Yeah. He named his second album First Album. He might be the only person in music history to do that. This was called that because it’s his first album on a major label, and I’m really holding myself back from going on a rant about Japanese bands pretending any albums they release not on a major label don’t exist.

This has a lot of that straight up pop sound you’d get on this and his next album. Lots of these songs feature guest singers and tofubeats feels like ... read more

written for youtube

Album review!! For the new SPARK!!SOUND!!SHOW!! album Ongaku. That’s a fun band name to say. SparkSoundShow is a synth punk, indie rock, kinda band. They’re pretty versatile with their sound. This is their 3rd album, their first since 2019’s NU BLACK, and their first that’s available at all in the west. I was really into these guys back in 2020-2021 off their Akudama Drive opening STEAL!! And their compilation album This Is SparkSoundShow, but ... read more

nothing t-square has released since the 80's has gained any attention in the west, but this was the last album for the last remaining founding member and it shows because this is really really good

apparently these guys are a really energetic and fun live band. good for them, because they're a pretty bad album band

the shorter songs on here tend to be really tight and good and then there's 6-8 minute long songs that go nowhere and do nothing and have no actual reason to exist

written for youtube video
Album review! For the new DISH// album Triangle. I don’t know a thing about DISH. I think they’re some kind of boy group or band or something. They’re very popular in japan, I found this and checked it out because it was #1 on the Oricon charts, but i’ve never heard any of their songs before. I have no idea what I’m getting into here.

The opener is #1. From the first 15 seconds I could instantly tell this was a shounen anime opening ... read more

this dude has been making some awesome music for a while now and it's sad that i am all but one of his ratings on this website

blue is probably the best electropop song ever made and theres plenty of other heaters here. swan and eye both rule. super underrated album

AKFG is just transitioning into a weezer cover band at this point wtf is going on

extended review i wrote for a youtube short:
Quick review for the new Asian Kung-Fu Generation single Karma. This isn’t good. Our A-side here is Karma, a boruto opening. Just like most things Boruto, this sounds like a worse version of something already done for Naruto (Blood Circulator). The whole band is trying to put you to sleep, the chorus is weak and anemic, and Gotoh’s vocals go absolutely ... read more

Album review! This time for a vtuber, It’s Suisei Hoshimachi’s second album Specter. I’ve always been very mixed on vtuber music. There’s a lot of mid. I’ve put on a lot of vtuber songs that are just not interesting in the slightest. And sometimes you do have a good release, like the Mito Tsukino album from 2021 or Suisei’s side project with Taku Inoue, Midnight Grand Orchestra. However, for every one of those there’s something like Mori Calliope that ... read more

Album review! Parannoul’s new record After the Magic. I know I mostly do Japanese music but Korea’s almost there. East asian music we can call it.

Parannoul is a Korean shoegaze musician who broke out in a huge way from his 2021 album To See the Next Part of the Dream, an album that I absolutely LOVE. White Ceiling from that was my song of the year, and is just generally one of my favorite songs ever. Needless to say, my expectations going into this album were sky high, so did the ... read more

Album review for ALI, Alien Liberty International’s new record Music World. Released January 25th, 2023, and about an hour long, this is one that, for a while, looked like it would never even come out.

So a bit of backstory on ALI, there was a time period from like late 2020 to early 2021 where these dudes were THE hot new act from Japan. They had their songs in super famous anime and were being rocketed to stardom. And then it all came crashing down.

From May to November 2021, the band ... read more

written for youtube

Kessoku Band album review. This is the album for the Bocchi the Rock anime where the characters form a band and this is supposed to be an album by them. Released December 28th and every single weeb has been foaming at the mouth over this for weeks.

First song is the anime opening Seishun Complex, and y’know what it’s pretty good. It has a math-y kinda sound, and has the great, soaring chorus, that you really need in an anime opening. You’d expect this to ... read more

i wrote this for youtube but might as well put it here

Album review except it’s for a three year old album, Vaundy’s 2020 debut Strobo. Believe it or not this one is still relevant. There’s a song on this topping the charts right now. In 2023. This album is still putting in work for him. Vaundy is one of the biggest rising stars in J-pop right now. He’s one of the most streamed artists in Japan and has been blowing up off singles like Chainsaw Blood and Odoriko, both of ... read more

i made this for youtube but might as well post it here

Album review! The second album by Mega Shinnosuke, Year 2100, or, in the least necessary romanization of all time, Nisenhyakunen. This was released January 1st of 2023 after being delayed from December 21st 2022, and it’s a departure from Mega Shin’s previous work in that it’s a straight J-rock album.

I’m not as familiar with his work as I’d like to be but I have listened to his previous album Culture Dog, ... read more

don't trust anyone over thirty is both a great song and incredible life advice

the go! team but designed for 7 year olds

these dudes could be absolutely massive if they got a singer

this is awesome and we're winning the super bowl

edit: FIRE NICK SIRIANNI

2025 edit: SEE WE WON

virtue and vice is absolutely fucking ridiculous how does it sound that good