Explanation

Yes. I know, I know. This blog has turned from general pop culture into announcements for J pop / J rock artists in between episodes of The Shockedelic Radio Show. I'll try to rectify this in the new year. It's just that, well, everybody talks about movies these days and it's becoming less and less worthwhile to write about films with all of these self professed "Critics" around. It just seems everyone who has an opinion on movies only wants to write about how vital their views on current film are and they do it while showing how clever they are with pop culture references. I don't want to be one of those people and I really haven't been in the mood to write something worth writing, so I guess it's going to be what my favorite artists (Western and Eastern) are doing these days until I can move past this funk. I can't even bring myself to do a year end list. Crap, getting older sucks.

In the mean time, here are some YouTube Videos to keep y'all riveted. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

Let's start off with the latest single from Morningwood's "Diamonds and Studs" album:


Next, a great single from Japan's Scandal. "Shoujo S":


Superfly fronts Big Brother and Holding Company at Legends of Woodstock 2009:


Focus Live with an incredible version of "Hocus Pocus":


Of course, P.I.S.S. Will Never Go To School:


Cracker came back ferociously this year with a new single, "Yalla Yalla":


Hitomi Takahashi and the Beat Crusaders whip up some wonderful
pop confectionery with "Wo Ai Ni" (Song begins a 1:34):


Shaka Labbits with their latest single, "Roller Coaster":


Kimura Kaela's "Hot Pepper" CM was a viral hit this past year:


American gibberish as Italian funk. "Prisencolinensinainciusol":

Love Psychedelico's new album! ABBOT KINNEY

It's almost here! The new album from LOVE PSYCHEDELICO is being released on January 13th, 2010. Can you believe they've been around 10 years???!? From the clips on YouTube, it looks to be one of their best. Here are some clips:

Click on the above logo to go to the official Youtube page!

Click the Love Psychedelico Logo to reserve your copy of ABBOT KINNEY

And, of course, the official Love Psychedelico webpage has been overhauled and enhanced. Go give it a looksee!
http://www.lovepsychedelico.net/index.html

The Bawdies!

Do you love Rock -n- Roll? I mean really love Rock -n- Roll? Most people say they do. Joan Jett said she did (and she was covering The Arrows). Thing is, I don't believe most of those people. Oh yeah, people yell "Rock and Rolllll!" as a battle cry and everyone wants to be a Rock Star (even down to Miley Cyrus), but put real Rock -n- Roll in front of them and they'll most likely balk. But why?

Well, seems to me that true Rock -n- Roll has been bastardized by many forms of Pop music over the years. I have nothing against Pop. I revel in it. Hell, my radio show's slogan is "The Best In International Pop", but Pop and Rock -n- Roll are different beasts, as are Rock, Classic Rock and Southern Rock. None of those things are Rock -n- Roll. In fact, it seems all forms of music from the 1960's on all envy good ol' Rock -n- Roll so much that they constantly try to make ties to it. The lines start to blur to the casual listener who doesn't know better. That's why confusion sets in when such people are confronted with real Rock -n- Roll.

An oft missed point is that Rock -n- Roll is not a pretty thing. It's dirty. It's sexual. It's very name is derived from slang for f**cking. It's also very much an attitude thing. It's rebellious by nature. All these things contribute to why Rock -n- Roll has been all but lost to Western culture. The late 1960's Summer of Love and 1970's Sexual revolution killed it for all future Americans (with small exceptions in the mid 70's and early 90's; both times quickly and decisively killed by corporations). There is no need for teens to rebel anymore. Electronic gadgets and mood controlling medications keep them docile these days... along with idiot parents who want to stay forever young and be their children's best friends. It's a rather disgusting time here in the west.

Thank god for those Japanese. They've always understood, right from the first time it hit them. Why is that? Easy. A repressive society always needs an outlet for rebellious youth to exercise their primal urges. This brings me to today's show and tell band, The Bawdies from Tokyo Japan.

They've been around for a few years now in the indie scene with three albums ("Awaking of Rhythm and Blues", "Yesterday and Today" and "This Is My Story") and an EP ("I Beg You"). They've now been signed to Victor Japan and a new single has been released, "It's Too Late"; produced by Love Psychedelico's Guitarist Naoki. Here's the video for the song:



The enigmatic thing about the new single is that it isn't actually a single. It's touted as one and the first of the two tracks is "It's Too Late", but the second track is an unbanded, full 40 minute live concert at the QUATTRO Club and it's the real reason you should absolutely own this disc. It's a load of their Indie material and covers of "Pretty Vacant" Which they Who up substantially and a brutal rave up on "What'd I Say?". Now it's pretty obvious that you should buy this and CDJapan has it for $16 US before shipping. The link to buy it is below:


The Bawdies - It's Too Late


Here are some more videos from their Indie days...

Happy Halloween!

I hope y'all have a sweet and scary Halloween! Here's a playlist that you can keep on in the background for your party or what have you. Press Play, turn it up and click on the full screen tab. Enjoy!

The Shockedelic Radio Show EP 5:06 - "Lady Killer"

Prepare yourself for the best in International Pop Music. It's the NEW Shockedelic Radio Show! This is Episode 5, Season 6; "Lady Killer". Can you figure out the reason for the title? It's in this episode. Give it a listen.


Listen to it streaming above or download it below:

SRS EP5:06

Legal stuff:

It's a very litigious society, so please understand that this MP3 Podcast is presented as a radio show promoting new and lesser well known artists. All of the music here is copyrighted and the copyright proprietors retain ownership of the material presented here. No rights are given to the downloader or listener or are implied as such. In short, listen to the show and enjoy it, but don't go dissecting the program. If you hear something you like, track it down and purchase it. Supporting the artist is crucial. Make sure you do your duty.

KISS "Sonic Boom" Review

The new KISS album, SONIC BOOM, arrives on Tuesday only at Wal-Mart stores, but I've been listening to it for about 2 weeks now (damn this Internet). Of course, I'll be buying the 3 disc (2 CD + 1 DVD) package on Tuesday, but I really felt the need to hear what I was getting into in advance.

Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer have been stating that this album of all new material is All Killer No Filler. Gene Simmons even went as far as saying it was the best thing KISS has done since DESTROYER in 1976. As a longtime KISS fan (I grew up in the 1970's, so it was required), I staunchly disagree with that statement. Even when I gave up on KISS after UNMASKED in 1980, I still considered their makeup-less 80's output as pretty damn good, even though it wasn't my KISS. After the PSYCHO CIRCUS album, which I bought and listened to once, I was absolutely skeptical that these boastful... well, boasts were just that.

I'm thrilled to report that it is a very good KISS album. It's not a great, end all, be all, KISS album, but it's probably the most consistently listenable KISS album since probably 1991's REVENGE. What confounds here is that the album is a winner despite being quite schizophrenic. The Paul Stanley sung material sounds like CRAZY NIGHTS / ANIMALIZE KISS while the Gene Simmons sung material sounds like ROCK AND ROLL OVER / LOVE GUN KISS.

The album opens with the first "single", MODERN DAY DELILAH. It's a Paul song that, I admit, sounded a bit generic and limp on the first listen. It has grown on me since. A Gene song follows,entitled RUSSIAN ROULETTE, that evokes REVENGE era KISS, but the chorus definitely hearkens back to late 70's KISS. NEVER ENOUGH follows and, being a PAUL tune, reeks of CRAZY NIGHTS era KISS.

At this point, I wasn't impressed, but I wasn't quite ready to dismiss the album. YES I KNOW (NOBODY'S PERFECT) was the turning point for me. A Gene song, this song is so very 70's party rock KISS that I got a little emotional. The sound is reminiscent of a ROCK AND ROLL OVER / GENE SIMMONS (SOLO) outtake with it's instantly recognizable guitar work and the trademark chanting of "I Know" (if you're a KISS fan, you could make a drinking game out of how many times the phrase "I Know" is uttered on a KISS album). Gene's vocals and Bass work is the best I've heard from him in literal decades.

The album gets a bit confused with the song STAND. It's great because Simmons and Stanley trade vocals on the verses. KISS was always the best when there was vocal interplay, for my money. The Four Tops/(REACH OUT) I'LL BE THERE style vocal interjections by Paul lift the song up considerably. However, the choruses (Reeking of I from 1980's MUSIC FROM THE ELDER album and the shifting musical styles within the song are a bit ill fitting. HOT AND COLD, which follows, is a standard Simmons 70's throwaway. No great shakes, but infinitely better than anything off of PSYCHO CIRCUS.

Eric Singer does lead vocal duties on ALL FOR THE GLORY, a particularly 80's KISS sounding track. His vocals are nice and raspy a-la Peter Criss and it's a pleasing song overall. DANGER US is Paul at his punniest. Another great 80's sound.

Gene pipes in next with the heaviest song on the disc, I'M AN ANIMAL. It's a song in the I LOVE IT LOUD / WAR MACHINE mold and it really showcases the commitment Gene had to the project. It's a fist pumper.

Tommy Thayer also gets a chance to shine vocally with WHEN LIGHTNING STRIKES. His vocals are good, but his style is a lot like Gene's and it took a little bit for me to figure out who was singing at first.

The album closes with SAY YEAH. This is a great classic KISS song and the true anthem of the album. I mean, what's a KISS album without an anthem? It closes the album on a nice 80's vibe.

Paul Stanley's production works well simply because he understands KISS better than any current producer could. Another producer would have most likely tried an Everything Louder Than Everything Else approach and that would've killed it. The album also cheekily pays homage to 60's British Invasion and Motown Pop in refreshing and unexpected ways. In addition to the aforementioned Four Tops references, HOT AND COLD and SAY YEAH have sly Beatle winks in them and STAND shifts musically like a Metal GOOD VIBRATIONS.

Tommy Thayer, it should be noted, is the true star of the album. His guitar style is quite adaptable to each song and he plays Ace Frehley riffs better than anyone, including Ace. That is to say, Tommy balances the lead guitar work in a way that it sounds like KISS should sound without him losing his musical identity.

It's a highly recommended album. KISS fans are the intended target, of course, but anyone who misses Metal Pop should take a stab at this one.

I should also write that I've had the other re-recorded Greatest His disc for a while now already as a Japanese Import. You simply can't go wrong with that one, either. The redone songs are hard, raw and plain fantastic. This is how KISS sounds now and they sound better than ever. Unfortunately, the DVD isn't a complete concert, but a selection of 6 tracks from the Buenos Aires show this past year.All in all, though, for $12.00, you can't beat it. KISS Loves You. This proves it.

KISS M&Ms are going to be available at Wal-Mart, too. Awesome.

The New Kimura Kaela Concert DVD

Damn this recession! I've had the new Kimura Kaela Concert DVD, "Go! 5! Kaeland", ordered for over a month now and then I get this notice of a Premium box set version:

http://columbia.jp/kaela/

Yep, it's in Japanese, but a peruse over to CDJapan.com reveals the Box Set includes the following:

• Deluxe DVD box set release from Kaera Kimura featuring her Jury 11, 2009 "Go! 5! Kaeland" performance at Yokohama Red Brick Park. Set includes USB memory stick, memorial photo book, stickers, and mini-poster. Comes housed in an original can box.

...and it retails for $109.64 US (more than double the price of the DVD only version). Now, you know I want this. I'd kill for this. Sadly, I can't afford this. Oh, maybe someday into the future, but not now.

This doesn't mean YOU can't get it, though. Below, please find links to the Premium Box, the DVD version and the BLU-RAY version of the Go! 5! Kaeland Concert video.

Go! 5! Kaeland Premium Box (Title subject to change) [Limited Pressing]

Kaera Kimura

GO!5!KAELAND

Kaera Kimura

GO!5!KAELAND [Blu-ray]

Kaera Kimura

Video from the show to whet your appetite:

The Shockedelic Radio Show EP 5:05 - "It's..."

Prepare yourself for the best in International Pop Music. It's the NEW Shockedelic Radio Show! This is Episode 5, Season 5; "It's...". Can you figure out the reason for the title? It's in this episode. Give it a listen.



Listen to it streaming above or download it below:

SRS EP5:05

Legal stuff:

It's a very litigious society, so please understand that this MP3 Podcast is presented as a radio show promoting new and lesser well known artists. All of the music here is copyrighted and the copyright proprietors retain ownership of the material presented here. No rights are given to the downloader or listener or are implied as such. In short, listen to the show and enjoy it, but don't go dissecting the program. If you hear something you like, track it down and purchase it. Supporting the artist is crucial. Make sure you do your duty.

KISS' Sonic Boom!

KISS announced today that they will be releasing their new album, "Sonic Boom" on October 6th exclusively at Wal-Mart stores. As enticing (yawn) as an album of new material is, the real excitement will be the other two discs in the 3 disc set. KISS will be releasing a DVD of their "Alive! 35" Buenos Aries concert as well as (for me, the real reason to buy the set) the official domestic release of the Re-recorded Greatest Hits collection that was previously only available in Japan. The price for the set (in a digipak with 20 page color booklet) will be in the ballpark of $11 - $12.

I already have an MP3 of that greatest hits set, entitled "JIGOKU RETSUDEN ~re-recording anthology~" and I can attest that it's a solid offering. Well, you may ask, why would I want a disc of recently re-recorded material from KISS? Simply, this is what KISS sounds like now with Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer. Purists be damned, it's a fine sounding disc. It sounds grittier than the originals, yet the harmonies and musicianship is actually better than the originals. Should it replace the original recordings? Hell, no. Still, I've been listening to that disc more lately than the originals. I can also say, after seeing a bootleg of the Buenos Aries show, that it's pretty solid and will be great fun to watch.

I may sound like a bit of a hypocrite here, since I've been saying for years that KISS merchandising has given us everything us fans have ever wanted over the years except for what they should be giving us: A new studio album. So why am I so blase about the new material disc? Blame it on the Gene Simmons marketing beast. If you go to kissonline.com right now, you'll be bombarded with the lead off track from "Sonic Boom", "Modern Day Delilah" ("Is That You?" from "Unmasked" was a better lead off track) and a flash presentation featuring testimonials of how great the album is from... Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer. I really think I need more reliable testimonials than that. Also, Genie is spouting off about how this album is 'the best thing they've done since "Destroyer"' and it's '"Rock And Roll Over" meets "Love Gun"'. The album cover is already evoking "Rock And Roll Over" and "Psycho Circus". Really want to get me excited, Genie? Tell me it feels like the first three albums. That's really what I want. I would like to hear the Glitter rock of "KISS" with the experimental Grunginess of "Hotter Than Hell" brought together with the anthemic rock of "Dressed To Kill". I'd kill for that album.

You all know I'll buy it, though. ...If just to put Sophie through college.

The Shockedelic Radio Show 5:04 - "Shockedelic Soul Punch"

(Sorry, no mix tape design this time. "Says-it"'s generator is down. Here's a cool Shockedelic Cafe logo instead.)

Prepare yourself for the best in International Pop Music. It's the NEW Shockedelic Radio Show! This is Episode 4, Season 5; "Shockedelic Soul Punch". Can you figure out the reason for the title? It's in this episode. Give it a listen.



Listen to it streaming above or download it below:

SRS EP5:04

Legal stuff:

It's a very litigious society, so please understand that this MP3 Podcast is presented as a radio show promoting new and lesser well known artists. All of the music here is copyrighted and the copyright proprietors retain ownership of the material presented here. No rights are given to the downloader or listener or are implied as such. In short, listen to the show and enjoy it, but don't go dissecting the program. If you hear something you like, track it down and purchase it. Supporting the artist is crucial. Make sure you do your duty.

Hocus Pocus: a real time overview

The following is being written as Lord Shockedelic listens to Kimura Kaela's new album for the first time:

Bagpipes. That's the first instrument heard on Kimura Kaela's new CD, Hocus Pocus. It's the intro to the first song on the album, Dear Jazzmaster '84. Not quite the instrument that you'd hear on any Pop album, let alone a Japanese album. Brian Wilson never used bagpipes, did he? Still, it's a refreshing decision like putting bagpipes in a driving Pop/Rock song that keeps me coming back to Kaela's albums. She's always slightly off center she's not afraid to try something that the average cooperate music label would immediately nix as non commercial.

The next song up is the Album version of Mustache. To be honest, there is but a slight difference between the Single version and the Album version; just a small detour of a few bars. Doko's B-side, Phone, follows. I'm not sure about this trend of placing B-sides on the actual album. I think it cheapens the singles and ultimately makes them irrelevant. It also seems like padding, but luckily, Phone is a quality song.

Otome Echo is a nice, light summery song that's heavy on the synthesizers and background interjections from Kaela. It's quite the playful song. Following that is the latest single from Kaela, Butterfly. I'm going to admit, as a single, this song falls a bit flat and I was initially disappointed by it. As part of the album, it fits perfectly, however. It's vibe is consistent with the tracks that came before and I actually have a new appreciation for the song. It's flower powery vibe has grown on me.

Doko, the second single released prior to this album's release follows and is another ballad. At this time, I'm willing to bet this album will never take off into the stratosphere, but I must say I commend the consistent feel of the songs. As of this point, this CD doesn't feel like it's slapdash, but it's of a piece. Hocus Pocus is up next. It's the B-side to the Banzai single (and is featured on the latest Shockedelic Radio Show). This album is staying right on course and this song is lot of fun, playing with the Asian musical scale.

For a second on the next song, Another World, it seems like Kaela is going to dive into some funk. Instead, she goes into a synthy ballad with dreamy echo chambered vocals. This song actually reminds me of Deep Blue Sky off of her Circle album. Towards the coda, the production begins to add layers and texture. I can say really like this song. Sounds good.

Season begins as a light, breezy guitar driven ballad but then swiftly builds in production with a great habit of switching it's mood, instrumentally. It's easily the busiest track on the disc thus far. Kaela shows off some great vocal chops on this one. The song bookends itself with an acoustic coda.

Things begin to rock with the uptempo Kimi Ni Aitai. I like the new wave-ish Power Pop sound with it's "Ooh, oohs" and a catchy chorus. Good stuff. Makes me wanna dance. Next, Jeepney. Ok, we're fully in Pop/Rock territory here. There is a great, driving Cars infused sound here. It has nice halting bursts that, well, make me wanna Pogo. Jump, dammit, jump! I wanna Pogo with Kaela!

Next up, the Album version of Banzai. Wow! It has a different opening and extended intro before going into familiar territory. This, I like. It's always nice to put an alternate version of a single on an album so the people who bought the single won't feel gypped, even if it's simply an alternate opening and extended coda. A long extended coda, by the way.

Closing the album is Super Girl. Nice to end the album on an up note. Full on driving synths, here. The chorus changes the attitude of the song and then goes back to business on the verses. It's a nice change up. Kinda reminds me of Swinging London from the Scratch Album. That's a good thing.

But wait! There's a bonus track! After a long pause, the music starts back up again. Don't know the title of this one, but it's a nice mid tempo alt-rock song with some studio chatter at the end. A fun surprise to round out this very well done album. But where's Memories? I suppose, since it's already on the Paco and the Magical Picture Book OST, it doesn't merit inclusion on this disc. Something strangely feels amiss without it, for some reason...

Overall, this is one of Kaela's best records of the 5 she's done. There's not one subpar song on it and it feel as if a lot of thought went into the album as a whole. It may take some listeners a couple of spins to let it grow on them, but I love the way Kaela always defies expectations. It's a great, top down lazy summer day album and I think it may well go into heavy rotation with some of my other current favorites this summer.

Furthermore: I suppose I should also mention that Hocus Pocus is not only her 5th album, but it's release marks her 5th year as a recording artist. Congratulations, Kaela! Thanks for all of the great music!

From Kaela Blog

You can buy the new album at CDJapan. Click on the link to purchase.

Out Of The Bleu...

With all of the music I'm exposed to and the breadth of it, it's no real surprise that I sometimes come late to the party. It happened with Bleu, an extraordinarily talented singer/songwriter that has a new album coming out on July 14th (that's 2009). Bleu was one of those under the radar performers that kept showing up in and on other records that I'd been listening to. We all know what an admirer of Mike Viola's I am and the first time I remember hearing of Bleu was when Mike mentioned he was doing some work on a project called L.E.O. and then another side project called The Major Labels. I quickly investigated the L.E.O. project (The Major Labels was a bit further into the future) and was delighted that the project, entitled "Alpacas Orgling", was a nod to the work of Jeff Lynne. That is, none of the material involved cover songs, but the entire project was Jeff Lynne/ELO flavored. The album was great (especially for a rabid Jeff Lynne fan like myself) and I was further amused to find Bleu had stuck in a little drawing into the disc packaging.

Of course, we all know what I think of the Major Labels (and I'm electrified that Mike had just announced the followup ML album, tentatively titled, "TML4EVA"!) and I've been consistently surprised finding Bleu turning up on records that I'd already loved, like Hanson's "The Walk" and Puffy's "Splurge" album. So, it was a nice surprise when Bleu's people invited me to have a listen to the album and tell y'all about it.

The new disc is entitled "A Watched Pot" and I think it may be a nod to the fact that it was recorded 4 years ago under the auspices of Sony Records, who promptly shelved the record. It's taken until late last year for Bleu to get the rights back to the album and it's release is now being handled by Fontana Distribution.

Upon first listen, I admit I wasn't quite prepared. Having listened to L.E.O. and The Major Labels (and not having heard his previous two solo ventures) I thought I'd be plowing headlong into a power pop explosion. Instead, I was treated to an eclectic mix of sounds both contemporary and classic. The album lies astride the pop music pantheon from the Countryish Pop of the lead off track Save Me, What Now? and the lyrically rich Boy Meets Girl (featured on the latest "Shockedelic Radio Show"!), through the modern light rock of "Come 'N Go" and into the proper Soul sounds of I Won't Fuck You Over (This Time) and What Kind Of Man Am I?.

There's a fully blown eruption of Jeff Lynne-ism on There's No Such Thing As Love and, in a righteous world, the Explosive Motown blast of Kiss Me would be blaring from every transistor radio in the world. It's pure AM gold. The track Go felt awfully familiar and it took me a while to figure out I'd heard it before on Hanson's "The Walk" album. Another highlight of the album is a wonderful duet with Sandra McCracken on When The Lights Go Out that climaxes with a counterpoint vocal that hides forever in the crevices of the mind.

While the songs are uniformly good and authentic to the styles they belong to, it's the vocals that make "A Watched Pot" an exceptional album. I had noticed this before on the other projects of Bleu, but this album confirms it. Kids, Bleu is an honest-to-goodness song stylist. His voice adapts and adheres to the style of whichever song he's performing and at times it's no less than astonishing. His Jeff Lynne vocal on There's No Such Thing As Love is so authentic that, even to a dyed in the wool ELO fan like myself, it's chilling.

Understand, though, that "A Watched Pot" is essentially a lover's lament album. It's a bit downbeat, but it's an honest album and I can't fault that.

You can preorder the CD HERE from Newbury Comics and get an autographed CD Booklet to boot. I do recommend this album. It's been a long time in the coming and this "Pot" finally going to boil over (you know I couldn't resist).

You can also get the album at AMAZON, iTunes (when released) or Bleu's very own Paypal Page. Consider the ad to the left just that, an ad. You can't buy the album there.

Listen and investigate further on all things Bleu on the official MySpace Page!

One last thing. There was an extra track that I heard at the end of "A Watched Pot" that isn't listed on the track listing. It's called "The Penguin Song" and it's a beautiful homage to Harry Nilsson, right down to the opening riff that resembles Turn On Your Radio from the "Son Of Schmilsson" album. Don't know if it will be on the album proper, but it was a great tune. I got misty eyed. Harry would have loved it.

Bob Bogle, RIP

Bob Bogle died. I won't be mad if you ask, "Who?" His was not a household name, generally. He was the bassist for the legendary instrumental band, The Ventures. He was 75. He died of Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma Cancer.

I went to see The Ventures once, back in the late 90's. Mel Taylor, the original drummer, had already passed on and his son, Leon, had taken his place. That was one of the great shows I'll always cherish attending. That the Ventures toured America was a rarity at that time, but to have come to Pittsburgh, well that was extra special. The venue was set up as a nightclub, with tables dotting the dance floor. I sat up front and was blown away at the musicianship. They played 2 sets broken up with a 15 minute intermission. At the end of the first set, everyone stood up and gave a standing ovation. As the Ventures left the stage, they passed right by my table. I was smiling and applauding. Bob Bogle looked at me, smiled, and extended his hand. I shook his hand and said, "Nice to meet you". He firmed up his handshake and gave a small smile in return. A moment later, I looked at my friend Randy and it had dawned on me: I just met a Rock Legend; Nay, a Rock God!

After the show, We all got autographs and had our pictures taken with the band... except for Bob. We searched for him, but he had already retired to the tour bus with his beautiful wife, Yumi. I wasn't sad, though. That handshake and smile was worth a million pictures. RIP Bob, I'll always remember that night.

Here's a photo from that show. It's Leon Taylor and Bob Bogle during "Caravan". Leon is drumming on the Bass Strings while Bob manipulates the fret board. It was magic.



Here's the Obituary.

Here are some performances via Youtube:

"Wipeout" in 1966, Japan from "Beloved Invaders":




"Diamond Head / Pipeline" Japan 1993:



"Caravan" 1965 TV:



"Hawaii 5-0" Promo video:



"Walk, Don't Run" TV 1960:

The Shockedelic Radio Show 5:03 - "Power Pop Summer"

(Sorry, no mix tape design this time. "Says-it"'s generator is down. Here's a cool Shockedelic Cafe logo instead.)

Prepare yourself for the best in International Pop Music. It's the NEW Shockedelic Radio Show! This is Episode 3, Season 5; "Power Pop Summer". Can you figure out the reason for the title? It's in this episode. Give it a listen.



Listen to it streaming above or download it below:

SRS EP5:03

Legal stuff:

It's a very litigious society, so please understand that this MP3 Podcast is presented as a radio show promoting new and lesser well known artists. All of the music here is copyrighted and the copyright proprietors retain ownership of the material presented here. No rights are given to the downloader or listener or are implied as such. In short, listen to the show and enjoy it, but don't go dissecting the program. If you hear something you like, track it down and purchase it. Supporting the artist is crucial. Make sure you do your duty.

Eratta: I did it again. My brain was saying one thing; my mouth revolted. I gave the wrong address to order Kimura Kaela's new album. I should have said www.cdjapan.co.jp. Order it there. Sorry 'bout that. Oh, and I said in the intro to the Tinted Windows song that it was called "A Girl Like You". Of course, the song is called "Kind Of A Girl". Such are the pitfalls of doing these things live and not using a cheat sheet. Everything is in my head and it's plenty cluttered up there.

McFly Live DVD Overview

Something happens at the 35 minute mark in McFly's new concert video that dropped my jaw in disbelief. I've been a huge fan of theatricality in Rock concerts all my life and it's been interesting to see the level of oneupmanship over the years as technology has caught up with stage theatrics.

More on that in a minute. I want to start from the top. I received the new Mcfly Concert DVD, Radio:Active Live at Wembley, one week ago today. It's a UK import and in PAL format, but that's never stopped me. Mcfly, as you regular readers will know, has captivated me since their inception just a few scant years ago. They began as a power pop band that Evoked the Beach Boys and the Beatles as well as Squeeze and other classic Pop bands of the past 50 years. Over their last 4 albums, their sound has matured rapidly, but steadily and their fan base has caught fire; a worldwide phenomenon around the world and a certified cult band in the USA.

Their latest CD release, Radio:Active, saw them breaking from their record company to form their own label, Super Records ("Saving the world, one song at a time") and finally doing their own thing, their own way, for better or for worse. The DVD of their last concert tour is visual proof that they're possibly the best Rock n Roll band in the world (as of this writing). A heady boast from a rabid fan? Possibly, but Rock n Roll isn't about brooding soundscapes and self Pitying lyrics about how life is a downer. Rock n Roll is about fun, power and winning over every girl that lays their eyes and ears on the band.

For this latest tour, McFly has redesigned their stage set to a futuristic decaying look, with oil cans and large ventilation fans dominating the stage. There're also some pyrotechnic displays that would make KISS nod in approval. The songs come hard and heavy in a mix of songs both current and classic. Then... 35 minutes in, it happens.

The stage supporting the band rises up into the air as McFly sings Star Girl. Cool enough, I've seen it before, albeit on a smaller scale. It's something that makes me smile. The stage then begins, in total, to sail above and over the audience as the band plays; a Plexiglas floor giving the girls in the audience a good look at their boys. As Star Girl comes to a close, the stage settles down at the back of Wembley Arena, so the fans in the cheaper seats can get a good look at the band. It's a magnificent moment and makes me wish I was there, makes me wonder how much it was to insure this show and how something like this could possibly be topped. I've seen many artists fly over the stage: David Bowie, Garth Brooks, Paul Stanley, Tommy Lee and his drum kit.... Koda Kumi even rose up a hundred feet in the air to see the folks in the back of the stadium, but I've never seen something so incredibly outrageous and unnecessary as this. THIS is Rock n Roll, people.

The band eventually makes it back to the main stage with a cover of Michael Jackson's "Black Or White", a few audience singalongs and a two song encore. The show wraps up in 80 minutes and I was left on my couch wondering what had just happened, it happened so fast. A truly great show and almost as good as the Motion In The Ocean tour.

A McFly Evolution documentary rounds out the disc; an enjoyable piece of the lads and the logistics of the current tour.

I, of course, completely recommend this show. It can be had at CDWOW for a reasonable price (and free shipping!).

Here's Lies from the concert DVD (note the lovely Mylar confetti... ROCK N ROLL ALL NITE, boys!):

A Quick Review: Mandy Moore's "Amanda Leigh"

Being a fan of Mandy Moore comes as a surprise to a lot of people I encounter. "Why???!?" seems to be the most popular response. The thing is, at the ripe old age of 25, she's become quite the songstress. Forget "Candy" and the teen princess pop she did 10 years ago; she doesn't want you to remember it anyway. She's been working stealthily the past few years to let people know she belongs much more into the classic pop realm. I first took major notice with her covers album, "Coverage" where she paid homage to XTC, Cat Stevens and Blondie, among others. Her last album "Wild Hope" was a very mature step forward in her musical growth. She's much more Carole King than Britney Spears. In short, readers, she's one of us.

Her new album, entitled "Amanda Leigh", is the boldest statement yet in her musical growth. The album was co-written and produced by Candy Butcher/Major Label Mike Viola and recorded in Ducky Carlisle's home studio in Boston. That's right folks, 2/3 of the Major Labels play a large part in the creation of her newest album.

That fact alone should have you running from your keyboard to buy a copy.

The album isn't a hard Power Pop affair. It's a lovely, light as a feather and highly acoustic pop album and Mike's fingerprints are all over it. More than a few times during the discs running time, it sounds like Mandy had joined the Candy Butchers. The joint effort is fruitful, bountiful even. The opening track, "Merrimack River", is a great introduction to what's to come, with Mike and Mandy's vocals wrapping around each others beautifully. The followup track, "Fern Dell", has a great Jazzy feel. The first single off the disc is "I Could Break Your Heart Any Day Of The Week". It sounds, to these ears, like a Three Dog Night tribute from it's opening "Family Of Man" organ riff to the "Shambala" infused chorus.

Other disc highlights include "Pocket Philosopher", which has an admitted Nilsson/Newman vibe to it, while "I want Love To love Me Back" is 70's MOR perfection.

This album gets a high grade from this guy. It's recommended. Go git it.

Here is a great concert from Amoeba Records last week featuring Mandy and Mike:

Kimura Kaela! Hocus Pocus!

Kimura Kaela has a new album coming out on June 24th, 2009! The Album is entitled "Hocus Pocus" and will contain the latest singles "Mustache", "Banzai" and "Doko". Here's the tracklising for the CD + DVD edition (the only one you should own!!!)

Tracklist
01 Dear Jazzmaster '84
02 マスタッシュ(album ver.) (Mustache)
03 Phone
04 乙女echo (Otome echo)
05 Butterfly
06 どこ (Doko)
07 Hocus Pocus
08 Another World
09 season
10 キミニアイタイ (Kimi ni Aitai)
11 Jeepney
12 BANZAI(album ver.)
13 Super girl
DVD
01 マスタッシュ
02 memories(original version)
03 どこ
04 BANZAI
05 tvk”saku saku”MC Revival Week
06「BANZAI」MUSIC VIDEO Making

The latest single, "Banzai" is now playing on the latest Shockedelic Radio Show playing HERE.

Here's the video for Banzai!


...the video for Mustache...


and here's the Video for DOKO...


UPDATE! Kaela has released one more video before the release of the new album.
Here it is - Butterfly:



You can purchase the new album by clicking on the link below:

PURCHASE Kimura Kaela's new album "Hocus Pocus" here!!!!!

(Trust me on this, it's much cheaper than buying an Import.)

The Shockedelic Radio Show 5:02 - "Getting Mizzy"

Prepare yourself for the best in International Pop Music. It's the NEW Shockedelic Radio Show! This is Episode 2, Season 5; "Getting Mizzy". Can you figure out the reason for the title? It's in this episode. Give it a listen.



Listen to it streaming above or download it below:

SRS EP5:02

Legal stuff:

It's a very litigious society, so please understand that this MP3 Podcast is presented as a radio show promoting new and lesser well known artists. All of the music here is copyrighted and the copyright proprietors retain ownership of the material presented here. No rights are given to the downloader or listener or are implied as such. In short, listen to the show and enjoy it, but don't go dissecting the program. If you hear something you like, track it down and purchase it. Supporting the artist is crucial. Make sure you do your duty.

Review: Cracker - Sunrise In The Land Of Milk And Honey

Cracker! Where the hell have you been?

For the longest time, I had the feeling something was a bit amiss. Today, I found out what it was. It came back to me in the form of of a CD in my mailbox this morning. This "it" was the new collection of songs from Cracker entitled, Sunrise In The Land Of Milk And Honey.

I admit, I've not been among the true faithful for a few years. Countrysides was fun, if sloppily drunken and Greatest Hits Redux was nice to hear, but it felt like the last gasp of Cracker as a recording group. I felt that their last effort, Greenland, was basically the final curtain for one of my favorite, enduring bands. I was so non plussed by that album, it became the first and only Cracker album I listened to once and then abandoned. Sure it was a good, well written album, but there wasn't any fire. Greenland sounded like a former Hell and brimstone band retiring to their rocking chairs. I said, "Thanks for the memories" and moved on.

Today was the wake up call. Cracker's new album, Sunrise In The Land Of Milk And Honey, is the musical (and lyrical) Phoenix rising from the ashes of the Greenland album. In many ways, this is Cracker's most explosive selection of material since their first disc back in 1991.

From the opening track, "Yalla Yalla (Let's Go)" [see the video here], it's clear that Cracker isn't going to be introspective or sentimental. Frank Funaro's metronome drum bash and David Lowrey's throaty rasp sell the plight of a US soldier's day patrolling the Middle East. The following two tracks, "Show Me How This Thing Works" and "Turn on, Tune In, Drop Out With Me" find the band falling back into familiar territory that one would find as filler on any Cracker album. The former tune has a Sci Fi bent with the narrator musing over a device seemingly from Outer Space. The latter tune (the weakest on the album) was selected as the album's first single. It's a pleasant song with a Jeff Lynne style production, but it's maybe a bit too MOR for the tracks that share the disc with it.

"We All Shine a Light" is a custom made lighter raising club anthem featuring "X" front man John Doe lending extra credence to the tune, while "Hand Me My Inhaler" makes the most of it's brief running time with a rollicking punk sensibility that hearkens back to Camper Van Beethoven's earliest albums.

"Friends", a Johnny Hickman penned tune that he previously recorded on his solo album, Stonehenge turns up here in duet form with David Lowrey trading verses with Drive By Truckers' Alumni Patterson Hood. The song sounds like a virtual re-write of "Mr. Wrong" from the first Cracker album and there's just a bit of wonder in this reviewers mind as to why Johnny didn't share vocals with Lowrey instead.

The last 5 songs pretty much solidify the album's brilliance quotient. "I Could Be Wrong, I Could Be Right" lays down a sinewy funk that wouldn't sound out of place on a Zutons album. "Time Machine" is a straight ahead rocker that Johnny Hickman completely shreds with a killer guitar riff and one of his fiercest solos he's played in years.

"Hey Brett (You Know What Time It Is)" gets a bit political with it's pointed lyrics and a band in-joke chorus. "Darling One", a song written by Lowrey with Mark Linkous and Suzanna Hoffs with backing vocals by Adam Duritz, is a lovely upbeat love song with a soaring guitar from Johnny.

The Album ends with the title track, "Sunrise In The Land Of Milk And Honey". It's a great album closer that left me wanting to start the whole album over again.

You can read from the past paragraphs that this is a new phase of production for Cracker. In the past, Cracker (that is Hickman and Lowrey) would do the majority of the writing and finish the songs with whoever else was in the band at the time. On this endeavour, the songs were written by Lowrey, Hickman, Funaro and the latest bassist, Sal Maida. I don't believe there has been this much outer assistance since the first album, when Davey Faragher (who gets a liner note shout out with his publishing company) was the first official member of Cracker.

This album is not to be missed. No matter if you haven't heard Cracker in awhile... or if the last couple of albums had left you cold... or if you're a dyed in the wool fan of Cracker Soul, you should make the purchase when the album is released on May 5th (yeah, Cinco De Mayo). It's highly recommended.

New CRACKER album info!

I received a press release for the new Cracker album today. Here's the text:

CRACKER IS BACK ON 429 RECORDS DEBUT!

“SUNRISE IN THE LAND OF MILK & HONEY”
IN STORES MAY 5

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Alt-rock icons Cracker have signed with 429 Records and are preparing to unleash a collection of new songs, SUNRISE IN THE LAND OF MILK AND HONEY. Long-time musical co-horts David Lowery and Johnny Hickman have teamed up again with drummer Frank Funaro and bassist Sal Maida and along with stellar producer David Barbe (Drive By Truckers), have created a uniquely eclectic trove of new tunes. Well-worn words used to describe their sound—brash, irreverent, sharp-witted, anthemic and riveting—all descriptives are in full-effect on the new project that bursts with their trademark rock, punk, glam, surf and country aesthetic. Friends John Doe, Patterson Hood and Adam Duritz also make spirited guest turns on SUNRISE…Their 429 Records debut is in-stores on May 5 and the first single to radio is “Turn On, Tune In, Drop Out With Me” (add date April 7).

Taking a new approach to their creative process, SUNRISE IN THE LAND OF MILK AND HONEY is a truly collaborative effort for the band. Suprisingly self-disciplined, the whole band would take time out to write together one week every two months between tours over the course of a year. Focusing on a goal of two songs per day, their individual musical influences combined in refreshing and distinctive ways. On the outside it was a straight-ahead work ethic, but the process resulted in the band clicking creatively with a renewed energy.

Says Lowery: “We weren’t kicking back on an island in the Caribbean, waiting for the muse to hit us. We got down to work, found the punk and glam rock in our blood and woke up to Sunrise In The Land Of Milk And Honey.”

Track listing:

Yalla Yalla (Let’s Go)
Show Me How This Thing Works
Turn On, Tune In Drop Out With Me
We All Shine A Light (w/ John Doe)
Hand Me My Inhaler
Friends (w/ Patterson Hood)
I Could Be Wrong, I Could Be Right
Time Machine
Hey Bret (You Know What Time It Is)
Darling One (w/ Adam Duritz)
Sunrise In The Land Of Milk And Honey

429 Records is a unit of the Savoy Label Group (SLG). SLG is the North American unit of CME (Columbia Music Entertainment), the oldest music company in Japan. The Savoy Label Group has evolved into a leading independent company consistently outperforming competitors in key music categories as monitored by Billboard Magazine. SLG is lead by Steve Vining and CME is headed by Chairman Strauss Zelnick, founder of Zelnick Media which owns interests in and manages an array of media companies.
www.429records.com


I'll be reviewing the album in a few days so keep yer eyes peeled. Meanwhile, you can download the banner below to put on your own sites!

The Beauty Within

I'm absolutely positive that, by now, you've seen the segment of "Britain's Got Talent" featuring Susan Boyle. It was pure and classic television and one of those moments that will surely go down in history. I can't say I wasn't moved by the segment. I had the feeling that I was watching the tail end of a crowd pleasing movie and I'm already betting that a Susan Boyle life story movie (probably entitled, "I Dreamed a Dream") is on it's way to being green lighted.

It is strange to me that so much is being made of her appearance than anything else. There is a definite angle here; average looking middle aged (47) woman with voice of an angel makes good, but really, does she look all that bad? No. Of course not. She looks like most women her age. Seriously. If you don't believe so, you're one of the billions of people who have watched so many TV programs and movies that you think the beautiful people are the majority. Even most of the beautiful people out there aren't... without help.

Beauty is rare, plain and simple. It is. If it weren't there wouldn't be a need for makeup and hair products. A person who can look beautiful without any external help from rise to rest is indeed a four leaf clover. Most people simply aren't beautiful and help is needed to achieve a certain illusion.



The whole situation is reminding me of 2 films that I've recently watched. One is from South Korea and the other is Japanese. The former of the two is entitled "200 Pounds Beauty" and concerns a morbidly obese woman, Kang Han-na, with an incredible singing voice. She provides the singing vocals for a beautiful Pop Star who lip syncs to Han-na onstage, while Han-na sings from underneath the stage. Han-na blackmails a plastic surgeon to do extensive work on her and she becomes "Jenny" a beautiful pop star in her own right.



The other film, Japan's "The Handsome Suit", concerns an unsightly man who runs a local restaurant. Women are regularly repelled by him and he's never had a girlfriend. When a pretty young girl applies for a job as a waitress, his heart is set afire, though he knows he'll never win her because of his looks. One day, a man hands him a card for a suit shop. Since he has to attend a wedding he goes to purchase a suit, only to be led into the back room and let in on a new technology. It's "The Handsome Suit", a full body suit that vaccuforms to the wearer and makes the person incredibly handsome. He becomes a model, but can't win the girl of his dreams.

The theme of both movies is, ultimately, be yourself and stay who you are because you end up turning your back on those who already love you when you chase frivolous dreams.

Both movies were hits and not because of the moral. People flocked to these films because we all feel like we could be successful if we were more handsome, or pretty, or had that something that other people would die to possess. It was the duty of these films to let the audience have these fantasies, but to tell them in the end that fantasies are nice, but you have to make the best of who you are. Any other message would be simply irresponsible.

...Which brings me back to the Susan Boyle subject. We're now seeing a woman who is wholly herself. She doesn't seem to have any personal illusions for fame and fortune. She says she's never been kissed. I believe it. Not because she's homely, mind you, but she doesn't seem to be the type to casually kiss. She's a proper person. A normal person. An AVERAGE person. Damn, maybe that's just as rare. I don't know anymore.

This woman is in for a little bit of a ride, I think. She'll make an album, be a media darling for a while (these whiles are getting shorter and shorter in the Internet age) but in the end she'll ultimately go back to her village and cat and talk about the times she had. Back to anonymity. For a woman that simple and sweet, there should be no other ending.

Shockedelic Wear

I've joined with Cafe press to make available "The Shockedelic Cafe" Clothing Line.

Click on the shirt to go to the store. In time I'll have a widget that will make shopping even easier. Buy BUY BUY!!!!!

Yalla Yalla - New CRACKER Video!

From the forthcoming (May 5th, 2009) album, Sunrise In The Land Of Milk And Honey. Preorder it here. This is the first video, Yalla Yalla.



From the Youtube page, by David Lowrey:

"Yalla" is a common arabic expression, loosely meaning "hurry up" and often used by american soldiers in place of "hurry up" or "let's go". Like every war Iraq war soldiers have developed their own unique slang based on their experiences. Oftentimes these slang words creep into our nations vocabulary many years after the original conflict. ."Yalla" or "Yalla Yalla" may not become as common as RADAR, AWOL or SNAFU but it will certainly be used by soldiers for many years to come. This song takes no position on the war in Iraq*. It is a exploration and a celebration of a certain kind of bravado and swagger one finds in the speech of soldiers. I find it nicely matches the kind of swagger often exhibited by rock, blues and hip hop singers. I suppose that is why it was so much fun (and relatively easy) to take this arcane slang and anacronyms and build a song out of it. If I got some of it wrong, well i apologize. There seemed to be some disagreement among my small sample of soldiers (and marines) about the pronunciation or precise meaning of some of the terms i use. case in point whether anyone really refers to Camp Anaconda as Bombaconda, or the precise definition (and spelling!) of a "pogue". My questioning at the Atlanta airport set off a heated argument between two servicemen. It's all in good fun, so don't kick my ass. please.

Finally most of this footage was taken from YouTube. Who knew the internets were full of soldiers marines, sailors and airmen dancing, lip syncing and headbanging to their favorite music? IF YOU ARE IN THIS AND DON"T WANT TO BE: politely write us and we will edit you out.

David Lowery

* Due diligence: I opposed the war in Iraq. I viewed it as a distraction from the fight in Afghanistan. However now that we are in Iraq I believe we shouldn't leave until there is a stable and humane government in that country. I'll leave the notions of timetables, troop levels etc etc to the professionals.

Gothic Strawberry Ice Cream Nightmare Daydream!!!

We all have to cut back in this depression/recession. I'm no exception. Like everyone else, I'm trying to get less money to go just as far. I've made one extremely frivolous purchase, however. I took a week to decide whether I should or not and I decided it would be my personal (5 month early) Birthday present to me this year (I am planning one more personal Birthday present closer to my Birthday, but more on that this June). Was it a Television..? A new game system..? A full home renovation..? That one I actually need, but no.

No, no, no. What I bought was much more frivolous than that and having them has made me very happy, so this also counts as a mental health purchase. I bought Tommy Feburary6 and Tommy Heavenly6's Greatest Hits box sets. They cost 6,666 Yen each (that's nearly $70 each, but I scored them for $64 each) and are about as deluxe as a box set can get.

The theme here is each box set is a High School class in Tommy. Tommy February6's box is entitled "Strawberry Cream Soda Pop Daydream" (also the title of the new track on the CD / DVD and Tommy Heavenly6's box is entitled "Gothic Melting Ice Cream Darkness Nightmare". Each set arrives in a heavy, glossy slipcase that's dimensions are 14 1/2" high X 9 1/2" wide X 2 3/4" deep. The insides of the set are covered in polka dot print. The box itself contains everything one needs to be enrolled in Tommy's classes. Each set includes A lyric booklet, a 16 page Composition notebook that actually serves as a picture book (4 pics per page), a big sticker sheet, 10 photo clear files and a quality loose leaf binder with enrollment information embossed on a metal plate. Oh, yeah, each set comes with a DVD and a Blu Spec CD.

Now, this whole Blu Spec CD thing... I don't know if you've heard of this or not, since it's really only being utilized in Japan right now, but it's basically this: a standard Red Book CD master is burned with a BluRay laser instead of a standard laser. This, it's reported, creates virtually no jitter to the actual pits the laser reads in a CD, so the playback is of a higher quality. Did I notice any real difference? I really can't say I did. I have a mid to high end playback setup, so I should be able to pick up a marked difference, if there was one. Maybe a side by side comparison will be in order.

I did, however, notice that the DVD's did look remastered. The images were a bit clearer that I've been used to on past Tommy DVDs.

I'm glad I bought them, all in all. Yeah, it set me back a bit, but I got the feeling that when the economy recovers, these limited edition sets are going to go up sharply in price... or not.

Usually a greatest hits package flags the end of a career, however a cruise by CDJapan reveals the Tommy train just isn't going to stop. Tommy Heavenly6 3rd, as it's titled there, is going to be released on April 29th, 2009. Click on this link to CDJapan to Preorder it.