Archive for the ‘sakanaction’ Category

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J-Rock Fridays Vol. 100

June 28, 2013

Did I really write 100 of these things? Thanks for sticking around these past four years and I hope you continue to enjoy it.

andymori- “Neverland”

In a few short months, andymori will be gone forever, so they might as well start pumping out those music videos now. “Neverland” is presented as a short film, and tells the story of adult size Peter Pan. While Captain Hook adjusts to the corporate life, Pan continues on his childish exploits even after losing the ability to fly. All it takes is a child to believe in him!

sakanaction- “Inori (Extended Mix)”

In case you’ve only been keeping up with sakanaction through their singles, they’ve been including one track over their past few albums that is much more dance than rock. “Inori” is from this year’s self titled album and is being released as an extended mix on vinyl. This may be a boring black and white video with the band standing around with their Macbooks, but I assure you this is one for the clubs!

Czecho No Republic- 「１人のワルツ」

Czecho No Republic heads to the country for the second video off their Tower Records exclusive single. They meet some llamas and ostriches but mostly sing and dance all happy like in the park.

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Posted in andymori, BiS, Champagne, Cold Name, Czecho No Republic, J-Rock Fridays, kindan no tasuketsu, Merpeoples, Nahavand, sakanaction, The Cigavettes, The Natsuyasumi Band, uminote, Urbangarde | 1 Comment »

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J-Rock Fridays Vol. 89

January 25, 2013

Now that we’re done with the best videos of 2012 we can get around to dedicating this column to new J-Rock videos! By coincidence there was a new J-Rock Fridays every week in January. I don’t know if you enjoyed that but we’ll probably go back to biweekly from now on even though I have to cut a lot of videos each time (I guess that’s what Tumblr’s for).

sakanaction- “Music”

Get your headphones ready it’s the time of the year that sakanaction releases new music. Here we’ve got a bit of a split screen video with the vocalist tiredly watching a cute girl running away from handsy dancers.

Man With A Mission- “Emotions”

When emotions run dry, the wolves come out to play! I can’t tell if their English has gotten progressively better overnight or if they hired a foreigner to sing the verses but this song is pretty tight.

Baroque- “Tatoeba Kimi to Boku”

If you enjoy watching women wrestle each other in wet bikinis then “Tatoeba” is your new favorite J-Rock video. I was shocked by the negative reaction over at Tumblr, but still this is the first visual kei video I’ve watched all the way through in a long time.

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Posted in Baroque, Champagne, Dad Mom God, Egg Brain, indigo la End, Ito Shohei, J-Rock Fridays, Kinoko Teikoku, kuuchuusen, Man With A Mission, sakanaction, The Captains, wah-wah | 1 Comment »

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Best of 2012: J-Rock Fridays Part II

January 18, 2013

The last batch of the best J-Rock videos of 2012, although hopefully not the last list of the year. We’ve been to many places this year and it’s time to revisit.

The Novembers- “Harem”

Starting off part II of the best J-Rock videos of 2012 is another “weird stuff happens in the woods” video! The Novembers’ follow a mysterious gypsy into the woods where she does a sword dance while they look on like Twilight vampires. Haunting!

Aureole- “Live Again”

I really do love these woods videos! This time a mysterious schoolgirl stumbles into the woods and finds a magic sword while Aureole plays their flute song behind a bed sheet. She will protect them from harm.

matryoshka- “Monotonous Purgatory”

A beautiful animated video about a soul leaving its body that could have probably been expanded to a short film and submitted to certain film festivals. A wonderful treat for the 5 year album wait.

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Posted in Aureole, Best of 2012, Hisashi Suto Gatali Acoustic Set, J-Rock Fridays, kindan no tasuketsu, Love Me Tender, matryoshka, nego, NOKIES!, oono yuuki, Pay Money To my Pain, sakanaction, The Novembers, uminote, Year End Lists | 1 Comment »

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J-Rock Fridays Vol. 79

September 7, 2012

Back for another dose!

sakanaction- “Yoru no Odoriko”

Sakanaction is rocking out in traditional Japanese garb with a couple of geishas in front of oh powerful Mt. Fuji in this slow zoom-in video. In typical sakanaction fashion, the song explodes around the midway point when we start getting close-ups of the vocalist’s hilarious eye makeup. Another sakanaction single that will make you dance all night.

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Posted in 10-FEET, Akihiro Namba, Cokehead Hipsters, J-Rock Fridays, Lighter190E, LLLL, Nabowa, Ogre You Asshole, sakanaction, Stereo Heart, the guitar plus me, Waka | Leave a Comment »

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J-Rock Fridays Vol. 71

May 18, 2012

Happy Friday.

mudy on the 昨晩- “PANIC ATTACK”

Mudy on the sakuban puts on a haunted house show for an unsuspecting couple. There’s a Sadako spoof from The Ring and probably more I’m not well versed in the horror genre. I think mudy is officially one of those bands we can count on for great videos.

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Posted in Broken Doll, Bugy Craxone, EA, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, go green, J-Rock Fridays, Kaji Hideki, KETTLES, Keytalk, mudy on the 昨晩, Nihon Madonna, sakanaction, Shonen Knife, uchu-jin, Waka | Leave a Comment »

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Best of 2011: J-Rock Fridays

January 6, 2012

Last year I asked you to vote for your favorite videos every (other) week on J-Rock Fridays. You didn’t do a very good job, but I did manage to compile a top 10 with your top voted videos and my own. So without further ado…

10. The Flickers- “White Heat”

The Flickers came out of nowhere with “White Heat.” It’s unfortunate they couldn’t keep up the flame on the rest of their mini-album, but I’ll hold this as promise.

9. 6eyes- “Big Saturday Night”

Hookers! “Big Saturday Night” has become my weekend anthem, even though I rarely go out on the weekend or at all really.

8. The_AIU- “CPU”

I bet most boys would love to have Ms. Ratna as their CPU. So sweet.

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Posted in 6eyes, AA=, Best of 2011, blgtz, Comeback My Daughters, Gekitetsu, Gellers, J-Rock Fridays, sakanaction, Suneohair, The Flickers, the HIATUS, The_AIU, Uchikubi Gokumon Doukoukai, Uzumibi, Year End Lists | Leave a Comment »

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J-Rock Fridays Vol. 55

September 30, 2011

Just like water we fall.

Fat Prop- “Can’t Stop The Music”

Punk rockers Fat Prop have joined the electro boys club with “Can’t Stop The Music.” Noticeably more fun than their usual piano driven fare.

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Posted in 1000say, Ashley Scared The Sky, Asobi Seksu, BEAST, Fat Prop, HaKU, J-Rock Fridays, Kaminarigumo, PASTAFASTA, sakanaction, Sebastian X, The Autocratics, Tokyo Karankoron, Uzumibi, Veni Vidi Vicious | Leave a Comment »

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J-Rock Fridays Vol. 50

July 22, 2011

Fifty seems like an important number. If you can’t wait for J-Rock Fridays, I’ve been posting a few videos a day on my Tumblr account.

Comeback My Daughters- “Always on your side”

Outta Here is a great album. And since I’m too lazy to write album reviews I’ll just give CBMD top billing again. Awesome country sound!

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Posted in 99RadioService, arukara, Ashley Scared The Sky, BIGMAMA, Comeback My Daughters, CRAZY HiTMAN, DAMAGE, Envy, J-Rock Fridays, Monica Uranglass, mudy on the 昨晩, sakanaction, The Novembers, To overflow evidence, Veltpunch | 3 Comments »

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J-Rock Fridays Vol. 40

March 4, 2011

For your listening pleasure.

sakanaction- “Rookie”

Always a good day when sakanaction drops a new PV. Get plenty of rest so you don’t see dead people!

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Posted in 2side1BRAIN, Cokehead Hipsters, EMPTY, FACT, Fruits Explosion, Gellers, J-Rock Fridays, MowMow LuLu Gyaban, Penguin Villa, Prof. Sakamoto, sakanaction, the band apart | 1 Comment »

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Stuff To Look Forward To, August 2010

August 4, 2010

August is here.  And there’s more Japanese albums I can’t afford.  If you’re in Chicago this weekend X-Japan will be at Lollapalooza.  I don’t have $300 to burn just to stand around in the sun but whatever makes you happy.

Beat Crusaders- Situation

If you haven’t already heard, the Beat Crusaders are breaking up.  Why do you have to leave me?  “Situation” is their final single.  Apparently, it will only be released as a DVD video.  The listing says it’s Region 2, which defeats the point of me buying it, but thanks for one last song.

Nature Living- Anonymous

Back in the day, Nature Living was the screamo band to listen to from Japan.  And then their popularity fell along with Purevolume’s before they even released their album.  But I bought it.  And liked it.  This is their second full-length (third if you count After All).  I doubt they’ll make it easy and put it on Interpunk again for us but I will find you.  (myspace)

the telephones- We Love Telephones

Yes, we do. Second major label album from the band and they’re just as crazy as ever.  I was starting to worry after that collaboration with MiChi.  But the singles have been good, especially “Kiss Me, Love Me, Kiss Me,” which was a pleasant diversion from their normal chaos.  They’ll bring the disco if you give them your love and voice.  (myspace)

Mass of the Fermenting Dregs- Zero Comma, Irotoridori No Sekai

Now this is a major label debut we should be worried about.  When they released the video for the title track a couple of weeks ago it was clear that they changed their sound to something more bubbly.  I don’t mind the direction they’re going in.  It’s kind of fun.  (myspace)

The Predators- This World

The Predators are back with a new mini-album.  This was the supergroup comprised of Sawao Yamanaka (the pillows), Jiro (GLAY), and Shinpai Nakayama (STRAIGHTENER).  Well, Shinpai left and Hirotaka Takahashi (ELLEGARDEN) stepped in on drums.  If you’re a fan of the pillows, they kind of sound the same, so go get it.  (myspace)

Scott Murphy- Guilty Pleasure 4

Damn you Scott Murphy.  You just got back together with ALLiSTER  and you’re already doing more solo stuff.  As always, the fourth in this series will cover a bunch of J-Pop songs, like Utada Hikaru’s “Flavor of Life.”   And hey, there’s even a Carpenters and The Slants cover.  And to be fair, the new ALLiSTER album kind of sucks.

Other Stuff

Masafumi Isobe- Do we know? (single)

NICO Touches the Walls- Sudden Death Game (single)

noanowa- Magical Circus

sakanaction- Identity (single)

Sebastian X- Bokura no Fantasy

Various Artists- Ghibli Rock

Various Artists- !Leche Con Cover! -A Tribute To No Use For A Name-

I was made to hit in America

Sometimes we can buy Japanese CDs at cheap American prices.  Good Charamel is going a little crazy this month by releasing the newest albums from Shonen Knife, Molice, LAZYgunsBRISKY, and TsuShiMaMiRe on August 31.  Selected songs from each band and DJ Sashimi will be on a compilation called I Love J-Rock released the same day.  That’s a lot of stuff!

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Posted in ALLiSTER, Beat Crusaders, Mass of the Fermenting Dregs, Molice, Nature Living, noanowa, sakanaction, Scott Murphy, Sebastian X, Shonen Knife, Stuff To Look Forward To, THE PREDATORS, the telephones, TsuShiMaMiRe | Leave a Comment »

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