Let me begin by disclosing the following: I cannot speak Thai. I cannot read Thai. I’ve never even been to Thailand. Like many people, however, I do enjoy Thai food, though that doesn’t really relate to this review (if you can even call it that – perhaps “impression” is a better word) which discusses the rather great nature of Kid – the latest album from Bangkok indie power pop-rock duo scrubb.

It’s hard to believe that it’s already been 10 years since GO!GO!7188 carved their way into the Japanese rock scene with their classic debut album Dasoku Hokou, but nonetheless, here we are. 10 years is a long time in the modern music business but try telling that to Yuu, Akko and Turkey, who have just released of their tenth (tenth?!) studio album – the energetically-titled GO!!GO!GO!GO!!.

The soundtrack to one of the most memorable RPGs of the 32-bit era.

A beautiful and intimate performance in a Queensland backyard.

ハジマリノウタ (Hajimari no Uta), the fourth major label release by J-pop darlings いきものがかり (ikimono-gakari) is, for all intents and purposes, the exact same album as their previous release last year. Which, incidentally, was pretty much the same as the one that came before it, which was more or less the same as… oh, you get the idea. So why bother with it at all?

Two powerful forces slammed into Tokyo last Monday. The first was tropical storm Krovanh, which brought a barrage of water and wind to the east coast of Japan. The second was GO!GO!7188’s final show of their nationwide ヘンテナツアー (Hentena Tour). Combined, they created a night to remember.

The Shiina Ringo album that Shiina Ringo herself said wouldn’t happen… has happened.

Shazam is a precocious music producer and DJ from Perth, Australia. Club monkeys the world over have known his name (or his tracks at least) for years, thanks to a string of remixes so slick, so lush and apparently so much better than the originals that they could only be described, as his moniker suggests, as magic.

Hraun (pronounced “Hroin”) are an indie folk rock band from Reykjavik, Iceland. I know absolutely nothing more about them, other than the fact that they’ve managed to rattle off one very neat cover of the classic Ghostbusters theme.

An unforgettable performance on the end of the world.

Less than a month after the release of their latest album, アンテナ (ANTENNA), fidgety Japanese rock band GO!GO!7188 were on the road again with their first nationwide tour of the year. The so-called ヘンテナ グルメツアー09 (HENTENA TOUR 09) didn’t officially kick off until the 6th of March in Chiba, but fans lucky enough to be within easy access to Shibuya were in for a treat – a somewhat last-minute, one-off “pre-tour” gig on the 2nd dubbed the パラボラナイト (PARABOLA NIGHT). Needless to say, as a fan lucky enough to be within easy access of Shibuya, I didn’t miss it.

Fans of the Japanese rock band GO!GO!7188 (myself included) are a lucky bunch. This prolific power trio has been releasing material every year since their debut in 2000 – in total, that’s an impressive fifteen singles, seven original studio albums, three live albums, a handful of DVDs, two cover albums and a Best-Of. And that’s not even counting the side-projects (yes, they’ve even had time for a few of those). アンテナ (ANTENNA) is their latest studio offering, but after nine years of constant recording, touring, and generally rocking out, is the quantity of material finally starting to outweigh the quality?

Ghost Soldier is the alias of a young American drummer who likes to figure out and perform note-for-note drum covers of popular UK pop-rock songs. Here he is doing a bang-up job of covering Ulysses by Franz Ferdinand.

I miss my drum kit.

After the show, there were a few questions for the band that I had rattling about in the back of my head (primarily, how did you get that name?). I asked some of these burning questions when I met up with Tim after he’d finished playing roadie for his own band, but decided to ask them again (plus a few more) for the sake of the following EXCLUSIVE interview which Tim and Denis have graciously agreed to participate in.

There comes a certain day in the life of many bands when fate dictates that it’s time, finally time, to leave the familiar surroundings of their bedrooms/garages for the sweaty, hallowed grounds of the professional stage. It is a day often dreamed, pondered, dissected, anticipated and feared. It is the day when a band’s journey of rock, and or/roll, or something else entirely, begins in earnest. For Brisbane-based indie band The The The Stutters, that day was the 15th of November, 2008.

Forget Guitar Hero. This is the best multiplayer rhythm game in existence, and what’s more, it can be played on consoles that were invented back in 1700! Here, two skilled players are attempting a song, no doubt, “on expert”. Look out for the rhythm/lead swap around the 1:15 mark. Amazing stuff, all the way to the end.

Way back in May, I posted a funky number called Rich Girls by New York new-wave rockers The Virgins. A month later, they released their eponymous debut album which is still, at the time of writing, only available in America. A short while ago, however, I managed to track down an import copy here in Brisbane and I’m glad to say that it was well worth the (minimal) effort that went into obtaining it.

Jaurim (자우림) are one of South Korea’s premiere rock bands, and Ruby Sapphire Diamond is the seventh addition to their studio canon. After a month on heavy rotation, the vibrant sparkle that captured my attention on the very first spin has not dulled in the slightest… and here’s why.

The Virgins are a 4-piece rock band from New York City, and this is their flagship single (though this may/may not be the official video for it). It’s been out for a while now, but I only came across it a couple of nights ago, and its shamelessly 70s funk groove has been tirelessly strutting across my brain ever since.