J!-ENT
Asian Entertainment News and Pop Culture

I would like to thank JapanFiles for giving me the opportunity to be their first “Guest Pick” for the revamp of their website.

I selected Electric Eel Shock because the group is just awesome for those who dig rock music and it really reminded me of my grommet surfing days in Southern California, listening to the Pirate Radio and KROQ back in the 80’s and early 90’s.  Especially checking out the garage bands of the day.

EES reminded me a lot of the Cult, Janes Addiction and even old school Red Hot Chili Peppers back in the day.  So, it’s a group that I definitely recommend.

As for JapanFiles.com, what can I say about this company.  I first met them back in 2006 and met Dave at Pacific Media Expo in Los Angeles, I heard what they had to say about their vision and what they wanted to accomplish and since meeting him, the company has grown and now has a major foothold in bringing Japanese music artists digitally to the masses.

I can easily predict big things to come.  In fact, several of the bands on JapanFiles.com will be performing throughout the US and in Mexico this Spring with Ketchup Mania, Budou Grape, Tokyo Pinsalocks, Swinging Popsicle and probably many more that I can’t think of, will be performing at SXSW and various anime conventions such as Sakura Con, A-Kon, Anime Boston, etc.

So, definitely keep an eye on this company and look for big things to come.

March 04, 2008 - Celebrating over three years as the largest website devoted to Japanese MP3s, JapanFiles.com premieres a new design and special features today, just in time for its newest band - Noodles!

JapanFiles.com continues to build its catalog of over 200 bands with new artists/labels added every month. J-Music fans from around the world can find the newest rock, pop, punk, techno, and alternative music, plus exclusive digital releases of music you could previously find only in Japan, like the newest tracks from BESPA KUMAMERO and ketchup mania.

This month, JapanFiles.com is happy to announce the addition of veteran Japanese girl-rock trio Noodles just in time for their upcoming USA tour with the Pillows (see band links below for tour dates). Noodles has toured America several times, including two back-to-back appearances at SXSW. Fans can now download their latest albums “Metropolis” and “Cover me Shakespeare” at JapanFiles.com for only 99 cents a track.

JapanFiles.com is dedicated to bringing Japanese artists together with music lovers from around the globe. Sales from music at JapanFiles.com directly support the artists, so the fans really do make a difference. In addition, JapanFiles.com sponsors several band tours a year at anime conventions and live houses. Upcoming events in 2008 include: Swinging Popsicle (Mexico); ketchup mania (Japan Nite tour and Sakura-Con); tokyo pinsalocks (Anime Boston/Knitting Factory New York); and Budo Grape (A-Kon).

“Top 10 Websites for Japanese Music.” – SeekJapan

“The top publisher of Japanese music in the U.S. - an amazing resource.” – play Magazine

New features now available on JapanFiles.com 2.0:

ALBUM PRICING
Full albums are always $9.90 or less, no matter how many tracks are on the album.

ZIP DOWNLOADS
Customers can choose to download their purchases in one complete zip file (albums and single tracks).

MONTHLY SPECIALS
Staff picks every month are discounted 50% or more to help music fans find undiscovered gems among our large library of great indie bands.

GUEST PICKS
Japanese entertainment industry guests also get in on the action and choose their favorites from our catalog. The Guest Picks feature a special introduction and a discount price. Our March 2008 guest is Dennis A. Amith (KNDY) of the respected, long-running Japanese and Asian entertainment website J!-ENT (www.j-entonline.com).

USER FORUM
Discuss favorite artists, discover new bands, share info on tours and events. This is open to fans of all styles of Japanese music, and not limited to the bands sold on our retail site.

ARTIST VIDEOS AND LINKS
Visitors to the JapanFiles.com website can find artist interviews, links, and videos on the same page as the MP3 samples. Over the coming months, more links and videos will be added to every available artist, but fans can start exploring these features right away with artists like BESPA KUMAMERO, advantage Lucy, ketchup mania, and Electric Eel Shock.

PLUS - MORE FEATURES COMING SOON!

LINKS

JapanFiles.com MP3 store - www.japanfiles.com

JapanFiles.com MySpace - www.myspace.com/japanfiles

JapanFiles.com on Last.fm (full album previews) - www.last.fm/label/japanfiles.com

Noodles - Official website (English/Japanese) - http://noodles.velvet.jp/

Noodles MySpace - http://www.myspace.com/noodlesvelvet

VIDEO

noodles - “Grease” [PV] http://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=28413402

About JAPANFILES.COM:

JapanFiles.com is the only online service that specializes in MP3 sales for Japanese rock artists, with over 200 indie bands reaching their USA fans through our site - rock, hip-hop, punk, and techno! JapanFiles.com is the largest source in the USA for legal downloads of Japanese music and DRM-free. Downloads are only 99 cents each!

February 13, 2008 - Japanese pop pioneers Swinging Popsicle have been invited as the first-ever musical guest for the 32nd Convencion de Juegos de Mesa y Comics in Monterrey, Mexico. The event will be held March 7-9, 2008, at Monterrey’s Cintermex Center, hosting thousands of Mexican fans of Japanese entertainment.

Swinging Popsicle was requested by the event’s coordinators based on their 10-year history and their status as one of JapanFiles.com’s all-time best-selling artists. The band is currently nominated for Best Japanese Pop Band by Shojo Beat magazine.

Swinging Popsicle has appeared previously at Fanime Con (San Jose, CA) and Anime Mid Atlantic (Richmond, VA). In February 2008 they played a special concert in Seoul, Korea for their Korean partner-label, Pastel Music.

Swinging Popsicle appears at Convencion de Juegos de Mesa y Comics by special arrangement with JapanFiles.com and Entretenimiento Creativo.
Swinging Popsicle links!
MP3s - www.japanfiles.com/popsicle
MySpace - www.myspace.com/swingingpopsicle

Event website (Spanish) - http://www.ecreativo.com/xxxiicjmc/index.html

About JAPANFILES.COM:
JapanFiles.com is the only online service that specializes in MP3 sales for Japanese rock artists, with over 250 indie bands reaching their USA fans - rock, hip-hop, punk, and techno! JapanFiles.com is the largest source in the USA for legal downloads of Japanese music and DRM-free. Downloads are only 99 cents each!

February 5, 2008 - Japanese electronic rockers tokyo pinsalocks announced their New York City debut this week. Just days after their USA premiere at Anime Boston, fans of the all-girl trio can see them at a special performance at the Knitting Factory in Manhattan with special guests Sakura Madams and DJs Mar Galo and Hayden Honey.

tokyo pinsalocks will perform songs from their hit CD “Plutonium 07″ and their upcoming release “Planet Rita.” The band is currently nominated for Best All-Girl Band in the Shojo Beat magazine Japanese Music Awards.

tokyo pinsalocks
w/ Sakura Madams
Knitting Factory - New York
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Doors open 7:30
Admission: $10

Presented by JapanFiles.com and Karaterice
tokyo pinsalocks links!
MP3s - www.japanfiles.com/pinsalocks
MySpace - www.myspace.com/tokyopinsalocks

Karaterice - www.karaterice.com
Sakura Madams - www.myspace.com/sakuramadams
About JAPANFILES.COM:
JapanFiles.com is the only online service that specializes in MP3 sales for Japanese rock artists, with over 250 indie bands reaching their USA fans - rock, hip-hop, punk, and techno! JapanFiles.com is the largest source in the USA for legal downloads of Japanese music and DRM-free. Downloads are only 99 cents each!

About KARATERICE:
Founded in 2003, Karaterice has emerged into a specialized promoter of underground Asian rock culture.  Its goal is to deliver top notch and cutting edge acts from the Asian underground to Western audiences.  To fulfill this mission, Karaterice utilizes numerous  channels including web (www.karaterice.com); social networks; radio; print; street teams and live events - thus, providing a voice for the many talented acts found in the Asian underground.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Japanese techno artists BESPA KUMAMERO - exclusive digital release on JapanFiles.com!

January 20, 2008 - Cyber-punk hit-makers BESPA KUMAMERO have released their new CD “Romantic Waves” on JapanFiles.com. The indie-Japanese music website is the only place outside of Japan where fans can purchase the new tracks.

BESPA KUMAMERO is currently nominated as “Best Rising Star” in the 2008 Shojo Beat Music Awards, highlighting the best in contemporary Japanese music. Fans can vote for the band at Shojo Beat’s website: http://www.shojobeat.com/music/ma.php

The new 14-track CD “Romantic Waves” contains 8 all new songs.plus remastered versions of the 6 tracks from their previous UK Tour Limited EP.

BESPA KUMAMERO will make their USA debut at Anime Matsuri in Houston, TX, in March of 2008.

BESPA KUMAMERO links!

MP3s - www.japanfiles.com/bespakumamero

MySpace - www.myspace.com/bespakumamero

Official Site - www.kumamero.net

About JAPANFILES.COM:

JapanFiles.com is the only online service that specializes in MP3 sales for Japanese rock artists, with over 250 indie bands reaching their USA fans - rock, hip-hop, punk, and techno! JapanFiles.com is the largest source in the USA for legal downloads of Japanese music and DRM-free. Downloads are only 99 cents each!