[Album] J-Pop: An Introduction (and discussion)

I find the fact that she's Koda Kumi's sister rather interesting in respect to marketing her solo stuff. Koda's been on a bit of a popularity rampage recently (though personally I thought the 12 singles thing followed by a second 'best of' album took the piss somewhat, especially given most of the singles weren't that great), and I'm curious as to whether they want people to know misono is Koda's sister or want to play down the fact.

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So, what? We're just ignoring my post? Do you have any suggestions. I thought this thread was directed at newbies, man!

I was speaking idiomatically.

That's not an entirely pleasant attitude to take really. Yes people are usually willing to help out anyone with questions and I'm sorry that I, and others, obviously missed your post before. However, this isn't an on-demand service and I can't say I am familiar with the soundtrack you mention and therefore wouldn't know who to recommend (and as Scarletdeath will testify I tend to go on a bit when giving recommendations).

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Sorry. It just bugs me when I get ignored here.
In the post, I describe the music that I like from the OST.
Anyway, if you haven't heard it, it's definitely worth a listen if you're into J-Pop as much as you are. It's got some great tunes on it with a wide range of styles.

FELIPE NO

Well I'm in the middle of doing something and then I'll probably sleep, but fine I'll take a look tomorrow and see what I think.

Just because people don't respond to you straight away doesn't mean you've been ignored, and even if you have that doesn't give you the right to start mouthing off at people and getting narky. For one that's not going to win people over to helping out you.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Dear ignored "newbie,"

There is a large list of artists and descriptions in the first post. Read it.

Don't think you're special deserving attention at the exact moment you want it. If anyone feels like it, we'll help.

Also Katamari isn't really jpop. Its just music tailored to be weird/badass enough to fit the game. Contrary to popular belief, most normal japanese people don't go around listening to video game soundtracks, especially not zany games like Katamari. That kind of shoots down the whole "popular" part of jpop.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Originally Posted by Ultima

Dear ignored "newbie,"

There is a large list of artists and descriptions in the first post. Read it.

Did. Didn't really help my specific issue, so I made a post. It's what people do at forums.

Originally Posted by Ultima

Don't think you're special deserving attention at the exact moment you want it. If anyone feels like it, we'll help.

Because the next post after mine was from the creator of the thread, but had nothing to do with my post (not even an 'I'll getchya later'), I assumed my post was neglected because it may have seemed like I hadn't read the first post, or I was off-base somehow.

Originally Posted by Ultima

Also Katamari isn't really jpop. Its just music tailored to be weird/badass enough to fit the game. Contrary to popular belief, most normal japanese people don't go around listening to video game soundtracks, especially not zany games like Katamari. That kind of shoots down the whole "popular" part of jpop.

Bullshit it's not Jpop. It incorporates popular styles of music in Japan into the game and provides a chance for up and comers to be heard. Just because it doesn't have well-known artists doesn't mean it should be discarded as some 'zany' VGM. I know damn well that Japanese don't listen to VGM like it's mainstream music, but I do know that albums sell better over there, and that they actually appear on shelves! Most really popular series incorporate some lyrical japanese songs. Are those not Jpop either?

Don't preach to me like I'm some damn newbie either! I'm a newbie to Jpop, but that's all. It seems like every time the word newbie is thrown around people automatically assume they're an idiot about everything from how to post in a forum to world culture. Look at my post count for chrissakes!

At any rate, it's pretty obvious I won't receive much help here even if you guys were able to help me, because you're all too busy with your own discussions and haughtiness to really bother with what the damn thread was intended for!

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Originally Posted by shadowlink56

At any rate, it's pretty obvious I won't receive much help here even if you guys were able to help me, because you're all too busy with your own discussions and haughtiness to really bother with what the damn thread was intended for!

OK, first of all the post after your's wasn't by me it was by Ultima. Also, whilst Ultima's tone is somewhat harsh he makes a valid point that people will get to helping you when they can. Taking an aggressive stand point and being rude about all this is not going to win you any friends, and trying to tell me what the intention of this thread is when I damn well started it and know exactly what my intention was equally so.

Yes I want to help people who are looking to get into J-Pop as much as I can, and as I indicated it is my intention to help you out (something I am about to do). At the end of the day though I am only one person, and a very busy person at that who happens to do a full-time job amongst other things so I am terribly sorry if I don't instantaniously give you the lengthy reply you are after. If you have a little patience though you'd see I will reply.

Basically, try being a little less rude and don't apply one person's attitude (Ultima) to everyone.

If you can bear to wait the time it take me to write I'll have a response for you at some point in the near future.

Double Post:

Originally Posted by shadowlink56

Maybe you'd have some suggestions for stuff akin to this for me? I'll be looking for more by the artists, but don't really know what to look at for similar artists since the styles are really all over the board.
Anyway, hopefully someone's familiar with the OST . . .

As I said previously I am not familar with the OST or the artists included on the soundtrack that you mention so I can only go on the descriptions you have provided. None the less, here you go:

CoCo d'Or: CoCo d'Or is actually Hiro who used to be in SPEED. Anyway which way, the eponymous album you'll find under that name is a set of covers of 60's swing and jazz, the sort of Sinatra era of things, including The Girl From Ipanema, so that nicely covers the Frank Sinatra style. Also if rumours are to be believed she has a new album coming out sometime this year.

Do As Infinity: OK, so the group has now disbanded, but they've got a very healthy back-catalogue (six albums and about five collections) and are a group very much loved by many, and with good reason. Definitely fall into the alt-rock category of things.

dream: A girl group that incorporates a chunk of eurobeat/techno into their work. Not as popular as some of the other idol groups out their but their music is pretty decent.

Every Little Thing: Alt-rock is possibly one way of describing Every Little Thing (ELT), or you could just say they rock. Their more recent stuff has been more acoustically inclined, but it's fantastic none the less. A great act that is worth a listen.

Fayray: A slightly more relaxed version of jazz, blues and to some extent swing, but absolutely wonderful. A rather under-rated artist in my books, her ability with a piano is amazing and her voice is lovely. If you want to sample that end of things then you can't go too wrong with Fayray for my money.

HALCALI: A sister act that does rap, of their own kind, over upbeat techno type stuff. It's a difficult one to describe in a way but well worth checking out.

Hinoi Team: I know nothing about this group other than they've been pretty popular recently and are pretty much all about the eurobeat dance/techno sort of thing (their debut album is called SUPER EURO PARTY).

Maaya Sakamoto: You describe one as "Just grew on me. Good feel. Calming. Fun." Maaya Sakamoto is someone I'd say who embodies those traits also. Her music isn't necessarily the kind that hits you striaght off (though it can do), but will grow on you. It also fits the calming/fun note. I personally find Lucy to be her best album, but pretty much all her music is ace.

Morning Musume: OK, so I'm a MoMusu and H!P (that's Hello! Project) fanboy in a lot of respects, but with good reason, or so I think. Morning Musume put out the addictive, fun and just generally etertaining music which always manages to put a smile on my face. Would probably cover the 'songs that get stuck in your head' and 'school girls singing' areas you describe. Well worth a look if you ask me.

Towa Tei: I only have one album of his, Last Century Modern, but it's very good. Sort of a techno, remix thing going on. I guess he's one of these that takes a load of samples and creates something new with it. Again, probably well worth a looksie.

I hope this gives you a decent place to start. Once you've tried some of these you can always let us know what you did and didn't like and get more recommendations that way.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Originally Posted by shadowlink56

Bullshit it's not Jpop. It incorporates popular styles of music in Japan into the game and provides a chance for up and comers to be heard.

Why are you telling these people what is and isn't J-Pop? Just because the music comes from Japan does not mean it's J-Pop. "Pop music" has a much more specific definition than just being in a "popular style", having a specific sound, and constituting its own genre (and sub-genres) of music, just like classical, rock, and techno.

Also, like you yourself mentioned, some of the songs are actually emulating Western styles (e.g. A Crimson Rose, Que Sera Sera), and the others are in non-pop genres like rock (Katamari on the Rocks), techno (WANDA WANDA), and Latin jazz (Katamaritaino). I dunno, "The Moon and the Prince" might be considered some form of J-Pop, but it doesn't really seem to have much of a melody, a crucial factor in the genre. "Katamaritaino" does get pretty close at a few points, but I really don't know any artists with similar styles.

So yeah...practice a little patience and common courtesy. Nobody is obligated to tell you anything, so quit with the "unsatisfied customer" act.

How ya doing, buddy?

Chill the fuck out.

First off, we're all aware that your not a newbie to forum posting. Congrats for your high postcount. But as you said yourself, you're a newbie to J-pop. Welcome, you just made your first mistake by almost alienating the whole crowd here. Even if you were the shit in some other forum, if you move here and act like an ass for your first couple posts, you're going to get ignored, no matter how much power or respect you held over there. GFF is its own little world from other forums, just like the J-pop thread is its own little thread from all the others. Whatever goes on in other subforums doesn't really matter here. So just like when you started off in GFF having to build credibility, you're starting off here in the J-pop thread. You're a newbie here, whether you like it or not.

I'm also sorry for ignoring your initial post, but your second post didn't need take the somewhat aggressive tone. First off, you only gave us about 17 hours to reply before you replied again. Patience is key. There are definitely much better ways to ask for help, even if its the second time. This isn't a 24/7 J-pop help line.

Anyway....
If you're looking for some more J-techno stuff, I'd suggest either Supercar or Boom Boom Satellites. In regards to the more jazzy stuff, (such as "A Crimson Rose and Gin Tonic"), I think you'd like some of the jazzy stuff that Shiina Ringo does, which sounds similar (although in much different voice). Also from "Cherry Blossom Color Season", it looks like you'd like some just natural sounding folksy music, in which case I'd recommend Yuzu. It might not be schoolchildren, but it's got the same kind of feel I think.

Btw, it's all about "Lonely Rolling Star".

I was speaking idiomatically.

Wow, I've just downloaded the recent Lena Park single, MUSIC, and it's amazing. Some might recognise her by her Korean name - Park Jung Hyun. I would seriously recommend checking it out and I'm off to find more of her stuff.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Ooo, new av/sig...nice.

FELIPE NO

Thank ye.

I downloaded Lena Park's other Japanese single and it also rocks. She's officially been added to me <3 list, making her one to watch.

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(I know this is a bit off-topic,) but since you mentioned Park Jung Hyun, do a lot of you guys listen to any K-pop?

SE7EN's a pretty popular Korean R&B artist. He had two new albums was released earlier this month. One Korean release, and one Japanese ("First Seven"). I've been liking a lot of this Japanese stuff more lately... it's typically more pop-y.

I've also recently gotten into a K-rock band called "Cherry Filter." Has anyone heard of them?

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Originally Posted by Lee-chan

(I know this is a bit off-topic,) but since you mentioned Park Jung Hyun, do a lot of you guys listen to any K-pop?

SE7EN's a pretty popular Korean R&B artist. He had two new albums was released earlier this month. One Korean release, and one Japanese ("First Seven"). I've been liking a lot of this Japanese stuff more lately... it's typically more pop-y.

I have a nice selection of K-Pop albums as well. You mentioned SE7EN, and I actually first learned about him a little over a year ago when I heard his two Korean albums. I also listened to his two latest albums (Japanese and Korean), and I still prefer the Korean releases. I find that his Japanese album left something to be desired.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

It seems like a lot of Korean artists are starting to move into the Japanese market. Lee Jung Hyun's new album (which was half and half) was pretty good, but some of the Korean songs she retooled into Japanese just didn't work for me. Anyway, she and Lee Hyo Lee are about the only Korean artists I ever listen to. Oh, and BoA of course.

On another note, CDJapan is having a fairly decent sale on some H!P DVDs here. Thinking about picking up those two cheaper Gocchin DVDs..

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

My apologies to everyone here.
It felt like y'all were against me for a little while there, and felt the need to retaliate. I was also coming off some other threads where my posts were ignored (mainly due to a flame war in other threads).
Still, that is no excuse to spout off.
Again, I apologize.
I will take your generous considerations, try to find them, and see if it's something I'll be interested in. Thanks for taking the time. I appreciate it, especially after how I acted.
As for the Katamari stuff, it is kind of its own little quirky subculture of music, but it helped me realize that it was possible to like music even though I can't understand the lyrics.
Jazz and swing work particularly well in this sense because if I can't understand the lyrics, it just sounds like someone scatting! Heh.

How ya doing, buddy?

Yeah, if you like jazz/swing, definitely check out Tokyo Jihen. Rollins has both albums on his FTP.

Speaking of Tokyo Jihen, it looks like ADULT VIDEO has been released...anyone getting this? I might end up buying/sharing it myself if necessary...it doesn't look like it would be overly expensive to import. On the other hand, it seems relatively on the short side (22 minutes) and is Region 2...I think the hacked XBox might play it, but I'm not sure how to rip it from there.

I was speaking idiomatically.

I'm not too sure about methods of dvd ripping via xbox, although they undoubtedly exist. However, you can rip the dvd image with DVD Decrypter (if you can find the install, I have it but I don't have internet at the moment). Also, to play on the computer there's a nice little program called AnyDVD which should do you nicely. It pretty much disables region encoding so you can play DVDs of any region on your resident DVD drive.

Also, HIGH and MIGHTY COLOR album 2 in like two weeks. Going to the mothers soon so I'll definitely take that oppurtunity to catch up on as much of the music scene that I possibly can in a day. I want to be back in Japan with the huge music stores in Akihabara and all the godliness of a foreign country.

Anyway, pay your bills, folks, you don't want to be left on the street with no internet, trust me.

How ya doing, buddy?

I just realized that YUI's style, besides having similarities to Michelle Branch/Avril Lavigne, she's really like theory of a Deadman too. The melody style is pretty close. The ratio of soft and loud songs in YUI's album reminded me of them.

FELIPE NO

Okay, so I got around to listening to the Ringo no Uta single. Supposedly the track "Ringo Catalogue" references her previous works through not only the lyrics, but also through certain instruments and melody excerpts (sort of the musical version of her "Ringo no Uta" PVs I guess). Has anyone actually done a comprehensive analysis of the song? I'm very interested in exactly which parts reference which songs.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

I just went through your ist and I'd like to make a suggestion to add a section of your R&B/Hip-Hop section to the group SOUL'd OUT. Their newest CD, "Alive" was released 3/8/06. I highly suggest to give them at least a listen. They've released 3 albums total, in addition to several singles. They are:

Diggy-MO - Main MC
Bro. Hi - Human Beat Box
Shinnosuke- Trackmaster

Check them out.

SOUL'd OUT

Jam it back in, in the dark.

I'll check 'em out. I've been interested in a lot of hip-hop/R&B-type stuff lately... for instance, I've always been a fan of m-flo and I've been listening to a lot of Amuro Namie's latest stuff.

Has anyone heard a lot of Sakamoto Ryouhei? I like his newest single (featuring Verbal) a lot. Has he done any solo albums?

Double Post:
Oh, yeah - the "Peelander-Z" people I was was talking about a while back are the people in JUST DECLARED WAR's current sig/avatar. I wonder if they're as hilarious as they look...

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Originally Posted by Lee-chan

Has anyone heard a lot of Sakamoto Ryouhei? I like his newest single (featuring Verbal) a lot. Has he done any solo albums?

His Japanese discography is sitting in my MP3s folder gathering dust. He released a full-length album as Sakamoto Ryohei before disappearing and then reinventing himself as Ryohei.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

New music day today. My order including Angela Aki's Kiss Me Good-Bye, May's Korean single for Wonderland and my new wildcard purchase of Misachi Kyushima's Vibrato arrived. The former two I've listened to and are ace (Kiss Me Good-Bye has won me over after a proper listen, though Santa Fe is still the best song on the single) and I'm currently listening to the latter, which is so far so good.

I do likes new music. Mind you, that said I still have this desire to stick YUI's album on again.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?