Pretsy

It's pretty funny, because Tanaka's definition "City Pop is Japanese pop music with a pronounced Western indie influence that tends to have a dreamy, chill, carefree, neo-soul aesthetic" summarizes a big part of my music taste, to a tee! Too bad I don't actually like many of the bands he designated as City Pop!

The article was kind of an interesting read and I suppose it's nice to have a label for these types of bands, but if all the bands listed equal "City Pop," then the term is pretty much meaningless. In my opinion, there's very few Japanese bands that truly sound "Western" to me, such as: The fin., Ykiki Beat, Homecomings, (all of which were listed and sing in English, HMMM!), and I would argue Hotel Mexico and early Czecho no Republic. There's probably more, but I'd have to think about it for a minute.

The connection to our "club" band discussion was a cool coincidence, but overall, I fail to see how alleged City Pop bands like Awesome City Club (srsly, their arrangements are so j-poppy) or Yogee New Waves sound especially "Western" unless our definition just means any Japanese indie rock music that's not super frantic/quirky like Midori, ling tosite sigure, or 88kasyo junrei. To which I repeat: the term then becomes kind of useless. Of course not every Japanese rock band is going to sound like them. Simply playing indie pop does not equal "Western". I also think Tanaka downplays how much language and vocals (singing styles, but also melodies that Western artists don't really do) make a difference, even if the guitar riffs might sound like Modest Mouse or something.

And what is the Western band that beachy bands like Mitsume and Siamese Cats are supposedly copying? Cause I need to know. All I can think of is Mac Demarco and that's not quite right.

Also, the comment about "City Pop" music being "emasculating" was pretty silly.

Me. I am Kisaki.... The Elusive Contribuable — feat. Hitomi

Idk but seems like they *intentionally* opted borderline 12012 kei looks there for a moment but yet still
 
obvious oddballs of that show regardless  - just what Yoshiki was thinking?
 
edit: Ok, the frontman explained the reason - rough translation off that certain excerpt:
 
 
source:
http://www.musical-express.ru/special/ya_ved_professionalnyy_vostokoved_ilya_lagutenko_o_sotrudnichestve_s_x_japan_i_mezhkulturnom_obmene_/
 

YOSHIKI shading hard on Scandinavian flop-kei, inviting a random Russian group but not them. Waiting for some more angry subtweeting from yohio.

their vocal-san speaks jp and chinese (and he was sort of visiting teacher in my uni x'D), and it's quite cool if he'll bring more visual kei at his own fest...
he also said a lot of really right things about cultural relations and stuff.

Idk but seems like they *intentionally* opted borderline 12012 kei looks there for a moment but yet still
 
obvious oddballs of that show regardless  - just what Yoshiki was thinking?
 
edit: Ok, the frontman explained the reason - rough translation off that certain excerpt:
 
 
source:
http://www.musical-express.ru/special/ya_ved_professionalnyy_vostokoved_ilya_lagutenko_o_sotrudnichestve_s_x_japan_i_mezhkulturnom_obmene_/
 

Idk but seems like they *intentionally* opted borderline 12012 kei looks there for a moment but yet still
 
obvious oddballs of that show regardless  - just what Yoshiki was thinking?
 
edit: Ok, the frontman explained the reason - rough translation off that certain excerpt:
 
 
source:
http://www.musical-express.ru/special/ya_ved_professionalnyy_vostokoved_ilya_lagutenko_o_sotrudnichestve_s_x_japan_i_mezhkulturnom_obmene_/
 

Hey hey hey HEYYYY👋👋👋 Put cha lighter’s up🔦🔦🔦! Ganja’s in the house 🏠 owwwwww😷! As you can tell from my accent I am from Dallas, Tex-ass🐴! And it was not very easy growing up looking like this💁! Whether I was playing in my grandma’s clothes👵 or putting on a show for my well-organized alphabetically-ordered beanie babies 🐱🐥🐵🐼 I was guh guh guh GAY👬👭! OKKKK😃! But it wasn’t until I moved to Los Angeles ☀️🌴 that I discovered 🚬Marijuana🍀, I mean I like to smoke💨💨💨, y’all I am just flying✈️ as high👆 as your receding hairline👴! OK! 🚬 Marijuana🍀 really does help me calm down😴, so y’all, I went to Valencia where they film the TV show 🌱Weeds🌱! Now, y’all, it’s very dry🔥☀️, it’s almost kinda like your vagina✌️👌! Can I get an amen🙌🙏?!? Now y’all, I am a treehugger🌳🌲 because if it ain’t green♻️, HUH😫 I’m not interested🙅! OKCURRRRRRRR💅💃!

he IS a spoiled cunt
 
I mean have you seen how much his papi is truly pampering him though?
 
Yohio, you are not doing any better for "Pappa betalar"-stereotypes of Swedish kidz tbqh.

he IS a spoiled cunt
 
I mean have you seen how much his papi is truly pampering him though?
 
Yohio, you are not doing any better for "Pappa betalar"-stereotypes of Swedish kidz tbqh.

he IS a spoiled cunt
 
I mean have you seen how much his papi is truly pampering him though?
 
Yohio, you are not doing any better for "Pappa betalar"-stereotypes of Swedish kidz tbqh.

he IS a spoiled cunt
 
I mean have you seen how much his papi is truly pampering him though?
 
Yohio, you are not doing any better for "Pappa betalar"-stereotypes of Swedish kidz tbqh.

Hey Yohio, you're going to make your hairline recede even further than it already has if you stress yourself out with random people's tweets 
 
 

this is even more pathetic than i thought they could do!

For some reason?
Because this is not news about a japanese artist or a band/artist signed in Japan. I can go as far as to thinking that YOHIO and his guys belong in this part of the forum because he lives in Japan and is signed there, but these guys.... nope.
 
but to be on topic: it's shit. as always.

Laruku's Flower obviously (they *WERE* VK-ish back then no?)

wow i didn't know plastic tree was actually russian :^)

Wwwait
 

Mumiy Troll?!
 
How are they supposed to be fit inbetween those given, visual household acts (including Kiyoharu himself since he is "the godfather" and whatnot)
 
lol.

Mumiy Troll?!
 
How are they supposed to be fit inbetween those given, visual household acts (including Kiyoharu himself since he is "the godfather" and whatnot)
 
lol.

Mumiy Troll?!
 
How are they supposed to be fit inbetween those given, visual household acts (including Kiyoharu himself since he is "the godfather" and whatnot)
 
lol.

They are about the same age as certain Gazette members though (32-34), so this approach seems to be still palatable.
 
Also, you'd rather say that to Kamijo or Asagi for being still involved in those shticks despite their actual age.
 
And:
 
 
 
 

They are about the same age as certain Gazette members though (32-34), so this approach seems to be still palatable.
 
Also, you'd rather say that to Kamijo or Asagi for being still involved in those shticks despite their actual age.
 
And:
 
 
 
 

Becky has something to rely on?
 
 
Enon definitely sucked 10 years of life away from this poor girl