@durianmilkshake
I write a weekly newsletter on the latest Japanese "City Music" with an accompanying playlist. It is free! ๐ซNo AI is used!๐ซ Newsletter: https://neocitypop.substack.com/ Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1ojdY5RKVdES4RcvGFB6fJ?si=f7cda9e7015b4c
Everyoneโs got Pokรฉmon fever* this week but I will never let anyone forget what they did for the 25th youtu.be/ireZM3pwlbQ
*figuratively, not the life-threatening illness
Why does Jazz always have to be doing this when I'm writing my newsletter ๐ญ one of the few things that got me through the pandemic
www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUKc...
Really appreciate itโฆ Thank you. ๐๐พ
single cover: The Bay (edit) by Milk Talk
Whoops, almost forgot one! Be sure to grab Milk Talk's latest single:
Album covers for: FUSHICHO GROUP - Sun Aqua Ota Oizumi Rochelle Jordan - Through The Wall Zo! & Tall Black Guy - Expansions YeYe - 30 robe - Childhood Memories EP
Mostly a cleanup week. The album "30" is something like a luxury - I only know the first song and the rest of the album is not like that song lol, and the rest of her music isn't even in the same ballpark.
The Childhood Memories EP (pre-order) is by the keyboardist from Soulflex
Sadly there are no records left ๐ Rarely do you get to tell an artist how much their music means to you though ๐ฅน Iโm also surprised she would offer a refund after so long.
Lol this Bandcamp Friday, indirectly support iri and her DJ by buying this EP of a one-off they did together.
parksounds.bandcamp.com/album/come-t...
By the numbers it is her biggest album simply because it has her biggest hit โWonderlandโ (which was later released as a single) -even bigger than her TikTok hit โAitaiwaโ - but real fans appreciate the deep cuts โSwayโ, โCommonโ, โCAKEโ, โMirrorโ and โFlashlightโ in addition to the singles..
Today marks the 7th anniversary of iriโs 3rd, and arguably best album, โShadeโ. I bought a used copy off Discogs for US$180. A month later they announced a repress would be released on her birthday to coincide with her first Budokan show (Japanโs equivalent of MSG). Of course I bought the repress..
Actually Iโm getting that confused with the masters - which Iโm hoping she owns, but who knows (probably forfeited when she left the label). There might not be anything left!
And yes, it is this album - my humble brag is almost everything from this chart I made in 2023 made it into this record guide.
Oh itโs not a secret, I just wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt until the situation is resolved lol. Itโs ASOBOiSM and she released this album while she was with an agency but still sold the records on her own (so presumably she owns the dub plate and could make more, but itโs expensive)
She has absolutely no reason to be out here publicly doing better customer service than every company on earthโฆ sheโs getting that shadow industry money now (ghostwriting for virtual idols, way more lucrative than trying to be a diva).
She was super busy at this time so I didnโt want to bother her, she went to SxSW and then toured a new album and was writing for all these other people
Her album was featured in a popular new book so I was complaining about how Iโd never have a copy and she reached out and said she wants to help ๐ฅน๐ฅน
The internet is amazing, an artist I like was selling their first album (very important to me) independently and offered it to international buyers a few years back - I ordered right away but she screwed up the shipment. She offered a refund but I just ignored it because I just wanted the record
OMG I just realized what this song was about ๐ญ๐ญ
There's an incentive to read my newsletter this week
"guys I've made this incredible new house track, I just need some art for the cover"
"oh I've got you"
WOMENS BASKETBALL!!
If you donโt love thisโฆyouโre just a real ass hater!!
The original vinyl
I was honored to do the art for this. I took my sweet time w/ it too. Perfect level of Black nerdiness happening here.
I donโt watch DBZ but this stock photo reminded me of when my friends and I would get together and watch wrestling PPVs back in the day.
One of the Japanese singers I follow did that but for 90s R&B, and only for her debut. It was like โhereโs the SWV record, hereโs the Badu cut, hereโs the Janetโฆโ but the producer admitted it was like a โsamplerโ and crafted a new style for her later. BUT the DJs spun it and she got popular
I saw a review of Bruno Marsโs album from someone I trust and he more or less confirmed itโs just a bunch of soulless copies of old records for white people who donโt bother going into the archives. Itโs infuriating but man do people eat that stuff up.
Happy Birthday Cindy Wilson! Explore the B-52's co-founder's musical legacy (including audio & video highlights) here: album.ink/CWilsonHBD
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