Albums you're looking forward to in 2013

[TurtleFu]

You know what else was supposedly recorded on analog?

Kalk Zamen Kuri no Hana

awwww yuh

EDIT: Gotta find some Oomori lyrics. Like Togawa, I expect most of the parody is in the lyrics.

[deadgrandma]

^ Well, I'm not expecting KZK, yet anyway :-p Pretty sure she posts lyrics on her site, they're all in her CD inserts (in Japanese of course). It's not really blatant parody. It's just the songs are usually about fucked up things. For example, she plays a live song called "Fuck love, fuck him". The song itself sounds sweet as sugar :-p

It must be noted that she does different kinds of live shows for clarification- she does the shows for the idol festival where she's all dolled up and still delivers her blend of (rather brutal in contrast to the rest of the festival) acoustic rock, she does the separate shows which are more like what I'm guessing Jihad imagined her like, and then she does her covers nights where she mainly covers idol songs and makes what was once light and cheerful into a downer and depressing. She's the busiest person in Japanese music that I know right now.

Also, sometimes she may team up with one of two live backing bands (The Pink Tokarev or Lai Lai Lai Team) to release a more "rock" version of her tracks- Pink Tokarev are much more hard edged and punky, Lai Lai Lai Team (who she has recorded a full LP with) are more indie rock ala The Shins (for lack of a better reference right now). These bands fit her style like Cinderella's glass slipper- in other words, perfectly.

I just wonder if next year she'll be as active as she was this year.

This year we got: 2 full albums, an EP (that's basically album length), a full collab album, guest vocals on KERA's project, the live Church album, a live tour dvd, a live solo CD-R and a Togawa/Oomori split CD-R. That, and she's also contributing a song to the "Carnation" (band) tribute album.

All of them are really great listens too/I have had no reservations plonking down the money for any of them, even the CD-Rs (if in the future she does become "big", I bet the CD-R's/DVD-R's will be the hard sought after releases by collectors :-p If not, they're nice to have cause she sounds way more 'raw' live than she does on the album).

Alright, that'll do pig. Think that's comprehensive enough haha.

[Tokyo Jihad]

Covers are fine, I was just saying I didn't know or recognize.
I'm not trying to pass any judgment of course. I'msstill certainly interested to hear her follow up to her great debut LP (and so so bonus releases after which) I'm just weary. Considering the forum we're on, I've been disappoint before.

[deadgrandma]

^Hmm, that's fair enough, but I'm really not concerned. A lot of the songs on her new LP I've already hear either live or via previews, and it's all pretty good so far. Worse comes to worst, itll be like 4 months max till the next one :-p

BTW, did you listen to the Lai Lai Lai Team collab "Poi Dol" or her first (official studio) EP "Pink" (from last year)?

[FadedSun]

When does Seiko's new album come out?

It's cool that she's coming out with so many releases, but hopefully her creativity doesn't burn out and she keeps putting albums out that aren't up to par. I'd rather an artist take their time with something truly great.

[Tokyo Jihad]

Originally Posted by FadedSun

It's cool that she's coming out with so many releases, but hopefully her creativity doesn't burn out and she keeps putting albums out that aren't up to par. I'd rather an artist take their time with something truly great.

This is my big concern. Kurokeshi was nice -- for what it is, the live in church thing felt underwhelming but can be let slid considering. But is that hard to ignore tickle that since her lp, each release has steadily ... lacked the same care. If the second lp is great, then everything is wiped clean, and I don't think that's out of the question. I just want to hear it for myself.

Dg: I did hear Pink, and enjoyed it. The collab I haven't because I didn't know it was out.

[deadgrandma]

^ Still, if you are going on OFFICIAL solo releases... there's only 2 so far. Last years EP and this years first album. With the second album that's 3.

The rest of the releases are mainly live, demos and collaboration work. The other EPs have been released digitally only through OTOTOY, the others are CD-R's recorded from live shows (and basically consist of songs we already know plus one or two covers)...

I say why not give us some more live stuff (I personally feel she's even stronger live than in studio) or collab stuff while we wait for more. I'll take whatever I can get right now. (Sure, to someone who has a passing interest, these extra releases will seem unnecessary and fan pandering- but that is how you gain a cult fan-base afterall- and why not???) At least these are all decent length releases- not a billion singles :-p Totally hooked on her, I expect her next album to be just as good, if not, better than the original.

As for taking time on stuff: I agree and disagree with this. I don't want a band to release consecutively worsening albums over a short time, but a bad album in between strong releases isn't too bad, for example Boris have a lot of amazing releases and a few 'meh' releases too. That said, I think its much worse having waited years and then a band releasing an underwhelming album than only having waited a couple of months. For example, if Tool's next release isn't fucking amazing, it's gonna cause a shitstorm :-p The Strokes are a good example of this too.

Oh @ FadedSun: Album 2 comes out next month.

[FadedSun]

Originally Posted by deadgrandma

I say why not give us some more live stuff (I personally feel she's even stronger live than in studio)

I listened to the live at the church, along with some videos on Youtube. One thing she needs is to learn how to control her voice live. I'm all for passion and honesty in music, but live, she can go completely out of key. It makes me cringe every time. I'm conflicted, because I do genuinely enjoy her music. I get the whole, it's indie/folk, it's raw thing, but some perfection in her live shows would be appreciated. That's my only complaint regarding her.

[deadgrandma]

^ the "off-key" parts are what I stick around for. I love that shit :-D

[Inseu]

Originally Posted by TurtleFu

Idol culture should be criticized. It is both a product of and contributes to an hostile social environment for Japanese women. I do not believe that it is completely harmless.

Go preach to gangster rappers.