rock music
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Marina – “The Family Jewels” review
Final verdict: 9/10 ★★★★⋆˙⟡ Marina has long been one of my favorite artists – through the holy trinity that is her first few albums (the “The Family Jewels” – “Electra Heart” – “Froot” run) she has proven herself to be a greatly creative songwriter, a force to be reckoned with. Those sentiments aren’t quite in… Read more
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They Might Be Giants – “John Henry” review
Final verdict: 8/10 ★★★★☆ At first I was afraid, I was petrified. Although by the time I got to this album, I’d been only barely familiar with the majestic world of They Might Be Giants, I felt well acquainted with the concept of John, John, and a drum machine, as well as the rinky-dink sound… Read more
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Jun Togawa – “好き好き大好き” review
Final verdict: 10/10 ★★★★★ A few months ago I had a manic episode. Rough times, man, I don’t even want to think about it. But to review this album, I kind of have to. So, “好き好き大好き”. This album was all I would ever listen to during my manic spell. Anything that wasn’t a song off… Read more
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Yumi Arai – “ひこうき雲” review
Final verdict: 10/10 ★★★★★ Over the last couple of months, I’ve been in the process of going through Yumi Matsutoya’s (or Yumi Arai’s, or Yuming’s, as I’m going to call her from this point forward) admittedly intimidating discography. In the last month, I’ve also been slowly but determinedly getting through Taylor Swift’s catalogue. And I… Read more
1970s, 70s music, album review, blog, hell yeah, indie, japan, japanese music, jpop, music, Music review, review, reviews, rock, rock music, writing -

Hisami Sakurai – “万華鏡” review
Final verdict: 7/10 ★★★⋆˙⟡☆ Singer-songwriter Hisami Sakurai seemingly vanished from the music scene shortly after the release of her debut record, entitled “万華鏡” (or “Mangekyō”, for English speaking folk), in October 1973. She released one final standalone single the following year and then dipped, to take up a different gig as, as indicated by the… Read more
1970s, 70s music, album review, blog, indie, japan, japanese music, jpop, music, Music review, pop, pop music, review, reviews, rock, rock music, writing -

Yellow Magic Orchestra – “Solid State Survivor” review
Final verdict: 9/10 ★★★★⋆˙⟡ I fear it’s time to answer the question that has tormented humanity for ages – what does it mean to be a Solid State Survivor? From a clearly semantic point of view, this album’s title makes zero sense. So let’s try to make sense of it from another perspective. For there to be… Read more
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Akiko Yano – “ただいま.” review
Final verdict: 9/10 ★★★★⋆˙⟡ Sometime last year, I figured I’d give Akiko Yano a try, and this album specifically was recommended to me – it was touted her “weirdest” work, and I enjoy fucky music, and so you see, it was meant to be. And with my beloved YMO tackling the production, was there any… Read more
1980s, 80s music, album review, blog, hell yeah, indie, japan, japanese music, jpop, music, Music review, pop, pop music, review, reviews, rock, rock music, writing -

Akiko Yano – “ごはんができたよ” review
Final verdict: 10/10 ★★★★★ Could it be, we finally found a double album that’s so great, it actually justifies every single minute of its runtime? Akiko Yano’s 1980 release “ごはんができたよ” is one beefy album, clocking in at 74 minutes. Yes, that’s long, admittedly far longer than what I’d usually go for. However, every song contributes something to… Read more
1980s, 80s music, album review, blog, hell yeah, indie, japan, japanese music, jpop, music, Music review, pop, pop music, review, reviews, rock, rock music, writing -

Every Little Thing – “Time to Destination” review
Final verdict: 10/10 ★★★★★ One thing Every Little Thing always did throughout their entire run was deliver good music, consistently. While their discography did have its ups and downs – as is natural for a group that’s been active for almost 30 years – none of it is bad, and therefore it can’t be said that… Read more
1990s, 90s music, album review, blog, hell yeah, indie, japan, japanese music, jpop, music, Music review, pop, pop music, review, reviews, rock, rock music, writing

