VACATION!

Well, I'm out of here until June 7th, I'll be back then with some new music, new videos and assorted goodies. Ciao.

AQUA TIMEZ "虹".

虹 (Rainbow), The latest from Aqua Timez and my newest J-pop acquisition. Enjoy

MIHIMARU GT "Bon Voyage" (PV).

Hiroko and Mitsuyuki, whom I think of as Japan's version of Will.i.am & Fergie, are back again with their 18th single, Bon Voyage, from their upcoming full-length CD, Mihimarise, which is out on May 28th.

ASHANTI Featuring Nelly & Akon "Body on Me".

ANNA TSUCHIYA Featuring AI "Crazy World" (PV).

Over the last few days I've read a surprising amount of negative feedback to this track, the second big-star J-pop collaboration to be released in as many weeks. Tsuchiya Anna, the half-Japanese, half-Russian pop rocker is well-known for her alternative rock sound and striking avant garde visual style delivers the type of track and video her fans have come to love and expect from her. At least in my opinion.

I do consider myself to be one of her fans and I think the song is very consistent with her last two releases, Cocoon & Bubble Trip. Although those tracks are not as hard as the releases that preceded them, Crazy World represents, as I am fond of saying, a natural progression for this updated version of musical chameleon. More and more she is reminding me of Gwen Stefani & Christina Aquilera, two American artists who also frequently tweak their images and sounds. The Aquilera connection is further underscored by when Anna and Ai engage in an Aquilera/Madonna-like lip lock at the end of the Crazy World PV.

MISIA "約束の翼" (PV).

Misia's beautiful theme song for the movie 僕の彼女はシボルグ, My Girlfriend, The Cyborg is her newest single and 20th overall, and it will be released on May 28th.

Misia's Official Website.

N*E*R*D "Spaz"

Second single from the upcoming release, Seeing Sounds, out on June 10th.

N*E*R*D. "Everybody Nose" (PV).

MIHIMARU GT "Giri Giri Hero" (PV).

This is one of my favorite videos to come out this year. It think it is side-splitting, fall down funny. The type of harmless, silly fun to make you forget about a less than perfect day. Enjoy.

AI OTSUKA "Rocket Sneaker" (PV).

Nishino Kana? Ai Otsuka? What is the heck going on here? I guess I'm in full-on "cute mode" right now. Well, I'll just have to attribute it to the beautiful spring weather here in Athens, GA. because I've got a little extra bounce in my step and life is just all gravy, baby. Check out this track and prototypically imaginative video from Ai Otsuka, maybe it'll do for you what it's doing for me. Spring has sprung, la-la-la!

GREEEEN "キセキ" (PV).

西のかな "Glowly Days" (PV).

This is a really sweet song that just keeps growing on me. The video, is equally sweet, so sweet there are a heap of butterflies in it. Kana Nishino even turns into butterflies in one sequence. Like I said, it's really cute stuff, and while I really don't go for a lot of cutesy stuff, I find this song and video to be very sweet and very charming. Check it out.

THE ROOTS "Rising Down".

The Roots' amazing new CD. Enjoy.

DOUBLE Featuring 安室奈美恵 "BLACK DIAMOND" (PV).

Well, the spring semester is finally over. Finals, lab reports, papers and research projects have been submitted and the grades are in the books. Overall, although the end results weren't pretty, I received my credits and pulled one semester closer to my degree. Anyway, with the free time I have between now and the summer semester I can get back to two things I enjoy, practicing my nihongo and posting music and fashion tidbits on ikinoii. Last night I was able to get a copy of this much anticipated video via one of my favorite torrents.

Talk about hot! My love of all things electro is not much of a secret, so no one should be surprised that I am completely ga-ga over this song and video. Throw in two of the sexiest women over thirty on the J-pop/J-urban landscape and we have a straight to ipod video selection. But don't take my word for it, see it for yourself. My one quibble: Namie might need to seek out a new choreographer, she's got some recycled dance moves in there. That aside, this is one dope dance track. I predict it will be H-U-G-E on MTV, radio and dance floors alike and ring up some big, big sales.