Steve McClure - The Japan Times

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Steve McClure

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Steve McClure

Steve McClure has lived in Tokyo since 1985. Formerly Billboard magazine’s Asia Bureau Chief, he now publishes the online music-industry newsletter McClureMusic.com.

For Steve McClure's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:

LIFE / Digital

Dec 1, 2010

Amazon, Apple kick-start Japan's digital content-delivery business

Remember CCCD? Probably not, unless you collect outdated acronyms.

LIFE / Digital

Apr 14, 2010

Tech pushes Japan's music scene; industry won't budge

The music business reinvents itself every 20 years or so — basically every time a new format comes down the pike. But the industry has never faced the kind of fundamental challenge presented by the digital file-sharing revolution.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Music / J-POPSICLE

Aug 31, 2003

Buffalo Daughter's deeper grooves

It's usually not a good idea to go into the recording studio without having some idea of what you're going to record. Most artists have a demo or a written score to work from; some even have full-fledged arrangements down on paper before they start recording.

CULTURE / Music / J-POPSICLE

Jul 20, 2003

Yokoyama's ship finally comes in

Ken Yokoyama is crazy.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Music / J-POPSICLE

Jun 15, 2003

Sophomores who shine in a new light

Second albums are notoriously difficult, especially if an act's first album has been a success. But on "Modern Lights," Kobe-based pop/jazz duo Orange Pekoe have avoided the "sophomore-album syndrome" by broadening their stylistic template to create a work that demands to be listened to on its own terms, not simply as a followup.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Music / J-POPSICLE

May 18, 2003

Kei Ogura has still got a lot to celebrate

Once known as the "singing bank manager," these days Kei Ogura could be called the "singing recovering cancer patient."

Japan Times

CULTURE / Music / J-POPSICLE

Apr 20, 2003

There is no escape from the silliness

It's only April, but the silly season already seems to be upon us.

CULTURE / Music / J-POPSICLE

Mar 30, 2003

Space Shower TV bangs a gong in style

I've always had a soft spot in my heart for Space Shower TV, the Japanese homegrown equivalent of MTV. With its unpretentious presenters, high quotient of decidedly unslick, locally made music videos and low-key artist interviews, Space Shower has a strong "street" feel.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Music / J-POPSICLE

Feb 16, 2003

Lowdown on rising stars

They sing low and they're aiming high.

CULTURE / Music / J-POPSICLE

Jan 19, 2003

Independent music was the smart alternative in '02

2002 was not a vintage year, to put it mildly, for the Japanese music industry. Sales of CDs were down for the fourth straight year, and just one single -- female vocalist Ayumi Hamasaki's "H" (Avex) -- topped the million-sales mark during the year, compared with five in 2001.

CULTURE / Music

Jan 1, 2003

Too young to fall in love?

2002 was an eventful year, to say the least, for superstar singer/songwriter Utada Hikaru. In March, she signed a international recording deal (as an English-language artist -- she remains signed to Toshiba-EMI as a Japanese-language artist) with Island Def Jam.

CULTURE / Music / J-POPSICLE

Dec 15, 2002

Ann Lewis in driver's seat with new single

What happens to idols after their popularity has waned?

Japan Times

CULTURE / Music / J-POPSICLE

Nov 17, 2002

Getting syrupy about music

When I first heard the term "self-cover," I thought it referred to errant politicians or bureaucrats making excuses for themselves when caught with their pants down, metaphorically speaking or otherwise.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Music / J-POPSICLE

Oct 30, 2002

Yaida takes off on flight of 'flancy'

Why monkey with a winning formula? That seems to be the logic behind singer/songwriter Hitomi Yaida's third album, "i/flancy," which reached No. 1 on the Oricon album chart for the week ending Oct. 28.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Music / J-POPSICLE

Oct 23, 2002

Getting keyed in on musical talent

I don't like the phrase "child prodigy." It sounds vaguely condescending, and it brings to mind images of pushy parents forcing reluctant children to follow in the footsteps of Beethoven, Mozart and Michael Jackson.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Music / J-POPSICLE

Oct 17, 2002

Japan image that resonates

Ichitaro Nakanoshima likes nothing better than to spend the late morning watching videos of old musicals like "Singin' in the Rain."

Japan Times

CULTURE / Music / J-POPSICLE

Oct 9, 2002

The Captains chart retro course

Nostalgia is a dangerous thing. In the wrong hands, it can be an outlet for excessive sentimentality and out-and-out kitsch.

CULTURE / Music / J-POPSICLE

Oct 2, 2002

Glay strikes the right chord with Chinese leader Zemin

No word on whether Chinese President Jiang Zemin will embark on a new career as a rock star after the members of Japanese pop-rock band Glay presented him with an electric guitar at his official residence in Beijing on Sept. 10.

CULTURE / Music

Sep 29, 2002

Music of the J-people

Japanese pop music is crap. So say many of my friends, especially the non-Japanese ones. They reach that conclusion after noticing that the charts are full of chipmunk-voiced idols who are long on looks and short on talent -- and whose shelf lives are only slightly longer than sushi.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Music / J-POPSICLE

Sep 25, 2002

So you're a wannabe J-pop star?

Yellow Magic Orchestra burst upon the scene in the late '70s with a refreshing and original blend of pop music and electronic sounds that established a new pop template and influenced musicians all over the world. The band broke up in 1983 and, apart from 1993's one-off reunion album, "Technodon," its three members -- Ryuichi Sakamoto, Haruomi Hosono and Yukihiro Takahashi -- hadn't worked together since.

From easily navigable train stations to the helpfulness of its municipal staff, Tokyo has earned high praise for its commitment to accessibility for disabled travelers.

[Rebroadcast] Japan is doing better on accessibility than you may think

When trying to trace your lineage in Japan, the "koseki" is the most important form of document you'll encounter.

Climbing the branches of a Japanese family tree

By Alex K.T. Martin

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Live like a lord or lady for a night at Ozu Castle

Live like a lord or lady for a night at Ozu Castle

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