Nikaido Kazumi

Idiosyncratic songwriter Nikaido Kazumi may just have turned out her best album yet with this year's Nijimi, a record that's both generous in its melodies and determinedly un-cloying in its emotions. Though it's her first full-length in five years, she's been keeping herself busy in the intervening period, releasing a series of mini albums as well as collaborations with American experimentalist Tara Jane O'Neil and Saya from indie darlings Tenniscoats. Nikaido is currently on a lengthy national tour, accompanied by a band including bassist Gandhi Nishigaki and percussionist Daiho Soga from Cinema Dub Monks. It looks like tickets have already sold out for this WWW date, but don't despair – she'll be back again in December for a show at Club Quattro.