recommended tracks Recommended Tracks: May 2016

[Zeus 7997]

 

Recommended Tracks: May 2016

 

Welcome back to our monthly digest of rockin' new tunes. Our review team has been hard at work trying to bring you the best of the best this month. We hope you enjoy! Now onto the picks!

 

Note that not all videos may be available in your area.

 

 

@doombox's picks:

 

"Dandadan" by HEY-SMITH

 

I couldn't help but to get swept up in the energy of this track. Even though the song is about ending a toxic relationship it's hard not to jump around and dance to this one. The video also drives the point home with the entire band attempting to woo a girl who in the end wasn't worth all the effort. The song is typical ska-punk fare those familiar with HEY-SMITH have come to expect through the band's 10 year career, but that doesn't make it any less enjoyable. The band spits out consistently great tunes! The dual vocal call-back style chorus of "Let it go! Go away!" I find especially catchy. If you haven't given HEY-SMITH a spin yet, this is the perfect time!

 

Spoiler

 

"NOISE" by Beyond Her Words

 

It's exciting to see the metalcore and post-hardcore scenes in Japan continue to pick up steam. There are still a new crop of fresh faces showing up every year and  a lot of surprisingly good releases coming from them. Beyond Her Words got on my radar with their previous single earlier this year, but this time around "Noise" really showcases how solid they are. The clean vocals are a major plus since they don't need a second vocalist to handle them alongside the screams (like far far too many bands these days), and Taku's singing voice is on the deeper side in contrast to most of his peers.  On top of their high-octane djent-heavy style, this has put them on the fast track to popularity.

 

Spoiler

 

 

@beni's picks:

 

"あぶく(abuku)" by 辻林美穂 (Miho Tsujibayashi)

 

Tsujibayashi isn't just new to myself, but also to almost everyone else, surely. With only mentions/credits in her discography that goes to other artists' tracks in releases, such as Lovely Summer-Chan and Aoi Yuuki, Tsujibayashi comes out with her first full length album and what seems to be her only original source of material, "Clarté". It easily being one of my favourite albums of this year already, this spot was instantly taken just for her. The simplicity of the lullaby track, with splashes of synths to add a slight dreamy touch with the piano and orchestral interludes paints a beautifully tranquil scene, that similar to the almighty brilliance of the late, popular Ritsuko Okazaki and recent favourite from last year, Nasu Asaco. If you're also a fan of other soft, similar artists such as those I've stated, definitely be sure to check this delightful treat of a sweetheart out too to add to your collection!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"堂々巡リ(doudoujunri)" by イトヲカシ (Itowokashi)

 

This super exhilarating song is your typical Utaite dish, served to impress. It really is as it comprises of popular Utaite singer Itou Kashitarou, and his long time friend and well known Vocaloid producer LeftyMonster-P. Kashitarou already has plenty of brilliant covers and original songs/releases under his belt, but with this new collaboration between these two well established Vocaloid contributors, it's more than a welcome and deserving unity. On his own, Kashitarou has always provided a distinctive voice, with a quavering vibrato while LeftyMonster-P has given us original Vocaloid material from "START" and "さよならのかわりに ". Against the rocking quick pace of the song, it certainly ends all too soon and leaves you wanting more.  No need to worry on that though, since you can already purchase their first mini-album 捲土重来 for five other songs completely their own!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-Silver lining- by SWANKY OCEAN ACOUSTIX

 

I thought the name was familiar, and in fact, this band is a side project of SWANKY DANK, a pop punk/rock band who are already distinguished in the scene. SWANKY OCEAN ACOUSTIX has been around since only 2015, and from the brief listens I've given to SWANKY DANK in the past, SWANKY OCEAN ACOUSTIX's existence is greatly appreciated since I adore how clear and appropriate Koji sounds against the chilling tune instead of their more hard hitting material in SWANKY DANK. Their English lyrics flow effortlessly in "-Silver lining-", and the whole sound is a joyful vibe to treat your ears to again, and again, and again.

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

"woman's Rib" by 岩崎愛 (Ai Iwasaki) 

 

In just one play of "woman's Rib", the infectious tune continued to play in my head throughout the day. This little gem of a pleasantry is gifted to us by a rather little singer-songwriter herself, called Ai Iwasaki. The name is new to me but definitely not to our resident indie King @CAT5, who confirmed my suspicious of her being a long running obscurity; specifically  in the indie scene. She plays the acoustic guitar and her first album was released a good ten years ago, back in 2006. While this is definitely on the poppier side of her work, you can discover her previous music such as another recent song she released this year here. If this sounds like its up your alley, or if you're more of a simple acoustic lover, anything Iwasaki is sure to be worth your attention!

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

@fitear1590's picks:

 

"She'll Never Forgive To Be Insulted." by a crowd of rebellion

 

a crowd of rebellion are gearing up to release their latest album, Xanthium. If the "M1917" PV from March played it a bit too safe for you, "She'll Never Forgive to Be Insulted." brings back the crazy in full force. This song is a blazing mess, in the best way. As I've written in previous blurbs, there's something uncannily VK about acor's creative take on post-hardcore composition. In this track, they mix NOCTURNAL BLOODLUST levels of harsh vocal brutality with Kiryu-esque traditional Japanese kookiness. And somehow, it works! It's always neat to see bands with crossover potential and I think acor has what it takes to reach out to a certain sect of VK fans.

 

Spoiler

 

 

"夜を抜ければ (yoru wo nukereba)" by odol

 

Mellow indie rockers odol just released their second album YEARS. As much as I dig their music--their light piano style makes them sound surprisingly similar to ねごと (NEGOTO)--their vocalist occasionally has an annoying squawky delivery. I guess it only makes sense that I'm recommending quasi-instrumental closing track, "夜を抜ければ." Following a slow buildup, his vocals chime in near the halfway point of the song and actually, this is his best performance on the whole release! If you aren't so picky with j-indie vocals, then I highly recommend giving the rest of the album a spin as well.

Spoiler

 

 

 

@emmny's picks:

 

"おはよう(ohayo)" by DEZERT

 

Ah, DEZERT and their love of trolling with live-distributes. If DEZERT have demonstrated anything during the past year, it's their ability to morph their sound with ease, pulling off every style that they try. This isn't anything different with "Ohayou", as they don a heavy newer-Girugamesh and western metalcore influence, twisting it into their own perverted creation. The creepy children on backing vocals and the eerie chord progression keep the signature DEZERT sourness and tension intact. It's not much of a coincidence that they're dropping their most accessible and catchy track to date on June 5th, the night of their Zepp Tokyo Oneman, but there's nothing contrived about it; it's pure DEZERT crack from start to finish. DEZERT are pretty much the underground success story of the indies circuit, and if you've yet to join the bandwagon, take a look at the banner at the top of the page and take the hint \m/. 

 

 

 

"faraway" by …。【サイレンス】(Silence)

 

Silence isn't a new name in the scene, being around since 2011 as a side project of emmurée vocalist Sou, but they're still quite low-profile given the slow rate at which they release new material. Given the goth-rock pedigree of the members, that influence is still quite strong but Silence have lightened up considerably throughout the years, sharpening their older, more experimental sound to a more easily digestible and catchy alt/indie rock template with a thick gothic rock and nagoya kei leaning. psycho:lens, their first full-length album is a love letter to the 90's in that respect; think of shoegazey melodies and arrangements but with a bellowing vocalist and more shrill guitars. "faraway" represents Silence at the most hypnotic intersection of their sound; the rays of light piercing through blackened clouds, knowing full well it's for a brief second until the rain falls again.

 

 

[mp3]https://www.dropbox.com/s/f61omwv087fbfww/02 faraway.mp3[/mp3]

 

"after the addle apple" by the god and death stars 

 

After tracking aie's work throughout the years, we've all come to expect a certain sound from the amazing guitarist and singer-songwriter. Cue after the addle apple, a track-for-track remake of the (fantastic) god and death stars' 2011 debut mini album addle apple. Since his work with deadman, aie's known to play a lot with the concept of a remake but with after the addle apple, the remakes are borderline unrecognizable from their predecessors. The arrangements are uncharacteristically lush and adventurous, especially in the case of the title track, taking on an oddly funky turn with the addition of synths over a rhythmic backing track. The verses contrast with a beautifully delicate chorus, and the rest of the track flows effortlessly, ending with the opening line of the original song--a sly gesture, considering that's the only nod to the original.

 

@Original Saku's picks:

 

"ダンボール彼女(danbouru kanojo)" by ぼくたちのいるところ。 (Bokutachi no Iru Tokoro.)

 

Great song by one of my newest loves, Bokutachi no Iru Tokoro. They play a really dirty indie rock style that just punches you in the gut from first listen, very enjoyable stuff for indie rock fans. The song "Danbooru Kanojo" starts off with some spoken words singing style from the vocalist Jinsei Dame Ko that I've fallen for hook, line, and sinker. Jinsei commands this song with her vocal style and she is the driving force throughout the song. I would also like to take a minute and talk about the production as a whole on this song and the rest of the album for that matter... It's good, like really fucking good. You may not be able to tell from the YouTube video below but the mixing and production is great here. It delivers a very explosive sound that doesn't lose any momentum from bad mixing and can be cranked up loud while just enjoying the tune. All in all a great song and a great album with lots of variety and catchiness from this up and coming indie group.

 

Spoiler

 

 

"DON'T WORRY BOYS" by Homecomings

 

Next up we calm down with the indie pop sounds of Homecomings and their song "DON'T WORRY BOYS"  from their new album SALE OF BROKEN DREAMS. This song is the definition of chill out feel good music that this band is known for, while this sound and type of music is a dime a dozen among the Japanese music scene, you won't find better execution of the genre anywhere else. At the core this song delivers a up-tempo progression with swift verses and delicious hooks. All in all the perfect song and album to just relax and let the good mood vibes flow into you.

 

Spoiler

 

 

"卒業(sotsugyou)" by My Hair is Bad

 

Okay now we'll go for a change from the last two songs and introduce the newly major debuted band My Hair is Bad who plays a alternative rock style that has really got me excited for what they have in store for the future. "Sotsugyou" is the ending song of their new single Jidaio Atsumete so it's a bit less in your face as the first three song on the single but it overall showcases the band's strengths. In particular the vocalist Shiinoki TomoHitoshi (椎木知仁) really impressed me with his range and ability to switch between spoken word vocalization seamlessly into the more traditional singing you might expect, I also just really dig his voice. The song has its fair share of low and high points throughout that really does a great job of closing the single out, I particularly enjoyed the acoustic guitar strumming sections of the song and it paired up quite nicely to the vocals for a almost folk-y atmosphere.

 

 

 
 

 

"勇気を持ってグッドバイ(yuuki wo motte goodbye)" by イロメガネ (Iromegane)

 

Now we come to another new discovery for me this month in Iromegane and their/her new album 37.2℃. In particular the opening song "Yuuki wo Motte Goodbye" captured me from the first moment I listened to the album. Immediately I was delighted by acoustic guitar strumming that lead into the wonderful and serene voice of Higashi Ayu. As the song progresses it ramps up and turns into a fun rock ballad that makes you want to dance with the tune, then starts to die back down at the end. Truly a fun and catchy song, which also like the rest of the album has some amazingly clear production and mixing. Speaking of, the album itself  is also just as praiseworthy and I would say has a really nice variation in styles and influences, I think you will be pleasantly surprised by the variety of different sounds used in the album.

 

 

 

 

"overground" by cinema staff

 

It's no secret that I'm a really big cinema staff fan, hell I've bought most of their albums and they are probably one of my most listened to bands. Eve is their 5th overall album and their 4th major album. Most indie fans would say this is the point where good bands lose their way, but surprisingly that has not applied to cinema staff and I've only grown to enjoy their music more with each release since their major debut, this album is no exception to that either. "Overground" is quite possibly one of my favorite songs from them in quite some time and has quickly infected me with its insanely catchy chorus and instrumentation, along with snappy verses that pound on your ear drums. It's worth mentioning that it is also the last song on the album and closes it out, and by god I couldn't think of a better way to end a album. cinema staff has delivered again with extreme precision and knocked away any doubts in my mind that they might be 'losing their way', here's to another five albums!

 

 

 

 

 

"時間は告ぐ(jikan wa tsugu)" by Siraph

 

Siraph is a band that seemingly came out of nowhere for me, but I'm sure glad they did. Consisting of members from School Food Punishment, ハイスイノナサ (Haisuinonasa), mop of head, and the delightful Annabel on vocals. Siraph took me by surprise this last week with their self titled debut EP and I've not been able to stop listening since. It's no big surprise honestly when you consider the members who make up the group. "Jikan wa Tsugu" is just one of the six tracks that make up the debut release but by far it is the one that most reminds me of SFP while also treading new ground and making it their own. Annabel on vocals is just sublime and really sets the song off on a one way track to my heart. Combine that with the great performance from Masayuki Hasuo on keyboard and Yoshimasa Terui on guitar and you can just tell something really special is happening here.

 

 

 

 

"atom" by jizue

 

The wait is over and we finally have another jizue album to sink our teeth into, fans of the instrumental piano driven group know all too well what a new album means and the delights that it brings along. It was a long wait this time around since they skipped 2015 as a whole but let me assure you that it was every bit worth the wait. If "atom" is any indication the band has delivered again that piano driven post rock sound that we all love; they are in top form in this track too. From the first second of the track the piano just explodes in a flurry of keys and you can really tell that Kie Katagi is really enjoying herself here. The song as a whole is just one wild piano driven ride that is backed up masterfully by the other instruments, all to come together at the end for a huge bang. The name of the album is Story and after listening to it in it's entirety I can say that it's one hell of a tale.

 

 

 

 

That's all for this month, see you next time!~

 

 

 

[doombox 4421]

Also, if anyone wants to join in recommending new tracks next month feel free to contact me about how to do it! We're always accepting guest writers. 
------------
Yay! There were a lot of rad songs this month. I couldn't even keep up.

I'm cry, how did I not know about SWANKY DANK's acoustic project? Also whoever recorded Koji's voice for this should have worked on Magna Carta because he sounds so much better here. I need to look up if they've got proper releases with this. 

I can't wait for that a crowd of rebellion album to come out after listening to this song. sdkfhsdjlfhdls They keep getting better!

I was hesitent to jump on the DEZERT hype train but I really like this pick. The vk may be small in the list this month but it is MIGHTY. 

Always happy to see cinima staff getting some more love. I haven't listened to the new album yet but this has me really excited!!!

jizue's album is also on my gonna-listen-to-soon list. "atom" sounds fantastic. 
 

[emmny 4139]

great picks, thank god j-indie still reigns supreme wink wink

 

[Tokage 5930]

visual kei fans btfo once again. nice list, gonna check out a bunch of artists i hadnt heard of before

Edited June 1, 2016 by Tokage

[SwampMan 222]

Checked out all the picks, some I was already familiar with but some are completely new to me like Bokutachi no Iru Tokoro. & Itowokashi. I've really enjoyed listening to "danbouru kanojo" and "doudoujunri". Definitely the ones I liked the most of this list.

[fitear1590 2414]

June is coming to a close soon, so be sure to send us your guest contributions if you want the opportunity to feature a song on next month's list!

PM @doombox for details!