After listening to OOIOO’s new album Armonico Hewa, I decided to head over to Thrill Jockey’s website to see if they had any plans to release the album. The answer is YES, as well as the latest in the Boredoms’ Super Roots series. Details on Armonico Hewa are scarce, but Super Roots 10 will only be released on double 12″ vinyl. They are not up for preorder yet, but when the time comes you should be able to directly purchase from these links:
New York based record label Wax Poetics has announced the pre-order of 9dw’s self-titled album on vinyl for US release. The LP will be released on September 9th with a limited pressing of 1,500.
A1: stone and fruits
A2: balancer
A3: migrant
A4: find your love
B1: posse
B2: farside
B3: begin to sing for appetite
B4: tony
C1: black coffee
C2: synthetic avenues
C3: thinking makes a mistake
D1: s.e.v.
D2: walk the diorama
“Taking electro-fusion to the next dimension is no easy job. But Tokyo-based futurists 9dw aren’t afraid to gaze beyond the limits of the Milky Way, riding on a celestial quest toward a world where the atmosphere is analog and the beat of a neon ocean washes against a beach of synthesizer sand. Building their sonic landscape on an arsenal of vintage instruments and technology, the music of 9dw is a refreshing mix of jazz instrumentals, skilled guitars, fresh breakbeats, and funky keys. With an ear to the past and their eyes on the future, this band of the Rising Sun heralds a return to the 1970s heyday of jazz originality and flavor. Not since pioneers the likes of Bob James, Herbie Hancock, or Joe Zawinul has jazz-fusion sounded this good. Although 9dw’s self-titled debut has been available in Japan for sometime now, it has yet to see any form of stateside release. That’s why we here at Wax Poetics Records have decided the time is right to bring 9dw into the U.S. soundscape with a limited vinyl run of 9dw. This, the sixth release from Wax Poetics Records, will come as a double-LP set pressed on high quality 180-gram vinyl. Until now, Wax Poetics Records has been strictly in the business of reissuing rare, overlooked, and long-lost albums from the past. But with 9dw, we’re proud to be, for the first-time, reissuing a contemporary album worthy of the Wax Poetics seal of approval. So while we still pride ourselves on being an authority when it comes to soul, funk, and jazz music’s lesser-known players of yesterday, we’ve also got our ears tuned to the sounds of tomorrow. Be it in Wax Poetics Magazine or on Wax Poetics Records, you can rest assured that we’re digging the underground, wherever we find it.”
If you’re impatient or don’t have a record player, CD Baby has the Catune Records version of the album already available on CD.
Earlier this year, I started a mini-column called J-Rock Fridays on another blog. Obviously, it never caught on. So in order to breathe new life in this blog, I decided to recreate it here bigger and better. For now this will be a biweekly column. Ideally, I would want a couple posts in between J-Rock Friday columns and I can’t promise that if it was done weekly. So for now, sit back and enjoy videos from some upcoming (or dead) Japanese bands!
4 Bonjour’s Parties- “Pins and Needles”
Pretty cool single-camera video. Yes, this video was recorded live. I can’t imagine how many hours were put into preparing this. Sure, the audio isn’t that great, and the video definitely not polished, but it has that indie charm the major’s can never reproduce. http://www.myspace.com/4bonjoursparties
1000say- “Lostman”
I was told that if I liked school food punishment, I’d like this band too. I can see where they were coming from. The electronics are similar, but I think 1000say has better pop vocals than sfp. Overall, a fun song and a fun band. http://www.myspace.com/1000say
Electrico- “We Satellites”
The latest single from the Singaporean trio. It’s filled with horrible CGI of space debris. The band themselves don’t show up until half way through when a broken shard of glass floats across the screen. And then they kind of disappear. The song itself sounds a lot like U2. I really don’t know what’s holding them back. They’re signed to Warner, but they’re content to stay in Asia. Every other day, “electrico we satellites download” pops up in my search engine terms. I’m sorry, I don’t have it. Apparently you can download it at Wayango. But it’s region blocked so don’t bother. http://www.myspace.com/electricomusic
PARMS- “Stolen My Heart”
The first music video from PARMS. From the looks of it, the footage is taken from their 2009 US tour with Park Ranger. I thought “Sunlight” would have made a better single, but this one is OK too. They’re finally putting their debut album out in Japan this October, even though it’s been available in America since February. Oh well! http://www.myspace.com/parmsmusic
Shing02- “Wankyoku feat Emi Meyer and Motoki Yamaguchi”
This is the first time I’ve seen Shing02 perform with a drummer, a beautiful woman, and in Japanese. Maybe I should check out more of his albums. Shing02 is most known for his work on Samurai Shamploo, but he’s worked with a lot of other famous rappers and DJ’s since then. I really like this song and hopefully he’ll gain more recognition overseas. http://www.myspace.com/shing02
Versus the Night- “Peace Out, Girl Scout”
I’ll leave you guys with something a little more heavy. This recently released “tribute” video is taken from their farewell EP So This Is Goodbye. They had so much more to contribute to the hardcore scene, but at least they went out on top of their game. And it looks like their singer is finally putting out an album with his new band Inhale. PS: I was pleasantly surprised that Shima from buddhistson edited this video. http://www.myspace.com/versusthenight
Over at CDBaby, UNSCANDAL’s Forca!, 1.2.3.!!, and Strike are in the $5 sale bin. All three CD’s retail for $7.99 regularly, but when all three are in your cart, the price goes down to $5 each. If you bought the same CD’s from Amazon Japan, it would cost you $45!
UNSCANDAL is a 5-piece ska band based in Tokyo. They are most famous for “Scramble,” the opening theme for School Rumble.
As it turns out, I’m a month late on this one. Anyway…
Good Charamel Recordsannounced that they will release Shonen Knife’s latest album Super Group sometime in August followed by an “extensive” North American tour this fall. The album will feature a different album cover and a bonus track. This album marks their first return to a three-piece since 1999 when their bassist left the band. Super Group came out in Japan on November 7, 2008.
Shonen Knife formed in 1981 in Osaka, Japan. They were heavily influenced by 1960s girl groups, pop bands, and punk rock, in particular The Ramones. They have achieved a worldwide cult following and have been praised by bands such as Sonic Youth and Kurt Cobain of Nirvana. Almost all of their albums have had a US release and several popular 90s alternative rock bands contributed to a Shonen Knife tribute album. Naoko Yamano is the only original member that remains in the the band.
Their North American tour will be held in October and November. Tour dates can be found here.
The song can be downloaded for free at ShockHound.
J-Rock Explosion 