CAT5

What year did you start listening to VK? To submit a poll for the MH POLL OF THE WEEK, P.M. @CAT5 with your poll question, choices, and state whether it's mutiple choice or not.

ijuuin yuki - would love to see her hook up with some other producers. The hip-hop artists featured on that album were mostly top-notch Lamp - Probably the first full album I actually listened to from them? Fantastic either way and makes me want to travel back through their discog Moran - we all know , has been hyping them like crazy. But even @Disposable has given them a nod. And now you too? Should look into these guys NEGOTO - it seems like tokyokarankoron are trying to move in the same musical direction - with the whole pop/indie sound, but you're right, NEGOTO sound like they do it much better. It seems more natural. Will have to grab that single. THE NOVEMBERS - ;3 Scenarioart - pleasant. The industry is just oversaturated, and they'd probably need a stronger gimmick to reach people. UNiTE. - need to check this band out. ventla - interesting. if he's really that prolific, then i'm sure he's created something i might enjoy BABYMETAL - was honestly surprised to see this on your list, fitz, but not in a bad way. Anything that crosses boundaries like this is good in my book. HOLLOWGRAM - this has been sitting on my HD for way too long. still need to try it. Agreed about ryo's nasal vox My Fairytale - these dudes seem really solid Nohtenkigengo - can also vouch for this Scarlet Valse - I've never really listened to Versailles, so I can't make that comparison. They sound solid, though. Blinda Butchers - uhhh...wow. one of my friends, whose taste i really admire, also ranked this as his #1 of 2014! Samples sound nice too, so I need to give this a try for sure. Fear of Men - really digging the music here..on the 2nd sample especially. I think the vocals will grow on me Loop - judging from the samples...i'm digging the atmosphere and have the songs seem to have a post-rockish progression to them. nice Kimbra - high-five Scott Bradlee & Postmodern Jukebox - I remember you playing some of this on plug.dj, but wouldn't have imagined they had an actual album out. very cool Sia - Have loved sia's voice since hearing her on zero7 records Purson - had no idea they had a new album! Need! Rusty Machine - I like this a lot actually. SZA - love her voice and aesthetic. was hoping for a bit more in regards to songwriting and production, however. Very interesting taste you've got - and a lot of stuff I've never even heard of before. Going to look a bit further into some of these. Thanks for sharing with us, fitz! ( :

HMV.co.jp isn't up there, but I've probably purchased the most physical CDs there. 2nd would be amazon, who have wonderful service. For digital, I prefer ototoy or bandcamp. itunes as a last resort. Purchasing digital is always a gamble, though as you're subject to receiving shittily encoded rips (with pops, ticks, skips) or sometimes not even the entire album. Although I've mostly had experiences like that through itunes.

Looks like she'll be dropping more than just the bass soon. (inb4 @Jigsaw9) Congratz to her.

From Japan, so far... the band apart - 謎のオープンワールド イツエ - 今夜絶対 Anoice - into the shadows BOMI - BORN IN U.S.A. tricot - E (kinda - these girls have been constantly disappointing tho) bacho - 最高新記憶 CARD - LUCKY ME 中納良恵 - 窓景

JEE-ZEUS effin christ, man. DAT LAYOUT As everyone else has mentioned, your list looks amazing and your html wizardry is STOOOPID good as always. Animals as Leaders - one of the few albums on your list that I've actually heard before and I can see why it's on your list. I actually listened to this with some months ago and her commentary definitely helped me wrap my head around this album a bit more efficiently. Aphex Twin - This seems interesting and engaging. I'll keep this album in mind when I'm next in the mood to stretch my ears a bit Boris - I really enjoyed NOISE and I can see how it would make your list. Track 2-4 on that album get a lot of play from me! Chrisma.com - I can vouch for this as well. I probably would have included it on my list as well, but I simply haven't spend enough time with the record yet. Clark - ok this sounds pretty awesome judging from the samples. Seems much more my speed than syro. Clockwork Indigo - you've probably noticed from my eoty that hip-hop isn't a genre that i've gravitated much towards this past year. I've seen flatbush zombies around a bit (mostly on tumblr), but I've never tried their music until clicking those 2 samples. I like the first sample better than the 2nd, but it still might be worth looking into. I can deal with decadent lyrics to an extent, but it depends on the presentation. Dead Congregation - you've probably also noticed that i'm not huge on metal either, but this seems perfect for when i'm in that rare mood to hear something absolutely crushing! Dir en Grey - tracks 6, 11, and the singles I enjoy Domo Genesis - I believe you linked him in the chat one day? Sounds dope, but I'd have to be in the mood for it. Hail Spirit Noir - This sounds interesting...curious to hear what a full album sounds like. Inferi - Ok this sounds like my kind of metal. Heavy, melodic, thrashing..even some neo-classical tendencies. Nice! Jizue - still need to listen! Kamijo - ^__^ Lost Ubikyst in Apeiron - being a one man metal band seems like a lonely, tedious task (and i can't help but think of that music video champed showed us of another one-man metal act). Sounds nice actually, but not sure If I can jive with the production. Martyrdöd - dat 2nd sample sold me Mono - oh man, 'recoil, ignite' is one of the best songs i've heard all year. The Last Dawn had some really gorgeous tracks as well. THE NOVEMBERS - bruh Onmyouza - the chorus on "故に其の疾きこと風の如く"....fffffffffffff Perturbator - this sounds cool. a lot of 80's-influenced music seems to be growing on me this year. Run the Jewels - those videos are blocked in the U.S., but I already know this release has to be awesome. Another one I still need to listen to! Shiina Ringo - classy as always! Tech N9ne - this was one of the few hip-hop albums that I listened to and enjoyed this year. Strange Music is an amazing label. TK - It's really amazing to see how far this dude has come and all the boundaries he's broken down. Trioscapes - This sounds all kinds of sexy. Another one to check out. Wagakki band - still need to listen to it! It's really interesting seeing the differences in everyone's music tastes - between you and the rest of the review squad, a lot of different areas have been talked about, and I've been exposed to a few things that I certainly need to check out. Thanks for working so hard to share this with us, Zess!

CAT5's Favorite International Releases of 2014 Hours Were The Birds by Adrianne Lenker Sample: Lighthouse This was a pretty random bandcamp discovery iirc. I've always been a sucker for sweet female vocals in folk/singer-songwriter music, and this is the album that most thoroughly fulfilled that need for me this year. Obscure, but good. Totem by Bâton Rouge Sample: Train De Nuit French emo band Baton Rouge's first album Fragments D'eux Mêmes was one of my favorites back in 2011 - it was intense, melodic, and straight to the point. Train De Nuit is an entirely different beast, though. It's more fleshed-out, and the melodies take their time to build, but when everything finally clicks, it's a rewarding listen Earthbeat by Be Forest Sample: Airwaves One of my more fortuitous discoveries from hanging out on plug.dj. Forest plays a brand of dream-pop that often floats off into a brume of shoegaze, yet is constantly anchored by earthy, commanding drums. One of those albums that I can turn on and just be swept away by the atmosphere without having to listen too intently. Black Messiah by D'Angelo Sample: Ain't That Easy It's been 14 year's since D'Angelo's last album, and although I was probably a bit too young to appreciate his music at that time (age 13), the "Black Messiah" is a more than welcome addition to my playlist now. Gritty, organic soul music that easily reminds me of classics like Al Green and even Prince. Hard Believer by Fink Sample: Pilgrim Fink's style of soulful/bluesy folk tunes were originally pretty friendly and easily digestible, but over the years his sound has become progressively darker and experimental around the edges. Hard Believer continues this trend, and while some of the songs get a bit too self-indulgent, repeat listens have revealed to me that almost each track works well on it's own instead of in the convoluted context of the album. LP1 by FKA twigs Sample: Two Weeks I actually didn't expect to like FKA twigs. I thought she'd be another kelela - nice vocals over crappy, sparse beats - and then pegged as some glorious "experimental r&b" goddess. I'm glad I was wrong. The production on LP1 is actually the most interesting thing about it. It's got all of the minimalistic qualities of trap-influenced r&b, but there's an idm-like ingenuity behind it all. Definitely an album better appreciated in headphones or with a good set of speakers. Chiaroscuro by I Break Horses Sample: Faith I haven't gotten around to hearing this duo's first album yet, and I often see them described as "electrogaze" (electronic shoegaze), but I'd describe this album a bit differently. It sounds more to me like dark, hazy electrpop with an affinity for the 80's. Whatever you wanna call it, it's a sound that I've found myself more drawn towards this year. You Can Do Better by Johnny Foreigner Sample: In Capitals Hailing from England, Johnny Foreigner play raw, energetic, and straightfoward indie-rock with punk spirit. It's an album I like to throw on when I want to hear something bright and uplifting, but that also rocks at the same time. Moving On by Kan Wakan Sample: Sawdust Cinematic pop music with smoky female vocals and an emphasis on live instrumentation? Always a good recipe in my book, and Kan Wakan made wonderful use of those ingredients. Unfortunately (or fortunately?), this album is a one-off, as vocalist Kristianne Bautista is no longer in the band. My Little Ghost by Kidkanevil Sample: All Is Not Lost (feat. Cuushe & Cokiyu) If everything about this release seems very "Japanese" to you - from the album cover to the featured artists - then you're not far off the mark. My Little Ghost was released through the Japanese music label flau, although some ppl might associate Kidkanevil more easily with his role in the UK electronic/trip-hop band Stateless. Interestingly, My Little Ghost is more in the realm of ambient, IDM, and glitch than it is Kidkanevil's favored genre of hip hop. He absolutely excels at these other styles, though. Across by Kilo Kish Sample: Curious If I had to offer an American equivalent to Japanese artists like daoko or Izumi Macra, then Kilo Kish would be the first to come to mind. She creates the same kind of innocent-sounding alternative hip hop and employs a similarly careless and unassuming flow. She also "sings" without really having a singing voice (just like the Japanese artists i just mentioned), but it's all done very charmingly. The production is super chill too. The Golden Echo by Kimbra Sample: Madouse When the The Golden Echo came out, I was fortunate enough to listen to it along with , and since we were both already fans, our hype was over 9000. The Golden Echo completely surpassed all of my expectations. Kimbra's ability to hop from style to style (with style) - whether it's trap, disco, or psychedelic soul-influenced - is on par with her contemporary Janelle Monáe. Nabuma Rubberband by Little Dragon Sample: Let Go I've been stalking following Yukimi Nagano ever since I first heard her soulful croon back in 2006 via her various jazz/nu-jazz collaborations. When I discovered she had a band called Little Dragon in 2007, I was pretty excited. Although that quickly devolved into utter disappointment upon hearing Little Dragon's debut album - sparse and awkward electronic music that just made you uncomfortable listening to it. Fast-forward 7 years and 4 albums later - LITTLE DRAGON FINALLY HAS FINALLY GOTTEN IT RIGHT. Yukimi's vocals are still the highlight, but this time the music and songwriting are equally excellent. The Sky as Well as Space by Memory Map Sample: Superhuman Child Memory Map is actually associated with Japan's Zankyo records, so it should come as no surprise that these guys play the kind of technical and inventive indie-rock that would be welcome there. I'm actually pretty surprised at how obscure this band seems to be and the fact that I've never seen any of my indie buddies mention 'em before. Composite by Monogrenade Sample: L'aimant Gorgeous orchestral indie-rock/pop from the French-Canadian ensemble Monogrenade. This is their 2nd album after 2011's Tantale, and it's even better. Super lush soundscapes and impossibly chill. Graveyard Whistling EP by Nothing But Thieves Sample: Itch I'm pretty shocked this band isn't bigger. They're signed to a major label (RCA), but it doesn't look like they've made any significant waves yet. Whatever the case, their songwriting is top-notch when it comes to pop-rock and their vocalist has a uniquely piercing croon. Not sure how they're received in the UK, but I can imagine this boding well in the American mainstream. OOM VELT by Salt Cathedral Sample: Holy Soul Just last year Salt Cathedral were a whimsical, math-rock band, but they've since lost 3 members and have continued as an electronic duo. Their sound has translated extremely well, mostly thanks to the ethereal vocals of Juliana Ronderos; which really carries the band. Maui Tears by Sleepy Sun Sample: The Lane Spaced-out and voluminous psychedelic-rock from California. Maui Tears is the band's 4th album and is hands down my favorite thus far. What I enjoy the most here is how immersive the music is while still remaining accessible and not getting lost within itself. Early Riser by Taylor McFerrin Sample: Already There (feat. Robert Glasper & Thundercat) First album from producer/multi-instrumentalist Taylor McFerrin out on Brainfeeder - the same label as beatsmiths like Flying Lotus, Tokimonsta, Teebs, etc. Super chill electronic/broken beat with jazzy overtones; featuring a handful of guest vocalists and musicians. Early Riser is ridiculously smooth and might be one of the most flawlessly flowing albums I've ever heard. Sun Structures by Temples Sample: Colours To Life Temples are a 60's psychedelic-rock revivalist band that play the style to the letter. They don't offer a refreshing take on the genre and they don't attempt to redefine the rules, but nonetheless, Sun Structures has thoroughly sated my ears this year. Follow the Path by The Shaolin Afronauts Sample: To the Water To the water is a behemoth double album with the first disc full of awesome afrobeat grooves and the 2nd disc a more subdued venture into eastern flavored funk that wouldn't be out of place in a 70's kung-fu flick. With 21 tracks in total, I wouldn't recommend listening to both discs in one sitting. Foreign Languages by tide/edit Sample: Odd & Even Ironically, some of the best post/math-rock bands have been coming out of almost every other Asian country but Japan lately - yet most of these newcomers have been inspired by Japan's scene. Such is the case with tide/edit from the Philippines who site toe as a major influence. Manipulator by Ty Segall Sample: The Crawler I've always been attracted to rock music that draws from the psychedelic and stoner sounds of the 60's and 70's, and Ty Segall's Manipulator is like an aural smorgasbord of those eras. At 17 tracks long, the album might appear to blend together during protracted listens, but I've found myself constantly discovering new jams upon revisits. Warpaint by Warpaint Sample: Biggy Warpaint caught my attention back in 2010 on their first album The Fool, but they weren't able to sustain it through an entire album. And while their sound still manages to avoid being easily pigeonholed, the band's songwriting has become somewhat less elusive and more viable than before. Not a challenging listen at all, but a definite grower. Deep Fantasy by White Lung Sample: Face Down @Jigsaw9 first introduced me to White Lung with their album back in 2012 and they've returned bigger and better than ever on Deep Fantasy. Still the intense female-fronted punk band with razor-wire riffage that I fell in love with.

Exactly. I'm sure neither ender-ender nor relentless are losing sleep over the things discussed in this thread.

Well, it's a good thing you know what you like. When I was your age, I can't say that I really so sure. I see a little mhbi, AvelCain, arlequin, diru, gazette, and even Thousand Leaves, so props on that. D.I.D. is quite clearly your favorite given the substantial gap in playcount from your 2nd highest artist. I've always found it interesting (and envied to a certain extent) how people can give such overwhelming attention to one band. So good to you for liberally indulging in your favorites. http://www.last.fm/user/one80

I like charisma.com - they've got a great sound, but I don't really find myself returning to their music very often. It would be pretty interesting if Fragment produced an entire album for them, though.

Although I doubt it's a prerequisite, here are some bands that are well known/well respected/revered that I'd suggest. Pics in the spoilers. Tokyo Jihen (東京事変) toe THE NOVEMBERS LOSTAGE ZAZEN BOYS DOWNY MERRY the GazettE DIR EN GREY

I really enjoyed NOISE. Mostly tracks 2-4, but the others are fine for a casual listen too.

Why don't you touch my heart? Cause it's so sentimentaru night

2014 has yielded yet another year of wonderful music, and here's my usual self-indulgent run-down of the albums and EPs I enjoyed most. My tone this year is a bit more personal and subjective than I tried to be in 2013, and my list isn't as long either. Thanks for checking it out nonetheless. CAT5's Favorite Japanese Releases of 2014 clepsydra by chouchou merged syrups. Sample: 橙鳴る clepsydra took me by complete surprise after last year's thoroughly disappointing debut "since". chouchou merged syrups. aren't just following cinema staff's blueprint on how to play emo rooted indie-rock/pop anymore, they're actually making it their own this time. Passage of Time by Cloud nine(9) Sample: Passage of Time lop abuse on somebody was, for me, one of the most promising young post/math-rock bands out of Japan. But since they've disbanded their guitarist has gone on to join Cloud nine(9), which has, again, become one of the most promising young Japanese post/math-rock bands. Surely this is fate. Oh, and it's completely free over @ bandcamp HEADACHE AND HEARTBURN by CONCERT Sample: 曖昧さ回避 This release took me completely off guard and would have completely slipped under my radar if not for a good friend of mine. CONCERT's sound seems to draw heavily off of 70's soft-rock and psychedelia while employing quirky and forward-thinking production. I imagine this is what a collaboration between lamp and cornelius might sound like. BRIGHT TIME by EGO-WRAPPIN' Sample: 太陽哀歌 EGO-WRAPPIN's last full-length album Steal a Person's Heart was an underwhelming effort, fraught with various musical style except the one they do best. So it's great to hear them return to their jazzy roots on the BRIGHT TIME EP. But with only 4 tracks and the entire thing recorded in mono, it's such a tease. JariBu by JariBu Afrobeat Arkestra Sample: Wild Pansy I'm only aware of three different Afrobeat bands from Japan, and each year it seems like these bands take turns outdoing each other - 2012 was the year of KINGDOM☆AFROCKS, 2013 was REGGAELATION INDEPENDANCE, and so 2014 inevitably falls back to the JariBu Afrobeat Arkestra. They've locked the grooves down this year and delivered their finest album yet. homephone TE by macaroom Sample: Kingdom Another obscure recommendation from a friend that would have surely slipped my radar. macaroom creates dreamy ambient-pop and homephone TE is an intoxicatingly immersive album from start to finish. There are, however, 2 tracks sung entirely in Croatian that might raise an eyebrow at first. 5 - 1 + 1 = by mothercoat Sample: trickster mothercoat....consistently creative, and yet consistently underrated. They've been around for over a decade and yet somehow their music seems to get lost amongst international Japanese-indie fans - old and new. 5 - 1 + 1 = is a reference to the changes in their band lineup, and each track is a distinct reflection of those changes (track 1 - with old guitarist, track 2 without guitarist, track 3 with new guitarist). But three tracks simply isn't enough, so I can't wait to hear what else they've got in store. my letter by my letter Sample: ルーザー！ A friend of mine shared this band's demo with me back in 2011, and while I remember diggin' it, I'd completely forgotten they existed by this year. I'm glad they were finally able to get around to releasing an album, though. Bands like シャムキャッツ and ミツメ released solid records this year, but my letter takes the cake as my easy-going indie-rock album of the year. Lots of great guitar interplay and you can't beat the combo of male/female vocals. Elephant by orcaorca Sample: Clockwork Lovers orcaorca is the instrumental outing of 2 members from the electronic group ChouChou (no, not chouchou merged syrups. ha) Glitchy, electro-acoustic bliss that weaves itself seamlessly in and out of ambient soundscapes and minimal-tehcno pulsation. Koko by Satomimagae Sample: Mikkai I don't often hear music like this out of the modern J-folk world, so Satomimagae was an instant love for me. Her music has an exceedingly dense melancholic atmosphere and conjures up images of both depression and desolation. Fantastic album recorded with the perfect amount of intimate rawness. Rhapsody in beauty by THE NOVEMBERS Sample: Blood Music.1985 Rhapsody in beauty is yet another testament to THE NOVEMBER's continued growth and further accentuates their artistic proclivities. It's a dynamic album- from abrasive shoegaze, dark grunge, to angelic acoustic numbers and more. THE NOVEMBERS are clearly inspired and HAVE been for the past few years. Even if it's taken them about 6 years, they've completely won me over as a fan and are now one of my all-time favorites. CAO by アルカラ Sample: 愚痴ばっかりのローレロレロ arukara have been on fire since 2009, but this is by far my favorite album from them yet. The band's sound, which combines all of the hookiness and buoyancy of pop music with the multifaceted indie-rock ingenuity of an early 9mm parabellum bullet, has been refined to perfection. IMAGINARY MONO-FICTION by ヒトリエ Sample: 生きたがりの娘 I've long thought that some vocaloids had cool backing music, but being that I can't stand vocaloids, it was always an unfortunate arrangement for me. Thankfully, vocaloid producer wowaka took his colorful ideas and translated them into an actual band. The results have been splendid thus far. For me, the jury is still out on their first full-length, but this mini definitely delivers. ふつうのしあわせ by ふつうのしあわせ Sample: キャプテンにはなれない I saw this band described somewhere as bloodthirsty butchers meets PANICSMILE and thought that was an apt description. Especially the comparison to the latter. ふつうのしあわせ or "Ordinary Happy" play wonderfully spastic, disharmonic post-punk with a trumpet thrown in for good measure, cuz why the hell not? 攻撃的国民的音楽 by 八十八ヶ所巡礼 Sample: -超感覚的宇宙- If you've been following my "best-Of" lists over the past few years, then you've probably noticed that 88kasyo junrei's albums have made an appearance every time. I'm biased as fuck and I can't help it. Their formula is like a nonstop barrage of endorphins on my musical pleasure zones - heaps of melody, quirky and eccentric songwriting, unhinged yet groovy instrumentation, just the right amount of excessive noodling...so, yeah. There ya go. (not) NUCLEAR LOVE (or affection) by 印象派 Sample: ライ! ライ! ライ! There's nothing particularly outstanding about inshowha, but they make extremely well produced and catchy jpop. It also helps that their image/gimmick neither overshadows nor detracts from their actual music, so the duo exudes a kind of earnest charm. I was also pretty surprised at how well crafted this mini album was. It flows perfectly from one track to the next and you can tell actual thought was put into the songwriting. This isn't a release of sloppily glued together singles or filler tracks. Quality Jpop right here. NO UNDERGROUND by 撃鉄 Sample: やっちゃおう Gekitetsu's first full album expands on the sound they became known for on their first 2 EPs - vivacious post-punk chock full of singy-shouty vocals, discordant, angular guitar riffs, heady basslines, and nu-wave-y drumming. These guys are always a blast to listen to and definitely worth a try if you're into the coarser side of Japanese indie.

I might give sukekiyo another listen just to see if I feel any different about it after hearing ARCHE. Really enjoyed tracks #10 "scars like velvet" and #14 "鵠", though.

True. I just find ジョゼ to be really peculiar for a band name, so I couldn't help but raise my eyebrows a bit noticing there were 2 in existence.

LOSTAGE knows how to open up albums: (2006) - "TELEVISION CITY" from PLAY WITH ISOLATION (2007) - "RED" from DRAMA (2009) "SF" from GO

Stickied this thread, as this is extremely helpful information. Thank you for sharing!

lol nekkichi is silly... Odd. I have a release on my external from 2007 from a band called ジョゼ as well. This one: http://tower.jp/item/2253096/白日＜タワーレコード限定＞ Although this release isn't listed on the OHP of the ジョゼ ender posted about. Plus, the vocalist on the link I provided is clearly female and the music style differs a bit from the samples here. I guess there were two different Japanese indie-bands called ジョゼ at one point? Is Japan really this pressed for band names? EDIT: yeah, the band ender posted claims to have formed in 2010, so there's no way these are the same bands. smdh

(:

Their best? I might check it out then... I've had it sitting on my HD for months, but the only reason I haven't listened yet is because I never found their previous albums to be anything special, save a few tracks here and there.