August 2011 – Plunklock

This 4-member independent JRock/Visual-Kei band is still new to the music scene form recent this year and already they are gathering fans minute by minute.. or should I say nano-second by nano-second.

Halo (vocals), Kazuki (guitars), Haruka (bass), and Pinky (drums) together having music influences such as UVERworld, Mr.Children, and MERRY you know you are in for a great time at their lives check out their YT playlist – http://www.youtube.com/user/plunklock

Check out their music video Break out – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pI_AB-0atwE

Keep your eyes open on this band, they are turning heads in the right direction!

More information on Plunklock – http://plunklock.com/

June/July 2011 – Daisuke Kurosawa

How are Artists pick for each month is by the artist fans… and once again the fans pour in request emails for one of the greatest guitarist in Japan, Daisuke Kurosawa. For five months fans requested Kurosawa above all.

Since March 2011, Kurosawa has been having a pack schedule with lives and promotions of his first album “GO!” 2011 May 25 followed by a release party 2011 June 10.

Daisuke bio describes his sound as a “Roaring sound of guitar you never heard before…” Well, maybe on the other side of the World in America, no America hasn’t heard anything like him some are close but Kurosawa guitar skills are unique and very pleasing to my ears… still true!

The album GO! contain five songs all favourites by the fans…

1. GO
2. Stormy Lounge
3. Drifting
4, こんな広い世界～the wide world～ (Wonderful World)
5. Sign

You can download all songs at iTunes – GO! VMRO-5001

Package￥600：(7.50US) iTunes ￥150 each song (1.88US)
Mobile 着うたフル(ringtones package)￥315：(3.94US) 着うた￥105 each tone (1.31US)

More information on Daisuke Kurosawa

http://www.kurosawadaisuke.com
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/daisuke-now
http://twitter.com/kurosawazamurai

May 2011 – Chatmonchy

Chatmonchy are three girls from Japan who rock. Playing raw, energy-infused melodic rock music, Eriko (guitar and vocals), Akiko (bass), and Kumiko (drums) have been making a buzz all across Japan since their 2005 major label debut. Now, with their latest Oricon chart-topping album “Kokuhaku” (Confession), they’re ready to infect North American fans with their catchy take on girl-rock power.

Chatmonchy—whose name means absolutely nothing!—burst onto the scene without any label backing in 2004, quickly catching the ear of Sony Music Japan. The next year, Sony’s Ki/oon Records released their debut EP, “chatmonchy has come,” and the band set off on their first nation-wide tour of Japan in 2006.

Following the first album, the rock-power girl trio released 4 singles that reached the Oricon Top 10, three that hit the Top 20, and 4 DVDs including music videos and passionate live performance footage. In addition, the single, “Dai Dai,” was featured as the theme song on the anime series, “Bleach”—their first step toward connecting to a world-wide audience.

What is the next step for the three-girl band, after adding another couple of DVDs to their catalogue on the home-front, is an attendance at the 2010 SXSW Music Conference. This will be Chatmonchy’s first North American live performance, and the beginning of the next important chapter for these accomplished musicians—these three girls from Japan who rock.

Most recent Chatmonchy released their 4th album, “You More” 2011 April, 6. If you haven’t learned of Chatmonchy by now, what are you waiting for? Check them out – http://www.chatmonchy.com/

More information on and to follow Chatmonchy – http://www.facebook.com/chatmonchy

April 2011 – girugamesh

girugamesh is a four-piece JRock band from Chiba Japan, created in 2003 by members and friends school; Shuu and Nii. Girugamesh began out by gigging with a full lineup the following year soon to be signed to record label Gaina-Japan. In 2005 the band hit a big project with a nation-wide tour afterwards releasing a DVD that featured footage of their tour.

In 2008, in support of Girugamesh, the band toured in both Japan and Europe, under the tour title “Stupid Tour ’08″. The Japanese leg had Girugamesh performing throughout Japan and later in January, the band toured Europe for the first time, visiting Germany, France and the UK, Finland and Sweden. Following their European tour, Girugamesh continued the “Stupid Tour ’08 in Japan”. In March, Girugamesh returned to touring visiting venues all over Japan including Okinawa.

July 6, 2010 Girugamesh released the single “Color”. On October 7 they released the single “Inochi no Ki”. The following year the band release their album GO which includes recent singles, Inochi No Ki. Go was released on February 2, 2011.

More information on girugamesh – http://www.girugamesh.jp

November2010 – March 2011 – Daisuke Kurosawa

Japanese singer/songwriter/musician Daisuke Kurosawa began rocking the guitar like a Samurai master since 1982. Later in ’93 he joined some friends bands and they began rocking throughout Japan.

Daisuke bio describes his sound as a “Roaring sound of guitar you never heard before…” Well, maybe on the other side of the World in America, no America hasn’t heard anything like him some are close but Kurosawa guitar skills are unique and very pleasing to my ears. Now, America is discovering his unique guitar skills and his band Bis (members Arata Ikemoto – Bass; Shouichiro Aso – Drums).

Most gamers will probably recognize Daisuke’s name from Guitar Freaks/Drummania V5 and GFDM V6 his songs “CHIMERA” and “Progressive Baby”. You can check out the sounds of “CHIMERA”- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1S0AnHDSJiE.

Fans from around the World gather to watch Kurosawa rock out Ustream.TV some times more than 3 hours of fun! At the after show, Daisuke joins in chat with his fans. Come join the fun! – http://www.ustream.tv/channel/daisuke-now

More of Daisuke Kurosawa information check out his site – http://kurosawadaisuke.com.

September 2010 – 雅-MIYAVI

MIYAVI is a Japanese artist who is recognized to be one of Japan’s top guitarists. He joined the former band Due’ le quarts.

In September 2002, the band broke up and he made his solo debut the very next day; and MIYAVI has been jam-rocking every since. MIYAVI’s album ‘Galyuu’ released in December 2003. In June of 2007, MIYAVI formed the band S.K.I.N with YOSHIKI from the band X JAPAN, GACKT, and SUGIZO from the band LUNA SEA, and performed at the Long Beach Arena in L.A. May 14, 2008, MIYAVI kicked off his first world tour with 36 successful shows in 14 countries with a total audience of 150,000 people.

He was the first ever Japanese artist to have successful shows in countries of South America. February 2009, he announced his decision to go independent and graduate from his management which he belonged to for 10 years.

MIYAVI has been non-stop almost since before and after his solo career. If you don’t know of Miyavi and his music…guitar skills. Check him out http://myv382tokyo.com and http://www.myspace.com/miyavi

August 2010 – JINN

Jinn is a four-piece member Japanese rock band. All students that attended the same High School, later 2003, in Tokyo they decided to created a band. The following year in March 2004, the band recorded a demo CD, 0~Zero~ making only 500 copies and selling out quickly.

In 2005, the band recorded a mini album, Kotosabi no Ki (言錆の樹, Kotosabi no Ki?), following year and months in August 2006, the single Raion (雷音, Raion?) was released, which was featured as the final opening theme to the Blood+ Anime series. On November 22 the same year, Jinn also released another single, Malachite (マラカイト, Marakaito?).

2007, Jinn performed the second opening theme to the Sunrise Anime series Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion, Kaidoku Funō (解読不能, Kaidoku Funō?), hit stood out as being the top favourite of Anime listeners (to my knowledge) which was released of January 31, 2007. Their first full album, Lemmings (レミングス, Remingusu?), was released on February 28, 2007 and the following year in 2008 their second album, Qualia was released on February 6.

After being inactivity for 2 years, recently this year they are released a mini album called Engine on July 14, 2010. Their single Hyakumankai Sukida to Itte comes from this album as well.

http://www.jinnlove.net

June/July 2010 – Prague

Prague is a three-piece band from the Kanto region of Japan, with guitarist and vocalist, Yuta Suzuki, bassist, Tsuguhito Konno, and drummer, Kensuke Ito; together, Prague (pronounced “praha”) produces a blend of high-energy pop/rock propelled by a distinct groove. In 2000, Ito and Suzuki first met back in their high school music club and have been friends ever since. After graduation, they attended the same music college, where a friend introduced them to Konno; and in 2006 the band was born.

Since Prague’s September debut, the trio has cut three singles (“Light Infection,” “Slow Down” and the most recent, “Distort”) through Ki/oon Records; their first album; perspective is slated for release this coming July. http://www.praguemusic.jp

March 2010 – Chatmonchy

(Chattomonchī) is a three-piece all-woman power-pop/rock band from Tokushima, Japan. Power-Pop at its finest, they started out as a six piece band in 2001; two vocalists, two guitarists, a bassist, and a drummer. After complications, only Hashimoto and Fukuoka ended up in the final stage being left in the band. After meeting with Takahashi in 2004, things started to come together. In February 2008, Chatmonchy releases the single “Hira Hira Hiraku Himitsu no Tobira” and the live DVD “Chatmonchy Restaurant Soup” which debut on the Oricon charts at number 11. After releasing more singles the following months, in 2009 of February came the release of “Last Love Letter” debuting at number 7 on the Oricon charts; releasing an album “Kokuhaku”, debuting at number 2, the following month with the BD “Chatmonchy Restaurant Main Dish” This is the band to watch, every time I listen to them it’s a party. http://www.chatmonchy.com

February 2010 – Glay

Pronounced (Gurei), Glay is a true Rock/Pop band from Hokkaido Japan. Formed by vocalist Teruhiko Kobashi and guitarist Takuro Kubo back in high school in 1988; Glay has been associated with the best acts around Japan such as Exile, Hide and musician, songwriter and producer Yoshiki.

Over the years, the band have sold over 28 million records of their forty-three singles and over 23 million copies of their fourteen albums and they are still going strong still today. In 2009, Glay celebrated 15 years since the release of their debut single “Rain”. In the month of April, the band held five concerts produced by the members “Glay Members Produced Live 2009: The Great Vacation –Extra.

On May 25 2009, Glay released the single “I Am XXX”, the song was used as the main theme for the movie “Blood: The Last Vampire” and in June the band released the greatest hits collection- “The Great Vacation Vol.1 Super Best of Glay” a triple CD contains most of the band’s singles released after 2000 and a re-recorded version of 1998’s “Yuuwaku” in the two first CDs, the third CD is mostly composed unreleased songs. During the period between June 15th and July 6th the band held the Glay Hall Tour 2009 – The Great Vacation, prior to their two dates Glay 15th Anniversary Special Live 2009 “The Great Vacation in Nissan Stadium”, held on August 15th and 16th, which gathered a total of 150 thousand people and is said to have cost 1.5 billion yen. One of my favourite bands, you should definitely check them out http://www.glay.co.jp