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.
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!
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!
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.
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.
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.
Mr. Cuse returns from Costa Rica, and realizes why he should've stayed put in paradise!
On tonight's special Podcast episode King Baby Duck recruits the very talented Canadian band Hunter Valentine.