Weekly: Honky Tonk Pirate Croquette

Okay -- now for new stuff.
But just a bit of it. I'm outta here in a sec ...
While I'm still not much of a Japanese music fan, I do keep up with new stuff. Especially from my favorite labels, Second Royal and Escalator Records. Those two labels, Second Royal in particular, are fronting this new Japanese music scene. Style? I still have no idea what the hell these guys are playing. Their influences literally are coming from hundreds of sources, but what makes this even more confusing and impressive is the fact that they do it so seamlessly. Second Royal's "secret weapon," Collette, is an excellent example of this. Just listen to these two songs, The Love Song Never Sung and Daybreak. I don't get it. "The Love Song Never Sung" is all funk and what? like kids' choir? And then there's like, electronica and lo-fi dance, and ... I just don't get how these Japanese dudes do it!
The King Of France has made me love cute pop/rock all over again. Yeah, I know, I was saying just a few months ago how I've grown tired of this sort of thing. Since everyone, it seems, can write a good hook or two and throw 'em in a single, what makes hooks so impressive? And what makes power-pop and pop/rock music in general so great, then, since they sort of uh, depend on "good hooks"? But the King Of France are weirder; quirkier ... (next I'm gonna be saying, "if everyone is able to be weird and quirky, what makes being weird and quirky such a positive thing?")
Listen to Mexico and White Confection.
And I can't resist. But Pretty Girls Make Graves are coming out with a new record, so I decided I'd do the "illegal" and share some of the leak ...
The album, Elan Vital, is stronger, vocally, than their previous efforts, and it's certainly more diverse. I don't know if that's a good thing, though. The record is less intense. It's like the band got all happy, but is trying to still make their gothy, dance-inspired rock. I like all their organ stuff, though ...
Check out Domino.
And I'm right outta time.