Mike (in Tokyo) Rogers' Top 50 Best Songs of 2017 (Music Videos!)

Mike (in Tokyo) Rogers' Top 50 Best Songs of 2017 マイク・ロジャースの2017年のトップ５０曲.

With the crew of the documentary film,"The Public Image is Rotten" at Raindance Film Festival, London, England.  Sept. 30, 2017.

These are my favorite songs and/or something from a favorite artist of the year. Now, some of these songs were not released in 2017... In fact, a few are several years old. But so what? I play alternative, underground stuff and it is my duty to bring new music to the fans, so this year was the first time I had heard some of these songs and it's my countdown, so there! Also, these songs were chosen by my iTunes software as the Top 50 artists I played from October, 1 2016 until Dec. 10, 2017.... 

1) Starcrawler - I Love LA   
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JR6n23_fL3o&t
Starcrawler from Los Angeles, blasted on the scene in 2107. Touring Japan in March 2018.

2) Amyl and The Sniffers – 70’s Street Munchies  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uid_8u7T13Y
A young band that rocks and plays their own instruments? I'm in! Best female-fronted punk band since X-Ray Spex.

3) Daisy House – Languages    
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qg15v-kf9nU
Father and daughter team from Los Angeles with a cool sixties vibe.

4) The Neatbeats – Twistin’ Time With You 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0aifvxB6YmQ
Main characters from the cult rock n roll film "Ghostroads - A Japanese Rock n Roll Ghost Story."

5 (TIE!) The Tearaways - Bash 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7HX28ihlBk
“I remember seeing The Tearaways at Shea Stadium…..great band…” Tom Hanks

5 (TIE!) Richie Ramone - I Fix This  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ows6w04lptw 
This is the greatest Ramones song they never made! Richie Fucking Ramone! Cellophane!

6) Pale Waves – There’s A Honey 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfPZ6hukcw8
Manchester England Indie quartet pop band.

7) Peter118 - 'Radio' 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3t2mQeMt8NI
Peter118 is taking his exciting brand of pop-punk all over the world.

8) The Sold! And Bones – I’m Right, You’re Wrong (Official Video) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7JHhYKxm1Y
Legendary punk singer, Billy Bones of The Skulls, teams up with members of The Sold! to form a punk/blues explosion, The Sold! and Bones.

9) The Privates - Action Woman 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlHfjMx31Dw
Japan's legendary band, famous since the eighties. Also featured in the cult rock n roll film "Ghostroads - A Japanese Rock n Roll Ghost Story."

10) Touts - Bombscare   
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQmdoIhnizc
A three piece Punk band from Derry, Ireland. A singer that can't sing, a mod that can't play bass and a drummer that can't see.

11) The Van T’s – Bittersweet 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apAv_YL0C6A
Everything you ever wanted from a 90's dream.

12) Bleached “Dead in Your Head” 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCN9FCQ_P84
Bleached are an American punk rock and pop punk band consisting of sisters Jennifer Clavin and Jessica Clavin, formerly of Mika Miko.

13) The 50 Kaitenz - Vinyl Changed the World  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O84dX0O3Vl4
Japan's best punk band. They're from Osaka and are sometimes called the "Japanese Ramones." Nah! They're much more funny than the Ramones!

14) Fiona Silver – Love Grenade   
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6LwppbXcK0
Fiona’s music encompasses the doe-eyed playfulness of 1960s girl groups, and the haunting beauty of Lady Day-era jazz, along with strains of vintage soul, classic rock, and modern indie rock.

15) The Routes – Perfect Hell / No Permanence 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RbUuHB4bcA
Fukuoka, Japan's favorite sons. Huge in Europe headlining stages in Spain and Portugal!

16) THE PATS PATS 「A.A.A」 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7-4IWBiSSU
Two girls from Tokyo who play Cute Punk Pop music better than anyone.

16) Cat Lundy – Triggerman  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCSD7PSuK4o
Artist, singer, songwriter from Dublin, Ireland.

17) THE CAMBODIAN SPACE PROJECT – Rom Ding! Dong!  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VP1JKzrTcdI
Cosmic cross-culture rendezvous featuring space trippers from various planets. 

18) TAXI - Couch   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPjmU6cEqTY
TAXI from Canada, leapt onto the pop scene in September 2017 and, since, has achieved number one on radio charts in the UK & Canada.

19) ShitKid – “Sugar Town”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceyb0K3YO1s
ShitKid are from Stockholm/Gothenburg, Sweden. Really.

20) THE SPAM69 – “CHE.R.RY” “HANG ON”   
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQfjkPaj2zk
Crazy mo-fos from the Tokyo underground. Mad rock n roll.

21) Ya Freshness – This is England  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acUlzDzx_XE
Hang on... this is a B side? QUALITY!

22) Baby Shakes - Do What You Want  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pifkY_dLqYk&t
Winner's of New York's "Upcoming Band of the Year." Hot!

23) Jessica Hernandez & The Deltas - Sorry I Stole Your Man  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-v76IVtV-Y
Dark soul, gothic pop from Detroit!

24) The Darts (US) – “The Cat’s Meow” 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEli8nf7O6w
The Darts (US) romp through a grrrl-power trailer-park-mermaid-fairy-birthday party, complete with kiddie pool and pink cake.

25) Su Ko D Koi – Momanaide  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYo4fvFQ8dc
Japan's best girls punk band? One of their other videos hit over 1 million views within a few months this year! Amazing!

26) Sloan Peterson - 105
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbP2PUKDDj0
A love child of 50’s guitar pop and modern garage rock. Influenced by everything from Elvis, to Xavier Cugat or Nancy Sinatra and Bowie

27) POLO & PAN – Coeur Croisé   
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gB98kRDUTM4
Polo & Pan voit le jour en 2012 suite a la rencontre astrale entre Polocorp et Peter Pan.

28) The Goggles – Twitt and Chatt  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4girmEAy48
Genre: Beatles, Rutles, Goggles.

29) Fazerdaze – Lucky Girl   
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=My4j3vgFxbE
Girl in bedroom on guitar.

30) Samehada Shiroko and Dynamite - Moshikashitara https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OV7NePEIJ9o
Hot band from Fukuoka, Japan. Love it!

31) Warbly Jets - Alive   
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDVHvirhpKk
"...where massive rock 'n' roll melodies brush up against skittish breakbeats, swoon-worthy strings, and laser-guided synth lines."

32) The Twinkles – C’est La Vie  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRfwBfhMQHY
The Twinkles are a nice melodic ’77 punk band from Castelfranco Veneto, Italy.

33) Honeyblood - Babes Never Die   
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1Jx2iXgYCM
Honeyblood is a Scottish musical duo formed in Glasgow, Scotland in 2012.

34) Stephanies – Haconia   
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNIPXaQsMp0
The Stephanies are a hot three piece girls rock band from Sagamihara, Japan! They rock!

35) Daphne Guinness  - Evening In Space:  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUSatRN4vAk
Daphne has worked in music, photography, art and literature. She has worked many long hours with famed record producer Tony Visconti.

36) The Coathangers – Go Away   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zltN5_JuUX4
The story goes that four young women from Atlanta Georgia, decided to start a band for the sole purpose of being able to hang out and play parties.

37) Miss Derringer - Nobody to Come
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pi0Z3lfHJGk
From Los Angeles. Killer rock n roll!

38) Cosmic Psychos – Fuckwit City   
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q954LxEzyY8
Australia's thirstiest rock band have got it into their heads to batter your earholes with more beer smashing tunes.

39) pinksideofthemoon - Keep on Dancin 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dp-yoyJ2XBU
Legendary producer engineer Lee Popa and Nina Hagen Das!

40) CABBAGE – UBER CAPITALIST DEATH TRADE 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Xw6KdAFZxU
Post Punk? From Mossley, England.

41) Beck Black – Red Dog 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieq7LygiWD0
Singer, songwriter from Los Angeles.

42) Molly & The Krells – Relationshit: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieJkLyR1Rd4
Punk Rock from Sydney, Australia.

43) Lisa Mychols – You’re Gonna Miss Me When I’m Gone https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5EyNL5h1qY
Sunshine garage pop inspired by Petula Clark and Jackie Deshannon. What's not to like?

44) Bo-Peep - Hello 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJo8-xCwozU
From the heart of Fukuoka’s underground scene come Bo-Peep, three girls representing a generation raised on ’90s grunge and making a startlingly hard sound.

45) The Trash Templars – Dancing with the Bull 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTjnaM-p1VM
After some very long Crusades, the Templars are back home with fully loaded Bags to bring the Holy Grail of Fuzz to the cheerin´ audience.

46) Taffy – DD  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6kiAnAk-wI
Guitar band? Alternative? Shoegazer? Whatever.

47) The Sex Organs – Outer Space 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRnOBV6NL-s
Here are The Sex Organs! Inter-galactic sex 'n' roll from outer space! A primitive, trash, garage, space odyssey!

48) MOLICE " 5 "
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFWwmLkINUc
The Molice are a modern Japanese band who draw inspiration from 70's punk's DIY spirit, 80's new wave, power pop and 90's unchained indies guitar rock.

49) The Atomics – Voulez Vous 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzyuJnA7cPo
New Power Pop from Los Angeles.

50) ED WOODS - Fuckin` Em All  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzWvio5YprA
Link Wray is their father. Ed Wood is their Grandfather. Divine is their Mom. Big Foot is their Pet.

Thanks to Alex Kish, Kayla Williams, Dave McLean, Aya Fukuta, Ken Nishikawa and Rodney Bingenheimer (Rodney on the Roq), Gabbie Cabbie, Chris Browne, Christopher Jack, Marc Platt. You guys are the only people in the entire music industry who teach me music that I don't already know about. Really! Thanks so much.

                   May all your dreams come true in the next year!

Ricky Martin, Menudo and Me (Another True Story!)

I first came to Japan in the late 1970s. I used to get a scholarship for university and I would take a bunch of that money and then go running around Japan... Then, when back at school, I'd starve as a student - it was well worth it. 

Back then, there were very few foreigners in Tokyo. When I would walk through Shibuya and the Scramble intersection, people would point at me and say, "Look! There's a foreigner!" Some people would even ask for an autograph.

Those were the good old days. Being a foreigner in Japan was the same as being some superstar merely because of where you were born (kind of like British royalty).

I'm standing in the white shirt. Ricky Martin is sitting in the middle in front in the blue shirt....10 years old.....OK. He was 13... So sue me... 

One time, I think it was Jan. of 1979, I was waiting for my friend at 109 department store in Shibuya. They had just completed building it and I was told to wait there for my rendezvous. I got there an hour early. But, after walking around lost in Japan many times before that, I thought it would be best to stay at the designated place and wait for my friend - rather than going off exploring and getting hopelessly lost again. 

No cellphones in 1979!

While I was there waiting, four different beautiful Japanese girls walked up to me and, looking me straight in the eye, said (in impeccable English), things like, "She's not coming. I'm supposed to take you to dinner." Or, "Your girlfriend called me and told me that she can't make it, so I'm supposed to take you to coffee now." Or, "It's getting late, we'd better hurry or they'll cancel our reservations."

What!?

I was so surprised. I wondered how these girls knew who I was and who my girlfriend, who I was waiting for, was? Weird, eh? How did they know?

Duh! I figured out after the forth girl asked me to go somewhere with them, that they didn't know who I was and they didn't know my girlfriend, but they were trying to "pick me up!"

"Wow! What a wonderful country Japan is!" I thought, "This would never happen back home. Never in a million years!"

It wouldn't. I have never had a girl try to pick me up back in my home country... Ever!

"Japan was like heaven!" I thought. I'll never forget that experience.

A few years later, I would return again to Japan. This time, I got a regular job on TV Tokyo’s “Ohayo Studio.” It was in mid-1983 or so. Ohayo Studio was hosted by a famous TV announcer named Shiga san (I don’t know his first name), and Yasuha Ebina. Yasuha was a famous pop-singer. Yasuha's dad was one of the most famous comedians in Japanese history. They are all very well known stars in Japan.

I couldn’t believe my luck. I had only been in Japan a short time – couldn’t speak a word of Japanese – and, by some miracle, I got a regular job on a daily kid’s TV show. Impossible! Incredible!

Me, Shinko san (she sang the tunes for McDonald's TV commercials) and Yukari Morikawa far right (who scored one of the biggest #1 hits in all of Japan in the 1980s!)

I taught short English phrases on Ohayou Studio once a week. Also, on that show, there would be local J-Pop bands appearing. 

One time, though, the world-famous Menudo came to the studio. Menudo was the first group that Ricky Martin was ever in and they were touring Japan and Asia so they stopped into the show.

I was looking forward to talking to those guys because, even though I loved Japan and everything about it, I was dying to speak English to another native speaker (Spanish? Oh, well, close enough!) and I was also simply dying for some good Mexican food! Figured that these boys might have brought along a few burritos!

In Japan at that time, there weren’t any good Mexican food restaurants at all. None. Zero. Zip. Nada.

Ok, well, I have to admit that that the band Menudo isn’t from Mexico, but, hell, being a dummy, I didn’t know that! I figured that they must have been from Mexico because the word “Menudo” is the name for a delicious traditional Mexican food dish. If anything I am logical, Mr. Spock!

Anyway, Ricky Martin and the boys from Menudo came to the studio and they “lip synced” (くちぱく) one of their songs. It was “OK.” (Wink! Wink!) After the show I went backstage and said to them, “Hi guys! I’m your biggest fan in Japan! I have all your records and I love Mexican food!”

They all looked down and kind of scowled and said, “We’re not from Mexico. We’re from Puerto Rico.”

How embarrassing! I said, “Oh? Yeah! I knew that! Well, that’s OK because I’m not from Japan! Ha! Ha!….. Ha!... Ahem...”

Oh, yes. I did feel kind of stupid. Why do you ask?

Anyway, after that dumb remark from me, I could tell the room was getting cold and it seemed like, all of a sudden, the guys from Menudo didn't want to talk to me so much, so I asked to take a photo and got out of there as quick as I could...

I could have never guessed that a decade or so later, Ricky Martin would become such a big super-star with that “Livin’ da Vida Loca” song…

So, I took the photo and, since then I have been telling people that I was an "original member" of Menudo; the photo is "proof"... My story goes like this: 

"Those brats in Menudo kicked me out because I was the most handsome one in the group. I was getting all the hot babes (at least the ones who could drink, smoke cigarettes and could go on a date without their mom driving the car!) 

Band management said that Ricky was extremely jealous of me and my action because of my devastatingly good looks, humility and being more "macho" (mui macho!) than all those skinny little punks put together (plus I had the biggest "burrito"!).... Ricky was jealous so I had to go! So they kicked me out and removed my name in the credits as co-writer of all their big hits, including "Livin Da Vida Loca!"

And that's the truth. So help me God! Bwa! Ha! Ha!

Seriously, though... I do look like one of them, don't I?

OK. FREEBIE!

Here is Morikawa Yukari singing her monster hit... Can you guess what song this is?

Musicians, Artists and Politics - The Day the Music Dies

“And you tell me over and over and over again my friend, you don’t believe we’re on the eve of destruction.” – Barry McGuire

I think this needs to be said (not that what I think really matters) but I am so disappointed by so many of today’s musicians and artists who come out and publicly support this politician or that.

I have been noticing this trend amongst musicians and artists growing over these last 20 years or so. It astounds me that today’s artists are so fooled by the mass media that they will come out in support of certain political candidates. This is foolish as well as lacking in dignity and I will show you why.

I expect that Joe-Blow Average Guy – who watches too much TV – to suck it all in and be lead around by the ring in their nose like cattle to support a candidate. But I didn’t expect musicians and artists to be as daft as average Joe-Blow and openly promote criminal candidate A over criminal candidate B. (Yes. Yes. I know most artists and musicians are not rocket scientists but I still expect them to have a little more insight to life and how things work than the average 6-hour-a-day TV watcher.)

I get disgusted when I see artists posting some nonsense supporting some politician (or attacking that criminal – which is de facto supporting this criminal.) It especially astounds me when I see foreigners supporting some American politician. Guess what? No one in America gives a toss what you think. What would you guys from, say the UK, think if the bassist of Hootie and the Blowfish came out and said he supports the Conservative or Labor candidate in England?

You’d think he were an imbecile, wouldn’t you?

I don’t mean artists have to be apolitical, but I mean you need to publicly support principles, not individual candidates. Past history is proof enough that all politicians are liars and crooks. You should understand and know by now that we are ruled by an evil cabal. It doesn’t matter if Candidate A or Candidate B wins; nothing changes.

Or haven’t you been paying attention the last 50 years?

At this time, we don’t know if Candidate A or Candidate B is going to win the election. All we do know is that no matter who wins, the current direction and decline of the country will continue.

Here is what artists are supposed to be in support of End of the wars, end of poverty, end the bombings, end the war on drugs, more freedom for the people.

The fact of the matter is that all politicians are deceitful liars. They have to be. That’s part of the job. To think candidate A is going to change things is delusional. I explained that here inThe US Presidency is a Donut Shop.

What is going on now; the vote rigging; Bernie’s disgraceful and total and complete capitulation; and what occurred with all our US presidents in these last 50 years should have been a wake-up call: The system is corrupt. It’s always been corrupt. It was built that way. It isn’t going to change. There is basically no difference in our ruling aristocracy and the ruling aristocracy of other corrupt nations.

The USA, Japan, and the EU haven’t a leg to stand on when we criticize North Korea or her president.

Besides the above, here is really why you should stop the political posts and support for any politician: when you do support one or the other, it makes you lose your ability to view the world as an observer. When you publicly support a certain candidate you lose your objectivity and are unable to keep your bias level at a minimum. It destroys your art and loses members of your fanbase. It is amateurish and completely unprofessional.

Still not convinced?

Remember when John Lennon was protesting the Vietnam War? Did he ever come out and say he supported this politician or that? No. He understood that our problems are not because of this politician or that. He fully understood that and said that the system is corrupt.

Can you imagine for a second someone like Lennon or David Bowie coming out and saying he supports a particular politician like Cameron or Corbin or Hillary or Trump?

Nope. Neither can I.

Do not support politicians. Support universal human rights and principles.

Of course, it really doesn’t matter what I think. But I think you do yourself a disservice by getting into politics. Musicians and artists are supposed to help us escape – even for a few minutes – the hell we live in.

Don’t pull us deeper into the cesspool.