I tend to be a little overenthusiastic about things in the morning. It's not that I'm a morning person, far from it. Maybe it's the first blast of coffee slamming into my brain that gives me just enough lift to actually enjoying things for a while, before the rest of life slowly presses it all back down.
Whatever that case, when I see things like this new-ish video from MO'SOME TONEBENDER as my eyes remember how to focus and my mouth tastes like burning manna from heaven, I feel like things are sometimes OK.
It also reminds me that I need to listen to these guys more often. See below for reasons. (Hint: "Green & Gold" is one of my favorite songs of all time.)
Without a doubt, 2008 was nothing short of amazing when it came to new albums. Not only were there a lot of new faces releasing thrilling stuff, but there were also many old favorites that continued to churn out fantastic records.
I could tell around the middle of 2008 that there was going to be way too much ground to cover in terms of a "Best Of" year end collection, so I put together my first list of 30 albums back on July. You might want to give it a quick read to get yourself up to speed.
We've finally lurched into 2009, so naturally it's time to take one final look back at some of the Best Japanese Albums of 2008. What a list it is! I've spent an incredible amount of time pouring over the list, mostly getting lost in the staggering number of great videos I've mostly forgotten about. Really, I could probably just keep listing to the stuff from last year all through 2009 and still be happy.
So, get comfortable, grab a tasty beverage and join me after the jump for the Best Japanese Albums of 2008 (Part 2)!
First off, I'll start with my absolute favorites. Just about any of these albums could have made the top of the list, so everything is simply listed in alphabetical order.
While these guys might not be the most creative sonically (every song sounds very much like every other song), they more than make up for it in sheer intensity. They are extremely sparse and focused, with performances that cut to the bone. Think Rage Against the Machine, only with even fewer frills. [BUY]
Another furiously performed album from possibly the biggest name in the new wave of indie rock. These guys have done nothing but great things right out of the gate, and Vampire is both their most mature and most exciting album so far. [BUY]
Combining their super-tight post-punk playing with spaced-out electronics and production, Avengers in Sci-Fi creating something unique. Both rock and dance, energetic and calming, they manage to push the boundaries without creating too much chaos. [BUY]
De De Mouse is a rare example of an artist who not only creates amazing music, but also creates entire worlds. His purely electronic style is also totally organic and absolutely original, full of fuzzy memories of childhood set in a Lisa Frank world. Absolutely wonderful stuff. [BUY]
Leave it to house/prog/trance masters Denki Groove to step away for a while, only to come back with two full length albums in one year! JPOP already made it onto the previous Best list, and they're back again with Yellow, their second release in 2008. It's actually a much more solid album, and totally infectious from beginning to end. [BUY]
Mo'some Tonebender have come such a long way over the years, but they've always churned out great sutff. Sing! sees them at their peak, with both great sounding songs and some really new direction. Very upbeat, yet still kicking all kinds of ass, as always. [BUY]
Combining operatic vocals, nu-metal guitars, rock piano and classical strings, it's safe to say the there isn't anyone quite like Mutyumu. Their second album pushed their sound even further, but in the death metal department as well as the profoundly moving softer, extended strong sections. A little something for every, just so long as you like things very very dark and brooding. [BUY]
Just one of many spectacular instruments band to release something great in 2008. Yet sgt. stands way above the crowd with their featured violin player and truly epic song structures. Like many other bands in this list, the mix a trancelike intensity with equally delicate details. While they've been together for a while, this is their first album. Let's hope for much more in the future! [BUY]
Few bands rise to prominence as fast as Versailles. With their very first song released, "The Revenant Choir," they instantly shot to the very top of the vis-kei scene. This is no doubt due to the fact that they are amazing players, packing in nothing but quality in each of their epic symphonic metal songs. Oh, and I suppose some people might like the visual side to them as well. [BUY]
Vola changed things up a bit on this album (essentially an EP.) While it's still very much the same band, they went in a slightly more dance-oriented direction. It's still pretty intense and fun though. The use of short electro tracks in-between the songs proper really makes for a solid release. This is another band that's really become an icon in the scene, so it'll be very interesting to see what they do next. [BUY]
Those are the top 10! Oh, but there's still so much more. In fact I had to sift though close to 110 albums just to make this list of the second half of 2008! Naturally there's just too much to go into great depth with. If you want to learn more about each band, click their names and check out more info and videos. They're all superb!
That's it! What? That's not enough? Sheesh, some people are never happy. Well, we'll all just have to wait and see what happens in the coming year. I expect great things.
Make sure to stay tuned to the blog and to Japanator Radio every week for more of the best music from Japan!
The three men in Mo'some Tonebender have been making their intense blend of noise rock and softer experimentalism since 1997. At first blush it may be easy to say that they are just a loud hard-rock band, but that would be selling them entirely too-short. While they do have everything turned up to eleven most of the time, they aren't afraid of strong melodies and softer, precious songs from time to time. Mo'some Tonebender is possibly the band that Nirvana would be, if they were still around. While their songs are certainly loud and angry at times, they also have a strong pop sensibility. Sometimes it'll be just an acoustic guitar and Kazuhiro Momo's raw but well tuned vocals, other times a trance-like electronic track, or a horn section, or a combination of just about everything. They aren't afraid to throw all tonality out the window one minute, only to settle back into pure pop bliss the next.
Every album takes a slightly different direction (though not nearly as wide as, say, Coaltar of the Deepers), while at the same time making perfect sense in the discography as a whole. This is particularly evident on the 2007 release C.O.W. (Check Out World) which has very prominent electronic elements, like drum machines and heavy use of synths. There are also several counterpoints to the more electronic tracks, keeping it from simply being their "experimental electronic album." They are a band that has slowly evolved over the years from a young punk band to a much more mature and well rounded rock band who isn't afraid to do whatever they want with their music.
Through it all is a welcome sense of humor and a very strong handle on the songwriting, making Mo'some Tonebender much more than your average screaming noise rock. They prove that silly pretty things can be just as loud as the serious ugly things, or the seriously pretty things and the silly ugly things. Well, you get the idea.
J-Pop and J-Rock are only the beginning. The modern Japanese music scene is just as vibrant and varied as any other music scene in the world. I'm Zac Bentz, writer, musician, designer and all around Japanese music fanatic. Here I hope to share with you a comprehensive (!!) list of Japanese artists and bands (with a strong focus on underground and indie acts) that you may or may not have heard of, in the hopes of expanding our mutual awareness of Japanese music.
I don't mean to suggest that everything I listen to is great. Quite the contrary, I hope that you will take the time to recommend your own favorite artists in the comments so that we can all learn a bit more about the huge range of Japanese music that's out there.
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