New Year's Eve Guide 2009-2010

There are plenty of things to do in Tokyo to celebrate the new year. Here are the Tokyo Gig Guide recommended countdown parties

Festival


COUNTDOWN JAPAN 09/10
WHO? capsule, RYUKYUDISKO, POLYSICS, Shugo Tokumaru, GO!GO!7188, Superfly, Elephant Kashimashi, HALCALI, MOGOL800, the telephones, detroit7
On the 28th - Ryuichi Sakamoto and Perfume
WHERE? Makuhari Messe
http://www.tokyogigguide.com/gigs/details/2188

Dance



ELECTRONIC TRIBE - YEBISU NEW YEAR'S PARTY 2010
WHO? Laurent Garnier, Mixmaster Morris aka The Irresistable Force, DJ Krush, 80KIDZ, DJ Baku, Daniel Wang, Kenji Takimi (Crue-L), Calm, DJ Kyoko, Ametsub
WHERE? Ebisu Garden Hall
http://www.tokyogigguide.com/gigs/details/2197

ageHa COUNTDOWN 2010
WHO? BOOM BOOM SATELLITES, KEN ISHII, DJ EMMA, DEXPISTOLS, DISCO TWINS, The SAMOS, MYSS, more
WHERE? ageHa in Shin-Kiba
http://www.tokyogigguide.com/gigs/details/2147



AIR NEW YEAR'S EVE COUNTDOWN TO 2010
WHO? SATOSHI TOMIIE, HECTOR ROMERO, RADIO SLAVE, DJ ENDO, YUMMY, ANRI, more
WHERE? AIR in Daikanyama
http://www.tokyogigguide.com/gigs/details/2204



2010 LIQUID
WHO? Takkyu Ishino, Fumiya Tanaka, Tohru Takahashi, DJ WADA, DJ NORI, MOODMAN, more
WHERE? Liquid Room in Ebisu
http://www.tokyogigguide.com/gigs/details/2199

BLUE WINDY NIGHT 2009−2010 COUNT DOWN SPECIAL
WHO? DJ NORI, Toshio Matsuura, Shuya Okino, De De Mouse, Yama a.k.a.Sahib, Eiji Takehana, more
WHERE? Mado Lounge & Tokyo City View in Roppongi
http://www.tokyogigguide.com/gigs/details/2198

WOMB presents NEW YEAR COUNTDOWN 2010
WHO? JEFF MILLS, AKi, TECHRIDERS, OHNISHI, AKR, RYUSUKE NAKAMURA, Dr.SHINGO, SATOSHI OTSUKI, TAKUYA, more
WHERE? Womb in Shibuya
http://www.tokyogigguide.com/gigs/details/2042

Different

COUNTDOWN 2009>2010 ＠ O-EAST
WHO? Shibusashirazu Orchestra, TURTLE ISLAND, Soul Flower Union, NATSUMEN, DJ KENSEI, more
WHERE? O-East in Shibuya
http://www.tokyogigguide.com/gigs/details/2201



ENBAN NO YUKU-TOSHI KURU-TOSHI
WHO? Maruo Maruko (from Kyoto), FREAKOUT FAN CLUB, Shigehiko Matsui, Johnny Okura Daijin (Suichu Sorewa Kurushii), Fumihito Taguchi, ju sei, Kitamura Sakiko, mamimi fouksong, 2コ (eetsuu), TABATA, Suzuki Junzo, JON (THE DOG), Ritsuko Sakata (pagtas) + Saitto Elettrico, purin no tameiki, suppa band nanika, OPQ, MY PAL FOOT FOOT, Takashi Ueno (Tenniscoats)
WHERE? Enban in Koenji
http://www.tokyogigguide.com/gigs/details/2106

KAN MIKAMI COUNTDOWN LIVE
WHO? Kan Mikami & guests
WHERE? Muryoku Muzenji in Koenji
http://www.tokyogigguide.com/gigs/details/2200

Punk

BURNING SPIRITS 2010 YEAR END EVE
WHO? Tetsu Array, EXTINCT GOVERNMENT, WAR HEAD, 九狼吽 (CLOWN), THE TRASH, SLIP HEAD BUTT, NO PROBLEM, more
WHERE? Antiknock in Shinjuku
http://www.tokyogigguide.com/gigs/details/2205



2009/2010 COUNT DOWN LIVE ATOMIC NITE THE FINAL
WHO? FRAGMENTS, ED WOODS, BRAZIL UFO, TOKYO-RYOZANPAKU, mohipuri, GOLGO BUTCH, more
WHERE? Heaven's Door in Sangenjaya
http://www.tokyogigguide.com/gigs/details/2203



Beat Happening SPECIAL！～COUNT DOWN TO HAPPENING！
WHO? STRIKERS, NeZuMiHaNaBi, Analogue Jidai, NaLas, Tsubaki, ELECTRIC EEL SHOCK, URBANfeti, the HANGOVERS, asunarou
WHERE? Lush in Shibuya
http://www.tokyogigguide.com/gigs/details/2207

Rock



SHIBUYA YANEURA YEAR END SPECIAL 2009→2010
WHO? PLATON, Tsubaki, Sonic Attacks Blaster, UNDER THE COUNTER, Fuzz Picks, POP CHOCOLAT, Sexy Panther, FRESUBT, BAZRA, Bob&Carnivals, Techma!, more
WHERE? Shibuya Yaneura
http://www.tokyogigguide.com/gigs/details/2038

SWAN SONG COUNCIL vol.11
WHO? about tess, birds melt sky, Far France, fukurouzu, henrytennis, hinomari, JUGONZ, mothercoat, oak, SuiseiNoboAz, more
2009/12/29 to 31
WHERE? AT SHINJUKU MARZ + Motion
http://www.tokyogigguide.com/gigs/details/1883

COUNT DOWN at Zher the ZOO 1st round ～DELICIOUS BUMP SHOW!!～
WHO? the pillows, noodles, POP CHOCOLAT, monokuro
WHERE? Zher The Zoo in Yoyogi
http://www.tokyogigguide.com/gigs/details/2025


We Jam Econo '09
WHO? Mike Watt's (Minutemen) new band brother's sister's daughter, Yuka Honda (cibo Matto) and nels cline's (Wilco) project stadium kitchen, COMBOPIANO, LITE, Qomolangma Tomato, kuruucrew, Samm Bennett, more
WHERE? ERA in Shimokitazawa
http://www.tokyogigguide.com/gigs/details/2202

BASEMENT BAR COUNT DOWN PARTY 2009>2010
WHO? SUNN, kingnurarihyong, mop of head, yuguretoronica, DEDESUKE, pocketlife, salsa, Zews, highered-girl, the highest, Creepy pop
WHERE? Basement Bar in Shimokitazawa
http://www.tokyogigguide.com/gigs/details/2206

TENSAW COUNTDOWN 2010
WHO? TENSAW (SAYBOW, Take, michiaki, GRICO)
WHERE? Showboat in Koenji
http://www.tokyogigguide.com/gigs/details/2184

Jazz


ALL NIGHT CONCERT 2009～2010
WHO? Shun Sakai Group, Takeshi Shibuya Orchestra, EMERGENCY!, Fumio Karashima Quintet, HIROSHI MINAMI Trio+1, Yoichi Murata Orchestra, Fumio Itabashi＋4
WHERE? Pit Inn in Shinjuku
http://www.tokyogigguide.com/gigs/details/2189

Club 8

Fancy some Swedish pop?
Club 8 will be in Japan on April 3rd for a show at O-Nest, supported by 4 bonjour's parties and Mondialito.



Club 8 is Karolina Komstedt and Johan Angergård, also in the great indie-pop band, Acid House Kings. Since 1995, Club 8 have released 6 albums on Spanish label Siesta and Swedish label Labrador. Their sound has moved between twee, bossa-nova, electronica and shiny, happy but melancholic pop.

Their new album, Boy Who Couldn't Stop Dreaming, is out in Japan now.
Listen: Whatever You Want mp3




4 bonjour's parties is a seven piece band who play a large array of instruments from guitar to flute to synthesiser and everything in between. Could they be called dreamy chamber-pop or Belle & Sebastian meets Tortoise? However you describe them, they are definitely one of the most interesting and original bands in japan right now.



Mondialito play beautiful down-tempo, acoustic-electro-bossa. Singing almost all songs in French, you can hear the influence of Keren Ann. Their 4th album, Cher Mon Amoureux, is out now.

On The One, Tearbridge International and Cookie Scene present Club 8.
April 3rd (Thursday) at O-Nest in Shibuya.
The doors open at 6:00 and the music starts at 7:00.
Tickets can be purchased from Lawson. The L-code is 72151.
It costs 3400yen advance or 3900yen at the door.

a place in the sun vol.7 @ O-Nest 24 march

by craig

O-nest is an odd venue. For most shows, you arrive at the bar from the elevator on the 6th floor, then clamber down to the 5th floor via the fire exit out the back among the love hotel rooftops. For this show, bands were playing both on the 5th floor and in the bar on the 6th floor, so it meant there was a lot of clambering. All this clambering plus overlapping start times meant missing the start of sets or missing some bands altogether.
I'd been wanting to go to one of the events put on by the great a place blog and had been looking out for the chance to see some of these bands, so I was glad I could make it along to this show. Even though there were the festival-like hassles of dashing between bands and even though I arrived late. Unfashionably late, that is, because I came from work still wearing a tie. Loosening my tie, I really enjoyed the couple of songs I managed to catch from Cokiyu who was playing on the bar floor. She was short and fragile, quietly playing delicate sounds on her laptop and whispering. So quiet in fact, that I could barely hear her. I need to get my hearing checked and pick up her new album when it comes out in May. The only chance at the moment to hear Cokiyu's vocals is on one of the tracks on the excellent new album by aus, also beautiful, fragile electronica. Cokiyu plays toy piano in Shugo Tokumaru & The Magic Band. They'll be playing on april 29th, also at O-Nest. Details.
I found my friends downstairs waiting for Miaou. I'd seen Miaou once a couple of years before and kind of liked them but also kind of got bored. Since then they have greatly improved, and I'm also getting more into this guitar stuff again these days. They use intertwining guitars and bass building up and back down, breaking out into louder sections and settling back down again in classic post-rock style. The song that impressed me the most also sounded quite like one of my favourite Múm songs. I picked up Miaou's latest EP which I've since been enjoying.
Moving back upstairs where we spent most of the rest of the night, we caught the end of Lullatone who I was really disappointed to have missed. Child-like electronica complete with toys and soft vocals. I'll have to try to see them again. Next was the Australian indie-popster Alexis with her band The Motifs. Wow, so Melbourne! Lovely twee vocals, simple melodies and a bunch of guest musicians. Again it was too quiet for my poor ears to properly hear. More indie-pop was up next with 4 bonjour's parties, this time a bit louder. They move between indie-pop and Tortoise-like instrumentation with all kinds of instruments plus seven ever-so-cute members crowding the tiny corner acting as a stage.
Downstairs The Sun Calls Stars started off seeming interesting with 2 drummers and 2 mini-saxophone(?) players. But soon the repetitive trance-jazz squawking became tedious, so back upstairs (or downstairs? I'm lost..) for drinks.