David Bolan, Author at JROCK NEWS

Interview: Shonen Knife is committed to make you happy with “sweet candy power”

May 14, 2019

Active since 1981, punk legends Shonen Knife show no signs of slowing down with a new album, Sweet Candy Power, their first one in three years, coming out on June 5. The band are currently on tour in Europe and...

SCANDAL perform a “Masterpiece” in energetic music video

David Bolan

Mar 23, 2019

Music Video, Releases

SCANDAL has released the video to their upcoming double A-side single Masterpiece, which will be out March 27 and backed by another new tune, Mabataki. The song itself is a prime slice of Captain Beefheartish r...

BRATS vents their frustrations in “Unfair” music video

David Bolan

Mar 21, 2019

Music Video

Fresh-faced trio BRATS has released a video to song Unfair, previously issued on their eponymous debut album last year. As the title conveys, the band sings about unfairness and vents their frustrations towards...

Interview: SILENT SIREN serves up new album “31313” and ramen

David Bolan

Mar 4, 2019

Featured, Interview

Despite the evidence of their playful videos and the profusion of pink at their concerts, SILENT SIREN, or Sai Sai to their devoted fans, has always been a band that rocked harder than you’d imagine, with plent...

SCANDAL establish private record label “her”

David Bolan

Dec 25, 2018

Band status

After a series of teasing yet cryptic Instagram posts, SCANDAL announced at their BEST Xmas 2018 concert that they will be starting up their own record label called "her". The Christmas Eve show took place at T...

BRATS’ fast and furious live video “Kimarigoto”

David Bolan

Oct 9, 2018

Music Video

Following up on the summer release of their eponymous debut album, punky trio BRATS have released a new fast and furious live video to track Kimarigoto on their YouTube channel giving everyone a taste of how po...

Review: Velvet Ants’ buzzworthy album “Entomological Souvenirs I”

David Bolan

Sep 29, 2018

Releases, Report and review

The other day, without warning, a dragonfly landed on my shoulder and scared the hell out of me. In the half second before I jumped out of my chair and frightened it off I had a glimpse of bulbous alien eyes an...

Interview: How to run a Tokyo record label with Ian Martin

David Bolan

Aug 13, 2018

Featured, Interview

Ian Martin is a man who wears many hats. Not only is he busy running his own Tokyo based music label, Call and Response Records, home to bands like Looprider, Tropical Death, and SHARKK, but Ian's also a season...

Review: BRATS issues powerful and punky debut album

David Bolan

Aug 1, 2018

Releases, Report and review

Albums used to come with a sticker admonishment to "play it loud," and this might be good advice for BRATS, the impressive eponymous debut released July 25 by a trio composed of sisters Rei and Aya Kuromiya and...

Review: SEA LEVEL make waves with album “Dictionary (Handwritten)”

David Bolan

Jul 17, 2018

Releases, Report and review

Dictionary (Handwritten), the ten song album released by indie band SEA LEVEL on July 11, is an eclectic yet satisfying mix of ambient drones, found sound collages, and piano ballads that alternate off-kilter r...

KANA-BOON reach for the stars with EP “Aster”

David Bolan

Jun 5, 2018

Releases

Redoubtable mop-topped alt-rockers KANA-BOON issued a five-song EP, Aster, on May 30 with the upbeat and energetic, albeit meanderingly named, leadoff track, Wandering Days and Fanfare, previously out as an acc...

Gesu no Kiwami Otome cycle their way through “Mou setsunai to wa iwasenai” music video

David Bolan

May 16, 2018

Music Video

The always charmingly enigmatic and hard to classify Gesu no Kiwami Otome released a video for a new song, Mou setsunai to wa iwasenai, on May 11, to commemorate the sixth year of the band's formation. The tune...

SCANDAL sets to rock U.S. with shows this fall

David Bolan

May 4, 2018

Tour and event

A handful of September U.S. concert dates have popped up on SCANDAL's Facebook page with more information doubtless to follow. So far, four shows spanning the breadth of the country have been noted including on...

SCANDAL and MIYAVI celebrate Fender’s “Made in Japan” pride

David Bolan

Apr 29, 2018

Entertainment, Videos

All four members of the much-beloved rock powerhouse band that is SCANDAL plus slap guitar virtuoso MIYAVI feature in a just-released short promo video from Fender Japan showcasing the Made in Japan 2018 Limite...

Author David Bolan