🎧 Shibuya's Scrambled Sounds - Issue #27

JOIN THE HOEDOWN in this week’s issue of Shibuya’s Scrambled Sounds 🤠

Hi everyone, I hope you had a nice week. I’ve still been getting such positive results from the feedback polls and it really inspires me. Thank you all so much for inspiring me to keep going with this 🥹

This week’s episode includes:

• A new album from one of my favs 🤩

• A plain slice of cheese pizza

• Onion girls bringing all the boys to the yard

• An EP with slappers and fun singles

🥧 Fresh Out The Oven Albums 🥧

Reviews of the best new albums that came out recently
*with some exceptions

Melt-Banana - 3+5

Genre: Noise Rock, Experimental Rock
Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube

I’ve been waiting for this one. 11 years since their last album Fetch, Melt-Banana are an anomaly. They’ve been together for 32 years, yeah you read that right, 32 years. They formed in 1992.

While there used to be an official bassist and a rotating cast of drummers, the band has been the dynamic duo of Yasuko Ohnuki and Ichiro Agata since the beginning. They might be one of the most unique bands you will ever heard in your life and I’m serious about that. Lightning Bolt meets Napalm Death? Even that feels wrong. There are very few bands I’ve seen live 3 times (all when I was back in the US btw) and this is one of them. Both of their albums Cell-Scape and Fetch may be in my top 100 Japanese albums of all time. While they have a decently large cult following in the US, unfortunately they just don’t get the same love in their home country.

Their sound doesn’t change too much with each album, but there are always variations that they bring to the table. So what is 3+5? It’s 8 of course.

Thanks for reading this issue of Shibuya’s Scrambled Sounds.

Good jokes aside, 3+5 brings an ever slight sense of positivity to the mix. Also, the Grindcore aspects of their older records are almost completely gone, only appearing in doses, like in the song “Puzzle”. My favorite moments are the one’s where Melt-Banana sound like a new, revived band. Let’s take the track “Scar”, which honestly sounds like what if Animal Collective made a Blackgaze (Black Metal Shoegaze) song.

Also, if this is your first time ever hearing Melt-Banana and you’re a musician, just a reminder that all of those sounds are guitars. Agata is honestly one of my favorite guitarists I’ve ever heard, he took the Tom Morello DJ noise aspects to a different plateau. If you’re into any Noise or Louder Music, you have to hear this. This album holds up with the best in their discography, which is saying a lot.

Rating: 🥧🥧🥧 We gonna need oven mitts

Favorite Tracks: Code, Puzzle, Scar, Whisperer

Roji - Wakariaenai koto kara

Genre: Indie Pop, Psychedelic Pop
Spotify | Apple Music

This is just good ass pop rock. End of story.

While Roji have been around for 8 years, this release my first to hear from them, so there were absolutely no expectations going into this release. I think that makes this all the better. This album is just solid pop rock from front to back.

The instrumentation is what really stands out on this album for me. The bass and drum playing is super smooth and sometimes just a tiny bit flashy, and the guitar ranges from soft chorus tones to, reverbified fuzz. Iijima’s vocals have their moments of impressive feats as well, for example, check out the soaring chorus of Track 7 (虹の色).

Imagine a restaurant that only served cheese only pizza slices. While focusing on only one item is a thing I can respect, you sometimes crave mushroom or (insert your favorite type of pizza) slices. A solid release that has it’s beautiful moments within it’s rather plain presentation.

Rating: 🥧 Pretty warm

Favorite Tracks: Tracks 1, 4, 5, 7, 10

Negicco - What A Wonderful World

Genre: Japanese Pop, Indie Pop Idol??
Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube

This is basically the most non-experimental idol group that it’s okay to like. Negicco’s songs are just so down to earth, and their appreciation for good Soul and Disco makes them stick out in their genre.

You may be familiar with them without realizing it. Any of you ever listened to the EP Stardust In Blue by Kaede? It’s an amazing Pop Rock EP where all of the songs are co-written with the classic band Lamp. It has over 1000 ratings on RYM so some of you might know it.

Well she’s originally from this group, and of course she’s here as well. But describing Negicco is tough, their kind of like the less flashy spiritual successor to Especia. The vocal styles definitely sound like a typical Idol group, but it has a band feel, not sounding too far from Ryusenkei or other City Pop revival groups. While Negicco is pretty famous, they’re just off kilter enough to where they’re only “Indie-Famous”.

To me, this album is more of the same of their previous albums, maybe slightly more consistent making this potentially their best album. While I respect them, I’m just not a fan of the Idol culture, even in underground situations. I think it’s the fan base… but also the vocal style as well.

However, if you’re into that and were already a fan of Negicco or other groups like Especia, I think you would really like this. For the genre, this is borderline a must listen.

Rating: 🥧 Pretty warm

Favorite Tracks: Tracks 2, 4, 7, 8, 9

♨️ Steaming EPs ♨️ 

Some good EPs for you to check out

ExWHYZ - Sweet & Sour

Genre: Electronic Dance Music, Experimental Idol??
Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube
*Honestly the 3rd track “present (ExWHYZ Version)” is kinda bad, but the other 4 tracks are super fun

🍵 Piping Hot Singles 🍵

Here’s where you find the newest hottest singles on the planet from Japan

miida - Paradise
Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube
Genre: Soul, Pop

Arisa Nakano - Blue Fish *cover
Spotify | Apple Music
Genre: Singer-Songwriter

Ryugo Ishida - TUFF
Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube
Genre: Post-Punk + Rap, is Slow Thai ripoff a genre? (still fun tho)

Group2 - 回
Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube
Genre: Psychedelic Rock, Indie Rock

❤️‍🔥 Thank you! ❤️‍🔥 

As always, thank you thank you sooooo much for reading this issue of Shibuya’s Scrambled Sounds! 🥹

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See ya next time! Breakfast is ready.