Up above is "Pink Snow," one of two new videos from Plasticzooms. To say it's different from their past material would be a bit of an understatement. It's catchy and downright pretty, not words I would have used to describe their sound until now. Below is the video for "Bug," a song a bit more like what we would expect from them, but it too is more well-produced and clean than we've heard before.
Don't get me wrong, a really like their older material and I really like this new stuff. I'm just wondering what to expect next. Something that's always a good thing in my book.
Sep 24 - Santos Party House NYC - New York, NY Sep 25 - Hi Tone Cafe - Memphis, TN Sep 27 - The Drunken Unicorn - Atlanta, GA Sep 29 - Mohawk - Austin, TX Oct 01 - The Pearl Palms Concert Theater - Las Vegas, NV Oct 03 - El Rey - Los Angeles, CA Oct 04 - BOTTOM OF THE HILL - San Francisco, CA
09.08.10 Wed Seattle, WA @ Tractor Tavern 09.09.10 Thu Vancouver, B.C. @ Biltmore Cabaret w/ Jeff The Brotherhood 09.10.10 Fri Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios 09.11.10 Sat Oakland, CA @ Uptown Night Club 09.12.10 Sun San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill 09.13.10 Mon San Diego, CA @ Casbah 09.14.10 Tue Los Angeles, CA @ Spaceland 09.17.10 Fri Austin, TX @ Red 7 09.18.10 Sat Dallas, TX @ The Loft w/ Lovies 09.19.10 Sun Kansas City, MO @ Record Bar w/ Grass Widow 09.20.10 Mon Northfield, MN @ The Cave 09.21.10 Tue Chicago, IL @ Schubas 09.22.10 Wed Kalamazoo, MI @ The Strutt w/ Grass Widow 09.23.10 Thu Cincinnati, OH @ Midpoint Music Festival 09.24.10 Fri Pittsburgh, PA @ 31st St. Pub 09.25.10 Sat New York, NY @ Asia Society Museum 09.26.10 Sun Washington, D.C. @ Rock and Roll Hotel w/ Grass Widow 09.28.10 Tue Brooklyn, NY @ Knitting Factory (Brooklyn) 09.30.10 Thu Montreal, QB @ Cabaret du Mile End 10.01.10 Fri Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern 10.02.10 Sat Buffalo, NY @ Mohawk Place
US Tour Sep 23 - Sluggos - Pensacola, Florida Sep 24 - One Eyed Jacks - New Orleans, Louisiana Sep 25 - Red7 - Autin, Texas Sep 26 - Fitzgerald’s - Houston, Texas Sep 27 - The Warehouse - San Antonio, Texas Sep 28 - Rubber Gloves - Denton, Texas Sep 29 - The Conservatory - Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Sep 30 - Knickerbockers - Lincoln, Nebraska Oct 1 - Jackpot - Lawrence, Kansas Oct 2 - Turf Club - St Paul, Minnesota Oct 3 - Bottom Lounge - Chicago, Illinois Oct 4 - Magic Stick - Detroit, Michigan Oct 5 - Melody Inn - Indianapolis, Indiana Oct 6 - Cafe Bourbon Street - Columbus, Ohio Oct 7 - Howler’s Coyote Cafe - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Oct 8 - North Star Bar - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Oct 9 - Maxwell’s - Hoboken Oct 10 - The Studio at Webster Hall - New York, New York
UK Tour (Some of these shows are with Electric Eel Shock) Oct 20 - O2 Academy Oxford - Oxford, UK Oct 21 - O2 Academy Liverpool - Liverpool, UK Oct 23 - O2 Academy Sheffield - Sheffield, UK Oct 24 - O2 Academy Newcastle - Newcastle, UK Oct 25 - Moshulu - Aberdeen, UK Oct 26 - Bannermans - Edinburgh, UK Oct 28 - O2 Academy Glasgow - Glasgow, UK Oct 29 - Rock City - Nottingham, UK Oct 30 - Guildhall - Cheltenham, UK Oct 31 - The Cooler - Bristol, UK Nov 1 - Wedgewood Rooms - Portsmouth, UK Nov 5 - Josephs Well - Leeds, UK Nov 11 - The Rambler - Eindhoven, Netherlands, Noord-Brabant Nov 12 - Paard - Den Haag, Netherlands Nov 13 - Het Bolwerk - Sneek. Netherlands Nov 14 - Mezz - Breda, Netherlands, Noord-Brabant Nov 15 - TBA - Amsterdam, Netherlands
10-16 Fri - New York, NY - Santos Party House 10-17 Sat - Ithaca, NY - Cornell University 10-18 Sun - Toronto, Canada - Horseshoe Tavern 10-19 Mon - Detroit, MI - Magic Stick 10-20 Tue - Chicago, IL - Bottom Lounge 10-21 Wed - Minneapolis, MN - 7th Street Entry 10-23 Fri - Missoula, MT - The Badlander 10-24 Sat - Seattle, WA - Tractor Tavern 10-25 Sun - Vancouver, Canada - Biltmore Cabaret 10-26 Mon - Bellingham, WA - The Nightlight 10-27 Tue - Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge 10-29 Thu - San Francisco, CA - Rickshaw Stop * 10-30 Fri - San Jose - Blank Club * 10-31 Sat - Visalia, CA - The Cellar Door *
11-01 Sun - Oakland, CA - Uptown * 11-02 Mon - Los Angeles, CA - Echo * 11-03 Tue - San Diego, CA - Casbah * 11-04 Wed - Tucson, AZ - Plush 11-06 Fri - San Antonio, TX - Sam's Burger Joint 11-07 Sat - Austin, TX - Fun Fun Fun Festival 11-08 Sun - Houston, TX - Numbers Nightclub 11-10 Tue - Baton Rouge, LA - Spanish Moon ^ 11-11 Wed - Memphis, TN - Hi Tone ^ 11-12 Thu - Atlanta, GA - E.A.R.L. ^ 11-13 Fri - Richmond, VA - Plaza Bowl ^ 11-14 Sat - Hoboken, NJ - Maxwells ^ 11-15 Sun - Allston, MA - Great Scotts ^ 11-16 Mon - Philadelphia, PA - First Unitarian Church ^ 11-17 Tue - Brookyn, NY - Brooklyn Bowl ^% 11-18 Wed - Buffalo, NY - Mohawk Place ^
* with Ty Segall ^ with JEFF the Brotherhood % with Golden Triangle
Source: Official Site (Thanks to DiveToBlue for the tip!)
Beat Crusaders have been making their own brand of power-grunge/indie-rock since the late '90s. While their overarching style is quite simple, three chord rock, they manage to mix things up with lo-fi syths and some clever cover songs. Their love of UK and US rock is obvious, echos of which reverberate in several of their songs.
In general, they are very upbeat and catchy. Like early Green Day mixed with a bit of early Weezer and the Rentals. In typical punk style their songs rarely extend beyond the three minute mark. They hop in, play their super catchy tune and hop right on out again. Yet they're not overly fast or raw. They stick to the pop side of punk, a proclivity evident in the names of their more recent albums, all of which contain the word "pop" in one way or another. On the other hand, they aren't super saccharine or kitschy either. They manage to find a nice middle ground and hold it.
Around 2003, the entire band abandoned ship, leaving founder Toru Hidaka all to his lonesome. Ironically enough, right after this is when the newly staffed band released one of their biggest hits, the appropriately titled "Hit in the USA." The single appeared in the popular anime series Beck, a show about an Japanese indie band. Beat Crusaders went on to release several other songs to anime series, including the massive Bleach franchise.
Of course the band's visual projection also needs to be noted. Since its very beginning, each member of the band has kept their identities hidden behind old-school dot-matrix printouts of their faces. These paper "masks" are then stuck on, even during live gigs. It shows a strong dedication to an idea, something with is equally reflected in the band's unwavering adherence to its own musical style over the years.
Albums: HOWLING SYMPHONY OF...- 1999 ALL YOU CAN EAT - 2000 FORESIGHTS - 2001 SEXCITE - 2002 A PopCALYPSE NOW ~ jigoku no POP shiroku ~ - 2005 P.O.A.~POP ON ARRIVAL~ - 2005 EpopMAKING ~ Pop tono sogu ~ - 2007 popdod - 2008
Jul 18 - The Doll Hut - Anaheim Jul 19 - THE GYPSY LOUNGE - Lake Forest, California Jul 23 - proof Bar - Santa Ana, California Aug 1 - Surf City Saloon - Huntinton Beach, California Aug 2 - Malones - Santa Ana, California Aug 7 - Avalon Bar - Costa Mesa Aug 8 - the Long Beach rocket boat - Long Beach Aug 23 - Malones - Santa Ana, California Sep 6 - The Tropics - Fullerton, California
Japan's pop-punk ambassadors ketchup mania have to be one of the most visible bands here in America lately. Not only did they play Sakura-Con (make sure to check out the Jtor interview with them there!) this year, but they were also a part of the massive Japan Nite tour that hit up SXSW. With the help of JapanFiles.com, they have released two new singles this year, and just yesterday they finally unleashed their new album unto the world.
Following the pattern of past albums U.R.G.E. and L.O.V.E., this new one is titled F.L.A.G. It arrives less than a year after their previous L.O.V.E. album, just as L.O.V.E. came only a few months after U.R.G.E. These guys not only play fast, but write like crazy as well.
With so much material being produced at a break-neck pace, it wouldn't be surprising if things started to blur together. Join me after the jump to see if F.L.A.G. brings any new colors to ketchup mania country.
The album starts of with a brief acoustic tease before launching with full force into the short but sweet “LOST.” It quickly sets up the ground rules for the next half hour of their signature pop-punk style. As in the past, the production is incredibly sharp and devastatingly compressed. Somehow everything is in the foreground. Wani's highly tuned snare clangs away over a sizzling wash of cymbals and the razor sharp guitars, with Hiro's laser beam vocals burning a path through it all. “BAD! BAD! BAD!” which we've already been well acquainted with, keeps the tempo high and the energy set to maximum with plenty of fist pumping moments. “JUST A MESS” continues with the screaming force, but finally takes things down a notch. This allows them to crank up the melody just a bit and adding an anthemic feel worthy of the album title.
“119110 “is just about as close to a ballad at ketchup mania gets. The chorus gets down-right dreamy at times, and the funkier groove evokes memories of a No Doubt from light years ago before they had totally sold out.
The sugary pop coating starts to crack a bit on “EVERLONE.” With electro-vocals, chugging ruffs and even some dueling metal guitars, it shows a marked increase in maturity both in structure and attitude. It's one of the few times that the band allows themselves to stray off message, if just a little. It's a very welcome break from the norm. As if to counter this dip into darkness, they follow it up with their most recent single “PLEASE MARRY ME.” Again, we've heard this one before, but it's just as poppy and funky fresh-faced as it was then.
“PING-PONG” is one of their hardest hitting tracks, full of monster guitars and a blistering run of snare rolls and non-stop punishing beats. Again they stray just a bit into metal territory with the guitar style and the speed at which they attack the song. “PINK WATER,” which we also heard back on the first single, brings a bit of experimentation to the table. It has a few electro breaks and even a very brief old-school rave beat tossed in the middle. This is exactly the sort of thing I feel the band needs more of. Not that what they have is inadequate, but pushing boundaries and expectations is always a good thing. Isn't that what punk is all about?
“PAST-NOW-FUTURE” is a full on pop track. Instead of jangling guitars and a softly mixed back-beat, we have the now ubiquitous in-your-face sound, but it's a pop song none-the-less. Full of a warm glow, the chorus is all smiles and happy feelings. Is that a harmonica? Yes, the (for once) subtly mixed harmonica also adds a bit of a folk flavor to the otherwise touch edged track.
Now that we are (already!) nearing the end of the album, it must be time for the wind-down to the finish. “ETERNAL LOVERS” lives up to its romantic name by shifting way down into territory normally reserved for your Puffy Ami-Yumi type sing-alongs. Again, no one has touched the distortion pedals or those amps turned up to eleven, but the tempo signals that it's time to hold hands and sway gently to the beat, even if the sound-waves are peeling the paint off your car while you do it.
Finally (can you say that after only twenty eight minutes?) “COME ON!!” does exactly what you'd expect from these guys. Namely, turn everything back up to Ludicrous Speed for the big finish. At this point the listener's ears have been brought to the brink of annihilation, and things are starting to feel a bit like more of the same. All of a sudden thirty minutes seems like exactly the right length.
If there is one thing you can say about F.L.A.G. it's that it's consistent. From the very beginning the production and instrumentation is virtually set in stone. The only signal you get that you're now listening to a new song is the very brief pause in the sonic barrage. There are a few very welcome change ups along the way, but for the most part ketchup mania do one thing and do it very well. They play loud and fast and keep the Technicolor smiles and rainbows flying at you at break-neck speed for thirty minutes straight, never giving an inch and planting their flag firmly into your face.
It's no secret that ketchup mania has been getting a lot of love around these parts as of late. Plus, they've been touring around the world, gaining tons of fans in the process. Plus plus, they've got a new album out soon, not to mention a brand new single due later this month.
No, wait, we will mention it. In fact, after the cut you'll find an entire review of the forthcoming single for “Please Marry Me!” from the pop/punk-rock band, as well as the new video.
If that wasn't enough, we also have the (exclusive?) first look at the amazingly cool cover of the new album. What are you waiting for? Hit that jump!
The single is a bit of a departure from the band's usual high energy approach. They drop the punk in favor of a much stronger stronger pop feel and even a funky, groovy bassline. It's very bright and upbeat as the title might suggest, with the “Please marry me!” sing-along chorus being extremely catchy and memorable, not to mention the wedding march breakdown. It's a great middle of the road track from an otherwise high energy band. Check out the video and judge for yourself!
This is followed up with “Paranoia,” another curve ball from the band. This is even more laid back and tripped out. There's a ton of reverb and delay on Hiro's vocals, and there's even a sitar playing in the background. While the band's signature sharp and heavy sound is all over it, the structure and melody remind me of more soft spoken acts like Puffy Ami-Yumi or Love Psychedelico. It's probably as close to a ballad as KM ever gets.
“Ping-Pong” is definitely back to business as usual, with a crazy nu-metal opening and clanging drums echoing over the fuzzed out guitars. The verses take a break for Hiro's typical chirpy delivery and the choruses are a sprint to the finish, again as is usual for the band. While this one certainly doesn't break any new ground for the band, it's a nice finish to the otherwise down-tempo single.
Overall “Please Marry Me” is a solid single. It shows a lot of growth for the band, that's for sure. If they can keep up this level of variety on the upcoming F.L.A.G. album, then we're all in for a treat come June 11th! Speaking of which, check out the F.L.A.G. cover in the gallery.
Until then, the “Please Marry Me!” single, available May 21st from JapanFiles.com, will just have to do.
If ever there was a band that was an enigma, it would be Maximum the Hormone. On the one hand, they are a brutally heavy hardcore punk band, full of blistering beats and Cookie Monster guttural screaming. On the other hand, they are just as poppy and melodic as your typical Musume idol. Almost every song walks the line...no, that's not right. They absolutely pummel the two genres together into a battered and bruised terror that destroys everything in its path, all while smiling and having a pretty good time of it. While they are at their core a hardcore punk band, they constantly mix things up with nu-metal riffs and candy-coated girly vocals from drummer Nawo. For every incoherent scream there is a pristinely melodic chorus or harmony.
Formed in 1998, MtH finalized its line-up in 2001. They are brother and sister Ryo on guitar and "singing" vocals and Nawo on drums and backing vocals, with Daisuke on the screaming vocals and Uehara on the Flea-inspirited bass. They have had a surprising amount of success on the Japanese charts. This is due entirely to their latest album Buiikikaesu, which contained the top ten single for "Koi no Megalover," and itself hit number five on the album charts. This, in turn, was largely do to the band having two singles in both the opening and ending to the incredibly popular anime series Death Note.
MtH will be hitting western shores for the first time as part of the Dropkick Murphys tour which kicks of at the end of February 2008 and runs into March. Check the calendar for more info. Do everything you can to get to one of those shows!
Anyway you look at it, it's going to be a big year for Japan's pop-punkers ketchup mania. So far they have a list of seven gigs in America, starting at Austin's SXSW this year as part of the awesome Japan Nite Tour, and ending at Seattle's Sakura-Con March 28th.
On February 20th, JapanFiles.com will be releasing the band's previous L.O.V.E. and U.R.G.E. albums, as well as the brand new single BAD! BAD! BAD! How does the new single hold up to the band's previous ventures? Put on your pink skull t-shirt and follow me to the jump to find out!
The single opens with the title track (obviously.) "BAD! BAD! BAD!" sticks closely to the tried and true ketchup mania formula, that being hyper beats and guitars under Hiro's high pitched vocal delivery. In fact it's Hiro's chirpy vocal melodies that drive the song over the rather subdued guitars. The chorus chant seems tailor-made to get the fists pumping, lights flashing and sweat flying. The video is the perfect visual representation for the music, being very clean with bold lines and flashy primary colors. The teddy bear sporting the Gurren Lagann-style sunglasses and the heart shaped gun also add to the apt tough-but-cute impression.
The first b-side is "Yes Freedom Yes My Life." This one has a slightly more earnest feel. While it's hard to call the blisteringly fast bridges "light," the choruses do have a more precious and sparkling feel. Hiro's vocals shift into a softer range from time to time, and the swing feel and twinkling bells also add to the softness.
The final track "Pink Water" is the foil to "My Freedom." It's the heaviest track on the single, with a steady, driving beat and surplus of guitar distortion. It manages to toss in a few surprises, like some techno passages and other odd instrumentation, all with a dark atmosphere. Personally, I feel that if ketchup mania did more of this sort of experimenting that it could propel them a bit beyond being simply a good pop band and on to something much more special.
Overall, BAD! BAD! BAD! is a solid single. While it does stick the the ketchup mania formula and delivers exactly the quality that fans have come to expect, it also shows signs of a shift into a slightly more interesting realm. It proves that there is still a lot to look forward to from this band.
The new single will be available February 20th from JapanFiles.com, along with their two latest albums L.O.V.E. and U.R.G.E. You can head on over there right now and stock up on several of their E.P.s and early albums.
Just in case you haven't noticed those shiny, candy-like buttons over there on the right, ZB's A-Z is affiliated with Japanator.com. In fact that's where this blog was born, in a way. I'm a writer and editor for Japanator, and obviously I focus on Japanese music. Make sure to check out the site every day for much more music news as well as anime, manga, culture and everything else Japan related.
I'm also the host of Japanator Radio, a weekly podcast featuring all genres of music from Japan. I try and dig up the bands that you might not normally hear from, much like this blog. In a way, Japanator Radio is the audio version of ZB's A-Z of J-Music. It should go without saying, but if you like the blog, then you'll like the show.
Right now, there are a few ways to get the show. The best way is to just add Japantor to your RSS feeds. There's a new Japanator Radio every Monday morning (U.S. central time.) You can also bypass the rest of the site and add just the Japantor Radio RSS feed. Finally, you can visit the Japantor forums and look for a new post in the Japantor Radio forum. We are also looking into getting the show in iTunes, so I'll let you know when that is finalized as well.
I'm currently working on show number twelve, so if you haven't checked it out yet, then you have a lot of great new music to catch up on! Here's a link to all the previous posts.
If Tokyo Jihen were a young, angry, undisciplined and totally crazy punk-jazz band, they would be Midori. Formed in 2003 in Osaka, Midori have since pumped out four albums full of frantic playing and impassioned screaming.
While the four piece band's instrumentation (bass, piano, drums and guitar) and proficiency (very high) may seem better suited to a jazz group, it's their passion and raw energy that make them more of an unpredictable punk band. Guitarist and singer Mariko Goto certainly can sing, but she seems more at home screaming her point across. When she calms down she does in fact sound quite a bit like Jihen's Shiina Ringo, high pitched and raspy like a cat. Similarly, the other members are excellent and meticulous players, but they often choose to drop any pretensions and simply beat the hell out of their instruments. Many of their songs seem to be a random jumble of notes and chords one minute, straight up swinging pop the next. It's all very tight, heavy and groovy, with Yoshitaka Kozeni's huge drums and Hajime's pounding piano riffs fueling Goto's fire.
Much like another experimental, gorilla art band Kiiiiiii, Midori confronts their audience and brings them into the performance rather than being a still life on display for the audience's adoration. Many of their videos are just as confrontational, showing a young school girl shooting up an empty classroom before jumping off the building, or (rather humorously) beating up each member of the band before running away. It's obvious that, unlike other, more fashionable and marketable pop bands, Goto's school girl uniform is meant to be ironic. Like the big bad wolf in Little Red Riding Hood, Goto is simply trying to fool you into coming closer and letting your guard down before she eats you all up.
More often than not, it seems that Japanese bands strive for perfection on both their music and live performance, something that can stifle not only the creative process but any errant emotion. It's always nice to see a band willing to not only injure themselves and possibly the audience, but to also take risks that might expose the raw edges of their music. Midori not only exposes them, but celebrates them with their rage.
175R is a mainstream punk band. I say mainstream punk meaning that sort of fun and innocent, yet fast punk-like style that seems to be very popular with the kids these days. You know, Hot Topic stuff. The band is fronted by a singer with a rather distinctive voice, nasal and high pitched. According to the internets, 175R means Inago Rider, which is derived from the goroawase (175) plus R for rider. The word inago means grasshopper in Japanese. So now you know.
A trio of little Japanese women from Osaka who can not only share the stage with the likes of Slayer and Motorhead, but kick some serious ass while doing it? Yes please! Unfortunately there seems to have been very little in the way of new releases in the past couple years, and their official web page seems to have vanished. Perhaps they were just too much metal for one planet to handle? At least they looked happy while peeling the paint off vehicles and rattling out the fillings of fans everywhere. Check out that first video!
Mika Bomb is a London-based Japanese rock band. They were picked up by the Beastie Boys' Grand Royal label in 2000 and have since moved to Damaged Goods. They have a slight punk sound ala The Automatics or Banana Erectors. Basically a loud, distorted, slightly rockabilly, rock style. They sing in English (hence their popularity in Europe) and have a generally upbeat, sassy happy vibe.
Ketchup Mania are your typical Hot-Topic, prefab "punk" band. It's notable that they will be making their US debut at A-Kon in June. They are the perfect con band, being much more style than substance. They are certainly colorful and energetic.
"The nice girls don't play rock, so we don't need more nice girls."
I'd like to take a moment and break from the Japanese bands to mention Hang On The Box from China. Mostly because they're just plain awesome. Also because they are an all women band playing punk/rock and roll in China, which I think deserves some sort of medal. Formed in 1998, HOTB came together almost without even being a band at all and performed to a ruthless crowd at the legendary "Scream" punk club in Beijing. The violent reaction from the crowd only solidified their resolve to became the best band possible. They are now signed to Sister Benten, a Japanese label, and have since gone on to tour the world. There's an excellent interview up here on WomanRock.com. Best bit?
The bands like CLOUDDEAD, Liars, Modey Lemon ... they're so excellent, but why do people still like to listen to Linkin Park, The Vines... ? There are too many things that are ready to improve. Some bands are too shit but they would get out their CD anywhere. We're a lot better than them, but we can't get out our new CD. That makes me feel sick.
HOTB's sound ranges from punk to rock to softer, almost delicate songs to a sort of DIY/pop experiment. They are very catchy, yet at times very serious. Also, while they are an all girl group, they seem to have a dude on guitar for live shows (as seen in that photo up there.) They are definitely a band to watch out for.
J-Pop and J-Rock are only the beginning. The modern Japanese music scene is just as vibrant and varied as any other music scene in the world. I'm Zac Bentz, writer, musician, designer and all around Japanese music fanatic. Here I hope to share with you a comprehensive (!!) list of Japanese artists and bands (with a strong focus on underground and indie acts) that you may or may not have heard of, in the hopes of expanding our mutual awareness of Japanese music.
I don't mean to suggest that everything I listen to is great. Quite the contrary, I hope that you will take the time to recommend your own favorite artists in the comments so that we can all learn a bit more about the huge range of Japanese music that's out there.
"The best Japanese music blog in the world." - Door Slam "Definitely a must-visit for J-pop and J-rock fans!" -The Otaku "Zac Bentz loves music. A lot." -Japanator "Very cool!" -J-ENT "...one of the foremost blogs and information centers on all J-pop and J-rock...the top source for tour information on Japanese bands in the US..." -YankeeOtaku "Wer mehr darüber wissen will, der sollte sich mal hier umschauen, ein sehr gutes J-Music Blog übrigens." -CommandSheep "...very well-written, and there’s an excellent range of artists...a useful resource." -International Wota "не плохая энциклопедия японских исполнителей/групп" -Diary.ru "Great resource for Japanese music fans who want to explore today's J-rhythms beyond Johnny's Entertainment bishonen music and anime music. XD" -Kaishi "If you are a J-Rock fan, [ZB's A-Z] is a must see." -Crunchyroll community "Otaku USA magazine finally got wise and hired Zac Bentz as a J-music contributing editor."-Radicalpatriot "Reviews practically every Asian band that has ever created a recording."- Zallie "Gewährt spannende Einblicke in die japanische Musikszene." -Laut.de
