Who do you love?

[Konichi-Wah?]

Japanese music is amazing!!!
I have so many favorites. Dir En Grey. L'arc en Ceil, Mad Capsule Markets, Utada Hikaru, Puffy, Bana, FACT, Bouno

What is your favorite Japanese band? And why!?

[Kaname Shikara]

L'arc en Ceil because they are sooooo awesome. Ikimono Gakari is good too ^^

[alexshim]

And misleading title
I love mad capsule market and utada hikaru coz they are different than other band's and really rock.

[Konichi-Wah?]

Utada Hikaru is amazing, sometimes when she sings it's hard to tell she is Japanese! L'arc en Ceil are great. I forgot to add Miyavi!

[Gjallarhorn]

For the record, Utada was born and raised in New York.




I have several favorites.

Topping the list is Asian Kung-fu Generation. I started listening to them in 2003 when an old friend introduced me to their first major-label release, Houkai Amplifier (Destruction Amplifier). As Zac Bentz described, they are "the sound of emo before emo was emo", combining pop and indie rock with raw emotion. Simple song structures (sans Fanclub) with simple and melodic guitar pieces backed by a strong bass and complex and subtle drum work. These guys are the reason I love music, and the reason I chose to take up the guitar.




(A Summer's Day, An Afterimage) (live)
(Summer Cicada)
(Evening Glow of the Analog Clock)




9mm Parabellum Bullet is a close second. They are nothing short of powerful, violent, and destructive, holding little back in regard to instrumentation, with lightning fast drumming and guitars holding everything together. Performing over a wide spectrum of genres (alt. rock, punk, hardcore, metal, emo, pop, surf rock, etc.). I started listening to them after their first indie EP Gjallarhorn (after which I am named). Watching their lives performances is also a great experience, as they run and jump and thrash around the stage, and enjoy every last second of it.




(live)
(live)
(live)




Third is a band which I discovered while in their very early indie stages, and who have since become very popular. I can't said their name here, but it will certainly be located in the videos linked below. The acronym OYA works for now. They play a very fun and pop-y blend of post-punk, accented by the quirky voice of Deto Manabu. Their name comes from an occasion in around 2002 or 2003 when their original drummer (who left due for medical reasons but is still active in helping them to write the music) and Deto met a very drunk Eric Judy (bassist for Modest Mouse) after going to a MM show. The two asked him to name their band, after which he quoted a line from the film Revenge of the Nerds. Though Judy does not remember the event, he's become quite the big fan of OYA.




(See You Tomorrow) (Live)
(Upside Down) (Live)




To be honest, I don't know much about this last band, I simply love their music. 凛として時雨 (Rin Toshite Shigure) is composed of vocalist/guitarist TK, bassist 345, and dummer Nakano. They play a loud, violent, and utterly insane brand of rock, with vocals ranging from high-pitched shouting to mere whispers. TK, who composes the music, is nothing short of a mad genius; he defines the phrase "method to the madness". What he writes is ballistic and chaotic, and yet when all the parts are put together, it forms a clear and focused steam of sound.





(Imaginary Security)

[Konichi-Wah?]

Ah I see, that would explain the accent, I was wondering how she sounded so good at it, she did retain some Japanese twang though.
And thanks for telling me the bands you like, I didn't know two of them so I shall check them out. Asian Kung Fu Generation are awesome, their song for Naruto is great

[John Watson]

Sakurai Atsushi
(He was the lead of Buck-Tick)
God, who could forget that hypnotic and lovely voice of his? Not to mention he's drop dead gorgeous. So fine...oh so fine.

The GazettE. They're hawt...and they can rock it out.

[Konichi-Wah?]

Sakurai Atsushi
(He was the lead of Buck-Tick)
God, who could forget that hypnotic and lovely voice of his? Not to mention he's drop dead gorgeous. So fine...oh so fine.

The GazettE. They're hawt...and they can rock it out.

The GazettE ARE awesome!! Their song Chizuru is so haunting. Buck Tick are great, I like how Sakurai kept his style when many were changing, he is too serious though! Needs to smile more!

[ee ja nai ka??!]

akfg and sambomaster. lots more too but they are at the top, crap alost forgot the pillows! ihave been listening to the flcl soundtrack like once a month for like 5 yrs haha

[Konichi-Wah?]

akfg and sambomaster. lots more too but they are at the top, crap alost forgot the pillows! ihave been listening to the flcl soundtrack like once a month for like 5 yrs haha

I was listening to Sambomaster and the Pillows today! I only know one Sambomaster song though because it was one of the many theme songs to Naruto

[Gjallarhorn]

If you're only listening to one or two songs from a band because you heard them in some anime, can you really say you're a fan of that band? Or as the thread title suggests "love" them? Especially when you're talking about The Pillows, who have released 16 albums during their career, or Sambomaster and their 4 albums (5th upcoming)?

[Rolo Vi Britannia]

UVERworld and Flow are my favorites. L'arc en Ceil is very cool. I LOVE how their songs are on Rhapsody and easy to get! Lol, why can't more Japanese music be on Rhapsody...
And Gjallarhorn, who cares if they've only heard the songs from anime. That's what most people do. I just look the bands up on youtube and listen to them AFTER I hear them on an anime.

[Konichi-Wah?]

If you're only listening to one or two songs from a band because you heard them in some anime, can you really say you're a fan of that band? Or as the thread title suggests "love" them? Especially when you're talking about The Pillows, who have released 16 albums during their career, or Sambomaster and their 4 albums (5th upcoming)?

Why did you need to say this, especially in such a patronising way?
Someone else said they were fans of Sambomaster and The Pillows, I was saying I loved the songs I have of them, those two bands were not in the list I gave at the start.
Read a thread fully before you make patronising assumptions yeah?

[Gjallarhorn]

Read a thread fully before you make patronising assumptions yeah?

Like how you assumed I was referring to you?

[Konichi-Wah?]

Like how you assumed I was referring to you?

I was sticking up for me and the other person who mentioned it. Who cares how many songs someone likes, it's always good for people to share music.
Anyway, no biggie =]

[Gero50]

I am in the same boot as you. I don't really know who I'd call favorite. But the one I like a lot right now is Ayumi Hamasaki.

[daft]

Japanese screamo/post-rock band Envy.

The reason why? They're like what Pink Floyd is for the_jew1, or what AKFG is for Gjallarhorn... an all-time favorite and the reason we love music. But more than that, for me Envy is like that band I've been waiting for my entire life to find or run into (thank you, Cory and Jen -_-). An indescribable feeling of bliss and admiration comes over me when I listen to their songs, like one of life's shining moments of clarity/joy that can never be duplicated or brought back.

Envy's combined use of beauty, brutality, and passion in their music is something that can't be explained into words and really should be experienced for one's self (I'd recommend the album Insomniac Doze for starters, it's rewarding if you have the patience). They haven't really broken any musical grounds or boundaries, the singer doesn't have the most angelic voice, the musicians don't look like models, and their songs haven't appeared in openings for any anime series... but none of that has ever mattered to me. I think Envy are amazing, and I will continue to enjoy their music for a very long time.

[-P.N.-]

Yuki Kajiura.
Love her songs.

[ee ja nai ka??!]

If you're only listening to one or two songs from a band because you heard them in some anime, can you really say you're a fan of that band? Or as the thread title suggests "love" them? Especially when you're talking about The Pillows, who have released 16 albums during their career, or Sambomaster and their 4 albums (5th upcoming)?

dude of the three bands i mentioned i have multiple CDs of each. its true that each of these bands were first introduced to me through anime (the way most non-asian americans get into j-pop/rock), but so what? i mentioned the FLCL cd because thats what the truth is. i really love the bgm. but in addition to that i also own and listen to regurly:

AKFG: kimi tsunagi 5 M(sp?) sol fa, hokai amplifier and fanclub

sambo master: atarashiki nihongo rock no mich to hikari (sp?) and sambomaster wa kimi...something (only their first 2 cds)

the pillows: wake up! wake up! wake up! (i think its their latest, like 07 or 08), penalty life (got it from a local record store!!!), little busters, runners high and another one that i cant remember.

also, the other bands that i cited as 'many more' are the bands like your talking abt that i enjoy their music, but the only songs i know of them are anime themes like uverworld, flow, ore ska band, l'arc~en~ciel, porno graffiti, etc.

[Konichi-Wah?]

Japanese screamo/post-rock band Envy.

The reason why? They're like what Pink Floyd is for the_jew1, or what AKFG is for Gjallarhorn... an all-time favorite and the reason we love music. But more than that, for me Envy is like that band I've been waiting for my entire life to find or run into (thank you, Cory and Jen -_-). An indescribable feeling of bliss and admiration comes over me when I listen to their songs, like one of life's shining moments of clarity/joy that can never be duplicated or brought back.

Envy's combined use of beauty, brutality, and passion in their music is something that can't be explained into words and really should be experienced for one's self (I'd recommend the album Insomniac Doze for starters, it's rewarding if you have the patience). They haven't really broken any musical grounds or boundaries, the singer doesn't have the most angelic voice, the musicians don't look like models, and their songs haven't appeared in openings for any anime series... but none of that has ever mattered to me. I think Envy are amazing, and I will continue to enjoy their music for a very long time.

You made them sound so enticing so I checked them out and all I can say is wow, and thank you for suggesting this band, you're right they are amazing. They have great melodies and the singers voice isn't perfect but that makes it seem raw and sincere

[ee ja nai ka??!]

also, orange range is one that i like too. for gjallarnhorn, i dont "own" any of their albums but i do have like 20 of their songs on my pc via a friend who is more of a "fan" than me