‘Renai Rider’ cool, but so is ‘Pop Rider’

Sodopp, a Japanese all-girl garage trio, invades the US in March.

Some delicate little things in life are so wonderful they need to be carefully preserved. Such is the tiny bamboo-shoot of an all-girl trio, Sodopp, which is striking out on tour in March with Japan Nite 2008.

The only song from Sodopp available online that I can find is “Pop Rider,” something the band recorded in 2006 when they were just starting to come together. Officially, Sodopp has been a band only since April 2007, according to the group’s MySpace site.

This song is so typically J-pop. It starts out as an infantile little ballad, then keeps crescendoing into … well, I don’t know exactly what. It’s infectious and addicting, so watch out. Yes, it’s a far cry from Buono’s! smash, “Renai Rider,” but is very nice in its own gentle way.

The “garage band’s” three girls – Satoko on lede vocals and guiter, Ayano on electric bass and Seina on percussion – have a very together sound on this delightful song. It’s a throwback to the late ‘50s US pop, while at the same time just so innocent-sounding that it gets your attention, and keeps it if you give the song, and band, a chance. Reminds you of the Archies, only all-girl.

This is Radicalipton signing off – for now.