Japanese Music - J-Pop, enka, J-Rock, Japanese hip-hop, etc

[usamimi]

Oh man, I haven't listened to Mr. Children in ages! I should find their stuff again and give it another listen.

I love Zard but it's hard for me to listen to any of their stuff anymore without feeling super sad, now that Izumi Sakai is gone.

[kndy]

m.o.v.e will be calling it quits this year with their final performance to celebrate their 15th Year Anniversary and their final performance together.

I interviewed m.o.v.e for their 10th anniversary in 2007 and also finished interviewing them for their 15th anniversary and also for the finale. Interview will be up soon, just waiting for the photos from Japan and final album. But I talk to Motsu about why they are calling it quits, m.o.v.e's connection with the anime series "Initial D", Motsu's involvement in the anison scene with his new group ALTIMA, discussion of video games such as "Bust the Groove" (known as "Bust a Move" in the US) for the PS1 and more.

m.o.v.e - DOGFIGHT
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKURxNMi2xA

m.o.v.e - BREAK IN2 THE NITE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... OkzGLgyyCw

m.o.v.e - 雷鳴 -out of kontrol-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... fqrU5ILj20

ALTIMA - I'll Believe (theme for the anime series "Shakugan no Shana III Final")
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMHgbVwoo-4

Bust the Groove - Flyin' To Your Soul (created by motsu of m.o.v.e)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b84KJYidKvs

[greg]

My most recent J-rock purchase is the eponymous first album of The Blue Hearts. This is the album that contains their famous song "Linda Linda." My 4 year old really likes it. Her favorite is the super-fast punk song, "Dance Number." I've been in a punk mood lately, and today I introduced "I Fought The Law" by The Clash to my junior high 1st grade students because they have already studied the present continuous verb tense and are now learning past tense.

Blue Hearts' songs are a fun way to study Japanese words and slang. The whole album is full of great punk songs, and full of attitude. It's a big shot of "I don't care what anybody thinks, I'm gonna do my own thing" individualism for a collectivistic society.

[usamimi]

Aww, I love "Linda Linda"! That's adorable. XD

[Animusubi]

kndy > Oh man, that's so sad. I missed seeing them a few years ago when they did a performance at Sakura-Con (and my bf expresses his anger about it to me all the time) so I fear that I won't get to see them now. ;_;

[kndy]

Listening to:

m.o.v.e albums "anim.o.v.e best" (AVCT-10184/B), "Humanizer" (AVCT-10169),"XII" (AVCT-10182-B) "Overtaker's Spirit" (AVCT-10177-B) and ALTIMA's "BURST THE GRAVITY"



AKB48 - 1830m



Ayumi Hamasaki - Guilty



Morning Musume's CD Singles "One-Two-Three/The Matenro Show" (EPCE--5881) and "Wakuteka Take a Chance"



Nogizaka46's "Guru Guru Curtain"



AKB48's "Ue Kara Mariko" (TYPE-A, TYPE-K, TYPE-B)



Morning Musume's CD single "Help ME!!/Daisuki Dakara Zettai ni Yurusanai"



Sukima Switch's album "DoublesBest"



Watarirouka Hashiratai 7's "Valentine Kiss"



SMAP's "Sample Bang!"



no3b's "Kigirisu-Jin"



AKB48 Team Surprise's "Kinmokusei"



Mai Fukui's "Ai no Uta"

[kndy]

Kana Nishino - Go For It!



Nogizaka46's "Seifuku no Mannequin" Type-C



SKE48's latest CD single (their 11th) titled "Choco no Dorei" (Type-A, Type-B and Type-C) plus their seventh CD single "Oki Doki"



Various m.o.v.e titles



Various m.o.v.e titles



Atsuko Maeda's "Flower"



Perfumes "Love the World"



SDN48's "Makeoshimi Congratulation" (Theater Edition) and "Ai, Chuseyo" (Theater Edition)

[kndy]

Yuki Kashiwagi's "Shortcake" (Type-A and B - wish I got C instead of B)

[greg]

Ah, Kanna Nishino is pretty popular among my JHS students. So is Masaharu Fukuyama.

[kndy]

Ah, Kanna Nishino is pretty popular among my JHS students. So is Masaharu Fukuyama.

Fukuyama is a man who never ages...still producing great music. Kanna is an artist that I have been covering for awhile, yet waiting for when she will perform in the US.

Today I am listening to Hikaru Utada's "Hikari" with Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix coming out next week in Japan...the first game and the song brings me back...2002.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOSNIIx5u_U