Our sister store has started carrying the new release from Bon Temps Roule, the manager's favorite live band!
Musique69 has entered its 21st year of business as a specialty shop for unique items by Western rock/pop artists. However, driven purely by my personal passion as the shop manager, I also operate a sister online store, "Musique69 Archive Recordings," specializing in Japanese indie artists.
On that site, we're now carrying a new release from a live band that has been my absolute favorite for over 20 years, and I'd like to introduce them to you.
Bon Temps Roule.
Formed in the late 90s, this four-piece live band has been together for nearly 30 years. It features Hiroshi Matsui, whose soulful vocals and harmonica captivate audiences; Kazuaki Yokoyama, a co-frontman who charms with his sweet, passionate vocals and guitar; and the rhythm section, consisting of Minori Kuramoto and Masafumi Minato, who not only provide a groovy foundation but also support the band with diverse harmonies. Paying immense respect to root music like rhythm & blues, Bon Temps Roule has continuously created their unique sound for many years. They are a monstrous band that effortlessly transcends genre boundaries, still producing a wide variety of songs daily (and many of them are masterpieces!).
Considering their long musical and band history, it might be easy to simply say they have "skilled performances." But beyond that, the band's sound, which has evolved through history while still retaining a "youthful energy," is surprisingly fresh. It's no wonder they've gained support from seasoned professional musicians and music fans who have experienced their live shows. Their timeless sound is sure to become addictive.
While we've sold their two previous works, "Crawl the Century" and "Lazy Boy Wanna Go to the Sea... Come on Our Live!!!" for a long time, their latest recorded album, "It's a Time for a New Time," is now available (released on July 25, 2026). By a stroke of good fortune, we'll be carrying it in our store. These Bon Temps Roule recordings are not available for streaming, so please consider purchasing the CD!
Also, the wonderful live review below, which I found online, was written by an old acquaintance, musician Mitsusato Furuta (thank you for permission to link!). It captured much of what I wanted to say, and it was such a great post that really conveyed the atmosphere of their live performance, so please do take a look.
"Bon Temps Roule @ Nagoya - FULTA goes"
Musique69 Store Manager
Tetsuya Wakamatsu
Musique69 currently sells three of their works, including the new release, at the links below (the 1st CD is already out of print).
- Bon Temps Roule - It's a Time for a New Time (New Release)
- Bon Temps Roule - Crawl the Century CD (Previous Work)
- Bon Temps Roule - Lazy Boy Wanna Go to the Sea... Come on Our Live!!! CD (Previous Work)
- List of Bon Temps Roule products at Musique69 Archive Recordings
- Fulldesign Records (Bon Temps Roule's label)