Scared ya, didn’t I?

I know what you’re thinking…. and you’re not wrong. 😅 But before we get into the specifics of that, let me first welcome you all back to the Monthly Recommendation Roundup! If you’ve been following the series for a while, there’s probably something about this particular one that’s already caught your attention (and I’ll get to that in just a sec). However, if this happens to be your first time here and you’re not too 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

Now… yes, this particular Roundup is coming out a day later than usual. Remember how I’m always griping about how the end of the month tends to land right after a weekend? Yeah—this is exactly what I figured would happen in those cases. I could’ve future-proofed things a little better on my end, but time wasn’t exactly on my side, so this was the best compromise I could manage.

Apologies for the delay, and here’s hoping this is the last (and only) SNAFU before we close out the year!

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sink
by roi bob
Doesn’t matter if summer’s over 😎

Three-piece dreamgazer band on the rise roi bob make their return to the Roundup this month following the release of their first EP POOL, which dropped earlier in the month (and which I also covered in the J-Music Advance Party). Some of you might remember that the last time we talked about them was back in August, when I featured what would go on to become the EP’s title track. It seems there’s a bit of a conceptual thread tying everything together, especially with this month’s featured track sink. Much like swim, roi bob continue to lean into their sunlit poolside imagery, with the glimmering haze of a hot summer afternoon rendered in sound. Their music shimmers like sunlight reflecting off cool water, and sink fits perfectly into that motif, drawing you deeper with each listen until you’re completely submerged in its dreamy warmth.

フラジェール/flagère
by リューベンス (rubens)
Where’d that come from??

What’s fascinating to me about flagère, from rubens’ newly released debut album MELT (which just dropped a couple of days ago at the time of writing), is how much of what I said about roi bob’s sink also applies here. Both tracks conjure similar imagery through their sonic textures: warm light refracting through water, hazy reflections, that feeling of floating in sound. But what really caught my attention this time wasn’t the imagery so much as the shift itself, because I honestly didn’t expect rubens to come out with something this bright and shimmery based on their earlier work. To the band’s credit though, it’s not like rubens have ever really been easy to pin down. I’ll admit I sometimes fall into the trap of pigeonholing bands into a particular lane, but flagere is one of those moments that reminds me just how much creative range artists can have when they let themselves explore. It’s a striking turn, and if the rest of MELT is any indication, rubens might just have a sleeper hit on their hands.

いちごジュースで待ち合わせ/ichigo juice de machiawase
by 浦小雪 (ura koyuki)
My heart is so full listening to her music

I’m sure it happens to most of us the older we get; that moment when you meet up with someone you used to be close with, whether a friend or someone who might’ve been a little more than that. Your lives have since branched off in different directions, your interests have changed, you’ve had different experiences, and suddenly, the two of you don’t have quite as much to say to each other anymore. It’s nobody’s fault, it’s just life. That’s essentially what Ichigo juice de machi awase is about, and it hit me harder than I expected it to. It’s a song that captures that bittersweet distance between past connection and present reality, and it’s one I personally relate to quite a bit. Even though I’ve long since made peace with those feelings, something about Ura Koyuki’s earnest and straightforward delivery brought them right back to the surface.

CRASH OUT!!!
by OddRe:
I still believe

The last time I talked about OddRe:, I remember hyping them up as potentially the next big thing, maybe even following in the footsteps of muque (who, as you all know, I absolutely love, lol). And while I still genuinely believe that’s within reach for them, I think it’s fair to say the window for that happening this year might be closing, given we’re already in the waning months of 2025. That said, I wouldn’t rule out the possibility of them ending the year strong, maybe with an EP drop to keep that momentum going. The numbers don’t lie: this trio has already built a solid following off the back of only a handful of songs, mostly through their livehouse activity, which is both impressive and telling of their potential. They just need to keep the releases coming. Because when they put out something like CRASH OUT!!!, it’s clear what makes OddRe: special; their unfiltered, zany energy that turns every riff and shout into pure fun. If they can string together a few more tracks like this, I have no doubt they’ll be a hit.

ライアー/liar
by Kucci
Always nice seeing s singer-songwriter on the biggest stages

Relatively speaking, it sure didn’t take long for the uber-promising twenty-year-old singer-songwriter Kucci to make her anison debut Liar being officially only her second single overall. A couple of things worth noting here: when we first featured her on the Roundup, we talked about how Kucci started her career already signed under a major label, Sony Music Labels, no less, which, as you can imagine, comes with its fair share of industry reach. Her debut single had already been tied up with a feature film, and her first EP got a big promotional push through Sony’s THE FIRST TAKE channel on YouTube. Now she’s continuing that momentum, performing the theme for the anime adaptation of Chitose-kun wa Ramune Bin no Naka. Of course, opportunities like that aren’t just handed out, they’re earned. And Kucci’s proving more than capable of making the most of them. What continues to impress me about her is how she still writes both the music and lyrics to her songs herself, and Liar is yet another showcase of her talent.

スランプメーカー/slumpmaker
by 板歯目 (banshimoku)
Love that intro

I’ve been wanting to feature banshimoku here on the Roundup ever since I stumbled upon their Monku no hitotsu mo iitai! EP a couple of months back (which I highly recommend you guys go check out), so I’m really glad to finally have the opportunity to do so with Slumpmaker. When I first got into their music, I actually didn’t realize that banshimoku is only made up of two members. And while that’s not unusual in the Japanese music scene by any means, what is surprising is that you’d never guess it just by listening to them. Sure, they likely have support members filling things out in the background, but that’s not really what I’m talking about, it’s more about presence. There’s never a moment where it feels like anything’s missing, and that’s largely thanks to guitarist/vocalist Chiga Shion, who more than makes up the numbers with her spirited, commanding performance here. Slumpmaker is proof that banshimoku don’t need a full lineup to sound big, they’ve already got all the spunk they need and then some.

記憶/kioku
by ハッピーセット (happy set)
Simple is best

It feels like whenever I’ve talked about girls rock here on the Roundup, it’s usually been in one of two contexts: either its long absence (until these past few years) from the broader Japanese music landscape, or how the newer wave of bands I’ve featured tend to lean into character and charisma; that is to say, how they present themselves as much as how they sound. In that sense, four-piece Nagano band Happy Set come across as something of an old soul. They’re not terribly flashy, and they’re not overtly chasing trends. What they offer instead is just good, straightforward rock, still with a bit of indie flair, but otherwise grounded and solid. I don’t purposely avoid bands like this than they are just rare to come by these days, at least ones that sound as polished as Happy Set do here. Songs like Kioku feel like a breath of fresh air because of that.

無色のヒーロー/mushoku no hero
by 熱帯魚とものくろーむ (nettaigyo to monokuroomu)
A complete getting to know

My introduction to Nettaigyo to monokuroomu was a little different from how I usually come across new bands. Normally, it’s a random discovery, I see something pop up in my feed, give it a listen, and fall down the rabbit hole from there. This time though, I actually got introduced to the Fukuoka-based four-piece through a personal recommendation from a mutual follower on X; a Japanese native who, like me, enjoys sharing local band discoveries. After learning that I do something similar, they kindly linked me to the band’s account and one of their music videos to check out. Naturally, I obliged (lol), and I’m glad I did. What I heard immediately intrigued me, enough that I’ve been keeping tabs on them ever since. With the band now releasing their second full album, it feels like the perfect time to finally share them here. Mushoku no hero might seem a bit peculiar at first (it’s a six-minute track, after all) but trust me, it’s a rewarding six minutes that perfectly encapsulates what Nettaigyo to monokuroomu are all about.

ケトル/kettle
by TIDAL CLUB
Makes me want to go on a two hour commute

These last two songs I’ll be talking about pretty much sum up what my listening habits have looked like this past month. If I had to pinpoint one key element tying it all together, it’d be melodic guitars. Maybe it’s a direct consequence of me curating songs every week for the 和式オルタナ (Japanese-style alternative) playlist (give it a follow if that sounds like your kind of vibe, we update every Friday 👀), but I’ve really been gravitating toward the kind of sound that bands like TIDAL CLUB bring to the table. I was lucky enough to discover the band just a few weeks before the release of their first full album pluralpainpacks, which dropped earlier this month, so I was perfectly primed to jump in as a new fan. There’s just something about their songs like Kettle here that really resonates with me. The melodic guitars play a big part as I mentioned, but it’s also that underlying emo-tinged angst running through their sound. There’s this emotional weight to it that makes me just want to close my eyes and really feel the music (lol).

west
by Sweet Rain
That’s the stuff

While curating the Japanese-style alternative playlist has definitely helped me discover bands like TIDAL CLUB, I actually have artist seikatsu to thank for leading me to Tokyo-based three-piece Sweet Rain. If that name sounds familiar, it’s because we’ve talked about seikatsu before. Their artwork has shown up in releases and PVs for several bands and artists previously featured here on the Roundup, including TRE@SON, sanetii, and yonatsume, to name a few. I’ve grown so enamored with their art over time that I eventually started following them on X, and it was through their promotion of Sweet Rain’s latest EP that I first stumbled upon the band. Given seikatsu’s track record of collaborating only with bands I end up loving, I decided to give Sweet Rain a listen, and sure enough, I was enthralled. Much like TIDAL CLUB’s Kettle, west hit that sweet spot for me: the melodic guitars, and that unmistakable undercurrent of emo-tinged angst that just bleeds through the music.

MUST LISTEN:
“Ichigo juice de machiawase” by Ura Koyuki and “west” by Silent Rain
I was fortunate enough to see Ura Koyuki perform live during my trip to Japan, and she’s an absolute darling both on and off the stage. It makes me genuinely happy to see how she continues to grow in her career, staying true to herself and her music, which still sounds every bit as uplifting as it ever has. She also just released her first full album Sugar Mellow this month, and I can’t recommend it enough. Definitely give Ichigo juice de machiawase a listen. But don’t stop there, the whole record’s a treat. On a similar note, I also can’t recommend Sweet Rain’s Senseless EP enough, and of course, west along with it. If you love melodic guitars as much as I do (if not more), this one’s not going to disappoint.

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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 still craving even more Japanese music, don’t forget to check out the Roundup Extended Playlist down below to see even more what I’ve been listening to!

What did you all think of this month’s Roundup? Drop your thoughts in the comments. I’d love to hear ’em! And of course, if you’ve got any favorite tracks of your own from this past month, throw them in there too!

The J-Music Advance Party opened its doors once again this October, where, as mentioned earlier, I got to talk about roi bob’s debut EP POOL alongside a couple more amazing releases from the month. If you missed the pre-release chatter (or didn’t even know I do that sort of thing), here’s your reminder to subscribe to my Substack newsletter! Every month, usually in the first week, I highlight upcoming Japanese albums, EPs, and mini-albums I’m personally excited about. It’s totally free, and you’ll get access to past issues plus automatic notifications the moment new ones go live. One heads-up: the next Party was originally scheduled for November 2, 2025, but due to a scheduling hiccup it’s been moved to November 8, 2025. Hope to see you there!

The J-Music Exchange/Rate is also back this month with a fresh pair of album reviews for you to dig into! Al got to pick the theme this time around, and for October we went with albums by bands or artists we think would be a good fit for an anime tie-in. For my pick, I had Al check out singer-songwriter Sato’s Toaru ai wo tsuzutte (you can read his thoughts over on the Omunibasu Substack!). Meanwhile, my review was on the EP S’more by botakura, which you can catch right here!

And that’s a wrap! Thanks so much for dropping by! As always, I hope you enjoyed this month’s picks just as much (if not more) than I enjoyed sharing them with you. Wishing you all a wonderful rest of your day.

Happy Listening!