Photos: Osaka, Japan with Madlib, J.Rocc, Jeff Jank, No Records (But Good Wine).

Note to all of those who will soon travel to the Southwest of Japan in search of records: even though you might have heard stories of mint copies of James Knight and the Butlers’ solitary LP and sealed copies of Syl Johnson’s Is It Because I’m Black turning up in the “Rare Groove Sale” section of random Kyoto record stores, sometimes it’s more fitting to use your off day after a sold-out show in Osaka digging for the best riverside crab tempura in Arashiyama, and spend the evening drinking Mersaults from the late ’70s….

MORE

Photos: Tokyo, Japan with Madlib, J.Rocc, Jeff Jank, Records, Fish.

This much time in Japan without an update? Can mean only one thing: a sold-out show with Madlib and J.Rocc in Tokyo, Stone Coal White-vibes in a smokey basement lounge, congratulatory cakes served up at the United Arrows/Stones Throw Pop-Up Shop by a Japanese Don Draper looking sommelier while Nigerian psych resonated through posh loudspeakers, an acetate of the Mighty Riders (sic) solitary album, a $4000 UK issue of Leaf Hound’s hard-rock opus, an hour in line amongst Chinese tourists in 90+ degree heat at 7.30 am in Tsukiji Fish Market for sushi at Daiwa, boutiques named after arcane jazz bassists, and, of course, Ghetto Dining.

Sorry, that’s more than one thing….Photos from Osaka later.

MORE

Photos: No Fish, No Money – Japan, Day Zero

16 hours in transit to Narita Airport from LAX, 3 hours to Shibuya from Narita, good fish, a beer and a shot of sake and it’s off ’till tomorrow: records at Fillmore, the Stones Throw pop up shop at United Arrows, J.Rocc arriving, and more.

MORE