Gene Vincent singt im Star-Club

Reproduction of an original Star Club publicity card.

Bought it in Harajuku Jack's in Tokyo.

7" Thee Braindrops - Lorraine (Family Spree Recordings, 2018)

Ok. I'll copy and translate from Spanish: 

"Thee Braindrops are a Spanish based garage-rock and roll band formed in 2017. They are the Japanese frontman Bunny Shima (voice and percussion), Big Pablo (bass and chorus), Carlos (guitar) and Pablo (drums).

They play energetic and direct tunes influenced by 1960s, the most garage songs of The Woggles and de rawness of Billy Childish throughout the darkest and fuzz loaded side of The Fuzztones".

And I would add: Thee Braindrops play pure primitive garage-punk!!! This is their debut EP. Four songs that make me think about garage revival bands from 1980s. 

They are fans of Fuzztones ("Braindrops" was the title of an album recorded by this band!) also The Morlocks and The Masonics as we can hear on their shows. 

This is just an idea of what you hear in this EP. Garage rockers from around the world will love it!

Sexy and colorful comic-art cover by Mik Baro.

Tadanori Yokoo

Graphic designer, illustrator, printmaker and painter.

One of Japan’s most well-known artists, who began working with painting in 1966. In parallel, Yokoo’s early screenprints combined photographs with the influence of traditional Japanese ukiyo-e(woodblock prints) and pop art’s flat colours and overtly sexual content. [...].His work became influenced by mysticism following his trip to India in the 1970s, resulting in posters with eclectic imagery sharing the aesthetics of the underground psychedelic magazines of the time.* 

*Copied and  pasted from Tate website.

Pump It Up! A Power Pop Weekender. Done!!!

I haven't written here in a while! Only three weeks left for my trip to Tokyo and I can't focus on other thing! :D

Well, "Pump It Up! A Power Pop Weekender" took place last weekend at The Finsbury Pub in North London. Apart from the bands I usually see in the weekends (Los Pepes, Lucy & The Rats, More Kicks, Randy Savages...), I'd like to mention the debut show of The Speedways on Sunday. After only a couple of rehearsals, these guys played like if they have been playing together for years! 

More Kicks played after them. Their first single is already out and they are touring in Germany right now! Catch them if you have the chance (SO36 in Berlin on Wednesday night with The Briefs and StrgZ. Then a special surprise in Berlin on Thursday and KOMET Musik Bar in Hamburg on Friday. Next London gig Garageland at the Lock Tavern on 10 August!).

More Kicks

Regarding Saturday, I was excited to see Baby Shakes again as I'm a big fan of them. The set was quite similar as the one they played in April for Dirty Water. Songs from last album, some from previous recordings plus I wanna be loved of Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers and Heart of the City of Nick Lowe. What a good taste they have!!!

Baby Shakes

Also Faz Waltz played in London a few months ago. Their thing is not so power-pop but it's close to glam music as you can hear on their riffs and sound. So glam music fans (me! :D ) were more than happy for this three piece band in this festival.

Barracudas! They are celebrating 40th anniversary this year. After seeing them last time (3 years ago...? in The Pipeline) and feel disappointment, this time everyone got satisfied with the gig. The same with Protex. Even though they are one of my favorite power-pop bands from the old days, I hadn't heard good opinions about their show... And I'm not a big fan of the album recorded last year. However I felt the show energetic and they didn't miss some of their classics. Not too bad!

Dirty Fences

Anyway, this is what I think about the last show on Sunday: Dirty Fences were the BEST of the festival. This guys were something like "The Gizmos meet Ramones". Energy and rock'n'roll!!!!! I'd pay for experience that show again!

And that's all about my favorite ones (finally I wrote more than I thought!). Thanks to all the bands and special thanks Mauro and Simon. Hope you do it next year once again!!!

(Pics by ZigPix and Penelope York).

"Hello Kitty" Shinkansen

Oooooh nooooo... My sugar levels came up as soon as I read this new!!! Also my disappointment, as I don't think I'll manage to ride on this "Hello Kitty" bullet train during my next trip to Tokyo (next month!). It will run for the next three months only between the western cities of Osaka and Fukuoka.

Anyway, because my love and obsession for kawaii stuff and Japanese mascots, it well deserves to be published on here! 

Two fans at the Hello Kitty convention in Los Angeles