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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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Stuff To Look Forward To, March 2013

March 29, 2013

3/02 yojik and wanda- Hey! Sa! (Jet Set/Video)

3/06 99RadioService- Star (CD Japan/Video)

3/06 Analogfish- Newclear (CD Japan/Video)

3/06 Brian the Sun- Baked Plum Cake (CD Japan/Video)

3/06 capsule- rewind Best-1 (CD Japan/Video)

3/06 capsule- rewind Best-2 (CD Japan)

3/06 Central 2nd Sick- Mixing (CD Japan/Video)

3/06 CreepHyp- Shakai no Mado (CD Japan)

3/06 The cold tommy- cold days, cold you (CD Japan/Video)

3/06 Fujifabric- Voyager (CD Japan)

3/06 Gacharic Spin- Delicious (CD Japan/Video 1, Video 2)

3/06 Guitar Wolf- Yaju Vibrator (CD Japan)

3/06 illion- Ubu (CD Japan/Video)

3/06 Four Get Me A Nots- Blinks (CD Japan/Video)

3/06 Gesu no Kiwami Otome- Doress no Nugikata (CD Japan/Video)

3/06 Kameleo- Sandwich Love (CD Japan/Video)

3/06 KARIBUxNOxKAIZOKU- World Is Yours (Video)

3/06 Keytalk- One Shot Wonder (CD Japan/Video)

3/06 Neverlost- Neverlost (CD Japan/Video)

3/06 Knock Out Monkey- Reality and Liberty (CD Japan)

3/06 NOA- Picture Diary (CD Japan/Video)

3/06 Nothing’s Carved In Stone- Out of Control (CD Japan)

3/06 ONE OK ROCK- Jinsei x Boku (CD Japan/Video 1, Video 2)

3/06 Plagues- Swamp Riding (CD Japan/Video)

3/06 The Redemption- Rough Dance Convention (CD Japan/Video)

3/06 T.C.L- Tremendous Classixx (CD Japan/Video)

3/06 Where’s Andy- First Cry (CD Japan/Video)

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akai SKY

March 27, 2013

myspace band of the week

akaisky

Based in San Francisco, akai SKY is California’s leading J-Rock band blending heavy American rock with Japanese vocals. Hayashi (guitar) and Umi (bass) formed akai SKY in 2005 with Ryuusei (vocals) and Jinra (drums) completing the band in 2008. The band has played at dozens of anime conventions and festivals in America. They self-released their first EP Tokyo Beat Riot in 2010 and contributed a cover of “Daybreak’s Bell” to a L’arc~en~ciel tribute album in 2012. Their second EP Heart, Attack! was released today. Find it on bandcamp.

http://www.myspace.com/akaisky

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J-Rock Fridays Vol. 93

March 22, 2013

In volume 93 of J-Rock Fridays, we have serial killers, crossdressers, a hair salon for children, wind instruments, big meat and more!

uminote- “Words Kill People (Cotodama the Killer)”

Cotodama may be a ruthless killer when he has his Casshern mask on, but he’s just a teary eyed father when his baby girl confronts him. I knew uminote could make an epic video if they had a budget!

The SALOVERS- “Yuka ni wa Kimi no Cardigan”

Vinyl records, rock posters, ramen. Just your average hipster’s college dorm room taken over by The SALOVERS. Pick your cardigans off the floor, they’re clean enough to wear to English Lit.

Her Name In Blood- “We Refuse”

HNIB’s new singer looks a lot like Andrew W.K. when he’s wearing that dirty white shirt. He didn’t come to party but I think Andrew would be proud.

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Posted in Central 2nd Sick, Clutcho, Donatello, Goodbye holiday, HeavensDust, Her Name In Blood, J-Rock Fridays, kindan no tasuketsu, Sunset Bus, The Gelpins, The SALOVERS, uminote | 2 Comments »

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totos

March 19, 2013

myspace band of the week

totos

Totos is a folk/powerpop band from Tokyo. Vocalist Koyo Fukamizu of Brokenspace started totos as a solo project in 2001. After recording a home demo, he was offered a gig and gathered four people to form a full band. Today’s lineup is Koyo Fukamizu (vocals, guitar), Kenji Tamura (guitar), U-co Muto (vocals, guitar), Osamu Watanabe (bass) and Hara “GEN” Hideki (drums). They were signed by popular powerpop label Thistime Records in 2006 who released their first mini-album in 2007 and their first album Roommate in 2008. After the release of Super Shoes in 2010, totos went on hiatus, but recently resumed activities.

Roommate is available at CD Baby and CD Japan and you can buy all their albums digitally at totos’ bandcamp. In February they released an EP Everything as 7″ record and it’s available at Jet Set Records.

http://www.myspace.com/totos.jp

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saisa

March 13, 2013

myspace band of the week

saisa

Saisa is a post rock/shoegaze band from Tokyo that formed in 2009. The three-man band consists of Kaoru Yanagi, Noriyuki Kasahara and Hiromi Tsuchiyama. Although there are sometimes vocals, they mainly act as an instrument of their own and melt into saisa’s atmospheric sounds. Their first EP This Empty Space Returns Your Solitude was released in November from the Wisconsin based label Keep It Together Records. You can buy it on cassette here or listen to it at bandcamp

http://www.myspace.com/saisajp

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Japan Nite 2013 Who’s Playing

March 13, 2013

japannite2013

Over the past couple of days, thousands of bands have been filing into Austin for the SXSW music festival so it’s about time I write my annual who’s playing Japan Nite this year post. Kao=S, Charan-po-rantan, Jake stone garage, Chihiro Yamazaki + Route 14 Band, Pirates Canoe, FOUR MINUTES TIL MIDNIGHT and JOSY will all playing at the regular Japan Nite show on Friday. On Thursday afternoon, they will be joined by LITE, The Mornings, SuiseiNoboAz and Teen Runnings at the free Japan Preview Show. Crossfaith, Peelander-Z, Shugo Tokumaru, The Suzan, and I’m sure more I’m forgetting will also be playing at SXSW this week.

The Japan Nite Tour starts on Sunday in Chicago and hits six more cities including a first ever visit to Canada. The bands that will be traveling with the tour are Jake stone garage, Chihiro Yamazaki + Route 14 Band, Pirates Canoe, FOUR MINUTES TIL MIDNIGHT and JOSY. Visit Japan Nite’s website for more information!

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