There’s one thing I’m being consistent about, and that’s listening to new music and writing up about it.

The third installment brings together another range of genres for you to enjoy and hopefully add to your playlists!

Here is my list for July 2020. Enjoy!

街の底 – Eastern Youth

Bottom of the World, 2015

This month has been pretty much dominated by one band, Eastern Youth. They’re a throaty, punk band from Hokkaido and very well-known on the scene. Since 1989, their music has expressed the feelings of many youths, who just want to scream and shout about everything, and during this horrible year, this song really is needed as a form of therapy. Of course I discovered this band from their ending song of Golden Kamuy Season 2, which can you check out here, however there is something about this song which just does everything right.

Wasurerarenaino – Sakanaction

834.194, 2019

City pop songs are always a hit, just look how popular Plastic Love has been all these years. Here, Sakanaction pay tribute to those 80’s Japanese trends with this wonderful electro-pop song, featuring retro-tinted visuals and big shoulder pads of a time gone by. What a time period to have been a part of! Their album features even more bangers, including the well-known Shin Treasure Island, and definitely worth checking out. This band also hails from Hokkaido, sensing a real theme here.

Sand Planet feat. Hatsune Miku – HACHI

Dune, 2017

I like a good Vocaloid song. Last month was all about CHICO with Honeyworks, and this month it’s HACHI, otherwise known as Kenshi Yonezu. It’s catchy, which a vocaloid song really needs to have to attract the attention of a gaijin like myself. The melody also caught my attention as it sounded like ‘Golden Brown’ by the Stranglers, which is also a fond 80’s favourite of mine, see what you think.

KNOCK on the CORE – (K)NoW NAME

Fairy Gone, PA Works, 2019

Got to respect those songs I end up loving from shows I’m yet to watch. Following in the likes of Haikyuu’s Season 3 opening song, KNOCK on the CORE (capitalisation very important) sounds incredibly epic and is definitely a perfect choice to have as an alarm at 7am thanks to it’s opening line.

Gimme Love – Joji

Nectar, 2020

Might be a bit of a surprise this one. I do count this under the Japan banner, and it’s definitely been one stuck in my head this past month, no thanks to many TikToks I’ve encountered whilst engaging in my business. Memes aside, this song is incredibly well made. What stands out the most is the split of the song into two distinct halves. The first being a high tempo catchy melody, the second half providing more haunting vocals that lift the song to a wonderful end.

Let me know down below what songs you have been listening to this month. Hit me up with some recommendations!