RADIOMANGA: THE BEST MUSIC OF THE WORLD

RADIO ANIME LIVE!

2010-02-15T04:48:00.000-08:00

TOP IDOLS JMUSIC

ALI PROJECT	AYUMI HAMASAKI	AI OTSUKA
AYA HIRANO	AMI TOKITO	AMI SUZUKI
AYA KAMIKI	AYA MATSUURA	AYA UETO
ABINGDON BOYS SCHOOL	AYAKA	ANNA TSUCHIYA (NANA)
ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION	ANGELA AKI	BONNIE PINK
BoA	BEAT CRUSADERS	BOOM BOOM SATELLITES
CHIEKO KAWABE	DIR EN GREY	DREAMS COME TRUE
ERI NOBUCHIKA	FICTIONJUCTION YUUKA	GIRL NEXT DOOR
GACKT	GO GO 7188	HIGH and MIGHTY COLOR
HIKARU UTADA	HITOMI SHIMATANI	HINOI TEAM
HOME MADE KAZOKU	IKIMONO GAKARI	KEN HIRAI
KIRORO	KOTOKO	KOKIA
AIKO KAYO	ACID BLACK CHERRY	BeForU
BENI ARASHIRO	EXILE	HITOMI KUROISHI
CHEMISTRY	CHIHIRO ONITSUKA	CHITOSE HAJIME
CORE OF SOUL	CRYSTAL KAY	DO AS INFINITY
DRAGON ASH	GLAY	HEARTSDALES
ICHIKO	JUDY AND MARY	KISHIDAN
LITTLE BY LITTLE	LOVE PSYCHEDELICO	MAI HOSHIMURA
MIKA NAKASHIMA	ORANGE RANGE	POLYSICS

RADIO ANIME LIVE!

2010-02-14T08:48:00.000-08:00

TOP IDOLS JMUSIC

KUMI KODA	L’ARC~EN~CIEL	LUNKHEAD
MAKI GOTO	MAAYA SAKAMOTO	MASAMI OKUI
MEGUMI HAYASHIBARA	MINORI CHIHARA	MIKUNI SHIMOKAWA
MINAMI KURIBAYASHI	MORNING MUSUME	MAMI KAWADA
MIHO HATORI	NAMI TAMAKI	NAMIE AMURO
NANASE AIKAWA	NANA MIZUKI	NANA KITADE
OBLIVION DUST	PUFFY	RIE FU
RIE TANAKA	RIMI NATSUKAWA	RIP SLYME
RURUTIA	RYŪICHI SAKAMOTO	SAVAGE GENIUS
SHANADOO	SHIINA RINGO	SMAP
SOUND HORIZON	SOUTHERN ALL STARS	THE PILLOWS
THE BRILLIANT GREEN	TOMOYASU HOTEI	UVERWORLD
V6	YUI SAKAKIBARA	YUKI KAJIURA
YUNA ITO	YUI	YOKO ISHIDA
YOUNHA	YUI HORIE	YELLOW GENERATION
PORNO GRAFFITTI	REMIOROMEN	ROUND TABLE
SOWELU	SUPER JUNIOR	TOKYO SKA PARADISE ORCHESTRA
TOMMY FEBRUARY6	YUI MAKINO

VIDEOMUSIC IDOL LIVE!

2010-02-06T18:24:00.001-08:00

TOP VIDEOMUSIC IDOLS

ALI PROJECT	AYUMI HAMASAKI	AI OTSUKA
AYA HIRANO	AMI TOKITO	AMI SUZUKI
AYA KAMIKI	AYA MATSUURA	AYA UETO
ABINGDON BOYS SCHOOL	AYAKA	ANNA TSUCHIYA (NANA)
ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION	ANGELA AKI	BONNIE PINK
BoA	BEAT CRUSADERS	BOOM BOOM SATELLITES
CHIEKO KAWABE	DIR EN GREY	DREAMS COME TRUE
ERI NOBUCHIKA	FICTIONJUCTION YUUKA	GIRL NEXT DOOR
GACKT	GO GO 7188	HIGH and MIGHTY COLOR
HIKARU UTADA	HITOMI SHIMATANI	HINOI TEAM
HOME MADE KAZOKU	IKIMONO GAKARI	KEN HIRAI
KIRORO	KOTOKO	KOKIA

VIDEOMUSIC IDOL LIVE!

2010-02-05T18:26:00.000-08:00

TOP VIDEOMUSIC IDOLS

KUMI KODA	L’ARC~EN~CIEL	LUNKHEAD
MAKI GOTO	MAAYA SAKAMOTO	MASAMI OKUI
MEGUMI HAYASHIBARA	MINORI CHIHARA	MIKUNI SHIMOKAWA
MINAMI KURIBAYASHI	MORNING MUSUME	MAMI KAWADA
MIHO HATORI	NAMI TAMAKI	NAMIE AMURO
NANASE AIKAWA	NANA MIZUKI	NANA KITADE
OBLIVION DUST	PUFFY	RIE FU
RIE TANAKA	RIMI NATSUKAWA	RIP SLYME
RURUTIA	RYŪICHI SAKAMOTO	SAVAGE GENIUS
SHANADOO	SHIINA RINGO	SMAP
SOUND HORIZON	SOUTHERN ALL STARS	THE PILLOWS
THE BRILLIANT GREEN	TOMOYASU HOTEI	UVERWORLD
V6	YUI SAKAKIBARA	YUKI KAJIURA
YUNA ITO	YUI	YOKO ISHIDA
YOUNHA	YUI HORIE	YELLOW GENERATION

HITOMI KUROISHI - THE BEST

2009-01-27T13:08:00.000-08:00

HITOMI KUROISHI

Hitomi Kuroishi (黒石ひとみ, Kuroishi Hitomi?) is a Japanese female singer-songwriter and composer, born in Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture. She is credited simply as Hitomi for her vocals, not to be confused with J-pop singer hitomi.

She is noted for her involvement with the soundtrack of the Last Exile anime series, for which she composes as part of the group Dolce Triade (the other members are Maki Fujiwara and Yuki Yamamoto) in addition to performing the ending theme Over The Sky.

Kuroishi has worked alongside composer Kotaro Nakagawa for a number of anime soundtracks, namely Planetes, Gun X Sword and, most recently in 2006, Code Geass - Lelouch of the Rebellion, which includes the insert songs Stories, Innocent Days, Alone, Sensibility, Masquerade, Continued Story, and several others.

EXILE - THE BEST

2009-01-27T12:06:00.000-08:00

EXILE

Exile (エグザイル, Eguzairu?) is a 14-member all-male Japanese pop band and dance group. On artwork and promotional material, the band name is typeset in all capitals as "EXILE".

The current leader Hiro was originally in the band Zoo before they split up in the mid-1990s. In 1999, he started a new group called J Soul Brothers, which later changed its name to Exile in 2001. (But the name of J Soul Brothers was later revived by Hiro again in 2007 when he helped to form another 7-member group under the new J Soul Brothers monicker.)

Exile has released their singles and albums under Avex Group's label Rhythm Zone. Hiro and Avex's president Max Matsuura came from the same high school.[1]

In November 2003, Exile remade Zoo's hit single "Choo Choo Train", which became a strong promotional single for their third studio album Exile Entertainment. The album sold over a million copies. At first, their music style was influenced by R&B, but their style later became more pop-oriented form. Their 2004 single "Real World" became their first number-one single on Oricon weekly charts. They released the collaboration "Scream" with Japanese rock band Glay in July 2005, peaking at #1 and selling over 500,000 copies on Oricon charts.[2]

Their 2007 studio album, Exile Love, became the highest selling album of Japan in 2008, selling nearly 1.5 million copies on Oricon charts. Their compilation album Exile Ballad Best sold nearly 1 million copies in its first week on Oricon charts, making it the highest first week sales for an album of Japan in 2008. The song, "Ti Amo", was certified Million by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) for 1,000,000 full-track ringtone digital music downloads (Chaku Uta Full).[3] They also won the Grand Prix Award at the 50th Japan Record Awards for "Ti Amo".

In 2009, Exile's song "The Next Door -Indestructible-" (The Japanese version is called "The Next Door") was featured as the theme of Street Fighter IV.

On March 1, 2009, Exile and J Soul Brothers announced to merge as a 14-member group. They released their first studio album under the 14 members, Aisubeki Mirai e, on December 2, 2009. They won the Grand Prix Award for the song, "Someday", at the 51st Japan Record Awards.

In total, they have sold over 17 million records just in Japan.

Members

Performers

Hiro, real name Hiroyuki Igarashi (五十嵐広行, Igarashi Hiroyuki) June 1, 1969 – leader of the group
Makidai, real name Daisuke Maki (眞木大輔, Maki Daisuke) October 27, 1975
Matsu, real name Toshio Matsumoto (松本利夫, Matsumoto Toshio), born May 27, 1975.
Usa, real name Yoshihiro Usami (宇佐美吉啓, Usami Yoshishiro), born February 2, 1977.
Akira, real name Ryōhei Kurosawa (黒沢良平, Kurosawa Ryōhei), born August 23, 1981 – was a member of Rather Unique and joined the group 2006 summer.

Kenchi, real name Ken'ichirō Teratsuji (寺辻健一郎, Teratsuji Kenichirou), born September 28, 1979.
Keiji, real name Keiji Kuroki (黒木啓司, Kuroki Keiji), born January 21, 1980.
Tetsuya, real name Tetsuya Tsuchida (土田哲也, Tsuchida Tetsuya), born February 18, 1981.
Naoto, real name Naoto Kataoka (片岡直人, Kataoka Naoto), born August 30, 1983.
Naoki, real name Naoki Kobayashi (小林直己, Kobayashi Naoki), born November 10, 1984.

Vocalists

Atsushi, real name Atsushi Satō (佐藤篤志, Satō Atsushi), born April 30, 1980.
Takahiro, real name Takahiro Tasaki (田崎敬浩, Tasaki Takahiro), born December 8, 1984 – the new vocalist chosen to replace Shun during the "Exile Vocal Battle Audition 2006: Asian Dream" summer audition.

Vocalists & Performers

Nesmith, # real name Nesmith Ryuta Karimu (ネスミス・竜太・カリム, Nesumisu Ryuta Karimu?), born August 1, 1983.
# Shokichi, real name Shokichi Yagi (八木将吉, Yagi Shokichi?), born October 3, 1985.

Former member

Shun, real name Shunsuke Kiyokiba (清木場俊介, Kiyokiba Shunsuke?), born January 11, 1980 – currently a solo artist under his real name.

BENI ARASHIRO - THE BEST

2009-01-27T10:22:00.000-08:00

BENI ARASHIRO

Beni Arashiro (安良城紅, Arashiro Beni?, born March 30, 1986 in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese pop and R&B singer-songwriter, who debuted in 2004 under the Avex Trax label. In 2008, Arashiro left Avex Trax and transferred to Universal Music Japan where she started to perform under the mononym, Beni.

Start of her career

Born in Okinawa she moved to California and then Yokohama. Her father is American of White and Amerindian descent, and her mother is Uchinanchu. She was influenced from Namie Amuro, Alicia Keys and her father's favorite singer Janet Jackson. She graduated from U.S. Naval Base, Japan. She was studying political science.

From a young age she wanted to become a singer and because of her musical parents she took lessons at the piano from a young age. Because her parents were living overseas she was traveling between Japan and America a lot which exposed her to both Japanese as overseas music. When she was in Japan she participated in the Kokuminteki Bishojo Contest the largest talent contest. She made it all the way to the finals. This was quite special since she had no formal training. When her demotape was seen by Avex Trax they were impressed by her clear vioce natural beauty and English pronunciation that they decided to give her a debut.[5] She became a member of Bishoujo Club 31. Beni was the first from the group to pursue a solo career while being active as a member of the group.[6] Her first solo single named "Harmony" was released on the 9th of June in 2004. The song Harmony was a theme song for the Japanese drama Rei-kan Bus Guide Jike

BeForU - THE BEST

2009-01-27T09:56:00.000-08:00

BeForU

BeForU is an all female J-Pop group who performed music primarily for the Bemani series of rhythm games. BeForU debuted in 2000 with their song "DIVE," which was notable as being the first J-POP song in the Dance Dance Revolution series. BeForU was produced by Naoki Maeda, one of the lead Konami musical producers. In 2006, the group made their major label debut under Avex tracks. As of November 21, 2008, BeForU songs have been cut from beatmania IIDX 16: Empress and as of December 26, 2008 the majority of BeForU songs were cut from Dance Dance Revolution X. Solo songs have been removed in some places as well. For example, Love Love Shine and Love Love Sugar are no longer found in DDR, Pop'n Music 17 The Movie, Dance Dance Revolution X and GuitarFreaks/Drummania V6 Blazing, to be released later this year, respectively, due to the change of the labeling company.

AIKO KAYO - THE BEST

2009-01-27T08:46:00.000-08:00

AIKO KAYO

Aiko Kayō (嘉陽愛子, Kayō Aiko?) is a popular idol singer. She has released 12 singles and 2 albums on the Avex Trax label in Japan. She has also performed with the musical units Kingyo (金魚?) and a☆girls.

About

Aiko Kayō was born on December 11, 1985 in Kanagawa Prefecture. She has blood type A, and is 1.54m in height. Her nickname is AiPii (あいぴー?). Her hobbies include listening to music and karaoke.

Her favorite singer is Ayumi Hamasaki. Sukiyaki, grilled eggs and strawberries are her favorite foods. Crying Out Love, In the Center of the World, Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2 and Matrix Revolutions are her favorite movies. Her favorite words are “Love and Peace”.

ACID BLACK CHERRY - THE BEST

2009-01-27T08:21:00.000-08:00

ACID BLACK CHERRY

Acid Black Cherry is Janne Da Arc vocalist Yasu's solo project. The band's name is often seen shortened to "A.B.C.".

Background

Throughout the month of May 2007, Yasu and Acid Black Cherry went on a secret nationwide tour of Japan, culminating in a show in Shinjuku which was webcast live to the world.

Their first single, SPELL MAGIC, released on July 18, 2007, debuted at #4 on the Oricon Singles Charts in Japan. ABC's second single, entitled Black Cherry, was released on September 26, 2007, and was followed by a third single on November 28, 2007, Aishitenai. Their fourth single, Fuyu no Maboroshi, was released on January 16, 2008 to the number one spot on the Japanese Oricon Singles chart.

Acid Black Cherry's first album, BLACK LIST, was released on February 20, 2008. Additional guest artists appeared on this album, notably Daita and Jun-ji (ex members of Siam Shade fame) on guitar and drums respectively. Jun-ji is also a consistent member of Acid Black Cherry for touring and events.

On August 27, 2008, Acid Black Cherry released their fifth single, 20+∞ Century Boys.

On November 2008, Acid Black Cherry released their sixth single, Jigsaw, based in small part on the American movie SAW, of which yasu is a fan. The song reached third place on Japan's Top 50 songs which became a sensation to the population of Japan.

On February 18, 2009, Acid Black Cherry released their seventh single, Nemuri Hime.

On July 29, 2009, Acid Black Cherry released their eighth single, Yasashii Uso.

On August 26, 2009, Acid Black Cherry released their second album Q.E.D. A story about the album was published on the official site ahead of its release, describing a murder case and the search for its culprit.

YELLOW GENERATION - THE BEST

2009-01-26T13:56:00.000-08:00

YELLOW GENERATION

Yellow Generation (known as YeLLOW Generation in Japan) was a female J-pop trio signed under Sony Music Japan's DefSTAR Record label from 2002-2006. The group was best known for the singles Kitakaze to Taiyō (北風と太陽 North wind and sun), and "Tobira no Mukō e" (扉の向こうへ, "To the Other Side of the Door"?), which was the second ending theme for the anime Fullmetal Alchemist.

The trio was made up of the members Yuki (ユキ), Yūko (ユウコ), and Hitomi (ヒトミ). Altogether the band had released two albums and nine singles, but after a year of silence the band finally decided to part ways on November 15th, 2006.

Albums

CARPE DIEM - December 11, 2002

* 01. Open your eyes
* 02. CARPE DIEM～今、この瞬間を生きる～ (Carpe Diem ~ima kono shunkan o ikiru~)
* 03. 北風と太陽 (Kitakaze to Taiyō)
* 04. 逃げ水～Like a road mirage～ (Nigemizu ~Like a road mirage~)
* 05. Lost Generation
* 06. Another“Myself”
* 07. 裸の王様 (Hadaka no Osama)
* 08. 2880316～地球最後の日の皆様へ～ (2880316 ~Chikyū Saigo no Hi no Minasama e~)
* 09. Christmas Card
* 10. 鬼灯 (Hozuki)
* 11. I will never forget.～もうひとつの理由～ (I will never forget)
* 12. And Just Open Your Heart

life-sized portrait - October 10, 2005

* 01. YELLOW
* 02. 扉の向こうへ (Tobira no Mukō e)
* 03. うたかた (Utakata)
* 04. Listen!
* 05. トリトマ (TORITOMA)
* 06. レモナーデ (REMONA-DE)
* 07. あのね・・・ (ano ne...)
* 08. チョコレイト～鮮烈な味わい魅惑の世界～ (Chocolate ~senretsu na ajiwai miwaku no sekai~)
* 09. 夜空に咲く花～eternal place～ (Yozora ni Saku Hana ~eternal place~)
* 10. 春雷 (Shunrai)
* 11. 終わりのない道 (Owari no Nai Michi)
* 12. 扉の向こうへ～FULLMETAL mix～ (Tobira no Mukō e ~FULLMETAL mix~)

CHIEKO KAWABE - THE BEST

2009-01-26T13:49:00.000-08:00

CHIEKO KAWABE

Chieko Kawabe (河辺千恵子, Kawabe Chieko) is a female J-pop singer, model, radio host and actress. She was born on February 24, 1987 in Tokyo. She is a graduate of Toshima, Tokyo. As of her marriage to producer Masato Ochi on August 8, 2008, her legal name is Chieko Ochi (越智千恵子, Ochi Chieko).

Career

She was born on February 24, 1987 in Tokyo to a Japanese father and a Filipino mother.Starting at the age of twelve, Kawabe played the role of Ami Mizuno/Sailor Mercury in the Sailor Moon Musicals, or Sera Myu. She started in 2000, in the Fan Kansha event for the 2001 musical, Transylvania no Mori, Kaiteiban. She continued for a couple more years, appearing in five musicals total, finishing with the 2002 special musical, 10th Anniversary Special. During these musicals, she appeared in some of the more special musicals, including the Death Vulcan special revue show, the second half of the musical being an entire musical revue showing, and the first Sera Myu DVD, the 2002 10th Anniversary event. She also appeared as a musical guest for the next Fan Kansha, performing signature solo song, "Drive Me the Mercury" with the next Mercury actress, Wakayama Manami. She appeared again in the Sailor Moon world as Usagi Tsukino's best friend, Naru Osaka in the 2003-2004 live action series, Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon.

Two years after her role in these musicals, Kawabe set off on her own, releasing the single "Be Your Girl" on April 27, 2004. This single took off successfully, with the song 'Be Your Girl' becoming the ending theme song to anime "Elfen Lied" and her other song, 'Hoshi ni Negai Wo' being the end theme song to Otogizoshi. Since that initial release, she has had off and on success, releasing a few more singles. Her next single, Shining, was released on November 24, 2004. This single took fairly well also, with her songs Shining, Cry Baby, and Quiet Riot. This single brought Kawabe closer into the pop scene of Japan, more so than her previous album.

On January 25, 2005, the single Kizunairo was released. This contained the songs Kizunairo, I Can't Wait, and Hidamari. Notable for this single, is the song I Can't Wait, the theme song to the Japanese version of the show Lizzie McGuire. Shortly after this, was the release of her first, and thus far only, full album, Brilliance. This album has eleven songs total, some of which were from previous albums, but nonetheless, this album was quite popular and proved Kawabe's talent and musical skill. This was followed by the single "Candy Baby" in July, 2005.

Almost a year passed before any more releases were made, but in April, 2006, Kawabe released another single, Sakura Kiss, which had two songs, the song 'Sakura Kiss' being the theme song to the anime Ouran High School Host Club. The single was semi-successful reaching #71 on the Oricon 200 and charting for 6 weeks.

Currently Chieko is a weekly host on a popular radio station in Harajuku and has returned to the modeling world. There has been speculation of Chieko releasing more music in the future because of promotional messages and images on her Japanese blog.

On August 08, 2008, Kawabe and TV producer Masato Ochi filed for marriage. Kawabe addressed this matter on her blog.

DREAMS COME TRUE - THE BEST

2009-01-26T13:43:00.000-08:00

DREAMS COME TRUE

Dreams Come True (ドリームズ・カム・トゥルー, Dorīmuzu Kamu Turū) is a music duo from Japan, formed in 1988 that has sold more than 50 million records worldwide.

History

Dreams Come True was started by Bassist Masato Nakamura, and is fronted by Miwa Yoshida, who is the band's main singer-songwriter. They were originally a three-piece band with Takahiro Nishikawa on keyboards, until he departed in 2002. The band is commonly known as DCT (Dreams Come True) and sometimes referred to as "Dorikamu" (ドリカム) by their fans. Dreams Come True released their self-titled debut album in 1989, which sold more than one million copies. Their 1992 release, The Swinging Star, was the first Japanese album to sell over three million copies, and for several years held the title of the best-selling Japanese-language album of all time.

In 1993, they recorded "Winter Song" for the opening theme of the TriStar Pictures film Sleepless in Seattle and the following year recorded the song "Eternity" for the animated film The Swan Princess by New Line Cinema. In Japan, they recorded theme songs for TBS television shows, and it wasn't long before they caught the attention of the Walt Disney company, and were hired to create musical-tunes for their television shows, and attractions at the Tokyo Disney Resort. In 2001, they composed the theme song for the Japanese release on the Disney film Atlantis, and Miwa was hired to be the voice actor for the character Audrey Rocio Ramirez in the Japanese version.

Miwa Yoshida started a solo music career in 1995, and the following year appeared on the cover of Time Magazine. She has also appeared in advertisements for Sony, Visa, Honda, Shiseido, Lotte, Vodafone, and Coca Cola. Meanwhile Masato was hired to compose the music for television commercials, and around the same time compiled various "Dreams Come True" songs for Konami to be used in their game series Dance Dance Revolution. He had previously been hired to compose the music for the Sonic the Hedgehog video games on the Sega Mega Drive.

On April 1, 1996, they released Love Unlimited, which would be their final album for Sony Music. News of their departure would cause Sony Music shares to drop severely on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. They later signed with Virgin Music America and Toshiba-EMI in Japan, due to that label's promises to break the group into the American market--something Sony was unwilling to do. Their first album under the new contract, Sing Or Die (a title that half-jokingly described the band's relationship with their former label, according to Nakamura), was released in an English-language version, but received very little promotion and even less airplay. It would be the band's final album as a trio, and Takahiro Nishikawa would depart the band shortly after its release. Sing or Die was Virgin's only attempt to penetrate the American market, and its failure would taint the band's future relationship with that label.

Part of the failure of the Virgin-DCT relationship can be laid at the label's attempt to renovate the band into something the American audiences could relate to. Miwa dropped her last name, Nakamura became "King Masa," but Nishikawa remained the same, and only received a passing mention on Sing or Die's liner notes. Musically, the album veered away from the classic DCT formula and deeper into the hip-hop dance theme begun on Delicious and Love Unlimited. The combination was not well-received by American audiences, nor DCT's legion of loyal Japanese fans.

There are conflicting accounts concerning Nishikawa's departure. Nishikawa himself states both he and longtime DCT producer Mike Pela were forced out by Virgin because they didn't fit into the label's makeover for the band. However, he also adds that prior to that, he hadn't been touring with DCT for some time, which supports the official account. At present, there seems to be little chance of Nishikawa playing with his former bandmates ever again.

Following 2001's monkey girl odyssey, DCT severed all ties with Virgin and Toshiba-EMI, and set up shop with Universal Music Japan. More recent albums such as The Love Rocks and And I Love You have returned to the classic DCT sound, and have been received more warmly.

They have also been involved in charity events. Including a collaboration with Ryuichi Sakamoto in 2001 to help raise funds for land mine removal agencies, and taking part in the Live 8 benefit concert in 2005.

In 2008, their single "Tsuretette Tsuretette" debuted a top on the Oricon weekly chart, nine years since their last number-one single "Asa ga Mata Kuru". The song also appears on the band's most recent album, Do You Dreams Come True. The album is available in three versions: A single disc version, containing the main album; a second that adds Greatest Hits: The Soul 2, a sequel to their 2000 greatest-hits package; and a third that adds a live DVD, "Winter Fantasia 2008."

AMI TOKITO - THE BEST

2009-01-26T13:26:00.000-08:00

AMI TOKITO

Ami Tokito (時東ぁみ, Tokitō Ami) is a Japanese pop singer and gravure idol. She made her debut in 2005 Miss Young Jump, winning Tsunku's honorable award.

She started acting as a child actor using her former stage names, Sachie Komatsu and Hikaru Asakura.

She has recently been featured as "Amimi" in the Tsunku produced trio Gyaruru, together with Asami Abe and Natsuko "Gal" Sone.

Singles

* Sentimental Generation (せんちめんたるじぇねれ～しょん) (Opening song for School Rumble - Second Term)
* Sora Kara: Cry for Help! (宇宙から～Cry for Help!～)
* I'm a lady: Jirettai Watashi (I'm a lady～じれったい私～)
* Aiyai Aiyai! (愛ヤイ愛ヤイ!)
* Tawawa Natsu Bikini (Tawawa　夏ビキニ, Tokito Ami with The Possible)

Yui - THE BEST

2008-11-25T15:21:00.000-08:00

YUI

Yui (stylized as YUI) (ユイ, born March 26, 1987 in Fukuoka, Japan) is a Japanese singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and actress. She is currently signed to Studioseven Recordings and attached to the talent agency Stardust Promotion.

Biography

Early life

Yui grew up in a fatherless home and so does not have any memory of her father. She does remember always being close to music, be it from her mother's car stereo or the radio, she would remember the tunes and sing along. By the time she was in elementary school she thought she would like to become a singer.

During her third year in middle school, following the influence of her mother, Yui began keeping a journal of everyday feelings and poetry. Because of this, by the time she was in high school, she began writing songs. While in high school she worked a part-time job to help pay for tuition. Always busy, with her time steadily disappearing, she thought there was no longer a road to music. Eventually her body would breakdown and she found her self under hospitalization. While in the hospital, with the time to consider her life, she was overwhelmed with the desire to make music. She decided that school and music could not coexist. Upon leaving the hospital she encountered a live street performance and expressed her desire to pursue a musical career to the band, Bianco Nero, at the end of the concert. Bianco Nero recommended to Yui that she should join a private music school and soon, she dropped out of high school and seriously began studying songwriting and guitar at a juku in her hometown of Fukuoka. Aspiring to become a professional, she carried her guitar around and sang at local places at the entrance of Tenjin station in Fukuoka. Doing these street performances helped Yui to eventually overcome her shyness.

Tommy february6 - THE BEST

2008-11-25T14:57:00.001-08:00

TOMMY FEBRUARY⁶

Tommy February⁶ is the eponymous debut album of the brilliant green vocalist Tomoko Kawase's alter ego Tommy February6 (so named after Kawase's birthday). The album, in addition to launching Kawase's solo career, also established Tommy February6's trademark sound, which is heavily influenced by 80's synth-pop music.

Most of the lyrics on the album's original material (all written by Kawase) are either dominated by English lyrics with occasional Japanese lines, or are wholly in English - despite the fact that Kawase reportedly cannot speak much of the language - with only one song ("Tommy Feburatte Macaron") sung entirely in Japanese.

The original first pressing of the album came with a promotional DVD that included music videos, karaoke videos and furitsuke (choreography) videos for "♡KISS♡ ONE MORE TIME" and "Bloomin'!". Also included was the making of the PV's for "♡KISS♡ ONE MORE TIME", "Bloomin'!" and "CANDY POP IN LOVE"

Track listing

1. "T.O.M.M.Y"
2. "EVERYDAY AT THE BUS STOP"
3. トミーフェブラッテ、マカロン。 ("Tommy Feburatte Macaron")
4. "Bloomin'!"
5. "HEY BAD BOY"
6. "♡KISS♡ ONE MORE TIME"
7. "WHERE ARE YOU? "MY HERO""
8. "WALK AWAY FROM YOU MY BABE"
9. 恋は眠らない ("Koi wa Nemuranai")
10. "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You"
11. "I'LL BE YOUR ANGEL"
12. "★CANDY POP IN LOVE★"

All songs written and composed by Tommy February6 and Malibu Convertible, except "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You" by Bob Crewe and Bob Gaudio.

Porno Graffitti - THE BEST

2008-11-25T14:38:00.000-08:00

PORNO GRAFFITTI

Porno Graffitti (ポルノグラフィティ, Poruno Gurafiti?), also known as Porno (ポルノ, Poruno?) is a Japanese male rock band from Innoshima, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The band got their name from the album Pornograffitti by the band Extreme. They currently record under the Sony Music Entertainment Japan Records (SME Records) label.

Haruichi Shindō originally formed the band with his cousin during high school and named it "No Score." After the band started, Haruichi asked Akihito Okano and Masami "Tama" Shiratama to join. The band was so named because none of them could actually read a score when they first started. When they first started the band, Haruichi was the vocalist, but found out that Akihito could sing better, so he gave the vocalist position to Akihito and took over as guitarist instead. This was the foundation of Porno Graffitti.

They debuted with the song Apollo in 1999. Their two subsequent CD singles, Saudade and Agehachō, both sold over a million copies in Japan. They are also well known for the song Melissa, which was used as the opening theme of the anime series Fullmetal Alchemist in 2003. They also created the song Hitori no Yoru, used as the second opening theme of the anime series GTO in 2000, and Winding Road, used as the ending theme of the anime series Ayakashi Ayashi in 2006. A cover of their 2000 single Music Hour was featured in a stage of the Nintendo DS rhythm game Moero! Nekketsu Rhythm Damashii Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan 2. Their song Koyoi, Tsuki ga, Miezu Tomo was featured in the third Bleach film. Their upcoming single Anima Rossa will be featured as the eleventh opening to Bleach.

Porno Graffitti

Current members

* Akihito Okano (岡野昭仁 Okano Akihito, born October 15, 1974)—Vocals and guitars
* Haruichi Shindō (新藤晴一 Shindō Haruichi, born September 20, 1974)—Guitars and background vocals

Past member

* Masami Shiratama—Bass guitars and background vocals (left in June 2004)

Mai Hoshimura - THE BEST

2008-11-25T13:41:00.000-08:00

MAI HOSHIMURA

Mai Hoshimura (星村麻衣 Hoshimura Mai) is a Japanese artist under the Sony Music Japan label until 2009. She writes and composes all of her music. She is known for her famous standing crouched stance while playing the piano.

She is a graduate of Shobi University.

On May 31, 2009, her contract with Sony ended.

History

Mai Hoshimura was born on April 18, 1981 in Matsue, Shimane Prefecture. Hoshimura began to learn to play the piano at the age of four. Her mother, a teacher, had hoped she would become a classical pianist, but it was her father; also a teacher, who had influenced her with popular music. While attending university, Hoshimura learned of a Sony Record contest on the internet and set in a demo tape, she had passed the screening, but was unable to attend an in-person interview and did not make the final cut. However, she tried once again and then passed. With the release of Sunao ni Narenai, Hoshimura introduced the world to her new hairstyle; a very short one. It was a very big change from her long straight hair, that can often be a huge risk for stars in Japan. Nearly after a year since the release of the second album, her official website recently announced the news for a new single during early 2007. The song, Sakura Biyori, is the tenth ending theme of the anime Bleach. Her newest single, regret, is the 7th ending song of the anime, D. Gray-man.

Dir en grey - THE BEST

2008-11-25T13:08:00.000-08:00

DIR EN GREY

Dir en grey (ディル・アン・グレイ, Diru An Gurei) is a Japanese band formed in 1997 and currently signed to Firewall Div., a sub-division of Free-Will. As of 2008, they have recorded seven full-length records and while the group's lineup has remained consistent since its inception, numerous stylistic changes have made its music's genre difficult to determine (though it is generally considered to be a form of rock music). Originally associated with Japan's visual kei movement, the band has opted for less flamboyant attire in recent years.

Dir en grey has toured through Asia, Europe and North America;Billboard commenting on the group's international fanbase, that the band "has transcended the language barrier in the United States through its music" and "gained its audience without singing in English".

History

Beginning in 2009, Dir en grey made their first thorough tour of the United Kingdom and Ireland with Kerrang!'s "Relentless Tour '09" alongside Mindless Self Indulgence, Bring Me The Horizon, Black Tide and In Case Of Fire. In February, the band announced the public release of a new live DVD, Tour 08 The Rose Trims Again, as well as switching European record labels to the newly founded Okami Records, a sister label of their former European representation, Gan-Shin.

During spring of 2009, the band began to fully promote Uroboros with a series of nationwide tours, under the title "Tour 09 Feast of V Senses." The tour was interrupted briefly while in Sapporo and Sendai, with an announcement on the band's official website, explaining that Kyo had been diagnosed with edema of the larynx, and would require the postponement of three shows, which were rescheduled for early May.

Currently, Dir en grey is on tour in Europe, with a mixture of festival performances, headlining shows, and one co-headlining show with Killswitch Engage. The festival performances include their third appearances at Rock am Ring and Rock im Park, as well as their initial concerts at Download Festival, Nova Rock and Metaltown. Among the headlining shows, Dir en grey are also making debut concerts in Italy and the Czech Republic.

Chitose Hajime - THE BEST

2008-11-21T15:49:00.000-08:00

CHITOSE HAJIME

Chitose Hajime (元ちとせ, Hajime Chitose?, born January 5, 1979) is a singer from Japan. She is from Amami Ōshima and sings in a style particular to that region, with distinctive falsetto effects.

Chitose Hajime was recognized as a gifted folk singer at a young age. She won many folk song competitions, released two traditional folk albums on an indie label, and was approached by numerous record labels. She decided to study to become a beautician instead of pursuing music. However, Hajime had severe allergic reactions to many of the chemicals used by beauticians. She withdrew from school, and seriously considered a music career.

In 2001, she released a self titled mini-album on the indie label Office Augusta. The album was covers of older songs, but was so well received that Hajime was pushed to release another mini-album. In August 2001, Chitose released her second mini-album with Augusta Records entitled Kotonoha (コトノハ?). This release featured 5 original tracks.

In 2002, she released her first major label single on Epic Records - "Wadatsumi no Ki" (ワダツミの木?). It was the third highest selling single of the year behind only Hikaru Utada's "traveling", and Ayumi Hamasaki's "H". Three months later, she released a brand new single, "Kimi wo Omō" (君ヲ想フ?). While also very popular, it was not nearly the success that her first single was, although it did help to cement her as a permanent artist.

Her first major album, Hainumikaze (ハイヌミカゼ?), followed later in the year. It sold 800,000 copies, charted for 57 weeks, and was the 16th highest selling album of the year.

She released 3 more singles before her second major album, Nomad Soul (ノマド・ソウル, nomado souru?), was released in 2003. Shortly after a concert tour, and the release of a live album and DVD in 2004, Hajime announced that she would be taking time away from the music scene to get married, and have a child. Her first child miscarried, but she successfully gave birth to a girl on January 20, 2005.

She returned to the music industry in November 2005 with the single "Kataritsugu Koto" (語り継ぐこと?), the ending theme for the anime BLOOD+. The single was a hit, reaching #12 on the Oricon charts. She followed this success with her next come-back single, "Haru no Katami" (春のかたみ?), the ending theme for the anime AYAKASHI - Japanese Classic Horror. This single sold 6050 copies in its first week, and remained on the charts for 7 weeks total. A third single was released before her next album. The single, "Ao no Requiem" (青のレクイエム?), was the theme song for the Studio GAGA film Hatsukoi. It featured 1 extra track, and charted for 3 weeks. The following week, Hajime released her third original major album, Hanadairo (ハナダイロ?). The album was available in both a regular edition, and a limited edition. The limited edition featured a 13th track, "Shinda Onna no Ko" (死んだ女の子?) with Ryuichi Sakamoto), as well as a DVD containing the music videos for "Kataritsugu Koto", and "Haru no Katami".
Studies have revealed that her particular style of singing, including aspects of traditional Amami-Ōshima music, has a relaxing effect that has been observed in electroencephalograms taken from the brains of people listening to her singing.

Boom Boom Satellites - THE BEST

2008-11-21T15:23:00.000-08:00

BOOM BOOM SATELLITES

BOOM BOOM SATELLITES (ブンブンサテライツ, Bun Bun Sateraitsu) are a Japanese electronic music duo consisting of Michiyuki Kawashima and Masayuki Nakano. While their music can be mostly classified as big beat or nu skool breaks, and they are heavily influenced by jazz, they are famous for using a lot of electric guitars and the final product often has a strong rock or punk flavor. In 2004, they contributed numerous songs to the soundtrack of the anime film Appleseed, in the 2007 anime film Vexille, and most recently in the Playstation store exclusive anime series Xam'd: Lost Memories. They are currently signed to Sony Music Entertainment Japan, with whom they have released all of their albums in Japan.

The BOOM BOOM SATELLITES' sixth full length studio album, EXPOSED was released on November 21, 2007. "WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND" (which has been featured in a commercial for Dodge) and "EASY ACTION" (which is featured in the film Vexille) are two of the songs featured on this album.[1] The fourth track from this album, "SHUT UP AND EXPLODE", is the PSN version opening theme to the anime Xam'd: Lost Memories (亡念のザムド, Bōnen no Zamudo).

The track "SCATTERIN' MONKEY", from their 1999 album OUTLOUD, is featured in the 2008 film The Dark Knight during a club scene involving Salvatore Maroni.

Their newest single "BACK ON MY FEET" is currently used as one of the opening themes for Xam'd's terrestrial broadcast alongside "SHUT UP AND EXPLODE".

Beat Crusaders - THE BEST

2008-11-21T15:13:00.000-08:00

BEAT CRUSADERS

Beat Crusaders (ビート・クルセイダース, Bīto Kuruseidāsu), typeset as BEAT CRUSADERS and also known as BECR, are a Japanese rock/punk-pop band. During all promotional appearances, their faces are masked by drawings resembling themselves as printed by a dot-matrix printer.

History

Beat Crusaders, commonly abbreviated BECR, was instigated at the end of 1997 by Tōru Hidaka as an experimental U.S. Lo-Fi Indie Pop unit. The rest of the band later joined as a result of continual experimental gigs performed around the Shimokitazawa (Tokyo) area. Their creative use of analogue, synthesizers and the old Casitone, incorporated with influences of such bands as Weezer and The Rentals, and at times the dynamism of Snuffesque rock , had transformed them into a powerfully melodic guitar band. By the end of 1998, Beat Crusaders had already started creating songs which emphasized they were a crazy and fun live act that was not to be missed. The momentum carried on with a single "E.C.D.T." released in June of the following year which entered independent charts of CD retail shops all across Japan. A month later their first mini-album, "Howling Symphony Of..." was released; this entered the charts again with various music magazines giving the big thumbs up. Reflecting their chart action and praise from magazines, numerous live offers followed from notable bands in the Japanese alternative/independent scene, from guitar pop and new wave of new wave, to pop punk and ska bands. They continued to be busy, with their second single "Firestarter" released in early 2000 and later the full-length "All You Can Eat". They also were involved in four compilations, their own 'cover' EPs including a split entitled "WXY" with fellow Japanese punk band Captain Hedgehog.

In August 2003, three of the four original members of Beat Crusaders left the band, to eventually go on to form a new band "Anita Chili Peppers". This left behind only Tōru Hidaka who later recruited four new members, which make up the Beat Crusaders today. It is not known why the past members left. However, it doesn't seem like they left on bad terms, considering Hidaka included the masks of his former bandmates and his actions (he was crying) in the PV, "Sensation".

Later on down the road, their song "Hit in the USA" was used for the opening of the anime Beck: Mongolian Chop Squad, which moved the band out of the indie scene hitting Japanese music. Since then they have released several more albums including a cover album of American and British songs entitled "Music Crusaders." More recently their song "Tonight, Tonight, Tonight" was used as the fourth opening of the anime Bleach. In 2006, the band's music made its first American appearance as the opening theme song, "Hey x 2 Look x 2" (Aka "Hey Hey Look Look") to the Nicktoons animated series, Kappa Mikey. The single Winterlong is used as the opening of the anime Juushin Enbu (Hero Tales).

A full length CD "EPopMaking," was released on May 30, 2007, it contains 19 tracks, this was followed "Popdod" on June 4, 2008. It is rumored they picked said date due to Hidaka turning 40 the day after the release.

Abingdon Boys School - THE BEST

2008-11-21T14:51:00.000-08:00

Abingdon Boys School

Abingdon Boys School (アビングドンボーイズスクール, abingudon bōizu sukūru?, abbreviated as a.b.s, typeset as abingdon boys school) is a Japanese rock band fronted by Takanori Nishikawa (T.M. Revolution). Formed in 2005, the band was named after Abingdon School, the all-male school where English rock band Radiohead was established.

Members

Takanori Nishikawa (西川貴教, Nishikawa Takanori?) – vocals (T.M. Revolution)
Sunao – guitar
Hiroshi Shibasaki (柴崎浩, Shibasaki Hiroshi?) – guitar (ex-Wands & ex-al.ni.co guitarist)
Toshiyuki Kishi (岸利至, Kishi Tushi?) – keyboard, programming, and turntables

Biography

In 2005, abingdon boys school released its first song, "Stay away", an English-language song written by Nishikawa and composed by Shibasaki, for the Love for Nana ~Only 1 Tribute~, a tribute album to the shōjo anime and manga series Nana. The band also recorded a cover of the Buck-Tick song, "Dress" (ドレス, Doresu?), featured on Parade ~Respective Tracks of Buck-Tick~, an album featuring covers of Buck Tick songs by various artists.

The band performed their first live concert, "CD Data Present Music Evolution ’06", on November 24, 2005, alongside other bands UVERworld and Tsubakiya Quartet (椿屋四重奏, Tsubakiya Shijūsō?). CD Data (CDでーた?) is a Japanese music magazine.

On September 3, 2006, the band announced that they would make their official debut through Sony Music Japan's Epic Records, which was also the label of T.M.Revolution (Nishikawa's solo project). Their first single, Innocent Sorrow, used as the first opening to the anime D.Gray-Man, was released on December 6, 2006 and peaked at #5 on the Oricon music charts. The b-side song off their Innocent Sorrow single, "Fre@k $HoW", was used in a tribute compilation CD for the movie Death Note: the Last Name.

Their second single, Howling, was released on May 16, 2007. It was used as the first opening to the anime Darker Than Black and peaked at #4 on the Oricon charts in its first week of release. Their third single, entitled Nephilim, was released on July 4, 2007, and was used as the main theme to the PlayStation 3 game Folklore. The single reached a peak of #5 on the Oricon.

On July 7, 2007, a.b.s performed their three singles as well as the b-side from their latest single Nephilim, "Lost Reason", at the Japanese leg of Live Earth in Tokyo.[1]

The band's first full studio album was released on October 17, 2007.[2] Their 4th single, Blade Chord, was later released on December 5, 2007 and was used as the theme song to Sengoku Basara: Heroes. They have also covered a song, "Sweetest Coma Again", for the "Luna Sea: Memorial Cover" album, a full album of Luna Sea covers dedicated to the defunct rock band.

On July 16, 2008, abingdon boys school released a live DVD from the live concert they held in February 2008. The DVD was sold in two versions: a limited edition with two DVDs, different packaging, pictures, and stickers, and the normal edition with one DVD.[citation needed]

The band released their 5th single, Strength, with Freedom serving as the b-side, on February 25, 2009, making it their first single release in over a year. Strength was used as the ending theme for the anime series Soul Eater. Their 6th single, JAP, had its radio premiere on on October 23, 2008, and was released on May 20, 2009 with Valkyrie as a b-side. JAP was used as the opening theme song to the Sengoku Basara anime as well as Sengoku Basara Battle Heroes, a game for the PSP.

In 2009, Abingdon Boys School will take part in a special 2-day music event in Shiga, performing on September 19; Takanori's birthday. This is a event that Takanori planed as the new cultural ambassador of Shiga Prefecture.

The band's newest song "Kimi no Uta" will be used for the anime Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 & it will be released on 26th Aug 2009 .

Kishidan - THE BEST

2008-11-21T13:22:00.001-08:00

KISHIDAN

Kishidan (氣志團?), which means "The Knights", are a J-pop band. They have a retro image, wearing Japanese school uniforms in the style of bōsōzoku. The lead singer, Show Ayanocozey, was DJ Ozma, until the persona was "retired" in December 2008. Kishidan announced a "comeback", after a three year break, on January 27th 2009. The band had never officially split up, but had been taking a break while Show and Hikaru were working on the DJ Ozma side project.

Members

* Show Ayanocozey (綾小路翔, Ayanokōji Shō?, Show) — Vocals, Dragon Voice and emcee; born 26 April
* Hikaru Saotome (早乙女光, Saotome Hikaru?, Hikaru) — Dance and scream; born 24 January
* Hitomi Saionji (西園寺瞳, Saionji Hitomi?, Tommy) — Guitar; born 23 October
* Hoshi Grandmarnier (星グランマニエ, Hoshi Guranmanie?, Ranma) — Guitar; born 1 March
* Shouchikubai Shiratori (白鳥松竹梅, Shiratori Shōchikubai?, Matsu) — Bass guitar; born 17 March
* Yukinojoe Shiratori (白鳥雪之丞, Shiratori Yukinojō?, Yukki) — Drums & drunk; born 24 May

Stage personas

Their various uniforms, modeled after the short and long-coat bōsōzoku-preferred versions of old Japanese gakuran (boys' school uniforms), their matching bōsōzoku uniforms (the kind modeled on those worn by kamikaze pilots)...everything is done with a touch of humor and a nostalgic fondness for the gangs and values of days not-long gone by. Since the band started touring again in 2009, they have started wearing different styles of gakuran, as well as outfits from Tokyo-based fashion group, Saturday Nite.

The group's lyrics are predominantly about motorcycles, being with your gang, conflicts with school, and adolescent love. Though Kishidan has something of a comic approach to their presentation and performances, their songs are often sincere and about issues that are generally important to young people.

Kishidan's hit songs "One Night Carnival" and "Zoku" were featured in Nintendo's Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan, and Moero! Nekketsu Rhythm Damashii Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan 2, respectively, which are games about ouendan (cheer squads). The song "One Night Carnival" (a cover version) is even used for a level that was inspired by one of Kishidan's live performances. Coincidentally, the characters wear long gakuran coats and dance like Kishidan. The dancing style is based on actual ouendan cheering routines, and long gakuran coats are often worn by ouendan cheer teams. It is possible that Kishidan's lively and powerful dance routines were inspired by the tradition of ouendan cheering, a subject that is unique to Japanese culture.

Tomoyasu Hotei - THE BEST

2008-11-21T12:46:00.000-08:00

TOMOYASU HOTEI

Tomoyasu Hotei (布袋寅泰, Hotei Tomoyasu, born February 1, 1962 in Takasaki, Gunma Prefecture) is a Japanese musician, guitarist and actor.

Biography

Hotei first began playing the guitar in junior high school. In high school, his band “Blue Film” finished runners up in a school contest to “Death Penalty", a band led by Kyosuke Himuro. Hotei was expelled shortly before graduation. The reason was that, when warned about his long hair he replied “Jesus had long hair!” Shortly after, he went to Tokyo where one day he received a phone call from Himuro. The two had never really known each other but hit it off and went on to hold auditions for a new band, which in 1981 became the six-member Boøwy. The band became major stars in Japan, in 1985 played the Marquee in London, and in 1986 had their first million seller, Beat Emotion.
When the band broke up in 1988, Hotei established himself as a solo star, as did Boøwy singer Kyosuke Himuro. Hotei also made two albums with Koji Kikkawa as Complex, both of which went to number one in the national charts. Hotei frequently records overseas, and has collaborated with many foreign musicians, including playing on The Stranglers Hugh Cornwell’s 1993 solo album, on stage with David Bowie at Nippon Budokan in 1996, and at the closing ceremony of the Atlanta 1996 Centennial Olympic Games with Michael Kamen.

He later recorded “Guitar Concerto” with Kamen. He has also worked with Andy Mackay of Roxy Music, guitarist Chris Spedding and Mike Edwards of Jesus Jones. Hotei also sometimes plays in Europe, and performances include a number of major festival dates. His regular drummer in recent years, Zachary Alford, has previously played with Bruce Springsteen and David Bowie. His album of 1998 Supersonic Generation, recorded in part with Apollo 440 and Ofra Haza, was released in 14 European countries.

In addition to releasing many best-selling solo albums, Hotei composed & performed the score for Hiroyuki Nakano’s Samurai Fiction, as well as starring in the film. He composed the score to Terry Gilliam’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas together with Ray Cooper, and the song “Battle Without Honor or Humanity” was used in the Quentin Tarantino’s film Kill Bill, the PlayStation 2 version of Dance Dance Revolution SuperNOVA,and Michael Bay’s film Transformers. Hotei recorded a cover of John Lennon’s “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” for Merry Axemas, an instrumental guitar Christmas album featuring tracks from guitarists including Jeff Beck, Joe Perry and Steve Vai.

Hotei ventured into the world of video gaming, with the Nintendo DS game Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan featuring his song Thrill. It was followed by a sequel, Moero! Nekketsu Rhythm Damashii, which featured another Hotei song, Bambina. Both songs were cover versions.

Hotei is featured in “Grace” on the Apocalyptica album Worlds Collide. The song is featured in NHL 09.

GO!GO!7188 - THE BEST

2008-11-19T15:47:00.001-08:00

GO!GO!7188

GO!GO!7188 (Go Go Nana Ichi Hachi Hachi), also known simply as Gogo, is a Japanese rock band with influences spanning from surf rock to punk rock to enka. The band was formed in June of 1998 by Yumi Nakashima (nicknamed Yuu) and Akiko Noma (nicknamed Akko), both alumnae of the same year at Shoyo High School in Kagoshima, Kyūshū. The band's drummer, Turkey, joined in 1999 and they debuted on Breast/milia, a division of Capitol Records (Toshiba-EMI) in 2000. The meaning of the band's name is known only to its members.

Members

* Yuu (ユウ), Real name: Yumi Nakashima (中島優美 Nakashima Yumi, born December 1, 1979) Vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter. Released a solo album, Ten no Mikaku as Yuu, in 2004. Released the album Iroha with side band, Chirinuruwowaka in 2005.
* Akko (アッコ), Real name: Akiko Noma (野間亜紀子 Noma Akiko, maiden name: 浜田 Hamada, born February 13, 1980) Bassist, backup vocalist, and lyricist. Released a solo album, Kirari under her real name in 2003. Second solo album, Aru yō de nai yō de, aru mono, was released on November 2, 2005.
* Turkey (ターキー), Real name: Takayuki Hosokawa (細川貴之 Hosokawa Takayuki, born July 10, 1973) Drummer, additional vocals.

GLAY - THE BEST

2008-11-19T15:19:00.001-08:00

GLAY

Glay (グレイ, Gurei?) is a rock/pop band from Hakodate, Hokkaidō, Japan formed by guitarist Takuro and vocalist Teru during high school in 1988. Glay primarily composes songs in the rock and pop genres, but they have also composed songs using elements of different styles such as reggae and gospel. As of 2008, they had sold an estimated amount of 28 million records of forty-three singles and 23 million copies of fourteen albums[1][2], about 37.8 million of which in Japan alone, according to Oricon charts.

Members

Main members

All members were born in Hakodate, Hokkaidō except Hisashi, who was born in Hirosaki, Aomori. When he was in elementary school, he moved to Hakodate.

* Takuro: real name Takuro Kubo : guitar (leader and primary songwriter)
* Teru: real name Teruhiko Kobashi : vocals
* Jiro: real name Yoshihito Wayama : bass
* Hisashi: real name Hisashi Tonomura : guitar

Past and current support members

Seiichiro Nagai: keyboard (2007–present)
Yuta : real name Yuta Saitou : Keyboard (2004–2005)
Toshi : real name Toshimitsu Nagai : drums (1995–present)
Sakuma : real name Masahide Sakuma : guitar, keyboard, producer (mid-1994–present)
Shige : real name Shigeo "sk55" Komori : keyboard (1998–2004)
D.I.E. : real name Daijiro Nozawa : keyboard (1995–1998)
Nobumasa : drums (1994–1995)
Akira : drums (1993–1994)

Name

Officially, the name "Glay" is a deliberate misspelling of the word "gray" and represents the style of music they wanted to play: a mixture between rock (black) and pop (white)[5]. However, it is thought by many English-speaking residents that the misspelling of the band's name may actually have been due to a genuine error, and the official reason was only decided in retrospect.[citation needed] In support of this, they point out that confusing the R and L is a very common mistake amongst Japanese speakers of English, because the Japanese language does not distinguish between the retroflex ("r") and lateral ("l") phonemes of the liquid morpheme.

Core of Soul - THE BEST

2008-11-19T14:51:00.001-08:00

CORE OF SOUL

Core of Soul (formerly Core of Sun) is a J-pop band. The group formed when Song met Nakamura and Iizuka at a school in Osaka. They disbanded March 24, 2006 after completing their Asian tour in Osaka.

Members

Fukiko Nakamura (中村蕗子, Nakamura Fukiko, born March 14, 1983) - Vocals
Rui Song (ソン　ルイ, Son Rui, born November 13, 1981) - Guitar and Bass, Beijing native
Keisuke Iizuka (飯塚啓介, Iizuka Keisuke, born January 9, 1983) - Programmer

Polysics - THE BEST

2008-11-19T14:09:00.001-08:00

POLYSICS

Polysics (typeset POLYSICS) is a Japanese new wave and rock band from Tokyo, who dubs its unique style as "technicolor pogo punk". It was named after a brand of synthesizer, Korg Polysix. The band started in 1997, but got their big break in 1998 at a concert in Tokyo. They create high energy music, fusing conventional guitar music, with synthesized and computer generated sound to create a unique mixture of punk and Synthpop, heavily inspired by the American bands Devo and The Tubes, and Japanese bands such as P-Model and Yellow Magic Orchestra. Their song lyrics often consist of Japanese, English, or just plain gibberish. The band has been noted for their extremely energetic live performances and their wild gimmicky outfits, notably their trademark orange boiler suits, with a simple "P" stamped on them, and their straight-bar sunglasses.

History

Polysics was formed in 1997 by Japanese high-school student Hiroyuki Hayashi. After watching some live footage of Devo and becoming heavily inspired by new wave music of the West, the student quit his soccer team and formed a band that would expand on the cartoonish image and musical ideas of the zany art-punk icons he had seen on TV. He was joined by drummer Junichi Sugai and Sako (aka Poly 2). Another member named Kaneko joined within the early years of the band. He then left and he was then replaced by Kayo and with her mechanical stage presence, it provided an asymmetrical dynamic to the frenetic antics of the other three. The name of the band derives from the first synthesizer owned by Hayashi, the Korg Polysix. This synth appears in two of their early music videos.

In 1999, Polysics released their first albums 1st P and A.D.S.R.M! on the independent label DECKREC Records. Just after the release of 1st P their bassist, known only as "POLY-2", left. The band dropped the "POLY-X" names, and reduced to a trio, with new member Fumi on Bass Support on some of the tracks from Neu. In 1999, Asian Man Records released their US debut album, Hey! Bob! My Friend! to rave reviews, but weak sales. The album was a compilation of tracks from their first two Japanese releases. In 2000, Polysics signed to Ki/oon Records (a subsidiary of Sony Music Japan Inc.) and released their first major album Neu. The album carried with it the same manic energy as their independent releases but more refined. On the 2001 album Eno, Synthesizers became more prevalent in the mix, but the songs still had an intense punk-like energy. For this album, Fumi applied as a full member, returning Polysics to a quartet. 2002 saw the release of the album For Young Electric Pop, Polysics' attempt at a pop album. The manic punk energy was minimized, but the band showed it had an amazing sense of harmony and style.

In 2003, Neu was released in the United States on Asian Man Records to rave reviews and great sales. However, shortly after recording the Kaja Kaja Goo EP drummer Junichi Sugai left the band. Ishimaru (drummer for the punk group Snail Ramp) temporarily joined as a replacement. For the 2003 album National P, Polysics went to the US to tour, which was then captured on the PippikkippippiP In USA DVD.

Also during 2003, Polysics appeared on UK television for the programme Adam & Joe Go Tokyo performing "Kaja Kaja Goo".

In 2004, Polysics released a greatest hits compilation titled Polysics or Die!!!! in Europe and the USA. Yano had also replaced Sugai as the new drummer for the band in this year. Polysics toured Europe and the US for the 2005 US Release of Polysics or Die!!!!. With the early 2006 release of Now Is the Time!, they toured the US and the UK, supporting high profile UK artists such as Graham Coxon and the Kaiser Chiefs.

On February 28, 2007 Polysics released their album Karate House in Japan.

Following this Polysics signed for MySpace Records making plans to re-release Polysics or Die!!!! in the US, with the inclusion of the latest singles from Karate House and a bonus DVD of videos and live cuts. Polysics or Die!!!! Vista was released on October 9, 2007 for Myspace Records exclusively for the United States, to mark the band's ten-year anniversary. Hayashi did a remix of the "Teen Titans Theme" by JPop group Puffy AmiYumi. The song "Teen Titans Theme ~POLYSICS' CR-06 MIX~" appears on their US album Splurge.

On April 23 2008, We Ate the Machine was released in Japan. It was released on September 30, 2008 in North America.

In their newsletter it was announced that Kayo's last day with Polysics will be March 14, 2010, the day of their huge Japan Budokan gig. She says that she has spent happy and quality time with the band, but she wants live on as a woman and not a musician.

Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra - THE BEST

2008-11-19T13:33:00.000-08:00

TOKYO SKA PARADISE ORCHESTRA

Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra (東京スカパラダイスオーケストラ), commonly abbreviated by fans as Skapara or TSPO, is a Japanese ska and jazz band officially formed in 1988 by the percussionist Asa-Chang, and initially composed of over 10 veterans of Tokyo's underground scene. At the time, the band's sound was unlike that of any of its contemporaries in the then fledgling Japanese ska scene, and over the course of the past 21 years, their innovation has proved to have been very influential on Japanese music as a whole. Its sound, the product of the musical influences of its numerous members, is an eclectic mix of traditional ska, jazz, and rock. In the vein of many other more traditional ska acts, many of Skapara's songs are purely instrumental. Since its inception, the band has gone on several nationwide tours of Japan, and have toured extensively worldwide. They have collaborated with several vocalists outside of their band, including Shiina Ringo, Akira Kobayashi, Kyōko Koizumi, Schadaraparr, PUFFY and Tamio Okuda. They also performed the Japanese theme song to the PlayStation 2 game Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus, entitled Black Jack.

Super Junior - THE BEST

2008-11-18T16:09:00.001-08:00

SUPER JUNIOR

Super Junior (Korean: 슈퍼주니어), often referred to as SJ or SuJu (슈주), is a boy band from Seoul, South Korea formed by SM Entertainment in 2005. With a total of thirteen members, Super Junior is the largest boy band in the world. The group consists of Leeteuk (leader), Heechul, Han Geng, Yesung, Kang-in, Shindong, Sungmin, Eunhyuk, Donghae, Siwon, Ryeowook, Kibum, and Kyuhyun. The Chinese member, Han Geng, was chosen from three thousand applicants, via auditions held in China by SM Entertainment in 2001.
Super Junior has released and contributed in 19 different kinds of records with varying degrees of success. Over the years, they have been divided into smaller sub groups, simultaneously targeting different music industries and audiences. Largely due to Super Junior's success as entertainers, other Korean entertainment managements began to train their music groups in other areas of entertainment, such as acting and hosting. In addition to their commercial success, Super Junior has earned seven music awards from the M.net Asian Music Awards, eleven from the Golden Disk Awards (including Album of the Year and Daesang), and is the second singing group to win Favorite Artist Korea at the MTV Asia Awards after JTL in 2008.

Ryūichi Sakamoto - THE BEST

2008-11-18T15:07:00.000-08:00

RYUICHI SAKAMOTO

Ryuichi Sakamoto (坂本龍一, Sakamoto Ryūichi, born January 17, 1952) is an Academy Award-, Grammy-, and Golden Globe-winning Japanese musician, composer, record producer and actor, based in New York and Tokyo. He played the keyboards in the influential electropop band Yellow Magic Orchestra. His 1999 musical composition "Energy Flow" is the first number-one instrumental single in the Japan's Oricon charts history. He was ranked at number 59 in a list of the top 100 most influential musicians compiled by HMV Japan.

Biography

Early years and Yellow Magic Orchestra

Sakamoto attended the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, where he earned a B.A. in music composition and an M.A. with special emphasis on both electronic and ethnic music.

After working as a session musician, he formed the internationally successful synthpop trio Yellow Magic Orchestra, with Haruomi Hosono and Yukihiro Takahashi.

The pillows - THE BEST

2008-11-18T14:12:00.000-08:00

THE PILLOWS

The Pillows (styled as the pillows) are a Japanese alternative rock band, best known internationally for the soundtrack of the anime series FLCL. During its long-running career, the group has released more than a dozen original studio albums, along with several EPs, singles and compilations. The Pillows are currently signed to the Avex Trax label.

History

The Pillows were formed on September 16, 1989 by Sawao Yamanaka (rhythm guitar and vocals), Yoshiaki Manabe (lead guitar), Kenji Ueda (bass), and Shinichirou Sato (drums) in Hokkaidō. Kenji Ueda would leave the group three years later and has never been officially replaced.

Following Ueda's departure, the band recruited Tatsuya Kashima as a replacement on bass. Out of respect for Ueda, Kashima was only labeled as a guest musician on releases he performed on. He would stay with the band through 1999 and the release of their 7th overall album "Runners High." Kashima was replaced by Jun Suzuki who is still with the band today.

In 1999, The Pillows were approached by the anime studio Gainax, which licensed The Pillows' three previous albums for the soundtrack of their latest anime FLCL. The Pillows also composed two new songs for the show, "Ride on Shooting Star" and "I Think I Can," which were released on their album "Fool on the Planet."

In March 2005, The Pillows played their first show in the United States at the South by Southwest Festival in Austin, Texas, followed by concerts in New York City and San Francisco.[3] In the following year, The Pillows returned to North America during their tour in support of the album My Foot, with several more dates in the U.S. and a show in Mexico City.

The group's album Wake Up! Wake Up! Wake Up! was released on May 2, 2007 their first on the Avex Trax label.

The single, "Ladybird Girl," was released on August 15, 2007, and is being used in the Japanese version of the children's show Ben 10 as its theme song.

They returned to the US in 2008 starting with Los Angeles, followed by another appearance at SXSW, San Francisco, Seattle, New York City, and Boston.

Pied Piper is the sixteenth studio album by The Pillows, released on June 25, 2008. It includes the singles "Ladybird Girl," "Tokyo Bambi," and "New Animal" as well as the b-side "Across the Metropolis."

Oblivion Dust - THE BEST

2008-11-18T13:46:00.000-08:00

OBLIVION DUST

Oblivion Dust (OD) is a Japanese rock band that incorporate elements of electronic music to an indie rock format. They stand out due to their original style and because also a big part of their songs are written and sung in fluent English.

History

In May 1995 the band Addict of the Trip Minds stopped activities due differences in the direction of the band. The drummer Taka Motomura (who played in the self-titled album indie Addict of the Trip Minds in 94 and the bassist Derek Forbes (who had arrived short while ago to the band) decided reform the band starting over again and taking a "western style". In late 95´ they recruited K.A.Z as lead guitarist and in early 96´ recruited Ken Lloyd as vocalist and (in a beginning) guitarist. They started to make songs and went to Los Angeles, California to record their first album (which wasn't released until the following year) with Ray McVeigh (The Professionals, Zilch, Wild Crash 500, etc.) as producer (he would also be the producer of their second and third album), but once recording of the album was completed Derek Forbes dropped out of the band and was replaced on bass by Koozie Johns (Jer Koozie) as support member in a few shows from mid 1996 until the end of that year, then he left the band and was replaced by Matt Garrett as official member. In that moment, thanks to the help of Hide, they signed with alternative label Cutting Edge (an Avex sublabel) and the name of the band was changed Oblivion Dust, in September of 1996, being their debut under this name in November of 1996.

In January 1997, they released their first single entitled Sucker. March witnessed the release of their second single Numb. In April the group toured the West Coast of the United States with a series of 10 concerts. In May, they managed to release one more single and in June their first full length album entitled Looking for Elvis. In July, they returned to the West Coast of the United States to play 10 more concerts and Matt Garrett left the band. In September they did their first Japanese tour consisting of a total of 11 shows and 5 extra shows in October.

Early in 2008, Oblivion Dust had a short tour to signify their reformation. Then, they performed on one night of the two-night Hide Memorial Summit on 4 May, alongside X Japan, Luna Sea, and others.

The mid 2008, the band released the single "Girl in Mono / Bed of Roses" and then announced an album for the early 2009.

In early 2009 was announced the album was delayed because the members haven't got enough time due to their sides projects.

Tigarah - THE BEST

2008-11-17T16:24:00.001-08:00

TIGARAH

Tigarah (born 1982 in Tokyo, Japan), is a Japanese Baile Funk emcee whose music contains elements of Grime, Crunk, and Baltimore Club. She performs both in English and Japanese, and has a growing following in both Japan and the United States. She currently splits her time between her home in Tokyo and Los Angeles, California. Tigarah, by her admission, means "girl like a tiger."

Tigarah became acquainted with funk carioca, a Brazilian rhythm similar to Miami Bass, by Brazilian classmates when she attended Keio University. The political science major was so captivated by the music that she traveled to São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro to learn more about the music and to immerse in culture it came from.[citation needed] During her stay in Rio de Janeiro, she met Mr. D, a Swiss-German DJ/producer who splits his time between there and Los Angeles. In 2003 the two decided to form a duo, having the same musical tastes and interests, performing under Tigarah's name. In 2006 they signed a major record deal with Universal.

Although without a major label deal for a long time, Tigarah has been featured on NPR and by national American publications like Blender Magazine, URB, "XLR8R", "Dazed & Confused" and the Los Angeles Times. Her music has also been used in the television programs Numb3rs and The L Word, in the games Need For Speed: Carbon, FIFA 07 and most recently in FIFA 08. She has also been featured on G4TV's FreeStyle 101, freestyling in Japanese. Her music has also been used in commercials for the mobile ring-tone service Mobizzo. She has been compared with fellow genre-bending emcee M.I.A., who also rose to prominence from Internet buzz.

Shanadoo - THE BEST

2008-11-17T16:06:00.001-08:00

SHANADOO

Shanadoo is a Japanese Eurodance group produced in Germany. The majority of their recorded works have been Japanese covers of a German dance act, E-Rotic.

Information

Shanadoo is an all female group made up of four young Japanese women from the Platinum Production agency. Shibuya, Fukuda and Fuku had worked together before the Shanadoo project had started as a part of Avex Trax's promotional unit, Vivace. Vivace's activities included work as race queens, bikini pin-up modeling and even a few Japanese Eurobeat-style recordings for various Avex Trax music compilations such as Girl's Box. Genda was later added to the group as Lead Vocalist once the Shanadoo project went into project with noted Eurodance Producer, David Brandes. Brandes' production credits include acts such as E-Rotic, Bad Boys Blue and Vanilla Ninja.

Released on June 16, 2006 through one of Brandes' record labels, Icezone Music, Shanadoo's first single, "King Kong", a cover of E-Rotic's 2000 work of the same name, later recovered in 2005 by Hinoi Team in Japan, was met with great success. Shanadoo's works were exclusive to Germany and other European markets, such as Austria, until December 2006, when avex announced that a then untitled debut album would be released on February 28, 2007 in Japan. In January 2007, it was announced by Icezone Music that Shanadoo's fourth single, to be released on March 9, 2007 in Germany, would be original content instead of a Japanese cover of E-Rotic.

Shanadoo has remained active in 2008, with their activities shifting from Germany to Japan. They are currently building a fan following by frequently performing at numerous music festivals and events. Shanadoo also announced in late 2008, a collaboration with Japanese clothing design house Kiks Tyo to have their likeness appear on a designer t-shirt line set for release in early 2009.

On December 18, 2008, after a brief mention on Shanadoo's official blog in November 2008 of a new song "No Crime" being performed at recent live events, the Nintendo Wii video game Dance Dance Revolution Full Full Party was released in Japan featuring a short edit of the song. On January 29, 2009 an official soundtrack for the game is scheduled to be released that features a full version of the song. "No Crime" is produced by Japanese video game sound producer, Naoki Maeda, and is the first of Shanadoo's recorded works to not be produced by David Brandes.

Eri Nobuchika - THE BEST

2008-11-17T15:48:00.001-08:00

ERI NOBUCHIKA

Eri Nobuchika (信近エリ, Nobuchika Eri) is a Japanese pop singer and songwriter under the Fearless Records label on Sony Music Associated Records. She currently resides in Tokyo.

Biography

Before her debut

Eri's professional career started at Sony Music SD "Gonna be a star" audition, a regularly held event for aspiring new pop artists. She sent in her demotape but forgot to put her address in it. The president of the audition wanted to contact her, and after asking for her through a few calls to Fukuokan post offices, he finally got hold of Eri.

At the audition, she raised interest in producer Shinichi Osawa. She got 7 more label offers, but ultimately signed with Sony Music, and teamed up with Shinichi Osawa. As an artist on his label, Fearless Records, Osawa would go on to primarily produce Eri's music as he did with fellow label artist bird. in To

kyo.

Heartsdales - THE BEST

2008-11-17T15:33:00.000-08:00

HEARTSDALES

Heartsdales was a Japanese hip hop group composed of sisters Yumi Sugiyama (杉山ユミ, Sugiyama Yumi?) and Emi Sugiyama (杉山エミ, Sugiyama Emi?), known by their stage names Rum and Jewels, respectively.

Yumi was born on December 17, 1981, and Emi on December 4, 1976 in Tokyo, Japan. Their family moved to the Yonkers area of New York right after Yumi was born, due to their father's job as an interior designer. In 1995, the family moved back to Japan, and Yumi attended Tama Art University and Emi attended Keio University.

In summer 2001, Yumi and Emi appeared on the TV audition program Asayan. They won the competition, and landed a contract with Avex Entertainment. They adopted the name "Heartsdales" as a reference to the hamlet of Hartsdale, New York.

They released their first album, Radioactive, in 2002 under Avex Record's sublabel Cutting Edge. Their first single, "So Tell Me," was ranked 6th on the Oricon music rankings. Since then, they released 6 albums and 14 singles. Artimage is Heartsdales' management office, who also manages other Japanese hip-hop artists such as M-Flo and Double.

On June 22, 2006, Heartsdales announced on their official website that they were going to split up to pursue new endeavors. Yumi now lives in New York City and has started a design studio, "Studio Yumi," and attends the Parsons The New School for Design. Jewels lives in Tokyo.

V6 - THE BEST

2008-11-17T15:18:00.000-08:00

V6

V6 is a six-member Japanese boy band formed by Johnny & Associates. They debuted on November 1, 1995 with their first CD-Single "MUSIC FOR THE PEOPLE".

Due to the difference in age between the six members, subunits were formed within the group. The three oldest members formed 20th Century (Tonisen, in short) whilst the youngest three formed Coming Century (Kamisen, in short).

As they are 'idols', each member takes part in a variety of activities - as well as singing, they appear in TV dramas, variety shows, host radio programmes etc. 20th Century are usually associated with being on stage in plays and musicals, whereas Coming Century are more often in TV dramas (although every member has done both).

History

There are many theories behind the meaning of the "V" in V6. It is said that it stands for Victory, but members have mentioned on TV programmes etc that it also means Volleyball (as their debut single was used in the World Cup Volleyball Tournament in 1995), Versus (20th Century versus Coming Century), Vegetable (as Sakamoto's parents own a green grocers), Vicycle (obviously means Bicycle - Nagano's parents own a Cycling store) and Veteran (as Inohara was told). It's mostly believed to stand for Volume, which derives from their album that they made.

Hinoi Team - THE BEST

2008-11-17T14:57:00.001-08:00

HINOI TEAM

Hinoi Team (HINOIチーム, Hinoi Chīmu) is a female J-pop group formed around Asuka Hinoi with supporting members Keika Matsuoka, Hikaru Koyama, and Rina Takenaka. Most of their releases are covers of Eurobeat songs.

Singles

Ike Ike

The Hinoi team's debut "Ike Ike" went on sale on May 18, 2005 in Japan. The song was written by Claudio Accatino, Federico Rimonti and Roberto Festari, and originally performed by Tri-Star,[1] but the Hinoi team's version had new Japanese lyrics written by Kenko-P. The beats were derived from the song "We Like to Party" by the Vengaboys.[citation needed] The single also features the song "Sing Na Na Na" as well as an extended version of Ike Ike and instrumental versions for both Ike Ike and Sing Na Na Na. The DVD version has a PV, Para Para video & off-shot video for Ike Ike. "Ike Ike" was also used as the ending theme for the anime Ichigo 100% and as the ending during the month of April[when] for the Chukyo TV. Broadcasting show Sarudie.

Sowelu - THE BEST

2008-11-17T14:31:00.000-08:00

SOWELU

Sowelu, born Aki Harada (原田亜希, Harada Aki?), is a J-pop singer.

History

Her career started in 2002 with the release of her first single Beautiful Dreamer, a soft love ballad which did very well in the charts, and was later featured on the Relaxin’ with Japanese Lovers compilation album. Her first single was modestly successful, and it wasn't until the release of her album Geofu in the summer of 2003 that she gained recognition. Geofu did exceptionally well in the charts, scoring a number 4 position with more than 300,000 copies sold. Her first single after Geofu, "Rainbow" was used as the theme song for the Japanese drama Netsuretsuteki Chukahanten, and the other A-side song on that single, "breath ~Omoi no Youryō~" was used for the national promotion campaign of JFN Radio. She performs under Sony Music Japan's DefSTAR Records label.

Her next big single "Glisten" was used in a make-up commercial for Menard products, and did fairly well in the Japanese market. With this success, she gained even more popularity, and was asked to sing the end theme for the popular TBS animated series Fullmetal Alchemist, entitled "I Will", giving her an easy in with American fans. Because of "'I Will"', the two other songs included with her "I Will" single, "Candy Rain" and "Pearl Color ni Yurete", became popular among American fans. In 2005, her song "Candy Rain" was featured on the Soul Tree: a Musical Tribute to Toshinobu Kubota album and "Pearlcolor ni Yurete" was on the Momoe Yamaguchi tribute album Thank You For.... Likewise, her third single "Fortune" was selected for the American J-Pop compilation album Neo Soul, and "Across My Heart" written by Kenny Lerum and Barry J. Eastmond, from the Geofu album, was added to the "Smooth Listening Compilation" album.

In November 2004, Sowelu released her 8th single, "Last Forever", which became the TV insert song for the new drama There goes Nurse-man, and her cover of "The Rose" was featured on a Nescafe commercial. Then finally, after one and a half years of waiting, Sowelu released her second album Sweet Bridge on January 7, 2005.

In 2005, Sowelu contributed to M-Flo's album Beat Space Nine on the track "So Exclusive", and again on their album Dope Space Nine in the same song, remixed by Korean fusion band, Clazziquai.

In the music video for the song "to YOU" several photographs of her family and her childhood are intercut with scenes of her singing in a wide room with large glass windows. According to her website, the video location is a church about one hour away from Tokyo by car. At the end of the PV, the family members in the photos make an appearance together with Sowelu, including her grandmother, her mother and even Sowelu's pet chihuahua.

Her latest album "24 -twenty four-" was released on July 12, 2006. It debuted at #3, her highest ranking yet. The album remained at the #3 spot for two weeks on the Weekly Oricon Album Charts[citation needed]. One of the album's songs entitled "守るべきもの", (Mamoru Beki Mono/The One You Should Protect) is used as the ending of the 9th Pokémon movie Pokémon Ranger and the Prince of the Sea: Manaphy.

On December 12, 2007 Sowelu released her latest single "光", (Hikari). The single had moderate success and reached #28 on the Oricon Weekly Charts[citation needed] More recently Sowelu will participate in the 2008 Nike ad campaign, "MY MUSIC,MY FORCE"; along with Perfume, Home Made Kazoku, Tohoshinki, Shota Moriyama and Shoko Nakagawa.

In Spring 2009, Sowelu's contract with Sony Music Japan's DefSTAR label wasn't renewed, resulting in the label dropping her from the web site's roster. Less than a week after the news of Sowelu being dropped from her label, it was announced that Sowelu had signed to Avex Trax, one of Japan's most powerful record labels (under its sister label Rhythm Zone).

Nanase Aikawa - THE BEST

2008-11-17T14:17:00.000-08:00

NANASE AIKAWA

Nanase Aikawa (相川七瀬, Aikawa Nanase) (born February 16, 1975) is a Japanese musician known for employing a variety of musical styles, most notably rock. She publishes her music under the Motorod label, a division of Avex Group.

Early life

Nanase Aikawa was born on February 16, 1975, in Osaka, Japan. Throughout her school years, Nanase had sung and participated in a several singing competitions, which brought her to the attention of a well-known music producer Tetsuro Oda.

At the age of 15, she dropped out of school to be trained by Oda. At the age of 20 she released her first single, Yume Miru Shoujo ja Irarenai on 8 November 1995.

JUDY AND MARY - THE BEST

2008-11-17T14:02:00.001-08:00

JUDY AND MARY

udy and Mary was a Japanese multi-genre band formed in 1991 in Hakodate, Hokkaido by bassist Yoshihito Onda (恩田快人, Onda Yoshihito?) and vocalist Yuki Isoya (磯谷有希, Isoya Yuki?) with drummer Kohta Igarashi (五十嵐公太, Igarashi Kōta?) and guitarist Taiji Fujimoto (藤本泰司, Fujimoto Taiji?) completing the lineup the following year. Guitarist Takuya Asanuma (浅沼拓也, Asanuma Takuya?) later replaced Taiji the following year. The band is known for their innovative punk, rock, and pop meldings of noisy but melodic music in the 1990s.

In 1992, they released their independent album Be Ambitious with an accompanying video on Chainsaw Records. They were picked up by Epic/Sony Records and released their first major label single, Power of Love in 1993. Their first debut major label album, J.A.M, was released in 1994. With each release they grew in popularity until they became one of the most popular and well-known bands in Japan. One of their songs, Sobakasu, was used as the first opening theme for the popular and famous anime TV series Rurouni Kenshin and sold over a million copies.

In all, they released seven albums, three compilation albums and twenty-two singles. Judy and Mary disbanded in March 2001 following the WARP Tour Final held at the Tokyo Dome. The concert is available on DVD.

Yuki is now enjoying a successful solo career as YUKI. Takuya is also currently a solo artist. Onda joined a band called the Hot Rod Crue, but since 2008, has been a member of the band ZAMZA N'BANSHEE.

Puffy - THE BEST

2008-11-17T13:48:00.000-08:00

PUFFY

Puffy (パフィー, Pafī, romanized as PUFFY in Japan) or Puffy AmiYumi is a Japanese rock duo that is currently signed with Sony Music Japan. The group continues to go by the moniker of PUFFY in Japan, but in order to avoid legal naming conflicts with Sean Combs, it has adopted the name Puffy AmiYumi outside of Japan.

Ami Onuki, whose nickname is Jane, and Yumi Yoshimura, nicknamed Sue, were scouted by Sony-affiliated talent agencies and put together in the mid-1990s, and soon Puffy-mania would begin. Puffy-mania reached its peak in 1998–1999, following the release of their Jet CD and the Jet tour.

Their first release "Asia no Junshin" sold a million records and their success has continued with several more full-length releases (totaling 14 million sales in Japan).

History

Talent searches brought Puffy together

When she was in high school, Ami sang for a band called "Hanoi Sex". In her sophomore year, the band auditioned during the Sony SD Audition and passed, becoming employees of Sony Music Entertainment. Years went by with little action by either the band or the record label, as Ami took vocal lessons and attended a professional school to learn how to become a better performer. Eventually the band dissolved, leaving only Ami under Sony's employment. She was encouraged to stay, despite lacking a band and a clear musical direction.

Separately, Yumi had learned of the Chotto Sokomade talent search underway by Sony Music Artists when she was "around 18". She also auditioned and passed. She moved on her own from Osaka to Tokyo, where she eventually met Ami by chance in the Sony Music offices and then at a concert after-party, when the two hit it off. Both felt alone within the large Sony organization and neither were confident in their abilities as solo artists, so even though Ami had already recorded a solo CD under the guidance of former Unicorn front-man Tamio Okuda (it would later become half of solosolo), they requested Sony pair them as a duo.

When paired together, their voices blended well and they had a close rapport. Producer and American pop musician Andy Sturmer christened them "Puffy", for which they dubbed him "the godfather of Puffy".

Ami had previously met Tamio Okuda at a SPARKS GOGO concert, and he had produced her then-unreleased solo CD. He was eventually signed on to produce Puffy's first album amiyumi. Their debut single, "Asia no Junshin", launched Puffy-mania. Asked if they were surprised by the attention after its success, Yumi told an interviewer "... everything that was put together for that song all came together and made it happen, but we didn't expect it. It was luck."

As "Puffy-mania" exploded, they become multimedia stars, including hosting their own weekly TV show Pa-Pa-Pa-Pa-Puffy with guests such as Lenny Kravitz, Sylvester Stallone, Harrison Ford, and rock band Garbage.

Ayaka - THE BEST

2008-11-17T13:23:00.000-08:00

AYAKA

Ayaka Iida (飯田絢香, Iida Ayaka, born December 18, 1987 in Moriguchi, Osaka Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese female singer signed to Warner Music Japan. She married actor Hiro Mizushima on February 22, 2009. Ayaka has been diagnosed with a disease called Graves' Disease.

Biography
2009

On February 22, 2009, Ayaka married actor Hiro Mizushima. On April 2, Ayaka's diagnosis ofGrave's disease was made public. She plans to continue singing until the end of 2009, and will then put her career on hold.

On April 22, 2009, Ayaka released her second double A-side single "Yume wo Mikata ni / Koikogarete Mita Yume". Featuring two songs, "Yume wo Mikata ni" and "Koi Kogarete Mita Yume", the single also include a live version of "Kimi ga Iru Kara" that was recorded from her live performance in February at Shibuya-AX. "Yume wo Mikata ni" is a part of the Benesse promotion campaigns, used to cheer high school students on in their studies. The single come in two different versions, Limited and Regular.

Every Little Thing - THE BEST

2008-11-14T15:43:00.000-08:00

EVERY LITTLE THING

Every Little Thing is a J-pop and soft rock duo from Japan who debuted in August 1996 with the release of their first single called "Feel My Heart". Their name is usually written in English, and only rarely in katakana or rōmaji.

Also known as ELT by their fans, Every Little Thing was originally a trio but became a duo in 2000 with Kaori Mochida as the singer and Ichiro Ito as the guitarist. Mitsuru Igarashi left ELT following the release of their 3rd original album "eternity" to produce for other artists like Dream and the now disbanded Day After Tomorrow, which was criticized for sounding too much like the early Every Little Thing.

In Taiwan, Every Little Thing is also known as 小事乐团.

Members

* Kaori Mochida (持田香織, Mochida Kaori?) (Born March 24, 1978) - vocalist, songwriter
* Ichiro Ito (伊藤一朗, Itō Ichirō?) (Born November 10, 1967) - guitarist, composer, arranger
* Mitsuru Igarashi (五十嵐充, Igarashi Mitsuru?) (Born May 17, 1969) - keyboardist, producer, songwriter (Left the band in 2000)

Rurutia - THE BEST

2008-11-14T14:34:00.000-08:00

RURUTIA

Rurutia (ルルティア) is a Japanese singer/songwriter. She began her career in 2001 with the release of 'Itoshigo yo' when she was signed to Toshiba-EMI. She is currently signed to Phoerix Records as of mid-2005 and has released a total of 5 regular albums and 10 singles thus far. Rurutia is an intensely private artist; most aspects of her life - such as her age and her real name - are not known to the public. This fact, added to her whispered vocals, creates a unique and mysterious atmosphere around her.

Her pseudonym, Rurutia, is derived from the Tahitian word rorotea meaning 'blissful rain'.

BONNIE PINK - THE BEST

2008-11-14T14:08:00.000-08:00

BONNIE PINK

Kaori Asada (浅田香織, Asada Kaori, born 16 April 1973 in Kyoto, Japan), known by her stage name, Bonnie Pink (ボニー・ピンク, Bonī Pinku), is a Japanese singer / songwriter. She lived in New York during 1998 and speaks English (many of her songs are entirely in English). She writes and composes all her songs, and plays guitar and piano. Kaori Asada has said that the name Bonnie Pink is random and that she thought the words were cute together. There is no special meaning behind the name, she chose it because it was easy to remember.

Bonnie Pink was quite famous in her early years during the 90s and the early 2000s, but she slowly drifted out of popularity. However, in 2006 her hit single "A Perfect Sky" went to the top of the charts and brought her back into the J-Pop spotlight and her latest albums have become very popular and major successes for the singer.

History

Bonnie Pink debuted in 1995 with her single, "Orenji", under her real name, Asada Kaori. Her first album, Blue Jam, was released that same year under the Pony Canyon record label. She described it as a "mixture of bitter honey, blues music, momentary silence, irresistible madness, teardrops, sourgrapes, hopeful bombs, big big love, and a few green apples" in the jacket. It introduced her unique style of music that has been defined as an off-beat mix between jazz, blues, pop, and rock. The next year she met Tore Johansson, Swedish producer for The Cardigans, who became her good friend and produced much of her work. The song "It's Gonna Rain!" was the fifth ending of the anime Rurouni Kenshin. She wrote her third album, Evil & Flowers (1998), while in isolation in the Swedish countryside. She hoped to find inspiration there, but became depressed. She put her feelings of frustration into the songs.

Bonnie Pink's latest album Thinking Out Loud was released on July 25, 2007. It is her first album to be sold in both CD and CD+DVD formats. First press of both editions come with an access ticket containing the AD/Password to reserve tickets for her tour, Bonnie Pink Tour 2007 "Thinking Out Loud" Final at Nippon Budokan on a special designated website. The CD pre-orders made the album #1 on the Amazon.com Japan Top Sellers. The album debuted at #4 on the Oricon Daily Charts and #5 on the weekly charts selling approximately 53,605 copies. As of September 5, 2007, her album has sold approximately 90,000 copies. It is expected to pass the 100,000 mark, which means it will reach "Gold" status from the Recording Industry Association of Japan. Bonnie Pink was on her 'Thinking Outloud Tour' from late 2007 to early 2008.

The English version of Bonnie Pink's single "Ring a Bell" is only available through digital download. "Ring a Bell" was used as the theme song for the American release of the Xbox 360 game Tales of Vesperia. The single was released in Japan and America on iTunes to celebrate Bonnie Pink's 35th birthday. Its Japanese counterpart, "Kane wo Narashite" was released on August 6, 2008. Bonnie Pink's thirtieth single entitled "Joy / Happy Ending" is to be released on April 8, 2009, according to her official website.

Aya Matsuura - THE BEST

2008-11-14T13:39:00.000-08:00

AYA MATSUURA

Aya Matsuura (松浦亜弥, Matsuura Aya, born June 25, 1986) is a J-pop artist from Himeji, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan.

Career

2001–2009: Hello! Project

Aya auditioned in 2000 for the fourth Morning Musume & Heike Michiyo Protegee Audition and was selected along with Sheki-Dol to become a part of what was later known as Hello! Project. It is a common misconception that Aya originally auditioned to be a part of Morning Musume, which she did not. After being chosen from that audition, Matsuura began her solo career. In time, she would become one of Hello! Project's biggest acts.

Aside from a successful solo career, Matsuura (nicknamed Ayaya), also did numerous collaborations with other members of Hello! Project, including special, usually short lived groups Gomattou with Maki Goto and Miki Fujimoto; Nochiura Natsumi with Maki Goto and Natsumi Abe; and DEF.DIVA with Maki Goto, Natsumi Abe, and Rika Ishikawa. She also did the "Folk Song" series which feature Yuko Nakazawa and other Hello! Project artists, as well as Hello! Project's shuffle groups (3nin Matsuri in 2001, Odoru 11 in 2002, Salt5 in 2003, and the larger H.P. All Stars in 2004).

She also collaborated with Miki Fujimoto as a duo named GAM that debuted September 2006. Their first single, "Thanks!" reached the #2 position on the Oricon.

Matsuura starred in the Japanese film Sukeban Deka: Codename = Asamiya Saki opposite Rika Ishikawa, released on September 30, 2006.

On October 9, 2006 both concerts she was supposed to hold that day were cancelled due to her not feeling well. Soon several unsourced rumours emerged considering the possibility she might be suffering from Temporomandibular joint disorder. Following the cancellation of the two concerts, Matsuura's management confirmed the rumours, reported the young idol had been taking painkillers to continue working and scheduled a press conference to discuss her condition. On the following day Matsuura made a public statement on PBS apologizing to her fans and expressing her desire to get back to her singing career as soon as possible.

Since her press conference, Matsuura returned to her normal hosting duties on her weekly radio show, "Matsuura Aya no All Night Nippon" and returned to singing in a limited capacity, as demonstrated on her appearance on Hey! Hey! Hey! Music Champ on October 23, 2006.

On March 8, 2008, Matsuura—as a secret guest—performed at the opening ceremony of the Fourth Special Olympics Japan Winter National Games, a national event in preparation of the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games held in Boise, Idaho. She performed the song "Kizuna", which was released on May 21, 2008 as her 20th single.

It was officially announced on October 19, 2008 that Matsuura would be graduating from Hello! Project along with the rest of Elder Club. Before her graduation, Matsuura released her fifth studio album, Omoi Afurete, on January 21, 2009, and her 21st single, "Chocolate Damashii", was released on February 11 that same year for Valentine's Day.

Matsuura finally graduated from Hello! Project on March 31, 2009.

GIRL NEXT DOOR - THE BEST

2008-11-14T13:16:00.000-08:00

GIRL NEXT DOOR

Girl Next Door is a Japanese J-pop trio that debuted in 2008 on the Avex Trax label. The band consists of vocalist Chisa, guitarist Yuji Inoue and Daisuke Suzuki on keyboard.

Girl Next Door was formed in March, and subsequently made their official debut in September 2008. Originally a member of Ma-Kiss, Chisa was presented many times in front of Max Matsuura (founder of Avex) through Avex Artist Academy Show Case. After many attempts by AAA staff, Chisa was finally acknowledged by Max Matsuura and was then introduced to keyboard player Suzuki and guitar player, Inoue.

Chisa was born November 16, 1985 and grew up in Hyōgo Prefecture. Her full name is Chisa Maekawa (前川千紗).

Girl Next Door's debut single, "Guzen no Kakuritsu" (偶然の確率), was placed online on several sites from May 29, 2008. As of July 2008[update], there were two million views.

Over a period of three months from their debut, they have released three singles. On December 24, 2008, they released their self-titled debut album including songs from the three singles.

On December 22, 2008, the band's official fanclub "Next Door" opened.

The band's fifth single "Infinity" was released on June 10, 2009. It is also the theme song for the 2009 Spring tv show Atashinchi no Danshi & it's the trio's 1st #1 single. It's also confirmed that they will also sing the OP song of the game Tales of VS using the song "Be your wings". The 6th single is confirmed to be released in August 5, 2009.

Hikaru Utada - THE BEST

2008-11-14T12:37:00.000-08:00

HIKARU UTADA

Hikaru Utada (宇多田ヒカル Utada Hikaru), better known by her stage name Utada (English pronunciation: /ˈuːtədə/) in America and Europe, and also known by her fans as Hikki (ヒッキー, Hikkī), is a Japanese American singer-songwriter, arranger, and record producer.

Before her major debut with her album First Love (1999), she sold several records with mediocre success. After First Love's release, which went on to become the best-selling album in Oricon's recent history,Utada would go on to have three of her Japanese studio albums rank in Top 10 best-selling albums ever in Japan (#1, #4, #8) and an overall six of her albums, two English-language and one compilation, thus far in her career charting within the 275 Best-Selling Japanese albums list.

Utada currently has 12 number-one singles to date on the Oricon Singles chart, with two notable record achievements for a female solo or group artist: 5 of them being million-sellers and 4 placing in the Top 100 All-Time Best-selling Singles.For her achievements, she was described by Time Magazine in 2001 as a "Diva On Campus," while attending Columbia University for a brief, career-break semester in 2001. In 2003, Utada was ranked #24 in the survey of Top 100 Japanese Pop Artists of All Time by HMV, and #10 in HMV's Top 30 Best Japanese Singers of All Time in 2006.

Additionally, Utada is also credited for two theme song contributions to Square Enix's Kingdom Hearts video game series: "Simple and Clean" and "Sanctuary". In 2007, her single "Flavor of Life" reached #2 in worldwide digital download yearly single chart with over 7.2 million downloads,and contributes to 12 million digital sales for her over the same year.

Biography

Early life and beginnings

Hikaru Utada was born in New York City to Japanese parents with roots in the Japanese music industry. Her father, Teruzane Utada, was a record producer while her mother, Junko Utada, was an enka singer, performing under the stage name "Keiko Fuji." Junko Utada’s mother, and Hikaru’s grandmother, was a blind shamisen player (ごぜ, or goze). Utada made her first professional recording at the age of twelve. She did her recordings with her mother, releasing songs under a band named “U3” (also known as Utada 3) until 1996 when she started her first solo project, "I'll be Stronger." The "Cookin' With Moses Vocal" from this project was called the "Cookin' With Gas Vocal" on the promotional release.

"I’ll Be Stronger" was the first song Utada wrote. It was released under the artist name "Cubic U," a mathematical reference to her being the third Utada 'power,' which was Hikaru's pseudonym before becoming a superstar in Japan. The song failed to release in the United States, and in 1997, she started her next project, though at first she was hesitant. Cubic U released her debut single "Close to You," which was a cover of The Carpenters' song. She then released her debut album Precious, but it failed to be released in the United States due to restructuring issues at her then record label Capitol Records.

She released Precious in Japan on January 28, 1998, and then later re-released it on March 31, 1999 to much better success. It has sold 702,060 copies to date in Japan, making it a significant hit for an all-English album in that market.

Chemistry

2008-11-13T16:16:00.000-08:00

CHEMISTRY

Chemistry (ケミストリー, Kemisutorī?) is a Japanese pop/R&B duo, composed of Yoshikuni Dōchin (堂珍嘉邦?, born November 17, 1978) and Kaname Kawabata (川畑要?, born January 28, 1979). They were the winners of the Asayan audition (similar to the American Idol series) in 2000 organized by Sony Music Entertainment Japan.

Their first single "Pieces of a Dream" was released on March 3, 2001, and was the best selling single that year (over 2 million). Most of their singles have reached #1 on the Oricon charts; all five albums have reached #1 the day they were released. Their #1 streak was broken by the KinKi Kids' album H Album: Hand, scoring them a #2 rank for Fo(u)r.

Chemistry is also known in Korea for the popular collaboration song "Let's Get Together Now," featuring talents from both Korea and Japan and for collaborating with Korean singer Lena Park who appears in the b-side "Dance with Me" on the "Kimi ga Iru" single.
On March 6, 2008, Kaname Kawabata married model Miki Takahashi. They met after she appeared in the PV for "This Night."

Little by Little - THE BEST

2008-11-13T15:08:00.001-08:00

LITTLE BY LITTLE

Little by Little is a Japanese rock band, consisting of vocalist Hideco and Tetsuhiko. Little by Little's record label is Sony Music Entertainment Japan and is attached to Stardust Promotion. They are mostly known for their contributions to anime, including "Kanashimi wo Yasashisa ni" (悲しみをやさしさに?), the opening theme for the third season of Naruto, "Love & Peace", the second opening theme to Superior Defender Gundam Force, "Hummingbird", a closing theme of Yakitate!! Japan, and "Kimi Monogatari" (キミモノガタリ?), the third closing theme of Naruto: Shippūden.
The band itself is named for the song "Little by Little" from their favorite band Oasis.

Member Profiles

* Hideco (ヒデコ, Hideko?, Real name: Eiko Satō (佐藤英子 Satō Eiko)), vocals.
* Tetsuhiko (テツヒコ, Tetsuhiko?, Real name: Testuhiko Suzuki (鈴木哲彦 Suzuki Testuhiko), born July 31, 1968), composition.

Ikimono Gakari - THE BEST

2008-11-13T13:15:00.000-08:00

IKIMONO-GAKARI

Ikimono-gakari (いきものがかり) is a Japanese rock band. They record on Sony Music Japan's Epic Records label.

The band was formed in Kanagawa Prefecture in February 1999 by Hotaka Yamashita and Yoshiki Mizuno, and was later joined by lead vocalist Kiyoe Yoshioka in December the same year.

Members

* Hotaka Yamashita (山下穂尊, Yamashita Hotaka, born August 27, 1982) is from Ebina, Kanagawa Prefecture. He is a graduate of Atsugi High School and the Faculty of Social Sciences, Hosei University. He plays the guitar and harmonica, and has written lyrics and melodies to some of the band's songs. His nicknames are Hotchi and Yama-chan.
* Yoshiki Mizuno (水野良樹, Mizuno Yoshiki?, born December 17, 1982) is from Ebina, Kanagawa Prefecture. He is a graduate of Atsugi High School and the Faculty of Social Sciences, Hitotsubashi University. He is the leader of the band, and plays the guitar and vocals. He has also written lyrics and melodies to some of the band's songs. His nickname is Yotchan.
* Kiyoe Yoshioka (吉岡聖恵, Yoshioka Kiyoe?, born February 29, 1984) is from Atsugi, Kanagawa Prefecture. Her parents are farmers. She is a graduate of Ebina High School and the Showa Academia Musicae Junior College. She is the band's lead vocalist, and has written lyrics to some of the band's songs. Her older brother was a classmate of both Hotaka and Yoshiki at high school. Her nicknames are Yosshie, Kiyoe-chan and Kiyorasu (by Shouko Nakagawa). She joined the band in high school when she suddenly saw Yamashita and Mizuno singing in front of the train station. She used to belong to a children theatrical company.

HIGH and MIGHTY COLOR - THE BEST

2008-11-13T12:47:00.001-08:00

HIGH AND MIGHTY COLOR

High and Mighty Color (ハイ・アンド・マイティ・カラー) is a Japanese rock band signed to Sony Music Entertainment Japan.

History
2009

The band was transferred to Spice Records on January 1st, 2009, Spice Records is an Okinawa based studio that maintained minor rights to the band while under SME. The first live DVD from the band was released on January 25 and reached the 11th spot on the Oricon weekly DVD charts, reaching a peak of 9th on the daily charts. After the departure of Mākii the band began auditions for a replacement vocalist, the auditions were open to women for a month before call backs and performances were done. On February 9, 2009, the band announced that a replacement vocalist was found, whose information would soon be added to their website after an extensive overhaul. The band plans to begin working on a summer single and live tour to promote the new vocalist in May. The band will be releasing a new album entitled "SWAMP MAN," this will be the first album to feature the bands new vocalist, HALCA. SWAMP MAN will be released September 2nd. Their first single featuring HALCA, "XYZ", was released on iTunes in both Japan and Australia on July 8, 2009.

Do As Infinity - THE BEST

2008-11-12T16:14:00.000-08:00

Do As Infinity

Do As Infinity is a popular Japanese band which debuted on September 29, 1999 with the release of their first single, "Tangerine Dream". Their name is sometimes abbreviated as D.A.I., revealing that Do As Infinity was named after the band's guitarist and composer, Dai Nagao. With the release of their A-side compilation album Do the A-side, Do As Infinity disbanded on September 29, 2005, after a career which spanned six years, six albums, twenty singles, seven compilation albums and eight live DVDs. The band reformed on September 29, 2008, and had their first new single release, "∞1" in June 2009.

Current members

* "Van": Tomiko Van (lyrics, vocals)
* "Ryo": Ryo Owatari (lyrics, guitar, backup vocals)

Ken Hirai - THE BEST

2008-11-12T15:05:00.000-08:00

KEN HIRAI

Ken Hirai (平井堅, Hirai Ken, born on January 17, 1972) is a Japanese R&;B and pop singer. His soulful voice and unconventional looks won him fans following his debut in 1992. Since his debut, Hirai has worked as a model, actor, composer, lyricist, singer, spokesperson.

During his career, Hirai has sold close to 14 million copies of his albums and singles. His Oricon achievements include a #1 Yearly 2004 (for a single) and one #1 Yearly 2006 (for an album)

Early life

Born January 17, 1972 in Higashiosaka, Osaka prefecture, Ken Hirai grew up in Nabari, Mie Prefecture.

He began his music career back in 1993 when he signed with Sony Music following an audition in Yokohama the previous year while he was a student. His debut single "Precious Junk" and album were recorded the following year and released in 1995. The first single, used as the theme to a TV drama, immediately garnered Hirai attention and his second single, "Katahou Zutsu no Earphone"「片方ずつのイヤホン」also used for a drama, further capitalized on his unique sound. Hirai's debut album, "un-balanced", went on sale the same year and was followed by a second, "Stare At", in December of the following year.

Angela Aki - THE BEST

2008-11-12T14:32:00.000-08:00

ANGELA AKI

Angela Aki (アンジェラ・アキ, Anjera Aki), born Kiyomi Aki (安芸聖世美 Aki Kiyomi) on September 15, 1977, is a singer-songwriter and pianist from Itano, Tokushima, Japan.

Biography

Early life

Aki's father is Japanese and her mother is Italian-American. She is the daughter of Kiyoshi Aki, the owner and co-founder of Aeon Institute of Language Education. This is one of the "Big Four" Eikaiwa (English conversation) schools in Japan. She began to take piano lessons when she was three years old. She lived in Tokushima-shi through sixth grade, and spent her junior high school days in Okayama-shi, Okayama. She moved to Hawaii when she was fifteen years old and graduated from Iolani School. Thus Angela Aki speaks English and Japanese. She got absorbed in music there for four years. She graduated from George Washington University in Washington, D.C., and majored in political science
On March 9, 2007, Aki announced publicly that she had gotten married and made public that she had been briefly married previously and divorced.

Yuna Ito - THE BEST

2008-11-12T14:19:00.000-08:00

YUNA ITO

Yuna Ito (伊藤由奈, Itō Yuna) (born September 20, 1983) is an American pop singer-songwriter and actress who is active in Japan. She was born in Los Angeles and was raised in Hawaii. Ito made her musical debut with the single, "Endless Story", which was used as one of the theme songs for the 2005 film Nana; she also starred in the film, portraying Reira Serizawa. In 2006, Ito reprised her role as Reira for the sequel of the film singing the theme song, "Truth". In 2007, Ito released her debut album, Heart, which debuted atop the Oricon.

Biography

Early life and music interest

Ito was born to a Japanese father and a Korean-American mother in Los Angeles, California. Her family later moved to Oahu, Hawaii where she remained until the start of her singing career in Japan. From a young age Ito dreamed about becoming a singer, after being inspired by the powerful vocals of Mariah Carey. At the age of fifteen she was offered a music contract, but turned down because "they saw her as a girl and not a singer".

Initially when Ito told her parents of plans to become a singer they disapproved of her choice. Her parents wanted Ito to attend school and meet a "nice guy". Ito disagreed with her parents, saying they wanted to "compact her life into a storybook". Ito graduated from McKinley High School in 2001 and has a younger brother named Johnny.

Nami Tamaki - THE BEST

2008-11-12T13:56:00.001-08:00

NAMI TAMAKI

Nami Tamaki (玉置成実, Tamaki Nami, born June 1, 1988) is a Japanese pop singer, known for her young age and her powerful dancing. Her career took off when she was selected out of 5,000 in a Sony Music Japan Audition in 2003, singing and dancing to Destiny's Child's "Survivor". She has various commercial tie-ins with the Japanese anime and games industry, and has also performed in a stage musical and a movie. Her musical influences include American singers such as Britney Spears, Madonna, and Janet Jackson.

Career

Nami auditioned for Sony Music Japan in 2001 when she was fourteen years old. The audition took place between 2001-2002 when she performed cover songs of Destiny Child hit "Survivor" and CORE OF SOUL "FULL MOON PRAYER." She was selected out of 1,000 applicants and would soon start her career in 2003 with her debut single Believe. Her first U.S. concert performance was opening for T.M.Revolution at the Pacific Media Expo 2004.

She graduated from high school in March 2007; her first Best (Greatest Hits) Album was released on November 29, 2006 to mark the event, and she started acting and stage performances in full speed after her graduation. The first event after her graduation was her first concert tour: Nami Tamaki Best Concert “My Graduation” on the 11th, 17th, 23rd and 31st of March 2007 at various places in Japan.

In 2008 Nami released her 4th Studio Album entitled "Don't Stay". The album contained songs from her singles Brightdown, Cross Season and Winter Ballades as well as some new tracks. The album did not chart or sell as well as her previous albums. Nami held a special live tour "Anniversary Live 5" Which took place in Tokyo and Osaka. Her 6th concert Don't Stay~GO!!~ has finished and she moves onto her work with Universal-Japan.

Ami Suzuki - THE BEST

2008-11-12T12:56:00.000-08:00

AMI SUZUKI

Ami Suzuki (鈴木亜美, Suzuki Ami, born February 9, 1982) is a female singer, songwriter, actress and dancer from Zama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.

Having been discovered at a Sony Music Entertainment Japan audition, Suzuki was one of the most popular female singers as an idol in the late 1990s. However, in 2000 faced legal problems with her management company. In 2005, she signed onto Avex Trax and released Delightful, a dance song that reached No. 3 on the Japanese Oricon charts. Her current style of music, similar to electronic, is vastly different from when she first became a musician.

Biography

Early life

While attending high school, Ami auditioned for Sony Music Japan's talent show Asayan, the grand prize winner of which would be rewarded with a contract with Sony Music.

The TV show became very popular and the number of viewers watching it grew and grew as the series progressed; its popularity was such that soon it was aired in other Asian countries. From 13,500 contestants, only five girls were chosen to be in the final round, and Ami won the competition supported by 802,157 phone calls from the audience. She was only 15 years old.

Ami released her 3rd Avex studio album (6th overall), Dolce on February 6, 2008.

In July 2008, Suzuki released her first non-joins single since 2006's "Like a Love?", "One", a Yasutaka Nakata-fully produced single.

Suzuki's 29th single, "Can't Stop the Disco", was released on September 24, 2008. Her 10th anniversary album - her fourth album with avex -, Supreme Show was released on November 12, 2008. It contains 11 tracks - including a remix of "Super Music Maker". Ami also starred in an AVEX 20th Anniversary musical, 'kokoro no Kakera'. This is her debut on a musical.

Ami Suzuki's 30th single, Reincarnation, was released on February 25th, 2009. It was produced by Taku Takahashi of m-flo.

Also, Ami will have a new song called Kiss Kiss Kiss which it will appear on HOUSE NATION new compliation called Aquamarine coming August 5th.

Namie Amuro - THE BEST

2008-11-12T12:21:00.001-08:00

NAMIE AMURO

Namie Amuro (安室奈美恵, Amuro Namie, born September 20, 1977) is a Japanese singer, dancer, and former child actor/singer, who, at the height of her popularity, was referred to as the "Teen Queen [of Japan]" and is referred to as the "Queen of Japanese pop music". Born in Naha, Okinawa, Amuro debuted at the age of fourteen as an idol in the girl group Super Monkey's. Though mostly unsuccessful, the group gained popularity during their final year together with the single "Try Me: Watashi o Shinjite" (1995). Amuro left Toshiba-EMI after releasing two more solo singles; she continued her music career as a solo singer with the then-normal independent label Avex Trax. Under the guidance of producer Tetsuya Komuro, Amuro quickly became a commercial success, producing several million-selling records and starting several fashion trends. Her single "Can You Celebrate?" (1997) became Japan's best selling single by a solo female artist. However, in late 1997, Amuro put her career on hold to focus on her pregnancy and engagement.

She returned to music in 1998 with the number-one single, "I Have Never Seen", but faced slowly declining sales. She unofficially severed ties with Tetsuya Komuro in 2001, shortly after taking on the project Suite Chic that would transform her from a pop idol to a R&;B artist. Since reinventing herself, Amuro has achieved newfound interest. Her latest studio album, Play (2007) debuted at the top of the charts and was followed by "60s 70s 80s" (2008), her first number-one single in ten years.

Over a decade since her musical debut, Amuro has remained one of the longest surviving popular female acts in Japan. She is the only Japanese female artist to have achieved a Top 10 single each year for fourteen consecutive years.[4] She also continues to successfully combat social stigma as a divorced, working, single mother. On July 30, 2008, Amuro released her first greatest hits album, Best Fiction, since transitioning to R&B music. It spent six consecutive weeks at the number-one position on the Japan's Oricon weekly charts, and was elected as "the best album of the year" at the 50th Japan Record Awards. Later this year, she is touring Japan in support of the album. Estimates predict that she could play to an audience as high as 400,000, potentially the largest audience of her career.

Biography

Early life and career

Namie Amuro was born in Naha, Okinawa, raised solely by her mother, Emiko Taira, as she had divorced when Amuro was four years old.Taira worked as a nursery school employee and bar hostess to support her four children.Amuro is one quarter Italian.She did not have ambitions to become a performer early in life; she wanted to become a flight attendant. However, at the age of twelve, while visiting a friend, Amuro was discovered by Masayuki Makino, the owner of Okinawa Actors School, a performing arts school.Amuro eventually joined the school; after only two years of study, Makino placed her in an idol group called Super Monkey's [sic] with five other girls. They debuted in September 1992 on Toshiba-EMI. A year later, despite Emiko Taira's disapproval, the group relocated to Tokyo.

The Super Monkey's were largely unsuccessful and constantly changed members. They changed their group name to Namie Amuro with Super Monkeys in 1994 to reflect Amuro's individual rising popularity. Aside from group activities, she had bit parts in television dramas and normal films. "Try Me: Watashi o Shinjite", produced by Italian eurobeat producer Dave Rodgers and Max Matsuura, was released on January 25, 1995, peaking at the number-eight position and charting for 25 weeks on the Oricon chart.The other four members of the Super Monkey's formed their own group, MAX, under the Avex Trax label. Amuro released two more solo singles under Toshiba-EMI before moving to Avex Trax herself.

Hitomi Shimatani - Collection

2008-11-11T03:45:00.000-08:00

HITOMI SHIMATANI

Hitomi Shimatani (島谷ひとみ, Shimatani Hitomi, born September 4, 1980 in Kure, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan), is a female J-pop singer signed to the Avex Trax label.

Shimatani started her career as an Enka singer with the release of her debut single "Ōsaka no Onna" (大阪の女, Ōsakan Woman) in 1999, but later decided to get into the dance/pop style for her music. Shimatani's music has also appeared in video games and also anime series.

Biography

Early life

Hitomi Shimatani's childhood dream, like many others, was to become a famous singer. At the age of seventeen, when she was still in high school, Shimatani decided to pursue this goal and attended "The Japan Audition 1997" hosted by the music label avex trax. Hitomi was chosen out of around 200,000 other girls who participated and received a recording contract with avex. However, before starting her music career, she wished to finish high school -- to which avex agreed, but with the stipulation that Shimatani attend vocal lessons at the same time. She agreed. She also liked playing tennis when she was young.

After having finished school and feeling ready to her first step as a young singer, in 1999 Hitomi released her first single called "Ōsaka no onna" (大阪の女, Woman Of Osaka?), an enka song. Although the single received much critical acclaim and even won some awards, it sold rather poorly, causing either Shimatani, avex, or both to decide that "Ōsaka no onna" was to be both the beginning and the end of Shimatani's enka career. She started to record more songs and in 2000 she released her second single, "Kaihōku" (解放区, liberated district?), which was drastically different, stylistically, than her previous with its extremely pop leanings.

Before she started her pop career, a single titled "涙くんさよなら" (Namida-kun Sayonara) was released under the name Blue-eye Land.

Crystal Kay - THE BEST

2008-11-10T16:28:00.000-08:00

CRYSTAL KAY

Crystal Kay Williams (クリスタル・ケイ・ウィリアムズ, Kurisutaru Kei Wiriamuzu?) (born February 26, 1986), better known by her stage name Crystal Kay (クリスタル・ケイ, Kurisutaru Kei?), is a Japanese singer and songwriter from Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan. After releasing her debut single "Eternal Memories" (1999)[1] Kay gained fame for her third studio album, Almost Seventeen (2002), which debuted at number-two on the Japanese Oricon charts.[2] Almost Seventeen eventually sold over 400,000 copies and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of Japan.[3] Kay is currently signed to Epic Records, a sub-label of Sony Music Japan.[4]

As of July 2009, Kay has released ten albums. Her seventh studio album, All Yours (2007) became Kay's first number-one release in her career when it debuted on top of the Oricon chart in June 2007.[5] Kay has sold over two million records in Japan as of 2009. Throughout her career, Kay has collaborated with the likes of M-Flo and BoA,[6] Chemistry[7] as well as other well-known recording artists.

Early life and beginnings

Kay was born and raised in Yokohama in the Kanagawa Prefecture to an African American father and a South Korean mother. Her father was a bassist from New Jersey and her mother was a professional singer. Kay previously attended Kinnick High School and Sophia University, which is the same college Beni Arashiro currently attends: the two are reported to be good friends. Although her mother is of Korean background, Crystal does not speak Korean, and is fluent in Japanese and English, the latter influencing and making a regular appearance in her songs. She has also studied French. Kay cites Janet Jackson and Michael Jackson as her biggest influences.

Rip Slyme - THE BEST

2008-11-10T15:55:00.000-08:00

RIP SLYME

RIP SLYME is a Japanese hip hop group. It is composed of 4 MCs; Ryo-Z, Ilmari, Pes & Su, and 1 DJ, Fumiya. Their sound derives its influences from old school hip hop and other Hip Hop such as The Pharcyde, De La Soul, Public Enemy, Jurassic 5, the Beastie Boys, DJ Premier, Leaders of the New School.

Biography

The group was formed in 1994 by Ryo-Z and Ilmari, who were later joined by Pes (he attended the same school as Ilmari). The RIP in RIP SLYME stands for their initials. Slyme was a popular children's toy at that time. Their name is also a pun on the phrase "lips' rhyme". Winning an amateur rapping contest "Young MCs In Town", they started their musical career with their first album Lips Rhyme in 1995. Later they added DJ Fumiya (who had studied under East End X Yuri's DJ Yoggy) and Su (previously a backup dancer for East End X Yuri). In 1998 they released their second album, "Talkin' Cheap" and also took part in Dragon Ash's Total Communication event.

They became ever more successful and signed to Warner Music Group in 2000. By then they had release several indie singles include their EP "Underline No. 5" and "Mata Au Hi Made" which had received the help of Fantastic Plastic Machine. "Mata Au Hi Made" was released on Warner Music Group's Indies label. Their first major single was "Stepper's Delight" released 22 March 2001. The title was a play on The Sugarhill Gang's "Rapper's Delight".

In summer 2008, they released Taiyou to Bikini, their only single that year. Later that year, three digital singles would debut, all of which would be on the February 2009 single STAIRS. Rip Slyme released their eighth album, JOURNEY, on June 10th, 2009.

Rip Slyme has provided voiceover work as well as the ending theme for the Japanese dub of SpongeBob Squarepants[1]. The episode aired on May 6th, 2009.

HOME MADE Kazoku - THE BEST

2008-11-10T15:22:00.000-08:00

HOME MADE KAZOKU

Home Made Kazoku (HOME MADE 家族, translated in English as Home Made Family) is a Japanese hip hop trio signed to Ki/oon Records, a subsidiary of Sony Records.

Biography

Home Made Kazoku is a three member band consisting of members Micro, Kuro and founding member, DJ U-Ichi. The band was originally created in 1996 under a different name and went through many members before finally settling on being a trio with the name Home Made Kazoku in 2001. From 2001 to 2003, the band performed independently in various Nagoya nightclubs. In early 2004, the band was chosen to be part of a country-wide tour known as the Japan Club Tour. During the tour, the trio gained many fans from their club performances as well as finally being signed to a major label, Ki/oon Records.

Shortly after being signed, the group released a mini-album containing the song "Home Sweet Home (Reborn)". The song became wildly popular and went on to become one of the most requested songs of Japanese radio stations for the year. In July of the same year, their first single, Summer Time Magic, was released and sat at a comfortable 15th on the Oricon charts for nearly 10 weeks. After a series of singles, including Thank You!!, which was used as the second ending theme to the popular anime Bleach and Shōnen Heart, which was used as an opening theme to the anime Eureka Seven, the band's first full length album was released. "Rock the World" entered the Oricon charts and peaked at 5th in its first week. It would stay in the top 20 for the next two months and end up selling 191,744 copies as well as becoming the 78th best selling album of 2005, a sign of the band's new found popularity.

After their first album, the group went on a series of tours and released a string of singles as well as their second and third albums, "Musication" and "Familia". Of special note, tickets to their second tour were sold out within the span of one hour, a record in Japanese music. In January 2007, it was announced that they would perform the first ending theme to the anime Naruto: Shippūden entitled Nagareboshi Shooting Star which entered the Oricon charts at 10th place. One of the group, Micro, was featured on the Abingdon Boys School song "Lost Reason" as it appeared on their self-titled album. Home Made Kazoku has performed for a promotional commercial for a product called "Walky Walky" with their song "Easy Walk". In addition, Home Made Kazoku's single, No Rain No Rainbow, is the movie theme for the second Naruto Shippūden movie.

Rie fu - THE BEST

2008-11-10T14:31:00.001-08:00

RIE FU

Rie fu (リエフゥ, Rie fū), born Rie Funakoshi (舩越りえ, Funakoshi Rie) on January 11, 1985 in Tokyo, is a Japanese singer-songwriter. She regularly commutes between the United Kingdom and Japan to record and promote her work.

Biography

From 1992 to 1995, Rie fu lived in Maryland with her family. It was during this time that she started playing the piano and where she gained much of the inspiration for her music, namely from artists such as Sheryl Crow, Michelle Branch and 1970s pop musicians such as The Carpenters. She cites Carole King, Joni Mitchell, The Carpenters, and Yumi Matsutoya as influences.

After returning to Japan, from 1995 to 2003, Rie finished her primary and secondary education in Tokyo. In 2002 she learned guitar, and almost immediately began coming up with songs and recording them with a normal tape recorder. She sent the demo tape off to a record company (Sony) and they signed her. Her first single, Rie who!?, featuring the song "decay", was released in March 2004. Later that year, her song "Life Is Like a Boat" was chosen as the Bleach ending theme, garnering her widespread recognition and demand. In 2005, a year after her debut, another song, I Wanna Go To A Place... was used as the Gundam Seed Destiny third ending song, and in 2006 her song Until I Say was used as the theme to the Japanese release of the 2005 British movie Heidi. In 2007, she performed the ending theme, Tsukiakari, to the anime series Darker than Black.

She graduated from the Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design of the University of the Arts London in fine art (having shifted in interest from fashion design and graphic design) during 2007. She has stated on her website that she would like to become a student again. Rie often designs much of her own album and single booklets, and Rie's own paintings are often featured in them.

Rie fu's songs are often bilingual, since she is fluent in both English and Japanese. Although most of her songs are primarily sung in Japanese, many feature entire verses written in English. Of her songs written entirely in Japanese, several have later been released as English language versions.

On March 3, 2008, Rie fu released an album in the U.K. on a label called Tired & Lonesome. The album, a compilation of earlier songs with one never-before-released Joni Mitchell cover, is entitled "Who is Rie fu?" Though the label is based in England, her album will be released in other European countries marking it her European debut.

Younha - THE BEST

2008-11-10T13:08:00.000-08:00

YOUNHA

Younha (Korean Hangul: 고윤하; hanja: 高潤荷; Go Yoon-ha, Japanese Katakana: ユンナ, Yunna) born April 29, 1988 in Seoul, Korea, is a K-Pop and J-Pop South Korean singer.

ounha made her debut as an artist at the young age of sixteen. Nicknamed the "Oricon comet" for her success in Japan, she has released eight singles and two albums there with varying degrees of success. Several of her songs have been featured in anime and drama series.

Younha was signed to Epic Records, a branch of Sony Music Entertainment Japan, from 2004 to 2008, after which she moved to Sistus Records, a Geneon Entertainment label. In South Korea, she is signed to Lion Media and Stam Entertainment.

Biography

Early life

Born in South Korea to music-loving parents, Younha began to play the piano at the age of 4. She developed an interest in Japanese Drama and began to teach herself Japanese. What began as an interest in Japanese dramas developed into an interest in Japanese music. With the recommendation of an older student in her school's broadcasting club, she began listening to artists such as Hikaru Utada and Misia and acquired a taste for Japanese music. Younha began to dream about becoming a singer alongside her favorite artists.

Nana Kitade - THE BEST

2008-11-10T12:30:00.000-08:00

NANA KITADE

Nana Kitade (北出菜奈, Kitade Nana, born May 2, 1987 in Sapporo, Hokkaidō) is a rock and pop singer-songwriter, musician. She is signed on with Sony Music Japan. She is particularly famous for dressing and designing Gothic Lolita fashion, something that many of her fans have in common with her. Many of her songs were used as anime, TV shows, doramas and movie opening/ending/image themes.

Biography

As a child, Kitade wanted to be a singer and or an anime artist. She started learning the piano at the age of three, and wrote her own lyrics at twelve. In junior high school, she became a fan of Ringo Shiina and learned to play the guitar, traveling frequently to Tokyo for singing lessons.

In February 2002 Kitade passed a Sony Music Japan audition and was chosen as the Sapporo area representative and was given the opportunity to debut as a singer.

In March, 2003, the demo which she submitted caught the attention of Susumu Nishikawa, session guitarist and Ringo Shina's sideman at the time of the debut. She signed a deal with SME Records, a subgroup of Sony Music Japan. In August 1 2005 Nana Kitade participated in the Hong Kong Comic Festival 2005.

The Year 2008 found Kitade releasing the singles SUICIDES LOVE STORY (ending theme for the anime series Persona -trinity soul-), Siren (theme song for the Japanese version of the Canadian series Ruby Gloom), which was composed once again for Megadeth's former member Marty Friedman with a fast, funny, metal-rock-pop sound, and PUNK&BABY's, which were all charted lower than #60 on the Oricon chart. On July 23, 2008 a cover of Cyndi Lauper's 1983 hit "She Bop" was featured on We Love Cyndi - Tribute to Cyndi Lauper album, track # 9. In August 2008 Kitade was featured at the 10th anniversary of Animagic Convention in Bonn, Germany.

Recently Kitade's song 月華-tsukihana was featured as the opening theme for the anime series Jigoku Shoujo Mitsuganae by Aniplex which charted at #27 on the oricon chart, her highest in two years. Kitade later released her third full length album, Bondage (album), which debuted at #85 on the oricon weekly charts, higher then her previous releases. On May 5th 2009 it was announced on Kitade's official website that she had to cancel an upcoming live due to poor physical health. It was also announced a month later that she would be taking a break from all activities due to poor physical health, and that details would be posted on her site as soon as she recovers. Information on Kitade's condition is currently unknown.

Orange Range - THE BEST

2008-11-10T11:55:00.000-08:00

ORANGE RANGE

Orange Range (オレンジレンジ, Orenji Renji?) is a 5-member Okinawan alternative rock band, based in Okinawa, Japan.[1] Formed in 2001, the band began with Spice Music and later signed with Sony Music Japan's gr8! records division in 2003.

Current

* Naoto Hiroyama - guitar
* Ryo Miyamori - low vocals
* Yamato Ganeko - high vocals
* Yoh Miyamori - bass
* Hiroki Hokama - mid-range vocals

Mika Nakashima - THE BEST

2008-11-06T12:28:00.000-08:00

MIKA NAKASHIMA

Mika Nakashima (中島美嘉, Nakashima Mika?, born February 19, 1983 in Hioki, Kagoshima Prefecture) is a Japanese singer, model, and actress.

Early life and debut

Born and raised in Kyūshū, Mika was the youngest of three children. From a young age, she wanted to become a singer, and decided not to attend high school or college.

At the age of 17, she was chosen from 3,000 girls to be the heroine of the Fall 2001 Fuji TV drama, Kizudarake no Love Song (Tainted Love Song). In November, she made her debut with Sony Music Associated Records with the single "Stars," which was also the theme song of the drama. The single would go on to become her best-selling single. Her second single "Crescent Moon", an 80s themed song, was limited to 100,000 copies. It sold out the first day of its release. In March 2002 she released her third single, "One Survive," and her first video collection, "Film Lotus". This was followed in May by her 4th single, "Helpless Rain", and in August, by her 5th single "Will", which went on to rack up sales of over 140,000. Both were top ten hits and sold around 100,000 copies, proving Nakashima's rising star appeal.

Chihiro Onitsuka - THE BEST

2008-11-05T14:18:00.000-08:00

CHIHIRO ONITSUKA

Chihiro Onitsuka (鬼束ちひろ, Onitsuka Chihiro?) (born October 30, 1980) is a Japanese singer-songwriter.

In 2000, Onitsuka released her debut single "Shine" and gained a recognition with its follow-up "Gekkou" which became a smash hit. Insomnia, her first studio album released in following year topped the Japanese Oricon chart and sold more than a million copies."Memai", one of the singles from her debut album provided her with honor of winning the prize for lyrics of the 43rd Japan Record Awards in 2001.

During her career, Onitsuka has repeatedly brought about troubles that are mostly owing to her physical problem and mental instability. She had put recording career on hold until March 2007, after some confrontations with record labels and management offices during the mid 2000s.[9]

Onitsuka has enjoyed a successful career as one of the most popular Japanese female solo artists during the early 2000s. As of 2009, Onitsuka has released 5 studio albums, 17 singles, 2 compilations and several DVDs, which has sold at least 4.1 million.

Early life

Her parents encouraged Onitsuka to listen to Western music and by the time she was ten, she wrote her first poems, receiving praise from her parents, friends and teachers, who called them 'earnest efforts'. Secretly, however, she knew that just writing 'earnestly' wasn’t enough. From that time onward, she tried to write every day, and by the time she was in junior high school, she began to gain more confidence.

Having been influenced by Alanis Morissette in junior high school days, it was the encounter with Jewel’s music and presence during the high school years that strongly compelled Onitsuka to become a singer-songwriter. With some 70 original compositions and several other auditions under her belt, Onitsuka entered the 1998 Virgin Tokyo Artists Audition, going on to winning Grand Prize. Then only 17, Onitsuka started her career as a professional and moved to Tokyo in spring 1999 after graduating from high school.

RADIOMANGA: THE BEST MUSIC OF THE WORLD

RADIO ANIME LIVE!

RADIO ANIME LIVE!

VIDEOMUSIC IDOL LIVE!

VIDEOMUSIC IDOL LIVE!

HITOMI KUROISHI - THE BEST

HITOMI KUROISHI

EXILE - THE BEST

EXILE

Members

Performers

Vocalists

Vocalists & Performers

Former member

BENI ARASHIRO - THE BEST

BENI ARASHIRO

Start of her career

BeForU - THE BEST

BeForU

AIKO KAYO - THE BEST

AIKO KAYO

About

ACID BLACK CHERRY - THE BEST

ACID BLACK CHERRY

Background

YELLOW GENERATION - THE BEST

CHIEKO KAWABE - THE BEST

DREAMS COME TRUE - THE BEST

DREAMS COME TRUE

History

AMI TOKITO - THE BEST

Yui - THE BEST

Tommy february6 - THE BEST

TOMMY FEBRUARY6

Track listing

Porno Graffitti - THE BEST

PORNO GRAFFITTI

Porno Graffitti

Current members

Past member

Mai Hoshimura - THE BEST

MAI HOSHIMURA

History

Dir en grey - THE BEST

Chitose Hajime - THE BEST

CHITOSE HAJIME

Boom Boom Satellites - THE BEST

Beat Crusaders - THE BEST

Abingdon Boys School - THE BEST

Kishidan - THE BEST

KISHIDAN

Members

Stage personas

Tomoyasu Hotei - THE BEST

GO!GO!7188 - THE BEST

GLAY - THE BEST

GLAY

Members

Main members

Past and current support members

Name

Core of Soul - THE BEST

CORE OF SOUL

Members

Polysics - THE BEST

POLYSICS

History

Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra - THE BEST

TOKYO SKA PARADISE ORCHESTRA

Super Junior - THE BEST

SUPER JUNIOR

Ryūichi Sakamoto - THE BEST

The pillows - THE BEST

THE PILLOWS

History

Oblivion Dust - THE BEST

Tigarah - THE BEST

TIGARAH

Shanadoo - THE BEST

Eri Nobuchika - THE BEST

TOMMY FEBRUARY⁶