One term that is sometimes used in connection with the more bubblegum side of Japanese pop/rock is anime pop. Anime, for the uninitiated, is Japanese animation; a lot of anime is obsessed with cuteness (the Pokemon cartoons, for example), and the cuteness factor is a major component of anime pop (a term that has been applied to everyone from Pink Lady to Shonen Knife). Of course, not all Japanese pop/rock is bubblegum -- some of it is just the opposite, in fact -- but Pine*am's Pull the Rabbit Ears is definitely the type of fun, frivolous Japanese recording that sounds like anime with a beat. Some rock critics, quite frankly, are going to hate this female trio; the hyper-intellectuals who believe that all music has to be as profound and deep-thinking as U2, Bruce Springsteen, John Coltrane, or Public Enemy won't have any use for Pine*am's musical anime. However, those who don't take themselves way too seriously for their own good will find a lot to like about this 2005 release, which draws on influences ranging from dream pop/shoegazer music (as in Lush and the Cardigans) to disco, synth pop, new wave, and Europop. Lush are a definite influence, but Pine*am are much more eccentric and a lot more girlish -- and the threesome obviously has a soft spot for the Tom Tom Club, Devo, the B-52's, and other quirky new wave groups that were popular in the late '70s and/or early '80s. If you're going to provide ear candy, there is no need to apologize; just be creative about it and do it well. Pine*am's three members are good at what they do, and their pop/rock anime is generally likable and infectious on Pull the Rabbit Ears. ~ Alex Henderson

Rovi