I've been to Japan 3 times. Honestly, that's not enough to time to gauge the quality of different things, but my experiences regarding television there have been almost completely negative. Whenever I would flip on the TV it would be nothing but stupid variety shows with fat dudes eating some remote town's specialty cuisine and screaming, "Aw yeah! That's hella tasty!" or, the other type of variety show would just be a bunch of 3rd rate celebrities watching a documentary about some remote town's specialty cuisine and nodding in amazement, "Oooooh! How interesting!" Needless to say, it's horrible, horrible television. Thanks to the magic of youtube, I've been exposed to some genuinely awesome Japanese shows. Congratulations Japanese TV, you convinced me that you don't totally suck.
Silent Library (thanks to Max for the tip!)
This one is pretty self explanitory
Part 1
Click here for part 2
Hard Gay
Razor Ramon Hard Gay is some wacked out comedian/wrestler who made his name by running up to people on the street and humping them. I thought he was kind of amusing before, but not great. Here he is facind former pornstar Nao Oikawa in a competition to see who can be the sexiest with unsexy objects. I thought it was a very funny video. DO YOU???
Friday, March 30, 2007
Thursday, March 29, 2007
March 29, 2007
Why? - Darla
The Hold Steady - Southtown Girls
The Nice Boys - Teenage Night
---
Nate Kavanaugh, live in studio:
This Song
See What You Mean
Abe Lincoln
---
Old 97s - Big Brown Eyes
Ted Leo - La Costa Brava
Albert Hammond - Cartoon Music for Superheroes
---
More Nate:
Advice
High Sierras
Professor Emeritus
---
The Weakerthans - Diagnosis
The Queers - Girl About Town
Alkaline Trio - Hell Yes
Akiakane - Hanamichi
Frank Black - Thalassocracy
---
The HOLiDAYS - Friends (Going Steady cover)
Deerhoof - The Galaxist
The Unicorns - Sea Ghost
---
Nate, AGAIN!!!
Tuna Ketchup (Daniel Johnston cover)
House on the Hill
---
The New Trust - Wake Up, It's the Nineties
Pixies - Wave of Mutilation
---
The Return of Nate:
Leave It On the Doorstep
Constellations
---
Chris Murray - I'm Ready for Love
Slow Gherkin - Baby Snake
Supergrass - Cheapskate
---
Farewell to Nate:
Untitled tight new song
Check out Nate's tightness HERE!!!!
The Hold Steady - Southtown Girls
The Nice Boys - Teenage Night
---
Nate Kavanaugh, live in studio:
This Song
See What You Mean
Abe Lincoln
---
Old 97s - Big Brown Eyes
Ted Leo - La Costa Brava
Albert Hammond - Cartoon Music for Superheroes
---
More Nate:
Advice
High Sierras
Professor Emeritus
---
The Weakerthans - Diagnosis
The Queers - Girl About Town
Alkaline Trio - Hell Yes
Akiakane - Hanamichi
Frank Black - Thalassocracy
---
The HOLiDAYS - Friends (Going Steady cover)
Deerhoof - The Galaxist
The Unicorns - Sea Ghost
---
Nate, AGAIN!!!
Tuna Ketchup (Daniel Johnston cover)
House on the Hill
---
The New Trust - Wake Up, It's the Nineties
Pixies - Wave of Mutilation
---
The Return of Nate:
Leave It On the Doorstep
Constellations
---
Chris Murray - I'm Ready for Love
Slow Gherkin - Baby Snake
Supergrass - Cheapskate
---
Farewell to Nate:
Untitled tight new song
Check out Nate's tightness HERE!!!!
W.E.B. Du Bomb
The new Ted Leo video for Bomb.Repeat.Bomb. I suppose the apolitical haters of the world probably don't like this song. I like how annoying it is, especially since most of the Shake the Sheets loving Ted Leo fans are probably like "OMG, WTF!!!"
Bomb.Repeat.Bomb.
Bomb.Repeat.Bomb.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Shena, Shena! Shena, Shena, Shenaaaa-aaah!
I wrote a review of Shena Ringo's new album on Keikaku. Peep it HERE if you'd like.
After that, you should watch this video of the lovely Ringo with her band Tokyo Jihen. GAH!!! SHE'S SO PRETTY!
After that, you should watch this video of the lovely Ringo with her band Tokyo Jihen. GAH!!! SHE'S SO PRETTY!
Half-Hearted Update!
I've seen some shows recently:
Ted Leo @ Great American Music Hall
The band who was main support was kinda cool, but I forget what their name was. Ted Leo was even more cool, possibly ICE COLD. He played a great mixture of songs from every album between The Tyranny Distance and Living With the Living. He also ended his encore with a Chumbawumba cover. I think half the crowd was underwhelmed by the new songs, and the encore, but that's just 'cuz they can't handle Ted Leo. He's too real for them. YEAH, I WENT THERE. At the risk of sounding like a total dufus, I'm actually pretty serious about that. Ted Leo likes what he likes, writes what he likes, and represents it to the fullest. If you don't like Ted Leo playing a Chumbawumba song then you are A) a moron, B)unaware that Chumbawumba isn't just "Tubthumping", C) a moron. Sure, it may seem a strange choice for a cover, but only if you haven't considered the awesome cross-section of artists he's covered, including Jimmy Cliff, Lauryn Hill, Split Enz, The Jam, etc... In conclusion, Ted Leo is TOIGHT.
GO!GO!7188 @ The Independent
Go!Go!7188 headlined the 2007 edition of the annual Japan Nite tour, which included acts such as HY, Oreskaband, The 50 Kaitenz and Asakusa Jinta. A quick rundown of each band's performance is as follows:
Asakusa Jinta: Weird ragtime, but with a saxophonist prettier than possibly any girl I've ever seen, and also with a voice more annoying than any girl I've ever heard. Overall, an enjoyable band.
The 50 Kaitenz: Run of the mill garage rock band, but with some enjoyable antics, lyrics and banter. The guitarist looked a mixture of Mineta from Ging Nang Boyz and Jason from Short Round.
Oreskaband: A 6-piece, all school-girl ska band. They really love the Specials. They used the song "Little Bitch" as their intro music, but apparently I'm the only person who found that hilarious. They covered "Monkey Man", albeit not a true Specials song, and it was significantly better than the butchered piece of crap that these girls had the gall to release on CD. The rest of their songs were cheesy 3rd wave that I probably would've enjoyed when I was 15, but now I can't really stomach that sort of stuff. Nevertheless, their energy was great. In particular, the trumpeter and trombonist's rapport and banter made me enjoy their set. They gave a lesson on Osaka-ben, or as they called it "New Osaka language". This is where the American audience was treated to a skit involving two crazy girls pretending to fight and one of them screams "DOMESTIC VIOLENCE!!!"
HY: Think of this band as Maroon 5, John Mayer, and Vanilla Ice rolled into one horrible band. What I'm trying to say is that this band was whiter than the whitest, soul-lacking gringo, and they aren't even white!!! Apparently every Japanese person alive loves this band. I walked out in the middle of their set and was pleasantly surprised to see at least 40 red-blooded Americans outside with me avoiding the sonic torture that is HY.
Go!Go!7188: Everyone from outside came back in to catch Go!Go!, even though a bunch of wack Japanese fans left after HY had finished. BAH! Good riddance, I say. Go!Go! is amazing, and I had forgotten just how good until I saw them again. They started out with "Jet Ninjin" from their first album, and ripped through a set of classics, including "Thunder Girl", "C7" and "Ukifune". The encore "Bungu" was terrific as well. The best quote of the night came from the weird lifeless singer Yuu when she said, seemingly unprompted, "I am not child. I am adult."
Some doofus videotaped the band setting up at the show and posted it HERE on youtube, but didn't actually videotape any of their set. What a dufus?? HUH? Yeah, I know.
Taft's Brigade and Pteradon @ Graeme Matthew
There's not much I could say about Pteradon and TB that I haven't said before (albeit not in this blog). They are tight.
BUT, the other bands this night were like every ska-punk band from 1997-2000 reincarnated in a new generation of kids who don't know better. Between them, they played at least 4 Rancid covers, and 2 bands covered the same song twice that night, NOFX's "Bob". I love me some ska, and I love me some punk, but I just wish these sorts of bands wouldn't base all their musical ideas on Rancid and NOFX. How about ripping off some better bands, like Operation Ivy or Fruity? Having formerly been in a mediocre ska-punk band, I totally know what I'd wanna do were I start another ska-punk band.
Ted Leo @ Great American Music Hall
The band who was main support was kinda cool, but I forget what their name was. Ted Leo was even more cool, possibly ICE COLD. He played a great mixture of songs from every album between The Tyranny Distance and Living With the Living. He also ended his encore with a Chumbawumba cover. I think half the crowd was underwhelmed by the new songs, and the encore, but that's just 'cuz they can't handle Ted Leo. He's too real for them. YEAH, I WENT THERE. At the risk of sounding like a total dufus, I'm actually pretty serious about that. Ted Leo likes what he likes, writes what he likes, and represents it to the fullest. If you don't like Ted Leo playing a Chumbawumba song then you are A) a moron, B)unaware that Chumbawumba isn't just "Tubthumping", C) a moron. Sure, it may seem a strange choice for a cover, but only if you haven't considered the awesome cross-section of artists he's covered, including Jimmy Cliff, Lauryn Hill, Split Enz, The Jam, etc... In conclusion, Ted Leo is TOIGHT.
GO!GO!7188 @ The Independent
Go!Go!7188 headlined the 2007 edition of the annual Japan Nite tour, which included acts such as HY, Oreskaband, The 50 Kaitenz and Asakusa Jinta. A quick rundown of each band's performance is as follows:
Asakusa Jinta: Weird ragtime, but with a saxophonist prettier than possibly any girl I've ever seen, and also with a voice more annoying than any girl I've ever heard. Overall, an enjoyable band.
The 50 Kaitenz: Run of the mill garage rock band, but with some enjoyable antics, lyrics and banter. The guitarist looked a mixture of Mineta from Ging Nang Boyz and Jason from Short Round.
Oreskaband: A 6-piece, all school-girl ska band. They really love the Specials. They used the song "Little Bitch" as their intro music, but apparently I'm the only person who found that hilarious. They covered "Monkey Man", albeit not a true Specials song, and it was significantly better than the butchered piece of crap that these girls had the gall to release on CD. The rest of their songs were cheesy 3rd wave that I probably would've enjoyed when I was 15, but now I can't really stomach that sort of stuff. Nevertheless, their energy was great. In particular, the trumpeter and trombonist's rapport and banter made me enjoy their set. They gave a lesson on Osaka-ben, or as they called it "New Osaka language". This is where the American audience was treated to a skit involving two crazy girls pretending to fight and one of them screams "DOMESTIC VIOLENCE!!!"
HY: Think of this band as Maroon 5, John Mayer, and Vanilla Ice rolled into one horrible band. What I'm trying to say is that this band was whiter than the whitest, soul-lacking gringo, and they aren't even white!!! Apparently every Japanese person alive loves this band. I walked out in the middle of their set and was pleasantly surprised to see at least 40 red-blooded Americans outside with me avoiding the sonic torture that is HY.
Go!Go!7188: Everyone from outside came back in to catch Go!Go!, even though a bunch of wack Japanese fans left after HY had finished. BAH! Good riddance, I say. Go!Go! is amazing, and I had forgotten just how good until I saw them again. They started out with "Jet Ninjin" from their first album, and ripped through a set of classics, including "Thunder Girl", "C7" and "Ukifune". The encore "Bungu" was terrific as well. The best quote of the night came from the weird lifeless singer Yuu when she said, seemingly unprompted, "I am not child. I am adult."
Some doofus videotaped the band setting up at the show and posted it HERE on youtube, but didn't actually videotape any of their set. What a dufus?? HUH? Yeah, I know.
Taft's Brigade and Pteradon @ Graeme Matthew
There's not much I could say about Pteradon and TB that I haven't said before (albeit not in this blog). They are tight.
BUT, the other bands this night were like every ska-punk band from 1997-2000 reincarnated in a new generation of kids who don't know better. Between them, they played at least 4 Rancid covers, and 2 bands covered the same song twice that night, NOFX's "Bob". I love me some ska, and I love me some punk, but I just wish these sorts of bands wouldn't base all their musical ideas on Rancid and NOFX. How about ripping off some better bands, like Operation Ivy or Fruity? Having formerly been in a mediocre ska-punk band, I totally know what I'd wanna do were I start another ska-punk band.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
March 22, 2007
The Specials - It Doesn't Make It Alright
The Siren Six! - Begin
Fishbone - Ma & Pa
Ted Leo & The Pharmacists - The Unwanted Things
Skankin' Pickle - It's Not Too Late
---
Alkaline Trio - Hell Yes
The Queers - Teenage Bonehead
Superhopper - Kermit Hates Music
Go!Go!7188 - Thunder Girl
---
Dan Sartain - Gun vs. Knife
The (International) Noise Conspiracy - Capitalism Stole My Virginity
Deerhoof - The Perfect Me
Murder City Devils - Dancin' Shoes
Calling All Monsters - We Are Special Forces
---
The Unicorns - Ready To Die
Cap'n Jazz - Puddle Splashers
Pixies - Velouria
The New Trust - The Lost Language
---
BOBOSO's OBNOXIOUS DANCE MIX
Sin With Sebastian - Shut Up and Sleep With Me
Tom Jones - Sex Bomb (Mousse T remix)
Earth Wind & Fire - September '99 remix
Moloko - Sing It Back
Shiina Ringo - Oiran
Lil Suzy - Take Me In Your Arms
Connie - Funky Little Beat
Electric Light Orchestra - Last Train To London
Morning Musume - Love Machine
---
The Minutemen - One Reporter's Opinion
Pavement - Silence Kit
Supergrass - Alright
The Queers - Girl About Town
---
Hepcat - Tommy's Song
The Aquabats - Lobster Bucket
Sugarhill Downtown Orchestra - Shin Shin Shin
Keyboard - Siamese
---
Ging Nang Boyz - Tokyo
The Siren Six! - Begin
Fishbone - Ma & Pa
Ted Leo & The Pharmacists - The Unwanted Things
Skankin' Pickle - It's Not Too Late
---
Alkaline Trio - Hell Yes
The Queers - Teenage Bonehead
Superhopper - Kermit Hates Music
Go!Go!7188 - Thunder Girl
---
Dan Sartain - Gun vs. Knife
The (International) Noise Conspiracy - Capitalism Stole My Virginity
Deerhoof - The Perfect Me
Murder City Devils - Dancin' Shoes
Calling All Monsters - We Are Special Forces
---
The Unicorns - Ready To Die
Cap'n Jazz - Puddle Splashers
Pixies - Velouria
The New Trust - The Lost Language
---
BOBOSO's OBNOXIOUS DANCE MIX
Sin With Sebastian - Shut Up and Sleep With Me
Tom Jones - Sex Bomb (Mousse T remix)
Earth Wind & Fire - September '99 remix
Moloko - Sing It Back
Shiina Ringo - Oiran
Lil Suzy - Take Me In Your Arms
Connie - Funky Little Beat
Electric Light Orchestra - Last Train To London
Morning Musume - Love Machine
---
The Minutemen - One Reporter's Opinion
Pavement - Silence Kit
Supergrass - Alright
The Queers - Girl About Town
---
Hepcat - Tommy's Song
The Aquabats - Lobster Bucket
Sugarhill Downtown Orchestra - Shin Shin Shin
Keyboard - Siamese
---
Ging Nang Boyz - Tokyo
Friday, March 16, 2007
Thursday, March 15, 2007
March 15, 2007
Dinosaur Jr. - Raisans
Dan Sartain - Thought It Over
Afrirampo - Akan Kono Mama Kaesanai
---
Ted Leo - The Unwanted Things
Common Rider - Signal, Signal
Chris Murray - Switchblade to Soul
Monkey - $30 Suit
Bad Manners - Special Brew
---
The Queers - Girl About Town
Mr. T Experience - I Fell For You
Superhopper - It's Alright, It's Okay
Alkaline Trio - Hell Yes
MU330 - Favorite Show
---
The Queers - Teenage Bonehead
Dillinger Four - Smells Like OK Soda
Crimpshrine - Pretty Mess
Ging Nang Boyz - Trash
The Muffs - Oh Nina
---
Trainees A & B play:
Lady Sovereign - Public Warning
The Sugarcubes - Vitamin
Deerhoof - Panda Panda Panda
Thom Yorke - The Eraser
---
The Hives - Abra Cadaver
The Walkmen - The Rat
The Go Team - Panther Dash
"Weird Al" Yankovic - Bedrock Anthem
---
Operation Ivy - Soundsystem
Scared of Chaka - Wanna Make It Happen
Screeching Weasel - I Wanna Be With You Tonight
---
Internation Noise Conspiracy - Bigger Cages Longer Chains
The New Trust - Wake Up, It's the Nineties
Deerhoof - The Perfect Me
Built to Spill - Dystopian Dream Girl
---
Belle & Sebastian - I'm A Cuckoo
Cap'n Jazz - Puddle Splashers
Dan Sartain - Thought It Over
Afrirampo - Akan Kono Mama Kaesanai
---
Ted Leo - The Unwanted Things
Common Rider - Signal, Signal
Chris Murray - Switchblade to Soul
Monkey - $30 Suit
Bad Manners - Special Brew
---
The Queers - Girl About Town
Mr. T Experience - I Fell For You
Superhopper - It's Alright, It's Okay
Alkaline Trio - Hell Yes
MU330 - Favorite Show
---
The Queers - Teenage Bonehead
Dillinger Four - Smells Like OK Soda
Crimpshrine - Pretty Mess
Ging Nang Boyz - Trash
The Muffs - Oh Nina
---
Trainees A & B play:
Lady Sovereign - Public Warning
The Sugarcubes - Vitamin
Deerhoof - Panda Panda Panda
Thom Yorke - The Eraser
---
The Hives - Abra Cadaver
The Walkmen - The Rat
The Go Team - Panther Dash
"Weird Al" Yankovic - Bedrock Anthem
---
Operation Ivy - Soundsystem
Scared of Chaka - Wanna Make It Happen
Screeching Weasel - I Wanna Be With You Tonight
---
Internation Noise Conspiracy - Bigger Cages Longer Chains
The New Trust - Wake Up, It's the Nineties
Deerhoof - The Perfect Me
Built to Spill - Dystopian Dream Girl
---
Belle & Sebastian - I'm A Cuckoo
Cap'n Jazz - Puddle Splashers
Thursday, March 08, 2007
March 8, 2007
Going Steady - Wakamonotachi
Dillinger Four - ¡¡Noble Stabbings!!
Jawbreaker - Chesterfield King
---
Crimpshrine - Wake Up
Toys That Kill - Song About Jed
The Damned - Neat Neat Neat
The Weakerthans - Greatest Hits Collection
Alkaline Trio - Hell Yes
---
The New Trust - Wake Up, It's the Nineties
BREAKfAST - Bf Strut
The Minutemen - Vietnam
Fruity - Punk Teacher Fight Together
Dan Sartain - Gun vs. Kinfe
The Blue Hearts - Linda Linda
---
Screeching Weasel - The Science of Myth
The Mutts - Dog on Dog
Scared of Chaka - Cashed Out
Tokyo Police Club - Citizens of Tomorrow
The Pixies - Cecilia Ann
---
Deerhoof - Choco Fight
The Dead Milkmen - If You Love Somebody, Set Them on Fire
Cap'n Jazz - Forget Who We Are
The Misfits - Theme for a Jackal
---
This Is My Fist! - Wooden Bullets
Calling All Monsters - Everyone and Every Other One
The Queers - Aishiteruyo Kanojo
Slow Gherkin - He's Gotta Go
Sleater Kinney - Turn It On
Green Day - Dry Ice
---
Shonen Knife - Banana Chips
The Spunks - #1
Rocket From the Crypt - I'm Not Invisible
Static Thought - Next To You (if Sting lost his voice and smoked 5 packs a day)
Short Round - Troublemaking Sweetheart
---
Sugarhill Downtown Orchestra - Home Made Song
Symarip - These Boots Are Made For Stompin'
School Jackets - I Love Music, I Love You
Rx Bandits - To Our Unborn Daughters
---
Pavement - Gold Soundz
Dillinger Four - ¡¡Noble Stabbings!!
Jawbreaker - Chesterfield King
---
Crimpshrine - Wake Up
Toys That Kill - Song About Jed
The Damned - Neat Neat Neat
The Weakerthans - Greatest Hits Collection
Alkaline Trio - Hell Yes
---
The New Trust - Wake Up, It's the Nineties
BREAKfAST - Bf Strut
The Minutemen - Vietnam
Fruity - Punk Teacher Fight Together
Dan Sartain - Gun vs. Kinfe
The Blue Hearts - Linda Linda
---
Screeching Weasel - The Science of Myth
The Mutts - Dog on Dog
Scared of Chaka - Cashed Out
Tokyo Police Club - Citizens of Tomorrow
The Pixies - Cecilia Ann
---
Deerhoof - Choco Fight
The Dead Milkmen - If You Love Somebody, Set Them on Fire
Cap'n Jazz - Forget Who We Are
The Misfits - Theme for a Jackal
---
This Is My Fist! - Wooden Bullets
Calling All Monsters - Everyone and Every Other One
The Queers - Aishiteruyo Kanojo
Slow Gherkin - He's Gotta Go
Sleater Kinney - Turn It On
Green Day - Dry Ice
---
Shonen Knife - Banana Chips
The Spunks - #1
Rocket From the Crypt - I'm Not Invisible
Static Thought - Next To You (if Sting lost his voice and smoked 5 packs a day)
Short Round - Troublemaking Sweetheart
---
Sugarhill Downtown Orchestra - Home Made Song
Symarip - These Boots Are Made For Stompin'
School Jackets - I Love Music, I Love You
Rx Bandits - To Our Unborn Daughters
---
Pavement - Gold Soundz
Thursday, March 01, 2007
March 1, 2007
Supergrass - We're Not Supposed To
The Minutemen - #1 Hit Song
Pavement - Silence Kit
Sebadoh - Willing Wait
Nate Kavanaugh - I'm No Picasso
---
Built To Spill - Car
Why? - Afterschool America
The Weakerthans - Hospital Vespers
Keyboard - Nu Song
Chris Murray - Moment
---
Binkan Shonentai - Sound of Shimokitazawa
Sonic Youth - Razor Blade
Common Rider - Dixie Roadrash
The Hot IQs - Web in Front (Archers of Loaf cover)
Frank Black - Headache
---
Blanks 77 - If You Were a Beer
Dan Sartain - Gun vs. Knife
The Junior Panthers - Cover Up
Alkaline Trio - Hell Yes
Dinosaur Jr. - In A Jar
---
TRAINEE EXTRAVAGANZA!!!!!!!!!
Generic Trainees A & B ROCK YOUR WORLD!!!!
---
Spandecks - Paranoia
Cleveland Bound Death Sentence - Rumble Seats & Rumble Boards
Toys That Kill - Runnin' the Front
This Is My Fist! - A History of Rats
---
The New Trust - The Lost Language
Fugazi - Cashout
Operation Ivy - The Crowd
Cap'n Jazz - Take On Me (A-Ha cover)
Sparta Locals - Ougon Wave
---
The Rap$callionz - X-Tra Large Pimpin'
The Minutemen - #1 Hit Song
Pavement - Silence Kit
Sebadoh - Willing Wait
Nate Kavanaugh - I'm No Picasso
---
Built To Spill - Car
Why? - Afterschool America
The Weakerthans - Hospital Vespers
Keyboard - Nu Song
Chris Murray - Moment
---
Binkan Shonentai - Sound of Shimokitazawa
Sonic Youth - Razor Blade
Common Rider - Dixie Roadrash
The Hot IQs - Web in Front (Archers of Loaf cover)
Frank Black - Headache
---
Blanks 77 - If You Were a Beer
Dan Sartain - Gun vs. Knife
The Junior Panthers - Cover Up
Alkaline Trio - Hell Yes
Dinosaur Jr. - In A Jar
---
TRAINEE EXTRAVAGANZA!!!!!!!!!
Generic Trainees A & B ROCK YOUR WORLD!!!!
---
Spandecks - Paranoia
Cleveland Bound Death Sentence - Rumble Seats & Rumble Boards
Toys That Kill - Runnin' the Front
This Is My Fist! - A History of Rats
---
The New Trust - The Lost Language
Fugazi - Cashout
Operation Ivy - The Crowd
Cap'n Jazz - Take On Me (A-Ha cover)
Sparta Locals - Ougon Wave
---
The Rap$callionz - X-Tra Large Pimpin'
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