Is Google Losing Its Search Influence? (Is this a sign of lower stock price and increased loss of market share?)

With all the talk of Facebook becoming the next big search engine (in the US), and Google being run out of China, leaving the ever-expanding Chinese market open to Baidu, it makes you wonder if Google has peaked?

For those that don't know what I do when I'm not writing about music or art, I'm an analyst (and currently a graduate student, too!) One company I analyzed 6 years ago was Google and how exactly it managed to takeover the search industry and dominate the market, from a "come from behind" position against the current dominant engines of the time. (For those that don't realize, doing such a thing in the Internet space is rare, usually the first into a new space becomes dominant and stays dominant -- unless they 'let' the competition run them over. ala Netscape versus Internet Explorer)

I've recently been looking at Google again, especially with their new Instant Search. Instant Search doesn't impress me, and unlike other folks analyzing it, I think it shows a Google feeling very vulnerable right now. Instant Search obviously has other reasons for being, one of which may be to promote Google in the mobile market, another might be the usual Google 'presentation' to make users think it is being somehow more innovative and unlike any other search company out there. (Actually, as you can tell from my writing, I found this 'presentation' to the public to be counter to the actual available facts.)

Recently, Google pretty much lost its confrontation with China...and I say it really didn't have a chance in the first place. Foreign American/European companies in Asia face issues they don't in America or Europe (or not as much). Now that vacuum will be filled (most likely) by Baidu or another Chinese-based search engine -- and with the majority of Chinese fully supporting the change as a point in national pride.

It's also important to note that in Japan, Google is not king, though it manages to be the secret advisor to the king. In 2008, it was Yahoo on top with Google second (http://www.comscore.com/Press_Events/Press_Releases/2008/11/Japan_Search_Engine_Rankings)
and this hasn't changed in 2010, though Yahoo Japan has agreed to use the Google engine instead of the Bing engine, when offered a very, very sweet deal by Google in order to freeze Bing out. As Japan is ranked 3rd in search market size (after the US and China), this is significant. But since there are several Japanese search engines out there, from Rakuten to Goo, one has to wonder if Yahoo-Google days are numbered in Japan as well. And it also shows (potentially) a fear of Bing.

Add to that, that Google is just a blip in South Korea with Naver the dominant engine, and Russia? forget it. Google does still dominate in Western Europe. Apparently there isn't really a homegrown European search engine that can satisfy that region.

Perhaps it is business as usual, but Google's influence does not seem to be as dominate (and as automatic) as it used to be. In fact, while Google still has 65% market share of the US market, its global market share of the search arena has dropped, losing ground to Yahoo, Bing and Ask. Much of this is because of the China loss, where Baidu gained as a result, but Bing has been on a hotstreak of growth this year, something which neither Google nor Yahoo can easily claim.

Here's a map showing Google across the globe:
http://www.labnol.org/internet/google-market-share/13939/

This is actually quite serious, because unlike Microsoft (Bing), Google is heavily reliant on search money (advertisers). Google also still dominates in Enterprise level search, a subarea of search, but again, Yahoo and Bing are narrowing the gap. If Google continues to lose ground, even if it is a slow decline, you can expect the stock to peak*** and begin to slide as well, signalling that Google as a growth company is done. However, it does present great opportunities for local national seach engines to reassert their dominance in their home markets (just like Baidu did), and for new search engines (companies, or divisions of a bigger company) to take over some of Google's traditional territory or reclaim some of their own.

Anyway, thought I'd share this, especially as good search is invaluable to little companies or bands or singers or artists...so what these big players do does affect you as well. Google's new Instant Search may make it harder for the little players to get noticed, while making it easier for the big names to continue to dominate. But again, if the competitors to Google realize this, then they may turn out to be a better bet for the little guy now.

You can read more about what I do in my 'real life' here: (sort of an info site, for 'quick' summaries of some outstanding strategic/policy issues...select the Policy Analysis button. If you want to punish yourself by looking at a lot of stats -- an example of ad placement evaluation -- then click Web Analytics.)

CG's Strategy Portfolio Info Site:
http://students.washington.edu/cganders/StrategyPortfolio/

My take: Google is still dominate in the US and Western Europe, but if Yahoo and Bing are smart, especially Bing, this gap will continue to narrow. Google is either not dominant or else vulnerable elsewhere, especially Asia, and may completely lose traction in that area as local search engines assert themselves. Google has relied on how it is 'perceived' by users (and advertisers alike), but that doesn't mean longterm loyalty. So if this perception is revealed as just smoke and mirrors, and/or Google is no longer 'cool', then the slide effects could be exponential. So far, this hasn't happened, but Google is no longer an up-and-coming startup. It is a mature company now and is seeing more and more criticism of its policies, its abusive interview style and arrogance (which by reports was worse than Microsoft's in its day), its acquisitions and other things. Some of these are mainly just allegations, and some, while true, may be intermittant and not reflective of the company or the people as a whole, but all of it affects Google's 'perception' by the public and therefore its popularity with users.

And in the search market, popularity and perception matter.

Additional Note: I should add that a company (or any entity) that feels threatened, especially when it has become accustomed to a place of dominance, is very likely to become more aggressive in order to protect that status. So Google's deal with Yahoo Japan may be one example of an increased need to protect its position, and there will likely be more such bold, aggressive moves -- which for companies doing business with Google means that it may be more willing to negotiate better deals for you than it has in the past, or buyout takeovers could be more lucrative for the acquired company as Google may feel more desperate to stay ahead of the competition. However, this may lead to lower revenues for Google itself, which would negatively affect its stock price and its perception in the financial markets.

***update: my mistake in wording, I rechecked Google's stock history. The stock has already peaked once and has lost almost a third of its value in the last few years. This is expected because of the recession. What I mean to address, is post-recession, when companies should be on the rise again, Google's perception in the market, if perceived as weakening, will lead to a more permanent slide that it may not be able to recover from -- rather like many dot coms post the dot com bust.

SCANDAL! the most powerful Japanese Girl Band...

That's what their website says. Well, I don't know if they are the most powerful Japanese girl band, but I do know that they are a lot of fun to listen to.

If you went to SAKURA.CON in the US, you might have heard them before. They toured here recently. This group out of Osaka, Japan is hot and rising fast!

I admit it. I like Japanese J-POP. And I am always amused by the personas that J-POP bands will take on. SCANDAL is a girl rock/pop band. The four of them appear complete in Japanese school girl outfits -- the kind in male fantasies, rather than the reality. They all do their makeup so that they tend to look like clones of each other too! The male fantasy continues!

But beyond the hype, the music is fun and bouncy and the vocals are good.

Even beyond that, they really are part ROCK! You can definitely hear rock vibes and strong guitar musings threaded among the bouncy, girlish J-POP tunes.

That might actually qualify them for the most 'powerful Japanese girl band'...these J-POP fantasy dolls really can hit a rock beat and make it stick.

So give them a look and a listen...you might find yourself getting addicted to J-POP.

Their Myspace music site is at:
www.myspace.com/scandal4

Have fun!
CG Anderson

JPOP singer RayRi (RayLi) aka 玲里

Sorry it's been so long a wait but time for a music review. Between work, studying and new music players (MySpace) that didn't work well as well as buggy MySpace itself, it took a while!! I almost gave up on doing MySpace music reviews...I mean MySpace has gotten really really buggy and the new music player is even slower than the last one!

Time for a little JPOP again. Nothing outrageous. Just a great voice and some standard POP tunes. RayLi out of Japan fits the bill. Lovely to look at, in an almost androgynous way, and with a great voice, great range of voice and wonderful emotional delivery.

The only thing that really bothered me was the choice of tunes. RayLi has a great voice and knows how to deliver a compelling song. But, the tunes themselves were rather ordinary. Nothing really grabbed me.

I want the songs and melodies to match the power of this singer and this great clear voice with its clear, bright vocal range. I hope RayLi is put together with a really good songwriter and a great producer.

If that happens, I think another great JPOP star will be born. Not that 200,000+ listeners are wrong. I just think that that number could go way way way way way up!

Judge for yourself, RayRi (RayLi/ 玲里) is at:

http://www.myspace.com/rayri

Cheers!
CG

Flumpool: J-POP foursome out of Osaka, Japan -- Flumpool: 大阪からの４人のＪＰＯＰ男

Flumpool

My romance with J-POP music groups continues. Four cute guys that can sing. They aren't the kind of J-POP musicians that run around wearing bunny suits in order to get attention. Nor do they need to.

These guys are great. Well-paced music. Emotional. Fun. The music had a slight 'tinny' sound reminding me of the 1960s music scene. To set the scene, think of a small club in Liverpool. The sound quality isn't that good. Yet the foursome on stage definitely have a special quality. So instead of leaving, you stay and listen to the band.

Fast, driving beats. Great musicality. Great vocals. Great tunes. That keeps you in your seat -- wanting more!

Find their MySpace site here:

www.myspace.com/flumpool

Have some fun -- check out these four musicians from Osaka.

C.G. Anderson

Machine Translation (with some human intervention to clean up the translation a bit):

機械翻訳（その翻訳をきれいにするためのいずれかの人間の仲裁で):

Flumpool

Ｊポップ・ミュージックグループと一緒の私のロマンスは継続します。 歌うことができる４人のキュートな男。 彼らは注意を得るためにうさぎスーツを着る走り回る種類のＪＰＯＰミュージシャンではありません。 同様に彼らはそうする必要がありません。

これらの男は素晴らしいです。 うまくペース配分された音楽。 情緒です。 楽しみ。 その音楽は私にその１９６０年代の音楽のシーンを思い出させているわずかな「ブリキかんを叩くような」音を持っていました。 その現場を設定するために、リバプールで小さいクラブについて考えてください。 その音品質はそれほど良くありません。 それでもステージ上のその４人グループは確かに特別な特質を持っています。 それで、去る代わりに、あなたは滞在して、そしてそのバンドに耳をかたむけます。

速い、運転の打つこと。 素晴らしい音楽。 素晴らしいボーカル。 素晴らしい曲。 それはあなたをあなたの席に置いておきます － さらに多くを欲して！

ここで彼らの MySpace 場所を見いだしてください:

www.myspace.com/flumpool

若干の楽しみを持ってください － 大阪からこれらの４人のミュージシャンをチェックしてください。

シン・アンダーソン

Rise and Fall of the American Empire ?

OK, winter break is over and soon I'll be filling up the blog with music reviews again...but for a moment a slight digression, if I may...skip to the end if you want to see where I'm going with this.

I spend a good portion of my time watching television, though notably I spend a very high percentage of that time watching documentaries and educational programs like those on the History Channel. I try to avoid the reality shows that masquerade as documentaries.

I spend more of my time watching channels like the History Channel and National Geographic (avoiding all the horrific animal-attack shows) as well as a lot of cartoons and anime (though I avoid Adult Swim and its toilet-humor, unfunny, imbecilic, cheap to produce stuff.) Anime like Bleach and Moribito I do watch.

However, I do watch the commercials for all the prime time shows and I'm sickened to note that reality shows are still alive and kicking (kicking us when we're down, I mean.) They are still cheap to produce (and show it), go for cheap laughs (and show it) and are still voyeuristic, sensatinalistic and even more cruel. Howie's new show is a prime example -- let's play cruel jokes on people, really make them cry or feel horrible, and then laugh at them. It's a new low NBC (not ABC, sorry).

I had high hopes for NBC's (not ABC, sorry) new international dance competition show -- showcasing the best from around the world -- and I was soon disappointed, mostly by the obvious bias in judging that even the dancers noticed...and the obvious manipulation by some of the judges to help their teams by downgrading major competitors, not to mention their self-centric attitude. Do they really think that the only thing called dance involves Western ballet and ballroom based moves? Do they really think that dissing 2 time world champions and calling them inferior, or other champions, saying they need to 'improve'...really makes us think that they are being unbiased, fair and for that matter, knowledgable?

Interestingly enough, to me the fairest judge was the one from China, in spite of the abuse he and his country was taking (one judge even rolled her eyes when asked to judge a Chinese dancer of national fame--time to hit China because you can, is it?) The back row, minus India, all lost my respect within an hour of watching their childish and obvious tactics.

Needless to say, I'm not watching it anymore. I'd love to see more of some of these performers, especially China, but I'm not sitting through anymore "We're better than you and I'm the expert" bull anymore.

Given the economic times and my penchant for watching the History Channel, I did notice one thing that bothers me more. A program called the Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire detailed the Roman empire and how it turned to greater acts of cruelty as entertainment -- this done to entertain its populace and keep them from rebelling. It also began to have a leadership that didn't earn the right to rule but was given the throne. I noticed two trends:

1) cruelty became entertainment and accepted as 'fun'
2) corruption increased when people were given privileges without having to earn them (leaders that were given their position -- as emperor -- abused their power in ever increasingly extravagent ways)

I looked at the Greeks, too, from Classical to Helenistic (where the Helenistic age all went into greater cruelty entertainment and greater excesses as people didn't earn their power.) They fell to the Romans.

What happened when Rome fell? (at an unimaginable height of cruelty and excess and corruption)...the dark ages began.

The 'Holy' Roman Empire began and eventually that fell when the Renaissance (and then the Age of Reason and Enlightenment, the split of church and state --though not entirely) began and people began to rebel against the abuse, cruelty and extravagence of the church.

(Along the same lines of things I never knew: Did you know that priests used to be able to marry? And the reason the church changed to celibacy - with abuses allowed -- was because they didn't want the priest's property to go to his family? They wanted to keep it --i.e. isn't that greed? envy? ) It fits with the items I noted about the fall of a civilization.

Only now are we realizing that stuff we think we invented during the Renaissance and afterwards, was actually previously invented by the Romans, the Greeks, the lost Minoans, ancient China, etc. Things like water engines, flush toilets, complete gearing systems including computers as well as engineering that actually could shear mountain faces off and drill systems that went through moutains to create a way to 'drain' a lake! And yes, China did know about gunpowder as something other than a fireworks thingy -- they had landmines, torpedos, missiles and even firing systems that fired off multiple missiles (arrows to explosive missiles) at one time.

So what, you ask?

Imagine how far civilization could have come if such knowledge hadn't been lost -- or supressed by the new fanatic intolent religions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam (all based off the same god and prophets and basic belief system and all three systems encouraging supression of spirit and knowledge -- while encouraging a strict hierarchy where a few control the masses.) (This was why so many leaders liked the idea -- it gave them power. Ask Denmark, Norway and Sweden...they'll tell you.)

I know I sound severe about those religions, but I'm looking at it from the perspective of what shaped those religions and what religious leaders did while in charge of those religions. It's just plain disturbing. It's the basic tenets of some of that justification for doing harm and the organized power structure that I really worry about.

The British Empire Fell, the India Empire (s) fell, China fell, Japan fell, Soviet Union fell, Germany fell and so on and on and on -- they all seem to have corruption, excess, abuse of power, lack of worthwhile earned leadership and cruelty to others and their own, not to mention a sense of privilege, 'we're better than you' and arrogance.

I see a lot of reality television where cruelty is the entertainment. I see a lot of power and excess and people abusing that power. I see a lot of good ol' boy insider situations where people get their power without really deserving it, without earning it. I see this reflected in television, politics, institutions and average people defending their abusive actions.

So perhaps the American Empire (sorry, let's be precise...the American Republic) is about to fall as well very soon, if it's not already falling...

Will we see another dark age? And which religion will try to keep us in the dark this time? How much knowledge will be lost and how much life?

Who exactly will emerge as the next great empire, I wonder? China maybe? Successors have always needed vision, drive, intelligence, natural resources and unfortunately, a strong military -- but with leaders that earned their position that don't abuse that power.

I'm researching and compiling a list of things the new empire will likely need in order to reach dominance, and adjusted it for modern views and realities....right now, no one is in a good position to achieve empire status...but tolerance, innovation, intelligence over fanaticism still are requirements...other items like resources, vision, power and so forth are lacking in those that might be the next big empire...

Maybe the three big (organized hierarchy) religions with the common me-only-me base will be supplanted as well? (and yes, as I noted before, I was researching a bit....check your real history, all of them were reacting to political events around them, Roman occupation, war, cruelty-as-entertainment, slavery...so they had a good reason to believe others outside their group were bad and to be killed -- still carry that attitude to excess and you get what? How much blood needs to be spilled?)

I wonder.

So while there's still time before the end of it all, I'll just focus on talking about music and for the most part, keep my mouth shut about the rest. (After all, in all those situations, those that tried to point out the problem found themselves discounted, disparaged and killed off.) I'd rather not be killed, thank you very much...nor disparaged. Discounted, I'm not sure. :)

So I won't do this type of off-the-cuff, unedited, unplanned editorial very often. I'll stick to music and trying to make people laugh (but without abuse and cruelty -- or toilet humor -- if at all possible. No guarantees, even I occasionally like that stuff...I'll admit that I like the anime Shin Chan, but in small doses!)

But for the few of you that read this, in agreement or not, thank you for taking the time to do so.
OK, I'll shut up now. :) (thanks)

CG Anderson
very tired and sad at the moment, 2008 has been a very sad year for me...but music does make me happy, so I'll be back to doing that soon...thank goodness for musicians, artists and writers, you keep me sane(r)!

cganders1@yahoo.com

MUSIC REVIEW: A Bamboo Orchestra and rock band 'four To three'

Bamboo Orchestra

Yes, it is not a typo. For a lovely fusion percussion, acoustic and experimental with not a small amount of naturalism thrown in, do head over to MySpace and visit the Bamboo Orchestra. The band itself is a blend of France and Japan musicality. Sound rhythms, haunting tunes and perfect beats. My only compliant was the shortness of the samples.

Still, if you want to relax a bit, then transport yourself to a world of bamboo...

You can find them at http://www.myspace.com/bambooorchestra

four To three

Want something a bit peppier but not over the top? How about four to three? This rock band out of New York has a lot of potential. Snappy tunes and good raw rocker-sounding vocals, backed up by simple yet clean beats and rhythms. One or two songs that really catch on and this group could find itself in the upper rungs the rock/pop ladder. I'd say they are a band to watch, especially as they continue to mature in musicality and lyric composition.

Check them out for yourself at http://www.myspace.com/fourtothree

CG Anderson

(please excuse typos..I've been tired lately...my apologies!)

MUSIC REVIEW: Quickie-- And Speaking of Great Fusion, Give AJO a Listen

One quick note about a different kind of fusion and an excellent one.

AJO

He only has one song on his Myspace site but it is worth it to hear it.

Check out Ajo and his fusion of Japanese Classical (and drums) and Alternative/Experimental.

I loved it. I hope he puts up more songs soon!

Find him at http://www.myspace.com/ajoheavensdust

Ta!

CG Anderson

MUSIC REVIEW: Japan & Korea's version of Justin Timberlake -- SE7EN

I finally decided to listen to SE7EN, since he's been staying near the top of Japan's MySpace Music rankings for quite awhile. SE7EN is a Korean J-POP and R&B singer living in Japan, signed by a major label there and I suspect, quite popular with girls.

Listening to him, I can hear some R&B smoothness, with an emphasis on romantic ballads. And although his Myspace site says he also is Hip-Hop, I don't really hear that in the samples of music provided--or what I did hear didn't really sound too hip-hop (or rap) to me, rather a weak attempt.

His voice is pleasant, though his vocal range seems limited, but he knows how to stay within that range (most of the time) and avoid any musical issues -- and he's got pop star/male model looks, which undoubtably pleases his fan club no end.

He actually reminds me of Justin Timberlake, and not just his voice and pop-star looks. But also his presentation reminds me of Timberlake and the fact that he is trying to fuse musical genre's -- and like Timberlake, not really doing it that well. Timberlake keeps trying to add rap and hip-hop into his pop-oriented voice and delivery (and failing to really do it well.) SE7EN seems to be trying to do the same thing. I think both of them somehow think it will make them 'cool' to be more rapper-like. It doesn't.

Both SE7EN and Timberlake are good at ballads and soft pop, romantic tunes and there is nothing wrong with that. I applaud both for trying to mix it up a bit and to stretch themselves musically, but in both cases, I don't think the mix worked well.

In fact, I think SE7EN did a better job at adding R&B and a bit of rap and hip-hop influences into his music than Timberlake did in his last album, so kudos to SE7EN. Perhaps he succeeded because he wasn't trying to be as ambitious as Timberlake in the fusion.

Or perhaps the song selection on MySpace didn't show the 'bad tries'...either way, if you want some eye-candy with a pleasant voice and easy-listening songs, give SE7EN a try.

What do you think? Is he a Japan-Korean version of Timberlake? Or is that unfair? Perhaps Timberlake is an American version of him? heh! heh!

You can find SE7EN's Myspace Music site at http://www.myspace.com/se7enhello7

Cheers!
CG Anderson

Definitely time to start looking for rock and metal bands again...enough J-POP and pop for awhile! But I need pointers, folks! Got a fav? email the band's or singer's name and site to me! My email is on my profile here.

MUSIC REVIEW: J-POP time with Ikimono Gakari, TM Network and E-rockers(?) Ayabie (sort of!)

This week, I am offering up three to choose from (two J-POP and one, well...see for yourself!)


Yes, it's time for another J-POP band. This time the pick is newcomer, Ikimono Gakari, an unsigned group very new to the MySpace Music scene. Yet MySpace music fans are already discovering them with over two thousand hits to their site (in only a couple of weeks of being online.)


Despite the language barriers to English-speaking listeners (lyrics are in Japanese), this group sounds just like a European-American pop band with a nice balance between slower ballads and preppy, upbeat tunes.


The sound is very professional, major props to the producer of their music! Musicality is complex yet pleasant, very easy on the ear. Vocals are well done, though there is room for growth there as the band matures (and the female lead vocalist matures and grows in experience.) Nice selection of songs.

As things stand now, the orchestrations and instrumentals are far more complex, professional and challenging than the lead singer, who still sounds reasonable but not as interesting nor as passionate. She needs to really feel the music and stop playing it safe vocally and psychologically. When she finally began to cut loose on the song, Hanabi, I finally heard something really worth listening to. However, I wanted to hear that kind of energy and passion on every song, even the ballads.


Still, if this band can break out of 'safe' and really take the risk and challenge themselves, I think that given their impressive raw talent, you'll have an amazing final result.


Decide for yourself, you can find them at http://www.myspace.com/ikimonogakarifansite


Ayabie
Second up, is an indie label band and while they aren't J-POP, I had to include them because it is actually very difficult to merge Electronica and Rock and do it successfully. This band actually does do a good fusion of the two...then add in their J-POP like visual look...and you have quite a unique bunch of singer/musicians.

Hyperactive and fast paced, with metal/rock-like frenetic and driven vocals, this group takes off in surprising ways. One minute they are the usual beeping and tooting of electronica and then suddenly metal deep-throat vocals cut loose followed up by the 'wang' of guitars singing rock and roll dreams.

They are perhaps a bit too scattered and need to collect themselves and focus on what they really are trying to accomplish. Perhaps that will come in time as they continue to work on their fusion of rock/electronica. And perhaps it will show better with more than two songs to sample (the third wasn't available and the fourth was a comment from the band.)

No matter what, they weren't boring and definitely worth a listen.

Find them at http://www.myspace.com/ayabieusa

TM Network

For this last one, I have to admit I'm a bit bemused. The band made me smile so I'm including it here. I honestly didn't realize that Japan was so into 80's Disco music? That's what the sound of these guys struck me as, stuff from the 1980s, right down to the their hairstyles and the soft tones of their vocal delivery, not to mention the wider, rounder vibes from their synthesizers.


It's not quite the music choice I would usually make, but it was professionally done (and by a major label) and kind of fun to hear. I like that Japan embraces so many musical styles.


Check them out at http://www.myspace.com/tmnetwork

Best,
CG Anderson

MUSIC REVIEW: Japan's Indie Rockers, Sangreal

Another week, another chance to rock and roll.

This week I was once again in the mood for some rock and I was still hunting around old sites and new sites in Japan.

An indie rock band named Sangreal caught my eye and ear. While I still can't speak, much less understand, much Japanese, this band's musicality, vocals, tonality, passion and professionalism made me take quick note.

The lead singer, omi, has pleasant vocals with great tonality, pacing and passion. The song choices were fun yet still with driving rock beats. Think a mix of pop and rock, rather than grunge or metal. But even if you prefer metal or heavier beats, give this band a try. The ability of the musicians is apparent, from their perfect timing to their virtuosity on delicate and complicated riffs.

These guys can play; better yet, they're fun to listen to...and that makes them good performers as well. I love it when a band is not only fun to listen to, but also able to carry off complicated musical feats...and if they have passion as well (which you can hear in the music and the vocals), then I'm sold. And these guys have that.

Only complaint, they have three full songs on their MySpace site...but I wanted a lot more than three!

Give them a try...their site is at http://www.myspace.com/sangrealive

And don't forget to send me pointers to your favorite bands and singers! My email is on my profile and yes, I do read it!

Best,
CG Anderson

MUSIC REVIEW: Japan's JPOP girl - Ranka

Ranka

OK, today we slow down a bit from yesterday's rock fest.

Easy on the ears and easy on the heart; that is the voice and music of Ranka, another JPOP gem out of Japan.

Less the usual, more expected frenetic sound of JPOP and more the easy ballads of which American audiences are typically more fond. Her voice has a lovely quality and clear tones. Her musicians are quality as well, with the overall production sounding very relaxed but well-paced.

This is very quiet relaxing music, that you might find in a dark lounge or a moonlight night. The type of music to enjoy with a glass of wine when you get home from work and want to unwind.

...or you want mood music for a hot date.

My only complaint would be that all her music is of a type. There is nothing to show any faster, more dynamic tempos--nothing to stretch her abilities or generate higher energy.

Still, a glass of wine and a moonlit night is still nothing to sneeze at.

You can enjoy her sweet and soothing tones at http://www.myspace.com/rankaranka

Cheers!

CG Anderson

It's a J-POP kind of day: Buono Fan Club and Kat McDowell

Two posts in two days? I know, strange for me, eh? Well, it was just a J-POP kind of day and I happened to find some gems I wanted to share with you (...before I forgot.)

First up, Kat McDowell, out of Tokyo, Japan. Yes, you heard me right, she's in Japan. How this songbird ended up in Japan, I do not know, but it's Japan's gain and now it's ours as well.

Kat McDowell

Lovely voice and good delivery of lyrics (in both English and Japanese.) Her musicians are first rate professionals, as is the overall production. Whether she's doing J-POP, acoustical or even soft rock with a bit of rap thrown in, Kat is a pleasure to listen to.

My only complaint was that her sample selection was too short -- as regular readers know, I really hate getting just 'snippets' of songs to listen to, I want full songs people!

Still, check her out for yourself...I think you'll like her.

Her site is located at

http://www.myspace.com/katmcdowell

Buono Fan Club

Second but only in order, some "brand new to MySpace" cuties out of Japan as well.

If you love the J-POP look and sound, complete with Japanese school girl outfits, rocking beats and bouncy melodies that just ricochet around the room, then check out Buono Fan Club. These three cuties have got the J-POP thing down pat. They are fun and lively and definitely lifted my day, especially when my energy began to wane. I loved 'em. I've got a personal bookmark on their page for whenever I need extra bounce in my step or a good cheering up.

Have some fun and give them a listen.

Their site is at

http://www.myspace.com/buonobuono

Enjoy!

CG "Shin" Anderson

Music Review: Japan's American songbird, Olivia Ong

OK, the Olympics are over. They were spectacular, weren't they? I think China did a great job and from what I understand China spared no expense in order to make these Olympics one of the best ever. (40 billion dollars, I heard, was the amount they spent overall.) I hope China continues to progress and become a great world partner.

But now time to get back to music...

Today was a bit stressful for me, so I was in the mood for something to calm down the day.

I found her in Japan's "fluent-English" jazz soloist, Olivia Ong. She's unsigned but her voice is lovely and the musicians accompanying her were first-rate, especially the resonant, fluid tones emanating from the saxophonist.

She sings American easy jazz classics and does a nice job with them, too. Her voice fits quite well with classical jazz. For some reason, as I listened and relaxed, instead of being transported back to the heyday of the forties and fifties, the world of Mack the Knife, smoke-filled lounges, black ties and cocktail dresses,. I found myself on a beach in Hawaii. It was sunset. It was warm with a light breeze that smelled of flowers I couldn't identify, and the sound of the ocean rolling in my ears.

Go figure. I didn't realize that I associated jazz with Hawaii. But who cares? It made me relax and that was what I really needed today.

So thank you, Miss Ong. I hope you get signed soon. I'd like to hear you tackle some original songs as well as the classics next time.

Give her a try. What exotic locale will you end up at, I wonder?

Her site is at

http://www.myspace.com/oliviaongsongs

She hasn't logged on to her site since May, so I hope she is well and I hope someone out there who knows her sends her a message that she got reviewed (and favorably too!) (I wish I could but I can't create a comment on her site, only send her a friendly message that she won't see if she doesn't log on.) Ah, the joys of MySpace!

Aloha!

CG "Shin" Anderson

Japan's GLAY (東京都), Japan and France's KOKIA and Beijing, China's TOOKOO!

OK, I wandered back to Japan, a bit off course of my world tour, but I'm glad I did. I happened to find a group that is a bit rock and a bit roll (ok and bit J-POP too!)

GLAY (東京都)
Aside from the messed up MySpace layout which covered up the audio player (at least on my machine, using Firefox, it was covered up) and aside from the little snippets of songs rather than full songs, I really liked this band.

I hate it when they don't put up at least one or two full length songs but instead only put up soundbites. It's like watching a movie preview when you were expecting a movie. You can tell they are signed; I expect some marketing bigwig thinks that he or she knows best and doesn't want the public to have anything for free...sad. Personally, if I like what I hear online, I go out and buy a CD...I'd much rather have a professionally made and guaranteed CD over a wonky download everyday. Can you tell I don't use iTunes??? :)

Anyway, GLAY (東京都) is robust and energetic with driving beats, great musicality and impassioned vocals. Here's another band whose music you might expect to find on anime shows like the fun but edgy Bleach, Ghost in the Shell, DeathNote and so forth. Except this isn't a grunge, goth or metal band, it is a rock J-POP blend, but in a great way. Think rock band with hits that span into and appeal to pop fans as well.

I just wish they'd put up some full samples on their MySpace page and do something about the wonky layout...but listen to them anyway, I think you'll like them.

You can find their MySpace page here (and other links I didn't visit) at
http://www.myspace.com/glayofficial

KOKIA
And if a Tokyo, Japan group is actually based in France, does that count as part of my world tour? The MySpace page is generated and written in French, the band is Japanese J-POP/Pop and a bit of Opera in style.

KOKIA, when I first started to listen didn't impress me. As I listened to the echoing overlayed soprano-like vocals, I thought I was going to listen to yet another singer and group that spent too much time showing off their vocal range and other tricks and not enough time showing that they could execute a song with passion and timing.

I was wrong.

Those fragile, self-indulgent vocals suddenly transformed into a grandiose theme with reach and power. The song, Follow the Nightingale, was mesmorizing, building in drama and intensity until it crescendoed and exploded.

Frankly, it reminded me of Alanis Morisette's song 'One', the complexity, the sense of a lone singer that is suddenly surrounded yet not overwhelmed by a powerful symphony of musicians and intricate music--it was there in this song.

So I listened to the other songs. I liked them as well. Some were playful and simplistic, like the songs children sing in complete innocence, some were complex but with rather annoying voice-over bits that I could do without, but happily others were deeper and complex.

Great vocals, intensely impressive instrumentals and composition and best of all, entertaining and powerful--enough to sweep you away to distant worlds only available in movies or your own imagination. Grand, sweeping, overwhelming -- give them a listen and see what you think.

And I'm counting France as part of my world tour with this group--regardless of it being a Japanese group. :)

Find KOKIA at
http://www.myspace.com/kokiavoice

TOOKOO
Finally, I stopped off in China and after wading through some popular bands (according to their stats) that didn't sound so special to me, I did happen upon a very Rock band called TOOKOO. They say they are a blend of Emo, Indie and Rock. I would place them more firmly on the Rock side with a bit 70's psychedelic and right on the edge of being Metal, but not quite.

Wild, fun and off the wall -- what more can you say except listen to those driving beats and irrepressible energies yourself.

Really, they were a blast to listen to -- just plain fun!

They are at
http://www.myspace.com/tookoo

Enjoy, gotta go!
CG Anderson

くるり / Quruli (Kururi) serves up some easy listening with a bit of kick

Travelling a bit to the east today (from China) we are back in Japan. I'm in an easy, slow mood today since the sun is shining and it is actually warm here in the Northwest (Seattle, WA, USA.)

So perusing through Japan MySpace music sites I find くるり or Quruli by their spelling (Kururi by other Romanji spellings of Japanese Hiragana characters.)

This duo is an easy-listening group, and yes, it's pop music but again not necessarily the outrageous J-POP that most think of when thinking of the pop music scene of Japan. This duo is simply easy to listen to, with a focus on ballads. The musical orchestrations also tend to the ballad-like side, but with complexity and emotive overtones that I also hear with ballad-pop songs of Alanis Morissette.

I like pop tunes that have musical complexity and intricacy. It's one reason I love the work of Alanis. And these guys definitely have some of that same spark.

Vocally, they seem to stay in a safe range and their music tends to be a bit more controlled than American counterparts, but it could just be the selection of tunes that I heard.

Why not see for yourself. Kick back and listen to some Japanese pop for awhile (especially if you aren't into Japanese Metal. Though the two metal bands I found, see previous reviews, are really superb.)

Their MySpace music page is at http://www.myspace.com/quruliofficial

Have an easy, "slow riding in the sun" day!

Where shall I go next on this pre-Olympics musical tour? Continue WEST to Korea, perhaps? or EASTward toward Canada and the West Coast of the US?
Hmmm...

Cheers!
CG Anderson

MUSIC REVIEW: Hinata and Over Limit hidden and not-so-hidden Japan Music Gems

Sorry for the wait! Better late than never, of course!
Happily, I found two offerings that I think will please the palate. One is another J-POP singer, minus the pink pig outfit. The other is a Indie Rock band, though the band does have some pop-like overtones.

Hinata


Hinata is a J-POP and easy-listening vocalist. Though she calls herself J-POP, again, I would typically disagree from what I heard. She would be more akin to a ballad singing pop artist and vocalist in the US and Europe, ala Celine. Perhaps the category of J-POP has nuances that I don't understand, or perhaps, it just seems more convenient for most Japanese singers to list J-POP to help get them some recognition. After all, at its base, J-POP means POP, aka popular style music. Music that doesn't neatly fit into other genres and has a more ballad and/or trendy feel to it.

Regardless, Hinata's voice is lovely. It is a blend of breathy, fragile melodies and raw, exposed feelings, almost husky at times when she is hitting the lower registers. She is wonderful in the arrangements with a full instrumental backing, but I found I liked her best during her LIVE performance. The exposed fragility and vulnerability was particularly apparent in the live mix and lent a gentle hand to the delicate songs she so beautifully captured.

Hinata is easy on the ears and as you can see from her picture, just as easy on the eyes. (This is always helpful to a vocalist but especially in the competitive J-POP arena, where standing out from the crowd is a daily struggle.)

However, it is her voice that captured me. If you'll forgive my maudlin next lines...
Hinata is like Cherry Blossoms floating on a gentle breeze -- flowing, delicate and heartfelt.

Check her out at (sorry for the earlier typo on the myspace address!)
www.myspace.com/hinatacom

Over Limit
Then again, perhaps Cherry blossoms on a gentle breeze aren't your thing?

How about some Rock then?

This indie band's translated bio said that they 'touch the heart' and 'transcend boundaries.' Would I feel that way when I listened to them? Hmm...

From their (unfortunately limited short version) musical offerings, I would agree that this is a definite rock band with promise.

My biggest criticism is that their quick snippets of music aren't really enough to fully enjoy this band or figure out whether they are worth buying. Hopefully, they will recognize that fact and post some full length songs on Myspace. Especially since they wish to reach a worldwide audience.

What I did hear was professional and dynamic. Good vocals, good musicality, catchy melodies and driving rock beats that get your blood pumping and send your adrenal glands into overdrive. They were exceptional, in fact; in both instrumentals and vocals as well as the song choices (even though I can't understand Japanese lyrics). It was a perfect rock/pop/indie blend.

I include indie and a bit of alternative in here because the vocals do show that remarkable 'alternative-esque' searing, heart-rending quality that is so often found in bands that tend to break out of conventional genre molds.

Lots of emotion and catchy tunes--but without losing that "driving, intense" quality of rock.

Worth a listen...but also worth a scolding since they don't include complete songs. In fact, if you like them, let them know it, but chide them as well for holding out on us. Put up some full length songs, Over Limit, so we can decide whether or not we want to buy your CD or download you on iTunes.

But no matter what, keep up the good work!

Over Limit is at
www.myspace.com/ovlmcjr

Enjoy!
CG Anderson

Welcome fellow bloggers, I guess my bad Japanese translations are read occasionally.

Well, I wasn't sure they were out there, you see.
So welcome to the blogger space, Mr Galle,
at,
http://musicfever555.blogspot.com/

(all in Japanese on that blog, folks.)

Nice to know others are out there. I don't get as many emails or comments as I would wish, nor as many heads-ups as I would wish.
So welcome, neighbor!

CG Anderson

修士ウェッブカメラ・プロジェクト。この驚くべきサイトはウェッブカメラへのリンクでいっぱいです。単なる日本ではない、しかしどこでも。Fantastic! Cool!

楽しく素晴らしい。
ウェブカム・ネットワーク。
Iは日本のウェッブカメラを捜していました。
しかし、それらはもっと(これほど多くの)持っています。
さらに、それらは都市とエリアをアルファベット順に並べます。
その後、1つ選びます。

結果は、それらがあなたにそのエリアへの最も近いウェッブカメラを示すということです。
Iはsekigaharaとosakaを捜していました。
面白い。
非常に涼しい。
チェック・イット・アウト。

http://www.the-webcam-network.com/countries/Japan/s.html

ニュー・ミュージック調査は今週末記入されるでしょう。
CGアンダーソン

And I've found the Master WebCam Links Project Page, not just Japan, but

Pretty cool. The Webcam-Network.
I was looking for Japan webcams, but they have so much more. They also alphabetize the cities and areas. Then you choose one. The result is that they show you the nearest webcams to that area. I was looking for sekigahara and osaka. Interesting.

Very cool. Check it out.

http://www.the-webcam-network.com/countries/Japan/s.html

New music review will be posted this weekend.
CG Anderson

DancerUniverse Enters Internet Frontier AND Shizouka, Japan (静岡(日本)) & WorldSkills Competition...something you've never heard of in the States, eh??

I'm having some troubles with my sound card right now, so no music review until that gets resolved. I have some ideas though...a mix of Japan and Vancouver rock, though not literally!

My sound situation? Apparently, machines around me are going petulant for some reason. I wonder if I offended them in some way?

However, a couple of items of interest.

Item one, Katie Farhat of DancerUniverse.com gave me a heads up about her relatively new site dedicated to dance. She saw my 'old now' review of Movmnt magazine and my decrying of good dance websites in that review. :)

In her own words...fair game, Katie!...

"We publish all articles from the print edition of magazine on the website each month and have an archive that dates back to 2002 (maybe 2000?) with full articles online in the (mostly) appropriate "portals".

The website is for everybody who cherishes dance. Danceruniverse.com is basically an information and networking site. We have directories/calendars for industry companies/organizations to put their information in the "right place" as to not interfere with regard to promotion and advertising. We of course, have regular ad serving to pay the bills. My Dance Place on Danceruniverse.com is also the only dance specific news source indexed by Google (that is new and we are really excited about it)......

This is our attempt at creating a REAL community for dance on the web.

Just want to give you a heads up that we are here and that there IS a place for everything dance on the web! (well that is what we are trying to do anyway)."

I took a quick peek and it looks promising. I'll check it out more later but I'd like to hear what other people think, first. Oh, and keep in mind that website is "Dance...R...universe" with an R, not Danceuniverse...type the wrong one and you go to one of those search sites that tries to redirect you to somewhere you likely don't want to go.

Item two is for Japanese fans and curious alike. I found some video footage on a Japanese Government site of the WorldSkills Competition held in Shizuoka, Japan (静岡(日本)) last December 2007.

Pretty cool stuff and this particular video is subtitled--bits of art, fashion, landscaping, and so forth, you name it. Other videos as well..the "Nursing Care Robots" got my attention as well! Not to mention the video on aquariums. And don't miss the one entitled "Communicating Japan's Pop Culture to the World!"

A government that wants to communicate POP culture to the world? Aren't governments usually trying to suppress silly stuff like that? :) Oh wait, maybe that's just neo-conservatives in our government!?

Anyway....
Not something you generally get to see in 10 second sound bites on local TV around here, especially stuff that is world-view oriented...not these days in local or national news, or even US world news which is more concerned about politics at home and body counts abroad!

And this stuff is definitely something that has NOTHING TO DO with the US Presidential Race. HURRAH!

What? Do I sound petulant now? :)

Back to negotiating with petulant machines,
Ta!
CG Anderson
cganders1@yahoo.com