Tokyo snarkCast

Japan's Heavy Metal earthquake early warning system

Taro Tokyo — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 09:48:00 GMT

Weather bureau makes heavy metal song to plug earthquake early warning system
Mainichi News - April 16, 2008, SENDAI -- The Sendai District Meteorological Observatory has produced a heavy metal song to promote a recently developed earthquake early warning system...more...

Listen to my extended-play remix (43sec)
or the original WMV video below.
For more information see my full report at: Japanese ‘Heavy Metal’ earthquake early warning

ON FIRST DAY OF SPRING...

Taro Tokyo — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 03:55:21 GMT

ON FIRST DAY OF SPRING... ɹoʇɐnbǝ ǝɥʇ ɹǝʌo ʎlʇɔǝɹıp sı uns ǝɥʇ ǝsnɐɔǝq 'uɯnʇnɐ ɟo ʎɐp ʇsɹıɟ ǝɥʇ sı ʎɐpoʇ

Japanese robo-cutie sings national anthems of France, Germany, etc.

Taro Tokyo — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 05:50:05 GMT

Japanese robo-cutie, "Hatsune Miku," sings national anthems of France, Germany, Netherlands, Italy, UK and USA in a amazing Japanese accent. Since Miss Miku is a Yamaha-created synthesizer software product,VOCALOID2, she "sings" the lyrics as they transcribed into Japanese syllables and charmingly twisted. Read info about robo-cutie, Hatsune Miku here.

Go go go mini mini...

Taro Tokyo — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 03:48:30 GMT

Schlockmeister filmmaker Quentin Tarantino says he wants to someday make a third "Kill Bill" epic, this time following the story of the "Bride's" daughter. Well, here's a perfect theme song an iPod-ready MP3 of MINI MINI LOVE by Kanai Katsuko, circa 1967.

Japanese go-go girl miniskirt dance - 1967
by gippo

MINI MINI LOVE Go go go mini mini Go go go mini mini Go go go mini mini go go gi gi gi Go go go ya mini mini go go gi gi gi I love you mini mini

Simple Torchwood ringtone

Taro Tokyo — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 15:56:47 GMT

Here are two, super-simple, 3-second, Torchwood ringtones in case my previous audio files that I posted were too long (too large) to fit on your mobile device. Source: Torchwood, season 2, episode 02 "Sleeper" ripped from stereo HDTV.

Season 2 of Torchwood has started

Taro Tokyo — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 04:21:26 GMT

If you want to use the Torchwood theme as your ringtone, the following might be some help. 1st. Each brand of cellphone requires a different type of format for a ringtone. To find out which ringtone format your cellphone uses, refer to your manual, webpage, or call your cellphone provider. 2nd. Note that my LONG the 53-second theme to Torchwood in the MP3 format is most likely too long for your cellphone. Above is a short 10-second version of the Torchwood theme in the MP3 format that my Japanese cellphones will accept. 3rd. Please note that you can convert my Torchwood 53-second MP3 or my 10-second MP3, and then format it to your cell phone's specific ringtone format using this free service from media-convert.com: http://media-convert.com

Which WITCH DOCTOR?

Taro Tokyo — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 08:03:43 GMT

Which WITCH DOCTOR do you like the best of the following four versions? No. 1: Here's an original 45 playing "WITCH DOCTOR" which was written and performed by Ross Bagdasarian, Sr. (a.k.a. David Seville) and was released in 1958. David Seville is better remembered as the creator of Alvin and the Chipmunks for which he used the singing effect he first made famous in Witch Doctor. No. 3: However, this podcast's MP3 is the better but less famous cover version recorded in late 1958? by the mysterious "John Morris" who has no information about this cover on the Internet that I can find (Can anyone help?). No. 3: The Alvin Show originally aired on CBS in 1961 and had this is a remake of Dave Seville's famous Witch Doctor. No. 4: Witch Doctor by Alvin & The Chipmunks/Chris Classic from the Christmas 2007 movie, "Alvin and The Chipmunks".

Funk 'The Mouse' year

Taro Tokyo — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 11:48:40 GMT

Thanks to the time-traveling wonder of the International Dateline, it's already New Years Eve here in Tokyo. Yes, welcome to 2008, the year of the Rodent/ Rat/Mickey Mouse! In the 12-year cycle of the Orient [Wikikipedia], the Year of the Rat is thought as a year for go-getters with charm. In other words, it's gonna be a real Mickey Mouse Year. See a mousey photo of me enjoying the new year at my 3Yen website. And enjoy starting off this funky Mickey Mouse kind of a year with my MP3 of the "The Mouse" by Señor Soul from his 1969 album of gumbo-funk, It's Your Thing.

Inmates hate being bananas in pajamas

Taro Tokyo — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 16:20:01 GMT

Japan's inmates dislike unstylish pajamas Thu Dec 27, 5:39 AM ET, Yahoo! News (Reuters) TOKYO ---- Japanese prisoners dislike their unstylish pajamas, feel their cells are too small and want better meals, a government survey has found...inmates...found their vertically striped grayish pajamas to be unfashionable. Close to half said the colors were bad, and 44 percent said the design was ugly...more....

Gee, I don't know about this but I always thought that being "Bananas-In-Pajamas" was the cheery and stylish...See the YouTube below.

Attack of the Christmas Clarence Gooey Duck!

Taro Tokyo — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 14:06:36 GMT

Well, the attack of the Konzak's Christmas Clarence Gooey Duck in English and Japanese all started for me with today's post on the WFMU's "Beware of the Blog."

Jim Gaerhart - Clarence The Geoduck (MP3, 5:53): This is a holiday promotional 45, both in English and Japanese for the Russell Company - home of the Russell 2000 Index [of stocks], and obviously made long before the company had billions of bucks...

The Geoduck clam, pronounced "Gooey Duck," is the giant clam of American Northwest coast, with a profoundly phallic shape of the siphon, has led to the belief in Japan and China that the shellfish has aphrodisiac properties. This lead to recording a Japanese version of the Gooey Duck Song by harpmaker-storyteller Ron Konzak of Washington State. The group "Pierymplezak" (Ron Konzak, Bob Dalrymple, Judy and Jerry Elfendah, et al) released the song in 1972 as a 45 single by "Acme Music" (GNP Crescendo, #468). The novelty song was popular hit in the Seattle area and it's still a standard tune found in Cub Scout song books. I trimmed down the nearly six minute long Christmas promotional single to just the English and Japanese versions of the song, which I've posted here on Aodomatic an iPod-ready, MP3 format (3:08 minutes) of the tune. You can also watch and listen to the Goggle video of Konzak's Gooey Duck Song (Geoduck) Seattle Songs (2 min 29 sec) And be sure to check out Ron Konzak's konzak.com website.

'Happy Crappy!' -- Japanese kids' show

Taro Tokyo — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 07:03:34 GMT

Taro's flickr

While reading my satellite TV guide today, I discovered a kids' show on the Animax station called "Happy Crappy," that teaches English, hee, hee.

For more about the show a proof of the engrish spelling, refer to my other website ‘HAPPY CRAPPY!’ — Japanese TV
You can visit the official Happy Crappy! website. Better yet, you can listen and download to the star of the show, JunJun-chan, singing the Happy Crappy! theme song here (MP3, 2.9MB, 1:23 minutes).

Athlete busking the song TOKYO

Taro Tokyo — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 05:05:31 GMT

Here's the group Athlete busking the song "Tokyo" in front of the Design Museum on the Thames river to support "Crisis", 15 Nov, 2006.
Watch the Youtube video below and enjoy listening to a transcoded MP3 of their live act (1:41 min and 800 KB).

Let's Panky Mao

Taro Tokyo — Sun, 09 Sep 2007 09:55:43 GMT

Mao Inoue gets Panky, Panky, Panky with her creepy toy monkey. "Panky" is a chocolate snack from Meiji Corporation. See the official Japanese website.

UMIBOZU rap -- Japanese sea monster rapper

Taro Tokyo — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 03:22:38 GMT

Here's a funny MP3 rip (2.5MB) of a YouTube video from the " Lovely Complex" Japanese TV series. (Another MP3 link here.) It's the Umibozu Song performed by Susumu TERAJIMA (he is really a actor who specializing in playing yakuza and is not a singer per se). In the video he poses as a wannabe gangsta rapper, "Umibozu," (bald sea monster ---for more information see my post: Umi-Bozu - Japanese sea monster. Anyway...With scantily clad girls gyrating against him as he sings inane lyrics, this TV segment is a funny parody of lame-o rappers.

Bot bopping in Akiba

Taro Tokyo — Sat, 18 Aug 2007 03:33:50 GMT

the new video by US band Spoon with the Japanese Keepon robot prototype which the featured on the 3Yen last March in japanese-beat-bot. The video features Keepon's dancing and bopping in geek groundzero, Akiba in Tokyo to the new tune of Spoon, Don't You Evah. And, thanks to Creative Commons Attribution, here's Don't You Evah as a low-fi MP3 (7 MB) of the audio of that YouTube.

Sound of Japanese summer - Radio Taiso exercise

Taro Tokyo — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 23:10:08 GMT

THE WORLD'S DORKIEST MUSIC
Radio Taiso
- the morning exercise music of Japan -
I've enjoyed this music twice a day at work for years so I think you think all of you need to "enjoy" it too.
Read a full explanation via Joi.Ito.com
Listen and download the MP3 here! Watch these YouTube videos too.

Boogieing in their blue burkas

Taro Tokyo — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 08:52:34 GMT

"Burqa Blue" is the title of this song inspired by the traditional Afghani dress, the burka, a symbol of enforced Islamic marginalisation of woman. The lead singer Nargiz and her friends appear in this video boogieing in their blue burkas in Kabul Afghanistan. Listen/download to short version of the "Burqa Blue" song here...boomp3.com Watch the YouTube video of "Burqa Blue" here.

Gigantor...Gigantor!

Taro Tokyo — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 05:58:43 GMT

Gigantor (aka Tetsujin 28-go, literally “Iron Man #28) was the first “giant robot” of Japan. The original manga by Mitsuteru Yokoyama was published in 1958 which was later made into several anime cartoon series, the first in 1963. Listen to Gigantor's Japanese vs English theme music MP3 (4.5MB) here. Read more about the "Gigantor erection in Kobe Japan"!

'Yerrow' Submarine, Japanesque

Taro Tokyo — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 05:34:45 GMT

Yerrow Submarien Ondo - by Akiko Kanazawa, (イエローサブマリン音頭 by 金沢明子 ) This is a killer Japanese enka/minyo version of the Beatles "Yellow Submarine" in MP3 (750KB) format. Enjoy.

sampling sampling samples - Japaneseque

Taro Tokyo — Fri, 18 May 2007 06:16:24 GMT

Via the always neo-Japaneseque 3Yen.com and my friends at PinkTentacle.com, below is a video of the Japanese group "Hifana"-- artists KEIZOmachine! and Juicy who do belly dance percussionists and now electronica for their sampling, scratchy breakbeat, hip-hop tunes. And I've sampling sampling samples of in Hifana iPod-ready, MP3, 6.8MB, 4:15min with CD cover art and liner notes. Alternative MP3 link HERE.

'Big In Japan' a teen jazz hit 30 years in the making

Taro Tokyo — Mon, 14 May 2007 04:26:29 GMT

In the music world, being "Big in Japan" means a music group is less than success in the US or Europe. Alternative artists like Tom Waits, Guano Apes, and Alphaville have both written different songs titled and about the curse of being musically "Big In Japan." There's even a punk band called Big in Japan. However in this case, after 30 years, a teen jazz trio called the "Dapele Brothers" have become "big in Japan" and the whole world is now taking notice. Listen to my short, iPod-ready remix of the Dapele Trio's tunes "Maudlin" + "Shortened Suite" (MP3, 3.2MB, 1:32 min.) [Alternative link here.] Read the-rest-of-the-story about this a teen jazz group, Dapele Trio, that took 30 years to make a hit here.

Japanese octopus-dumpling soda song

Taro Tokyo — Wed, 09 May 2007 02:07:15 GMT

Japanese octopus-dumpling soda may sound ba-a-a-ad enough..... However, I dare you to listen to the soundtrack that goes with drinking that soda. Ok, I double dare you to check out it out: here's the full 5-minute MP3, “Gagged Gizzard Goo” by Otto Von Schirach. Read the rest-of-the-story about Japanese octopus-dumpling soda in the comments of my 3Yen.com website.

More "Porque te vas" -- soundtrack clip

Taro Tokyo — Thu, 03 May 2007 01:38:05 GMT

As a companion piece to my previous post "Blast-from-the-past: Jeanette", here's 1:13 minute clip the original soundtrack of the movie, which has a bit of Spanish at the end. Also check out the Japanese connection and anime-mashup here.

Blast-from-the-past: Jeanette

Taro Tokyo — Wed, 02 May 2007 16:27:51 GMT

On YouTube I found a film clip containing this remarkable song, "Porque te vas" by somebody called "Jeanette." After a bunch of poking around, I that Jeanette Dimech was sort of a one-hit-wonder from the 1960s and this song was her claim to fame. The film clip is a scene from Carlos Saura's 1976 film Cria Cuervos (Raise Crows, a Cannes Film Festival winner) where Jeanette's "Porque Te Vas" plays. "Porque Te Vas" has been covered many times without the lo-fi charm of the original. Below is a Japanese anime mashup of the original song recorded in 1974. The anime below is called Midori ho Hibi, which a pun on the Japanese "Golden week" holiday happening now in Japan (Read full details here). Enjoy the iPod ready MP3 (5MB) of the original recording of 1974 song although with the hamster noises of the 1976 film.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JIMMY!

Taro Tokyo — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 14:59:14 GMT

Happy Friday the Thirteenth at Seven Springs!
Happy Birthday, Jimmy Here's a space-themed flexi disc for a your birthday...circa 1975. ENJOY!

Aha! Bra-a-a-ins!

Taro Tokyo — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 02:53:30 GMT

Sometimes I'm left dumbfounded by Japanese TV commercials such as this one for Shigekix's "Ah!Brain" candy. Yes, that's what I said... BRAIN CANDY. "Mmmm, brains." Ah!Brain is a brain-stimulant sour candy that's is supposed to make your brain GENKI/peppy with BCAA (Branched Chain Amino Acids) that stimulate your brain cells to give you more moments of "Aha!" You can order super-duper Ah!Brain from J-List.com. Listen to a short, 15-second version of the Aha!Brain "song here. Watch the lower quality YouTube below, or view higher quality video on Shigekix's official webpage for their TV commercials. READ MORE HERE ABOUTBRAIN CANDY.

Joan Jett cadillacing

Taro Tokyo — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 06:59:01 GMT

Since I'm such a cadillacing kind of guy ...I got real exited when I found the new cadillacing music music video by Joan Jett on mycadillacstory.com. As watched the Joan Jett music promo started to think, "Why all the Cadillacs in her video?" I'm sure the extra money from GM helped, but the rest-of-the-story was that for years, her producer's Cadillac served as touring vehicle and record label HQ: "....it was a big ol' 1976 Coupe de Ville and we always had records in the trunk..." So, what the hell.... I remixed the sound of Joan Jett's new music video, "Change the World" with the rest of her Cadillac story interview into one MP3 podcast here that you listen to or right-click to download (MP3, 7.6MB, 5min 34sec) -- Joan Jett interview. Alternatively, just listen to the song without the interview here (MP3, 4.4MB, 3min 13sec) "Change the World" --Joan Jett. View the the original interview video Joan Jett's Cadillac Story here on mycadillacstory.com.

duncan hills coffee promo - Metalocalypse!

Taro Tokyo — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 01:54:03 GMT

DO YOU FOLKS LIKE COFFEE? YOU'RE GONNA GET SOME, NOW.
Check out the TV commercial for "duncan hills coffee" by Dethklok on the Adult Swim show Metalocalypse ... Watch the YouTube video below, and listen/download my iPod-ready re-mix of Dethklok -- MP3 (848KB, 34 sec). aaaaahhhahahahaah scream for cream

Get your Wookiee on!

Taro Tokyo — Mon, 05 Feb 2007 02:07:58 GMT

Wookiee Impersonator Arrested for Battery iWon News - Feb 3, 7:57 AM (ET), LOS ANGELES (AP) - A man dressed as Chewbacca was arrested after police said the street performer head-butted a tour guide operator in front of Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood...The tour guide, Brian Sapir, told the Los Angeles Times that he asked the Chewbacca impersonator to stop harassing two young Japanese tourists when the actor exploded in anger.........more on the Wookiee story here...
Listen to my remix of the Chewbacca song by Supernova from the 1994 movie "CLERKS " here in iPod-ready, MP3 format (2.1MB, 1:30min). Watch the YouTube video of the Chewbacca song.

Sing the corporate Japan Happy Tree song!

Taro Tokyo — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 04:18:18 GMT

'Hitachi tree' bringing owner $4 million Honolulu Advertiser: Friday, January 26, 2007
...Hitachi Ltd., the Japanese electronics giant, has agreed to pay the new owner of the Moanalua Gardens $400,000 a year for 10 years to use the garden's famous monkeypod tree in its advertising...more...
I made an MP3 remix of the old 1970s and the present day Happy Tree song of Hitachi Japan. Enjoy the dorkiness. Watch the latest version here on YouTube performed by the Japanese group, INSPi, has performed "image-advertising" song called "Hitachi No Ki" - Hitachi's Tree. For more details and information about Hitachi's Happy Tree, see my 3Yen website.

'Crack-smoking monkeys' on Windows 386

Taro Tokyo — Mon, 15 Jan 2007 06:24:02 GMT

Microsoft sent this wacked tape to their retailers to explain the benefits of Windows 386. Boring until the 7 minute mark when the production is taken over by crack-smoking monkeys. Listen to my iPod-ready, MP3 remix (3.8MB). And of course, watch the Goggle video, 12 min 5 sec.
As always, check out the real Japanese crack smoking monkeys at 3Yen.com as well as all my bilingual friends from all over the planet Earth and Japan at globee.com

I AM THE GREAT CORNHLIO! Hear me sing.

Taro Tokyo — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 03:35:52 GMT

CORNHOLIO is God! And here is my special new MP3 remix of just the audio of Cornholio's song ready for your iPod (1.2MB, 80 seconds). And here's a YouTube video of one of great moments in TV history, hee, hee. For silly Japanese fun...

'Soft Death' - I am gifted in math (Japanese psychedelic-noise rock)

Taro Tokyo — Mon, 01 Jan 2007 07:26:44 GMT

The Japanese neo-psychedelic-noise rock group, "YURA YURA TEIKOKU" performing "Soft Death (I am gifted in math). " Their Japanese website --"Yura Yura Teikoku (ゆらゆら帝国)-- is not half as fun as their English site where you can download free MP3s in their hi-fi versions or their myspace site with full of songs. You might think you know somethin' about Japanese underground, however YURA YURA TEIKOKU butt reams The 5678's, Miminokoto, et al. This recording is live radio so there's an Emergency Alert System in the middle of the song, which is perfectly fitting because 2007 is the Year of the Wild Boar in Japan (more info here).

WORLD'S OLDEST MUSIC PODCAST!

Taro Tokyo — Tue, 19 Dec 2006 09:38:32 GMT

This song was discovered in the ancient Syrian city of Ugarit in the 1950s but have only be decrypted into music in the past few years. The tablets containing the song notation were about 3400 years old. The song is written in cuneiform markings of the Hurrian language. The music is a complete religious/cult hymn and it's the oldest preserved song with notation in the world. AND, that makes my podcast the WORLD'S OLDEST MP3, hee, hee. More info at: sheet music for the oldest song in the world And other wanking at robo-handjob

Dorky is what dorky does

Taro Tokyo — Wed, 25 Oct 2006 04:49:12 GMT

Visit and watch the anime dorks do Toryanse. Actually just refer to my previous post below about "Japan...where the the traffic lights sing" because this is only a post to record my Technorati Profile.

Japan...where the traffic lights sing

Taro Tokyo — Wed, 25 Oct 2006 04:44:05 GMT

Listen to my podcast remix of the ubiquitous sound of Japan----musical pedestrian crossings--in this case near Kyoto station. (streaming or MP3 format, 2.2MB, 1 minute 34 seconds) Most larger crossings in Japan play this electronic tune, called Toryanse (通りゃんせ ) when it's safe to cross. Ahh, Japan...where the traffic lights sing. The children's song Toryanse literally means "Please Let Me Pass" in Japanese. However, it's really just plainkimoi/creepy in its melancholic minor key--- especially so when you think about the words: Going is easy / Coming back is fearful / Although I feel fearful, please let me pass / Please let me pass For the full lyrics and more info, go to: "Toryanse" in Wikipedia. For good laugh, watch the video of language-study dorks in the States doing the Japanese kindergarten song and dance of Toryanse. (In the Quicktime .mov format, 40 seconds approx.) Technorati Profile

Torchwood is hot!

Taro Tokyo — Tue, 24 Oct 2006 05:02:47 GMT

Here's the first-available MP3 recording the the theme of "Torchwood" --- the hot new BBC television spin-off of Doctor Who, the science-fiction staple for decades. "Torchwood" is an anagram of "Doctor Who" but it's based in an almost real world as the Torchwood investigators as they use alien technology to hunt down criminal both human and alien. The program also slips in alien gender-bending. Jolly good fun. You can use the "torrents" YouTube to watch it now. Then... Listen to my remix of the musical theme and introductions created by Murray Gold --- it's just 41 seconds long and pasted togther from the first two episodes. For more info, visit the official BBC3 Torchwood website.

Mission Idol-possible (Japan)

Taro Tokyo — Sun, 08 Oct 2006 14:37:32 GMT

Here's a little fun from Japan's public broadcaster, NHK, ---the girl "idol" group "Vanilla Mood"(バニラムード) doing the "Mission Impossible" theme in a sexy, classical music style. Watch and listen to the YouTube video here. For comparison, here is the MP3/podcast of just the audio of the "Mission Impossible 3" themes taken from the film's soundtrack---looking at Vanilla Mood's theme is a lot easier on the eyes (and ears) than Scientology-freakazoid Tom Cruise.

'This is a song about being happy! That's right! It's the Happy Happy Joy Joy song!'

Taro Tokyo — Fri, 06 Oct 2006 09:14:01 GMT

Today the charming folks at Japan's public TV broadcaster, NHK, have decided to haul everyone (10 million households) into court to force them to pay $127 to $343 USD for JapanInc's Stalinist version of TV. I'm so pleased I just needed to hear the "Happy Happy Joy Joy" Song by Ren-&-Stimpy. I realized that there isn't a cleaned-up audio version on it the Net. So, today I remixed and made a tightened-up a version of it from the TV show's animation I found on YouTube.com which you can watch here. I cut out most of the cartoon's loud crashes and sound effects. Enjoy, Happy Happy Joy Joy!

Japanese cod roe pasta creepfest

Taro Tokyo — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 03:27:39 GMT

Halloween is only a month away, my "friends" sent me these videos of the "Tarako" Japanese TV commercial.TARAKO via YouTube. Basically, it's a song about "Tarako," which is a cod roe topping for pasta. Yum! I explain all the details about TARAKO on my regular website, news.3Yen.com,. In order to exorcise the noise demons(c) in my head of those girls "Kigurumi" singing on that Japanese TV commercial (and a promo music video) I had to make this sick remix. Enjoy---2min 49sec.

'Patrolman's Love Call' (Japanese safety song)

Taro Tokyo — Tue, 26 Sep 2006 01:22:23 GMT

Here's a short Japanese TV segment called "The Patrolman's Love Call" -- a children's safety song for teaching kids how to call the police and also about the prevention of prank calls. Listen to just the audio of the song in today's podcast (54 seconds) or watch my buddy, Rob Pongi's video which he has subtitled in English and edited down just for your pleasure:"Patrolman's Love Call" (1-minute video) Although Rob calls this is "very artistic and poignant," it's actually just a satrical Japanese TV segment from the "The Black Wide Show." However, the Japanese announcer explains that this safety song went to No. 4 on the charts in 2001!

Milwaukee Road No. 261 blows off some steam

Taro Tokyo — Tue, 19 Sep 2006 04:33:48 GMT

YouTube - Restored Milwaukee Road Steam Engine I made an edited MP3 postcast (45 seconds) recorded from the above YouTube for the sounds of the old Milwaukee Road No. 261 steam locomotive. It's a real cool sound but... Didn't anybody notice in the video that behind the stream locomotive there was a modern diesel pusher engine doing all the work, meh.

Sure sign of fall.....screaming in the Tokyo streets!

Taro Tokyo — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 02:06:28 GMT

It's is a sure sign of fall.....screaming in the streets! Here's my recording of a Japanese street festival in font of my house on the seedy side of Denenchofu, Tokyo. Also I added a slight background generated by the Tenori-On(cm) device/computer toy---Japanese Theremin for the 21th Century---created by Toshio Iwai, a Japanese installation artist.

Mo' betta...---3Yen.com

The Cremation of Sam McGee (podcast for kids)

Taro Tokyo — Sun, 17 Sep 2006 02:47:32 GMT

Podcast for the kid in you... Robert Service's poem, "The Cremation of Sam McGee," tells the tale of two gold miners in the Yukon and one man's "last request" hee, hee. Kids like me love the creapy ending. Listen to this podcast reading by the god of children's books, Dan Pinkwater and NPR' s Scott Simon on Weekend Edition Saturday, August 19, 2006.

Japanese robo-retro techno disco pop

Taro Tokyo — Sat, 16 Sep 2006 01:19:08 GMT

The Japanese group "Schadaraparr" popularizied hip-hop in Japan at the start of the 1990s, and now they have moved on to retro techno. Listen to this remix MP3 podcast of just the audio from their new single “Disco System" taken from a YouTube music video: YouTube - Schadaraparr video: “Disco System” Schadaraparr and their Japanese robot play as parts of a Rube Goldberg-ish machine, which is actually a copy of the highly popular “Pitagora-Switch” children's TV show of Japan's national broadcaster NHK. WTF does Japanese " “Pitagora-Switch” aka pitagorasuichi mean? Read more here on 3Yen.com about it is Japanese engrish for "Pythagoras Switch."

"Literacy is overrated because it's no longer necessary." --via

Japanese cake - Swedish Chef's Cakenschmooscher

Taro Tokyo — Sun, 10 Sep 2006 14:49:47 GMT

Here's my edited version of Swedish Chef sketch, Episode 120, of The Muppet Show in which he decorates chocolate cake. When the cake starts to complain in Japanese--- "Eeee-yo chap-su!" ---the Swedish Chef takes his "Cakenschmoozer" (baseball bat) and ... After the Japanese Cake audio, I added a collection of the Swedish Chef's signature, song "Børk, Børk, Børk, Børk." Jim Henson sang and voiced the famous, "Yorn desh born, der ritt de gitt der gue, Orn desh, dee born desh, de umn børk! børk! børk!" and Richard Hunt played the Japanese Cake. See more pictures and Swedish Chef trivia on my 3Yen.com website's report, "Swedish Chef - Japanese Cake.

Fun dramatic reading of Nigerian "419" Spam

Taro Tokyo — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 11:02:32 GMT

Here a funny stand-up piece by Ze Frank in which he dramically reads a Nigerian "419" Spam (2:40). Creative Commons link thanks to http://www.zefrank.com/ . Watch the entire ZeFrank Speaks at TED - Google Video, 19 min 42 sec - Aug 30, 2006

SIT ON MY FACE! Japanese TV commericial for Kirin's FIRE coffee

Taro Tokyo — Wed, 06 Sep 2006 12:03:57 GMT

I was watching my TV while making breakfast when I heard Monty Python's "SIT ON MY FACE" playing. It was one of those zany commercials that Japan is famous for that was selling Kirin Beer's FIRE(tm) brand canned coffee. Watch the commercial here on the official FIRE(tm) website. Using my Audacity software, I took the original "SIT ON MY FACE" Monty Python parody song and it fit perfectly over the Kirin FIRE(tm) coffee commercial. Listen to the 20 second long SIT ON MY FACE commercial for Kirin FIRE(tm) coffee. The lyrics for Sit on My Face here, but of course Eric Idle's version for it is a parody of "SING AS WE GO" by Harry Parr-Davies.

CROCS RULE! Steve Irwin noise remix

Taro Tokyo — Tue, 05 Sep 2006 05:03:16 GMT

R.I.P. Steve! Here's my tribute to Steve Irwin, CROCS RULE! -- noise remix, 1:46. Here's my Steve Irwin noise remix, thanks to the sponsorship of news.3yen.com and more importantly the source material from this this YouTube STEVE IRWIN REMIX. The video of video of Steve Irwin getting stung and killed by a sting ray should be available on the web soon according to the news reports. His wife and PR people are trying to cook up the tactful terms for a release no doubt. The movie "Grizzly Man" where the filmmaker gets eaten by a grizzly bear, serves as a good precedent. However, there is an interview from 2003 with Steve Irwin from the program, "Enough Rope" You can download this torrent interview here. The transcript and details the Irwin's "Enough Rope" interview are here STINGRAY --sung to the Bon Jovi tune Shot through the heart A stringray's to blame He gives fish a bad name (bad name)

Tokyo snarkCast

Japan's Heavy Metal earthquake early warning system

ON FIRST DAY OF SPRING...

Japanese robo-cutie sings national anthems of France, Germany, etc.

Go go go mini mini...

Simple Torchwood ringtone

Season 2 of Torchwood has started

Which WITCH DOCTOR?

Funk 'The Mouse' year

Inmates hate being bananas in pajamas

Attack of the Christmas Clarence Gooey Duck!

'Happy Crappy!' -- Japanese kids' show

Athlete busking the song TOKYO

Let's Panky Mao

UMIBOZU rap -- Japanese sea monster rapper

Bot bopping in Akiba

Sound of Japanese summer - Radio Taiso exercise

Boogieing in their blue burkas

Gigantor...Gigantor!

'Yerrow' Submarine, Japanesque

sampling sampling samples - Japaneseque

'Big In Japan' a teen jazz hit 30 years in the making

Japanese octopus-dumpling soda song

More "Porque te vas" -- soundtrack clip

Blast-from-the-past: Jeanette

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JIMMY!

Happy Friday the Thirteenth at Seven Springs!

Aha! Bra-a-a-ins!

Joan Jett cadillacing

duncan hills coffee promo - Metalocalypse!

DO YOU FOLKS LIKE COFFEE? YOU'RE GONNA GET SOME, NOW.

Get your Wookiee on!

Sing the corporate Japan Happy Tree song!

'Crack-smoking monkeys' on Windows 386

I AM THE GREAT CORNHLIO! Hear me sing.

'Soft Death' - I am gifted in math (Japanese psychedelic-noise rock)

WORLD'S OLDEST MUSIC PODCAST!

Dorky is what dorky does

Japan...where the traffic lights sing

Torchwood is hot!

Mission Idol-possible (Japan)

'This is a song about being happy! That's right! It's the Happy Happy Joy Joy song!'

Japanese cod roe pasta creepfest

'Patrolman's Love Call' (Japanese safety song)

Milwaukee Road No. 261 blows off some steam

Sure sign of fall.....screaming in the Tokyo streets!

The Cremation of Sam McGee (podcast for kids)

Japanese robo-retro techno disco pop

Japanese cake - Swedish Chef's Cakenschmooscher

Fun dramatic reading of Nigerian "419" Spam

SIT ON MY FACE! Japanese TV commericial for Kirin's FIRE coffee

CROCS RULE! Steve Irwin noise remix