Jpop Mix: Juice=Juice, First Squeeze!

Juice=Juice is a Japanese idol group I introduced previously here. After more than 2 years since their debut, the group has finally dropped their first album. While there were many editions available, with the limited editions containing dvd content and even an extra CD filled with cover songs, due to financial issues, I settled on just buying the CD from iTunes instead of splurging on a physical copy. This is one purchase I definitely do not regret! 

The first CD is filled with songs previously released as singles from the group. As each song has been promoted significantly, there isn't a single one I would say I dislike. There were even a couple songs I hadn't listened to much when they were released and after listening to them I've realized what amazing songs they are and they have become new favorites. Songs such as Samidare Bijo ga Samidareru, Senobi, Ten Made Nobore, Date jyanai yo uchi no jinsei wa and Kaze ni Fukarete are all songs I developed a new appreciation for. My favorites though are definitely: Watashi ga iu mae ni dakishimenakya ne, Ijiwaru shinai de Dakishimete yo, and of course, Hadaka no Hadaka no Hadaka no Kiss. Here is the track list that also links to the music video for each song so you can tune in and listen!: 

Jpop Mix: Morning Musume '14, 14 Shou ~The Message~

I didn't think I would actually review this album because I bought it on iTunes way back in September. But then I realized that technically, I could still write a review because I promised that no releases would be more than a year old. Since that year is still a ways away, I decided to go ahead and review this album. 

Morning Musume is an all-female idol group formed in Japan in 1997. The group has a graduation system, where girls leave the group or "graduate" when they see fit to leave or when their producer decides a girl is ready to go. The average time a girl will spend in the group is about 4 years, although Morning Musume does boast a total of 4 girls that have stayed for over a decade. Each new addition is referred to as a "generation", the largest being the 1st generation - the 5 girls that founded the group. The smallest generations are the 3rd, the 7th, and the 11th, each consisting of only one girl. As of 2015, Morning Musume has had 12 generations and currently has 13 members. During the time of the release of the album 14 Shou ~The Message~, the group had 11 generations and 10 members. 

JRock Mix: Hello World!

Yay for our first Music Mix that doesn't feature idols! Although it's still Japanese music, this time I bring a review of all-girl pop rock band Scandal's newest album release: Hello World! 

First, some quick background about the band: they were formed in Osaka, Japan in 2006 by four high school friends. After being in the indie scene for a while and finding great success, they had their major debut in 2008 with the single, "Doll." Scandal are well known among international Japanese music fans and have continued to evolve in their music sound throughout the years. The band is made up of (from left to right in the picture above): Tomomi Ogawa (bassist, lead vocals); Haruna Ono (lead vocals, secondary guitarist); Rina Suzuki (drummer, keyboardist, secondary vocals); and Mami Sasazaki (lead guitarist, secondary vocals).

Hello World is Scandal's 6th studio album released in December of 2014. Now, I own every single album release from Scandal and I have enjoyed the way they have explored different sounds to add to their music. Their fourth album, "Kirifuda wa Queen" (Queens are Trumps) is one of my favorite albums just because it's markedly different in style and sound than their previous albums. It's the most experimental of their albums. With Hello World however, Scandal delivers an album that sticks to their more traditional pop rock sound. As I consider their 5th album, Standard, to be my least favorite of their releases, it was nice to see them going back to their roots in their 6th release, returning to the sounds and arrangements that made me a fan in the first place.