Economy | ANALYSIS
Households to take hit from tax hike
by Tomoko Otake
The consumption tax increase will hit every household in Japan hard, with many people’s financial future hanging on whether their wages rise enough to offset the hike's impact.
Music Sep 18, 2013
Rock God Dam's teen mastermind: Eighteen-year-old student pulls off two-day music festival for charity
by Patrick ST. Michel
With 90 minutes to go before the start of the Rock God Dam music festival, organizer Nakako Isoo is trying to find one of the headlining acts. She’s supposed to pick up Virginia band Suburban Living, but comes back to Shibuya club Vuenos alone. ...
Music Jul 3, 2013
Homecomings' harmonies help them stand out in a twee herd
by Patrick ST. Michel
All a university really needs to get its students to come out to an event is the promise of free food. However, Kyoto Seika University enlisted four students from the school’s folk-music club to entice a crowd to a welcome party in April 2012, ...
Music May 9, 2013
Bugg scores with working-class familiarities
by Shaun Curran
“I hadn’t been anywhere before last year, I’d hardly left England. And now I’m going to Japan. I never thought I’d be going to a place like that. I think it is going to blow my mind.” Jake Bugg is getting used to going ...
Music Apr 18, 2013
Extruders have a rock epiphany
by Ian Martin
“Before the gig, we were quite intimidated: a lowly rock band performing in front of a god. After, we found we could do it, and that was the turning point for us.” Going back to at least when Paul the Apostle saw the light ...
Music Mar 28, 2013
Japanese acts play music ambassadors at Canadian Music Week
by Shaun Mckenna
After rock group Jake Stone Garage hit the final chord of one of their powerful guitar-heavy songs, the crowd let out a few hoots and applauded politely. For a Western band this may have seemed a bit unreceptive, but luckily Jake Stone Garage are ...
CD Review | FOR DOWNLOAD Mar 21, 2013
Various Artists "Upwards and Onwards" (Ano(t)raks)
by Patrick ST. Michel
Fledgling online-only label Ano(t)raks takes a somewhat needless risk with their second compilation album, “Upwards and Onwards.” Founded late last year, Ano(t)raks highlighted bedroom-made indie-pop, a style defined by simple guitar playing and equally basic lyrics about love. Indie-pop has been going strong since ...
Music Mar 21, 2013
Japan's influence on Grimes grows deeper
by Jason Richards
Grimes has never been shy to acknowledge the influence of Japan on her work. The Canadian electronic pop artist, born Claire Boucher, credits a wide and various list of Japanese inspirations, including Yayoi Kusama, Geinoh Yamashirogumi, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, “Akira,” “The Legend of Zelda” ...
Music Feb 7, 2013
Hotel Mexico's pop aims at the heart
by Shawn Despres
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, ...
Music Feb 7, 2013
ZZZ's hone skills abroad and have some chance encounters
by Shawn Despres
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 ...
Music Feb 7, 2013
Dirty Beaches draws from Serbian film on new album
by Patrick ST. Michel
Alex Zhang Hungtai is constantly in motion. The Taiwanese-born artist, who performs under the name Dirty Beaches, has said in interviews the idea of “home” doesn’t mean much to him. He’s lived in Taipei, Honolulu, Shanghai and Montreal, and is an avid traveler on ...