The Last Rockstars are ready to give fans worldwide a taste of what Yoshiki, Hyde, Sugizo and Miyavi can do together!
Yoshiki, Hyde, Sugizo and Miyavi are joining forces to give fans worldwide a show that’s very likely to blow the roofs of concert halls away. Their new star-studded band The Last Rockstars is ready to perform, and to get Japanese music lovers a taste, they’ve released a teaser music video. Simply titled “The Last Rockstars” (lyrics by YOSHIKI, composed by YOSHIKI) and “PSYCHO LOVE” (lyrics by YOSHIKI / HYDE, composed by HYDE) are available to view, and the full tracks are coming very soon!
The band will also unleash their debut live performances on January 26 & 27 that Ariake Arena and January 29 & 30 at Tokyo Garden Theatre; fan club presale is available now. U.S. shows on February 4 at Hammerstein Ballroom in New York and February 10 at Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles are on sale now.
ego apartment is now out and on the loose with their self-titled debut album and we have tour dates!
Not every sound coming out of Japan is about J-pop and for music lovers, ego apartment is a welcome change of pace. This band quickly become a hot topic in the scene. They’ve been featured on numerous curated playlists both in Japan and overseas, and they are considered an act who are ahead of the times. Their track ‘FOG’ was included on Spotify’s ‘RADAR: Early Noise Japan 2022’ playlist, a selection of artists from Japan who are expected to turn heads in 2022. Their September release ‘Wrong with u’ has generated over 1 million plays on Spotify, cementing their reputation as a band with a bright future.
Following the success of the May 18 release of ‘FOG’, their self titled album ‘EGO APARTMENT’ was released June 1, 2022. The album contains 14 songs steeped in ego apartment’s unmistakable bedroom alternative sound, and it’s no exaggeration to say that each and every one of them is strong enough to be a lead track!
Comment from ego apartment
“We began writing these songs before deciding on a particular theme for the album, so in that sense, you could say that this is a sound that we could only express at this point in time. This is our first album, but it won’t be the last. See you on the next production.”
About the Band:
Made up of three members all born in 1998, ego apartment is a three-piece band based in Japan. They switch freely between two vocalists with different styles and lyrics in Japanese and English, producing an alternative sound that feels both analog and brand new. The group consists of Dyna (laptop, bass, band leader), who hails from Saipan Island; Peggy Doll (guitar and vocals), from Sakai City, Osaka; and Zen (guitar, vocals), from Sydney.
The band switch freely between two vocalists with different styles and lyrics in Japanese and English, producing an alternative sound that feels both analog and fresh. Over Dyna’s tracks that are simultaneously filled with both melancholy and a sense of fun, Zen sings with a beautiful and distinctive voice, while Peggy Doll has a remarkable voice and extraordinary melody sense, resulting in a sound that is unique to ego apartment.
The September 2021 release of their fourth track ‘Wrong with u’ caught the attention of listeners around the world, steadily surpassing 1 million plays on Spotify. The band’s inclusion on Spotify’s ‘RADAR: Early Noise 2022’ playlist placed ego apartment as one of 10 breakthrough artists expected to hit the big time in 2022.
Upcoming live dates in Japan
June 4: TOWER RECORD PARCO Nagoya Store
June 5: SAKAE SP-RING 2022 @ Live & Lounge Vio, Nagoya
June 12: TOWER RECORD Umeda NU Chaya Store
June 25: Chilli Beans. 2nd self-produced live event ‘Dancing Room 002’ @ Umeda Shangri-La, Osaka (sold out)
July 15: Fujifabric 3-act live event ‘Friend Park Attractions’ ＠ BIGCAT, Osaka
July 23: Flying Flags @ Sendai darwin with YONA YONA WEEKENDERS, Luby Sparks
Jesse Thom is a talented performer who not only recently published his debut children’s book, Some Bunny Loves You, but also is a busy musician. He’s a member of a few bands and also a solo artist. The Honey Tongues is a gypsy, folk-rock alternative group and Daemon & Airdrie is an electronic musical duo. Between the various types of shows he performs in as he travels the breadth of North America and beyond, life can be stressful. He’s a meditation coach who also needs time to relax. Sometimes, all it takes is a return to basics, to a time when he found peace, or rather with a creation which helped set him on a creative path.
From April 7th to May 22nd, he will be like a Traveling Wilbury, taking his puppet show (based on his book) through parts of Vancouver Island and the Greater Vancouver Mainland area before hitting the musical stage and performing behind the curtain again. Stops include the Garden City of Victoria to which he is from and details can be found on his website. I’m willing to bet a break will still be needed for this performer to re-energize like a particular battery bunny mascot before he embarks on another musical odyssey.
“As with any success, I’m just going to honour the path that forms,” revealed Thom, “I listen to my heart, and listen what the audience wants and I provide what seems to be wanted and needed.”
Japanese group Band-Maid whose appearance in cute, maid aesthetics while serving skillfully played powerful music onstage, is continuing their world domination. In the past year alone they have appeared at Sakura-Con in Seattle, MCM London Comic Con in England and had multiple videos go viral (“Thrill” hit 2 million views within the first two weeks). Now in a global push Band-Maid announced a European tour to coincide after their Latin America debut in Mexico City on October 9th.
The dates are to promote their first international album “Brand New Maid” that saw release June 17, 2016. Brand New Maid is available across the UK and Europe through JPU Records. The CD version contains an exclusive bonus track as well as an extra booklet containing lyric translations and transliterations into English.
John Cleese and Eric Idle officially announced a return tour of North America this morning on the John Cleese and Eric Idle Together Again at Last… for the Very Last Time website. In all the duo from Monty Python, one of the most influential comedy teams of the 20th century, are embarking on a 16 city, 20 date tour of Canada and the United States this fall. On this tour, Cleese and Idle will be visiting the western part of North America with cities like Victoria, Vancouver (BC), Seattle, San Jose and San Francisco. Those who attend a show will see an evening of diverse entertainment according to their press release:
Yoshiki, Hyde, Sugizo and Miyavi are joining forces to give fans worldwide a show that’s very likely to blow the roofs of concert halls away. Their new star-studded band The Last Rockstars is ready to perform, and to get Japanese music lovers a taste, they’ve released a teaser music video. Simply titled “The Last Rockstars” (lyrics by YOSHIKI, composed by YOSHIKI) and “PSYCHO LOVE” (lyrics by YOSHIKI / HYDE, composed by HYDE) are available to view, and the full tracks are coming very soon!
By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)
By James Robert Shaw (The Wind up Geek)
By James Robert Shaw (The Wind up Geek)