Tokyo's Coolest Sound

Singer Agata Morio has a brand new album out now! Having released an album every year since 2011 (the previous being "Baby-lon" with Hachimitsu Pie), this time all recording and mixing was done in New York City.

Collaborators include artists such as Lary 7, Avery Brooks (Lost Children, Ravens & Chimes, Ice Choir), Yoshida Shōnen (featured on "nigerunda Yūrakuchō" and "sora o omou hi no koto") and Takashi Tsugumi (Old Monk, Eye Röller, Van Goose) among others.

Agata Morio "risō no kutsushita to fune"
あがた森魚‬ 「理想の靴下と船」

1. Orion no ude
2. nigerunda Yūrakuchō
3. Syd Barrett zōsenjo am
4. Your harappa
5. sora o omou hi no koto
6. Eric Hoffer zōsenjo pm
7. kagebōshi anettai
8. Hatsusaburō Matasaburō
9. risō no kutsushita to fune
10. Your Hit Parade 2018

Qpola Purple Hz QPHZ-016
Out now (12/26), ¥3000 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: Bandcamp, CDJapan, Amazon, HMV, Tower Records ^†
† Tower Records ships within Japan only

Trailer clip

A live radio performance of Wakita Monari has been released digitally. Musical instruments including event a drum set were stuffed into the radio studio for a sound as close as possible to what's heard in Monari's live shows. The musicians were Love Unlimited Shimadan (Healthy Dynamite Club) on guitar, Ochi Shunsuke (Shunské G & The Peas, CICADA) on bass, KAYO-CHAAAN (Healthy Dynamite Club) on keyboards, and Yamashita Satoshi (Mop of Head, Alaska Jam) on drums.

The radio show "After 6 Junction" hosted by Utamaru (Rhymester) on weekdays from 18:00 to 21:00. Another live EP from the same show was released in October, of a session featuring Hoshino Michiru (details).

Wakita Monari can be seen on stage a last time this year tonight Friday December 28 in all-night event "namida vol.14" at Chelsea Hotel in Shibuya. Hoshino Michiru, Yume to Cosme and more will also perform. Doors open at 23:55. Details here.

Wakita Monari "Live Radio Broadcast From After 6 Junction" (Download)
脇田もなり 「Live Radio Broadcast From After 6 Junction」

1. Callin' You
2. Dear
3. EST! EST!! EST!!!
4. ao no yume

Vivid Sound
Out now (12/21)
Order: OTOTOY, (Japan)

Shizuoka-based 8-piece jug band MaCWorry Hillbillies (Facebook, Twitter) has a first 7" single out now! Included are three covers: Blondie's "Heart of Glass" is taken from their 2016 self-titled album, and two more which were previously unreleased (Cheap Trick's "I Want You to Want Me" and Japanese new wave ska band Business' "uwakiwakiwaki"). The jacket was illustrated by artist Amigo Koike.

Check out the audio sampler below. The 7" can be found at the shops linked below which all ship internationally.

MaCWORRY HILLBILLIES "MaCWORRY HILLBILLIES e.p. (7")

A1. Heart Of Glass (Blondie cover)
A2. I Want You to Want Me (Cheap Trick cover)
B1. uwakiwakiwaki (Business cover)

Whistle CORNER004
Out now (11/28), ¥1500 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: Jet Set, Cornershop Records, Reggae Record

Sampler

Closely following the release of Chikada Haruo's latest solo album "chō jōdan dakara", here comes another one as a brand new unit called LUNASUN also featuring creator OMB. The result is a danceable house music album that contains elements of genres such as rock, jazz, soul, hip-hop, etc. Chikada Haruo plays his Hammond organ, and also featured are guest musicians AxSxE on guitar and Sato Kimihiko (ex-Vibrastone). The jacket was illustrated by Chikada Haruo himself.

All songs can be sampled on the label's official page.

LUNASUN "Organ Heaven"

1. The Alternative Paradise Resort
2. Memories of last week
3. Rock is GOD
4. Instant Disco
5. Space Ambition
6. Self-pictured Sensation
7. Paris Monaco
8. Spring Reverb
9. Lunatic Dancer
10. Please watch your step
11. Falling rain at harbor

Victor Entertainment VICL-65087
Out 12/19, ¥2037 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: CDJapan, YesAsia, Amazon, HMV

Singer-songwriter Sokabe Keiichi (Sunny Day Service) has just released a new solo album that's surprisingly all rap and hip-hop!

Sokabe Keiichi "Heaven"
曽我部恵一 「ヘブン」

1. small town summer wind
2. bungaku
3. Francis Bacon Egg
4. the light~yoake mae no akarusa ni tsuite
5. yakosei
6. mixed night
7. Gravity Garden
8. geshi
9. Big Yellow
10. hana no seiki

Rose Records ROSE-235
Out now (12/7), ¥2000 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: Amazon, HMV, Tower Records ^†, , Spotify
† Tower Records ships within Japan only

Band SOLEIL's 15-year-old singer Soleil is currently taking a break to study hard until March, but meanwhile here comes a new 7" of "Baby Boo" from latest album "SOLEIL is Alright". The B-side is a new cover of The Nolans' "Gotta Pull Myself Together", or more precisely its Japanese version "koi no Happy Date" as sung by Ishino Mako in 1980. The song has often been sung in their shows but had yet to be released.

SOLEIL's producer and bassist Sally Kubota will DJ part of event "Terminal Jive" on December 10 at Shibuya Zubar (with Ori Makoto (Francis), etc.), and a Shibuya-kei-themed event on December 14 at Koenji Green Apple. SOLEIL will be back on stage on March 30 at Shibuya WWW, tickets are on sale (e+).

SOLEIL "Baby Boo / Gotta Pull Myself Together" (7")
SOLEIL 「Baby Boo c/w 恋のハッピー・デート」

A. Baby Boo
B. Gotta Put Myself Together

Vivid Sound / High Contrast HCR-9680
Out 12/12, ¥1800 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: Amazon, HMV, Tower Records ^†
† Tower Records ships within Japan only

Tentenko has a new mini-album out now in which she sings songs about her favorite animal, the cat. Guest artists include Kawamoto Makoto, Kera, Kishino You-ichi, Yoshida Tetsuto, Nakahara Masaya, neco nemuru, Itoken, ayU tokiO, Carre and more.

A free in-store event will be held on Thursday December 6 at Tower Records Shibuya (4F) from 18:30. Tentenko has many events throughout December, including a Christmas event on December 24 from noon at Ebisu Batica. Check out her full schedule here.

Tentenko "All Your Need Is Cat ~ neko koso wa subete"
テンテンコ 「ALL YOU NEED IS CAT～猫こそはすべて」

1. neko no mori ni wa kaerenai (Original: Taniyama Hiroko)
2. The Siamese Cat Song (from Disney movie "Lady and the Tramp")
3. nezumi yo kore ga taiheiyō da (Original: Endō Kenji)
4. The Lovecats (Original: The Cure)
5. neko funjatta
6. Animal's Pre-Human

P-Vine PCD-18855
Out now (12/5), ¥1850 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: CDJapan, Amazon, HMV, Tower Records ^†
† Tower Records ships within Japan only

"Animal's Pre-Human"

Hime to Mahou is the unit of singer/idol Himeno Tama and DJ Mahoutsukai (aka manga artist Nishijima Daisuke), who are disbanding with the release of this first fill-length album. Most tracks were previously released as CD-R's sold exclusively from 2016 through 2017, most of which are now rare. Among the new tracks, a dub mix of "Scapegoat" and previously unreleased song "Graduation" are included.

HIME TO MAHOU "Princess & Magic"
ひめとまほう 「姫と魔法」
(Japanese title: "hime to mahō")

1. Prologue
2. Clematis
3. Last Summer
4. Princess
5. Scapegoat
6. Coffee
7. Honeycomb
8. Motherless
9. Graduation
10. Epilogue
11. Catacombe (Album ver.)
12. Scapegoat (Sex on the Beach mix) (Bonus track)
13. Hirameki School Song (Bonus track)

DJ Mahoutsukai Records DJMR-0050
Out 12/5, ¥3000 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: Amazon, HMV, Tower Records ^†
† Tower Records ships within Japan only

Sampler clip

Dr.Usui's ska-electro band (M)otocompo (read "otocompo") has a brand new EP about to be released! "Yokoshima Borderline ep" includes brand new track "Tao", and also popular song often heard in their live shows "kono yo ni tada hitori", and more. Their previous releases were "Poplot Times 2016" (a split mini-album with Kit Cat), Tower-exclusive single "The Day After" (2015) (Tower Records) and "OK SKA ep" (2014).

Out at the same time is a reissue of Motocompo's now rare album "Chiptop Lips" (first released in 2007) with 4 bonus tracks added!

A free mini-live in-store event with (M)otocompo will be held Tuesday December 4 at HMV record shop Shinjuku Alta from 20:00 (details). Also on release day December 5 there will be an event titled "oNEWnoWAVE" at Shinjuku Loft featuring (M)otocompo, Jollits (band of Saeki Kenzo) and Yeast Age (instrumental band of Azuma Hitomi) (details).

(M)otocompo "Yokoshima Borderline ep"

1. Real Manga Music no Theme
2. Tao
3. guruguru maware
4. kono yo ni tada hitori
5. Tao (instrumental)

diwAtonic DATN1
Out 12/5, ¥1389 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: CDJapan, Amazon, HMV, Tower Records ^†,
† Tower Records ships within Japan only

Motocompo "Chiptop Lips"

1. Tiptop Trip
2. Lily Lies
3. Motor Girl
4. The Higher I Fly
5. Another Century
6. Childhood Junk
7. L・A・S・T・T・R・A・I・N
8. Dream Flows
9. Chiptop Lips
10. Part-Time War
11. Boys, Boys, Boys.....
12. Love Surrender
13. Space Jam
14. Play To Play
15. Chat With Me

diwAtonic DATN2
Out 12/5, ¥2315 (excl. 10% tax)
Order: CDJapan, Amazon, HMV, Tower Records ^†
† Tower Records ships within Japan only