Anything related to music reviews or articles
I feel that the musical style is fitting for a Kimura Takuya of today…soulful and if anything, a man who is going with the flow. Recommended! ARTIST: 木村拓哉 (Kimura Takuya) ALBUM: Go with the Flow LABEL: Victor CATALOG #: VICL-1679 DURATION: 58 minutes RELEASE DATE: Read More …
While Charan Po Rantan’s style of music may not be for everyone, If you do like their ethno-influenced music style from what you see on their music videos, then this album is definitely recommended for the music and hours worth of content! GROUP: Charan Po Read More …
I grew up with albums and currently have my father’s albums. Unfortunately, I never thought I would be listening to vinyl ever again, so it was kept in my storage unit, collecting dust and probably suffered from California summer heat. But with vinyl becoming popular Read More …
Just roll the Big Fudge Record Vinyl roller cleaner on your vinyl and it cleans it immediately. Think of it like a lint roller, but this one for your vinyl. Has a special non-adhesive gel that picks up the particles and not bad for at Read More …
Yamashita Tatsuro released his 52nd single “RECIPE”, the theme song to the Kimura Takuya drama “GRAND MAISON TOKYO”. The last time a Yamashita Tatsuro song appeared on a KimuTaku drama was back in 2003 with Yamashita’s “RIDE ON TIME” used as the ending theme for Read More …
The songs that are included on “Sumioka Rina 2012-2019” are meaningful songs that are important in her life and enjoyed by many. And I really enjoyed this album a lot! ARTIST: 住岡梨奈 (Sumioka Rina) ALBUM: 住岡梨奈 2012-2019 LABEL: Tokuma Japan Communications CATALOG #: TKCA-74795 DURATION: Read More …
IZ*ONE is back with their third Japanese single titled “Vampire”, which is just in time as Japan goes full-force with Halloween festivities. The single was a success as first day sales was 174,242 copies but brought in weekly sales of 205,032 copies (Oricon Charts) and Read More …
Back on March 21, 1980, Yamashita Tatsuro’s first compilation album titled “COME ALONG” was released. The plan to release a compilation album was not made by Yamashita but it was the decision of RVC at the time to create an album primarily for promotional purposes. Read More …
CIRCUS TOWN” is a solid album debut for Yamashita Tatsuro. ARTIST: Yamashita Tatsuro ALBUM: Circus Town LABEL: BMG CATALOG #: BVCR-17013 DURATION: 46 minutes RELEASE DATE: December 25, 1976 TRACK LISTINGS: 1. CIRCUS TOWN 2. WINDY LADY 3. MINNIE 4. 永遠に 5. LAST STEP 6. Read More …
“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 …