Okay, peeps. Enough with the serious stuff, I get the point. You have come to expect scathing wit, offensive humor and total irreverent (and irrelevant) conversation and I aim to please!
As most of you know, j-pop has dominated my car stereo play and my iPod playlist. If you don’t listen to it, you are kind of missing out. Now I know that the music is in a different language but so is hip hop and country. You listen to that don’t you? Hell, you listen to Akon and that man has no redeeming musical qualities whatsoever. With all that said, it is time to continue what I started in August (man that was a while back!) with a look into what I like and how to compare it to what you dig!
Learnin' With Master Chief Captain Chachi’s J-Pop 201
Welcome class. SIT THE FUCK DOWN! Thank you. Now we covered a few of my favs last time with Kumi Koda, HIGH AND MIGHTY COLOR and Orange Range. Now it is time to step it up a little bit with some more complex tunes from across the Pacific! First, we have probably my favorite artist right now:
If You Like Michelle Branch, You’ll Love: Yui
Mmm….Yui. Anyone who reads this blog, rides in my car or hears my ringtones knows how much I love Yui. Ever since her first album (which I got on accident looking for Yoko Ishida. Cosmic) I have been a total fan of her. Then when she made the 5th ending theme form Bleach with ‘Life’ I was hooked. In her total hotness, she plays guitar a la Michelle Branch and write most of (if not all) of her own songs. She makes great videos as we all saw ‘Rolling Star’ and ‘CHE.R.RY’ and her live performances are awesome. Her voice takes a while to get used to if you aren’t into acoustic or modern rock but once you get into it, she will totally be your hawtie. She’s mineJ “Can’t Buy My Love” is in stores now! Next, we have a band I heard of a while back but didn’t really get into until I heard them on Death Note (which rules your face in its’ own right)…
If You Like System of a Down, Static X and ska fusion, You’ll Love: Maximum the Hormone
HELLS YES! I first heard of these guys on torrent I got last year and it snuck onto my iPod. The song was ‘Koi no Megalover’ and it was ‘teh rawk’. I didn’t find much from them (mainly because their name wasn’t said, they were just Track 9 and the title) but I found some other work and it really got me into them. Then once day I downloaded the new Death Note and there was this song. This song made me want to break everything in my room. It was that fucking awesome. It was heavy as hell and loud for no reason, the way rock should be, DAMMIT! I had to have the album and my god. It is all over the place in a good way. There is some ska elements in ‘Kuso Breakin Nou Breakin Lily’ (translation, anyone?) and some mainstream elements in ‘Lousiana Bob’. There is something from Maximum for every fan of every style of rock. Needless to say, they rock your face. Next….no words describe…
If You Like Usher & J-Tim (minus egos) & Funky Fresh Dancing, You’ll Love: Bi (Rain)
This man has created a paradigm shift in the way that pop music….nay….music in GENERAL will be formulated from this day forward. I had heard some Bi here and there between my love of BoA and the funkiness of Se7en (Passion Remix kicks ass!) but man then I heard ‘Free Way.’ That song…changed my life for the better. Seriously, my life has looked up ever since. After that, the video for ‘I’m Coming’ came out and so did I. Hard and repeatedly. I so couldn’t stop. DANCING YOU PERVS! Bi has the dope dance moves, the bishie looks (even I can’t deny he is approaching Gackt levels of hawt) and the groovy tunage to make for a great addition to your collection. Oh, and for a sexy ballad, put on some ‘Move On’ or ‘Without You’ for some relax time with your baby boo. I haven’t had the chance to use them MYSELF, but I am sure the ladies will swoon. Oh, and he is KOREAN not Japanese. I am fully aware and even with that he is totally the man right now. Up next is something I just got into a few months ago…
If You Like Fall Out Boy mixed with a little Hoobastank, You’ll Love: Abingdon Boys School
Now I am new to these guys, I must admit. I found them while trying to find episodes of D-Gray Man on Isohunt (The manga was cool after three volumes, if you are interested). Their song ‘Innocent Sorrow’ was the opening theme and my fucking god! This song was BAD ASS! They have the lyrical stylings of Fall Out Boy (catchy refrains and unrelenting vocals) yet they have the ‘we wanna rock but wanna be radio friendly’ musical work of Hoobastank and Incubus as well. I have only heard two other songs from them, but ‘Howling’ is pretty damn good as well. If you are into rock a little, they kind of make you stop the dial and say ‘Hold the phone, what the hell was that?’ You stay for the listen and gradually get hooked. Now is going to come a shocker for those that know me and my love/hate relationship with the next guy…
If You Like Ja Rule (WHERE’S JA?!), You’ll Love: Seamo
Okay…alright. Settle down class! First off, Ja Rule was not THAT BAD! He was just everywhere for too long. Besides, everyone else sang their own hooks after him as well so they have no complaints. Seamo has surprisingly picked himself up in the lyrical and singing department. As many of you know, the first 30 seconds of Bennie K’s “Love Story” made me want to uppercut a puppy in the gut. It pissed me off that bad. After a while his verses grew on me (except the ‘CRUNK!’ at the beginning). Since, his body of work has improved as has his skills. He was quite Ja Rule-like on ‘Sotsugyou Soshite Miraihe’ with Monkey Majik (who will be in J-Pop 450: J-Pop Advanced) and his new song ‘Cry Baby’ is nice and catchy. The big jump is shown in “Fantastic 3” with Home Made Kazoku in which he actually rips up the mic! If you dig “hip-pop” then you will dig yourself some Seamo. Lastly…
If You Like Christina Aguilera (pre-Dirrty) You’ll Love: Yuna Ito
DAAAAAH! My future wife until May J lifts the restraining order! First off, Yuna Ito can sing. And when I mean sing I mean SING. Listen to ‘Truth’ and tell me she doesn’t have a majestic voice, even in a language you don’t understand. Her vocal range is awesome and her songs great to listen to no matter what the mood. Oh, and she is quite the nice. I mean DAMN. Check out the video for ‘Losin’ and tell me that aint the combo of awesome song and damn saucy lady. Not only that, she has some funky fresh dance moves in her videos and live shows! Nothing beats ill moves, peeps. Has the voice of Christina, the moves of BoA (Okay, maybe not BoA but they are still good) and the hawtness of Sowelu. Who is HAWT. Look her up, guys. She is nice.
And that is the lesson for today. Your homework: make a 30 second freestyle dance routine to Bi’s “I’m Coming”. Be prepared to get loose for the class. I will also accept Para Para and break dancing as long as it is dope. Class dismissed!
Well, that is all for now. I may be back up tomorrow (four posts in a week is kind of my limit) but I will definitely be up Friday for the Video Top 20 Countdown. Until then, stay up.
Chachi Out.
