h1

Takeshi Nakatsuka- We Believe

March 13, 2011

Days after the 8.9 earthquake, Japan’s musicians are back at work. Takeshi Nakatsuka and Delicatessen Recordings just put out a new song, 信じてる “We Believe.” As you can tell from the smiley face, it’s a positive song. That no matter where you are in the world, you’re not alone. You can download the track for free by entering your email and clicking the red button.

If you want to send funds to Japan’s disaster relief efforts, the Red Cross makes donations painless. HearJapan will be donating 50% of sales this week to the relief effort. Stay strong, Japan.

Posted in Free mp3, free music, Japan, Takeshi Nakatsuka | Leave a Comment »

h1

Stuff To Look Forward To, March 2011

March 10, 2011

March is a big month for J-music. New albums from capsule, FACT, Polysics, Salyu, and uhnellys. Greatest hits albums from Clammbon, Sambomaster, Sotaisei Riron, and new hits from Maximum the Hormone. New super groups killing Boy, If By Yes, and Bradberry Orchestra. My pick of the month goes to sloppy joe’s debut album With Kisses Four, who wowed me with their Portrait 7″ last year.

03/02 the band apart- Scent of August (CD Japan)

03/02 Monobright- Come Together/Dancing Babe (CD Japan)

03/02 Rip Slyme- Star (CD Japan, Play-Asia)

03/02 SiMoN- Supankoru (myspace, CD Japan)

03/02 Sorry For A Frog- Happy Songs For Our Tomorrow (myspace, CD Japan

03/02 uhnellys- to too two (myspace, CD Japan)

03/02 VA- Free Throw Compilation (CD Japan)

03/09 Holidays of Seventeen- Let There Be Pop (myspace, CD Japan)

03/09 80kidz- Nautilas 7″ (myspace, Jet Set)

03/09 8otto- Ashes to Ashes (myspace, CD Japan, Play-Asia)

03/09 Emi Meyer- Suitcase of Stones (myspace, CD Japan)

03/09 Hotel Mexico- His Jewelled Letter Box (myspace, Amazon.com, CD Japan)

03/09 killing Boy- killing Boy (myspace, CD Japan)

03/09 Mizca- 1925 (CD Japan)

03/09 Polysics- Oh! No! It’s Heavy Polysick!!! (myspace, CD Japan, Play-Asia)

03/09 sloppy joe- With Kisses For (myspace, CD Japan, Jet Set)

03/16 Bradberry Orchestra- Vol. 0 (CD Japan)

03/16 co3 aka FACT- co3 (myspace, CD Japan)

03/16 EMPTY- So What? (myspace, CD Japan)

03/16 FACT- Eat Your Words (myspace, CD Japan)

03/16 group_inou- Heart (myspace, CD Japan)

03/16 Mowmow Lulu Gyaban- BeVeci Calopueno (myspace, CD Japan, Play-Asia)

03/16 sakanaction- Rookie (myspace, CD Japan, Play-Asia)

03/16 VA- GO!GO!7188 Tribute – GO!GO! A GO!GO! (CD Japan, Play-Asia)

03/16 Versailles- Philia (myspace, CD Japan)

03/22 If By Yes- Salt on Sea Glass (myspace, Amazon.com, CD Japan)

03/23 capsule- Killer Wave (myspace, CD Japan, Play-Asia)

03/23 Maximum the Hormone- Greatest Hits 2011-2011 (myspace, CD Japan, Play-Asia)

03/23 Salyu x Salyu- s(o)un(d)beams (CD Japan)

03/23 Sambomaster- Sambomaster Kyukyoku Best (CD Japan, Play-Asia)

03/23 Sotaisei Riron- Tadashii Sotaisei Riron (CD Japan)

03/29 Dirty Beaches- Badlands (myspace, Amazon.com, Insound)

03/30 Clammbon- clammbon-Columbia best- (CD Japan, Play-Asia)

03/30 Clammbon- clammbon-Warner best- (CD Japan, Play-Asia)

Notes:

-If you’re new to J-Rock, check out the Free Throw compilation. It has most of my all-time favorites—the telephones, sleepy.ab, avengers in sci-fi, The Brixton Academy, Turntable Films, and more. Two CDs for the price of one!

-Hotel Mexico’s His Jewelled Letter Box is just a jewel case reissue for wide release. One of my favorite EPs last year!

-If By Yes is the only band to get a Japan/US release this month! It’s the new project from Petra Haden (That Dog) and Yuka Honda (Cibo Matto), plus members from the Cornelius band.

-I almost have enough affiliate monies at CD Japan to buy something. What should I get?

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in Stuff To Look Forward To | Leave a Comment »

h1

JOSY

March 8, 2011

myspace band of the week

She brings me Mexican food from Sombrero’s just because. Yeah, just be-whoops wrong Josie.

JOSY is an all-girl rock band from Tokyo.  They formed in the spring of 2010. Their first single “The Ugly Duckling” went on sale February 2011. You’ll be able to see them live in the USA on this year’s Japan Nite tour.

One thing JOSY doesn’t have that most bands do is a guitarist. But that’s OK. Their keyboardist keeps things funky. JOSY has three songs available on myspace, which appears to be everything they’ve recorded. “The Ugly Duckling” is more pop oriented, with an inspirational English chorus, while “Selfish” is a little more aggressive. “Loopy” takes JOSY to a more Bohemian direction, similar to last year’s all-girl buzz band The Suzan. JOSY promises to be an up and coming girl band to watch.

JOSY will be opening for Mo’some Tonebender on the Las Vegas, Las Angeles, and San Fransisco dates at Japan Nite this year.

http://www.myspace.com/josy0507

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in JOSY, myspace band of the week | Leave a Comment »

h1

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!

Read the rest of this entry »

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 »

h1

Shugo Tokumaru’s band is back together

March 2, 2011

Gellers is best known for being the band Shugo Tokumaru is in, if they’re known at all. They’ve been on hiatus since 2008 when Shugo’s solo career went boom. Activities resumed at the Fuji Rock Festival in 2010. They have a new “big single” coming out April 15 called ガテマラ (Guatemala), their first release since their self-titled album in 2007. It includes three new songs and four live ones.

Shugo takes vocals on “Guatemala” and it’s as catchy as anything on Port Entropy. The PV is pleasantly bizarre with a strange scarecrow walking around in Guatemalan garb. I see they took Portlandia’s suggestion and put a bird on their microphones. Excellent.

Posted in Gellers, Shugo Tokumaru, ____ is back | Leave a Comment »

h1

EMPTY

March 1, 2011

myspace band of the week

It’s March. I was going to take the time to highlight some Japan Nite/SXSW bands, but then Across The Pop Records uploaded three new videos from this awesome new ska band last night.

EMPTY hails from Kanagawa Prefecture. The band formed in 2005 while they were still in high school. Last year they made their debut on Across The Pop with the Across the Pop e.p and a sold out 7″. Their first album So What? comes out March 16.

Most of the songs on EMPTY’s myspace are from the Across the Pop e.p. “Lucy” is the most laid back of these. A nice, catchy love song. The rest are fast tunes. “Empty” employs some classic punk screaming early on while new track 忍び足 waits until the end. ちがう takes it’s half-minute runtime to wallow on in trumpet heaven. Of the three new PVs, “New Wave” and “R.T.P.” are similar in style to their e.p. “Aoi” takes a more jazzy route. It’s good to see EMPTY mix up fun, fast ska with more classy tunes. 

Buy EMPTY music products at CD Japan.

http://www.myspace.com/emptykkm

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in EMPTY, myspace band of the week | Leave a Comment »

h1

FACT releases new mini-albums

February 28, 2011

March 16 will be a busy day for the FACT boys as they release two mini-albums. First up is Eat Your Words, a CD+DVD package featuring 6 new songs and live video from Shibuya O-East during their 2010 tour. The mini-album will include their new song “attack me if you dare,” which is the theme for the Japanese release of Marvel vs. Capcom 3 Fate of Two Worlds.

Their second release is under their alter ego co3, a remix unit. Their self-titled mini-album will include 5 tracks and remixes by 80kidz and DEXPISTOLS. There will also be a special box set that features another 9-track CD, a t-shirt, and FACT noh mask!

FACT uploaded 3 videos on their new YouTube channel from the new mini-albums. First up is a PV clip of “error.” Next the guys play a clip of “attack me if you dare” while they play Marvel vs. Capcom 3. Last is a full PV of co3’s “Let’s Get Outta Here.” It sounds similar to the stuff on the remix album Nivan Runder Soundrugs and features the dude from English new rave band Hadouken!

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in FACT | Leave a Comment »

h1

Jrockexplosion.net

February 24, 2011

As you probably noticed, J-Rock Explosion has a non-Wordpress url now! I was hoping I would have a few people on board before I dropped the monetary funds, but it’s time. Believe it or not J-Rock Explosion has been around for four years with today being it’s 4th anniversary. It started with me alone in my bedroom and it’s still me alone in my bedroom. Can’t say much has changed but I hope some of you have enjoyed my J-Rock ramblings.

So what can you expect from Jrockexplosion.net? More of the same for now. I’ll be shopping for a new WP theme in the next few weeks, after I get around to posting my Best of 2010 list. Feel free to leave suggestions below!

Posted in announcements | 5 Comments »

h1

cero

February 22, 2011

myspace band of the week

cero (Contemporary Exotica Rock Orchestra) is an experimental pop band with roots in folk and funk. They formed in 2004 playing mainly in bars. They recorded two demo CDs and appeared on a few compilations, including a Haruomi Hosono (Yellow Magic Orchestra) tribute. Their first full-length World Record was released a few weeks ago.

The only thing available on cero’s myspace page is an album digest for World Record, which was uploaded last May even though the album just came out. But you can listen to the entire album elsewhere on myspace for free. It’s just listed under the myspace page of the Spanish rapper of the same name.

I first heard of cero when I posted the chill-out “Daiteiden No Yoruni” on J-Rock Fridays. But there’s actually a fair bit of happy-go-lucky songs here, with a lot of songs featuring marimba, vibraphone, accordion and harmonica. “Nizyuuiseeikino Hiderinomiyakoni Amegafuru,” which sounds like a trolly car ride, is my favorite of those. It’s also fun hearing the vocalist experiment with hip hop on “exotic penguin night” and “World Record.” Another standout “(I found it) Black Beard” is just one big island party.

Then there are the songs that return to the soft-rock formula such as “outdoors” and “Anonoka,” which ends in a pretty epic drone out. They balance the album out nicely. It’s the contrast between the beautiful melodies and fun that make cero a standout indie pop band.

Buy World Record at CD Japan. Download at Amazon.com and HearJapan.

http://www.myspace.com/cerofan

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in cero, myspace band of the week | Leave a Comment »

h1

J-Rock Fridays Vol. 39

February 18, 2011

Just for you.

Asobi Seksu- “Trails”

Just in time for this week’s release of Fluorescence, one of my favorite albums so far this year. Watch Yuki trailing through decrepit buildings and forgotten train stations.

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in Akihiro Namba, Asobi Seksu, BlieAN, camisama, J-Rock Fridays, Kaisoku Toukyou, killing Boy, Pe'z, Shinsei Kamattechan, Shotgun Runners, Sorry For A Frog, Swim Sweet Under Shallow | Leave a Comment »

« Newer Entries
Older Entries »