Givin’ out sweet tunes for Halloween 🎃

Hope you brought with you a decent sized bag ’cause I got a lot of treats to give out tonight—in the form of Japanese music, for the one and only Monthly Recommendation Roundup! If you’ve already been here before, you should know where to go from here. However, if this is actually your first time here and you’re not entirely sure what this is all about:

At the end of each month, I put together a post featuring Japanese music that I’ve listened to and want to recommend to you all. Keep in mind, these songs don’t necessarily have to be recent releases. Some might be tracks I’ve just discovered, while others could be longtime favorites that I’m excited to share on a whim.

The songs I feature will all come from YouTube links to their respective PVs, which means there are some limitations on what I can include. However, I find that sticking to one platform ensures the most accessibility for everyone (and there are easy workarounds for region restrictions). This also allows me to create a playlist of all the songs featured in each Roundup, which I update and share at the end of every post

I’ve never been so thankful that I started doing the Roundup Extended Playlists (EPs) more than I ever did this month, as there was just a TON of bangers that came out this October. Absolutely unreal.

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アポリア/aporia
by ヨルシカ (yorushika)
Take me on a journey

The interval between the times I get to feature Yorushika has widened over the years, despite once being in contention for my “Most Prolific Band/Artist” award back in 2020. This is partly because I haven’t showcased their music as much on the Roundup, and partly due to the band’s activity slowing down significantly. To compare, in 2020, n-buna and suis released six singles and a full studio album, whereas this year, Aporia is only their fourth release. It’s worth noting that the duo has been on tour, which likely explains the perceived “inactivity” in terms of new releases. Additionally, Yorushika has reached a point where they no longer need to release music as frequently, having already gained a much broader audience following their successful entry into the anison market. For what its worth, I think taking their time has done Yorushika a lot of good. While I wouldn’t necessarily call it being one-note, there were times when it felt like n-buna leaned a bit too comfortably into his signature style. That’s what makes Aporia feel like a bit of breath of fresh air from the two, as it’s noticeably different from their usual offerings. For instance, I don’t recall n-buna ever featuring a mandolin as prominently in a Yorushika song as he does here. Likewise, suis sings in a more relaxed range, which adds a nice new dimension to her voice and was refreshing to hear as well.

yesterday
by Chilli Beans.
Speaking of long intervals

Prior to their inclusion in last month’s Roundup, Chilli Beans. was largely absent in the Roundup for most of 2024, despite being last year’s winner for “Most Prolific Band/Artist”, having appeared in five separate Roundups. Similar to Yorushika, the Beans held their biggest concert to date early this year after having now made their first ever appearance at Nippon Budokan, followed by a string of concerts thereafter (one of which I was lucky enough to attend, read about it here if you haven’t yet! Love that I get to say that, lol), and even a couple more slated from this month until December. Suffice for it to say, the band have their hands full, and for them to even be able to come out with new songs in between their packed schedule is commendable to say the least. Unlike with Yorushika, I did have opportunities to discuss Chilli Beans., especially after they released their second studio album, Welcome to My Castle—though I never really delved into the songs on it. … Let’s just say there was a reason I chose not to and leave it at that. Regardless, we’re back to showcasing their music again with yesterday, which almost feels like a return to form, considering how much of a departure their previous album was from their usual garage-y pop-rock style. I still think they’re at their best with those kind of offerings, and I’m happy to see them go back to the well with this one.

feelin’
by muque
On the subject of being prolific

In last month’s Roundup, friend of the blog and frequent reader CJ pointed out that they felt like they’d seen muque pop up on the Roundup a lot this year—something I hadn’t noticed until they mentioned it. Sure enough, after checking, I found that muque had already made six appearances so far, with feelin’ now marking their seventh overall. Their activity level this year has been insane, but it also shows just how taken I’ve been by the band since discovering them late last year. Granted, I anticipated this back in January, so I already had some expectations for muque. Still, I did mention that they’d need to put out an album this year to really cement that—and they’ve done exactly that. All credit to them for the incredible work they’ve put in up to this point, and beyond, even, as they’ll be capping of what has been such an eventful year for them with their first one-man live concert in November. Back to feelin’, though—this track is exactly the kind of fun, catchy, and tireless tune we’ve come to expect from muque by now. Drummer Takachi seems incapable of making anything but a great melody, and vocalist Asakura sounds amazing on just about anything. The year’s not over yet, so if they somehow drop another PV for my actual favorite track from their debut album (Teardrop In The Sea), it would make this my best year as a fan of any band, hands down.

いつの日か君に、/itsu no hika kimi ni,
by 朝4時 (asa yoji)
Brings me back

I mentioned in my live report of Asa yoji’s one man event that she performed quite a number of unreleased songs to fill out her set list. Itsu no hika kimi ni, would be be one of them, and as such it does take me back to that night, and the emotions I felt at the time when she sang the words “itsu no hika mou ichido deatara, boku ni kimi no uta wo utawasete” (if we meet again someday, let me sing your song) right towards the very end of the show. A mixture of melancholy knowing that her performance was nearing its end—not knowing if I ever will hear that song in person again someday, and a lingering sense of hope that maybe that day would in fact come. Hearing this song again now, it does make me think fondly of that night, and my experiences being there in general more than anything else. That being said I do believe too that Asa yoji’s music just has that effect on you regardless of whether you had any sort of prior attachment to it. Her songs carry with them a natural sense of nostalgia that wells up and stirs your emotions every time you listen to it. If I had to attribute it to anything about her music, it would be her gentle and soothing voice when she sings that just feels like it’s coming straight from the heart.

急行券とリズム/kyuukouken to rhythm
by Conton Candy
I feel for this band

I can’t help but feel there was a missed opportunity with Conton Candy over the years, especially when you consider how the band had a viral hit under their belt a year and a half ago in their song Fuzzy Navel that at present has 18 million views on YouTube, and nearly double that in Spotify streams. Of course, a song going viral on social media doesn’t necessarily guarantee mainstream success. ChoQMay is a recent example of a band that, despite having a song with now over 40 million views, didn’t quite become a household name. I imagine it’s quite tricky to navigate that fleeting window of opportunity when it comes, especially since so much of it is beyond the band’s control. Deciding how to capitalize on that moment in that regard isn’t always straightforward. However, the reason why I feel for Conton Candy isn’t because they’re not where I think they should be at in their career right now (even though I genuinely believe that to be the case), but more so due to the fact that the band just released their first full album this month in what’s arguably, and in my opinion, one of the best releases this year … and no one’s talking about it. melt pop is an amazing record that, for one reason or another, just isn’t generating much buzz. It’s a shame because Conton Candy has only gotten better since their viral hit, as you can hear in Kyuukouken to Rhythm here.

頭の中の宇宙/atama no naka no uchuu
by ハク。 (haku.)
Now that’s more like it

In Week 6 of this current season of the Spotify J-Music Playlist Draft, I mentioned how Haku. is a band that comes up a lot in my radar, mostly because I also listen to their contemporaries a whole lot. I also talked about how they’re a band that yet to really grab my attention with a song of theirs enough for me to warrant diving deeper into their discography. Let it be known that after listening Atama no Naka no Uchuu here, that is now no longer the case, and I will now be following this band in earnest (huge honor, I know, Jk XD). The song just ticks a lot of boxes for me. I love the nifty guitar melody that they went with here which, although not that complicated-sounding, just has a nice groove to it that plays really well with Vo./Gt. Ai’s glide-y vocal work, particularly in the chorus. I also really like how the song starts having this almost syncopated sound to it across rhythm, lead, and bass guitar starting on the second verse giving it a nice layered feel that I thought was executed very well. Whether Haku. is only now starting to come into their own or they’ve always had this sort of musicality in them is, as of this moment, beyond me. Trust that I will be familiarizing myself with their work after this Roundup where I’ll be better equipped to answer that the next time around. Nicely done.

Don’t Think!
by komsume
It’s time

I’ve mentioned before that there are bands and artists I’ve been following for quite a while, just waiting for the right moment to feature them on the Roundup. komsume would be one of those bands, who I randomly came across earlier this year after I picked up their EP Hankouki on a whim (mainly because I was intrigued by its cover more than anything else, but that’s besides the point, lol). Suffice for it to say, I was blown away by what I heard from such a relatively young and promising band and I’ve been keeping a close eye on their activities since then. Don’t Think! is actually one of the tracks on the aforementioned EP so it’s technically not a “new” song. However, I do like the decision of giving it the PV treatment here as the song really does give off a kind of “introductory” type of vibe, especially considering how they work in the band’s name in the lyrics at one point. On the whole it also serves as a nice introduction to komsume’s punk rock style, as they bring the same energy in literally all the songs they’ve put out thus far, and is a style that I personally have become increasingly fond of as of late. I’m curious if the Don’t Think! PV might be signaling something bigger—similar to how muque’s my crush PV hinted at their first album release. Could this mean komsume is gearing up for something major, like a debut under a record label? It would definitely be an exciting step for them.

banka
by Quw
The times when the algorithm gets it right, it gets it RIGHT, holy hell

Quw’s banka popped up as a random recommendation for me on Spotify this past month, and almost immediately, as soon as vocalist i’s voice kicked in, I thought, “How have I not heard a song by this band before?” Of course, I was only joking—there are plenty of bands out there I’ve yet to discover whose music I’ll likely love. It’s also possible they’ve just started appearing in my feed because I recently began listening to similar acts like muque and peanut butters. That said, while I wish I could have discovered their “Japanese Takuroku Indie Pop” sound earlier, I’m glad I can enjoy it now. Their music is right up my alley, with the perfect vibe and energy, along with mind-numbingly pleasant guitar and drum loops. I’m also a huge fan of this type of layering of more “transparent” vocals like i’s, especially when done right where it becomes very melodic and resonant, which you’ll hear in this track as well. The band just released their major debut album Omowaku under Warner Music Japan not that long ago, which I have since given a spin (a good couple in fact) and I do recommend that you guys do so as well when you get the chance.

夏夜の記憶/natsuyo no kioku
by CRAZY BLUES
They got me with that opening line ngl

It’s kind of crazy (heh) to think that this is only CRAZY BLUES’ third song released since forming just last year, especially considering how nuanced they already sound. After listening to Natsuyo no Kioku, it’s clear they have a solid grasp of their musical identity and are fully embracing it right from the start. If I had to categorize their sound, I’d say it leans toward alternative rock with touches of shoegaze and dream pop. While these styles aren’t exclusive to Japan, they resonate deeply with both fans and musicians, so it’s no surprise that a band would gravitate toward this kind of music—especially with already so many great exemplars of the genre to look up to. In that sense, CRAZY BLUES finds themselves among other indie bands with similar sounds. Some might see this as nothing particularly unique (or at least not something we haven’t heard before), which is a fair opinion. However, I don’t think that should detract from how well the band understands the kind of music they want to create, which translates to how well they perform it. They have a clear sense of direction, and that alone makes them a promising band to watch. I look forward to hearing more from them in the (hopefully) near future.

presage
by 砂凪 (sanagi)
The crunch on those guitars, Oof

If you didn’t know, now you do (especially for newer followers of the blog, glad to have you)—the last spot on the Monthly Roundup is usually reserved for indie bands and artists as part of a somewhat longstanding tradition for this series, and this time around we’re giving it to the ultra-promising sanagi with their newly released single presage. I carry a lot of the same sentiment here as the ones I mentioned having with CRAZY BLUES (if not even doubly so) in that what sanagi is doing here probably isn’t something you haven’t heard of before. I personally have come across bands cut from the same cloth as them many times in the past and to this day myself considering how this sort of alternative rock is what got me so entrenched into the indie scene in the first place. But, again, it’s in the execution that I think matters the most, and man does sanagi execute. Absolutely love the guitars on this one as I mentioned, very dark and gritty, and contrasts beautifully with the rich tonality of vocalist Yuuka Aoki’s voice. They too only have a handful of songs out right now, but all the same, I highly recommend you guys check them out. They might be a little rough around the edges (especially their first single) but presage in comparison is a drastic improvement from it already, so I’m definitely looking forward to how they’ll sound next time around.

MUST LISTEN:
“Kyuukouken to Rhythm'” by Conton Candy and “banka” by Quw
As tempting as it was to give muque the “must listen” tag again, I feel I have to do right by Conton Candy and let them have the spotlight this month. melt pop may not end up as my favorite album of the year, but as I mentioned, it’s an amazing record, with Kyuukouken to Rhythm contributing to its magic along with plenty of other standout tracks. Definitely give it a listen—I promise it won’t disappoint. This month also brought a new favorite in Quw thanks to banka, and if your tastes align with mine, I’m sure you’ll love them too. I’ve since gone through their discography and can confirm there’s plenty more where that came from.

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The YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Music playlists have ALL now been updated with this month’s featured tracks. Make sure to follow them on your preferred listening service if you haven’t yet!

Check out the Roundup EP for October 2024 down below for even more tracks if you have yet to have your fill of this month’s offerings!

What are your thoughts on this month’s Roundup? Lemme know down in the comments which of the songs I featured you ended up liking the most! While you’re at it, let me know too of some of your own recommendations as well!

The J-Music Advance Party was back in its usual format this month, where I got to talk about October’s amazing album releases—one in particular being a record I’ve been manifesting since the start of the year. If you know, you know 😉 If you don’t know, give the issue a read over at my Substack here! If you’re new, don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter to secure your invite to all future Parties. The next is set for November 9, 2024. Don’t miss it!

We also had Week 20 and Week 21 of Season 2 of the Spotify J-Music Playlist Draft happen this month as well. Interesting developments abound as we settle into the final quarter of the year. If you’re not yet caught up, be sure to do so!

Lastly, the J-Music Exchange/Rate was back again with a brand new pair of Japanese music albums this month! To coincide with this spooky October, Al and I got to talk about some of our favorite album “spooks” or albums with surprising guest features. I had Al listen to one of my favorite producer albums in maeshima soshi’s yet, and you catch his review of it over at the Omunibasu Substack. I in turn had the absolute pleasure of (coincidentally) being given a producer album to listen to as well in Shin Sakiura’s Inner Division. Check out my review here if you haven’t yet already!

And that’s it! Thank you all so much for tuning in 😊 As always, I hope the Roundup was as fun for you guys to go through as it was for me making them.

Happy Listening!