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One of my biggest complaints or issues I have with a stupid hobby like loving Japanese music is that it's so damned hard to get a hold of this stuff (outside of Japan, at least). Back in 2002, before Salvation & my label started up, it was even harder. Now, more and more Japanese distros are taking Paypal and are friendly to sending overseas. Another avenue that is moving slower, is MP3 stores like iTunes and Amazon MP3. I've even found a small collection of stuff available on Spotify! [Note: these are the only three places I've looked into, so there are obviously going to be more]

So, I thought I'd search through what was available and post my picks on here. This makes it so much easier to get some awesome Japanese screamo/indie/hardcore stuff. I'm going to post a lot of different stuff, not all will be underground (I do like some weird stuff).

This is by no means a complete list. If you find anything else, please post it in the comments and I'll update this post. Also, I'm going to eventually add this to a permanent page on top for easy reference.

MY PICKS [aka. stuff you might not have heard of]:


Anode - Kokou No Sonzai [itunes] [ototoy]
     - This band is one of my favorites. They released three 7"s on Dan-Doh records that were absolutely perfect. This is their first album on Cosmic Note. It's less hectic than their early stuff. Think "From Here to Eternity" era envy with even more melody. Highly Recommended.
To Overflow Evidence - Photograph painted out with color [itunes] [amazon] [google] [spotify]
To Overflow Evidence - The Sun EP [itunes] [amazon] [google] [spotify]
     - To Overflow Evidence is really, really good. They play some epic Japanese screamo with some post-rock influence. I'm translating an interview with the right now (it's taking me forever). This will not disappoint.
Bed - Turn It Off [itunes]
     - Super smooth emo. I was totally obsessed with this EP for 6 months straight. None of their newer stuff comes close to the magic in these 3 songs.
Phone / Tetola93 / AO split [itunes] [spotify]
     - Phone and Tetola93 play pretty sweet, chaotic Japanese screamo. Tetola93 has sort of a Killie vibe, and I dig them a lot. AO plays more emo/indie rock style. 
Tomato Steal - Self-Titled [itunes] [ototoy]
     - Nutsoid 3-piece screamo-violence unit. They did a split with Heaven in Her Arms. This is a full-length on Cosmic Note. Pretty nice, I listened to this for awhile.

INSTANT CLASSICS [aka. stuff you should already have listened the crap out of]:

Envy - All the Footprints You've Ever Left and the Fear Expecting Ahead [itunes] [amazon] [spotify]
     - Sometimes I hate writing about this stuff. This album completely changed my life (like seriously. The past 10 years have all been because of me hearing this album).
Nine Days Wonder - Scenery is in Disguise There [itunes] [amazon] [google] [spotify]
Nine Days Wonder - Aluminum EP [itunes] [google] [spotify]
     - Back when they were screamo. These are the fucking baseboards for the Japanese screamo sound.
There Is A Light That Never Goes Out - ie [itunes] [amazon] [google] [spotify]
     - It's funny cause I didn't like this when I first heard it. I was also an idiot...
Nitro Mega Prayer - Songs of Hypocrisy [itunes] [ototoy]
Nitro Mega Prayer / Balboa split [itunes] [amazon] [google] [spotify]
     - I shouldn't have to say anything about Nitro Mega Prayer. They are one of the best ever, imo.
VA - The Document [itunes]
     - The pinnacle of the Japanese metalcore scene. This has all the bands (state craft, loyal to the grave, endzweck, birthplace) at the height of the scene. Classic.
State Craft - ...To Celebrate the Forlorn Seasons [itunes] [amazon] [google] [spotify]
     - I already posted this, but if you want to support the label then you can grab the mp3s. 
Naiad - Hardcore Emotion [itunes] [amazon] [google] [spotify]
    - Oh naiad. I got to see them once, and it was amazing. This is Kyoto Hardcore at its finest, never to be matched...
Heaven in Her Arms - Parasalene [itunes] [amazon]
Heaven in Her Arms - Duplex-Coated Obstruction [itunes] [amazon] [spotify]
Heaven in Her Arms / Aussitot Mort split [itunes] [amazon]
     - HIHA should be known by most by now. Here are three of their newer releases.
Endzweck - We are Not Pessimistic About Revolutionizing the World to Be Peaceful [itunes] [ototoy]
Endzweck - Strange Love [amazon] [google] [spotify]
Endzweck - The Grapes of Wrath [itunes] [amazon] [ototoy] [google] [spotify]
Endzweck - Ulysses [itunes] [amazon] [google] [spotify]
     - Yes, they play pretty much the same song over and over. But it's a damn good song.

Various Hardcore Stuff:
Loyal To The Grave - Against the Odds [amazon] [google]
Loyal To The Grave - North Truth [amazon] [spotify]
Inside - Tokyo Straight Edge EP [itunes] [amazon] [google] [spotify]
Cleave - The Circle EP [itunes] [amazon] [google] [spotify]
Cleave - Pay the Price of Love [itunes]
Cleave / For a Reason split [itunes]
FC Five - Super Bloom [itunes]
FC Five - Dandelion Blues [itunes] [amazon]
FC Five - The Anthems [itunes] [amazon] [ototoy]
Sete Star Sept - Gero Me [itunes] [amazon] [spotify]
Kamomekamome - Happy Rebirthday To You [itunes] [amazon] [spotify]
Kamomekamome - Luger Seagull [itunes]
Kamomekamome / Deep Slauter / Fuck You Heroes split [itunes]
Muchumu - Ilya [ototoy]
Stubborn Father - The Game For Bridging the Gap [ototoy]
Slang - The Immortal Sin [ototoy]


Cosmic Note Records Releases:
Atmosfear - ST [ototoy]
Bacho - Reconquista [itunes] [ototoy]
Bacho - 求 [ototoy]
Grind Season - Inarticulate Cry... [ototoy]
Grind Shaft - Dance On the Shadow Side [itunes] [ototoy]
Nervous Light of Sunday - Jakushinkoukei [itunes] [ototoy]
Nervous Light of Sunday - Mabuta no uragawa [itunes] [ototoy]
Commune - get a trophy [itunes] [ototoy]
Commune - kill your blood [itunes] [ototoy]
Commune - Sing Out the Revolution [itunes] [ototoy]
ERIC - Final Revolution in my fight [ototoy]
Silence kills the revolution - i got medicine [itunes] [ototoy]
Silence kills the revolution - monroe vs. stones [itunes] [ototoy]

Slightly More Popular Indie Rock/Emo Type Stuff:
Lite - Past, Present, Future [itunes] [google] [spotify]
Lite - For All The Innocence [itunes] [ototoy] [google] [spotify]
Lite - Illuminate [itunes] [amazon] [ototoy] [spotify]
Lite - Turns Red [itunes] [amazon] [ototoy] [google] [spotify]
Lite - Phantasia [itunes] [amazon] [google] [spotify]
Lite - Self-Titled [itunes] [google] [spotify]
Lite - Filmlets [itunes] [google] [spotify]
Lite / Funanori - A Tiny Twofer [itunes] [spotify]
Lite - Live in New York [itunes]
Lite - Live in Los Angeles [itunes] [ototoy]
Lite - Live in Leeds [itunes]
     - If you like instrumental rock, then you are definitely in luck here.
KIWIROLL - Anthology I [itunes]
KIWIROLL - Anthology II [itunes]
     - Classic Sapporo emo rock. I think this is everything they ever did.
Lostage - self-titled [itunes] [amazon]
Lostage - Context [amazon] [spotify]
     - Very independent emo rock band. 
Toe - Songs, Ideas We Forgot [amazon]
Toe - Ordinary Days single [itunes] [amazon] [ototoy] [spotify]
Toe - For Long Tomorrow [itunes] [amazon] [ototoy] [spotify]
Toe - New Sentimentality EP [itunes]
     - You know them, you love them. Unfortunately their best stuff isn't on here.
9mm Parabellum Bullet - Gjallarhorn [itunes]
9mm Parabellum Bullet - Phantomime EP [itunes]
     - Do these guys really belong here? Who knows, but I just love this band. As they've gotten bigger, their music has gotten more nuts, and I can definitely appreciate that.
As Meias - II [itunes] [ototoy] [spotify]

Aie - Box [ototoy]
Aie - Hikarika [ototoy]

Another 9note - Heart Recapture [ototoy]
Comeback My Daughters - Outta Here [ototoy]
Comeback My Daughters - EXPerience [ototoy]
Comeback My Daughters - Have Lancho [ototoy]
Card - Greeting Card [ototoy]
Clean of Core - Paradox [itunes] [ototoy]
Clean of Core - Spectacle [itunes] [ototoy]
3nd - View From Here [itunes] [ototoy]
3nd - We Dance X Avec Toi [itunes]
3nd - World Tour [ototoy]
te' - ならば、意味から解放された響きは『音』の世界の深淵を語る [ototoy]
te' - 言葉を用いて奏でる者は才能に在らず、ただの記憶に『過』ぎぬ。[ototoy]
te' - まして、心と五感が一致するなら全て最上の「音楽」に変ずる。[ototoy]
te' - それは、鳴り響く世界から現実的な音を『歌』おうとする思考。[ototoy]
te' - 美しき旋律も、音を語る言を持たずしては心にも『留』めがたし。[ototoy]
Dinner - And...Hearing Things [ototoy]
Dinner - Rock Disco [ototoy]
Discharming Man - Dis is the Oar of Me [ototoy]
Discharming Man - Folk [ototoy]
Perfect Piano Lesson - Wanderlust [ototoy]
Perfect Piano Lesson - Two Hundred and Forty One Mondays [ototoy]
Perfect Piano Lesson - Terra Incognita [ototoy]
Perfect Piano Lesson - Modernize [ototoy]
The Mornings - Save the Mornings! [ototoy]
The Mornings - Nengneng [ototoy]
Miscorner/c+llooqtortion - View for Voices [ototoy]
Miscorner/c+llooqtortion - There Was No Scenery [ototoy]