Vivid Covers features 13 tracks from a wide array of bands from a wide variety of places. Bands like Lemon Drop Kick, Keshiki, and more take turns reworking L’Arc~en~Ciel’s hottest hits.

At first, anyone other than Hyde belting out L’Arc~en~Ciel songs sounded crazy. Then I was really curious and wanted to hear what direction the artists each decided to take.

The first third of the album is its strongest. The lead track, “Niji” by Keshiki is good but tame and the vocalist actually sounds like Hyde. Lemon Drop Kick bring some well, kick with their rendition of “New World”. They play it a little safe but it doesn’t detract. “DIVE TO BLUE” by LF-Laissez Faire- feat. Dimension follows that up and comes together well.

Caffe-in take things to the next level from where Lemon Drop Kick left off and give a fun pop-punk punch to “flower”. It’s a bit rough around the edges but they are able to deftly capture the song’s energy while making it their own.

A few tracks later, Unshin takes on “Sunadoeki”. It starts with funky mandolin bits but a piano and guitar work that runs through both verse and chorus take control. Kaoru Enjoji’s minimalist piano ballad version of “Anata” is a change up that contrasts with a crop of metal-ish tracks that follow. I was thankful for it later.

It’s probably not a coincidence that my favorite tracks were ones by bands with female vocalists. The covers by Caffe-in and Unshin shine the brightest. Their work and the other artists’ efforts like those mentioned about make the release worth checking out. The rest of the tracks aren’t misses but they aren’t executed as well as these.

The release came out April 10th on Cleopatra Records. Get it on iTunes or at Cleopatra Records’ official site.

There’s another tribute album that comes out June 13th. It features covers by a mind-blowing combination of Mötley Crüe Vince Neil(!), ZEBRAHEAD, Boyz Ⅱ Men(!!), POLYSICS, SID, Hemenway, and more. Get further on L’Arc~en~Ciel’s official site.

Check out the first track on Vivid Covers: A 20th Anniversary Tribute To L’Arc~en~Ciel, “Niji” by Keshiki:

Love and get used to THE LOVE NINGEN (THEラブ人間) and “Akutou ni nareta nara” (悪党になれたなら, if you got used to a villain). The make beautiful music, they’re here, and they’re only going to get bigger

At first glance “Akutou ni nareta nara” may seem like it could be mashup of andymori-style rapid-fire vocals and violin like BIGMAMA. Apologies but any band with a violin is going to get compared to some other band with a violin (obligatory YELLOWCARD reference). Just like the next band with a flute might draw Moody Blues or Riddim Saunter comparisons. It may seem unavoidable but don’t limit your perception of THE LOVE NINGEN to just that.

The music video is simply a live performance and perhaps that suits the band best. THE LOVE NINGEN have been big on the Shimokitazawa scene and Koi ni Niteiru (恋に似ている, similar to love) is their major debut. It’s out May 16th. Get more info at their official site. Pick up the release on CDJapan.

Dazzle Vision’s SHOCKING LOUD VOICE shines. Sometimes it’s like a beautiful twinkle but mostly it’s like a blindingly awesome spark. It’s the band’s 6th full-length release and although it’s mostly remastered and remixed versions of previously released work, it features 2 new songs and a live track.

“SECOND” (セカンド) is one of the new songs and despite the name, starts off the album and does so with a hard but melodic kick. The release further comes to life during the next track, “Child be found of…” (from Camellia Japonica), when vocalist Maiko’s screams ignite the action. She incorporates this signature technique (aka “Death Voice”) throughout much of the album. Her ability to effortlessly alternate between screaming and beautiful flourishes of vocal melody is impressive.

“HERE” (from Crystal Children) features driving guitars and shouts that supplement the melody instead of punctuate it. While stylistically similar to the tracks the precede it, the song’s execution makes it stand out.

The acoustic guitar and strings at the beginning of “left to cry there” (from Camellia Japonica) make it a beautiful midpoint. It eventually crescendos to full intensity but returns to delicate chorus. The next song, “Take My Hand” (the other new track) has an equally strong build up that pays off.

The upbeat, jazz club groove “Miss Cinderella” (from to the next) might be the only hiccup as it doesn’t match the tone of what’s come before. SHOCKING LOUD VOICE rolls to an end with “Camellia” (from Camellia Japonica). Instead of packing the punch in raw intesity, it comes in the emotion and Maiko’s vibrato.

While Maiko’s aforementioned vocals get a lot of attention, the band’s instrumentation deserves just as much. The music is heavy but not excessively so and never ventures into too-much-distortion or too-detuned territory. While Maiko’s styles seem to be opposites, John (guitar), Takuro (bass), and Haru (drums) find harmony and balance in the middle. That makes listening to Dazzle Vision really enjoyable.

In 2010, Dazzle Vision performed at Sakura-Con in the USA. They opened for Evanescence in Japan earlier this year.

Maiko has been busy, or at least her voice is. Fan magazine Gekkayo Magazine posted a download of her voice compatible with the UTAU vocal synthesizer software. Competing Vocaloid software (from Crypton Future Media) has been made famous by characters like Hatsune Miku, Kagamine Rin and Len, and Megurine Luka.

Get more info on Dazzle Vision at their official site.

Listen to track samples of SHOCKING LOUD VOICE on iTunes and buy it there or at CDJapan.

Behold Crossfaith’s “Monolith”. The band’s latest song is unrelentingly heavy and freaky synth swells may break up the action but they multiply the tension. The music video’s almost colorless, dark palette suits the song and the titular monolith well. The band is transported from some canyon to some other dimension and some eventual slow motion shots are fantastic.

“Monolith” is off the band’s 6-track ZION EP. It comes out June 20th.

Crossfaith are wrapping up a tour in the UK. For more info on the upcoming release and future tour dates, visit Crossfaith’s official site.

tricot (トリコ) tear it up in “G.N.S”. The music’s math rock-esque complexity contrasts with lead singer Ikkyu Nakajima’s breezy vocals. The rhythm and melody twists and comes alive in unexpected places but remains mesmeric throughout.

“G.N.S” is off of tricot’s 2nd mini album, 小学生と宇宙 (Shougakusei to Uchuu, schoolchildren and the cosmos). It comes out May 9th. The music video was directed by Tatsuya Murakami.

tricot formed in Kyoto in 2010 and were originally an all-girl trio. Drummer komaki♂ (yes, Mars symbol for emphasis) joined in 2011. They released their first mini album a few months later and were awarded RISING☆STAR honors at the 2011 RISING SUN ROCK FESTIVAL. Keep an eye on tricot.

Their official site (with some English) has more info and CDJapan has the release.

2012′s “Start Walking The World Tour” includes 7 stops in Japan and Asia. Each show in Japan features a starkly different supporting act. The “walk” begins in Tokyo on May 30th and finishes exactly a month later in Singapore on June 30th. Here’s the details:

May 30 Tokyo – Shinkiba STUDIO COAST (with 9mm Parabellum Bullet)
May 31 Tokyo – Shinkiba STUDIO COAST (with Abe Mao)
June 4 Osaka – Nanba Hatch (with MOWMOW LULU GYABAN and Hello Sleepwalkers)
June 5 Osaka – Nanba Hatch (with CROSSFAITH)

June 9 Taipei, Taiwan – Legacy Taipei
June 16 Seoul, South Korea – KOREA-AX
June 30 Singapore – SCAPE

Back-to-back shows in Tokyo and Osaka? A chance to pick who you want to see ONE OK ROCK play with or just go to both.

ONE OK ROCK will also be on the festival circuit. They play at ROCKS TOKYO (May 26 in Tokyo), JOIN ALIVE (July 21 in Iwamizawa, Hokkaido), RISING SUN ROCK FESTIVAL 2012 in EZO (August 10-11 in Ishikari, Hokkaido), and SUMMER SONIC 2012 (August 18 in Chiba and August 19 in Osaka)

ONE OK ROCK’s official English site has more info.

Enjoy “Re:make”:

via Natalie.mu

People In The Box will play for people in the UK at Liverpool Sound City. The festival runs May 17th, 18th, and 19th. They will take the stage on the first day. If that’s not enough, three previously mentioned bands 8otto, Miila and the Geeks, and NOKIES! will be there (and also at Japan Underground). All three bands perform on the same day as People in the Box.

Liverpool Sound City is a massive festival that boasts over 200 artists. It’s “the biggest musical event Liverpool has ever seen,” according to NME. It originated at SXSW 2007 as a showcase of northwestern UK bands before getting a home at home the following year. Liverpudlians are pretty lucky.

Buy tickets here. Liverpool Sound City’s site has more info as do the sites of People In The Box, 8otto, Miila and the Geeks, and NOKIES!

Enjoy the greatness of 2010′s “Kyuushigai” (旧市街, old town):

Thanks to Ting for the tip.

Update: Overlooked that Mont Blanc will also be there on May 19th. (via It Came from Japan)

On April 21st, Baba was found collapsed in the recording studio in his home and rushed to the hospital. He was pronounced dead at 10:55pm.

A private funeral ceremony was held and a memorial service for fans is expected. Space Shower TV will air a tribute on Saturday, April 28th at 10:00pm.

Baba left Dragon Ash in 2011 to seek treatment for radial nerve palsy in his left arm. He rejoined the band at the end of last year. They most recently played together on April 19th with ROTTENGRAFFTY, a band Baba had produced for and been friends with. Dragon Ash’s upcoming show set for April 28th in Okinawa at Okuma Beach Fest 2012 has of course been cancelled.

We love you Ikuzou Baba!

May you rest in peace.

via Natalie.mu, Japan Underground, and JPopAsia

Sakai Yu’s “Kimi to Boku no Banka” (君と僕の挽歌, Elegy of you and me) might not seem to fit in with the season of budding cherry blossoms but it’s just as stunningly beautiful. The chorus and specifically the piano progression at around 1:32 might make you melt.

“Kimi to Boku no Banka” is the ending theme for the similarly titled TV Tokyo anime Kimi to Boku (君と僕。２, You and me). The song is out April 25th and features a requisite B-side as well as a special version of Sakai Yu’s previous digital single “Lalalai”. His full-length album How’s it going? comes out May 23rd.

Sakai Yu’s official site has more info and CDJapan has the single.

80KIDZ rock out with a band on much of their latest album, TURBO TOWN. It’s a change-up that was perhaps hinted at by the track of the same title that was the lead off for the 2011 HOTSTUFF EP.

The video above documents over half (8 to be exact) of TURBO TOWN’s 14 tracks being recorded in the studios over 35 minutes. Live instruments replace most of the club-friendly saw-wave synths in previous albums This is My Shit and Weekend Warrior but the infectious melodies and build-ups are in tact.

Sit back, watch, listen, and enjoy it while it lasts. The studio live was uploaded on April 17th and will be only be available until May 20th.

TURBO TOWN came out April 18th. Get more info on their official site and get the album on iTunes.