Music Corner Week 21: BiSH

BiSH is an alternative idol group that got its start in January of 2015 when it was announced the group was being formed. It is a spin-off of the sister group BiS, which stands for Brand new Idol Society. BiSH, like their sister group, is also an acronym but this time it means Brand new Idol Shit. BiSH’s initial line-up consisted of five members and over the course of the group, while they had a few members come and go, they have managed to maintain a consistent number of five members. SCRAMBLES.Inc is the production team behind BiSH and they contribute to an array of other groups like Gang Parade, EMPiRE, and KAT-TUN, just to name a few. 

Today’s current members are Aina The End, Cent Chihiro Chittiii, Momoko Gumi Company, Lingling, Hashiyasume Atsuko, and Ayuni D. BiSH had their very first release be digital with their song “Spark” which would go on to be the first song on their debut album Brand-new Idol SH**, released May 27, 2015. BiSH has since gone on to release a total of five albums with the latest release from July 3 of this year. Their latest album Carrots and Sticks is the combination of two mini-albums, one titled Carrots and the other titled Sticks. Showing no signs of slowing down, BiSH has already revealed their next single—currently untitled—will be out in November and serve as the group’s sixth single overall. 

In BiSH’s song “Life is Beautiful” you get a really good showcase of the vocal talent of the ladies in the group. They do such a good job conveying a wide range of emotions that allow the listener to really connect with them. However, the great thing about BiSH is that they have a wide variety of songs and really cover a bunch of different styles of music. “Here’s Looking At You, Kid” is very much a fun upbeat song that has a very nice punk vibe to it and then you have songs like “Sharr” where they go full alternative idol with lots of shrilling and screaming throughout the song. BiSH is truly a group I recommend listening to several songs of before passing judgment.

You can check out more stuff about BiSH on their official website and you can follow them on Twitter. Finally, be sure to check out their heart-touching song “Life Is Beautiful” below.

Music Corner Week 20: yonige

Two-member Osaka-based rock duo Yonige got their start back in 2014, stating that they will change the landscape of Japanese girl rock bands with only two members. A daunting statement for sure, but they don’t break the wheel on the industry, so to speak. They keep it grounded by having an explosive sound and amazing vocals that show off the mastery in their craft. While being supported by several members on drums, vocalist-guitarist Arisa Ushimaru and bassist Gokkin hone their craft and could even rival full four-member rock bands that have a similar feel.  

Several of Yonige’s tracks can be compared to a snake, you could say; they start up slow and feature Ushimaru’s dulcet yet calming vocals which attract listeners—then they strike by wrapping them in with Ushimaru and Gokkin’s amazing melody and composition which make listeners want to listen to them over and over. Their song “さよならプリズナー” (“Sayonara Prisoner”), “our time city”, and “さよならアイデンティティー” (“Sayonara Identity”) show off just how explosive they can be. Yonige also covers its bases by including several slower style songs such as “どうでもよくなる” (“Dou demo Yokunaru”) and “Revolver”. Their latest track “往生際” (“Ojogiwa”) is the latest evolution of this style ,which features Gakkin’s bass skills at the forefront.

Currently Yonige has released two demos, “女の子の逆襲” (“Onna no Ko no Gyakushu”) and “恋と嘘と帰り道” (“Koi to Uso to Kaerimichi”) back in 2014; three mini-albums, Coming Spring (2015), かたつむりになりたい (Katatsumuri ni Naritai) (2016), and Neyagawa City Pop (2017); and two albums, girls like girls (2017) and HOUSE (2018).

Check out Yonige’s official website here and official Twitter here, along with the music video for their track “Ojogiwa” below! There is a small drama attached to the beginning of the video so the actual start of the song is four minutes in.

Music Corner Week 19: Leah Dizon

Leah Dizon is a pop singer, gravure idol, and model from Las Vegas, Nevada who made her music debut in Japan under Victor Entertainment in 2007. She is known for her sexy air since she started off as a model and gravure idol but don’t let that fool you, for her voice is a mixture of sugar pop with smooth vocals. Leah flaunts a combination of cute songs with a slightly sexy image thanks to her cute vocal style. The mixture of English and Japanese in her songs makes them appealing to the world.

Leah Dizon has recently made a comeback this July with “For the World” where she proves she still has her cute pop style of music. However, her image has changed from sexy to a more mature style. “For the World” is a mellow song with a nice melody that mixes well with Leah’s softer vocals and sweet lyrics, plus she shows us that her Japanese is still in top shape. The video exhibits her maturation from her earlier music not only in image but style as well. Leah’s second single “Koi Shiyou” is an upbeat pop song that still holds its own over time. “Koi Shiyou” shows off Leah’s vocal abilities along with her ability to switch from Japanese to English fluidly. “Love Paradox” and “Vanilla” show a fun, sexy side of Leah, both featuring catchy beats and choruses. “Love Paradox” is an upbeat dance song while “Vanilla” is a cute pop party song. “Everything Anything” is another endearing and bubbly one that is not only catchy but a sweet mellow song you cannot pass up. Her voice has a cute yet sultry sound that mixes with the nice beat and has a summer flow to it.

While Leah Dizon’s career began in 2007 with her first single “Softly”, she took a hiatus in 2008 during the peak of her career and has recently returned to the industry after a 12 year break. Due to this she has a smaller discography although one could say it’s still a memorable one. She currently has two studio albums, Destiny Line and Communication!!; five singles, “Softly”, “Koi Shiyou”, “L･O･V･E U”, “Love Paradox”, and “Vanilla”; and her latest mini album, For the World, which just released this July under Tokyo Rabbit Records.

You can follow Leah Dizon on Instagram, her official blog, and her official website! Below, check out her latest video “For the World” and a throwback from the past with “Love Paradox”!

Music Corner Week 18: Blue Encount

Blue Encount is a four-member alternative rock band led by Tanabe Shunichi who stars as lead vocalist with some guitar. Eguchi Yuuya is lead guitarist, Tsujimura Yuuta serves as bassist, and Takamura Toshihide jams on the drums.

The group got its start all the way back in 2003 when Tanabe, Eguchi, and Takamura met at the college they were attending. As time went on, Tsujimura was intent on joining the tennis club and went to visit it—but the club members were gone on vacation. Tanabe, Eguchi, and Takamura had been using the club’s room for practice and Tsujimura, who just so happened to be a bassist, really liked their music. He wound up joining the group and Blue Encount was born. Their name comes from two aspects: firstly, they wanted a color to be in the  name of the band because they felt that bands with colors in their names performed better on the charts, and secondly, they all happened to be fans of the Hong Kong film Blue Encounter. 

Blue Encount has a propensity to write songs with a high intensity that takes the listener on a wondrous journey. The powerful vocals of Tanabe combined with the sick riffs of Eguchi and slamming drums of Takamura just synergize in this awesome sense of wonder. A good example of this can be heard in “Survivor” which was featured as the first ending theme to Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron Blooded Orphans (listen below).

Blue Encount was around the indie scene for a long time before they signed onto a major label and their first major studio album, Nearly Equal, was released July 22 of 2015. Since then the band has gone on to drop two more studio albums, their last released March 21 of last year (Vector). They recently announced their upcoming single “Bad Paradox” which will be the band’s tenth single since going major. Posted below you can check out Blue Encount’s “Survivor” along with their latest single “FREEDOM” which dropped last November. You can find Blue Encount’s personal website here and be sure to follow them on both Twitter and Facebook.

Music Corner Week 17: Polkadot Stingray

Polkadot Stingray is a four-member rock band formed in 2015. With the daunting statement of a piercing guitar sound along with unique melodies and lyrics to break the stereotype of what it means to be a rock band, Polkadot Stingray is all bark with no bite. However, with lead singer Shizuku’s one-of-a-kind vocals, lead guitarist Harushi’s amazing knowledge and skill with his guitar compositions, and the group’s thought-provoking lyrics and themes, this group stands out compared to many other bands in the last five years.

While the band might be classified pop rock, they demonstrate that they are no one-trick pony and can change their style when needbe. Their song “Rhythmy” shows off captivating lyrics and a music video that grabs listeners through Shizuku’s alluring vocals and Harushi’s moving guitar-picking and welcomes them to their dark world. “DENKOUSEKKA”, on the opposite end of the spectrum, has the group take on a more high energy rock sound and showcases how talented Harushi is. Their latest track “Amida” shows that Polkadot Stingray isn’t stopping their growth as bassist Yuki holds more of a stand out role with guest support member and comedian Hollywood Zakoshishoh who boasts a fresh keyboard composition—which is a style the band had not yet experimented with previously.

While still only in their first four years of infancy, Polkadot Stingray has released one EP, “骨抜き” (“Honenuki”), back in 2016, before they signed to Universal the following year. Two mini-albums, 大正義(Dai Masayoshi) and一大事(Ichidaiji), were released in 2017 and 2018, respectively, along with a third, Hyper Horn, to be released later this year. Lastly, the band released albums 全知全能(Zenchi Zennou) and 有頂天(Uchoten) back in 2017 and 2018, respectively.

Check out Pokadot Stingray’s official website along with their official Twitter. Check out the music video for their track “Amida” along with the pre-order links for Hyper Horn below!

Polkadot Stingray stars:

• Shizuku (lead singer, guitar)

• Harushi Ejima (lead guitar)

• Yuki Uemura (bass)

• Kazuma Mitsuyasu (drums)