Little Glee Monster - Jinsei wa Ichido Kiri / Gao Gao All Star iTunes (US/JP) single

Title: Jinsei wa Ichido Kiri / Gao Gao All Star
Artists: Little Glee Monster
Release date: 01 JUL 2015
Type: single
Version: U.S. iTunes/JP iTunes*

*Only the first two tracks are available for purchase in the U.S. iTunes store, the B-sides were purchased from the JP iTunes store.

Packaging: None.

Track listing:

1. 人生は一度きり (Jinsei wa Ichido Kiri)
One of the two A-sides and the one that fits right in with the songs the group has released before. I love that it starts off so soft to move into the energetic chorus, it gives it a nice dynamism to it. Of course I am still just in love with the harmonies this group does, as it really makes them stand out in the slew of Japanese girl groups right now. A really solid pop song with that bit of a throwback style that fits the group so well.

2. ガオガオ・オールスター(Gao Gao All Star)
This A-side is a tie-in as the theme song to one of the Pokemon movies. It breaks away from the usual style of the group as it is something more of a light pop song with a childish tone to it. While the kiddie tone does work with the youth of the group considering all they have sung beforehand it is a bit jarring to listen to as a fan of the group. I really just cannot get into it as it just feels too cutesy in style for LGM and could easily be done by any other girl group.

3. Brand New Me
The first of the B-sides that I had to purchase off the JP iTunes store to get them. It returns the group to form with a pop song very much in the usual style for the group. It is a lot of fun as an upbeat number that still gives plenty of chances for the girls' vocals to shine. I love all the little "calls" that are scattered throughout the song, it really helps give it the fun vibe to it and this is much more in line when I think of a cute and fun song from the group.

4. 君を今でも (Kimi o Ima demo)
A ballad to end things and it rather standard but is a pleasant listen. The vocals do really focus on whoever is singing the solo lines with the rest just providing background harmonies though. And for a ballad like this is does work but is still rather disappointing as all six members are strong vocalists and it would be nice to hear them all more and there is no reason they could not have switched main vocals from verse to verse at least.


Overall: Outside of Gao Gao All Star this is a pretty standard release for the group. Not a bad thing as the group's releases are all rather solid. Jinsei and BNM are the stand out tracks and most in line with the previous releases from the group. Even with the issue of lines aside Kimi o Ima demo lacks anything to really make it memorable not just in general but also in the group's discography.

I am disappointed that the U.S. iTunes releases of the group's music seems to have tapered off. Of this review this is the latest single available in the store and it is only for the A-sides. It looks for future releases I will just have to go to the JP iTunes as I do not care to play this waiting game on whether or not their releases are going to be added to the U.S. store. Especially if it will not even be the full release anyway.

Little Glee Monster - Seishun Photograph/Girls be Free iTunes (US) single

Title: Seishun Photograph/Girls be Free
Artists: Little Glee Monster
Release date: 04 MAR 2015
Type: single
Version: iTunes

Packaging: none

Track listing:

1. 青春フォトグラフ (Seishun Photograph)
A real nice fun pop tune with a catchy chorus. The violin used throughout is a nice touch, especially with how it opens the song up at the beginning. It fits very well in the style the group has used from the start and makes sure to give plenty of chances for the girls to showcase their voices. Especially near the end where they have the chance to freestyle a bit.

2. Girls Be Free
This song is in the same vein as Seishun Photograph but is more energetic. There are a couple of lines before the chorus kicks in that I love with just how they build. In fact the verses and chorus work really well together with the way they flow. And I love how it starts with the girls singing a cappella to be shortly followed by the instruments coming in afterwards.

3. So Long Good Bye
A ballad song which is a nice contrast to the songs that came before it and works well to really show off the girl's vocals. The start is simple with just vocals and a piano with a slow build up to the chorus. It has an uplifting feeling to it, especially the chorus, which makes for a nice listen. And a nice use of harmonies that I love the group for.

4. Seasons of Love with K (Live Ver.)
The girls team up with male vocalist K to do this cover of Seasons of Love from the musical RENT. While this is a live performance there is no worry about the crowd ever drowning out the vocals as in Japan audiences tend to be much quieter and wait until the end of songs to give their reactions. Which is great as the vocals are spot on with the only accompaniment being a piano. I enjoy the covers they do and this one is no different and of course it gives the girls a chance to show off their English singing skills which do sound to be improving.


Overall: Another strong single from the group as they continue to grow their base during these early years for them. They are developing their own style which is nice to see as their roots are with doing covers so moving towards having something distinct for themselves can only be a good thing.

I enjoy that even though they are a group that focuses on strong vocals they get plenty of upbeat and fun songs to match their ages. They could have easily been stuck with ballad after ballad but instead they have a good balance between the two.

I look forward to each new release from this group to see where they are going and how the girls are growing as singers.

Oshi (July 2015)

I figured I needed to do an update like this as the J-idol world is in constant change, especially with the female idols.

Oshis

Nothing has budged Oda Sakura from the top spot of favorite current Morning Musume members. The more I see of her the more I like her still so I do not see this changing any time soon.

Goto Maki reigns supreme with OG Morning Musume still for me. I think Sakura graduating will be the only time I will have to question this.

Of course when Shimamura Uta left Country Girls I lost my favorite member. I always liked Yamaki Risa quite a bit too so she has naturally become my favorite now. I love her elegant persona and she is such a talented artist. Not to mention that I was really moved by her when she was told that she was selected to be in CG, as it was truly her final shot at a H!P debut as she was almost at the age the Kenshusei graduate and move on. But she is showing signs of being able to step up and become a true leader for the group and I am interested in what she does with that.

ANGERME is really hard for me. I think though Wada Ayaka just barely gets to be my number one girl for this group. Meimi and Mizuki are very close seconds and Sasaki Rikako is up there as well. When Ayaka graduates I think it will end up being a tie between Meimi and Mizuki.

Suzuki Airi gets to be my default favorite of C-ute simply because she is the member I know something of. Mostly because I always liked Buono! and I did watch one drama with her in it (Piece). So I know her best and do like her so gets to be my fav for now at least.


Love them all

Chu-Z. My feelings just don't waver with this. I truly love all the girls and choosing a favorite is just impossible. If any of them ever leave the group I will be heartbroken.


Don't have a favorite

There are some groups I follow that I just do not follow enough to actually have a favorite.

Little Glee Monster falls into this, but technically they are not an idol group so I do not feel bad about that at all.

Little Glee Monster - Hokago High Five iTunes single

Artist: Little Glee Monster
Title: Hokago High Five
Release date:  29 OCT 2014
Type: single
Version: iTunes

Packaging: None. The cover is aACll that the iTunes version has of the booklet.

Tracks:

1. 放課後ハイファイブ (Hokago High Five)
A great song to headline the group's major debut release with the fun of the song and of course plenty of chances for the girls to show off their vocals. There is a great amount of energy with the song and it has an oldies vibe to it. It is also really catchy and just a joy to listen to overall.

2. 空は見ている (Sora wa Miteiru)
This is the song that the girls sing for the video that they made with the cups. I believe this is one of their more shared videos so fans should be familiar with it. And if you wanted the song that was featured in it you now can. This was the song that had me in love with the group so I was beyond ecstatic to find it on this release. The girls' voices are front in center in this one that keeps the instrumental simple so you have no trouble hearing the harmonizing. It is a really nice mid-tempo song that I am still just completely in love with.

3. ダイアモンド (Diamond)
This is probably the most contemporary J-pop sounding song on the single and helps just show the range of the group. They sound great in the song and I love that it has a bit of a "cool" sound to it and the girls' voices do well to match it as most have those deeper voices that make them sound more mature than they are. It has a nice energy to it even though it is not a light and poppy song. Really enjoy this one, but then again I have loved all the original songs this group have been given so far.

4. I Want You Back
The song from the Jackson 5 that at least in the U.S. has a recent surge in popularity once again thanks to being a part of the Guardians of the Galaxy soundtrack. Of course the film had not been released in Japan by the time this was released so the inclusion of it may have been a coincidence, or the producers of the group have an ear tuned to the U.S. market. In either case it is a nice cover from the group and a good fit for the group considering their ages. It is also one of their English covers that has some pretty good pronunciation so it does not sound very Engrishy.


Overall: A strong major debut from the group that really gives fans a good idea of the group's own style. Their mini-album was mostly just covers so this is a nice switch with only one song being a cover and the rest being original songs. It also helps show that the group can do much more than song covers.

Just really loved this whole single and cannot wait for their next single that will be coming out in March. There is really little else that I can think of to say about this release other than how much I loved it. I just hope more and more people discover this group, especially with the collaborations they are doing, as I hope to be following this group for many years to come.

Thennary Speaks - Episode 35: 2015 Anticipation List

I think from now on I will be splitting topics like this up by category as I cannot seem to keep these short.

For anyone interested in a certain topic a basic breakdown is;

MCU

Other TV and movies (Sleepy Hollow, Parks & Recreation, Tomorrowland, Inside Out, The Jungle Book and Star Wars)

U.S. music artists (Kelly Clarkson)

Japanese music artists (B'z and Little Glee Monster)

Johnny's (NEWS, TOKIO, Kis-My-Ft2, Johnny's WEST, Nakayama Yuma, FIVB 2015 debut)

H!P (Morning Musume '15, Country Girls, ANGERME & Berryz Kobo)

Other J-idol (Chu-Z)

U.S. comics (Ms. Marvel and Archie reboot)

Manga/anime (Sailor Moon Crystal, One Piece and watching more in general)

Little Glee Monster - Little Glee Monster iTunes mini-album

Artist: Little Glee Monster
Title: Little Glee Monster
Release date:  16 MAR 2014
Type: mini album
Version: iTunes

Packaging: None, purchased from U.S. iTunes store.

Tracks:

1. What Time Is It
Japan was hit by High School Musical fever back when those movies were a thing and the fact that this track is even on this mini-album is a reminder of that fact. It was always a light pop song and that has not changed with this cover. It does have some of the best English pronunciation for all the songs on this and is not a bad song to kick things off with. It has energy to it, which works perfectly for the age of the girls and they add some harmonies that do well to show off their vocals even though this is probably one of the least vocally challenging songs included.

2. 能動的三分間 (Noudouteki Sanbunkan)
Tokyo Jiken is the band that popular female J-rock artist, Sheena Ringo, had for a few years before going back to being a soloist but they put out some great songs and Noudouteki Sanbunkan is definitely one of them. It has that distinct Sheena sound to it that makes it a stand out track and the girls do not sound like they had any trouble with the vocals of the song. Personally I love it when artists cover Sheena Ringo songs as they are great songs on their own so it is hard to go wrong with them as long as the singer is good.

3. 女々しくて (Memeshikute)
If you have been following J-pop in the past couple of years than there is a high chance you have heard this Golden Bomber song. In fact the group is still milking the song for all it is worth on the end of year music programs this year as well. That aside if you wanted to know what this song would sound like with good vocals LGM gives you your answer. They also add some vocal layers to the song that really helps the group make this version of the song their own. I honestly care very little of the original but have no trouble with listening to this cover of it, especially as they add harmonies that I do not believe were in the original but still manage to fit the song well.

4. If I Ain't Got You
The other all English song covered on this mini-album and the girls tackle an Alicia Keys song. This also gives us an abrupt switch in song style as we get into ballad territory from more quick tempo fare. It does get a bit Engrishy at times but that seems to depend on who is singing and it is probably understandable that Manaka tends to be the worst as she is also the youngest of the group. But a solid cover of the song over all and I love some of the harmonies in this.

5. 果てなく続くストーリー (Hatenaku Tsuzuku Story)
It seems rather fitting that after an English language power house the girls would cover a song from one of Japan's power house vocalists, MISIA. If you have not listened to MISIA before you are missing out as her five octave range makes an impressive singer no matter what she sings. That said I am quite glad that I am not so familiar with this song of her's as talented as the girls are they are no MISIA. But they do sound great even though they seem to lack the deep and rich tone of MISIA's voice but having more than one vocalists for this track kinda helps make up for that by making sure the places that are meant to sound full do, if just by having someone harmonizing with the lead vocal.

6. あとひとつ (Ato Hitotsu)
The album finishes the cover tracks with a song from Funky Monkey Babies. This is a rather basic J-pop ballad and LGM really don't seem to do much with it to put their own mark on the song. Sure it sounds nice but it is easily the most forgettable track on the mini-album, as there really was nothing all that special about the original song in the first place.

7. Harmony
This is the one original song on the mini-album for the group and ends it on a high note. Not to mention it gives the girls a song that really lets them shine as it is something actually specifically written for them. So with this we really get to hear what makes this group really stand out, harmonies and big voices. This is a fun song that probably would fit better near the beginning of the mini-album with the other uptempo songs.


Overall: Since Little Glee Monster is not an idol group, but rather a female vocal group, my expectations for them are a bit different than for an idol group. Especially when it comes to vocals, but LGM hits all the right notes for me with this mini-album. While it is mostly cover songs it helps give a good idea of the range of the girls and I do not believe these songs have been covered to death, which is nice, as on their youtube channel they have plenty of other covers with some of those overly covered songs.

Being mostly cover songs there is no real flow to this mini-album. There seems to be some kind of attempt with most of the uptempo songs being at the start with the ballads near the end. But placing Harmony at the end does not quite work then as it is no ballad. So it is probably better to listen to the songs one their own or shuffled with others than to listen to this as a whole.

Overall though it still works well in showcasing the group and the skill of the members and Harmony gives a good hint at what to expect from the group as they make the switch to doing more original songs for their major debut.

Looking at 2014 releases

Since I am doing reviews for the Johnny's 2014 releases that I purchased it only seemed natural to do the same for the groups I follow on this blog. The list will be much smaller as I just do not follow as many active female idols as I do Johnny's and I really only started following some near the end of the year anyway.

Releases that will be reviewed:

Little Glee Monster - Little Glee Monster iTunes mini-album(16MAR2014)
Chu-Z - Chu-Z My Music Type C mini-album (09JUL2014)
Chu-Z - Bombastic Type B/C single (01OCT2014)
DIVA - Discovery Type A single (08OCT2014)
Morning Musume '14 - Tiki Bun RE A single (15OCT2014)
Little Glee Monster - Hokago High Five iTunes single (29OCT2014)
Morning Musume '14 - 14 Shou ~The Message~ iTunes album (29OCT2014)

I'll be doing these as I review the Johnny's releases so I should hopefully be done by the end of the month.

And for anyone curious to what the iTunes indicates for some of the releases it just means I purchased the single or album off of the U.S. iTunes store so they may be different than the physical release, like not having a booklet or any bonus items.

Little Glee Monster's busy March 2015

Little Glee Monster look to be set for 2015 as they have two announcements for March out already. The first is that their second single will be released on March 4th and the second is that they will be doing a one man tour that will have them performing in Tokyo (April 19), Nagoya (March27) and Osaka (March 26).

OHP (Japanese)


I am excited for their next single, I have been enjoying all their releases so far and like the original material they have been getting as well as the covers that they have been doing. I hope they continue doing a mix of both.

Of course I am most happy that they have been good with getting their releases up on iTunes, as it saves quite a bit of money for me to be able to buy their music off of the US iTunes instead of having to import their CDs. Not to mention not having to worry about anything going out of print.

And for a group that is still up and coming even though they have gone major a three city one man tour is a pretty big thing. I can only assume the dates chosen though are those that will align with school breaks though as being a young group they do need to deal with school being mandatory for its members.

Still I would love to be able to go to one of their concerts. From the footage they have on their Youtube account they are amazing to see live.

Oshi (2014)

Having a favorite never seemed to be that big a deal for me before but getting into girl groups I find that it can be taken rather seriously. That said my feelings have not changed all that much. I may have a favorite/oshi for a group but overall I tend to want to see the whole group succeed. And in some cases I just love a group so much I do not feel right having a favorite.

Like with Chu-Z I have no favorite member. I just love the group and all the girls, and generally want to see them succeed as a group as they aim for their dream to perform in Nippon Budokan.

Morning Musume OG though is an easy pick for me. I already was interested in Goto Maki before getting into MM and that changed nothing. If anything it just made me like Maki more.

For Morning Musume '14 though I find myself really coming to like Oda Sakura. I am a sucker for a strong vocalist though, which she easily is. She probably is not the kind of member that pops out at you at first glance but I do tend to like the seemingly quiet members as I find once you get to know them more they tend to have interesting personalities. And so far she has been proving me right.

DiVA is another easy one with Akimoto Sayaka. She was the main reason I got into AKB48, even though I no longer follow the group though I do try to keep tabs on her.

Little Glee Monster falls back into just not having a favorite again. But the girls are still so fresh in their careers that I think it will be better to wait and see how they grow into things first.

Have not really mentioned BABYMETAL on this blog much but I do like the group. And while I want to say I have no favorite I do think SUMETAL does pull be in a bit more because she has the vocals.

And I think that covers all the active groups that I follow. Well I am kinda cheating sneaking MM OG in but it is my blog so I can make those kinds of exceptions.

INTRODUCING: Little Glee Monster

I do a quick rundown about the Japanese female vocal group, Little Glee Monster.



Check out there official youtube page here: https://www.youtube.com/user/LittleGleeMonsterYT

Thennary Speaks- Episode 27: My J-pop History

I go over my history of getting into J-pop, from anisongs, Hikaru Utada, NEWS and my recent favorites.