Okay, the Hunger Games gag didn’t bring in any new readers so I’ll drop the act for now. I think Bertoia won?
Looks like ar added a guitarist…and autotune? since the last time we saw them. Not the kind of band I expected to turn to dance rock but it’s growing on me.
mmm (memymo!) is the solo project of mmm from Maria Hato and friends. Her first album パヌー (Panu) was released late 2009/early 2010 (whichever makes it eligible for my year-end list) on kiti label. She also helped out on labelmate oono yuuki’s Stars In Video Game and released a CD-R in July.
“マジカル・オムニブス号 (Magical Omnibus)” was the first single off Panu and was made into an exuberant one-take PV. It’s easily the happiest song on the album and you’re a horrible person if that video doesn’t make you smile. The rest of the songs are much more of a subdued folk affair, or as she says “all my songs tend to be saddy but I actually am very happy.”
“外人さん (Foreigner)” and “ゲロ吐く時の歌 (Song of vomit puke)” are strange to say the least but showcase mmm’s vocal range. “There there” is a beautiful song, sung entirely in English, that should put mmm on the shortlist of best female singer-songwriters in Japan.
Buy mmm releases at Jet Set Records and Amazon.com.
Here we are at volume 11, my favorite number. What does the new year have in store for J-Rock Fridays? We’ll see.
Out of all the dark, depressing songs on mmm’s new album, she picked the only song that personifies joy as her single. And what a joyous video this is. It’s hard not to smile at this nerdy-looking girl dancing with an amusement park bunny and an assortment of nerd friends on the beach. It made me smile for 5 minutes in this cold, bitter world.
J-Rock Explosion 