Concert Previews

The end of the year is approaching, which means — if you're not stuck in the house watching popular music show "Kohaku Uta Gassen" with Grandma — it's time to party hard. For those who like beats, there are tons of dance-music events across ...

Two up-and-coming electronic musicians, Matthewdavid and Anenon, are in Japan to support the local branch of Los Angeles-based, nonprofit Internet radio station Dublab and they'll tour five cities with some of this country's next big dance acts. Having released the album "Outmind" via the Brainfeeder ...

Turning 80 this year hasn't interrupted Isao Tomita in his search for new musical possibilities. Known to many as the father of Japanese electronic music, the artist is about to turn his latest dream into a (virtual) reality, by collaborating with computer-generated diva Hatsune ...

If you're looking for a midweek party to tide you over until the weekend, a pair of Scissor Sisters gigs might be just what you're looking for. A decade into their career, Scissor Sisters have shown themselves to be an enduring, refreshing and interesting pop ...

What do you get when you mix prehistoric Jomon Period ruins and free-spirited, improvised percussion and rhythm? Jomon Trance, that's what. A genre coined by global music group RaBiRaBi, it's a sound that "blends the ancient and the future to create a new ceremonial ...

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 Yellow ...

Emerging in March of this year promising to "challenge the limits of 'independent,' " Kiwa Kiwa — a music website and promoter (and cafe, curiously) — launched in a flurry of activity including disc and live reviews as well as columns from a quartet ...

Talk all you like about Cool Japan — the Nordic countries have been exporting their sound for years, and it's positively freezing. From the sweetly kitsch pop sound of The Cardigans to the otherworldly soundscapes of Sigur Ros to the black metal of Bathory, ...

Tokyo-based duo group_inou are one of those acts that seems like a perfect fit for the Fuji Rock Festival, which is held annually in Naeba, Niigata Prefecture. This summer will mark the band's third time at the event. The act first showcased its hip-hop/electronica hybrid ...

When Barack Obama campaigned for the presidency of the United States in 2008, the topic of race often came up in discussions about him. Obama was born to a black father and a white mother, and questions such as "Is America ready for a ...

Since its 2006 formation, Tokyo two-piece Moja has strived to make its mark globally by showcasing a bass-and-drums-driven brand of rock 'n' roll at music festivals and club gigs in the United States, Canada, England, Italy and Hong Kong. The band's 2009 eponymous debut ...