Jpop: Band-Maid®

The maid clothes gimmick of Tokyo based group Band-Maid may distract you (but not for long) from the fact that they actually play their own instruments, and they play them damn good! Their newest video "Alone" was released on Valentine's Day and the dark theme matchesthe kind of ironic approach. Could one hope for more groups of this kind surfacing in the idol industry? It would make a welcome and refreshing change.

• Band-Maid® - Alone
• Band-Maid® - Real Existence
• Band-Maid® - The non-fiction days
• Band-Maid® - Thrill (スリル)
• Band-Maid® - Don't let me down

Mandopop/rock: Mayday (五月天)

Mayday from Taiwan has been around for a quite a while and they actually even have some videos with english subtitles, which is nice. But then orckers usually lasts much longer than other musical groups... ^_^
The sound is a soft rock/pop that is quite international in its approach to song construction.

• Mayday - Star (星空,movie theme)
• Mayday - Washing machine (洗衣機)
• Mayday - People who are sad shouldn't listen to slow songs (傷心的人別聽慢歌)
• Mayday - Don't want you to be alone (我不願讓你一個人)
• Mayday - Clenched teeth (牙關)

Kpop: Sistar(씨스타)

Sistar is a four-member group which has esxisted since 2008, and have quite a few songs under their belt. Som quite fun, and let me challenge you to a guessing cometition: whatch the videos and tell me what their "thing" is, their "gimmick". ^_^
Update: Their "Give it to me" was in my opinion the best kpop song of 2013.

• Sistar - Give it to me
• Sistar - I Like It
• Sistar - Alone
• Sistar - Push Push
• Sistar - Shady Girl
• Sistar - How Dare You
• Sistar19 - Ma Boy (subgroup of Sistar)
• Sistar - So Cool