Hakai Hayabusa ( ハカイハヤブサ )

While waiting in the clubs for the headliners to play, I've often discovered new bands I would have otherwise never known existed.  I've been introduced to some really great bands, and really great people via this method. One such notable group I've met via a random encounter is the band Hakai Hayabusa (ハカイハヤブサ).

Pictured: KZ (Gu./Vo.)

Hakai Hayabusa was formed in 2002 and was originally a three piece band. Hakai Hayabusa currently consists of four members:

KZ (Guitar, Vocals)

Nori (Drums)

Moby (Bass, Chorus)

WACK (Guitar, Chorus)

I've rocked out with Hakai Hayabusa live a few times. I remember first seeing them (meeting them, and partying with them) on August 8, 2008 at a show in Tokyo. I was at the show to support my friends in the band Chokesleeper, but before they were due up to the stage that evening, this super chill, surf-punk band ruled the stage (Hakai Hayabusa).

PaymoneyTomyPain

One of my personal favorite bands from Japan, PaymoneyTomyPain offers up a collection of rhythmic hits, each with their own catchy guitar riffs and punk/rock hooks. Formed in 2005, PTP continues to make waves throughout the Japanese music scene.

The band consists of four main members: 

K - Vocals

Pablo - Guitar

Zax - Drums

Tsuyoshi - Bass

Albums

• Another Day Comes (September 12, 2007)
• After You Wake Up (March 18, 2009)
• Remember the Name (January 26, 2011)

Song of the Day - GOTHIC CIRCUS - Sads

As usual, when low on Song of the Day ideas, we look to Sads for inspiration and material. Generally it is hard to find disappointment - everything is EXACTLY what I'm looking for. 

Song of the Day - "AWAKE" by EGG BRAIN

Song of the Day - Chung Choon 98 - No brain

I'm back! Did you miss me? ....*silence* 

Well, okay, beyond that point... here's your Song of the Day!!

I have always wondered if they have punk bands in Korea... well, today, I checked, and they do!

This one seems kind of an old video though. Anybody know some current bands? I'm curious.

Mini-Album Review - SiM ``LiFE and DEATH``

SiM 『LiFE and DEATH』

Release date: May 2, 2012

GILS-1002

     I had heard of the band SiM before, but I never listened to them. It wasn't until I was wandering around a store in Shimokitazawa, Tokyo and walked past a display of their new Mini-Album, 『LiFE and DEATH』 that I actually heard their music.They had the music video for “AMY” playing, and I liked how it sounded, and they also looked cool. I felt very compelled to get the CD.

     SiM (Silence iz Mine) lists their style as “REGGAE PUNK (STREET PUNK / HARD CORE / SCREAMO meets SKA / REGGAE)” on their website. Well, that pretty much sums up the sound of 『LiFE and DEATH』. It's a very intriguing mix that really works for them. I'll be honest, I have never heard anything like it.

Song of the Day - RIGHT NOW - GOOD4NOTHING

Hey, it's me Nex. This is my first Song of the Day!

Todays song is "RIGHT NOW" by GOOD4NOTHING. I only recently heard about this band. GOOD4NOTHING is a melodic pop punk band. The song is about not letting anyone else rule your life, and making your own decisions. The good old "Fuck Authority" of punk themes. It's a fun song, and fun video, so check it out!

Also check out their website:
http://g4n.jp
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/good4nothing_jp

Enjoy!

Top 5 from Nex

It's been a month, and I've only just begun posting. I never introduced myself yet, I'm Nex. Rising Sun Freestyle has grown a lot the past month, and it's because of readers like you, and the consistent effort from Ryo and Katherine. I'll do my best to live up to their standards.

So we're posting our top 5 bands, and talking about a recently discovered band.

Nex's top 5 are as follows:

Song of the Day - Needless - Kuroyume 黒夢

Here we go, song of the day is late again... and Kiyoharu again. Oh well. As we've discovered before, my way of picking song of the day is basically hitting play on the Last.fm "your mix" button. So, here you go! Kuroyume's Needless.

Album Review - Have You Ever... - Dead Ferret

"Come on, Buckbeak, come and get the nice dead ferret..." If you read that sentence in Emma Watson's voice... you rock. You'll also know where this pop-punk band got their name. Now, as we all know, I'm a bloody Potterhead, and should just go wander around Scotland trying to find Hogwarts. So, when I saw a Potter page doing a promo for promo on a band called Dead Ferret... you can bet your sweet hippogriff mother's bum I clicked on that. And, it turns out, there's an EP out also? Nice. So, here's a nice, fresh review for you guys!!

Song of the Day - Venus in Furs - Velvet Underground

It seems everyone is obsessed with the Venus transit that is occurring today. Probably, this is because it ain't coming back until 2117, by which time we'll all most certainly be dead. It's kind of like why we buy limited edition CDs and DVDs... 

Album Review: SADS - The Rose God Gave Me

Since we had an artist spotlight on the punk band The Stalin this week, courtesy of R.Y.O, I thought I'd do a review of one of my absolute favorite albums today. Though Sads are technically classified as visual kei, and Kiyoharu is one of the pioneers of the now-iconic 90s Nagoya-kei sound, most people who have heard this album thought it was pure punk from around 1985... Mind, these were some of the vets of the punk scene, not a musically oblivious 8th grader. The Rose God Gave Me is an artistic triumph, and brilliantly put together. From the CD cover to each page, to the themes of the tracks, Sads aim to tell a story with each album, but still to leave you wondering, what story was it that you heard.

ARTIST PROFILE - Dragon Ash

 

Those who had never heard of Dragon Ash, probably learned of them last April. Those who knew them and loved their music, received a bad shock. The bassist of the legendary group, Iküzöne, was found dead of acute cardiac arrest in his studio on April 21st. This profile of Dragon Ash and their career should serve well for those who have yet to be introduced to their music.