Lady Gaga Likes Pinky Doodle Poodle & So Do I (Plus Shonen Knife Review)

Pinky Doodle Poodle and Shonen Knife Are Two Great Tastes That Taste Great Together! REVIEWS: Shonen Knife Overdrive and Pinky Doodle Poodle Pinky Doodle Poodle I haven't done a proper review as yet, but we're going to call this both a review and an endorsement. Those who follow the blog might recall I mentioned the record label Good Charamel. They do a great job issuing J Rock bands and I'm really enjoying two recent releases. The first one that's been getting a lot of play at Chez Kaye is the latest Shonen Knife who are always fun. Their newest release Overdrive is no exception. They sing about favorite foods, robots from Hell and being a cat in the way that only they can. They blend Ramones influenced rock with just a dash of pop hooks and as "they" (who are these mysterious "they") say, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it". They falter a bit on "Black Crow" which seems a bit forced, but gain their grounding again on "Dance to the Rock" which sounds like vintage Knife and could have fit comfortably on their classic "hits" album Let's Knife. Overall Shonen Knife does what they do best which is bring some silliness and smiles to Rocknroll which sometimes takes itself too seriously. Don't let the first track's title "Bad Luck Song" fool you, because best believe that Shonen Knife will always find a way to bring a smile to everyone who listens even on a bad luck day. Am I right? Another J Rock release that's been rocking my house is a self titled album by Pinky Doodle Poodle. Kawaii if not silly name, but the band brings the J Rock hard. I'm not kidding and neither are they on this release which manages to channel their energy so well that even though the tracks are in Japanese - the spirit isn't lost in translation. It's a pretty solid effort all the way through, and sung in Japanese except for the cover of "Twist & Shout." That's probably my least favorite song on the album with my favorite (at the moment) being "123 Go." But it's got lots of hard rock guitar solos and tons of energy to spare. It's a bit infectious actually. They just returned to their native Japan after some live gigs, but it seems they garnered enough buzz to have Lady Gaga sitting in the front row for their return gig this week. I sincerely hope this brings them new fans. For more information, streaming Pinky Doodle Poodle's album Pinky Doodle Poodle , Shonen Knife North American Tour Dates, and to take a look at the great job owner Robby Tacak and his staff do from the heart over at Good Charamel Records, please visit Good Charamel Records Website. Also, as mentioned before, they have a really good informative blog which you can find here. Pinky Doodle Poodle "Cosmic Candy" and Shonen Knife "Like A Cat" (Perhaps one of the best cat videos ever on the internet)? I've just received news today (August 2)that PDP (Pinky Doodle Poodle) shot a scene for an upcoming indie horror film called Dick Johnson and Tommy Gun VS The Cannibal Cop to be released next year. Additionally they completed a rooftop promotional video shoot for the song "Inside is Out" which will be the first single from their newly recorded second release due out next year.

The Muffs Whoop Dee Doo

Must Have Music Alert! The Muffs Whoop Dee Doo Just a reminder that The Muffs have a new album Whoop Dee Doo out this Tuesday via Burger Records and Cherry Red Records and its fucking fantastic. Be on the lookout for an interview with Kim Shattuck here in the coming weeks. If you missed my mini review I welcome you to read it here in Thisismyhappening.blogspot.com. Listen to "Weird Boy Next Door and ""Up and Down Around". Try to catch the band live at the following shows: Tuesday, July 29th - Amoeba Records Hollywood CA Saturday, August 2nd - Burger Au Go Go at The Observatory Santa Ana CA Sunday, August 17th - Wild Honey Presents The Muffs and Andrew Sandoval for the Autism Think Tank Show info click here…. Tuesday August 19th -Origami Record Store Party in Echo Park Friday, September 5th - Burger Oasis at the Ace Hotel Palm Springs CA Thursday, October 9th - Cafe Nine New Haven CT Friday, October 10th - Bell House Brooklyn NY (CBGB Fest) Saturday, October 11th - Asbury Lanes Asbury Park NJ Sunday, October 12th - Boot & Saddle Philadelphia PA And be on the lookout for news of at least one live date in Japan. This is my favorite song from Whoop Dee Doo "Take a Take a Me" which features Shattuck's amazing primal growl as she plays guitar creating tight melodies with fellow Muffs Ronnie Barnett(Bass), and Roy McDonald(Drums) as Kristen Shattuck provides backing vocals and claps. (Thanks to youtube user Karamyhorse for uploading the song).

Spoon 2014 Tour

Spoon has announced a tour in support of their upcoming release They Want My Soul (August 5). Preorder They Want My Soul from an independent record store and get a free 10” with 3 songs from the album now. To find a participating store visit vinylgratification.com. *SPOON 2014 TOUR* 07/25/14 – Seattle, WA – Capitol Hill Block Party 08/01/14 – Chicago, IL – Metro 08/02/14 – Chicago, IL – Lollapalooza 08/05/14 – San Diego, CA – Sleep Train Amphitheater at Chula Vista * 08/08/14 – Los Angeles, CA – The Fairbanks Lawn of the Hollywood Forever Cemetery 08/10/14 – San Francisco, CA – Outside Lands 08/17/14 – Portland, OR – Musicfest NW 08/29/14 – Ithaca, NY – State Theatre 08/30/14 – Montreal, QC – Parc Jean Drapeau * 08/31/14 – Philadelphia, PA – Made in America Festival 09/02-03/14 – Washington, DC – Lincoln Theatre + 09/05/14 – Raleigh, NC – Hopscotch Music Festival + 09/06/14 – Norfolk, VA – Norva + 09/07/14 – Boston, MA – Boston Calling Music Festival 09/10/14 – New York, NY – Central Park 09/11/14 – Pittsburgh, PA – Carnegie Music Hall of Homestead + 09/12/14 – Indianapolis, IN – Egyptian Room + 09/13/14 – Hamilton, ON – Supercrawl Festival 09/14/14 – Royal Oak, MI – Royal Oak Theatre + 09/16/14 – Chicago, IL – Chicago Theatre # 09/17/14 – Milwaukee, WI – Riverside Theatre # 09/18/14 – Madison, WI – Orpheum Theatre # 09/19/14 – Minneapolis, MN – State Theatre # 09/20/14 – St. Louis, MO – Pageant # 09/21/14 – Lawrence, KS – Liberty Hall # 09/23/14 – Tulsa, OK – Cain’s Ballroom # 10/05/14 – Austin, TX – Austin City Limits Music Festival 10/12/14 – Austin, TX – Austin City Limits Music Festival 11/01/14 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Paradiso 11/02/14 – Hamburg, Germany – Uebel & Gefarlich 11/03/14 – Basel, Switzerland – Kaserne Reithalle 11/04/14 – Cologne, Germany - Luxor 11/05/14 – Ghent, Belgium – Vooruit 11/06/14 – Paris, France – Trabendo 11/07/14 – London, UK – O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire * special guests of Arcade Fire + with Hamilton Leithauser # with EMA From the new album They Want My Soul here's the video for "Do You."

New Kyary Pamyu Pamyu

File under just letting you know: Kyary Pamyu Pamyu J-Pop sensation Kyary Pamyu Pamyu has just released her first all-English song “Ring a Bell.” The song appears on her third album Pika Pika Fantajin which will see a U.S. releaase July 29th via Warner Music Group. You may know her from her smash hit "きゃりーぱみゅぱみゅ" or in English, "PONPONPON." The video for "Ring a Bell" has premiered today on Vogue, but the track is on youtube: The album was produced by Yasutaka Nakata who produced Kyary Pamyu Pamyu's last two releases and the track most expected to hit big time is “Kira Kira Killer.” Not only is she incredibly popular. but accolades include “Best Album of the Year” at the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards Japan, four World Music Awards nominations including “World’s Best Female Artist,” “World’s Best Live Act,” “World’s Best Entertainer of the Year,” and “World’s Best Album.” She has also previously been awarded VOGUE Japan’s “Woman of the Year.” The upcoming release will feature a limited edition of three different album covers. Concert DVDs will come with the limited editions (one is assumed, but not clear via the press release), and feature documentary of her on-going world tour Nanda Collection World Tour 2014. For more information you may visit her website here About Kyary Pamyu Pamyu: Tokyo-born Caroline Charonplop Kyarypamyupamyu, who goes by her stage name Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, is equally renowned for her fashion sense. She began her career as a model for Harajuku fashion magazines while she was still in high school, and has earned worldwide recognition for her daring and unique outfits. Now she has over 2 million followers on Twitter, which makes her the 2nd most followed person in Japan. Kyary first burst onto the world stage in 2011 with her hit debut single “PONPONPON” and has since been nominated for The video, which you can watch here, has over 66 million views on Youtube, and counting. Her 2012 debut full-length album, Pamyu Pamyu Revolution topped the iTunes Electronic Charts in France, Belgium and Japan upon its release. Her 2nd full-length album Nanda Collection, released in 2012, topped the national Oricon weekly chart, ranking on the Electronic albums chart in 23 countries. Kyary has sold more than 500k albums and 2.8 million tracks worldwide and her music videos have garnered over 2.2 billion views on YouTube.

Trailer for new Fincher Film Gone Girl

There is a trailer for always interesting director David Fincher's new film Gone Girl. The project was adapted from the book by Gillian Flynn, who also wrote the screenplay. It seems to be a mystery suspense / did he or didn't he do it tale. The film which stars will premiere October 3. It stars Rosamund Pike, Ben Affleck, Missi Pyle and Neil Patrick Harris. The music, which I assume will be a score will be provided by Oscar winning team of Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. Fincher delivers so expectations are high - at least on my end. Ross will also have music featured in the much buzzed about Beach Boys related film Love & Mercy and documentary film Gennaldy.

Finally News and a Trailer for Suburban Gothic

Finally a trailer and some news about director Richard Bates Jr.'s (Excision) film Suburban Gothic. I've been long anticipating this as both a film fanatic and general eccentric who admittedly more than leaned toward the Goth music and fashion aesthetic in my youth and now (in my dark little heart and on my stereo). The film features an incredible cast that has me feeling downright jazzed including Matthew Gray Gubler, Kat Dennings, Ray Wise, Barbara Niven, Sally Kirkland, and one of my favorite people ever- the "King of Kitsch" the "Purveyor and Pope of Bad Taste" (okay, so that one's mine), Mr. John Waters. Fearless freaks rejoice! The film will premiere at the Fantasia Festival which runs from July 17th to August 5th in Montréal, Québec. Please read more about Suburban Gothic via my prior post here. And to find out more about the eclectic and fantastic line-up of films appearing at Fantasia Festival please visit their website. And in the "So now I guess this is a thing" zeitgeist slash synchronicity files, allegedly there is a television series which has been pitched, tentatively titled Suburban Goth. Here's the facebook page for the project Suburban Goth Facebook. Stay tuned dear readers for more information. Here's a sneak peak at this interesting take on a sitcom:

Someone Saved My Life Tonight

Someone saved my life tonight. Nope not Elton John. Oh '80s videos you're so so good. The path to enlightenment comes partially through viewing the debacle that is Billy Squier's "Rock Me Tonite" video. The spastic flailing, the superfluous ripping of the t-shirt only to be replaced with a pastel fashionista choice, the "sexy" floor crawling close-up shot, snap shirts!, bandanas!, awkward male band dance bonding, guitar players open shirt being spread more open for our viewing pleasure, '80s video cliche's abound, but this is a truffle among mere fungus my friends. So sometimes you're up all night and you're crying and frustrated and emotionally wrecked and you have a moment where you don't know how much more you can take. Literally. And then at about 8am with your eyes like tiny slits - you flip channels and the majesty of Billy Squier's "Rock Me Tonite" comes on and you laugh, a lot, and know you're alright.

Morrissey: Introducing Morrissey

Morrissey Introducing Morrissey Historic 1995 Concert Makes DVD Debut September 9 What follows is a straight up unedited press release for the upcoming release Morrissey Introducing Morrissey: Following the recent anniversary edition of Morrissey's peerless, 1994 number one album Vauxhall and I, Parlophone will release the concert film Introducing Morrissey, previously unavailable on DVD, on September 9. After the acclaim and chart success of 1994's Vauxhall and I , Morrissey took to the road in February 1995 for his first UK shows in over two years. INTRODUCING MORRISSEY documents this historic tour, recorded over two nights at Sheffield's City Hall and the Winter Gardens in Blackpool (February 7 and 8 respectively). This hour-long concert, directed by James O'Brien, captures Morrissey and his band at the peak of their powers, performing to ever hysterical and devoted audiences in packed out venues. The set list features six songs from Vauxhall - including "The More You Ignore Me, The Closer I Get," three from Your Arsenal , as well as non-album single "Boxers" (and b-side "Have-A-Go Merchant"), the rare, perennial fan favourite "Jack The Ripper," and an exquisite cover of Johnny Mercer and Henry Mancini's "Moon River." INTRODUCING MORRISSEY is a beautiful visual reminder of the transcendent experience of a Morrissey concert, captured for posterity and now finally available on DVD. INTRODUCING MORRISSEY DVD Track Listing Billy Budd Have-A-Go Merchant Spring-Heeled Jim You're The One For Me, Fatty The More You Ignore Me, The Closer I Get Whatever Happens, I Love You We'll Let You Know Jack The Ripper Why Don't You Find Out For Yourself The National Front Disco Moon River Hold On To Your Friends Boxers Now My Heart Is Full Speedway