Interview: Shonen Knife is committed to make you happy with “sweet candy power” David Bolan 14 May 2019 Featured, Interview 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 23 March 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 21 March 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 4 March 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 25 December 2018 News 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 9 October 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 29 September 2018 Releases, 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 13 August 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 1 August 2018 Releases, 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...
SEA LEVEL make waves with album “Dictionary (Handwritten)” David Bolan 17 July 2018 Releases, 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 5 June 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 16 May 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 set to rock U.S. with shows this fall David Bolan 4 May 2018 News, Tour 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 29 April 2018 News, 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...
