Spotify O-East

Australian indie rock artist Courtney Barnett is heading to Japan for a run of shows this June with an appearance at Shibuya’s Spotify O-East. The visit is in support of her latest full-length album, Creature of Habit, her first since the closure of her indie label Milk! Records and a relocation to Los Angeles. The upcoming shows will be Barnett’s first in the country since her 2019 album tour and Fuji Rock set, at which she performed to a packed-out White Stage of devoted and saturated fans. The new album has been touted as one of her most introspective yet, and it features a guest appearance by Waxahatchee on the lead single ‘Site Unseen’. In addition to the Tokyo show, Barnett will be heading to Nagoya on Tuesday June 16, and Osaka on Thursday June 18.

Post-rock quartet Cinema Staff are putting on a party that looks like a dream for fans of Japanese alternative rock, emo, math rock, indie and shoegaze. The line-up traverses nearly 20 years of underground music culture, bringing together multiple generations of artists from legendary bands of the early ’00s to newer acts defining the current scene.  Cinema Staff, who recently wrapped up a national tour for their latest album Plastic Youth, are perhaps best known for their singles ‘Great Escape’ and ‘Name of Love’, both ending tracks for the anime series Attack on Titan. They’re joined by The Cabs, another legendary act in local heavy music circles, who reformed last year after a 12-year hiatus and dropped a new single recently, much to the delight of long-time fans. Younger bands on the bill include Texas 300, who have earned a name for themselves since the release of their debut single ‘Uma Ga Suki’ in 2022, as well as Yubiori and Anorak.