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.

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.

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.

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.

SWEEP "Connect".

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

Music Now: An Ikinoii Mixtape For You.

Lately I've been buying and listening to a lot of R&B, J-urban and hip hop, so I think I'll focus on that for this new ikinoii mixtape. Included in this version are tracks by Misia, Twenty4-7, Snoop Dogg, my favorite track off Mariah's new CD, Angie Stone, Teriyaki Boyz, Satomi', Miss Monday, Kato Miriya, Ray J. and DJ Komori. Enjoy.

PERFUME "The Game".

I had planned on writing a full review for this but the demands of my course load really isn't helping out as far as blogging goes. This is the last two weeks of classes here at UGA and I have several exams, papers and lab projects to deal with as I prep for finals which (sadly) begin in two weeks. Ugh. Suffice it to say, I really like this CD. I really don't go for cute, which is why I NEVER blog about Morning Musume or the H!P/Berryz/C-ute J-Pop stuff.

However, Perfume is undeniable cute and they back it up with well-produced, well-written, energetic and enjoyable dance music that even the most serious music aficionado would find difficult to marginalize and snobby grown-ups like myself can appreciate. Pick any track, you'll love them all. Anyway, as always, I am providing the CD in it's entirety for you to judge it for yourselves before you pick it up for yourself. This Weekend I will give a full review of Mariah Carey's E=MC^2, and the new CDs from Rize and Sweep. Damn... I buy a lot of music.

Track list:

1.ポリリズム
2.plastic smile
3.Game
4.Baby cruising Love
5.チョコレイト・ディスコ
6.マカロニ
7.セラミックガール
8.Take me Take me
9.シークレット シークレット
10.Butterfly
11.Twinkle Snow Powdery Snow
12.Puppy love

GLAY "Starless Night".

I spend way too much money at iTunes. It was for somewhat nostalgic reasons, but when I saw this today, I just had to buy it. It's not bad at all, I'm just not into them like I used to be. However, hearing them does bring back good memories of when I was in Fukuoka. What was the name of that song? Ahh! Layla. That's right. They're still cool though. Hey, it's always fun to rock out a bit. Anyway, it's back to the books for me. Finals are fast approaching. Enjoy.

Kamiki Aya "君去りし誘惑" (PV).

The hottie, twenty-two year old rocker from Hokkaido is back with her seventh single and a companion PV. I wonder how do you say "hot-diggity" in Japanese?

Sowelu "Naked".

I didn't hear of Sowelu until she did that track with Miss Monday a few years ago. However, Ikue likes her, which is how I happened to come across this, which is now living on her iPod. It's pretty good. Not my favorite of all the new stuff we picked up, but it's cool. She's got the good looks part down, definitely, and while I think her voice is good, I really don't think it's good enough to cover Earth, Wind & Fire's September.

At least not in my opinion. That's one of the most uplifting, feel good songs to come out of an era bursting with them and for me, she just doesn't make it fly. It's reduced to a very standard dance cut. The single with Exile & Doberman Inc., 24 Karats, in addition to Hikari and Lie, in my opinion, are the three best tracks. Perhaps after I give this a few more listens I'll be more into it. For now, I just think it's good, not great.

To hear a complete internet stream of Naked, hit the appropriate link below.

itunes/winamp users:

Windows Media Users:

Ayumi Hamasaki In May Issue of Scawaii.

The woman is everywhere now. Last week she had, like, 30 videos in the iTunes top 100 for that week. Who knew she even made 30 videos. This is her third cover on newsstands this month. Ayumi mania in full effect.

IMMI "Klaxon" (PV).

This is a pretty cool Japanese electro track I found on Myspace TV. I remember 10 years ago when the only cats doing electro were in Berlin, Detroit and Brooklyn. Now it's a worldwide, genre transcending phenomenon. Cool.