It’s time once again for the Top 3 Indies Artist Video Countdown for July 7, 2018!

I’ve been busy off my ass running a film festival called, “Mt. Fuji – Atami Film & VR Festival” so this week, I’m just going to basically steal some cool shit my friends recommended to me…

But first!!!!! TOURING JAPAN RIGHT NOW!!! The Down and Outs! The Down and Outs are a Punk rock band from Liverpool. Their bio states: “Just three mates making music and playing a few gigs now and again.” 

The Down and Outs Japan Tour July 2018

7/8 Shimokitazawa – Three

7/10 Nagoya – Tsurumai

7/12 Osaka – LM Studio

7/13 Kyoto – Rick Dink Studio

7/14 Tokushima – Crowbar

7/15 Fukuyama – Meijikan 5₵

7/16 Tosu – Vapeur

Of course, they have a Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Down-And-Outs-100972913255/

#3) Down and Outs – What Did You Do in the Culture Wars: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKoYG7iiXfs

Next up is a three-piece band from Basingstoke (I guess that’s somewhere in the UK) and the band’s name is Pussycat and the Dirty Johnsons. They are a “Dirty Rock n Roll band” that was introduced to us by UK DJ Wayne Elliot of Pulsebeat radio. (Check out Pulsebeat radio here: https://www.mixcloud.com/Wayne_Elliott/pulsebeat-70-the-listeners-best-of-2017/)

Pussycat and the Dirty Johnsons’ bio (all in caps) reads: “THE FORMIDABLE PUSSYCAT IS RENOWNED FOR PROWLING THE AUDIENCE WHILST THE ADRENALINE FUELLED DIRTY JOHNSON BOYS POUND OUT INFECTIOUS DIRTY ROCK ‘N’ ROLL. LIKE ALL CATS THEY ARE HARD TO PIN DOWN AND HAVE BEEN DESCRIBED AS ONE OF THE MOST INCENDIARY LIVE BANDS IN THE UK.”

Here’s their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/thedirtyjohnsons/

#2) PUSSYCAT AND THE DIRTY JOHNSONS – AIN’T NO PUSSY: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BovxKXA76E

At #3 is another UK band (I think). The band’s name is Helen Love. Helen and her crew were introduced to us by another punk rock illuminary named Mick Fletcher of “Just Some Punk Songs” blog: https://justsomepunksongs.blogspot.com

Mick says Helen Love are Welsh… So I guess that means they’re from “Welshland” (I think that’s a country up there near Norland.) Bwa! Ha! Ha!

I can’t find any FB page or much information about this fab band, so I’ll let Mick tell you: “Welsh day-glo bubblegum disco punks Helen Love have been favourites of mine ever since the early 90’s when in those pre internet days they’d pop up occasionally on the John Peel show. It’s always a joy to learn they’ve released a new single (and boy have they released some great singles; Joey Ramoney, Punk Boy,  Does Your Heart Go Boom, Long Live The UK Music Scene, Shifty Disco Girl, You Can’t Beat A Boy Who Loves The Ramones etc etc etc. I reckon a greatest hits by them made up of a dozen or so tracks would be as good as anyones). It’s been a couple of years since I featured them on here (with their tribute to the former X Ray Spex frontwoman Polystyrene
  https://justsomepunksongs.blogspot.com/2016/05/helen-love-thank-you-polystyrene.html) but I’m happy to report they’re back and they’re still as much fun as ever.”

#1) Helen Love – Double Denim  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dQG0biDsDM

SPOTLIGHT ARTIST!  Today’s spotlight goes to the most famous Japanese girls punk band in history, Shonen Knife. Naoko, the mainstay of the band will be a guest on my FM radio Japan tomorrow, Sunday, morning: The Mike Rogers Show every Sunday morning… (Mike Rogers Show – every Sunday from 5 am ~ 7 am. You can listen live on InterFM 897 in Tokyo, Radio Neo 79.5 in Nagoya or nationally broadcast (and On-Demand) on radiko.jp).