The tri-state area has no shortage of cherry blossom festivals in April. When their sakura trees are in full bloom, parks across the region celebrate the hanami season with performances and vendors. The Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s Sakura Matsuri is easily a standout and arguably the best of the bunch. Boasting the garden’s superior beauty and …
Category Archive: Indies
Apr 12
[interview] RAMPANT – Rock Music for Kicking Down Doors
Interview by Dave Cirone Osaka-based hard-rock band RAMPANT made their American debut at Tekkoshocon IX in Pittsburgh, PA. Playing for an audience of over 900 (the highest in the event’s history), the band delivered a 11-song set from their two latest releases, Choice of Life and BLOSSOM. A regular performance partner of exist†trace and Dazzle …
Nov 22
[podcast] Radio TBJE Nippon with Tom Melesky
Listen as Tom fumfers about trying to sum up being 6 months AWOL. While discussing Molice’s success and his mediocre acting career, he introduces music by Royalinserts, Swallow, Lolicon Fuckers, Sabnack, Lems, and Honeydew. Then he passes on pearls of wisdom about Tokyo summers and ponders the role of foreign bands in the J-Music scene. …
Nov 09
[review] TWIN GATE by exist†trace
All-girl visual kei band exist†trace follow up the success of previous releases with their first full length album TWIN GATE. Containing five new songs and five previous single tracks, TWIN GATE is dark and powerful, expressing exist†trace’s world view. Jyou’s clear, strong alto breaks through the heavy guitars to vocalize the pain and suffering of existence. “Orléans …
