Japanese bands usually have a strong sense of originality in comparison to many Western bands. One result of their originality can lead to odd but amusing band names, such as Swinging Popsicle. Formed in Japan in 1995, lead singer Mineko Fujishima has a lot more raw emotion than her small figure seems to point out. Understandably fluent in English, some songs are almost entirely in English, such as ‘Something New’. The band is not at all complex sounding (which is great for the appropriate mood), but their sound is very easily accessible to Japanese and English listeners alike.
Songs similar to ‘Satetsu no Tou’ with brilliant pop hooks, made even bolder with Fujishima’s lovely traditional Japanese vocals and a nice addition of keyboards, are common on their album Fennec!. ‘Fuyuyasumi ni Tsuki’ has the same components that made ‘Satetsu no Tou’ great, with a very distinct chorus that leads to a very emotionally driven sound. They will be playing some US dates, as they will be playing in California later this month. Hopefully this will open them up to more American audiences who have yet to hear their great material.
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Swinging Popsicle – Satetsu no Tou
[audio:https://obscuresound.com/mp3/swipop-satetsu.mp3]————————
Swinging Popsicle – Fuyuyasumi ni Tsuki
[audio:https://obscuresound.com/mp3/swipop-fuyu.mp3]————————
Swinging Popsicle – Something New
[audio:https://obscuresound.com/mp3/swipop-some.mp3]————————
Just a little bit too pop. But her voice sounds great.