New Puffy Single! "Moyers"

Last week the new single "Moyers" by Puffy dropped. 

Many thoughts about this one, but it feels like a Puffy song which is good.  I will encapsulate in a review next week. No rush, their pace these days doesn't require it. :)  

Puffy 30th Anniversary Release

Saw this come through the Puffy e-mail newsletter, they will be releasing a compilation album for their

milestone 30th anniversary.   From the update you can see that this is a member selected set of songs, so hopefully that is Ami and Yumi and not the staff  (which is a complaint of mine for a similar ZARD greatest hits album shortly before her passing).  Expect this to drop May 13,  I have not seen it appear on Amazon Music's US site, but that is often the last in line for releases. 

I'll be perfectly honest here, for a landmark anniversary this is underwhelming.  I expected more and for me about half the tracks are ones I would like to hear. Everything else not so much.  The album art is also not great unless found thrift store art is your thing (which is coo, just not for me). 

The physical CD also costs ¥5,000 (~$32), which is not out of the norm for a disc these days.  If you pre-order you can get a free digital wallpaper which is the album art in a different dimension.  Again, the lowest possible effort for a milestone release.

As a note, the Japanese music industry is notorious for repackaging and then repackaging again artist's greatest hits so this is not out of the norm.  Being a ZARD fan I have still acquired her compilation albums, mostly because the track lists are strong with songs are ridiculously good.  Judge for yourself, here is the track list:

1. Asia no Junshin | Lyrics: Yosui Inoue / Composition & Arrangement: Tamio Okuda

2. Kore ga Watashi no Ikiru Michi | Lyrics, Composition & Arrangement: Tamio Okuda

3. Nagisa ni Matsuwaru Etcetera | Lyrics: Yosui Inoue / Composition & Arrangement: Tamio Okuda

4. MOTHER | Lyrics, Composition & Arrangement: Tamio Okuda

5. Ai no Shirushi | Lyrics & Composition: Masamune Kusano / Arrangement: Tamio Okuda

6. Boogie Woogie No. 5 | Lyrics, Composition & Arrangement: Tamio Okuda

7. Hi Hi | Lyrics: Puffy AmiYumi / Andy Sturmer / Composition & Arrangement: Andy Sturmer

8. Kuchibiru Motion | Lyrics, Composition & Arrangement: Kazuya Yoshii

9. Dareka ga | Lyrics & Composition: Yusuke Chiba / Arrangement: Kenji Ueda

10. All Because Of You | Lyrics & Composition: Butch Walker / Avril Lavigne Arrangement: Butch Walker

11. Bye Bye | Lyrics, Composition, Arrangement: Masahiko Shimura

12. Go Baby Power Now | Lyrics, Composition, Arrangement: Jon Spencer

I guess the big question is Puffy going to retire on this anniversary which they have previously stated might be the case.  But we also heard that for other benchmark anniversaries.  

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P.S. Life has been remarkably complicated as of late so expect posts to happen but like Puffy not at an aggressive pace. No surprise its been like that for years now. 

New Digital Single: Collage

 This news kinda missed me but read on Toky Tunes, that Puffy released the digital single "Collage" which was written and produced by Tooboe.  The song is for the televised anime “The Story of a Girl Who Couldn’t Become a Wizard.”  Jacket design is of the main characters, I have not heard of this anime so that's about all I know.

 

Digital was released on October 5, 2024, the physical single will be released on November 20, 2024.  The physical single will set you back about $26 dollars or about 4000 yen.  That feels a bit steep for a CD single, but as my friend in Tokyo put it physical sales are now more for collection... which may explain the elevated prices.  Even me as a completist gives a lot of pause about picking up a physical cope. 

Hoodie Fam + Puffy + Ai No Shirushi = Hilarity Ensuing

An area I am not all that knowledgeable with is Japanese YouTubers in the funny dance genre, but glad I stuck with this short off of Puffy's YouTube channel.  No real reason for it, I do not watch shorts with any regularity.  Towards the end Ami and Yumi make an appearance and they're funnier than the funny dance guys doing yet another rendition of "Ai no Shirushi" which if you recall there was a bit of a splash on YouTube a while back.  

While Puffy's output over the years has become a trickle, I am glad they are still a thing and seem to have embraced their modern state in Japanese music. 

And hey, if anyone is actually reading this, leave a comment.

 

P.S. If you are looking how to embed YouTube Shorts, this is a helpful page. 

Puffy really could cover "Yureru Omoi" by Zard

Yo Yoshida and Rio Suzuki have been doing Pokari Sweat adverts in Japan for a while and honestly they have so much synergy between with each other that I hope they do commercials with each other forever.  They are silly ads and simple.  Then something happened and they started doing the songs for the ads.  Then the songs themselves had a full length MV.  Most are fun and for actors singing come off very well. 

However a couple years ago they covered "Yureru Omoi" by the 90's legend Zard aka Izumi Sakai (who I have covered in a previous blog).  It works amazingly well and Yo Yoshida is of an age that Zard would have hit critical mass when she was younger.  Her excitement singing and going into the chorus is really heartwarming.    

My oldest and I were watching this and her comment was that Puffy would cover this song even better.  She was right, "Yureru Omoi" would be an incredible cover by them.  Especially with Puffy's more lean band line up so vocals would sound something like this but instruments something more like Zard. 

If you have not checked out Zard... well Izumi Sakai was a special vocalist so please do so.  Her positivity and powerful singing were something that resonated in Japan. My kid upon one listening started checking her out because her voice was second to none.

Despite her tragic death in 2007, she remains relevant today.  Concerts with her recorded vocals and live musicians still happen.  A cover band of young women, Sard Underground, carry the musical torch and they bring new life to Izumi Sakai's music.  

Izumi's death still gets me and makes me sad... yet happy because her music was special.  There was so much more she had to give to Japanese music. While she is now long gone, the world is better for her being in it, even if that time was short.

Here is one of the memorial concerts.

Hoyareho Lullaby

Hey Puffy fans... this new song, "Hoyareho", escaped me, which is a littl eembarrassing as I (like almost everyone) is stuck at home... listening to a lot of music. Anyways, Natalie Mu has a write up here... The song was composed by an AI, then Ami did thee lyrics and Shunsuke Watanabe did the arrangement.

   

 I would not call this an official release as it is not on the Puffy site as a single, I'd call it a musical experiment or project. I'll be honest it really is not my cup of tea, but I can see why it is a lullaby.  I am glad to see Puffy doing some work.

Anyways, I hope 2021 provides something interesting to write about and that where ever you are that you are safe and healthy.

There is Not Lazy and Not Lazy

I like the fact that Puffy is playing in the US after a fairly long hiatus and this post is probably going to upset some fans.  I get that.  Frankly, I thought they had all but abandoned fans across the Pacific.  So the Not Lazy Tour does represent something of a surprise,  I do take issue with calling it a tour much less dubbing it not lazy. This had been bothering me for a while and I could not put my finger on why exactly, until I saw Shonen Knife announce their US tour and I have some tough love to dole out which pleases me not at all to do so.

Shonen Knife's touring is the precise definition of Not Lazy.  They do double digit cities on a nearly annual touring basis.  They are a band that has never had the same success as Puffy in their native Japan.  They have never had the same media exposure in the US like Puffy.  They have not had a vastly power label like Sony supporting them.  Yet Shonen Knife has far greater tours in the US.

The question I as myself now is why is that so?    

This is less of a shot at Puffy than it is acknowledging that Shonen Knife (Naoko Yamano) is personally invested in touring the US.  Not only does she seek labels to distribute her band's music, but she has laid the ground work for decades by touring the US.  People obviously show up as it is not a charity.  Ami and Yumi seem less personally invested and it would be my best guess that tours and many other things are handled by their people.  Which may be a byproduct of their overwhelming success compared to Shonen Knife in Japan.  It may also be that Shonen Knife has always been Noako's creation whereas Puffy is a group that was forged by Sony.

Perhaps it is an issue of personal investment and here is a rub as a fan of Puffy (more so than Shonen Knife, whom I like but not nearly as much).  What Shonen Knife has done for decades cannot and probably will not be something Ami and Yumi can replicate.  First the ground work is a decade behind Shonen Knife, but also  it simply seems like it is not of serious interest to Puffy to do so.

The lines of thinking between Shonen Knife and Puffy seems to boil down to this. Shonen Knife approaches a US tour like lets see where we can play and put together a tour.  Puffy approaches it by who wants us to play.  I think it speaks to Shonen Knife having some personal investment in touring the US whereas Puffy takes a more passive approach facilitated by their people.

I do not doubt for one second that Puffy could have a twenty date US tour and do well.  Puffy is arguably the best known band from Japan in the US, this might change over time as a band like Perfume makes headway... but for now a far lesser band, namely Shonen Knife is really Not Lazy and that is because Naoko Yamano has invested her energies into the US fans.

The smartest thing Puffy could do if they have any desire to invest in US tours is have Naoko Yamano manage their US tour dates and have Shonen Knife open for them. It would be a win-win for both bands.

All this said, I am sure Ami and Yumi will work hard to put on the great shows they have committed to.  They are not just engaging, but also professionals.  Perhaps if these dates are successful a door will be opened and there will be a new vector for them to apply their energies outside of Japan.


P.S.  I like Puffy far more than Shonen Knife and it genuinely pained me to write all of this.  I continue to listen to Puffy still far more than any other Japanese band and they hold the largest share of my Japanese music heart.  Puffy has vastly more range and talent than most Japanese groups, but I acknowledge that there is little substitution for determination of which Naoko Yamano has in spades when it comes to the subject of US touring.  

Puffy Fantasy Theater

Following up on the last post, Ami and Yumi talk about their tie in with Sanrio for Fantasy Theater Sanrio Characters.  I for one will never ever make fun of Hello Kitty, as I have been roundly (and politely) scolded by my friend Sumi-san many years ago for making even the slightest joke.

It went roughly like this:

Me:  If Hello Kitty dies woudl it be Goodbye Kitty?
Sumi-San: Why are you making fun of Hello Kitty-chan, she is nice.
Me: . . .

So some cool news for Puffy in their 20th year and it feels like steam is building up given not only this but also their TV shedule has been busier than it had been for nearly a decade it seems.  All good things.

Fantasy Theater can be found on Google Play or on iTunes. It is not compatible on my Android devices, so I need to figure out a hack to that...

P.S.  Is Yumi standing on a box, wearing platform shoes or is Ami shrinking... their heigh difference is not that extreme..

Hello Puffy

File this under the most awesomely Japanese thing ever.  Puffy has collaborated with Sanrio on the mobile game "Sanrio Character's Fantasy Theater."

Song can be downloaded (250Y) here... Not sure if us over seas folks can, but I'll get back to you.

P.S.  If any of you are still out there... throw in a comment.

20th Anniversary Album Is Out And Sundry

Apologies for being a little quiet, real life has a way of interfering. Anyways, the 20th anniversary album is for sale in Japan (4/6 there... for me not yet) and titled 20th Anniversary Best Album Hi Datsuryoku Ha Senge.

I like the cover, it is something different in style to other Puffy albums.  Not in a rush to buy it just yet, I usually let my wants from Japan pile up and then order.  Of course I will be in Tokyo in July so I may just wait till then.

On the plus side a physical CD will make a great fan as Tokyo in July is appallingly hot and humid.

Also releasing today is the single from the album: Hidatsuryokuha Sengen.

I am hoping my trip somehow coincides with a concert in Tokyo, I will be keeping an eye on tour dates and if so... I will be contacting my friend Dr Doug who introduced me to Puffy and now lives in Tokyo.

Anyways, from scanning Puffy's social media feeds it appears they are in studio which I am hoping is good news.  Specifically that it is a new album to coincide with this momentous year.

P.S.  As a side note, the format of this site is possibly going to change to encompass more Japan artists.   There is a lot I listen to that I want to share, so either I start up a new site and Puffy stuff appears on both or this one... what do you think?

P.S.  It would be doubly cool if Ami and Yumi can keep Puffy intact for the 2020 Olympics... specifically the opening ceremony.  Asia no Junshin seems like a perfect song for that event.

20th Anniversary Greatest Hits Album

Puffy has a 20th anniversary greatest hits album due 4/6, so very soon.  Looks like there will be two limited deluxe versions (8000 yen) and a regular version (3200 yen).  No idea what goods will be in the deluxe versions specifically, but it appears to be part of a clothing line they are involved with BEAMS.   Given I am not Japanese sized, I have my doubts that I will buy the deluxe versions... Any ways here is the track list (I'll try and clean up titles later):

DISC 1
1 Innocence of Asia
2 This is the way that I live
3 Daughter of Circuit
4 Etcetera surrounding Nagisa
5 MOTHER
6 Token of love
7 Tararan
8 Sunday daughter
9 For the sake of a dream
10 To the sea
11 Boogie Woogie No.5
12 New day-to-day
13 Blue Tears
14 Akai Blanco
15 SUNRISE
16 Begin Again
17 Moguraraiku

DISC 2
1 boom boom beat
2 Oriental Diamond
3 Lips motion
4 All Because Of You
5 My Story
6 Day and Hime
7 Someone has
8 Happy birthday
9 Wow of Friends!
10 De-dystopia
11 my journal
12 The secret of Gimme Cat
13 Pa fu ィ APICAL Polyster Hill
14 COLORFUL WAVE SURFERS
15 COCO Hawaii
16 Looking for tears
17 «New song»

Mostly familiar ground from the prior greatest hits albums with a live track and one new song (there may be more that I could be missing).  Also their worst song to date is included... I'll give them credit for sticking by it.  

My personal opinion is given Puffy had a 15th anniversary greatest hits album and very little material since (singles no albums) to show since this seems egregious.  Sort of like Jet Fever, a greatest hits album after two full albums, shelved demos and an EP.  That said, it seems all too common place among Japanese artists, so maybe that is just the way of it. Judy and Mary did the same thing to no real benefit other than padding bank accounts.  

Hopefully a full new album is in the mix.  This feels like something of a letdown for a tremendous anniversary for Ami and Yumi as performers.

Puffy at RockCorps

 Couple weeks back on September 5th, Puffy performed at the RockCorps event which was for support of victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake.  The set list is not elaborated, but as multiple artists performed so I would hazard it was a short set.

via barks.jp

In weeks prior (via rockcorps.yahoo.jp) Ami and Yumi also went to volunteer groups and helped out, in this article's case for photo restoration.

Here are some pics (via barks.jp) of the concert event for RockCorps:

via barks.jp

via barks.jp

via barks.jp

via barks.jp

via barks.jp

via barks.jp

Good to see Ami and Yumi keeping their hand in the game.  From other news it looks like they are currently in the studio and hopefully that points to a new album for their 20th anniversary.

Ami & Yumi Throw Out The Ceremonial Pitch For The Fukuoka Hawks

Wish this were of Ami and Yumi throwing out the ceremonial pitch, but here is a quick interview segment.  From looking at other Hawks opening pitches, they appear to have a bit of a production behind it.



Here are some pics via one of the Japan media outlets.

As we close in on year 20, hopefully we will see more events from Puffy!

New Commercial, Old Song, New Song & Lazona Kawasaki Plaza

Puffy will be featured in the "Lazona Bargain!" campaign Lazona Kawasaki Plaza with a new song "Colorful Wave Surfers" starting 6/22/15.

"Colorful Wave Surfers" was composed by Okamoto Koki of The Okakmotos.  Not that I have a ton of exposure to The Okamotos (something I will correct), but they seem more rock than Rolly.  So that is good news.  Some chatter about more collaborations but nothing solid and hopefully not Rolly.

It is a little disappointing that Puffy seems to be kind of relegated.  Their opening for a Dutch Pop-Jazz singer Caro Emerald is something I'll chock up to a warm up for their own tour... but I cannot recall the last time Puffy was an opening act.  Now Puffy is shilling for a mall, albeit a fairly big mall but according to Trip Advisor not especially noteworthy.  Puffy keeps their hand in the game and it gives me something to write about.

Additionally this fall Puffy will appear in the film "Uchimura Summers THE MOVIE Angel" and contribute the song "Kore ga Watashi no Ikiru Michi" as the theme song.  Cool stuff, maybe I should have led with that.

(h/t to the Puffy page on Facebook)

Puffy's 2015 Tokyo Billboard Show

Puffy played on Thursday April 9th at the 2015 Billboard show in Tokyo (h/t natalie,mu).  It appears Ami and Yumi were more relaxed in this show than the prior year.   It is hard to tell if there is something going on with their dynamic or perhaps fallout from Yumi's second marriage ending at that time put a strain on things.  In either case it is nice to see (according to Google translate) that they seem looser and in a better place.

Picture via Natalie.mu

Several take away items from the article I pulled most of this information from.  Drums (Koichi Kawanshi) and bass (Kinoshita Hiroharu) are back in order.  A keyboardist is also present (Mikio Ito).  My best guess is the guitar player is new (Yusuka Fujita) and the only one.  The last is an interesting choice, as Puffy in in the past year went two guitars and no keyboardist.  From what I heard from the live performances that have been streamed, this is probably a better choice as keyboards are integral to Puffy's musical style.  How important we may debate, but they are.

Picture via Natalie.mu

The set list was a mix of what we would expect, no surprises:

     1. K2G
     2. Kore ga Watashi no Ikirumichi
     3. Daisuki (Cover)
     4. Boogie Woogie #5
     5. boom boom beat
     6. Puffy de Rumba
     7. Mother
     8. Jet Keisatsu
     9. Nagisa Ni Matsuwaru Etc
     10. Radio Tokyo
     11. Asia no Junshin (encore)

Not sure if this tells us anything about the next year, but Ami made mention last year about some things coming to the fore in the spring so what those are is as much a mystery to you as it is to me.  In either case Puffy continues to keep their hand in the game and that is good.

When Puffy Turns 20: Thoughts, Hopes & Fears

Puffy’s twentieth anniversary is coming up next year, which for American bands would be a noteable achievement.  For a Japanese act?  Outstanding, especially since bands in Japan quit at the drop of a hat, cynically repeat quitting  or never gain traction and dissolve.   Examples of this are Judy & Mary, Murasaki and PuppyPet respectively.

Chatter on Ami’s feed has briefly mentioned her and Yumi’s twentieth anniversary as a duo, which got me to thinking:

What do I want from Puffy for their twentieth anniversary?

A live album from the tour.  This would be on the scale of Judy And Mary’s Warp Tour Final, but tack on another ten songs to seal its awesomeness.  So think a double cd, if not a triple.

A bluray or DVD of the tour’s final concert.  Lots of extras with making of, behind the scenes, alternate camera angles, commentary.  Ideally this would be a bonus or mega set with the CD version of the concert.

US Tour dates.  Honestly I think this is incredibly unlikely unless they partner up with Comicon or another act that they can partner with (Shonen Knife would be a fine example).

A new album.  This want fills me with trepidation.  Are we going to get something really good like Sweet Drops or something awful like Himitsuno Gimmy Cat Ufufu Hontouyo?  Much as I think Rolly is talented (his cover of Talalan is really great for example) and creative, what he passes off as music sometimes is not good.   The only thing that gives me hope is Thank You took a while to release and it was quite good, so hopefully Ami and Yumi are striving for perfection and that is why we have seen nothing for the better part of four years.

An ambitious tour.  I am not talking about number of dates alone, I am talking venues.  A few scenarios here for the final tour concert.  Some are probable, good and limited.  The others increasingly unlikely, bad and awesome.  The first scenario is they play Hibiya Yagai Daiongakudo and interest in their concerts is about the same.  The second scenario is Nippon Budokan which could come about if there is good press and interest in Puffy’s Anniversary.  The last scenario is Tokyo Dome, which would probably require Puffy coming back to form and there being tremendous interest in this final tour stop.

The first scenario is premised by previous final tour stops and Hibiya Yagai Daiongakudo (capacity 3100) seems like a venue that they can fill and it’s a good one for filming.  The underlying premise is if it is really business as usual for Puffy, they will continue on as a duo.

The second scenario, Nippon Budokan (capacity 14000) is prefaced by the fact that I think there has to be a lot more interest in Puffy than we see now.  I think sentimentality and celebrating a long and successful career might be enough to push a twentieth anniversary up to this venue.  Having been there, it really is a neat place and Puffy has also played at Nippon Budokan.

My visit to Nippon Budokan 2013. It is a cool venue.

The last scenario is Tokyo Dome.  Ami and Yumi via an interview have stated they’d rather watch a concert there than play one as it is too big.  But I am thinking big here, so bear with me.  The ground swell for a 20th anniversary concert would have to come about from interest in the band coming to or exceeding Puffy-mania levels last seen in their first three albums.  Sadly the only way I can see a concert at Tokyo Dome happening is if Puffy announces their end at the twenty year mark.  I could also see Nippon Budokan playing out in a similar scenario.

Anyways, these final concerts playing out would be three potential wants based on what Puffy wants to do after twenty years.    If Puffy must go, they should do it in style, do it huge and leave a mark.

Ultimately what I want is for Ami and Yumi to be happy, productive and together because they are something special and singualrly or more accurately dually...unique.

Puffy In Studio?

A very interesting picture cam across Ami's Instagram account yesterday.  To sum up, it looks like she is in studio and holding a microphone.  I tried not getting too excited, but the potential of Ami and Yumi doing album work would be welcome news.

From the rough translation though... it is more likely this is a rehearsal for the Billboard Live show.

Sorry for the tease, but team Puffy is not giving me a ton to work with.

Puffy To Play Tropical Lover's Beach Festa

Puffy continues to keep their hand in the game and last week they announced a concert at the Tropical Lovers Beach Festa on June 14th of this year.  The festival is on the island of Ishigaki which is at the tail end of Japan and closer to Taiwan than the main islands.  It looks like a really nice place to visit, but it is way off the beaten path too (which also has a certain charm).  The venue looks to be Ishigaki Fusaki Village which looks like a very pleasant resort.

The festival line up is: Puffy, Special Others Acoustic, Humbert Humbert and Tremolo.

My exposure to the other acts is exactly zero, so I am going to throw out there that Puffy is the headliner.  Assuming I am right, it is nice to see Puffy get a top bill, but by the same token it is at a very small festival on the edge of Japan.  Yet, as one of the readers on the blog has said previously, they are keeping their hand in the game so I'll take it.

Puffy x Porter

Been kind of quiet in regards to things Puffy. I see snippets of Ami doing interviews and such so hopefully the gears of the Puffy machine are just turning slower while Yumi enjoys her new (and hopefully joyous) experiences with motherhood.

Anyways Ami is helping market the Puffy x Porter tote-bag-type-things...

...which I only thought interesting as Ami is of a size that she could probably fit inside of one. :) 

I have been listening to Puffy Covers as I finally broke down and got a copy.  I will put my thoughts around that in the next week or so.  Hopefully team Puffy will get back in the swing of things in the months ahead.

(Images courtesy of Puffy / Rocket Express)

Tomodachi no Wow Single

Still a month away from the release of "Tomodachi no Wow!" on 5/23. As has been mentioned in comments the single is being used for the end credits for the children's program "Shimajiro no Wao!" (rather good timing considering Yumi is due to be a mom).

I did some scrounging and translations for the track list (and will correct this as better information becomes available):

1. Tomodachi no Wow!
2. Tomodachi no Wow (Let's play, Shimajiro! Version)
3. Tomodachi no Wow! (Karaoke)
4. Tomodachi no Wow! (TV ending)

The deluxe edition comes with sheet music and a DVD of the video. The sheet music is an interesting touch, but to me this is somewhat lackluster deluxe single.  I think the best deluxe singles Puffy has released have been with songs from concerts.  The price delta is about 335 yen (or a touch over four dollars), so there is not much of a push to pick the deluxe over the single based on what I see.

On first blush I am not sure if four versions of "Tomodachi no Wow!" are enough to get me excited about the single. However I am willing to be proven wrong and I am looking forward to hearing the song.