Pink-HOUSE is oxmxf (vocals, guitar), Tsuyoshi Miyamoto (guitar), tks23 (bass) and Duke (drums) from Tsukuba, Ibaraki. They formed in 1997 and broke up in 2004 but got back together a year later. Their first mini-album The World was released in 2007 on their own label and their second Magic was released in 2009. They were featured on ThisTime’s OK! Powerpop 2compilation in 2008. They have toured Austria with The Wellingtons and Spain with Suzy & Los Quattro and three times in the USA. Check out their bandcamp for downloads from each of their releases and a free EP.
Japan’s brightest new indie band has released a new version of their first PV in time for the release of their debut album. The album version of “Toumei Kan” contains 100% less furries but otherwise sounds the same as the original, which was apparently co-written with beat maker Idiot Pop who also just released an awesome dance album.
Roth Bart Baron is an indie/folk band that has been performing around Tokyo since 2008. The duo consists of Masaya Mifune (vocals, guitar) and Tetsuya Nakahara (drums), who also use a variety of other instruments like mandolin and fiddle to create their epic soundscapes. They won awards for “outstanding performance” and “best audience” at Yamaha’s 3rd Music Revolution Japan Final among over 5,000 bands. In 2010 they released their self-titled debut EP. It’s available at Jet Set Records and digitally at iTunes worldwide.
Sugar Salt is a rock band featuring Youk Kawashima (vocals, guitar), YamaD Tsutomo (guitar), Ryo Inoue (bass) and Tomo Inoue (drums). They formed in 2004 in Nagoya. They released three singles and a mini-album between 2006-2008 and self-released their debut album Yureru in 2009. Earlier this year they released their second album Aurora through CircularTone Reconds.
Yureru is available at CD Japan and both of their albums are available digitally at Amazon and iTunes.
Straightener is here to rock with the help of Tabu Zombie from SOIL & “PIMP” SESSIONS and Kunikazu Tanaka on glorious sax. A song so epic it could only be the opening theme to the RPG-style live action drama Yusha Yoshihiko Chapter 2.
Zeroshiki (零式) is an alternative rock band that formed in 1998 under the name 百式. They changed their name to Zeroshiki in 2005 and their current lineup is Kaz (vocals), Konaka (guitar), Ishikawa (guitar), Mugi (bass) and Ko→ya (drums). Their first album Attack to Japan was released in 2001 and rereleased under their new name in 2006. Their new mini-album Deepest and Everlong was released in August. Buy it at CD Baby or Amazon.
Dead Horse Paint is a six-piece screamo band from Saitama that formed in 2010. Its band members are Takuma Nitta (vocals), Maki Onodera (synth,vocals), Wataru Takahashi (guitar), Yuta Kakimotoi (guitar), Takahiro Miura (bass) and Tatsuto Sakaguchi (drums). They self-released two EPs, The Buried Promise and Drawing in 2010 and 2011. In July they signed to Zestone Records. Their first release for the label was a split EP with Malaysian hardcore band I, Revival. Zero Division Vol. 1 is available at CD Japan.
Aureole released a ton of videos for their new album Reincarnation, which was released last week. “Live Again” was easily my favorite, with its fluttering flutes and mystical sword warrior. But songs like “Pass the Past” and “Suicide” promises a seriously pretty album also.
Swanky Dank is an alternative rock trio featuring brothers Yuichi (vocals, guitar) and Koji (vocals, bass) with Shun (drums). The brothers formed the band in Tokyo in 2007 and Shun took over their support drummer’s spot in 2012. Their self-titled album was released in 2009 and they released a single later that year called “For You.” The song was used in the movie MW, based on Osamu Tezuka’s manga. Their first EP The Love Was Gone… will be released in October. Preorder now at CD Japan.
J-Rock Explosion 