Introduction I'll be the first to admit that pickings have been a little modest around Keikaku during 2007. Maybe some of us have been struggling to pay the bills, or have gotten swept up in a Fall Out Boy obsession. Or maybe the Japanese record companies have been paying us to stop saying mean things about their bands. Nevertheless, we're looking back at 2007 with a more modest list to match, our staff members each picking one album from the past year to highlight. If you're wondering why some people are missing, well, they're either off singing along to "Dance, Dance" in their underwear, or they contributed something like Dir en Grey and we basically "forgot" what they chose. back to features		Keikaku's Staff Picks for 2007 Bob Vielma Sokabe Keiichi - Love City Man, do you remember that time Neil Young went and kicked Sunny Day Service's ass? That was pretty sweet... You mean, you don't remember? Okay, okay, you got me. Maybe I just made that up. I swear that I heard Sokabe Keiichi singing about something like that on "Koibitotachi no Rock," though. Seriously... What? This wasn't released in 2007? Give me a break! It was 10 days before the new year, and seeing as how I played this for months and months on end, you know that just 10 days wasn't enough. James Route condor44 - Good Bye 44th Music Between the irregular, vague recording announcements and the long wait for this album, condor44 seemed to be dangerously close to having a Chinese Democracy on their hands. Somehow, four years without a new recording allowed the band to sharpen up their craft in nearly every respect. Their meandering, minor-key sound and vocal tradeoffs are back, but with those comes an extra kick of vitriol that keeps this album energetic and fluid throughout. Richard Doherty Melt-Banana - Bambi's Dilemma After three years Melt-Banana surprised me with a fantastic record sounding a little more rock, less repetitive and catchier than their previous releases. It quickly found a permanent place on my MP3 player last year. Bambi's Dilemma impresses with Melt-Banana's usual unpredictable nature, diversity and intense vocals. The fast rhythm and beat sections, electronic attacks and abrupt ends to the songs, giving no time to relax, all did it for me. This trio prove they still have a lot in them yet. Ryosuke The Hello Works - Payday Seminal hip-hoppers Schadarappar, dance/disco/funk collective Sly Mongoose, and Robochu have teamed together to form this supergroup. In other words, the same personnel who brought us "Defenseless City" from the Sly Mongoose album Tip of The Tongue State, so fans know what to expect. Or do they? "Defenseless City" was a good song to be sure, but it couldn't possibly have prepared anyone for the epic resplendence of the Ozawa Kenji cover "Konya Wa Boogie Back" (with Hanaregumi replacing Ozawa on singing duties and Schadarappar's rhymes updated for 2007). Or the irresistible call-and-response of "Every Single Day." Or the propulsive urgency of "High & Fast." All the elements that made Sly Mongoose so enthralling are still intact - they've merely been amplified off the scale. Shawn Grover jew's-ear - Differential , Integral And Fine Mood To me 2007 was a disappointing year for new music, but that's probably because I didn't absolutely love any of the new releases by familiar artists. Fortunately I came across this little instrumental jazz band known as jew's-ear thanks to a mention from Ryosuke. Many of the song titles on the album are named after a certain type of music ("African Waltz", "Bolero", "Renaissance", etc.) and each of them has a slightly different feel reflecting this. Incredibly soothing, peaceful, and tight. Check out some songs at their MySpace. Simon The Beaches - Hana Hou Formed from the ashes of The Jerry Lee Phantom, The Beaches are possibly even more eclectic. In 2007 The Beaches came back with Hana Hou - a much more polished effort than their self-titled debut. In the intervening time they have diversified their sound yet further to include rock, reggae, ska, disco and even Hawaiian influences. Effortlessly catchy and always entertaining, The Beaches seem to have hit their stride with this album. Stephen Paul Midori - Second The fascinating and divisive full-length from this rapidly-exploding Osaka guitar/piano/drums trio finds them in a spot equidistant from the metallic abrasiveness and schoolgirl imagery of Number Girl, the unhinged aggression and filthy sexuality of Ging Nang Boyz, and the lightly avant jazziness of Shiina Ringo. Guitarist/vocalist Mariko Goto's raspy goblin shriek will be the biggest obstacle on the way to the fame those artists possess, but after one listen through the entire album, it's hard to imagine this band without it. Taylor Morris Tha Blue Herb - Life Story No disrespect to Shugo Tokumaru or Melt-Banana, though I did play their records a few more times than my top pick, I needed to write about something a bit more suprising. I often crave that familiar indie-pop or grind-pop sound but it's the decidedly un-pop sound of Tha Blue Herb, Sapporo's prime musical export and Japan's most consistently creative rap group, who had that special combo that kept my mind blown each and every time I put it on. Completely different from either of the duo's first two near-classic albums, Life Story brought a completely different vibe with a chilled and direct approach using an almost 8bit-ish electronic set of building blocks. The album is a thoroughly enjoyable trip front to back and Boss' MC-ing matches tone to the new Boards Of Canada sound-alike group of beats. After a quiet 2006, it was good to get a reminder that Japanese hip-hop remains relevant outside of the MSC group or Tokyo in general. - Thanks to our contributing staff for their sublime picking power, and to our wonderful editor for bringing it all together.
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