With the newest of the beloved Just Dance series finally making it out from Wii-exclusivity, I was able to give it a try with my Kinect for the 360, just as the sequel to the Kinect dance hit Dance Central hit stores. With both dance games sitting on my shelf beckoning, I was hard pressed to decide which of the pair would reign as my number one dance game of choice.

I admit that right off the bat Dance Central had a strong lead with the option to import all of the songs from the first Dance Central with the use of the code provided in the first game, making the two into one super game, a feature Just Dance couldn’t provide me with due to this being its first Kinect-ready title. Both titles provide the option of downloading songs from the market place individually, which is nice, but something I haven’t felt willing to spend my Microsoft points on yet.

Download options aside, Just Dance does lead with a larger song-base to start with. However, I found myself only play a few of the gems in Just Dance like LMFAO’s “Party Rock Anthem” or Duck Sauce’s “Barbra Streisand”. Dance Central may have a smaller selection, but they will it with more hits and a better quality of songs, new and old. During parties with my friends we definitely give Just Dance it’s due time for its multiplayer possibilities, but Dance Central always works its way back in for our loves of it’s songs.

As far as actual gameplay and being sensitive to movement, Dance Central continues to pull ahead. When playing Dance Central it will tell me when any part of my body is about two inches off anywhere, while Just Dance doesn’t tell you where you are messing up, just that you are, but also doesn’t seem to have adapted to the Kinect well. Just dance was made for the Wii originally, focusing all of its motion capture on the hands, which it still seems to do, even with the whole-body capabilities of the Kinect.

One place where Just Dance leaves Dance Central in the dust however is multiplayer. This is the first time Dance Central offers multiplayer, and it is limited to two people only. Just Dance however has always had a wide multiplayer and can be up to four players. Just Dance also features a kind of open multiplayer where at any point in the song you can simply walk into the Kinect field and it will add you to the game. Dance Central will need to pause and sign you in to play, not nearly as smoothly.

Both games feature a workout mode meant to promote being active. With Just Dance you will collect sweat points to show off how long you’ve been at your workout, however these points don’t earn you anything and go away once you exit workout mode, making a rather small victory. Dance Central offers pre-selected dance playlist for different levels of workout, in which they track your time spent and calories burnt, which you can go back and view later, making it feel like a bigger accomplishment, and keeps you active by not having to select a new song each time.

One feature that Just Dance holds that you won’t find in Dance Central is the create mode, where you make your own dances to the songs in the game, or tweak the ones already there. This feature seemed really cool at first, when I went to try it out, half the time I found myself lost for dance moves and simply copying what had already been there. Maybe for a more creative dancer this would be fun, but I play these games because I can only dance with someone telling me the moves.

The final feature that really sold me on Dance Central over Just Dance was its ability to create your own playlist of songs to play through. Of course everyone has their select favorites when it comes to dancing games, and to able to store them all together and not have to go searching in between each one is a convenience I really enjoyed. Now I have all my hits like Lady Gaga, Rihanna, and La Roux all together, just waiting for anytime I want to play.

FINAL GRADES: Dance Central 2: 9.0 (out of ten) Just Dance 3: 6.4 (out of ten)

Written by Saignement

The three Bastards and Bastette-In-Training rev one up filled with tangents and topics galore!

This week the B3 crew review Mission Impossible - Ghost Protocol, Green Lantern, and Colombiana, and King Baby Duck gives a rundown of the demos Final Fantasy XIII-2, EA SPORTS Grand Slam Tennis 2, Asura's Wrath, Amy, and Choplifter HD. Anvil gives his weekly sports report, and a quick look at one of 2011's best albums from The Knux.

Buckle up your seatbelt! It's Episode 125: I'll Show You A Ghost Protocol!

Still not convinced about our top 20 albums list? Then this episode is for you!

King Baby Duck spins a song from each of the top album picks of this year. What morsels of musical treats will be oozing out of your speakers in today's program?

1. Asobi Seksu - Trails (from the album Fluorescence)
2. Flogging Molly - The Power's Out (from the album Speed Of Darkness)
3. VERBAL - CHANGE CHANGE [feat. Nicki Minaj] (from the album Visionair)
4. Cheeseburger - Party Song (from the album Another Big Night Down the Drain)
5. American Water - Old Best Friend (from the album This Is Where It Ends)
6. Evanescence - Made of Stone (from the album Evanescence)
7. The Go! Team - Secretary Song (from the album Rolling Blackouts)
8. R.E.M. - It Happened Today (from the album Collapse into Now)
9. Flash Bang Grenada - I Can Teleport (from the album 10 Haters)
10. the pillows - Movement (from the album Horn Again)
11. Foster The People - Don't Stop (Color On The Walls) (from the album Torches)
12. The Knux - Run [feat. Kid Cudi] (from the album Eraser)
13. TsuShiMaMiRe - French Toast Rendezvous (from the album Giving Blood)
14. Dropkick Murphys - Hang 'Em High (from the album Going Out in Style)
15. Beastie Boys - Lee Majors Come Again (from the album Hot Sauce Committee Part Two)
16. The Decemberists - Don't Carry It All (from the album The King Is Dead)
17. The Black Keys - Gold On The Ceiling (from the album El Camino)
18. Foo Fighters - White Limo (from the album Wasting Light)
19. Tom Waits - Hell Broke Luce (from the album Bad As Me)
20. Fucked Up - Life In Paper (from the album David Comes To Life)

The Boston Bastard Brigade kindly encourages you to support these artists, and buy their songs/album. You can find the majority of these releases on JapanFiles, CDJapan.co.jp, Amazon.com, iTunes, the bands' official websites and (in some cases) at your local record stores.

10. Foster The People - Torches

Months before their debut album dropped, Foster The People already made their mark this year with the dark and catchy “Pumped Up Kicks.” Fortunately the rest of Torches is also solid gold, from the head-bopping “Don’t Stop (Color On The Walls)” and the psychedelic “Miss You” to the boogie-inducing “Houdini.” Here’s hoping they can keep up this dance-crazed trend for their next album.

9. The Knux - Eraser

True rockstars in the rap world, The Knux made their return without suffering from the sophomore slump. You’ll be head-banging and break-dancing at the same time with the help of such tracks as “She’s So Up” and the eighties-inspired “Maniac,” while “Razorblade” perfectly meshes together the styles of classic rap with The Stooges. Collaborations with Kid Cudi (“Run”) and Natalia Kills (“1974”) act as the icing on this hip hop cake. They may not want to be famous (as mentioned in “Fame-Us”), but releasing an album like Eraser shows that they might not have a choice in that matter.

8. TsuShiMaMiRe - Giving Blood

How does this Japanese punk trio manage to keep getting better and better? Released on their own label TsuShiMaMiRe pushes themselves to the edge and back with such tracks as “Sonate de Alarm” and “Sky High,” and sings the most punk rock song about food (“French Toast Rendevous”) since Shonen Knife sang about banana chips. Their redo of “Na-mellow” is one for the books, with Yayoi’s bass sounding meaner than it ever has before. My advice: be sure you have an extra pair of pants in arm’s reach before listening to Giving Blood, for you might just explode from the album’s sheer insanity.

7. Dropkick Murphys - Going Out In Style

When the Boston bad boys kick the bucket, they want their funeral to be the biggest celebration the hub has ever seen. From its opening march into battle “Hang Em High” to the mandolin-strumming “Take ‘Em Down” the Murphys know how to get a true Irish party started. Ken Casey and company also managed to grab an unknown singer by the name of Bruce Springsteen for their rendition of “Peg O’ My Heart” that will have you singing from the top of your lungs. Going Out In Style celebrates the life and death of a fictional character named Cornelius Larkin, but after listening to this album you’ll swear he was a friend of your family.

6. Beastie Boys - Hot Sauce Committee Part Two

Do they ever cease to amaze? After 30 years the Beastie Boys continue to change the rules of the rap game, thanks in part to their outside-the-box sampling and original rhymes. Tracks like “Nonstop Disco Powerpack” and “Funky Donkey” will put a smile on your face for their names alone, but fortunately the beats and lyrics are as fresh as ever.  Even their turn at Bollywood style in “Don’t Play No Game That I Can’t Win” with Santigold brings forth another winning formula. With all the punk, jazz, and rock fusions that appear in Hot Sauce Committee Part Two, it’s a sure sign that the Beastie Boys can do no wrong. Let’s hope that Part One will appear in some form in the near-future.

5. The Decemberists - The King Is Dead

After doing two back-to-back concept albums (The Crane’s Wife and The Hazards of Love) the Portland natives decided to do a more straight-forward album this year. The outcome: their best album to date. From the harmonica-heavy “Don’t Carry It All” and the soft-spoken “January Hymn” to the heart-stopping sounds of “Calamity Song” and “Down By The Water” Colin Meloy and friends show that their hearts and souls are in a warm, unique place. The King Is Dead, long live The Decemberists.

4. The Black Keys - El Camino

Teaming up with Danger Mouse again the Black Keys let their hair down and made a record that sounded fun to make as it is to listen. Your feet will start tapping during “Lonely Boy,” your hips will shake while “Gold On The Ceiling” plays, and by the time “Hell of a Season” hits your entire body will have succumbed to the groove of El Camino. The White Stripes may have officially broken up, but Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney have showed us that The Black Keys were the garage blues rock rulers all along.

3. Foo Fighters - Wasting Light

Dave Grohl and company toured the world, took truck stop showers to a whole ‘nother level, and faced off against Westboro Baptist Church in the best way possible. They also released the best album of their careers, produced by Butch “Yes, he also produced Nevermind” Vig. The end result: heavy rock (“White Limo,” “Bridge Burning”), great ballads (“I Should Have Known,” “Walk”) and one hell of a single in the form of “Rope.” (The deadmau5 remix is worth a listen, bringing the track to fun, sadomasochistic levels.) Wasting Light has shown that rock was never dead to begin with; it was just planning an epic sneak attack on the music world.

2. Tom Waits - Bad As Me

On the day Bad As Me was announced America had the weirdest earthquake happen on the East Coast, a sure sign that our planet was nervous about not being cool enough for Tom Waits anymore. Worry not, as the king crooner still thinks it is. From its train-riding opener “Chicago” and the hip-swinging “Get Lost” to the grooving “Satisfied” Mr. Waits proved yet again at no mere mortal can compete with the likes of him. The war-cry known as “Hell Broke Luce” just may be the best track of 2011, a decree that neither God or the Devil can argue against. Welcome back, Tom. We missed you dearly.

1. Fucked Up - David Comes To Life

The most complex, catchy, and all-around jaw-dropping album of the year. The Toronto sextet is known to go against the grains of punk rock, but they upped the ante this time around with a rock opera focused on a light bulb factory worker who loses his beloved in a tragic explosion. Filled with betrayal, tragedy, and hope David Comes To Life is the breath of fresh air the music industry has needed these past couple years, and it helps that the album is chock full of great sing-along tracks like “Queen of Hearts,” “The Other Shoe,” and “Ship of Fools.” Even more impressive were the character singles and David’s Town compilation released to build up the existence of the faux town known as Byrdesdale Spa, UK. With so many layers and chapters to cover within the LP and its companion pieces, the world of David Comes To Life was, indeed, brought to life in this year’s best album. Sorry Green Day, but your reign as punk opera kings is over!

What are your thoughts on the year of music? Any albums I missed that you thought deserved to be on here? Speak your mind, and post below!

MY FINGERS ARE ON FIRE!!!!!

After watching this video I have to say that's pretty damn true about learning how to play guitar. (Sadly you can't kick down the walls to other people playing, but that is damn cool!) It might take me a bit to get used to Rocksmith due to the fact that the fingertips on my left hand are burning from playing the game. It's been awhile since I've gotten to sit down and pluck away like this on a guitar.

This is the setup that I have been waiting for. When the first Guitar Hero game came out, I thought it was the worse invention ever. The time that kids spent playing that game could have actually been put towards learning how to play real guitar. Back in 2010 I saw a glimmer of hope at PAX East where a company was selling a electronic device you could hook up to your guitar, but you could only play those chords in order to get it to work with the Guitar Hero or Rock Band games. Power Gig also featured an awesome idea with the actual guitar as a controller. However I did not get the game due to the lack of money at the time and I heard there were a bit of issues with the game.

Now the idea I had back in 2010 was to get something to go from the quarter-inch to USB, but no one had made it and I was going to go to my electronics route to see if I could do it. Again, time restraints and money held me back. I've learned, thought, if you're patient and wait for things to come to you, they will eventually show up. Ubisoft did just that with their quarter-inch plug to USB. You can take any and all guitars with the electric capabilities and your freakin' golden!

I was lucky that I had my father's Gibson Epiphone lying around collecting dust. All I had to do was plug in the guitar, and they helped me tune it through their special tuner screen. Then BAM! I started with finding out how to pluck some strings and hitting the notes when they are on the screen. Right off the bat they started me with the Rolling Stones classic "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction." I played that for a little while, then it was off to play The Black Keys' track "Next Girl," which is an awesome song. It's really interesting how to get your self situated in the game, like when you feel like you're going to mess up each time. Once you get the flow going, and you start playing the songs more and more, Rocksmith actually registers. If you get better it tosses in a couple more notes than your previous playthrough, or if it see you doing bad it backs down on some of the notes.

I did want to record how I was playing, but I don't have the proper recording capabilities; next to that probably the things that would be coming out of my mouth would've been absolutely hilarious. It's probably not a good thing to show how crappy I was doing. I'm not going to lie: I have been playing with the single cord setup. In the game you can select what you want to play, whether it's single chord or multiple chords. I was able to get this game to my nephew, who is a maniac on the guitar. He was playing damn good, and I'm happy that he's got this game because this will improve his guitar skills.

If you don't have your own guitar, you can buy the Gibson Epiphone Junior Edition

The real problem I was having with Rocksmith was when I was researching other reviews before I bought the game, I found  a lot of the reviews were leaning toward the negative side. The big thing that got me was that the person had bought the game thinking his younger kids were going to pick it up and love the game. However, kids are kids: they are going to pick up the game, play it for all of five minutes, and toss it aside. Be warned: you have to watch out for reviews sometimes because people will go all out to say a game sucks because their kids don't like it, or because they suck at the game themselves. (Next to that, if you get any rental setup of games -- or even the game demos on the system you play -- give it a try until you buy. You'll be much happier and you won't have a pile of games you don't want.)

Tuner set up for the guitar

FINAL THOUGHTS:

Rocksmith is definitely a leap in the right direction for interactive gaming. It's a challenge to play, which is awesome because it teaches you how to actually play a guitar. Your hand-eye coordination starts taking into effect, but I'm not sure into the memory aspect of playing the song. I feel that when you play a song you have to be interested in the music in order to care about it. I'm not saying that all the songs they have on the playlist and download aspect, but it's fun to learn different songs. When you get to that point, you'll be able to add your own style when you start to play on your own. This game is based on rehearsing, then going out onto a stage and playing in front of an audience. It's definitely an interesting twist and different from Rock Band, where they just kind of toss you out on stage so you get humiliated and don't want to play the game anymore. This one helps you learn the song before you go on the stage. Next to that it gives you the capabilities of going over the tougher parts of the music via slow succession. A game like Rocksmith has been something I've been waiting for a long-ass time. It's the most realistic piece of musical gaming you can buy today.

The playlist selection is awesome!

I hope that Ubisoft will be coming out with even more music-based titles, or at least have an add-on with the bass aspect. I have to add a special request, due to the fact that I have a specific instrument: I want them to do some of the songs from Mumford & Sons so I can learn how to play the banjo parts of their tracks. Yes, I own a freakin' banjo, as well as an auto harp. (Don't judge me!) I think with what they have done with Rocksmith has brought a totally different aspect of the music games. So Guitar Hero, Rock Band, and Power Gig: Eat your hearts out!

PROS:

• You can use any electric guitar you please!
• It shows you the words to the song to sing along
• Great surround sound
• Awesome playlist and downloads
• Multiple pedals to change the sound
• AMP section play on your own
• Good rehearsal modes

CONS:

• My fingers hurt!!!
• Getting used to where the number frets and strings are
• Menu is a bit tough to navigate
• Doesn't have Slash album, but does have Velvet Revolver
• No, you can't use a banjo or 12-stringed guitars!

FINAL GRADE: 9.7 (out of 10)

Game: Rocksmith
Company: Ubisoft
System: PC, PS3, Xbox 360

PS: Here is the playlist for the most part (Provided by Rocksmith):

Here are more videos on Rocksmith to check it out:

The Christmas season is upon us, which means another peppermint-tasting mix of great songs to put you into the holiday spirit!

Join King Baby Duck as he spins some Christmas cheer from America, Japan, and England. Which stocking stuffers have made it onto the playlist this year? Take a look below and see:

1. Trans-Siberian Orchestra - First Snow (from Christmas Eve and Other Stories)
2. the pillows - I Can Hear Jingle Bells (from 90's My Life Returns)
3. Brian Setzer Orchestra - Santa Drives A Hot Rod (from Dig That Crazy Christmas)
4. Petty Booka - Mele Kalikimaka (from Christmas Everywhere)
5. Sting - Christmas At Sea (from If On A Winter's Night...)
6. Swinging Popsicle - At Christmastime (JapanFiles single)
7. The Nervous Wreckords - All I Want for Chri$tmas (special single)
8. YUKI - Message (from Cosmic Box single)
9. The White Stripes - Candy Cane Children (From Merry Christmas From The White Stripes 7" vinyl)
10. Ketchup mania - Jingleberry (from Greetings From Tokyo)
11. Shonen Knife - Sweet Christmas (CD single)
12. The Mighty Mighty Bosstones - This Time Of Year (from Medium Rare)
13. Amy Lee - Sally's Song (from Nightmare Revisited)
14. GACKT - December Love Song (out-of-print single)
15. Weezer - Merry-Chri (from The Red Album (Japanese Edition))

The Boston Bastard Brigade kindly encourages you to support these artists, and buy their songs/album. You can find the majority of these releases on JapanFiles, CDJapan.co.jp, Amazon.com, iTunes, the bands' official websites and (in some cases) at your local record stores.

Get your jollies on for a brand-new holiday-filled episode.

This week the Bastards share their favorite (and least-favorite) Christmas films, recipes, classic specials, songs, and gift ideas for all your loved ones. And yes, Anvil does another sports segment.

It's the happiest Christmas since Bing Crosby danced with Danny Fucking Kaye! Here's Episode 121: Boston Bastard Brigade's Christmas Vacation!

One-On-One gets its rocks on when Evanescence drummer Will Hunt calls in before his band's sold-out show at the Worcester Palladium.

In a special interview Will Hunt chats with King Baby Duck about the recording process behind the band's third album, and what it was like to work with legendary rock producer Nick Raskulinecz. Plus find out what happened the first time he filled in for Tommy Lee in Motley Crue, and which band member he tells an embarrassing story about.

You can catch it all right here in One-On-One: Will Hunt of Evanescence.

Special thanks to Greg Cortez for setting up the interview, and to Saignement for helping out with some of the questions.

The folks from GamerReaction return to the Bastard realm for show that had its share of "technical difficulties."

This week Alex & Dianna guest-star as the B3 crew discuss the recent lawsuit regarding a woman less-pleased with the film Drive (with Dianna doing a not-so-subtile plug for MoviePass). The new video game Batman: Arkham City is placed under the microscope, and Anvil shares his take on the fiasco in the Red Sox bullpen. Busdriver's new collab work Flash Bang Grenada is looked at, and Dianna & King Baby Duck chat about the demo for Dance Central 2, a game that the other Bastards wouldn't touch with a 40-foot pole.

The Joker-like craziness can be found here on Episode 116: Two Babies In A Blanket.

One of mau5trap label's talented artists SOFI joins the B3 crew for a brand-new episode of the One-On-One series.

Recorded at Boston's House of Blues on October 14, King Baby Duck and B.I.T. (that's Bastard/Bastette-In-Training for you newbies out there) Saignement sit down with the German vocalist to discuss her life on the road, her early days as a member of Danacee and back-up dancing, and if she really needed Deadmau5 to give her a ladder in the first place. Plus find out the story behind her upcoming song "Broken Souvenirs," what her preference of recording is and who she would love to collaborate with the most. As always no music interview would be complete without a trip to Three Album Island.

Pump up the bass, for the party's about to get started! It's One-On-One: SOFI!

Special thanks to John Ochoa for making this all happen. SOFI's "LOCKED & LOADED" EP will be available on October 24th via iTunes and Beatport.

Japanese band SAWAS PHOOL joins King Baby Duck for another rendition of One-On-One.

In this episode SAWAS PHOOL shares their inspirations behind their love for music, the goings-on behind the scenes of their latest EP and Sawa's work for such video game companies as Square-Enix and Konami. Plus discover which rock show past time has been banned in Japan, what happened to Sawa when she visited Boston and find out which records the band members would bring with them on a trip to Three Album Island.

It's all right here on One-On-One: SAWAS PHOOL.

The Vagabonds stop by the Bastard realm for an all-new episode.

This week the Vagabonds share their experiences at the first annual Great New England Steampunk Exhibition, where they took part in many panels and witnessed some unique artifacts and designs being displayed by the con-goers. Anvil shares the sour week in sports, including the failed run of the Red Sox season and the farewell of Terry Francona. Next the nominees for the 2012 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame are looked at, as the discussion of a couple nominees are put into question. Finally the demo for Sesame Street: Once Upon A Monster is reviewed for our parental fanbase, and a longer discussion on Dead Island is held for Anvil and Locke.

Stabby-stabby kill-kill things sold separately. It's Episode 114: Where Are All The Sharp Things?

King Baby Duck and Anvil come together to bring you Bastards, Bastettes and Wenches another short, informative show.

This week the duo chat about the recent Fucked Up/Wavves show at the Royale, and tell why Damian might be one of the world's best frontmen. KBD gives his reasons why Drive might be one of the greatest films ever made, and Anvil pulls a double-duty with the films Paintball and Paul. The demos for NBA 2K11, Burnout Crash! and Renegade Ops are placed under the microscope, and Anvil wraps it up with the week in sports.

It's all right here on Episode 113: The Renegade Driver.

Because they know you'd like to recover from the Labor Day weekend the Bastards present a new bite-sized episode for your consumption.

This week the B3 crew looks at the new TsuShiMaMiRe album Giving Blood, and explain why that particular group had a hand in creating the B3 realm in the first place. King Baby Duck and Blueonic give their thoughts on the demos for The Gunstringer, Rock of Ages, The Baconing and Ugly Americans: Apocalypsegeddon, and Anvil dives into his sport segment with Patriots preseason, the downward spiral of the recent Red Sox games and his visit to the gym of Team Pradal Seray.

It's hot off the grill on Episode 110: Bloody Vengeance From A Rock.

The Japanese underground music movement is hard to both describe and showcase, let alone the J-POP scene itself. Director Lewis Rapkin can only try, and in Live From Tokyo he and his film crew seeks through every crevice of the Japanese capital to capture its true essence. What we get out of it is a very unique look of a thriving and awe-inspiring music community.

Through the streets of Shibuya, Shinjuku and even the alleyways of the smaller areas like Koenji Live From Tokyo takes its viewers on a trip that is both a treat for the ears and the eyes. It's interesting to point out that these artists admit that -- for the most part -- Japan doesn't have much of a rock background, so many of the artists spotlighted here have to do everything within their imaginations to produce something new from an old formula. However while they try to make a name for themselves with Western-inspired melodies the musicians featured also do what they can to keep a Japanese identity within the essence of their harmonies. (A good example of this would be Tokyo Pinsalocks, who mixes Japan's poppy style with European dance rock beats.)

For what it's worth the experimental aspect of these acts are truly amazing at what they do, especially one act calling themselves d.v.d. This band in particular creates its sound via two drummers, video game-inspired visuals and guitar sounds using (surprisingly) a Wiimote. Another band called Optrum features a frontman wearing a steampunk skeletal bird mask and making music from a fluorescent light setup. (How he doesn't burn his hands during a live performance is quite baffling.)

One of the bigger bands featured in Live From Tokyo is Zoobombs, who recently came to America to perform at the annual SXSW Festival. Speaking in pretty good English one of the band members presents his music collection from all around the world, including a jazz funk group from the Congo. He then admits that he doesn't listen to Japanese music, as he finds that the rest of the world's music better enhances his creativity. Sexy-Synthesizer, on the other hand, takes the gaming elements d.v.d. used for the rock scene and places it in the electronica genre, creating one killer soundtrack for a massive party . (Here's hoping an opening slot on a Deadmau5 tour is in the future for them.)

Live From Tokyo is also filled with some eye-popping facts, such as how it's harder for indie artists out there to know they're fairing in gaining new listeners as record sales are affected by illegal downloads. While they know that their music is being spread across the world thanks to Internet sites like [mixi] and MySpace many of these artists still don't have a fair grasp at how big fanbase is getting. It also doesn't help their finances with the fact that most of these bands have to pay to play in many of the clubs in Japan if they don't sell enough tickets, a sad fact for those already trying to earn a buck for their art.

While Live From Tokyo offers a fishbowl's look at an astonishing music world it does suffer from a couple flaws, one of which is it tends to go all over the place, lacking a sort of narrative to piece every scene together. The other flaw is far wider: for a 78-minute film what we get is but the fingernail of the Japanese music underground body. As mentioned in the film thousands of artists perform in Japan every day, so what is featured in the film is a dust flake of the melodies Japan pumps out in a mere night. I am also puzzled by many of the bigger-named artists in the underground music world missing from the film, including Electric Eel Shock, BORIS, TsuShiMaMiRe and Omodaka. (There's some footage of Melt-Banana on the film's official YouTube page, but even their absence from the final cut left me scratching my head.)

Perhaps somewhere down the line Rapkin can expand on this documentary with a TV series, creating a sort of Austin City Limits that is focused on the Japanese music world. Until then viewers interested in checking out a fast-paced look at the Japanese underground music scene will find much to enjoy in Live From Tokyo. You might be pleasantly surprised by what you discover.

**** (out of five)

Review copy provided by Good Charamel Records.

Music, anime, movies, games and sports! It's a big-assed smorgasbord on this new episode of the B3 show!

This week King Baby Duck gives props to the female bands on the Lady Killer Tour, promotes the local band The Battleships and looks at the recent album from Lady Killer Tour group Vanity Theft. The anime Baka & Test: Summon The Beasts is on the table, and the King is quickly reminded why he doesn't review anime without a second otaku in the room...

Blueonic and the King review the Grindhouse flick Hobo With A Shotgun, the demos for Bodycount and Fruit Ninja Kinect are looked closely at and Blueonic shares his reasons why Toy Soldiers: Cold War might be the best Xbox Live Arcade game of the year. Finally Anvil gives his weekly sports report, sharing his thoughts on what seems to be Tim Wakefield's never-ending quest for his 200th win, the Pats pre-season and the goings-on in the MMA world.

It's all here in a neat little package on Episode 108: Going Commando On The Cold War!

Get your hate mail letters ready...

This week the Bastards celebrate gay marriage in New York, spare no punches when one-hit wonder (song-wise) Amy Winehouse kicks the bucket, and the recent Cage The Elephant album Thank You, Happy Birthday is on the table. The demo for Xbox Live Arcade game Bastion is looked closely at, the most uneventful week in sports is covered by Anvil, the Duck reviews Horrible Bosses and a preview of some of the most hotly anticipated films is brought into the spotlight.

It all happens right here on Episode 104: The Winehouse Is On Fire!!!

Editor's Note: While we may not have been fans of Ms. Winehouse -- and make light of the situation -- it is a sad occasion when someone passes away, especially at such a young age. Comedian/actor Russell Brand recently posted a very well-worded eulogy regarding her, and personally I think it serves as a fine rebuttal to what we said in this episode. Take a moment and read it.

Everybody loves donuts, especially those who love blowing shit up!

This week the Anvil rants on the week of sports -- including the MLB All-Star game and the Roger Clemens mistrial -- and King Baby Duck & Blueonic looks at the heavily-underrated Jim Carrey flick I Love You Phillip Morris and the recent price hikes at Netflix. Plus the Bastards are split in regards to the new Limp Bizkit album Gold Cobra, the demos for Catherine and Ms. 'Splosion Man are put under the microscope and Blueonic reviews the new Annihilation pack for Call of Duty: Black Ops.

The fun begins now on Episode 103: Annihilation By 'Splosion!

After filling their bellies with tons of burgers 'n' dogs during the Fourth of July Week the Bastards get their composure together for an all-new Podcast episode.

This week the B3 crew share how the calendar photo shoot went with the people from Cage Titans and Contemporarily Out of Order, and then review the latest release from Seether. Blueonic tries to figure out what happened to all the bands he liked back from the 90s, and Anvil gives his weekly sports reports. Finally King Baby Duck looks at the demo for MLB Bobbleheads Pro, and he and Blueonic give their takes on Deadliest Warrior: Legends and Dead Block.

It's all right here on Episode 102: Jeter the Deadliest Bobblehead!

Much gratitude is owed to Shonen Knife, the Japanese rock band now celebrating their thirtieth anniversary. The likes of Sonic Youth, Nirvana, White Flag and many others have praised their love for Naoko and company, even going so far as to either record tributes or -- if they're lucky enough -- share the stage with them. Without them the alt-rock industry (especially the grunge category) would've probably been more of a footnote in the history of music rather than the encyclopedia it is today. However had it not been for a certain group of punk icons the trio may not have been the band we see on stage now, which is why Shonen Knife are commemorating this occasion with the release of Osaka Ramones, a tribute album to Joey, Johnny, Dee Dee, Tommy and Marky.

Based on their side-project Osaka Ramones showcases thirteen classic (and sometimes underappreciated) tracks from the New York band, still containing much of the angst and fun that continues to thrive in the original tracks. Thankfully the beach blanket bongo style of Shonen Knife is not lost in the shuffle, as evident in "Blitzkrieg Bop" and "Sheena Is A Punk Rocker." "The KKK Took My Baby Away" continues to be a tongue-in-cheek joy to listen to with the Shone Knife twist, as does the smile-inducing "Beat On The Brat." You won't find "She's A Sensation" or "I Wanna Be Sedated" (which was on their Burning Farm rerelease); instead we have the underplayed tracks of "Scattergun" and "She's The One" brought back into the well-deserved limelight.

Many a tribute have been heard to the Ramones, some good (Danko Jones's "The Return of Jackie & Judy," Bad Religion's "We're A Happy Family") and some we wish to never hear again (Rob Zombie's "Blitzkrieg Bop"). The ladies of Shonen Knife, however, managed to turn out an impressive lineup of good-hearted renditions of the songs we've loved for almost forty years. The covers will never stand up to the originals, but the songs still maintain the true punk rock spirit while containing the pop-happy style of this J-ROCK trio. Joey, Johnny and Dee Dee would approve of this homage, and hopefully soon a band will pay a similar tribute to Shonen Knife as they have done here with Osaka Ramones.

**** (out of five)

Review copy provided by Good Charamel Records. In stores July 19.

How does one of the most influential Japanese rock bands of all time celebrate their thirtieth anniversary? Simple: by paying tribute to the band that inspired them the most!

On July 19th Shonen Knife will be releasing Osaka Ramones, a thirteen-track album that covers the best and the most catchiest of Ramones classics. Shonen Knife will also be embarking on a US Tour this October to promote both influential occasions.

For more information check out the press release below:

Shonen Knife Announce Dates For

30^th Anniversary Fall North American Tour Launching October 2011

In Support Of Osaka Ramones, Tribute To The Ramones

Out July 19 on Good Charamel Records

Shonen Knife have been the most internationally recognized name in Japanese Rock music since their entrance onto the alternative rock scene in the early 90s when them became the indie darlings of hipsters and rock stars alike. Since their inception in Osaka in 1981 (featuring Naoko’s sister Atsuko and their friend, bassist/vocalist Michie), to their current lineup featuring members Ritsuko (bass, vocals) and Emi (drums,vocals), Shonen Knife have maintained their rightful place in the ever changing indie rock scene.

2011 marks thirty years since Naoko and the band began releasing albums featuring their joyous mixture of pop, punk, food and fantasy for the world to enjoy, and to commemorate this major milestone, the ladies will be launching a fall tour in support of their latest release, Osaka Ramones, a 13-track tribute to NYC’s legendary punk band, The Ramones. Offering support on the trek will be Oakland, CA garage rockers, Shannon and the Clams.

“Ramones were my all-time idols since I first heard their music from a radio and rushed to a record shop. This year is the 30th anniversary of Shonen Knife. For celebration, we decided to record a cover album of our favorite band the Ramones. The title is Osaka Ramones with our respect. I’m very happy to release an Osaka Ramones project and to recognize their contribution to the evolution of Shonen Knife,“ explains Naoko.

Osaka Ramones is not only the name of this tribute album, but is also the name of the side project which has made its way in and out of Shonen Knife’s performing history for decades. This East meets West punk rock combination is now captured in an album recorded and mixed between Osaka, Japan and New York, over the last year. The album was co-produced by Robby Takac of Goo Goo Dolls who is releasing it July 19^th on his label, Good Charamel Records.

Come October, North American audiences will have a chance to celebrate the music of the world’s greatest punk rock band, the Ramones, while simultaneously celebrating the 4th decade of the mighty Shonen Knife...Hey Ho, Let’s Go! …

To stream snippets of Shonen Knife’s Osaka Ramones go to: www.goodcharamel.com.

Shonen Knife Tour Dates (with opener, Shannon and the Clams)

October

20- Toronto, ONT- Horseshoe Tavern

21- Montreal- QC- II Motore

22- Brooklyn, NY-  Public Assembly (CMJ)

24- Baltimore, MD- Otto Bar

25- Durham, NC-  The Pinhook

26- Atlanta, GA- Masquerade

27- Mobile, AL- Alabama Music Box

28- Houston, TX-  GroundHall

29- Austin, TX- Red 7

November

1- Los Angeles, CA- TBA

2- San Diego, CA - Casbah

3- Long Beach, CA – Alex’s Bar

4- San Francisco, CA- Bottom of the Hill

5- Portland, OR- Dante’s

7- Vancouver, BC- Biltmore Cabaret

8- Seattle, WA- Tractor Tavern

11- Minneapolis, MN- First Ave.

12- Chicago, IL- Empty Bottle

13- Kalamazoo, MI- The Strutt

14- Indianpolis, IN- Radio, Radio

17- Pittsburgh, PA- 31^st Pub

18- Brooklyn, NY-  The Bellhouse

19- Buffalo, NY- Mohawk Palace

Additional dates to be added.

Osaka Ramones Track Listing:

1. Blitzkrieg Bop

2. Rock and Roll High School

3. We Want The Airwaves

4. She’s The One

5. Rockaway Beach

6. Sheena Is A Punk Rocker

7. Scattergun

8. Psychotherapy

9. The KKK Took My Baby Away

10. We’re A Happy Family

11. Chinese Rock

12. Beat on the Brat

13. Pinhead

Not even giant robots can stop the Bastards from recording their weekly show!

This week King Baby Duck and Mr. Cuse share with dismay their viewpoints on the latest film Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Blueonic reviews Bad Teacher and Anvil gives a second opinion on True Grit. King Baby Duck goes hands-on with the Uncharted 3 beta, Blueonic gives a 21-gun salute to Trenched and the demos for Sonic Generations and Lucha Fury are given a close look at. Then Anvil and Mr. Cuse give their weekly sports report, King Baby Duck gives a thumb's up to Matt and Kim's live show (but a thumb's down to the rowdy crowd), and he and Blueonic look at the debut album from Foster the People. (Plus a little movie news and a small "Oh For Fuck's Sake!" is tacked on at the end for good measure.)

It's all right here in Episode 101: 101 Problems But A Bitch Ain't One!

The funniest cartoon ever!

100 episodes! Time to start making up the syndication rights!

This week King Baby Duck, Blueonic and Anvil look back at their childhood for their most precious moments in cartoons, movies, video games, music and sports. The POGs, the blue hedgehogs, Ninja Turtles, Huey Lewis, Nolan Ryan and much more make up who the Bastards are today!

It's all in this milestone program! Episode 100: Cowabunga Nostalgia!!! (Listen after the end theme for an extra smile and a half.)

This past Friday night two of the Bastards sat down with one of the world's most enthusiastic and exciting frontmen of our generation: Damian Abraham of Fucked Up.

Recorded before and after their set at the Royale in Boston King Baby Duck and Anvil talk candidly with Mr. Pink Eyes (with an occasional chime-in from the rest of the band) about their critically-acclaimed album David Comes To Life, the annual Zodiac Calendar EPs and his work outside of the band. Plus find out which Fucked Up song would make the best wrestling finishing move, why Germany is the strangest place to get a flat tire and what MTV show is just so sad to watch. As always no band interview would be complete without a trip to Three Album Island.

Catch the madness and the joy in an all-new episode of One-On-One: Damian Abraham of Fucked Up!

(from left-to-right: Satoshi, Nii, Shuu and Яyo)

With huge assistance from Melissa Castor (and additional help from Lydia Michalitsianos) from Jrock Revolution King Baby Duck presents a special interview with visual kei masters girugamesh.

In the interviews band members Satoshi, Nii, Shuu and Яyo reveal candidly about their past and origins, and share their thoughts on the overall outlook of visual kei music in Japan and the rest of the world. Plus find out which band member you should never give fireworks to, who they would like to tour with in the near-future and the work behind their recent charity single "Pray." Of course no music-related interview would not be complete without a trip to Three Album Island!

It's all right here in another episode of Two-On-One: girugamesh. (Jrock Revolution's transcript can be found here.)

Special thanks to girugamesh, their management, Anime Boston, Mari Morimoto and Melissa & Lydia from Jrock Revolution for making this episode happen!

Can Blueonic go one episode without dropping the f-bomb? He tries...

This week the B3 crew go off nostalgically regarding old commercials, pizza and POGs, and King Baby Duck and Anvil share their thoughts on the new Fucked Up album David Comes To Life. Plus Anvil introduces an up-and-coming band from the local area called Scare Don't Fear. The Bastards show their excitement regarding the Bruins entering the Stanley Cup Finals, and Mr. Cuse reports on the now-first place Red Sox and NBA Finals. Finally everyone gives their two cents on what to expect at this year's E3.

It's all right here on Episode 97: Horton Comes To Life! (Warning: This episode may cause Sweaty Ball Syndrome)

PS: Congratulations to Angela Grant from Framingham, the winner of our Widow Sunday meet-and-greet contest!

Sometimes rock 'n' roll just needs to be rock 'n' roll for the sake of human rockitude. (I know that's not a real word, but bear with us.) When we want to hear rock music that has some sort of hidden meaning or concept, we'll look towards stuff like Pink Floyd or The Decemberists to fill that need. For those who need something straightforward and more balls-to-the-wallsy we have what Cheeseburger has presented in their sophomore release entitled Another Big Night Down The Drain. Don't let the title fool you, as the band from Brooklyn have created an album that's got more partying and feel-good times in it than your average Andrew W.K. record.

The overall feeling of needing to party to your heart's content is evident in this album, even more so in the opening track "Party Song." Images of wasted friends, hardcore nudity and drugs fills the lyrics, along with the people never wanting the fun to end. It's the type of track that pumps your blood and fuels your adrenaline. The same can be said for "Deep In The Cups," where it seems the former life of the party can no longer even gain the courage to ask the cute girl across from him to dance. Still it sounds like he's having fun beating up his self-esteem.

Girls, women and floozies are heavily evident in ABNDTD, thanks in part to the songs "Suzy," "Jelly Bean" and "Gina." All three tracks pay heavy homage to the likes of KISS, 80s hair metal and Van Halen, leaving listeners wondering how the band has so much time to write about every one night stand they've ever had. (HINT: It has to do with being rock stars.) It's evident by the fourth track on this album that everything here is done tongue-in-cheek, though whose cheek Cheeseburger is sticking their tongue into is the question of the day.

It's the song "Winner" that is the the epitome of the entire album. Yes there are the similarities between this song and a certain crash-and-burn celebrity, but the main difference is that everyone is already in on the joke without having to feel dirty about it. There's even the regretfulness that can be found when someone is on the top of the world, as evident in the line "I'm a winner/And I guess it's my cross to bear," in which it becomes apparent that those on top are now expected to live up to everyone's expectations. A downer, perhaps, but no signs of Cheeseburger letting the worst getting into their heads in this song. That realization of not being the king of the game appears in "Roll Like That," where the rent is due, the house is burnt to the ground and no one can trust them. Despite the hardest times at hand the band finds no difficult in making it sound like one hell of a shindig.

Some of the songs may sound similar, and the lyrics come off as something one would read off a bathroom stall, but Cheeseburger does a phenomenal job at doing what it wants to do: give your record play some cheap and elusive fun for a good 4o minutes. In short: Another Big Night Down The Drain is a massive sex-craze, booze-filled glory hole that aims to please those who are in dire need to rock out.

**** (out of five)

Ooooooh yeah, don't you dare miss this all-new episode of the Boston Bastard Brigade, or else someone's gonna put the hurt on ya!

This week the Bastards take their hats off to pay tribute to the late "Macho Man" Randy Savage, as well as recover from two bad games in the Boston sports world. King Baby Duck tells you why you need to see Guitar Wolf live, and Blueonic shares his experiences with the recent Deftones concert. King Baby Duck reviews Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, and he and Anvil give their reasons why Bridesmaids is one comedy you can't miss. Finally find out why the demo for Sega Rally Online Arcade disappoints.

It's all right here in Episode 96: Raise Your Slim Jims To The Sky!

The Bastards welcome a couple guests, who in return bring them into their world.

This week Anvil & Mr. Cuse give their weekly sports report, including their feelings on the playoff losses of both the Celtics and Bruins. Then special guests Locke and Adie of The Vagabonds take the B3 crew on a strange trip through the world of steampunk. Hear their thoughts regarding the recent International Steampunk City in Waltham, a semi-review of Sucker Punch (with spoilers!) and various other films, games and TV series that feature steampunk predominantly, and give their thoughts on why steampunk isn't "the new goth."

It's all right here in Episode 95: Leave It To Steampunk; a tuition-free, lesson-filled show that will give you the 411 on one hell of a genre!

The Videocast:

Love it or hate it, you cannot deny the popularity of the manga/anime series K-On! With its slice-of-life appeal and moé characters the show has received a massive following not just from anime fans but also music enthusiasts. Its opening and closing theme songs, as well as the albums for the show's protagonist band Ho-kago Tea Time, have appeared either on top or near the top of Japan's Oricon music charts, and the two live concerts based on the anime (one in 2009, the other in 2011) played to massive sold-out audiences. With translation help from Sawa Kato I was given the opportunity to ask one of the show's key songwriters and music arrangers, Hiroyuki Maezawa, some questions regarding the popularity of the music within K-On!

King Baby Duck: How did you first get involved with K-On!?

Hiroyuki Maezawa: The ending theme for the first season, "Don't say Lazy," was the start. Back then, I only knew that this song was selected for the ending theme for an anime about high school girls, and I didn't know about K-On!

KBD: What was it about K-On! that got you interested in being part of it?

Maezawa: It was a very inspiring and creative moment to interact with musicians. To communicate and record the songs for the characters that doesn't really exist was something quite unusual for me.

KBD: Do you find it easy to write a song for an anime, or are there difficulties with trying to cover both the song and the feeling of the character singing it?

Maezawa: I've never got the feeling of it being either easy or difficult. However I always had a conflict between, "How can I create this image into the sound?" and "Isn't there any better ideas?" while composing.

KBD: Have you been surprised by the success of K-On!, especially in album sales?

Maezawa: I guess I was more happy rather than surprised.

KBD: Out of all the songs you helped write for K-On! which one are you the most proud of, and why?

Maezawa: I'd say, "Fuwa-Fuwa Jikan." This song is one of my most memorable ones because I started getting in contact with all the musicians, staff and voice actors through this song.

KBD: What kind of good do you see coming out of a show like K-On!? Do you hope that it will inspire others to be musicians?

Maezawa: No matter if K-On! continues or not, it's a great honor for me to part of this project. I'm very happy to find people that have started learning how to play instruments or simply just music through our piece of work.

Special thanks to Sawa Kato, F.M.F., Pony Canyon and Hiroyuki Maezawa for giving the Boston Bastard Brigade this opportunity to conduct this interview.

I arrived at the Hynes at about 8:30 a.m. for the start of Day Two of Anime Boston 2011. Unfortunately due to an error I only blame myself for I came in thinking that the next event on my planner, the Anime Music Video contest, was at nine, only to find that it was actually at ten. I killed some time wandering around and checking out the cosplayers. I've started to notice that I've seen a lot of these costumes from last year. Maybe the economy's to blame, or perhaps they worked so hard on the costumes that wearing it only once wasn't enough to merit their craftsmanship. After a few minutes of walking around aimlessly I sat myself down in line to check out the AMV show.

This was the first time I've been to an AMV contest where all the entrants were really good. The edits, synching techniques and just overall themes of the videos fit well with the anime series that were being portrayed. Favorites this year included "Dogs of War" by 3 put to Soranowoto, Drowning Pool's "Bodies" to High School of the Dead, the under-appreciated 1001 Nights put to the Beatles track "Love To You" and, yes, the popular YouTube track "What What In The Butt" synched perfectly to Ouran High School Host Club. However my pick for AMV of the Year at Anime Boston 2011 went to one from the Romance Category: Ke$ha's "Grow A Pear" to Toradora, and for me to pick this even when I despise Ke$ha shows how good of a video it was. I'm kind of surprised to have seen it in the Romance category, as it should've been placed in the Comedy section.

Following the AMV contest was another press interview, this time being with girugamesh. Along with myself and the folks from JRock Revolution we sat down with the visual kei quartet and discussed about their lives and careers. They shared us stories about life on the road, the origin of the band, which artists they grew up listening to and even shared with us some of their favorite popular and under-the-radar anime series. It was also very nice to hear them give their true thoughts on the wrongfully negative perception of the visual kei, as it's something that they -- along with many other bands -- are trying to fix. The firecracker story was also interesting, as the victim of the tale was in the room with us. (The Podcast recording of this will be coming up sometime this week or next, just as soon as I get some notes regarding translation errors from Mari Morimoto, who should be commended for her fantastic work during the interview.)

Next on the agenda was the concert put on by Odaiko New England, a taiko drum group stationed out around here. The group showcased the vast kinds of drums used in the group, each with their own unique sounds (the smallest being the shime-daiko). For the most part they featured the Nagado-daiko, which features a sound best described as a roaring thunder. Its quite a marvel at how a singular sound from these drums can be both powerful and melodious. The Led Zeppelin-inspired "Kashmir" was a nice touch.

After Odaiko New England finished up their set it was time to get ready for the Masquerade. I got my ticket early for the balcony, as you can see everything far better from above than on the floor. Unfortunately I had lost my ticket, but fortunately there was seating for press. Although it was on the floor it was in a good area where you can still see everything. The intro videos continued to entertain, thanks in part to its many mini-games and letters to the con. Finally the show was set to begin.

Hosting the show this year was the Roadie character for the Anime Boston mascots, who milked the "lift-things-up-and-put-them-down" line for what it was worth without it getting boring. This year's skit highlights included a PoKéMoN/Inception spoof, Romeo X Juliet in two minutes, a Vocaloid opera and a Powerpuff Girls parody put to an anime whose name I can't remember. The winners of the AMV contest were announced, with the Ke$ha/Toradora video winning for best Romantic video, and the Best In Show going to "King & Queens" by 30 Seconds To Mars put to Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. This was followed by a hilarious video with the AB mascots parodying the Lonely Island's "I'm On A Boat."

After dinner I ran into Mannie of the_Stampede, and it was here where I was stuck in a conundrum: do I check out Stereopony on my own, or do I hang out with some friends for the Hentai Dubbings? Considering this was the first time all day I saw one of my closest friends I decided on the latter. My ears were kind of hurting from the screaming girls at the Masquerade, and were still recovering from the girugamesh show. Though I do enjoy stereopony, I needed a chance to hang with some buddies and enjoy the dubbings. After all I had to miss out on it last year, after promising Dick Tripwire that I would be in attendance.

This year the Dubbings had a special guest in the form of Sean "Goku" Schemmel, who despite everyone's pleas didn't do the voice in fear of losing his job (an understandable excuse). Although this site is geared towards the 18-34 crowd I cannot discuss anything regarding what happened this year. There is one thing I can say: Boom goes the dynamite.

All in all Day Two was filled with much to love. Here's hoping the final day is filled with tons of fun and pocky!

With a mere five-minute wait in the pre-registration line I was given access to Anime Boston 2011. As soon as I walked in the insanity didn't just walk into me, it punched me square in the jaw. Cosplayers, steampunk, random dancing and the nonstop Marco Polo filled the air, hallways and panel rooms as the annual crazy otaku weekend began at the Hynes Convention Center. And the day hadn't even started.

At around 10:30 the convention officially opened with the Opening Ceremonies. The Ayers Brothers (Chris & Greg) were there, as they have become the unofficial godfathers of Anime Boston guests, as were J. Michael Tatum, Spike Spencer and Trina Nishimura. Brina Palencia had not yet arrived, as her flight was delayed. Tom Wayland, the Yankees lover, once again made a great intro video, which poked fun of 4Kids TV's bankruptcy, how he gets a lot of parts since he's the voice director and the little mention of his now-infamous Hentai Dubbings showcase (as he is the magical man known as Dick Tripwire). The Japanese guests stereopony and girugamesh appeared, along with Mari Ijima, who said that she almost had to cancel on account of her sick bunny. (I originally thought that was a pet name for her boyfriend/husband, but she actually has a pet bunny back home in LA that's been sick, so hopefully he feels better soon.)

As soon as the Opening Ceremonies were finished I took off to roam around to see who else people were dressing up. Some costumes caught my attention, including a poorly-made Gundam costume made out of beer boxes, a human-sized Pac-Man, a very well-done Jack Sparrow and a couple of Master Chiefs. I do have one beef, though: what's with all the Lady Gagas? For one she's not even related to anything anime or game-related, and the only comic they have of her was that horrible one Linkara recently reviewed. The J-ROCK costumes I get, but this I don't. Still I guess there's not much you can do about it, and if I can allow someone to cosplay as the Dresden Dolls, then this should be okay.

I next walked into the Artist Alley, where all the fanbased and original creations are showcased to hopeful buyers. Sitting at The Devil's Panties table was our old friend Tater Tot, who was working for Nigel Sade (a pirate-based artist) right next to her. Much of the fan-made creations were very well-crafted, though there were a few people selling stuff that were both expensive and poorly-made.

Soon afterwards it was time to take part in a press panel interview with Brina Palencia, best known for her roles in such anime as Sgt. Frog, Black Butler and School Rumble. Here everyone (including myself) asked about her background, favorite series and if she prefers directing over voice acting. I was very surprised at her honesty, especially when I asked her the same question regarding fan-service and storylines that I did with Mamoru Hosoda, the director of Summer Wars and The Girl Who Leapt Through Time. (A full article will be coming soon.)

After the press interview I went to check out Anime Unscripted, Anime Boston's version of the TV series Whose Line Is It Anyway?, which features some of the top American voice actors like Palencia, Chris Ayers, Tatum and Sean Schemmel partaking in improv games. All four voice actors did an amazing job playing such skits as Let's Make A Date, Party Quirks and Weird Newscasters. The biggest highlight of the show was the Slideshow game, where Schemmel did a hilarious Hindu accent and talked about an archaeological dig involving huge people, explosive puppies and the Pop Tart Kitty. The three-headed professor bit felt flat, unfortunately, but much of this can be blamed on audio difficulties.

The final event I checked out before hanging it up for the day was the girugamesh concert. Opening band Acey Slade & the Dark Party was quite the crowd pleaser, as many ran up to the stage to rock out like crazy. They premiered two new songs: "Shinigami Eyes" and "Cyclone," both of which got the crowd really going. In short: they sounded like Stone Temple Pilots in their prime, so a good future can be seen for this band if the cards are played right.

Finally the time had come for girugamesh to hit the stage. This being their second time in America the pressure for them to gain a following wasn't there, as everyone in the Auditorium was in hot anticipation for them to appear beforehand. For an hour the floors had become a massive screamfest, as girugamesh had run through a vast amounts of their hits, as well as a couple of tracks from their new album GO. Satoshi had the crowd at his fingertips, and his fellow band members Nii, Shou and Яyo smashed and bashed their way through the loud and crazy set. Had it not been for fire hazard rules the floor could've easily become a massive mosh pit; alas, it was not to be. Still girugamesh gave an amazing show for a captivated audience.

All in all, a good first day of events and interviews. Let's see what's in store for Day Two with the Masquerade and stereopony.

The Bastards say "Good riddance to bad Ramirez!" in an all-new episode.

This week the B3 crew discuss why they tend to avoid certain movies for obviously good reasons, and why they go too far in some cases. Anvil and Mr. Cuse say adios to the crybaby known as Mannie Ramirez, Mr. Cuse reports on the PGA Masters, Anvil gives his NFL Draft Picks and much more in the sports segment. Then the guys give their thoughts on UFC Personal Trainer, the new Twisted Metal and Sonic Generations, and King Baby Duck and Blueonic review the demos for Red Faction: Battlegrounds and The Dishwasher: Vampire Smile. Finally Mr. Cuse takes a look at the artist Eric Hutchinson and the others give their opinion of the new album from m-flo/Teriyaki Boyz member VERBAL.

It all happens here on Episode 91: Three Men & A King Baby Duck!

Let me get one minor complaint out of the way: American Water is not quite an eye-catching band name, rather it sounds like something you'd by for three dollars a bottle at the Smithsonian Museum. However this Boston-based trio has managed to take an uninspired name, and create itself a sound that rings of true originality, even while wearing its influences on their sleeves. Their debut album This Is Where It Ends showcases how a band should properly make their entrance.

Clocking in at under 30 minutes This Is Where It Ends finds itself filled with many radio-worthy tracks that can easily get stuck in your head for days. One of said tracks is "Better Than Too Good To Be True" (currently being spun on WFNX), which comes off as something like a Robert Smith-fronted R.E.M. Vocalist/guitarist John Kinnecome takes the concept of love and transforms it into something that can be bought and returned with a receipt, with the line "the offer expires by the end of the song" playing on how quickly the opportunity to meet someone comes and goes. "Old Best Friend," on the other hand, contains the spirit of Seattle grunge rock with a slight English tone. It almost sounds like something you'd hear in an early Kevin Smith film, or an episode of The Adventures of Pete & Pete.

Out of all the tracks on This Is Where It Ends, none is stronger than "This Place Is Going Down." In many ways it's reminiscent of Japanese rockers Bloodthirsty Butchers, thanks in part to Kinnecome's spirited vocals and Mike Higgins's bass arrangement. While Dennis McCarthy isn't as tenacious a drummer as Masahiro Komatsu his enthusiasm throughout the song bashes throughout the track, giving the song the proper backing it needs to be properly noticed. The band even knows how to take it down a notch with the acoustic "Sink or Swim," a lovely track whose minimal style pushes out some of the more powerful aspects of American Water.

American Water also fits in three instrumental pieces on their debut recording. The first, "Formerly Untitled," opens up the album with a twangy guitar and a simple piano part that bookends a good drum beat and bass section. It serves as a pushing point for the listeners to enter into their realm. "Off Course," on the other hand, tends to drag on a bit, even with its quick running time. "Buddy," the final instrumental song, is a short-but-sweet ditty that helps to segue to the final song on the album, the humorously-titled "Best Stalker In Town."

American Water may have a minor fault or two on their debut album, but overall this up-and-coming band from the Hub have got quite the compelling opener with This Is How It Ends. While the band name may not be catchy, the melodies are, and American Water has the upper hand when it comes to taking over the Boston music scene because of it. All I ask is for them to prove me wrong in regards to their name, and make it one that'll be front-and-center to anyone who comes across it.

**** ½ (out of five)

Official ReverbNation Page

Mr. Cuse returns from Costa Rica, and realizes why he should've stayed put in paradise!

This week the Bastards chime in on the news of L.A. Noire premiering at the Tribeca Film Festival, and how Rockstar Games could expand on the detective genre on the future. Blueonic shares his thoughts on the 3DS's release, and King Baby Duck looks at the demo for Rush'n Attack: Ex-Patriot. Blueonic previews Greg Hasting's Paintball 2, Anvil and Mr. Cuse give their weekly sports report, and King Baby Duck reviews the recent Boston/Cambridge shows of Queens of the Stone Age, The Dough Rollers and Hunter Valentine. Finally Anvil wraps it up with a quick review of the movie Hall Pass. Oh yeah, and more bitching about the MBTA.

It all happens here on Episode 90: X-Patriots of Liberty!

On tonight's special Podcast episode King Baby Duck recruits the very talented Canadian band Hunter Valentine.

Recorded live backstage at T.T. the Bear's in Cambridge, MA the King sit down with the Toronto trio, discussing their lives and careers on and off the road. Hear about their humble beginnings, the story behind the song "Judy" Laura's Cocktail Seasons, their guest work on the show Girl/Girl Scene, camp counseling and much much more!

It's all right here on One-On-One: Hunter Valentine! Embrace the sexiness!!!

Special thanks to Daryl Nuhn of So What Management for setting up the interview.

What happens when you bring a big up-and-coming band and place them in a roundtable discussion about their music and life? MASS ANARCHY, THAT'S WHAT!!!

In a special super long edition of our One-On-One series Anvil (along with his girlfriend Katie) sits down with Framingham's own dance metal band Widow Sunday, as they talk about life, music and the crazy antics they've partaken in while on the road. Drumsticks! Denny's late night menu! Bunny suits! Sugar cookies! Naked Thursday! You won't believe what comes out of their mouths!!!

Sit back and relax here on another edition of One-On-One: Widow Sunday!

Be on the lookout for any horrible musicians who slur their lyrics! They might get undeserved critical praise.

This week the Bastards give an Oh For Fuck's Sake! to a certain recording artist that is gaining some good press despite his God awful singing. King Baby Duck reviews the English dub for Black Butler, followed by Anvil's weekly sports report. The bands This Will Destroy You and (a returning) Widow Sunday are on the table, and Blueonic follows up on his review of Homefront. Finally the demos for WWE All-Stars and Swarm are examined. We can't forget to mention that our favorite cat girl returns to the table.

It happens right here on Episode 89: Mmm...Korean Barbecue!!!

I went to work recently thinking that nothing could be any different. I was wrong, and while at work I was told to do the camerawork for the speaker that was coming in. I have sat through a lot of these in my time for my media service work, and none of them effected me as much as this guy did. His name is Omekongo Dibinga, and that's not even his full name (that's just what could fit on his license)!

If you're not knocked on your ass, then you need to wake up to what Dibinga says!

Omekongo Dibinga has done so much in so little time, and has lived through the good and the bad, yet he is able to kick ass and take names in his own way. The way he does it is by word of mouth free-flow poetry, doing so with his knowledge and his three language skills.

His official bio:

"Les Brown Platinum Motivational Speaker Omékongo Luhaka wa Dibinga was born Cambridge, Massachusetts. His parents, Drs. Dibinga wa Said & Ngolela wa Kabongo were Congolese (ex-Zaire) refugees, who fled the Congo because of their role in aiding in its liberation of the Congo. As a first generation Congolese-American, Omékongo grew up in an environment that led him to experience what he calls "the best and worst of both African and African-American societies"; having grown up in a strict African household in an African-American community in Roxbury, MA. He grew up as the 7th of 9 children who were taught to remember their African roots regardless of where they resided, which is why he embraces the term "It's not where you're from, it's where you're at."

Omékongo was always influenced to write and learn. Education was highly valued in his household, with his parents setting the standard holding 9 collegiate degrees between them including 3 PhDs from Harvard and the Sorbonne. As a child, his parents would buy him encyclopedias instead of toys for his birthdays. He says he gets his creativity from his mother, a seamstress on the side, and his oratory skills from his father, a reverend. Omékongo actually began participating in oratory competitions while in secondary school.

His desire to educate also comes from his parents, both former university professors and school founders."
Click Here for more of his Bio.

Omekongo has been around the world, even with him saying that he's afraid of flying. Yet he over comes that fear and steps on the plane to continue spreading his poetry. Along with that he's got his own publishing company called Free Your Mind Publishing. He has a marketplace on his website you can go to buy his books, CDs and shirts.

Omekongo has done so much that it's hard to just put it all into perspective, but it's amazing that such an incredible person has come out of the Boston area. If you're feeling down and out, or  you need to free your mind, I would turn you to Omekongo Dibinga. His recent book G.R.O.W. Toward your Greatness is a great read for everyone in need of feeling better about life. The G.R.O.W. Model stands for Give, Release, Overcome and Win, a concept that he stated at his speech. I don't want to explain it because you just have to hear it from the man himself.

Find out the next time Omekongo Dibinga is around your neck of the woods -- or even contact him on his websites from the links I put at the bottom of this article -- so he can come to you to do his motivational speaking, along with displaying his amazing poetry.

He also has a great concept of where the rap industry has gone in the wrong direction, which I have to agree with him entirely. Whenever I change it to the rap radio station, I'm sick and tired of hearing about bitches, hoes and negative stereotype B.S. Omekongo wants to bring the hip hop genre into a positive light, waking up the masses from all the negative stuff that the music industry pushes.

Omekongo's Official Site

Facebook

MySpace

YouTube Channel

Free Music Downloads from Omekongo

After a week off the Bastards return to the roundtable! It most pleases the Busey.

This week King Baby Duck wraps up his coverage of PAX East, and the trio share their thoughts on the demos for Mortal Kombat and Tiger Woods PGA Masters 12. Anvil gives his weekly sports report, Blueonic reviews the movie Battle: LA and King Baby Duck says why Prometheus Bound is the first great new musical of the decade. Finally thoughts are thrown around about the new Dropkick Murphys album Going Out In Style, and Blueonic wraps it up with an Oh For Fuck's Sake! dealing with the rise of the minimum wage.

It's all right here in Episode 88: And Starring Gary Busey As Stryker!

King Baby Duck and ESH's Pandalicious sit down with one of the funniest folk comedy duos that sing about fighting nuns and pirates: Paul and Storm!

While at PAX East the Bastard and Sista chat with the band regarding the popularity of "The Captain's Wife's Lament," douchebags who won't shut up while important interviews happen and the shocking truth behind what happened to the real people behind the song "Nun Fight." Plus hear what they think about the different aspects of geeks and nerds, and find out which albums they would like to have with them on a deserted island.

So get to listening here: One-On-One: Paul And Storm!

King Baby Duck presents a very special South by Southwest Festival edition of the world's J-POP/Alternative hot spot!

This week we focus on thirteen Japanese bands (and one from South Korea and another from Taiwan) that will be playing at this year's world-famous SXSW Festival.

1. Moja - Hello (from the album moja)
2. Lolita No.18 - Kimi GA Buki (from the album Akirameruka?)
3. Fire E.X - Man On the Sea (from the album Sea of People)
4. DJ Teraoka and the Revolution - SWIM
5. Oh Sunshine - I Belong to You (from the album Oh Sunshine)
6. Peelander-Z - Go! Rio! (from the album P-TV-Z)
7. Suck Piggy - Paradise (demo)
8. Zukuna Sisters - hey now (from the album For You)
9. Apollo 18 - Trampoline (from the album The Blue Album)
10. Ydestroyde - HISSATSU (from the single HISSATSU)
11. MO'SOME TONEBENDER - Junk (from the album Struggle)
12. White White Sisters - Imperfect Conflict (from the album Euphoriaofeuphobia)
13. Hystoic Vein - DECA-DENCE (from the mini-album Fake)
14. Sonodaband - Soul River_2010 (from the album Renaissance)
15. Zoobombs - Bokuhatorakku (from the album B.B.B.)

So check out the latest episode of No Borders No Race: Episode Hachi (SXSW 2011 Edition). Also be sure to check out the tour dates for the 2011 SXSW Japan Nite tour here.

The Boston Bastard Brigade kindly encourages you to support these artists, and buy their songs/album. You can find the majority of these releases on JapanFiles, CDJapan.co.jp, Amazon.com, iTunes, the bands' official websites and (in some cases) at your local record stores.

The Bastards bring you another fun-filled episode that is sure to turn your frown upside-down.

This week King Baby Duck looks at the demos for Rage of the Gladiator, Dragon Age 2 and Marvel Pinball, and he & Blueonic give opposite viewpoints on the sports demos Major League Baseball 2K11 and Top Spin 4. Plus Blueonic shares his excitement about Mortal Kombat and the ultimate edition of Duke Nukem Forever, and his dismay over the fact that he has to miss out on the fun at PAX East this year. Next Anvil & Mr. Cuse share the sports duties, covering the biggest news from this past week.

Anvil reviews I Am Number Four, Blueonic gives his thoughts on Where In The World is Osama Bin Laden and the B3 crew compare their Oscar picks with their winners. Mr. Cuse shares his opinion on the funk album Inner City Sounds, and the gang end it all with a couple of Oh For Fuck's Sakes!, one dealing with the MBTA (again!) and the other with filthy protesters.

So what are you waiting for? Click on the link here for Episode 87: If It Walks Like An Asshole, And It Talks Like An Asshole, Then It Must Be Phil Collins!

Rants and raves galore fill today's episode of the Boston Bastard Brigade, including a call-to-arms for the return of a beloved sports game series.

This week King Baby Duck talks about his recent concert experience at the Asobi Seksu/Brahams show, and Anvil & Mr. Cuse give their weekly sports reports. The B3 crew tell you why to avoid the MLB: The Show 11 demo like the plague, and plead with EA Sports to bring back their MVP Baseball series. King Baby Duck looks at the demos for Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars and Yakuza 4, and end the show with a much deeper look at the new game Bulletstorm.

So what are you waiting for? Click away here for Episode 86: Bring Back The MVP!!!

Without a doubt Asobi Seksu is one of indie rock's best and brightest bands in the business. Formed by vocalist/keyboardist Yuki Chikudate and guitarist/vocalist  James Hanna in 2001 the duo -- along with various bassists and drummers -- have been creating sounds and melodies unlike any other group in the last ten years. This year marks the release of their fifth studio album Fluorescence, released on February 15 by Polyvinyl Records, and they start their US tour tomorrow at the Brighton Music Hall in Allston, MA. Via email I had the chance to ask James Hanna about the band's illustrious career.

King Baby Duck: 2011 marks your tenth-year anniversary together, where you and Yuki first became friends and bandmates while at the Manhattan School of Music. What are some of the things about you both personally and band-wise that have evolved during these ten years, and during this time what is it that you’re still learning about as the days go on?

James Hanna: It's crazy that Yuki and I have been making music together for that long. Hopefully we keep challenging ourselves to try new stuff and take risks. Most importantly we are learning to make music that first and foremost makes us happy

KBD: It was either you or Yuki that mentioned in an earlier interview that you both have been looking for more “breathing room” in regards to the songwriting process. Has there been any success in that regards, and if so what sort of new boundaries were you able to push?

JH: No rules, we just bang around in the rehearsal space until we come up with something that we can't get out of our heads.

KBD: In ’09, along with Hush you released the acoustic album Rewolf. Did recording this also help to discover new things about your music?

JH: Sure, we opened up a lot to new textures, not just relying on power and energy to make the songs work.

KBD: You released your fifth studio album Fluorescence on February 14th. How do you think this album differs from your previous recordings?

JH: Hopefully it sounds like us but doesn't sound anything like the last one. We kinda decide to change it up with each album, it seems like that really irritates some people!

KBD: This is the third time you two have worked with Chris Zane as album producer. What sort of influence does he bring to you two that make you want to keep on working with him? How as a producer does he help create the type of music you two want to bring to life on your album, specifically on Fluorescence?

JH: We wanted everything to be blinding and feel like it was jumping out of the speakers. Like taking ecstasy and staring at a fluorescent light bulb for 5 hours.

KBD: I remember reading somewhere that Yuki is a mad woman behind the drums. Does she get her shining moment behind the drum kit on this album?

JH: No not this time, our drummer Larry is absolutely great on this record. We may let Yuki out of her cage to play the drums live though.

KBD: What do you think is the overall theme of Fluorescence?

JH: Bright punchy synths with washy guitars and Yuki floating like a delicate butterfly above!

KBD: You are currently preparing for your next tour. What parts of America and Europe are you looking forward to returning to?

JH: Who knows, sometimes your sold out LA show is a bummer and 50 people in Memphis is amazing...no expectations!!!

KBD: What is your ultimate goal for Asobi Seksu in 2011, and how do you plan on accomplishing it?

JH: Oh jeez, make enough money to pay our rent, play some good shows, go to cool places and hopefully make some new fans.

KBD: And finally, if you were stuck on a deserted island, and you managed to pull a Gilligan’s Island and build a record player out of coconuts and vines, which three albums would you like to have with you while you’re waiting to be rescued?

JH: Cramps - Bad Music for Bad People, Melvins - Bullhead,  Sonic Youth - Sister

Kinda scary that this list was pretty much the same 20 years ago!

My thanks to James Hanna for taking time off his busy schedule to answer these questions, along with Ashley Ayers of Tell All Your Friends for setting it up. Fluorescence is now available in stores, iTunes and any other place that sells music. For Asobi Seksu tour dates visit their Polyvinyl page to see the entire list.

The Bastards are all about "The Power of Love."

This week the B3 crew share their thoughts on this year's Grammy winners, King Baby Duck talks about Fistful of Mercy and Mr. Cuse gives a hip hop recommendation in the form of Madcon. Blueonic brings his opinion on the new demo for Moto GP 10/11, and King Baby Duck looks at the demos for LIT, Chronos Twins DX, Chick Chick Boom, Killzone 3, Back To The Future: Episode One and Hard Corps: Uprising. Finally Anvil and Mr. Cuse share sports duties.

The videocast:

After a two month hiatus the King returns with a brand-new episode of tasty musical goodness.

King Baby Duck brings to the table a couple of winners of this past Sunday's Grammy Awards, along with a bunch of other favorites from Japan, America and the UK. What's on the menu? Look at the playlist below:

1. SpecialThanks - Happy Birthday Love Song (from the album SEVEN LOVERS)
2. Love Psychedelico - Last Smile (from the album This Is Love Psychedelico)
3. Florence + The Machine - Kiss With a Fist (from the album Lungs)
4. Pe'z - Andalucia - (Tm Daydreamix) (from the album COLOR)
5. SPITZ - Tobiuo (from the album Sazanami)
6. Them Crooked Vultures - Dead End Friends (from the album Them Crooked Vultures)
7. 54 Nude Honeys - Surf Cat (from the album Drop The Gun) (out of print)
8. Straightener - SNOOZE (from the EP Immortal)
9. Far East Movement - If I Was You (OMG) Feat. Snoop Dogg (fr0m the album Free Wired)
10. Anna Tsuchiya - She Hates Me (from the album Rule)
11. Eastern Youth -  Lone Path, Wind's Path (from the album 365-Step Blues)
12. Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan - You Won't Let Me Down Again (from the album Hawk)
13. Back-On - NEW WORLD (from the album Yes!!!)
14. Yuki - Fugainaiya (from the album Single Collection "five-star")
15. Arcade Fire - Month Of May (from the album The Suburbs)

The Boston Bastard Brigade kindly encourages you to support these artists, and buy their songs/album. You can find the majority of these releases on JapanFiles, CDJapan.co.jp, Amazon.com, iTunes, the bands' official websites and (in some cases) at your local record stores.

A new Bastard joins the crew...

This week the B3 crew welcome Mr. Cuse to the team, as they chat about the massive week in sports, share their thoughts on the Super Bowl and the crazy week on the Bruins' rink. Plus King Baby Duck & Anvil share their thoughts on the recent album by Far East Movement, and Anvil tells you why you should run to see Widow Sunday, Tight Rope and Absence, but avoid Treachery, Smite the Fight and Martyrs & Madmen like the plague. Mr. Cuse give his opinion on the game Kinect sports, and King Baby Duck and Blueonic say bye-bye to three gaming franchises and one beloved company.

The videocast:

The Bastards gear up for the Super Bowl, even though their beloved Pats are not playing in it.

This week the B3 crew reviews the latest album from Cake, mourn the loss of the White Stripes but praise the revival of Death From Above 1979, as well as share why some musicians should stay on the pipe. Blueonic gives his thoughts on the films What Doesn't Kill You, Frozen and The Secret Agent. Anvil has his sports moment, and King Baby Duck reviews the demos for EA Sports Fight Night Champion, Breach, A World of Keflings, Bionic Commando: Rearmed 2 and Trinity: Souls of Zill O'Li.

And if he were nominated, he'd make sure he'd sweep the ceremonies...with his roundhouse kick!

This week the Bastards do everything they can to piss off Glee creator Ryan Murphy, siding with Kings of Leon on why he's such a bitch. King Baby Duck reviews the demos for the WiiWare games Furry Legends and Fish 'Em All, he and Blueonic share their thoughts on the Crysis 2 multiplayer demo, and the Duck goes gaga over the demo for Bulletstorm and somewhat shrugs off the PS3 remake of Dead Space: Extraction. Anvil and Nenya give their take on the world of sports, Anvil takes a look at The Mechanic and the B3 crew give their picks for this year's Oscar Nominations.

There's merit in trying to sing in a language you're not familiar with; a lot of musicians have tried it, with mixed results. Many Japanese artists have also given it a try with English, ranging from excellent (Electric Eel Shock on just about all their albums) and pretty good (Aya Hirano's "Maybe I can't goodbye") to just plain awful (so many bad anime theme songs). SpecialThanks falls somewhere in-between the good and the bad on their first full-length LP SEVEN LOVERS, which is odd considering that their last two EPs seemed much better in regards to vocalist/guitarist Misaki's English articulation. However the album makes up for it thanks to its catchy melodies and the fun atmosphere it creates.

"Morning Coffee" shows off Misaki and her bandmates' strongest elements in regards to song making, with a catchy chorus and a feel-good ditty that works wonders on the listener's sensations. In "He Looks Tired These Days" SpecialThanks take the concept of a couple's love on its last run and transforms it into a sad downward spiral towards heartbreak and an end that benefits no one. Nochi takes his emotions out on his drum kit, and with his help the song manages to blend the sad and heavy side of punk rock into a song that would make Blink-182 nod with approval. "Happy Birthday Love Song" is the album's most fun track, serving up a number that would act as a great tune to sing on your lover's special day. "My Name is SUN" is one horn section short needed to make it a great drink-along ska track for Happy Hour, but it's cute nonetheless.

I listened to "Hello Colorful" a few times, and to be honest I have an issue with comprehending what Misaki is singing. It's one thing to sing in Japanese so at least your fellow countrymen can understand you, but when you sing a song like this in unintelligible English you alienate the entire speaking world. The same can be said about "Secret Girl," which while having a good melody suffers from the same problem of bad pronunciation. For these songs, at least, it would've been better if she sang in Japanese instead.

I have one huge bone to pick with SEVEN LOVERS, and that's the song "How Are You." It is somewhat ripping off Jet's "Are You Gonna Be My Girl," containing the same guitar riffs and tambourine banging that was found in that radio hit. The guitar solo was a nice touch, to be honest, but whenever I hear the verses all I can envision is the popular Get Born track. I understand the concept of wearing one's influences on their sleeves, but here the song just sounds more like a knockoff of the Australian quartet.

Despite these few speed bumps SpecialThanks give what they can to create a carefree album for those in need of a good smile. It may not be as strong as their past EPs, but in the long run it's an LP that does what it needs to create a playful atmosphere. I just need to give a little advice for Nochi in regards to future recordings: ease off the bass pedal just a tad, as it gets a bit repetitive in SEVEN LOVERS.

*** (out of five)

SEVEN LOVERS is now available on JapanFiles.

Boston-based musician Seth Glier has had quite the amount of success given to him in the indie music world. He has shared the stage with such musical icons as James Taylor and Mark Knopfler, and is currently embarking on a 250-date tour with friend Liz Longley. This past Tuesday Seth Glier released his latest album The Next Right Thing, an album that's destined to break him into the mainstream world.

The album starts off with its title track, a gospel-like blues melody that sounds right off of a 1930s prison chain-gang. Its lyrics of searching for hope and praying for a miracle speak volumes to our current generation, of people in dire need of a drastic change in life. The jungle beat-infused "Down With The Ship" has elements of a classic Paul Simon ditty. The line "But who's gonna believe in you?" fits well with the theme of the song, one of a failure that belongs with the blamable party, whether it's just one person or an entire nation. Glier wears his heroes on his sleeve in "What The Others Have Done," a song that could've fit in Billy Joel's world of The Nylon Curtain. You feel the sadness in the woman's tale, where she's looking for a sort of love that will not use and abuse her in the long run; while at the same time finding her true identity in a realm without easy answers.

Only one song off of The Next Right Thing doesn't work as well as it does live, and that is "Walk Katie Home." The song, about an old fling of Glier's, while containing a beautiful melody, does have something of a stalker-ish tone in the lyrics (a flaw that Glier admitted at his Tupelo show). Nonetheless it has its romantic moments, especially with such words as "I'll kiss the hope around your eyes" and "Be your reliever before the fever starts to rise." Still without the full backstory about the song it doesn't convey the message Glier explained while performing it in concert.

The Next Right Thing is the proper step needed to fill Glier's musical portfolio for big-time success. Cross your fingers that it happens, but until then catch Glier at a small club near you during the new year. (Tour dates can be found here.)

**** (out of five)

I got some great music from an awesome up-and-comer by the name of Sky Stevins. If you like techno and trance, then this will get your fix. These melodies are something that can get the crowd going, especially for some sexy time. Sky Stevins is not just pop, he's pop erotica.

This video was done last year, but as you can see he's got some good music coming at you. I talked to Stevins recently, and he sent me a couple songs to give to you guys to listen to. He also has another new song on his MySpace page that will be on his upcoming album, which should be released in the next couple months. Check out the links, and enjoy the sounds of Sky Stevins!

Sky Stevins's MySpace Profile!

Autumn Fire (new song)

Here are the other songs to check out and download for your own listening pleasure:

Drop It Down

Caught Up

10. Eminem - Recovery

No doubt this year’s biggest comeback, Marshall Mathers somewhat put his Slim Shady persona on the back burner and spilt his guts and emotions all over this album. Whether he was standing for his rights in “Not Afraid” and “Won’t Back Down” or dueting with the likes of Rihanna in “Love The Way You Lie” the rapper from 8 Mile proved that not only did he regain what he lost in Relapse but also proved again why he’s still one of the best artists of our generation. It’s no wonder why Eminem dubbed himself “Cinderella Man” this year.

9. Vampire Weekend - Contra

No doubt “Cousins” was one of this year’s funnest tracks (with a great music video to back it up), but the latest album from the Columbia University-founded quartet managed to show the band growing up in some places. “Horchata” filled the speakers with island sounds and Paul Simon-inspired lyrics, while “Diplomat’s Son” borrowed a sample from M.I.A., takes one of Koenig’s old stories about class tension and turns it somewhat into a love story. Vampire Weekend don’t forget to have a ball in their songs, of course, as evident in “Holiday” and the Animal Collective-sounding “White Sky.”

8. Teddybears - Devil’s Music

This year’s ultimate dance album, the Swedish electonica geniuses gathered up a round of talented guests to lay lyrics on their ass-shaking grooves. Hearing the Flaming Lips having a ball in “Crystal Meth Christian” and Desmond Forester brag about his riches in “Get Mama A House” are definite crowd-pleasers, but it’s Eve in “Rocket Scientist” that shows how to properly start a party. Lest we forget Devil’s Music sported this year’s best collaboration in “Cho Cha,” featuring Cee-Lo Green and the B-52’s.

7. My Chemical Romance - Danger Days: The True Lives Of The Fabulous Killjoys

After The Black Parade it would seem that MCR went back to square one with their latest endeavor, and it was the right move. While TBP was filled with despair and sadness Danger Days was ripe with anger and bloody revolution, as evident in the fist-pumping “Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na)” and “Party Poison.” Gerard Way and company also learned one other thing during their break: to have a good time, as evident in “Planetary (GO!)” and the anti-Twilight “Vampire Money.” Cross your fingers that the Fabulous Killjoys make some sort of physical appearance in the not-so-distant future (preferably a comic or cartoon).

6. The Black Keys - Brothers

The duo from Akron, Ohio knew how to get down with their bad selves in their newest album, crooning to their beloved in “Everlasting Light” and transforming into a sex beast in “Howlin’ For You.” They show their vulnerable hearts in “Too Afraid To Love You,” but grinned evilly while “Sinister Kid” sauntered into your ears. The Black Keys’ hearts heal quickly, as they sing about their “Next Girl,” and creates more broken hearts with “Ten Cent Pistol.” It’s their best album to date, and it’s about damn time that they’re getting the recognition they rightfully deserve.

5. Hunter Valentine - Lessons From The Late Night

Joan Jett may be the queen of rock ‘n’ roll, but this all-girl trio from Toronto are just about ready to finish what the Runaways started. Raw and unapologetic as hell Kiyomi, Laura and Adrienne tackle those who broke their hearts, while at the same time stealing the hearts of other gals in distress. Listen to “Treadmills of Love” and experience one of the most badass screams to come out of a woman’s mouth in a long time, or check out the honestly-titled “She Only Loves Me When She’s Wasted,” where you can truthfully taste the sadness in McCloskey’s voice. It’s “Revenge” where they earn their Bad Motherfucker badges, a song filled with anger and blood-curdling retribution. See this band in a seedy club as soon as you can, for in a couple years you won’t be able to touch them when they’re selling out arenas. (They’ll still steal your girlfriend, though.)

4. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs

The most down-to-earth honest album about growing up in a long time, and Win Butler’s Canadian friends managed to make it sound magical. Whether it was about the power of imagination in “Empty Room” or running away from harsh realities in both parts of “Sprawl” Arcade Fire took every feeling -- good or bad -- about maturing and becoming an adult. (Listen closely to the two-parter “Half-Light,” and I bet you will remember the exact moment your childhood ended.) It’s sad to see you’re no longer a kid, but being told through a phenomenal album like The Suburbs helps to soften the truthful blow.

3. Stance Punks - The World Is Mine

No other band on this planet can make a punk rock album like this Japanese four-piece, and The World Is Mine proves that Tsuru and friends are always getting better. Its title track is the Japanese youth’s rally cry (and with the proper translation it can be ours, too), while “girl” is the best Japanese punk love song since The Blue Hearts’ first played “Kimi no Tame.” In 90 seconds Stance Punks become the punk professors the Sex Pistols once were in “No Teacher For Me,” and warns the newborns about the world they’re about to enter in “Ika Reta Sekai ni Birthday Song wo,” while giving them hope in the end with “Boy’s Carol.” I don’t give a flying fuck about America’s invisible language barrier; The World Is Mine is proof that Stance Punks deserves to be on a major American label and pushed out there for us to raise our fists to.

2. Apocalyptica - 7th Symphony

The cello-playing metal masters return with what can be described as their magnum opus. Having Gavin Rossdale tag along in the chart-hitting “End of Me” was a smart move, as it paved way for new listeners to take listen to their alluringly heavy sounds, including “2010” (which features Slayer’s Dave Lombardo) and the Norse-like “Sacra,” a tune that could act as the soundtrack to a viking’s journey through the murky seas. The Finnish quartet show off their soft sides in the biggest way with “Beautiful,” this year’s most heart-wrenching track. If you haven’t ever listened to Apocalyptica, then 7th Symphony will definitely make you an easy fan.

1. Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

Sorry, Taylor Swift, but while you were out there making your little piece of shit album the Louis Vutton Don was reinventing the hip hop genre in his latest and greatest release. Kanye warns the world of too much dominance with “Power,” brightens the planet with “All of the Lights,” and then darkens it with “Monster” (along with friends Jay-Z, Rick Ross, Nicki Minaj and Bon Iver). “Runaway” proves to be one of the most frightening-sounding songs of the year, but it’s West’s way of raising a toast to the scum of the earth that make it one of this year’s most catchiest ditties. “Dark Fantasy” will manage to lift your spirits, while the closer “Who Will Survive In America” will bring you back down to this scary world. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy doesn’t just serve as Kanye’s bowl of egocentric-yet-precise words, it also serves as a storybook for present-day life.

That about sums it all up. What about you guys? What albums do you think deserve to be mentioned in your top list of 2010?

The thrilling conclusion to the Best of 2010 show is now upon us!

This week the Bastards and GamerReaction gang give their opinions on the best and worst video games and music moments of the past year.

King Baby Duck & Anvil bring you the least holiday-filled holiday program ever!

This week two of the main B3 members chat about Trans-Siberian Orchestra, and share their thoughts on the new inductees to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Anvil gives his weekly sports report, and the duo review the demos for Quake Arena Arcade, X-Men Arcade and Lilt Line. Finally Anvil reviews the films Across The Line and American Pie: The Book of Live, and end with a tribute to the late Blake Edwards.

The King has arrived to spread some musical holiday cheer!

This week KBD takes out his big sack of Christmas-y sing-along goodies and shares them with you! Which snow-filled tracks will be found in your stocking? Take a look here:

1. Louis XIV - This Christmas (from the album The Ice Harvest [Soundtrack])
2. BONNIE PINK - Wonderful Christmas Time (from the mini-album Chain)
3. Apocalyptica - Little Drummer Boy (out-of-print single)
4. Suneohair - Merry Christmas To Me (from the album Kanashimi)
5. Queen - Thank God It's Christmas (from the album Greatest Hits III)
6. Asobi Seksu - Merry Christmas (I Don't Want to Fight Tonight) (CD single)
7. Meatwad & Neko Case - Santa Left a Booger In My Stocking (from the album Have Yourself A Very Meaty Christmas)
8. Shonen Knife - Space Christmas (from the album The Birds & The B-Sides)
9. Joe Perry - Run Rudolph Run (free single)
10. Fucked Up - David Christmas (from the album Couple Tracks: Singles 2002-2009)
11. Flyleaf - What's This? (from the album Nightmare Revisited)
12. Sting - The Snow It Melts The Soonest (from the album If On A Winter's Night...)
13. The Flaming Lips - A Change At Christmas (from the album Ego Tripping at the Gates of Hell)
14. Ronnie James Dio - God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (We Wish You a Metal Xmas & A Headbanging New Year)
15. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - All I Want for Christmas (free single)

Intro: "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" by Electric Eel Shock
Intro BGM: "Ouran Concerto Moderato marciale for oboe, 2 horns, violin and string quartet" by Yoshihisa Hirano

The Boston Bastard Brigade kindly encourages you to support these artists, and buy their songs/album. You can find the majority of these releases on JapanFiles, CDJapan.co.jp, Amazon.com, iTunes, the bands' official websites and (in some cases) at your local record stores.

With Blueonic out for the week, Nenya steps in and fills his big shoes.

This week the B3 crew share their thoughts on the new My Chemical Romance album Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys, and Anvil & Nenya give their take in the week of sports. Demos of Fluidity and Super Scribblenauts are looked at, and King Baby Duck puts the free Xbox 360 games Dorito's Crash Course and Harms Way under the microscope. Finally the trio reviews the new Jolie/Depp film The Tourist.

The Bastards are quite joyful this week, and it has nothing to do with the holidays. (That episode's in two weeks.)

This week the B3 crew excitedly chat about the live return of two of their favorite bands, and one of King Baby Duck's favorite anime series is hitting the big screen. Anvil shares his thoughts on sports, and the trio talk about the movie The Warrior's Way. The video game nail'd is discussed more, and K.B.D. gives his two cents on the demos The Undergarden and Funky Lab Rat, Blueonic reviews the game Reload, previews the upcoming Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Vietnam and he and K.B.D. look at the demo for Unbound Saga.

What the hell happened to you, monobright? Your first two albums -- aptly named monobright one and monobright two -- were works of rock 'n' roll genius. The sound that came off those dual discs was unlike anything I've ever heard in the rock realm, conjuring up a sort of true originality in a business that looked as if everything had been done before. Now you've returned with your third album Adventure, in which somewhere between monobright two and this some guy told you to go "experimental." Whoever it was that suggested this route should be shot out of a cannon right into a brick wall!

The album starts of in a hopeful manner with "81hi Me no AM1:16," a two and a half minute instrumental that sounds as if the band's preparing to take its listeners on an epic journey. It's soft, slow and calming, almost like monobright is getting ready to unleash a storm on its fanbase. However once "Ame ni Utaeba" starts to play the album goes downhill quickly. It's lazily-made shoegazer music, a song that would make My Bloody Valentine and Asobi Seksu shake their heads in embarrassment. Vocalist/guitarist Yo-suke Momono may hit the high notes well, but the end result of this track is sluggish. It gets even worse with "Hadaka no Me wo Shita MUTANT," a psychedelic-wannabe with Momono trying his best Wayne Coyne impersonation, and failing miserably to even scratch the same surface the Flaming Lips do. It's bad on the ears, and dull on the mind; you'll feel your brain cells die as you try to comprehend this song.

No moment on this album is worse than "2010nen no KOZOO," in which the band appeared to have gotten completely shitfaced, walked into the studio and recorded this piece of garbage. It's the lowest point in monobright's career, as you will literally hear the celebratory balloons in the background deflate with utter sadness. I almost cried when this track came on. The band sounds as if they have just about given up by the last track "Shiro," a lame attempt at trying to mix sad reggae with weeping guitars. It's definitely a sad moment in an album when even the band sounds bored of what they're recording.

Adventure does have a couple high notes, however. "Eiyuu Nova" rocks hard with heavy riffs and electronic beeps, like a strangely-nice blend of Thee Michelle Gun Elephant and Polysics. "Kodoku no Taiyou" is a nice slow rock jam with a good marching beat, and "JOYJOY EXPERIENCE" is a party ditty that's filled with excitement. Unfortunately these three songs can't save this album from being labeled as rotten bollocks.

Memories of being in Japan in the summer of '07 flooded through my head after I stopped listening to Adventure, when I discovered monobright thanks to their "Mikansei Riot" video appearing on SpaceShower TV (the greatest music channel ever concocted). I rushed to the Tower Records in Shibuya, and bought that single and their first EP monobright zero. Once I took a listen I knew right then and there that there was something special about them. monobright one came out soon after, and I was right; monobright had the most potential of being the next big band in Japan. Their next EP Ano Toumei Kan to Shounen came out a year later, followed by monobright two. Again I was amazed by what I heard. I thought the band could do no wrong.

It's an album like this that makes me take back that last thought. Let's just pray (Shinto-styled) that monobright merely makes a scrapbook based on this Adventure, puts it high on their bookshelf and never sees the light of day again.

* ½ (out of five)

With the B3 crew taking a small, well-deserved break, we present another rockin' episode of No Borders No Race!

King Baby Duck spins for you a fine dose of rock, pop, punk and alternative music from Japan, America, the UK and other parts of the globe. What do we have in store this time? Check the playlist below:

1. Shonen Knife - Perfect Freedom (from the album Free Time)
2. Doping Panda - Always away (from the EP High Brid)
3. The Broken Broadcast - We're Just Waiting... (from the single Strawberry Jam/We're Still Waiting...)
4. Ellegarden - 45 (from the album Don't Trust Anyone But Us)
5. LAZYgunsBRISKY - Navy Star (from the album 26 Times)
6. Ben Harper & Relentless7 - Up To You Now (from the album White Lies For Dark Times)
7. FLiP - It's a lie (from the EP Kanshou Chuudoku)
8. Hikaru Utada - Flavor Of Life (from the album Heart Station)
9. Cut Copy - Lights And Music (from the album In Ghost Colours)
10. Gagaga SP - Hitotsudake Ikerukoto (from the album Gagaga to Hibiku Kobe no Machi)
11. The Ricecookers - Chain (from the EP 1st Blood)
12. Emperor Norton's Stationary Marching Band - Mad Squirrel March (from the album Reign of Revelry)
13. Triceratops - COMIC HEROES (from the album Made In Love)
14. The High-Lows - Tsumi to Batsu (from the album FLASH ~BEST~)
15. The Go! Team - T.O.R.N.A.D.O. (from the album Rolling Blackouts)

The Boston Bastard Brigade kindly encourages you to support these artists, and buy their songs/album. You can find the majority of these releases on JapanFiles, CDJapan.co.jp, Amazon.com, iTunes, the bands' official websites and (in some cases) at your local record stores.

It's been three years since the Swedish electro-punk rock band Teddybears released their Soft Machine to the world, gathering rave reviews from fans and critics alike. Their latest album, Devil's Music, is once again filled to the brim with cool collaborations and fun Euro-styled beats.

Tagging along with the grizzly trio this time along are the likes of Eve, The Flaming Lips, Cee-Lo Green, The B-52's and many others; and while it may not contain the pizazz of their last CD Teddybears continues their tradition of making asses shake and hair sway to the beats of their sound. You won't find a better team of musicians than in the Cee-Lo/B-52's-featured "Cho Cha." Mr. Green croons with sexual ease, more calm than in his "Fuck You!" hit, and the classic new wave band literally acts catty with a dirty smirk. It's one of those songs that can be played anywhere, and it'll fit perfectly with the scene. Desmond Forster lays down some vocals for the not-too-innocent "Get Mamma A House," where the band doesn't let the fame get too much into their heads. It's a semi-sweet tribute to the one that helped you grow, while at the same time has a sparkle of boasting power for good measure.

Wayne Coyne and company walk into Bee Gees territory with "Chrystal Meth Christian," an electronic goody bag with druggy puns ("you take a diamond and make it sand") and trippy melodies that seem to shoot the listener into zero gravity. It's been awhile since I've heard Coyne sound like he was having fun in his little psychedelic world, so here's hoping he takes what he does here with Teddybears and puts it towards his next album with the Lips. Speaking of outer space "Rocket Scientist" drops in to start the album out, with Eve calling herself the robot Elvis over deep synths and fun handclaps. It's a strong opener with rhymes that roll off the tongue and into the eardrums of the listeners.

The title track -- featuring ADL -- features a hand-jiving groove that would've made Fat Elvis jump out of his chair and sway his hips until the excess weight shook off of him. It's simple beats and chorus are outmatched by a bad-ass drum solo that will will leave you banging your head and begging for more. "Cisum Slived" wears its Daft Punk influence on its sleeve, and creates a mood that seems fitting for a late-night drive through a bright city. You may lose your way, but at least the background music is alive and kicking. "Glow In The Dark", meanwhile, has a sort of 8-bit video game dungeon atmosphere, as if it was made to help Link find his beloved Zelda. It's not the sort of song for dancing, but rather score your mission or journey to.

Devil's Music is a fantastic follow-up to Soft Machine, and while it may not contain a knock-out punch like "Punkrocker" it shows that Teddybears are still an electronica band not to be reckoned with. The big downside: you can only buy this album in Sweden as of this writing. Cross your fingers that a domestic release hits out shores soon.

**** ½ (out of five)

The Bastards may not be traveling to L.A., but they've got Hollywood on their minds.

This week the B3 crew takes a look at the film Due Date, followed by Anvil's reviews of Paranormal Activity 2, Leap Year and Legendary. King Baby Duck shares his thoughts on the Dresden Dolls reunion tour, and he and Blueonic stand at opposite ends regarding Emperor Norton's Stationary Marching Band. Anvil gives his weekly sports report, and K.B.D. and Blueonic try to figure out why it's so damn hard to control the games Apache: Air Assault and F1 2010.

The Bastards want you to play a game. It's called POGs!

This week the B3 crew give a more thorough view on the Lovesac furniture, and review the recent demos for Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit, Dream Chronicles, Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom, Fist of the North Star: Ken's Rage, Costume Quest, Dragon Ball: Raging Blast 2 and Super Meat Boy. The trio share their thoughts on the recent Blood Red Shoes concert, the week in sports and reveal why Saw 3D might be one of the worst movies of the year.

Those looking for the next big band should conclude their search; the Bastards have found them. Meet Blood Red Shoes, an up-and-coming UK band that's already taken most of the world by storm.

Recorded at Great Scott in Allston, MA last Sunday the B3 crew sit down with Blood Red Shoes as they are embarking on their first U.S. tour to support their latest album Fire Like This. First up is drummer/vocalist Steven Ansell, who discusses the band's origins, the story behind the music video for "Heartsink," how they beat the pirates to the punch and meeting Edgar Wright.

Then guitarist/vocalist Laura-Mary Carter sits down to share her feelings on the current tour, her Boston roots, the one-of-a-kind guitar known as "Springtime" and how she had to battle the flu in the beginning of the American tour. Plus the duo share their inspirations, which country has awestruck them the most and tell us which three albums they'd take with them if they were stuck on a deserted island.

Photos by King Baby Duck & Blueonic

Special thanks to the folks at Tell All Your Friends for helping us schedule this interview.

The Bastards know how to take the pain, too.

This week the B3 crew discuss their thoughts on this year's Lovesac Speedrun Classic, as well as the new album from Serj Tankian. Anvil gives his weekly sports report, and the guys review the film Circle of Pain and the anime Desert Punk.

The video version:

The Bastards bring you another cure for the daily blues.

This week the B3 crew give a couple Oh For Fuck's Sakes about ticket scalpers, officers under attack and the rise in suicides in teens. The guys review the new film It's Kind Of A Funny Story, and Anvil gives his take on the new Karate Kid remake. The week in sports is covered, and Blueonic & King Baby Duck look at the demos for Comic Jumper, Castlevania: Lord of Shadows, Alien Breed: Impact, Hydrophobia and Topatoi.

It's time for another slice of musical cake, compliments of King Baby Duck.

What sort of tasty J-POP/alternative morsels do we have in store for you this time around? Check the menu below, and see if it makes you salivate:

1. TsuShiMaMiRe - Strobe (from the album Sex On The Beach)
2. Luminous Orange - Emerald Twins (from the album Vivid Short Trip)
3. Busy Arms - Fine Tuned (from the album Take Out the Wood Stove, Tighten the Belt)
4. 9mm Parabellum Bullet - Tsugi no Eki Made (from the album Vampire)
5. midnightPumpkin - Jewel (from the single Sora Iro Mirai)
6. Mumford & Sons - Little Lion Man (from the album Sigh No More)
7. Molice - Android said (from the album Catalystrock)
8. m-flo - LOVE ME, HATE THE GAME (feat. Chan, Thaitanium, Edison Chen & Ryohei) (from the album COSMICOLOR)
9. Kerli - Bulletproof (from the album Love Is Dead)
10. My Way My Love - Captain (from the album Hypnotic Suggestion: 01)
11. KOTOKO - siren (from the single Real Oni Gokko)
12. Busdriver - Mr. Mistake (Bested By The Whisper Chasm) (from the album RoadKill Overcoat)
13. OreSkaBand - Tsumasaki (from the album Wao!!)
14. HIGH and MIGHTY COLOR - hate (from the album swamp man)
15. Broken Bells - October (from the album Broken Bells)

The Boston Bastard Brigade kindly encourages you to support these artists, and buy their songs/album. You can find the majority of these releases on JapanFiles, CDJapan.co.jp, Amazon.com, iTunes, the bands' official websites and (in some cases) at your local record stores.

The Bastards are visited by a slightly intoxicated Panda in this extended episode!

This week the B3 crew (with guest Pandalicious) give their 2nd annual report on the Topsfield Fair, sharing the pros and cons of the goings-on at the grounds. Blueonic gives his view on the new Arcade Fire album The Suburbs, and King Baby Duck & Anvil discuss Roger Waters performing The Wall at the TD Garden.

Anvil presents his take on the week in sports, and the B3 crew take a look at the demos for EA Sports MMA, Lara Croft & The Guardian of Light, Enslaved: Odyssey To The West and ArcaniA - Gothic 4. Finally Pandalicious reviews The Social Network, Anvil takes a look at Abandoned (giving away the entire ending) and the guys wrap it all up with the movie Beatdown.

THE VIDEOCAST:

King Baby Duck brings you another kick-ass music show featuring the hottest music from each side of the Pacific!

This week KBD serves up a fine batch of rock, pop, metal, alternative and electronica from Japan, North America and Europe, including three artists that are touring together right now! What's on the playlist? Check this out:

1. Dir en grey - MARMALADE CHAINSAW (from the album VULGAR)
2. CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES - MIENAKATTA MONO (from the album Music-Life)
3. Evaline - Where the Fearless Hide (from the album Postpartum Modesty. A Portrait of Skin)
4. moja - highspeed (from the album moja)
5. Mummy the Peepshow - I Bub, You Bub (from the album Mummy Builion)
6. Apocalyptica - At the Gates of Manala (from the album 7th Symphony)
7. Cornelius - Free Fall (from the album Fantasma)
8. LiN CLOVER - wheel (from the album LiN CLOVER)
9. Deadmau5 - Hi Friend! (feat. MC Flipside) (from the album For Lack of a Better Name)
10. Metalchicks - We Will Survive (from the album Metalchicks)
11. advantage Lucy - glider (from the album Echo Park)
12. Matt "Chainsaw" Chaney - Donuts, Go Nuts! (from the video game 'Splosion Man)
13. Nana Kitade - Suicides Love Story (from the album Bondage)
14. L'arc~en~Ciel - SHINE (from the single NEXUS 4/SHINE)
15. The Dresden Dolls - Sing (from the album Yes, Virginia...)

The Boston Bastard Brigade kindly encourages you to support these artists, and buy their songs/album. You can find the majority of these releases on JapanFiles, CDJapan.co.jp, Amazon.com, iTunes, the bands' official websites and (in some cases) at your local record stores.

Willkommen, bienvenue, welcome! Im Boston Saukerl Mannschaft, au Brigade Bâtard Boston, to Boston Bastard Brigade!

This week the B3 crew takes a second look at A.R.T.'s production of Cabaret, as well as the recent concert from the_Stampede and friends. Plus the guys look at the new film Resident Evil: Afterlife, and give their two cents on the video games and demos for DJ Hero 2, Moto GP 09/10, Plants VS Zombies and R.U.S.E. Anvil gives his take on the week in sports, and D-Rock brings to the table a game of Three Album Island.

The unedited videocast:

YouTube Version:

The Bastards kill the bad guys dead!

This week the B3 Crew (and special guest Pandalicious) attempt their first live webstream of the Podcast show using some sweet Blue Microphones. On the table this week are new music from Disturbed & Limp Bizkit, the week in sports, demo reviews of Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 and VANQUISH, PAX Prime news and a look at the films Machete and The American. And a little fan interaction, too.

From time-to-time I still have trouble convincing people that Japanese rock is the future of the music industry, so I get a big sigh of relief when I see that more and more American labels are signing these talented artists from the Land of the Rising Sun. This past Tuesday the folks over at Good Charamel Records (founded by by Robby Takac of The Goo Goo Dolls) released the I Love J-ROCK compilation album, featuring ten songs from five of Japan's top girl-fronted bands. Not all the songs on here are winners, though.

This compilation showcases why I feel women make better rock stars than men, and not just because they look sexy sporting a Stratocaster. These cuts from Shonen Knife, TsuShiMaMiRe, Molice, LAZYgunsBRISKY and DJ Sashimi are a massive powerhouse of J-ROCK and Oriental electronica, and it starts off on the right foot with TsuShiMaMiRe's "J-POP," a crazed two and-a-half minute track that spotlights this punk trio's insane rock tactics and sarcastic take on the regular J-POP world. While I feel that "Sakuran Boy" might have been a far better choice for an opener "J-POP" still gets the job done with reeling in new listeners. "Strobe," however, is TsuShiMaMiRe at their best. Mari's innocent vocals -- accompanied by Mizue's heavy drumming and Yayoi's grooving bass line -- is what made me fall for this band in the first place, and hearing a song like this continues to prove that this band is one-of-a-kind in a world of imitators.

Shonen Knife's "Perfect Freedom" gives listeners the reason why Kurt Cobain loved this band so much, thanks in part to their Beatles-like lyrics and pop-punk presentation. Naoko's vocals are as strong as they were when she first started the band almost 30 years ago, and it's songs like this that prove that there's still no one on this planet that matches with their style. "Ramones Forever" pays tribute to the band that inspired them greatly, with its "I Wanna Be Sedated" melody and autobiographical lyrics about the band that changed Naoko's life forever. The live rendition of "Explosion!" is a nice touch, giving listeners a chance to hear that Shonen Knife carries their energy well from the album to the stage.

Having Molice on I Love J-ROCK is a fine fit, but I feel that "Monster" is one of their more weaker tracks from their Catalystrock album. It's not a bad song, per se, but a better cut like "Android said" or "Let's Merge!" should have been used here to gain more interest for Molice. "Romancer," on the other hand, is one of the quartet's best tracks from their sophomore release, sounding like GO!GO!7188 recording a Lupin the 3rd theme. It's sexy in the 70s Blaxploitation sense, and has enough cool that would make a character like Black Dynamite nod with approval.

LAZYgunsBRISKY is new to me, but the two tracks featured on this album have made me a quick fan of theirs. "Navy Star" has a Cherrie Currie attitude backed with a Gitogito Hustler motif; you can feel this band sneering at you through the speakers. "Bitter Day" rocks hard, building up to a bass line from Azu that taps perfectly into your spinal chord. The compilation's closer, "Japanese Girl In New York" by DJ Sashimi, sadly, is a bit too weird to end a compilation with. While the sound of a shamisen behind techno beats is a unique idea, the lyrics lack the rhythm that makes a good dance song. "Japanese Girl In New York" is far too weak of a song to close out this album, a job that would've suit any of the other bands on here better.

While Good Charamel Records has a good line-up here on I Love J-ROCK a couple missteps appear to ward off any sort of perfection. With enough strong promotion, however, I reckon that almost everyone on this album will do just fine in America, even though a couple of them have been getting around this country on their own. Still it's just another big push for mainstream success, the type of spotlight these ladies (and the three guys in Molice) from Japan have been clamoring for.

**** (out of five)

The Bastards break the world record for "Most A.D.D. Moments In A Podcast Episode."

This week the B3 crew welcome D-Rock to their crew, and discuss the new movie Takers and the new album from Apocalyptica (as well as their concert at the Royale). Next the King and D-Rock review the Flaming Lips cover album of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon, and Pink Taco rants about her love for Mumford & Sons. Anvil and the rest of the crew choose their picks for UFC 118, and talk other various sports. Finally the crew puts their two-cents in on the video game Shank, and Blueonic looks back at the XBOX 360 game Darkest of Days.

Apologies in advance for the audio quality. Our current microphone does not work with the Mac, so hopefully by the next episode we'll have one.

This past Thursday King Baby Duck and Nenya sat down with Apocalyptica drummer Mikko Sirén before the band's performance at the Royale in Boston, MA.

After a quick run to Starbucks with the famed drummer the B3 crew went to the Apocalyptica tour bus to record a very special interview for you all. In it Mikko reveals many great details, including the process of recording 7th Symphony, how the band has evolved since it began, his favorite pop singer and why he hates the TV show Lost. Plus Sirén discusses his favorite collaborations, and let's the cat out of the bag on what the band does before they hit the stage each night. (Also, for those who watch Apocalyptica's web series, who thinks the interview in Episode 2 was staged?)

A question for Apocalyptica intended as a joke results in an answer that no one expected.

In an interview with the Boston Bastard Brigade yesterday Apocalyptica drummer Mikko Sirén was asked if he thinks there would be a Cello Hero video game in the near-future. His response:

"We just talked two days ago with the guy who programs the stuff for Rock Band...It would be tempting, of course, for us. They would just put some songs that can be played for the guitar and drums, but it could be interesting."

As of now it seems that Apocalyptica could show up in the next Rock Band game (possibly as a download pack), but one can only imagine what a true Rock Band: Apocalyptica video game could entail.

King Baby Duck serves up another fresh music Podcast this week, with a little something extra added to the mix.

In the second episode we'll showcases three artists that were featured in last year's web series Coffee House Central. On top of that we've got a brand-spankin' new track from The Nervous Wreckords' upcoming debut album! What else can you expect? Well take a gander at the playlist below:

1. GaGaaling - Little Giant On My Shoulder (from the album Royal Blood)
2. KiLLKiLLS - Super junk (from the EP Allium)
3. The Early 90s - Surrounded By Green Lights (from the EP Real Name Adam.)
4. Bump of Chicken - Holiday (from the album present from you)
5. BESPA KUMAMERO - Melty Vision (from the album Romantic Waves)
6. The Nervous Wreckords - 8 Track (I'm Comin Back) (from the album Valuminium)
7. SOIL & "PIMP" SESSION - POP KORN (from the album 6)
8. Budo Grape - Meikyuu Deja Vu (from the album Otonatachi x Kodomotachi)
9. the_Stampede - K-Hole (Official Website)
10. toddle - Gulp It Down (from the album Dawn Praise The World)
11. HEAD PHONES PRESIDENT - Snares (from the EP vacancy)
12. Sex Bob-Omb - Garbage Truck (from the album Scott Pilgrim VS The World (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack))
13. Minori Chihara - sleeping terror (from the album Contact)
14. Swinging Popsicle - Cinemani (from the album transit)
15. Gone The Morning After - Story Of Us (Official Facebook Page)

The Boston Bastard Brigade kindly encourages you to support these artists, and buy their songs/album. You can find the majority of these releases on JapanFiles, CDJapan.co.jp, Amazon.com, iTunes, the bands' official websites and (in some cases) at your local record stores.

Don't worry: you're safe from any evil ex-boyfriends when the Bastards are around.

This week the B3 crew discuss the film The Expendables (followed by a comparison between The Losers and The A-Team) and the week in sports. Also on the table is a three-course Scott Pilgrim meal as King Baby Duck, Blueonic and Anvil talk about the movie Scott Pilgrim VS The World, the movie's soundtrack and the new PSN (and soon-to-be XBOX Live Arcade) video game based on the film and graphic novel series.

Presenting the "official" premiere of B3's J-POP/Alternative music Podcast show!

Join King Baby Duck as he spins you some of the best acts from Japan, America, Canada, UK and other parts of the globe. What can be expected from this first episode? Check out the playlist below:

1. bloodthirsy butchers - Ocean (from No Album Mudai)
2. Pistol Valve - Pull the Trigger (from Tsunamic Girls From Tokyo)
3. The Cliks - Complicated (from Snakehouse)
4. Maximum the Hormone - Tsume Tsume Tsume (from Tsume Tsume Tsume / F)
5. BO-PEEP - Level 3 (from Vibe)
6. Fucked Up - Invisible Leader (from Hidden World)
7. ANTI ELEMENT - OPEN MIND (from OPEN MIND)
8. monobright - Odoru Nou (from monobright two)
9. Eyeshine - Never Gonna Fake It (from My Paper Kingdom)
10. SAWA - RAT (from 333, currently unavailable)
11. Stance Punks - the young boy fights his war (from The World Is Mine)
12. Vivian Girls - Desert (from Everything Goes Wrong)
13. tokyo pinsalocks - Circle (from Planet Rita)
14. girugamesh - ROCKER'S (from Girugamesh)
15. Spinnerette - Sex Bomb (from Spinnerette)
16. The Birthday - Calendar Girl (from MOTEL RADIO SiXTY SiX)

The Boston Bastard Brigade kindly encourages you to support these artists, and buy their songs/album. You can find the majority of these releases on JapanFiles, CDJapan.co.jp, Amazon.com, iTunes and (in some cases) at your local record stores.

Attention Bastards, Bastettes and Wenches! ElectricSistaHood Magazine is ready to be viewed with your very own eyes!

Starting right now you can buy the very first issue of the hopefully-soon-to-be-popular-in-the-indie-sense gaming, anime, music, sports and pop culture magazine in America! Check out original never-before-seen articles from the B3 crew, as well as from their sistahs in ESH and brothers in Geek Aggro. Plus get exclusive previews and interviews from top gaming companies and people in the entertainment world. If you want to check out a taste of what to expect, click here! If you want to see more, click on the icon to your left to buy a copy of the first issue (or just click here). Once you get the premiere issue in your hands, sit down, crank some Deadmau5 and prepare yourself for what we hope to be an exciting magazine written by down-to-earth people that speak your vernacular!

While the King is away on a trip (and the next episode of B3 in post-production), the Bastards would like to present a sneak preview of a (possible) upcoming side-Podcast show.

Since 2006 King Baby Duck and Blueonic have been hosting the J-POP/Alternative radio show No Borders No Race on 91.7 WMWM Salem. However with time constraints due to work inside and outside of B3 the duo haven't been able to do the radio show for a few weeks. That is why they are considering doing another Podcast show to keep supporting musical artists from Japan, America, Canada, UK, Scandinavia and the rest of the world.

Here's a special sneak preview of the show. The playlist is as followed (with links to preview & purchase the albums):

1. the pillows - Melody (from OOParts)
2. GO!GO!7188 - Chikyuu Saigo no hi (from Antenna)
3. Suneohair - Aimokawarazu (from SUN!NEO!AIR!)
4. Ketchup mania - Pink Water (from F.L.A.G.)
5. Turbonegro - Wipe It Til It Bleeds (from Scandinavian Leather)
6. detroit7 - Down Beat (from Black & White)
7. Thee Michelle Gun Elephant - Smokin' Billy (from Gear Blues)
8. ORANGE RANGE - UN ROCK STAR (from ORANGE)
9. Hunter Valentine - Break This (from The Impatient Romantic)
10. chatmonchy - CAT WALK (from Kokuhaku)
11. THE CHERRY COKE$ - Graceful Harvest (from Rouse Up)
12. PUFFY - I Don't Wanna (from Bring it!)
13. Detroit Metal City - Fuckingham Kyuuden (from Makai yuugi ~for the movie~)
14. Molice - Into You (from Catalystrock)
15. FLiP - Bad Communication (from Kanshou Chuudoku)
16. Nujabes - Luv (sic.) pt3 feat. Shing02 (from modal soul)

Calling all bastards, bastettes, wenches, sistahs, brothas, geeks, jocks, otaku, gamers and all-out lovers of pop culture! We've got a shameless plug for you to bite down on and swallow like a tasty chocolate morsel!

After almost a year of preparations the teams of the ElectricSistaHood, the Boston Bastard Brigade and Geek Aggro are taking on the world of printed press (or iPress, if you've got iPhones or iPads to read stuff on). The ElectricSistaHood Magazine will be available in the coming weeks, filled to the brim with articles and reviews from your favorite Bastards, Sistas and Geeks. Want to know what's in store? Check this out:

• Exclusive reviews and articles not published on any of the ESH world sites
• The finest opinions of things big and small from people that actually speak your vernacular! (No offense, New Yorker.)
• Pretty pictures of your favorite (and not-so-favorite) games, anime and comics!
• Exclusive looks on the hottest projects
• And so much more!

More info is coming your way soon, so be sure to check in regularly for all you need to know to get your hands on an issue (or because you really like us, a subscription).

About three years ago a small Irish indie film called Once made waves across the world with its wonderful music and vibrant characters. The two lead roles (named in the film Guy and Girl) were played by the Frames’ Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová respectively; better known as the duo The Swell Season.  Hansard and Irglová both wound up winning an Oscar for the song “Falling Slowly,” one of the best songs of the last decade.  Last year the duo returned with the new album Strict Joy, walking in familiar grounds and drawing listeners in once again.

It is almost impossible to not be hypnotized by the opening track “Low Rising.” Hansard’s strong vocals and soft, weeping guitar playing -- not to mention the E Street-like horn section by Stephen Bernstein and Clark Gayton -- plays like a Ferris wheel ride at sunset; it’s fun, relaxing and surreal. “In These Arms” is a wonderful lullaby of a track, and would work wonders with soothing a crying infant. On top of that, it’d make a nice song to slow dance to under a starry sky. Irglová finally gets her turn at singing front and center here with “Fantasy Man,” and though the meaning of what a fantasy man is quite clear the song does have its multiple meanings for multiple peoples. “High Horses,” though quite reminiscent of Neko Case’s recent work, comes off as one of the album’s strong points; especially with its crescendo of an ending.

“I Have Loved You Wrong,” another track that puts Irglová in the limelight, showcases the singer/pianist at her best. The song deals with loneliness, and a love that could’ve been. To those who have been in this situation it speaks at the highest of volumes. Nearly casting a shadow over that song is the album’s closer “Back Broke,” which speaks about sticking together during the toughest of times; a theme that’s close to home to those living in Ireland, as well as in present-day America. Other tracks like “Love That Conquers” and “The Verb” also display the past and present feelings of adoration, friendship and the things that sometimes come between the two. Of course Strict Joy does come with a small flaw:  “Feeling the Pull.”  Though a nice track, it may make people think of something from Billy Joel’s Piano Man album. Then again that was Joel’s masterpiece, so this could be read as quite the compliment.

The Swell Season may be one of the best duos to come out of the woodwork in a long time, and may stand well with the likes of Simon & Garfunkel and Mark Lanegan & Isobel Campbell. If Hansard and Irglová continue making albums like this, they will reach the top of the folk genre in no time at all.

**** ½

Every successful band runs into it: the sophomore album confrontation. It is here where musicians must face head-on their second release following a critically-acclaimed debut album. Some artists have fallen apart here, whereas others treaded forward triumphantly. For Mutemath and their newest album Armistice, they have fought through victoriously; though not without a couple of battle wounds.

Opening with “The Nerve” Mutemath chase towards Mt. Sophomore Album without any fear, experimenting with dance beats and electronic noises; and follows up with “Backfire,” featuring a drum backing that sounds a bit similar to their previous hit “Typical,” but manages to push away any similarities in the music break. “Spotlight,” first heard in that horrible vampire movie whose name must not be mentioned, sounds ever-so glamorous and new; even after being released since last year. Though both “Pins and Needles” and “No Response” seem to steal from Radiohead’s playbook, Mutemath manages to break through the similarities with the songs’ beautiful lyrics and haunting orchestral pieces. “Electrify” could’ve been a cheesy love song (with the chorus "I’m in love with this girl that’s got my head"), but is instead an exciting romp that will surely be a staple at Mutemath’s live shows. The title track comes in with horns blared and the funk present, and blending this style with the band’s alt. rock sound makes it echo like Stevie Wonder being backed by matt pond PA. (In this case, the end product is the most fun track on the album.) The band saved the best for last, though, with “Burden”: a nine-minute track that showcases the best guitar-playing and drumming the band has ever done; along with a slow interlude that’s both somber and hopeful, ending with a crescendo of loud banging that crashes to a halt.

The album has its blunders, though. “Clipping” comes off too much like a Muse demo that should’ve been left on the cutting room floor; though the violin section is quite beautiful and should’ve been used for another song. “Goodbye,” Mutemath’s attempt to copy U2’s style, is merely a knockoff of Bono and the Edge. It should’ve been released as a bonus track or B-Side, for its presence on the actual album feels out of place. (The album’s bonus track “Valium” should’ve taken its place, thanks in part to its heavy orchestrations that match well with the feel of the actual record.)

Despite these two slip-ups, Mutemath has shown that they’ve come far since their self-titled debut. Being the first album to feature contributions from all four band members, Armistice sounds more evolved than its first record; and its comparisons with the likes of Coldplay and Radiohead can be seen merely as flattery. When talking about the creation of the album, singer/keyboardist Paul Meany told one newspaper, “Our goal is to embarrass the first record...and I think we’re on point to pull it off.” Pull it off, you have, Mutemath.

**** ½

It has been over a year since I've had any involvement with King Baby Duck and Blueonic, but as time as gone by the pang of not putting out good music for the masses has become too strong. And here I am not as "Codename Brad," but as Leraine (or "Rain" for short). For those of you who don't know me I'm currently a Sophmore/Junior at Salem State College, and will be reviewing mostly books/music/manga. Of course I'll be taking request on what books and music I should review or may like and post up a review. Today we'll look at OK Go's recent album Of the Blue Colour of the Sky.

OK Go are one of my favorite bands in the world. For those who don't know who they are, just think back many years ago when YouTube first began and there was a video of four guys jumping around on several treadmills. That song you heard was "Here It Goes Again," a delightfully upbeat song with a unique music video all of its own. So several years later (eight to be exact) their 3rd studio album is released and here fans may ask themselves if it's the music they like or the band.

As you pop the CD into the music player of your choice, you are suddenly hit with the first track entitled "WTF?", and that is something I personally said to myself. This song from the start is a huge step away from their power pop and glam punk persona. It's a more gritty but back-to-basics track compared to "C-C-C-Cinnamon Lips" or "A Million Ways." However in this review being different doesn't mean we should treat this new song as something to be feared! No, OK Go has done their homework and didn't just put out a half-hearted CD with some experimental tones; they worked on this album! The breathy tone of lead singer Damian Kulash's voice -- accompanied by the deep resounding melodies -- is similar to Prince's style of singing, and is most likely inspired by the singer. This song is something that you can only understand if you're under the influence, which isn't something I say often about music. Not since Kid Cudi's song "Day and Night" has a song spoken so openly about being under the influence. This song will be sure to hook you into the album, but it's the next song "This Too Shall Pass" that knocks you out and brings you into a pseudo-psychedelic state sprinkled with rebellion. It seems fitting that it is the 2nd song on Of the Blue Colour of the Sky.

"This Too Shall Pass" and "White Knuckle" are also -- in their own right -- a step in the right direction because it isn't afraid to tell you what its message is and doesn't muddle it down with heavy undertones and symbolism. These songs are very similar to the Beatles' style of music, where instruments and vocals aren't pushing each other aside but instead opt to work together to relay a message. So since the base of the music seems to originate to classic rock, where do the lyrics stem from? Well this I do not know, but the message and tone reek of the teenage solidarity that was present in the late 80's and early 90's where life sucks, school is long and parents just don't understand! It is a song that reminds us that no matter how bad things may get this too...shall pass.

As I have said before OK Go's latest album is much different form their first two (OK Go and Oh No) which both were very upbeat and delightfully camp in the message they relay to the masses. I say Of the Blue Colour of the Sky is a strong, confident step in the right direction; one that isn't afraid to be seen wearing two different colored shoes and bright socks.

4.5 out of 5

If your want some really good rap music that will blow your mind, here it is.

A friend of mine had an extra ticket to a show that was held at the Middle East in Cambridge, MA. Free Moral Agents, B. Dolan, and Sage Francis were the performers, putting on one awesome show. The whole set was great that night and the music was great, though for the most part it was rap music. I’m not usually about the rap (especially the underground rap), but this music actually talked to me for once. The only other rap artist that actually talked to me is Busdriver, a great musician that puts the world in a whole different perspective. Along with that there's Flobots with their genre of rock/rap with a dash of political ass-kicking. See I have a specific taste in music, and it comes down to where you actually have to be saying something, and the lyrics can captivate the audience. These bands got through to me that night. I wasn't able to buy up all their albums, but I did get to buy B. Dolan's recent release: Fallen House, Sunken City. I'm telling you this is an awesome album. Here is the tracklisting:

1. Leaving New York
2. Fifty Ways To Bleed Your Customer
3. Economy of Words (Bail it Out)
4. Earth Movers
5. The Reptilian Agenda
6. The Hunter
7. Marvin
8. Kitchen Sink
9. Border Crossing
10. Fall of T.R.O.Y.
11. Mr. Buddy Buddy
12. Body of Work

The video above is from this album. It's a wicked good song, and this music brings it back to the starting days of hip-hop. Not having to talk about the whole bitches and hos, the 40's, hustlers, and all that other "fun" bullshit. I rather have my rap more empowering and mind-blowing then deal with that shit. B. Dolan brings that to the table, and I'm glad I was able to be at this concert to hear his wise and powerful words. If you’re able to get your hands on this album you will not be disappointed. I also added another couple of videos and the signed on my copy of his album I got. Hopefully when he comes back around the Boston area the B3 group can get an interview with him.

This is from one of his other albums, which was pretty fucking awesome. If your religious and you don't like how he puts this song...all I can say is sucks to be you. I'm an Atheist and I love this song!!

This is a hilarious video that features Sage Francis and B. Dolan for the "LI(F)E on the Road Tour" from the record label Strange Famous.

I am also looking forward to listening and reviewing Sage Francis's new album. My buddy who had that tickets got the new album "LI(F)E," so that will be coming real soon. If you want to know more of the bands. You can check out their MySpaces down below.

Sage Francis's MySpace: Click Here

B. Dolan's MySpace: Click Here

Free Moral Agents' MySpace: Click Here

It is said that repeating certain words three times can conjure up bad luck. “Candyman” leads to murder, “Beetlejuice” brings forth dangerous mischief, and “Biggie Smalls” makes the soul of an overrated deceased rapper appear. One other word can now be added to that list: “World.” By repeating this word three times, a much uninspired album will be bestowed upon an unlucky band. In 2008 it happened with Asian Kung-Fu Generation.  This time the victim is Orange Range, and wow is it vomit-inducing!

World World World starts off unimpressively with “The Map,” a creepy song that takes the 8-bit music fad and beats it like a dead horse. It is followed by “FACTORY,” an insipid dance track that doesn’t have a good groove, but the rock interlude is a nice touch. “KIMAGURE 23” has no idea what type of song it wants to be. It sounds like it’s trying to be a Gundam theme song, but it comes out more like one of Arashi’s appalling love songs. “White Blood Ball Red Blood Ball” appears on the album as a Dub Mix; a bad one at that. (Perhaps they should’ve recruited Spacemonkeyz to do a better job.) “space girl” is where the album hits its lowest point, but then at the one minute mark somehow transforms itself into a decent pop rock track. “Hitomi no Sakini,” though poppy, has a good string section to give it more potential than it should be allowed; but then the Hawaiian-pop knock-off “HIBISCUS” appears to insult the listeners’ intelligence.

“Oni Goroshi,” the album’s only spectacular melody, is what Orange Range should’ve been doing since the beginning: rocking out at 100 MPH. It is the type of track that made them well-known in Japan. Unfortunately one incredible song doesn’t do the band any good if the other twelve range from horrible to mediocre. The only other real highlight on the album is “Japoneze,” Orange Range’s attempt at rapcore; and that’s not saying much.  Though the beat and chorus are great (and has a bit of a psychedelic rock charm), the verses are cluttered and pieced together at the wrong places.

Orange Range knows better. By releasing an album like World World World they have insulted to both their fans and the Japanese music scene. Perhaps their former drummer Kazuhito Kitao had it right when he left the band. He foresaw what would happen to Orange Range’s sound in the future, and bolted right when the band was at its peak. World World World will make any long-time fan of Orange Range sick to their stomach, and will scare any newcomers from hearing their older, much better stuff.

½ (out of five)

In 2009, after spending the last three years working with the Raconteurs, Brendan Benson returned with his fourth solo album.

My Old, Familiar Friend begins with “A Whole Lot Better,” a song that blends everything he learned from working with fellow Michigan man Jack White, and everything he knew before joining forces with him; making it a near-perfect opening track.  “You Make a Fool Out Of Me,” an acoustical romance track, hits the heart hard; and Benson gives it his all to sing to the one who is in possession of his heart.  Benson tries (and succeeds) in writing a song for people who both like alt. rock and dancing in clubs: “Feel Like Taking You Home.”  Its head-bopping beat will have anyone swaying their hips with joy.  “Poised and Ready,” a loud and rambunctious track, sounds as if it should’ve been placed at the end of the album.  However, the last song “Borrow” manages to be a good bookend to “A Whole Lot Better”: a conclusive sound that makes listeners beg for more.

Though there is a lot to like about the album, it does have a few missteps.  “Garbage Day,” though a nice ditty, is too over-the-top.  Perhaps if they had gotten rid of the string section it would’ve sounded more down-to-earth, but Benson seemed to want to go epic with it.  Unfortunately it’s anything but.  “Gonowhere” tries too hard to sound like a classic English track, and it suffers from lacking of any sort of originality.  Finally, there’s “Don’t Wanna Talk.”  It’s not a bad song, per se, but it suffers from the fact that there are already hundreds of songs that sound just like it; and for Benson to create a track like this shows that even those that try to go for an original sound sometimes have to get a track like this out of their system.  However it would’ve seemed fit as a B-Side than an actual album track.  The same can be said for “Misery,” but it has a few more original beats than “Don’t Wanna Talk,” so it does deserve some sort of place in Familiar Friend.

Those who only know Brendan Benson from working in White’s supergroup may want to research his previous solo albums (especially his debut album One Mississippi) before taking in this record.  Aside from that, Benson does a good job showing that, even before joining the Raconteurs, he can make a good record on his own.  Here’s hoping that others jump on his bandwagon, for his solo star is finally going to shine bright with his Old, Familiar Friend.

*** ½ (out of five)

On their sophomore album My Paper Kingdom, Eyeshine takes the listeners through a place where a changing world can cause turmoil on any struggling musician. Where the failures of the present meet are where Johnny Yong Bosch and company tend to discover their biggest strengths.

Recorded after two members left before they could even start mixing it, Eyeshine's main focus on My Paper Kingdom tends to be on the power of their fanbase, as evident on the back-to-back tracks  "Never Gonna Fake It" and "Crush Me." The former comes off as an anthem for those not willing to give up even during the toughest of times; the latter serves up criticism to those that don't support their song beliefs in real-life. Here these two songs show off Eyeshine's biggest strengths in regards to both songwriting and performance. Why neither of these songs became a Top 40 hit is beyond baffling.

There is a lot to love on the rest of My Paper Kingdom, as each song showcases a valid strength from the band members. The opener "Break The Clouds" presses on the theme of hope that the sky is nowhere near the limit, and drummer Maurice smashes through his drum kit as if he'll launch himself into orbit the harder and faster he plays. The award-winning "Alone" has Bosch channeling the likes of Mark Lanegan and Tom DeLonge, using grungy vocals to bring into spotlight the pain many people feel when they're rejected by the ones they love. "Something More" brings forth the power of people working together to achieve their goals, and when moments of separation appear the soul knows that something is lacking. Simplicity at its best can be found in "Fighting," and lyrics like "It's not the same without you, I'm not afraid/To go it all alone without you" might've been Bosch's response to the band members that left him and Maurice hanging. Whether "Fighting" is a challenge to those former members or a realization that Eyeshine won't be as strong without them remains a mystery, though I highly doubt that it's the latter.

"Just Like The Others" comes off as a sort of understanding towards the people that never want to change for the better, and that breaking their association with these so-called friends is the only way to overcome the pain they feel when they're around them. The album closer "California Bound" focuses on the dreamers that give their all to become believers, a very positive message found in an album that tends to play around the joys and sorrows found in an ever-changing world. While many of the tracks here are well-responsive to the listener, only one song can be seen as a road block on this journey the album takes them. That giant speed bump is "Seeing Red," where Bosch sounds like he's struggling too hard to hit the high notes. Artists need to know their limits in regards to vocal range, and sadly this song shows what happens when a singer pushes themselves beyond their limit.

Despite that one track Eyeshine's My Paper Kingdom serves as a reminder that giving up and failing is easy, but persevering and succeeding is another world away. The band (who have recently filled the two vacant spots) accomplishes this with only a scratch or two, and manages to make themselves stronger in the process. Conquering the music world is tough, but with enough support and quality songwriting a band can reach the top of the mountain. Eyeshine is blessed with both, and their triumph in this hard industry could be but a chapter away.

**** ½ (out of five)

In 2004 Uematsu left Square-Enix to form the SMILE PLEASE production company. “There really wasn’t one reason for why I decided to move on,” said Uematsu, “but you can’t say that there’s no reason at all. For the most part it was because I was getting a bit older in the profession. As I worked with the company for over 22 years, the people I was working under had become younger. That sort of human interaction is a little bit harder when your bosses are younger than you…As I had gotten older I wanted to take those 22 years and reset them to start fresh.” In regards to the company’s name, “The act of smiling is the most happy you can be,” but then added that he got it from the Stevie Wonder song of the same name.

Somewhat outside of the video game music world Uematsu formed the progressive rock band The Black Mages with Square-Enix composers Kenichiro Fuki and Tsuyoshi Sekito. The band mostly covers songs from the Final Fantasy games, but adds a metal twist to the original compositions. “I’m a big fan of rock music, said Uematsu. “When I was younger I used to play in the rock style, but once I entered the [video game] industry it was harder to perform that sort of music. It lit something inside of me, and it made me want to produce that sort of music as a band.” There are currently plans to release a new album with the band, but the name of the band will be changed. In regards to this new band name Uematsu replied, “Please wait two more months.”

While Uematsu was a baseball fanatic as a young kid, he feels he’s lost touch on the current standings. “When I was a kid I followed baseball quite a bit in Japan, but as I’ve grown older I’ve lost track of the Japanese teams, and I’ve also not had the chance to see a lot of the American games played; but I think Ichiro [Suzuki] is quite talented. When asked about this year’s World Baseball Classic, he wonders why Japan is good at it. “I looked at the teams, and I felt that the American players had a lot of power during the World Baseball Classic. I then looked at the Japanese team, and noticed that the manager was the same age as me. It didn’t look like he was the main focal point, so it looked like that everyone that was working beneath him were working really hard to get to where they had to be.” And what are his thoughts on Daisuke Matsuzaka and Hideki Okajima? “I agree that Okajima is the best, but in Japan Matsuzaka was really good.”

Uematsu has expressed interest in returning to Anime Boston, but in a bit of a different way. “I really want to return, but cosplay.” What would he dress as? “Chocobo,” he said with a hearty chuckle. I suggested that he just cosplay has himself, to which he mimed a sign that would read, “I’m not Nobuo.”

As for future projects Uematsu is currently working on the soundtrack to the upcoming Level 5/Brownie Brown game title Fantasy Life. When one of the other journalists in the room asked about his latest children’s album 10 Short Stories (which is now available on iTunes) Uematsu had a big surprise for us all. He handed out everyone a copy of both the Japanese and English versions of the new album, rendering many of us speechless by this unexpected act of kindness. (A review for this album will be coming soon.)

With that the private press conference with Uematsu came to a fine conclusion, and while everyone was parting ways I managed to get Uematsu to pose for a picture for your viewing pleasure.

Some may be familiar with Sawa. If you've ever played the DS game The World Ends With You (or すばらしきこのせかい in Japanese) her vocals appears in three of the songs that are featured in the soundtrack. That was merely a taste of what listeners can expect from her eclectic debut album 333.

Released at the end of 2008 333 is a prime example of how an artist should dip into a wide range of styles while having a prime identity. Here Sawa sings, shouts and screams through a diverse batch of tracks that vary from rock and punk to acoustic and pop. Opener "Stay Away" manages to come off like a classic Breeders track, while at the same time keep the edge in vein of Ketchup mania. (Its acoustic version that appears at the end of the album somehow showcases a double-meaning to the song, and whether or not Sawa wants her ex-lover to leave or stay put may be up to different interpretations.)

Sawa comes off as a slick sadistic beast in "Rouser," and lyrics like "drug the nation" sound as if she's about to start a revolution ala Zach De La Rocha. "DOO" is her cry