Press Release: ORESKABAND Releases Their First-Ever BEST Album!!‏

ORESKABAND, celebrates 10 year anniversary!!

Releases their first-ever BEST album!! 

Originally formed by class mates from Osaka in 2003, ORESKABAND made their debut in 2006 with their mini album “Ore”.

ORESKABAND now commemorates their 10 year anniversary with the release of their first-ever best album titled “BEST (2003-2013)”.

With music based on SKA mixed in with several different genres such as Jazz, Funk, Swing, and Punk, ORESKABAND creates their own unique brand of music.

Also featured in this BEST album is their new song “A-Ha-Ha!”

iTunes:



Amazon:

PODCAST ICFJ #033 – Japan Nite special – Vampillia, Jungles (Red Bacteria Vacuum), Hatsune Miku, Tsushimamire And More!

~Japan Nite & SXSW Special~

IT CAME FROM JAPAN (ENGLISH podcast program)

Featuring:Jungles from Red Bacteria Vacuum,Zarigani$,Vampillia,Tsushimamire,Deco*27 x Sasakure.UK ft Hatsune Miku,Peelander Z..

http://itcamefromjapan.co.uk/033/ @SXSW

Kyary Pamyu Pamyu - World Tour 2014 @ Toronto, Canada

I'll be at the KPP show a week today! She's been turning heads where ever she goes and I am looking forward to a fantastic night. Come find me out on the floor, I'm usually up front!

- Date: Friday, March 7, 2014

- Doors Open: 7:00PM

- Showtime: 8:00 PM

- Venue: "Sound Academy"

11 Polson St., Toronto, 

ON M5A 1A4 

(416) 469-5655

(http://www.sound-academy.com/inside/)

- Buy Tickets: 

General Admission floor : available

V.I.P. age 19+ Balcony: SOLD OUT

V.I.P. Meet and Greet : SOLD OUT

(http://www.ticketmaster.ca/kyary-pamyu-pamyu-toronto-ontario-03-07-2014/event/10004B14A4607316)

Koe (声) - A JRPG With Japanese At The Core Of Gameplay

This is cool! I want it! I totally stumbled upon this just checking the feeds and had to share it with you all. Koe is an introduction to the Japanese language in a game reminiscent of traditional JRPGs like Final Fantasy and Pokemon. Jitesh Rawal, creator of this project has started a Kickstarter Campaign in the hopes of bringing it to life. Go check it out!

BABYMETAL's First Album Hits Top Spot On US iTunes Heavy Metal Chart!

Super cool to see JRock hit the top spot on US iTunes! Congrats to BABYMETAL! If you haven't grabbed their first album yet, get it HERE! We'll have a review on it for you soon!

Band Feature: Crestillion

After trying out various projects, Kitcha realized his true ambition. Sharing his visions with Petri, together they decided to form a visual project from scratch. That marked the start of Crestillion, a newly founded band residing in Sweden. With a melodic yet happy sound, mixed with eastern visual influences, this band brings something truly unique to audiences around the world. 

Meet the members and read the interview after the break!

Anime North Weekend Passes 50% Sold Out!

They're selling like hot cakes. Don't miss your chance. Band announcements coming soon!!

"We have sold half of all available weekend admissions to Anime North 2014. There are still 7,500 admissions left, so purchase now if you want to come for the full weekend." -Chris Nebelsky

Get your pass HERE!

J-rock North Promotions Inc. Presents: Chii Sakurabi At Otafest 2014

Just announced! J-pop singer Chii Sakurabi will be performing this May at Otafest 2014. Check out her video message to her fans below:

Chii Sakurabi is an international J-POP singer and recording artist from Tokyo, Japan. Chii originally performed live throughout Tokyo, and in 2010 moved to the U.S. to expand her music internationally.  In 2011 Chii released her first full-length album Mirage, featuring a unique electropop style, as well as a mixture of English and Japanese lyrics.  In 2013, she released a new single and music video for Kaguya, and in March 2014 she will be releasing her next full-length album, Moon Princess. 

 Chii has performed live at various anime and pop culture conventions in such countries as the United States, France, Mexico, Canada, New Zealand, and Japan.  Chii's concerts are known for their high-energy as well as Chii's passsionate voice, kawaii dances, and lolita fashion!  Chii is excited to  perform for the first time in Calgary at Otafest!  Experience Chii's music through a visual story as she takes you to her fantasy world!  

Visit Chii online at:  www.chiisakurabi.com  & www.facebook.com/ChiiSakurabi

Presented by: J-rock North Promotions Inc.

Otafest 2014 

Date: May 16th - 18th, 2014 

Location: University of Calgary 

Website: www.otafest.com

J-rock North Promotions Inc. Presents: Rose Noire At Otafest 2014

Just announced! Gothic/J-rock/Classical Visual Kei duo Rose Noire will be performing this May at Otafest 2014. Please check out their comment video below!

Rose Noire was formed by members Louie (Vocalist) and Jill (Violin) when they were the students of the Tokyo National University of Fine arts and Music. They won the ZOOM at SONY-ZOOM DEMO tape competition in 2007. 

Their music is free from predefined genres and concepts. Composed of their own world, in their own image, of their own existence and music. Classical with a touch of variety like Rock, R&B,Club music, HipHop, Industrial, Electronica and so on. 

Presented by: J-rock North Promotions in association with Darkest Labyrinth. 

Otafest 2014 

Date: May 16th - 18th, 2014 

Location: University of Calgary 

Website: www.otafest.com

Band Feature: Crestillion Teaser!

Our next feature band just released their first EP and is beginning to make their mark not only in Sweden, but with fans around the world. Please look forward to our interview with Crestillion! Full feature out tomorrow, watch for it!

Review: The Mootekkis 'Heckling The Dawn'

Album art by Adam3

The Mootekkis are one of those bands which I wish I had the chance to see live. Living every bit the rocker lifestyle, they pour everything into their music wanting nothing more then for you to hear it. Their debut album 'Heckling The Dawn' proof of this devotion, made possible by the support of their fans. I was lucky enough to get myself a physical copy of this fantastic 10 track release.

Review: mothercoat '5 - 1 + 1 ='

This past Valentine's day mothercoat released their latest EP "5-1+1=". The title no doubt a reflection of the recent band lineup changes, they selected 3 songs which symbolize each era: with their ex-guitarist 'so', without a guitarist and with their new guitarist 'fuku'. 

Yoshiki Announces Classical World Tour

If you've been exposed to JRock for any length of time, Yoshiki's name has undoubtedly crossed your path. Now you have the chance to see him live in a concert hall near you! Full details are available on his official website HERE. Check the summary below for quick reference:


SHOW DATE : CITY / COUNTRY : VENUE : WHERE TO BUY

April 25, 2014 : COSTA MESA / CA : Segerstrom : ON SALE SOON

April 28, 2014 : SAN FRANCISCO / CA : Davies Hall : BUY NOW

May 1, 2014 : MEXICO CITY / MEXICO : Blackberry Auditrium : ON SALE SOON

May 10, 2014 : TORONTO / CANADA : Queen Elizabeth Theater : ON SALE SOON

May 21, 2014 : MOSCOW / RUSSIA : Crocus city Hall : BUY NOW

May 23, 2014 : BERLIN / GERMANY : Tempodrom : BUY NOW

May 26, 2014 : PARIS / FRANCE : Trianon : BUY NOW

May 29, 2014 : LONDON / UK : Royal Festival Hall : BUY NOW

June 6, 2014 : BEIJING / CHINA : Beijing Exhibition Center : ON SALE SOON

June 8, 2014 : SHANGHAI / CHINA : Oriental Arts : ON SALE SOON

PV Analysis: Kiryu - "Akai Mi Hajiketa"

Active since 2007, Kiryu is a visual kei band with a strong influence from traditional Japanese culture in style and theme, and their music conveys that influence in a modern context. Comprised of Mahiro (vocals), Mitsuki (guitar), Takemasa (guitar), Hiyori (bass), and Junji (drums) their band concept "Tsuuzetsu Nostalgic" is taken to new extremes in the PV for their single "Akai Mi Hajiketa".  They describe the song as expressing the madness that lies in the depths of humans, and the imagery of the PV tells a dark tale. 

Sebastian Masuda At LOVE! LOVE! JAPAN! Saturday March 1st

Famed Japanese pop fashion designer Sebastian Masuda known for the fashion line 6%DOKIDOKI will be the special guest (at 2 p.m.) at Young At Art Museum during LOVE! LOVE! JAPAN! on Saturday March 1, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The event will feature a series of all-day activities themed to Japanese pop culture, including Harajuku fashion dress-up and Kawaii (cute) art projects, an interactive presentation with Mr. Masuda (The King of Harajuku), and an evening "JPop" Dance Party for all ages.

Event schedule and prices:

10:00am-6:00pm Japanese Art Themed Activities (included with paid Museum admission)

2:00pm-3:30pm Mr. Sebastian Masuda's Lecture (FREE and open to the public; however RSVP is REQUIRED. Must pay Museum admission if you plan to stay and play.)

6:00pm-9:00pm JPOP! Dansu Pattii (Dance Party) ($15 charge for evening event; tickets must be purchased at-door)

For more information or to reserve your spot, please call 954-424-5030 or click "Get Tickets"

Check the official Facebook event HERE for more details!

Location:

Young At Art Museum

751 SW 121st Ave, Davie, Florida 33325

Press Release: ELISA, Announced As A Musical Guest Of Honor For Sakura-Con 2014!‏

ELISA will be performing at Sakura-Con 2014 which will be taking place on April 18-20 in Seattle, Washington.

ELISA is from Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan and debuted in 2007 with the song "euphoric field", the opening theme song for the anime series "ef-a tale of memories."

She is noted for her distinguished singing voice which is rooted in opera and is said to possess a transparent quality.

Her music has been featured as theme songs for hit anime series such as "Hayate the Combat Butler" and "Project Railgun S."

ELISA is also a successful live performer, showcasing her work at large capacity venues, including Japan's biggest anime song festival "Animelo Summer Live" for four consecutive years, beginning in 2008. Her most recent live show was at the "Anime Festival Asia 2013" in Singapore.

Her most recent singles, "Sobani Iruyo" and "REALISM" were used in the anime series "Valvrave the Liberator" as the second and third ending themes, respectively.

Her soon to be released single "Millenario" will be featured as the ending theme for the anime series "The Irregular at Magic High School."

ELISA kicks off her international activity at Sakura-Con 2014, which will be her first appearance at an anime convention in North America.

Official Website: http://www.elisa-smile.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elisa.smile.official

Twitter: @ELISA_0414

[Sakura-Con 2014]

April 18~20

Washington State Convention Center (Seattle, WA)

Registration and more info @ http://www.sakuracon.org

'Unbroken' Preview

Miyavi's first major Hollywood role has everyone talking. Check out the preview below!

Sugarpill: It's Our Birthday And We're Having A Sale!

Party time! It's our 4th Birthday, and to celebrate we're having a 20% off sale! Come get your shop on and stock up on your favorites at www.sugarpill.net. 

Due to high volume of sales, some orders may not ship until Friday, 2/21.

Gothic Beauty Issue 43 Pre-Order Up!

You can now pre-order issue 43 here!

Cover photographer: Lycilia-Art

Features in this issue include Pinar Eris, Romantic Threads, Candy Rock Couture, Iron Workz, Oddities San Francisco's Wednesday Mourning, Gothic Nail Art, Tick Tock Trick, Witches in Entertainment, Re-Agenz, The Dusty Raven, Recycled Calendar Note...

Press Release: Buffalo Daughter Returns To The U.S., Announces 2014 Tour Dates

Buffalo Daughter returns to the U.S.

Announces 2014 Tour Dates

Buffalo Daughter makes their return to the U.S. for a tour that will include 8 cities in a span of 10 days. They will kick off their tour on March 4 in Minneapolis and wrap up at the renowned music and film festival, South by Southwest (SXSW) in Austin, TX. Along their tour, Buffalo Daughter will be hitting up cities including Chicago, Pittsburgh, and Brooklyn.


[Buffalo Daughter -2014 U.S. Tour Dates ]

PV Analysis: Sukekiyo "Aftermath"

[FULL PV] Sukekiyo - Aftermath

Founded by vocalist Kyo of Dir en Grey, Sukekiyo is comprised of Takumi (guitar, formerly of Renter en Soi), Uta (guitar, formerly of 9Goats Black Out), Yuchi (bass, of kannivalism) and Mika (drums, formerly of Renter en Soi). The PV for Aftermath provides provocative accompaniment to the single, incorporating traditional Japanese imagery in a dreamlike setting. The song reflects a mature tone that shows the collective experience of the members. In order to analyze the clip more effectively, I've consulted an unofficial fan translation to correlate lyrics to the scenes.

YesStyle: Get Pretty with LadyKin!

Korean beauty is the new beauty trend. Get pretty with YesStyle's new Korean beauty brand LadyKin, 20% off all products! YesStyle has improved shipping services and in stock items are now shipped within 24 hours! Don't miss out on this chance, visit YesStyle.com for their Korean Beauty secret LadyKin today!

As a lovely warm welcome to all new customers, YesStyle is offering: FREESTANDARD. By using this coupon code, you will be able to enjoy free standard shipping with NO minimum purchase requirements. Please kindly refer to http://goo.gl/p1czme for terms & conditions.

Press Release: T.M.Revolution | SCANDAL, Split Single Released!!‏

T.M.Revolution | SCANDAL, split single released!!

From the immensely popular CAPCOM action game series “Sengoku Basara”, which has spun off into TV anime series and movies, comes the latest game in the franchise, “Sengoku Basara 4” *

For this game, T.M. Revolution and SCANDAL teamed up to create an amazing split single which is featured as the opening and ending theme songs.

T.M. Revolution and SCANDAL each wrote and recorded new songs just for this project to coincide with the release of the game.

This collaboration will surely excite all “Sengoku Basara”, T.M. Revolution and SCANDAL fans!

*released in Japan on 1/24/2014


Track list

1. Count ZERO (T.M. Revolution… “Sengoku Barsara 4” opening theme song)
2. Runners high (SCANDAL… “Sengoku Basara 4” ending theme song)
3. Count ZERO (Instrumental)
4. Runners high (Instrumental)

Get it on iTunes!: Count Zero / Runners High - Sengoku Basara 4 EP - SCANDAL & T.M.Revolution

Also available on Amazon.com!

Press Release: mothercoat New MV 'trickster' Released & Upcoming EP Announced!

We are very glad to announce that our new EP is going to be out on February 14th from our own label 'bonjin_records'. This is a year and 7 months after the last release 'Allergies' mixed by Fernando Lodeiro (Vampire Weekend, Paul McCartney, Franz Ferdinand, The Arctic Monkeys) & mastered by Oscar Zambrano @ Zampole Studio.


The title is '5 - 1 + 1 ='. 
This CD will only be sold at gigs and bandcamp after February 14th for everyone outside Japan. Samplers of all songs are available at http://www.mothercoat.com/en. These CDs are a limited edition of 511 pieces from the title of the EP, so we strongly recommend you to get it soon after the release date before it is sold out.


Link to bandcamp page ('5 - 1 + 1 =' will be available after February 14th on bandcamp.) http://mothercoat.bandcamp.com

[EP Specifications]
- 3tracks CD
- title: 5 - 1 + 1 =
- model number: BJR-A004
- release date: bonjin_records
- selling agency: bonjin_records
- price: 1000 yen (tax in)
-  songs:
    1.    nipple cider
    2.    misync
    3.    trickster

[NEW! Official MV 'trickster']

Japan Nite US Tour 2014

Welcome to Japan Nite!

Since 1996, BENTEN Tokyo & SXSW Asia have held an yearly showcase called JAPAN NITE US TOUR including an SXSW appearance and has introduced countless Japanese Artists to the world. This year’s schedule includes a NEW stop in San Diego, CA.

Check all tour dates after the break!

New! Sugarpill Vegan Brushes and Limited Edition Smitten Eyeshadow‏

They're heeeere! Sugarpill professional makeup brushes and Smitten limited edition eyeshadow are now available at www.sugarpill.net. 

Animal lovers rejoice! No animals are harmed in the making of our brushes. Our vegan and cruelty-free brushes are made from the highest grade of soft, luxurious synthetic hair bristles which allow for smooth, professional application and blending. Synthetic fibers are not only the smart, compassionate choice, but they're also more hygienic and easier to clean than natural fur, which traps bacteria.

Smitten is a shimmery hot magenta loaded with reflective sparks (not the cheesy-looking glitter stuff)! Looks equally bad ass on eyes, lips, and cheeks, mixed with lip gloss or nail polish, whatever your little pink heart desires! This limited edition color is available only while supplies last. Get her before she's all gone, never to return again!

The Perfect Gifts on YesStyle!

Perfect Gifts for Valentines

Valentines Day is just around the corner and everyone is looking for the Perfect Valentines Gift. Don't miss out on this chance to visit YesStyle.com and save!

As a lovely warm welcome to all new customers, YesStyle is offering: FREESTANDARD. By using this coupon code, you will be able to enjoy free standard shipping with NO minimum purchase requirements. Please kindly refer to http://goo.gl/p1czme for terms & conditions.

Also be sure to check out the latest fashion arrivals!

 

Brand New From Overworld - Final Destination Music Video Out Now!

Just released from Overworld, their 3rd official music video "Final Destination" is now available for viewing up on YouTube!!

(Don't forget to check out our feature and interview with them here!)

Get their single + bonus tracks at the following links:

Spotify: http://open.spotify.com/album/2hs5b4rneC81GU7UUdpvmZ

Amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Final-Destination-Overworld/dp/B00GC3RLYW

Deezer: http://www.deezer.com/album/7085887

Anime North 2014 - Only 10,000 Weekend Passes Left!

We're just into February and already 1/3 of the weekend admissions for Anime North are sold!! Last year Anime North hosted 2 fantastic bands: Umbrella and AWOI. You do not want to miss this years guests. get your passes now before they're sold out!

Get your pass HERE!

Have You Checked Out Oriental-Decor.com?

Have you been checking out our affiliates? Make sure you do! Be sure to stop by Oriental-Decor.com. They have an amazing selection of furniture, accessories for your home and garden as well as lifestyle supplies!

Some of my favorites:

PV Analysis: The GazettE "Inside Beast"

The GazettE - Inside Beast (2013)

The GazettE is a visual kei group active since 2002, formed by members of other bands as their last band. Featuring Ruki (vocals), Uruha (guitar), Aoi (guitar, backing vocals), Reita (bass) and Kai (drums), their sound here is a nu-metal/electro fusion. Lyrically, the song 'Inside Beast' begins as an invitation to intercourse followed by a dark trip of insight, mirrored in the decadent imagery the PV serves up.