Shawn Despres - The Japan Times

November 24, 2024

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Shawn Despres

Shawn Despres has been contributing to the Japan Times’ music page since 2005, and he has a passion for writing about the independent music scene in East Asia. He spent several years living in Yokohama and currently resides in Seoul.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Music

Jul 21, 2011

Watusi Zombie "N×A×R×A"

Nara-bred rock 'n' roll trio Watusi Zombie have played at Fuji Rock and toured in the United States. Their gigs are highly charged, chaotic affairs. Vocalist/guitarist Jugem Tanimura has been known to incoherently scream lyrics into a microphone decorated with a Buddha mask, and it's not unusual to find...

Japan Times

CULTURE / Music

Jul 14, 2011

Shonen Knife "Osaka Ramones"

Shonen Knife, Japan's best-known alternative-rock band, are celebrating their 30th birthday. In honor of this occasion, the influential Osaka trio have a number of anniversary releases planned, the first being "Osaka Ramones," a tribute disc to the iconic American punk group the Ramones.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Music

Jun 30, 2011

Lite "For All the Innocence"

One of Japan's top instrumental rock acts, Tokyo's Lite have performed at festivals such as Fuji Rock and Summer Sonic, and gigged throughout Asia, Europe and North America. They've also toured with such U.S. indie-music luminaries as Mike Watt and Lou Barlow, and have recorded with John McEntire from...

Japan Times

CULTURE / Music

Jun 9, 2011

Cinema Staff "Cinema Staff"

Now based in Tokyo, Gifu Prefecture-bred Cinema Staff played at the 2009 editions of both the Summer Sonic and Rock in Japan festivals. Formed in 2003, the indie-rock quartet issued three EPs prior to the release of their eponymous full-length debut.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Music

Jun 2, 2011

Festival season kicks into gear with Taico Club

This weekend's Taico Club in Nagano Prefecture will be the first of four summer-festival appearances for Tokyo synth-pop/postpunk act Kimonos. Formed only last year, the duo of Leo Imai and Zazen Boys' Shutoku Mukai will also play at Fuji Rock (July 30), World Happiness (Aug. 7) and the Rising Sun Rock...

Japan Times

CULTURE / Music

May 26, 2011

Boris "Heavy Rocks"/"Attention Please"

Being a Boris completist is a daunting task. One of the country's most prolific underground acts, this year the Tokyo three-piece have already issued their "New Album" full-length and "Klatter," a vinyl-only collaboration with Japanese noise-artist Merzbow. They are back again with their two latest releases,...

Japan Times

CULTURE / Music

May 19, 2011

8otto lively up themselves again

Osaka's 8otto have a new album, a new label and a new mindset.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Music

May 12, 2011

The Cherry Coke$

Fuji Rock 2005 was a very memorable weekend for Celtic-punk-inspired act The Cherry Coke$. The Tokyo septet were invited to the popular summer outing to showcase cuts from their 2004 "Beer My Friends" debut on the festival's Rookie A Go-Go stage. While there, they also had the opportunity to watch and...

Japan Times

CULTURE / Music

Apr 22, 2011

Ringo Deathstarr

Mashing together Ringo Starr and the Death Star from "Star Wars" to create their name, noise-pop group Ringo Deathstarr were one the "buzz" bands at last month's South by Southwest (SXSW) Music Conference and Festival in Austin, Texas. With 2,000 acts performing over the heralded bash's five days, this...

Japan Times

CULTURE / Music

Apr 15, 2011

Meet a smoking new rock band

Formed in Fukuoka in 2005, The Cigavettes knew it would only be a matter of time before they relocated to Japan's capital. After years of discussing it, the melodic rockers finally packed up their instruments, along with their Beatles- and Rolling Stones-inspired catalogue of catchy, radio-friendly pop-rock,...

Japan Times

CULTURE / Music

Apr 8, 2011

The world awakens to Japan's 'brutal orchestra'

Creating a wonderfully bizarre avant-garde hybrid of classical music, heavy rock and punk, Osaka's 11-member-strong Vampillia have been described by their record label as "a hardcore version of Arcade Fire."

CULTURE / Music

Mar 23, 2011

Japan to the fore at SXSW despite disaster at home

AUSTIN, Texas — Minutes after arriving in downtown Austin, Texas, for the South by Southwest (SXSW) Music Conference and Festival, I ran into a Japanese friend from Tokyo. While we were catching up, an American woman passing by overheard him mention Japan and instantly stopped to shake his hand. "I'm...

Japan Times

CULTURE / Music

Feb 25, 2011

Uhnellys "To Too Two"

Dubbed by some as a more sonically adventurous Japanese version of the White Stripes, Tokyo malefemale duo Uhnellys have gigged in Europe and Australia, and participated in last autumn's Next Music from Tokyo Canadian tour with Mass of the Fermenting Dregs, Susquatch and Sgt. Their past albums have included...

Japan Times

CULTURE / Music

Feb 18, 2011

Best Coast / Wavves

Early in his career, Wavves' Nathan Williams earned almost as much attention for his erratic behavior as he did for his lo-fi, noisy pop and punk songs. In 2009, the guitarist for the California trio infamously had an onstage meltdown during a performance at the Primavera Sound Festival in Barcelona,...

Japan Times

CULTURE / Music

Feb 11, 2011

Last year's Fuji Rock was the place to be for fans of 1990s punk act Hi-Standard. The event boasted separate sets from former guitarist Ken Yokoyama and bassist Akihiro Namba. If ex-drummer Akira Tsuneoka had been on the bill, Naeba very well could have seen a one-off regrouping of the popular Japanese...

Japan Times

CULTURE / Music

Jan 21, 2011

Since making their first live appearances in Japan in 1999, Mogwai have returned to tour the country a dozen times. With this in mind, it is unsurprising that the Scottish postrock quintet played only two gigs last year, and one of them was in Japan.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Music

Jan 21, 2011

Okamoto's plot new album release before summer

After being courted by record labels while still in high school in Tokyo, inking a deal with Sony subsidiary Ariola Japan was an easy decision for Okamoto's.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Music

Jan 14, 2011

Deerhunter / Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti

Organized by concert promoter Contrarede, 4AD Evening will unite three of the more prominent acts from the renowned, long-running 4AD imprint's current roster — Blonde Redhead, Deerhunter and Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti — for Osaka and Tokyo shows.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Music

Jan 14, 2011

Mo'some Tonebender

M o'some Tonebender released their 13th studio album, "Struggle," in December. Although their career has not been without its challenges, the disc's title is something the popular alt-rock trio have not had to do for some time.

Japan Times

CULTURE / Music

Dec 17, 2010

Countdown Japan 10/11

The eighth annual Countdown Japan festival will close out 2010 with performances by nearly 160 of the nation's top acts. While the event took place in both Chiba and Osaka from 2006-2008, like last year, the current edition of Countdown Japan will only be happening at Chiba's cavernous Makuhari Messe...

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.

Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Construction takes place on the Takanawa Gateway Convention Center in Tokyo, slated to open in 2025.

A boom for business tourism in Japan?

By Kathryn Wortley

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

mission sustainability vol.12 : Kose Corp.Kose takes pride in creating beauty in the world

mission sustainability vol.12 : Kose Corp.Kose takes pride in creating beauty in the world

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