Jpop: Miyavi (石原 貴雅 / Ishihara Takamasa)

Miyavi's background as a Visual Kei artist evolved in a spectacular way with Horizon and Secret as the "latin-american" sexiness of the videos combiend with his intense guitar skills created a meld quite unusual for japanese music. Some of the female singers like Koda Kumi has done similar stuff, but the instrumental skills brings another dimension to it. It reminds me of the way Red Hot Chili Peppers communicated their music. With the new Guard You it is a more silent sensuality but still he has got that quality prescence that makes the music extra interesting.

• Miyavi - Horizon
• Miyavi - Secret (probably Not Safe For Work)
• Miyavi - Real?
• Miyavi - Guard You
• Miyavi vs Yuksek - Day 1

Jpop: Tanaka Alice (タナカ アリス)

Young Tanaka Alice (born 96/12/30) from Japan has a power and prescence that isnt that common among jpop stars, and that drive is clearly evident in for example Chicks and Nerdz, but the new "Tokio" is nice too.

• Tanaka Alice - Chicks and Nerdz
• Tanaka Alice - A Big Girl Don't Cry
• Tanaka Alice - Make Me Alright (DJ Emergency 911 Remix here) 
• Tanaka Alice - Bad Day So, What
• Tanaka Alice - Tokio

Kpop: Brown Eyed Soul(브라운아이드 소울)

The four members of the Korean R&B group Brown Eyed Soul has been going since 2003, and while this usually isn't what I listen to, "Pass Me By" is such a sweet piece of slightly melancholy soul that I can't resist it. The video matches the lyrics with memorablia of times gone enhancing the text's theme about reliving and questioning a past love.

• Brown Eyed Soul - Pass me by (a subtitle version here)

Jpop: Passepied - Matatabistep

Somewhere between mainstream and alternative, Passepied has a sound that in my mind is quite stylish while remaining slightly indie somehow. "Matatabistep" mixes electronic synth sounds with Natsuki Ogoda's high voice in a slightly bittersweet jpop track that is among the best they have done.

• Passepied - Matatabistep/Photochemical Disco Tune

Kpop: A.T. (에이.티)

With its' 19+ rating and strong elements of sexuality and goldfish (yes…there is a sequence where two goldfish are out of their bowl and it seems to be the central piece for many commenters on YouTube. I am not if it is prejudices against Koreans or what it is, but there is nothing in the video to imply that they die for real afterwards. But on the other hand it was rather stupid to use live fish that way in a video aimed to enjoy most people.) there is lots of interesting aspects for the first video of debut group A.T. I personally liked the grayscale vs red esthetics (reminding me most of 9Muses "Wild")that is supposed to be the central theme, and I in my simplicity just saw a story of a couple with child who had drifted apart and now had to share custody. As usual the truth is in "the eye of the beholder", and for me A.T is a positive debut.

• A.T - Melancholy (멜랑꼴리)