Good news for all you people who still have cassette players. Wisconsin’s Keep It Together Records have once again teamed up with Japan’s Stiff Slack Records to release two more J-Rock tapes. First up is LITE’s Installation, which was released in Japan earlier this year. Next is SZKN’s The Present, who goes by Sizukani Hisomu Hibi in Japan. Pick up both tapes for five bucks a pop here.
“Action Comic Punk Band” Peelander-Z have proven themselves to be kings of the the concept album the past couple of years with a children’s album and the space themed Space Vacation under their belt. On September 10, they’ll be releasing their tribute to 80s hair metal, Metalander-Z via Chicken Ranch Records. Recorded with era-appropriate guitar gear, Peelander-Z took inspiration from classic albums from the likes of AC/DC, Def Leppard, Van Halen, ZZ Top and Iron Maiden.
“Ride on the Shooting Star” is the lead single off of Metalander-Z, which they decribe as an “uplifting, coming-of-age, get-the-girl” song. You can download it for free on SoundCloud or with a remix of their “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” cover on Amazon.
Topshelf Records announced that they will be releasing toe’s discography on vinyl this fall. The Book About My Idle Plot On a Vague Anxiety and a box set including all of the records have already sold out but the preorder for Songs, Ideas We Forgot is still live as well as last year’s release of The Future Is Now. Keep an eye on Topshelf’s Twitter or toe’s page for preorder information for the rest of the records.
Additionally, check toe out on tour in the US this fall.
Envy is celebrating their 20th anniversary with the release of Invariable Will, Recurring Ebbs and Flows, a massive career-spanning 14 LP boxset. To be released on July 16 by Temporary Residence, the boxset will include all of their albums, EPs and b-sides for a total of 95 songs. In addition, it will also include a 100-page coffee table book and two DVDs. The boxset is limited to 1000 copies, including two color varients, and is available for preorder here with a special 20% off discount until June 1.
When The End announced they’d be releasing Crossfaith’s Zion EP in America last year, I was disappointed to find out it was a digital only release. They’re making up for it now with a CD version on March 19. The physical release was made in conjunction with Crossfaith’s current US tour with Enter Shikari and will only be available at their merch table or online. You can check out their tour dates here and preorder the EP at The Omega Order alone or as a t-shirt bundle.
In all addition to the current tour, Crossfaith have also announced that they will be playing all dates of the Vans Warped Tour this summer! Buy tickets here.
Temporary Residence will release Mono’s newest album For My Parents in North America on September 4 (Japan release is August 22). The 5-track album is about traveling the world and giving your parents a hug and includes support from the The Wordless Music Orchestra. Preorder the album at Amazon or Temporary Residence, where they already sold out of a few vinyl pressings.
Hit the jump for North American tour dates and a journey through Iceland.
Shintaro Sakamoto, frontman of the legendary psych rock outfit Yura Yura Teikoku, released his debut solo album How To Live With A Phantom Mood in Japan late last year. Other Music Recording released the album on CD/Vinyl/digital in the US on July 17. You can pick up all three at Amazon or their Other Music’s distro site.
LOW-PASS is an instrumental/math-rock trio from Kyoto. The trio formed in 2005 and the current lineup is Kanazawa Takayuki (guitar), Ono Yasunobu (bass) and Sannomiya Hiroe (drums). Their first release was a split EP with French band fago.sepia from Friend of Mine Records in 2009. Stiff Slack released their first album Trimurti in March 2012.
Trimurti is available on CD at Jet Set Records. Keep It Together Records, an indie label based in Wisconsin, released the album on cassette tape in America a few weeks ago.
Good Charamel Records released their second I Love J-Rock compilation today. It includes 1-2 newer songs from Shonen Knife, Molice, TsuShiMaMiRe and the recently broken up LAZYgunsBRISKY who were all on the first compilation. There is one surprise in yet another girl band Tricot with “Baku Retsu Panie San.” No word on whether or not GC will be bringing over Tricot’s whole EP but they have announced release dates for all of the other Japanese bands on their roster:
4/17 LAZYgunsBRISKY- LAZYgunsBRISKY
4/17 Molice- Neugravity
5/01 TsuShiMaMiRe- Giving More Blood
5/01 TsuShiMaMiRe- Shocking
Sometime in June, Shonen Knife- Pop Tune
I Love J-Rock 2 is available at Amazon MP3 and GC’s webstore. More PVs below!
L’Arc~en~Ciel is taking their 20th anniversary celebration global in 2012 with the release of their 12th studio album Butterfly and a world tour that brought them to New York last month, the first first Japanese band to headline Madison Square Garden. Cleopatra Records will release a L’Arc~en~Ciel tribute album in America to honor these icons. Vivid Covers – A 20th Anniversary Tribute to L’Arc~en~Ciel will be released on April 10 and features J-Rock artists from all over the world. Some highlights include Keshiki from Japan, Unshin from the UK, and Lemon Drop Kick and akai SKY from the US.
Listen to samples and pre-order the CD at Amazon.com.
J-Rock Explosion 