Chai
Chai’s memorable single and video for “Gyaran-Boo” was their first breakthrough. Though the foursome was founded in 2012 (before one of them had even learned to play an instrument), it’s only been since their recent Hottaraka-Series EP and related video promos that you could find out anything about the band online that didn’t need to be translated from Japanese. That seems to be because the self-represented quartet actually bypassed Japan entirely, instead launching the EP on international platforms (iTunes, Spotify, Amazon Prime, etc.) and thus actually scored chart positions in the UK and elsewhere. Their act is probably best described as Josie & the Pussycats crossed with the Pretenders, as choreographed by an octogenarian marching-band director. Not something you see every day in Midtown.