http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog.html Past entries of the weblog of Nicholas Freeman (Junk Magnet), with a focus on Japanese Popular Culture and neato Western Stuff. Updated pretty much every weekday. en-us Copyright 2004, 2005, 2006 by Nicholas Freeman nick@junkmagnet.com nick@junkmagnet.com http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0709.html#9.4.2007.1 Here's the almost-monthly updated list of some CDs and DVDs on pre-order from Japan, including the latest from the brilliant green, PUFFY, Yuki and Tokyo Jihen. nick@junkmagnet.com Wed, 5 Sep 2007 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0708.html#8.27.2007.1 Kaneko Atsushi is one of my favorite comic creators in any language. He's becoming known for [BAMBi And Her Pink Gun] in the US, but his latest series is [SOIL], now being serialized in Japan, in the monthly [Comic Beam] magazine. [SOIL] Volume 6, the latest collection of his serialized manga novel, was released in Japan on 8/25/2007, and it's just more of the same greatness. nick@junkmagnet.com Tue, 28 Aug 2007 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0708.html#8.1.2007.2 I have a special place in my heart for BENTEN, an amazing woman-focused label out of Japan. Right now they're promoting a mini tour by GO!GO!7188, a great female-heavy three piece. Follow the link to find out about their upcoming shows. nick@junkmagnet.com Thu, 2 Aug 2007 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0707.html#7.9.2007.1 [Hana & Alice] by Shunji Iwai is one of my most favorite movies. Three years after its release in Japan, it will be on DVD in the US, starting tomorrow. Follow this link to find out why you should care. nick@junkmagnet.com Tue, 10 Jul 2007 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0707.html#7.1.2007.1 A short listing of Japanese CDs and DVDs I have on order, including [Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex - Solid State Society]. nick@junkmagnet.com Mon, 2 Jul 2007 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0706.html#6.11.2007.1 As usual, I have an updated list of some CDs and DVDs on pre-order from Japan. Perhaps one or two items will be of interest to one or two people. If nothing else, please note [Sakuran], the recent movie by Mika Ninagawa, which not only features music by Ringo Sheena, but the lead role filled by Anna Tsuchiya, out on August 3rd. nick@junkmagnet.com Tue, 12 Jun 2007 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0706.html#6.1.2007.1 Without getting lost in marketing mode, let me tell you about what I've been up to at work. The latest product from Elgato Systems, my intrepid employer, is Turbo.264, software and hardware which allows you to make H.264 video files extremely quickly. Follow the link for more information about such amazingness. nick@junkmagnet.com Sat, 2 Jun 2007 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0705.html#5.1.2007.1 [Kiraware Matsuko No Issho], translated as [Memories Of Matsuko], is a wonderful film from 2006 by Tetsuya Nakajima, the director of [Shimotsuma Story], aka [Kamikaze Girls]. Follow the link to find out who won a Japanese Region 2 DVD of the movie. nick@junkmagnet.com Wed, 2 May 2007 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0704.html#4.9.2007.1 Looking for the best 24" 1080p monitor for your PS3 or Xbox 360? Follow the link for an extensive review of my personal favorite. nick@junkmagnet.com Tue, 10 Apr 2007 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0704.html#4.2.2007.1 [Kiraware Matsuko No Issho], translated as [Memories Of Matsuko], is a wonderful film from 2006 by Tetsuya Nakajima, the director of [Shimotsuma Story], aka [Kamikaze Girls]. Follow the link to find out how to win a Japanese Region 2 DVD of the movie, without English subtitles (it's in the original Japanese). nick@junkmagnet.com Tue, 3 Apr 2007 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0704.html#4.1.2007.1 As is my tendency, I have an updated list of some CDs and DVDs on preorder from Japan. At this point, perhaps one or two people actually find this useful, so now is the time for them to party. nick@junkmagnet.com Mon, 2 Apr 2007 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0703.html#3.12.2007.1 Would you like over 700 MP3s from tons of artists, for free? Follow the link now to legal torrents thanks to SXSW 2007, the music festival in Austin, TX this week. nick@junkmagnet.com Tue, 13 Mar 2007 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0703.html#3.1.2007.1 Wondercon 2007, a comic book convention with mass-media tendencies, starts tomorrow on 3.2.2007, running until Sunday, 3.4.2007 in San Francisco at the Moscone Center. Follow the link to find out why you should be extremely interested in this. nick@junkmagnet.com Fri, 2 Mar 2007 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0702.html#2.21.2007.1 OOIOO is a fine group of female Japanese musicians, led by the mythical Yoshimi, also of the Boredoms. They have a new remix EP out in Japan, [OOEYEOO - EYE REMIX], which is only 4 songs, but quite the chanting experience, due in part to EYE's (of the Boredoms) sonic swirling. Follow the link to find out more about their upcoming US tour, and the US release of their EP, thanks to the fine folks at Thrill Jockey. nick@junkmagnet.com Thu, 22 Feb 2007 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0702.html#2.20.2007.1 I always have a few projects on the back burners, and one is called the Runaway Girl Army. That's a phrase and concept that I've been secretly cradling for a few years, and am starting to put to use today. Follow the link for a slight introduction to the new, long march. nick@junkmagnet.com Wed, 21 Feb 2007 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0702.html#2.12.2007.1 I first became acquainted with Kaela Kimura due to her role in [Custom Made 10.30], a movie focused on two sisters who ultimately attend a Tamio Okuda concert. After tracking down her music, I can firmly say that she's a talent to look out for. Follow this link to find out more, via my new Kaela Kimura profile. nick@junkmagnet.com Tue, 13 Feb 2007 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0702.html#2.1.2007.1 Japan Nite 2007 is almost upon us. That's a South By Southwest (SXSW) event, as well as a tour, and it's all super-special. The featured bands are: The Emeralds, Go!Go!7188, The 50Kaitenz, ORESKABAND, HY, Pistol Valve, and Asakusa Jinta. Follow the link to find out which bands will play what shows. nick@junkmagnet.com Fri, 2 Feb 2007 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0701.html#1.29.2007.1 Today, I was watching some Chinese news, when I saw a brief piece on dodolook, an adorable young woman who's apparently making the jump from video-blogs to microstardom. She's a cute 23 year old, likes to dance energetically to J-Pop, and her overall work is brief bits of joy, guaranteed to produce smiles. If you're late to the party like I am, follow this link for video and info. nick@junkmagnet.com Tue, 30 Jan 2007 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0701.html#1.23.2007.1 Find out why that my Japanese PS3 delights me, perhaps contrary to popular opinion. nick@junkmagnet.com Wed, 24 Jan 2007 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0701.html#1.1.2007.1 Erika Saimon, one of my new favorite Japanese actresses, stars in [Nice No Mori - The First Contact], a recently released DVD with interconnected short films. ANIKI and others direct, and it's a funny, quirky and touching project that I recommend you find out more about. Following this link is a good way to start. nick@junkmagnet.com Tue, 2 Jan 2007 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0612.html#12.28.2006.1 Although I focus my ears (and wallet) on music from Japan, I also pay attention to releases from elsewhere. I didn't hear thousands of albums, but here are some that I heard, and liked. Follow the link to find out my personal top 10+. nick@junkmagnet.com Fri, 29 Dec 2006 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0612.html#12.26.2006.1 As always, there are more great albums from Japan than I can rank comfortably, but of the ones I heard this year, a few stand out. Follow the link to find out my personal top 10. nick@junkmagnet.com Wed, 27 Dec 2006 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0612.html#12.11.2006.1 After 7 months of not reporting my import activities, I have an updated list of some CDs and DVDs on preorder from Japan. As always, I'm sure this was lowly anticipated, but the idea is that you might come across one or two items that interest you as well. Pay close attention to the unexpected Sheena Ringo projects - a single, album, and DVD. nick@junkmagnet.com Tue, 12 Dec 2006 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0612.html#12.2.2006.1 Kaneko Atsushi is one of my favorite comic creators in any language. He's becoming known for [BAMBi And Her Pink Gun] in the US, but his latest series is [SOIL], now being serialized in Japan, in the monthly [Comic Beam] magazine. [SOIL] Volume 5, the latest collection of his serialized manga novel, was released in Japan on 11.27.2006, and it's just more of the same greatness. nick@junkmagnet.com Sun, 3 Dec 2006 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0611.html#11.24.2006.1 Soon, "everyone" (as in, lots of people) will know and adore the Hot IQs. Their first album is amazingly grand, and their new [Dangling Modifier] EP will storm the stores next week. I bought it in advance directly from the band's website, and Elaine (Drums), Eli (Vocals, Guitar) and Bryan (Bass) radiate 4 extraordinary new songs that channel the sounds of Archers Of Loaf and the lyrical obliqueness of Pavement, with ample helpings of fuzzy-buzz to increase the taste-sensation. nick@junkmagnet.com Sat, 25 Nov 2006 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0611.html#11.6.2006.1 [Taxidermia], the third film I saw at the 50th London Film Festival, is disgusting. Now, I'm far from squeamish, but I didn't expect some twisted love child of Sam Raimi and David Cronenberg, born early and left on the incubator for years. Follow the link to find out more about a movie that even the daring should probably avoid. nick@junkmagnet.com Tue, 7 Nov 2006 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0611.html#11.2.2006.1 Ah, the story of Louise Post and Nina Gordon, the female duo that once led Veruca Salt. I was quite enamored, way back in their Minty Fresh days, when labels like Geffen were buying up small, hot bands with a quickness. Through breakups and solo-careers, Louise is still holding the band together in a rockier and more accomplished form, and [IV], their latest album, is quite grand. nick@junkmagnet.com Fri, 3 Nov 2006 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0611.html#11.1.2006.1 You might not know that I love the films of Lars von Trier. I do, and [The Boss Of It All], his latest work, is smart and funny, organic yet technological, and clearly the best thing I saw at the 50th London Film Festival. nick@junkmagnet.com Thu, 2 Nov 2006 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0610.html#10.25.2006.1 As has been previously established, I have a firm appreciation for the films of Takashi Miike. So, when I was in London, I made sure to see his latest film, [Big Bang Love, Juvenile A]. Completely different from the Japanese title of [Shijuroku-Oku Nen No Koi] (4.6 Billion Year Love), the film is based on Masaki Ato's [Elegy For Boy] manga, and deals with prison, murder, and homoerotics - follow the link for my review. nick@junkmagnet.com Thu, 26 Oct 2006 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0610.html#10.24.2006.1 As promised, I'm posting again, after two weeks in Europe. Specifically, I visited Munich, Germany for work, and London, England for play. Tonight are a few photos, before a few weeks of travel-related postings. nick@junkmagnet.com Wed, 25 Oct 2006 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0610.html#10.4.2006.1 I love Hot IQs - check out past entries for ample evidence. They are coming to the West Coast all quick like, which is quite rare for this Denver band. Plus, they have a new CD out soon, so anyone who attends the shows listed at this link is bound to be entertained in new and novel ways. nick@junkmagnet.com Thu, 5 Oct 2006 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0609.html#9.25.2006.1 The simply amazing Tsu Shi Ma Mi Re (aka TsuShiMaMiRe) and basically naked Suicide Girls are touring the US again. Follow the link to find out the states and dates. nick@junkmagnet.com Tue, 26 Sep 2006 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0609.html#9.14.2006.1 [Veronica Mars] is an excellent show that's a clever combination of something like [The OC] and [Moonlighting]. Two seasons are on DVD, and the third starts in few weeks. Follow the link to find out more. nick@junkmagnet.com Fri, 15 Sep 2006 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0609.html#9.1.2006.2 I'm a huge fan of Sardina, a wonderful band out of Indianapolis that died about a decade ago. [Presents], their only album, is a masterwork, and you can download it now for free, along with many other little-known gems. nick@junkmagnet.com Sat, 2 Sep 2006 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0609.html#9.1.2006.1 I'm a big Juliana Hatfield fan, and her latest outfit Some Girls has a fine sophomore release, [Crushing Love]. Find out more today. nick@junkmagnet.com Sat, 2 Sep 2006 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0608.html#8.15.2006.1 "Johnny Bacardi" has let me know that there's a strong change that the English translation of [BAMBi And Her Pink Gun] might be "on hiatus". That means only 2 out of 6 volumes might see the US (not counting the series-ending [BAMBi Alternative]). nick@junkmagnet.com Wed, 16 Aug 2006 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0608.html#8.14.2006.1 I loved Sleater-Kinney. I use the past tense because their last official concert as a band was on August 12, 2006, in Portland, Oregon, at the Crystal Ballroom. I took some vacation time to fly to see them; I saw one of their first concerts in 1995, and I thought it fitting to also see the last. Here are 10 pictures for you of the amazing show. nick@junkmagnet.com Tue, 15 Aug 2006 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0608.html#8.1.2006.1 Find out all about CharityNavigator.org, a great resource to find the the most responsible charitable foundations to support. nick@junkmagnet.com Wed, 2 Aug 2006 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0607.html#7.26.2006.1 As I mention every so often, I work for Elgato Systems, and we make products like EyeTV, for the Macintosh computer system. After many weeks of hard work, we've just released version 2.3 of the software, that includes a new Full Screen Menu. That means you can use all the important parts of the program from a distance, with a remote control, like you would with a cable box DVR or TiVo, with Front Row-like action. nick@junkmagnet.com Thu, 27 Jul 2006 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0607.html#7.18.2006.1 Jet Set Show is a new videoblog aimed at kids, and it's quite fun for all ages. nick@junkmagnet.com Wed, 19 Jul 2006 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0607.html#7.15.2006.1 The ultimate and perhaps surprising inspiration behind Junk Magnet is discussed. nick@junkmagnet.com Sun, 16 Jul 2006 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0607.html#7.10.2006.1 LEGO Mindstorms NXT, a simple and fun robot building set, has been shipping to preorders for the past few weeks. I got mine a few days ago, and you can follow the link to read my first impressions. nick@junkmagnet.com Tue, 11 Jul 2006 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0607.html#7.7.2006.1 [Koukyoushihen Eureka Seven] is a popular anime series in Japan, brought to the world by BONES, a production house that always seems to get things right. It's now in the US as simply [Eureka Seven], and I enjoyed what I saw when I rented the first 2 volumes from Netflix last week. Follow the link to find out more. nick@junkmagnet.com Sat, 8 Jul 2006 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0607.html#7.5.2006.1 Rocketboom.com is a famous video log. Its telegenic and intelligently fun host, Amanda Congdon, is leaving the show to pursue her career in Los Angeles. Follow the link for more. nick@junkmagnet.com Thu, 6 Jul 2006 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0607.html#7.4.2006.1 Nintendo has 7 Game Boy Advance games coming out that actually seem cool, with no Mario in sight. Find out more about the retro simplicity of bit Generations via the link. nick@junkmagnet.com Wed, 5 Jul 2006 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0607.html#7.3.2006.1 [Rue Morgue] is a great horror magazine from Toronto, that covers all forms of the genre, from movies (including Asian Horror) to print, comics and even music. Check it out if you're at all interested in such things. nick@junkmagnet.com Tue, 4 Jul 2006 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0607.html#7.1.2006.1 This will be the last post about Digg for a while. Find out how to view the many stories I've posted, many of which are weirdly interesting. nick@junkmagnet.com Sun, 2 Jul 2006 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0606.html#6.29.2006.1 I just received my latest shipment of music from Japan yesterday, and I was quite impressed by the latest from Puffy, Hikaru Utada, Tommy heavenly6, and particularly Thmlues. Follow the link to some first impressions of each. nick@junkmagnet.com Fri, 30 Jun 2006 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0606.html#6.27.2006.1 Digg.com, a fun collection of links to timely news and strange stories, has just been updated to a new, expanded design. Read more about my new adventures undertaking the Digg Dash for stories to post. nick@junkmagnet.com Wed, 28 Jun 2006 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog.html#6.23.2006.1 [KatieBird: Certifiable Crazy Person] is a fine indepent horror movie by Justin Paul Ritter, with far more flair than most other recent screamers. Great use of implied violence and fragmented screen editing, and a fine debut by Taylor M. Dooley, who plays the protagonist during her teenage years. Fans of disturbingly entertaining fair should check it out. nick@junkmagnet.com Sat, 24 Jun 2006 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0606.html#6.21.2006.1 I wanted a subscription to [Comic Beam], a manga magazine from Japan, but no one seemed to be able to provide it. Fujisan.com stepped up the plate and hit a grand slam; follow the link to find out more. nick@junkmagnet.com Thu, 22 Jun 2006 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0606.html#6.19.2006.1 Scott Miller and The Loud Family, the San Francisco Bay Area's best kept secret, have a new album out after 6 years wait. A collaboration with Anton Barbeau, it's all sorts of pop-rock greatness that you should look into. Use this article as a start. nick@junkmagnet.com Tue, 20 Jun 2006 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0606.html#6.15.2006.1 Simply put, crazy 100 word reviews of mostly great music from 1996. Like cookie fortunes meets [Snipehunt]. Dig in. nick@junkmagnet.com Fri, 16 Jun 2006 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0606.html#6.14.2006.1 Fibulator, a band that used to hail from West Oakland, is one of my all-time favorites. Read the extensive interview I published 12 years ago in the first issue of [Junk Magnet], the zine, and then go find their music. nick@junkmagnet.com Thu, 15 Jun 2006 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0606.html#6.12.2006.1 June is "brush off the Junk Magnet" month, to help celebrate the 10th anniversary. You can download an [anzitine] game and alternative story fragment, plus there are some new photos and art from my collection that might be of passing interest. Stop by often to get the latest curiosities. nick@junkmagnet.com Tue, 13 Jun 2006 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0606.html#6.6.2006.2 Junk Magnet has been on and off the web since 1996. For the first time (again), witness the very beginning. Includes great content inbetween the few dead links. nick@junkmagnet.com Wed, 7 Jun 2006 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0606.html#6.6.2006.1 be your own PET have their first album out today, and it's bound to be great. Find out more about this propulsive street punk band right away. nick@junkmagnet.com Wed, 7 Jun 2006 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0606.html#6.5.2006.2 A new page, all about Tomoko Kawase, a.k.a Tommy february6 and Tommy heavenly6. Pure pop pow for those who crave it. nick@junkmagnet.com Tue, 6 Jun 2006 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0606.html#6.5.2006.1 Simply put, Junk Magnet now has a search box. You can use it to find any word or phrase on the site, and there will be links to the appropriate pages. This is less amazing than it seems, but still useful. nick@junkmagnet.com Tue, 6 Jun 2006 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0606.html#6.2.2006.1 Find out about upcoming releases from Puffy, Tommy heavenly6, Polysics, Jude and many more Japanese artists. nick@junkmagnet.com Sat, 3 Jun 2006 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0606.html#6.1.2006.1 There's been a complete redesign and overhaul to Junk Magnet, after 5 years. You really should visit now - who knows what wonders await? nick@junkmagnet.com Fri, 2 Jun 2006 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0605.html#5.9.2006.1 It's show off new gamey things week. Find out a bit about what I think of E3 announcements. nick@junkmagnet.com Wed, 10 May 2006 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0605.html#5.1.2006.1 Ze Frank has a video blog that's laugh-out-your-nose loud yet very simple, with examinations of current affairs and randomness, seeped with post-and-pre-irony. Follow the link to find out more. nick@junkmagnet.com Tue, 2 May 2006 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0604.html#4.28.2006.1 Find out about some upcoming music releases from Japan, including the latest from Hikaru Utada, Thmlues, Puffy, and more. nick@junkmagnet.com Sat, 29 Apr 2006 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0604.html#4.24.2006.2 Kaneko Atsushi is one of my favorite comic creators in any language. He's becoming known for [BAMBi And Her Pink Gun] in the US, but his latest series is [SOIL], now being serialized in Japan, in the monthly [Comic Beam] magazine. [SOIL] Volume 4, the latest collection of his serialized manga novel, will be released in Japan on 4.26.2005, and it's just more of the same greatness - follow the link to find out more. nick@junkmagnet.com Tue, 25 Apr 2006 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0604.html#4.24.2006.1 Need an electronic Japanese dictionary, that also can recognize handwritten characters, including kanji? Have a Nintendo DS? Well, [Kani Sonomama Rakubiki Jiten] is a gift from my time-travelling children - follow the link to find out why. nick@junkmagnet.com Tue, 25 Apr 2006 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0604.html#4.18.2006.1 One of the first artists I noticed in this year's torrent of music from SXSW was Laura Veirs of Seattle. She's a fine folky blues pop artist, reminding me of Heather Nova meets Suzanne Vega (who happen to be two of my favorites). Find out more about Laura (and download a full song) by following the link. nick@junkmagnet.com Wed, 19 Apr 2006 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0604.html#4.14.2006.1 I love the Hot IQs - they're a thrashin' threesome from Denver, and their first album [An Argument Between The Brain And Feet] is one of my all-time favorites. Now, they've made a splendid video for [Firecracker], the bitchin' single off said album - follow this link to see its glory. nick@junkmagnet.com Sat, 15 Apr 2006 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0604.html#4.3.2006.2 Our President does not like to admit when he's wrong, so some elementary school kids wrote him some apologetic speeches, which were then read by a Bush sound-alike. Priceless MP3s for those who folow the link, thanks to Stay Free! and Helena Keefe. nick@junkmagnet.com Tue, 4 Apr 2006 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0604.html#4.3.2006.1 I'm a big Cake Bake Betty supporter. Lindsay Powell is amazing, and now she had a video for [64 White Little Things], another piece of evidence to justify my adoration. Download and enjoy it today, by following this link. nick@junkmagnet.com Tue, 4 Apr 2006 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0604.html#4.1.2006.1 Animal Alpha rock Norway, and soon the world, like those stone polishing machines, only with less pebbles and more sharp edges. Find out why Agnete Maria Forfang Kjolsrud is the next lacy, rosey cheeked star for a new generation of noise. nick@junkmagnet.com Sun, 2 Apr 2006 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0603.html#3.20.2006.1 18 Japanese web cams, plus the not-so-secret secret to find hundreds more. nick@junkmagnet.com Tue, 21 Mar 2006 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0603.html#3.13.2006.1 More Japanese web cams. This time, restaurants and food shops, for your voyeuristic interest. nick@junkmagnet.com Tue, 14 Mar 2006 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0603.html#3.7.2006.1 Japanese web cams. Watching cafes, gas stations, hair salons, streets, areas where pets congregate - don't you want to see them? Follow the link to find out the semi-secret mechanism, with links. nick@junkmagnet.com Wed, 8 Mar 2006 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0603.html#3.6.2006.2 Yes, YouTube. Land of teenage lip-synched dancing and anime snippets. Follow the link to one of my favorite variations of the "music video" theme, the first in my exploration of the service. nick@junkmagnet.com Tue, 7 Mar 2006 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0603.html#3.6.2006.1 Would you like almost 1000 MP3s from tons of artists, for free? Follow the link now to legal torrents thanks to SXSW 2006, the upcoming music festival in Austin, TX. nick@junkmagnet.com Tue, 7 Mar 2006 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0603.html#3.1.2006.1 Call Buzz-O-Phone toll-free in the US via 1-800-591-5375, speak for a minute or two about anything you want, (a rant or complaint is best), and then your message is instantly sent out in digital form via a podcast. It's also put in a queue for all to hear on the web, but if you swear or act stupid - find out how to hear the "bad" messages. nick@junkmagnet.com Thu, 2 Mar 2006 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0602.html#2.28.2006.1 Call Buzz-O-Phone toll-free in the US via 1-800-591-5375, speak for a minute or two about anything you want, (a rant or complaint is best), and then your message is instantly sent out in digital form via a podcast. It's also put in a queue for all to hear on the web, so you can listen. Follow the link to find out more. nick@junkmagnet.com Thu, 2 Mar 2006 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0602.html#2.27.2006.1 Amanda Congdon and crew are great vloggers (video blogs) - find out more about their quirky offering via this link. nick@junkmagnet.com Tue, 28 Feb 2006 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0602.html#2.20.2006.1 Toddle, fronted by the superlative Tabuchi Hisako (Number Girl, Bloodthirsty Butchers) released one of the best albums of 2005. Find out more about [I dedicate D chord] by following the link. nick@junkmagnet.com Tue, 21 Feb 2006 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0602.html#2.15.2006.2 The superb band Ednaswap became Annetenna 6 years ago, a fact I didn't know about until last night. Free MP3s to those who follow this link. nick@junkmagnet.com Thu, 16 Feb 2006 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0602.html#2.15.2006.1 Some kind thoughts about Art Circus, a female-fronted project from Infinity Cat records. nick@junkmagnet.com Thu, 16 Feb 2006 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0602.html#2.13.2006.2 No One's Listening, a online and "real" radio show, meets Junk Magnet, via EyeTV and Macworld. Video clip included. nick@junkmagnet.com Tue, 14 Feb 2006 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0602.html#2.13.2006.1 Download some enjoyable mashup action from DJ BC and some SF Bay Area folk. nick@junkmagnet.com Tue, 14 Feb 2006 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0602.html#2.8.2006.3 Tsu Shi Ma Mi Re (aka TsuShiMaMiRe) are coming again to the US in March. Find out the details here. nick@junkmagnet.com Wed, 8 Feb 2006 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0602.html#2.8.2006.2 "BAMBi And Her Pink Gun" Vol. 2 by Kaneko Atsushi is now out in English, thanks to Digital Manga Publishing. If you want to find out more about this beautifully anarchic series, follow the link. nick@junkmagnet.com Wed, 8 Feb 2006 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0602.html#2.8.2006.1 The political stuff is over for now. Everyone can come back. nick@junkmagnet.com Wed, 8 Feb 2006 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0602.html#2.6.2006.1 Part 3 In A Series: Reasons Why The US Really Sucks - A Taxing (Woe)Man. I'm so sorry - expect more about non-essential fun items in March. nick@junkmagnet.com Tue, 7 Feb 2006 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0602.html#2.3.2006.1 Part 2 In A Series: Reasons Why The US Really Sucks - The One Branch, One Party System. Don't worry, I'll make sure to blog my surveillance and detainment after this series is over. nick@junkmagnet.com Sat, 4 Feb 2006 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0602.html#2.2.2006.1 Part 1 In A Series: Reasons Why The US Really Sucks - Long Live King George. If you're after Japanese Pop Culture, this month is not for you. nick@junkmagnet.com Fri, 3 Feb 2006 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0601.html#1.30.2006.1 I do watch some anime, and here are some mini-reviews of the final few episodes of [Genshiken] and [Gantz]. nick@junkmagnet.com Tue, 31 Jan 2006 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0601.html#1.24.2006.1 I like to order music related stuff from Japan. Follow the link to find out about some interesting junk, including the latest from Ayumi Hamasaki, Hikaru Utada, Thmlues, Tokyo Jihen, Triceratops, Anna Tsuchiya, Yuki, Zazen Boys and many more artists. nick@junkmagnet.com Wed, 25 Jan 2006 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0601.html#1.23.2006.1 Mochacochalatta are a Judy and Mary cover band from Bandung, Indonesia. That has to be enough to get you to follow the link. nick@junkmagnet.com Tue, 24 Jan 2006 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0601.html#1.16.2006.2 The lusted for box is acquired, but, like Pandora before, all that's left is hope for better games. nick@junkmagnet.com Tue, 17 Jan 2006 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0601.html#1.16.2006.1 Tales of EyeTV 2, Macworld, and imaginary pinatas nick@junkmagnet.com Tue, 17 Jan 2006 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0601.html#1.1.2006.1 Something about gunfire at mythical babies and Macworld, not in the same sentence. nick@junkmagnet.com Mon, 2 Jan 2006 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0512.html#12.29.2005.2 Hey Kids! Comics! You get the idea, only with less cliche, in list form. nick@junkmagnet.com Fri, 30 Dec 2005 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0512.html#12.29.2005.1 More non-male CDs than you can shake something at. Please, stop shaking your something, and just read this fine list. nick@junkmagnet.com Fri, 30 Dec 2005 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0512.html#12.28.2005.2 I love Takashi Miike, the Japanese genre director of note. Find out to what extent via this list. nick@junkmagnet.com Thu, 29 Dec 2005 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0512.html#12.28.2005.1 Anime - some better than others, at least from the translated pool English language audiences get to pick from. Would you like to know my favorites for 2005? nick@junkmagnet.com Thu, 29 Dec 2005 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0512.html#12.27.2005.2 Who has the best album this year? Yuki, Jude, Tommy heavenly6? Find out now. nick@junkmagnet.com Wed, 28 Dec 2005 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0512.html#12.27.2005.1 From Tsu Shi Ma Mi Re to The Emeralds, let me tell you about some good live bands. nick@junkmagnet.com Wed, 28 Dec 2005 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0512.html#12.26.2005.1 I have a penchant for year end lists; this one deals with bands that I discovered via South By Southwest 2005, an annual musical get together in Austin, TX. From the Hot IQs to Damnations, find out about the latest musical folk you should bring home for dinner. nick@junkmagnet.com Tue, 27 Dec 2005 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0512.html#12.12.2005.1 I've always enjoyed the work of Jackie Chan, but more so the films from Hong Kong, as opposed to his purely Western projects. No matter - one of his most recent productions that haven't hit the US yet is [The Myth], which is a pleasant mix between [Hero] and the [Indiana Jones] trilogy. Follow this link to find out more about this fine work. nick@junkmagnet.com Tue, 13 Dec 2005 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0512.html#12.6.2005.1 MAUMA, a crazily enthusiatic band from Argentina, now presents the world with their first music video, [Cybergeisha]. Imagine a world where there is no distinction between the everyday and the classic 80s videogame, where Space Invaders are angered by our Martian space rovers, and decide to trash earth in retaliation. That's a world worth visiting, so follow this link for more information, and to experience the magic. nick@junkmagnet.com Wed, 7 Dec 2005 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0512.html#12.1.2005.1 Last month, intrepid readers had a chance to win the Hot IQs first CD, [An Argument Between The Brain And Feet], along with an attractive T-Shirt. Follow this link to find out the winners. nick@junkmagnet.com Fri, 2 Dec 2005 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0511.html#11.29.2005.1 I like Infinity Cat records. They're out of Nashville, TN, and know how to pick and cultivate the new wow sounds; Cake Bake Betty's recent masterpiece being a perfect case in point. Find out about the latest CDs from be your own PET and Jeff by following this magical link. nick@junkmagnet.com Wed, 30 Nov 2005 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0511.html#11.23.2005.1 I'm a big fan of Mahiro Maeda, director of the [Aoi No 6] anime series, and now the visionary responsible for [Gankutsuou], a revisioning of [The Count of Monte Cristo], the classic novel by Alexander Dumas. Follow this link now to find out more about this amazing and beautiful work. nick@junkmagnet.com Thu, 24 Nov 2005 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0511.html#11.21.2005.1 [AV], a relatively new Hong Kong comedy by Edmond Pang Ho-Cheung, follows the antics of friends who effectively rent the services of a Japanese AV (porn) star, under the guise of a fake film. Sounds scuzzy, but actually is cute, funny, and worth looking into. Visit junk.log to find out more about this movie, Manami Amamiya and the other stars. nick@junkmagnet.com Tue, 21 Nov 2005 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0511.html#11.16.2005.1 In the 1990s, an amazing 4 piece from Australia existed, Clouds. Beloved to various degrees all over the world (including in my various apartments), they broke up in 1997, but Jodi Phillis and Patricia Young of that brilliant band now have joined back together as The Girls From The Clouds, for a new [LaLaLaLa] 5 song EP. Find out what you should care at junk.log now. nick@junkmagnet.com Thu, 17 Nov 2005 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0511.html#11.14.2005.1 Did you know that about 10 years ago, I dabbled in crazy casio-powered music? Well, I did, even going so far as to make some recordings under the Quicker moniker. Download some MP3 tracks tonight, and then find out the secret process by which they were made. nick@junkmagnet.com Tue, 15 Nov 2005 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0511.html#11.8.2005.1 Find out about upcoming singles and albums from The Pillows, Ayumi Hamasaki, Number Girl and Tokyo Incidents (Tokyo Jihen). A guaranteed exciting entry for 43 seconds; choose a link when boredom sets in. nick@junkmagnet.com Wed, 9 Nov 2005 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0511.html#11.7.2005.1 Talk about the early stages of Junk Magnet 2.0. If you don't get excited by hand coding HTML, you'd best come back later. nick@junkmagnet.com Tue, 8 Nov 2005 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0511.html#11.5.2005.1 Your Junk Magnet is back on the net, after finishing up his recent apartment move. Now, celebrate by entering the Hot IQs contest - win a CD and/or T-Shirts, and visit junk.log to find out how. nick@junkmagnet.com Sun, 6 Nov 2005 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0510.html#10.18.2005.1 It has been established many times that I import heaping handfuls of music from Japan. Find out at junk.log tonight about recent and upcoming releases from a number of artists, including Jude, Sherbets, Polysics, Tamio Okuda, Tokyo Jihen, Salyu, Tomoe Shinohara, Hikaru Utada, and many more. nick@junkmagnet.com Wed, 19 Oct 2005 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0510.html#10.17.2005.2 I love Metric, really. I've been into Emily Haines and crew since their first album, [Old World Underground, Where Are You Now?], and there second album [Live It Out] is available now. The executive summary is that they're amazing. Travel to junk.log to find out why. nick@junkmagnet.com Tue, 18 Oct 2005 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0510.html#10.17.2005.1 The Hot IQs rock. I've known this all during 2005, but didn't have the concrete evidence until 10.15.2005, where they opened on the UC Berkeley campus for Tegan and Sara and Northern State. Read copious amounts about this event at junk.log now. nick@junkmagnet.com Tue, 18 Oct 2005 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0510.html#10.13.2005.1 Thanks to South By Southwest 2005 I discovered the splendor of the Hot IQs. Their first album, [An Argument Between The Brain And Feet], is all enjoyable all the time, and I went on and on about it earlier. Eli Mishkin (Vocals, Guitar), Elaine Acosta (Drums), and Bryan Feuchtinger (Bass) are based out of Denver, so tours to the West Coast are a pretty special occasion - they tour with Northern State, and Tegan and Sara from 10.15 until 10.19 (from Berkeley to Portland), and with Divorce and Slender Means on 10.22 in Seattle. See junk.log for dates, places and times. nick@junkmagnet.com Fri, 14 Oct 2005 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0510.html#10.10.2005.1 Lindsay of Cake Bake Betty is simply amazing. I discovered this thanks to Infinity Cat records, in my good graces thanks to their promotion of be your own PET. She makes the piano and guitar wail and shiver, via her Cake Bake Betty persona. Her latest CD, [Songs About Teeth], has been played literally dozens of times since I received it a few days ago, and strikes a pose somewhere between Evanescence, Rasputina and Joanna Newsom, with lots of blood and bones for good measure. It sounds like an small orchestra in a snow storm, solemn and shivering, yet shooting sparks from the musical outbursts. Some songs like [Song of the Sea] evoke the 10,000 Maniacs (which is a good thing, since I adore Nathalie Merchant) with yearning strings and her pleasantly sad voice. Others are quirky and dangerous, like [64 White Little Things], which concerns cannibalism, bones and babies, among other things, with harpsichord-like sounds that truly can be listened to hundreds of times in a row. [One By One] comes somewhere in between, with dozens of great vocal and piano moments compressed into three minutes. [The Charge (Knocturnul)] deserves its own paragraph, with comparatively complex piano work enveloping her lament for almost 8 transcendent minutes - so sad, yet still shining like the sun after the deluge. You have to have a taste for folky-classical to truly appreciate where she's coming from, but if so, then this is the appropriate point to bow down. I would argue that every song has something grand to offer, with perhaps only [Bears] being slightly out of place, due to various OOIOO-like cacophonies during its excessive length. Not that it's not nice in its own right, but it doesn't quite fit with the rest of the album. So, if you like exquisite corpses, in the literal and historical sense, along with singular visions enhanced by complex simplicity, then Cake Bake Betty is exactly for you. Offering solo explorations of the heart and knife-wielding hand, Lindsay knocks me out cold, yet my brain still dreams of sand trails and entrails. Listen to the snippets that won me over here (MP3), and hit the Infinity Cat store ASAP - the record doesn't really go on sale until January, but if you order now, it will come soon after. nick@junkmagnet.com Thu, 11 Oct 2005 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0510.html#10.4.2005.1 I adore Tsu Shi Ma Mi Re (aka TsuShiMaMiRe), and they are not only touring the US with the Suicide Girls Live Burlesque all during October, but right after that they will grace the West Coast with another mini-tour, the sequel to Japan Girls Night. This time, they are performing along with AMPPEZ and Red Bacteria Vacuum, which I know nothing about, save for their gender, BENTEN affiliation, and likely talent. Go to junk.log for tour dates and links [[[ www.sister.co.jp/JGN2005NOV/ ]]]. nick@junkmagnet.com Wed, 5 Oct 2005 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0510.html#10.3.2005.1 I used the internet a lot. Not as much as some, but at least for 9 hours each weekday. Most of the time, I have very specific destinations related either to my work or hobbies, and tonight at junk.log I thought I'd share those sites which draw my attention. nick@junkmagnet.com Tue, 4 Oct 2005 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0510.html#10.1.2005.1 I will spare you excess writing about [Serenity], Joss Whedon's labor of love, based on the dearly departed [Firefly] TV series. Sure, sure, "Western in space" - just go to one of thousands of pages and reviews for lots of pontification. My feelings are clear. I watched and loved [Firefly] the few weeks it was on the air, then I adored the DVD set with unaired shows. I enjoyed the recent comic books, which served as a lead-in to [Serenity], and I might even buy some trading cards and such. I find all of the actors quite accomplished, and great as an ensemble, and I appreciate the detailed universe that they inhabit. The new movie rocks, and is tailor made for fans, but I'm not certain if it will be a mainstream hit - can general audiences really follow what's going on? Probably, but without the prior feeling for the characters fans carry in to the theater, it may not have the same resonance. No matter - I really enjoyed it, fully and without question, and I highly recommend that you check it out. Go early and often, buy the DVD when it hits, and we may be blessed with a few more films in the series in years to come. nick@junkmagnet.com Sun, 2 Oct 2005 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0509.html#9.26.2005.2 Kaneko Atsushi is one of my favorite comic creators in any language. He's becoming known for [BAMBi] in the US, but his latest series is [SOIL], now being serialized in Japan, in the monthly [Comic Beam] magazine. [SOIL] Volume 3, the latest collection of his serialized manga novel, will be released in Japan on 9.30.2005, and it's just more of the same greatness. It juxtaposes "typical" life in a smallish town, with a growing mystery that threatens to engulf all normalcy. Science fiction and fantasy meet a grounded exploration of the hopes, quirks and fears of a population, as they try to discover just what seems to be corrupting their way of life. Perhaps I over-melodramatize, but it has comets, big piles of salt, people acting all crazy, a fair amount of blood, broad slapstick humor, and more, all rendered in that Kaneko Atsushi style that simply can't be beat. You might as well import and appreciate now, or else wait many years to see it translated. Either way, we all win. nick@junkmagnet.com Tue, 27 Sep 2005 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0509.html#9.26.2005.1 Tommy heavenly 6, OK? If you haven't already been indoctrinated, Tomoko Kawase was an amazingly talented and beautiful part of the brilliant green, who were quite popular around the turn of the millennium. She eventually struck out on her own, as a synth-peppy-pop Tommy february6 (named after her birthdate). I didn't care for that project all that much, due to the relatively vapidity of the music. It was above average, and the visual components were greatly kitchy (so many cheerleaders!) but just not my beloved BuriGuri So, when her first band released [The Winter Album], their last record in 12.2002, I only cried a little bit, because I knew that Tommy had some secret, sparkly tricks left in her gig bag - namely her rockin' Tommy heavenly 6 project. It's everything that february6 was not - incredibly catchy in a guitar heavy sort of way, presented at times at a must faster pace then the brilliant green. So you have a combination of English and Japanese lyrics, soothing yet slightly edgy vocals, distortion and a solid back beat, plus loads and loads of pop rocks, already soda mixed and ready to maim. While february6 already has had two albums so far, heavenly6 didn't give us pure, unfiltered joy until 8.24.2005. I ordered my limited edition copy of [Tommy heavenly6] way before then, but due to the slow magic of shipping from Japan, didn't receive it unit last weekend. Without belaboring the point, it is truly amazing, containing her hit singles [Ready?], [Wait Till I Can Dream], [Hey My Friend] (from the [Shimotsuma Story] sountrack), not to mention some fan-fave B-sides ([Swear] and [Gimme All Of Your Love!]). Those 5 songs alone are well worth the purchase price. but they are surrounded by 6 other fine tracks, all of which I'm learining to love in their own special way. Specifically, I now adore [2Bfree] the album opener that starts with a question but then chokes you with sweet exclamation points. [fell in love with you] slows things down a bit with some familiar Tommy jingle jangle, only to propel the chorus the hell down the street, like an anxious water balloon. [Wanna be your idol] is better than anything on Fox reality shows, with a little lurch mid-song before the gas kicks in, and [+gothic Pink+] is cute yet hilarious ("Hello, welcome to my dark side/Why don't you have a picnic there") that the rollicking chorus more than makes up for. [Lost My Pieces] is very BuriGuri, albeit a more depressed, slinky version, with another of those killer choruses that Tommy seems to specialize in. Finally, [LCDD] is perfectly pretty, a nice culmination of the new Tommy sound that melds the past with the present. In short, this is one of the best records of 2005, without question. It might not be for everyone, but if you're a BuriGuri fan, or a Tommy fan in general, then you will be doing front flips with chair firmly under your ass. That's quite difficult, you know, which speaks to the world-shifting power of such pretty pop. A JM Best Bet. nick@junkmagnet.com Tue, 27 Sep 2005 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0509.html#9.20.2005.1 I've always been quite taken by Juliana Hatfield - not her persona, just her music. In college (the early 90s) I discovered her amazing Blake Babies output (a project she started in her teens), and those albums are still some of my all time favorites. I also enjoyed her then new [Hey Babe] album, which introduced her solo career with indie pop perfection. She's definitely sounds like other rock musicians from Massachusetts, but she tempered melodic cuteness with a rough sonic edge that was quite progressive in its day and age. [Become What You Are] saw her on a major label, and while she had some success, I wasn't that taken, and said so in my first [Junk Magnet] print issues (which were packed to the gills with reviews). After that point I lost track of her work for the rest of the 90s, assuming that she was just no longer for me. I was quite wrong, because over the past few years she's been on fire, first with a Blake Babies reunion album, and then work by Some Girls (a new band she fronts, along with Freda Love of the Blake Babies), not to mention her last two solo albums. [In Exile Deo] from 5.2004 was quite the powerful record that fully ignited my fandom again, and one of my faves for last year. In 8.2005 she topped that with [Made In China], her almost masterpiece that has been on heavy rotation for me as of late. [Made In China] is a patchwork quilt spanning her career, albeit with all new songs. It's rough and tumble, which song fragments as opposed to long epics, yet every single track works to create a mesmerizing whole. It's feedbacky yet folk, personal yet abstract, with tons of sing-along moments. I haven't quite heard Juliana like this before, but I'm quite appreciative of the slightly more experimental turn. Plus, it's on her own label, Ye Olde Records, so buy a copy to more directly support her efforts. Now I just need to buy the 4 or 5 albums I'm missing from the middle of her career, and then I can fully champion this up and coming artist, who should have been a superstar long ago. nick@junkmagnet.com Wed, 21 Sep 2005 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0509.html#9.19.2005.1 I adore Tsu Shi Ma Mi Re (aka TsuShiMaMiRe), the amazing trio from Japan. I heard from Yayoi (their beautiful bassist) a few days ago, and I was excited to receive their final schedule for their Fall tour of the US. Note that they are a part of the Suicide Girls Live Burlesque tour, which should add interest to the shows (follow the link to junk.log if you want a more readable chart): ***** 9.30.05 - Phoenix, AZ, The Clubhouse ********** 10.01.05 - Tuscon, AZ, Club Congress ********** 10.03.05 - Denton, TX, Hailey's ********** 10.04.05 - Austin, TX, Emo's ********** 10.05.05 - Houston, TX, Engine Room ********** 10.07.05 - Charlotte, NC, Amos ********** 10.08.05 - Baltimore, MD, Ottobar ********** 10.09.05 - Philadelphia, PA, Starlight Ballroom ********** 10.10.05 - NYC, Knitting Factory ********** 10.11.05 - NYC, Knitting Factory ********** 10.12.05 - Boston, MA, Middle East ********** 10.13.05 - Northampton, MA, Pearl St. ********** 10.14.05 - Buffalo, NY, The Icon ********** 10.15.05 - Pittsburgh, PA, Rex Theater ********** 10.16.05 - Cleveland, OH, Beachland ********** 10.18.05 - Indianapolis, IN, Vogue Theater ********** 10.21.05 - Chicago, IL, Logan Square Auditorium ********** 10.22.05 - Minneapolis, MN, Fine Line ********** 10.24.05 - Kansas City, MO, Granada ********** 10.25.05 - Denver, CO, Gothic Theater ********** 10.28.05 - Seattle, WA, Neumo's ********** 10.31.05 - Petaluma, CA, Mystic Theater ********** 11.02.05 - San Francisco, CA, The Independent ********** 11.03.05 - San Francisco, CA, The Independent ********** 11.04.05 - Modesto, CA, Fat Cat ********** 11.05.05 - Los Angeles, CA, El Rey ***** There also might be this show, which I'm not certain is cancelled: 10.19.05 - Newport, KY, Southgate House. Check with the venue to see if that's still on. **********11.07.05 to 11.13.05 - Japan Girls Nite US Tour, TsuShiMaMiRe / AMPPEZ/ Red Bacteria Vacuum********** If you want to be entertained by a funky pop-noise-punk trio that know how to rock, then by all means hit as many of these dates as possible. I know I will. nick@junkmagnet.com Tue, 20 Sep 2005 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0509.html#9.14.2005.1 Last night I attended a sneak preview of [Corpse Bride], Tim Burton's latest stop-animated adventure, which opens nationwide on 9.23.05. I've seen about 95% of his work, so I can say with some authority that it's pretty much par for the course, artistically abundant but a bit meager in the graveyard plot. It does have star voices (Mr. Depp, Ms. Bonham Carter), bony dogs and cute maggots, and a bright merchandizing future, so perhaps that makes up for the occasional meagerness. You could summarize the happenings in two comma filled sentences, but I'll refrain - the trailer alone gets you there. Sufficed to say that it's animated, and thus somehow associated with children's fare in the minds of many, but in actually is quite dark and grim, with a playfully mean streak. The Land of the Living is dreary and gray, filled with ugly adults and dead fish, and once Vincent hits the Land of the Dead, all heck breaks loose, with colors and skulls a dancing (see all of his movies from [Beetlejuice] to [The Nightmare Before Christmas] for the aesthetic). Thus, I guess some commentary is being made, but I don't quite get it ("Death is cooler than life"?). However, all such metaphysics are barely explored, and most of the movie is a passible love story, with poor poor Vincent taking his pick of a living and dead wife, both smart and beautiful. Perhaps you can guess which one gets the matrimonial prize in the end? In that respect [Corpse Bride], where suicide is seen as an act of love at one point, is strangely traditional. No matter, as musical, charnel affairs go, this was a pleasant one, with witty lyrics and enough reanimated bodies to satiate most anyone who likes the walking dead. Myself, I'm more partial to skin rather than bones, but I could still get enough visual satisfaction to make my rating a firm 3 magnets out of 4. nick@junkmagnet.com Thu, 15 Sep 2005 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0509.html#9.12.2005.1 SXSW 2005 has long since departed, but the memory of great music remains. One of the attending bands that I was turned on to (via MP3s) was be your own PET. A youngsome, toothsome, fearsome foursome, these high school age teens crawl out of the nearest volcano, setting all stages on fire, and melting their equipment mid chord. Yes, Jemina Pearl (Vocals), Jonas Stein (Guitar), Nathan Vasquez (Bass), and Jamin Orrall (Drums) are simply that hot, scorching enough that for a time, the music press couldn't get enough of their singles or live set. So far, they've only released a few songs, typified by their Japan-only EP called [Damn Damn Leash]. 6 songs that jump out of the sweaty, heaving union of Picasso Trigger and Yeah Yeah Yeahs ($10 to anyone that understands what I'm getting at); in other words, female-vocalized garage indie-punk rock with fast songs and rough edges. They are from Nashville. They yell and scream, and sound kinda like the Lunachicks, only with a taste of Pretty Girls Make Graves. Actually, I can't quite put their sound into words, even though it's immediately accessible, with much resemblance to bands past. Still, they're true teenage rockers, all cute and afroed and ready to rule the world. Go here for their first fansite, or go to Infinity Cat for the latest be your own PET brilliance. nick@junkmagnet.com Tue, 13 Sep 2005 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0509.html#9.7.2005.1 Almost 9 months ago, I wrote about Fiona Apple's long-lost 3rd album, [Extraordinary Machine], that was liberated (leaked) over the internet and radio, even when Sony had no intentions of releasing it. This was all due to the machinations and protests of a dedicated fan base, who went so far as to gather en masse in front of the record label, until they were noticed. Back then I said that the album was great, and I promised that "if it was actually for sale, I would buy it in a instant." Well, come 10.4.2005, it will be for sale, on actual, physical CDs, and even a DuoDisc with extra stuff like videos. I'm so incredibly excited about this, you can't even understand, since this has been one of my favorite albums of the year. The final version will have extra production on most songs, and you can get a sneak preview at her official website, or at the iTunes music store (which has a 2 song single, before the album hits). The new versions have more strings and instrumentation, which isn't really necessary, but I'm sure won't kill the unique sound too much. You are well advised to check out [Extraordinary Machine] when it comes out in a few weeks, and those who already downloaded the earlier version have a duty to hit the stores, to prove with their pocketbooks that Sony was absolutely wrong before, but absolutely right now. Sometimes justice prevails (even if I have no idea about whether "injustice" was the cause of the past problems related to this album) and celebration is in order. nick@junkmagnet.com Thu, 8 Sep 2005 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0509.html#9.6.2005.1 I'm a big Takashi Miike fan. Big as in a witness to a few dozen of his movies and TV productions, basically everything that has been released in the US market. He's extremely productive, sometimes making heaping handfuls of movies each and every year, and is generally known for a violent, sadistic, phantasmagoric streak, at least in a fair amount of his filmed fiction. [MPD Psycho] (MPD = Multiple Personality Detective) is his latest release in the US, although the series was first shown on Japanese TV in 2000. The manga it's based on ([Tajyuu Jinkaku Tantei PSYCHO] by Eiji Otsuka and Sho-u Tajima) was published in the late 1990s, and focused on a criminal profiler, Kazuhiko Amamiya, his many multiple personalities, and how they relate to a weird and evil conspiracy. I can't speak for the original manga series, since I've never encountered it. However, I can assume that the television series at least attempts at its essence. Takashi Miike works from a screenplay by Eiji Ootsuka, the author of the original manga and novels, and the audience is thrown in face first, as the death of his girlfriend seemingly splits Kazuhiko Amamiya into other personalities. As the series progresses, he flip-flops between the profiler and Yousuke Kobayashi, who is a more mild-mannered detective. He's chasing Shinji Nishizono, either another part of his personality that has been disembodied, or some other sort of evil spirt. It's not that clear from the first few episodes (each DVD contains two, hour-long parts), but there is a definite connection between his past and Lu-C Monostone, a musician and killer meant to remind of Charles Manson. The life and music of Monostone is intertwined with the events in each episode, as past horror seems to be crossing over into the present. To find out a lot more about this series, travel to junk.log right now. nick@junkmagnet.com Wed, 7 Sep 2005 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0509.html#9.1.2005.1 I was going to start new contests today, but recent events made the act of giving away T-Shirts and CDs seem cheap. So, that will happen later. For the past few days, my focus has been on the Gulf States of the US, particularly Louisiana and Mississippi, which as most everyone knows are in dire straights. Over 100,000 people need immediate help, of the life or death variety - an apt metaphor is that many people woke up and found themselves on thousands of tiny desert islands (their former homes), with nothing but their wits or fear to guide them. Of course, we all knew that particular storm was coming, and so there were days that could have been spent in evacuation, or shoring things up. Experts and lay-people knew for decades that the levees were not enough, and that the federal government was increasingly unwilling to pay for their upkeep. That's simply unforgivable, especially considering that New Orleans is below sea level, so the threat has always been clear. Now, it's not all gone forever, but at least for months or even years everything will be different. It's not the first natural disaster, and odds are there will be dozens around the world before this year is up. I think the point is to get some real foresight in action, instead of just trailing after catastrophes with inadequate financial resources, and perhaps the best intentions in hindsight. You can find all sorts of analysis everywhere this week, so I'll spare you my lack of expertise. I know my share about Japanese music, but I'm not smart enough to think of a real solution for such larger issues. One could say that it's simply the inextricable forces of nature, and shrug shoulders, or we could all act, trying to create mitigation on many fronts. If we can send our young to war, then we can send them to build bridges and dams and homes instead. All I know is that I'm searching for ways to help in this particular case - the Red Cross is a good place to begin - knowing all too well that in a few days, months or years, a disaster of similar scale (earthquake) is all but assured to hit my home towns. I would hope to be prepared by then, but outside help will no doubt be necessary. Thus, I work to help those in need now, and hope that in the future some of that can be repaid in kind. In conclusion: Help, please. That's about thousands have the strength to say, so I'm doing my best to listen, and respond. Hopefully a lot of little arms can remove this big burden. nick@junkmagnet.com Fri, 2 Sep 2005 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0508.html#8.29.2005.1 I have one more release to discuss, from my associates at Records Of The Damned - the 4th album by Mummy The Peepshow, entitled [School Girl Pop]. Their first full release in the US, it's very Western sounding, with a pop-punk sensibility and mostly English vocals. Maki (Vocals, Guitar), Naru (Bass) and Mayu (Drums) wear their influences on their sleeves (various great sounding indie bands from the early 90s, when they started), and so there's no wrong to be had in the 12 peppy tracks. They're like Shonen Knife before they became big in the West, or newer outfits like Barnabys or Noodles. You get the drift - all girl music explosion of the Benten variety, the kind I adore. However, I'm of the mind that Japanese vocals are a wonderful thing, and so I didn't enjoy some songs as much as I could have, because of the English. Not that Mummy The Peepshow don't write simple yet catchy songs with decent instrumentals, it's just that their Japanese tracks, like [Cut] are miles ahead of their others. This is obviously my bias, and perhaps others will find the English to be an attractive strength - the songs remain energetic, and the vocals are understandable. It's just that some bands, The Brilliant Green and Love Psychedelico among them, offer bilingualism that really works musically, at least for me. Yeah, that's pretty much my only criticism. Mummy The Peepshow are talented, representing Osaka the right way, and deserve your attention when they tour the world yet again, hopefully soon. By all means, let their new US label set you up this instant. nick@junkmagnet.com Tue, 30 Aug 2005 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0508.html#8.25.2005.1 My new source for quirky Japanese imports, Records Of The Damned, has put their weight behind EeL, a musical collective fronted by the titular EeL, a woman of many satisfying vocal talents. Their second release from 12.20.2001, [people people], is just now seeing light in the US, and it's quite the carnival ride. 15 tracks of various wonderment, never remotely serious and well worth dancing to, in front of a pastel-colored screen like other members of the iPod generation. EeL sound very synthtastic, with driving beats, pleasing (yet sometimes annoying) vocals, and a face-front presentation that definitely keeps your attention. Sandou provides the peppy programming, and the whole thing sounds like Tommy february6 sped up three times, along with some Neo New Wave flotation. It all feels hand-made and one-woman-band, yet still pleasingly professional. Almost entirely sung in Japanese, I'm partial to songs like [Reality Bites], which reminds me a lot of the [Cool Cool Toon] soundtrack (the music from one of my most favorite Dreamcast games), with up-tempo keyboards, shuffle promoting percussion, and basically a sweet vibe that one can envision going on a candy shopping spree to. I also adore track 10, [Tamago] (title appears in kanji, translates as egg), which is sonically complex, not as high wound, with South Asian flavor that really hits the spot. What's even better is that every song is coming from a somewhat different place sonically, adding handfuls of extra interest. This early record makes me want to track down her other 3 albums and sundry releases, waiting for me in Japan. I'm going to first try [Little Prince] (her 4th album from 2004), and I'll let you know what's what. [= http://www.recordsofthedamned.com/ =] nick@junkmagnet.com Fri, 26 Aug 2005 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0508.html#8.23.2005.1 Did you ever play a Famicom video game system (known as the Nintendo Entertainment System in the US)? Well, YMCK sound exactly like those games did, only better and with smooth Japanese lyrical action. Lots of bleeps and blips, perhaps simulated, perhaps authentically 8 bit, but all arranged in pleasing jazz-pop structures that stimulate and satiate. Midori Kurihara (Vocals), Takeshi Yokemura (Music, Lyrics, Arrangement) and Tomoyuki Nakamura (Music, Animation) are three swell Japanese folk that have been around for a few years, and just released their first album [Family Music] in the US, care of Records Of The Damned, a fine outfit from Cedar Falls, Iowa. It quickly grew on me with the aforementioned charming old school sounds (Mario fans shall be pleased), and they are similar to PINE*am, if they were trapped in a Game Boy Advance cartridge. Yes, YMCK is short for Yellow, Magenta, Cyan and Black (aka CMYK), the offset printing color model. There's even a keen song, [Yellow, Magenta, Cyan and Black] with lyrics that follow this concept to the natural, psychedelic conclusion. That's commitment to a theme, and I for one appreciated the effort. Records Of The Damned have also recently brought out releases by Eel and Mummy The Peepshow, both of which are grand in their own special ways, and will be covered here soon. By all means, adopt a reasonably price imported Japanese band today. nick@junkmagnet.com Wed, 24 Aug 2005 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0508.html#8.22.2005.1 There's so much manga and anime about everything but manga and anime, you know? Which is why I've enjoyed Genshiken, a manga from [Afternoon] magazine, created by Shimoku Kio, turned into an anime series in late 2004. Just now reaching the US in both forms, it's the amazingly self-referential tale of a group of Japanese college students, who have a friendly otaku club, "The Society for the Study of Modern Visual Culture" aka Genshiken, dedicated to anime, manga, games, cosplay and related mono. Visit junk.log now to find out more about this series, including the mushroom fixated [Kujibiki Unbalance] sub-series included within. It's all quite fun, and geek-affirming.nick@junkmagnet.com nick@junkmagnet.com Tue, 23 Aug 2005 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0508.html#8.16.2005.1 I've been getting into purchasing from eBay recently - mostly comics and associated items - and now I have a nice little gold star, signifying my newbieness. Due to my bidding, I've been browsing the various wares a bit more, and last night I came across the new phenomena of mystery auctions. The concept is simple enough, but the execution often turns into a lucrative scam. Consider an empty box. It could contain a million dollars, a penny, or perhaps a half eaten orange. You can sell that cardboard box on eBay as a mystery auction, with the direct promise of just a box, but the indirect solicitation of potentially valuable contents, given as a "gift" to the winner. You can't say exactly what it is, according to supposed eBay regulations, so there are lots of cryptic hints, of the "bigger than a breadbasket" and fill in the blanks sort. You see lots of "$$$$$$$" signifying money, I suppose, but that could also be a typographical flourish, like asterisks, indicating nothing in particular. Go to the mystery auctions section now, and look around for a few minutes before coming back. Hello again. Did you smell something funny, like I did? Note lots of empty containers that may including something, but are only obligated to have nothing. Still, some people do "win", but in every case the aggregate value is less than the bidded amount. It's kind of like those gashapon machines in Japan, that contain lots of cool, random stuff, all for just 200 yen. You never know what you're going to get, but it won't be that much. So, some people are just having "fun", spending money with random returns. You hear stories of people who thought they were getting a real, red car, but instead got a red riding lawnmower. People who thought they were buying a $6000 check for just $2000 (scam alert!), but ended up getting far less. I'm sure that people are out there who were expecting riches, but got pocket change or trinkets. Still, all they were actually buying was a box, right? Follow the link to junk.log now to find out how people are scamming away thousands in cash, apparently with eBay's blessing. nick@junkmagnet.com Wed, 17 Aug 2005 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0508.html#8.11.2005.2 Tsu Shi Ma Mi Re is one of my new favorite funk-punk bands, and PINE*am are an up-and-coming synth-pop-rock group. The fact that both outfits are comprised entirely of Japanese women is besides the point; they rock out quite completely, and thus deserve your attention for that fact alone. They will be touring the US extensively (and separately), and if you want to find out the dates and times, then follow the link to junk.log this instant - there's too much information for me to give legibly via RSS. nick@junkmagnet.com Fri, 12 Aug 2005 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0508.html#8.8.2005.1 Nicc Balce is a fine up and coming artist, who is the master of somewhat anime-inspired illustration, mostly of cute women. He had some online comics for a while, and recently was given the opportunity by Viper Comics to translate his vision to print. He came up with [Random Encounter], a 4 issue miniseries featuring some situations and characters that existed in his previous work, only this time with a larger canvas. Simply put, [Random Encounter] overlays a RPG structure to what appears to be a normal life, shared by Migo, Mona and Mica at the local Kwik Mart. One night, they encounter the "Goggle's Girl", who lands mysteriously on the roof, followed by a series of ink-black monsters. This new associate doesn't remember who she is, or where she came from, but in a pinch she turns out to be quite the monster slayer. The main thrust of the plot involves these and other characters fighting said monsters, and finding out just what going on in the first place. These seemingly random battles, much like your typical RPG, are countered by the acquisition of special power ups, which have a fairly involved back story behind them, but still are placed firmly in the realm of fantasy. The occasional video game joke is balanced by typical brushes with romance and adventure, rendered in a very pleasing, loose black and white presentation. I like Nicc's hand, especially his expressive faces and kinetic battle scenes, but it's a bit uneven at times, especially when compared to his stellar color work for the covers, and also found on his website. It's there that he really shines, and I look forward to when he can bring those skills to a book-length project. I know you want to check out this series, the (seemingly) last issue of which came out recently. If so, then head out to your local comic book store, or order from the comfort of your home using the Viper Online Store. They have other fine wares you should also check out, so act early and often. [= http://randomencounter.the-null.com/ =] nick@junkmagnet.com Tue, 9 Aug 2005 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0508.html#8.3.2005.1 After 2 months of delay, [BAMBi And Her Pink Gun] by Kaneko Atsushi is finally out in the US. Released today, I saw a few copies at my local comic book store, and picked up one to browse. Sure, I already "read" the series in Japanese, but I only understood 70%, and have anxiously been awaiting a translation. It looked good, and the presentation was very authentic, down to the regulation manga dust jacket and crimson ink. It's not as grand as the original release, but close enough. Thanks go out to Digital Manga Publishing for the fine job. I highly recommend that you check out this series, particularly after a few more volumes are released, when the story really picks up. You can't find it in stock at Amazon.com yet (where I've preordered it ages ago), but a trip to your local book store might prove rewarding. It's 18+, so bring an ID, fake mustache, and the like. [= http://www.junkmagnet.com/kanekoatsushi.html =] nick@junkmagnet.com Thu, 4 Aug 2005 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0508.html#8.2.2005.1 It has been previously established that I fell in love with [Bakuretsu Tenshi] (known internationally as [Burst Angel], before I even saw an episode. I was taken by the character design and overal Gonzo feel, and was not dissapointed when I finally viewed the first DVD volume a few months ago. Now, the second volume is out, and I'm still quite into the characters, but the plot line leaves something to be desired. Specifically, two episodes are taken up by the menace of a giant, mechanical crow which is haunting future Tokyo. Sure, it was a big crow, and yes, it did kidnap cute young women for feeding, but I found the whole thing to be a bit weird. There is a running mystery about "metal brains", some sort of cybernetic technology found in the crow and other baddies, and I guess we'll eventually find out about that. No matter, I'm mostly in it for the attractive and compelling mercenary girls, not to mention the well-executed mecha, and so [Burst Angel] still gets a ribbon. [Elfen Lied], as mentioned previously in junk.log, is both ultra violent and super "sexy", at least in the first few episodes. Volume 2 is more toned down, with only isolated beheadings, and flashbacks to dismemberment. There's the occasional nude scene, and a particularly graphic incest remembrance, but it's not as in your face as the beginning of the series, and does serve narrative purpose. I'm actually digging [Elfen Lied] a bit more than [Baku-Ten], because it's one long story broken into episodes, rather than episodic adventure that eventually ties together into a larger plot. All of the leads are young, from the horned girls Lucy/Nyu and Nana, to the students living in a former Japanese restaurant. There's a love story (albeit between cousins), and enough mystery to keep your attention. Those who don't mind the occasion blood or breast storm should check it out - it's really not all that much, and the plot itself is quite compelling, filled with more than enough cuteness and tears to wipe away the crimson. [= http://www.burstangel.tv =] [= http://www.vap.co.jp/elfenlied/ =] nick@junkmagnet.com Wed, 3 Aug 2005 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0508.html#8.1.2005.1 On 7.13.05, Tokyo Jihen blessed the world with a DVD containing one half of their recent Dynamite! tour of Japan. Bargain priced at 1980 yen, [Dynamite In!] includes 50 minutes of concert footage (5 full songs, plus fragments) and behind-the-scenes episodes. If you like Sheena Ringo and her band mates, then you will love this little disc, that happens to be All Region NTSC (that means you can import it and play it on your US DVD player). Brilliantly explosive, in 99% Japanese with no subtitles. What's more, on 8.17.05, the second part of this affair shall be released, entitled [Dynamite Out!]. It's the larger of the two, priced more normally at 4800 yen, and will bestow you with 120 minutes of pure concert footage. As can be expected, that's something I'm anticipating with bated PO Box key. This means that Tokyo Jihen have released 3 DVDs in 8 months, which is basically unheard of for anyone but perhaps Ayumi Hamasaki. Enjoy this avalanche of sonic goodness while you still can, or at least unit the put out more singles, hopefully in the next few months. [[ http://www.junkmagnet.com/music/jpop/tokyoincidents.html ]]nick@junkmagnet.com nick@junkmagnet.com Tue, 2 Aug 2005 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0507.html#7.26.2005.1 Frequent junk.log readers know that I'm a big fan of manga artist Kaneko Atsushi, author of [BAMBi], soon to be released in the US. He finished that series a few years ago, and recently he has been working on [SOIL], a great mystery story, with SF elements. I bought the first two Japanese volumes of [SOIL] and enjoyed them immensely. Recently I wondered if [SOIL] was still being serialized in [Comic Beam], a monthly magazine in Japan. Its website wasn't that clear, so I directly contacted Enterbrain, the publisher of Kaneko Atsushi's works. It turns out that he took a few months off from [SOIL], to direct a movie. I'm not sure what that new project is called, but I'll find out. I know he worked on [Space Police] last year, providing the visual design. The serialization of [SOIL] will now continue, and 3-4 more collected volumes are planned, depending on the ultimate length of the series. [SOIL] Volume 3 is due out in Japan in 9.2005, and you know I'll preorder it as soon as it is solicited. It should be published in [Comic Beam] for the next few years, at least, and hopefully I'll find a supplier of that monthly magazine soon, so I won't have to wait for the collections. As for the publication of his works in the US, [BAMBi And Her Pink Gun] is overdue, but should be out in a month or so from Digital Manga Publishing. You owe it to yourself to check it out, but realize that the series doesn't really shine until the second half. [ http://www.junkmagnet.com/kanekoatsushi.html ] nick@junkmagnet.com Wed, 27 Jul 2005 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0507.html#7.25.2005.1 With a rhyming title like that, you know this entry has to be important. Well, just be aware that the Morning Mayonnaise website is no more, and in its place is www.gomorning.com. Why is this newsworthy? Well, I've been virtually acquainted with one of the forces behind the Mayonnaise Project since it began, and it's always been a fine resources for many things related to Japanese pop culture, especially music. Go Morning is only carrying on this tradition, and has lots of content worth noting. Specifically, I really dig Morning Scene, which usually breaks the latest news about Japanese artists scheduled to play in North America. If you've been visiting there, you'd already know that PINE*am is about to tour the US yet again, or that Titan Go King's and Tsu Shi Ma Mi Re now have their albums at the iTunes Music Store. In short, Go Morning is a great place to hang out, with much more detailed information about certain topics than I'll ever be able to provide. I assume you're not even reading this sentence, since you're already checking it out. Back already? Well, you should also be aware of JGalaxy, one of the best kept blog-aggregating secrets. Carrying info from select sites that deal with things Asian - including junk.log and Morning Scene - it's a great way to check up on the latest RSS feeds from contributing sites you may not have encountered before. Great writing, timely news and tightly-bound links abound, so you know what to do. [ http://jgalaxy.theppn.org/ ] nick@junkmagnet.com Tue, 26 Jul 2005 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0507.html#7.19.2005.1 I've been seriously following comic books for about 20 years, and yet up until a few months ago, I never used the resources available to me online. Of course, a few years ago they didn't exist, but now there are a wide variety of places to read news and discuss topics related to the comics industry. Sounds geeky perhaps, but it's the sort of thing I enjoy. Lately, I've been using many websites to get my comic news fix, above and beyond [Comics Buyer's Guide] and [Wizard], which I read in print each month. Follow the link to the full junk.log entry, for lots of links and further discussion. nick@junkmagnet.com Wed, 20 Jul 2005 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0507.html#7.18.2005.1 Imagine this: 123 live tracks over 8 CDs, plus two live DVDs. With a normal band, this might be tedious to say the least, but with Number Girl, a loud rock-punk band that I simply adore, this is something to shout from the rooftops about. I've been into them since 2000 or so, but haven't updated my shrine to them for almost 4 years. A shame, since they've had many great releases I've enjoyed, but not talked about. No matter. As of tonight, you can visit my Number Girl page and find out all about their latest live omnibus, [Omoide In My Head 2 - Kioku Series], not to mention all of their other singles and albums, with more information to come. Celebrate this group with me, and let me know if there any experts on the band out there, that can help me improve my meager presentation. [http://www.junkmagnet.com/music/jpop/numbergirl.html] nick@junkmagnet.com Tue, 19 Jul 2005 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0507.html#7.14.2005.1 Comic books as we know them have been around since the 1930's, a time called the Golden Age by fans. Since then the world has changed, and comics have changed with them, yet some characters are still firmly rooted in the past. DC Comics has big name guns like Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman, all of which were created decades before many of our parents were born. Thus, there's always room to revise them, keeping their core essence while updating the details for new, younger audiences. Find out how DC Comics is attempting to bring their characters to teens of today, starting with [All Star Batman And Robin], by Frank Miller and Jim Lee. Released yesterday, you can read my extensive thoughts on it at junk.log. nick@junkmagnet.com Fri, 15 Jul 2005 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0507.html#7.13.2005.1 Perhaps it's news to you, but by now most people know that there's a large Darknet out there, a subset of the internet obsessed with file production and trading, specifically that of copyrighted works. Through IRC (Internet Relay Chat) and FTP, they rip CDs and DVDs, creating a chain of trading that filters down from "top sites" to your typical BitTorrent tracker page. [The Scene] is an ambitious and somewhat unique project, distributed in much the same way, that provides a fictionalized and dramatized account of one small group of individuals, located around the world, and committed on acquiring and releasing Hollywood's hits before they officially hit DVD, and perhaps before they even leave the theater. Freely distributed though channels like BitTorrent, there have been 10 monthly episodes so far, detailing the rise and fall of Brian Sandro, a college student who runs a "piracy" group called CPX in his free time. Over the course of these real-time segments (like [24]), you follow a video feed of him or other characters, along with their IM and IRC chats, and the occasional email. Basically, you have a window into their Windows desktops, and peek over their shoulders at the most opportune times to advance the plot. It takes some time to get use to - you really have to enjoy reading chat windows - but after the first dozen minutes or so, you quickly get caught up not only in the drama of the group's attempt to beat their rivals in the scene with timely releases, but in Brian/Drosan's massive lies to his friends, girlfriends, scenesters, and even himself, as trouble always looms ahead. Will they get caught for "illegal" file trading? Will Brian's greed cause him no end of problems? There's lots to discover in this elaborate construct, and with 10 episodes now available (with more to come), you have a good chunk of the story to discover. It's not perfect (and not that realistic), but I can't think of many other people (in this case, the members of Jun Group Entertainment) that are even attemting to create new multimedia narrative forms like this. Entertaining as well as instructional, [The Scene] gives a peek into parts of the net that not everyone knows about. Thus, I recommend that you check it out - heck, it's free, so delete it if you don't like it. nick@junkmagnet.com Thu, 14 Jul 2005 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0507.html#7.12.2005.1 Usually, I go on and on about all of the junk that I like, but tonight, I'll take the road less travelled by, just to be different. For the past few months, I'd been hearing all about Koda Kumi, which culminated with my purchase of the [Cutie Honey] live-action DVD, that she provided the title track to. It seemed catchy enough, so when she released her latest album, [Secret] on 2.9.05, I decided to check it out. Upon first listen, I was violently in un-like. Not that it was awful, but her music sounded a lot like other Avex Trax releases, most of which are poor Ayumi Hamasaki clones. However, she seemed to be very popular, so perhaps I was missing something? Turns out that I was missing her visual persona, which I experienced last night after finally watching the DVD of 8 promotional videos that was bundled with her last album. The secret to Koda Kumi is quite simple - sex. Sex sells, and she's vending it on all corners. Pretty much every video has her breasts, booty and thighs a poppin', and she's always trying to seduce male models, which I supposed are listener stand ins. In any case, it seems her handlers are trying to overcompensate for her average skills by making her out X-Tina your favorite female "singer". I don't know if this is a recent trend, or if that's always been her thing, to strip almost naked, attach feathers, jewels and bells to her fingernails, and do jerky dances with similarly attired women as backup. There is artistry in this, but it's of the more prurient kind. I can appreciate in-your-face sexuality, but that's usually a positive attribute of porn stars, not of the musicians I adore. The sad thing is that if her music was actually great, then she would be fairly unstoppable, due to her hormonal puppeteering. Fortunately, there is little to no chance of that happening, and if I'm wrong, then please let me know which of her releases is more impressive. Speaking of which, she does have a new album coming out on 9.21.2005 (no title yet), with two singles to be released in the month before it. Perhaps these will win me over, but there's not much chance of me finding out, since I don't intend on buying them. Anyway, I know you want proof for my thesis, so I took some screenshots to prove my point. I really tried hard not to enjoy preparing the Koda Kumi pictures now posted on junk.log. nick@junkmagnet.com Wed, 13 Jul 2005 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0507.html#7.11.2005.1 After almost a year of anticipation, Jude finally released their 5th album, [Electric Rainbow], on 6.22.2005. It goes without saying that it's a great album, because simply everything that Kenichi Asai has been involved with for the past two decades has rocked completely. However, it is an evolution for Jude, with more Sherbets influence than usual. Of course, that's another one of his projects, so he's basically copying himself, to nothing but good effect. I have to hear it a few more times, but I'm close to declaring this the best Jude album yet. More about it soon at my Jude shrine. Last month I reminded you that [Landmark], the first truly solo release by Salyu, was scheduled for 6.15.05. I got it last week, and it's without question one of my top three albums this year. Every song is strong, and her previous stellar singles like [Peaty] have to compete with new amazingness like [Landmark], [Uee], and [Pop]. Really - if you like female vocalists, you'll love Salyu, even if you don't understand Japanese. As always, I have a large amount of preorders, and to read about some upcoming releases that might interest you, follow the link to junk.log right this instant. nick@junkmagnet.com Tue, 12 Jul 2005 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0507.html#7.6.2005.1 I love Rakubiki Jiten DS so much that once I marry and have kids, I will construct a time machine just so that my daughter can go back to 2004 or so, and insure that the master programmers at Nintendo and Sanseido Co put this package together. What the hell am I talking about? Well, Rakubiki Jiten is a card for the Nintendo DS portable game system, that turns it into a fine Japanese/English and English/Japanese dictionary with ABC and kana input, using a touch screen interface. Think about that for a second. You have a game system, and instead of playing Mr. Driller Drill Spirits, you flip open a electronic dictionary with which you can use scribbles to find all sorts of words. It's very complete, with lots of cool little toggles, a word bookmarking feature, and a general swell interface, that's even cute in places. Sure, there have been electronic dictonaries in Japan for years, but this is notable because it fits in a postage stamp card, is inexpensive and somewhat complete (3 types of dictionaries) and because it lets you go all scribble-scrabble. Plus, it's wirelessly connected, if your friends have DS units and want to look up words, or chat. All of this said, I can only rate this 5 out of 10, because what the world (that is, me) really needs is the same sort of dictionary that can also take written kanji input. Kanji are the sometimes complicated characters largely borrowed from Chinese, that usually take humongous character dictionaries to find their verbal readings. What I wanted and hoped for, was the ability to enter a radical (part of a kanji character) and have all of the possible matches come up. Or, I wanted to draw a whole character, perhaps one in a magazine right in front of me, and quickly get a reading and meaning. Perhaps the Japanese market is saturated with such products - if so I need links! It would take lots more work, but for that feature alone, I'd send my kids back in time to program it themselves. All in all, if you are a Nintendo DS owner that can read basic Japanese, but has a poor vocabulary, then Rakubiki Jiten is pretty cool. It's not the best electronic dictionary in the world, but it lets you write, scroll, flip pages, all with your little plastic penlet. Yes, it does work on US consoles (as all Japanese DS software does), so don't be afraid to acquire it for 4800 yen. nick@junkmagnet.com Thu, 7 Jul 2005 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0507.html#7.5.2005.1 Recently in junk.log I discussed how [The Eye 2] was an entertaining exercise in Hong Kong Horror from the Pang Brothers. It appears that on 3.24.2005 they released another film in the series, this time called [The Eye 10], in an attempt to cut to the chase, skipping seven theoretical sequels. It was released on DVD in May (Cantonese or Mandarin with English subtitles, from Media Asia Hong Kong), and I picked it up last weekend. Simply put, [The Eye 10] isn't as good as the two films before it. It's a Chinese Ghost Story, and the conceit is that the first two movies only covered two out of ten methods of communing with ghosts. The five lead "teenage" characters come across a Thai manual delineating the full ten ways to see ghosts. Being curious as well as stupid, one night they try it out for the sake of thrills, to way too much success. In this case, of course, success is actually a failure, because most of these ghosts are mean spirited, so to speak, and cause no end of terror, pain and death. However, this torment is cheapened by inexplicable moments of slapstick humor and attempts at levity, like a breakdancing contest with a possessed person. Most of the movie is about things jumping out, chasing, or disappearing when they're not supposed to, but this humor serves to alienate rather than accentuate. Yes, the film has ghostly special effects, but I was more impressed by the "less is more" attitude of the earlier episodes. The only real highlight of the film for me was Kate Yeung Kei, who played the lead character, tormented yet always cute and almost over the top. Her scenes are the ones that stuck with me, which speaks to her charm more so than the merits of the film. No, it's not an awful film, but it's all over the place, trying to be 8 films in one (one for each ghostly method) to make up for lost time. At this point, I would deem the series over, but who knows what the Bros. Pang will want to do next. Go right now to junk.log for pictures of the charming Kate Yeung Kei. nick@junkmagnet.com Wed, 6 Jul 2005 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0507.html#7.1.2005.2 I've been enjoying that manga for years, and eagerly awaiting its translation into English. Well, the wait is almost over, since [BAMBi And Her Pink Gun] is due to hit the US this month, thanks to Digital Manga Publishing. To celebrate, I decided to give away two copies of that US release, out of the kindness of my pocketbook. The lucky winners are: Kendra K. and Sherlan A. Even if you didn't win, you should check out my thorough Kaneko Atsushi shrine right this instant. nick@junkmagnet.com Sat, 2 Jul 2005 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0507.html#7.1.2005.1 One of the first bands covered by this site was Triceratops, oh so many years ago (umm...5?). I had an extra copy of [The 7th Voyage Of Triceratops], their latest album, which sounds quite swell. Out off a massively small drawing, a lucky junk.log reader named Inuki has won it. More Japanese Music contests will be forthcoming. nick@junkmagnet.com Sat, 2 Jul 2005 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0506.html#6.28.2005.1 Four guys from Alvin, TX (an Houston suburb) have been making spazzy, Rodan and Pitchblende meets Hella punk-metal for the past few years, and I'm pretty partial to their collective effort, entitled By The End Of Tonight. I'm a sucker for high-octane, instrumental guitar music, with the big Bugs Bunny beat, and their albums/EPs are like late-night Adult Swim shows, only faster and more intense. This is music to jump turnstiles to, with extra transit cop chasing at the end. James Templeton (Bass), Jeff Wilson (Drums), Josh Smith (Guitar), and Stefan Mach (Guitar) have special finger and arm powers that can make splendid mini-albums like [A Tribute To Tigers], which serve to invigorate as well as confuse. How can the timing be that odd, or the percussion so explosive? Well, it really does sound like the evolution of a lot of semi-obscure indie bands from the 90's, but since I liked such music then, I still can dig the new version. Perhaps you like to dig, too? If you desire large, rocky holes, then download [It's Christmas Time Again] by following the MP3 link at junk.log. Intensity! nick@junkmagnet.com Wed, 29 Jun 2005 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0506.html#6.22.2005.1 I come from a Pop background. Meaning, I grew up with the standard hits from the 40s onward, as piped over AM radio. Eventually my tastes expanded exponentially, but I'm still a sucker for well-constructed, fairly-feel-good songs. Palomar are three women and a man from Brooklyn, New York, and since around 1999 they've been making pop that snaps and crackles just for the heck of it. Female vocaled, jangle-guitared, and intelligently lyrical, their third album [Palomar III: Revenge Of Palomar] is one of my favorite releases from 2004, that I only discovered during SXSW 2005. Sarah Brockett (Bass, Vocals), Dale W. Miller (Drums, Vocals), Christina Prostano (Guitar, Vocals), and Rachel Warren (Guitar, Vocals) sound almost exactly like Jale, with a touch of Velocity Girl. That's to say they sound very Sub Pop, with touches of my all-time fave Up Records, and I can make such comparisons freely because I've seen their sound-alikes live, at the same awesome show in 1994. Ten years later, and that sharp yet sweet sound is back, for all of our enjoyment. I'm quite enamored by perfect songs like [Not Earned], which are akin to classical popular indie rock, much like Spent or other secrets of the 90s. It's my job now to track down their first two albums, not to mention their latest EP, and fully swim in this brilliance. Simply put, you'd be well served by listening to [The Planeiac] by following the MP3 link from junk.log. If that suits your fancy, then dig deep to come up with jewels. nick@junkmagnet.com Thu, 23 Jun 2005 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0506.html#6.21.2005.1 About 10 years ago, I was quite enamored by Sixteen Deluxe, a spunky band that picked up where My Bloody Valentine and a bunch of indie rockers left off. I loved their 3 albums, but lost track as their jaunt to a major label didn't bring the well-deserved stardom. Now, Carrie Clark from Sixteen Deluxe has joined bassist Matt Hovis and drummer Kevin Whitley in The Pretty Please, a kick-ass, fuzzy-buzzy, female vocaled rock slide that I'm really getting a kick out of. Their first 4 song EP, [Demonstration], captures their Austin, TX sound perfectly, from the super-catchy lead track, [The Rock Star Guide to Falling Apart], to equally swell sounds in [Falling Star], [The Artificial Hearts] and [Hit Parade], which come off as Sixteen Deluxe meets Cake Like and The Breeders. At this point, I know you're itching to have some of The Pretty Please, so why not listen to [The Rock Star Guide to Falling Apart] by following the MP3 link via junk.log. Or, hear [Hit Parade] from their web site. nick@junkmagnet.com Wed, 22 Jun 2005 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0506.html#6.20.2005.1 Well, you might not break down in tears, but [Howl's Moving Castle] still is a fine Hayao Miyazaki anime production. Do I need to explain who he is? From [Lupin], through [Nausicaa], and then into super stardom with tons of movies from his Ghibli studios, Miyazaki-san is an institution. Heck, this year he was profiled in the [The New Yorker] magazine, so you know he's at least appreciated by the upper-middle class. Of course, the rest of us have been into his work for decades, liberating it from adoring hands in Japan into translated form. I myself have been a fan since High School (the late 80s), so I do come at this from experience. On Saturday I was able to see his latest release (from 2004) in a local theater, in its pure, subtitled form, which is the only way to go. Don't let Disney and other interested parties fool you - fancy star voices from Hollywood are next to crap when compared to the original Japanese vocal masters. You have been warned - if you must see the dubbed production (which I'm sure will still be great), then also rent the upcoming DVD down the road so you can experience the real, subtitled presentation. As for the plot and all that, you know that I hate to spoil movies by recounting the story. Sufficed to say that you can find hundreds of mostly glowing reviews via a simple trip to RottenTomatoes.com. nick@junkmagnet.com Tue, 21 Jun 2005 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0506.html#6.16.2005.1 Did you know that there's a new Batman movie out? Seriously, I haven't seen any advertisements, magazine articles, actor appearances on talkshows, toys, tie-in comic books, novelizations, cellphone campaigns, nothing. I just walked up to my nearest theater last night, and there it was: [Batman Begins]. Sounded good, so I took my seat and went along for the ride. Actually, I has a little more foreknowledge than that. I've been a comic book reader since I could read, and while Batman isn't my most favorite character ever, I definitely know his mythos inside and out. I've been eagerly anticipating this particular revamp of the Batman franchise, because it promised to have a darker tone, more true to the source material. At Wondercon a few months ago in San Francisco, I even saw Christian Bale speak for about an hour about his role, and the force of his conviction in the power of this classic American icon warmed the cockles of all fanboys and fangirls present. So, of course I was there right after work on the first night, and even with my jaded, Bat-experienced eye, it was a remarkable achievement. Save for Katie Holmes, who never really does anything for me, the whole affair was action packed yet philosophical, mythical yet realistic. Taking the stories and art from various Batman creators and shifting them slightly, to better suit a new millennial movie audience, the end result was much better than any previous Batman movie, and placed solid foundations for sequels I actually would love to see. If you want more convincing than that, then go to your favorite movie review source and have a ball. Sufficed to say that this was an origin story cut from the same cloth as the [Spider-Man] series, and while a bit too dark for the little ones, I predict a similar success. nick@junkmagnet.com Fri, 17 Jun 2005 03:00:00 GMT http://www.junkmagnet.com/junklog0506.html#6.14.2005.1 I like airplane crashes that lead to tropical island adventures, and thus was particularly receptive to [Lost], which is literally the only TV show I watch regularly. I'm looking forward to to the DVD release of Season 1 on 9.6.05, to study the few parts I missed, and to marvel at the relatively amazing quality of it all. I'll spare you from long-winded analysis, because there's enough of that on the net and in magazines already. Sufficed to say that it's a pretty entertaining show with touches of SF, fantasy, [Gilligans Island], [Land of the Lost], and all sorts of other stuff. The DVD set is timed perfectly with the start of Season 2, and if you want a sneak peak into that, then head on over to www.oceanic-air.com. Whois says that it was created on 4.20.05, and might have gone live as little as a few weeks ago (I'm not certain). In any case, it's the site for the fictional airline that carried the members of [Lost] to their island doom. It's played perfectly straight, but if you click around here and there you'll get extra video clips and biographical detail from the series. For those needing a hint (and those like me who don't keep a pen and paper near the TV set), the series goes on and on about the following string of numbers: 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42. Those are the unlucky lottery numbers of Hurley, one planewrecked guy, and they figure into many other island plot points. All you need are these numbers, and the fact that the plane was flying from Sydney to Los Angeles, to get into a "restricted" area, where you can use those numbers again to pull up video clips. Mess around a bit and you'll be set up, although the teaser trailer is more tease than trail, so to speak. Have fun, see the reruns, and tune in to new adventures when the time is right. P.S.: Also check out