J-Canuck's Six Favourite Ringo Shiina Songs（椎名林檎）

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via 高野水理 

Over the past number of years, singer-songwriter and musician Ringo Shiina has broken down some walls that I had once constructed around her. In the approximate quarter-century that I've known about her, I had assumed the following things: 1) she was the scariest punk-pop-rock singer that I have ever seen or heard (that psycho stare and the growling r's), 2) she would never show up on the Kohaku Utagassen and 3) she would never agree to a long-form interview on any show.

Let's start with 3). A few weeks ago, Shiina actually appeared on NHK's "Asaichi"（あさイチ）for over an hour to banter with the hosts about her career. That got a ton of viewers putting eyeballs to screen. She even had a belly laugh on camera about one of her friend's remarks. As for 2), she has shown up on the New Year's Eve special several times either as herself or as the vocalist for her band Tokyo Jihen（東京事変）. And for 1), Shiina has more often than not appeared in a kimono including that "Asaichi" interview and she couldn't have been more down-to-earth and polite and friendly. She looked like the graceful owner of a particularly expensive ryokan somewhere in the countryside.

After that special experience on "Asaichi", I figured that I just had to post up six of my favourite Shiina songs. Not surprisingly, some of them are her early jangly hits and the rest are her jazzier/orchestral fare.

(1998) Kabukicho no Jou（歌舞伎町の女王)

(1998) Koufukuron (幸福論) (try link for "Kabukicho no Jou")

(1999) Honno （本能）

(2001) Mayonaka no Junketsu （真夜中の純潔）

(2001) Sid to Hakuchumu （シドと白昼夢）(jazz version)

(2007) Yokushitsu/La Salle de Bain（浴室）