CAT5

Welcome back to the forum! Cool taste. Glad to see you mention THE BACK HORN too, as they don't seem to get a lot of love these days! Hope you enjoy the forum!

Welcome!

I really enjoyed this TAMTAM album, and It's a welcome return to form. I don't think the sound they were going for previously was "bad", but I don't think it was for them. I think they realized that too. Anyways, this album is a really easy listen. It's one that I can put on and groove to in its entirety. That said, there aren't really any moments on the album that wow me, or beckon me to hit repeat. So I didn't really feel justified in endorsing this as an AOTY. I say this, yet I'm still unsure whether i'll put it on my personal list or not lol - it may very well be one of those albums I include just because it's still better in relation to other albums I've heard this year - but i'll see near the end of this month. At any rate, cool choice! Super solid album and definitely worth a listen!

I understand where you're coming from. Technically, it would make sense to make two separate threads for each respective forum. However, this is one of those cases where the thread's content can go either way - meaning it's unsure whether people will reply with Japanese or non-Japanese music and in what quantity. Of course, we could specify the kind of music we'd like to see in replies by simply splitting the threads in different forums, but given the ambiguous/open-ended nature of the replies, doing that could get messy and redundant really quickly. So it's most convenient to have everything in one thread. As a rule of thumb, if you have a thread that pertains to both Japanese and non-Japanese music, posting it here (under Japanese Rock > General), is usually the better place, as this forum is the more utilized of the two. Lastly, it's a bit unfair to compare this thread to Recommended Tracks, as that thread takes a rather obscene amount of work and is put together by a team each month. A normal discussion thread doesn't necessarily need to be as elaborate (though of course that's up to the OP's discretion XD)

I listened to the Silence album, and while it's a bit outside of my taste, I can definitely understand the appeal. "Navy daydream" was my favorite track. We're off to a good start!

@Zeus& @Delkmiroph - I haven't listened to that new Ryu album, as i'm generally not a PT fan, but...I'm sure @beniis gonna force me to listen to it >.> Also Delk, interesting to see you included Kinoko Teikoku. I think I'm just now realizing how much of a shoegaze fan you are. I prefer their older stuff, but that track is probably the best from the new album! @emmny - starbucks tear time? You are so frikkin emo I love it @fitear1590- that Negoto song reminds me of NIRGILIS. I still need to try the EP. @doombox- bruhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. dat RAZOR song doe, wow. I definitely would have overlooked them if you didn't write about em. This is sounding great. Ppl seem to have compared them to lynch. and gazette? Well hell, sign me up! I don't think I've been as excited about new VK in a while. Bless you! @beni- you and your 'shotacore' Yes, that hanatan track is sick! @togz- I know ONE OK ROCK get a lot of flack, but I'll be damned if that song isn't jammin!!! That DIAURA song isn't bad either! @CAT5 - fuck, your taste is sexy what the fuck!!!

uchu conbini's guitarist Daijiro Nakagawa has formed a new band called JYOCHO. They're set to release their first mini album on December 7th, 2016! 今作のメンバーにはDrumにhatch（ex DUG OUT）、 Bassにシンディ（空きっ腹に酒、LOW-PASS）、 Vocalにrionosという彼が選りすぐった強力なメンバーが集結。 2016.12.07 RELEASE ¥1,944 (Tax in) NBDL-40 1. family 2. 安い命 3. furusato 4. 故郷 5. 太陽と暮らしてきた 6. あの木にはわたしにないものを 7. 365 album trailer: PV:

Awwwwwwwwwwwww yeah, it's that time again! What time? Time to recommend a fresh batch of new tracks! November may not have been the busiest month of the year, but boy do we have some sexy tunes in store for you! A big thanks to our guest contributors this month: @Delkmiroph, @Ada Suilen, and @Lestat! As usual, we apologize if some videos aren't available due to region restrictions. I hope your bodies (and ears) are ready for some new tunes! @Zeus' Picks "浮融 / fuyuu" by 有村竜太朗 (Ryutaro Arimura) "浮融 / fuyuu" is my track of the month for November 2016, accompanied by a shift in the seasons that compliments the song when I'm out for long walks. The release of デも / demo snuck up on me; I hold Arimura in high respect for all his work with Plastic Tree despite my dislike for most of their output, but I had not heard of this until it appeared in my recommendations queue. I got what I expected - a gloomy exploration in alternative rock - but there's more here. Plastic Tree never clicked for me, but "浮融 / fuyuu" birthed a new appreciation for his unique musical talents. It's a simple, distorted set of guitar chords that forms the backbone of this emotional roller coaster, and it complements Ryutaro's vocals like a duet between two flirtatious lovers in the heat of an affair. To start the album off proper with a seven minute epic speaks to the confidence and strength of "浮融 / fuyuu". It doesn't revel in complexity or tease with build up for a predictable explosion of emotion. It's a very straightforward, melancholic, and powerful song. Definitely check this out! @emmny's Picks "雨音" (Amaoto) by emmureé The rain sound resonates along with the ringing of a guitar string Not so much ringing, rather droning in its distortion The clouds roar once more, and spill forth the rain While a kind voice speaks from above The kind rain sound Fills your ears Simultaneously a screech And a pitter-patter The rain which cleansed your hands Now becomes snow And you'll sit, looking at the sky Waiting for the rain sound to fill your ears again @fitear1590's Picks "アシンメトリ (asymmetry)" by ねごと (NEGOTO) NEGOTO are long-time faves, but their 2015 album VISION did not impress. As they took a year and a half off from releases, I anxiously awaited their comeback in November 2016 with アシンメトリ (asymmetry) e.p. The eponymous track sounds like a glorious return to form. The band has always had a synth pop flair, but this time around, they go for a lush electronic sound. "Asymmetry" also features a colorful concept PV meant to be played across two smartphone screens; this is similar to THE NOVEMBERS's "きれいな海へ (kireina umi e). This is the first step back in the right direction for NEGOTO and I'm curious to see where they go from here! "ふとん史 (futonshi)" by メガマソ (Megamasso) Fresh out of their hiatus, Megamasso hit the ground running with a double A-side single. "Futonshi" is a fun game of 'spot the VK trope,' forging a hodgepodge of so many of the scene's signatures: a paradoxically royal and cheap string arrangement, an emphasis on melodic guitar riffs that sound like half neo-classical/half video game BGM, traditional Japanese chord progressions, an out-of-the-blue refrain, and very trendy (trebly) synthwork. It's not the most original track, but it sure is catchy as hell (this is Megamasso, of course) and all three members seem to be in top form. Welcome back, guys! @doombox's Picks "Kaiju" by [Alexandros] It's not too often we get to see the aggressive side of [Alexandros] break from their snarky, sarcastic lyrical style to come across quite this straightforward. "Kaiju" is a funky, slightly grungey, yet fierce take on a sentiment that is relatable to many of us feeling stuck or stagnant in our current circumstances. None of the instrumentation is particularly technical or ground-breaking, but the open arrangement allows the chorus to come in like a punch to the face and the message of the track to take the spotlight. Who wouldn't want to 'rawr' like a big shot kaiju, right? "Omega" by Crystal Lake It's been a hot minute since a Crystal Lake release hit me the way old releases used to, in the same vein their Dimension and Into The Great Beyond albums did. And though Ryo's vocal style and Gaku's drums are still very much what help make current Crystal Lake the metalcore monster that they are, the depth and emotional tone of "Omega" is a total throwback to the old days. It's definitely one of their first tracks in a long time I'd recommend to those who may have taken a step back for the last couple of years. Though, judging from the rest of True North, it may very well be the final shred of this style they had in them. So enjoy it while you can. "RED ZONE" by RAZOR Yet another new 'super-band' has arrived! RAZOR made a pretty explosive entrance onto the scene with their "RED ZONE" preview this month. My anticipation for the full mini album release is extremely high as the band is full of familiar faces from BORN, Sadie, and MY BACTERIA HEAT IsLAND. And "RED ZONE" has not disappointed me since the more I hear it, the more I genuinely love it. The chorus is catchy and melodic, the verses rip, and everything about the musicianship is as solid as one would expect from these veterans. It's also worth mentioning that they look positively awesome. So if you haven't had the chance to hear them out yet, now is the perfect time. @beni's Picks "MonSter" by ZYUN. ZYUN. is a new artist on the block who just debuted this May with a previous mini-album. What first stood out to me was the artistry of the MV, and the fact that I was positive ZYUN. was a woman. Turns out she is in fact a he, who was already famous before his debut as a fashion designer and concert promoter. Props to him for single-handedly working his own magic into his music as the producer of the outfit designs, music videos, photo concepts and cover/booklet images. The imperfection of his vocal control is so appealing even when he's stretching his voice too much. It makes for this ballad to stand out and catch the listener's attention. This is one new artist I'll be keeping an eye on from now on, and I think you should too. "シューティングスター (Shooting Star)" by Half time Old Boy band? Tick. Nasally high pitched vocals? Tick. "Shooting Star" sung in Engrish to kick start the chorus? Tick. There's so much to enjoy with this one. From the super rocking instrumental segments to the instantly memorable and groovy chorus, Half time Old prove they're a force to be reckoned with. It may be typical J-rock infused pop, but you have to admit when it's a hell of a good one. Its theme is astronauts and space. Now tell me how you could not fall in love with the out of this world tune? "まほうのカギを手に入れたら/むすびズム (Mahou no Kagi wo Te ni Iretara)" by musubizm This infectious tune is my favorite discovery of this month, without any contest. I've had in on repeat ever since I stumbled on it, and let me tell you why. Even though musubizm is tooth achingly pure idol through and through, the sound is clearly rock. It reminds me of all female bands like SCANDAL, especially with one particular singer with an especially nasally voice just like SCANDAL's Tomomi. Who my favourite is in that band is obvious due to that individual trait, so you can tell who my bias is with musubizm already. It's yet another reason why this song kicks butt! So even though it's idol, don't let that put you off. As is often the case with idol groups, each female's voice is distinctive and the group vocals always sounds amazing, like listening to another unit of Macross Δ's Walküre. I'm impressed and excited for more to come. "khaki circle" by SWIM SWEET UNDER SHALLOW SWIM SWEET UNDER SHALLOW is a name I've known for a while now, but have never felt anything towards them. With their fourth album now out, in which they give the option of paying or nabbing it for free over at their website, this is the leading track to the release. And I sure am glad I gave them another chance. Their sound reminds me of PLASTIC GIRL IN CLOSET mixed with Swinging Popsicle. It has that shoegaze-y edge, but mostly very much indie, both musically and vocally. And I love that about them. Plus it's a male and female duo, both on vocals. You know I'm sold on that magic combination. "khaki circle" is simply divine, with a soothing and romantic lullaby structure and sound, yet also engaging enough to not be a bore. "生花 (Seika)" by ATOLS feat.YURiCa/花たん (hanatan) No words can describe the perfection of this track. Theatrical and atmospheric is just a basic description of it. Our @CAT5 had directed me to this tune, and it instantly clicked for me as well. ATOLS, a Vocaloid producer unit, was a new name to me but YURiCa is nothing new, as she is easily one of the few Utaite (cover singer on Nico Nico Douga & YouTube) singers I completely adore. This song uses her powerful and absolutely stunning voice that beats plenty of major/famous artists' vocals to make quite the impact. You know it's YURiCa, but I've never heard her touch music as massive as this before. She sure better keep it up. It has an anison feel to it, but on such a grand scale, it leaves a lasting impression and makes for an instant jam. "Seika" doesn't shy away from being pounding and in your face with its electronic sound, and with YURiCa's signature beautiful voice, amazing vocal range and vibrato, you know it's a match made in heaven. As a YouTube comment simply put, it's "overwhelmingly perfect". @togz's Picks "Taking Off" by ONE OK ROCK Looks like ONE OK ROCK are taking off with another musical direction change. Their new track "Taking Off" was released recently as a teaser for their upcoming album Ambitions which will be obtainable in January. While the song still sounds authentic to OOR's style, it's fresh and offers a lot of vocal variation. The instrumentals aren't very complex but they help power up the chorus melody. It's catchy, memorable, and overall a fun a listen. "Six Feet Under" by Crystal Lake Before "Six Feet Under", Crystal Lake released their music video for "Omega" which offered more dynamics. With only two minutes and seventeen seconds to listen to, this track gets straight to the point. It's a completely different vibe than "Omega" and gets me even more excited for their album release on November 30th. "Six Feet Under" is a real head banger with its chaotic guitar riffs, the lowest of growls, and heavy double bass work. Both of these songs will be available on True North. "倒錯症レジスタンス(tousakushou resistance)" by DIAURA I've personally only heard of DIAURA's earlier works and haven't followed them in some time, but when I heard this song I was instantly interested again. The vibe in this song really brings me back to when I first heard them because I feel the vocals and instruments work well together to create a heavy, upbeat, but melodic environment. Definitely a band I'll be paying attention to again. "WOLFMAN" by コドモドラゴン (Codomo Dragon) コドモドラゴン (Codomo Dragon) is another act that I used to follow but stopped somewhere along the way, but this track brought me back. It starts off with a distanced drum and funky bass line. It's a cross between punk and funk that leads in to a really good vocal line. But funk and punk isn't all that's offered in this song. There's very quick guitar work but also some heavy riffs. The chorus is an interesting key change as well. I've got my eyes and ears on you コドモドラゴン. "色眼鏡 色彩皆無 (iromegane shikisai kaimu)" by ラッコ ( LACK-CO.) If anyone knows me at all, they'll know I'm forever Tenten biased. Naturally I hopped on the ラッコ ( LACK-CO.) bandwagon as soon as this video was released. Aside from Tenten's unique vocals, the music is also technical in some places. From this song alone, this new unit is a good combination between My BACTERIA HEAT IsLAND and KuRt if you keep Tenten's vocals in mind. I'm really excited to hear more from this group, but most of all excited to see some of these members still active in the music scene. @CAT5's Picks "ビハインド (behind)" by cinema staff It's been a mere six months since cinema staff's latest full length album eve, and they're already back with a Triple A-side release titled the Vektor EP. While eve was an exemplary exercise in the band's trademark indie-styled pop-rock, Mizuki and the gang seem to be taking off the kid gloves on this new EP. "behind", the third A-side, has been released as a promotional video, and it's already one of the most explosive cinema staff tracks in years! At roughly about two minutes, the song packs in some of the band's more spastic tendencies, proving that they haven't forgotten any of their emo or punk influences just yet. It's great to hear these guys rock out again! "アラジン (aladdin)" by 水曜日のカンパネラ (suiyoubi no campanella) Two seconds into this song and you'll think you're listening to Micheal Jackson's "Thriller." Seriously. Producer Kenmochi Hidefumi wasn't exactly subtle in paying homage to the MJ classic. Yet I find it peculiar that I've not seen too many people commenting on this fact, and those that do, don't seem to be bothered by the blatant plagiarism either. Why? Well, it's simply well done, that's why. It's a sign of true artistry when you can take something so well-known and transform it into an entirely new entity, and suiyoubi have managed just that. In fact, "aladdin" is such an earworm that after a few listens, you'll completely forget that this song references anything other than suiyoubi's own, unique brand of Jpop. "PANDORA" by EVO+ EVO+ is a female utaite, which is usually an area of music outside of my wheelhouse and something @beni knows more about, but what a serendipitous discovery this has been for me! Having teamed up with doujin music producer ATOLS, EVO+ just released her first EP titled PANDORA, and the title track for it is gorgeous. EVO has a deep, sultry croon and her vocal melodies have a vague, anison feel to them, but when the beat drops, you know this is something really special. The production is very hip, with a few trap elements, but it's also got a really organic and earthy feel to it - not unlike suiyoubi no campanella. The utaite scene may be based around cover songs, but if this song is what happens when they get original, then I need to hear more. "env Reg." by 網守将平 (Shohei Amimori) I first heard Shohei Amimori back in 2014 on a compilation titled Forma. 4.14 put out by Japan's finest label for IDM - PROGRESSIVE FOrM. His track was easily one of the standouts, so I was definitely interested when I discovered he'd be releasing his first album early next month on the same label. But now that I've heard this track, my excitement IS OVER 9000!!! Seriously, I love this. "env Reg." is intelligently produced electronic music, yet it's also fun and groovy too (watch out, METAFIVE!)! Just to add icing to the cake, it features one of my favorite indie-pop artists on vocals - Babi. I have such high hopes for the album! "Crystal Chrysalis" by world's end girlfriend world's end girlfriend probably needs no introduction, as anyone into post-rock or IDM to any extent has likely come across his moniker by now. If you haven't, well, his music is an expansive amalgam of beautiful, cinematic soundscapes, twisted distortion, and gritty electronics. His latest album LAST WALTZ is expectedly massive, and I admit, choosing a standout is next to impossible. The epic, thirteen-minute "Flowers of Romance" would have been an easy choice, and the equally gargantuan "Radioactive Spell Wave" would have been just as apt, but there's something about "Crystal Chrysalis". It's got a certain atmospheric gravitas to it. The other songs are generally more overt and in-your-face, but the power of this track lies in its subtlety. It's deeply atmospheric, yet haunting all the same. Brilliant. "Discal Smoke" by LASTorder PROGRESSIVE FOrM is hands-down one of my favorite labels. They've had a rather dismal output in recent times - and understandably so, as the many artists on the label have set the bar quite high - but they seem to be making a comeback, and I'm happy to feature yet another artist from the label in my picks this month! LASTorder has always been pretty good, but I dare say he's reached a stellar peak with this track. "Discal Smoke" has your standard IDM glitchy-ness and LASTorder's typically bold drums, brilliantly combined with analog instrumental bits, and very tastefully implemented vocal samples. This track was instant love from the very first second, and it just gets better as it progresses. Delicious! "Waltz For Real World" by uyama hiroto Uyama Hiroto will probably be viewed as the spiritual successor to his peer and collaborator, the late Nujabes. However, with all due respect, I would say that Hiroto's new album freeform jazz has propelled him into a league of his own. The album, while technically not "free-jazz" certainly feels less bound than his previous works. It's a more musical effort overall, and the drumwork is especially more organic than previously, as opposed to the straightforward boom-bap approach that similar artists take. In fact, you can hardly categorize this as just "jazzy hip-hop" anymore. The entire album only features one rap feature (and thankfully so, because I can't stomach cheesy backpacker rap!). freeform jazz is such an exquisite listen that I honestly can't choose just one track to recommend, so hopefully the heartfelt melodies of "Waltz For Real World" will persuade you guys to delve further! Guest Recommendations @Lestat's Picks "天上天下唯我独唱 (Tenjou tenge yuiga dokushou)" by Gossip-ゴシップ- Semi-nationalists Gossip-ゴシップ- conclude their dynamic year with their sixth and final release of 2016, now headlining the propaganda papers with this November's distribution of 天上天下唯我独唱 (Tenjou tenge yuiga dokushou). Ensuing their exceptional maxi-single 東京スキャンダル (Tokyo Scandal), compilation album 脳味噌回転愚流愚流地獄-黒歴史盤- (Nomiso kaiten guru guru jigoku - kuro rekishi ban -) and the following three consecutive monthly singles, the group continues to yell its 'Banzai!' at the rising sun. The title track delivers us with classic —if we can call it as such, with a mere two years under their belt— Gossip-ゴシップ- elements with which this band has its boot stiffly put between visual kei's door; the bellowing ring of sirens, footsoldiers marching toward warfare, and Saku's patriotic chants loudly supporting an emanating blitz. And what follows is an unforgettable, catchy offensive, ready to go down in history. "Ash" by GOTCHAROCKA Have you been searching for a fool-proof method to brighten up your day in only a short matter of time, or do you simply need a well-deserved break from the abundance of gloomy-sounding bands surfacing in the Japanese music scene? Look no further, as GOTCHAROCKA will surely and effortlessly lift your spirits with their ever-positive atmosphere while the month is growing colder. This time, they provide you with another warm and tight embrace in the form of "Ash", an optimistic and encouraging message conveyed to you in a presentation of melodic and sprightly riffaging, up-beat drums, and glossy, light singing. Be sure to make use of this song, as these three smiling guys will want you to remember this memo; "Keep playing until your grief is gone." @Ada Suilen's Picks "Re:incarnation" by Insanity Injection This year brought up another great superband in the visual kei scene; their name is Insanity Injection and the members who compose it are known for bands like Aliene Ma'riage, Glamscure and Das:Vasser, so the hype has been real since their first announcement. Then they released three singles, all of them solidified their style and the first mini album, where this epic track is featured in, confirmed their strong position in the scene; eleven minutes of greatness and technique, where each element, from the vocals (the coupling of Kyouka x Chaos has been simply awesome!), to the instruments, and the background effects assume a peculiar meaning with sudden stylistic changes inside the melody. The band shows that they cannot fail at whatever sound they make. "深紅に揺らめく、儚き鶺鴒 (Shinku ni yurameku, hakanaki sekirei)" by Chariots Another incredible comeback in the visual kei scene is Riku, with his solo project's respectful new line-up featuring people of VII-Sense and UnsraW fame made this year brighter for me. After releasing three solid singles they go strong with a mini-album, where the title-track is the most powerful and astonishing part of the release. This emotional ballad is reminiscent of Phantasmagoria's golden age where Riku unleashes his deep and suggestive voice in a powerful and fascinating rock sound. A sure synonym of their glorious return. @Delkmiroph 's Picks "猫夢 (Nekoyume)" by 有村竜太朗 (Ryutaro Arimura) Like everyone knows, Ryutaro started his own solo project after many years in Plastic Tree. With the promise of his first solo release of 1996-2011, 「デも／demo」 impressed me with some songs (I have not heard the mini album fully yet). But "Nekoyume" is very expressive to me and I would say that this is a personal style of Ryutaro's that reminds me of the last releases of Plastic Tree. "Nekoyume" is energetic and catchy at every chorus, and the AC. Version gives the song more life, but I love both versions equally! "END TRIP" by Insanity Injection I definitely love this release from Insanity Injection. I followed them since their first release, but I did not hear their digital releases. I think I should get to them. "END TRIP" is a very deep and solid song that makes me think that someone is still doing great work in the visual kei scene. Chaos' voice with Kyoka is a great combination which brings a melancholic mix into the whole mini-album. Of course it reminds me of some other bands which is also why I like it. I would love to go to a concert of theirs to watch all this dark insanity. It's great when the name of the band already expresses this to the listener. "愛のゆくえ (Aino Yukue)" by きのこ帝国 (Kinoko Teikoku) I discovered this shoegaze/dream pop band this year (exactly two month ago). Kinoko Teikoku won me over when I heard their first album eureka, but I was more excited for this new album that they announced for this month. I had the expectation that they were becoming more dream-pop with each release. It's now normal for them in my opinion. "Aino Yukue" is an enjoyable song that's half shoegaze and more dream pop (I guess). It's a totally soft and sweet melody with strong beats as the title track of the album. I appreciate the album, and this song mostly. I believe that this song is all cute and lovely. Thanks for checking out our recommendations this month! If you have any thoughts on our list or recommendations of your own, please feel free to comment below! If you're interested in being a guest contributor, contact either @CAT5 or @doombox! See you all next month! ^_~

Welcome to the forum as a non-ghost! ahaha, I hope you enjoy being active here!

I am not saying that Mizuki "sounds vk", I'm just saying that I understand how some people can come to that conclusion about his voice. There are also a lot of VK guys (like some of the ones that I just listed) that go for poppy vocals, so I think it's pretty logical for some people to lump Mizuki in with them, even if it's not 100% accurate.

Maybe some examples might help? These are really general, as both areas of music have a broad range of vocalists, but you still find certain styles more prevalent than others in different scenes. Here are some really typical indie-rock style vocals: Here are some poppy VK vocals: Now if you're used to listening to music in the former group, would it be completely inconceivable to more closely associate cinema staff's mizuki with the latter group of vocalists?

@Carmelzors- already touched on a few things that I was going to, but to elaborate on my anecdote in the OP - well, you're correct. The people that said Mizuki sounds VK don't actually listen to VK, in fact a few of them downright despise the scene. However that doesn't mean their assessment is exactly invalid either. In general, J-indie fans are attuned to a different kind of singing than visual kei fans are (note that when i say J-indie fans, i'm not referring to people who listen to those "indie-pop-rock" bands or pop-rock that tries to come off as indie). The fans i'm referring to are used to listening to bands that don't put a huge emphasis on the vocals - where the vocals are kind of secondary to the music, the lyrics, and the overall feeling/aesthetic. Whereas with VK - even tho you have a broad range of vocalists in the scene - more often than not, you can still generally tell when a vocalist is VK, as most of them have this kind of melodramatic/theatric flare to their voices, and as my Japanese friend says - a lot of them sound as if they have accents while they're singing as opposed to just singing "naturally". While that's debatable, you should at least be able to understand that when these hardcore J-indie fans hear a guy like Mizuki sing in the style that he does, it's very easy to lump him the same category or class of vocalists as VK - even if it's not completely accurate, it's still somewhere in the ballpark. I can certainly relate because most of the J-rock I listened to before I got into J-indie was Visual Kei. In fact, I had a really tough time getting into J-indie because it seemed like a lot of the vocalists sounded really apathetic or just had really uncharacteristic voices - whereas with VK, the vocalists usually have a ton of quirks and nuances to their singing. They were just completely different styles. This is all very general of course, but I hope it helps illustrate the overall dichotomy of vocal styles between both scenes and how someone might possibly consider Mizuki as VK-sounding. @Carmelzors - it's funny because when I made this thread, I was much more focused on the bands' parallels and completely neglected the size of their respective discographies, so that's definitely a good point you made. Personally, I have to go with cinema staff. When it comes to pop-rock bands with indie sensibilities, or just really poppy-sounding indie-rock - whatever you want to call it, I feel like cinema staff have this arena completely locked down, and I've personally not heard a band do it better. For me, they pretty much set the blueprint.. Even after going major, they've never released anything less than solid. They're STILL cranking out great tunes and haven't gone completely pop, despite a few scares here and there. Objectively speaking, they're definitely the more technical band here as well. Chanty are really freaking good, though. In fact, I'm pretty sure they're one of my favorite active VK bands (even though I haven't thought too much about this). I do feel like they attempt to do more with their sound than cinema staff does as @doomboxnoted, but because of that, I also feel like it makes them less unique in a sense. Like, I could hear a cinema staff and instantly know it's a cinema staff song - they stand out amongst both their peers and the younger bands they've influenced (which kinda confers with @Carmelzors' point about their legacy). Whereas chanty just isn't as immediately recognizable and don't necessarily stand out from their peers in any spectacular fashion. But anyways, it's cool to get everyone's different opinions on this. It's also interesting to see how this battle is playing out and what it says about mh's taste in general. I definitely didn't realize there were so many Chanty fans around.

Hey, everyone. I thought this might make for a pretty cool match-up. The most obvious difference between both of these bands is that one is visual and the other is not, but I actually think these guys have a bit more in common than what meets the eye. For lack of a better term, both cinema staff and chanty play similar styles of "indie-rock" with faint midwestern emo influences (the riffage, guitar tones, and even random, yet scarce screams that both bands employ). Both bands are also really poppy, opting for big, catchy hooks, accessible melodies, and mostly straightforward arrangements - all while maintaining a subtle balance with their more raw, aggressive sides. Both vocalists are also fairly melodramatic, haha. On a more trivial tip, I think it's interesting to note that I've often seen chanty described as "a vk band that sounds like J-indie", while I've also seen J-indie fans describe cinema staff's vocalist as "sounding vk". Whatever the case, I think it's clear that both bands have a decent amount of crossover appeal. Which band do you prefer, and why? Chanty Samples: VS cinema staff Samples:

I'll see myself out now...

This is SUCH a massive blow - for myself, and for pirates everywhere. The wealth of music available there was simply mind-blowing. And even though they weren't necessarily a great source for Japanese music, some rarez and gems would appear there every once and a while. Nothing lasts forever, though. They had one hell of a run, and I'm extremely thankful. I'm pretty sure there will be a proper replacement in time, but man...I guess if there's a silver-lining to this for me, then it would be the forceful limiting of my compulsive downloading habits. what.cd seriously made things TOO convenient, ahaha.

Finally got a chance to hear it and it sounds fucking great. Surprisingly short, though.

FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF This is a brilliant match-up. Both bands are amazing, and both have released top-tier, classic material. I'm gonna have to give this to toe, though. LITE are amazing, and they definitely have a leg-up in terms of diversity. They are also have more fierce, raw, and face-melting math-rock jams than toe, but their discography is highly inconsistent. Don't get me wrong, I love that they continuously experiment with their sound, but they've also wound up with quite a few misses on their side because of it. In example, "Phantasia" and "filmlets" are both brilliant imo, but their subsequent releases haven't been as strong overall. On the other hand, toe's sound has remained pretty consistent throughout, but it works because no one can truly emulate toe - while LITE have played with so many different styles that they don't necessarily have an instantly recognizable sound. The quality of toe's work has even remained steadfast as well. Even their weakest album "HEAR YOU" is still lightyears ahead of any band that attempts a similar style. toe also has a really keen melodic sense to their songwriting. This really seals the deal for me personally, because more often than not, LITE seems a bit more focused on instrumentality and musicianship than composing truly standout melodies. This is definitely a tough comparison, though. Both bands are pretty much gods, ahaha.

Welcome, officially, to the forum! Very cool taste (I followed you on last.fm for what it's worth). Hope you enjoy the forum!

I actually didn't have a lock screen, but I went ahead and set one

Well, I'm interested at least. yeahhhh, that's a bit annoying. One of the biggest draws to GITS for me is its dialogue, so hopefully the script turns out well.