Your favorite 2009 releases so far

[mizer_unmei]

Originally Posted by Orenji

EDIT: Just noticed Émilie Simon's releasing a new album in September! OMG, I'm so excited!

Oooh, that's exciting! I loooooved her first album when it came out ("Graines D’Étoiles" = ), but I didn't really listen to her after that. But she apparently did the March of the Penguins soundtrack? That's pretty cool. I've got a lot of catching up to do...

[Orenji]

Originally Posted by mizer_unmei

Oooh, that's exciting! I loooooved her first album when it came out ("Graines D’Étoiles" = ), but I didn't really listen to her after that. But she apparently did the March of the Penguins soundtrack? That's pretty cool. I've got a lot of catching up to do...

Yeah! I only watched the movie to hear her voice *_*. The movie is amazing, btw. I'm so excited T_T. I've been waiting for this since Végétal came out.

[gekokujyo]

Can I just say that the new Mew album (which, uh, leaked) is fucking gorgeous!

[Tokyo Jihad]

granted, i havent "caught up" on my music yet, but there hasnt been an album I e joyed more than Incredibad.

[Superficial Fan]

This is going to be great, based on what's up on their myspace and the clips here.

Something fresh in salsa, which doesn't happen so much these days.

[lazer85]

Originally Posted by mizer_unmei

Oooh, that's exciting! I loooooved her first album when it came out ("Graines D’Étoiles" = ), but I didn't really listen to her after that. But she apparently did the March of the Penguins soundtrack? That's pretty cool. I've got a lot of catching up to do...

I was about to say holy shit emilie simone fans....but then I realized it makes perfect sense. You don't really have much catching up to do, her third album (the album, not the compilation) is by far her best and make her other two look like trash.

Originally Posted by kuro_neko

this is what I hate about pop groups. once they become successful they want to start to control their own image and the entire sum of their success is due to talented people behind the scenes pulling the right strings and pressing the right buttons. I don't get the appeal of Perfume, I've seen some clips and they look like exactly the type of jpop group that Ringo was the antithesis of in her prime (although she is probably ready to enlist in one by now).

shakira gave an interview recently and she said that the new album will be out in october and have 10 tracks, 3 in spanish and 7 in english. then in first quarter 2010 she will release a spanish album (same as she did with OF, except backwards). she said the new album is very 80's electronic pop fantasy, kind of disco. she also says she really wants a child and plans to do it without getting married since she is a modern woman. go shaki!

I don't understand that dude, he could be just as famous in his own right for music much less synthetic than what he's contributing to but instead he decided to make 3 generic robot girls number one how many times over. "Night Flight" is obviously influenced by YMO and hell I'd go as far as saying the music is just as good as most YMO songs so he's obviously really talented at songwriting. I wish he would drop all the shitty female singers or use them as feature singers on single songs instead of writing their music for them. The girl from perfume should be bowing down to him, he is the reason their shitty pop music stands apart from other shitty pop music and the reason people with brains can still listen to it despite the three monkeys doing their stupid little dances.

Originally Posted by Orenji

I really hated HOCUS POCUS so if I were you, I'd try another thing, haha.

a j pop fan giving advice to a seemingly seasoned indie rocker. I wonder if they'll listen.

-----

the last 3 years I've been really slow to check out new music so I can't make a proper list. This year however saw releases from most of my favorites so I will split those into pleasant and unpleasant releases.

Pleasant
Rx Bandits
Of Montreal (probably my favorite this year despite me liking most other mentioned bands more previously)
Jero (not a favorite but I was impressed)
Shiina Ringo

Unpleasant
Super Furry Animals
Patrick Wolf
Shiina Ringo

I'd say Pe'zmoku but yeah thats really just an awesome single with a shitty album. I'd say Quruli but I haven't gotten my hands on it yet, won't say much after only one listen. Ringo release wasn't bad but there were enough tracks that I can skip which has never happened with her until Variety (I could basically skip the whole album minus the first and last track, mayakashi togatta and bonsai , maybe throwing in shun and karisome every 5-10 listens.) The album doesn't flow at all either. Whatever this isn't the place

Oh! and my upcoming EP, which I hadn't even envisioned until 30 seconds ago when I realized 2009 will be over in a few months and I haven't put out any music yet. I just bought an erhu but somehow I don't think anyone will hear me playing that for a very long time.

[Glathannus]

Originally Posted by lazer85

I'd say Pe'zmoku but yeah thats really just an awesome single with a shitty album.

I've been buying all their stuff mostly out of loyalty to pre-moku PE'Z (since I own pretty much all their releases). I've only bothered to listen to the first pe'zmoku release so far even though I have the rest. Is there a better single or EP after the first one but before the album, that I should seriously be trying out?

My main problem with pe'zmoku is I don't particularly care for their style of vocals, and they mostly stopped being an instrumental band after suzumoku showed up. It's not that I want 'better' vocals, but it's just that I preferred PE'Z not having any vocals at all. They should have gone the Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra route where most of the songs are instrumentals and they have guest vocalists every once in awhile.