With a large music industry such as Japan, the second largest in the world, music fans will inevitably 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 Japanese music acts that are definitely worth watching and need some extra focus, with an emphasis on the lesser-known names.
We are now looking back on a selection of videos released in week 51 of 2024. No Christmas-themed songs, but we sincerely hope you enjoy the new discoveries!
goat Life – 水仙 (Narcissus)
This four-piece rock band from Tokyo kicked off their activities in September 2023. After releasing a split single earlier this year, the single Narcissus followed in November. And with a new release, the quartet decided to publish a music video, which was released this week. Although the band has not been active for long and has only released a few songs, they leave a promising impression. I am curious to see what the new year will bring for them and how they will evolve. — Recommended by Francisca
ブリキオーケストラ (Buriki Orchestra) – ダメダメ (Dame dame)
Dame dame is the third and final release in a series of three monthly singles by the trio Buriki Orchestra and is a suitable closer for 2024. The band has been active since 2010 and has had several line-up changes, including a break. Still, vocalist and guitarist Yukihiro Tatara seems to be the constant factor in Buriki Orchestra. With roots in blues and rock ‘n’ roll, the band also likes to play with elements of reggae, folk and Irish music with song lyrics that evoke deep, unspoken emotions. — Recommended by Francisca
mukeikaku – dull
This past summer, Tokyo-based, specifically Shibuya-based alternative rock band mukeikaku released their second EP, titled temperature, the follow-up to their first EP, konami, which was released in late 2023. With the release of their second EP, they also celebrated the band’s first anniversary. You can find the song dull on this EP, initially a soft and soothing song which ends in a guitar-driven piece. Upon the release of the EP temperature, the duo revealed that they show a new side of themselves and that the songs have a slightly different atmosphere than before. — Recommended by Francisca
plumis – Lily
This week saw the release of the second EP for four-piece rock band plumis, titled DIVE INTO STAGE. A music video was made for one of the tracks, Lily, the first in three years. The song exudes a comfortable, mellow atmosphere, supported by a fine bass rhythm and guitar tones. The band started activities in February 2020 with Tokyo as their home base. A year later the band released their first EP 始まりの雨は君を染めて (A Prologue Rain Dyes You), this year the band released a single alongside the EP. It will be interesting to see what the guitar-rock band is up to in 2025. — Recommended by Francisca
toitoitoi – 東京ウキウキ (Tokyo uki-uki)
Consisting of vocalist Maki Kishikawa and guitarist Murakoshi, the two-piece rock band has earned a good reputation with their performances, comprised of free and flexible compositions, which they claim challenge the concept of acoustic style, although they also perform as a full-fledged band. The band’s freedom and playfulness can be seen in the music video for their latest release and final release of 2024, which can be seen as a comedy with disjointed homages to detective movies with a retro feel. — Recommended by Francisca
MINAKEKKE – Backwards
MINAKEKKE is the solo project of singer-songwriter Minako Yui, who from its inception in 2011 wanted to create an aesthetic world with influences by different musical genres, from acid folk to gothic, dream pop to krautrock, shoegaze to trip-hop. In 2017, she released her first album, TINGLES, this was followed up with an EP in 2019, three singles in 2020 and a second album in 2022, Memorabilia. This week, the digital single Backwards was released with an accompanying (flashing) music video. — Recommended by Francisca
僕らはハシビロコウ (We are Shoebills) – グッドバイ (Goodbye)
At the end of the music video, the pop band has put down We are Shoebills as the band name, but in romaji, the band name is as follows: Bokura wa Hashibirokou, in short that is BokuHashi. The ballad Goodbye was originally the b-side of the single 悲しみはダンスを奪って (The Sadness takes away the dance) released in April this year. Around that time, the Sapporo-based band celebrated its fifth anniversary. The music video was mostly filmed on a beach which is a perfect atmosphere for the emotional song. — 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.
