HY

HY were the most successful Japanese indie rock band of the 2000s, although it must be noted that the term "indie" in their country applies solely to label status, without any musical connotations. HY's fifth album, Hearty, has been characterized as "genre-less," and that's a fitting description, seeing as the band specializes in sweet, accessible pop/rock with both hip-hop and hard rock influences found in the mix. Their pop prowess accounts for the fact that within a few years of their beginning, they broke several commercial records, despite being the rarest of Japanese bands, one that never released a single. ~ Alexey Eremenko