What impresses me the most about Li-sa-X is her songwriting abilities. Including lyrics. Writing songs like One Way or Another, Make You Regret and A New Picture etc. Then with the whole group working together it’s a wonderful, magnificent mix of personalities and experiences and styles. There’s VERY few bands I like every song of, but KOIAI is one of them. There first 2 EP’s are great, and I cannot wait for the third EP.
For sure, i hope they can get her as a permanent member, i know she has a lot on her plate with East of Eden and Marty Friedman, but her style is such a good fit for the group.
@@santiagoleaf3093 it would be fantastic, but I’m not very hopeful. She has so much on her plate. Actually I’m surprised and super grateful for the fact Hazuki is in the band. But she is like a big sister to Lisa X
Love them. I went to their first one-man show in Tokyo last year (first one-man in Japan, that is), and they were incredible. Had a VIP ticket so was lucky enough to meet them after the show. It was my first trip to Japan and my second day there. The first day I saw ASTERISM, KOIAI the day after, then YASHIRO the day after that. Best holiday ever. Also, I think Kotono-san does a great job with the English vocals here.
Brilliant musicianship, incredible groove, and micro-attention to detail in the arrangement. Super-solid songwriting as well. Any old fan of Toto or Steely Dan would be impressed by this. I know I am. I LOVE this song.
To my ear when I first heard it was immediately Steely Dan (Don't take me Alive?). It had a nice easy mellow groove to it, but the musicianship is so technically perfect for the song, intricate without being too busy. The drum work is so Gadd like. Thanks for this one. Cheers!
This song has got everything I like about music, best song of 2024 so far imo, if they can keep up this quality or improve on it they will become by new favorite band
Sorry for being busy.. 7:40 understood, in case it helps: Kotono was 1 of the dancers at the big Japanese Babymetal show in 2018 where they had a lot of backup dancers, this show as just after Yui left. 8:14 pretty certain nobody is trying to show off, their fans already know they are talented, no need to push for a crazy solo.
Amazing song. It has such an amazing sound to it, some things that I keep picking up on that have become unique to Lisa-X's style, She adds some unique classic pinch harmonics that are so tasty. The Bass pops really come through, I wish they could have Wakazaemon on Bass permanently, but I totally understand she has her prior engagements. Koiai did something really cool with their first 2 EPs, most bands will give you a postcard or small collector's item, Koiai proved like a 36-page photo book which was really cool. So I have 2 books with photos of Hazuki, Kotono and Lisa-x.
I find this band really promising. Come See Me and especially A New Picture seem to me to be excellent variations of their core music. I would love for Wakazaemon to sign with the band permanently (I don't know what they thought of East of Eden, of course). Thanks Howard! Excellent analysis.
Ha, I thought you were going to skip over drummer Kanade Sato altogether, but I'm happy that you gave her much deserved props at the end. She's a perfect fit with KOIAI.
Wakazaemon is not an official member but merely a supporting musician, but since she has left East of Eden, the band in which she was an official member, she may continue to support KOIAI in the future.😊
This is really interesting. I'm getting shades of Rush in this song with the skilled playing and the not-straightforward beat. I do wish the chorus was a bit more catchy though, but I'm interested to see more.
Only comparison i can come up with is and wait for it Steely Dan if they were female and in 2024 . Thats how good i think they are sensational sound from them .
MV Mix ? Maybe it's been optimised for use on UA-cam, with the assumption it'll be listened to on TVs mobile phones etc rather than high-end hi-fi equipment (used on CDs maybe ) ? Anyways the song is very classy, technically excellent but also soulful in its feels.
I think Wakazaemon on bass here is "the mix." It look like she may be the #5, with all of her positive "X" posts with the 4, and her mentioning working on "songs" with them. 🦍🍌
The MV mix label is most likely because the 3rd EP isn't finished yet, so it gives them the option to tweak things before the final release. They already had a song similar to this on the 2nd EP, Straight To My Heart, but having both Kanade & Wakazaemon playing the drums & bass elavates this arrangement further. The lyrics are a mixture of English & Japanese, those plus all the other information you were missing was in the video description. 😋 Li-sa-X is conscious of the international portion of their fanbase, so makes a point of including such things.
I've also seen folk make comparisons with the main drum grooves to Take Cover by Mr. Big, released back in '96. Given Li-sa-X has been mentored for many years by guitarist Paul Gilbert from the band (her stage name comes from Gilbert's 80s band Racer-X, that she first covered when she was only 7) and bassist Billy Sheehan was briefly involved in her previous band (through singer Rina), it doesn't seem like too much of a stretch to suggest there might've been some subconscious influence/homage going on.
I really like and support this band, especially with this line up, which has scary levels of potential. This song is good, but it leaves me feeling like it is a well mixed collection of ideas that were not allowed to fully bloom. My problem is that I keep waiting for this lineup to take off where this line up stopped: ua-cam.com/video/fFxdWRgBxMg/v-deo.html
“collection of ideas that were not allowed to fully bloom” I think some of their earlier songs were disappointing compared to this one. I did like A New Picture though, but that song did get some complaints (especially how it ended). Curious. What all-female Japanese bands do you think are making better songs than this particular one? For the sake of comparison. My complaint, is that too many aren’t IMO.
@@SomethingToDo360 For me personally, I like the direction they are going, I just wish they would get to the final destination faster! I know as long as senpai Hazuki is around, there's nothing to worry about.
vocalist .. which for me is the number 1 thing I look at for music, has a really nice voice however it sounded too low in the mix, sitting under the instruments .. the instruments were really good I'll admit however since they were more prominent then the vocal for me brings this song down also the vocal melody was bare basic sounding to my ears .. 5.5-6/10
@@SomethingToDo360 no offense taken, we each have our own tastes. Instruments are important for me, but they are of secondary importance to the vocals for me.
@@Harry_Creter_AKA_Kaldath Apparently I was wrong if you also like NEK! (from a different comment), but that just confuses me now (because of vocalist #1 thing).
Koiai/Lisa-X Band is one of the most exciting things out of Japan i found on my journey through the japanese rock scene in the last years. the blend of 80s prog rock like Asia, some jazzy stuff combined with metal is very unique. At least musically. But sadly with the departure of Rina the vocals became a total mismatch to the quality of the music. i really love the sound of this new song but the vocals simply don't fit all. No energy. No range. Just whispering through the whole song 🥴. I really hope Lisa realizes this very soon.
What impresses me the most about Li-sa-X is her songwriting abilities. Including lyrics. Writing songs like One Way or Another, Make You Regret and A New Picture etc.
Then with the whole group working together it’s a wonderful, magnificent mix of personalities and experiences and styles.
There’s VERY few bands I like every song of, but KOIAI is one of them. There first 2 EP’s are great, and I cannot wait for the third EP.
City pop meets prog-jazz rock ... and I love it.
Wakazaemon supporting Koiai with the bass really hit with me, and I truly love Kanade's drum fills.
For sure, i hope they can get her as a permanent member, i know she has a lot on her plate with East of Eden and Marty Friedman, but her style is such a good fit for the group.
@@santiagoleaf3093 yeah, that's so true
@@santiagoleaf3093 it would be fantastic, but I’m not very hopeful. She has so much on her plate. Actually I’m surprised and super grateful for the fact Hazuki is in the band. But she is like a big sister to Lisa X
Love them. I went to their first one-man show in Tokyo last year (first one-man in Japan, that is), and they were incredible. Had a VIP ticket so was lucky enough to meet them after the show. It was my first trip to Japan and my second day there. The first day I saw ASTERISM, KOIAI the day after, then YASHIRO the day after that. Best holiday ever.
Also, I think Kotono-san does a great job with the English vocals here.
Brilliant musicianship, incredible groove, and micro-attention to detail in the arrangement. Super-solid songwriting as well.
Any old fan of Toto or Steely Dan would be impressed by this. I know I am. I LOVE this song.
The sound quality is incredible.👍❤
This song is really really cool, love it!
To my ear when I first heard it was immediately Steely Dan (Don't take me Alive?). It had a nice easy mellow groove to it, but the musicianship is so technically perfect for the song, intricate without being too busy. The drum work is so Gadd like. Thanks for this one. Cheers!
Howard, these ladies are amazing....enough said! Thanks - Peace and Respect from Montreal
For guitar fans - at 5:30 to 5:43 in this video, Li-Sa-X is clearly channeling the great Al Di Meola.
This is really brilliant. I think their compositions are really starting to solidify a sound, or direction. I’m loving it! ❤️❤️
This song has got everything I like about music, best song of 2024 so far imo, if they can keep up this quality or improve on it they will become by new favorite band
Sorry for being busy..
7:40 understood, in case it helps: Kotono was 1 of the dancers at the big Japanese Babymetal show in 2018 where they had a lot of backup dancers, this show as just after Yui left.
8:14 pretty certain nobody is trying to show off, their fans already know they are talented, no need to push for a crazy solo.
Amazing song. It has such an amazing sound to it, some things that I keep picking up on that have become unique to Lisa-X's style, She adds some unique classic pinch harmonics that are so tasty. The Bass pops really come through, I wish they could have Wakazaemon on Bass permanently, but I totally understand she has her prior engagements.
Koiai did something really cool with their first 2 EPs, most bands will give you a postcard or small collector's item, Koiai proved like a 36-page photo book which was really cool. So I have 2 books with photos of Hazuki, Kotono and Lisa-x.
It’s a fantastic song in which the guitar leads make sense. Can’t wait to see whether they pursue this sound further.
I find this band really promising. Come See Me and especially A New Picture seem to me to be excellent variations of their core music. I would love for Wakazaemon to sign with the band permanently (I don't know what they thought of East of Eden, of course). Thanks Howard! Excellent analysis.
Ha, I thought you were going to skip over drummer Kanade Sato altogether, but I'm happy that you gave her much deserved props at the end. She's a perfect fit with KOIAI.
Haha, I always get there in the end ;) ! Yes, she was superb, I really enjoyed her input for sure! Thank you :)
This is my 2nd listen, and I was impressed on 1st play. It's even better 2nd time around. - TYSM
Wakazaemon is not an official member but merely a supporting musician, but since she has left East of Eden, the band in which she was an official member, she may continue to support KOIAI in the future.😊
This is really interesting. I'm getting shades of Rush in this song with the skilled playing and the not-straightforward beat. I do wish the chorus was a bit more catchy though, but I'm interested to see more.
Love the Rush reference.
A world of potential I hope they run with it.
Shades of Steve Gadd fills.
I'll be in Japan this November. Nemophila will have finished up their tour by then, so I'm hoping Koiai will do some shows.
Only comparison i can come up with is and wait for it Steely Dan if they were female and in 2024 . Thats how good i think they are sensational sound from them .
MV Mix ? Maybe it's been optimised for use on UA-cam, with the assumption it'll be listened to on TVs mobile phones etc rather than high-end hi-fi equipment (used on CDs maybe ) ? Anyways the song is very classy, technically excellent but also soulful in its feels.
Toto? Van Halen? I actually enjoyed this much ❤️ but can I listen this 2 two hours? Don’t know. Amazing musicians 🔥❤️ Loving them ❤️
There Is a sort of TOTO, Steve Lukather, Jeff Porcaro vibe in this song.👍❤️
Totally.
I think Wakazaemon on bass here is "the mix." It look like she may be the #5, with all of her positive "X" posts with the 4, and her mentioning working on "songs" with them. 🦍🍌
The MV mix label is most likely because the 3rd EP isn't finished yet, so it gives them the option to tweak things before the final release.
They already had a song similar to this on the 2nd EP, Straight To My Heart, but having both Kanade & Wakazaemon playing the drums & bass elavates this arrangement further.
The lyrics are a mixture of English & Japanese, those plus all the other information you were missing was in the video description. 😋 Li-sa-X is conscious of the international portion of their fanbase, so makes a point of including such things.
I've also seen folk make comparisons with the main drum grooves to Take Cover by Mr. Big, released back in '96.
Given Li-sa-X has been mentored for many years by guitarist Paul Gilbert from the band (her stage name comes from Gilbert's 80s band Racer-X, that she first covered when she was only 7) and bassist Billy Sheehan was briefly involved in her previous band (through singer Rina), it doesn't seem like too much of a stretch to suggest there might've been some subconscious influence/homage going on.
I really like and support this band, especially with this line up, which has scary levels of potential. This song is good, but it leaves me feeling like it is a well mixed collection of ideas that were not allowed to fully bloom. My problem is that I keep waiting for this lineup to take off where this line up stopped: ua-cam.com/video/fFxdWRgBxMg/v-deo.html
“collection of ideas that were not allowed to fully bloom”
I think some of their earlier songs were disappointing compared to this one. I did like A New Picture though, but that song did get some complaints (especially how it ended). Curious. What all-female Japanese bands do you think are making better songs than this particular one? For the sake of comparison. My complaint, is that too many aren’t IMO.
@@SomethingToDo360 For me personally, I like the direction they are going, I just wish they would get to the final destination faster! I know as long as senpai Hazuki is around, there's nothing to worry about.
Rock jazz fusion.
vocalist .. which for me is the number 1 thing I look at for music, has a really nice voice however it sounded too low in the mix, sitting under the instruments .. the instruments were really good I'll admit however since they were more prominent then the vocal for me brings this song down also the vocal melody was bare basic sounding to my ears .. 5.5-6/10
I mean no offense by this, but I think you liking a song less, is a good indicator that I will like that song more.
@@SomethingToDo360 no offense taken, we each have our own tastes. Instruments are important for me, but they are of secondary importance to the vocals for me.
@@Harry_Creter_AKA_Kaldath Apparently I was wrong if you also like NEK! (from a different comment), but that just confuses me now (because of vocalist #1 thing).
sinnloses Gequatsche
Koiai/Lisa-X Band is one of the most exciting things out of Japan i found on my journey through the japanese rock scene in the last years. the blend of 80s prog rock like Asia, some jazzy stuff combined with metal is very unique. At least musically. But sadly with the departure of Rina the vocals became a total mismatch to the quality of the music. i really love the sound of this new song but the vocals simply don't fit all. No energy. No range. Just whispering through the whole song 🥴. I really hope Lisa realizes this very soon.