Love Psychedelico

LOVE PSYCHEDELICO is a Japanese band, widely known in Hong Kong, Japan and Taiwan. The band was formed in 1997 by singer Kumi (born April 11, 1976 in Chiba Prefecture) and guitarist Naoki Sato (born July 21, 1973 in Shizuoka Prefecture), while studying at Aoyama Gakuin University, Tokyo. They signed with label Victor in 1999. Their first album, The Greatest Hits, sold over two million copies. Their second album Love Psychedelic Orchestra, released in January 2001, sold 690,000 copies.

The band was formed in 1997 by singer Kumi (born April 11, 1976 in Chiba Prefecture) and guitarist Naoki Sato (born July 21, 1973 in Shizuoka Prefecture), while studying at Aoyama Gakuin University, Tokyo. They signed with label Victor in 1999.

Their first album, The Greatest Hits, sold over two million copies. Their second album Love Psychedelic Orchestra, released in January 2001, sold 690,000 copies.

They have released four albums since, the last one was Golden Grapefruit, in 2007, and compilation album THIS IS LOVE PSYCHEDELICO, in June 2008, it was also their 1st US release.

Love Psychedelico also toured extensively through the club and bar circuit in the United States. Some cities include Nashville, Austin, and Kumi's childhood home of San Francisco.

Style

Stylistically, Love Psychedelico is highly reminiscent of the British Invasion of the late 60s, both members having cited The Beatles and Led Zeppelin as influences, though the influence of American folk and blues are also present (Kumi having claimed Janis Joplin and Sheryl Crow, and Sato Bob Dylan, as influences). To pay tribute to their influences, Love Psychedelico sometimes borrow song titles from the bands that influence them.

Kumi's lyrics are a mix of English and Japanese, a phenomenon common to popular Japanese music, but uncommon in that significant amounts of the English lyrics are comprehensible and well-crafted, rather than simply employing a few catch phrases as so many J-pop idols tend to do. Kumi often attributes her skilfulness in the English language to spending much of her early childhood in San Francisco.

Discography

Singles

* LADY MADONNA - (21 April 2000)
* Your Song - (5 July 2000)
* Last Smile - (1 November 2000)
* Free World - (23 May 2001)
* I will be with you - (7 November 2001)
* Hadaka no Osama - (24 July 2002)
* I am waiting for you - (22 January 2003)
* My last fight - (5 November 2003)
* fantastic world - (8 December 2004)
* Right now - (16 June 2005)
* Aha! (All We Want) - (28 June 2006)

Albums

* THE GREATEST HITS (11 January 2001) - #1
* LOVE PSYCHEDELICO ORCHESTRA (9 January 2002) - #1
* LOVE PSYCHEDELICO III (25 February 2004) - #2
* EARLY TIMES (9 February 2005) (best-of compilation) - #1
* LIVE PSYCHEDELICO (22 March 2006) #33
* GOLDEN GRAPEFRUIT (27 June 2007)
* THIS IS LOVE PSYCHEDELICO (18 June 2008) (1st US-release)
* Abbot Kinney (13 January 2010)

DVD

* THE FILM 1999.12-2002.05 (21 November 2002)
* THE FILM 1999.12-2002.05 (22 September 2004)
* IN CONCERT AT BUDOKAN (07 December 2005)
* GOLDEN GRAPEFRUIT BOX (18 June 2008)