Alt-Idol

For posts that relate to alt-rock, alternative and idiosyncratic idol groups and performers.

Downerprism doesn’t let us down

/ Kerrie

Here’s this week’s dose of wholesome.

Some of you who pay attention to our weekenders might recognize this pair from the few times that Kitto Dareka no Himitsu Heiki (also known as “Someone’s Secret Weapon” and just “Kitokano”) got brought up last year. A group with a lot of potential, they dropped some actually very impressive digital singles in 2022 only to tragically dissolve at the end of the year (and then temporarily reformed once or twice in 2023, confusing myself and Papermaiden, the other Kitokano fan in the Homicidols team). 

Thankfully, exactly one half of the group, Ayanaru and Futatabi Ao, said “screw the disbandment” and decided to do their own thing with the help of some of Kitokano’s ex-contributors, so I guess alls well that ends well!

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There Is a New ZOC Single with Two Chances to Like It

/ Homicidol Maniac

Well this turned out remarkably well, didn’t it? ZOC is … actually, I have no idea how to preface this. If you know ZOC, you know about all of the ZOC stuff most likely, and if you don’t know ZOC you may wonder why we like to talk about them. I find them an interesting between-the-lines act, as one would probably expect from a subversion-minded Oomori Seiko-led idol unit on a major label during this particular era, but it may well be the Seiko fact that keeps the whole thing from hilariously unraveling, as to say that one is a thing and then to be it are two very different things.

Anyway! New single, double A-side(?), out today but a couple of days’ existence for the two MVs in support, and as the title implies your own personal satisfaction mileage may vary depending on your a) taste and b) relationship toward the ZOC thing:

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You Review Things: Viz Major on MIGMA SHELTER’s “ALICE”

/ Homicidol Maniac / 3 Comments

Actually by @VizMajor

One of the best things about listening to a concept album is immersing yourself into the music and simultaneously living in that moment of the sounds being produced almost as if you had astral projected directly into the experience. With MIGMA SHELTER’s newly released full album “ALICE” we get transported right into the wacky, twisted, animated world of the classic story of Alice in Wonderland. Anyone familiar with the Disney animated film adaptation can take one glance at the song titles in the tracklisting and notice words or phrases that relate to the story and even see that it is also in chronological order. One thing I will recommend here: wear headphones because you will want to hear everything on this album. Continue reading →

Yanakoto Sotto Mute Get Retrospective While Unveiling the Future in “Layline” MV

/ DAEMON

In a last ditch effort to demonstrate that we deserve good things in 2019, Yanakoto Sotto Mute are ending the year with an MV for Layline, #3 in their “NINE” series of singles.

Scholars of Yanamute will notice the settings of past MVs Lily, Any, Holy Grail, Awake and Morning pelting by accompanied by flashes of the imagery from “Bubble” and “Mirrors”. This 4:44 MV pays homage to virtually all of the motifs of the past while incrementally constructing a vision of Yanamute’s future. The end finds the trio back on the set of Horoscope, Yanakoto Sotto Mute’s very first MV, as they are joined by their newest member and finally head to the stage as a quartet once again.  For fans, this MV is a seismic landmark and it helps that Layline is one of the best of the “NINE” tracks YSM has been quietly releasing over the past few months. 

The MV though is in danger of being upstaged by the group’s big reveal. You recall a couple weeks ago when Yanamute dropped a teaser trailer on us without even enough info to know how to spell their new member’s name? Now we finally got the deets:

Meet Rin Tsukasa. She would like you to call her, “Tsukasa”.

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Yanakoto Sotto Mute Unveil a New Member

/ DAEMON

Yanakoto Sotto Mute released a minute long MV on Sunday to tease a new song and, more significantly, their new fourth member.

YSM do everything in style and their newest member fits the mold, stalking the streets in black until she shifts to signature Yanamute white as her hand grasps that fourth mic.

So, meet 「凛つかさ」:

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Art Mirrors Life in Minna no Kodomochan’s Latest Single, “rikaku”

/ DAEMON

Minna no Kodomochan’s new single, “rikaku” (meaning “separate”) is significant in a number of ways. Stylistically, it is the most slow and measured of all of their songs, practically a lament. It is also their first solo, with Cinnamon providing both the main and backing vocal tracks. The song’s lyrics, which speak of being alone and confused, are also written by Cinnamon who is currently conducting their nationwide tour on her own while her partner (and Kodomochan’s principal lyricist) Honoka recuperates from injury.

Cinnamon has admitted that the song reflects the uneasiness she feels performing without Honoka.  For her part, Honoka has said that “rikaku” has become her favorite Minna no Kodomochan song. Honoka has previously been responsible for all of Kodomochan’s lyrics except for “Song of 15” on Walls, Cinnamon’s only other songwriting credit.

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Broken By the Scream Drop New MV and Album Release Date in Lead Up to U.S. Debut

/ DAEMON

Broken By the Scream will set foot on American soil for the first time in just under three weeks unleashing their kawaii-meets-deathcore stylings on a live crowd at Saboten Con in Phoenix, Arizona.  Because the one thing hype needs is more hype, BBTS also dropped a couple of  bombshells over the weekend:

  • The release date for their second full album, Noisy Night Fever;
  • And the MV for “Aihakimino”, the theme song for the upcoming PS4 game “Onechanbara Origin”.

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Holy Shit, the New MIGMA SHELTER Is Awesome

/ Homicidol Maniac

I mean, MIGMA SHELTER was pretty much always awesome in the first place and you could be in some kind of time warp guessing which “new” track is so awesome, or awesome enough to warrant this kind of treatment. I’m talking about right now, though! Today! July 12, 2019! Holy crap, I’m … this many years old!

The re-formed MIGMA SHELTER has a single coming out next week. If you were wondering if it would be good, what’s wrong with you, but also wonder no more:

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We Review Things: BiSH | ‘CARROTS and STiCKS’

/ DAEMON / 3 Comments

BiSH - CARROTS and STiCKS

Sitting down to a first listen of the fifth BiSH album, CARROTS and STiCKS, the big question is: Which BiSH will predominate? The brazen punks who got kicked out of Tokyo Idol Festival? The potential game changers who released a two-minute thrash punk single as their major label debut? Or the commercial idols who promote cell phones and sing anime theme songs?

We know the punk is still in BiSH as demonstrated every time they let Ling Ling center and she does the emotional equivalent of kicking your teeth down your throat. At the same time, it’s hard to give punk cred to a group that’s signing exclusive deals with Apple to restrict the digital distribution of their own music. I certainly won’t begrudge a person for making a living off their art, especially in the crap ass world of Japanese entertainment where the vast majority of power and profits are concentrated in the hands a few management moguls who are far less benevolent than BiSH’s boss-who-we-love-to-hate, Junnoske Watanabe. And it’s not like those of us who have climbed aboard the BiSH train can cry about genre, aesthetic or ideological purity anyway. Watanabe has never hidden the fact that he is punk in the same way that Malcolm McLaren was punk: thumbing the nose of a conservative society is good fun and all, but only if you can make a buck (pound or yen) doing it.

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Tsurezure Makes Us All Feel Something Different with “ssixth”

/ DAEMON

Yukueshirezutsurezure will be dropping their uncharacteristically upbeat single, “ssixth”, this coming Wednesday, July 3rd. To prepare us for this imminent release, these barefoot angels of yami kawaii blessed us with a chilling MV that inspired dueling interpretations around the Homicidols press room. 

In it, Mei Yui Mei and the adorable Kotetsu portray gleeful bullies documenting their torment of a passive Takara. Left battered and restrained, Takara is rescued(?) by  opportunistic predator or compassionate fellow victim Komachi.  This is left a bit ambiguous in the blood spattered end as is their final fate. Continue reading →