The Weekly Quickie: SCREW, An Cafe, HOLLOWGRAM, HIZUMI, MEJIBRAY, Akabane Vulgars on Strong Bypass, mothercoat

Kind of a slow news week this week, but some really exciting stuff! 

SCREW has announced the release of the sequel to their previous mini-album, Konsui.  Titled Kakusei, the album is rumored to be a contrast to its predecessor.  After the loss of bassist, Rui, Byou said "the band died," leading to the formation of Konsui.  Kakusei, however, is all about the future.  The album releases August 19 and will be preceded by a set of pre-release lives open only to those who have pre-ordered it.  The group will be sporting the Kakusei visual look and playing songs never before heard from the album.  The group will also be available for handshakes after the show.  Check the homepage for details and venues.

NMFT Vol. 007 - Montreal and Vancouver!

Not to be left out, NMFT will be hitting up Montreal and Vancouver this June, before heading back to Tokyo. I don't see the official event up yet for Montreal (will post as soon as I do), but below is the info for Vancouver at The Biltmore Cabaret. 

Bands: OWARIKARA / mothercoat / otori / PENs+

@ The Biltmore Cabaret Wednesday, June 17, 2015

note: show starts pretty damn early!!

doors open 6:30 pm

show starts 7:30 pm (ends~11:30pm)

NMFT Vol. 007 - Second Toronto Show Announced!

So, looks like no stop at The Rivoli this year, but that may not be a bad thing. First stop of the tour will be launching from Soybomb, a place far better described by Steve himself, than my words could try imitate. Details below. We'll let you know as soon as ticket sales open!

Bands: otori / PENs+ / mothercoat / OWARIKARA

@ Soybomb Hq Friday, June 12, 2015

doors open: 8:00pm

show starts: 9:00pm

tickets: $10 (advance) $15 (at door)

Will post info on how to get advance tickets soon.

Next Music From Tokyo Vol.7 @ Lee's Palace

First date announced!!! Details from the official Facebook event below:

Bands: Owarikara / mothercoat / otori / PENs+

@Lee's Palace Saturday June 13, 2015

doors open 8:00 pm

show starts 9:00 pm

tickets: $10 (advance) $15 (at door)

Ticket info to follow!

When I first started this Japanese music showcase in 2010, Owarikara and mothercoat immediately came to mind as two of the best live acts in all of Japan that I needed to invite for the tour. They blew minds across Canada during NMFT vol.1 and five years later they're better than ever.

Joining mothercoat and Owarikara are PENs+ and otori. I chose otori b/c some fans complained that NMFT was getting a little 'soft' by leaning towards 'accessible' bands like Kinoko Teikoku, chi-na, Uchu Conbini etc. Personally, I think music can be powerful and intense without being noisy or having tons of guitar distortion and Kinoko Teikoku, chi-na, UC and all the bands I've chosen are powerful in their own way.

 

Anyhow, otori's music is noisy, ferocious and smart. Loud enough to please the noise/HC crowd but creative and intelligent enough to please music enthusiasts of all kinds. Female vocalist Kobara Sae is adorably cute off-stage but an absolute demon when she grabs the mic.

PENs+ play mathy, emo-HC with nasty guitar wizardry and lots of pop sensibility. They were chosen to play a large festival as one the best high-school bands in Japan in 2012. Now in university they keep honing their skills by playing more and more shows and are at the forefront in shaping Tokyo's 'next music.'

All of the bands have music that you can listen to for free on Spotify. BUT I chose these bands for how much they kick ass live and their studio recordings don't do their live performances justice. 

Lee's Palace last year was one of my favorite shows ever and we managed to sell the place out.

NMFT 007 will be just as awesome, if not better so make sure you don't miss out!

An Update For NMFT 7!

NMFT 7 in June or July.

An update straight from Steve himself:

The reason why I’ve always held NMFT in May or October is because it’s still relatively warm in Canada and airfare is at its cheapest.

HOWEVER, since the price of oil is currently low it’s actually quite affordable to fly between Canada and Japan in June and July as well (prices shoot up again in August).

NMFT7 was originally set for May 15 – 20 but the band otori wouldn’t be able to make these dates sooooo…

I’m going to try and organize something ASAP for either June or July, 2015.

View the whole post, as well as band info on his website here! You know you're looking forward to it!

[News Release] Mothercoat Will Perform At Russian Summer Music Festival V-ROX!

[News Release]

Mothercoat will perform at V-ROX Festival this summer - an international music showcase event held in Vladivostok, Russia from August 29th to 31st, 2014.

"The idea of the V-ROX festival – was an idea of discoveries: people should discover interesting things around themselves, rather than relying on someone else’s opinion. We want people to see what is happening around them and open themselves to it. In this case we are talking about Vladivostok and the Far East region, which, despite their geographic proximity, are not fully adapted to a thriving new Asian cultural environment."* 

They also say "I would call our festival the “Festival of Discoveries". But it is in any case, not a competition, not a talent show , it is a place of meeting not only for creative people but also for independent and self-motivated."*

Isn't it a fantastic idea for them to hold such a big international festival with DIY spirit? We are so honored to be invited and hope that people will have a chance to get to know unknown, but exciting music from all over the world.

In 2013 V-ROX, Ego Wrappin performed as a headliner from Japan and in 2014, Skindred (UK). Queen Sea Big Shark (China), Galaxy Express (South Korea), Buffalo Daughter (Japan) and Mohanik (Mongolia) will be headlining. Another Japanese artist in addition to mothercoat is Broken Haze. There will be so many artists to watch such as The Ghost (UK), Jim Kroft (Germany) and Idiotape (South Korea) who performed in SXSW 2014 with mothercoat. Just wait till you see the next legend that mothercoat will create in Far East!

Japan Preview Show With 10 Wild Bands From Japan!

The 10 wildest acts from Japan!

~Japan Preview day show 2014~

Thursday March 13th　13 ~ 19:00pm

at : The The Grackle

ddress: 1700 E 6th St Austin, TX 78702

*Free show / all age

13:00~13:25 Mayu Wakisaka 

13:35~ 14:00 romi

14:10~14:35　Starmarie

14:45~15:10　THE STARBEMS

15:20~15:45 HAPPY

15:55~16:20 Sentimental City Romance

16:30~16:55 Mothercoat

17:05~17:30 Zarigani$ 

17:40~18:05 Jungles 

18:15~ 18:40 Vampillia

- Presented by AFHC & Japan Nite-

mothercoat Wins A Slot In The Prestigious Official Showcase At SXSW

Mothercoat has won a slot in the prestigious official showcase in SXSW, "International Day Stage", adding to another official showcase stage of "Japan Nite".

International Day Stage hosts some of SXSW's most unique and diverse talents from across the globe, on the fourth floor of the Austin Convention Center where all the SXSW Music Conferences will be held.
It is such an honor for mothercoat to play in 2 official showcases at SXSW and we are very proud of it!

SXSW 2014 mothercoat Official Showcases
---------------------------------------------------
Title: International Day Stage
Date and Time: Wednesday, March 12th 2014 12:00PM - 12:40PM
Place: Austin Convention Center in Ballroom G (4th Floor)
Mailing Address: 500 E. Cesar Chavez St. Austin, TX 78701, United States
Coplayers: Paus (Portugal), Fuel Fandango (Spain), Jambinai (South Korea), Pommez Internacional (Argentina), JoyCut (Italy)
---------------------------------------------------
Title: Japan Nite 2014
Date and Time: Friday, March 14th 2014 1:00AM - 1:50AM
Place: Elysium Nightclub
Mailing Address: 705 Red River Street Austin, TX 78701, United States
Coplayers: Starmarie, Jungles, Mayu Wakisaka, HAPPY, Sentimental City Romance

<Official Web Site News Release>
http://www.mothercoat.com/en/news/1382

<About International Day Stage>
http://sxsw.com/music/international-day-stage

<International Day Stage Lineups in SXSW 2014>
http://sxsw.com/music/news/2014/sxsw-2014-radio-international-day-stage-lineups

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'. 

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!

Band Feature: mothercoat

mothercoat is a lowpop style band hailing from Fukaya-City Saitama, Japan. They have developed a cult following across the UK, America and Canada where they have toured extensively and played several showcase gigs including SXSW and Rockness festival.

They are quirky, innovative and exhilarating. You undoubtedly should go see them.
From 2012 mothercoat sets its base in Fukaya-City with their private studio and vegetable field to devote themselves to music even more.

Meet the members and read the interview after the break!

Band Feature: mothercoat Teaser!

Our next band feature hails from Fukaya-City Saitama, Japan! Be sure to check out the teaser above from mothercoat and watch for the full feature and interview coming tomorrow.  Who knows, they could be your next favorite band ;)