Chatmonchy's B-Sides Album Expression Due Tomorrow, May 25

U.S. TOUR EARNS CRITICAL PRAISE

“…the hottest female band…”–– AOL Spinner

chatmonchy recently completed a U.S. tour playing in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and SXSW in Austin. Audiences and critics lauded those performances as well as their most recent album “Kokuhaku” (Confession). NPR's All Songs Considered called them a “…quirky pop trio…” and Marco Werman from PRI's The World exclaimed, “…three Japanese women who know how to rock.”

Before the band's tour Spin included chatmonchy in their, “50 Must-Hear SXSW Bands” proclaiming, “…catchy, raw, emotional rock anthems, this all-girl power trio is like the 21st-century Japanese version of the Runaways.”

With their most recent album “Kokuhaku” out now in the U.S. SIN/Sony Music Independent Network is pleased to announce the release of chatmonchy's “Expression” (Coupling Collection), a B-sides album available digitally May 25, 2010. The 19-song track list has variety of songs including, “Yuge” (steam), a fan favorite at their live show, “Bus Romance” which was used in a Japanese TV ad for the chocolate brand, Lotte, and a standard, “Katamichi Kippu” (one-way ticket).

Playing raw, energy-infused melodic rock music, Eriko (guitar and vocals), Akiko (bass), and Kumiko (drums) have been making a buzz all across Japan since their 2005 major label debut. SIN/Sony Music Independent Network has released three of the band's full-lengths, including 2009's “Kokuhaku” (Confession), “MIMiNARI” (Ear Ringing), and “Seimeiryoku” (Life Force). The albums are now available in the U.S. in a digital only format.

chatmonchy—whose name means absolutely nothing!—burst onto the scene without any label backing in 2004, quickly catching the ear of Sony Music Japan. The next year, Sony's Ki/oon Records released their debut EP, “chatmonchy has come,” and the band set off on their first nation-wide tour of Japan in 2006.

Inspiring fans with their feistiness and fire, chatmonchy released their first full-length album, “MIMiNARI” (Ear Ringing), in July of the same year. The album garnered a Top 10 spot on the national Oricon chart, and the girls were invited to perform at Japan's most important summer festivals, including Summer Sonic, Rock In Japan Festival and the Nano-Mugen Festival.

After the success of their summer festival dates, Eriko, Akiko, and Kumiko did a national tour in the Fall of 2006, then headed back to the studio to finish “Seimeiryoku” (Life Force), the album they had started writing the year before. The album, released in late 2007, hit #2 on the Oricon charts, and chatmonchy played sold-out shows all around Japan —including a two-night solo concert at the Budokan in the Spring of 2008 in front of more than 16,000 fans.

Following the first album, the rock-power girl trio released 4 singles that reached the Oricon Top 10, three that hit the Top 20, and 4 DVDs including music videos and passionate live performance footage. In addition, the single, “Dai Dai” (Orange), was featured as the theme song on the anime series, “Bleach”—their first step toward connecting to a worldwide audience.