Looking ahead, June 2010-August 2010

As I mentioned before, I’ve been posting release news to the Musicwhore.org Facebook page, but if you’re allergic to anything Facebook, here’s a round-up, plus a few items I scrounged up from various other sites.

Do As Infinity, "Infinity Ni", June 16

Still kind of waiting for this reunion to pay off …

Sasagawa Miwa, miwaTale, June 23

UA, KABA, June 23

iLL, Turn A, June 23

I found out about Sasagawa Miwa’s next EP, miwaTale, from a CD Japan e-mail, so folks outside of Japan don’t need to worry about limited availability. If it pop ups on the Evil Sharing Networks, I may check it out, but looking back, Jijitsu and Mayoi Naku are all I really need from her. And the "Tomenaide" single.

UA explores covers once again with KABA. Her previous cover album, cure jazz focused on standards. This time, she’s covering Japanese artists and a few western artists, including Red Hot Chili Peppers, Fiona Apple, Björk and Radiohead.

I never really warmed up to iLL, and a collaboration album with the likes of Mukai Shuutoku, ACO, Base Ball Bear and RYUKUDISCO probably won’t make me start. Still curious, though, but not about the POLYSICS track. Never about POLYSICS.

the brilliant green, "Blue Daisy", June 30

This tweet from Victoria at purple sky (and also a regular Musicwhore.org commenter) sums up my thoughts about the brilliant green as well.

ART-SCHOOL, Anesthesia, July 7

ART-SCHOOL commemorates its 10-year anniversary this year, and this EP follows up last year’s 14Souls album. Have I been at this for that long?

Sting, Symphonicities, July 13

First, a John Dowland album, then a Christmas album. Now, symphonic renditions of Police songs. There’s really only one more place to go after this — an original symphonic work or a chamber piece by Sting. Maybe even an opera. I shudder to think.

The Art of Noise, Influence, July 26 (UK)

Years back, the Art of Noise released a boxed set that pretty much focused on the (Who’s Afraid of …?) The Art of Noise! era. This new retrospective promises to cover everything after it, but the track listing indicates that slightly. Myself, I’d like the In Visible Silence-era b-sides.

The Arcade Fire, The Suburbs, July 6

Neon Bible did nothing for me. I’ll give The Suburbs a chance, and if it’s a no-go, then I’ll just stick to Funeral.

Fujifabric, MUSIC, July 28

The album Shimura Masahiko was working on before his death in December 2009.

Hajime Chitose, Orient, Aug. 4

Hajime Chitose, Occident, Aug. 4

The idea of Hajime Chitose recording covers is a better concept on paper than in execution. Her self-titled EP before she signed with a major label featured a number of Western covers, and while her vocals were great, the music accompanying her was uninspired. Occident will probably interest me less than Orient, which features traditional music, something Hajime hasn’t done since the start of her career.

Updated dates

  • ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION, Magic Disc, Jun. 23