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 49 of the year 2022. Enjoy the new discoveries!
Tobie – Kaleidoscope
The main purpose of this weekly article is to introduce artists who have not been featured on the website before, but mostly to put a spotlight on artists who are new. And this brand spanking new rock band from the historic castle town of Odawara, Tobie, started activities just very recently. In October, this trio had their very first gig at Odawara Shareido and two months later, they put their very first music video online. Meanwhile, they have already scheduled several shows and now it is waiting for an official music release. Be sure to keep an eye on them! — Recommended by Francisca
qee – 夏の影 (Natsu No Kage)
夏の影 (Natsu No Kage) is the second single for the three-piece indie rock band qee. In the music video for this single, they alternate between the two seasons of summer and winter. The Tokyo-based band was formed in 2021 by guitarist and vocalist Toui Itou and bassist Yuuya Murano and eventually became a trio in the summer of 2022 with guitarist Rinko. So far, the band has produced two singles, which already gives an idea of the direction they want to take. This is only the beginning; it remains to be seen what more the band has in store. — Recommended by Francisca
The Traveling Theory – Walking on the Air
The starting point for the Kashiwa-based band The Traveling Theory is almost 10 years and can be called quite an adventure. As DROPUP25, they released several demos to see find out what direction they wanted to go. It didn’t really seem to be going anywhere but the band members were enjoying being in a band and on the stage. But sometime in 2018, it was decided to change the band name to its current one, with TAKIBOY being the only original band member. It seems the four-piece band now knows what they want to express with their music which is a crossover of emo, punk and hardcore. — Recommended by Francisca
hardnuts – Abendrot
Like some other bands in this list, this rock group is brand-new; the four-piece band was founded in Tokyo in the fall of 2022, and their first posts on social media as hardnuts were posted in October. They have just released their very first single, a double-A with the title 日々を (Hibi wo)/Abendrot, which was accompanied by a music video for one of the songs. Hardnuts’ music is based on alternative rock, the songs on the first singel release reflect different genres, Hibi wo is more of a guitar rock song, while Abendrot dives into shoegaze/dream pop. — Recommended by Francisca
チセツナガラ (Chisetsunagara) – 金曜ロードショー (Friday Roadshow)
Since writing about this Osaka-based band last year, they have been busy with releasing new music in the form of singles. Only this week they were able to release their second music video, after their very first video managed to generate a lot of excitement. By the way, they manage to do the same with their live performances in the Kansai region but mostly with their music that is poisoned (in a good way) with love and catchiness thanks to the ‘weapons’ of the five band members. It is now waiting for a full-fledged album of Chisetsunagara! — Recommended by Francisca
密会と耳鳴り (Mikkai to Miminari) – チャラ男マジファッキンビッチ (Chara Otaku Maji Fucking Bitch)
This punk band has been in the game for 10 years by now. In 2012, the band first performed as 失禁少女 (Shikkin Shoujo, Incontinence Girls), performing in net tights and diapers. After changing their name to Mikkai to Miminari in the summer of 2014, the lady’s punk band has been performing at festivals and circuit events while releasing music with heavy guitar riffs, catchy beats and sharp lyrics. The trio’s most recent release is the mini-album メンタルパンク (Mental Punk), in which they butcher the world and support the girls who are trying their best while channelling the sluggish stress and raw emotions of contemporary women into punk and rap. — Recommended by Francisca
Lil Muffet – APPLE
This is the very first music video by the band Lil Muffet, all the way from the City of Trees Sendai. This is yet another up-and-coming group, but the band members are certainly not new to the music scene, considering that they are also active with other music projects. They only began performing last year and have already published two singles with catchy, loud, and energetic melodies. They are still in the beginning stages but from what can already be heard and seen from this trio (they are currently looking for a new drummer) sounds promising and intriguing. — 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.
