神聖かまってちゃん – 英雄syndrome [2014]

EDIT: Mediafire is doing some strange things, so if a file won’t download, leave a comment!

And for the last post of this update: the latest Shinsei Kamatte-chan! In an earlier post, I said that this was my favorite new band now that Midori has broken up, and after hearing their latest release, “eiyuu syndrome” (or hero syndrome), I still think the same of this band. The incredibly innovative voice work of Noko is as good as ever, as are the anthemic choruses that are present in many of their songs. It’s hard to say if this is their best album yet, so I’ll just say that it’s just as amazing as all of their albums.

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Anyways…I am back! And I plan to make small updates a few times a year at least, or maybe once a month. I’ve had a few messages and emails about donations, so if you look to your right you will see a paypal donation button, so feel free to use that if you wish. I do pay $40 a year for a premium mediafire account, so donations would be appreciated!

I have been a bit out of the loop of new releases, so if there is anything new I should listen to, feel free to post a comment on here or message me on last.fm. I will also be changing the last.fm group page to show a more updated list of artists I am currently searching for albums by, so be sure to check that out too! In the mean time, here is a preview of something for the next update to come:

銀杏BOYZ – 光のなかに立っていてね [2014]

After a long hiatus, 銀杏BOYZ is back with a new album, and it’s their noisiest yet! For those new to the blog, I highly suggest checking out their single on here. The music video for it is also quite hilarious (if anyone can find a high quality download of the PV, that would be awesome!). There is also a new version of that same song on the album which is pretty good, though I like the original better.

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Pale Cocoon – 繭 [1984]

The album title reads “Mayu”, which means cocoon. The cover is a long rectangle because this was actually a cassette release. Some think it’s a superior medium for certain genres, like ambient/drone/psych.

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Pale Cocoon – 黄金時代 EP [1984]

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Pale Cocoon – 青空の実験室 / Secret Sounds EP [1982]

Pale Cocoon is by far my favorite Japanese band I’ve discovered in the past year. Their sound can be classified as ethereal wave, which is a sub-genre of gothic rock and darkwave, but its also very experimental, psychedelic, dark and dreamy, quite unlike anything else I’ve ever heard. I suggest you download both the EPs and the album, though the full album is the best one to start with. Thank you to the guy on last.fm who recommended this!

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後藤まりこ – こわれた箱にりなっくす [2014]

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後藤まりこ – m@u [2013]

Now for more of the wonderful Mariko Goto! Both these albums are excellent continuations of her solo career, though for those who haven’t heard her solo work before, it is more poppy and accessible than Midori, but of course there are still some songs such as “だいろーちゃんとまりこちゃん” from the album m@u that show the full range of her vocal talent.

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