This month marks the 20th anniversary of Tokyo rock ‘n’ roll act Zoobombs. It also marks their demise as the group has announced they will part ways at the end of September. Things went well for Zoobombs and their brand of jam-laden garage rock ...

From the beginning, rock act Muddy Apes set a lofty goal for themselves. “Before we even named our band, we decided we wanted to play at Fuji Rock,” says bassist Taka Hirose. “It was our aim from the very start.” Other groups have formed ...

Regardless of whether you are a bigger-name draw or a smaller, emerging band, planning — and more importantly financing — international gigs is no easy task. But since last year, things have gotten a bit easier for Korean acts touring abroad. In March 2012, ...

It’s tough to figure out where to take your band when you get some buzz in the media right out the gate. After getting noticed for its fuzzed-out pop jams from highly regarded online music outlets such as Pitchfork, Noisey and Gorilla vs. Bear, ...

The highlight of 2012 for experimental postpunk trio ZZZ’s was meeting Sonic Youth guitarist Thurston Moore in Miami. It turns out the feeling was mutual. American record label Matador Records posted their artists’ and employees’ favorite things from the past 12 months online recently ...

Since making their major label debut in 2005, Chatmonchy has established itself as one of the country’s most popular female rock bands. As a trio, they released several chart-topping discs and sold out gigs at the iconic Nippon Budokan. In 2010, the band played ...

In September, Fact will embark on a monthlong Japan trek in support of their fourth full-length effort, January’s “Burundanga.” The gigs will be the Chiba posthardcore act’s first domestic concerts since performing last December at the popular annual Countdown Japan yearend music festival. They ...

As K-pop continues its rise in stature, South Korea’s small but prolific indie scenes are beginning to gain some recognition abroad as well. K-punk, which mixes American-style punk sounds with soju-fueled attitude and shenigans, looks to get an extra boost with Crying Nut and ...

It may be tough to tell from both acts’ music and sense of style, but without the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Saitama funk sextet Mountain Mocha Kilimanjaro would be a very different band. Although it sounds nothing like the alt-rock heavyweights, Mountain Mocha Kilimanjaro ...

Nagoya five-piece instrumental rock band Mudy on the Sakuban’s “Zyacalanda” EP is their fifth release in as many years. The eight-track effort was produced by Yoshimitsu Taki, the guitarist for local emo/post-hardcore act 9mm Parabellum Bullet. Impressed with Mudy on the Sakuban’s output on ...

Uhnellys’ Naoki Kaneko (who goes by the stage name “Kim”) says journalists often ask him the same question in interviews: “Do you ever plan on adding more members?” “I’ve got a set answer I use now,” laughs Kim. “I say that if we decide ...

Although their 2009 “Nightfriend of Zoobombs” album featured a dozen of Zoobombs’ “greatest hits” completely rearranged and rerecorded, “The Sweet Passion” is the quartet’s first proper studio full-length since 2006′s “B*B*B.” The Tokyo rock stalwarts recorded “The Sweet Passion” in Oakland, California, with producer ...