> Year Enders 2004
Centigrade-J Year Enders 2004: Brian (boo)
Another Year Closer to Irrelevance

If this Year Ender does nothing else, it will out me as a closet Ootsuka Ai fan. As with last year's baffling but none the less completely honest admission of Mikitty worship, this year was again, like going to confessional to make right with my guilty pleasures. Songs and artists I started out the year disliking, were often the ones I came back to most, and some of the songs I thought were amazing at the time, lost their sparkle long before that last summer senkouhanabi dropped. What I crave from Japanese Music continues to evolve, or de-evolve depending on who you talk to. Since I wasn't actually in Japan this year, I lived like a scavenger feasting upon what I could, when I could. Though I didn't discover the next big artist, nor nurture the indies scene quite as much as I'd like to have, I was able to see Jpop from the eyes of the Western fan. And in the process, restore a little of that old magic that attracted me to it in the first place. Sure, I'm jaded, out-dated, and more than a bit sedated, but you need that. You need a Rolling Stone magazine like prescence to carry the banner of bands long past their sell-by dates have expired. If my picks frustrate you, all the better. If they open your eyes to some overlooked song or artist, I'll die happy. OK, not happy but happier.


Album of the Year:

Yggdrasil

Artist:

Bump of Chicken

You must have seen this one coming. It's impossible for me to like this album any more than I currently do, but that hasn't stopped me from finding new ways to love it. Maybe my super hyping of it will hurt its legacy, and people will embrace Jupiter or Flame Vein instead, but trust me, this is the album. It's the type of cohesive album Mr. Children wishes they could make. It's got so much heart and warmth, and yet it's a dark sprawling labyrinth inviting the listener to get lost for a few hours. Bump of Chicken is currently Japan's premiere rock band and this is their best effort to date.


Single of the Year:

Star Gazer










Artist:

Spitz

I'm not sure this song would be as powerful if it weren't for those lyrics. The line of the year has to be "ashita kimi ga inakya komaru komaru" which Kusano imbues with bleary eyed honesty. If that weren't enough of a sell right there, the chorus comes out of nowhere and zips by pulling everything with it like it was turning a page. I could just listen to those slippery intro guitars over and over again.


Best New Artist:

Ootsuka Ai

I don't know when it was that I began to love Otsuka Ai. Like Chinese Dim Sum I passed her off rather coldly the first few times she was offered, and then somewhere in the back of my head I started to crave her. Not everything she does thrills me, I find her somewhat hit and miss. Still, I think her full joyous sound is a much needed pick me up to the dismal jpop scene. At the very least she's not an Ayu knock-off. And even if she does cross into Aiko territory sometimes, I think she does it better(than the current Aiko). Oh yeah, and she's cute as a button. A cute button. With a smiley face drawn upon it.


Best PV:

Cutey Honey










Artist:

Kouda Kumi

Frankly, any PV that drives Cent-J's own Da Crank to import the single deserves some regonition. I think the impromptu "Flashdance" in the middle is completely out of place, but something about this PV (HINT: SEX) appeals to me. The odd thing is, I don't even find Kouda Kumi that attractive. The song is fun, the dance is cute, the... I DON'T HAVE TO DEFEND MYSELF TO YOU! CEASE YOUR IMPUNING OF MY CHARACTER!


Top 10 Albums

1) Yggdrasil - Bump of Chicken
2) Freeze - Pierrot
3) Kyouiku - Tokyo Jihen
4) Shifuku no Oto - Mr. Children
5) Ongaku no Susume - Halcali
6) Smile - L'Arc~en~Ciel
7) Commonplace - Every Little Thing
8) Love & Honesty - BoA
9) Love Punch - Ootsuka Ai
10) Tommy Airlines - Tommy February


Top 10 Singles

1) Star Gazer - Spitz
2) Ready Steady Go - L'Arc~en~Ciel
3) The Final - Dir en grey
4) Sakuranbo - Ootsuka Ai
5) Hanamizuki - Hitoto Yoh
6) Sign - Mr. Children
7) Smiley Skeleton - Pierrot
8) Yasashii Kiss wo Shite - Dreams Come True
9) Merikuri - BoA
10) Blue Jean - Glay


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