REVIEW: KODA KUMI “Trick”
KODA KUMI
Trick
(Rhythm Zone/Avex)
Available in CD and CD+2xDVD editions; iTunes Japan edition pending
Rating: 
If it’s the beginning of the year, another new Koda Kumi studio album must have been released or is about to be. I love when this happens and always pre-order the most elaborate version I can get my hands on – usually whatever version has 2 DVDs in it (usually, one of PV’s and one of a live concert). Granted, the eyecandy is nice, but it’s what’s on the CD itself that I am most interested in. Last year, Kingdom had our Kuu-chin wearing a queen’s crown and sitting on a throne. This year, she’s rocking harlequin threads, matching makeup, and a Clockwork Orange hat. Not sure what’s up with that, but it’s an interesting look for the album cover.
After the album starts with what is by now the traditional overture on every Koda Kumi studio album, Trick gets into high gear right out of the starting gate with the techno groove of “TABOO”, probably my favorite out of all the singles she released last year.
“show girl” (yes, there are no capital letters in the title, just like on Minutemen album covers) follows, and while at first glance some people may be tempted to compare the song to Christina Aguilera’s recent big-band-influenced efforts, the song really owes more to Janet Jackson’s classic work with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, especially in the song’s chorus.
The ballad “Your Love” follows at a very welcome place in the track sequence after the one-two punch of the previous cuts. The song’s arrangement is very heavy on electronic keyboards and multi-tracked Kuu-chin harmonies, with minimal bass parts coming in only in the chorus and bridge.
The album’s pre-release single, “stay with me” (another title with no capital letters involved) continues the ballad pacing, this time with a solo Kumi vocal and a beautiful string arrangement cushioning live piano and strings. The song itself could definitely be at home on pop or adult contemporary radio as well as Kuu-chin’s native urban/R&B format.
“This is not a love song” is not a cover of the Public Image Ltd. classic (although that would have been quite interesting and wouldn’t have been Kumi’s first foray into rock-influenced material – “Ningyo-hime” from Black Cherry, anyone?). Instead, it’s back into mid-tempo R&B/pop territory with British producer/remixer Pete “Boxsta” Martin (whose credits include Danni Minogue and Sugababes), all digital synths and multiple Koda harmonies. Not outstanding but a very solid album track.
“Driving” is appropriately named – another “TABOO”-esque uptempo tune not only bridging, but blurring the lines between R&B and techno.
“Bling Bling Bling” is the album’s weakest track, way too imitative of American hip-hop. Kumi’s rap vocals come off as an unconscious mockery of Fergie’s infamous “London Bridge” single. Her normal singing voice in the choruses saves the song, just barely.
And speaking of Fergie, the Koda Kumi/Fergie collaboration “That Ain’t Cool” follows. While I do have to admit that Fergie’s scenes in that black catsuit were way too freaky, my concern is the song itself, and the collaboration between the Kumi and Fergie works despite the fact that both vocalists’ ranges are so damn similar that they blend indistinguishably with each other, just like Bob Dylan’s and Tom Petty’s vocals did when they sang together on the Traveling Wilburys’ “Handle with Care”.
“Hurry Up!” is propelled by a hyper guitar riff and matching drum beat reminiscent of, of all things, Ministry’s “Jesus Built My Hotrod”. The only thing missing is Gibby Hanes’ auctioneer-on-acid scat-singing (he’d probably be too busy staring at Kumi’s ass) and the image of Al Jourgensen almost falling off the end of his Marshall-amped pedal steel.
“Moon Crying”, last summer’s single (“That Ain’t Cool” was its double A-side) returns to a fitting ballad form for Kumi’s vocal talents – acoustic piano, strings, and drums. Sometimes I think Kumi is a really underrated singer, and I like it when she gets chances to show off her entire range (and to emote without falling into the trap of using ridiculous American Idle histrionics) like this one.
“Just The Way You Are” is NOT a cover of the Billy Joel standard, but finds Kuu-chin collaborating with yet another gaijin production/songwriting team, Canadians Matthew Gerrard and Greg Critchley. Gerrard worked with some Radio Disney puppets, which doesn’t impress me at all, but Critchley’s comments on his MySpace blog (“This song is fun, and was more of a “top-line” co-write for me…all part of my recent efforts to do the unfamiliar and go where I don’t usually go”) do. The song itself is again uptempo and Janet Jacksonish, driven by a catching string quartet riff.
“Joyful” is one of the standout album tracks, with Kumi getting a nice, multi-sectional pop/R&B song with varying guitar textures (almost folkish acoustic strums, funky rhythm parts, and some biting lead fills), string synths, and almost gospel-esque chorus harmonies sharing the stage with Kuu-chin’s vocals.
“Ai no Kotoba” is the last of the album’s ballads, giving Kumi some live guitar and bass to go along with the piano and strings this time around.
The album ends with a nice surprise in the form of a tough, solid cover version of Shocking Blue’s “Venus” that puts both the original recording and Bananarama’s lame 80’s remake to shame. Even nicer is the fact that Kumi has her English diction down to a T (compared to her cover version of “A Whole New World” on Best: Second Session), although early on a few fans (judging from the last.fm comments) thought Kuu-chin was singing “I’m your penis”. Um, no, guys… that’s definitely not what she’s singing. If Kumi was on an American record label they’d probably be exploiting the fuck out of this song right about now.
Trick is definitely a good way to start off J-Pop in 2009, and I think it’s already fast becoming my favorite Koda Kumi album. 4.75 out of 5 stars.
You Are NOT Entitled To Free Music!
Yes, this is a repost of something I wrote for MotokoAoyama.com v2.0 in October of 2007. Over a year later, this mentality has yet to fade away, according to some comments I saw today from essential brother Tim “Napalm” Stegall on his blog and from the owner of HearJapan.com. So, with a few minor corrections and updates, here’s that same article coming right back at you here at TGML.
The October 2007 ruling – admittedly, a somewhat controversial and questionable one – against a Minnesota woman accused by the RIAA of using Kazaa to file share songs (over $9,200 a song for 24 songs was the “judgment”) seems to have riled up a certain segment of the music-listening populace. That particular part of the populace believes that recorded music should NEVER be paid for.
Excuse me?
The typical refrain from these people. “Don’t pay for recorded music – download it for free instead. If you want to support an artist, go see their live shows and buy a T-shirt from them.”
Wonderful utopian fantasy, huh? Do these people get their food and utilities for free? How about the computer that they use to download music? Can any rational person reading this say TOTAL AND COMPLETE COPOUT? If they turn around and claim they can’t afford 99 cents for a fucking legal download, but have DSL or cable internet and a nice laptop, I highly doubt giving 99 cents to Apple or Amazon is going to put them in the poorhouse.
“But, dude,” these people will say, “iTunes sucks. They have that DRM shit in their music files.”
Hey, dude – been watching the news or reading the paper lately? Apple stopped using DRM as of last week (and honestly, the DRM didn’t really bother me). And even if they didn’t, AmazonMP3.com has been selling DRM-free music since they debuted their service last year. The DRM excuse is now debunked.
“But, dude,” these people will say, “it doesn’t matter – the artists don’t get paid by the labels anyway.” or “The artists have enough money.”
Oh, now you want to talk money, huh? Well, here’s a real-life economy lesson:
Continue reading
WOTA WONDERINGS: New Year’s Resolutions
Welcome to TGML’s contribution to Wota Wonderings, a group of English-speaking Japanese music bloggers brought together once a month to answer questions posed by johpan. We strive to be creative and entertaining, and we may even shed a bit of new light on interesting musical and cultural topics. Any questions about how we work should be directed to johpan. Don’t forget to check out the other posts from this month at the bottom of this post. Enjoy!
This month’s question: If you were someone in the Japanese music industry who could influence a change, what would your New Year’s resolution be?
If I were in such a position, I would start reaching out towards the growing Western audience. The Japanese music industry obviously know we’re out here – and not just for the nifty Japanese editions of American albums with the otherwise rare bonus tracks. I could easily go on and on about what certain artists/agencies/labels should and shouldn’t do but I won’t go into specifics here. What the J-music industry can do for a very good start is simple, given that the audience outside of their native country exists and is strong and devoted: Make their product more easily obtainable to the Western audience.
We know that Puffy AmiYumi and Dir en grey have done Western releases of their albums and done tours, and that BoA has already started to make inroads here with a digital single. Then there’s the Japan Live package tour, now about to enter what I think is its third season (last year’s lineup introduced the great all-girl punk/powerpop quartet SCANDAL, carrying on the Whiteberry/Zone tradition to the point where they signed with Whiteberry and Zone’s former label Sony Japan), the recent advent of JapanFiles.com and HearJapan.com, the mysterious appearance of some Hello! Project/Up-Front Works and Avex releases on US iTunes, and I’m not even counting all those appearances at anime conventions.
But that’s only a small tip off of this particular iceberg, and legal digital downloads only go so far. The best next/first step the J-Music industry can do for its growing Western audience is start making physical copies of its most wanted artists/releases available here in the States on both vinyl and CD.
Without going into too much major detail, the smartest thing for the J-music industry to do is deal with independent labels that have more than adequate nationwide/worldwide distribution. (I’ve detailed how bad Tofu Records’ distribution and promotion was in past blog entries.) Unlike the major labels, a good independent label like Matador, Saddle Creek, or Merge would work their releases long term, rather than the typical major label short-term push more interested in high first-week sales than having a steady selling title. It would be equally as smart to have the releases come out in all three major formats here – CD, LP, and online.
What happens? Simple. Western fans can then get their J-pop at a more domestic price be it in a physical format or through a legal download. No asinine amounts of hype needed (as has been suggested elsewhere). If the sales of these domestic editions do enough to justify bringing more J-music acts over these shores to perform, and those concert appearances in turn serve to sell more records… well, you can guess the rest.
But domestic releases of more J-music? I’d be snapping them up in a heartbeat even if I already had the Japanese editions.
(SIDE NOTE: I don’t know how good JapanFiles.com’s distribution is regarding the American release of the Hangry&Angry EP Kill Me Kiss Me, or even if they are doing any physical distribution of the domestic CD edition beyond online sales, but since their focus seems wholly niche at the start it’s a bit of a moot point.)
Wota Wonderings 1: New Year’s Reolutions (Solo Space)
Wota Wonderings 001: New Year’s Resolutions (Merry Go Round)
…on The Japanese Music Industry (Stardust)
[Wota Wonderings] New Years Resolution… (Renai Revolution 21)
Wota Wonderings: Resolutions, anyone? (boylikesmusic)
BEST ALBUMS OF 2008: #1: BUONO! Cafe Buono!
BUONO!
Cafe Buono!
(Pony Canyon)
Available on CD and through iTunes Japan
It was probably inevitable for me that Buono!’s debut album was going to be at the top of my list this year. It seemed like every time I went out of the house, I was usually grabbing this CD off of my shelf on my way out of the door. It took me until the band’s second single, “Renai Rider”, to start to become a believer in this particular project (despite the group’s lineage), but once the album had been given its initial spins on my CD player and iPod it was obvious that Cafe Buono! possesses the best rock-based girlpop to come out since the heyday of the Go-Go’s and Cyndi Lauper. Now, if Miyabi, Airi and Momoko would actually pick up instruments for more than a few seconds like they did at the beginning of their concert this past year, they’d be even more perfect than they already are.
BEST ALBUMS OF 2008: #2: MORNING MUSUME “Cover Yuu”
MORNING MUSUME
Cover You
(Zetima)
Available on CD and through iTunes Japan
(Reviewed on November 30th, 2008)
They weren’t as busy studio-wise as they’ve been the past few years, but this album of covers penned by legendary Japanese songwriter Yuu Aku – three of which were made famous by Pink Lady, whose record for consecutive top-10 singles in Japan was long exceeded by Morning Musume a year ago) – makes up for the lack of singles activity and makes one hell of a teaser for the real ninth MoMusu studio album.
BEST ALBUMS OF 2008: #3: HANK WILLIAMS III “Damn Right Rebel Proud”
HANK WILLIAMS III
Damn Right Rebel Proud
(Sidewalk/Curb)
Available on CD, 180-gram LP with bonus CD, iTunes, and AmazonMP3
Mike Curb is a moron. When he first signed Shelton Hank Williams, Curb figured that, starting with the infamous 1996 Three Hanks: Men with Broken Hearts album of Hank III and his father Hank Williams Jr. doing posthumous duets with Hank Sr., the foundation would be laid for a series of million-selling pop country albums like III’s formal debut album Rising Outlaw. Then Hank III handed Curb as his follow-ups the more traditional-sounding Lonesome Broke and Driftin’ and the metal/punk “hellbilly” album This Ain’t Country and all hell broke loose. Curb refused to release This Ain’t Country and seemingly gave Lonesome little or no attention becuase it didn’t sound like Tim McGraw. Hank III would be in legal limbo for several years, touring his ass off both with his own band (doing country, hellbilly, and punk/metal all in the same show) and as bassist with Superjoint Ritual. Eventually, a settlement came and Hank III released his definitive album Straight To Hell in 2006, complete with his already infamous anti-pop-country anthem “Dick In Dixie”, through Curb’s Bruc imprint. Damn Right Rebel Proud is more of the same and then some. III lashes out at Gaylord Entertainment, the Grand Old Opry’s current owners, for not reinstating III’s influential grandfather (“The Grand Old Opry (Ain’t So Grand)”), unleashes some “hellbilly” material for the first time on an official release (“H8 Line” and “Long Hauls and Close Calls”), disses the Bush Adminstration (“If You Can’t Help Your Own”), carries on the “family tradition” in his own way (“Smoke and Wine”, “Six Pack of Beer”), and pays tribute to GG Allin (“Punch, Fight, Fuck”). This definitely isn’t your sister’s country - unless your sister is the type of girl who jumps onstage while Hank III and his band are playing and flashes her tits at the crowd.
BEST ALBUMS OF 2009: #4: HANGRY & ANGRY “Kill Me Kiss Me”
HANGRY & ANGRY
Kill Me Kiss Me
(Gothuall [Japan]/JapanFiles.com [North America])
Available on CD, iTunes US and Japan, and through JapanFiles.com
Ooof.
I wasn’t sure what to expect when this EP came out, but since this album has pretty much been my regular car music for the past two months, apparently the formula didn’t miss: Take two 4th-gen MoMusu’s, give them some great rock/goth/punk hybrid tunes, wrap them in a bizarre image inspired by a Japanese boutique’s mascots, issue on CD and mp3, and knock thousands of MoMusu/H!P fans on their asses. “GIZA GIZA” recalls Evanescence somewhat (not as closely as that album track on 1st Goodsal, though), but the rest of the five-song EP has a style all of its own. A bigger independent label like Matador or Merge could give this album a better shot at American success, but JapanFiles.com put their nuts on the line to make sure this album came out simutaneously with its Japanese counterpart and did a better job in that department than The End did with Dir en grey’s new album.
BEST ALBUMS OF 2008: #5: NINE INCH NAILS “Ghosts I-IV” and “The Slip”
NINE INCH NAILS
Ghosts I-IV
(The Null Corporation/RED)
Available on CD, quadruple-LP, and through NIN.com and AmazonMP3.com
NINE INCH NAILS
The Slip
(The Null Corporation/RED)
Available on CD, 180-gram LP, iTunes, AmazonMP3, eMusic, and NIN.com
Vee can wax rhapsodic about these two surprise releases from Trent Reznor and company more than I can (she’s been to see the group at least three times on their most recent tour, including the closing show in Las Vegas last month), but the sudden prolific nature of Trent Reznor’s post-Interscope period has been nothing short of interesting and satisfying. Ghosts I-IV would have been more than enough NIN goodness for anyone, even if an all-instrumental digital album, double-CD or quadruple-LP would seem daunting to casual listeners – but Trent, in the process of letting loose during the 10-week period that led to this project, proceeded to unconsiously reveal many of his childhood and adolsecent influences (Brian Eno, Tuxedomoon, Kraftwerk, Devo) in Ghosts’ 36 numbered, almost-eponymously titled tracks. But then, after a surprise digital single in “Discipline” (probably Trent’s best pop number since “Closer”), Trent drops The Slip on us – for free (and then several weeks later on CD and LP for those that want to thank Trent for his generosity by buying a tactile copy). Together, both albums prove to display an immense level of freedom within Reznor that could not have been possible under TVT or Interscope. How Trent follows these two albums up in 2009 is anyone’s guess, but he’s on a roll.
BEST ALBUMS OF 2008: #6: COLDPLAY “Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends”
COLDPLAY
Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends
(Capitol)
Available on CD, LP with bonus CD copy, iTunes and AmazonMP3.
A special edition with the Prospekts March EP added is also available.
This one was a Vee recommendation. I never owned a Coldplay album until she encouraged me to check it out, and it wasn’t until I was in New York City this past August with Tara and we visited the Virgin Megastore in Times Square that I said the heck with it and bought it. There’s a snarky review on Rate Your Music that treats this like it’s a u2 album, as if that’s a bad thing, and while Brian Eno sat in the producer’s chair for this album as he did for several U2 albums and there are a few moments that do sound like parts of Bono & Co.’s back catalog (the opening synths on “Live in Technicolor” recalling “Where The Streets Have No Name”), the album still sounds like Coldplay from start to finish. If you never owned a Coldplay album before, this album will make you a fan.
As for why I waited a few weeks to grab the album? I wasn’t sure whether to buy the CD or the LP and didn’t know that Capitol, in a rare moment of clarity (I’m sure some of their former superstar artists [*cough*Paul McCartney, Radiohead, Janet Jackson, the Rolling Stones*cough*] have a few nasty things to say about Capitol’s current owners), threw a bonus CD copy of the album into every LP copy.
