Next Music from Tokyo (NMFT) is an annual tour that introduces Canadians to the most creative and skilled bands from Japan’s indie/underground music scene.  The tour began in 2010 and has brought more than sixty Japanese bands to Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver including:  Kinoko Teikoku, ZAZEN BOYS, mouse on the keys, Akai Koen, Hitsuji Bungaku, group_inou, MASS OF THE FERMENTING DREGS and even Elephant Gym (from Taiwan).    NMFT 18 will bring four bands including the return of…   ハク。(Haku.), an all-female band crafting emotive indie pop with surprising skill and power.  With 700,000 fans worldwide, they were the main reason NMFT17 sold out so quickly.  https://youtu.be/kDdTf2EinCs https://youtu.be/Dx8wLRK5e50   Although Haku. is the clear headliner, the other three bands are each capable of stealing the show and convincing fans they are the true stars of the line-up.  SYAYOS is an experimental pop band from Nagano whose music drifts seamlessly between folk, soul and punk.  Imagine Sheryl Crow meets D’Angelo meets Fugazi. Despite an average age of just 21, their songwriting is strikingly nuanced and mature.  They’re a fantastic live act with performances that far surpass their album/studio recordings.  Rumor is they’ve already signed to a major label. https://youtu.be/aVkL9N2rXr4 https://youtu.be/Er7MBaUdzu0 揺れるは幽霊 (Yureru wa Yūrei) translates to “What quivers is a ghost.”  Hailing from Okayama, this four-piece crafts a melancholic blend of intense shoegaze and post-rock, channeling a sound reminiscent of NMFT favorites Kinoko Teikoku. https://youtu.be/LVSOM-Yd1Ys https://youtu.be/BevBa3-iWAQ   pudelhunds is German for ‘poodle hounds.’  Based in Fukuoka, this young trio of elite musicians delivers emo/math rock with beautifully clean instrumentation and vocals.  Then they blindside you with bursts of face-melting chaos and tasteful screamo to reveal an inner pitbull.  https://youtu.be/CPg7FH51Ots https://youtu.be/C-dcUh9-2hY