There is a TON of J-rock music out the week of 2-6-2012 enough to drain your wallets dry. Should you fill the urge to max out your credit cards even more so,  Hey Smith is releasing a live performance DVD Our Freedom produced by Maxilla Films on 2.8.2012.

This bad boy is a region-2 two DVD set that looks like pure adrenaline. The first disc is all live rock from Hey Smith’s 2011 Free Your Mind album, and the second discs are music videos and extra movies.

For a complete breakdown of tracks visit Hey Smith’s official website. Now head over to CDJapan and salute your freedom.

Hey everybody. It’s been a while. Shen here. If you were wondering why I haven’t been posting too much as of late, I actually have a new job that has been taking up a boat load of my time. But, in my attempt to keep in touch with all you SPers, I’ve attempted to put together this special end-of-year list. Not to give myself too much credit, but I like to think that we, the SparkPlugged writers, have done an excellent job keeping you all informed of the latest artists coming out of the Japanese alternative/indie scene. Neaux also put together a really good Best Video’s of 2011 list that is tough to beat. So, to mix things up a bit, I got together a list of 5 artists/releases that came out this year that we somehow missed out on featuring here at SparkPlugged and I feel need some due attention. So, here we go!

5. LAMA - Cupid / Fantasy

LAMA certainly has the pedigree to catch our attention. Two of their members, Miki Furukawa and Koji Nakamura (aka iLL), make up the prime meat of former electro-rock group SUPERCAR. The other members of the group, Hisako Tabuchi (of toddle and bloodthirsty butchers) and Kensuke Ushio (aka agraph) are nothing to shake at either. The second double-A-side single of this supergroup of sorts is something that really should be marveled at.

4. 8otto - Ashes to Ashes

A band that truly was put to ashes in the minds of many a Japanese indie rock mogul, 8otto made a surprise return from their hiatus this year with full force with the release of the album Ashes to Ashes. Granted, their music video for “Generation 888″ came out a bit late, which could account for their lack of coverage. But, still, the song/album is too powerful to ignore as evidenced by the video above.

3. Spangle call Lilli line - New Season

A band that I championed last year as well, Spangle call Lilli line continues to impress with the release of New Season. A much more frantic and high-paced approach to their normal trip-hop selves made this one of my top releases of the year. It’s beauty and brawn with this one and how it got forgotten is beyond me.

2. メトロオンゲン (Metro-Ongen) - EDEN

With all the coverage and buzz that this indie pop band got from Keikaku, you’d think that メトロオンゲン (Metro-Ongen) wouldn’t need any more from us. But, months after being released, their newest album EDEN is still being played by yours truly. This remarkable release deserves all the press it got and even more.

1. sgt. - BIRTHDAY

You’d think one of the standout bands in the second Next Music From Tokyo tour would have gotten some attention, but somehow sgt. faded into the background. I am righting this injustice right now. This instrumental post-rock band’s latest work will blow your socks off. Trust me on that one.

So, that wraps up my list of overlooked artists of 2011. Hope you enjoyed it and join me and the rest of us at SparkPlugged in looking forward to even more great artists and releases in 2012!

Yes it is that time again.. time to count down the greatest and create-est videos of the past year 2011. If you remember my rules from last year, this was my criteria:

1) It has to rock.

2) The video must be Awesome in terms of humor, artistic stuff like creativity and video direction and camera work.

This year was actually quite easy to pick out favorites.. there was quite a few that stood out in style and sound. The problem was that there were just so many groups I wanted to highlight, and unfortunately, either the video wasn’t as special as the music or the music wasn’t as special as the video.

So after stressful consideration, I marked up my list of 10 with 2 other runner-ups.

Neaux’s pics for 2011 #10-8

Neaux’s pics for 2011 #7-5

Neaux’s pics for 2011 #4-2

Neaux’s pics for 2011 #1 and runners-up

Well-known blues rockers The Birthday announced relatively recently that their fifth album “I’M A DOG” is to be released on June 15th. For those unfamiliar with The Birthday, the group is the third major brainchild of frontman Yusuke Chiba (チバ ユウスケ). The previous two projects, ROSSO and Thee Michelle Gun Elephant, faded from the limelight but still remain major influential parts of both the current band and the Japanese alternative music community as a whole. Coupled with their announcement of “I’M A DOG”, The Birthday released the above preview video for the album. They also have come out with short previews on YouTube for the first three songs on that album and the single “なぜか今日は” (Naze ka Kyou wa, Today for Some Reason) :

なぜか今日は

ホロスコープ (Horoscope)

SとR

Buddy

The full track list is as such:

01．ホロスコープ (Horoscope)
02．SとR (S to R)
03．Buddy
04．なぜか今日は (Naze ka Kyou wa)
05．Red Eye
06．爪痕 (Tsumeato)
07．SATURDAY NIGHT KILLER KISS
08．BABY YOU CAN
09．OUTLAWII
10．シルエット (Silouette)
11．READY STEADY GO
12．I’m just a dog

For more info on The Birthday and their upcoming album, feel free to visit their offical website.

It’s that time of the year again. The time when the Japanese pull off their version of the VMA awards and we get to find out what the results are. For the 14th annual SPACE SHOWER AWARDS, over 4000 videos from 2010 were considered and ultimately it was whittled down to these winners:

BEST VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Sakanaction (サカナクション) for “アルクアラウンド” (Aruku Around)

BEST ARTIST
Kimura Kaela (木村カエラ)

BEST YOUR CHOICE
RADWIMPS for “マニフェスト” (Manifest)

BEST DIRECTOR
Seki Kazuaki (関和亮)

BEST MALE VIDEO
Saito Kazuyoshi (斉藤和義) for “ずっと好きだった” (Zutto Suki Datta)

BEST FEMALE VIDEO
Kimura Kaela (木村カエラ) for “Ring a Ding Dong”

BEST ROCK VIDEO
Sakanaction (サカナクション) for “アルクアラウンド” (Aruku Around)

BEST ALTERNATIVE VIDEO
POLYSICS for “How are you?”

BEST POP VIDEO
Girl’s Generation (少女時代) for “GENIE”

BEST GROOVE VIDEO
HIFANA for “祭 / HANABEAM”

BEST GROUP VIDEO
BUMP OF CHICKEN for “モーターサイクル” (Motorcycle)

BEST SHOOTING VIDEO
RADWIMPS for “マニフェスト” (Manifest)

BEST NEW ARTIST VIDEO
Sekai no Owari (世界の終わり) for “ファンタジー” (Fantasy)

BEST HIP HOP VIDEO
AK-69 for “PUBLIC ENEMY”

BEST REGGAE VIDEO
FIRE BALL for “Dreamer”

BEST CONCEPTUAL VIDEO
Utada Hikaru (宇多田ヒカル) for “Goodbye Happiness”

BEST ART DIRECTION VIDEO
BRAHMAN / EGO-WRAPPIN’ for “WE ARE HERE”

INTERNATIONAL VIDEO
Kanye West for “Runaway feat. Pusha T”

Source: SPACE SHOWER TV and Natalie.mu

Formed in 2004, FLOPPY are prolific on the club scene and already have half a dozen releases under their synthetic leather (or plastic) belts. They’ve contributed to video game soundtracks and developed their trademarks looks into fashion.

Here is SparkPlugged’s fun interview with Sharaku Kobayashi (小林写楽) and Hiromu Toda (戸田宏武) of FLOPPY, thanks to the fine folks at JapanFiles.com

SparkPlugged: How do you describe your music?
SHARAKU KOBAYASHI: We read different terms for our music on the internet, but I just think of it as J-POP.
HIROMU TODA: Maybe you don’t even need the “J”. Just call it “Pop music.”

SP: Why do you choose to play ‘chip-tune’ style music?
SHARAKU: Simply because I’ve always liked the sound of it.
TODA: Because I didn’t have money to buy a guitar!

SP: What other types of music influence you?
SHARAKU: Techno-pop, punk.
TODA: I like to listen to folk songs and experimental music.
SHARAKU: Folks songs? Really?
TODA: Really.

SP: What’s the inspiration for your “cyber boy” costumes and visors? Where did you get the idea?
SHARAKU: I thought that if we eliminated our individuality, the true feeling of our music would come out.
TODA: Because I’m shy to show my face. I’m a little embarrassed sometimes.

SP: What are your favorite musical instruments?
SHARAKU: Laptop computer.
TODA: That’s right. That’s an instrument. For me, it’s Macintosh.

SP: 6. Are there any musical instruments you would like to learn to play better?
SHARAKU: I’d like to be better at guitar.
TODA: I’d like to learn Windows (PC) better.

SP: Is it difficult to create your studio sound in a live performance?
SHARAKU: It’s easy.
TODA: It’s pretty easy.
SHARAKU: The music in the studio is created with the live show in mind.
TODA: We bring the same instruments and computers on stage, so it’s identical.

SP: How has your music changed since you first started?
SHARAKU: There’s no noticeable change. The basic elements are the same
TODA: I don’t think there’s any particular change. The idea behind the music is very clear for us.

SP: What plans do you have for 2010?
SHARAKU: To be happy as much as possible.
TODA: It’s cold now in Japan. I want to relax in a hot spring.

Listen to samples of every song by FLOPPY and buy their albums on JapanFiles.com and check out their official website for more electrifying info.

The smashing Hokkaido-born duo of Ryoichio and Kenichi Yoshida deliver yet another shining work of folk fusion that the brothers are known for, yet with Prism, they still explore a new direction that sports a personality all it’s own.

The album shows the breadth of its inspiration from start to stop. From “The National Anthem”, a Radiohead cover to the Celtic-style “One Long River” to songwriting collaborations with Phantom Planet vocalist Alex Greenwald, Tori Amos drummer Matt Chamberlain, and many others, the Yoshida Brothers really branch out.

The album lifts off in a suprisingly modern direction with “The National Anthem”. The song, bound by a shamisen melody, comes to life as whiffs of percussion, an electric guitar, and vocals waft in and out.

Prism‘s second track, “Seven”, sprints in a more familiar direction. Hipness is still intact but “Seven” isn’t as drenched with modernity as its predecessor. A cool, contemporary groove is still there but the accompanying instrumentation is a generation or two in age closer to the shamisen. It’s certainly a track with a sound that fans of the Yoshida Brothers are well acquainted with.

“One Long River” flows towards yet more delight. The song begins with female vocals that are later joined by the Yoshida’s shamisens. The chemestry between the velvety voice and the shamisen’s nimble pluck forms a harmony, full of character and peculiar beauty.

Tracks like “Red Bird” and “Mr. Nagano’s Foolish Proposal” continue with their own unique tones of character and beauty. The former radiates with a much more traditional vibe, rolling along as violins soar about. The latter touches back on “One Long River” with a similarly whimsical vibe.

The aura fades as “Hujin” and “Akita Obako” come in as very traditional. The transition is striking as this is the sound that provided the crux from which the Yoshida Brothers originally built out from many years ago. This style shouldn’t raise an eyebrow but it does, considering the brother’s foray into the new sounds and directions that create the first half of Prism.

Later tracks, “Summer Day” and “Michi” are still shamisen-centric with minimal accopanyment, yet each track explores discrete personality. One is rather aggressive while the other is calm and peaceful. “Aiya” returns to familiarity with a pleasing shamisen and flute pairing.

In the album’s final track, “End of the World”, the Yoshida Brothers synthesize every element previously featured on Prism. The track, which was included on the We Own the Night movie soundtrack, begins solemnly enough before a snare rolls in out of thin air. More elaborations float in until they’re swallowed by a simple, dwelling shamisen. Intensity bubbles back up and eventually jets into the song’s spirited climax. The return of violins and an electric guitar make “End of the World” a dynamic parting track that further proves that not only are the Yoshida Brothers sly masters of a traditional craft, but they also rock.

The Yoshida Brothers are already renowned for thier fresh brand of folk fusion and with Prism, they only further their shamisen-wielding world conquest.

The Yoshida Brothers are touring up the west coast of North America throughout May. For dates and more info, including audio samples of Prism, visit their official site.

Buy Prism on Domo Record’s official store or on iTunes.

PLAY ALL!!!!!! live,accident,history,idea, We are YSIG 1998-2008, which comes out on May 13th, clocks in at over six hours and includes footage of more than 60 songs performed live by the dynamic ska-rock-slash-calypso band. The only thing more definitive than this protracted release would be a box set.

The live performances come to life on PLAY ALL!!!!!!‘s first two DVDs. The first disc, aptly titled “THE LIVE 1″, features 27 songs while the second disc, “The LIVE 2″, jams in 34 (songs 28 through 61).

The third DVD might seem like a bonus but it may be the most valuable disc to fans of YOUR SONG IS GOOD. “The Document” apparently features rare footage and dozens of testimonials about YSIG by a wide array of accomplished musicians. Those included are members of bands like Ging Nang Boyz, SAKEROCK, BEAT CRUSADERS, RAZORS EDGE, COMEBACK MY DAUGHTERS, Riddim Saunter, SOIL & “PIMP” SESSIONS, and many more.

And in case three DVDs isn’t enough, PLAY ALL!!!!!! also comes with a special 72-page booklet (is that still a ‘booklet’ or a book?).

PLAY ALL!!!!!! is an obvious must-have for YOUR SONG IS GOOD fans, both casual and hardcore. It can also be a unique crash course for those new to the band.

The collection costs 5,250 yen ($53 USD approx.) and that’s really cheap(!) considering that the band’s most recent album, 2007′s THE ACTION, goes for 2,800 yen ($28 USD approx.).

YOUR SONG IS GOOD formed in 1998 and is Rieji “ZeeeeRAY” Tanaka (drums, chorus, percussion), Hiroyuki “DaaaaTAKA” Takada (bass, chorus), Koji “SHIRASHI” Shirashi (guitar, chorus), Masatomo “MAURICE” Yoshizawa (guitar, chorus, percussion), Yasuhiko “SHORTY” Hattori (trombone, chorus), and Jun “JxJx” Saito (organ, vocal, percussion, leader). They’ve been signed with Nayutawave Records, a division of Universal Music, since 2007.

Get groovin’ with a 2007 performance of “あいつによろしく” (aitsu ni yoroshiku):

Buy PLAY ALL!!!!!! live,accident,history,idea, We are YSIG 1998-2008

YOUR SONG IS GOOD’s official site

ACIDMAN, STRAIGHTENER, the HIATUS (Ellegarden vocalist Takeshi Hosomi’s ironically named band), LOW IQ 01, and Kiyosaku & Masaru UNIT BAND (キヨサク&マサルUNIT BAND), which is MONGOL800 bassist/vocalist Uezu Kiyosaku (上江洌清作) and BEGIN guitarist Shimabukuro Masaru (島袋優), will each perform ‘unplugged’ sets on June 14th at the MIYAKO ISLAND ROCK PREMIUM UNPLUGGED FESTIVAL.

The evening would be amazing if the artists simply played in succession, but since the performances will be ‘unplugged’, it’ll be a rare and unforgettable occasion. The wonder and candidness, all on a tropical island, what more could a fan ask for?

Believe it or not, the PREMIUM UNPLUGGED edition of the MIYAKO ISLAND ROCK FESTIVAL is billed as the main event’s “after party”. The main festival happens on June 12th and 13th and will feature artists like Ryukyudisko, THE CRO-MAGNONS (ザ・クロマニヨンズ), PUFFY, MONGOL800, YAMAARASHI (山嵐), and more!

The festival’s motto is “save the sea, save the sky”, and also talks about being “a fusion of music and nature”.

For more information, check out the MIYAKO ISLAND ROCK PREMIUM FESTIVAL’s official site (JP).

via Natalie.mu (JP)

detroit7′s self-titled debut on Daruma Label is blues-tinged, garage-rock gold. Tarnished by befitting blurs of a fuzzy guitar, a trembling bass, and blustery percussion, the overall beauty of detroit7′s music may be subjective, but some moments of lustrous brilliance are nearly universal. While the trio ventures into a domain of disarray, coherence and some charm does shine through.

The album kicks off with a segmented introduction. “In The Sunshine” winds up with Tomomi Nabana’s (菜花知美) growling guitar ahead of Miyoko Yamaguchi’s (山口美代子) building drums. The song takes off once the bass of Nobuaki Kotajima (古田島伸明) joins and Nabana’s unmistakable, brawny vocals pop in, between her guitar interjections. The moderate chaos finds order with the onset of the divergently fluid chorus. The sonic plateau that the trio built up during the start of “In The Sunshine”, is maintained throughout the entire track — even during the bridge, thanks to some guitar reverb.

“Watering” and “Fatman Blues” follow “In The Sunshine”‘s rowdy lead, but the latter takes a turn from the previous tracks’ almost staccato vocal delivery. “Mr. Kato on the Road” turns it up even more, as guitar and bass mount a fervent assault atop a sea of crashing cymbalry.

The proceeding track begins with an obvious guitar riff that runs four bars before detroit7 bends in a creative twist. The band’s take on “Louie Louie” is a spirited rendition that fits in well. It’s a commendable cover. It doesn’t lift too much from the original 50′s classic, but also doesn’t spin into something too obscure. “Louie Louie” is right at home on the album and Nabana’s shrill take on the chorus accents detroit7′s gritty arrangement.

Hopping, swing-style tom-toms bounce in to introduce “24 Hours”, following the album’s “Louie Louie” high. It’s a fresh way kick off the second half of the release. “Down Beat” continues along the path forged by the preceding tracks and it’s not until “Torch Song” that a brief shift is encountered.

“Torch Song” is by far the album’s most approachable track, simply because it lacks some of the gravelly intensity of its predecessors.

The album concludes with “Zelda” and “Lovers Fight”. These tracks do a proper job of looping the release back to the tone and foot it started on.

The songs on detroit7 do sometimes sound a bit formulaic but when you’re playing genre music, conventions are permissible. The sonic plateau mentioned for “In The Sunshine”, extends through the entire release. The album lacks some much-craved variation and the nearly unrelenting wash of noise and distortion begins to sound a bit cacophonous after a while.

detroit7 isn’t for everyone. But don’t shy away, for detroit7′s music can be an acquired taste for adventurous listeners and surely, those listeners and garage rock fans alike, will shake at the knees with excitement from the first guitar riff to the last.

detroit7 formed in 2001 and have opened for Tamio Okuda, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, and more. In America, they are currently signed with Daruma Label, a new branch of Domo Records (which is renowned Japanese composer, Kitaro’s label).

The bands next Japanese release, Black and White , is set for release on May 20th.

Watch a live performance of “Fatman Blues” in Paris:

Listen to samples of the album on detroit7′s Daruma page and their official MySpace.

Buy detroit7′s self-titled release on Domo’s official store or on iTunes.