Hey you! How’s it goin’? Hope all is well as I welcome you guys to yet another installment of the Monthly Recommendation Roundup! If you’re a savvy vet and you already know all there is to know about how the Roundup works, feel free to go on ahead and listen to this month’s featured tracks.

BUT, if this is your first time here and you’re not quite sure what this is:

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

February always tends to be a bit of a challenge when putting the Roundup together (mainly because of the fewer amount of days in the month to work with) but we always find a way, all in the name of bringing you some sweet tunes!

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ラストライブ/last live
by ブランデー戦記 (brandy senki)
Brandi Senki’s 2025 starts now

Kicking off this month’s Roundup is none other than Brandy Senki, the band I pegged as the “Band/Artist to Watch Out For in 2025” in the most recent Roundup awards, with their latest single, Last Live. The song title… feels a little ominous given that this is supposed to be the start of their release run for the year (lol), but I digress. In what was an impressive 2024, thanks in large part to the release of their head-turner EP Akuyumu no you na isshuukan (highly recommend checking it out if you haven’t yet), it felt as if the young Osaka-based three-piece underwent a bit of a career resurgence, or at the very least a reinvention, both in their look as well as in their sound compared to how they were when they first debuted. If Last Live here is anything to go by, it seems the band has settled on this new identity and are looking to keep the same energy from last year, delivering yet another solid pop rock offering. I’m especially into the bold switch-up at 1:35, which the band pulls off effortlessly. A strong start to the year, no doubt.

百発百中/hyappatsuhakuchuu
by komsume
Speaking of energy

Another standout from last year, komsume is wasting no time kicking off 2025 with a bang, dropping yet another killer mini-album, Futaiten, right at the start of the month. Interestingly enough, the band has consistently put out a release within the first quarter of the year since their debut in 2023, which is a streak that, at this point, almost feels like a tradition. Given how their first mini-album, Hankouki, was in constant heavy rotation for me last year, I wouldn’t be surprised if Futaiten ends up following suit. And honestly, how could it not, when it’s packing tracks like Hyappatsuhakuchuu, which goes from zero to a hundred in an instant? The band’s high-octane energy is easily one of their strongest suits, and this song puts that on full display, from the punchy guitar riffs and frenetic drum work to the spirited gang vocals. It seemed like komsume was teasing a major record deal last year, and while nothing official has been announced yet, I still wouldn’t be shocked if they land one before the year’s out.

アダルト・チルドレン/adult children
by セブンス・ベガ (7th vega)
The all-girl band hits keep on coming

If Brandy Senki and komsume are my front-runners to dominate my playlists in 2025, then 7th Vega is my serious dark horse pick to break out and make a name for themselves this year. Maybe it’s just my natural bias toward “girls rock”, but I genuinely think this band is teetering on the edge of something big based on how they’ve been sounding lately. Their 2024 single SUPPER, easily their most successful release to date, really drove home for me that this Tokyo-based four-piece has a surprisingly nuanced sound, especially for a band this young. While I initially misread them as more of a pop rock-y “image band”, I feel like I finally have the right idea about them now after listening to Adult Children. The instrumentation here is undoubtedly the highlight, packed with nifty switch-ups, instrumental breaks, and solos that really show off each members’ skill. Although not the flashiest, I particularly enjoyed the bass lines here. If they can continue to lean on what they clearly have going for themselves here, they could very well steal the show.

YOUTH
by tiny yawn
More than just math

These next two tracks share the unique distinction of being performed by bands I had the pleasure of featuring in this month’s issue of the J-Music Advance Party over on my Substack newsletter (sign up if you haven’t yet!). Starting with YOUTH by tiny yawn, one of the standout tracks from their newly released EP, euphoria. One of my main talking points when I covered the EP on the Advance Party, and to my own surprise, something I had already mentioned about the band a couple of years ago, was how, despite often being labeled by fans as a math rock band, tiny yawn has consistently shown they can do much more than just odd time signatures and intricate melodies. YOUTH, along with the rest of euphoria, only reinforces that idea further, at least in my opinion, with how different it sounds compared to what you might expect from them. This track, in particular, feels like the most band-oriented they’ve ever sounded, trading some of their more ethereal qualities from earlier releases for a more grounded approach. Not that that stopped tiny yawn from cheekily sneaking in a math-y midwest emo outro. Very cool.

呼吸/kokyuu
by CLW
It’s like I’m back in the 2010s

CLW was another band I covered in the Advance Party, as I mentioned earlier, with the release of their Kokyuu EP, which is an interesting release in its own right. Mainly because, even when I first came across them, there wasn’t much out there about the band, nor had they put out enough songs for me to get a solid read on their identity. This latest EP offers a bit more insight into CLW’s sound, and if the title track Kokyuu is anything to go by, they seem to draw heavily from 2010s Japanese alt-rock, a sound I know all too well, as that era coincides with when I was first getting into Japanese music. I personally can’t help but be reminded of bands like school food punishment and aquarifa, particularly with how CLW incorporates synth in this track. Pair that with the band’s retro-cool aesthetic, and the whole package just hits me with a wave of nostalgia. Maybe the band changes it up as they start to come into their own, but for now, I’m not mad at them being somewhat of a throwback from what was an amazing era of Japanese music.

安い映画/yasui eiga
by Cloudy
On the subject of throwbacks

The second half of the Roundup is where I usually introduce new bands and artists, whether that means they’re genuinely new on the scene or just making their first appearance here on the blog. Cloudy falls somewhere in between. While they’re not exactly fresh-faced, having debuted in 2023 and already putting out a full-length album, they’re still relatively young in band years. And, of course, this is the first time I’m getting to talk about them here. What I find most fascinating about Cloudy is their approach where it almost feels like a throwback to bands like Mongol800 of all things, with their fast, lively rock sound paired with vocalist Koshiba Taketo’s raw, unabashed singing style as you’ll hear in Yasui Eiga here. I’ve started becoming increasingly more open to male-fronted pop rock acts as of late (and as some of might have already seen me mention elsewhere), and in truth my listening of Cloudy was right at the beginning of that after randomly coming across their album Jounetsu ga areba last year. Didn’t get a chance to talk about them then so I’m glad I got to do so this time around.

CRY DAY
by MERI, awasetsu mona
I know what brought me here

I’d say a good chunk of what the almighty algorithm throws my way comes from a finely tuned mix of bands and artists with styles that sit pretty close to each other. Because of that, it’s usually hard for me to pinpoint exactly which artist I listened to that led to a particular recommendation, unless it’s a clear case, like when someone I follow gets featured on a track. That’s probably not what happened with MERI here, though. If I had to guess, I’d say it’s because I started listening to N-FENI sometime last year that YouTube and Spotify figured I’d probably like her music too. And honestly? They weren’t wrong. The overlap in their sound is unmistakable, with this unique blend of vaporwave, dream pop, and grunge that I haven’t really heard anywhere else within Japanese music besides specifically N-FENI. That said, where N-FENI leans toward a more lighthearted vibe, MERI’s music carries a darker edge, which, in my opinion, actually suits her deeper vocal tone even better as you’ll hear in CRY DAY here.

やってらんねぇ/yatterunnee
by ヨナツメ (yonatsume)
Oh my dust!

Five-piece twin-vocal band Yonatsume started sneaking into my recommended Spotify playlists not too long ago, mostly because, as I mentioned earlier about how the algorithm does its thing, their sound runs pretty close to the kinds of bands and artists I’m already listening to, which in this case is specifically, Japanese indie alt rock. That said, what really made me take notice of them was when I realized that both the album artwork and the PV for Yatterunnee looked strikingly similar to the visuals used in artist sanetii’s songs. Sure enough, it turns out they share the same illustrator (seikatsu), which I thought was a really cool connection. And, perhaps unsurprisingly, Yonatsume’s sound in Yatterunnee also carries that same new-age “Reiwa” rock feel that sanetii does, with a strong emphasis on guitar-driven toplines—something that artist Kitani Tatsuya aims to start having it be referred to, for lack of a better term as Japanese-style alternative. We’re living in a fascinating time for Japanese music in that regard, and one that I fully welcome if it means more bands like Yonatsume get to emerge.

オーライ/alright
by らそんぶる (rassemble)
Everyone’s just out here doing sick switch ups in their songs now, lol

Speaking of young, up-and-coming bands, Rassemble (French for “to gather”) is yet another group I’ve been itching to feature on the Roundup ever since I first came across them. Unlike the wave of new-age bands making their mark with flashy, generational licks, what draws me to this humble four-piece is their simple yet earnest and heartfelt sound, as you’ll hear in Alright here. I’ve mentioned before how bands like Conton Candy help fill a the peggies-sized hole left behind after their disbandment, and I can’t help but feel that Rassemble comes from that same mold, especially with vocalist Sora’s cheery, uplifting vocals, which carry a similar resounding quality to those of her predecessors. That said, while the band describes their sound as “simple,” they’re clearly not afraid to add a little flair to their delivery. I mean, just listen to that cheeky switch-up at around 1:05. I love when bands sneak in little moments like that, almost like a playful wink to the listener, saying, ‘hey, there’s more to us than you think’. Really adds an extra layer of personality to the music too in that regard. Definitely excited to hear more from them.

明けない/akenai
by 冴夜 (saya)
I just can’t help it with singer-songwriter types

I don’t know what it is about singer-songwriters who start out playing acoustic guitar covers before stepping into the spotlight as full-fledged artists that always pulls me in. Maybe it’s the sense of admiration seeing how hard someone has worked and all the hours they put in, from the humble beginnings of recording in their rooms or sharing clips of them busking on the streets that make their music feel even more special once they go all in on their craft. Even as they start to grow in popularity and develop as an artist, that singer-songwriter charm never seems to fade, and I’d like to think Saya embodies that in her debut single, Akenai, here. I can’t describe my heart as feeling anything other than full while listening. It’s just such a wholesome, endearing track, made all the more so by Saya’s equally endearing vocals. I especially love the quaint little inflection in her voice when she sings, which adds an extra layer of charm to an already heartwarming song. Though the band accompaniment she has with her here do some great work, I wouldn’t at all mind hearing a fully acoustic rendition Akenai someday—fingers-crossed, hopefully in person even.

MUST LISTEN:
“Last Live” by Brandy Senki and “Akenai” by Saya
Despite what its title might suggest, Last Live feels more like the start of something big for Brandy Senki, especially with their first full-length album set to drop this summer. If they can follow this up with a couple more solid singles, I wouldn’t be surprised if they start turning some heads. Whether they end up taking over my year in music the way muque did last year is still up in the air, but I’m definitely open to the idea. Also, gotta shout out singer-songwriter Saya, who straight-up bumped someone else off the Roundup lineup at the last second (not saying who, lol) after I heard Akenai. My gut’s telling me she’s something special, so yeah, might be worth keeping her on your radar.

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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!

If you’re looking for even more songs to dive into, the Roundup Extended Playlist for February 2025 is officially live! If you’re new to the series, these extended playlists (or EPs) are where I highlight other tracks I enjoyed throughout the month but didn’t get around to featuring. Lots to love this month so give it a spin!

What did you guys think of this month’s Roundup? Let me know in the comments! And if you’ve got your own recommendations for the month, feel free to share them down below. I’d love to hear ’em!

A new issue of the J-Music Advance Party rolled up in the neighborhood this month, which actually ended up featuring some of the artists we talked about today! Go check it out if you haven’t yet to see who we had on the docket for February. While you’re there, make sure to subscribe if you’re at all interested to see which album releases for the month I’m looking forward to listening to the most! It’s a free publication that comes out right around the start of the new month, with the next issue scheduled to release on March 9, 2025. Hope to see you there!

Season 3 of the Spotify J-Music Playlist Draft has been steadily picking up steam since it kicked off, and we’re already rolling into Week 3 and Week 4. Not to spoil too much, but Spotify’s been bringing the heat with the recommendations so far.

Last but certainly not the least, the J-Music Exchange/Rate had something special in store for this Valentine’s month, where we held a blind date with an album for this month’s album reviews! Al got to take amputasion by SITUASION for a lovely listen, which you can check out over at the Omunibasu Substack. I on the other hand got to spend some quality time with Zsasz’s ∄ (There does not exist). If you didn’t get a chance to, give it a read here!

And that’s a wrap! Huge thanks for stopping by whenever you do. It really means a lot. As always, I hope the Roundup was worth your time, and at the very least, that you walk away with a couple of new tracks to add to your collection or maybe even a new band or artist to keep an eye on.

Happy Listening!