[TJ] 2007.07.11 - OSCA (CD) [Single]

[Tokyo Jihad]

What I mean is that, at least was the case back when I was new to the japanese music scene, much of what I heard had a certain 'sound.' It was nothing 'bad' per se, but much of stuff like Ayumi or Hikki, or even acts I grew fond of, Puffy and Guitar Vader, theres a feel to their music (forgetting language, of course) where one could say isn't something youd ever hear flipping on the radio or VH1. Now if you're asking me to pick out actual technical qualities of what I'm talking about, then you'd have towait a month or so for that post

Now there's certainly nothing 'wrong' with that sort of sound, but admittedly, it wasn't what I was 'really' looking for.

And then I found Shiina (for a number of times.)

Shiina's music sounded like stuff you would hear if I flipped on the radio or VH1. There was nothing aurally separating it from music I grew up on other than language. It didn't "sound japanese" to put it bluntly. It sounded like a girl from the UK wrote music, but happened to do so in japanese (and according tot hat one "questionable" biography translation, I was not so far off, no?)

Now, because I know youre just going to pervert my post if I stop there, let me further address. I get great enjoyment out of acts like Puffy, and admittedly there are times where they edge a more western sound, and admittedly, thats when I like them best. (Nice or most of Spike comes to mind. However, don't mistake, I love their debut just as much.) However, as I said, a big part of why I was keen on Shiina at the start was because the music had the feel of a western rock band, which is what I was 'looking for.' I can't fully explain right now how I can say Hikki has a decidedly japanese-sound, and Shiina a western one, I can't give the schematic for it. But I 'feel' it and my ears agree. Its not that one is intrinsically superior, its just that one is what Ive grown up surrounded by, know more about, can hear in my sleep. If I were truly xenophobic, one would think I'd be a bit miffed that a Japanese artist would have been, in my opinion, the #1 prospect of good (western) music, no?

[natsume]

Shiina has made some of the finest "top shelf" pop music I have ever heard in my life. But to hope that she will ever return to what some (myself) consider some truly classic music is a doomed prospect. She will never again make the music she did, HF excepted. She is a different person.

And yet she is continually inspiring to me. Aging gracefully is not something that many artists are able to do well, but she shows all signs of maintaining a vitality and creativity that keeps growing. The only way to stay fresh is to keep growing. I think it is a truly wise move on her part to cede more and more songwriting over to the other members of Jihen. This is a mature move that will keep her own songwriting fresh and interesting. Many artitsts I admire don't make their very best music until they are in their 30s, so there is most likely still some absolutely incredible music coming down the road from her in a few years time. If she tried to recreate her "glory" years, it would be sad and pathetic.

I am almost continuously disappointed by the turn the conversations take on this board. From Uki-hating to thinking she is somehow not making the musical choices she "should" make, I expect so much more from fans of this singular artist. I wouldn't think such conservatism would exist among her foreign fan base.

[baboo]

OMG, I don't care why people are so concerned with Western and Eastern music....

I just love the new single

First song: Did I say it's gorgeously insane? (in a good sense)
Second song: If people were born with a holy mission of writing song for Shiina, Izawa should be one of them....one thing I like about Izawa is that his music is so simple and melodic...easy to sing along and memorable
Third song: The opening drumline, bassline, piano-banging chords remind me of poppy The Cardigans' songs ( I cannot think of any more general term T_____T...when it comes to pop, for me, there is only Cardigans)...what a pity...it's about a bag.

That's enough for me to enjoy this single over this weekend and maybe the many other following weekends....

[ShadyNook]

Originally Posted by baboo

...what a pity...it's about a bag.

Its a metaphor for something else. Like James Brown's bag.

[Tokyo Jihad]

I likened Kaban to the Cardigans too, baboo. So, you're not off base

too baboo

[Kasanagi]

Originally Posted by natsume

I am almost continuously disappointed by the turn the conversations take on this board. From Uki-hating to thinking she is somehow not making the musical choices she "should" make, I expect so much more from fans of this singular artist. I wouldn't think such conservatism would exist among her foreign fan base.

At the end of the day, all the haters will still listen to her new album and trying to find something they like. You know thats love when you try real hard to find something to love even though you are constantly disappointed by it

@ Jihad: lol country music somehow I dont picture you to be a country man. There is this strange familiarity with SR music, where songs like marunouchi, Yami ni furu ame or tegami sounds like something I heard before but theres nothing else really like it. I still wouldn't consider it "western" though. And if there's a radio station that plays music that sounds like SR's where you live, I'm gonna head down there for a holiday

[Tokyo Jihad]

I guess you can liken "western" as "descendant of the Beatles" since I think almost any mainstream act and genre in the western world has some root influenced by them. And back in my day, yeah, Id say the radio was playing lots of "Shiina sounding music" back in 94-98. Today, certainly not, but in the heydays.

[justriiingo]

Originally Posted by natsume

I think it is a truly wise move on her part to cede more and more songwriting over to the other members of Jihen.

This question was brought up in the OSCA interview on the TJ website. (There's a Chinese translation on the EMI Taiwan blog)
Apparently the reason why she decided to let the other members take a more active role in songwriting is because she received fanmail from many fans who say they like the songs not written by SR. SR herself was quite taken aback by this and even expressed that it's a setback to her as a songwriter. But later she realised that people probably still listen to her because they like her singing, so she decided to outsource the songwriting on Variety to the other bandmembers and concentrate on her singing.

[Tokyo Jihad]

Really? Thats lame =(

She wrote Honnou! If Osca is what sounds like when shes "concentrating on her singing" -- the bands doomed.

[Inaudible-Whisper]

That does suck. I'm pretty sure nobody meant "You can't write songs any more, Shiina. Let the others take over". More just to generally work more as a band. Hopefully she doesn't stay in such a frame of mind for long. Maybe, if she questions her song writing ability, she'll not come back to the forefront until she has wrote particularly good songs. Like, between Adult and the release of the 4th album write 30-40 songs alone, picking the best after Variety, her bands self contained 'side project', if that makes sense.