Tokyo's Coolest Sound

This is Tokyo's Coolest Sound's own radio show, which is featured on La Face B (Facebook page), an Internet radio based in Montréal (Québec, Canada). It brings you some favorite songs and artists that you've read about in these pages. Tune in at the times below at https://lafaceb.live.

"Tokyo's Coolest Sound" (vol.41) was aired at https://lafaceb.live on July 20 from 20:30 (EDT = Montréal/New York).
* Japan time: July 21, 2023 from 9:30 a.m.

This episode is not archived as-is. Some replays are expected to be aired in the following weeks, between Thursday noon and Friday noon (EDT).

Listen to the Spotify playlist of some of the songs played (some replaced according to Spotify availability), or scroll down this page to find music videos and individual songs, and also listen to the narration.

Below is the full tracklist with liner notes, and narration parts that you can listen to.

1. COLOR FILTER "Mark Twain" (2023)

Color Filter (Bandcamp) is a unit led by Ryuji Tsuneyoshi that started in the late 90s and made several releases in and out of Japan across a decade (some of those can be found on Spotify and other download/streaming platforms). After a long pause, since a few years the unit is back joined by vocalist Minami Taga (also a singer in dream pop duo macominaming).

In June 2023, Color Filter finally released some brand new recordings via Bandcamp, "Mark Twain" being one of those. Check out this page for all details, and stay tuned of Color Filter's activity by keeping an eye on Minami's Twitter account.

🎙 Listen to Narration I
Presenting: COLOR FILTER, Magic, Drums & Love

2. Magic, Drums & Love "Tohhoh Majic" (2023)
(Japanese title: Magic, Drums & Love 「東方魔時空」)

Tokyo rock'n'roll band Magic, Drums & Love has released a brand new single this month, titled "Tohhou Magic". It's a funky latin summer track of their own style, produced by Gakuji "Chabe" Matsuda (of Learners, Neil and Iraiza, Cubismo Grafico).

The song is available on 7" (Amazon, HMV, Jet Set), as well as digitally (Spotify, , YouTube Music). The 7" has for B-side a cut from latest album "Hurricane Upsetter", "°Capital °City °Crawl" sung by member °C-want you! The 7" includes a download code.

3. Mayumi Shinozuka "tsukikage no Tokyo (NEW TOKYO MIX)" (2023)
(Japanese title: 篠塚満由美 「月影のTOKYO (NEW TOKYO MIX)」)

Singer and lyricist Mayumi Shinozuka (Instagram, official YouTube channel) is celebrating this year the 50th anniversary of her musical career! This was marked with the release this month of a new 7" single produced by Comoesta Yaegashi, including a "New Tokyo Mix" of her song "tsukikage no Tokyo" (of which the original was first released in 1980), plus a cover of classic boogie song "Tokyo Boogie Woogie".

The 7" can currently be ordered at Tower Records, or within Japan directly from the label. The 7" comes with a CD of the two songs plus instrumentals.

Teaser clip

🎙 Listen to Narration II
Presenting: Mayumi Shinozuka, CHILDISH TONES feat. Beni Usakura

4. CHILDISH TONES feat. Beni Usakura "Yesterday Once More" (2023)
(Japanese title: CHILDISH TONES feat. 宇佐蔵べに 「イエスタデイ・ワンス・モア」)

The brand new release from Childish Tones (Instagram, Twitter) feat. Beni Usakura (Instagram, Twitter) is a cover of The Carpenters' "Yesterday Once More". Sung in Japanese, it uses lyrics written by Shintarō Sakamoto as he once sang in Yura Yura Teikoku.

Childish Tones uses only toy and miniature musical instruments as always, this time giving the song a dreamy nostalgic touch. So far "Yesterday Once More" is only available on a flexidisc limited to 250 copies, which comes with a download code.

5. Rinda & Marya "jinsei wa Lo-Fi da" (2017)
(Japanese title: リンダ＆マーヤ 「人生はLo-Fiだ」)

Next is a song by Rinda & Marya (Instagram, Twitter) — "jinsei wa Lo-Fi da" (also refered to in English as "The Life is Lo-Fi") is taken from their album "Life Is Action" (Spotify, , YouTube Music).

A 7" by Rinda & Marya of "Everybody's Happy Nowadays / Candy Superman" was released in May, two songs that were featured on the "Nu Psychic Teen Sounds!" compilation out last year, part of which can be heard digitally (Spotify, , YouTube Music).

6. Hazy Sour Cherry "Perfect Day" (2022)

Hazy Sour Cherry (Instagram, Facebook, Bandcamp)'s latest album is "Strange World" (Bandcamp, Spotify, , YouTube Music), which was released last year and on which appeared the song "Perfect Day".

The album is available on CD and vinyl via Bandcamp, where also a digital single titled "17" (also including a cover of Dusty Springfield's "Stay Awhile"). There has been a hint that a new 7" may be on the way! Can't wait!

7. THE LET'S GO's "Frontier" (2022)
(Japanese title: THE LET'S GO's 「フロンティア」)

The song "Frontier" is by girl group THE LET'S GO's, the last song of their latest album "Kill By Pop" (Spotify, , YouTube Music) which was released in September last year.

"Frontier" was also included as a B-side of latest 7" single "Chuck Berry de oyasumi nasai" released for Record Store Day 2023. This one is still at least available at Tower Records.

🎙 Listen to Narration III
Presenting: Rinda & Marya, Hazy Sour Cherry, THE LET'S GO's, Tokyo Kakehiki Club

8. Tokyo Kakehiki Club "CHAU Chau Shichau Koigakubo" (2023)
(Japanese title: Tokyoかけひき倶楽部 「CHAUチャウしちゃう恋ヶ窪」)

This is the first single of late-80s inspired unit Tokyo Kakehiki Club (Twitter), a duet formed of Shirō Saginomiya and Ranko Suichūka (actually Mayutan in disguise, of Masako-san and Akabō-san). The mysterious duo delivers this earworm song along with an equally addictive music video that you should watch below.

Tokyo Kakehiki Club's single is so far available only in the cute & retro mini 8cm CD format (also known as Tanzaku CD), which is resurfacing in 2023 for the format's 35th anniversary. Check out a selection of 8cm CDs that were released for Tanzaku CD Day (held for the first time on July 7, 2023). There were over sixty 8cm CDs released so far in 2023.

Thank you for tuning in! Information about replays can be found at the top of the page.

Find previous radio shows right here. You can also listen to some older ones on Mixcloud.