Annual Japan Nite info post

Japan Nite is celebrating its 20th anniversary starting tonight in Austin. The headliners for this tour are TsuShiMaMire, QUORUM and The fin. Learn more about all of the bands playing here and download The fin’s sampler EP at Noisetrade.

SXSW Japan Nite 20th Anniversary line up

March 20, 2015 (Friday)

@ Elysium

705 RED RIVER AUSTIN TEXAS 78705

1. moumoon ( J-pop)

2. TsuShiMaMire (Girl Rock)

3. Pirates Canoe  (Alt Country/folk)

4. The fin. （Synth/Chillwave)

5. QUORUM (Hard Rock)

6. Samurai Dynamites (J-Punk/fork)

7. Mahoshojo-ni-naritai  ( J- Alternative)

http://sxsw.com

2014 Christmas Carols

Happy holiday from J-Rock Explosion and these guys!!!

J-Rock Archives: February 2014

Long time no see.

02 elomaticmill- K.I.K.I. (Amazon MP3)

02 Qooland- Kyoshitsu, Chigiru. EP (CD Japan/Video)

05 Blue Encount- Band of Destination (CD Japan/Video)

05 Brand New Vibe- Glasses (CD Japan/Video)

05 Egg Brain- Muzic (CD Japan/Video)

05 Gezan- Deco (CD Japan/Video)

05 Hi, How Are You?- ?LDK (CD Japan/Video)

05 hotspring- Three Minutes Gold (CD Japan/Video)

05 Kafuka- Rebirth (CD Japan/Video)

05 mikinorme- Is Escape (CD Japan/Video)

05 mitsume- Teitaiya (CD Japan/Video)

05 The Nanbatatan- Girls Reteru Talk (CD Japan/Video)

05 NoGoD- Shikisai (CD Japan/Video)

05 The Plashments- Kicks and Rush (CD Japan/Video)

05 SAKANAMON- Insurock (CD Japan/Video)

05 the twenties- Palm (CD Japan/Video)

J-Rock Archives: January 2014

New year. Another month I’ve neglected this blog.

08 Everlong- Everlong (CD Japan/Video)

08 Four Get Me A Nots- Authentic (CD Japan/Video)

08 Good Morning America- Ichi, Ni, San de Jump (CD Japan/Video)

08 Goro Golo- Golden Rookie, Goes Loose (CD Japan/Video)

08 The Reminds- Itoshi Kimi e (CD Japan/Video)

08 Soredemo Sekai ga Tsuzukunara- Kono Sekai wo Boku wa Yurusanai (CD Japan/Video)

08 this is not a business- Welcome to the Tengu World (CD Japan/Video)

15 BIGNOUN- BIGNOUN (CD Japan/Video)

15 Dragon Ash- The Faces (CD Japan/Video)

15 Fear, and Loathing in Las Vegas- Rave-up Tonight (CD Japan/Video)

15 Ging Nang Boyz- Beach (CD Japan)

15 Ging Nang Boyz- Hikari no Naka ni Tatteitene (CD Japan)

15 Good 4 Nothing- Four Voices (CD Japan/Video)

15 ill hiss clover- Dance in the Clover (CD Japan/Video)

15 Kuso Iinkai- Sora no Wana (CD Japan/Video)

15 Michinori Toyota & mtvBAND- Fuckin’ Great View (CD Japan/Video)

15 Polysics- Action!!! (CD Japan)

15 sakanaction- Good Bye / Eureka (CD Japan/Video)

15 Septaluck- Pieces of the Puzzle (CD Japan/Video)

15 Shuta Hasunuma Philharmonic Orchestra- Toki ga Kanaderu (CD Japan/Video)

15 Sleeping in my Memory- All Over (CD Japan/Video)

15 tio- Toitoitoi (CD Japan/Video)

J-Rock Archives: December 2013

04 Alfred Beach Sandal- Dead Montano (CD Japan/Video)

04 Backdraft Smiths- I Wish (CD Japan/Video)

04 bed- Indirect Memories (CD Japan/Video)

04 The Birthday- Lemon (CD Japan/Video)

04 fox capture plan- Bridge (CD Japan/Video)

04 Gesu no kiwami otome.- Odorenainara, Gesu ni Natte Shimaeyo (CD Japan/Video 1, Video 2)

04 Glim Spanky- Music Freak (CD Japan/Video)

04 kindan no tasuketsu- Ring a Bell Kindan’s Santa’s Christmas EP (Amazon/Video)

04 Kinoko Teikoku- ロンググッドバイ (Video)

04 The Last Chord- Next Chord (CD Japan/Video)

04 The Neatbeats- Dance Room Racket (CD Japan/Video)

04 Otoloop- Oto no Beru (CD Japan/Video)

04 painoia- rutsubo (CD Japan/Video)

04 phatmans after school- Tsukiyomi (CD Japan/Video)

04 reading note- 7+3 (CD Japan/Video)

04 rega- Discuss (CD Japan/Video)

04 Rose Noire- APOCALYPSE -the Resurrection of Notes- (Video)

04 Schroeder-Headz- Sleepin’ Bird (CD Japan/Video)

04 SpecialThanks- Move On (CD Japan/Video)

04 Three Lights Down Kings- Liverty (CD Japan/Video)

04 Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra- Senko feat. 10-FEET (CD Japan/Video)

04 The Twisted Harbor Town- Encounter (CD Japan/Video)

04 Welcome Toxicity- Welcome Toxicity (CD Japan/Video)

04 wrong city- Life as a Ghost (Video)

06 The fin.- Glowing Red On The Shore EP (Video)

07 Boys Age- Epstein Orkestar (Bandcamp/Video)

10 Oomori Seiko- 絶対少女 (Jet Set/Video)

2013 Christmas Carols

Happy fa-la-la-lidays from J-Rock Explosion! May your days be merry and bright. Check out the Christmas tag on Tumblr for all of the other videos I didn’t feel like talking about.

kindan no tasuketsu- “Santa Claus Is Coming Back”

Santa Claus is back in town. One night only. It’s time for kindan no tasuketsu and friends to share their ornaments and smile into the camera while faded clips of Christmas movies and Hogwarts play. This song is coupled with “Ring a Bell” on this sweet little Christmas EP.

annie the clumsy and Yuto from The fin.- “Baby It’s Cold Outside”

A lovely duet from annie the clumsy and Yuto from The fin. (one of my favorite new indie bands this year). She plays the ukelele and sounds like Zooey Deschanel. There are two free Christmas EPs on her bandcamp you should probably download.

Inugami Circus-dan- “Jingle Bells”

Some of us like to be scared on Christmas and this cover of “Jingle Bells” by visual kei group Inugami Circus-dan should do the trick. There’s an entire compilation of these kinds of bands singing “Jingle Bells.” Holy crap.

J-Rock Archives: November 2013

01 Gargle and Bosques De Mi Mente- Absence (Buy/Video)

01 Sokabe Keiichii- TBA (CD Japan/Video)

05 Sapphire Slows- Allegoria

06 0.8 Byo to Shogeki- New German Wave4 (CD Japan/Video)

06 ACO- Trad (CD Japan/Video)

06 All Found Bright Lights- Into the Wild (CD Japan/Video)

06 Aobozu- S/Normally (CD Japan/Video)

06 BACK-ON- Nibun no Ichi / Infinity (CD Japan/Video)

06 big the grape- How!? (CD Japan/Video)

06 Codomo Dragon- Nepenthes (Video)

06 The Dresscodes- Band Deshine (CD Japan/Video)

06 ember- New Neighbors (CD Japan/Video)

06 Fold or Raise- Never Say Never (CD Japan/Video)

06 The Keys- Die a Little (Video)

06 Kyary Pamyu Pamyu- Mottai Night Land (CD Japan/Video)

06 Joze- Nocturne (CD Japan/Video)

06 Maki Rinka with her Sweet Hollywaiians- The Peanut Vendor (CD Japan)

06 manchester school=- Ame no Nioi (CD Japan/Video)

06 Moroha- Moroha II (CD Japan/Video)

06 No Lie-Sense- First Suicide Note (CD Japan/Video)

06 Pop-Office- Portraits in Sea (CD Japan/Video)

06 Reisaburo Adachi- 6 Gatsu no Partita (CD Japan/Video)

06 Screw- Cavalcade (CD Japan/VIdeo)

06 Speaker Gain Teardrop- Appearance of Fluctuation (CD Japan/Video)

06 Start of the Day- Yggdrasill 1 (Video)

06 the telephones- Don’t Stop the Move, Keep on Dancing!!! (CD Japan/Video)

06 Tomoyuki Nagasawa- Ogon no Arika (CD Japan/Video)

06 Yahchaika- Farusufuroabau (CD Japan/Video)

06 Yoru no strangers- Back to the Rock’n’Roll (CD Japan/Video)

11 Rain Paints- Rain Paints (beko/Video)

Video: Mono- “Dream Odyssey”

Travel through space and time with the calm, dreamy sounds of Mono. Much like recent box office sensation Gravity, “Dream Odyssey” follows the solo adventures of an astronaut adrift in space. As the camera zooms out, you can see shooting stars, meteorite explosions and the death and rebirth of planets. Not the most scientifically accurate video of our solar system, but relaxing nonetheless.

“Dream Odyssey” is the shortest track off Mono’s 2012 album For My Parents at eight minutes long, which is coincidentally the time it takes light to travel from the Sun to Earth. Catch Mono on tour in North America this week at the following dates:

Nov 15 – Toronto, ON – Legendary Horseshoe Tavern

Nov 16 – Montreal, QC – La Sala Rossa

Nov 17 – Boston, MA – Brighton Music Hall

Nov 18 – New York, NY – Le Poisson Rouge

Nov 19 – Philadelphia, PA – Johnny Brenda’s

Nov 20 – Washington, DC – Rock & Roll Hotel

Nov 21 – Cleveland, OH – Beachland Ballroom

Nov 22 – Chicago, IL – Bottom Lounge

Nov 23 – Ferndale, MI – The Loving Touch

J-Pop Moment: Shiina Ringo x Yasutaka Nakata- “Netsuai Hakkakuchu”

Shiina Ringo is celebrating 15 years as a solo recording artist with the release of several live CDs/DVDs this week and a special collaboration album. We’ve seen her videos with Towa Tei and Soil and “Pimp” Sessions earlier this year, but her collaboration with producer Yasutaka Nakata was one of her most anticipated tracks on this album.

“Netsuai Hakkakuchu” features a lot of the same EDM tricks Nakata has been playing with recently with J-pop idols Perfume and Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, including the random dubstep drop he’s included in every single he’s produced this year. However, it’s Ringo’s classic shibuya-kei vocals that make this song stand out. Plus you get to see her be a major bad ass in this video.

Ukina is available now at CD Japan and also includes collaborations with J-Rock favorites Mo’some Tonebender and Zazen Boys.

J-Rock Archives: October 2013

Boo

02 Alternative Medicine- Forever (CD Japan/Video)

02 Berserker Children Club- McmIXXXiX (CD Japan/Video)

02 Bradio- Diamond Pops (CD Japan/Video)

02 D.I.D.- Paranoid Personaliy (CD Japan/Video)

02 Earls Court- Ikaros ga Miteita Keshiki (CD Japan/Video)

02 Kitsune no Yomeiri- Shinitakunai (CD Japan/Video)

02 Knock Out Money- Paint It Out!!!! (CD Japan/Video)

02 locofrank- Signs (CD Japan/Video)

02 Milkbar- The Joshua Tree (CD Japan/Video)

02 Noise Maker- Double Color Sheep (CD Japan/Video)

02 Over Arm Throw- Will (CD Japan/Video)

02 Perfume- LEVEL3 (CD Japan/Video)

02 Plasticzooms- Cristal Factor (CD Japan/Video)

02 Roach- Get More!! (CD Japan/Video)

02 SECONDWALL- There is Nothing Impossible (CD Japan/Video)

02 tricot- THE (CD Japan/Video)

02 VA- V-ANIME ROCKS evolution (CD Japan/Video)

02 waterweed- Cicada (CD Japan/Video)

02 Yasuyuki Okamura- Viva Namida (CD Japan/Video)

02 Yoda Marie- Sorezore no Ten ni Tsuite (CD Japan/Video)

03 The Reminds- Subarashii Ashita (CD Japan/Video)