Various Artists "16 Songs of Hirobumi Suzuki"
moonriders' bassist Hirobumi Suzuki celebrated last month his 70th birthday (on May 19). This tribute album consisting of covers of his various works (solo and with moonriders) was planned by Narisu Records and ayU tokiO, and kept a complete secret...
Posted on June 25, 2024 at 22:08. | Released on June 25, 2024
Portable Rock "Past & Future ~ My Favorite Portable Rock"
Portable Rock, the new wave band fronted by Maki Nomiya since the 80s together with Tomofumi "Chibun" Suzuki and Nobuo Nakahara, has just released an album of favorite songs, all newly remastered. Also included are brand new songs "Lonely Girl,...
Posted on May 26, 2022 at 21:18. | Released on May 25, 2022
Portable Rock "Lonely Girl, Dreaming Girl" (Download)
Portable Rock, the new wave band fronted by Maki Nomiya since the 80s together with Tomofumi "Chibun" Suzuki and Nobuo Nakahara, is coming back this year! An album titled "PAST & FUTURE ~ My Favorite Portable Rock" consisting of...
Posted on May 11, 2022 at 21:47. | Released on May 11, 2022
Maki Nomiya "New Beautiful"
Maki Nomiya (ex-Pizzicato Five) has been celebrating the 40th anniversary since her debut (with album "Pink no kokoro" released in 1981), and here comes a brand new album to mark the milestone. "New Beautiful" comes as a combination of three...
Posted on March 26, 2022 at 11:51. | Released on April 20, 2022
Portable Rock "Beginnings" (12")
Portable Rock's early works album "Beginnings", first released on CD only in 1990, is being released on vinyl for the first time! Portable Rock was a band in the late 80's formed of Nomiya Maki (who later joined Pizzicato Five),...
Posted on January 4, 2020 at 23:45. | Released on February 5, 2020
Gig report: Nosa Reina release party w/ Portable Rock, Nomiya Maki, Takanami K-taro
Text by Patrick Benny for Tokyo's Coolest Sound On November 30, I went to the release party for Nosa Reina's first album "don't kiss, but yes". Producer Takanami K-taro was on stage too part of the band, more on that...
Posted on December 11, 2012 at 00:19.
Nosa Reina "don't kiss, but yes"
"Pizzicato Five 2012 edition!?", "Post-Nomiya Maki?" dare official blurbs say! Nosa Reina is a new singer whose debut album is being produced by Takanami K-tarō (ex-Pizzicato Five), who has also hired the two musicians from Portable Rock for the back...
Posted on September 29, 2012 at 23:58. | Released on October 10, 2012
Gig report: Portable Rock
Text by Patrick Benny for Tokyo's Coolest Sound On Saturday June 2, I went to see Portable Rock at small venue Club Crawl in Shibuya. It was the first of two "one-man" shows (no opening band) the band played. This...
Posted on June 3, 2012 at 21:57.
Gig report: Nomiya Maki's 30th anniversary concert
Text by Patrick Benny for Tokyo's Coolest Sound. Photos by Kasuga Miwa. On Monday March 19, I went to Nomiya Maki's 30th anniversary concert held at O-East, coincidentally (?) almost the same place where was held Pizzicato Five's last concert...
Posted on March 23, 2012 at 22:31.
Portable Rock "Lost & Found"
Portable Rock, the 80's band fronted by Nomiya Maki, has a new CD coming! This contains 2 songs that had remained unreleased back in the day, one of which surfaced on Maki's 30th anniversary album "30". Both songs have lyrics...
Posted on March 4, 2012 at 18:39. | Released on March 14, 2012
Various Artists "Hatsune Miku sings New Wave"
Out this week is this new Hatsune Miku compilation of new wave covers sung by the virtual idol. Included are songs originally by Plastics, Nomiya Maki, Portable Rock, Juicy Fruits, Hikashu, P-Model, Halmens, Cosmic Invention and more. The compilation is...
Posted on October 25, 2011 at 00:24. | Released on October 26, 2011
Portable Rock "Beginnings + 5"
Portable Rock was an 80's techno-pop band featuring Nomiya Maki (later of Pizzicato Five) with Suzuki Tomofumi (guitar) and Nakahara Nobuo (bass). First released in 1990, "Beginnings" is a collection of early recordings, now being reissued with 5 rare bonus...
Posted on October 19, 2011 at 23:46. | Released on October 26, 2011
Full-text search results for Portable Rock
Amaiwana "New Shibuya", "New Wave"
Singer-songwriter Amaiwana has released this month two 4-song EPs. Titled "New Shibuya" and "New Wave", they take inspiration from Shibuya-kei, new wave and techno-pop. "New Shibuya" includes the song "Cover Girl" which features Maki Nomiya (Portable Rock, ex-Pizzicato Five). Check...
Posted on October 29, 2024 at 00:30. | Released on October 2, 2024
Maki Nomiya "Sweet Soul Revue (duet with Rainych, feat. evening cinema)" (Download)
Here's the 3rd of three "World Tour Mix" tracks in which Maki Nomiya collaborated with artists from abroad. This time she invited Indonesia's Rainych to sing along on "Sweet Soul Revue"! The music was arranged and performed by Japanese...
Posted on March 2, 2022 at 21:33. | Released on March 2, 2022
Interview: BJ Rubin
Interview of BJ Rubin by Patrick Benny (Tokyo's Coolest Sound) BJ Rubin is the New Yorker who is behind the eclectic TV show titled "The BJ Rubin Show" that's currently being aired on the Manhattan Neighborhood Network (MNN). The show...
Posted on February 27, 2021 at 22:00.
Yapoos "Suspicious behavior of Yapoos the 1st year of Reiwa era"
Yapoos, the band of Togawa Jun, is active again after some 13 years and just released a new album. Included are 6 songs performed at a live recording last August 17 at Shibuya Club Quattro, with a line-up featuring also...
Posted on December 29, 2019 at 22:09. | Released on December 11, 2019
Pizzicato Five "The Band of 20th Century: Nippon Columbia Years 1991-2001"
Pizzicatomania all over the world! Check this out! This is a compilation of the best from Pizzicato Five's Nippon Columbia years (Triad/Readymade), which featured vocalist Nomiya Maki. The whole was supervised and selected by Konishi Yasuharu himself, with art direction...
Posted on August 2, 2019 at 23:40. | Released on November 3, 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.
Gig report: "Shibuya no Radio no Shibuya-kei Festival"
Text by Patrick Benny for Tokyo's Coolest Sound On Saturday October 21, 2017 was held a very special music event for Shibuya-kei music fans. Shibuya ward organizes annually a music festival called "Shibuya ongakusai" (or "Shibu-on", official site) and for...
Posted on October 28, 2017 at 11:43.
nananon "Nana Nana Non Non" (7")
Model duo nananon's first single, produced by Konishi Yasuharu, has been released on 7"! This includes a cover of Pizzicato Five's "Baby Portable Rock" with special lyrics. DJs grab it while you can! nananon "Nana Nana Non Non" (7") ななのん...
Posted on November 23, 2014 at 20:49. | Released on November 21, 2014
Nomiya Maki "Miss Maki Nomiya Sings Shibuya-kei Standards"
A waterfall of events led Nomiya Maki (ex-Pizzicato Five) and producer Sakaguchi Osamu (a soundtrack producer who first got in touch with Maki in the Portable Rock days) to start a project that re-introduces Shibuya-kei hit songs and important influences...
Posted on November 8, 2014 at 14:26. | Released on November 12, 2014
nananon "Nana Nana Non Non"
Some new sounds from Konishi Yasuharu coming this August! First is duo nananon formed of idol/actress/model Nana (aka Naabōdōfu@Nana) and model Maeda Nozomi, who are 20 and 21 respectively (with birthdays on June 17 and 16). They're often told they...
Posted on August 8, 2014 at 23:13. | Released on August 12, 2014
Gig report: Vanilla Beans, Nomiya Maki & BIBA
Text and 2nd photo by Patrick Benny for Tokyo's Coolest Sound. 1st photo by Kaz Sekiguchi, courtesy of Yoko Fujiwara. On July 5th was the 4th edition of Vanilla Beans' series of shows with a live band. Every time they...
Posted on July 11, 2013 at 23:34.
Various Artists "Shibuya-kei Respect" series
October saw the release of a series of 3 Shibuya-kei tribute cover compilations! All of these are full of famous Shibuya-kei songs covered by younger artists and bands who have been influenced by the movement. Included are songs originally by...
Posted on November 1, 2012 at 22:46. | Released on October 10, 2012
Various Artists "Shibuya-kei feat. Hatsune Miku"
Virtual idol Hatsune Miku sings Pizzicato Five, Flipper's Guitar, Kahimi Karie, Kaji Hideki, Original Love and Ozawa Kenji in this Shibuya-kei cover compilation put together by producers from the Vocaloid scene. Two original songs are also included as bonus tracks....
Posted on July 9, 2012 at 20:44. | Released on July 11, 2012
Gig report: Vanilla Beans one-man live vol.4
Text and photo by Patrick Benny for Tokyo's Coolest Sound On Sunday June 17, I went to see Vanilla Beans who were holding their 4th one-man live. I had been to the first held in December 2009 (report), and have...
Posted on June 21, 2012 at 23:35.
Nomiya Maki "30 ~Greatest Self Covers & More!!!~"
Let's start 2012 with a bang! Finally here's a new album by Nomiya Maki! This time she celebrates 30 years of her singing career by doing self-covers in collaboration with various other artists. Featured are Cornelius, Kaji Hideki, Takahashi Yukihiro,...
Posted on January 2, 2012 at 13:00. | Released on January 25, 2012
Gig report: Vanilla Beans & Negicco release day in-store event
Text by Patrick for Tokyo's Coolest Sound This week was the release of Vanilla Beans' 2nd full-length original album "Vanilla Beans II"! They are now touring several record stores around the Kantō area in a promotion rush, but it all...
Posted on July 24, 2011 at 00:00.
Vanilla Beans "tengoku e no kaidan (Stairway To Heaven)"
Vanilla Beans are back this summer with a 2nd original album coming in July, but first here's a "one-coin" single that contains new covers of Led Zeppelin's "Stairway To Heaven" (!) and Pizzicato Five's "Baby Portable Rock", along with two...
Posted on June 25, 2011 at 19:43. | Released on June 29, 2011
Gig report: Vanilla Beans & Negicco press conference
Text and photos by Patrick Benny for Tokyo's Coolest Sound Tonight was a special press conference for idol groups Vanilla Beans and Negicco, held at Tower Records Shibuya's Stage One venue downstairs. It was in a way open to the...
Posted on June 3, 2011 at 23:58.
Sweet Jam Style "Shibuya-kei Bossa"
Bossa nova cover project Sweet Jam Style's first release is a collection of Shibuya-kei classics. Included are hit songs by Pizzicato Five, Cornelius, Kahimi Karie, Original Love, Flipper's Guitar and Ozawa Kenji. The album features various female vocalists, and is...
Posted on July 20, 2010 at 22:10. | Released on July 21, 2010
Moonriders "Moonriders Live at Shinjuku Loft 2006.4.15" (DVD)
Moonriders have a live DVD coming up next month, of their 30th anniversary show where they shared the stage with Portable Rock! If it includes encores, as it seems to do, that would mean that you can catch Nomiya Maki...
Posted on November 30, 2008 at 21:01. | Released on December 17, 2008
The 30th Anniversary of NYLON100%
Celebrating the 30th anniversary of NYLON100%, a café/bar that was located in Shibuya from the late 70's throughout the 80's (now defunct) and had an important place in Japan's punk and new wave scene, a bunch of artists from the...
Posted on May 1, 2008 at 13:44. | Released on July 9, 2008
arcorhyme and the Soundmatic Circle of Friends vol.2
arcorhyme, the unit of Takanami K-taro (ex-Pizzicato Five) and singer Nishimura Ikuyo, brings us one of their biggest events so far. It will be the first time that they perform on stage in Tokyo with their all-star recording members, so...
Posted on April 8, 2008 at 17:30. | Released on May 24, 2008
arcorhyme "amai hibi ~la douce vie~" & "Soundmatic Brain"
arcorhyme, the new unit of Takanami K-tarō (ex-Pizzicato Five) featuring Nishimura Ikuyo (ex-devbacc), finally has some CD releases coming up! In January we will be treated to not one but two albums! The first, "amai hibi ~la douce vie~", is...
Posted on November 15, 2007 at 10:51. | Released on January 23, 2008
Various Artists "Technoroid - Japanese 80's New Wave Sampler"
This 80's new wave compilation features many gems and rarities, several of the songs even being available for the first time on CD. Not only for maniacs, it's definitely a good opportunity to get accustomed with many leaders of Japan's...
Posted on June 27, 2006 at 16:51. | Released on June 28, 2006
Portable Rock live
Believe it or not, Portable Rock, Nomiya Maki's mid-80's band, is back on stage once this April! Also playing are the Moonriders. Shinjuku Loft 30th Anniversary "Rock of Ages 2006" on 4/15 at Shinjuku Loft Live: Portable Rock Moonriders Cinema...
Posted on February 16, 2006 at 23:19. | Released on April 15, 2006
Pizzicato Five "we love you", "I love you" + 15 re-releases
A 5th anniversary of the break-up can't go without a bang... As you can see below, most of Pizzicato Five's Columbia catalog is being re-released on the new columbia*readymade label. Pay particular attention to the two new greatest hits albums...
Posted on January 13, 2006 at 14:28. | Released on March 31, 2006
