muso japan

“Ether” is the latest single from Tokyo based dreamy post-rockers Dormer.  It’s a really chilling ambient track featuring some beautiful vocals and a bunch of layers that are arranged quite brilliantly.  The single is available through More Records here:  http://morerecords.jp/?pid=70023737 (Japanese only).  Here is a preview of the track:

Sweden’s Zeit wowed us in 2013 with the really strong Life is Just a Blur EP.  The Gothenburg-based quartet has gone back in time and posted its self-titled album from 2011 for free (or whatever you’d like to pay) on its Bandcamp page.  Click here to get the album:  http://zeit.bandcamp.com/album/zeit.

The city is another relatively unknown shoegaze band in Japan that is worth getting familiar with.  Formed in Osaka in 2011, there is very little information about the band outside of some photos, some social networking pages, and one song.  The song, “Celebration” was released in November 2013 and inspired by a long list of classic shoegaze artists.  The four-piece has been playing out around Osaka and is planning on getting into the studio some time in the spring.  Check out their lone track at their Audioleaf page here:

http://www.audioleaf.com/thecity/

Osaka-based instrumental three-piece Lemon’s Chair has released a video for the track “My Favorite” off the upcoming album My Favorite Reverb.  It’s an epic 12-minute song that starts off in a calming way, but in typical Lemon’s Chair fashion explodes into some really big beautiful noise.  The album is due out next month.

Scotland’s Le Thug have released their second EP Art Software, a follow-up to last year’s Ripping EP.  The release features three heavily layered, dreamy tracks driven by chilled out electronic beats.  It is available for whatever you’d like to pay on the band’s Bandcamp page:  http://lethug.bandcamp.com/.

 

 

Stella Diana has released the first video from their upcoming album -41 61 93-, due out on Valentine’s Day.  The single is titled “Isabeau”, named after the character from the 1985 film Ladyhawke.  I’ve been looking forward to this release for some time now from the Neapolitan shoegazers and die-hard football fans.  Here’s the video.  Enjoy!

The eighth and final band has been added to Muso Planet Volume 4 and it’s the brilliant French psychgazers Dead Horse One.  Very excited to have them on board and now that the band list has been wrapped up we’ll be looking to finalize all volume 4 content in the coming weeks.  The complete band list for volume 4 is as follows:

Adelaida (Chile)
TuT (Taiwan)
orangenoise (Pakistan)
SHE (England)
Le Thug (Scotland)
The Chambermaids (U.S.)
Sea Dweller (Italy)
Dead Horse One (France)

The Foreign Resort, newly signed to Chicago-based BLVD Records, have released a new single and video.  The Danish outfit’s single, titled “Alone”, is a brilliantly catchy and addictively hooky new wave track.  The video was shot in L.A. by Arian Soheili.  The Foreign Resort’s upcoming album “New Frontiers” will be released digitally on February 24th, with a physical release soon to follow.

I recently announced the first three bands for March’s Muso Planet volume 4.  The count is now up to seven, as I am happy to announce the addition of four fantastic artists:  SHE (England), orangenoise (Pakistan), Sea Dweller (Italy), and Le Thug (Scotland).  With the band list now at seven, the final participant should hopefully be announced in the coming weeks.  In the meantime, get ready for the release of Muso Planet volume 3, coming this Saturday!