the Shiina Ringo thread

Even when there's nothing to see.

Hirama working on a new project:

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fm20110204a1.html

New album soon?

Soon. End of the month, I think.

http://sadisticgossip.blogspot.com/2011/05/tokyo-jihen-phase-3.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWEC6QMgWCs

Don't like the video, not sure about the song. Maybe they will progress into being a really good ultra-commercial rock band.

I don't hate it.

She appears to be singing in English but I am not sure of most of what she's singing, but at least her English isn't annoying here. Better to be incomprehensible (like plenty of English language songs by singers whose first language is English).

It does sound like Tokyo Jihen, but how many times can I make that mostly pointless comment?

I like the video a bit more now that I've actually watched all of it. The slow-mo ending is my favorite part though. I still am not too impressed with it.

so, so boring.

dammit.

I don't get what they're going for in that video

I haven't been keeping up with Electric Mole, so it turns out there is more of this album on youtube already. (In fact, for all I know it might have leaked by now. I haven't gotten to the end of the thread.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozt6SPBZQ0U

Just wanted to thank you guys for bumping this thread so many times over the years that it got me to finally check out Karuki Zamen Kuri no Hana earlier this year. Loved it, and picked up a copy while in Japan this month. I also checked out ADULT and didn't like it as much, but I'll probably make my way through her/their other stuff and see if anything else grabs me.

http://motto-jimidane.com/jlab-maru/s/maru1309196052906.jpg

'Brand New Civilization' is one of my favorite Jihen singles in forever. loved it the first time I heard it too.

the last two singles really had me scared but this has me psyched for the album (even if it's got all the songs from those singles strewn through it)

Crazy fan boy.

really like that new song.

I actually wondered what Milton would have to say about the song, so Milton, I'd be interested in your impressions. I don't mind the song, but I don't think it's too good or special either.

well it's the same old self-questioning thing, would I have listened twice to things like 'kono yo no kagiri' & 'killer tune' & 'metro' if they hadn't come from the person who gave us KZK. even the most ridiculously twee songs work for me because, coming from her, you can hear the darker undercurrents. so even though Jihen albums seem less cohesive now than they used to, each one still has a few songs that I find to be more than just pop songs, they're really emotional for me.

frecklegirl's lyrics site help with this. when the happiest disco song on Sports turned out to be named 'Absolute Despair', things like that keep me a fan boy

I feel like if I had just been more psychic, I could have bumped into Shiina Ringo while she was in New Mexico:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6VREu3vjIg

On first listen (in progress), enjoying the new album more than I expected. I have a feeling I will end up liking this one more than Sports.

it's great and it's normal, time will tell

so many english songs this time! 'Dreadful Adults' is so great

"Rejoice and be glad"

I don't think I'd say great, but we'll see.

I definitely like it more than Variety or Sports, already, but that's not saying much.

"Dreadful Adults," great? Really? Shiina Ringo's vocals seem really weak there, although the band sounds great at time. It's a nice smooth Adult style sound, but a bit throw away, I'd say.

& oh jesus these generic show-tunes. Aaaaaaagh. How did we get here? My favorite consistently disappointing band.

bought a physical copy of 'discovery'. packaging is better than 'sports'.

and y'know, as the music gets more whatever it is, showtuney, her lyrics keep getting more extreme

which makes up for the songs on this one which I know I am never going to let myself get used to

and 'dreadful adults' is the track is this album's 'absolute despair'

is it is

That seems like a really conceptual way of appreciating the music, when you can't actually understand the lyrics. For me, merely knowing that the lyrics say this or that without the immediacy of hearing them unfold in a language I understand just doesn't do a whole lot.

Still haven't heard the new record, am visiting Japan in a month so I'm gonna wait and buy it there, TJ are touring too but I'll miss it by a few weeks apparently, bah!

on the new one, I am getting used to the songs that I knew I would never get used to.

still feels more like a collection of songs than an album -- but this one is definitely opening up in a way that 'Sports' didn't

way too easy to take this band for granted

Where did this review come from? Allmusic catching up.

http://www.allmusic.com/album/adult-r1013293/review

Don't think I've ever seen this one before and it's pretty crazy. I'll probably buy a bunch of the DVDs at some point. At least I currently have a better DVD set-up, plus a more sound-insulated apartment:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyhFAzdYMqs

okay maybe a bit too silly, plus she gets into her uneven English here.

I was in Japan recently, made a trip to Disk Union in Tokyo and grabbed myself the Gekokujou Xstasy DVD, a couple of the clips compilations and the single 3cd box that looks like CD-Rs. Could have easily gone mental with it, but I noticed there is another TJ DVD just out, is this from it?

This looks like it's from a familiar TJ concert DVD (Virgin Line, is it? Milton would know), but just happens to be a segment I haven't seen before. But you could be right, maybe it simply wasn't made available until now. I haven't read up on the new TJ DVD(s?).

Or: I don't know.

that's the version of 'Kenka Joutou' from 'Just Can't Help It', the concert DVD that came out after 'Adult'. I love the spoken word intro but the metal middle 8 is pretty ridiculous. That one is not one of the better DVDs, still hard to believe they released that instead of 'Domestic Virgin Line'.

haven't been keeping up with the DVDs for a while but the youtubes from the 'Ultra C' DVD looked ok

looks like there's a new Ringo Shiina CD single coming out on November 2nd called 'Carnation'
http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/detailview.html?KEY=TOCT-45045

I am not stoked.

I have kind of been ignoring the fact that there was supposed to be a new single out. Not really feeling this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2kaTsMxUHQ

In fact, I'd say it sucks.

I like it, does this mean there's a rekkid coming?

This cut from the new EP is much better than "Carnation":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34BVyR0K_9c

Listen to it before it gets taken down. Not exactly in love with this vocal style, but can kind of go along with it in this context. Lots of cool stuff happening.

This is the best new song I've heard from SR or TJ for a little while.

Is this the one where she's singing in French? Glad I don't understand French, if so.

This song is: 私の愛するひと (Watashi no Aisuru Hito)