Shady Acres Jukebox

[_Moniker]

Shades, I really like the 3rd one you posted. :)

Blixa, lucky you. Enjoy!

[_neworder]

Shonen Knife

The Best Japanese Band Ever!



Top of the World (Music Only) - Love this song!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHZiDHjq8rs

Riding on the Rocket
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSqGtOj72Q4

Daydream Believer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9RAbi2xEvo

ESP
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5nNemCZVds

S-P-A-M
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdFT5NcPb9M

Raindrops Keep On Falling On My Head
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8xzma23-Eg

Banana Chips
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wa95CvhESQ

[_Dr. Shades]

Shonen Knife

The Best Japanese Band Ever!

Yet far inferior to Wink. Click here if you don't believe me.

[_Moniker]

Ahh! Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid was one of my favorite movies when I was a little girl. Loved this scene:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=howEAqstkzQ

[_krose]

Shades,

Thanks for the links to the Wink stuff. I've read passing comments about 90s J-Pop, but these are the first I've been able to actually hear.

I cut my teeth on the stuff from the 70s, of course, such as Yamaguchi Momoe (Momoe-chan -- she was huge), Sakurada Junko, and Pink Lady (they brought their act to the US for an ill-advised TV show). But my favorites were J-Folk: Iruka, Minami Kosetsu and Arai Yumi (Miyazaki used one of hers in his Kiki's Delivery Service movie).

Here are some links if you're interested.
- "Kiki" video with Yumi's Yasashisa ni Tsutsumareta Nara
- Two of my Yumi faves: Sotsugyo Shashin and Ame no Station
- Momoe-chan: Cosmos
- Minami Kosetsu, a.k.a. Kaguya Hime: Kandagawa and Imoto (live, 30 years later)
- Iruka: Nagori Yuki

If you haven't seen them before, you really should check out some Pink Lady performances for a laugh. They were all about the skimpy outfits and the choreography. Little girls all over the country in '77 could do their routines flawlessly.

[_Dr. Shades]

Thanks for those, krose. Ahh, the slower stuff--pre-90s music I'm not too familiar with.

I remember "Pink Lady and Jeff" from when I was a kid. I liked it back then, but now it's near-universally panned as the worst T.V. show ever, right down there with the Brady Bunch song & dance hour.

[_krose]

Shonen Knife

The Best Japanese Band Ever!

Yet far inferior to Wink.

I can see how a missionary would develop a serious crush on these two cuties.

What current J-Pop artists do you like? There's some pretty good music now, in my opinion.

I like Matsu Takako, Hirai Ken, Yui, Yuki, and Angela Aki. Also on my playlist are Ito Yuna, Spitz, and Otsuka A.I. (among others).

[_Ren]

My 'theme song' for this addictive, cool, scary, crazy forum..!
If I'm reading the forum, chances are I'll either be playing this song, or humming along to it in my head ;)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2rlX0rF2oE

I'm the son or rage and love
The Jesus of suburbia
From the Bible of none of the above
On a steady diet of
Soda pop and Ritalin
No one ever died for my
Sins in hell as far as I can tell
At least the ones I've gotten away with

And there’s nothing wrong with me
This is how I'm supposed to be
In the land of make believe
That don't believe in me

Get my television fix
Sitting on my crucifix
The living room on my private womb
While the moms and Brads are away
To fall in love and fall in debt
The alcohol and cigarettes
And Mary Jane to keep me insane
Doing someone else’s cocaine

And there’s nothing wrong with me
This is how I'm supposed to be
In the land of make believe
That don't believe in me

At the center of the earth in the parking lot
Of the 7-11 where I was taught
The motto was just a lie
It says home is where your heart is
But what a shame
Cause everyone’s heart doesn't beat the same
It's beating out of time

City of the dead
At the end of another lost highway
Signs misleading to nowhere
City of the damned
Lost children with dirty faces today
No one really seems to care

I read the graffiti in the bathroom stall
Like the holy scriptures of the shopping mall
And so it seemed to confess
It didn't say much but it only confirmed
That the center of the earth is the end of the world
And I could really care less

City of the dead
At the end of another lost highway
Signs misleading to nowhere
City of the damned
Lost children with dirty faces today
No one really seems to care

I don't care if you don't
I don't care if you don't
I don't care if you don't care
(x4)

I don't care

Everyone’s so full of crap
Born and raised by hypocrites
Hearts recycled but never saved
From the cradle to the grave
We are the kids of war and peace
From Anaheim to the Middle East
We are the stories and disciples of
The Jesus of suburbia

Land of make believe
And they don't believe in me
Land of make believe
And they don't believe
I don't care
I don't care
I don't care
I don't care
I don't care!

Dearly beloved are you listening
I can't remember a word that you were saying
Are we demented or am I disturbed
The space that's in between insane and insecure

Oh therapy can you please fill the void
Am I retarded or am I just overjoyed
Nobodies perfect and I stand accused
For lack of a better word and that's my best excuse

To live, and not to breathe
Is to die in tragedy
To run, to run away
To find what you believe

And I leave behind
This hurricane of f**king lies

I lost my friend to this
This town that don't exist
So I run, I run away
The lies of massacres

And I leave behind
This hurricane of f**king lies
And I walked this line
A million and one f**king times
But not this time

I don't feel any shame I won't apologise
When there ain't nowhere you can go
Running away from pain when you’ve been victimised
Tales from another broken
Home
You’re leaving
You’re leaving
You’re leaving
You’re leaving home!

[_Dr. Shades]

krose:

I liked the Yuki song. It was quite an original beat, video, and lyrical tone. Catchy.

To answer your question, thanks to my stepdaughter, I'm just barely in touch with the J-pop scene. I really, really like Ayumi Hamasaki. Here are some really good sample mixes of her songs:

Part I (skip ahead to 2:15 & 3:58 if you get bored)

Part II (skip ahead to 1:39 & 7:45 if you get bored)

Moniker: I'd really like to know what you think of these two tracks.

[_krose]

I liked the Yuki song. It was quite an original beat, video, and lyrical tone. Catchy.

Yuki is definitely different. She used to do vocals for the group called "Judy and Mary." You should check out some of her other videos. They are all interesting. You might also enjoy the off-beat Tommy Heavenly6 (alias Tommy February6 and Brilliant Green).

To answer your question, thanks to my stepdaughter, I'm just barely in touch with the J-pop scene. I really, really like Ayumi Hamasaki.

I like Ayumi okay; I have 48 of her songs in my iTunes right now (out of around 1400 Japanese songs total). My library has gotten a bit out of control, I have to admit. The total for all genres is well over 5000 now, with a big stack of CDs yet to be ripped -- everything from Broadway to Beethoven, Queen and CCR to KT Tunstall. I like all kinds.

I think it's interesting that so many kids are into all things Nippon. Not only do I share music with my 14-year-old daughter, but she actually wanted (and got) a subscription to Shonen Jump for her Solstice gift. I used to thumb through that manga 32 years ago in Japan.