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)

First things first: I loved the first Mafia game. Second I have been waiting a long time for this sequel to come out (I believe I found out about it back in 2007, so I was wondering why it took so long to get to this point.) But it's finally here, yet it seemed that 2K Games wasn't giving people the chance to really play the game before its release date. When the King and I were at the PAX East we were lucky to play the game, but of course we got screwed because it was at the end of the day of the convention, so we got kicked out before we could finish the demo.

(I love this video! It will make you laugh, unless your a vegan, then sucks to be you!)

The Mafia 2 demo is set up so you can run around for a little bit to check out the area. The graphics are a hell of a lot better then the first game from the look of the demo. The movements are pretty good, but sometimes it does take a little bit to get used to how to maneuver the character around in third-person mode. It seems that the driving is very touchy, but I did have fun slamming those old big-assed cars into one another. I also pissed off the cops really easily, which is good because it shows that the police in Mafia 2 are a little bit smarter in the A.I. field.

The issue I felt with this demo was that 2K went a little to far of keeping things Secret Squirrel. It's like when the King and I were there their staff had us wait in an unofficial line waiting to see the Mafia 2 game, along with a sneak peek at Civilization V (another game that looked amazing, but couldn't get any pictures or recordings of that game due to them being so secretive.)

So besides all the shenanigans the Mafia 2 demo was pretty good, but it was too short for my taste. Although they didn't really give you the capability of roaming around, it still made me want to play more of the game. So if you're looking for a title where you can run around and shoot 'em up gangster style, then Mafia 2 might be up your alley.

Mafia II
Console/Platform:  Xbox 360, Ps3, PC
Company: 2k games
Gameplay: Action/Crime
Website
**** (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-Rawk 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-Rawk 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' oficial websites and (in some cases) at your local record stores.

Yesterday the world lost truly one of the greatest animation directors of all time. Satoshi Kon, whose work included Perfect Blue, Paprika and Paranoia Agent, passed away at the age of 46 after a short battle with pancreatic cancer.

Satoshi Kon got his start working with Akira creator Katsuhiro Otomo's manga World Apartment Horror, and would later serve as an animator for Otomo's Roujin Z. His first big break came when he wrote the "Magnetic Rose" section of the 1995 film Memories. When finally given the chance to direct his own feature Kon decided to direct an adaptation of Yoshikazu Takeuchi's novel Perfect Blue, about a member of a J-POP group that decides to start an acting career. Almost overnight he became a household name in Japan, and his work started gaining buzz all over the world. Perfect Blue would go on to win a number of awards acros the globe.

Perfect Blue

Three years later Satoshi Kon would direct Millennium Actress, a film that followed the life of an actress whose story blended in her truth with the works of film she did. Millennium Actress would go on to receive universal acclaim, winning Best Animation Film and Fantasia Ground-Breaker at the 2001 Fantasia Film Festival and the Grand Prize in the Japan Agency of Cultural Affairs Media Arts Festival (tying with Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away). Kon would next write and direct Tokyo Godfathers, the story of three homeless people who find an abandoned baby on Christmas Eve.

Millennium Actress

Kon would take his skills to television with Paranoia Agent, an anime that followed the lives of numerous people connected to an incident involving a boy with a golden bat. Its visual style and storytelling was -- and still is -- unmatched, thanks in part to its psychological nature and stunning animation. The series would air all over the world, including in America on [adult swim]. Though it didn't fare well ratings-wise in the States it still gathered a large following in the anime community.

2006 would be the year when Satoshi Kon would direct what many people consider his magnum opus: Paprika, based on Yasutaka Tsutsui's 1993 novel. The film followed a psychologist who used a machine to travel into patients' dreams to help cure them, but winds up becoming dangerous after three prototypes are stolen and used to create chaos in both reality and the dream world. Paprika would go on to pick up the Best Feature Length Theatrical Anime Award at the sixth annual Tokyo Anime Awards, and recent news has shown that director Wolfgang Petersen is working on a live-action adaptation.

Satoshi Kon was currently working on his next film Yume-Miru Kikai, when he got the devastating news from his doctor on May 18. "My wife and I received the following prognosis from a cardiologist at the Musashino Red Cross Hospital: 'The pancreatic cancer is terminal and has metastasized to the bone. You have at most a half year left'," said Kon in a posthumous blog post published today. "When I conveyed my concerns for Yume-Muru Kikai to Mr. Maruyama, he said, 'It's fine. Don't worry, we'll do whatever it takes.' I cried. I cried aloud."

Yume-Miru Kikai

Satoshi Kon's wife Kyōko published a statement regarding her husband: "Satoshi Kon passed away due to pancreatic cancer on August 24 at 6:20 a.m. He was 46. His funeral service will be held for family members only. We are respectfully and deeply grateful for your kindness during his lifetime." A similar statement was released by Madhouse, the studio that animated most of his work.

It will be years before we see another anime director like Satoshi Kon. His storytelling style was like that of Hitchcock's, with thickening plot lines and mind-numbing visuals that were on par with Kubrick. I was first introduced to Kon through Millennium Actress, a film whose storytelling techniques are still unrivaled today. How he easily weaved this actress's life with the films that she made were truly awe-inspiring, and it was something that not even Studio Ghibli could've even accomplished; and while Miyazaki is a master of playing with one's mind, Kon was a master of screwing with it (especially in Perfect Blue and Paranoia Agent). Yet underneath all the confusion and disturbing elements Kon was always able to sneak in a slice of humor, similar in the veins of Terry Gilliam. I am sad that I will never be able to shake Satoshi Kon's hand to thank him for his hard work in the anime industry, but I hope he's up there knowing that he inspired millions of people throughout the world.

I don't think there is a more fitting way to end this tribute than with the final words of Satoshi Kon himself: "With feelings of gratitude for all that is good in this world, I put down my pen. Well, I'll be leaving now."

Well here we go again with the crazed assholes that you hate to love.

All righty then, Kane & Lynch are just a couple of people that have dealt with fucked up lives. If you haven't gotten to play the first one, and you jump into Dog Days you might be very confused. (It's a good idea to either rent, borrow, or buy the game. It should be wicked cheap now seeing that it's been out of for a while.) But the one thing I'm wondering is what kind of setup they are going to put you in, seeing how the first game ended two ways depending on how you played it. If you watch the video you can see a crazy thing that goes on with Kane in what seems to be either a bank robbery or an escape from someone. Then you see the most fucked up of the characters: Lynch. When he's sitting down with lunch you can see him looking at his pills. (Believe me: if you haven't seen the first game, he really needs them. I think that he has a psycho/schizophrenic personality disorder, which makes him go from his normal mood to a homicidal-raging douchebag.)

Lynch with a shotgun

In the demo, Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days starts out with the actual video from above that plays into Lynch calling up a meeting time with someone. You then end up in a Chinese restaurant sitting with Kane & Lynch kind of hunched over their soup bowls, reminiscing all the messed up things that happened before. Before they can really start talking or complete a sentence, Kane screams out, "Holy shit, get down!" The duo ducks to the ground, and you start controlling Lynch in the demo. Playing it was kind of pissing me off, though. The actual third-person shooting isn't one of my strong points of gaming, unless it's like Gears of War 2. What I was feeling with this game was that it was hard to control the character. I played it a couple more times, however, and was getting better with the handling of the game. It really is a short demo, which is kind of a shitty deal.

I have to say the picture looks right. Playing as Lynch in the demo I got knocked down a lot, trying to figure out how to properly hide behind objects so that you don't get lit the fuck up. That said it seems like the demo was based around Lynch, considering that the first game dealt with choosing who you would like to actually play. It's something that has to wait for the full review once I get my hands on the game. Another issue dealing with Dogs Days is the running of the character. If you know how to run in real life, your run at a vertical angle in a straight method, but in this game it seems that you run at almost a 45-degree angle with a shitty camera to boot. (When you get to try out the demo you'll see what I'm talking about.)

As for the multi-player, I wasn't able to actually play it. I guess I got the demo at a bad time because no one was online to play against. However the online game seems like a great idea, but the only problem is that unless you're playing with friends, you won't know where these gamers live (so if they decide to back-stab you can go and kick their asses personally). It might be a long shot to actually find people that would be willing to help you and be considered a good back-up in your game.

Final Thoughts and Suggestions:

Well to give the Kane & Lynch 2 demo a rating for now I do have to say it is a very interesting gaming. The graphics they did in the videos are awesome, but the in-game graphics aren't too great. The movement of the characters are also a little jumpy and weird. They did create a good game with in-depth characters in the storyline, but if I was talking to the guys who created that game I don't want them to tell me they made this game messed up like this to put out to the masses. Along with that, Hollywood, if you do make this into a movie and you fuck it up, I will personally come after you because this is one of those games you can't mess with.

Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days is available now.

Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days
Console/Platform:  PC, PS3, and Xbox 360
Company: Square Enix, IO Interactive
Genre: Shooter
Official Site
**** (out of five)

]]> http://www.bostonbastardbrigade.com/2010/08/kane-and-lynch-2-dog-days-demo-review/feed/ 0 http://www.bostonbastardbrigade.com/2010/08/episode-lx-fuck-the-movies-lets-get-some-lasagna/ http://www.bostonbastardbrigade.com/2010/08/episode-lx-fuck-the-movies-lets-get-some-lasagna/#comments Tue, 24 Aug 2010 11:00:24 +0000 King Baby Duck http://www.bostonbastardbrigade.com/?p=2331

Oh, how the Itis fails to keep a Bastard from speaking one's mind.

This week the B3 crew discuss the new XBOX Live game Monday Night Combat, the demos for Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X. 2 and NHL '11, the week in sports and movie reviews for Vampires Suck and Behind Enemy Lines: Columbia.