the Shiina Ringo thread

I think you will get your wish eventually. I believe this thread's Google rank is rising.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fR0rjMO7JE4&search=tokyo%20jihen

http://www.jpopmusic.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=54414&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

The service providers that have refused to disclose personal information on their clients say disclosure would require a court order as it involves matters of individual privacy.

In a similar suit, the court ruled in June last year that Internet service providers must disclose the names and addresses of individuals who posted singer Ringo Shiina's songs on the Internet.

that french site that's had KZK up for about three years has prompted more album sales than anything the record label's bothered to pursue. I've bought six albums, five DVDs and six singles, all at import prices -- add up that revenue, you executive idiots -- all because of one mp3 of 'stem' posted to said the gramophone & that KZK site. those people are doing your work for you, you stupid suits.

those idiots don't even have her stuff up on itunes yet.

x-post

An advertisement for KZK.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOqGPdaJlwg&search=shiina%20ringo

she's unusually saccharine on the chorus, but it's worth it for the Sachiko M jam at the end

don, I have to hook you up with a copy of that song Milton posted a while back. I think you'd like it. It's a shame you don't have a high-speed connection (most of the time anyway?) because you could check out a lot of this stuff on youtube.

granted she's not even being distributed by her label in the west, and professionals can't review something more than a few months old, or vote for last year's album. you'd think that they'd have been ready by adult, though. I've zero investment in seeing my tastes reflected, I'm only frustrated without that press intrest, a group of that stature can't afford to tour. And then I see things like Souretsu on youtube and I just want to scream (I honestly did consider flying out to tokyo for that show).

on the other hand, the media isn't needed. look at the number of views of any of her youtube videos. I hope her management is, anyway. the Japanese audience is slimming into a hardcore cult fanbase for her, but I bet you anything the Western audience is ready.

If Tokyo Jihen did end up being able to tour the US, they would probably have to scale it down at first. It would be awesome to see them in a small venue, but they'd have to sacrifice the elaborate stage show like the one in that video.

I wonder what it would take to start getting their music distributed over here. I actually did see Adult for sale at Uwajimaya's in Seattle earlier this month (for $35), but I'm guessing that's one of the very few places you'd be able to find it.

Sorry to go OT a bit, but it seems better to ask you here, rather than start a "recommend me some rock" thread where I keep saying, "No, that's not what I'm looking for."

DOMESTIC! Just Can't Help It tour -- a DVD of the May 26th concert, coming out this September -- just announced on her web site. Sounds very different than the NHK special they aired of the February concerts, which I need to get a copy of because I am sick of loading up YouTube just to watch 'Souretsu'.

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=51437562

I would never put "Toumei Ningen" as the first track to listen to. OTOH, the whole selection here seems to be intentionally skipping the singles, which are available on youtube anyway. I hope people will check this out, but keep in mind that the album segues really nicely from track to track, so you are missing the larger logic.

'Sounan' is still the track I recommend to people for a first impression.

also, I've been checking out the Zazen Boys (Ringo sings on a few of their tracks). I was surprised at how prog the rhythms on some of their tracks are -- like a pop version of the Ruins -- and they've definitely pinched Ringo & Kameda's run-the-whole-drum-kit-through-12-distortion-plugins production trick. Definitely another example of the 80's/90's Japanese underground slowly seeping over into the mainstream. Their 'Usodarake' is on youtube.

all their things on youtube are way prog, if they've made it big in Japan then this is good news

(I forgot to check out the Zazen Boys, but will do so.)

I'm a bit surprised you don't like the track if you love "Blackout." I feel that the two tracks go hand in hand, in terms of mood.

http://www.toshiba-emi.co.jp/vmc/issue/issue_75.htm

The third one, "Blackout," is especially great. "Mirrorball" is so so...but it's not technically a Tokyo Jihen song. I guess the guitarist (Ukigumi) wrote it for some older band he was in.

in other news: new solo single in january to be followed by full album. looks like it started life as songs written for a soundtrack, but became its own thing.

I did get the Just Can't Help It DVD. A combination of a live show, completely reshot footage on a soundstage identical to the stage from the live show but with no audience, and the band playing in surreal, scenic location shots, all seamlessly edited together -- very disorienting. For the first half, there is no audience on camera, they're only on the soundtrack. But occasionally it really works in a way that further descriptions would spoil. Does not rock as hard as the first live DVD Dynamite Out, a straight document of them just burning, blowing the album versions away -- this one is more of a j-cabaret show. Great though, totally worth getting.

Also the new live versions of the older songs sent me back again to the first album. Which, amazingly, I love now, totally love it -- all the things that were too loud and tasteless now seem fun, all the things that seemed too bombastic & sentimental now work, uh-oh. It was just the surprise of a debauched, sleazy pop record coming after KZK, like someone demanding that you take them to go swing dancing in a dive bar seconds after they've given you the most religiously effective opium you've ever smoked -- fun but seriously complicated

jasrac petitioned youtube to remove most of their j-pop content, so the live version of 'hard liquor' mentioned upthread where they seamlessly turn the corner into 'immigrant song' isn't up anymore -- too bad