Music on my mind: song bird, kaze no kesshou (wind crystal), key, lovey dovey

(tags music, artist, singer, group, anime, game, Japanese)

First off, I went to Kyoto last weekend yet again, but this time it was to see the band CROCRO. They are a three-man acoustic guitar ballad band. Judging by the small crowd at the live house Togatoga (都雅都雅), they weren't there for the CROCRO, but they started putting their hands together nonetheless. Which was good because the first act on the stage before CROCRO didn't get much reaction. What is up with these people? Don't they tap or nod in time to the nice music?

At the end I bought their latest album "Song Bird" which is pretty good. Unfortunately the CD is a CD-R and handlabeled. It's also signed. Last CD was actually a self-published, printed CD. They must not be hitting, which is a real pity, because they are good. I keep describing them as a Spitz-alike as far as the vocals, but the lead singer's silky voice is not as high-pitched as that.

BTW, it was the Gion Matsuri that night, and the major main street in Kyoto (near Kawaramachi) was closed off. I need to buy me either a yukata or a jinbei, but I always seem to think that guys are in their pajamas when in those clothes. And besides, an Akiba-kei backpack or bag filled with posters won't go with that look.

On the same day, I was in Nipponbashi and I saw that Disc Pier / Joshin was going to host a live and signing event for the band Savage Genius. This group made it mainstream through anime related releases, such as the OP for Uta-Kata (my previous post on the DVD and goods), Elemental Gerad and a Gundam anime. But I think they started out as a live band. According to their profile, I just learned that they were in the Kobe live group before their debut. Wow, another local band. I'm glad I held off buying their newest album "kaze no kesshou" (風の結晶, my trans: wind crystal), because buying at Disc Pier / Joshin allows me to attend the live on 2006/08/05. Yeah. There's some previously released info on them including an interview via Animate TV web, thanks. I also think they got an interview page in the Weekly Famitsu some time ago.

I finally remembered to buy Mao Yuu's (ゆうまお, another official page) first album "Key" out since 2006/07/05. She's got an excellent voice and according to my iTunes, I've played her songs at least 40 times. She debuted with the ending song from the 2006 anime Kashimashi - Girl Meets Girl, with the song "Michishirube" (みちしるべ, my trans: Clue Sign). She's a singer-songwriter, but has been mainly a songwriter for many anime-related releases since 2002 (!). Wow her works pages almost reads like my anime collection, D.C., Galaxy Angel, Hime no Goyoujin. She's contributed the words or music for artists like Ryoko Shintani (新谷良子), Saori Goto (後藤沙緒里), Sakura Nogawa (野川さくら), Mai Nakahara (中原麻衣), etc. But, she only made her vocal debut this year, ouch, what a pity. I'm definately going to buy some more.

Finally, but this was about 4 weeks ago, I bought Miyuki Hashimoto's (橋本みゆき, Wikipedia page because no official page, fan page) first album, "Lovey-Dovey". She's another anime and over-18 game related anime singer. Her most memorable song for me is the end theme song "Innocence" for the last year's hit anime Shuffle. Very nice, but unfortunately she's losing play time on my iPod to Gloria Estefan's "Cuts Both Ways" album. Haha, "our love is like a knife that cuts both ways."