Japanese Salsa Ensemble Banderas Unleash "Luna" B/W "Kangaroo Boogaloo" from Frenzied Full-length La Bandera (P-Vine Records/Zainas)

Banderas are an 11-piece Japanese Salsa ensemble—yes, you read that correctly! Formed in November 2014 in Tokyo, Banderas consists of pianist Kazuma Koseki 小関一馬, vocalist, Yoshiaki Hagiya 萩谷嘉秋, choras/percussionists Yasuji & Tinnen, bassist Masaaki Otomo 大友正明, conga player Dategen 伊達弦, Izpon on bongos, takeshi ogawa 小川岳史 on timbales, trombonist Masayuki Nakayama 中山まさゆき, sax player Ichirou いちろう, and trumpet player Naohito'temjin'Yomoda 四方田テムジン直人. While I'll readily admit I'm not very well-versed in either traditional Japanese or Salsa music, it's great to hear Salsa/Latin/Afro stylings played through the scope of 11 frenzied and fun-loving, yet classically-trained Japanese musicians. Banderas have since, quietly released a number of 7-inch/digital singles including "Tema de Banderas" B/W "Banderas Mambo" on Zainas (2016)—later re-released on Swiss-based Matasuna Records in March 2018—and 2017's Bob Marley & The Wailers-covering "Turn Your Lights Down Low" B/W "¡ AY JOE !" on Banderas' own Zainas imprint. Now, Banderas have triumphantly returned this week with their third self-released single entitled "Luna" B/W "Kangaroo Boogaloo." A 2-track digital single featuring nearly 9 minutes-worth of audio, both tracks will be effectively re-released on Banderas' soon forthcoming proper album-length debut.

Now, to the best of my knowledge, the track on Side B, opposite of "Luna_RadioEdit," "Kangaroo Boogaloo," is one of Banderas' first partly English language releases; it starts off with frontman Yoshiaki Hagiya proclaiming: "Everybody say, "Hey, we want some boogaloo...'" followed by a characteristically "bouncy" call-and-response section. What follows is a jovial, yet surprisingly progressive track with elements of Salsa, Latin Rock, Cumbia, J-Pop, and a multitude of worldly genres with an added Japanese flair that's truly unique to Banderas. La Bandera will be released on Tokyo-based imprint, P-Vine Records this upcoming Friday, August 10th. Banderas' six singles released between 2016-18 will be littered throughout La Bandera, along with six additional, as-yet-unreleased Salsa-inspired compositions. "According to the album title of "La Bandera (banner,)" it is a work which seems to set out the flag of the new Salsa from this Tokyo," reads a rather rough translation lifted from Banderas' newly-updated site. "A yearning for admiration for Salsa classics, approach not bound by existing framework, destructive feeling with frustration, sweat and romance-packed, unexpectedly crying and laughing and dancing," it ecstatically continues. Banderas' album-length debut, La Bandera (sub-titled "Salsa Classics & Destroy") will be released on P-Vine Records in both CD and digital formats on Friday, August 10, 2018.

"Let Me Shine for You:" Lindsay Lohan for Playboy (Winter 2011-12 Leak)

Lindsay Lohan essentially embodies exactly "What NOT to Do In Hollywood :" Fame, fortune, success... sex, drugs & Rock "N" Roll . Within a fairly short period of time, Lohan somehow managed to obtain a plentiful helping of POWER @ a very young age. This gradual rise-downfall was captured on film; Between 1998-2010, she portrayed a wide array of roles across the silver screen in movies including: Mean Girls, Bobby , Herbie Fully Loaded , Georgia Rule, Machete , and Freaky Friday . Between rapid-paced film shoots, Lindsay Lohan also found time to record 2 Pop Rock albums for Casablanca , Speak (2004) and A Litter More Personal-Raw (2005). Needless to say, Lindsay Lohan has gotten roped up in a lot of troubles and woes with the law over the last 3-5 years... a vicious cycle of drugs, arrest, court, rehab, "daddy issues," jail time [Repeat]. That's the pure basics of it - But Google that shit for additional info, if necessary. Towards the end of

[W]reckless, Topless American Youth: Lana del Rey - "Born 2 Die" (Britney Spears Birthday 30)

Lana del Rey [Lizzy Grant] effectively became 2011's "It Girl" with the release of her phenomenal debut single, "Video Games" (Stranger) . Like many struggling singer-songwriters, Grant has been signed, dropped, and significantly changed her public image since bursting onto the scene (2009). With that said, it can be assumed that Lana del Rey has collected just as many "haters" as she has avid supporters. To be perfectly honest, the only other artist I can think of that made this much commotion... garnered so much wide-spread buzz/hate and critical acclaim -- right out of the gates -- with just one track is Britney Spears . And maybe in this post- Mike musical era, that's the true synthesis of Pop Culture: Britney Lynn Spears . After months of repeated teasing and speculation, Lana del Rey 's major label debut, Born 2 Die will [finally] be released this coming Jan. 30-31, 2012. Pitchfork reports that it will feature "Off to The Ra

Liberty Bell Cracked In 1/2: Ween - "Freedom of '76" (Gene Ween's Final Send-Off)

Chocolate & Cheese (1994) was one of the first albums I bought with my own money. I was in some sort of BMG Music Club , where you'd buy 5 CD's and then get 10 for "FREE." It was all sent through mail order and you picked the titles from some special booklet. I'm almost positive that Chocolate & Cheese's side boob-baring album cover was what initially drew me in... mind you, I was 12-15 and the zany Ween logo/middle finger CD graphic really didn't hurt either. Honestly, I forget how I really felt about it @ the time, but a few years later, my older cousin Josh told me that Ween were this BIG college "jam band." CKY did some sort pf 93.3 radio takeover to promote their new album and played "Freedom of '76" late that night on air. Needless to say, I re-visited Chocolate & Cheese @ about 20-something this go 'round and I fucking loved it! Ween were really weird, yet talented... almost too talented. I can vaguel

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