Yellow Magic Orchestra,
Naughty Boys Yes Pipe, I shall see just how good they are. Now an album of full on synth pop tunes, it feels a bit like songs that would shine best if other artists sang them, seeing as the vocals on this album are...not bad but not the greatest. The tunes though are good, there is plenty of neat stuff going on. "Opened My Eyes" is a fun pop number and "Lotus Love" has too many great sounds. "Kai-Koh" has those amazing sharp keyboards. I wasn't super taken by the album, but it was fine.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZSUEJgM47Q Dreams Come True,
The Swinging Star Three piece jazzy 90's J-Pop group with Sonic 1 & 2's composer Masato Nakamura. This is the album made in the mist of Sonic 2 so it has the song I knew from long ago and had the English version on my PSP in the 2008 days "Sweet Sweet Sweet" which has the same melody as the sad ending theme after the boss battle. I cried to that song when I first beat it on the PS2 Mega Collection when I was like 10 because I was already nostalgic for being like 5 when I first played Sonic 2. Anyway, this album is not anything too amazing. It has a very dated sound and production style. Miwa Yoshida is a formidable vocalist and yes, the basslines are damn cool on here. Musically the rest is a lot of dry horns and pretty bland beats. Only in moments like the bass on "Kessen wa Kinyobi" does it sound Sonic 2. It's a fun album of it's time, a little long, often songs just go on, and nothing too great. "Sweet Sweet Sweet" is great though.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPjZuLljkXo Wednesday Campanella,
Zipangu The group's first album, a slightly rougher more Hip Hop focused album with less of Superman's fine pop appeal. KOM_I is awesome as ever, with all kinds of neat flows. The production is okay, the instrumentals don't explode like on Superman, it seems there is more focus on KOM_I. There is not much in the way of catchiness, the only moment that stuck out is when she goes "Obi-Wan Kenobi". The album is alright.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuuUfP4uJEk BRADIO,
YES This group became legends when they did the delightfully unfitting OP of Death Parade that bested the show itself. The group is so funky the singer even has an afro for added powers. This is good fun, funky jazzy tunes with falsetto singing and good 70's vibes with a modern production. "LA PA PARADISE" is the single I knew before that I really liked! This group is really solid, it's not an album loaded with winner after winner, it has down moments, but there is enough fun. BRADIO is a group best as one song in a playlist however. They make killer singles. YES is shorter, to it's benefit. "LA PA PARADISE" is easily the best song, I love the groove and instrumentation as well as the vocals and smooth bassline. BRADIO is always good for funky J-Pop jams.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5c1pwM4VcGM WANIMA,
Are Your Coming? Hard hitting J-Rock with fast tempos and high energy. It's decent, melodically sound songs with catchiness and attitude. It's in line with this kind of J-Rock, often I go for girl singers, but this works for a different more aggressive vibe. It's not bad, not something worth re-listening but a good high powered listen. The drummer is a mad lad on these tracks, the whole thing is constant slamming.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRaHgQ3yjAo The Smithereens,
Especially For You A decent 80's indie rock type album. It's very poppy and tuneful with jangle elements. It's not my favorite kind of jangle, in fact the guitars are kind of boring. The vocals are good, especially on "In A Lonely Place". I'm pretty indifferent to this kind of music, while it's enjoyable it never reaches the level of becoming anything really good. This album is kind of whatever.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdI-l5aTEaM Also listening to the Clashs' debut again, it's really not that good. Give 'Em Enough Rope is so much better in every sense, especially production and tones.
I need to start listening to power metal or something way different, I feel like I've found all the good jangle, post punk and punk music for myself to go mad about. Now this new to me stuff is becoming very boring. I love what I've already gotten into, but finding other stuff is difficult now. J-Pop is ever giving, it never ends. Sometimes I get sick of the ani-stuff, but there is still much to explore like the 80's synth stuff and city pop which I have not gotten into yet. Rock Island showed me new indie can still be good sometimes. I outta look at new stuff more, and well now that Fall is coming it will be metal season anyway. I need some refreshing full on Power Metal, corny stuff about dragons and all.