Archive for December, 2010

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Double Sadness: midori and KAREN disband

December 31, 2010

This New Years Eve bears the unfortunate news of the demise of two very influential indie bands.  Mariko Goto announced on Ustream December 26th that midori (ミドリ) would disband.  Their final concert “Sayonara, Goto-san,” was held December 30 at Liquid Room Ebisu in Tokyo.  This translation explains that Goto felt a hierarchy formed among the band members and it could not continue on as a family in its current state.  An official announcement was posted on midori’s website this morning.  They made their major label

KAREN announced in October that they would part ways at the end of the year (long interview in Japanese here).  The band was a side project featuring two members each of downy and Art-School plus Achiko of On Button Down. KAREN released two albums since they formed in 2005.

Posted in KAREN, midori | Leave a Comment »

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The Brixton Academy

December 30, 2010

myspace band of the year

We’ve covered dozens of bands this year on myspace band of the week, but there were a few that got passed over for exceeding awesomeness.  This year’s myspace band of the year goes to The Brixton Academy.

The Brixton Academy named themselves after the concert hall in Britain.  And the British influence is pretty evident in their music.  “Take four lively lads, stick them in a basement club two floors underground in a far flung corner of a sprawling metropolis. Feed them on a diet of 70’s New Wave, pumped up early 80’s New Romantic Electro, and a 90’s hunger for indie Hacienda dance floor guitar rock. Top it off with identical black mop top haircuts then wrap in monochrome vertical stripes and you’ve just about got TBA.”

The first four songs on their myspace come from their debut album Vivid and they range from the club-ready “See You In A Dream” and the crooning love song “Shy Shy.”   The last two “Turn Around” and “Nightclub” come from their EP TBA.  They’re a little less synth-heavy but it’s nice to hear real bass.  No samples of their new EP L.O.T. are available but it’s more along the lines of “See You In A Dream.”  TBA likes to think of themselves as four mysterious dudes, but I think they’ll be “very much known all over the damn place” soon.

Buy TBA releases at CD Japan and Amazon.com.

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Posted in Best of 2010, myspace band of the week, The Brixton Academy | Leave a Comment »

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the guitar plus me- shoplifter and Santa Claus (Free Download)

December 25, 2010

The guitar plus me dropped a gift off on his blog.  “Shoplifter and Santa Claus” is Yoichi Shiozawa’s new electronic-acoustic Xmas song.  It’s surprisingly chill despite the reindeer’s hustling to hell.  Download Here.

If you need more Christmas tunes, the guitar plus me has an EP full of them.  Buy Christmas Gift Christmas Grift at Amazon.

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Posted in Christmas, Free mp3, free music, the guitar plus me | 2 Comments »

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Riddim Saunter- Guest of a Christmas

December 25, 2010

Check out Riddim Saunter’s new holiday song “Guest of a Christmas.”  The song is featured on NIW!’s Christmas compilation We wish you a happy. Listen to samples and buy at Jet Set Records and CD Japan. You can also find it on a fancy 7″ record.  A in-the-studio video can be seen below.

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Let’s Get Mixy: abcdefg* record’s Xmas

December 25, 2010


Onimaga of abcdefg* record has dropped his XmasMix2010.  The mix includes labelmates naivepop or petitfool, Strawberry Machine, miette-one, and more.  Tracklist below in case you can’t read the teeny tiny letters in the jpeg.

01. miette-one – Christmas Witch (2010 ver.)
02. スロウキャンプ – emotion
03. Strawberry Machine – melon soda
04. Sister ! Sister ! (Fly me to the mars) – Sonicberry Favour
05. naivepop or petitfool – Dripping Star (norway pumpkin Remix)
06. High Jumping Jack – erika verika (2010 Edit)
07. YOUNG TONGUE – Disco System
08. nanocycle – marco
09. Pasteboard – Shoegazer
10. naivepop or petitfool – ススキノハラ (AC Remix)
11. Strawberry Machine – ちいさなおうち
12. miette-one – watermelon panic!／ウォーターメロン・パニック
13. Yucca – mere theory
14. Sai – White
15. naivepop or petitfool – Sunday Morning (2010 Edit)
16. Strawberry Machine & naivepop or petitfool – Jingie Bell (2010 mix)
17. roly poly rag bear – marmalade

Posted in Christmas, Let's Get Mixy | Leave a Comment »

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BIGMAMA hand delivers their CD…in Santa suits

December 25, 2010

BIGMAMA made one Acidman-loving fan’s day by hand delivering her CD+DVD to her doorstep.  She ordered their Back To The “2008.4.13”&”2009.4.12″ 〜We Don’t Need a Time Machine〜 live DVD and brand new holiday single I’m Standing on the Scaffold.  Looks like both were only available on their webstore for a limited time.  You can still order BIGMAMA CDs at CD Japan and Play-Asia, just don’t expect them to fly to America.  Watch them perform “Dowsing For The Future” in Santa suits below. Read the rest of this entry ?

Posted in BIGMAMA, Christmas | Leave a Comment »

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J-Rock Fridays: Best of 2010

December 24, 2010

Hey, those polls meant something!  Here’s your top voted videos for 2010.  The final 14 videos had a total of 5 votes or more.  I felt sorry for those with only 4 votes so they made the runners-up list.  Honestly, there were a lot of great videos with even less votes than that so I decided to make a personal list in the future.  Vote for your top 3 videos of the year and I’ll give the winner a “fan favorite” award!

0.8秒と衝撃。- ビートニクキラーズ

The pants-dropping 0.8syooogeki had the most voted video.  Definitely one of the craziest videos I’ve seen this year.  If no one votes this week consider them the default winner!

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Posted in 0.8秒と衝撃。, andymori, Best of 2010, Bradberry Orchestra, Champagne, cold kitchen, J-Rock Fridays, Jinn, LITE, Negoto, Nothing's Carved In Stone, Noughts and Exes, Ogre You Asshole, STRAIGHTENER, UNCHAIN, white white sisters, Year End Lists | 2 Comments »

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Best of 2010: Last.fm Edition

December 19, 2010

Well I suppose it’s that time of year when blogs tell you about all the things you missed out on.  I seem to have forgotten to make a best of list last year, but I’m planning a series of posts over the next month or two.  First up is the lazy list.  My top 25 bands, albums, and songs of 2010 as told by last.fm.  Play around with my charts if 25 isn’t good enough for you.  There’s probably a lot of stuff that’s not Japanese or 2010 material, but I’m okay with that.

Top 25 Artists of 2010

1
199
2
167
3
158
4
144
5
140
6
127
6
127
8
124
9
123
10
113
11
112
12
109
13
107
14
103
14
103
14
103
17
101
18
100
18
100
20
92
20
92
22
86
23
85
24
80
25
79

Top 25 Albums of 2010

1
162
2
148
3
141
4
108
5
103
6
98
7
90
8
88
9
85
9
85
11
82
12
81
13
78
14
77
15
76
16
72
16
72
18
71
19
Kuh – KY!
66
19
66
21
64
21
64
23
62
23
62
25
61

Top 25 Songs of 2010

1
Loved track
22
1
22
1 Loved track
22
4 Loved track
20
5
18
5
Loved track
18
7
Loved track
17
7 Loved track
17
7
17
10 Loved track
16
10
16
10
16
10 Loved track
16
10
16
15 Loved track
15
15 Loved track
15
15
15
15
15
19 Loved track
14
19
14
19
14
19
14
19 Loved track
14
24 Loved track
13
24
13
24
13
24
Loved track
13
24 Loved track
13
24
13
24
13

Posted in Best of 2010, Year End Lists | Leave a Comment »

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4 Bonjour’s Parties

December 16, 2010

myspace band of the week

4 Bonjour’s Parties is a 9-piece band that formed in the suburbs of Tokyo in 2001.  In 2005 they toured Australia, sold out their demo CDs, and met Clue to Kalo who found them a record deal.  Their first album Pigments Drift Down To The Brook was released in the US by Mush Records and Japan by &records in 2007.  They toured Japan with support from US indie bands in 2007-2008 and returned to Australia in 2009.  Their newest album Okapi Horn was released last week in Japan.

Their dreamy flute and horn soaked bedroom pop makes 4 Bonjour’s the ultimate chillout band.  The first 4 songs on myspace come from Pigments, while “Pins and Needles” and “Optical Song”  highlight Okapi Horn.  “Pins and Needles” is a peaceful track that’s just begging to whisk you to sleep.  It was originally recorded as a live video for Sleepers Film last year (and also the very first video posted on J-Rock Fridays!).  “Optical Song” livens things up a little with synthesizer and handclaps.  Overall two beautiful tracks that has me excited to hear the new album.

Buy 4 Bonjour’s Parties CDs at Amazon.com and CD Japan.

http://www.myspace.com/4bonjoursparties

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Posted in 4 Bonjour's Parties, myspace band of the week | 1 Comment »

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J-Rock Fridays Vol. 35

December 10, 2010

Looks like my J-Rock Fridays playlist that I never advertised or mentioned to anyone hit 500 views the other day.  Good to see I’m doing better on YouTube than here.

OCEANLANE- “Submarine Volcano”

Well this is the first time I’ve seen Kay Naoe sing lead in a single.  It’s about time they used his boyish good looks.

Listen.  Buy 1.  Buy 2.

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Posted in AIRPORT, anyuu-rizumu, Chirinuru Wowaka, DALLAX, FOOLON, Heavenstamp, J-Rock Fridays, Local Sound Style, Mo'some Tonebender, Oceanlane, Odotte Bakari No Kuni, PINKLOOP, pocketlife, S.M.N., the pillows, The Suzan | 1 Comment »

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