Between the frequent tours by foreign ensembles and excellent domestic musicians like accordionist Coba, fans of tango in Japan don’t go wanting. Among the homegrown groups, guitarist Natsuki Kido’s “post-Piazzolla” quintet Salle Gaveau (named after a famous Paris concert hall) explores the intersection of tango with jazz and even progressive rock. On the title track, a famous Uruguayan composition, tango’s brisk bass lines and sprightly melodies become the launchpad for flights of improvisation from virtuoso musicians like violinist Naoki Kita and accordionist Yoshiaki Sato. At other moments, as on Kido’s “Rain at 3:00pm,” the mood is restrained and serene.

Salle Gaveau
Aug 10, 8pm, ¥3,000. Pit Inn, Shinjuku. Tel: 03-3352-0381.

Crystal Kay is far from a diamond in the rough. Following last year’s “Best Of” collection, she continues to glow with her new EP Flash. While the first track is big with strings, loud brass and choral arrangements, it does little besides conjure up a cinematic chase scene. The real party starts with the title track—mechanized synths mesh with Crystal’s vocals as she walks you through a flirtatious encounter. “Victoria” is your average “she’s got it” track, ideal for vogueing in front of bedroom mirrors. The turning point of the disc, “Never Say Goodbye,” is upbeat but mellow—like a leisurely drive to the beach. Kay rounds things out with ballads like “Happy,” an impressive tribute to her idol, Michael Jackson. Overall, Flash is a strong start to a new decade, showcasing Kay’s versatility and tiding fans over until the next full-length.

Does one cute, catchy, lo-fi gem of a song (and great Jeri curls) a career make? This is the question posed by Darwin Deez’s “Constellation,” a witty take on “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” that changes the famous refrain to “Wrinkle, wrinkle, little scar.” Actually, there are plenty more charming lo-fi numbers on Darwin Deez, including the joyful second single “Radar Detector.” Darwin Smith—a vegan waiter from Brooklyn—implicitly understands the essence of pop songcraft, and the critical references to “a hippy Strokes” aren’t so far off the mark. But the cheap ’80s handclap samples and falsetto protestations of love begin to grow old as the album proceeds. Can Smith develop his memorable hooks and spandex jumpsuits into a lasting career? Check him out at Summer Sonic’s Dance Stage on August 8 and judge for yourself.

“Summer Sonic 2010”
Aug 7-8, 10am, ¥15,800 (one day)/¥29,000 (two days). Chiba Marine Stadium & Makuhari Messe, Chiba. Tel: Creativeman 03-3462-6969.

Mystery Jets’ bright but unremarkable 2006 debut Making Dens garnered attention mostly because the father of lead vocalist/keyboardist Blaine Harrison was also in the band. Since then, the English five-piece have seen steady improvement and growing ambition. With their third studio album Serotonin—produced by veteran Chris Thomas (Sex Pistols, Elton John, Pulp, U2)—they now appear to be the finished product, delivering a euphoric slab of accomplished, infectious indie guitar pop, embellished with the kind of eclectic touches—prog, disco, flamenco, kitchen sink, etc.—that invoke comparisons to Super Furry Animals. But unlike SFA, whose musical eccentricity is often distracting, Mystery Jets make everything work for the benefit of the songs, including the stirring opener “Alice Springs,” the tugging and twisting title track, and “Lorna Doone,” which harks back to the wistful side of ’80s legends Spear of Destiny.

French chanteuse Emilie Simon ditched Paris for New York to make her latest record, and it’s the most strident thing she’s done to date. Her piano-led compositions are supplemented by a wild array of electronic beats and effects—plus a brass section, just for good measure. Kate Bush comparisons are inevitable, not just in the vocal acrobatics but also the barmy ambition of the arrangements: opening track “Rainbow” moves from electro stomp to Broadway number to orchestral epic in the space of four minutes, and it’s hardly atypical. A children’s choir pops up in “Nothing to Do With You,” and there’s a Chinese zither buried somewhere in the mix on “Ballad of the Big Machine.” However, some of the best moments—particularly the Blondie-esque “The Cycle”—come when Simon manages to stick with just one idea.

Buffalo Daughter won worldwide acclaim in the late ’90s after being signed to the Beastie Boys’ Grand Royal label. Now, 17 years after forming, the band is going truly indie for the first time. The Weapons of Math Destruction (the name is a challenge to the “mathematical inevitability of the end of the world”) sees the group continuing to explore its “techno music in a rock band style.” This means a lot of guitars set to sequenced beats and swirly effects, which frankly begins to wear thin after the umpteenth track. Weapons has plenty of chunky grooves, but the album could have been trimmed to an EP-length outing of the best tracks. These include the funky basslines and jocular atmospheres of “All Power to the Imagination,” the off-kilter bloops, bleeps and tweaky vocal samples of the nostalgic “Rock ‘n’ Roll Anthem,” and the skronky goof-hop of “The Battle Field in My Head.”

Buffalo Daughter play Fuji Rock on Aug 1.
“Fuji Rock Festival ‘10″
Three-day fest with Muse, Roxy Music, Massive Attack, Vampire Weekend, Buffalo Daughter and others. July 30-Aug 1, 11am, ¥16,800 (one-day pass)/¥39,800 (three-day pass). Naeba Ski Resort. www.fujirockfestival.com