With a large music industry such as Japan has, second largest in the world, it is inevitable that music fans will be inundated with a profusion of good (and also less good) music from this country. It is impossible to keep track of this and write a review about it per video. But to avoid missing out on gems, it is time for a weekly list of new music videos from lesser-known Japanese musical acts that are definitely worth watching. We are now looking back on a couple of videos that were released in week 44 of the year 2020. Enjoy the new discoveries!
azur taupe. – Endless Drop City
Based in Fukuoka, azur taupe. got formed in 2019 and presented the first single of the band, titled Endless Drop City. After that, it became silent around the dream-pop band, until February, where they announced the release of an EP, which they labelled as a demo CD, Night Cruising, with the concept of night and it includes their first single which also is the song for their first music video. Now it is waiting for a full album. — Recommended by Francisca
MINOR THIRD – 学級会 (Class Meeting)
MINOR THIRD are a four-piece rock band that started out in 2019. The music this band makes is a mixture of downer and emotionally raw music, rich of piano melodies and chord progressions, but most of all, the impulsive performance of vocalist and guitarist Mizunori Nagashima. Until now, the band has been able to put out four digital singles accompanied with intriguing music videos. — Recommended by Francisca
RAMMELLS – yellow city
In August of 2015, rock band RAMMELLS got formed by Toru Sanada who invited his college seniors to make music. The music of RAMMELLS is a concoction of rock, funk, soul, jazz en shoegaze. To celebrate the 5th-anniversary of the band, the four-piece decided to release digital singles for 3 consecutive months, making yellow city the second one of the series releases. — Recommended by Francisca
XANVALA – XANADU
Sometimes when one band quits, a new one rises from the ashes that pick up as booming as their predecessor. Such was the case for XANVALA. After FIXER disbanded, 3 of the previous members formed a new band, and they rock hard as ever! It’s safe to say we can expect lots of good from them in de future! — Recommended by MetalHachiko
Aland – レトリックはいらない (Retorikku wa iranai)
Presenting the first music video on the first day of November, it is not the first music piece produced by the three-piece Aland as they have released a couple of singles. They introduced themselves in September 2019 during a performance at Shibuya Sankaku, marking the start of the band. The band name might be referring to the Åland Islands in the Baltic Sea or just simply the meaning of it: on land/ashore. This band might be brand-new, but they have already a lot to offer. — Recommended by Francisca
The Number Zero – Manic Pixie Nightmare Girl
Fronted by ex-SALTY DOG vocalist Inger, the electro-metal band The Number Zero released in May their first mini-album, titled in a dream, in a nightmare. It was finally time for a new music video, where they worked together with taiko group Oto Zakura. If you are not familiar with this band yet, this might be a good start. Especially if you have a preference for English lyrics. — Recommended by Francisca
GLASGOW – シューアラクレーム (Choux a la creme)
Strongly influenced by the rock sound from the United Kingdom, might also be the reason to call the band GLASGOW, the four-piece rock band has been active since 2018. After releasing and selling out several demo releases, the band released their first EP in September, titled white town, on their own label Whiteluckrecords. Choux a la creme is their newest single. For those who are familiar with idol music, especially the alt idol department, might recognise ex-NECRONOMIDOL member Michelle, who has a role in this music video. — Recommended by Francisca
Next week we will be back for a new list of new music videos to check out. But you can also look back to the earlier editions of this weekly article series.
