J-Shit.com
By:  Kathy Chee
January 4, 2008

     Working in the music industry is brutal.  Working via the internet is even worse.  You don't make any kind of real money, but everyone would like yours in their pocket.  I've been watching bright, young and cheery newcomers turn into desperate, hungry sharks for about five years now.  Despite the flood of amateur media coverage, pitiful writing and catty in-fighting amongst Japanese music fans, there are a few gems in this deep ocean of shit we call the internet. 

     Jrock NYC has always been there, with top notch writing, amusing blogging and a design that changes easily from day to day to fit the subject matter.  There'd been some concern when the writer pulled away from the music for a short while, but in 2008 it came back with more PV reviews and amusing commentary.  On an insider note, one Japanese band had the writer black listed, because he wasn't always writing "good" things about the band. 

     Nippop was this nifty little site full of truly well written articles on the Japanese music industry.  Their focus wasn't just on the bands, but on the events that drove the industry.  They also have excellent artist profiles on many indie bands that are hard to find.  I say was, because the site rarely gets updated anymore. 

     Want some more indie rock?  Stop by Keikaku.net for a similar experience to Nippop.  Their coverage is mostly of rock and indie bands with articles leaning heavily towards the interview and live report side.  I haven't spotted an editorial yet, but their artist profiles are quite excellent.

     Jrock Saga is defunct, but has a bajillion links to various bands and an excellent archive of information on ye olde visual kei bands.

     Jrocker.com is a music web-ring.  If you're a website about Japanese rock music, it's probably a good idea to join them.  They have an old fashioned table release schedule that is easy to read, featured websites with good descriptions and interesting tidbits of information, and featured albums.  The news doesn't rotate on any sort of regular basis, but there's always enough to read.

     Jmusic Europa is a giant Japanese music information factory.  The site vomits up a daily dose of news, reviews, interviews and more on Japanese rock, pop and visual kei artists.  Like a mass producing factory, the information is quick and dirty with craptacular writing and cookie cutter interviews.  However, I blame this on their need to translate the site into a dozen different languages. 

     There are several keys to succeeding in the small pool that is Japanese rock music and it's mostly about finding your niche in the market.  Music, even Japanese music, is an industry and most people give up when the demands on their time become too great or their funds grow too small.  First and foremost is to get a job!  You won't get rich off these bands until their record label does (never).  Second, find something you enjoy and want to share.  The experience of creating a site about Japanese music should be enjoyable and not a chore.  Line your pockets with knowledge and good music, not money.