Continuing our highlights from DAY 1 of FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL 2013…

Making the rounds in the alternative rock scene since 1997, YELLOWCARD is a band that holds a special place in the hearts of many of the genre’s fans. The group played a comprehensive and charged show on Fuji Rock Festival’s white stage, a show chock full of classics as well as tunes from their latest album, with their most popular tracks “Ocean Avenue,” “Way Away” and “Only One” evoking a seriously noisy response from the audience – it was one of the few sets at Fuji Rock festival that saw crowd surfers floating their way to the front of the stage. Continue reading FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL 2013 DAY 1 – YELLOWCARD →

The first of our highlights from DAY 1 of the legendary FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL 2013 which took place in Yuzawa, Niigata, Japan.

Often described as an electronic duo, Korea’s PEPPERTONES regaled their loyal fans with poppy goodness at day 1 of Fuji Rock Festival this year. Members Noshel and Sayo performed as a five-piece band on the Friday, playing a set rendering them more suitably categorised as indie pop. Continue reading FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL 2013 DAY 1 – PEPPERTONES →

July in Japan each year sees thousands of avid music-goers making the pilgrimage to the mountains of Yuzawa, Niigata, in the country’s centre, to take part in its biggest outdoor music event, FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL. This year, from Friday 26 to Sunday 28 July, a total of 226 artists are set to bestow their talents upon fans at the 3-day extravaganza, which boasts the likes of BJÖRK, NIN and THE CURE as headliners. 2013 will be Bjork’s third time playing Fuji Rock, her first time being only the second year of the event in 1998 and first successful execution of the burgeoning festival. Continue reading FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL 2013 preview →

ECHOBELLY are known for their 90s britpop heyday, as a 5-piece band with plenty of sharp edges in their relatively guitar-heavy sound. But tonight at Surya, 9 years on from the band’s last offering “Gravity Pulls” (not counting their “best of” compilation), a wholly different musical fare is taking place.

Iconic vocalist Sonya Madan (looking fabulous) and guitarist Glenn Johansson are performing tonight under the name Echobelly as an acoustic duo Continue reading ECHOBELLY back on tour, acoustic style →

Some of our photos from our studio shoot with Manchester band THE RAINBAND.

Our photographer SINEAD MARIE PHOTOGRAPHY took the helm and now the band have a lot of edgy and iconic visual footage to promote the band at Glastonbury, among other events, on route to their debut album release. Continue reading THE RAINBAND studio photo shoot →

We met with Manchester band THE RAINBAND in Castlefield, Manchester and spent the evening shooting them in various locations. Thankfully and unusually the weather was on our side!

Our photographer SINEAD MARIE PHOTOGRAPHY took the helm and now the band have a lot of edgy and iconic visual footage to promote the band at Glastonbury, among other events, on route to their debut album release. Continue reading THE RAINBAND Photo Shoot in Castlefield, Manchester →

Since 2006, THE VIEW have been one of the most formative names in the indie genre. Now after 7 years, spanning 4 albums and numerous awards and appraisals from critics, they’re launching “Seven Year Setlist” – a compilation album that also features their new single “Standard” – all set for release on 17 June.

The intimate setting of London’s Borderline certainly creates a feeling of anticipation as it starts to fill up with fans ranging from all ages and all backgrounds (with quite a few Scots, mind!). Continue reading THE VIEW smash back with “Seven Year Setlist” →

At Day 2 of HOSTESS CLUB WEEKENDER in Tokyo on Sunday, the headliner is Scottish alt-rock legends TRAVIS, a band which seemingly vanished in recent years. The group has certainly been quiet since their last album release in 2008, “Ode to J. Smith,” perhaps due to leading man Fran Healy’s work on his solo project, releasing an album on his own in 2010 entitled “Wreckorder.” The band is indeed back however, and in April this year released a teaser track “Where You Stand” from their new album of the same name, set to be released on 19 August. Continue reading TOKYO HOSTESS CLUB WEEKENDER DAY 2 – TRAVIS →

UK five-piece EDITORS are the fourth act to play HOSTESS CLUB WEEKENDER on Sunday. Compared to the relative sparsity of the crowd for previous act Wavves, the turnout for this band is astounding – no space even at the very back of the hall where the night before it had been possible to sit down. Continue reading TOKYO HOSTESS CLUB WEEKENDER DAY 2 – EDITORS →

The third act of the day at HOSTESS CLUB WEEKENDER is California’s surf pop kings WAVVES, who open their set with the lively summer track “Idiot.” Despite having quite a solid following, the crowd is at its smallest for their performance, only sparsely populating the expansive Yebisu Garden Hall. There are a few diehard fans at the front of the crowd going all in for each song, but other than that it is a light head-nodding affair for most. Continue reading TOKYO HOSTESS CLUB WEEKENDER DAY 2 – WAVVES →

Up next at Tokyo’s HOSTESS CLUB WEEKENDER are three-piece power rockers LITTLE BARRIE from London, shaking the audience back into consciousness with a banging performance of “Surf Hell.” It almost seems like the volume has been turned up from the previous act, and the three musicians are obviously having the time of their life on stage, with massive grins on their faces. Continue reading TOKYO HOSTESS CLUB WEEKENDER DAY 2 – LITTLE BARRIE →

Day 2 of HOSTESS CLUB WEEKENDER in Tokyo holds a very different atmosphere to that of Day 1: it’s sold out and it shows, with the expansive hall packed solid to the doors and the crowd charged from the get go, ready for opening act BRITISH SEA POWER. Continue reading TOKYO HOSTESS CLUB WEEKENDER DAY 2 – BRITISH SEA POWER →

The headliner for Saturday’s edition of HOSTESS CLUB WEEKENDER is ethereal Icelandic enigma MÚM.

Once the Garden Hall lights are dimmed, band members filter onto the stage one by one, picking up their respective instruments and contributing to the epic buildup of their intro track “The Land Between Solar Systems,” the entirety for which the drummer plays standing. Continue reading TOKYO HOSTESS CLUB WEEKENDER DAY 1 – MÚM →

A stark contrast from the previous three acts at HOSTESS CLUB WEEKENDER comes fourth act TEAM ME, a six-piece from Norway who absolutely burst with youthful exuberance and joy on stage. Team Me are no strangers to Tokyo, having toured here just over a year ago and enjoying a sold out concert at the 900-capacity Liquid Room, a real testament to the popularity of this band. Continue reading TOKYO HOSTESS CLUB WEEKENDER DAY 1 – TEAM ME →

Third on the lineup for HOSTESS CLUB WEEKENDER in Tokyo on the Saturday are London-based alt-rock stars THESE NEW PURITANS. The band’s live lineup features members Jack Barnett on lead guitar and vocals, his twin brother George on digital drums and loops and Thomas Hein on drums, plus live guest performers on trumpet, french horn and keys. In the absence of long-time member Sophie Sleigh-Johnson, the group now performs with fado singer Elisa Rodrigues, however for their Tokyo performance they mixed it up by instead inviting pop sensation Salyu to cover. Continue reading TOKYO HOSTESS CLUB WEEKENDER DAY 1 – THESE NEW PURITANS →