Expect in Japan on June 25, 2007 (click here to read more infos of Japan release).
Expanded edition was released on February 4, 2022 (vinyl, CD and digital).
Osaka Popstar is also released:
- LiveEP Rock'Em O-Sock'Em Live!.
- Shaped 12' inch vinyl picture record.
- 12' split maxi Weird Al Yankovic & Osaka Popstar: Beat On The Brat 12'.
Official Osaka Popstar page is here.
The full-length CD/DVD combo Osaka Popstar And The American Legends Of
Punk.Osaka Popstar is helmed by John Cafiero (vocals). Marky Ramone plays drums on every song on this Osaka Popstar album, and other players are Jerry Only (Misfits) on bass, Dez Cadena (Black Flag/ Misfits) on guitar and Ivan Julian (Richard Hell & The Voidoids) on guitar. Album include Richard Hell & Voidoids tracks Blank Generation and Love Comes In Spurts. CD is dedicated to Joey Ramone, Dee Dee Ramone, Johnny Ramone and Robert Quine. Release includes 20 page booklet, it has many photos and cartoons.
So the CD includes also a bonus DVD, it's featuring 2 animated music videos created exclusively for this release. Those videos are of Wicked World and Insects. Wicked World (first single) is animated video by the Japanese designer Mari-Chan. Funny video of the Insects is directed by Joel Veitch. In November, 2006 Insects was number 5 on MTV.COM's "Hottest Indie Music Videos". Insects was also on the "Top 25 Singles" on the Sub Modern radio air-play charts.
Both videos are starring John, Marky, Jerry and Dez. Wicked World was written by the Daniel Johnston. He also contributed vocals to the song Man Of Constant Sorrow.
You can listen to the final mix of Wicked World in its entirety on the Osaka Popstar site. Before rough mix of the Wicked World was featured on Rykodisc's 20th Anniversary 2-CD compilation set.
Cafiero has said following of the recordings/ line-up: "It's great to work with your friends and who better for a band than the guys who started the scene? This is my own personal Punk Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame"
And about Marky: "Marky Ramone is my absolute favorite drummer. It's surreal because when I was a kid in garage bands I used to always tell my drummers to play like Marky. And he surprised us, all the musicians noticed it - unlike his previous work where he may have been more regimented, like in the Ramones, he really does some incredible playing in his fills. He breaks the mold, and it sounds great"
TRACKLISTING:
1) Wicked World
2) Astro Boy
3) Sailor Moon
4) Man Of Constant Sorrow (featuring special guest, Daniel Johnston)
5) Insects
6) I Live Off You
7) XMas Intro (That Almost Wasn't)
8) The Christmas That Almost Wasn't
9) Love Comes In Spurts
10) Blank Generation
11) Monsters
12) Where's The Cap'n? (expanded version has Extra Crunchy Mix of this sing)
13) Shaolin Monkeys
Bonus Tracks in expanded version released in 2022:
14) Super Hero
15) Beat on the Brat (Studio Version)
JAPAN RELEASE OF OSAKA POPSTAR DEBUT ALBUM
The debut album of Osaka Popstar was released in Japan on June 27, 2007 by Imperial Records (in conjunction with Misfits Records/ Rykodisc). Imperial Records is one of Japan's leading punk and alternative labels.
Japan release of Osaka Popstar And The American Legends Of Punk has alternative cover art (Japanese translated lyrics etc.) and three live bonus tracks. Wicked World, Sailor Moon and Ramones song Beat On The Brat live tracks were recorded on the Fiend Fest tour, at the Starland Ballroom, Sayerville, NJ, USA in Halloween night on October 31, 2006.
Also Japan release has animated videos of Wicked World and Insects.
SHAPED PICTURE DISC
Misfits Records put out (release date: July 13, 2007) cool Osaka Popstar vinyl picture disc. This shaped 12-inch vinyl picture record is a die-cut image of the crowned head of Shaolin Monkey leader, Stan Lee! Stan sports his "war paint" battle-face on side-A and appears mild-mannered without "war paint" on side-B. Side-A has album version of the Shaolin Monkey and side-B unreleased instrumental version of the track. Of this vinyl is released very limited edition, you can get it from the on-line store of the Osaka Popstar website.
OSAKA POPSTAR EXHIBITION
Osaka Popstar's singer John Cafiero has The Devil Dog Art Show at the
Showroom Gallery in 117 2nd Avenue (7th Street and 2nd Avenue) in New
York, near dear old St. Marks Place. It is open by appointment only,
phone number is: 212-673-5424, 1PM-9PM EST. Premiere night was October
31, 2008,
Halloween. The show will remain open until November 8th, 2008. As you
know, Marky Ramone is drummer for Osaka Popstar which also features Ivan
Julian, Dez Cadena and Jerry Only. John Cafiero asked over 100 toy
designers, cartoonists, painters and celebrities to customize white
vinyl figures of Osaka Popstar mascot, Devil Dog.Famous artist Bobby London and his girlfriend, artist Karen Angelica painted together these mascots in photo in right. Bobby wrote: "Wild Flower Thing (hers) on the right; a tribute to Joey Ramone (mine) called, "EyePatch Brat With Baseball Bat (Oh, Yeah!)" on the left.
Also for example John Pound, Drew Friedman, Wayno, Jhonen Vasquez, James Kochalka, Nix Toxic, Mark Negata, Seth Rogan, Rose McGowan and Robert Rodriguez are among the many who have created some truly astounding and funny work. Check them out here. All the figures are for sale and net proceeds go to the Picasso Veterinary Fund (Manhattan animal shelters!)
REVIEW OF OSAKA POPSTAR AND THE AMERICAN LEGENDS OF PUNK BY DAVE LAKE IN AVERSION.COM IN 2006:
If comic books had a sound, it would be Osaka Popstar And The American Legends Of Punk.
The band are exactly what a punk rock super group should be: fun as hell. And considering the group is the brainchild of John Cafiero, longtime fan of the world's most fun punk band The Ramones, it's not surprising that the band's debut is so darn enjoyable. Joining Cafiero on the band's debut are Jerry Only (Misfits), Dez Cadena (Black Flag), Ivan Julian (The Voidoids) and Marky Ramone (The Ramones, The Voidoids).
Musically, Osaka Popstar are a throwback to the old school bands the members cut their teeth in, though overall the sound is more pop than punk. The band also put a twist on the formula Me First and the Gimme Gimmes pioneered nearly a decade ago: cover songs performed by a punk rock super group. Only rather than choosing songs outside of their native genre, OP focuses on a slate of songs near and dear to their collective heart: classic punk and cartoons.
The album's leadoff track is Wicked World, an infectious three-chord number that originally appeared on one of Daniel Johnston's self-released cassettes, and Johnston himself guests on the band's version of the traditional Man of Constant Sorrow
Elsewhere on the album the band cover classics by Richard Hell (Love Comes in Spurts, Blank Generation) and X-Ray Spex (I Live Off You), but the band is at their best when cruising through the nostalgic sound of their youth, either via cartoon theme songs (Astro Boy, Sailor Moon) or jingles for breakfast cereal (Where's the Cap'n?).
Sticking with the beloved memories of Cafeiro's youth, the band hired Topps bubblegum card artist John Pound to create the album's artwork. Pound worked on the '80s card phenomenon known as Wacky Packs, and several years later created a phenomenon of his own, Garbage Pail Kids. And much like the recent visuals of the Gorillaz, each of the album's members are depicted as anime superheros.
Osaka Popstar create the perfect package. It has a clear sound and a clear vision, and its members don't aspire for it to be anything other than a seriously fun side project. Many bands try extraordinarily hard to achieve this kind of levity in their music, but it simply comes naturally to the members of Osaka Popstar. Because of this, the band's debut is an infectious set, and dare I say . sweet as a rock-hard stick of Topps trading card gum.
- Dave Lake