With a large music industry such as Japan has, the 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 29 of the year 2021. Enjoy the new discoveries!
coque – yellow
“Memories, regrets, expectations, anxieties, all of them are proof that we breathe”. In June of this year, the four-piece coque released their first digital EP, titled 25. The Tokyo-based rock band can be seen as brand-new as they presented themselves at the start of June with a music video. Only a few weeks later, the first EP got released. A promising start. — Recommended by Francisca
すごいバンド名にしたかった。 (Sugoi band mei ni sitakatta) – 家居 (Kakyo)
Looking at the band name, Sugoi band mei ni sitakatta. (They wanted a great band name, shortened Sugoban), it gives a good idea of what to expect. The Tokyo-based band describes itself as Neo Comic band and that is clearly presented in the music and videos. The six-piece started out in the summer of 2017 and has released 2 mini-albums. — Recommended by Francisca
シンガロンパレード (Singalong Parade) – ルートA (Scene A)
The Kyoto-based 3-piece band Singalong Parade got formed in 2012. The band is mostly active in the Kansai area and has performed at big festivals such as SUMMER SONIC 2016. They embarked on a tour through 47 prefectures from 2019 to March 2020, although their tour final in Kyoto was held without an audience due to the pandemic. Their third album will be released in August. — Recommended by Francisca
コノセカ (Konoseka) – Megrim Twilight
“This headache was lost thanks to the noise, noise”. Formerly active under a different name, now named Konoseka, this roaring rock band is based in Saitama and regularly performs in Ikebukuro. It seems that the band is working hard to release new songs and perform on stage, so it might be that they are slowly but surely work towards a release of an album. — Recommended by Francisca
Leica – 春一番 (Haru Ichiban)
After more than a year, the Osaka-based four-piece Leica published a new music video and in addition announced the release of their first EP in September. The rock band started activities in December 2017 and has been mostly focusing on live performances. There is a great emphasis on the delicate and powerful vocals and the intense and melancholic sound in their music. — Recommended by Francisca
kOTOnoha – 素晴らしい世界 (Subarashii Sekai)
The band members of rock band kOTOnoha have a love for various music genres, from rap to post-rock to hardcore and like to incorporate that in their music. The band is known for their unconventional performances, which includes freestyle rapping and jam session improvisation. The band started releasing new music this month for three consecutive months. — Recommended by Francisca
Uuule – toubou
On the 24th of July, the music unit Uuule introduced themselves with the news that they would release their first single a day later but also a music video. The electronic pop music duo consists of vocalist U and track maker UU, which actually creates more mystery than before. A new music project to keep an eye on. — 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 for when you yearn for more musical gems! Want to read more about how this project started or check out the YouTube playlists? Click here for all the information.
