Music Discovery Mondays (August 31, 2015)

Track #1: La PomPon - Nazo

I think that's the correct romanization for the song. La PomPon is a six member group that was formed in 2014. This release is one of the A-side of their third single which is to be released on Sept. 16th. The track is a "cool" take on the generic idol pop track. What I mean by that is that the song doesn't deviate much from that formula, but it's presented in a way that makes it seem like a dance track. Musically it reminds me a lot of what AKB's Utsukushiki Mono sounds like.

Official Site

Track #2: Eva Simons - Chemistry

WHY DID SHE NEVER BECOME A THING!? One of the biggest tragedies of pop music in the 2010s IMO. I think the only real "hit" she had was that song with Will.i.am a few years back. I don't understand why she never got anything more than that. She had the sound, she had that hype from "Silly Boy" when everyone found out it wasn't Rihanna's song. I'm not sure what went wrong but I hope we someday get an album from her. Her music so good. If you like catchy electropop stuff like Lady Gaga's music, you'll love Eva's music.

Wikipedia Page

Track #3: Neon Jungle - Braveheart

I was debating if this song would fit within MDMs or not. I decided to put it here because although they were never an unknown group, they didn't get a lot of recognition outside of the UK and they disbanded far to early into their career. They were a four member girl group that began in 2013 and disbanded this year. I chose this song in particular out of their small (but stellar) discography because it was their biggest hit and I believe it's their most instant song. Like Eva's Chemistry, this is an electropop track. It reminds me a lot of what a mix between Krewella and Little Mix would be.

Wikipedia Page

Enjoy!

AKB48 - Chance no Junban

It's kind of fitting that this single comes up next on my list of things to review so close to the 2015 Janken tournament. Personally I lean on the side that the winner of the tournament is chosen before hand, but that's just my thoughts. Unless they come out and tell us we'll never know exactly. Because of my opinions on the tournament, I think either Yuria Kizaki or Haruka Kodama is going to win this year. I do miss the idea that the top 16 got to be Senbatsu for a single, but I like the idea of a solo single too. It's something that could be really tailored to a specific girl's personality.

This single was the first of the Janken releases, with Mayumi Uchida centering.

Track #1: Chance no Junban, found on all versions of the single. This is my least favorite Janken single. I'm not a big fan of Ue Kara Mariko either, but this one is just so bland. It's your quintessential idol pop track. I also count it among my least favorite AKB singles overall. And yes, I do enjoy Kokoro no Placard over this (although I'm one of the oddballs that actually enjoys that track xD). At least Kokoro is catchy. The video I do enjoy though. It's nothing special, but I just love seeing how happy Mayumi looks to have a chance at not only being in Senbatsu, but being center. It's too bad nothing really came out of it for her though. 3/5.

Track #2: Yoyaku Shita Christmas, found on all versions of the single. I really don't like Christmas music. It doesn't help that I don't like Christmas music & this particular Christmas song is generic idol pop with generic Christmassy sounds. Not for me at all. Even the music video is generic Christmas. I swear I've seen those outfits before & I've never watched this video before today. I probably shouldn't be too harsh on the video. It's not like there's a whole lot you can do with the Christmas theme that hasn't been done to death. 2.5/5.

Yoyaku Shita Christmas MV

Track #3: Kurumi to Dialogue, found on the Type A version of the single and sung by Team A. I frequently see this song in lists of "cool" songs by 48G. Personally, I don't find it much of a "cool" song at all. I guess if your definition of a cool song by the 48Gs is a non traditional idol pop song, then sure it is; but when compared to songs like Uza or Beginner, it just sounds like a badly disjointed idol pop track. I really can't see what's good about this song. The way it is sung is so incredibly annoying. Does it have potential? Yes. Is it horribly executed like SKE's Galaxy of Dreams? Yes. The video is a poor man's Beginner. 2.5/5.

Kurumi to Dialogue MV

Track #4: Alive, found on the Type K version of the single and sung by Team K. Another song that I see on lists about "cool" songs. At least this one actually fits the category better. Even with this being a better representation of a "cool" track, it still feels really bland. It's just a recurring theme on this single: blandness. I think it's the "rock song" feel of the song. I just am not that into rock music (or even pop rock) much anymore. The video is a good highlight of this release though. The Team K girls could really pull off fierce. It also reminds me how much I miss Tomomi being in AKB. Besides Miichan, Tomomi was the only other girl to really catch my eye when I first was getting curious about AKB. 3.5/5.

Alive MV

Track #5: Love Jump, found on the Type B version of the single and sung by Team B. You can always count on Team B to bring the generic idol cutesy track! The sad thing about this song though is it's actually my favorite B-side. I know. I'm even shocking myself. It might be a generic idol pop track, but at least it's got some life to it & it's catchy. It will probably be stuck in my head all during classes tomorrow. The video is nothing special, although it's so weird seeing Yuki & Mayu looking so young lol. 4/5.

Love Jump MV

Track #6: Fruits Snow, found on the Theater Edition of the single and sung by the Kenkyuusei. This is the final song on the single. It's funny to me that Shimazaki is on it. I wasn't into Jpop when this single came out so it's weird to me that she was ever a Kenkyuusei. I'd say for this single, this song is my least favorite B-side besides the Christmas song I try to forget exists. It's like the opposite of Team B's generic idol track as in it's not catchy at all. I like my generic idol pop to at least make me want to tap my feet, not put me to sleep. 3/5.

The title track of the single really sets the tone for the release as a whole. It's just not very good. There's not one track that really pops. Usually there's one B-side that is pretty great, but in this single, the best is Team B's & I only rated it a 4 because it was the closest to a good song. What I do appreciate about this single is that there are some diverse styles on it. Even if they don't work for me, the release allows for other fans to find something that more fits their taste. 3/5.

New Music Thursdays (August 27, 2015)

Slightly early for Thursday, but I won't be home most of the day tomorrow so I figured nothing wrong with getting a head start :)

Track #1: JoJo - Save My Soul

I very vaguely remember when her first big hit Leave (Get Out) came out. It's been what? 10 years? That seems insane to me. It's even more insane that she was hardly able to release music for almost the same amount of years. The "tringle" this song comes from is really her first official release in a long time. There are two more songs on the "tringle", but this one really caught my attention. Not only are her vocals stellar, but the lyrics are great too. Her "tringle" III. was released August 21st.

Track #2: AKB48 - Halloween Night

I actually feel embarrassed putting this song up. One, there hasn't been that many good new releases this past week to put here so I'm grasping at straws, and two.....this song is such the ultimate guilty pleasure. When I first heard it I couldn't stop laughing because of the God awful spelling & "Are you ready" lines. Today, I still REALLY cringe during half the song, but it's pretty catchy and a stupid song to sing along to for fun. AKB48's new single released August 26th.

Full MV

Track #3: There is no track 3. I could've put another of the songs from JoJo's tringle, but decided not to. Really this week was pretty boring for new music. So. Instead of a track 3, enjoy this lovely video someone put together featuring Dragon Age Inquisition's Cullen to the song "I'll Make A Man Out Of You" from Mulan. It's the best thing I've seen all month.

Click Me for Dragon Age goodness!

Music Discovery Mondays (August 24, 2015)

I feel like I should warn everyone that my classes started back up today, so I can't promise that these & the new music Thursdays will actually be posted on the correct day. Especially because I'm starting a new job as well. I'll try my best but please don't get upset if I forget a week or two! Thanks for reading!

Track #1: SunRisa - Over Flow

I don't know too much about this group. The video has four members, but their website only shows two now. Also, the single cover for this song only shows the two members on the website too so I don't know if they were ever even a four member group or if they re-recorded and released it after the other two left. No clue. What I do know is that the song is incredibly catchy. If you like Prizmmy, SunRisa should be right up your alley. They really remind me of Prizmmy from the sound of the song to the young members.

Official Site

Track #2: Aya Matsuura - Shine More

It bothers me that there's only live performances on YT, but Aya was such an incredible talent that the live version is pretty close to the original track. This song is an album track from her second album, Two. It's got a Latin tinge to it and it reminds me a lot of SDN's Tengoku no Door.

Track #3: Ai Shinozaki - A-G-A-I-N

I'd heard of Ai Shinozaki before coming across this video, but only in passing. I thought she was a model, not a singer. Or maybe she's both. I don't know, don't really care. The song though is fantastic. It's a pure pop track that isn't really anything special musically, but her vocals really make up the difference. Honestly, if this song was sung in English by Katy Perry or any of the other female popstars of the West, this song could smash.

Enjoy!

New Music Thursdays (August 20, 2015)

Track #1: Melanie Martinez - Mad Hatter

Since her first album was released on Friday, I could use all three slots on this week's post for songs from her stellar album. I won't though lol. Mad Hatter is one of the more instant songs on the album. I hope people will enjoy it and check out the rest of her work!

Track #2: Girl's Generation - You Think

Up until this release, all of the songs that SNSD released post-Jessica were pretty terrible. Lion Heart is ok at best, but this song really is great. I came across the demo version by Saara & fell in love with the song. It's got such an attitude to it. It does sound a little dated for a K-pop song, but that doesn't stop the song from being a fun, attitude filled pop track. SNSD's new album, Lion Heart, releases on the 19th.

Track #3: Morning Musume- Oh My Wish

I can't remember if I posted this video before this section turned into New Music Thursdays or not, but it doesn't matter. The song is fantastic! Oh My Wish is a song in MM's EDM style. Super catchy....and Kanon & Haruka are the centers! Their new single comes out August 19th.

Music Discovery Mondays (August 17, 2015)

Track #1: Swan.B - Be All Right

I really have no idea who this group is, or if they even still exist. All I know is they were a K-pop girl group and it's likely they are not a group anymore. You can tell that they weren't high budget in the slightest with their single cover. I found the group when I was mindlessly scrolling through the artists categorized as "K-pop" on iTunes (back when you could search like that) and I came across them. I was blown away by this song when I played the preview and immediately bought it. It remains one of my favorite songs of all time today. Not just in K-pop, but across all genres. The song sounds a lot like early 2000s eurodance/eurotrance. If I could choose only one K-pop song to play for a non-fan, this would be it.

Track #2: Taryn Manning - Spotlight

I believe that Taryn is more of an actress recently than a musician. You might know her from Orange Is The New Black or the other things Wikipedia says she's in. I don't watch TV or movies often so none of the things Wiki says she's in are familiar to me. But anyway, back to the music. Taryn was in a group called Boomkat with her brother in the early 2000s and in 2009 decided to go solo and released this song. It's a catchy dance pop tune.

Wikipedia page

Track #3: EvoL - We're A Bit Different

I realize that this track isn't really unknown, but as they recently disbanded, I feel like I really need to post something on their songs. They never did reach any sort of popularity, but I remember when they debuted very well. Everyone seemed to be so excited to get a girl group like Block B. The hype was still there when they released this, their first single. I also remember that people were disappointed in the choice of lead track because the group was portrayed as a hip hop group, yet released a very poppy song in contrast to the other songs on their mini album.

Enjoy!

KARA - Revolution

Have I done a post on a K-pop album yet? I don't remember. Well, if I haven't, I think KARA's a good place to start as they're one of the few K-pop groups I still care about listening to.

Revolution is KARA's second album, and their first to features new members Jiyoung and Hara.

Track #1, Mister: When I think of KARA, this is one of the first songs that pop into my mind. I would even go so far as to call it their signature song. It's an extremely catchy pop track reminiscent of early Britney or Spice Girls that had been updated for the music style of 2009. One of the best K-pop songs ever, in my opinion. 5/5.

Track #2, Wanna: This song brings back so many memories for me. It was among the first K-pop songs I discovered. Because of what it means to me, it's probably my favorite KARA track. There's not a whole lot of stylistic difference between this and Mister at all. Both are extremely catchy pop tunes and good examples of 2009 K-pop. 5/5.

Track #3, Magic: It's disappointing that this song comes after two fantastic ones. It's not a bad song, it just can't hold up against the first two tracks. It's a ballad, but unlike most ballads, there's something really soft and sweet about it's sound that makes it good to listen to. The strings are very pretty. 3.5/5.

Track #4, Secretly Secretly: Ah. The quintessential late 2000s K-pop album track. The one that sounds like every other one. This is it. I find this song very lifeless and bland. It's like a slower Into The New World, except not good. 3/5.

Track #5, Let It Go: I think this song is a good indication of where KARA was going to go with their future songs. It sounds a lot like what you'd expect a mix of Lupin and Mister to be, skirting the line between a "cute" pop song and a "dark" pop song. After Mister & Wanna, this is the best song on the album. It could've made a wonderful promo track. 5/5.

Track #6, Take A Bow: I can't really pin down my opinion of this song. It's not bad and it's a good catchy song to listen to, but I always forget about it's existence. I also can't think of any song with this title besides the Rihanna song. That might be what's blocking it in my head lol. The song is in the vein of Wanna and sounds like something off of SNSD's first album. 4/5.

Track #7, Aha: This song has a lot of the same issues that plague Take A Bow. It's catchy, danceable, has that typical late 2000s K-pop sound, yet it's so unmemorable. I think by the end of the album, you just start getting sick of the sugary sweet pop tunes since the album is full of them. Or at least I do. I like pure pop a lot, but it's one of the few pop styles that I have a limit on listening to before wanting something a lot more powerful. It just gets too sweet. 4/5.

Track #8, Same Heart: Again with the sugary sweet pop songs. I now remember why I don't listen to most K-pop album tracks often. These type of tracks really are a dime a dozen in this era of K-pop (much like the sexy songs today). 3.5/5.

Tracks #9 & #10, Instrumental versions of Wanna & Mister: Just instrumentals. Nothing to see here.

For being a K-pop album from a girl group in 2009, the album holds up surprisingly well. Sure, it's filled to the brim with sugary sweet pop tracks, but I can also easily imagine Mister or Let It Go being released today. 4/5.

New Music Thursdays (August 13, 2015)

Track #1: Kobushi Factory - Nen ni wa Nen

Kobushi Factory is one of the newer Hello! Project groups. They are comprised of Rio Fujii, Ayaka Hirose, Minami Nomura, Rena Ogawa, Ayano Hamaura, Sakurako Wada, Natsumi Taguchi, and Rei Inoue; all from Hello Pro Kenshuusei. I'm still not certain that I'm sold on Kobushi's music style as I haven't really cared too much for pop rock stuff in a couple years, but I do really like this one. It's incredibly catchy and different than what the rest of H!P has to offer. This is the final A-side of their first single, Dosukoi! Kenkyo ni Daitai/Ramen Daisuki Koizumi-san no Uta/Nen ni wa Nen, which will be released on September 2nd.

Track #2: One Black Night - Wonder Girls

I suppose it's a little unfair to put another song from their album this week when I featured their lead track last week, but this song is so incredible that it deserves the spot. It's less 80s than their lead track and reminds me a lot of Blank Space & Bad Blood from Taylor Swift's 1989. Their new album, Reboot, released August 3rd.

Track #3: Colette Carr - Three Percent

I adore Colette Carr. I'm not sure how many people have really heard of her, but this song is from her new EP that released July 17th. This song (and the EP as a whole) is a major departure from her first album which was a hip-pop/rap pop kind of thing. It had electro elements, but it seems that she's going for a straightforward electropop/synthpop style this time around. Which is perfectly fine for me.

Enjoy!

Music Discovery Mondays (August 10, 2015)

Track #1: Ands - Ttan tta da!

It is very very rare anymore for me to find a new super unknown kpop group that I like a song for. While K-pop in general has been truly much better this year than the past two, the new unknown groups still aren't standing out like they used to. Which is why I was very surprised when I heard this song in a music countdown from a YouTuber I subscribe to. Unforuntely, I don't really know anything about the group. I honestly don't even know if I have the track name 100% right. Their name makes it nearly impossible to find anything in English, and I don't understand Korean well enough to go digging through Korean webpages. If anyone does know anything about them, please comment! The song is a K-pop EDM track that strongly resembles the style that T-ara had been doing with Sugar Free.

Track #2: S/mileage - Smile Bijin

This song was the B-side to S/mileage's second major label single, Ganbaranakutemo Eenende. I chose to put this song up because of it's striking difference in style compared to their other songs from their early career. Instead of being over the top cutesy with high pitched vocals, it sounds a lot like something early C-ute would have done. It's certainly not a song to look over in their discography.

Track #3: Gangkiz - Tonight

Gangkiz was a K-pop group that debuted in 2012 under the same company as T-ara. Unforuntely, they did not last past their first release and disbanded. I'm uncertain how much attention they actually received when they released their only mini album, but I remember when I came across this song in particular. I hadn't cared for their title track and was floored by this track after I had practically written off the group. It's unfortunate that they never were able to release anything else. The song is a electro-tinged midtempo track.

Enjoy!

New Music Thursdays (August 6, 2015 Edition)

Welcome everyone to the newly rebranded Song Recommendations post! I decided that like Music Discovery Mondays, I wanted to highlight new releases across genres on a weekly basis as well. The songs featured in New Music Thursdays could be up to one month old (as I can be slow in listening to newer stuff xD), but no older than that to try and keep it fresh. Much like the MDMs, these posts will also feature only three new songs. However, I might make exceptions some weeks depending on how many great new songs are released around the time period. I chose Thursdays for these posts as it's a good distance from the MDMs to allow time for those of us that are lazy (like myself xD) to get through those songs first. So enjoy this week's selection of new songs!

Track #1: Morning Musume - Sukatto My Heart

Sukatto My Heart is the second A-side from Morning Musume's upcoming single. Instead of being an EDM track like the majority of MM's singles, this song is a funky throwback track. The song is very reminiscent of The Matenrou Show. Morning Musume's new single comes out August 19.

Track #2: Wonder Girls - I Feel You

You can't imagine how surprised I was when I heard that the Wonder Girls were making a comeback. I was convinced they were gone for good. Once I heard they were coming back as a band, I was even more surprised, and not very hopeful for what they were going to come up with. I was expecting something more pop/rock when I heard "band", but what we got was different--and so much better. I adore 80s synthpop and this comeback is perfect in every way. Their new album, Reboot, released on August 3.

Track #3: Hello Venus - I'm Ill

After Hello Venus split from Pledis, I wasn't certain how things were going to work out for them. After hearing their first couple of tracks released after the split, I figured I wouldn't care for their music going forward. I was proven wrong with this release. It's not as powerful as 4Minute's Crazy, but it is probably the best song to compare this to in K-pop this year. Their new mini album came out July 22.

That ends this week's New Music Thursdays! Enjoy!

Music Discovery Mondays (August 3, 2015 Edition)

On time this week! Barely lol. I recently got Dragon Age: Inquisition and was playing that all day. While wandering around in the game, the fact I hadn't done this yet popped into my head....but I made it before Monday's end! Today's post is going to be more focused on "lesser known" (i.e. album songs/B-sides) songs from more popular groups. A little change of pace from the last two.

Track #1: 4Minute - Say My Name

4Minute of course isn't an unknown group by any means, but as this song was only an album track it fits here nicely. This song was released on 4Minute's Volume Up mini album in 2012 and remains one of their best songs. The song is a lot like their earlier Huh days but has the more mature feel that Volume Up has.

Track #2: Morning Musume - Watashi wa Watashi Nanda

This song is an album track from their 12th album, released last year. I wanted to put this one on one of these MDMs because I personally think it's their best EDM style song. I heard so much fawning over Kirari to Hikaru Hoshi and, while good, it can't hold a candle to this song. Should have been a single.

Track #3: Team Syachihoko - Otome Juken Sensou

Team Syachihoko comes from the same company as Momoiro Clover Z, and you can really tell that with this song. Found on their first album, Himatsubushi, released in 2014, the song really reminds me of MCZ's Mugen no Ai. The above video is a live performance. There was no video of the studio version on YouTube.

Enjoy!