[Sczervok]

Oh... my bad. (so this is what happens when you take information from outdated sources...)

See-Saw did split up a long time ago, around 95' or so... they then came back together after 2000 to do several albums.

You don't need AOL service (which sucks) to use AIM (mp3 of the instant messenger world)

So Mocok... how fares your plight of the Japanese genre?

 

[dj_mocok]

i reckon older japanese songs have more quality in them...

and i just listened to SPITZ - Recycle : the greatest hits.

I quite like it... very original and very japanese-styled rock..

 

[tk_suki]

Probably my favorite.

Also, still like Chihiro Onitsuka.

But I have tuned out much of J-Pop, catch the ones on TV late at night. The cute ones with a good dance are worth watching but listening well... prefer other genres.

Aya while past her prime is probably still the cutest thing goin' & Entertainin'. Her Chicken Dance(wearing chicken suit for an ice tea commercial) was one of my all time favs!. Now she is in a Judo mini-tv series pretty lame... but she draws a crowd nonetheless and just in time for the Olympics.

I am sure there are some good ones hiding out there, saw a good band in Shibuya a while back kind of jazzed up Rickie Lee Jones sound, so will make more of an effort to find these gems. Most of the mainstream J-Pop is lame song and dance stuff like Mariah, Janet J, imitations.

 

[dj_mocok]

why nobody mentioned amuro namie ? weird...

 

[Kenny12]

Ken Hitari is alright, Utata and Kuraki Mai are also not bad,

L'arc~en~Ciel and Chemistry as well

 

[pandasonic]

i've been very disapointed with what Amuro Namie has done to herself these past few years. the whole transformation into Suite Chic. what is she doing!? ahhh.

 

[noir]

i will hop onto the maaya sakamoto bandwagon too

she is the only japanese singer i dont get tired of listening to. And thanks to Yoko Kanno who usually does the songs, they all sound very different, and melodious. I dont really know which one to recommend, but i feel all her albums are excellent. From the earliest escaflowne songs till the latest "tune the rainbow" from rahxephon, i cant get nuff of her. Hotchpotch, Grapefruit, Nikopachi are definately albums to be heard (oh yes, i listen to some Puffies too sometimes

)

 

[Chinchy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tk_suki Also, still like Chihiro Onitsuka.

I love Chiihiro Onitsuka's stuff. She's great.

Other stuff I like:
- BoA
- Bump of Chicken's song Sailing Day.
- Matsu Takako
- Arai Akino

 

[pandasonic]

yoko kanno and mayaa sakamoto are probably the best singer/producer pair in all of music. i can't get enough of her new song, "What's It For" off of the second Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone soundtrack. beautiful to my ears indeed.

 

[GokieKS]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pandasonic yoko kanno and mayaa sakamoto are probably the best singer/producer pair in all of music. i can't get enough of her new song, "What's It For" off of the second Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone soundtrack. beautiful to my ears indeed.

The vocalist for that song is Emily Curtis...

~KS

 

[pandasonic]

ahh, looks like my mp3 tags need updating =P

 

[Zoide]

Sayaka - Ever Since
Kobukuro - Taiyou
Kiroro - Best Friend
Strawberry Flower - Ai No Uta
Fra-Foa - Aojiroi Tsuki
Hyde - Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds
The Brilliant Green - Sayonara Summer Is Over

and some more I can't remember are very good IMO

 

[MikoLayer]

CooRie
Satou Hiromi
Kuribayashi Minami
yozuca
Horie Yui
Masami Okui
Kawasumi Ayako
Hashimoto Miyuki
KOTOKO
Aki
Matsuura Yuki

kinda random and n00bish... yeah i know i need to watch more and broaden my knowledge

 

[sir poulet]

If you have a chance please check out HY ^^. I haven't met a person who hasn't been impressed by at least one of their songs yet

.

I also like GLAY's new single very much. Especially the slightly nicer version of Minamigochi

 

[FalconP]

Frankly I too am put off by the current batch of Japanese singers -- most of them are either faking an American style (R'n B, gansta rap, or cabaret jazz), or trying desparately to out-cute Hello Kitty. I guess I'm pretty "old school" when it comes to Japanese singers, but I do think that Utada Hikaru is definitey up there -- and a market-savvy songwriter to boot.

One of my favourite Japanese vocalist is Yusa Mimori -- she has a pure, natural girlish tone, not contrived and pretentious like most others.

Recently veteran singer Mayumi Itsuwa has released a comeback single. I heard a track on the radio and it is absolute bliss -- she is still in top artistic shape; her style hasn't changed over all these years -- warm, lyrical, unhurried, just the way I like it.