Some JPop albums released and picked up in 2006 ^^
傲音プログレッシヴ(期間限定)
I can not recall excatly why, but after listening a first time to
HIGH and MIGHTY COLOR's second album I thought it was awesome and wanted to buy it right away. I did and ended up with the 500 yen cheaper "Best Buy" version, which I'm not sure how/if it differs from the later "normal edition". Pics and lyrics have alternate spreads throughout the booklet and while it looks good it's nothing out of the ordinary.
For this album, HaMC continues with their "hard pop"and they've made it even harder (now it's more like rock actually) than on their first. Heavy pop. It's all good, but I must've not payed enough attention that first time I heard it - Every song is more or less awesome, but only when the guy isn't screaming. I know it's their style, but even so he ruins more than half of the songs on this album for me.
Super Euro Party
I can enjoy anything from dansband to death metal, but apparently nothing gets me going like euro. I still treasure my
Absolute Dance CDs more than any other compilation albums. And listening to this album - a bunch of Japanese teenage girls making eurobeat covers - I get in a ridiculously good mood and can barely keep myself from jumping all over. I hesitated to buy the album at first (the fat middle aged guy in briefs, boots and a cloak that someone decided should join these 15-16 year old girls for some songs groced me out) but I have not regreted my decision to add it to my collection.
There's sixteen tracks in total on
Hinoi Team's first album and they're all happy songs with new, more innocent Japanese lyrics. All covers except
AISHITERU.The last track is actually a mix of some album songs (HINOIチーム MEGAMIX Vol.1) that would've been better as a sampler
for the album than as an actual track
on the album, but it's not bad or anything.
IKE IKE is still my favorite track, though I love how they've used some of
E-Rotic's original for
KING KONG and the italo sounds in
SUPER EURO FLASH really warms my heart.
Of course I got the version with a DVD - 13 video tracks is all too generous to pass for the few extra dollars. Four of those tracks are music videos, eight are Para Para versions (though
Ike Ike appears twice - the second has Korikki in front) and the last track is a video were each girl get some time of her own to show something. Those Para Para videos makes this release even more awesome than it would've ever had a chance to be without them: few things are as much fun as trying to dance to them with the right people during a small pre party.
SING NA NA NA is my favorite for this purpose...
Both discs comes in one of those old 2CD jewel cases and the obi (if you can call it that - it covers all of both sides) is a giant sticker with 12 small frames on the back. The folder is so long it would've been better as a regular booklet, but it's got everything I want: lyrics, some recording info (in English!) and pics with names.
Nakanomori Band - Do the Rock
I thought
中ノ森BAND's
first album was pretty awesome. Then they released a couple of singles and I thought both were so-so. That's why when they released their second album some months ago I hesitated to get it. And here's another reason why I like last.fm so much: Seeing how much I had listened to them before I still ended up pre-ordering the limited edition since I obviously liked their previous album a lot - and I'm happy I did.
While I was quite disappointed at first listen, I liked it a lot already the second time. It might not be as good as their debut, but they're still making the same catchy girls rock and this is a good album. 花物語 is no doubt my favorite of these sixteen songs, but
Say Good Bye is quite amazing too.
As I got the version with a DVD, in addition to sixteen music tracks I was treated to two music videos (
i Need Love and
Fly High), one making of (
Fly High) and two pieces of "Live Digest Movie". The first Live Digest Movie (O-East [something]) is a bunch of live clips with primarily songs from the first album performed in front of an energic crowd. Looks like fun ^^ The second one is
Fly High and
Oh My Darlin' performed at "MTV Mergic Jam 2006" (from the decorations and clothing I assume about the time of Halloween) in front of a not so enthusiastic crowd.
Both discs comes in the same kind of slightly thicker kind-on-the-booklet jewel case as the previous Nakanomori Band album. The booklet contains lyrics, recording info in English, one individual pic each and, in the centerfold, a group pic. The front of the album is however not the front of the booklet. Instead it's one of those cards with a 3D effect that displays a different image depending on the angle - one on the group and one of miss Nakanomori on her own ^^
E-Rotic