Described by the New York Times as a "Japanese Fiona Apple," Cocco delivers some of the hardest music to come out of Japan but sings with a clear, pristine voice. She also writes all of her lyrics and most of the music in her songs. People have also compared her to Alanis Morisette, given her penchant for angry rock songs about men. After Cocco first released her debut, Tower Records in Japan plucked the subtitle of one of the disc's tracks -- "Sing a Song ~No Music, No Life~" -- as a motto for an advertising campaign. The song was also featured in the chain store's commercials. Tower Records in the U.S. redistributed the EP, and after a performance at the South by Southwest Festival in 1997, Cocco's career took off. ("No music, no life" is still used in some of Tower Records' advertising material.) Cocco released her debut album Bougainvillia in May 1997. This album is my favorite. It incorporates all of Cocco's various styles from hard rock, childlike nursery rhyme, soft guitar ballad and folk. Cocco has released4 albums to date and all of them are spectacular. Her most popular one is probably "RAPUNZEL" which sold the most copies in Japan. |