Anything related to music reviews or articles
“Turntable” is a wonderful 40th anniversary album and a complete package that is like a bookend piece to “EXPRESSIONS”. Featuring a culmination of 40-years of Takeuchi Mariya’s work, I highly recommend this album! ARTIST: Takeuchi Mariya ALBUM: Turntable LABEL: MOON RECORDS (Warner Music Japan) CATALOG Read More …
I received a recent e-mail in regards to a J!-ENT interview I did almost a decade ago with Tibetan singer, Alan Dawa Dolma. Best known for her music in Chinese and Japanese (as the artist alan /note: In Japan, they love to use names in Read More …
“SONGS – 40th Anniversary Ultimate Edition” is a magnificent Sugar Babe album that shines even brighter when compared with the previous releases and currently is the definitive version to own! But just know that in 2025, with the 50th anniversary release, one can only expect Read More …
The release of “aiko no uta.” makes this album not just a singles collection but a complete best album. This is the definitive aiko release that costs less than many multi-disc best collections, so if you really enjoy aiko’s music, then “aiko no uta.” is Read More …
I believe that one should own a copy of “A Long Vacation”, it’s a classic and beloved album in Japan, others call it a representative of “City Pop” but for the most part, it’s simply a well-produced album and as we approach the 40th year Read More …
B’z is one of Japan’s most successful rock duo’s in Japan which consists of guitarist, composer and producer Matsumoto “Tak” Takahiro and vocalist and lyricist Inaba Koshi. Since their debut back in 1988, the band shows no signs of wavering, having sold over 100 million Read More …
The following was also featured on Neo-Tokyo 2099: In the late 1970’s and through the 1980′,s “City Pop” (a term used for adult contemporary music in Japan) was very popular. According to music writer Kanazawa Hisakazu, City Pop is ” a popular music genre in Read More …
On February 6th, global pop group IZ*ONE released their debut Japanese single “Suki to Iwasetai” (I want to say I Like You). IZ*ONE (pronounced as “Eyez One”/IZ=12 and the meaning is 12 members coming together as ONE). The group features Jang Wonyoung, Miyawaki Sakura, Jo Read More …
On February 6th, global pop group IZ*ONE will be releasing their debut Japanese single “Suki to Iwasetai” (I want to say I Like You). IZ*ONE (pronounced as “Eyez One”/IZ=12 and the meaning is 12 members coming together as ONE). The group features Jang Wonyoung, Miyawaki Read More …
Yamashita Tatsuro’s “Christmas Eve” is just one of those must-play songs and for me, this single is one of the few that I own that will always be played every year! Recommended! ARTIST: Yamashita Tatsuro (山下達郎) CD SINGLE: Christmas Eve (クリスマス・イブ) LABEL: Moon Records CATALOG Read More …
You get 55 tracks in this magnificent best album. This may be the final Yamashita Tatsuro produced best album on CD and he no doubt wanted it to be special. And it’s a special best album featuring hit songs and also unreleased songs from 1975-2012 Read More …
I’ve written about my love for the music show “Produce48”. In South Korea, there is a television show called “Produce 101” in which they get young women (season 1) and young men (season 2) from different talent agencies and they compete to become a 12-member Read More …
I’ve written about my love for the Korean music show “Produce48” (here and here) and now that the show is over, the top 12 of the show have formed the global pop group, IZ*ONE (pronounced as “Eyez One”/IZ=12 and the meaning is 12 members coming Read More …
“namie amuro Final Tour 2018 ~Finally~” is a magnificent final concert release for Amuro Namie. You get three concerts, the final, one in her home of Okinawa and then a concert at from earlier in 2018 in Japan (depending on which version you purchase). You Read More …
Hi everyone! Sorry for the short blog post, but I’ve been busy these past few days, but definitely want to share that I received my copy of Amuro Namie’s “namie amuro Final Tour 2018 – Finally ~”. There are five Blu-ray + DVD releases for Read More …
“Melodies” is a classic album from Yamashita Tatsuro that still is on my playlist to this day! ARTIST: Yamashita Tatsuro (山下達郎) TITLE: Melodies LABEL: Alpha Moon Inc./Moon Records CATALOG #: 32XM-27 DURATION: 41 Minutes RELEASE DATE: June 8, 1983 1. 悲しみのJODY (She Was Crying) 2. Read More …
Last weekend, I went to the 16th Annual Korea Times Music Festival. The event has become like a yearly tradition but for the most part, it’s because we have so much fun. And each year, I discover so many artists and groups that I have Read More …