Mar 31 2019

Japan Night 2019 launches in New York City May 12 with HYDE, Wagakki Band, Puffy AmiYumi, and Misia

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Japan Night launches in New York City on May 12th, featuring four prominent Japanese music artists at two venues just blocks apart. The one-night only special event will be presented by Japan 2019 in collaboration with Japan Day @ Central Park, created by the Japanese community of New York to foster a deeper understanding of Japanese culture and build bridges between Japan and the U.S.

HYDE and Wagakki Band will perform at the PlayStation Theater, with a 6:00 pm showtime, and MISIA with special guest Puffy AmiYumi will hit the Sony Hall stage at 8:00 pm. Tickets for both shows are on sale now.

Hiroyasu Ando, President of The Japan Foundation, the organizer of Japan 2019 said, “In Japan 2019, we are introducing a wide variety of Japanese culture. In particular, Japan Night presents live music performances of top-level artists that are highly respected and vastly popular in Japan. We hope to offer a taste of contemporary Japan to New Yorkers who are accustomed to such quality arts in their daily lives.”

Info: https://www.japannight.org/

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Mar 29 2019

Budo Grape streams rare early albums on digital platforms worldwide

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(Photo by Kenji Suzuki)

Nagoya-based new wave band Budo Grape have released a trio of rare albums on Spotify, Apple Music, and other digital services. Previously unavailable outside of Japan, the set of early recordings — Koibito wa Kousite Tsukuru (2005), Sokokara Detekinasai (2006), and Otonatachi Kodomotachi (2007) — launched the band’s popularity in the Japanese indies scene, and the catchy riffs and outer-space energy of their music videos brought them to their USA debut at A-Kon in Dallas, Texas in 2008,coupled with a nomination for Best Japanese Pop Artist in Viz Media’s 2008 Shojo Beat Music Awards. In the years following, the band toured the UK three times, including appearances at Manchester’s Doki Doki Japanese Festival.

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Mar 29 2019

ONE OK ROCK “Eye of the Storm” at Hollywood Palladium (Live Report)

ONE OK ROCK
Hollywood Palladium – March 19, 2019
Concert Review by Nhu Nguyen

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At the L.A. stop of ONE OK ROCK’s “Eye of the Storm” North America tour, the band gave me everything I wanted from their newly-released album: power, punch and passion. When I first listened to the album, it didn’t rock me like some of their previous works. The album’s subdued, withdrawn feeling had me thinking… “ONE OK ROCK or ONE OK POP”? Judging by their previous live concert, I held some faith that the live versions would hit harder, and their March 19 concert at the Hollywood Palladium did not disappoint.

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Mar 21 2019

Limited Express (has gone?) – Gya Gya Sawage (MV)

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Japanese noise-punk band/force-of-nature Limited Express (has gone?) is back where they belong — face to face with a live audience in the music video for “Gya Gya Sawage”. Ripped from their 2016 album All Ages, the MV captures all the frenetic, beautiful madness of being there in person.

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Mar 20 2019

YOSHIKI’s final performance of Anniversary in the Heisei Era

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YOSHIKI gave a special performance of his composition “Anniversary” at the “Principal Gala 2019” presented by the Asami Maki Ballet on March 16 and 17 in Tokyo.

“Anniversary” was composed in 1999 by YOSHIKI at the Emperor of Japan’s request to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of his reign. The 2019 performance marked the final time the song would be presented in the Heisei Era before Emperor Akihito abdicates the throne in April.

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Mar 19 2019

NABOWA say SAYONARA INAGO with new single and MV

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Kyoto instrumental quartet NABOWA has released a new single, “SAYONARA INAGO,” from their upcoming album DUSK, which will be out on April 24th. The LP was mastered by Grammy-nominated mixer Daddy Kev, who has worked with rappers Busdriver and Sage Francis, among others.

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Mar 18 2019

BRATS release UNFAIR MV, announce Wake Up Festival in Taiwan

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Girls rock band BRATS has released their new music video for “UNFAIR”, shot during the band’s first overseas concerts in Korea on January 19 and 20 this year.

BRATS – formed by sisters Rei Kuromiya (vocals) and Aya Kuromiya (bass) – have sold out their current series of monthly one-man live shows in running through April, and will make their next step outside of Japan at Taiwan’s largest outdoor festival, Wake Up Festival 2019 running July 5-7.

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Mar 18 2019

LUCKLIFE tapped for Bungo Stray Dogs Season 3 ending

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Osaka-based rock band LUCKLIFE will perform “Lily”, the ending theme for Season 3 of the anime series Bungo Stray Dogs. The “Artist Edition” of the upcoming single, due for release May 8, will include a DVD featuring the band’s 2018 “Winding road” 10th Anniversary Tour.

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Mar 17 2019

MUCC’s Kowareta Piano to Living Dead (Interview and Live Report)

MUCC
Interview by Michelle Minikhiem
March 17, 2019

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Your album released in February is titled Kowareta Piano to Living Dead (“The Broken Piano and the Living Dead”). You listened to 140 demos that you created a long time ago and chose 9 of them to make this album. That sounds like a really difficult task. How did you choose the songs?

Miya (guitar): We listened to them all.

What’s the meaning of the album’s title? Where did it come from?

Miya: I dug up an old-timey sound from the grave and then made this album with it.

Of all the songs on the new album, which do you like the best?

Tatsuro (vocal): I’m into “Living Dead”.

Miya: All of them!

YUKKE (bass): “Psycho”. It has this incredible power to make an atmosphere of horror when it’s played as the first song of the night, and that makes it really fun to perform.　

SATOchi (drums): “Living Dead”, because I can play the drums for this while my emotions pour out!

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Mar 11 2019

MIYAVI to headline Anime Boston 2019 in April

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Musician and actor MIYAVI will headline Anime Boston 2019 with a live performance on Friday, April 19th.

MIYAVI is the fifth Japanese guest announced for this year’s convention. The “Samurai Guitarist” is currently recording new solo material after releasing his collaboration album SAMURAI SESSIONS vol.3 – Worlds Collide in December 2018, followed a special album release show in Los Angeles in February. On the big screen, MIYAVI’s film Stray was just released nationwide, and he’s just announced his role in the upcoming film Maleficent 2, teaming once again with his Unbroken collaborator Angelina Jolie.

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