i think i've referenced japanese music in another thread...

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but all the same, i'm going to tokyo in a couple of weeks. please recommend me a couple of good (japanese) albums for purchase. genre isn't so important, but no punk or metal please. i'd particularly be interested in good female singer/songwriter stuff.

cheers

― Charlie Howard (the sphinx), Wednesday, 15 November 2006 12:12 (nineteen years ago)

Lots of people very keen on this person.
the Shiina Ringo thread

― Bidfurd (Bidfurd), Wednesday, 15 November 2006 12:19 (nineteen years ago)

you already started this one, Charlie: recommend me some good japanese singers/artists

― A Giant Mechanical Ant (The Giant Mechanical Ant), Wednesday, 15 November 2006 12:20 (nineteen years ago)

thank you both :)

i was looking for that old thread, thanks for tracking it down. only vaguely remember making it. but yeah, plenty of reference points there

― Charlie Howard (the sphinx), Wednesday, 15 November 2006 12:25 (nineteen years ago)

welcome

― A Giant Mechanical Ant (The Giant Mechanical Ant), Wednesday, 15 November 2006 12:29 (nineteen years ago)

and shiina ringo should be an absolute revelation for me. just gotta make sure i'm not too hungover from my exploits in shibuya and roppongi and actually get round to buying some music this time :)

― Charlie Howard (the sphinx), Wednesday, 15 November 2006 12:30 (nineteen years ago)

just gotta make sure i'm not too hungover from my exploits in shibuya and roppongi and actually get round to buying some music this time :)

Do yourself a favour, and skip Roppongi. There is a lot more fun to be had in Tokyo without all the arrogant investment bankers, military guys on a night out, foreign "models", Nigerian touts and the skanky "gaijin hunters" who haunt that place.

― J-rock (Julien Sandiford), Wednesday, 15 November 2006 12:53 (nineteen years ago)

i went there (roppongi) briefly last time. the night is a hazy blur to me and i had to be reminded that i'd even been there. your description is extremely vivid, and you've actually pinpointed a few things that i'm consciously trying to avoid on this trip. advice duly noted. recommendations incidentally? i really don't know the city well at all

― Charlie Howard (the sphinx), Wednesday, 15 November 2006 12:58 (nineteen years ago)

Also, while there are countless places to buy good music in Tokyo, I have always enjoyed Spiral Records. It's in the Spiral building in Aoyama, right on the main drag near the UN university. I don't think I've ever left without picking something up. The cafe there does good lunch too.

― J-rock (Julien Sandiford), Wednesday, 15 November 2006 13:00 (nineteen years ago)

Sorry, the "don't-do-Roppongi" thing is a bit of expat snobbery, but you really are better off. If you're up for a good club night, "Air" in Daikanyama, "Yellow" in Nishi-Azabu (quite close to Roppongi actually), "Ageha" in Shin-Kiba, and "Womb" in Shibuya are all usually pretty decent. There are a lot more though.

― J-rock (Julien Sandiford), Wednesday, 15 November 2006 13:03 (nineteen years ago)

perfect. actually, you preempted my next question - where to buy music. one for the notebook

and thanks for going-out recommendations. it's always a pleasure being able to skip lonely planet, and get some decent, objective first-hand advice. i'd seriously offer to rewrite the pub/club suggestions in paris and aix-en-provence lonely planets for free.

― Charlie Howard (the sphinx), Wednesday, 15 November 2006 13:07 (nineteen years ago)

Some general info on some Tokyo record stores.

http://www.bento.com/rekodoya.html

Here's the link to Spiral. It's all in Japanese, but it's got access information. It's right on Aoyama-dori (R246) just before Aoyama gakuin university if you're walking towards Shibuya.

http://www.spiral.co.jp/

― J-rock (Julien Sandiford), Wednesday, 15 November 2006 13:33 (nineteen years ago)

roppongi sucks. go to shibuya and then ask someone how to get to a place called'shimokitazawa.' it's full of venues and music shops and probably one of the most interesting places in tokyo in general.

― adam j (In Place of Something Clever), Wednesday, 15 November 2006 14:00 (nineteen years ago)

I dunno if "no punk or metal" includes Japanese free jazz, psych, and experimental music, but I was in Tokyo last month, and I visited Modern Music (the PSF store), which is about the tiniest record store ever. But it's totally packed with tons of interesting stuff, including the whole PSF catalog. I dropped about US$200, and it was WELL worth it.

― Shoes say, yeah, no hands clap your good bra. (goodbra), Wednesday, 15 November 2006 14:44 (nineteen years ago)

I would heartily recommend a small late-night bar, Bar Track, in Ebisu. The owner spins old 70's rock lps and loves Steely Dan. It's awesome. This is the place:

http://static.flickr.com/29/37577181_656a0e691e.jpg

― is anyone anticipating the new Baaderonixx? (baaderonixx), Wednesday, 15 November 2006 14:58 (nineteen years ago)

For some bizarre, yet wonderful reason, there are tons of these types of places in Japan. I've been to similar places in Osaka and Nagoya.

― J-rock (Julien Sandiford), Wednesday, 15 November 2006 15:05 (nineteen years ago)

For your mission, Charles, I'd definitely recommend looking at http://www.chipple.net/mt/agenda/

― Badrock Example (Barima), Wednesday, 15 November 2006 15:06 (nineteen years ago)

PAGING GYGAX!

― songs and ballads of the bituminous miners (sanskrit), Wednesday, 15 November 2006 15:06 (nineteen years ago)

wow, that 'bar track' place definitely looks worthwhile. there is nothing like that where i'm from as far as i know, so the novelty of the experience will make it all the more interesting. thanks for specifying the area as well.

thanks for the finer details about the record stores as well. of course, i'd be stumbling around hopelessly without these recommendations and links

never heard of shimokitazawa. but with all the free time i'll have, i'm sure i can slot it in!

and thankyou badrock for a pretty essential link i'd say.

― Charlie Howard (the sphinx), Thursday, 16 November 2006 11:09 (nineteen years ago)

Powerpop has a huge audience in Japan. Which suggests the Japs' musical taste isn't too bad after all.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Thursday, 16 November 2006 11:30 (nineteen years ago)

Tokyo record shops never really blew me away like the ones in Kyoto and Osaka. In Tokyo, the big chains (Tower, Disk Union) are servicable. I found some nice 12"s at a few shops in Koenji/Kichijoji.

Not that anyone asked but just for future reference, my top 3 Kansai record stores:

Meditations (Kyoto)
http://meditations.jp/shopinfo.html
Without a doubt, the best specialty store I went to in Japan

Cisco (Osaka)
http://www.cisco-records.co.jp/docs/stores/osaka.php
Ultra cutting edge record store, this is the original and biggest location. Almost too good to be true.

Jet Set (Kyoto)
http://www.jetsetrecords.net/
Found all the rare Boredoms LP/EP special editions for under $20, but seriously an incredible store, very fond memories of finding great used and new rarities here.

― Steve Shasta (Steve Shasta), Thursday, 16 November 2006 18:06 (nineteen years ago)

Powerpop has a huge audience in Japan. Which suggests the Japs' musical taste isn't too bad after all.

Did you actually type the word "Japs" and hit the submit button?! It's not nineteen-fucking-forty-one anymore. Get a clue dipshit.

― J-rock (Julien Sandiford), Friday, 17 November 2006 03:34 (nineteen years ago)

Get yourself a copy of the Record Map book. It's all in Japanese but if you're not so inclined, there are handy maps.

I wouldn't discount Disc Union either. Some of them I have found amazing stuff in. I know people who have found $1500 LPs for under ichi man sitting in bins. I have walked out of some of their jazz shops with $125-on-eBay free jazz joints for less than the price of a cup of coffee at "sutaaba" (Starbucks).

I found all the rare Boredoms I needed sitting in a King Kong in Amemura. Japan is a fertile record shopping paradise, and I have found my best scores in places I didn't even think I would find *anything*.

― helmut was a krautrocker (helmut was a krautrocker), Friday, 17 November 2006 09:46 (nineteen years ago)

I wouldn't discount Disc Union either. Some of them I have found amazing stuff in

Amen.

― J-rock (Julien Sandiford), Friday, 17 November 2006 10:01 (nineteen years ago)

Charlie, there are actually a few CDs/records I'd be grateful for you to pick up for me - mind if I e-mail you on your Hotmail?

(My younger brother was the first of my fam to visit Tokyo this summer, which is wack because I'm the frickin' Japanophile. Got a dozen albums off him tho, so not too bad)

― Badrock Example (Barima), Friday, 17 November 2006 11:33 (nineteen years ago)

email me, yeah

― Charlie Howard (the sphinx), Saturday, 18 November 2006 07:14 (nineteen years ago)

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