J-Pop videos are so funny. Hehe.

[koku]

Seriously, all these bright colors and all these cute little girls who think they are bad-ass Marines or something. LOL how can you take them so seriouslY?

Hmm let's see one I saw yesterday, this girl in her room plauged in pink starts off with slow piano music. I figure it fits. Then all of a sudden she's wielding a...pink oversized guitar and jumping up and down with her enterauge behind her and attempting to do rock music. Oh god the humor.

This one's pretty funny too, there dancing in what seems to be a colorfull circus(take your normal colorfull circus tent aparatus, and like ad 300% more color). I guess you just have experience it with your eyes but it's funny.

Oh and they were driving tanks through tear away sheets of famous arhicecture like the Pyramids. They even had army attire and "war paint" on them, lol but it just looked like any ol' make up.

Ah here comes what appears to be, a "normal" video, we'll see how long it lasts but share your experience on what you think.

*not knocking the music, i woudlnt be listneng to it if i didn't like it, but I just figured this was thread worthy*

[Myrsilus]

J-Pop can be quite nice to listen to. I like the upbeatness of it all. But seriously, what messages are they trying to get through to the viewers of their videos? I'm beginning to think maybe I've been secluded to America for far too long, but... really I have no idea what they're doing half the time.

And Japanese rappers are funny as hell. I believe I saw one where all these old men were trying to act gangsta with them... and I think they were crawling occasionally.

[Benaire]

Have you seen hikki's sakura drops video i think she was on acid or i was on acid watching it whatever it was it was trippy but nice.

Utada Hikaru rules!!!

[Dead Sexy Vocab]

As what Azrael's Americanized-Japanese Teacher once said...

Ms. Americanized however, being one of a very small percentage of Japanese people to actually know what had just happened, was taken by surprise. "...What the fuck?!" She exclaimed.

[koku]

and the acid trip drivven viseos just don't stop.

LMFAO its like japanes rap with these 2 girls in orange jump suits. lol hahah it's got like a mario techno backgroudn beat too.

HAHAHA this is just so awesome, now their playing pong pong with giant speakers behind them. lol this is funny. Their dance moves are pretty rockin' too.

wow, and thers like random anime scenes that pop up once in a while. Oh wait, now their grooving, SLO-MO PING PONG!

wow...this is great.

lmfao hahahaa oh shit its like a japanese enrique englasias video now. and there goes a guy with pink hair.

[hapacheese]

I prefer Hikki's Final Distance and Colors videos ;)

[KO3AK]

Whenever I see (BY ACCIDENT ONLY) a Japanese rap video I wanna take a shit on my monitor and throw it out the window.
The way Japanese adopt gangsta dressing and behaving style is, well, lets just say does not suit them. They simply look like semi-handicapped bouncing clowns who have brain seizures. They should stick to the traditional J-pop.

[hapacheese]

Because, you know, other cultures aren't allowed to take influences from other cultures and adopt it into their own, right? Because, you know, America has never done that before.

/sarcasm

[KO3AK]

Because, you know, other cultures aren't allowed to take influences from other cultures and adopt it into their own, right? Because, you know, America has never done that before.

/sarcasm

Thank you for including the "/sarcasm" at the end. Without it I thought you were totally serious.

[h2orowe]

Soul'd Out=horrible j-rap? Rapanese? group.
They're Pop Japan Tv's featured artist, it's so annoying.
The only good J-pop they've had on that this month, was Rie Fu (I think her name is that) when she sings "Life is Like a Boat".

[koku]

things can be adapted. sometimes people have problems when they adopt it and it's totally different than what it was. Besides if somethings wierd/funny from our eyes and standards we can laugh at it as long as we respect it.

Like i said, I like jpop music, I just think some of the videso r f'n wierd.

edit:

ok what in the world, theres a girl band named "lolita strawberry."

...... and they are f'n young too. God. First I see like a 9 girl(i shit you not there were atleast 8 little fucks dancing/running amock) band, Berryz Koubou I think, and now this?

I guess Japan's just not ashamed.

[hapacheese]

Okay, Soul'd Out is just plain ass :D (First off, you figure they would find out what their name meant, right?)

If you want to hear good Japanese hip hop/rap, listen to Loop Junktion, Dragon Ash (not all their stuff is good, I admit), Rip Slyme, Steady & Co. (which is essentially Dragon Ash + Rip Slyme, anyway), etc.

(And I should add that Japanese rap, well most of it, isn't about bitches and ho's and how much bling they got. A lot of it is actually written like a normal song with various themes, etc... Rip Slyme's stuff, for example, is usually humorous.)

[koku]

Okay, Soul'd Out is just plain ass :D (First off, you figure they would find out what their name meant, right?)

If you want to hear good Japanese hip hop/rap, listen to Loop Junktion, Dragon Ash (not all their stuff is good, I admit), Rip Slyme, Steady & Co. (which is essentially Dragon Ash + Rip Slyme, anyway), etc.

(And I should add that Japanese rap, well most of it, isn't about bitches and ho's and how much bling they got. A lot of it is actually written like a normal song with various themes, etc... Rip Slyme's stuff, for example, is usually humorous.)

I just saw a Ripy Slyme video, wierd animations but yeah.

not to say I enjoy watching like people who don't belong doing rap making an ass of themselves attempting it. In fact it's kind of funny/entertaining in an unintentional way.

[Henjin]

I like that Rie Fu song too, but IIRC, she was/is attending school in England... So she's had a lot of outside influence, I guess.

And yeah, J-pop videos are amusing. I don't know about the boy bands, though. I always fast forward through those. That one girl, Yuki... She has some freaky videos... And they're all the more creepy because she looks like she's 12. I'm sure she's 35 or something, but they're still creepy.

I don't really listen to rap in any language. I prefer rock. I've got most of The Brilliant Green's videos. Some of those are strange, but in an artsy way. They're cool. I also like Asian Kung-Fu Generation. The one video of theirs I saw was really normal.

Oh yeah, and I like most of Nakashima Mika's videos. Legend is really cool when the wall art behind her comes to life.

[hapacheese]

Oh, Rip Slyme is completely intentional. But, they can rap, believe it or not... they simply don't act/look like they can. Well, it's more 90's hip hop style than "rap," per say, but you get the point.

It's tinged with a hint of Japanese note progression and rhythms, which give it just an interesting enough sound, IMO. Their first hit song, "One," was catchy and had entertaining lyrics. But, what really caught my attention was the track "Bring Your Style" on their album. It's only about a minute and change long, but had a really solid beat and great sound to it.

However, of the three groups I mentioned above, I recommend Loop Junktion the most. It's jazz/rap. Pretty good stuff, IMO. But, then again, I hate most conventional rap in the US and opt for more off-beat, underground cold poets. Or nerdcore rap, just for shits and giggles (MC Hawking or MC Frontalot).

[Henjin]

The closest I get to rap is 311 and the Beastie Boys. Heh.

[hapacheese]

Henjin, have you seen the covers to Asian Kung-Fu Generation's albums? I really like the retro-Asian style of the albums... And the band rocks, too :) (AKFG is in my iPod rotation right now...)

[Xephon]

I'm not much of a rap 'fan' but I was watching one of those korean celebrity shows (which wasn't subtitled so I didn't understand a word of it) and the guys acting...for a lack of a better word, ghetto, was just hilarious. Pure comedy, especially the old guy making fun of the younger guys by acting just like them.

[Henjin]

Yeah, I have seen them. They're great. I like the way ukiyo-e can have such a modern look to them regardless of their age. I love nihonga ukiyo-e from the Taisho period. (大正時代の浮世絵が大好きだ。） My avatar is a scan from a book called "Taisho Chic - Japanese Modernity Nostalgia and Deco."

[koku]

m-flo is good too i think, in a commercial way. Some of their stuff with crystal kay is pretty cool I thinks. Yeah asian kung fu is pretty normal, classic jrock good stuff but man

some of L'arc en Ciel's stuff scares the funk out of me. Dir En Grey is weird too lol.

[Henjin]

some of L'arc en Ciel's stuff scares the funk out of me. Dir En Grey is weird too lol.

Oh, I'm so glad to hear that. Those guys are like rock gods over there, and I know a guy over here who thinks the same way... I can't stand 'em. And what's his name, Hyde? I can't stand the guy! I saw an interview... They ask him his favorite color... he takes about 5mins to think about it... Then says w/ no emotion as he stares into the void through his sunglasses... "The color of blood." OOooh...

[koku]

Oh, I'm so glad to hear that. Those guys are like rock gods over there, and I know a guy over here who thinks the same way... I can't stand 'em. And what's his name, Hyde? I can't stand the guy! I saw an interview... They ask him his favorite color... he takes about 5mins to think about it... Then says w/ no emotion as he stares into the void through his sunglasses... "The color of blood." OOooh...


lol 5 minutes to think of that? why can't the mutherfunker say red?

*sigh* lol. but yeah, their vides creep me out :P.

Mabye I creep easy or something.

[hapacheese]

Actually, henjin, my friend has that book. I thought I'd recognized that pic from somewhere :)

m-flo is highly commercialized hip-pop (for lack of a better word), but still manages to have soul. It's all Verbal (lead male vocalist, composer, and producer). He's the man.

I like L'arc's more normal stuff, but sometimes they just try way too damn hard.


As for videos, Shiina Ringo has some weird/interesting videos...

[Henjin]

Yeah, it's an awesome book. I bought it awhile ago.

And I used to watch PopJapanTV before they got rid of the two girl hosts and replaced them w/ that creepy effeminate dude who wears all black. (what crackpot made that decision?) Anyway, I liked the artist interviews. Best one was 中島美嘉(Nakashima Mika). They asked her what she was like when she was drunk and she said she steals stuff. Then she started to tell a story about when she stole some whiskey from off a truck or something and she was totally cracking up. She seems really cool. I prefer someone like that to a sulking wannabe rocker.

[hapacheese]

Oh, yeah... Hyde's a tool. And he's like 5 ft tall. He's friggin' TINY.


But, the one guy who acts like that that I just get a kick out of is Gackt. He's a complete tool and his music is pretty generic, but man... that guys is friggin' hilarious. You can totally tell it's an act because every once in a while when he gives some bizarre answer (like Hyde would), he starts laughing under his breath and he tries so hard to keep a straight face.

He was on Music Station once, and they asked him about his new house. He said it had vaulted ceilings. They asked, "How high?" He said, "20 meters." They asked what for... he responded, "So I can use my trampoline in the bedroom." And started nearly laughing... And he started talking about the giant waterfall he installed in his bedroom as well... and when asked why he would do that, his only response was, "For when the time comes, I will be ready."

(Aiko was laughing her ass off at this point in the background, and Gackt was trying, but failing, to keep a straight face.)

[Henjin]

Yes! Yes, I hate Gackt too. I love how he tries to keep a straight face. I saw him on Heyx3 a few times.
Come to think of it, I saw Mika on Heyx3 too. Again, she was great.

You speak Japanese and you hate Gackt and Hyde... You rock, Happacheese. lol

[hapacheese]

Haha... Thanks. I like to keep the cheese fresh.

To be honest, my feelings toward Gackt are mixed. I hate him, but I can't help but laugh every time I see him interview. Because I just *know* that off stage, he probably sits there shaking his head, counting all his money, and laughing in disbelief. I like him better than Hyde because he doesn't actually take himself seriously.

But, that being said, he's a tool. Oh, and Square owes him a ton of money because every goddamn character they've created in the last 7 years has to be based on him. Just *has* to be.

[koku]

Oh, yeah... Hyde's a tool. And he's like 5 ft tall. He's friggin' TINY.


But, the one guy who acts like that that I just get a kick out of is Gackt. He's a complete tool and his music is pretty generic, but man... that guys is friggin' hilarious. You can totally tell it's an act because every once in a while when he gives some bizarre answer (like Hyde would), he starts laughing under his breath and he tries so hard to keep a straight face.

He was on Music Station once, and they asked him about his new house. He said it had vaulted ceilings. They asked, "How high?" He said, "20 meters." They asked what for... he responded, "So I can use my trampoline in the bedroom." And started nearly laughing... And he started talking about the giant waterfall he installed in his bedroom as well... and when asked why he would do that, his only response was, "For when the time comes, I will be ready."

(Aiko was laughing her ass off at this point in the background, and Gackt was trying, but failing, to keep a straight face.)


I would pay money to see that, another artist laughing at the genuinity of another. Yeah Gackt to say the least is atleast F'N WIERD.

and like women find that attractive too but he just so screams hetero or gay I don't understand :P.

Does winamp have any of this stuff with interviews and such? The stuff I have acess too is just videos.

[Henjin]

@Hapa: Yeah, I know what you mean. At least he appears to be human under the scowl and makeup. And don't even get me started on effeminate rockers. Gah.

The other rock band I like besides AKFG is Art-school, and I was relieved to see that they look relatively normal (At least on their webpage. Haven't seen any videos.)

Speaking of AKFG, I actually used 'NGS' in my final 3d animation project for school. I had a girl in a kimono playing it on a Stratocaster. :D

Yes, I'm a nerd.

[koku]

@Hapa: Yeah, I know what you mean. At least he appears to be human under the scowl and makeup. And don't even get me started on effeminate rockers. Gah.

The other rock band I like besides AKFG is Art-school, and I was relieved to see that they look relatively normal (At least on their webpage. Haven't seen any videos.)

Speaking of AKFG, I actually used 'NGS' in my final 3d animation project for school. I had a girl in a kimono playing it on a Stratocaster. :D

Yes, I'm a nerd.

denpatou like towards the end has the awesomest verse in any song.

if you heard/like the song you would know what part i'm talking about.

[Henjin]

Yeah, AKFG is great all around. They have awesome riffs and the lyrics/singing are great. I actually learned the NGS riff on my guitar so I could animated it correctly. Everyone who saw my project thought it was a perfect song because it just sounds Japanese, whether you know who sings it or not.

To anyone who's done karaoke in Japan before, do they have 'Butterfly Kiss' by Art-school? I don't know how obscure it is, but I love that song and know most of the lyrics already. Heh.

[hapacheese]

Is it the part talking about kicking down the door and running out to the tower?


(And am I the only one who thinks of Weezer when I hear that song?)

The only effeminate rocker group that I truly enjoy (well, used to) is Glay. They didn't used to be like that, they only started dressing like that when the realized it would sell... so they decided to have fun with it. I went to a concert of theirs on New Years eve (a friend of mine was in the fan club and she got me front row seats... and considering I'm about a foot taller than all the little j-girls there, I'm sure they hated it... oh yeah, gaijin smash). Jiro (the bassist) had his hair spiked and yellow, *exactly* like a Super Saiyajin.

Oh, and they rocked live. And that was *after* playing at Kouhaku, Record Taisho, and then flying in via helicopter. They gave a 3+ hour peformance, taking only 1 break. Amazing stamina.


edit: Henjin, I do karaoke all the time, but unfortunately, have never looked up Art-school. I will most likely be back in 2 weeks, and if I can get out to karaoke, I will check :)

[Henjin]

Is it the part talking about kicking down the door and running out to the tower?

Which song are you talking about? I don't know all the words. lol
Art-School and AKFG are like Japanese emo-rock, aren't they? That's the best I can think of to describe them.

And that's cool about the concert. I've actually never been to a concert before.

[koku]

Is it the part talking about kicking down the door and running out to the tower?



yes, that part rocks. I just love how the beat stops and he carries the song. Then in the backcround the mellow strike/cord you hear is awesome too.

plus the Sou Da? part makes it cooler :P.

[Henjin]

Oh, you meant in Denpatou... I just listened to it... I closed my eyes and furrowed my brows and everything... Couldn't catch too much. Didn't hear anything about doors and towers.. what's 'Denpatou' mean? Can't find it in the dictionary.

I could probably figure it out if I were reading the lyrics, but my listening comprehension still sucks.

And do you guys like Jimmy Eat World? It came on right after AKFG in my playlist and I realized they're pretty similar.

[hapacheese]

Denpatou Lyrics (copied from a website, so there are mistakes):

Tada koko de kusumu hibi ni
Ukan de tokesou na iro
Me wo kogorashite sagasu hibi ni
Ukan de tokesou na iro

ANTENA hirotta kotoba kara Tsunai dayo togireru koe

Tada yugan de kishimu hibi ni
Shizun de kiesou na iro
Te wo nobashite saguru hibi ni
Ukan de tokesou na iro

ANTENA hirotta kotoba kara Tsunai dayo togireru koe
ANTENA nobashite hanatsu kara Tsunai de yo boku no subete

CHECK OK?

Subete ushinatta ano hi
DOA wo ketobashite tobidashita
Oka no ue tatta denpatou
Afuredesu itsuka no omoi

Sou da Kotoba de tashikamete motto boku no koe
Todaesou na boku no kokoro ga kuuki ni furete towa ni kieru
Sou da Kotoba de tashikameru motto kimi no koe
Kikoeru yo kimi no kokoro ga kuuki ni furete boku ni todoku

Sou da
Kimi nandarou?

ANTENA hirotta kotobakara Tsunai dayo togireru koe
ANTENA nobashite hanatsukara Tsunai de yo boku no subete


CHECK OK?


(And denpatou means "radio tower")

[koku]

Denpatou Lyrics (copied from a website, so there are mistakes):

Tada koko de kusumu hibi ni
Ukan de tokesou na iro
Me wo kogorashite sagasu hibi ni
Ukan de tokesou na iro

ANTENA hirotta kotoba kara Tsunai dayo togireru koe

Tada yugan de kishimu hibi ni
Shizun de kiesou na iro
Te wo nobashite saguru hibi ni
Ukan de tokesou na iro

ANTENA hirotta kotoba kara Tsunai dayo togireru koe
ANTENA nobashite hanatsu kara Tsunai de yo boku no subete

CHECK OK?

Subete ushinatta ano hi
DOA wo ketobashite tobidashita
Oka no ue tatta denpatou
Afuredesu itsuka no omoi

Sou da Kotoba de tashikamete motto boku no koe
Todaesou na boku no kokoro ga kuuki ni furete towa ni kieru
Sou da Kotoba de tashikameru motto kimi no koe
Kikoeru yo kimi no kokoro ga kuuki ni furete boku ni todoku

Sou da
Kimi nandarou?

ANTENA hirotta kotobakara Tsunai dayo togireru koe
ANTENA nobashite hanatsukara Tsunai de yo boku no subete


CHECK OK?


(And denpatou means "radio tower")

the part in bold, that's what I was talking about. yeah it rocks I actually made a corny jpeg on it. Let me find it....

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v738/lowtcp/asiankungfuyoujpeg.jpg

well...it was more just an akfg background but it featured that song nonetheless. If you pay attention to the text on there you'd see that my fave akfg song is playing ^^.

*oh and if that looks like ALOT of akfg songs, it is :) Discographies rule.

[hapacheese]

My favorite AKFG song is actually Kimi toiu Hana. Just sang it at karaoke the other day.


However, my favorite lyricist is Yamazaki Masayoshi. His voice is *really* nasal, but his lyrics are straight up poetry. He's more folk than anything, but his lyrics remind me of Japanese poetry from the imagery he uses, to the cadence of it all.

[Henjin]

Thanks for posting the lyrics. The song is a whole lot cooler now that I understand it all. They used some words I didn't know, and some more I knew but don't use a lot.

So I take it the title is 「伝播塔」？

I found a tab of Kimi To Iu Hana and learned to play it awhile back. It's a cool song.

[hapacheese]

It's actually 電波塔.

[Henjin]

Oh. I only knew '塔' and the dictionary said '伝播' was 'transmission.' Thanks.

Hey what are the words to Butterfly Kiss by Art-School? This is what I hear:

恋を…
何も話さなくていい
何より住んでいるから
冷たく乾いた朝に
彼女は優しく死んだ。
何…
誰一人知らない場所で
恋にもならない声で
しっかりの…君は
…
僕は思い出すんだ
永遠に触らなかったこと
Tonight(?)

恋を…
何も話さなくていい
もうすぐ勧告は消える
(repeat above)

永遠に触らなかったこと

That's all I can figure out. I just mumble the rest when I sing. :D
Can anyone fill in the blanks for me?

[hapacheese]

Sorry... Don't have the song, and can't find the lyrics online. =\

[koku]

This was an A B and C conversation.

But now it's turned into a B C conversation.

ya know what?? That's BS!

[hapacheese]

D'oh. Yes, thread has been hijacked. Sorry 'bout that, kokujin.



...speaking of which, it just seems wrong to call someone kokujin as their name :D

[koku]

D'oh. Yes, thread has been hijacked. Sorry 'bout that, kokujin.



...speaking of which, it just seems wrong to call someone kokujin as their name :D

well to the american ear it sounds foreign and cool and happy. so it's ok


and as far as the hijacking, i know less japanese and i hate you so therfore it's ok.

[h2orowe]

I know what kokujin means, can I join!?
Oh.... I just looked at the last message time. -.- seems I'm late.
Haha, Henjin mentioned Jimmy Eat World. I love them, I have Bleed American and Futures, what albums do you have?
If you guys like AKFG, I suggest the pillows.
I love them, they're one of my favorite bands. I think I'm a little biased in their favor though, because they were my first J-Rock band, plus the only one I actually know alot of songs of. I just love playing their stuff on guitar. Like Carnival, Sub-Human, Advice (フリ　クリ version. Yeah, don't I sound cool using Japanese? Haha, it's FLCL incase noone notices. I know it says Furi Kuri though, it's FLCL in America. That was also what introduce me to them), and almost any other song.
Heh, most of my songs are should I say
>.>
<.<
pirated, but like I'm gonna buy a CD once they release Happy Bivouac (sp?) domestic, they already have Penalty Life domestic, but Happy Bivouac is the best.
I like SamboMaster (Thanks for the site Kokujin), Bump of Chicken (I've only heard like one song), Thee Michelle Elephant Gun (1 song -.-), Dir En Grey (one song! O.O), L'arc En Ciel (I've heard a few songs, they aren't good, but I think if I listened to them more I'd like them) Guitar Vader (THIS was really my first J-Rock band, but I didn't like them until I listened to the Pillows, haha, I just remember after listening to the Pillows being like, Jet Grind Radio had Japanese bands, maybe I'll listen.), Rie Fu (only one song, and I've only heard the damn TV version! "Life is Like a Boat", thanks to Bleach.), Do As Infinity (I've heard like two or three songs, I heard two of them on their MySpace fan page, and one from >.> <.< Inuyasha [I don't care for the show anymore], but that same song's video was on J-Popsuki TV.), and a few more I can't think of.
Woo! Big Block of Text!

[akitaka]

That's all I can figure out. I just mumble the rest when I sing. :D
Can anyone fill in the blanks for me?

You might want to visit Keikaku.net; tons of Art-School fans there. I don't listen to them personally, though maybe I'll hop on soulseek and see what they're like.

If anyone wants I can post a fun PV by The Bloodthirsty Butchers. I assure that unlike a ton of videos out there, it doesn't suck. But it isnt' Jpop by any means.

[koku]

why does the lead singer of DAI look so wierd.

I looked up old pictures of tomiko vaan and she looks different then this pudgy faced girl I"m seeing. yeah no way tha't's the same person.

[Henjin]

Yeah, sorry about the thread jack...

If anyone can figure out the lyrics of "Butterfly Kiss" for me (I googled it myself and couldn't find anything), I'll email them the mp3.
And yeah, give Art-School a listen, Akitaka. If you like AKFG, they're similar.

As for Jimmy Eat World, I have the self-titled CD, and I bought the MP3s for Futures online.

Speaking of MP3s, I'd own a lot more CDs if they weren't so freakin' expensive. As it stands, since BuriGuri is my favorite band, I've been tracking down their CD's on Ebay. I've got all but 4 of them now.

[akitaka]

Same here on the CD prices. Outrageous. But if the local record exchange gets something I like I'm in luck; so far they've had Gito Gito Hustler, BBQ Chickens, and some Polysics...all for maybe $5 a CD. However that's only because overseas students trade them in (a lot come to ASU, here).
====

...and I like BuriGuri as well. Only I'm uneasy about the more recent releases, which I find more pop-ish. At one point I knew how to play "There will be love there －愛のある場所－" on acoustic guitar...mellow tunes are fun to play. I haven't had a listen recently, but I think my favorite song was "Baby London Star".
====

AKFG has some nice PVs. If you go to Ajikan (http://ajikan.sayuri.us/) you can find some of them there; my personal favorite has to be Loop and Loop.

[Henjin]

...and I like BuriGuri as well. Only I'm uneasy about the more recent releases, which I find more pop-ish. At one point I knew how to play "There will be love there －愛のある場所－" on acoustic guitar...mellow tunes are fun to play. I haven't had a listen recently, but I think my favorite song was "Baby London Star".
====

AKFG has some nice PVs. If you go to Ajikan (http://ajikan.sayuri.us/) you can find some of them there; my personal favorite has to be Loop and Loop.

Yeah, I'd have to agree with you there. Some of my favorite songs by them are only on the singles... Like Mister Moon or Love Baby...
And I used to be able to play 「愛の(heart)愛の星」 on my acoustic. (tuned it high becuase I don't have a capo) I can still play "Yeah I Want You Baby" and "The Lucky Star" ('cept for the solo) on my electric.

Are there a lot of places in Japan where you can get cheaper used CDs? And if so, what are they called? I'm gonna be in Kobe in a month and that's one of the things I want to look for.

[TheLostProphet]

The Brilliant Green have broken up now, haven't they? I like some of Tommy's new stuff, heavenly6 is good, but febuary6....meh, I can do without it.

My computer SUCKS so it's rare I can watch PV's, and if I do it's at a friend's house. Anyone seen Orange Range's Locolotion PV? They got the right idea there, what with the dancing bikini girls :D

Speaking of Japanese Rap a few pages back, yeah, I prefer it to the Western stuff because it's so less plastic. It's not about street cred, but just good music. m-flo anyone? lol

The m-flo loves EMYLI & Yoshika - Loop in my Heart PV is sweet too =)

[koku]

Siren is the worst AKFG song I can't believe they made a video to that crap.

Oh and does anyoen else know the mystey of Do As Inifinity's lead singer??

Did they ever change? It's stil tomiko vaan no?

I'm going to go research this.

[Chelsums]

Have you seen any Ayumi Hamasaki videos? They are messed up. Like in 'Real Me' she's an alien or something. Her new video for Alterna scares the shit outta me. I thought I was going to have nightmares after watching it. The Japanese are weird alright, but then again we have some pretty weird music and music videos, as well.

[TheLostProphet]

Real me has a weird PV? (Yeah, I know I keep doing that, I'm sorry, but two year's worth of post-whoring on the Jpopmusic.com forums will do that to ya) That's always been my favourite song by her ^^

DAI have always had Tomiko Van as their lead singer. There was a time when she went un-hot and cut her hair short, around the same time Honjitsu wa Seiten Nari came out. Shame, that's a bloody good song. But then she grew her hair and stopped being weird and started being hot again.

[hapacheese]

Oh hey, I've found a quasi-legal workaround to the insane prices of Japanese CDs. Buy the Korean/Chinese versions!!!!1!

I always buy legit stuff, so I make sure the store is reputable. Even then, it's going to be $20+ per album, but that's better than the $30+ you'd pay for the Japanese version. The only difference usually is an insert in Chinese or Korean... other than that, it's usually identical.

[Henjin]

As far as I know, The Brilliant Green isn't broken up. They're just all purusing side projects right now. And if you look at their history, there have been gaps of several years between albums. And I agree with you on Tommy's solo projects. I like TH6, but I'm not a huge fan of TF6.

And I would get the 'overseas' versions of CDs, but I have this thing where I want the Japanese version... I dunno. I think Ebay is a good place to get them.

But does anyone know about used CDs in Japan?

[h2orowe]

the pillows, anyone?
C'mon! They're like my favorite!

[Monseur Tinklekins]

I liked Hamasaki Ayumi's new PV, Alterna. Some people think it's creepy, but I think the evil clowns give it a certain oompf.

[koku]

"cut her her and acted non hot"

lol, so ture. And yes that song's very catchy n good.

You think Ayumi's videos are wierd? One of Utada Hikaru's videos she's having an affari with a robot( "Secret").

I hate that song already too.

DAI needs to make a video to Greatfull Journey and Maho no Kotoba. And there was 1 more I forgot the name.

[h2orowe]

Eek! I heif no idea who thou art talking about.
Except Utada Hikaru, and DAI!

[sakana]

And Japanese rappers are funny as hell. I believe I saw one where all these old men were trying to act gangsta with them... and I think they were crawling occasionally.Yeah one time in Japanese class we watched some old Japanese rap videos they we hilarious:D , they made no sense either... I still dont know why our teacher showed us that...

[akitaka]

the Brilliant Green have not broken up. You can even go to their official site and read it, if you know a little Japanese. Tommy is doing her thing, and I believe Shunsuke is helping her produce. Ryo is on his solo act, "Meister" and went all over the UK or some junk.

As for J-rap...most of it is pure junk. But there are a few good ones. If you find any DJ Krush then that will steer you into the right direction. Dragon Ash's early works aren't so bad either. Unfortunatly, I don't know many good J-rappers at all; maybe Ilmari from Rip Slyme. Oh oh oh. "Steady and Co.". I've got their Chambers album and it's not bad. I guess that's all I can mention....because Kick the Can Crew, Soul'd Out, M-flo, and the whole tour of other popular artist are a big load of bull.

At least they're not as bad as the 80's rap group "East End X Yuri". If anyone knows that horrible act.

[Benaire]

I was in Tokyo in Feb and i was watching a video clip of some young chick singing on top of a mountain. She was drooling and spiting while singing and it slowly made the mountain spring to life with grass and flowers etc and there was a bear drinking a puddle of her drool.

WTF? who is she and what makes her drool so powerful?

[Monseur Tinklekins]

You think Ayumi's videos are wierd? One of Utada Hikaru's videos she's having an affari with a robot( "Secret").

An affair with a robot, you say? Interesting. Ayumi's videos aren't weird per se, but she certainly does have a few that strike me as odd and don't make much sense, but not understanding most of the lyrics to the majority of J-Pop songs, most videos don't make sense to me. =/

Then, not many American videos make sense to me, either. But are they supposed to? Music videos are a method of expression, an art in their own right, just like the music that the video is set to. They're seen through the writer's eyes, and you get just a glimpse into their world, into what their mind is really thinking.

So, I guess with Alterna, Ayumi's evil clowns were just Avex executives (or so I've heard), and I think that's a pretty cool depiction. I wish I could show the world my enemies as evil clowns...

[MaverickHL]

Usually the J-Pop songs I like to listen to are the ones that came out from the video games, for some reason most (I do say this term losely) most of them choose good songs to go along with their intros.

However with the J-music videos, yes I agree a few of them are weird, but so are a few we have back in North America. Usually I prefer listening to the music without the hinderance of a video only because then your mind kind try to visualize the emotions or the reason behind the song. It takes sometime, and I am no expert at doing it either but it proves much more interesting than watching any music video.

[Henjin]

I like watching Korean hip-hop and R&B videos... on mute... Eh-heheh...

[akitaka]

Namie Amuro = wants to be Jennifer Lopez

[Henjin]

That's why the only female vocalist I like (outside of a band) is Nakashima Mika. She has a beautiful voice (in Japanese, at least. I really like her, but her English still needs some work), and she also has some class/style.

[TheLostProphet]

I was in Tokyo in Feb and i was watching a video clip of some young chick singing on top of a mountain. She was drooling and spiting while singing and it slowly made the mountain spring to life with grass and flowers etc and there was a bear drinking a puddle of her drool.

WTF? who is she and what makes her drool so powerful?

...

Sounds like the creepy shit Bjork would do to me. Ah, but you said young, hmmmm, lol.

A statement on m-flo that is contrary to my opinion

Aww c'mon, they're good! Astromantic went through practically every genr้ out there, and you just gotta love their moves :p

But the main reason I like them is that they don't seem to take the coolness thing too seriously, thus making them cool. If they did, a la 50Cent, then they would suck

[Jaiya]

Asian Kung-Fu Generation owns. Kimi to Iu Hana = GODliness

[h2orowe]

Pillows are better than AKFG. They influenced them!

[Jaiya]

have you heard Rush by Pillows?...that song is probably their greatest, along with Blues Drive Monster and Little Busters.

[h2orowe]

Heh, yeah, I like those songs, but I don't really care for Little Busters that much.
Kinda annoying if you've heard it like 1000000000000000 times.
My faves are Last Dinosaur, Beutiful Morning with You, Carnival, Runners High, Blues Drive Monster, Advice, Sub-Human, and Crazy Sunshine.

[Jaiya]

hah, yeah...they abused Little Busters in Furi Kuri...

Advice is good stuff, short though. Stalker is a kickass instrumental. One Life and Hybrid Rainbows are also alright.

not Japanese...but try 5. Marz by Megaherz. They made a Naruto music video out of it and it's a kickass song.

[hapacheese]

Namie Amuro = wants to be Jennifer Lopez

Which is a strange thing to say, since Amuro has been doing her thing since the 90's, when Jennifer Lopez was still a Fly Girl on In Livin' Color...


As for Nakashima Mika, I think she is a great singer, but she doesn't emote quite enough. She has some great songs (I *love* "Love Addict"... it's just so different from most other Japanese pop songs), but if she had a little more emotion, she'd be fantastic.

[h2orowe]

Sambomaster is also good. I have their Atarashiki nihongo rock no michi to hikari CD.

[Henjin]

As for Nakashima Mika, I think she is a great singer, but she doesn't emote quite enough. She has some great songs (I *love* "Love Addict"... it's just so different from most other Japanese pop songs), but if she had a little more emotion, she'd be fantastic.

You mean in live performances or video or something? If so, I can see what you're saying... But I don't care at all. My favorite songs of hers are the 'jazzy' ones... Like 'Love Addict' or 'Carrot and Whip' and 'Fake.'

[hapacheese]

Yeah, her jazzy tracks are really what turned me on to her. First time I heard Love Addict was in a sketchy bar in Shinjuku, and it was perfect for the atmosphere :)

[Kusoyaro]

otsuka ai - momo no hanabira: the beat is insanely awesome, so desi (who knows that word, anyone?), and the vid was pretty sweet, too.
Question, though: Why do the Japanese prefer "false," or "manageable" (there is no word in my vocabular to describe what I mean) reality to its pure form? As in, the whole concept of a miniature world, the cultivation of bonsae and koe pools, and basically a miniforest in their fucking living rooms, and also the fact that they cutify every animal alive. Is it because of the constant harassement they recieve from nature? That's my working theory.
Help.

[hapacheese]

The English do the same with the way they sculpt gardens, as do Americans with the way we constantly (and unnaturally) manage our lawns.

It's not a phenomenon unique to the Japanese.

(and anthropomorphication? very present in western society as well.)

[akitaka]

^amuro

I was referring to her more recent stuff. In the 90's they were worlds apart (and literally), but when I saw a PV on the television a while back I almost couldn't tell the difference. "me so horny"...that was a little off though.

And if you like Sambomaster, try The Band Apart. Good stuff.

[skate_mate]

Ack, I read all of this thread at school today but didn't get to reply because my account was deleted from the server change over, and time didn't permit me to make another one. So, catching up...

Have you seen hikki's sakura drops video i think she was on acid or i was on acid watching it whatever it was it was trippy but nice.

Hah, yeah, although I actually like that clip. I think it was well directed - suited another song from that album, travelling, really well. The same director also directed THE WORSE clip in history: the JP version of 光/Hikari. The entire clip is just Hikki doing the washing up. Not one other thing! Shame, 'cause its a really good song I think. (its the Kingdom Hearts theme I believe, for anyone who's played that game)

LMFAO its like japanes rap with these 2 girls in orange jump suits. lol hahah it's got like a mario techno backgroudn beat too.

HAHAHA this is just so awesome, now their playing pong pong with giant speakers behind them. lol this is funny. Their dance moves are pretty rockin' too.
Sounds like "Strawberry Chips" by Halacali. Catchy, isn't it?

I prefer Hikki's Final Distance and Colors videos
Colors is my favourite. SO beautiful ;_;

The only good J-pop they've had on that this month, was Rie Fu (I think her name is that) when she sings "Life is Like a Boat".
Suspicious. Its the first ending theme for Bleach, and that comment is coming from someone with a Bleach avatar, heh. I agree though, I think that song is really soothing. She actually has alright english I think.

some of L'arc en Ciel's stuff scares the funk out of me. Dir En Grey is weird too lol.
Bah, I can't believe no one really likes L`Arc's stuff. I think they're awesome! In particular I like Hyde. Although he can be a bit strange sometimes, he's awesome. His solo album 666 is the shizzle! One of my personal favourites. I really liked him in the L`Arc~en~Ciel clip for STAY AWAY, as well as a lot of his solo clips.
Dir en grey are pretty strange, but they're rocking nonetheless. Vulgar, their new-ish album is insanely good. Child Prey especially is wayyyy awesome.

The only effeminate rocker group that I truly enjoy (well, used to) is Glay.
GLAY are awesome, despite the sucky-ness of their lyrics (eg album name: "Unity Roots and Family, Away").

I suggest the pillows.
I love them, they're one of my favorite bands.
Man, the pillows rock! I love "Ride on Shooting Star". The clip for that is funny, heh.

Do As Infinity I've heard like two or three songs, I heard two of them on their MySpace fan page, and one from >.> <.< Inuyasha
DAI are teh sex o_o. They're probably my favourite J-band.

DAI have always had Tomiko Van as their lead singer. There was a time when she went un-hot and cut her hair short, around the same time Honjitsu wa Seiten Nari came out. Shame, that's a bloody good song. But then she grew her hair and stopped being weird and started being hot again.

Yeah, she was a little tom-boyish in Honjitsu wa Seiten Nari, however she was still cute. She's always been beautiful (she used ot be a model btw) however her fashion can be improved upon sometimes I think. me <3s dai.

You think Ayumi's videos are wierd? One of Utada Hikaru's videos she's having an affari with a robot( "Secret").

Funniest robot clip ever: "Domo arigatou misuta roboto!/Thanks very much Mr Robot!" by POLYSICS. Hilarious.

As for J-hip hop/rap, I like RIP SLYME and m-flo the best. MASTER PIECE is one awesome album from RIP SLYME, I really like M.I.L.K (some of my friends and I had an obsession with the pure white-ness of the substance for a while...), Sharp Shooter (GANTZ is your friend o_o) and Galaxy (in the hood).
I absolutely love 'the love bug' by m-flo feat BoA. Same with 'miss you' by m-flo feat melody and Yoshika.

Someone mentioned his collaborations with Crystal Kay before, I like "REEEWIND".

[TheLostProphet]

Yay, another m-flo fan! XDD

Gotta love miss you. I can do the rap solo to that, lmao.

When does the new album come out? 5 days' time, right? =)

[hapacheese]

skate_mate: Glay's older stuff used to have good lyrics. Up until their Heavy Gauge album, that is.

TheLostProphet: I was pretty disappointed with their team-up with Wada Akiko. It seemed like such a bizarre combination that it *had* to be good, but Taku simply messed up the mix. Too many repeating voice samples, and the melody is just impossible to follow. I like their stuff with Yoshika lately, though... but my favorite songs have to be Chronopsychology, Hands, and Come Back to Me.


Akitaka: Ah, I see your point. I started ignoring Amuro after she went through all that drama with Sam, so I can't speak to her current stuff.


On a side note: As a Japanese American, I am really disappointed with Hikki's English album. She's pretty much just as American as she is Japanese, so she should know better than to put in lyrics like, "You are easy breezy and I'm Japanese-y." wtf is that??

[Henjin]

lol

That's great. "I'm Japanese-y..."

[hapacheese]

Someone told me about that line and I refused to believe it. This is the same girl who wrote "Another Chance," "Hikari," "Distance," "Letters," etc... wtf would possess her to write insipid lyrics like that?

It's that damn husband of hers, I'm telling you!

/Not that I'm bitter or anything ;)

[Henjin]

Oh, I dunno who she is, I just thought it was funny.
Like in BuriGuri's Tsumetai Hana where Tommy meant to say "I'm feeling like myself again" and forgot the 'like.'

[hapacheese]

Hahaha... That's awesome. You gotta love all of Komuro's attempts at English. For example, the song he wrote for Namie Amuro: Body Feels Exit.

Utada Hikaru is the daughter of a music producer and famous Enka singer. Raised in New York, she moved back to Japan during her early teen years and attended an international school. She's been singing and writing songs since she was about 10 (back then, known as "Cubic U"). She is completely fluent in English (and talks with a New York accent... it's hilarious), and she is pretty much single-handedly responsible for the popularity of R&B-pop in Japan.

She ended up getting married to the guy who directed a lot of her music videos at the age of 20 (he's 15 years older). Ever since then, she's just been on a steady decline =\

Not that I'm obsessed or anything XD

The one thing that pissed me off is that my uncle waits until *after* she gets married to tell me that he was friends with her mom o_O I was lamenting the fact that she got married when he smirked, went to his desk and pulled out a letter from her dad... I nearly gave him 1000 Years of Pain.

(Backstory: my uncle was the bassist in "The Tempters," the Japanese equivalent of The Beatles...)

[Henjin]

Oh, I read an article about her once... I just didn't realize 'Hiki' was her nickname. Heh. Sorry.

[skate_mate]

hapacheese, holy moly! Talk about connections in high places >_>

I think that Easy Breezy is actually one of the better songs on that album, heh. Basically all the lyrics from the Exodus album suck big time (example song: "You make me want to be a man" :-S), which is a huge disapointment because if there was any J-pop star that could make it big in America, it'd be Utada. On that album I like Kremlin Dusk and About Me.

[hapacheese]

I heard that one song and decided to stay waaaay the hell away from it. To me, the last song she put out was Colors ("Dare ka no Negai ga Kanau Koro" was so mediocre, I just disregard it).

My uncle used to be big time... It's always so funny listening to his stories of waiting backstage to appear on whatever music show, and the conversations he would have with other pop stars. Looking at him now, you would never guess he was a rock star. He just looks like every other middle-aged Japanese man. I always told my cousin he should have gone for the glory (he looks like he belongs in SMAP or something, but he can play the bass like nobody's business), but he said that he didn't want to.

Ah well.

[Henjin]

What's the story on Bonnie Pink? (I know it's not her real name)
Her English is great.

[hapacheese]

Her producer is Swedish, I know that much.

But that's about all I know :P

I don't remember if it was her or the girl from Love Psychedelico, but I know one of them lived in the US for a while, though.

[Jaiya]

Porno Graffitti...Hitori no Yoru is a good song by them.

[h2orowe]

Man, the pillows rock! I love "Ride on Shooting Star". The clip for that is funny, heh.
Heh, Ride on Shooting Star is good, not great though. I like their other songs better.

Haha ya, it is pretty suspicious that I have a Bleach Icon, and mentioned Rie Fu's Life is like a Boat. I'm thinking about getting
>.>
<.<
her cd. Maybe. Don't wanna waste HD space incase I don't like it.... I mean MONEY!
>.>
<.<

[koku]

yay someoen mentoned bonnie pink!

if we're talking about english in Jpop, what about dragon ash?

i like them either way.

[skate_mate]

h2orowe, you're right I guess it isn't their best, however since its one of the first songs I heard by them it has a special place in my heart :-P. I think you'd like the Rie Fu album. I've not heard all the songs, but the ones I have heard I've liked.

Porno Graffitti...Hitori no Yoru is a good song by them.
If there is one song that every Japanese school girl knows, then it would be Sekai ni itsu dake no hana by SMAP. Second to that is definately Agehachou by Porno Graffiti (great name for a band o_o).

[h2orowe]

Heh, yeah, Ride on Shooting Star lead me to download the pillow's music which lead me to love J-Rock.

[hapacheese]

That would actually be "Sekai ni Hitotsu Dake no Hana" ;)

And Agehachou wasn't *that* big... and the name Porno Graffiti as actually the album name of Extreme, on which "More Than Words" was released.

[skate_mate]

Thanks, typos are not my friend >_>

I'm not sure how big it was in terms of sales in Japan, but all the Japanese school girls that come over to my school *always* sing that song o_o;

[hapacheese]

Really? Didn't realize it was that popular amongst the younger girls. Though, I always sing it at karaoke myself :)

[akitaka]

:groans:

It's the one tune that I hear at least once a week at my home, since my mother and sisters are into the whole "Smap x Smap Bistro" and the rest of their skit shows. I think everyone in Japan knows that song, though; it's kind of hard not to notice.

[koku]

roffls, sekai ni hitoutsu dake no hana by smap is SUCH a corny soudning sound.

lol from the "na na na na na" in the begening to the country instrument in the background. To just the way the guy sings. It's like one of those catchy girly songs that you sing outloud infront of everyone just to piss them off.

mabye I should go listen to it. But i think that's roffl to find out it's so popular among schoolgirls.

[Henjin]

Which songs should I learn, just in case I do karaoke over there?

[akitaka]

"My way" :p

[Henjin]

Yeah, so I've heard. lol

[hapacheese]

Hahaha... What's your range? Are you a soprano, tenos, alto, baritone...?

[Henjin]

I dunno. I don't sing. lol

I take that back, I do, but not in front of anyone. Mostly in my room while I work or in the car. :p

I'm probably somewhere in the middle. Not real deep, but I can't hit the real high notes either.

Which rock bands does the average karaoke place carry? (Including Japanese)

[hapacheese]

Japanese ones? Everything. They may not have all their songs, but they should have just about every (somewhat) major band known to Japanese-kind.

Western bands, well, it really depends on the place. When singing in English, I'm usually stuck with singing Elvis Costello or George Michael (hey, it's in my range!).

Hm... Good songs to sing... it's always impressive to bust out old 80's tunes, like 「ワインレッドの心」 by 安全地帯(Anzen Chitai). I usually start out with something by 鈴木雅之, who is an old-school jazzy/loungy/yakuza-looking guy with a deep voice... That usually gets the room laughing, then I switch over to something like Survival by Glay, or something by Mr. Children.

<- Does karaoke too much to be healthy.

[Henjin]

Heheh.

I don't know if I could do it... I'd pretty much have to force myself to, based on the fact that I'm not in Japan too much. :p

[hapacheese]

Haha... For me, I started going in college with friends to a local bar, and next thing I know, people were requesting songs when I would show up. And being the theater ham that I am, I started learning how to do impersonations of the various singers (one of my favorites to do is Kawamura Ryuuichi from "Luna Sea"... man, he's a freak), and it just snowballed from there.

Then, when I joined my current company, I found out my boss was a soprano. Having a deeper voice myself, we started singing together, doing duets like Chemistry, or doing make-shift a capella to Gospellers, etc... After a little while, we got a regular karaoke group going in Japan :) (and in SF, of course)

Me doing my thing in full サラリーマン attire:
(pic removed)

And some of my karaoke buddies:

(pic removed)

(Pictures will only be up for a short time :P)

[akitaka]

Japanese ones? Everything. They may not have all their songs, but they should have just about every (somewhat) major band known to Japanese-kind.

I like to see someone try Melt-Banana :)
But for what songs to sing...I really think it's best to do what you already know, and pick up on what feels good. Hapa's got his feel; just find yours.

I remember one of my buddy's dad (who sounds like barry white) singing Britney Spear's "Baby one more time"....hilarious stuff.

[koku]

to have that karaoke connection with your boss

lmfao man work must be easy on the pressure side for you

[hapacheese]

Well, he's my ex-boss now, since I transferred out of that department. But, even when I did work for him, we always were sorta on friendly terms. We would go to BBQs together, etc. And for whatever reason, from day 1, I never referred to him as "-san," it was always just his first name (he's Japanese American, so that's probably why).

Considering that my current boss is the CEO, things are a bit different. He's cool and all, and we go drinking on occasion, but it's not the same, certainly. He has a way of raising you up on a pedestal when you do good, or crushing your soul with his bare hands when you mess up. It's like an abusive relationship, really.

[TheLostProphet]

Hey hapacheese, that's pretty cool about your uncle. Shame you didn't get it going with Hikki, huh? :p

I'm really into Porno Graffitti too. I think they were better back when they were a trio, but I guess they're still good. Romantist Egoist was one of the catchiest, flashiest albums I've ever heard, pretty much all of the songs felt like single types. But Kumo wo mo Tsukamu Tami was oh-so meh =(

I've gotta admit, there were a few great songs, Agehachou, Palette, etc. Shame there weren't more on the album.

[Henjin]

All I know are　中島美嘉　songs. :D

[h2orowe]

Man! I wish America had Japanese Karaoke. It's boring to sing in a language you know. I want to go to Japan, and like sing in Japanese, and get booed of by people going like PINCHE GRINGO I MEAAAAAAAAAAAAN BAKA GAIJIN!

I'd do some friggin Pillows or Guitar Vader, Guitar Vader "Magical Girl" or like Pillows "Carnival" or like "Last Dinosaur"
I'd be like Kanoshimi wa zenbou, and make it sound like Kin u shaimei waya zen boat, not really, but I'd sound horrible.

Note: Sopranos, and Altos are female vocal ranges. Bass, Mega Bass, Tenor, and Baritone, are male vocals. I'm a choir nerd hahaha.

<----- Even though I was a Freshman, I was the deepest voice in the whole choir.

[koku]

so i'm listning to otsuka ai's album that i finally decided to get.....

and it's so....soothing. And i'm pretty sure i'm the only person here who has listened to it.

for a strange reason, i've liked every song that's came up.

[hapacheese]

Males can sing soprano, too, btw. Granted, they have to be, like, 8 or something ;)

And there is Japanese karaoke in the US. They don't have stuff like Guitar Vader, granted, but the regular place I go to has a pretty damn good selection (like 40,000 songs).

[h2orowe]

Heh, I'm only 15 so I can't go to bars and shit, I have to wait every year for the OC fair to roll around. Haha, I only did it like 1 year ago, but I did "Joker" or w/e by the Steve Miller Band, it was fun.

[hapacheese]

Most karaoke is done in "boxes," not bars. Particularly in the US. Going to a karaoke bar is often painful... whereas at a karaoke box, you have the privacy of your own room with friends.

[Henjin]

Yeah, that's what I hear. Kind of a relief. But not much. :p

Speaking of bars, will I have any trouble getting into them as a foreigner who *just* turned 20?

(I leave for Japan like a week after I turn 20. Bwaahahah!)

[akitaka]

Yes I wonder how fake IDs work over there. I doubt bar workers caring much, though, as long as they get a paying customer.

[koku]

why don't we merge the two Jpop threads? as the thread author of this i dont mind.

And as kusoyaro's significant other he doesn't mind either.( I mean, look @ his picture in the who are you thread, he's a cripple).

[Henjin]

Yes I wonder how fake IDs work over there. I doubt bar workers caring much, though, as long as they get a paying customer.

What fake ID? Isn't the age 20?

[akitaka]

I thought 21 was the lega age. But I could be wrong.

[Henjin]

I'm 99.9% sure it's 20.

[akitaka]

Alright I checked out the Seijin no Hi info and it's indeed 20. No problems, then.

[Henjin]

*Phew* :p

So if they do card, are they gonna be okay w/ my IL state drivers license? :D

[akitaka]

Heh. I better look up on how to get an international license. Driving on the other side of the road won't be too tough, I think. But I think Hapa will have to answer that one.

[Henjin]

Heh. You know how many people I'd kill if I tried to drive over there?

I can't see them expecting every tourist to get an international ID just to drink... My license has my birthdate and my photo on it. What more could they want? :p

[koku]

dude they wont even card you. It's a trust system. and if you're a forigner and you look old, by japanese standards you'll deff. look old. besides they'll be too scared they'll have to use english with you ;P.

anywho question


ok for otsuka ai's song "Sakuranbo" that riff is on "Happy Days" too also right??

eh im rambling no one else knows.

[Henjin]

I don't look old... I actually look young for my age... But I guess this could be one of those gaijin smash moments, eh?

If they give me any trouble I'll just yell: 「ここにあるすべてのアルコールを渡せ！外人スマッシュ!！」 Yeah... That's what I'll do...

[hapacheese]

Bring your passport... if you can keep it secure.

I've never been "carded" in all my time in Japan, though... as long as you don't look like you're 12, you should be fine. Particularly being a gaijin and all, it's hard for them to tell if you're too young or too old, anyway.

[koku]

I don't look old... I actually look young for my age... But I guess this could be one of those gaijin smash moments, eh?

If they give me any trouble I'll just yell: 「ここにあるすべてのアルコールを渡せ！外人スマッシュ!！」 Yeah... That's what I'll do...


yell question marks??? i doubt that would be very intimidating :P


but yeah, it's 20, I doubt they would even card you. if not you can just go to a vending machine.

I want to go to my japanese class one day drunk, i'd like to see what would happen. HOnestly, i think i speak better japanese when i'm drunk. it comes out more fluid and natural. who knows.

[Henjin]

yell question marks??? i doubt that would be very intimidating :P

Yeah... Next time you're prompted to install Japanese fonts from that hentai anime site, do it.

Anyhoo, I forgot about the passport. I am kind of worried about keeping that safe... Don't know if I want to leave it in my hotel room or what. I was planning on stuffing it down my pants for safe keeping, but that might look weird when I have to dig it out... :rolleyes:

[akitaka]

Ugh. Passports. You need them, but they are easier to lose than your wallet. At my home they are placed in with files in a locked cabinet. But travel wise, I just keep it in my bag.

[koku]

Yeah... Next time you're prompted to install Japanese fonts from that hentai anime site, do it.

Anyhoo, I forgot about the passport. I am kind of worried about keeping that safe... Don't know if I want to leave it in my hotel room or what. I was planning on stuffing it down my pants for safe keeping, but that might look weird when I have to dig it out... :rolleyes:


:P i l dont have the cd for the OS so im like screwed when it comes to installing anything.

pisses me off a bit.

[hapacheese]

I really should keep my passport in a safe place, but I use it so often, I just carry it around with me now =\

[Henjin]

:P i l dont have the cd for the OS so im like screwed when it comes to installing anything.

pisses me off a bit.

Wonder what would happen if you just dropped some Japanese fonts into your 'fonts' folder...

Can't borrow the OS disc from anyone?

[Eijiro]

Kay, I just skimmed through this thread. Some jpop videos are so hilarious. Case in point - anything Morning Musume. Seriously... they are so bad. That said there are also a large number of ones I enjoy. Anything with an attractive female in it usually makes the cut (No, 13 year old girls do not count).

[DJ_one]

Utada Hikaru's music vids are always interesting.

[Eijiro]

Utada Hikaru's music vids are always interesting.
No they're not... just some are.

[Chelsums]

Kay, I just skimmed through this thread. Some jpop videos are so hilarious. Case in point - anything Morning Musume. Seriously... they are so bad. That said there are also a large number of ones I enjoy. Anything with an attractive female in it usually makes the cut (No, 13 year old girls do not count).
Morning Musume's "The Manpower" video is one of the funniest things I've ever seen. The dance they do is so stupid and just WTF.

[DJ_one]

No they're not... just some are.

Havent seen them all, just the ones I have seen are interesting (at least to me), each to their own I guess.

[Eijiro]

Havent seen them all, just the ones I have seen are interesting (at least to me), each to their own I guess.
What about the one where she's washing the dishes? rofl.

[DJ_one]

What about the one where she's washing the dishes? rofl.

Havent seen that one, just the music vid to travelling and a few others, they just seemed interesting/weird, bit like Bjork's music vids.

[Eijiro]

Havent seen that one, just the music vid to travelling and a few others, they just seemed interesting/weird, bit like Bjork's music vids.
Yeah. They're the good ones. Haha.

[VeryMeanThoughts]

And Japanese rappers are funny as hell. I believe I saw one where all these old men were trying to act gangsta with them... and I think they were crawling occasionally.

I believe that was a rhymester video.. but I could not tell you the name of the song. did they shout about money a lot? I think money was the only english word in that song.

[kensei]

Not so much J-pop, but rather J-rock: Illuminati by Malice Meizer.








Gackt fucks a corpse. That's all that needs to be said.

[koku]

So what are some artist you think could (hypothetically) make a cross-over to an american fanbase?

I always thought AKFG seemed so modern and "hip," even by american standards that they could. Their videos don't seem any different. Just as punk and stylish as any band here. IE if anyone saw their kimi no machi made video where they're just playing during a synchronized swimming pool session, that's the type of thing you'd see a band here do in one of their videos.

Also, Koda Kumi could -- only because she's a major SLUT. This girl just puts her sex appeal WAY out there. So yeah, she would be perfect for an american fanbase ^^.

[Henjin]

I remember seeing that Rhymster video. I think it was about 'money.' Well, I know it was, but I don't remember the song's title.

And I doubt any Japanese bands/artists could make serious inroads in the US. What mainstream band do you know of that sings in another language? (besides Spanish)
Sure, Ajikan know English, but nowhere near good enough to make it in the US. They're a great band, and I love their music, but I'm definately in the minority here.

[akitaka]

Ellegarden (www.purevolume.com/ellegarden) can probably pull off a stunt. I admit they are a guilty pleasure of mine, but both sound/language wise they fit pretty snug into whatever MTV would slug out. I'm sure that even their Japanese tracks would be appreciated; note that most of what they write is in fluent English.
I was kind of hoping that acts like Love Psychedelico could make some waves here, but it seems fornaught.

In the least, a few groups have had their fill of fame. The most well-known of the unorthadox musicians seem to be the Polysics, though they aren't signed to any label here in the states.

[Henjin]

My sister read the Engrish lyrics on my Art-School CD and was making fun of them, but she was suprised when I translated the Japanese for her.

[akitaka]

I'm really into Hawaiian6's engrish. Well the written lyrics are impressive, but they just can't utter them clearly enough to discern, unless you've grown up listening to engrish, as I have.
At least in the J-indies I really do feel that their lyrical content kicks most of what American undergrounds/indies have to offer. Maybe it's the lack of repetitive sob-stories, who knows.

[Uska]

I've got most of The Brilliant Green's videos. Some of those are strange, but in an artsy way.


lol The brilliant green sounds like hippie music.......hippie music depresses me .__.

*wonders if the vids in the first post were hello! project vids..

[Masa the Masta]

Also, Koda Kumi could -- only because she's a major SLUT. This girl just puts her sex appeal WAY out there. So yeah, she would be perfect for an american fanbase ^^.

Amen to that brother, amen. :D

[koku]

Amen to that brother, amen. :D

lol-ness.


Dude, Ellegarden ROCKS.

I'm listening to them right now, and I already know i'll eat this up. As far as the language barrier (for other bands), that's why I mentioned the scenerio as hypothetically.

But for some artist I'd wager it doesn't matter ^^.

Koda Kumi (ok mabye not, but I think it's safe to say some guys wouldn't care).

Dir En Grey: Ok, I just watched a video by them, and I could barely pick up the Japanese. Sounded like sreaming, yelling, grung crying -- it sounded like american death metal music. Was it still hardcore and extremly on the edge? At a few instances the singer from Dir En Grey says, "One day I will fuck your parents." I think that's meritable to resound a "yes" to that question. ^^.

But yeah, some genres here (like death metal and heavy rock) I don't think many could pick up the lyrics let alone care.

[h2orowe]

I honestly think, that if any band would, it'd be Asian Kung-Fu Generation, because like Kokujin said, they're alot like an American band, and I've showed them to my friend who bags on me for being (Excuse my langugae but it's his quote) "A Gook Lover" said AKFG was pretty good.
Hopefully their domestic release of Sol-Fa, in stores October 18th!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, does pretty good.
I mean they're one of THE best bands I've heard.

If the pillows started touring America a decade or so back, they might've made an impact but now I doubt they would considering they're 16 years old :\

[koku]

yay akfg = awesome. They're easy to get into ^^.

Question/rant:

Ayumi Hamasaki is TOO DAMN POWERFUL. GREEDY GREEDY ruling TRAMP! I just got done watching a concert with her and 5+ other artists, and not only did she get way more songs and stage time than everyone else, she got got close out the concert, had a cart to parade her around the crowd, and she also decided it would be fair to change outfits about 3 times -- that whore :P

So, as an Otsuka Ai advocate ( Ai >>>>>>Ayumi :P), I ask how much of an impact does Ayumi still have and how do other new artists stack up against her? It can't just be SMAP and Ayumi/Nami all the time no?

Mabye I should just follow the Japanese equivilant of the billboards, but I'm not too sure if that would tell the entire story.

So if you have the advantage of knowing, bring up what's popular and trendy now and how some of the mentioned favorites here truly stack up.

[Sayaka]

Ayumi Hamasaki's "alterna" video is the best video I've ever seen. I like how she makes fun of the music industry in it. Most music videos are retarded in general. Anyone know where I can see utada hikaru videos?

[hapacheese]

kokujin - A while back, Ayu did a commercial for a specific brand of lipstick. Apparently, it was like the 11th best selling lipstick before the commercial aired.

The *day after* the commercial with her first aired, it shot into first place.

Of course, this was about 4 years ago and her influence/popularity has died down a little bit, she's still likely the biggest diva in Japan.

And only god knows why.

[DJ_one]

Just watching the news this morning and looks like Utada Hikaru is going to try to crack the European and American market, starting off in the UK.

Even though she's really from the USA or at least raised there, I dont know why there arent more Japanese and other East Asian artists who try the European and U.S. market, I think its refreshing to hear different styles, artists shouldnt be forced into sounding too much like western formulated pop dross just to make an international presence.

[koku]

kokujin - A while back, Ayu did a commercial for a specific brand of lipstick. Apparently, it was like the 11th best selling lipstick before the commercial aired.

The *day after* the commercial with her first aired, it shot into first place.

Of course, this was about 4 years ago and her influence/popularity has died down a little bit, she's still likely the biggest diva in Japan.

And only god knows why.

lol hahaha *laughing* *chuckling* that whore :mad: :D

*goes buys 5,000 bottles of 'banban' spray.*

That's a funny story though. THE DAY after? Wow.


*side note/content* Otsuka looks like crap with short hair. Damn neko ni fuusen era.

[Sock Full of Boiled Dimes]

I believe that if you play J-Pop backwards then you could summon Satan.

I am really picky about music and I hate American Pop. Turns I out I hate J-Pop worse than American Pop.

The only think that is worse is when they stick a J-Pop song on some serious anime. It feel totally out of place.

[h2orowe]

XD Tenjou Tenge....

Let's fight to the death!
-Shows credits-
Aishite ne motto...
Aishite ne motto...
Aishite yo nee.......

XD
I love that song, but I hate most J-pop.