I've never been able to get very into anime music, or the big j-pop artists and j-rock bands, but I know there are a lot of you here that listen to some truly awesome Japanese stuff, and I feel like I'm missing out big time.

Rather than list a bunch of bands, my last.fm is here (http://www.last.fm/user/Ndi/) if you'd like to get an idea of what I listen to. I also am a pretty big punk fan in spite of there not being all that much stuff on there- it's just harder to find punk stuff that appeals to me these days.

Links to songs are appreciated but not necessary .

Miyavi and AAA are my suggestions.

The Pillows (http://www.last.fm/music/The+Pillows)
Do As Infinity (http://www.last.fm/music/Do+As+Infinity?q=Do+As+Infinity)
Gackt (http://www.last.fm/music/Gackt?q=Gackt)
AKFG (http://www.last.fm/music/ASIAN+KUNG-FU+GENERATION?q=Asian+Kung+Fu+Generation)
The Gazette (http://www.last.fm/music/%E3%82%AC%E3%82%BC%E3%83%83%E3%83%88)
Capsule (http://www.last.fm/music/Capsule?q=Capsule)

Just a few that come to mind that I enjoy. Have fun.

PUPPY PET

also: that Bleach 03 band is prty good, as I'm sure TK will agree.

Puppy Pet does nothing but make me laugh! I still remember when rezo tried to convince me that was good. Holy wow.

You probably already know I'm gonna say Bleach! At least I think everybody knows about my obsession with them by now. They go by Bleach 03 in the west to avoid confusion with some shitty mall emo band from Canada or something. At any rate I think a lot of their stuff isn't terribly up your alley because there's a lot of screaming/hardcore/thrash-influenced songs. You'd probably like the ones that are just singing, though.

And I guess you're probably not a big Boris fan, right?

Okay, I am going to go with Mean Machine. You might have a slightly difficult time finding any material by them but sometime when I'm not about to leave for school like right now I'll upload the album for you. It was a sort of Japanese girl super-group where they all were from different bands and everybody played a different instrument than they were used to or something. Rezo also alerted me to this thing's existence.

You would also probably like Pop Chocolat a lot. They're on <a href=http://myspace.com/popchocolat>Myspace</a> and I can also send you their stuff if you want.

Oh, and one more band rezo pointed me at, go!go!7188. Terrible name, but they're pretty good. It's pretty straight up alt/punk rock music but the songs are really catchy and stuff.

Fifi & the Mach III and Banana Erectors if you are into straight up "let's try to sound like the Ramones" stuff.

Rezo could probably tell you some other stuff! He loves Japanese things and all. You should drop him a line.


EDIT: Oh, can't believe I forgot! <a href=http://myspace.com/spookeyrock>SPOOKEY!</a> You just have to hear this band for yourself. I can't begin to describe the weirdness of the style combination.

ok!

these are some bands from japan which are actually very cool i thought, and aren't like the usual gackt sort of thing at all. all i know about gackt is that he is a vampire or something, though.

plus tech squeeze box - the girl is a robot and the guys are scientists, so it's sort of like weird science except japanese, also the music is pretty cool, like, i dunno how to describe. i saw them on adam and joe first and they had businessmen with brown boxes on their heads dancing as well!

polysics - they're pretty cool too i always thought they were somehow these japanese guys who were infatuated with david byrne/talking head because they have a song called stop making sense, i think... i don't know if they do love him, but some guy once called them a japanese devo. they're not THAT good but they're pretty great.

eX-girl - i found ex girl because i have my friend the exact money for some cd and this is what he got. it was signed <3 some guy just sold it off! it wasnt expensive, either. i suppose theyre not all that well known. theyre really cool, sort of operatic voices and yeah. jello biafra first signed them in that states. ;B

i dont know if youve heard of ooioo? I think they'd have been on pitchfork lolz, but theyre cool theyve got yoshimi from, you know, yoshimi, in them.

i am sure there are others. i can upload some stuff l8r ndindi~

I'll throw some names out there that I listen to pretty often, whether they're a cute para para group, or other shenanigans. As you'll notice, I like alot of the electronic/j-pop moreso.

Capsule; "Dreamin' Dreamin' (http://youtube.com/watch?v=rvah1xIJfUM), my favorite by far but it's not their actual video as you'll soon see, it'll do. Asami Konno is adorable to watch anyway!
Perfume; "Electro World" (http://youtube.com/watch?v=qTC_oiPL-Ig), same feel as Capsule, just more electronic is most of their tunes.
AAA; "Sunshine" (http://youtube.com/watch?v=L3jueZODPF8), really upbeat feel, totally fun.
Psycho Le Cemu; "Ai No Uta" (http://youtube.com/watch?v=ulIjaeg2ez0), I enjoy it. Fighting flowers, neat costumes, etc
The Pillows; FLCL soundtrack, enough said.
L'Arc~en~Ciel; "Link" (http://youtube.com/watch?v=sjG1Fz3IY80) They're pretty popular, I'd only assume you've heard of them elsewhere.

I'll try and upload some albums if you're interested and I remember, I figured some Youtube videos could do for samples.

Cornelius (http://last.fm/music/Cornelius) is all you need. 8)

And of course The 5.6.7.8's (http://last.fm/music/The 5.6.7.8's). :B

I'm personally a fan of Ego-Wrappin'.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwRRGKQu2KU&mode=related&search=

Ayumi Hamasaki
Utada Hikaru
Koda Kumi
Nami Tamaki
and uhhh....
...that other group. You know the one!

seconding trents recommendations! two really good ones i forgot :B especially fantasma (i think) by cornelius.

No one has said Dir en grey? I'm surprised. I like them, even though I've never bought any of their albums.

Also, Mad Capsule Markets.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88slxSc5N8Q

You listen to the Descendents! Ndi, you never stop being the greatest thing ever :D

Dir en Grey rules.

The only Japanese band that I actively listen to is Intestine Baalism (http://www.myspace.com/intestinebaalism).

OH, and Tokyo Ska Paradise (http://www.last.fm/music/Tokyo%20Ska%20Paradise) ! :D:D

No one has said Dir en grey? I'm surprised. I like them, even though I've never bought any of their albums.

Also, Mad Capsule Markets.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88slxSc5N8Q

You listen to the Descendents! Ndi, you never stop being the greatest thing ever :D

I have hugged Milo Aukerman. True story.

Thank you for all the recommendations, guys! There is lots of neat stuff in here, and I will try to track down all the stuff that doesn't have links provided.

-Zazen Boys (fucking awesome experimental art-rock) - you can get 2 free live albums from their official website
-Mono (fucking awesome epic instrumental post-rock)
-Dragon Ash (rowdy punk in their early days, soulful r&b & hiphop in their latter days, with genre crossing all over the place)
-L'Arc~en~Ciel (awesome pop-rock band, somewhat like U2, but with a very Japanese sense of aesthetic and experimentation, ranging from very soft to very hard)
-J (really raunchy rock)
-Sads (really loud vintagy punky rock)
-Kuroyume (moody 90's alternative)
-Hide with Spread Beaver (happy 90's alternative)
-Guniw Tools (fuckin weird, but still very good)
-Shiina Ringo (beautiful voice, beautiful compositions, sort of pop-rock?)
-Fatima (strange underground rock)
-X Japan (epic speed metal & power ballads)
-Sex Machineguns (nostalgic heavy metal)
-DopeHEADZ (sample-laden new rock)
-MUCC (powerful indie rock with a strange nostalgic feeling)
-Luna Sea (sweet alternative rock)
-Sophia (kinda gay sounding, but in the happy way)
-D'espairsRay (heavy goth metal)
-Acid Mothers Temple (really experimental, uh, experimentation)
-Blam Honey (weird electro rock)
-Do As Infinity (vanilla pop "rock")

that's about all i can come up with
enjoy

-Mono (fucking awesome epic instrumental post-rock)

Oops. I forgot about Mono. Very, very good band.

Oh and Cibo Matto (http://www.last.fm/music/Cibo+Matto?q=Cibo+Matto) too.

ACDC

Forgot to mention Triceratops. They're sort of poppy soulful classic rock.

Anti Feminism has a punk-ish kind of feeling at it..
Hagakure - Not my kinda thing but they were fun Live.
Super Butter Dog - Weird ass music.
Ellegarden - Punk/pop
Melt Banana - Just plain weird.
Nightmare - They have good things..
Aural Vampire - Cyber/goth-ish..
Gazette - Love them. They fun.

Its just a small list of what I have.. You may like or you may hate. Depends on how you find them. (:

I would also like to recommend the Polysics. I just saw them on the 22nd and they rocked! Punk + New Wave + insanity = Polysics. They've got a couple of U.S. releases so they're a little more accessible.