Japan : Usagi

Usagi is new band, which was formed in january 2014. Katsuhiko Sugiyama, from Tokio and Ueda Takahiro from Osaka. Ueda Takahiro wins the contest with his earlier band in 2005, releases EP on his own and after that disappears from musicscene before doing the comeback with Usagi. Katsuhiro Sugiyama have had music on the side while studying and he is singer-songwriter and worked with japanese singing stars.

Usagi has released two singles and album is promised.
Maybe you like to visit the website  or facebook 

 

Song is very melodic,catchy and I adore those matching voices. No wonder this is such an sensation in Japan and I predict how this is getting even bigger. This is how real music sounds, great :)

Japan: Grassbird

Grassbird   ... returns to WOM-blog.  I did in my earlier post tell about the band, but I can mention something even here.
Group is new and from Osaka. They are releasing their 1st album 14th May "time flies"

Wom usually isn´t this active in promoting totally new group with their 2nd single from the album, but music speaks for itself. Maybe I did travel back some decades while listening to this song " song for every day" and it did remind bit of Beatles and many other popgroups back when I was young and handsome, now I am just "young". Okey, that was the humour dose of today :)
Enjoy.
http://grassbird.jp/   is their website

  

Japan : Mei Fumizuki

Sometimes something just clicks and maybe fills the need of somekind. Few minutes ago I found again in very random way this artist I had not heard before. Her style,voice and the melody in this song was the reason to write this down to you aswell.
Yes today you get bit more posts as yesterday it was kind of difficult day, so try to keep in the rhythm :)

Mei Fumizuki , born 1986 in Chiba, made the debut in late October 2013 with the song "mama", which rapidly got over million views (now 1,5 million) and the 1st album is released "she is". From this great album I did chose the song called "home" for you. You might like to visit her facebook

Japan Iecca

レッカ is the japanese name for this powerfull and exotic singer that startet her musical carrer by 2005. The song that I'm presenting you this time is Clown Love from her album Zoolander released by the end of 2012, however if you feel courious on how a japanese reggae song sounds, take a look into the song Snow Crystals. It is very likely that the adoption of reggae into her music, happened while she spend some time living in United States and Canada. After listening Iecca I'm sure you will notice that not every female japanese singer has the same childish voice style of the J-Pop girlbands, that we have heard many times.

Japan : Ayami Muto

Ayami Muto, born 1996, released debut album just recently. On the top of this post you can hear short clips from her EP. Yes EP, as in Japan music is released in many formats and her songs in one CD album with extras, 2 EP:s so in one way clients have more choices :)

She debuted 2008 and has been with two idolgroups before the solocareer. As a child she was a model, so did I mention everything, nope,as it´s amazing how much she has already managed to do:)

You can visit her website and follow some more http://www.mutoayami.jp/

This video "space" was released just 4 days ago.
I love the melody and her amazing voice. Can´t wait how it developes during the years :) Absolutely great.

Japan : Da-Ice

Japan

Da-Ice is new popgroup from Tokio. Debuted 2011 as an indiegroup and released one minialbum and one single, which rised to the daily chartlists at 15th and 12th place. Signed to Universal and released 1 single "shout it out" which rised to 4th place and this video, which I selected for you will be released as single 9th April "toki".   You can read more about them from their website (japanese though) http://ameblo.jp/da-ice/

Japan: Grassbird

Japanese language simply interests me and so does the music. Lately japanese musicscene is looking a lot like the one in south korea, which is pity in my opinion. It´s always good to keep something really own.
That´s often how I am now looking for artists/bands whom are not directly following the mainstream, if you know what I mean.

Grassbird is such a group, whose music is fusion of rock,funk,r/b and pop. Catchy melodies are naturally in. Band has 3 members : Masayuki Hori, born 1986 in Osaka is vocal,quitar and keyboard; Keisuke Takahashi, born 1985 in Wakayama, is taking care of bass and chorus and Ohama Hiroyuki, born 1985 in Sakai and he plays drums.Released one album, one minialbum, 7 singles and 1 dvd.
You may visit their website (japanese) http://grassbird.jp/

I find this Grassbird simply amazing. Can´t explain why, but everything here simply clicks :)

JAPAN: Misia & Sekai no owari

I like to welcome the first visitor from Japan :) And due of that each time that happens it will mean two songs from that country :)

I have followed japanese music in terms as my interest is wide. Sometime balkan is more in sometimes it´s latin and sometimes asian music etc. you get the picture :) When I was a lot younger I remember a song "otto kottowa" which I still can amazingly sing the chorus-part and that came first via radio and then we sang it in school. We had quite intelligent lady as a classteacher and she shared what she had learned even it wasn´t in so called official teaching lines. We got the right to start studying english after school hours thus we didn´t get officially any grades, but we did receive such under the table as I could put it. In similar way we had quite like an early version of Glee club and we had fun around music and studied various languages. It was lots of fun and that´s the 1st lesson, that world is big and interesting place and still we are so similar in many ways. OK, now back to business.

Misia, born 1978 in Nagasaki, is singer, songwriter and recordproducer. Her singing career started 1997 in auditions and 1st single came out 1998 and since that it´s an successtory. I adored her voice and passion how she really performs the songs like this one you will hear "Boku wa Pegasus Kimi wa Polaris". This song and Misia I found randomly and now I won´t forget to follow her career. You can read more about her www.misia.jp
Unfortunately this is not yet anyway in youtube, so this can only be heard/watched here. When releasing in youtube I will add it there.

MISIA - Boku wa Pegasus Kimi wa Polaris from alternakinakinana on Vimeo.

MISIA - Boku wa Pegasus Kimi wa Polaris from alternakinakinana on Vimeo.

Sekai no owari ( end of the world) started 2007 in Tokyo as an indieband. I like their style which is bit rock bit no a lot lot more ingredients and I love it. This video is great and melody simple but so catchy. No wonder it sold bit over 100.000 singles during 1st week. This group is unique in my opinion and worth keeping in mind too.  You can visit their website too http://sekainoowari.jp/
This song is called "snow magic fantasy"  enjoy :)