Boom Boom Satellites — Back on my Feet

This is a band that makes a worthwhile electronic/rock combination. Tracks like Girl make me want to jump out of my skin. The new single Back on my FeetĀ is in this vein. Big big sound, fast with drums and guitars and vocal histrionics. Strings, too. And adrenaline, lots of adrenaline.

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Freezepop — Tenisu no Boifurendo

Hilarious. Perhaps in response to the hundreds of Japanese artists singing in heavily-accented English, Freezepop have come up with a lovely pop tune, sung sweetly in Japanese with a heavy English accent. That’s really all you need to know about this track, except that it’s very cute and a fine and hummable song even without… Read more »

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Ai Otsuka — Sakuranbo

Ai Otsuka’s big hit is as sweet and fresh and zingy as its titular cherry. I may be the thousandth person to say this, but at least I am the first to use the phrase “titular cherry” while doing so. It’s been re-released on her hits and remixes album LOVE is BEST, with the emphatic… Read more »

Shonen Knife

Shonen knife are a great straight-ahead guitar pop band with female vocals. They sing in English as well as Japanese. I have a remix CD of theirs, which is one of my favourite CDs — there’s a juddering Alec Empire remix, and the Bis remix of Wind Your Spring is as absolutely mighty as you… Read more »

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PINE*am

I heard this band first on last.fm, and recently heard a few more of their songs on Japanator Radio. Jaunty! Lightweight! Quirky! It’s that Shibuya sound that I just can’t get enough of. Love Giraffe for example — cute, sweet and fun, and that’s just the title! Then there’s Red Car, which is much more… Read more »

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