How to find out what J-Pop tracks are doing well in the UK

A bit of a how-to here. It's what I've come to rely on anyway to tell me what (reasonably) new stuff is doing the rounds on UK iTunes.

Firstly, there's the frustration that within iTunes main store, it's very difficult to actually access the J-Pop chart - it's lumped in with the 'World' chart and can typically only be seen when searching for 'related' content to albums actually flagged specifically as 'J-Pop'.

Thank God for iTop Chart then, who provide the data in a stripped-out, easy to access format.

Top 100 J-Pop Songs
Top 100 J-Pop Albums
Top 100 Anime Songs
Top 100 Anime Albums

Far from ideal, but better than nothing, right? I'm not sure why iTunes deems fit to separate J-Pop and Anime as two separate genres (and what determines whether a release is one or the other), but by sticking to these four charts, you can glean a reasonable insight into what's new - as these releases typically filter to the top.

Sadly, the 'Anime' charts are flooded with what I deem 'unofficial' tribute versions - to which the only answer can be 'Release the proper versions in the UK please!'

nano - Rock On.

Imagine my surprise earlier this week when I checked iTunes and saw this pop up. January is typically a pretty dead period for new music, with the UK's charts invariably bloated with the biggest hits of the previous year following the Xmas blow-out.

But lo and behold, January 28th, and the new album from angular pop-rock type nano is up there. Rejoice! Most will know nano for the incredible OP theme to Arpeggio of Blue Steel, and said track is present here, alongside the singles Born To Be and Infinity=Zero. Personally, I don't think there's anything that quite comes close to matching early standouts Now Or Never and No Pain, No Game, but it makes for a solid record nonetheless, with the singer's characteristic androgynous vocals front and centre.

I've always likened nano to Enter Shikari or Amaranthe, but in truth the sound is wider reaching - matching the punchy guitar/synths combo to a more melodic course. The blend of Japanese and English lyrics is excellently done too - which is more than be said for many OP themes that attempt to do likewise.

But yeah, it goes without saying: Victor Entertainment - cheers for putting this out officially in the UK! And for anyone that hasn't heard Savior of Song yet? Boy have you been missing out...