder Girls were around. I wonder if they met?

The summer of 2009 had not one but three english releases from K-Pop artists alone! (Plus Rain working on his first US movie and Utada pretending to be sick so she didn't have to visit NY and contract Swine Flu. (It's flu people! Just flu!!) Great stuff, even if no one hit big. What will the Summer of 2010 bring? (G.E.M., I'm pointing at you!)

GreeeeN (J-Pop)

GreeeeN is a 4 member Japanese pop/rock group which made their debut in 2007 and have 3 cds so far (as well as a string of hit singles). Their music is hard to describe, more rock than pop but very light (although not ballad heavy). The main characteristic that stands out is the sing-along nature of the songs (and the lyrics), a GreeeeN single is something you can sing and shout along with, and almost calls for it. It feels like music made to sing along to during the Summer. That's the best way I can describe it. GreeeeN is nothing else if not fun. (Each E in GreeeeN stands for a member of the band, which is why there are 4 E's.)

One of the interesting things about GreeeeN is that they never show themselves in the videos or the promotional pictures of the band. It's always images or other people, etc. One of the member's brother takes care of the PR for the band. The more interesting thing is why they don't show themselves, it's because they are in dental school and they don't want to disrupt that. 1 member still needs to graduate, and once he does, they will request permission to become more public. Tell me that isn't unusual.

GReeeeN - Ayumi (One of their more recent singles)

This is a link to KISEKI, a great song by GreeeeN, the theme song to a show called ROOKIES in Japan (a baseball drama). For some reason the parent company disabled all the embedding for the video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_lcH_2nw-o

Greeeen is the kind of happy, sing along type group that the US music scene really lacks right now but J-Pop seems to have in abundance. (US rock music has become folksy or Emo and pretty painfully dull IMO.) They have a bunch of singles which are karaoke staples already. They are definitely a group worth checking out.

Links
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greeeen - Wikipedia page
http://www.greeeen.net/ - Official Site

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (Anime)

I don't watch anime. I don't like the pacing, I don't like the artwork, and I find it all painfully boring except for two shows, Evangelion (I'll talk about that later) and this. This show is hard to describe properly but I will give it a chance.

Kyon is a high school student, generally bored with life. One day a new student comes to school (Haruhi) who promptly declares if anyone is an alien or otherwise paranormal being to please let her now as she has no time for anyone else. Kyon decides one day to speak to her, and this seems to get her in motion as she makes a club with him and several other people (she practically kidnaps people to do her bidding) to make a club, the S.O.S. brigade whose mission is to really find paranormal things but often becomes just to serve Haruhi's whims.

Through the club Kyon meets other paranormal beings, the club's members who range from Time Travelers to interstellar police to robots. Oh, and Haruhi may or may not be a god, and may or may not be controlling the universe and all the occurs in it. So Haruhi getting upset may cause the entire universe to be destroyed, which at times isn't even Kyon's most pressing problem.

The entire first season was shown not in order, with each episode being an event within the school year culminating in the final act, Kyon trying to keep Haruhi from destroying the universe and starting it over, which he may or may not have done. Just great stuff.

It sounds heady but it's generally funny and manic, with Haruhi being simply insane in a wonderful way. (It's got a bit of the MY SASSY GIRL vibe with Haruhi pulling Kyon all over to do her current whim.) More for guys than for girls though, as a lot of what Haruhi does to get attention from the outside world is fanservice.

Haruhi got a lot of attention for the dance the characters did in the closing credits which became a youtube hit, with people copying it all over the world, making videos of other characters doing it, gathering hundreds of people to do it, etc. This has been removed from the second season ending, probably to put the focus on the show instead of the dance.


Opening Theme

If you are a anime fan, or a sci fi fan who has a bit of appreciation of strange japanese things, then this show would be something you probably should check out. Haruhi is right now in the beginning of its 2nd season. The 1st season is self contained but you probably should watch that prior to watch the 2nd, as there isn't any explanation in the first two episodes really of what came before.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haruhi_Suzumiya#Anime - Wikipedia page

Ai Otsuka (J-Pop)

I think Ai Otsuka is and has been one of the more interesting artists on the J-Pop scene since her debut in 2003. She writes the lyrics and composes the music for her own songs, which gives her a sound unlike anyone else. (She is also an accomplished pianist and sometimes plays the guitar.) She is at times pop to an extreme (it's the happiest, poppiest music you will ever find sometimes), but other times she sings beautiful ballads and yet other times her songs are straight out punk or ska. (Happy Days is an extreme example, a blaring song where the chorus is HAPPY DAYS shouted over and over through a megaphone). She is Osaka born, and her concerts there often get recorded for her tour DVD as the energy in those concerts is off the charts insane. I am not exaggerating at all.

She currently has 5 cd's as well as a greatest hits cds. She is best known probably for her hit Sakuranbo, a cover of an older Japanese song that she infused with her energy that stayed in the Top 100 singles charge in Japan for 86 weeks over a period of 3 separate calendar years. If that's not impressive someone has to explain to me what is.

Ai does not get the credit she deserves because some of her subject matter is so fluffy and used for equally fluffy drama (like the cute song PEACH used for a idol laden drama last year). I think the lyrics and the symbolism contained within are sometimes lost on the J-Pop crowd who is used to fluff for fluff's sake, things like Morning Musume singing about nothing to appeal to 10 year olds. A song like Neko no Fuusen (The Cat's Balloon) has lovely images about a cat walking with a balloon that go much deeper than the simple (and seemingly silly) subject matter.

It may seem silly to say an artist who has a string of hit singles and hit albums doesn't get the credit she deserves but in a market that favors the artist who doesn't want any artistic freedom at all and only wants to sing the cookie cutter single, Ai Otsuka shines, and does so with her own songs.

Don't miss this quirky artist and whatever gem she puts out next. (Some of my favorite Ai Otsuka songs are below.)

Ai Otsuka - Sakuranbo


Ai Otsuka - Neko ni Fuusen


Ai Otsuka - Yumekui

Ai Otsuka - Planetarium

Note: I mentioned a few times how you can see that songs touch people as people perform their own versions. The imagery in Ai's songs clearly touches people in this way if not even more; if you search for her songs not only do people sing them, they create their own videos and strings of images to play along to the song. It's really common for her songs. If that doesn't show the imagery of the lyrics I am not sure what does.

LINK

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ai_otsuka - Wikipedia Site