Record Day 2023
Record Day is being held this year again, on November 3, coinciding with public holiday Culture Day. Below are some picks that are not to be missed from the November 3 crates, but there's also much more to be found...
Posted on November 3, 2023 at 11:43. | Released on November 3, 2023
City Pop on Vinyl 2023
City Pop on Vinyl is being held for the 4th time, on August 5, 2023. There are many exciting releases this time again, and below are some recommendations to Tokyo's Coolest Sound's readers. There's also a lot more to find...
Posted on August 5, 2023 at 23:05. | Released on August 5, 2023
Aya Nakano with Bremen "Second"
Aya Nakano with Bremen have just released a 2nd album, titled "Second" (or in Japanese "nimaime"). Along with many original songs are included covers of "mayonaka no Door ~stay wiith me~" (cover of Miki Matsubara) and "osōji obachan" (cover of...
Posted on April 25, 2023 at 20:32. | Released on April 19, 2023
Record Store Day 2023
Record Store Day will be held worldwide on Saturday April 22! Below is a list of recommended releases coming from Japan. The full list of Record Store Day Japan can be found here. As always, there are no online pre-orders,...
Posted on April 15, 2023 at 23:40. | Released on April 22, 2023
Record Day 2022 Day 2
It's still time to check out Record Day held a month ago on December 3, which had many great releases and therefore took me some time to write it up. It was the 2nd of two days, following November 3....
Posted on January 3, 2023 at 20:16. | Released on December 3, 2022
Aya Nakano y Central "La Vida"
Once again, singer Nakano Aya has teamed up with latin sound band Central, this time as Aya Nakano y Central, for a brand new album titled "La Vida"! Along with a bunch of originals is included a cover of Yuming's...
Posted on January 29, 2021 at 21:27. | Released on January 27, 2021
Posted on October 11, 2020 at 00:38. | Event held on Sunday October 11, 2020 at 15:30 (JST)
Nakano Aya "10th Anniversary Black Box" (5x7")
Singer Nakano Aya has a boxed set of five 7"'s being released on June 10, in celebration of the 10th anniversary of her career! Four of the discs were selected different DJs and one by herself. Those selectors are Sunaga...
Posted on May 31, 2020 at 22:33. | Released on June 10, 2020
Nakano Aya to Central "Reverse"
Singer Nakano Aya teams up with 9-piece street style latin sound band Central for this collaboration album. Included is brand new original song "Tropical Dandy" written by Yokoyama Ken (Crazy Ken Band), "rakuen no Moon Bar" written by Sugi Masamichi,...
Posted on July 8, 2019 at 23:21. | Released on July 3, 2019
Nakano Aya "Double Game"
Nakano Aya has a new album coming this month! The album has imaginary "sides", the "Butterfly Side" (tracks 1 to 6) which has a jazzy big band style, and the "Glamour Side" (tracks 7 to 12) which is more rhythm...
Posted on June 13, 2018 at 23:42. | Released on June 20, 2018
Scooters "The Scooters Comes Alive! (The Basement Tape)" (Cassette+CD+T-shirt)
The Scooters are releasing a first live album, recorded at Shimokitazawa Basement Bar on November 1st, 2017. The show also featured guest vocalist (and labelmate) Nakano Aya. This limited release comes as a cassette tape with a CD of the...
Posted on February 15, 2018 at 22:57. | Released on March 7, 2018
Nakano Aya "girigiri no kankei" (7"+CD)
Singer Nakano Aya's latest single was released on 7"+CD! Both are new songs, with a danceable 16-beat soul A-side, and a track with an old soul sound for B-side. The CD includes bonus instrumentals. On January 9 will be held...
Posted on December 30, 2017 at 22:08. | Released on October 25, 2017
STE "koyoi mo, sakaba ni te." (7"+CD)
This is a single produced by Sunaga Tatsuo (Sunaga t Experience), commissioned by Tochigi Doughnuts, an association that promotes restaurants, bars and shops of Utsunomiya city in Tochigi prefecture, and also 7" records. The song is a kayō-ska hymn...
Posted on June 30, 2017 at 23:33. | Released on July 5, 2017
Nakano Aya "Asami no Blues" (7"+CD)
Singer Nakano Aya has a new single out this week! Produced by Mutō Shōhei (drummer, vocalist and leader of jazz band Katteni-Shiyagare), the music is also performed by Kathmandu, a unit formed mainly of his band's members. The title song...
Posted on June 5, 2017 at 21:06. | Released on June 7, 2017
Various Artists "manatsu no Innocence ~ Urino Masao Works Covers"
This is a cover album of songs by lyricist Urino Masao whose career amounts to 35 years. These are all new arrangements of some of his most known works, here sung by many vocalists such as hitomitoi, Mizuno Mari (paris...
Posted on February 24, 2017 at 00:04. | Released on February 22, 2017
Nakano Aya "Mambo Alc.0.00% feat. Tokyo Panorama Mambo Boys" (CD+7")
Nakano Aya's new single is a song featuring Tokyo Panorama Mambo Boys! The song was written by Comoesta Yaegashi and Fukuhara Mari with lyrics by Paradise Yamamoto. The B-side is a cover of Etta James' "Seven Day Fool", and features...
Posted on December 10, 2016 at 16:51. | Released on December 14, 2016
Nakano Aya "Emerald In Paradise"
Here's a new album by Kyoto-born singer Nakano Aya, produced by Hase Hajimu as usual. Included are 8 original songs and 2 covers, one of which features salsa band Central. Two 7" singles (incl. CD) were released in advance: "Episode...
Posted on June 20, 2016 at 22:57. | Released on June 15, 2016
Nakano Aya "warui kuse"
Singer Nakano Aya has a new album out now, again produced by DJ Hase Hajimu. This includes a duet with Yokoyama Ken (Crazy Ken Band) ("wakarete mo suki na hito"), and collaborations with Kawakami Tsuyoshi & His Moodmakers ("Whiskey ga,...
Posted on September 4, 2014 at 22:18. | Released on September 3, 2014
Nakano Aya "heta na uso"
Here's a 2nd album by hostess and singer Nakano Aya. Like her previous album "zurui hito", this is produced by DJ Hase Hajimu and consists of various covers in jazz and latin styles. A 7" can also be found at...
Posted on August 4, 2013 at 21:50. | Released on July 24, 2013
Nakano Aya "zurui hito"
Trying to move on to 2011 but here's something I had failed noticing from last year. 25-year-old hostess Nakano Aya has a debut album released at the end of November that was produced by Hase Hajimu, consisting of various covers...
Posted on January 3, 2011 at 21:30. | Released on November 24, 2010
Full-text search results for NAKANO Aya
Crazy Ken Band "Jyuei"
Crazy Ken Band has just released this month a brand new album, their 22nd it seems! This follows cover album "I Like It" (2021) and previous original album "Now" (2020). Check out the music videos and sampler clip at the...
Posted on August 16, 2022 at 00:31. | Released on August 3, 2022
Tokyo's Coolest Sound radio show on La Face B: "Tokyo's Coolest Sound" vol.15
This is Tokyo's Coolest Sound's own radio show, which is featured on La Face B (Facebook page), an Internet radio based in Montréal (Québec, Canada). It brings you some favorite songs and artists that you've read about in these...
Posted on March 25, 2021 at 00:36.
Posted on August 7, 2020 at 18:54. | Event held on Sunday August 9, 2020 at 16:00 (JST)
Tokyo's Coolest Sound radio show on La Face B: "Tokyo's Coolest Sound" vol.5
This is Tokyo's Coolest Sound's own radio show, which is featured on La Face B (Facebook page), an Internet radio based in Montréal (Québec, Canada), it brings you some favorite songs and artists that you've read about in these...
Posted on May 28, 2020 at 01:10.
Tokyo's Coolest Sound radio show on La Face B: "Tokyo's Coolest Sound" vol.3
This is Tokyo's Coolest Sound's own radio show, which is featured on La Face B (Facebook page), an Internet radio based in Montréal (Québec, Canada), it brings you some favorite songs and artists that you've read about in these...
Posted on March 26, 2020 at 08:00.
Konishi Yasuharu & Playboys "Inoue Jun no Playboy kouza 12 shou"
This is Konishi Yasuharu's latest project! A modern take on 1969-released album "Enraku no Playboy kōza 12 shō", a 12-chapter narrative course for becoming a playboy with perfect lounge music BGM (then performed by pianist Maeda Norio & His Playboys),...
Posted on November 14, 2019 at 23:37. | Released on November 20, 2019
Gig report: Adieu, Vanilla Beans!: Retrospective & last gig reports
Text and photos by Patrick Benny for Tokyo's Coolest Sound They came carried by winds from Northern Europe, where they returned to last October 7 (2018). So goes the setting of Vanilla Beans, a unique idol group that had debuted...
Posted on December 31, 2018 at 22:03.
Urbangarde "Shoujo Fiction"
Trauma techno-pop band Urbangarde has a brand new album being released this week, underlining their 10th anniversary since album "shōjo wa nido shinu" (2008)! The deluxe edition comes with a 24-page booklet and DVD of 4 music videos. HMV gives...
Posted on April 2, 2018 at 23:24. | Released on April 4, 2018
Various Artists "Toy Chara Pop Collection Vol.1~3 Selected by DJ Fukutake"
DJ Fukutake, who selected the great "Yava-kayō" mix CD series, is back with this trio of compilations under a "Toy Character Pop" theme! Respectively subtitled "Hero & Hit", "Fancy & Kawaii" and "Video Game", each compilation is filled with Shōwa-era...
Posted on April 1, 2017 at 22:26. | Released on March 22, 2017
Record Day 2016
Record Day (not the same as "Record Store Day") has been set to coincide with Japan's "Culture Day" public holiday on November 3 since 1957. Since last year, Japan's only record press Tōyō Kasei takes the lead inviting Japanese artists...
Posted on November 6, 2016 at 23:02. | Released on November 3, 2016
Taketatsu Ayana "Lyrical Concerto"
Voice actress/singer Taketatsu Ayana has a 3rd album about to be released. It features an outstanding list of composers/producers including Takeshi Yokemura (YMCK), Hayashibe Tomonori (Plus-tech Squeeze Box), Mito (clammbon), Okii Reiji (Tweedees, ex-Cymbals) and Nakatsuka Takeshi among others. The...
Posted on November 1, 2016 at 00:29. | Released on November 2, 2016
Taketatsu Ayana "Colore Serenata"
Voice actress Taketatsu Ayana has a new album out now, with some tracks written and arranged by Yoshida Tetsuto ("Colore Solfege" and "Marshmallow") and Oki Reiji (ex-Cymbals) ("Princess no dassō keikaku" and "Surf de Go Go Go"), and also a...
Posted on November 24, 2014 at 11:16. | Released on November 19, 2014
Gig report: Vanilla Beans band live with Kaji Hideki
Text and photos by Patrick Benny for Tokyo's Coolest Sound Until recently, Vanilla Beans had always performed their shows "idol style", singing karaoke over a backtrack of the music. Last year marked their 5th anniversary, and then came 3rd album...
Posted on May 3, 2013 at 20:01.
Moonriders "Ciao!"
Veteran new wave band Moonriders has been around 35 years, but they have now announced that they will be going to retire indefinitely at the end of the year. They do have a last, 21st original album coming, appropriately titled...
Posted on December 11, 2011 at 01:23. | Released on December 14, 2011
