September 27, 2005
News | Benten Finds US Distributor, Announces Tour |
News from Japan's girl punk label Benten today--they've found US distribution through NAIL, which means future CDs by great bands like Kokeshi Doll should soon be a lot easier to get ahold of in the States. The first release will be TsuShiMaMiRe's "Pregnant Fantasy," slated to hit shelves November first. TsuShiMaMiRe will tour the West Coast with two other bands.
Nov. 6th LA @ King King
Nov.7th TBA
Nov. 8th SF @ Studio Z
Nov. 9th ARCATA @ TBA
Nov. 10th PORTLAND @ Towne Lounge
Nov. 11th & 12th SEATTLE @ ROCKGRL Conference
September 21, 2005
Various | Radio Pyongyang |Sublime Frequencies | North Korea
buy it
Oh, strangeness. Radio Pyongyang: Commie Funk and Agit Pop from the Hermit Kingdom is, to my knowledge, the first commercial release that allows us to poke our heads behind the last panels of iron curtain and get an earful. The tunes may sound surprisingly slick to some, considering this is a land where famine and oil lamps aren't just things found in history books. But while Kim Jong-il may take the lives of his comrades lightly, he's famously serious about his pop culture. (He once went so far as to kidnap a famous South Korean actress and her director husband, forcing them to make a Godzilla ripoff film, among others.)
September 16, 2005
Those folks at Fancy have once again done their part for the edification of the public on things Asian pop. This time it's a groovy article on 60s Singaporean pop idols the Trailers. The writer is Mr. Joseph Pereira, author of Legends of the Golden Venus, a history of a popular Singapore nightclub. Here's how the article starts off:
Legend has it that at one performance in the Sixties, a female fan became so besotted with Benny Koh’s singing that she climbed on stage and with her red lip stick scribbled “Benny, I Love You” onto his trousers. That says it all. The hysteria a front man like Benny Koh was capable of inspiring. In the pantheon of Singapore Sixties bands, The Trailers rank up there with the best.
September 07, 2005
News | New Dengue Fever Album Available for Download |
Dengue Fever, the excellent southern California band that pays tribute to and updates the sounds of classic Cambodian pop, has just released its new album in digital format at the RealPlayer music store. The CD will be available shortly--keep an eye out for a review here. Fans in California, Arizona, Washington and Oregon can catch them on their upcoming tour, but the rest of us will have to make do with this video: hi|lo