2025 in 2025: Day 197

Somehow I have made it to the end of the year with 17 albums to go. What a trip...

愛泥C - Charisma.com

Like always, big beats, dreamy vocals, quirky rapping. They have a formula that never changes - and I would never want it to!

Highlights: GODcustomer, サプリミナル・ダイエット, 骨抜きに恋して

7.5/10

携帯電話 - RADWIMPS

The B-side on this single is seriously groovy. Pre- movie soundtrack RADWIMPS really were something else.

Highlights: ハイパーベンチレイション

7.5/10

旅鳥小唄 -Songbirds of Passage- the LOW-ATUS

細美さん teams up with a dude that actually used to hate him to make some full on roots acoustic kind of stuff. Certainly more country than you would expect from a couple of Japanese punks.

Highlights: 丸氷, ダンシングクイーン, オーオーオー, いつも通り

7.5/10

星飼いの少年 - AKIHIDE

Somewhat jazzy and progressive. Mostly instrumental classical guitar based pieces.

Highlights: 青空, 星追いの少女

6.5/10

有頂天 - ポルカドットスティングレイ

First of all, during this period their singer had the best haircut in rock. Shiiiizzz I ain't afraid of you mofos. Secondly, there are so many cool riffs and driving rhythms that it is a veritable party up in here! ラブコール is a certified 20/10 banger!

Highlights: ラブコール, ICHIDAIJI, 有頂天, DENKOUSEKKA

8/10

柏木由紀なりのBiSH -BAD TEMPER- - BiSH

The final pre-BiSH is OVER single and a collaboration with 柏木由紀. I am not sure exactly who she is, but this song is pretty much standard BiSH; kinda punk, but with strings and big catchy stuff. Oh wait; since this is not strictly BiSH, does that mean it is not included in my giant pizza box? I best go investigate...

Highlights: 柏木由紀なりのBiSH -BAD TEMPER-, オーケストラ <KASHiWACK version>

9/10

此処から - Organic Call

I think this may be my first time hearing this song? Because it is so amazing I am sure I would have remembered it. Indie rock with an absolutely SOARING ending.

10/10

歪んだ鉛筆は誰かに折られないために - HAMIDASYSTEM

Dark brooding electro stuff. With vocals that legit sound like one of the girls from BiSH. If the singing was better, this would be seriously great. What can I say? iDOL is SHiT!

Highlights: インビジブル・ムービー, 水槽標本, 舞台に溶かされて

7/10

水平線、続く天青 [EP] - Organic Call

Hot dang, these cats are seriously very good! Easily the best find of this journey - which is stupid, considering they have been in my library for at least five years now. I need MOAR!!!

Highlights: 愛おしき日々たちへ, 空に灯す, 3秒前の憂鬱, 茜色

9/10

溢れた水の行方 - 緑黄色社会

I am not sure if this is peak 緑黄色社会, because their debut album is so brilliant, but this is certainly a worthy successor - even if it is just an EP. Just fantastic pop rock and even a little bit of edge on a couple of songs.

Highlights: Never Come Back, Bitter, サボテン, リトルシンガー

9.5/10

生と詩 - 2

May Prime bless those wonderful kids at Tower Records and their musical choices. One of the most raucous punk albums since The Hives. But also featuring one of the coolest guitar solos on the planet. This album deserved much more notoriety than it received. 

Highlights: 東狂, フォーピース, ルシファー, SとF

9.5/10

生命の弦声笛 - 十一

Somewhat traditional folk-styled music? Super chilled and relaxing - very sparse and minimalist.

Highlights: I feel good

7/10

祈跡 - RADWIMPS

Super early RADWIMPS is such a strange thing. Some of it just sounds like high schoolers messing around on their school's recording equipment.

Highlights: 祈跡

6.5/10

絶体絶命 - RADWIMPS

From the near nadir of their roots to the absolute peak of their awesome. I cannot even count the amount of times I had a fist in the air listening to this album. Hot damn - I had forgotten how cool it is. Perfect way to end a couple of days of RADWIMPS tearing up this marathon.

Highlights: 億万笑者, DADA（dadadada Ver.), 君と羊と青, 救世主

10/10

緑黄色社会 - 緑黄色社会

An absolute gem of an album; the most dreamy indie pop rock, full of emotion and generally fantastic musicianship. I have been critical of almost everything they have released since, because this album is so darn perfect!

Highlights: 真夜中ドライブ, 恋って, Re, 始まりの歌

10/10

脱・既成概念 - BiSH

BiSH is OVER - and so is this marathon, almost! This is one of the weirdest singles ever from them - just the cheesiest of dance pop iDOL SHiT. And the B-side is almost Harry Connick Jr-style jazz pop. I kinda dig it all!

Highlights: 脱・既成概念, I

8/10

華納好歌連場精選 - George Lam

And we have reached the end! And what a song to end with; 男兒當自強 the theme for Once Upon a Time in China (and The Return of the Mystery Monks of the Shaolin Temple - one of the greatest cinematic achievements in history). Makes you feel like giving everyone a no-shadow kick to the face. Especially me for listening to 2025 albums and it taking me all darn year!

10/10

'Albums' listened to: 2025

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

And remember: I ain't afraid of you mofos.

FREE PALESTINE

2025 in 2025: Day 74

Forever Valentine - Whiskeytown

This is actually very good. Well, the songs are. Mostly. The recording is very budget, which is a bit distracting.

Highlights: Easy Hearts, Sittin' Around, Ghost Without Memory, Don't Wanna Know

7/10

Forget You [Single] - Cee Lo Green

I find the radio version of this song a bit more fun than the version with all the swearing. Except for when William Shatner does his thing with it.

9/10

forme - YUKI

This album is hard to pinpoint; there are some really great pop moments and some chill-out Sunday afternoon lounge-style stuff. It is mostly kind of there... and then it ends with a straight-up amazing song that always gives me the feels.

Highlights: 24hours, 美しいわ, チャイム, しのびこみたい, 風来坊

7/10

form [EP] - ichika

Super chill guitar virtuoso instrumentals. And purely guitar. So very sparse.

Highlights: I am now very relaxed

6/10

Forty Licks - Rolling Stones

I'm not sure how I ended up with such a large Stones compilation, when I am hardly what you would call a fan. I can appreciate some of their work, especially a lot of it on here. In fact, there are a few songs of theirs that I really like more and are not on here! What's up with that?!? I listened to 2 1/2 hours of Rolling Stones and didn't get to hear Highwire, but had crap like Undercover of the Night?

Highlights: Gimme Shelter, Jumpin' Jack Flash, Paint It Black, Get Off My Cloud, Honky Tonk Women, Beast of Burden, You Got Me Rockin'

6/10

Foundation - Drunken Tiger

Drunken Tiger is a lot of fun.

Highlights: Foundation, 슬픈 기타줄

7/10

Four Piece - 2

I had to buy this from iTunes, so it automatically translated the katakana. Which is interesting, because I had assumed the original title was For Peace. Shows what I know? Anyways, this is purely the b-side Black Star. Not the David Bowie song. Nor the amplifier. But the song is FIRE.

10/10

The Fragile (Left) - Nine Inch Nails

Dark and angry industrial stuff, but also some really really good instrumentals. Maybe that Trent Reznor guy should make instrumentals for movies?

Highlights: Somewhat Damaged, The Wretched, We're In This Together, La Mer

7/10

The Fragile (Right) - Nine Inch Nails

More of the same? Musically, it is all quite interesting and certainly serves well as background music while attending to various tasks. Or working. But maybe don't play track 6 in your office or retail store?

Highlights: Into The Void, StarFuckers Inc., The Big Come Down

6.5/10

Frampton Comes Alive! - Peter Frampton

By George, I really need to get one of the deluxe versions of this album. This whole album is such a vibe and I'm still rocking my original issue CD that skips songs from the original record. What kind of society are we living in?

Highlights: Show Me The Way, Wind of Change, Do You Feel Like We Do, (I'll Give You) Money

8/10

Frank - Amy Winehouse

This may sound odd, but I actually have never gotten the hype around this album. I find it all pretty boring. Winehouse could sing and all that, but there was just nothing on here that grabs me. Back to Black is far superior.

Highlights: Stronger Than Me, I Heard Love is Blind

6/10

Frank [Bonus Disc] - Amy Winehouse

Some of these live songs are good - somewhat better than the studio version, in my opinion. I'm not sure why, but whenever she sings about "Frank", I think she is talking about a pet rabbit. Every. Single. Time.

Highlights: In My Bed (Live at the Concorde), Mr Magic (Through the Smoke) [Janice Long Session]

6/10

"Albums" listened to so far: 607