Blog - October 2019 Archives

October 2019 Archives

Index

.27 Weekly revue: 2019 week #43 (October 19 to 25)
.22 Weekly revue: 2019 week #42 (October 12 to 18)
.14 Weekly revue: 2019 week #41 (October 5 to 11)
.08 Weekly revue: 2019 weeks #38-40 (September 14 to October 4)

October 27, 2019

Weekly revue: 2019 week #43 (October 19 to 25)

Food: - Curry at Cochin Nivas, Shinjuku
- Mutton curry at Tapir in Snark Liquidworks, Nishi-Ikebukuro
- Katsu curry at Triangle Curry, Shibuya

Music events: - This week was the release of Hoshino Michiru's new album "Moonlight Confessions" (Japanese title "tsuki ga kirei desune"). It's her first album since founding her own label ("yoi Record gaisha"), and it's much more acoustic than her previous works, yet it has a great variety of music styles and all of the piano is played by Michiru herself. The album was produced by Sally Kubota who plays bass on many of the songs. There's also an irresistible cover of Pizzicato Five's "They All Laughed"!

On release day I went to see an in-store event at HMV record shop Shinjuku Alta, where Michiru sang 5 songs from the album (including "Rock'n'roll Apple Pie" which also appeared on previous EP "gyakkō"). Of these, "Bon Voyage, Michiru!" and "My Dear" are definitely new favorites, so it was great to hear them sung live! While Michiru has often performed while playing the piano recently, in this week's in-store events she stood and sang over the instrumental.

I look forward to seeing her again, probably at her "Michiru Best ~1985-2019~" event next month at Billboard Cafe & Dining (details)!

Set list: Rock'n'roll Apple Pie / Bon Voyage, Michiru! (Michiru no Taiheiyō kō) / hanashi kaketakatta (Minamino Yōko cover) / My Dear (watashi dake no hito) / Umbrella Waltz (amatsubu no Waltz)

- Then on the next day I went back to the same place, HMV record shop Shinjuku Alta, for an event of Wakita Monari (Vivid Sound label-mate of Hoshino Michiru). While she promoted her latest album "Right Here", the event was also to celebrate the 3rd anniverary of the store which nearly coincides with Monari's solo debut. Because of that she also sang some of her early songs, "Cloudless Night" from 1st album "I am ONLY" and debut single "In the City". Thanks for the fun event!

Set list: Cloudless Night / In the City / Peppermint Rainbow / Take It Lucky!!!! / Espadrilles de tsukamaete

Movie: Went to see Indian movie "Gully Boy", about hip-hop culture around Mumbai, and expecially about a Muslim guy who lives in a slum area and gains attention as he develops rap skills. We had first seen it in a theater in Jaipur (in Hindi), so it was good seeing it again with subtitles.

Music release news: Sunny Kubota & Old Lucky Boys, Hajime Tachibana & Low Powers, xiangyu, Yoshida Tetsuto

This week's video: Hajime Tachibana & Low Powers "Chikyū Yori Tooi 2 lp"

October 22, 2019

Weekly revue: 2019 week #42 (October 12 to 18)

Food: - Kevin Bacon @ Whoopi Gold Burger

Music event: - On Sunday October 13 was event "Ready SOLEIL Go" at O-Crest in Shibuya! The event was supported by 60's style clothing brand starblinc (famous for almost all of Vanilla Beans' outfits!) which singer Soleil has been wearing in her shows. This time Soleil and bassist/producer Sally Kubota were backed by guitarist Hirakawa Yuichi (of The Pen Friend Club), drummer Shirane Kenichi (of GREAT3) and chorist Moeka (of Machida Girls Choir). This was the 2nd of three monthly shows of the series, and the smallish venue was rather packed.

The opening band was The Drops, a mostly girl band with a ska sound, and a brass section of trumpet, saxophone and trombone with a total of 8 members I think. Their party sound reminded me of Wack Wack Rhythm Band. It seems the band was first formed in 1988! They were great!

Then followed SOLEIL, who played an impressive set of 15 songs plus an encore of three songs (with Soleil on drums)! A big highlight was their first live performance of France Gall cover "Zozoi" (sung in French!), which appears on latest album "Lollipop Sixteen". That was awesome! The set list had a great variety of songs from mainly the 1st and 3rd albums, and then some, including an unreleased cover of ska song "namida no Moonlight" (which they had also played at the very first show, a release party for single "Pinky Fluffy"), and the Batman/Wipe Out mash-up used during Soleil's outfit change.

Days are counted until the hiatus coming at the end of the year, for the singer to focus on her studies. Planned events are a free show on October 27 at the Iwashita New Ginger Museum in Tochigi, the third "Ready SOLEIL Go" event on November 15 at Shibuya O-Crest, then an in-store event on November 23 at Tower Records Shinjuku (for the release of new single "Twinkle Heart"), and a Christmas show on December 22 at Shibuya Veats.

Set list: Marine I Love You / My Emo-Coloured Corazon / namida no Moonlight (The Silver Sonics cover) / koi no Happy Date (Gotta Pull Myself Together) (Ishino Maki cover) / Good Bye My Fourteen / Anachronic Girl / Pieces of Candy / Batman/Wipe Out / High School Lullaby (Imo-kin Trio cover) / Captain Scarlet theme song / Zozoi (France Gall cover) / Do You Believe in Magic? / 5-4-3-2-1 / School's Out / Le Cœur Qui Fuzz
Encore: Session / Guitar in Love / Pinky Fluffy

Music release news: Jackie & Roy / NOVI Singers (Readymade mirai no ongaku), YMCK

October 14, 2019

Weekly revue: 2019 week #41 (October 5 to 11)

QP traces in Koenji

Food: - Curry at Indo Fujiko, Kōenji
- Philly cheese steak sandwich & poutine at Robson Fries, Shimokitazawa
- Triangle Curry in Shibuya
- Tofu steak & more at Ichioku, Roppongi

Music event: Went to see Pizzicato One at Billboard Live Tokyo! The 2nd of two sets. Konishi Yasuharu sang all songs himself, accompanied by a band of piano, vibraphone, guitar, woodbass and drums. Half of the songs were from Pizzicato Five's repertory, and the rest were songs he contributed to other artists. Awesome show!! The show was recorded and will be released as a live album! Already I can't wait to hear it again!

By the way the pianist this time was singer-songwriter Yafune Tetsurō (known for his work with Hoshino Michiru, Wakita Monari, Mia Nascimento, etc.). It was his first appearance with Pizzicato One!

Set list: The Awakening * / Tokyo no machi ni yuki ga furu hi, futari no koi wa owatta. (Original: Mizuno Mari) / The Work of God * / Message Song * / Y.O.U. (I Wanna Be Like You) * / chikyū saigo no hi (Original: kuso yarō All Stars) / From 3000 Feet The Sky Of Tokyo (Original: Ino Hidefumi) / Drinking Wine * / Gondola no uta ** / namida morokunatta. (Original: Yoshikawa Tomoko)
Encore: kanashii uwasa (Original: The Scooters) / Love Again * / To Our Children's Children's Children *
* Original: Pizzicato Five
** Original: Pizzicato One

Talk event: On Wednesday October 9, I went to a talk event featuring manga artist Maki Hirochi, celebrating the completion of her long-running (7 years!) series "It will be breakfast at Tiffany some day" (いつかティファニーで朝食を(. Held at Bookstore B&B in Shimokitazawa, the event also featured with her friend Yuuki of band Chai. They talked about various topics relating to the comics, with of course a lot of food talk!

The event was actually supposed to coincide with the release of the last book from the series. However, as it was announced in detail by the artist on Twitter, just about three days before release day, it turned out that the printed product had the final chapter mistakenly published in an unfinished form (missing important final touches and corrections). That caused a lot of trouble, and the official corrected release ended up being postponed towards the end of October. Still, the author and publishing company make it possible to correctly print a small number of copies just for the event's audience. It's too bad that such trouble occurred with the last volume of a successful series, but still it was relieving that it could somehow be fixed, with even the miracle small pressing that looks just as perfect as the real thing should. Whew!

Again congratulations for this awesome series' completion! :)

Music release news: Mom, SOLEIL, Polysics/The Vocoders, Kaede, Hoshino Michiru

This week's video: Kaede (Negicco) "Remember You"

Yoshi Ikuzō "Tsugaru"

October 8, 2019

Weekly revue: 2019 weeks #38-40 (September 14 to October 4)

Travel: Had a nice trip to Québec! Lots of good food (too much?), and also a Thom Yorke show! Also got to grab the brand new album of Évelyne Brochu (produced by Félix Dyotte), and more random great music. Some more photos are up on Flickr.

Music release news: "Ban Hiroshi presents Columbia Rockin' Kayo Collection", Negicco, HALLCA, Childish Tones feat. Beni Usakura, Hosono Haruomi, Kinoco Hotel, Negicco, Ursula 1000, Toki Asako, Serph & Dé Dé Mouse

This week's videos:

Évelyne Brochu "Maintenant ou jamais"

HALLCA "Complex City"

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