Tagged: jrock
Songs I Heard This Week And Liked
ウィアグリーバー – Singer
It’s nice to get some more Jrock through to the blog as a lot of folks seem to think I like listening to RnB and hip hop, which is fine n all, but that kind of music isn’t why I started Najinsan.
ウィアグリーバーcomments “how luxurious is the freedom we have taken for granted? I wrote this song while thinking about that.” It’s a fairly predictable pop song but a really nice listen, nonetheless.
Turbo Knight x Sonic Shades Of Blue x Castles Made Of Sky x Waves_On_Waves – Healing Hands
Wave on Wave are collaborators from Finland, Sweden, and the US and this is a track from their up-and-coming album Miami Arcade Vice Parade. This is a great slice of Synthwave with rolling basslines and big drums but the excellent vocals are what really stood out for me.
Salad – Too Good To Be True
I like a good salad, given my other blog is a food one. What’s your favourite salad? This song could be a salad with leaves by Neil Young, Dressing by Miranda Lee Richards, sprouts and beans by Joanna Newsome (did you see what I did there?). The last time I’ll use salad references to review tracks. Maybe.
Femke – Love Somebody Else
This reminds me a lot of Shawn Colvin and has it’s roots firmly in late 1990s Americana. Femke has a lovely voice and has used her musical talents to win a Latin Grammy with her contribution on the Transformacion album of Beto Cuevas. I expect to hear more from her in the coming months on the back of her new EP.
Louie Rubio – Find Your Light
Louie is a multi instrumentalist and when I asked him what the song was about he told me “Thematically the song follows a disenchanted protagonist escaping the Escher-like labyrinth of workaholic careerism and the status quo” then he went to great pains to lovingly describe the various instruments and musical themes running through the track, which I won’t go into here, but which tell me he’s really passionate about what he does. Great song.
This Cover by BiSH is Bonkers
Maybe it’s a combination of the skewed camera angle and the sheer “we don’t give a fuck” performance that makes this track great. And the fact you can’t really see the screeching singer frame-left only adds to the deliciously unhinged nature of the music.
Now…if only BABYMETAL could do something this rough…
Guest Post – Miyavi Live Review
Hiya food fans.
I couldn’t make Miyavi’s London show but I had a little helper by way of Narine Chalabi – one of the photo journalists covering the event – and I asked her to write a short, succinct review.
Which she totally didn’t.
Anyway, if you’re a fan of Miyavi read on! Continue reading
BiSH Have A New Song Out
It’s called Deadman and it’s punk, basically.
BiSH still aint a patch on BiS but I kinda like this track because it sticks to the anti-idol narrative that marks them out as not just another silly pop group.
But what do you think? Comments or Twitter plz.
Babymetal: New Album Is Rather Brilliant
BABYMETAL’s second album follows in the torrid wake of a debut so deliciously bonkers many were left wondering what on Earth the group would come up with next. Honestly? Something rather brilliant.
BABYMETAL Have A New Music Video
Well about time. Hasn’t it been like two years since they’ve made something? I’m not counting Road Of Resistance. Just cos.
Anyway here it is. My very brief thoughts after the vid.
It starts off promisingly enough with the three girls facing off against 3 ghosts or something. And then it goes very badly tits up: the choreography lacks fluidity and stutters and it’s all very serious. Videos like Megitsune and Gimme Choco were great fun and showcased the daftness of the band, but this all feels very dry and soulless and … forced.
On the plus side Karate is a killer metal song; and it is a metal song through and through. BABYMETAL seem to be transitioning towards something quite formidable and it will be interesting to see what the new album brings to the table. Will it be ‘the best album ever made’ as some hyperbolic reviewers claim? Time will tell.
EDIT:
Actually, I’ve watched it again and it, erm, kinda gets much better from the point I clicked off. Still not sure about the dancing though 😉
But what do YOU think? You think I’m a bitter and twisted knob jockey? Yes, probs, but I’m also honest. Comments wait below.
So Uhhhh There’s a New Album By A Certain Band Coming Out
There are loads of really cool albums due for release shortly; one for a certain Japanese band I’ve followed for a while. All I will say is that if you’re a fan of this group, you’re in for a treat. That’s all I’m saying. And this is my blog so I can say what the fuck I like.
Is it better than the first? No. It’s just very very different.
LADYBABY Interview
This is the extended Q&A from the London interview I went to a few weeks back.
The flowery, narrative huffpost version c’est ici! Merci bien! Continue reading
Babymetal Announce 2016 Tour AND New Album For April 1!!
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEKKKK! That’s April Fools Day isn’t it?
I have no plans to go to the Wembley show but the Tokyo Dome sounds awesome. The Tokyo Dome’s capacity is around 55,000 which means it will be about as INSANE a live show as one would imagine.
Are you going to any shows next year? And what do you think the new album will be like?
WTF Is It With BiSH?
I was a massive fan of BiS and by default I suppose BiSH. I’ve written about the latter before when I reviewed their awesome first album but I’ve never really paid much attention to them on Youtube until the site began throwing random suggestions at me.
And that’s when I began to realise something. Whoever is managing BiSH is a bit weird. Why? Continue reading