Japanese Music

三味線
しゃみせん
shamisen.
Nothing particularly tied to the New Year (shin’nen), but the shamisen always makes me feel “new yearsy,” if you know what I mean.

Sore ja.

Kimi ga Poison (You are Poison)

The funniest comment on the video:
“日本の恥だ”
An embarrassment to Japan.
If you don’t know MC Noriaki, I featured him once or twice before my old blog melted down.
Here’s a short out-take from Unstoppable (long version has some naughty words):

I’ll let you cruise YouTube on your own for the rest of his “art.”
Sore […]

…can make pointless and irritating music.
Tenori-on
Actually, I translated a press release for this product announcement a few weeks back.

Yeah..the demo is about 2:25 longer than it has to be…
Sore ja.

Ketsumeishi
ケツメイシ
Seems like a good vid to post at the end of summer.
また君に会える/ Mata Kimi ni Aeru/ We’ll Meet Again

My wife is a Ketsumeishi fan.
Why?
普通のおっさんだから
Futsuu no ossan dakara
[Because] they’re just regular old dudes.
From Wikipedia:
グループ名の由来は、中国で古代より下剤などに使用されている薬草「決明子（けつめいし）」で、薬草の効用になぞらえて「全てを出し尽くす」という意味が込められている。
Guruupumei no yurai ha, Chuugoku de kodai yori gezai nado ni shiyou sarete iru yakusou “ketsumeishi” de, yakusou no kouyou ni nazoraete, “subete […]

I’ve been waiting for this one to show up on YouTube.
Rip Slyme’s Blue Bebop.
I like the “o-tera” (お寺) vibe (buddhist temple).
The temple I spent the night at in Nara wasn’t nearly as grand as the one in this vid, but it was cool nonetheless.

If you ever get a chance, try and visit a Buddhist temple. […]

Sunday again already? Sheesh.
OK, here are the music vids:
水樹奈々/ Mizuki Nana
Secret Ambition
#2 this week

スピッツ SPITZ
ルキンフォ (Looking For)
#3 this week

Rag Fair
夏風便リ / Natsukaze Tayori / News from the Summer Wind
#19 this week

And the bonus vid:
Cibo Matto
Sugar Water

Cibo Matto’s Myspace page.
Exit question: Was/ is Cibo Matto a Japanese band, or just a band with […]

Hi, All:
I think today, just some random music vids. Enjoy:
Monkey Majik + Yoshida Brothers
Change

Um…the Yoshida Bros. are the ones with the Shamisen (三味線).
Chitose Hajime
青レクイエム/ Blue Requiem

Zazen Boys
Crazy Days Crazy Feeling

That’s Shiina Ringo helping a bit on the vocals.
And listen for 繰り返される諸行無常/ kurikaesareru shogyou mujou = “All of our actions are in vain.” That’s a very […]

Sorry about the tardiness. Really busy on deadline yesterday.
鼓動 / こどう / Pulse
Glay
#1 this week
The vid is connected with some movie (大帝の剣/ taitei no ken…or maybe tsurugi/ sword of the emperor)

They just don’t make ‘em like they used to….sigh.
パンキッシュ/ Punkish(?)
Mihimaru GT
#7

Scarecrow
The Pillows
#13

And a bonus vid from the way-back machine:
Fujii Fumiya was with a band called […]

Hello, Everyone:
Here are this week’s music vids. Hope you enjoy.
蕾/ tsubomi (flower bud)
Kobukuro
#1 This week

ひと恋めぐり (A Short Love Affair)
柴崎コウ/ Kou Shibasaki
#8 this week (chart debut)
It’s a little melodramatic for my taste, by Kou Shibasaki is pretty big in J-land right now, so…

Anything for You
Bonnie Pink
#9 this week (chart debut)

Bonus vid:
Hmm…whom shall it be this week?
Let’s […]

Hi, everyone:
I decided to do something a little different this time around. Here are the top Independent Label videos for the last week or so.
Hawaiian6
Days
Pizza of Death Records

Ellegarden
Missing (Sorry, the only one I could find just had the roomaji subtitles)
Dynamord

ガガガＳＰ (GagagaSP)
神戸駅 (Koube Eki/ Kobe Station)
俺様レコード／LD&K (Oresama Rekoodo/LD&K)

And a bonus vid:
矢沢永吉/ Eikichi Yazawa
He’s been a rock […]