Archive for April, 2013

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Stuff To Look Forward To, April 2013

April 30, 2013

4/02 30%Less Fat- Bejifujin (CD Japan/Video)

4/03 Biidoro- Mata Ashita ne (CD Japan/Video)

4/03 [Champagne]- Forever Young (CD Japan/Video)

4/03 Three Lights Down Kings- Brain Washing (CD Japan/Video)

4/03 Dir en grey- The Unraveling (CD Japan)

4/03 DIV- Taste of Life (CD Japan/Video)

4/03 In 197666- (No) My Destiny (Video)

4/03 The Love Ningen- Songs (CD Japan/Video)

4/03 phatmans after school- Media Literacy (CD Japan/Video)

4/03 The SALOVERS- Yuka ni wa Kimi no Cardigan (CD Japan/Video)

4/03 Sei with Master of Ram- A Sheep (CD Japan/Video)

4/03 SiM- EViLS (Video)

4/03 Scars Borough- Nineteen Percent (CD Japan/Video)

4/03 SiM- EViLS (CD Japan/Video)

4/03 Super Beaver- Sekai ga Me wo Samasunonara (CD Japan/Video)

4/03 Tamaki Roy- Lucky (CD Japan/Video)

4/03 uhnellys- Screamer EP (CD Japan/Video)

4/03 Vibedred- Ark (CD Japan/Video 1, Video 2)

4/05 Gellers- 咲きっぽ

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within the last wish

April 24, 2013

myspace band of the week

withinthelastwish

Within the last wish is a hardcore band from Yokohama. They formed in 2005 after the breakup of IRRIVALY and the current lineup is Ken (vocals), Hatano (guitar), Lin (guitar), Umehara (bass) and Yu-Ichi (drums). Their first mini-album The World Is Painted Out was released in April 2009 by Theory & Practice Records. In 2010 they released a split EP with screamo band IZP. Their new 4-track EP Still Talk About A Dream is due out sometime this month. Watch the lyric video for the title-track below.

http://www.myspace.com/withinthelastwish

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J-Rock Fridays Vol. 95

April 19, 2013

Although this week’s storms and floods continue to knock off my internet connection every few minutes, it’s Friday and I have a thick stack of new J-Rock videos for you!

Bugy Craxone- “Iikagenna Blue”

Hello, darlings. Bugy Craxone has a charming new video in which they spell out the lyrics in cue cards and t-shirts. A lot of work went into timing this just to make you smile!

Gotch- “The Long Goodbye”

It’s been a while since I’ve cared for Asian Kung-Fu Generation, but Masafumi Gotoh’s solo project Gotch is a pleasant surprise. “The Long Goodbye” has a more chill approach than AKFG’s stuff and will be released as a 7″ for Record Store Day. Hopefully he’ll have a more substantial release in the future.

illion- “Beehive”

In other solo news, Radwimps’ Yojiro Noda has released his second illion video. “Beehive” is a creative piece with exploding fruits that swirl around like paint in this dusty studio apartment.

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Posted in Asian Kung-Fu Generation, Bugy Craxone, D.I.D., Good Morning America, Gotch, GRAPEVINE, illion, J-Rock Fridays, KANA-BOON, Lady Flash, Record Store Day, Sister Jet, Taffy, The Midnight TV Programs, VIBEDRED | Leave a Comment »

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Hearsays

April 17, 2013

myspace band of the week

hearsays

Hearsays is an indie pop band from Fukuoka that formed in 2012. The members are Zebra (vocals, guitar), Taito (vocals, guitar), Mataro (bass) and Oie (drums). Vocal duty is split between male and female vocals, but mostly relies on the sweet female vocals. Their song “The Blind” was featured on Dead Funny’s first compilation earlier this year and the label released Hearsays’ first EP A Little Bird Told Me in March. You can buy it digitally on Dead Funny’s bandcamp or on cassette tape at Jet Set Records.

http://www.myspace.com/byhearsays

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385

April 10, 2013

myspace band of the week

385

385 is a hardcore jazz trio from Okinawa. Miya (bass, vocals) and Tengan (drums) formed 385 in 2008 after Miya’s previous all-girl punk band Bleach 03 broke up. Their first mini album Nomiso Arao was released in 2010. Musically, 385 is very similar to early midori (ミドリ) albums, with heavy screaming and jazzy instruments. This should come as no surprise as Nomiso Arao was the first release on Hakai Music, midori vocalist Mariko Goto’s record label,  and Hajime (ex-midori) even served as support member in 2011. In 2012 Masayuki Hasuo (ex-school food punishment) joined 385 as their keyboardist.

This May, 385 will release their first album Ningen. Preorder it at CD Japan.

http://www.myspace.com/bobocore

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J-Rock Fridays Vol. 94

April 5, 2013

Another column of videos I already featured on Tumblr! It’s okay, but I’d like to get some love on my real blog every once in a while too. By the way, I finally added “J-Rock Explosion” to our header image. Maybe I’ll change it again in another 6 years…

a flood of circle- “Dancing Zombiez”

The Walking Dead may have ended its season last Sunday, but the walkers have decided to “dance” for a special J-Rock video. Will a flood of zombies eat this rock trio or get a drum stick to the eye?

uhnellys- 「体温」

Rap/rock duo uhnellys takes us on an emotional ride as a man says goodbye to his wife on her deathbed. We see him breakdown and eventually accept her passing, a very moving and accurate portrayal of anyone who has lost a loved one.

sugardrop- “Love Scene”

Fall asleep where you are. The lead singer of sugardrop performs his version of planking with a blanket, which includes some humorous locations such as an escalator and the middle of the freaking street. He better be careful or this will turn into a crime scene!

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Posted in a flood of circle, Champagne, coldrain, Country Yard, J-Rock Fridays, Kiyoshi Sugo, Pirokalpin, Predawn, sugardrop, The fin., The Starbems, the telephones, Tricot, uhnellys | Leave a Comment »

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Arbus

April 3, 2013

myspace band of the week

arbus

Arbus is a hardcore/math rock band from Kyoto that formed in March 2008. The current band members are Shohei Ikezumi (guitar), Ryosuke Fujita (guitar), Hayato Bo (bass) and Ryotaro Nishida (drums). Vocalist Yuzuru Shimamura left the band in December and they are currently on hiatus. They released their first demo in 2009 called With Your Perfection and their first mini-album A Recess in the Wall in 2010. Last summer they released a split EP with bilo’u.

You can pick up their mini-album and split at CD Japan. Their demo is available for free at CD Baby.

http://www.myspace.com/arbus1

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Toru Hidaka Forms New Band The Starbems

April 2, 2013

thestarbems

Toru Hidaka has finally assembled his first band since the breakup of Beat Crusaders. The Starbems formed in December 2012, a couple of months after Hidaka left Monobright as their guitarist. There are some familiar faces in this new band, including Atsushi Kikuchi (guitar) from Fed Music, who Hidaka recorded an album with last year and Local Sound Style’s Yusuke Goto (guitar). Kazuma Koshikawa (guitar, ex KEGAWA-NO-MARIES) Junpei Terao (bass, Mujinto Records) and Hiroaki Kochi (drums, The Bench) complete The Starbems.

The Starbems are set to release Future Primitive EP on April 10. The first single “The Crakin” has a lot of elements we know and love from the Beat Crusaders with a little bit of hardcore thrown in!

http://www.thestarbems.com/

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