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.40) was aired at https://lafaceb.live on June 15 from 20:30 (EDT = Montréal/New York).
* Japan time: June 16, 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).

EDT (Montréal/New York) —

Mon. July 3 at 2h30 AM

Japan time —

Mon. July 3 at 15h30

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. perfect young lady "PYL no sokon tokoro" (2023)
(Japanese tiitle: perfect young lady "PYLのそこんトコロ")

perfect young lady (Bandcamp, SoundCloud) is a girl's home recording solo project with a lo-fi electro sound and cheap-sounding synths, making catchy pop songs. Having just released a new album on Bandcamp, titled "PYL 3rd Season..." (the follow-up to last year's "PYL 2nd SEASON..."), here comes the opening song from it: "PYL no sokon tokoro".

It seems there are somewhat frequent occasions to see PYL perform live lately, with one at the end of the month on Friday June 30 at Nishi-Ogikubo Flat (details). The event is a release party of band Totsuzen Shonen. PYL is also currently selling T-shirts via Booth.

🎙 Listen to Narration I
Presenting: perfect young lady, Saigenji

2. Saigenji "Desafinado" (2023)

Singer-songwriter and guitarist with a distinctive scat style, Saigenji has just released a new album titled "Covers & Instrumentals", of songs selected from his popular live repertory which includes a lot of MPB (Música popular brasileira). "Desafinado" is one of those, a classic composed by Antônio Carlos Jobim with lyrics by Newton Mendonça. Saigenji sings it in its original Portuguese.

The album is so far only available on CD (at least at Amazon, HMV and Tower), though the two songs "Samurai" and "Amapola" were released digitally in advance: Spotify, , YouTube Music.

Saigenji has several shows upcoming in Tokyo in June and July, after which he will have some tour dates elsewhere in Japan for the new album's release. Find his full schedule here.

Since "Desafinado" isn't available digitally, here is instead a recent live performance of album song "yashi no mi", from a show held on May 22.

3. AOI12SAI "Keep The Magic" (2023)
(Japanese title: あおい12さい 「Keep The Magic」)

AOI12SAI (Instagram, Twitter) (read "aoi jūni sai") is a singer-songwriter who is also active as part of unit ARAKAWAYA which features 5 siblings and their father. The song "Keep The Magic" appears on her new solo mini-album "POV" (Spotify, , YouTube Music) released digitally in May.

Previous works include a recent collaboration with punipunidenki titled "Minami No Shima (Kakuu)" (YouTube). More songs and covers can be heard on AOI12SAI's channel.

🎙 Listen to Narration II
Presenting: AOI12SAI, CHiLi GiRL

4. CHiLi GiRL "One Q feat. Sho Kurashina" (2023)
(Japanese title: CHiLi GiRL 「One Q feat.倉品翔」)

CHiLi GiRL is the project of singer-songwriter and shamisen player Shinobu Kawashima. Her latest song is "One Q" (Spotify, , YouTube Music) which features Shō Kurashina (singer and composer of the band Good Bye April). The music blends sounds of synths, saxophone and shamised, while the lyrics are said to be inspired by the classic Kabuki play "Ninin Wankyū".

A show of CHiLi GiRL and Shinobu Kawashima will be held on July 22 at Sangenjaya GrapeFruitMoon, opening at 12:15. It can also be watched online via Twitcasting. Details and a countdown clock can be found here.

5. Jun Parker "Dancing in the Dark" (2023)

Jun Parker is a singer-songwriter raised in Kanagawa (Japan) and based in Portland, Victoria (Australia). He makes timeless neo city pop sung in Japanese and English, and also performs his favorite Japanese songs to audiences in Australia. "Dancing in the Dark" (Spotify, , YouTube Music) is his latest original song, sung in English, and produced by Seiki Satō (microstar, nicely nice). nicely nice fans will recognize and enjoy the spacey touch heard in this track. A lot of Jun's music can be heard on his YouTube channel, as well as many covers.

A 8cm (3") CD by Jun Parker will be released for Tanzaku Day, a day with many special releases of the format that first appeared 35 years ago and was extremely popular in Japan. Included will be a brand new song titled "All Because of the Moon (feat. Carlinhos)", and also previous singles including "Dancing in the Dark". It can so far e pre-ordered at Tower Records (direct shipping within Japan only).

6. Francis feat. Emiri Kanou "sabakaruru Emiri" (2023)
(Japanese title: Francis feat. 加納エミリ 「裁かるゝエミリ」)

This is the new single of Francis, solo project of bassist and singer-songwriter Makoto Ori. "sabakaruru Emiri" (Spotify, , YouTube Music) has lyrics written by Konishi Yasuharu (ex-Pizzicato Five), and it's sung by Emiri Kanou.

The song is available also on 7", via Amazon, HMV, Jet Set, Tower, etc. It has for B-side "Sessomatto" from Francis' latest album "Bolero" (Spotify, , YouTube Music).

🎙 Listen to Narration III
Presenting: Jun Parker, Francis feat. Emiri Kanou, Sally Kubota feat. Chiyono Ide

7. Sally Kubota Group feat. Chiyono Ide from 3776 "Fujiyama Mama" (2023)
(Japanese title: サリー久保田グループ feat. 井出ちよの from 3776 「フジヤマ・ママ」)

This is the latest from Sally Kubota Group, from the "Girls At Our Best" series of CD EPs. The 3rd release is a 4-song EP of covers featuring singer Chiyono Ide who is also known as Mount Fuji local idol 3776 and also a member of idol group Usagi no Mimic. The song "Fujiyama Mama" is sung in half-English and half-Japanese with the lyrics first sung by Izumi Yukimura in 1958.

The CD EP is titled "Hong Kong Garden", as it contains a cover of Siouxie and the Banshees' song of the same title, with also covers of Kraftwerk's "Dentaku" and Jun Togawa's "Ribbon no kishi". Only the title song is available digitally ("Hong Kong Garden": Spotify, , YouTube Music), and the CD can be obtained at HMV and Tower, or within Japan at the label's official shop Merurido.

A special show for the release will be held at mona records on June 18. The singers from the two previous releases will also be part of the event: Natsumi Kiyoura (of Tweedees) and Emiri Kanou (as DJ), plus also a performance by Moe Hiiro. Details here.

"Fujiyama Mama" not being available digitally, here's instead "Hong Kong Garden" from the same EP.

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.