NEW
YORK (The Japunks Festival/ www.japunks.com) - The Japunks Festival
kicks off its 2005 series at the Wonder Bar in Asbury Park on Thursday,
April 21st. The show featuring many of Japan's top rock and roll
exports will then hit the Khyber in Philadelphia on the 22nd and finish
at CBGBs in New York City on the 23rd.
"Japunks is one of the
most entertaining and exciting shows you'll ever see," said Gary Wien,
publisher of Upstage Magazine. "Last year's show at the Saint in Asbury
Park was regarded by many as the best show of the year."
Tickets
for the opening night show in Asbury Park are just $10. Shows in
Philadelphia and New York City are $12. The first 50 people at each
show receive a special "goodie bag" of Japunks memorabila.
The festival's official website is at
https://www.japunks.com. You can view photos from last year's show in Asbury Park at
https://www.asburymusic.com/archives/japunks.html.
The
Wonder Bar is located directly across from Asbury Park's legendary
Convention Hall and Paramount Theatre � just one block away from the
ocean. Asbury Park is easily accessible from the Garden
State Parkway
(exit 102),
State Routes 18 and 33, and NJ Transit (Jersey Coast Line).
About The Bands:
Peelander-Z
Action
Comic Punk Rock from NYC!! You would realize what it means only when
you finally get to one of their shows. Their eccentric stage
performances had led them for several appearances on Comedy Central`s
Upright Citizens Brigade in 1999. They were also headlined Art Frenzy,
a major NYC art festival hi-lighting most artistic performers in the
city. As they toured the U.S. a couple of times, they were exposed and
applauded in almost every major city in the country. On their previous
tour, they have played with major bands like
Electric Six and The
Detroit Cobras. Also they are regularly featured on CMJ
Music Festival
and SXSW
Music Festival in the US. Their album, "P-Bone Steak" is
nationally distributed from Swell Records of NYC, and their new album
"Dancing Friendly was just released in 2005.
The Spunks
Kamikaze
Rock'N Roll from NYC! Singing only about "sex", "drink", and
"motor-rides", they put a hyper-energetic stage performance, having
almost nonstop tour all over the US. Over the past few years, they have
been exposed to medias and festivals: nomination as "One of The Best 18
Bands in NYC Underground
Music Scene" by NYROCK in 2002, played on CMJ
Music Marathan Asian Night NIGHT (2003), and featured on PBS Charlie
Rose Show as a prime example of Japanese Underground rock band in NYC
(2004). On their tour history, they have played with the names like
Teen Idols, Guitar Wolf and
Mad Capsule Markets of Japan. They have
just released out their 3rd album, "Born To Be Mild" from 9 Byard
Records. "Thrilles", "Stupidity", and "Loudness" Guaranteed!
Ed Woods
A
space psychobilly from a rural part of Tokyko! With huge respect on a
charismatic movie director Ed Wood, this odd looking 3-piece puts
super-hyper stage performances wherever they can play. A lift up bass
(with a naked player), manipulated drum sounds, spilled bloodstain all
over the stage� their craziness never stops and often make them kicked
out from clubs in Tokyo. On the other hand, however, they are also an
underground charisma in Tokyo Indie scene: their own label Nitro
Franken and the compilation Nitro Franken Series are one of the best
selling Indie album in Japan. The latest 2nd series of compilation
Nitro Franken Panic Reloaded features many of all time Japunks favorite
bands like Blue-III, Peelander-Z, The Spunks, and Rocket Jack Vaders.
The Dudoos
Lyrics
with their own created, mixture languages such as Japanese, German,
Belgium, pounding on a poppy punk rock along with squeaking keyboards
and recorders� The Dudoos brings you to totally an eccentric, new world
of punk rock you have never heard. Their musical influences like The
Dickies and The Queers can be modified to some music from
Weezer of
today, the other from Toy Dolls of a new wave age. The costume is
strange, too: It is also their sense of humor, a creation, and a
destruction of self-images against their poppy and cute sounds. The 1st
album "Specium Sommer" is released out of Sound Pollution Records in
the US.
Bleach03
Bleach03 is an initial explosive from an
underground music scene in Okinawa, the southern island of Japan, into
a major scene of the country� into the world! The band consists of
three girls Kanna, Miya, and Sayuri, but you will not believe they are
just girls when you encounter their sound, and when you witness them on
the stage. Their heaviness, charisma, and musical talent were proven
and brought a nation wide attention all over Japan, when they released
the 1st album "Kibakuzai ~ Japanese translation of an initial
explosive" from their own label Ripley. Since 2000, they started
touring in the US and now regularly attended major festivals like SXSW
held in Austin, TX, and Japan Night held all over major cities. In
2004, they appeared in Vans Warped Tour in Tokyko, soon after they
signed with Highwave, a local record label in Okinawa. Now, you can
find many of their music all over the world, such as Benten Record of
Japan, EMI Japan, Highwave and Cherry Red of the UK. In March of 2005,
their new album is released out from Australian Cattle God Records in
TX.
DJ Mammouth & MC Eagle
"Manzai" is the one of
Japanese traditional styles of comedy: 1-5 people play a trash talk
about any issue in everyday life but like a fast, good storyteller.
Choushinjuku is a 5-piece comedian, a leather outfit and greasy
rockers, and a serious rock band. They brought a new sensation to
Manzai world by combining a comedy and the taste of rock`n roll. Over
the past few years, they have won and been awarded on hundreds of
Japanese major Manzai contests and festivals. Now, two front men,
Mommoth and Eagle of Choushinjuku bring another taste of comedy /
rock`n roll to the USA by spinning a good-old rock`n roll music and
placing some funny actions. Actually, these guys have totally impressed
and shocked Gyuzo of the world-famous Tokyko Shock Boys. (
https://www.choushinjuku.com/)
