PUSHIM "Rainbow".

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.

N.E.R.D. In The New Issue of The Source.

This is a pretty cool departure for The Source. The hardcore hip hop magazine is known for featuring artists like Wu Tang Clan, G-Unit & Rick Ross on it's covers not an alternative band like N.E.R.D. or Gnarls Barkley. I'm going to pick this up just to support them broadening their horizons and including alternate definitions of hip hop in their lexicon.

SWEEP "Connect".

MOBY "The Stars".

Ayumi Hamasaki 10th Anniversary Tour Dates.

J-Pop Icon, Ayumi Hamasaki will be touring Japan this Spring in celebration of her tenth anniversary. Has it really been that long already? Wow. It didn't seem like it at all. My, how time flies. If you should be living in a major Japanese metropolitan area or planning on visiting one this spring, this is good news. Surprisingly, I don't see Sapporo listed here. Hopefully, more dates will be added so everybody gets a chance to join in on the fun. All tickets are ¥7,800 and some venues provide free admission for those under three years of age when accompanied by an adult (naturally).


Date/Venue/Open/Showtime

• April 5, 2008 (Sat.) Yoyogi National Gymnasium, First Stadium 17:30/18:30 (東京) µ
• April 6, 2008 (Sun.) Yoyogi National Gymnasium, First Stadium 15:00/16:00 (東京) µ
• April 8, 2008 (Tue.) Yoyogi National Gymnasium, First Stadium 17:30/18:30 (東京) µ
• April 12, 2008 (Sat.) Hot House Super Arena (formerly Grande 21) 17:30/18:30 œ
• April 19, 2008 (Sat.) Shizuoka Ecopa Arena 17:30/18:30 π
  
• April 26, 2008 (Sat.) Sundome Fukui Center 17:30/18:30 ˚
• May 5, 2008 (Mon. National Holiday) Nihon Gaishi Hall (formerly Nagoya Rainbow Hall) 17:30/18:30 ≈
• May 6, 2008 (Tue. National Holiday) Nihon Gaishi Hall (formerly Nagoya Rainbow Hall) 15:00/16:00 ≈
• May 10, 2008 (Sat.) Hiroshima Green Arena 17:30/18:30 Ω
• May 16, 2008 (Fri.) Kobe World Hall 17:30/18:30 †
• May 17, 2008 (Sat.) Kobe World Hall 17:30/18:30 †
• May 24, 2008 (Sat.) Osaka-Jo Hall 17:30/18:30 †
• May 25, 2008 (Sun.) Osaka-Jo Hall 15:00/16:00 †
• May 31, 2008 (Sat.) Marine Messe Fukuoka 17:30/18:30 ∆
• June 1, 2008 (Sun.) Marine Messe Fukuoka 15:00/16:00 ∆
• June 7, 2008 (Sat.) Yokohama Arena 17:30/18:30 µ
  
• June 8, 2008 (Sun.) Yokohama Arena 15:00/16:00 µ
• June 17, 2008 (Tue.) Nihon Gaishi Hall (formerly Nagoya Rainbow Hall) 17:30/18:30 #
  
• June 18, 2008 (Wed.) Nihon Gaishi Hall (formerly Nagoya Rainbow Hall) 17:30/18:30 #

µ For information call Kyodo Tokyo 03-3498-9999
† For information call Kyodo 06-6233-8888
∆ For information call Kyodo 092-715-8911
Ω For Information call Candy Promotion 082-249-8334
≈ For information call Sunday Folk Promotion 052-320-9100
˚ For information call Kyodo Hokuriku Ticket 025-245-5100
π For information call Sunday Folk Promotion Shizuoka 054-284-9999
œ For information call G/I/P 022-222-9999
# For information call Sunday Folk Promotion 052-320-9100

Source: avexnet.

MISIA "Yes Forever" (PV).

Both Ikue and I adore Misia. Yes Forever is an excellent choice for a single. The new single is in stores April 30th ad also features remixes of two tracks from her last full-length CD, Eighth World and three versions of Yes Forever. The track list for the single is included below.

1. Yes Forever.
2. Yes Forever (Piano Version)
3. 太陽の地図 (Gomi's Vajra Mix)
4. 以心伝心 (Mega Raiders Remix)
5. Yes Forever (Piano Version Instrumental)

Source: Misia .jp

MARIAH CAREY "E=MC^2" - A Review.

I have spent the last three months anxiously awaiting the release of this new CD from Mariah Carey. I am not a life long fan or anything. In fact I would describe most of her music in the past as hit or miss. At least in my opinion. Sometimes I've found her music to be really good and enjoyable, sometimes completely dismissible. Her last CD, however, I thought was incredible; one of the best CDs of this decade.

I felt like at long last the product was the equal of the artist's talent. Finally. I felt like Mariah was hitting her stride. So, there was a great deal of expectations attached to E=MC^2. At least personally. While it doesn't qualify as a total reversal of fortune or anything like that, I don't feel it is a progression from or even the equal of The Emancipation of Mimi. It's good, but not great.

Admittedly, it's been growing on me the last few days, but in no way shape or form am I blown away like I was when I was in Tokyo for golden week three years ago and I walked into Tower records in Shibuya and first heard The Emancipation of Mimi. But when it soars, it is impressive. I like the dirty south electro-funk groove of Side Effects which features a guest spot by Young Jeezy more than anything else on the disc.

Another standout track is the Japan-only bonus track, 4Real 4Real which features Mariah's homegirl, Da Brat. Hopefully that will see life on U.S. shores like the Japan-only cut from the last CD, Don't Forget About Us, eventually did. Migrate featuring T-Pain and I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time will both be joining Touch My Body on the airwaves. Migrate is hot, however, the latter is yet another song that samples DeBarge's Stay With Me. I feel the same way about this cut that I feel about Sowelu's cover of EWF's September on her CD, Naked. If you're going to traverse such well-travelled terrain, whether it be a cover of a time honored classic or a sample of one, you better knock it out of the park. Good just won't cut it.

I think O.O.C., noteworthy, and I like the ballad, Thanx 4 Nothin', more than the others, although I think this CD would've benefitted from having a ballad or two cut. EOM was very well balanced, E=MC^2, like many of Mariah's past CDs, relies a bit heavily on ballads.

You're not only competing with memories of a song that touched a lot of people, you're competing with every other cover or sample of something that means a lot to a great many people. Speaking for myself, I'd rather just listen to the original. Quibbles aside, nobody is going to feel bad about adding E=MC^2 to their music collection. All of the tracks are good, Mariah's voice is still unmatched in pop music, the production work is top shelf and there are a few tracks that are brilliant. Just don't expect it to match Ms. Carey's last release, because, in my opinion, it doesn't.