CD: PuffyAmiYumi, "An Illustrated History"

Not that I want to make Buffalo State a home away from home, but it's getting there for me. I joined the radio station club, and have to go through "training." So far so good, especially when training gives me the time to read the newspaper and the liner notes to CDs I don't own. Yet. Bwah ha ha. After noticing I actually had some of the CDs in their rotation in my own collection, I started feeling more like a musical genious and went shopping for some more of the stuff. After picking up the CD I'm listening too right now, the alt/college clerk asked me "are you ready for the invasion?" "You mean, the invasion of..." "PuffyAmiYumi," we said in unison. So today is a first; I had a conversation with a record store clerk about Japanese pop music. And I actually new more than he did. I'm in. I am SO in now.

By the way, in my opinion I'm sticking with the Pizzicato Five. Puffy is too synth for me, and I prefer the retro lounge feel I get from Nomiya Maki's vocals and the richer instrumentation in P5 releases. Now that Bis is playing in my stereo, I'm having a bit more fun. If I had heard Puffy before I heard Pizzicato, I'd probably be enamored with both bands by now. Odd equation:

Bis + Pizzicato Five + Natalie Imbruglia = PuffyAmiYumi

Now go listen to your Puddle of Mudd album.