[Findlay]

Mr.Children
For a long time I've heard that they're very popular (especially from the fan girls in my class who love Sakurai-san to death); however, I wasn't introduced to MISUCHIRU's music until the summer of 2000 when I watched the drama "BUS STOP", and the song "NOT FOUND" was featured on it. I instantly fell in love with it and then went to CD store to pick up the single (that CD had occupied my walkman for ages). Later I bought more of their early hits like "Tomorrow never knows" and became a fan.

the brilliant green
I remember after I got ELT's "fragile / JIRENMA" single, and while I was about to leave the store, "Hello Another Way -sorezorenobasho-" was played which caught my attention, and I really liked it, so I asked the person who worked there who sang that song, and he told me it's a band called tbg. Since their "Los Angeles" album also happened to be released on that same day, I bought it out of curiosity; surprisingly I could listen to the whole album without skipping any track. Then a week later I made my second purchase, "TERRA2001" (though I had always thought that's their first album). Just got a chance to listen to "the brilliant green" recently, and ordered it off cdjapan.com.

Kuraki Mai
Heard "Stay by my side" and "Secret of my heart" from the radio and thought they sounded really good. My friend also talked about how she never appeared on TV show, and that her singing technique is quite like Utada's. Even after the fever is over, I still like her stuff.

ZONE
I've never been fond of girl group/band and thought they're just another one of those, but I was wrong; a friend sang "secret base ~kimigakuretamono~" in karaoke, and when it ended, she was crying. I felt I was also moved while listening to that kind of melody which is very beautiful in an indescribable way, and that's how I got into the talented ZONE.

Onitsuka Chihiro
"gekkou" was the first song I heard on TV, (it was a live, and she was barefooted if I remember correctly). I was immediately stunned and overwhelmed by such a powerful, mature, and impeccable vocal performance she displayed there; what shocked me even more was that when I checked her profile, I couldn't believe that she was only 20 (in 2000); I told myself that she has to be the second MISIA who can actually sing. For some reasons though, I think I had left the three singles in my home in Japan when I moved to the US and lost track of any update on her. Last year I re-discovered her along with Yaida Hitomi thanks to ~K+ and luminaire, and bought "Sugar High" with the single box.

As for Hitoto You, Moriyama Naotaro, Hirahara Ayaka, Hayashi Asuca, Hajime Chitose, and GARNET CROW, I found out about them from the Oricon rankings, and I also got to know Sasagawa Miwa by luminaire's recommendation. =)