Category: Music

Babymetal Shares Stage with Metal Legend Rob Halford

Babymetal2By James Robert Shaw (The Wind up Geek)

At the 2016 Alternative Press Music Awards in Columbus, Ohio audiences were witness to what could be considered a major event in the music industry. Japanese music has been gaining ground worldwide especially in North America, proving music is truly universal, it is a turning point to see Metal God Rob Halford of Juda Priest share the stage with Japan’s mini-metal mights Babymetal.

Halford with Babymetal covered two of Judas Priests’ classic songs, “Painkiller” and “Breaking the Law.” For “Painkiller” Halford performed with Su-Metal before Yuimetal and Moametal joined them on guitars onstage for “Breaking the Law”.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KG_fqkyJ-wo&w=560&h=315%5D
 
Su-Metal looked absolutely estatic to be performing with Halford and Babymetal’s backing band were exceptionally pumped during this performance. I guess sharing stage with one of the legends of metal will do that to you. Alternative Press rightfully called this collaboration as one of the top 14 moments that defined the awards ceremony.

This had been a long time coming and it’s shame an event like this couldn’t happen earlier. If it did perhaps Japan X would be in the position Babymetal is now. But much of this event is owed to bands like them who toured North America before Japanese music grew outside it’s own country. Groups like Puffy and even earlier than X or Puffy, Shonen Knife, introduced Japan’s music to the masses. In many ways Japanese garage band The Blue Comets were Japan’s version of The Beatles as they appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1968.

Macross Delta CD Takes Second Highest Ranking on Oricon Music Chart

WalkureAttackCoverBy James Robert Shaw (The Wind up Geek)

The soundtrack to the animated television series Macross Delta has taken the second highest ranking on Japan’s Oricon music chart since debuting July 6th. Within it’s first week the album Walküre Attack! performed by Macross’ voice actors under the group name Walküre, sold 78,000 copies. Walküre’s first album single, “ICHI DO DAKE NO KOI NARA” (一度だけの恋なら)/”RUN GA PIKATTO HIKATTARA” (ルンがピカッと光ったら), has sold 36,000 copies since it’s release on May 11th. The single climbed to #18 this week on the Anime CD Singles chart. It recorded a previous best of 3rd spot in late May.

Walküre Attack! was denied the top spot by pop group Dreams Come True and their greatest hits album Dreams Come True The Best! 私のドリカム

Source(s): Gwyn Campbell, Vintage Anime Fans Facebook group, and マイナビニュース.

Leo Ieiri’s 4th Album “We” Hits Retail Shelves Today!

LeoIeiriPetsBy James Robert Shaw (The Wind up Geek)

The 4th full-length album of J-pop artist Leo Ieiri, “We,” hits retail shelves in Japan today and it has the song “Brand New Tomorrow” — the Japanese theme to Illumination Entertainment’s upcomng animated movie The Secret Life of Pets. The movie will open August 11th in Japan.

The film is about a terrier named Max who enjoys his freedom while his owner is away from home. But this dog’s life is turned upside down when said owner takes in Duke, a stray mutt who manages to stir up Max’s cozy lifestyle.

Continue reading “Leo Ieiri’s 4th Album “We” Hits Retail Shelves Today!”

Wind up Geek’s Cool Japan: Ghostbusters Music Vid Offers Best of Old and New

GhostbustersJapanBy James Robert Shaw (The Wind up Geek)

If Fall Out Boy‘s version of the Ghostbusters theme song is not for you, then stop your crying and dry your eyes because Japan has something a little more retro to offer (and sweeter on the ears).

Japanese comics Tomochika (Why Don’t You Play In Hell?), Oniyakko Tsubaki (Miss Kurosawa Film), Naomi Watanabe (Tug of War!) and Shizuyo Yamasaki (Maniac Hero) star in this homage to the original Ray Parker Jr. music video, complete with neon lights. While the music video was shot on a soundstage, the reason behind such a move may have been to give it a retro feel. But the reboot still retains a presence throughout, the female Ghostbusters are all donned in the latest uniforms and carry the 2016 edition Proton Packs. One the director’s instructions may have been to “have fun” because the female cast (and the ghostly dancers) have taken it to heart.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52-0plebbPk&w=560&h=315%5D
 

Source(s): Polygon.

Video Source(s): Ghostbuster News.

Punk Rock’s Legacy is Defined with The Damned, A Documentary Review

thedamnedposter
now available for purchase on AmazonThe Damned

By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)
To be published in an upcoming issue of Absolute Underground Magazine 

The Damned: Don’t You Wish That We Were Dead is a fascinating documentary that looks at the rise, decline and resurrection of the United Kingdom’s seminary lords of the punk rock scene. They helped give rise to it mid to late 70’s, and the people they influenced included Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders — who played with The Damned albeit briefly before finding her own road to success.

Although I would have liked to hear more from her brief stint, many well-known names were interviewed about the influence this band had back then. They were very introspective. Appearances from Billy Idol, Lemmy, Son Letts, Nick Mason of Pink Floyd, Mick Jones of The Clash and Clem Burke of Blondie are just some of the names who lend their insights to what this group represented. Although they never attained the global success that bands like the Sex Pistols attained, that may be in part to the image the founding members — Dave Vanian, Brian James, Captain Sensible and Rat Scabies — wanted to project. They seemed rather schizophrenic early in their inception.

Continue reading “Punk Rock’s Legacy is Defined with The Damned, A Documentary Review”

The Jem and the Holograms and Josie and the Pussycats Aren’t Terrible Films

The new Jem and the Holograms movie is not a terrible movie; it’s a misunderstood movie much like how fans reacted to Josie and the Pussycats.

Jem and the Holograms

The new Jem and the Holograms movie is not a terrible movie; it’s a misunderstood movie much like how fans reacted to Josie and the Pussycats. At least with Josie, not everyone got the joke upon its initial release that the story is a satire of consumerism and the music industry at large. These manufactured bands should say something about how the 2015 Jem movie was developed. It looks at how studios control the music instead of the musicians. The story in this re-imagining focussed on keeping a family together instead of being an outright comedy of errors.

Many people have forgotten the video Jon Chu created stating his intentions. He wanted to modernize the story and put it in the context of today’s obsession with YouTube and Social Media culture. MySpace hardly exists in this world, as it was so last year—pardon the vernacular.

A small seed from the ‘toon remains but this reveal does not take place until mid-way into the film. Many can argue that this movie is a precursor to where the cartoon started, especially in the fact The Misfits were introduced at the end of the movie, signaling the rivalry the animation constantly dwelled in.

Continue reading “The Jem and the Holograms and Josie and the Pussycats Aren’t Terrible Films”