LemonGalaxy Music

J-Oldies 2

lemongalaxy@gmail.com — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 16:40:56 GMT

It's that time again, when I raid my dad's mp3 collection. Hope you enjoy them.

ARTIST: Ohtsu Yoshiko
TITLE: Tokyo Anna
COMMENTS: I'm not familiar with this singer. This song was released in 1955. According to my parents, it was very popular back then. It sounds like something from a musical.

ARTIST: Nishida Sachiko
TITLE: Akashiya no ame ga yamu toki
COMMENTS: Nishida Sachiko was a popular singer in the '60's. This 1960 classic is one of her most beloved songs. I believe it became kind of a theme song to represent the student political movements at the time..or something like that.

ARTIST: Ishida Ayumi
TITLE: Blue Light Yokohama
COMMENTS: These days Ishida Ayumi is better known as an actress. This was her biggest hit song, released in 1968. I think this song was covered by an idol singer or two in recent years.

ARTIST: Okumura Chiyo
TITLE: Koi no dorei
COMMENTS: Often called the Japanese Sylvie Vartan (a famous French pop singer),this 1969 single was a big hit for her. I had no idea how naughty this song was - "Please hit me when I am bad..."

ARTIST: Fuji Keiko
TITLE: Keiko no yume wa yoru hiraku
COMMENTS: Yes, it is that Fuji Keiko, Utada Hikaru's mom. She was an enka singer in the early 70's. This song was a big hit in 1970. You can hear the huskiness in both mother and daughter.

Saturday Night Fever

lemongalaxy@gmail.com — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 01:08:14 GMT

Music for those times when you're in that groovy disco party night mood.

ARTIST: Cymbals
TITLE: Wingspan
ALBUM: Anthology
COMMENTS: Cymbals was a Shibuya-kei band that broke up a few years ago. They sing most of their songs in English. This song sounds shiny if that makes any sense.

ARTIST: Fujifabric
TITLE: Ginga
ALBUM: Fabfox
COMMENTS: The first time I heard this one, I thought it was kind of annoying and cheezy and just oh so fab!

ARTIST: Super Butter Dog
TITLE: Gojuu-on
ALBUM: Grooblue
COMMENTS: I'm not a huge fan of funk but I like the way this band makes groovy funk-rock music.

ARTIST: Ram Jam World
TITLE: Space
ALBUM: Happy Space
COMMENTS: I bought this cd years ago mainly because it features the vocals of Go-Bang's lead singer Moriwaka Kaori. This song is fun fun fun.

ARTIST: Ketsumeishi
TITLE: Kimi ni bump
ALBUM: Ketsunopolis 4
COMMENTS: Wow, this song is like, really disco, dude. It's definitely a song to add to that essential fun and cheesy party music playlist.

The Hello Kitty Diaries

lemongalaxy@gmail.com — Sun, 03 Jun 2007 17:28:21 GMT

I thought it was time for some female alternative rock bands.

ARTIST: Toddle
TITLE: A Sight
ALBUM: I Dedicate D Chord
COMMENTS: Former Number Girl member Tabuchi Hisako fronts this band. This song has some catchy hooks. It's rockin' and kind of poppy too.

ARTIST: Seagull Screaming Kiss Her Kiss Her
TITLE: Sentimental Journey
ALBUM: Future or No Future
COMMENTS: SSKHKH is a great band. This is one of my favourite SSKHKH songs. Call me a prude but did they have to use the f-word here? :P

ARTIST: Ieha
TITLE: She Said
ALBUM: The Neglected Ghost Tree
COMMENTS: This is a fairly unknown band. I bought this cd in Japan years ago because I liked the album title. It's nice alternative rock.

ARTIST: Clams
TITLE: P-Nut Butter Irony
ALBUM: VA-Beautiful Freak Vol. 001
COMMENTS: Ooohhh, I love this one. Besides the cute title, it also has that great fuzzy shoegaze sound.

ARTIST: Veltpunch
TITLE: Killer Smile
ALBUM: A Huge Mistake
COMMENTS: This is a pretty catchy tune. You have soft female vocals with a dude spazzing along.

Sweet Dreams

lemongalaxy@gmail.com — Wed, 16 May 2007 21:05:50 GMT

Soothing and dreamy electronica with soft female vocals for you.

ARTIST: Gutevolk
TITLE: Wondering
ALBUM: Twinkle
COMMENTS: From the first sweet beats of this song, you feel like you are being trasported into a fairytale.

ARTIST: Heprcam
TITLE: Mudai 1
ALBUM: Cohcox
COMMENTS: This song kind of makes me think of Spangle Call Lilli Line. It's a gorgeous chillin' tune.

ARTIST: Girls Tape Store
TITLE: I'm in Mood to Meet You Now
ALBUM: I'm In Mood
COMMENTS: Ahhh....I feel so relaxed when I listen to this band. This is a nice indie electronic song, very mellow.

ARTIST: murr*murr
TITLE: Daydream
ALBUM: Daydream
COMMENTS: Here's another dreamy electronica unit. This is a very relaxing, soft ambient tune.

ARTIST: Piana
TITLE: Something is Lost
ALBUM: Ephemeral
COMMENTS: This song is so gentle and beautiful. It's very dreamy and ambient, I love it.

Questions

lemongalaxy@gmail.com — Tue, 01 May 2007 17:15:05 GMT

ARTIST: Yukari Fresh
TITLE: Is This Disco?
ALBUM: Cook Some Dishes
COMMENTS: For fans of Shibuya-kei. It's disco meets Pacman/Space Invaders/Atari.

ARTIST: Citrus
TITLE: Who Was in My Room Last Night?
ALBUM: Sings in Melody Decoder
COMMENTS: Hmm what kind of song should we make? Let's make a disco tune, no wait, let's do Hello Kitty guitar punky poppy..aww heck who cares, let's just play.

ARTIST: Advantage Lucy
TITLE: How Do You Feel?
ALBUM: Station
COMMENTS: Advantage Lucy songs always make you feel good. This has a happy and sunny upbeat sound.

ARTIST: Apila
TITLE: Where Are You Now?
ALBUM: The Moment Could Have Been Beautiful
COMMENTS: If you like Advantage Lucy you'll like this song.

ARTIST: Harmony Hatch
TITLE: Did You Eat the Silver Nuts?
ALBUM: Cake Cake Cake
COMMENTS: The burning question of all burning questions. Very sweet and twee.

Music for kindgarten kids

lemongalaxy@gmail.com — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 04:55:09 GMT

My 5-yr old son Jared requested some songs for his cheap mp3 player. I noticed he asked for a lot of J-girlie pop-rock. Anytime he hears them, he just dances like crazy.

ARTIST: Shonen Knife
TITLE: Astroboy Theme Song
ALBUM: Astrokids
COMMENTS: Did you ever watch this show when you were little? I’ve seen dvd sets here but I can’t tell if it’s only in English. Anyway, enjoy Shonen Knife’s fun version of the theme song.

ARTIST: Speena
TITLE: 24 Lovesong
ALBUM: Tsuki ni naku (maxi single)
COMMENTS: Jared was around 3yrs old when he first heard this song and he still loves it.

ARTIST: GO!GO!7188
TITLE: Hyokkori hyoutanjima
ALBUM: Koi no uta (maxi single)
COMMENTS: This is another remake song. This was the theme song of the classic Japanese children’s show. I believe Morning Musume covered this song but Jared definitely prefers this version.

ARTIST: Halcali
TITLE: Giri Giri Surfrider
ALBUM: Bacon
COMMENTS: Wow, another song he remembers. We were in Japan at the time and whenever this video played on tv he would bop bop bop along.

ARTIST: Paranmaum
TITLE: Linda Linda
ALBUM: We Are Paranmaum
COMMENTS: This Blue Hearts cover was from the movie “Linda Linda Linda”. Jared just loves to sing along.

ARTIST: Kojima Mayumi
TITLE: WaiWaiWai (album version)
ALBUM: My Name is Blue
COMMENTS: Hee hee hee…I can see why little kids would like this song.

ARTIST: Puffy
TITLE: Teen Titans (Jpns ver.)
ALBUM: 59
COMMENTS: He sure loves these theme songs.

Holy crap no update!!!

lemongalaxy@gmail.com — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 04:00:29 GMT

Hi everyone! I've almost forgotten about this MLJ. Yikes!

I shall be having an update very very soon!

J-Oldies

lemongalaxy@gmail.com — Mon, 11 Sep 2006 17:44:10 GMT

I never paid attention to Japanese oldies before until I started to go through my dad's music collection. Here are some of my favourites, enjoy!

ARTIST: Yuki Saori
TITLE: Yoake no scat
COMMENTS: This was a big hit in 1969. It was covered years later by The Yellow Monkey and Kojima Mayumi. It has a bit of a Kill Bill-ish kind of feeling, nice song.

ARTIST: Sagara Naomi
TITLE: Iijanaino shiawasenarabe
COMMENTS: Here is another hit song from 1969. I have no idea who this singer is, but I do like this song a lot. It sounds kind of folky and somber.

ARTIST: Hirota Mieko
TITLE: Ningyo no ie
COMMENTS: Wow, 1969 sure did produce a lot of big hits. This song feels very Kill Bill-ish indeed.

ARTIST: Pinky and The Killers
TITLE: Koi no kisetsu
COMMENTS: This was their debut single in 1968 and it was a big hit. It's a fun song. The first few notes make me think of an Austin Powers movie.

ARTIST: The Peanuts
TITLE: Koi no vacance
COMMENTS: Here is a classic Peanuts tune from 1963. It's my 4-yr old son's new favourite song. Everyone should have the Peanuts in their music collection.

Butterflies

lemongalaxy@gmail.com — Thu, 10 Aug 2006 16:57:06 GMT

ARTIST: Bice
TITLE: Linsey de Butterfly
ALBUM: Let Love Be Your Destiny
COMMENTS: This is a slow and melancholic number. It sounds kind of trippy.

ARTIST: 800 Cherries
TITLE: Le Papillon Et La Fleur (Lucky Butterfly)
ALBUM: Opuscula
COMMENTS: If you listen to this song, you'll find yourself transported to a happy candyland. This is a very cute instrumental song.

ARTIST: Melting Holidays
TITLE: Butterfly Dance
ALBUM: Pop Go the Happy Tune
COMMENTS: This is a sweet tune - retro, French, bossanova. It's perfect for sunny days, sitting outside at a little cafe.

ARTIST: Kojima Mayumi
TITLE: Chou-Chou
ALBUM: Swingin' Caravan!
COMMENTS: If you're a fan of Kojima Mayumi's quirky music, you'll like this one too.

ARTIST: Macdonald Duck Eclair
TITLE: Butterfly in the Stomach
ALBUM: Short Short
COMMENTS: It's picopico fun time! It's crazy and fun electropop.

Natsukashii

lemongalaxy@gmail.com — Thu, 22 Jun 2006 19:34:46 GMT

It's jpop nostalgia time! Here are some of my favourite jpop girlie power songs. Enjoy!

Rebecca - Friends
Here is one of the legendary bands of the 80's jpop world.

Jitterin' Jinn - Don't Let Me Down
I like this band a lot. They write catchy and fun ska/rockabilly/pop songs.

Go-Bang's - Ai ni kite I Need You
Ahhh I love this band. They were a 3-piece girl band from the 80's and early 90's. Their music is cute and catchy.

Kyoko Koizumi - Gakuen Tengoku
This 1991 tune was a remake of the Finger Five hit song from the 1970's. It's a fun fun fun song.

Mi-Ke - Omoide no kujukurihama
I can't quite remember if they covered '60's jpop tunes, or took familiar lyrics/music from a variety of songs to make one song...

Princess Princess - Diamonds
This group was the most successful all girl band in the 80's. Here is a classic PuriPuri song.

Lindberg - Ima sugu Kiss Me
Lindberg was quite popular in the early 90's. This is one of their biggest hits.

Found a box of cd's

lemongalaxy@gmail.com — Sat, 10 Jun 2006 03:09:42 GMT

I finally got into my stash of cd's here and found a lot of old jpop cd's and cd singles. Be on the lookout for a big cd sale here soon! :)

Dance music for people who hate to dance

lemongalaxy@gmail.com — Tue, 06 Jun 2006 15:17:32 GMT

These songs are great for people who dance in one spot without actually moving their feet, if that makes sense...

Please leave a COMMENT if you take anything, thanks!

ARTIST: Quruli
TITLE: World's End Supernova
ALBUM: The Word is Mine
COMMENTS: Here is Quruli doing electronic music. My friend once mentioned this song sounded like something you would hear in a car commercial. It has a pretty groovy vibe going on.

ARTIST: Aco
TITLE: Ya Yo
ALBUM: Mask
COMMENTS: Oh my gosh, I was not expecting Aco to sound like this. Instead of Bjork/Sigur Ros-ish sounds, well, she's so, umm...cute and happy.

ARTIST: Cornelius
TITLE: Drop
ALBUM: Point
COMMENTS: I used to be a big fan of Cornelius when his 96/69 album came out then I kind of stopped listening to him. I love this song! The sound of water in the background makes me want to take a luxurious bath. :P

ARTIST: Yuki
TITLE: Joy
ALBUM: Joy
COMMENTS: Here's an electro-pop tune from the former Judy and Mary lead singer. It's such a happy and uplifting tune, although I find her vocals slightly annoying on some parts, but oh well. It's a fun song.

ARTIST: Supercar
TITLE: Wonder Word (single mix)
ALBUM: Wonder Word maxi single
COMMENTS: I love all of their songs but for some reason, I listen to this one a lot. If you like the Quruli song, you might like this one. This song makes me think of a car commercial too, hehe.

Okinawa

lemongalaxy@gmail.com — Mon, 22 May 2006 16:26:15 GMT

My mom is not a big fan of Okinawan music, but I love it. Here are some of my favourite Okinawan flavoured pop melodies.
Please leave a comment if you take anything, thanks!!

ARTIST: Begin
TITLE: Shimanchu nu takara
ALBUM: Singles
COMMENTS: This Okinawan trio have been making folky, easy listening pop music for some years now. This is one of their biggest hits and it's a great song. I guess you can call it another unofficial "anthem" of Okinawa like the song "Shima Uta".

ARTIST: Bird
TITLE: Warabegami
ALBUM: Bird's Nest
COMMENTS: I'm not familiar with the background of this song - whether it's a traditional Okinawan melody or just a remake of a hit song. Whatever it is, it's a very nice tune with a sunny arrangement and Bird sings it well.

ARTIST: Hot Dog
TITLE: My Way - Okinawa Version
ALBUM: My Way - Okinawa Version maxi single
COMMENTS: I found this song on a forum and decided to try it simply because it said "Okinawa version". :) I don't know much about this group but this is a nice groovy song. It has a very laid back, lounge in the sun feeling.

ARTIST: The Boom
TITLE: Iianbee - Boombay Mix
ALBUM: Shima Uta - Grandes Exitos
COMMENTS: Well I can't have an Okinawan music rotation without including one song from this band, right? This is a crazy mix of Okinawan, East Indian and hiphop sounds. Definitely check this song out.

ARTIST: Kina Shoukichi
TITLE: Haisai Ojisan
ALBUM: The Music Power From Okinawa
COMMENTS: Kina is often called the godfather of Okinawan pop music. I only know two of his songs though - "Hana" and this song. (thanks to themishi for introducing this to me.) This is a faster version which will make you get up and jump around. It's very fun to listen to.

lemongalaxy@gmail.com — Tue, 09 May 2006 19:23:13 GMT

Wow! I've finally updated this lj.

I decided to try YourFileHost instead of YSI this time. Let me know if there are any problems.

Enjoy the tunes!

ARTIST: Port of Notes
TITLE: (You Are) More Than Paradise
ALBUM: More Than Paradise maxi
COMMENTS: Port of Notes make nice soothing songs and this is one of my favourites. It's nice island chillin' music.

ARTIST: UA
TITLE: Antonio no uta
ALBUM: Ametora
COMMENTS: I think this is a cover, but I'm not sure who the original singer is. This is from my favourite UA album. It's a nice cool and breezy jazzy tune with acoustic guitars.

ARTIST: Polaris
TITLE: Akatsuki
ALBUM: Cosmos
COMMENTS: I love Polaris. If you like music to relax to or drift off to dreamland to, listen to Polaris. This is a pretty song.

ARTIST: Sweet EQ
TITLE: Futatsu
ALBUM: unknown
COMMENTS: I found this song on Nextmusic. I don't know a lot about Sweet EQ. This is a nice simple acoustic ballad.

ARTIST: Ji ma ma
TITLE: Orfeu
ALBUM: Dragonfruit Moon
COMMENTS: This song sounds "mysterious". It makes me think of a bonfire on the beach.

Back home

lemongalaxy@gmail.com — Mon, 24 Apr 2006 01:07:31 GMT

Hi everyone. We are back in Canada. Man, I forgot how big everything is here. I can't even finish a lousy Wendy's chicken strips combo.

I'm so sorry for not updating here. I'm hoping to get something out for you soon. I think I might do monthly compilations instead of weekly updates.

Again, my apologies.

Cherry Blossoms

lemongalaxy@gmail.com — Sat, 18 Mar 2006 05:46:34 GMT

Tis the season for cherry blossoms so I have for you songs about sakura. The "Hanami" section is all jpoppy stuff and the "Yozakura" side is less poppy music.

No song descriptions this time, sorry.

Enjoy!

HANAMI
Nakashima Mika - Sakurairo maukoro
Tomato Cube - Sakura
Aiko - Sakura no toki
Puffy - Sakura no hana ga saku amai amai kisetsu no uta
Kawaguchi Kyogo - Sakura
Tsuji Ayano - Sakura no ki no shita de
Whiteberry - Sakura namikimichi
Otsuka Ai - Sakurambo
Hirakawachi Icchoume - Sakura no kakusu wakaremichi
Utada Hikaru - Sakura Drops
Moriyama Naotaro - Sakura

YOZAKURA
Joe Hisaishi - Sakura
Bird - Sakura
Buck-Tick - Sakura
GO!GO!7188 - Sakurajima
The Back Horn - Sakura Yuki
Advantage Lucy - Sakurambo
Fujifabric - Sakura no kisetsu
Orange Pekoe - Sakura
Nirgilis - Sakura (Cherry Blossom)
Number Girl - Sakura no dance
Anemone - Sakura Sakura

Another compi

lemongalaxy@gmail.com — Fri, 24 Feb 2006 04:17:34 GMT

Hello everyone! I am sorry for not being able to keep this journal updated on a regular basis. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this Lemongalaxy mix - shoegazer music!!

EDIT: Fixed the Luminous Orange track - I uploaded the wrong song, yikes! My apologies.

ARTIST - Finepitch
TITLE - Thousand Stars
ALBUM -
COMMENTS - I found this band on Nextmusic , a site where you can find tons of songs by various J-independant bands. If you like early Supercar and Mash, you'll like this song.

ARTIST - Coaltar of the Deepers
TITLE - Star Love
ALBUM - No Thank You
COMMENTS - I love how they sound thrashing and crazy one moment then all dreamy the next. The female vocals here remind me of Lush.

ARTIST - Luminous Orange
TITLE - Starquake
ALBUM - Sugarcoated
COMMENTS - I love this band. If you enjoy bands such as My Bloody Valentine, Pale Saints, or Lush, check out Luminous Orange. Soft female vocals with crunchy, swirly guitars.

ARTIST - Cruyff in the Bedroom
TITLE - Into My Sleep, Under the Stars
ALBUM - Perfext Silence
COMMENTS - This song is from their debut album. It's melodic shoegazer pop.

ARTIST - Clams
TITLE - See the Brightest Star
ALBUM - Sakura River
COMMENTS - Nice shoegazery pop with soft female vocals. It makes me think of spinning lights. Band influences are MBV, Yo La Tengo and The Flaming Lips.

ARTIST - The Spiritual
TITLE - The Brightest Star
ALBUM - demo album
COMMENTS - I found this instrumental band on Muzie , a music site similar to Nextmusic. Their music style is emo, postrock, and shoegazer. .

ARTIST - Euphoria
TITLE - Star Falling
ALBUM - Eternal Gift From the Moment
COMMENTS - I think this is my favourite Euphoria album. I love songs that sound pretty, dreamy and melancholic.r

ARTIST - Honeydip
TITLE - Stargazer
ALBUM - Another Sunny Day
COMMENTS - The song starts off quietly, then the tension slowly builds and builds. It really is a song for star gazing, try it!

ARTIST - Pasteboard
TITLE - Starcharts
ALBUM - Glitter
COMMENTS - What the heck? It's indiepop band Roly Poly Rag Bear, only this time they're playing shoegazer under the name Pasteboard. They're my new fav band. Dreamy distortion.

I love Sundays

lemongalaxy@gmail.com — Tue, 07 Feb 2006 03:29:07 GMT

Okay, so it's actually a Tuesday afternoon here, but I do love Sundays.

ARTIST - The Caraway
TITLE - Sunday Clothes
ALBUM - VA - Guitar Pop Crazy (Bluebadge Compilation vol.3)
COMMENTS - I guess one of the members of The Caraway is from Swinging Popsicle. If you like Swinging Popsicle, you'll like this song. It's a nice sunny happy indiepop number.

ARTIST - Color Filter
TITLE - Story on a Sunday Afternoon
ALBUM -Cosmic Voyage
COMMENTS - I love Color Filter, I don't know why I don't post more of their songs here. This is a gentle, dreamy song with a bit of a dancey beat.

ARTIST - Advantage Lucy
TITLE - Sunday Pasta
ALBUM - Sunday Pasta single
COMMENTS - I love everything by this group. The melodies and vocals are not too sugary. This is a sweet jangly pop song.

ARTIST - Sprito
TITLE - Sunday Song
ALBUM - Sleeper
COMMENTS - Here's another gentle guitar pop song. If you like Advantage Lucy, Velvet Crush or Teenage Fanclub, check out this song.

ARTIST - Yum! Yum! Orange
TITLE - Sunny Sunday
ALBUM - Orange Juice
COMMENTS - Ska band with female vocals. This is one happy happy joy joy song.

Lemongalaxy Compilation 2

lemongalaxy@gmail.com — Mon, 16 Jan 2006 08:54:16 GMT

Another compi for you guys. :)

The songs here have a country-ish, folky, county fair sound. Don't let that turn you off, give 'em a try. :)

ARTIST -Serina
TITLE - Shitsubou
ALBUM - Serina
COMMENTS - This is a nice mid-tempo song. It's like coffeehouse, Lilith-Fair type of music.

ARTIST - Bump of Chicken
TITLE - Sharin no uta
ALBUM - Yggdrasil
COMMENTS - What the heck is a bump of chicken?? This song makes me think of dancing and frolicking around the maypole.

ARTIST - Inotomo
TITLE - Sakamichi
ALBUM - Kaze no niwa
COMMENTS - Inotomo makes nice soft folky pop. This is a sweet little tune.

ARTIST - Quruli
TITLE - River
ALBUM - Team Rock
COMMENTS - Yay for banjos and pianos.

ARTIST - Port of Notes
TITLE - Salavah (Shining Mono Track J-A Kama Aina Remix)
ALBUM - Joint Adventure
COMMENTS - Yay! Another song with banjos! This is a great song, give it a try.

ARTIST - The Cherry Coke$
TITLE - Tsubomi
ALBUM - Beer My Friends
COMMENTS - A Japanese band that plays Irish music. This is my favourite song from these guys. It's a fun dance around the room number.

ARTIST - Hajime Chitose
TITLE - Sampo no susume
ALBUM - Itsuka kaze ni naru (maxi single)
COMMENTS - I liked this song a lot better than the A-side. It's a simple sweet tune.

ARTIST - Spitz
TITLE - Suginami Melody
ALBUM - Iroirokoromo
COMMENTS - This is a very sweet song, it makes me think of a ferriswheel ride at night.

ARTIST - Cocco
TITLE - Utahime
ALBUM - Sangrose
COMMENTS - A quirky little song from Cocco. It's not her best, but it's cute.

ARTIST - Komeiji Hiroya
TITLE - Waltz (For the Star)
ALBUM - Kodoku no ongaku
COMMENTS - Ahhhh I love this song. End the night with a sweet and romantic waltz with your loved one.

Double Trouble

lemongalaxy@gmail.com — Thu, 05 Jan 2006 06:44:59 GMT

Hi everyone! Hope you all enjoyed the holidays. :)

We're preparing to move back home to Canada in the spring so updates here will be kind of sporadic.

ARTIST - Suneohair
TITLE - Communication
ALBUM - Tokyo Bivouac

ARTIST - Yuki
TITLE - Communication
ALBUM - Commune

COMMENTS - Suneohair wrote the music and Yuki wrote the lyrics. Yuki's is sweet and jangly. Suneohair's version is a wee bit more mellow. I like both versions a lot.

ARTIST - Puffy
TITLE - Ai no shirushi
ALBUM -Jet CD

ARTIST - Spitz
TITLE - Ai no shirushi
ALBUM - Kachoufuugetsu

COMMENTS - This song was written by Spitz's Kusano Masamune for Puffy. I think both versions are great but I can see a lot of people liking Puffy's more. Puffy's version is silly and goofy funness.

ARTIST - Quruli
TITLE - Otoko no ko to onna no ko
ALBUM - The World Is Mine

ARTIST - Hanaregumi
TITLE - Otoko no ko to onna no ko
ALBUM - Kaettekara, utaitakunattemo iiyouni to omottanoda

COMMENTS - This is an amazing ballad. Quruli did a really good job here. Hanaregumi does a very stripped down version. I think people will like Quruli's better. Hararegumi's version is great to listen to on those quiet rainy days.

ARTIST - Hitomi
TITLE - Samurai Drive
ALBUM - Huma-Rhythm

ARTIST - Cune
TITLE - Samurai Drive
ALBUM - Hoshi wo mitereba (maxi single)

COMMENTS - I definitely like the Cune version better, it's rockier than the Hitomi version. Hitomi's is good but her nasally vocals really get on my nerves sometimes.

Happy Holidays

lemongalaxy@gmail.com — Sun, 25 Dec 2005 01:37:38 GMT

Merry Christmas everyone and have a Happy New Year! Eat lots of turkey and mashed potatoes! :)

Late Update - Compilation

lemongalaxy@gmail.com — Mon, 19 Dec 2005 12:10:45 GMT

Sorry for the late update here!

I don't think I'm going to watch Memoirs of a Geisha but it kind of inspired me to put this little mix together. Except for the last few songs, there's that Asian vibe going on in the music. All the songs are relaxing. Please excuse the very short descriptions, I want to get this out asap.

Enjoy!

1. Mink - Omajinai : I haven't really paid attention to her other songs, but I do like this one a lot.

2. UA - Mizuiro : From UA's "11" album, sounds peaceful

3. Hitoto You - Kazaguruma : After a bunch of so-so singles, Hitoto You comes out with this very nice song.

4. Otsuka Ai - Kingyo Hanabi : Otsuka Ai sounds much nicer when she's singing ballads.

5. Aiko - Haru yo, koi : Found this on Soulseek. This is a Matsutoya Yumi cover.

6. Sakamoto Miu - Poppoya : Very pretty song, I think this was used in a movie a few years ago.

7. Yuu - Hachisu : From GO!GO!7188's lead singer's solo album, sounds mysterious.

8. Cocco - Utakata - Cocco in a very mellow mood.

9. Nakashima Mika - Oborozukiyo Inori (acoustic) : Acoustic version of her hit single, very nice.

10. Yae - Nanomonaki kimi e - Very nice traditional folk sounding melody.

11. Odani Misako - Hi no kawa - Sounds like something from the Lord of the Rings

Lilith Rock

lemongalaxy@gmail.com — Sat, 10 Dec 2005 03:09:03 GMT

Here are some non-teeny bopper female singers for you.

ARTIST - Shiratori Maika
TITLE - Kimi no yowasa
ALBUM - Gemini
COMMENTS - If you're a fan of artists such as Bonnie Pink, Cocco, or Sarah McLachlan check out Shiratori Maika. This is one of the rockier tunes on the album. I love the chorus, it makes me want to dance.

ARTIST - Sasagawa Miwa
TITLE - Utsukushii kage
ALBUM - Amata
COMMENTS - Sasagawa Miwa deserves more attention. She writes very pretty songs. Her music combines pop with Celtic/folk sounds. In this song we hear her rockin' out. One of my favs from this album.

ARTIST - Salyu
TITLE - Landmark
ALBUM - Landmark
COMMENTS - Most people know Salyu as Lily Chou Chou. I love this album, it's a mix of pop, dreamy, and ethereal. This song is a bit more upbeat than her other stuff. I love love love this song, it's addictive and stunning.

ARTIST - Okakita Ayu
TITLE - Sequela
ALBUM - Basement Diary
COMMENTS - Okakita Ayu is another singer-songwriter that deserves more attention. I guess you can call her music acoustic/alternative/pop rock. The music in this song sounds kind of angsty.

ARTIST - Hamada Akiko
TITLE - Kawaii dokubou
ALBUM - Kirari
COMMENTS - This is from Hamada Akiko's (of GO!GO!7188) solo album. This is a fun number that will make you shake and boogie on the dance floor. I love songs that feature the piano and organ.

Rock n Pop n Roll

lemongalaxy@gmail.com — Sat, 03 Dec 2005 03:01:43 GMT

Damn Japan and its lack of central heating!! To help keep us warm, my son and I dance around the room like idiots to songs like these.

ARTIST - Swinging Popsicle
TITLE - Change
ALBUM - Change ep
COMMENTS - Swinging Popsicle is a pop band. If you like indie pop bands such as Advantage Lucy or Cymbals, you might like them. This song is different from most of their other tunes. It's a fast, upbeat and melodic pop-rock number. It's fun girlie rock.

ARTIST - Straightener
TITLE - Reminder
ALBUM - Rock End Roll
COMMENTS - Straighener is a great indies rock band. This was my first Straightener song and my favourite. It's a melodic song leaning more towards the power pop-rock sound, I guess...I hate trying to describe music styles..... Anyway it's a great song. Give these guys a try.

ARTIST - Cocco
TITLE - Dream's a Dream
ALBUM - Sangrose
COMMENTS - Whoa, what the heck is this? Cocco is very poppy and happy in this song. The chorus makes me think of cheerleaders dancing and prancing around with their poms poms. It's not my favourite Cocco song, but it's fun and goofy.

ARTIST - Supercar
TITLE - Cream Soda
ALBUM - Three Out Change
COMMENTS - Ahh Supercar! I love them, especially their early albums. This was their first single which was released back in 1997. I love this song. It has that fuzzy, crunchy, shoegazer-ish guitar sound I love so much.

ARTIST - Mash
TITLE - Drive
ALBUM - Mizu no aji
COMMENTS - When I first heard this song, I thought I was listening to Supercar. It has that same kind of guitar sound and male/female vocals. If you like shoegazery guitar bands, check these guys out.

Random Update - Shima Uta Around the World

lemongalaxy@gmail.com — Mon, 28 Nov 2005 07:30:17 GMT

The Boom's Shima Uta is one of my favourite songs. It was a huge hit in Japan in 1993 and has become a jpop classic. I had no idea that there were a number of cover versions of this song. If you love this song and are curious about the covers, check these out.

ARTIST - The Boom
TITLE - Shima Uta
ALBUM - Shima Uta (single)
COMMENTS - The Boom is not an Okinawan group but they have made a lot of music featuring Okinawan sounds and it all started with this song, Shima Uta. Every jpop collection needs this song. It's a simple melodic tune. This Shima Uta here is the Okinawa dialect version.

ARTIST - Alfredo Casero
TITLE - Shima Uta
ALBUM - Casaerius
COMMENTS - I'm not sure who this man is, but this was a hit in Argentina in 2001. It was even used as the theme song for the Argentina soccer team! Casero sings this in Japanese. I'm not too fond of this version. It's not awful, but not super great. This is the "rockiest" one of the bunch.

ARTIST - Catia
TITLE - Outra Lua
ALBUM - Tokyo Bossa Nova - Outono
COMMENTS - Here's Shima Uta done bossa nova style! I don't know the background of this singer. She sings the song in Portuguese and does a very nice job. It's very relaxing and soothing. Ahh I wish it was summer again (minus the humidity.....).

ARTIST - Tomek Makowiecki
TITLE - Shima Uta
ALBUM - Piosenki Na Nie
COMMENTS - Tomek Makowiecki is a singer from Poland. He sings the song in both Polish and Japanese. I like his version of Shima Uta. It's a sweet, but not sappy, pop ballad. I can imagine this song being played in North America, but too bad North American radio is allergic to non-English music.

ARTIST - Jasmine Leong
TITLE - Bu Xiang Shui
ALBUM - The Power of Love Songs.
COMMENTS - Again, another singer I'm not familiar with. I believe Jasmine Leong is a popular singer in Taiwan. Bu Xiang Shui is Mandarin for "Don't Want to Sleep". This one isn't bad, it's done in a pop ballad style. It kind of has this Asian new age-y sound.

ARTIST - Izzy
TITLE - Shima Uta
ALBUM - Ascolta
COMMENTS - Here is an English version of Shima Uta. Isobel Cooper is a classical singer from England. This was a bonus track on the Japanese release of the album. This version is very beautiful, Izzy does a great job. The music makes me think of lush green trees and mountains.

ARTIST - Izzy
TITLE - Shima Uta (acoustic version)
ALBUM - New Dawn
COMMENTS - This was also a bonus track on the Japanese release of the album. This is a duet with Izzy and Miyazawa Kazufumi. They sing in English and Japanese to a piano arrangement. This version is really pretty and airy. The addition of Chinese instruments make it extra pretty.