Hey, how's it going? Still breathing here, hehehe. Anyway, yes, it has been a long while since the last post. Been busy with a few things, if not a whole lot of stuff...yeah, a whole lot of stuff. But who isn't? I'm not complaining, I like keeping busy. But I do miss podcasting that's for sure. And that's why I'm preparing some new episodes. Yes new ones! When will it come out? Hopefully, soon. Time management...well, need to work on that. 

So what's up? Well, recently, I went to Japan this past spring break (woo hoo!). It was excellent. Went and got to hang out with a bunch of my best buds and just cruised. Drank everyday, ate some tasty meals, and cruised. That's all I really cared about doing. Can't do it that much these days. Oh and a bunch of record shopping, not a whole lot, but I got some done :-D Tower Records is still up and running. It was pretty amazing. Picked up an EP by a band called, Angry Frog Rebirth. I have no idea what that name means, but I love it. Picked up a bunch of other titles too that I'll share some other time. 
Also stopped by Okinawa for a day and some change. Really chill there. 

It seems like a fast paced kind of life in the city. Very active. I don't think I can ride the train every day. It felt as if everything was still moving after getting off the train lol. Definitely experienced some new things there. Ask me about sometime if you want to know more :-D

This is a club me and my friend went to. We caught the last train out at about 12:30 am and we decided it'd be better just to stay out till the station reopened at 5:00 am instead of taking a cab home. Thank god for vodka redbulls, but I didn't go to sleep until 10:30 because of them. Good times. Later during the night at the club, my friend points out this dude in the crowd and asks me if that's Macklemore. I couldn't tell you for the life of me if it was or wasn't, nor could I name any of his songs. Every person I've told this story to know's who he is. I need to listen to the radio more. But anyway, turns out it was him. My friend confirmed it because it turns out he was performing in Tokyo later that week. I saw Macklemore at the club. yup.

I eat sushi. I love sushi. And because of sushi, I love raw fish too. Especially raw tuna and salmon. I love it. But it has to be prepared in a certain way, I won't eat it straight from the ocean, that's just gross. But this picture is not of raw fish. It's raw horse. I think raw chicken was on the menu too, but my friends won't cross some lines. But for this, I soaked the meat in soy sauce and closed my eyes and tried not to think about the taste. Then I ate a second piece straight. Raw meat tastes like raw meat, I think, regardless of species. It didn't taste like raw fish, that's for sure. This meal made the trip complete.

Wanna see more pics? IG: @thisisohno

I picked up a copy of this lp at Disk Union in Shinjuku. I had no idea what to expect and actually picked up it up only because it was fairly cheap. Really happy with it :-D. 

     The new album by Five Iron Frenzy is titled, Engine of a Million Plots, and is up for pre-order on itunes. Holy crap! I didn't forget that I pledged for their kickstarter, but I went ahead and made a pre-order anyway...I really wanted to hear a new track off of it. The new track is, So Far...dayum, it's a tight track. Horn section is fantastic, crisp guitars and bass, drums are tight, and Reese Roper's vocals are as lovely as ever. 
Looks like they did release a couple singles last year. I thought I'd wait it out...I couldn't wait any longer. I basically just paid ten bucks for a single. Worth it...check it if ya got a chance. Five Iron Frenzy is back.

     Oh! Yes! Agh!, by Challenger! is finally here! Well, not in its entirety, just yet! But you can stream, listen and download three lovely (oh so lovely!) tracks HERE or HERE. Pre-order the album HERE. Really lovely, oh so lovely, indie punk and pop rock. Oh and they also have music videos for a few tracks too. Check out the one for, Hot Knees. You'll love it :-D Get int it now. 

     Excellent hardcore from Ypsilanti, Michigan featuring dual aggressive and clean vocal action, heavy guitars and tons of melody. Some new tunes to get into. NOW.

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     So this movie came out recently...this past weekend in fact. Pretty damn good, and the trailer does a good job of giving you the main details. Four central characters, lots of corruption, merciless hits, a bit of violence and a somewhat complex storyline...if you can pay attention. It's mixed tagalog and english, so it's not hard to understand. Oh and everyone is good looking. For real. Watch with caution and enjoy. 

     Opposition Rising will be kicking off their tour soon. They'll also be releasing their 10" as well. Lot's off dates along the West Coast as well as up Northwest. They have two shows in Portland, one of which is at the Red Room. Ahhh, the Redroom. Nice bar. It was so close to my old job. It was a nice place to chill after work. And some really excellent shows there too. Don't fear the 82nd! 

     Just heard these two new tracks from The Pinstripes. Lovely, lovely new tunes - the harmonies are intact, the tempo set to groove, and soulful throughout. Available on 10" as well. These guys never write bad stuff.  Check it. Get into it. 

     This compilation was just released a couple days ago by the wonderful people at Indie Vision Music. It's volume three of their Ska compilation series. They've been releasing awesome stuff through out the years, and a bunch of other kinds of comps such as their Summer Slam and Fighting from the Ground Up series...I'm not sure if those are still going on though? It's actually been a while since I've visited the website. I just so happened to read about this comp through a bunch of tweets (Oh social media, you're such a wonderful tool!). And I haven't gone through all 28 tracks yet, but I'm streaming through it as I write this and everything is oh-so-lovely.
     The lineup on this comp is really tight. It includes tracks from superstars like, The O.C. Supertones, For Pete's Sake, The Insyderz, an unreleased track from, The Dingess, The Anchorage and Codename Rock (They have on here, Mile Markers, their newest track that they released last year). Some other band's I'm hearing for the time and digging include Christafari and Atombender. Again, this comp is 28 tracks long, lots of time to check out everything. 
     But the one track that did catch my eye, and the one I'm keeping on repeat for now is the track from Upstanding Youth, Burn With It. That was a surprise to see them on this thing. I was surprised because they played a final show last year (I didn't attend it) and I didn't know they had released music after, A Senses of Urgency. The songs on, Burn the Process, are tight though. Be sure to check out the compilation HERE and best of all, it's free. Free is good right? Your new favorite Ska band will likely be on this compilation. Check it. 

     New music from Chicago punk/ska band, Still Alive. It's up for nameyourprice. Pretty fierce stuff, with lots of thrash and punk mixed with some groovy breakdowns. They take it up a notch and get heavier on a lot of the tracks, but they still blend in some nice ska beats here and there. Sick tunes yo.

     I bought this slice of heaven for this podcast because it turned 3-years-old on 06/19/2013. Chocolate pudding topped with haupia and whipped cream. Delicious I tell you, delicious. Next year, I'll get a whole pie. And I'll probably eat it all by my lonesome self listening to Peter Cetera and then later watch the Karate Kid Part 2. And listen to Peter Cetera again, just because.  
     Yes, I made some minor changes to the website. Podcasting will be a part-time, part-time thing. Does that make sense? I've had episodes in the works, but nothing came about them. Maybe later...One things for sure, I haven't stopped listening to new music. In fact...well, I've been listening to a lot of stuff lately. Here is a tiny list of a small part of what I've been listening to lately. And of course there's more! I recently went to Las Vegas (the last week of May) and went record shopping there. Picked up the new Dillinger Escape Plan, The Color Morale and Phoenix. And loving all three! Haven't gone to any shows while I was up there though. I did want to catch The Objex and The Seriouslys...two separate shows, but I was having fun hanging out with family and friends and stuffing my face with rolls and rolls of sushi. All-you-can eat sushi deals here on the island is pretty much nonexistent. Why oh why?? 
     Anyway, do check out these records if you get a chance. Pick up a copy for yourself. Support Local Music. You won't be disappointed. Thanks for reading :-D

Big D and the Kids Table will be releasing two records this year, Stomp and Stroll. It's not a double album, but instead two separate records showcasing their love of punk and ska and stroll, a sound unique to their style. The records came about with the help of generous people who donated on Kickstarter. And the band responded with two amazing records, although, I'd have to say my favorite is Stroll. It has elements of their rude sound and lots of reggae to boot. The Doped Up Dollies also make an appearance, a stronger one in fact, often taking leads on several tracks. The last song on the record, Trust in Music, plays like a sequel to Once in a While/Baby, Don't Cry (my favorite Big D song). It's the song that I've been waiting for since I started listening to this band. Oh, so you didn't hear it yet? You should have pledged. 

Gasoline Kills are a four-piece rock and roll punk band from Orange County, California. They recently released a full-length, Give Up Chorus, featuring ten songs of rock and roll style punk through GC Records. The album plays on a quick tempo and with a whole lot of catchy choruses, punk fillers and even a couple acoustic based tracks too. It's a really solid debut for this four-piece. The packaging for this is album is custom made and it's pretty rad. It's so rad, in fact, I haven't even opened up my copy of the album yet because I didn't want to break the wax sealing (check out a little video about the making of this record HERE). The album is also available on the band's Bandcamp HERE. They're currently booking some shows along the West Coast. Go to a show and tell me how amazing and great it was and that I missed out on some good times. Ack. 

Opposition Rising are a four-piece punk band from Boston, Massachusetts. They just released a new EP, Get off Your Ass, Get off Your Knees (pick it up now on their Bandcamp HERE), a follow up to their debut record, Aftermathematics. They'll soon be releasing it as a 10” through their own label, Opposition Records as well as through Pirates Press, Rodent Popsicle, and Riot Ska Records. The new EP opens with a heavier edge bordering their hardcore style, which later progresses into their punk and ska roots. It's a very fast paced EP, aggressive in both sound and words, and mosh friendly – it definitely is, especially that last part. But to make it more interesting, the band includes for their fifth track (the EP clocks in at less than ten minutes) an extended, slowed version of, The Rich are Killing the Poor, titled, Opposition Dub. The track keeps the same chorus and theme, but played to a slower groove and dubbed vibe. Nice way to close the EP with some familiar territory.

Pet Tigers are a three-piece pop-punk trio from Las Vegas, Nevada with a full-length set to be released soon through SquidHat Records. I'm pretty stoked to finally hear some new material from this band. They play some pretty infectious pop-punk that's heavy on the synth and very upbeat to a new-wave 80's kind of vibe. One song in particular, Some Sun, is an uptempo dance track saturated with surf-pop and keys, a fun ditty, while the song, Shoe, an equally fun track, provides loads of electronics, a healthy dose of sassiness in the vocal work and an awesome story of a relationship in comparison to shoes. Currently these two tracks are available for free on the SquidHat Records website (check it out HERE (scroll to the bottom) as well as tracks from the rest of their excellent roster). The band also released a 7” single on Record Store Day with another version of, Some Sun, and another new track, Yeah. You will love this band. Oh yes. You will love this band.

Save the Swim Team are a seven-piece ska band from Huntington Beach, California. Their newest EP, The Big Compromise, released through Not Punk Records, is three songs of catchy, progressive punk and ska. Very nice uptempo tracks with lots of crunch in the guitars and a tight horn section to back it up. There's quite the lot of heavier riffs in their tunes and whole variety of breakdowns, but they do a good job at keeping it skank-friendly with their clean guitars and, again, their awesome rhythm section. They're just wrapping up a summer tour they did across the country, but what they need to do now is start writing for a full length - and fast.  There is something special about this sound, lots of creative melodies and a diversity of hooks, and I'm sure the band knows it too. Until then, listen to the songs off their EP HERE. 

Siblings are a four-piece hardcore band from Honolulu, Hawaii. They just released their self-titled debut record back in April – and it's a good one. Really, really good (listen to it HERE). It's a hardcore album featuring eight heavy tracks, fast and explosive without a moments rest, clocking in right at the ten minute mark. And they do quite a bit within their limited time frame. Siblings' self-titled goes through a mesh of gang vocals, power chords and breakdowns, and enough guitar feedback to make a record of its own. It's an excellent sound backed by vocals that hold no regard to anything short of aggressive. Their lyrics are angry with a bit of frustration, but there's a drive somewhere in between all of that. And it's the same drive that's glorified in the band's consistency to play shows and put out music, being active in a small town music community with a strong emphasis on doing things yourself – nothing short lived. Fuckin' A, guys.