Probably this huh?
Yeah I actually can't listen to it. I mean I get why people like THIS video (heh heh heh) but I find it really hard to like the music style...which upsets me because I love Japan. The idea that I couldn't cope with their shrill-pitched, fast-paced, over-worked, sugar-coated pop music made me gutted. I seriously tried to like it. I did. Every so often I'd find something more indie or acoustic but I really had no idea what to look for. I came to the conclusion that if was picky with British pop then I was never going to like the (dare I say it) more generic sound of J-pop...
Then It Came From Japan entered my life.
It Came From Japan is a British pod-cast featuring the best indie, rock and punk from the Japanese underground music scene. Though each pod-cast usually features a full range of styles most of the music (whether acoustic, punk or electronic) is easy on the ear with only the odd more experimental track for hard-core fans.
It is a little hard to pick out certain musicians that the pod-cast features as It Came From Japan features so many however I was very lucky to win from them a copy 'Dancing After 1 A.M.' by Call and Response Records which nicely sums up the edgier side of the music they play.
'Dancing After 1 A.M.' has a strong indie punk feel and is a complete roller coaster ride. For every calm melodic track such as Dance by MIR is an abrasive sound clash such as I Want More (Massive) by POP-OFFICE. Even though I don't like the more dissonant music I still love the compilation and fully recommend it to anyone who, like me, was giving up on Japanese popular music. It is raw, it is rough, it is fun and it is anti-pop at its best! You probably won't like every track but there will definitely be at least one artist you will want to hear more of. Ditto for It Came From Japan. After listening to one of their pod-casts featuring Coba-U's creepy cover of the Talking Head's classic Psycho Killer I downloaded her whole PUNK EP (available from iTunes UK...don't expect much punk on it though...it's mostly a chilled out slightly poppy homage to New Wave and a very easy and enjoyable listen).
Best of all, if you like the music featured on It Came From Japan and by Call and Response Records, most of it is available to buy (It Came From Japan has a great list on each pod-cast page for how you can find out more about the featured artists and their music) and both companies bring bands to tour the UK!
Featured Song: Collapsing New Buildings by Extruders
What are their websites?
http://www.itcamefromjapan.co.uk/
http://car-records.blogspot.co.uk/
Next week: I'm going to be on holiday so you get the day off ;-)
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