Tag: Tour Dates

On Kujima Utaeba Ie Hororo, The Single Komorebizaka and Galileo Galilei’s Upcoming Tour Too!

Kujima Utaeba Ie Hororo arrives with a gentle, offbeat charm, pairing a strange visitor with a quiet household. With Galileo Galilei’s new opening theme “Komorebizaka,” the series blends soft storytelling with a reflective musical touch.

Kujima Utaeba Ie HororoNearly everyone loves penguins, and whether that’s what Kujima actually is in Kujima Utaeba Ie Hororo may be up for debate as new episodes continue to air. When she can talk, well…. The animated adaptation premiered in Japan on April 9, 2026, and has been performing solidly in the ratings. The original manga first ran in Shogakukan’s monthly shonen magazine Gessan from September 2021 to April 2024. After earning several industry awards, some readers may feel this adaptation is long overdue.

The opening theme song, “Komorebizaka,” is getting noticed too. It opens with a breezy, almost whimsical lightness before the country pop groove blends in. It’s a beautiful match for the tone of the series, and one that captures its quiet emotional pull. And yes, I’ll be keeping an eye out for an English release.

From the Press Release: 

This gentle, slice-of-life comedy follows first-year middle school student Arata Kouda and his encounter with this mysterious creature that has crossed over to Japan from Russia. Their meeting sparks a quiet but meaningful shift within his household.

Continue reading “On Kujima Utaeba Ie Hororo, The Single Komorebizaka and Galileo Galilei’s Upcoming Tour Too!”

With Amethyst, REIRIE Make a Daring Leap Into the Major-Label Spotlight

REIRIE make their major-label debut with Amethyst, a five-track EP blending guitar rock, emotion, and R&B, out January 28, 2026, alongside a nationwide tour.

REIRIE AmethystREIRIE, the duo formed by Rei Kuromiya and Rie Kaneko, will make their major-label debut with their first EP, Amethyst, on January 28, 2026. The release arrives via MoooD Records, a label under Bandai Namco Music Live. Ahead of the EP’s launch, the music video  “Aishiteyo” is available to view online and see how these two artists want to present themselves. It’s a mix of art nouveau and glam. In between the layers of stage presence and glam is a look that suggets more than leather and lace, but also stillness and motion. Their sound is a mix of J-pop meets Speed Metal, and although their style is hard to pin down, I’d say they are borrowing from not only the  Rococo but also historical Gothic.

Amethyst will be released in three version: the Rei, Rie, and a Standard Edition. The Rei release includes a Blu-ray featuring footage from the free live show held last year in Sept at Kabukicho Tower Stage. The Rie set includes a Blu-ray of the Tokyo performance from Reirie Live Tour 2025 – BaD＝DoLL –, held October 26. As a first-press bonus, each of them will include one randomly selected trading card from a set of six.

Musically, The advance digital single “BaD＝DoLL,” composed by Yuki Tsujimura and MEGMETAL, delivers a charged, dramatic rock sound.

 

“Aishiteyo,” created by the same team, leans further into raw emotion and heightened intensity, brought to life in the newly released music video.

Additional tracks include “Holy Brighters,” which portrays heroism that pushes forward despite doubt and anxiety, “Not Philosophy,” a song about strength and love expressed through feeling rather than words, and “Contact,” a soulful R&B-based track that embraces pain and inner conflict as part of personal growth.

In support of the release, REIRIE will launch Reirie Live Tour 2026 – Amethyst – in February 2026 around Japan. Locations are as follows:

Feb 1, 2026 – Chiba LOOK [Chiba]
Feb 7, 2026 – Hiroshima CAVE-BE [Hiroshima]
Feb 8, 2026 – music zoo KOBE Taiyo to Tora [Hyogo]
Feb 15, 2026 – HEAVEN’S ROCK Saitama Shintoshin VJ-3 [Saitama]
Feb 23, 2026 – F.A.D. YOKOHAMA [Kanagawa]
Feb 28, 2026 – KYOTO MUSE [Kyoto]
Mar 1, 2026 – OSAKA MUSE [Osaka]
Mar 8, 2026 – LIVE HOUSE enn 2nd [Miyagi]
Mar 13, 2026 – ell.FITS ALL [Aichi]
Mar 15, 2026 – HEAVEN’S ROCK Utsunomiya VJ-2 [Tochigi]
Mar 21, 2026 – Fukuoka DRUM SON [Fukuoka]
Mar 31, 2026 – Shibuya CLUB QUATTRO [Tokyo]

Tickets

REIRIEPremium Ticket: ¥18,000 (incl. tax)

(Premium tickets include guaranteed access to the front area, one cheki photo, and exclusive merchandise)
A Ticket: ¥6,600 (incl. tax)

*A separate drink fee is required for all ticket types.

 

Tracklist (all editions)

  1. BaD＝DoLL
  2. Holy Brighters
  3. Not Philosophy
  4. Contact
  5. AISHITEYO

About REIRIE

Formed in January 2023, REIRIE brings together Rei Kuromiya and Rie Kaneko, who previously performed in separate units before reuniting after several years apart. Their distinctive artistic vision has resonated strongly with fans, particularly women, and their striking visuals and powerful live performances have seen them appear at festivals in Japan and overseas. Their solo concerts continue to grow their nationwide audience.

Introducing Chevon, Where Surrealism Meets J-pop.

Hopefully as Chevon continues to rise up the charts, fans of Japanese pop music world-wide will take notice. Their latest single has a great message and the music video is worth the watch!

Chevon Album CoverSapporo-based rising band Chevon, whose elceletic style of music, has a new track that they’re promoting as they tour Japan! They love it loud, and I first noticed them because in the music video, titled Daikoushin, featured kaiju, and has tones similiar to Blue Oyster Cult’s Godzilla!

Their latest digital single is ‘meimei’, released early this month and there’s no word about when they’ll bring their act to other countries. It’s rare for me to want to see a Japanese act, and this band has become the exception. For those in Japan, the dates listed on Shazam.com are known.

From the Press Release:

With their latest track,. ‘meimei’ means “darkness,” and Chevon’s message is that “in an era when it’s considered best to be bright, it’s also OK to be dark – and it’s the dark ones among us who truly understand the sadness of others.”

The music video expresses a uniquely Japanese aesthetic in a similar vein to the illustration artwork for the ‘Meimei’ tour, resulting in a video that embraces the chaos of Chevon’s ‘Meimei’ world.

Continue reading “Introducing Chevon, Where Surrealism Meets J-pop.”

You Heard it Right, The Last Rockstars is Japan’s Mega-Band Consisting of….

The Last Rockstars are ready to give fans worldwide a taste of what Yoshiki, Hyde, Sugizo and Miyavi can do together!

The Last RockstarsYoshiki, 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.

From the Press Release:

Continue reading “You Heard it Right, The Last Rockstars is Japan’s Mega-Band Consisting of….”

Alternative Band ego apartment’s First Album is Here!

ego apartment is now out and on the loose with their self-titled debut album and we have tour dates!

ego department

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.”

ego apartment

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

FOLLOW go apartment

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/egoapartment
Twitter: https://twitter.com/egoapartment
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5T2_wHLTDi_QZiLRQQSZuA
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/20SNDAIdUW3fjTA14UvSj4?si=ncDI1Kq9SaKoyayUF7g05Q

Getting the Most out of Life with Some Bunny Loves You – Tour Dates & Interview

jesse thomBy Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

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.”

Continue reading “Getting the Most out of Life with Some Bunny Loves You – Tour Dates & Interview”