Three of Japan’s Hottest Indie Talents Play Exclusive Showcase in London and Birmingham this May

Japan Underground will pull off a two-day showcase featuring three of Japan’s hottest indie-rock acts this May. Collectively, the bands have toured with Oasis, rocked America – twice, dominated Japan’s Fuji Rock festival and caused a huge impact on their home country’s indie rock scene.

8otto

Now, all three, 8otto, Miila and the Geeks and NOKIES! are joining forces for a night of quiet possibly the best new music to come from Japan, and it’s taking place right here in the UK at The Pipeline in London on 14 May (FB event page) and Birmingham’s Hare & Hounds on 16 May (FB event page).

8otto (the ’8′ is silent) performed at Japan’s coveted Fuji Rock festival last year and opened for Beady Eye as well as Oasis a few years prior. Their trademarked take on garage-rock is highlighted by their afro-donning frontman Masaki Maenosono, who belts out the group’s catchy vocals from behind a drumkit.

NOKIES!

Blissfully cheerful indie-pop unit NOKIES! toured America in March and recently travelled across Japan supporting Casiokids. Now they’re heading to the UK for the first time and have already been causing a noise on Twitter about it with several musical figures tweeting about it.

Last but not least is Miila and the Geeks (video)- rated in Japan Times’ ‘Best of 2011′. This kooky female-fronted band is clearly influenced from the riot grrrl movement and Japan’s own trendy Shibuya kei style, and features a distinctively British swagger. Its vocalist Moe is also a resected figure in Tokyo unsigned scene, where she’s a member of several influential bands.

Miila and the Geeks

All three acts will perform between DJs sets of classic and new tracks from Japan’s rock, electronic and alternative genres.

Tickets are on sale now, priced at £6 in advance or £8 on the door. Door entry is half-price for anyone with an afro bigger than that of 8otto’s vocalist.

Tickets for London are now only available on the door, priced at £8.
Tickets for Birmingham are available by clicking here for £6 adv, £8 on the door.

Transport links:

London: The Pipeline is a 2 minute walk from Liverpool Street Station and within easy walking distance from Aldgate, Aldgate East and Shoreditch High Street stations.
Birmingham: The Hare & Hounds is located in the Kings Heath area of the city.  Bus numbers 50 and 35 stop directly outside the venue from city centre while 11a, 11c, 27, 69 also stop within easy walking distance.

Here’s some 8otto for ya;

Crossfaith: London Show Sold Out – Camden Crawl Date Added

Japan’s pioneering hardcore act Crossfaith are about to begin their first UK tour on 20th April with Of Mice and Men, and have already sold out their show at The Underworld in Camden on 3rd of May. If you’re a Londoner and missed your chance at claiming a ticket, the group are giving you another chance to see them in Camden – we can confirm Crossfaith have been added to the lineup of this year’s Camden Crawl.

Crossfaith will be performing at The Camden Crawl on Sunday 6 May at the festival’s Red Bull Bedroom Jam Outdoor Arena, where they’ll share a stage with London’s very own Japanese noise makers Bo-ningen. We hope Camden’s ready for them!

X Japan: ‘Best International Band’ at the Golden Gods Awards

X Japan took home the award for Best International Band Wednesday night at the Golden Gods Awards, becoming the first Asian band to ever be nominated for a Golden Gods Award.

The band beat out internationally acclaimed Rammstein (Germany), Lacuna Coil (Italy), Sepultura (Brazil), Behemoth (Poland), and Meshuggah (Sweden).

“Thank you Revolver. Thank you so much for recognizing us,” said Yoshiki, leader of X Japan, who was present at the ceremony to accept the award.

“Some people might have heard of us, we’re from Japan. Well, our band name is X Japan. We toured North America in 2010, and did our first world tour last year. Now we are finishing our first worldwide debut album. And we are planning on doing another world tour soon. And to our beloved fans: Thank you so much for your support, we are going to keep on rocking. And we fucking love you.”

Held at Club Nokia in downtown Los Angeles, the fourth annual Golden Gods awards handed out 11 awards Wednesday night. Other winners included Avenged Sevenfold, Slash, Korn, and Evanescence. The Black Carpet and Show was broadcasted on X Box Live and will be aired again this year on VH1.

The show coincided with the opening of the Grammy Museum’s new exhibit, Golden Gods: The History of Heavy Metal, which will run through February 2013.

London’s Official L’Arc en Ciel Burger on Sale Until Sunday

Still hungry for some L’Arc en Ciel after last night’s sold out show at London’s Indigo2? Didn’t manage to eat any of tetsuya’s bananas or lick his lollipops? Fear not, thanks to Soho’s KUA-AINA burger bar, you can stick some L’Arc branded beef down your throat. The chain’s store in Foubert’s Street (click here for a map) is celebrating the band’s UK debut by creating the L’Ar-KUA-AINA-burger; a burger consisting of a 1/3lb burger patty, bacon, cheese, grilled onions, fried egg, tomato and lettuce – oddly enough, no bananas.

The burger is only on sale until this Sunday (15 April), so best get a move on and try it before it’s too late!

Perfume Spring to Life with World Debut Single

Perfume celebrate their first worldwide single release today as Spring of Life hits an iTunes store near you. In the UK the single is available by clicking here and is priced at a mere 99p.

We hope their venture outside of Japan proves to be successful and that many other artists will follow in their footsteps.

Related Story:
Perfume Prepare to Go Global