Tokyo's Coolest Sound

It's been about 6 years since Scha Dara Parr's previous album, "11" (2009), and here comes a brand new one! This 12th album features 12 new songs including collaborations with girl rock band Chatmonchy, talent Shimizu Michiko and also longtime friends Robochu (Dassen 3) and Kaseki Cider.

The limited edition comes with a DVD (all regions, NTSC) of over 2 hours of footage from a show held in June 16, 2013 at outdoor venue Hibiya Yaon. Watch the clip below, and hear more audio samples at HMV.

On February 26 there will be a mini-live and talk event at Tower Records' Cut-Up Studio (B1F) from 19:30, for those who bought the album there (details here). Meanwhile, a free in-store talk event will also be held at Tower Records Shinjuku (7th floor) on January 28 from 21:00 (details here).

Scha Dara Parr "1212"
スチャダラパー 「1212」

1. Introduction One Two
2. Scha Dara Memo
3. Game Boys 2
4. Warp Tunnel feat. Robochu & Kaseki Cider
5. M4EVER
6. The Best
7. kanashimi turn it up
8. chuyu heibon Punch
9. A.K.A ETC
10. Off The Wall feat. Shimizu Michiko
11. koi no Penetrate
12. Boo-Wee Dance

Limited edition (CD+DVD (All regions NTSC))
SSDP Records DDCB-94003
Out 1/28, ¥3241 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: CDJapan, YesAsia, Play-Asia, Amazon (11% off *), HMV (10% off *), Tower Records ^†
* Discount at time of writing
† Tower Records ships directly within Japan only. International orders are available via WorldShopping.

Regular edition (CD only)
SSDP Records DDCB-14032
Out 1/28, ¥2315 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: CDJapan, YesAsia, Play-Asia, Amazon, HMV, Tower Records ^†, (Japan ^‡)
† Tower Records ships directly within Japan only. International orders are available via WorldShopping.
‡ How to buy from iTunes Japan?

"chūyō heibon Punch"

dip in the pool (official Facebook page), a band that has now been around for 30 years, has a brand new album out now! This is the follow-up to "brown eyes" released in 2011. Included is a cover of "Bali Ha'i" from musical South Pacific, as well as a re-take of Portmanteau's "toast to my shadows" (a side-project of member Kimura Tatsuji), and "a king unseen" which is a collaboration with Canadian musician Michael Silver (CFCF).

Watch the clip below, and hear more audio samples at CDJapan.

A recent episode of streaming program Music Share featuring the band can be watched here.

dip in the pool "HIGHWIRE WALKER"

1. Bali Ha'i
2. a boat sublime
3. Northern Lights
4. toast to my shadows
5. the house of change
6. Air-fish
7. Woman
8. a king unseen

Bellwood Records BZCS-1116
Out now (1/21), ¥1852 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: CDJapan, YesAsia, Amazon, HMV, Tower Records ^†, , Spotify, YouTube Music, OTOTOY
† Tower Records ships directly within Japan only. International orders are available via WorldShopping.

"Bali Ha'i"

Negicco have a brand new album just out this week! This includes songs written by Tajima Takao (Original Love), Yoshida Tetsuto, Yano Hiroyasu (ex-Cymbals), Nishidera Gōta (Nona Reeves), Miura Kōshi (Kuchiroro), and of course Negicco's main producer Connie. Also there are songs arranged by Kitagawa Katsutoshi (Round Table), Skirt, Orland, Shiggy Jr. and more.

There will be a live event this Saturday January 24 at Liquidroom in Ebisu, with Negicco and also Shiggy Jr., Skirt and Orland. The next day is a one-man live at the same place, though that one is already sold out. For those who can make it, there's an in-store on Friday Jan. 23 at Tower Records Shinjuku from noon.

Negicco "Rice&Snow"

1. Triple! WONDERLAND
2. tokimeki ni Headliner
3. 1000% no kataomoi feat. Tomoko Ikeda (Shiggy Jr.)
4. Cream Soda Love
5. Sunshine Nihonkai
6. hadashi no Rainbow
7. futari no yūgi
8. Pajama Party Night
9. BLUE, GREEN, RED AND GONE
10. Space Nekojaracy
11. jiyū ni
12. hikari no Spur
13. arigatō no Present

T-Palette Records TPRC-0121
Out 1/20, ¥2800 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: CDJapan, Amazon, HMV, Tower Records ^†, , Spotify, YouTube Music
† Tower Records ships directly within Japan only. International orders are available via WorldShopping.

Digest clip

"hikari no Spur"

"Sunshine Nihonkai"

More clips after the jump...

This is an album of covers of Japanese songs from the 60's to the early 70's, here sung with translated English lyrics! Both the originals and the covers were performed by Japanese women, completing the theme of this compilation. Vocalists include Nomiya Maki, Toki Asako, Chara and more. All music is arranged by guitarist and producer Toriyama Yūji, and this is the first release on his new label Super Paw.

Hear audio samples of all songs at CDJapan, or on the release official site.

Various Artists "Women's Liberation"

1. Overture -Melody For A New Dawn- (Original: "yoake no Scat" by Yuki Saori (1969)) / Mika Beyond Jazz
2. Love Vacances (Original: "koi no Vacance" by The Peanuts (1963)) / Toki Asako & Mika Beyond Jazz
3. The Music Played (Original: "wakare no asa" by Pedro & Capricious (1971)) / Keiko Lee
4. The Lord's Love (Original: "anata" by Kosaka Akiko (1973)) / Chara
5. Blue Light Yokohama (Original by Ishida Ayumi (1968)) / Nomiya Maki
6. One Summer It Happened (Original: "manatsu no dekigoto" by Hirayama Miki (1971)) / Fried Pride
7. Melody For A New Dawn (Original: "yoake no Scat" by Yuki Saori (1969)) / Mika Beyond Jazz
8. Four Wishes (Original: "yottsu no onegai" by Mayuzumi Jun (1968)) / Toki Asako
9. The Night Flight (Original: "yakan hikō" by Chiaki Naomi (1973)) / Mika Beyond Jazz
10. Love And The Wind (Original: "Ken to Mary ~ai to kaze no yō ni~" by Buzz (1972)) / Keiko Lee
11. Letter (Original: "tegami" by Yuki Saori (1970)) / Mika Beyond Jazz
12. One Sided Love (Original: "kataomoi" by Nakao Mie (1971)) / Chara
13. A Doll's House (Original: "ningyō no ie" by Hirota Mieko (1969)) / Nomiya Maki

Super Paw / Hats HUCD-10174
Out now (1/7), ¥3000 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: CDJapan, Amazon, HMV, Tower Records ^†, (Japan ^‡)
† Tower Records ships directly within Japan only. International orders are available via WorldShopping.
‡ How to buy from iTunes Japan?

Sugar's Campaign, the unit of producers Avec Avec (aka Takuma Hosokawa) and Seiho (aka Seiho Hayakawa), finally has a full-length album coming! This includes latest single "Holiday" as well as an album version of previous hit track "Netokano". A must!

The limited edition includes a 65-page comic book (176mm x 112mm).

A release party will be held at Daikanyama Unit on March 19, and another the next day in Osaka. Free in-store events will also be held at Tower Records Shinjuku on February 7 from 18:00 (details) and at Tower Records Shibuya on February 8 from 18:00 (details).

Sugar's Campaign "Friends"

1. Holiday
2. Netokano
3. It's Too Late
4. tonari Town
5. Memory Melody
6. Big Wave
7. yume michaina Girl
8. Kaleidoscope
9. Shopping Center
10. yūmei na eiga no yō ni Lovely na koi ga shitai
11. Hong Kong seikatsu
12. Parabola shabon Line

Limited edition (CD+original comic)
Speedstar Records VIZL-767
Out 1/21, ¥3400 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: CDJapan, YesAsia, Amazon, HMV, Tower Records ^†
† Tower Records ships directly within Japan only. International orders are available via WorldShopping.

Regular edition (CD only)
Speedstar Records VICL-64276
Out 1/21, ¥2500 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: CDJapan, YesAsia, Amazon, HMV, Tower Records ^†, (Japan ^‡), Spotify
† Tower Records ships directly within Japan only. International orders are available via WorldShopping.
‡ How to buy from iTunes Japan?

"Holiday"

"Netokano"

Let's start 2015 with this compilation of Crazy Ken Band's grooviest jazzy tracks, as compiled by Sunaga Tatsuo (Sunaga t Experience). This takes part of his long-going "yoru jazz" (Jazz Allnighters) series which started almost 10 years ago. Released on the first day of the year!

Crazy Ken Band "Crazy Ken Band no iyoru Jazz Compiled by Tatsuo Sunaga"
クレイジーケンバンド 「クレイジーケンバンドのィ夜ジャズ　Compiled by Tatsuo Sunaga」

1. kuroi Auto-bai
2. namida no Italian Twist
3. Shantung
4. Girlfriend
5. Shift Change
6. onna no Grand Prix
7. yoru no Vibrato
8. Rodriguez kyōdai
9. Fukutomi-chō Boogaloo
10. TIKI TIKI TROPICAL KINGDOM
11. honmoku wa gozen reiji
12. chi no iro no Spider
13. mankan zenseki ichirō
14. chūkagai daisakusen
15. Playboy kakumei
16. yama no oto -sō da, Kyoto ni ikō. REMIX-
17. Koro
18. BIBIMBOP
19. Eye catch / anata to watashi no CKB
20. Red Light Yokohama
21. a, yarutokya yaranakya damme na no yo. ~Sunaga t Experience's du bop remix~

DoubleJoy International UMCK-1504
Out now (1/1), ¥2800 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: CDJapan, Amazon, HMV, Tower Records ^†
† Tower Records ships directly within Japan only. International orders are available via WorldShopping.