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Rock-rap group ZZ formed in the industrial city of Fuji, about 100-km west of Tokyo, in 1998, soon relocating to the much larger Shizuoka where they built up a local following playing the city’s clubs. Within two years the band were playing at venues in Tokyo’s Shimokitazawa district, an area that is a mecca for underground bands, sharing the bill with the likes of popular rap-metal act RIZE. Even so, ZZ’s pop sensibility means they have more in common musically with the sound of the mega-selling, self-styled “mixture hip-hop” group ORANGE RANGE than the harder, alternative metal of RIZE.
After independently releasing a mini-album and single in 2000, the career of ZZ (comprised of vocalist SOTARO, guitarist KOHSUKE, pianist ERICHI, bassist KYAMA and drummer MATSUURA) gained momentum when Japan’s biggest monthly rock magazine, Rockin’ On, glowingly reviewed their second single, “Brightest” in early 2001. It’s follow-up “Himawari (Sunflower)” went top 75 in the USEN charts (a request chart) and was picked up by one of Tokyo’s major commercial radio stations, BayFM. The station would go on to grant the group their own regular program, titled “Na Na Na Now Young” in October of that year, but not before they had dropped their debut album, “Absolute Beat Complex.”
ZZ made the step up to large independent label Avex in 2003 for the release of the single “Rhythmist,” which was the band’s biggest hit to date, going top 10 in the USEN charts. The single was a taster for the album “Definitive Energy Flow,” which the group supported by going on their first nationwide tour. Having had a couple of songs featured as opening/ending songs on Japanese television programs, the group scored a minor coup when their tune “A to Z” was chosen as the ending song to the animated adventure television series “ONE PIECE,” which, like many popular anime, has been adapted into English, Chinese and Korean. Appropriately, ZZ played their first live shows in South Korea in 2004. (Two years earlier they had played to 8,000 people at a music festival in Dalian, China.)
For the 2004 single, “Just Only One,” ZZ collaborated with Kaori Ueda, aka DJ KAORI, a hip-hop DJ who has played at parties for the likes of Sean “P. Diddy” Combs. The track was featured on their second album for Avex, 2005’s “Generation Hip Innocence.” Following its release, the band performed their first shows in the United States, capitalizing on their anime associations by playing at the anime conventions FanimeCon in San Jose and Dallas’ A-Kon, one of the three biggest such conventions in the U.S.
Not even an association with the Japan national team’s ill-fated 2006 World Cup campaign – having recorded the supporters’ song “SAMURAI BLUE” (replete with terrace-friendly “oh oh” chants and cries of “Nippon! Nippon!”) – dimmed the group’s prospects, the band continuing to play regular live shows through the year. In addition, online ZZ are joining an increasing number of Japanese bands by uploading their songs – in the case of ZZ the majority of their back catalog - to the U.S. iTunes Music Store.
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ZZ
Anime North 2007
25-27 May 2007
Doubletree International Plaza
655 Dixon Road
Toronto, Ontario M9W 1J3
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FanimeCon's MusicFest is an annual festival of music featuring artists from or influenced by Japan. It will be held on May 25 through May 28, 2007 at FanimeCon in San Jose.
MusicFest Manifesto
Just what is MusicFest? It's more than just some bands on stage...
MusicFest is about music. We're not just about anime, we're not just about a certain sound, and we're not just about indy bands or chart-topping acts. MusicFest is simply about providing a venue for Japanese musicians to get their work out to a receptive audience. Japanese music is growing rapidly and MusicFest serves as a port for these artists to connect with US fans.
So come and check out MusicFest! It will get you in touch with hot bands new to the US and their kick-ass music.
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Crack 6
ZZ
MECHANiCAL PANDA
Karma-Shenjing
Mari Iijima
ArtBeat
Lemon Drop Kick
God of Shamisen
RothChilde
akai SKY
FanimeCon MusicFest 2007
25-28 May 2007
San Jose McEnery Convention Center
150 W. San Carlos St.,
San Jose, CA 95113
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MELL is best known for her single Red Fraction which is the opening for the popular anime series Black Lagoon soon to be released in the US. MELL has also performed anime theme songs for Hayate the Combat Butler and Shakugan no Shana. MELL is a very passionate performer and always brings an agressive edge to her digi-core sound. MELL was the first singer signed to I've, a Japanese techno/trance music production group based in Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan. I've held their first concert on October 15 2005 at Nippon Budokan where MELL opened the show, amazed the crowd and set the tone for a magical event. MELL is working hard to make sure that her first US concert at A-Kon will be an unforgettable event. I've and MELL have promised to provide a special show so be sure not to miss MELL at A-Kon®!
ketchup mania are HIRO with the one and only cute voice, DAI on guitar who completely admires GINGER of "THE WiLDHEARTS", YOSEI on bass who loves Ichiro from the Seattle Mariners and WANI on drums who totally respects Travis Barker of "BLINK182". ketchup mania formed in Japan in 1999. Their powerful and outstanding performances are well known in Japan as one of the up and coming girl vocal punk rock acts. And now their popularity is spreading here as they just were awarded Best Punk Act of 2007 in the Shojo Beat - 2007 Music Awards. Their new album "URGE" will be released on May 9, 2007 in Japan. Their music is currently available online at JapanFiles.com
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MELL
ketchup mania
A-Kon 18
1-3 June 2007
Adam's Mark Hotel and Convention Center
400 North Olive Street
Dallas, TX 75201
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Swinging Popsicle was formed in 1995 when singer Mineko Fujishima and guitarist Osamu Shimada joined bassist Hironobu Hirata through a newspaper ad. The band's first effort was the Sunny Silent Park EP.
In 1998, their first self-titled full-length album Swinging Popsicle debuted from Sony Music Entertainment at Number 1 in the New Artists category, producing the hit singles "Joy of Living," "I Love Your Smile," and "Parade." After extensive touring, the band returned to the studio for their second album Fennec! (2000).
Four solid years of writing and performing live throughout Japan produced their most mature and powerful CD titled Transit (2004), featuring their signature song "I Just Wanna Kiss You." In 2005, the band embarked on their first tour to Korea.
2006 marked their United States debut at Fanime MusicFest in San Jose, CA. The same year their song "Crash" was included in a compilation CD with the Korean manga "Cracker."
UNICORN TABLE is a popular Japanese pop rock group now gaining fame in America after the U.S. release of the anime “Jinki:Extend” which features their hit song “Fly Away” as the opening theme and an incredible US debut performance at the 2006 Akiba Fest: Christmas Cosplay Concert ball. Comprised of two talented veterans of the Japanese music industry, the band features the beautiful singer and song writer, Salia, who is the perfect match for music composer and guitar payer, Shin-go. The two come together over complex layers of electronic instrumentation, samples and electric guitar grooves that present a unique upbeat rock sound.
Before coming together to form UNICORN TABLE, both Salia and Shin-go worked as solo artists that have been recognized for many musical accomplishments in the anime and live-action Japanese music field for years. Salia, with her strong and sought after vocal talent, gained fame as the original singer of the “Cutey Honey Flash” theme song and the opening theme “Trust” from Vandread. Shingo’s incredible arrangements and guitar skills can be heard in the live-action movie “Casshern” and anime soundtracks like “Solty Rei,” “Pumpkin Scissors” and others.
UNICORN TABLE’s popular debut album, "uncountable," will have a US release through TenBu Productions in February of this year and will feature songs from “Jinki:Extend,” “School Rumble,” and more. “uncountable” was an instant hit in Japan and is compiled of solidly produced tracks that are hip, energetic and raw with a style all their own. Their live performance brings all their music to life with a fun and energetic show! In Japan they have performed in huge concert events that attract thousands like: “Animelo Summer Live 2005”, the “Jinki:Extend Concert”, the “School Rumble Come! Come! Well-Come Party,” and more.
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Swinging Popsicle
UNICORN TABLE
Anime Mid-Atlantic 7
15-17 June 2007
Greater Richmond Convention Center
403 North 3rd Street
Richmond, VA 23219
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An Café - short for Antique Café- is a Japanese Visual-Kei rock band formed by MIKU (Vo), BOU (Gt), KANON (Ba) in 2003. A few months later, they became a quartet having TERUKI (Dr) in the band.
An Cafe boasts an overwhelming popularity among teenagers for their life-sized lyrics and the danceable rock sounds which intrigues the audience to run high. Their songs will no doubt be accepted by all J-POP listeners not only by the Visual-Kei fans, and it will not be too much to say that their live is truly an entertaining show, where the individual band members demonstrate their unique personalities.
"Amedama Rock", released in 2005, was the album compiling their early works which were in a limited-edition and completely sold out. Following the success of this album, the band released "a trilogy of HARAJUKU" including the 1st vol. "TEKESUTA KOUSEN", the 2nd vol. "ESCAPISM", and the 3rd vol. "MERRYMAKING", then had live shows at 3 different stages in HARAJUKU, which were all sold as well. In the end of 2005, they released the first full album "SHIKISAI MOMENT".
Early in 2006, they had a nation-wide tour "LIVE CAFE TOUR'06 - NYAPPY GO AROUND" and performed in 8 biggest cites in Japan. They also had a first solo hall live "9 DANCE WAR" at Tokyo Kudan Kaikan under the concept of "Kizuna - Bonds" as if they confirmed their strong emotional bond with the fans. Those lives all went on a great success, and further, the band had a entrance-free (and their first ever outdoor solo) live "YAGAI DE NYAPPY" gathering 7000+ audiences - who are now called as "KAFFE-KKO" (meaning An Cafe's following).
In fall 2006, the band had a project entitled "NYAPPY CHALLENGE ONE, TWO, DON!", in which they released 2 singles plus 1 album in three consecutive months - a single "Smile Ichiban Ii ♀ (Onna)" as the 1st challenge (ONE), a single "SNOW SCENE" as the 2nd challenge (TWO), and the 2nd full album "Magnya Carta" as the 3rd challenge (DON!). To commemorate the release of this latest album "Magnya Carta", the band established virtual constitution for KAFFE-KKO. The band also started mobile SNS "State of Nyappy", where many of KAFFE-KKO register themselves and communicate with the other residents of Nyappy State. In the end of this year, they went on 3 cities tour (in Nagoya, Osaka, and Tokyo) "LIVE CAFE 2006 Xmas Special", which successfully ended.
In January 2007, An Cafe had their ever largest nation-wide tour "LIVE CAFE TOUR '07 - NYAPPY GO AROUND 2". On April 30, they performed at Hibiya Yagai Concert Hall for their solo live "LIVE CAFE 2007 SPRING - HIBIYA ON THE NEW WORLD", and this live eventually became the graduation ceremony for BOU, who was leaving the band on that day.
Starting from May 18, An Cafe has gone into their 2nd phase having 2 new members - Guitarist: takuya, and Keyboardist: YUKI -, and evolved to be more powerful and catchy than ever…
A message from An Cafe:
Hi KAFFE-KKO in USA! We are An Cafe. We are very pleased to visit USA, and all members are so excited to be a part of A-kon. As you know, our former guitarist BOU left the band, which is quite sad to us, however, 2 new members, YUKI and TAKUYA, have recently joined the band! They are not prepared to come with us at this moment, but for next time, we promise to be in USA with all 5 members!
See you all in Dallas soon - NYAPPY!
An Cafe - MIKU, KANON, and TERUKI
*KAFFE-KKO = common name of An Cafe following.
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AN'Cafe
A-Kon 18
1-3 June 2007
Adam's Mark Hotel and Convention Center
400 North Olive Street
Dallas, TX 75201
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A teen girl sextet from Osaka, ORESKABAND is taking Japanese pop music scene by storm with their "entertainment ska rock"!
ORESKABAND was formed in 2003 when middle school classmates Ikasu, Tomi, Tae-san, Saki, Moriko, and Leader got together to start a band. They started playing at local clubs and quickly built following with their energetic live shows and colorful personalities.
They started recording their own material and released their first album "PENPAL" in 2005 while expanding fan base outside their hometown through live shows and appearance at local music festivals. A&R reps from record labels caught the underground vibe of the band and in 2006, the band was signed to Sony Music Japan while still in high school.
From performing at local venues, ORESKABAND has gone on to get recognition on a national level as media started introducing them. In an exceptional move for a new artists, their song "Hana no Ska Dance" was used for the TV commercial for POCKY, a very popular Japanese candy. Even more surprisingly, the girls themselves appeared the commercial, which was shot while they were performing on a moving train. The unique TV commercial showcasing their fresh ska-pop sound and lively personalities have gotten them into limelight.
Juggling the role of high school students and recording artists, ORESKABAND completed their debut mini album with six tracks entitled "Ore" in March 2006.
The band went on to record, this time with trombone player/Ska legend Rico Rodriguez for his tribute session album "JAPA-RICO = RICO RODRIGUEZ MEETS JAPAN" on their cover of Ska classic "MONKEY MAN".
In July, their debut album "Ore" was released and gathered massive amount of critical acclaim. Following the album release, the band performed at prestigious annual FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL attracting more than 1000 audience, a record for a new artist.
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Famous Akihabara Street Performer, singer and celebrity Halko Momoi is the latest addition to the hottest line up of Anime Expo® 2007 Guests of Honors for the highly anticipated 2007 convention June 29-July 2 at the Long Beach Convention Center. More information can be found on the website www.anime-expo.org.
From a very young age, Ms. Momoi has always had an interest in anime, video games and computers. In high school, Ms. Momoi discovered internet communications and began her on-line journal. Her on-line journal caught the eye of a magazine editor, and was published as a serial column that led to more and more requests for writing contributions and interviews.
She was also the MC (Mistress of Ceremonies) for various idol events and appeared in the regular live talk program; “Haruko no Himitsu (Haruko’s Secret)” at Shinjuku’s Loft Plus One. In 1997, she produced a name clone of herself called; “Indie Virtual Mobidol Moai Haruko”.
Ms. Momoi’s live street performances has gathered major attention from media which has launched her career as a TV/radio/anime voice actress, lyricist, songwriter, and as a singer soon thereafter. The single “Mail Me” marked her major singing debut in 2000. It was during this time that Ms. Momoi applied her experiences as a popular street performer in the Akihabara area and was soon dubbed the “Queen of Akihabara.”
In 2001, Ms. Momoi made history as the role of Komugi Nakahara in the historic world’s first ever anime internet radio show NAKAHARA KOMUGI NO KONGURI.
In February 2002, she joined the unit UNDER17, and was the glasses-wearing lead vocalist until its disbandment in 2004. Ms. Momoi’s performance of anime and game songs at her Final Tour at Yokohama Blitz is considered legendary by fans with Ms. Momoi’s famous signature final bow of leaving her glasses on stage at the very end of the concert performance. In 2005, in conjunction with her maxi single “Wonder momo-i~New recording~”, she held the hugely successful “Wonder momo-I Live Tour” in Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya. Since then, Ms. Momoi has released her chart busting first solo album, a 2-part autobiographical DVD drama “Haruko☆UP DATE” Part 1 & 2 and self-authored a book “Akhiaba LOVE-Growing Up Together with Akihabara”.
Ms. Momoi will be performing a full one hour live concert at Anime Expo® on Monday; July 2, 2007 at the Anime Expo® Main Events Hall (Long Beach Arena).
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ANIME EXPO® 2007 ANNOUNCES J-ROCK CONCERT OF THE CENTURY
J-Rock Gods Join Forces and Debut at Nation's Largest Convention
Anaheim, California (May 25, 2007) - As announced on the stage of J-ROCK REVOLUTION:
SKIN performs June 29th, 2007 at Anime Expo® 2007.
SKIN is Yoshiki, Gackt, Sugizo and Miyavi!
Stay tuned for more info...
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ORESKABAND
Halko Momoi
SKIN
Anime Expo 2007
29 June - 2 July 2007
Long Beach Convention Center
300 E Ocean Blvd
Long Beach, CA 90802
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Combining rock music with hip-hop comes the group BACK-ON from Adachi, Tokyo. In kanji, their name translates to “sound explosion”. The five band members - TEEDA (MC), KENJI03 (vocal, MC and guitar), SHU (guitar), GORI (bass) and ICCHAN (drums). Their 2006 hit song “CHAIN” is the opening theme song to ADV’s recent release Air Gear.
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BACK-ON
Anime Evolution 2007
17-19 August 2007
Simon Fraser University, Burnaby Mountain Campus
8888 University Drive
Burnaby, B.C.
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31st March 2007, 09:43 PM
) Thanks for the information though; curious about this band now...
why did i even look at this thread? now i'm so jealous of people that get to go...and, no yur not going to see Miyavi...yur going to see Ai Otsuka and get me a t-shirt to wear to school next year haha
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