The new Maximum the Hormone PV is INCREDIBLE (as usual)

This was a nice thing to wake up to. A new AMAZING video for the song "え・い・り・あ・ん" ("Alien") from Maximum the Hormone! After what seems like an eternity (their last full-length album was Buiikikaesu in 2007), the band is back with a new album due out in July (if I'm reading the end of the video correctly).

I think this song gives even the likes of Mike Patton a run for his money with its wide ranging vocal gymnastics. It. Is. INSANE. What starts off as a simple hardcore punk performance style affair soon goes off the rails into their usual visual madness, complete with CGI third heads and limbs. Then it slams into a soft-rock pop song (not new for MtH) complete with pretty girls and children in animal costumes, while the band pleads to listeners to "Stop Winny upload." The "Winny" here is a Japanese P2P network. And no, the irony is not lost on me. :)

Overall, this is exactly what I love about Maximum the Hormone. Brutal hardcore metal and a giant sense of humor.

NOTE: Looks like the low-quality of the (original) upload might be a result of the video being released only online. According to the band's official English site, you have to "search out" the video by clicking through a very long list of possible locations on the web. The video will only be available until June 6th, 2013.

Lillies and Remains - "I Survive"

 First, sorry if anything on the blog is broken. I just moved everything and frankly there's way too much to keep track of.

 Second, hi! Yes, still alive.

 Third, check out this super swank new video from Lillies and Remains! Nothing but smoldering, intense slow-mo looks from the guys in the band, but it's still pretty cool.

NEW POLYSICS VIDEO "Everybody Say No"

Here's the video for the new Polysics single "Everybody Say No." It's not super exciting, but you have to admit, the 303 traffic cone head thing is pretty awesome. The song is also not super exciting, but as always Fumi manages to bring the heat on bass and make it almost impossibly groovy.

The single is out on October 24th and their new album Weeeeeeeeee!!! is out in December. GET!

Holy shit, the new Mo'Some Tonebender video for "Hammmmer" is great!

I like where this is going.

VIDEO - Base Ball Bear "十字架 YOU and I"

Base Ball Bear are set to release two new albums simultaneously at the end of September, Detective Boys and Cypress Girls. For the past few months they've been releasing short clips of songs from the albums along with rough video of the band in the studio fooling around. This video for "十字架 YOU and I" is the first that features an entire song as well as a proper video. It's animated in a style that seems to cross bits of Evangelion, FLCL and classic Gainax imagery. There's also some nice water coloring going on. The song isn't spectacular, but along with the video it makes for an enjoyable few minutes.

VIDEO - World's End Girlfriend "Les Enfants du Paradis"

It's too early to call Album of the Year, but boy, let me tell you, Seven Idiots by World's End Girlfriend is currently at the top of my list. Every song is challenging yet full of melody and infectious ideas. As soon as you think you know what's going on, they shift into some other space. This video for "Les Enfants du Paradis" is the prefect example. While it's the most user-friendly song on the album, it also makes people pay attention and stay alert for sharp turns. I'm no fan of modern dance, but Masako Yasumoto's performance* is perfect for the music. She seems to be some lonely spirit unable to stop herself from dancing, while at the same time longing for a partner to dance with. Of course, this being World's End Girlfriend, she never finds one.

You can buy Seven Idiots directly from them here.

*Masako also performed in Omodaka's "Kyoteizinc" video:

Video - Ogre You Asshole "Balance" (バランス)

Here's the new one from Ogre You Asshole. I saw their recent Rock in Japan performance of this song live and, to be honest, thought it was pretty terrible. Not sure why. Something about the arrangement and sound just didn't translate well live, I suppose. As I suspected then, this studio version makes much more sense and is actually pretty nice. It's upbeat, even for OYA, but doesn't have any teeth, which makes it a bit of an odd choice for a single. I suppose they're going for an easy one on the radio. Nevertheless, I'm still looking forward to their new album Ukareteiru Hito, which is out September 1st.

Video: Polysics Live at Rock in Japan 2010

Polysics is back!

This performance from Rock in Japan in early August 2010 is the first time new-wave spazz band Polysics has performed live since keyboard player and founding member Kayo left. Since they've been together for around 12 years, this was a pretty big deal. Fans were not only sad to see her leave, but worried about what it might mean for the future of the band. Luckily for us they decided to stick together and soldier on as a three piece.

While the band did play a full set, including three or four brand new songs, those of us not in attendance have only been privy to three songs that have made it onto the web. The video up above is their new opener "Heavy Polysick," which leads into one of the band's very first songs "Buggie Techinica." After the jump is the more modern "Tei Tei Tei."

To be honest, none of these tracks really lets us in on what kind of new sound and energy Polysics might have as a trio. But maybe that means that the new Polysics might not be different at all without a dedicated keyboard player. The band is already recording new material, so it shouldn't be too long before we get to hear for ourselves.

In the meantime, if anyone knows were a video of the full Polysics set from Rock in Japan 2010 might be, I know some people who might be interested...

Video: Kalafina "Kagayaku Sora no Shijima ni wa"

Kalafina never fails to deliver the grand, sweeping, lace covered goods. "Kagayaku Sora no Shijima ni wa," their new single, has more than enough of all that to go around. It's way, way down-tempo and almost acapella at times, with the dual and triple vocal harmonies doing all the heavy lifting. That is until the flute comes in and then it's all just too new-age-y world-music much for me to handle. But the video is nice enough. I can't imagine anyone tromping around in the dust and the much in those wispy dresses, but yeah, it's nice.

VIDEO: Ai Otsuka "I Love XXX"

It feels like it's been years since I listened to anything by Ai Otsuka. I know it hasn't been, but considering how much I used to like her music it still feels a bit strange. I've never really been into her super ballady ballads, and that's exactly what "I Love XXX" is. She loves everything! But the video is pretty cute, at least. Who doesn't like penguins?

VIDEO: Buck-Tick "Kuchizuke"

Time again for a new single from Buck-Tick and of course that means a new video featuring the guys in the band looking all dark and gothy and smokin' hot!

Both the steadily rockin' song and the video stick pretty close to the usual BT themes which mainly concern being all dark and gothy and smokin' hot (see above) and having all kinds of dark and gothy and smokin' hot sex. ("Kuchizuke" means "kiss," after all.) But at least the video offers the viewer something to look at aside from hot dudes being hot. But I gotta admit, Atsushi is really laying it on thick in this one, so I doubt anyone will really be all that into the interesting loops and layers going on. Sorry, video editor and special effects team, but ZOMG Atsushi is holding an apple!

BUY THE KUCHIZUKE SINGLE HERE

VIDEO: De De Mouse "My Favorite Swing"

This is a pretty awesome video for "My Favorite Swing" by De De Mouse. It features the illustration by Final Fantasy artist Akihiko Yoshida, who also provided the artwork for the A Journey to Freedom album. It mixes Yoshida's original character design with a small bit a animation, combining some watercolor CG with more simplistic paper cut-out type stuff. We get to see the characters do a bit of Dragon Quest-like battling and there's even some hot keytar-sword action! Overall it's the perfect compliment to De De Mouse's playful yet futuristic sound.

VIDEO: Budo Grape "Sushiya Sushiya"

I am going to go out on a limb and say that this is a song about shishi.

VIDEO: Molice "Romancer"

This is the super-cool looking new video from rock band Molice. I'm not sure there's really much going on in this plot-wise, but when it looks this good, that's probably not going to be a problem for most people.

We instead get a heaping helping of eye candy shot around what is presumably Tokyo. Each band member has a different sort of environment that they drift through while some pretty swanky type leads us through the songs lyrics in both English and Japanese. I've got to admit the I spent a lot of time looking at the type and had to watch the video a couple times to actually see what was going on. Then again graphic design and type is sort of what I do.

At any rate, this is easily the best looking video from Molice, so check it out and give your eyes something to be happy about.

VIDEO: Mass of the Fermenting Dregs "Zero Comma, Irotoridori No Sekai"

Here's a new video from Mass of the Fermenting Dregs. The song "Zero Comma, Irotoridori No Sekai" is also the title track to their new, and first, full-length album. That's sort of hard to believe since the band seems to have been releasing amazing material for years now.

The song is very much in the spirit of their past releases, but it's maybe just a bit more "fun" sounding than usual. The video is certainly fun and carefree. That's not to say the the band hasn't been upbeat and fun in the past. It's just that their songs are usually a little louder, deeper and dark.

Their new album is out now. It's one of my most highly anticipated releases for the the year (second only to the new Ling Tosite Sigure album) so you can expect me to blab all about it soon!

VIDEO: Perfume "Voice"

It's a new Perfume video! Watch it while you can!

This time around we've got a little more to look at than just the girls walking around and shopping, which is always nice. There isn't really much more going on here, but at least the backgrounds are interesting. There are a few quick little vignettes sprinkled throughout. You might recognize the "human Tetris" bit that became a full-fledged game show for about ten seconds. There are a few other simple little visual tricks, but an OK Go video this is certainly not. (Which is just fine since those things are a little on the over-hyped side anyway...but I digress) I think my favorite part is when all three girls walk off a cliff.

I'm not so sure that brown on brown is really the best color for the girls, but hey, at least the skirts are short, right guys?

As for the song, it's surprisingly soft compared to all of the hard-hitting, razor sharp bass and pummeling beats we've been subjected to lately. Their voices are also almost in the realm of reality, something we haven't heard for a while. Overall it's a nice enough song but it seems a little weak for a single, don't you think?

VIDEO: Gackt "Ever"

New Gackt video! Now, I'm something of an unapologetic Gackt fan-boy. I know a lot of his stuff it crap, but what can I say? I like it.

With that in mind, here's the new video for "Ever." If someone totally unaware of his previous years of material were to see this, they might think it was a metal band's parody of modern pop idols. In this, a boy runs into a concert hall where the band is playing a pretty intense metal song. He seems to really want to see what's going on inside, but "the man" is keeping him out. Once inside, he's mesmerized by what he sees.

The singer (Gackt) is high up on a platform in center-stage posing with a silly hat and shaking like Ricky Martin. He's got Adam Lambert hair and make-up. The song has a hook that might fit in a more down-tempo party jam, even complete with a few horn stabs, but really it's all heavy metal, just super over the top and upbeat. It ends with the kid getting close to the stage, Gackt throwing an amp, and everything disappearing. The video surveillance that's been folowing the action turns out to be controlled by the guy at the door. He mumbles "Ever." The end. I always like Gackt's faster, more rock oriented tracks so obviously I really like this song. But man, the video is terrible!

I'm really looking forward to what Gackt's next proper, new studio album will be like. (It's been forever. Hahagetit?) It'll be more of the same, I'm sure, but I guess that's OK just so long as he continues to be the king of silly.

VIDEO: Kanon Wakeshima "Lolitawork Libretto (Storytelling by Solita)"

Here's a new video from Kanon Wakeshima. In it, French singer Solita reads a book and Kanon is the girl acting out the stories. It's all got a pretty Alice in Wonderland feel (not surprising) but there is a bit of original style to it as well. The one thing I can't get past though is how terrible Solita looks! It's like they intentionally make her look oily and grumpy just to make Kanon look better. I mean that lighting under her face! Those makeup-less closeups! Her total lack of emotion or movement! What's going on?! Otherwise it's a perfectly passable Kanon song just like all her other stuff. Oh, and I still wish they'd do more with Kanon's cello playing. They really seem to be phasing that out, despite every promo of her prominently featuring the instrument.

VIDEO: Scandal "Namida no Regret"

Warning: Japanese schoolgirls in super short skirts ahead!

OK, now that the Google baiting is out of the way, here's Scandal. Looking all sad again. What's the deal with sad girls lately? I don't know. Anyway, here that are slowly rocking out in the library, you know, like you do when you're a rock band. Turns out that someone's boyfriend is now interested in some other girl because apparently he suffered major head trauma and no longer wants to hang out with a hot chick in a major-label rock band. What's the deal, dude? I mean their tiny skirts poof out and everything! Sheesh. Anyway, I'm sure the girls will be OK since they have about 18 million other guys waiting in line to carry their books and tell them jokes.

VIDEO: Luminous Orange "Untold"

Here's a video from Luminous Orange from the newest album Songs of Innocence. "Untold" sounds to me like it came right from the mid-'90s and I think the video fits into that era pretty well too. The song has a ton of swirly effects and jangly guitars and the video has a similar indie-rock, art-school feel. There are only a couple main ideas, but there's a lot going on, so that makes up for it. Overall it's an OK video for an OK song. Why do I feel like Kennedy needs to send us to commercial...?