The new songs are excellent, and the second album will be available soon. This mercurial duo is playing only their second stateside show, as far as I know. So I recommend getting while the getting's good. Because then it might get going and be gone or something like that. I'm not the PR guy, what do I know?

Thursday night, February 11 at The Brighton Bar in Long Branch, NJ. According to the schedule, tickets are $6.00. I can afford that on a blogger's salary. So consequently, I will be there. So come say high to your favorite blogger, or even me, for that matter. I'm told that Sudden Ensemble should be coming on around 9:15 PM.

New songs are on their MySpace page. Songs from the first album appear at the Sudden Ensemble page at ApacheMatrix11. The first album is available from Angelika Kohlermann (Austria).

And I'm posting Antwerp just because I can. At least I think so, but as far as I'm concerned a C & D letter would mean somebody read this blog. At least one somebody. Besides me.

Sudden Ensemble - Antwerp.

Mp3's will remain available until I remember that they've been up kind of long and should probably take them down so someone goes and buys something. That's my disclaimer.

I'm not sure I'm ready to jump into the fray in the world of mp3 blogs, but I heard about the recentdeath of Shonen Knife and DMBQ drummer Mana "China" Nishiura in a car accident, and was surprised to see no mention in any of the mp3 blogs over at The Hype Machine. (If there were any comments, no mp3s were posted.) "China" was currently touring with the band DMBQ. She apparently was a session and touring drummer that played with a number of other bands (Teem, Rashinban, Droop, Slower Traffic 5), in many styles.

I will not pretend to know a lot about her, and if you are interested in learning more about Mana "China" Nishiura, then I suggest visiting some of the links in this post.

The only CD I own by Shonen Knife is Let's Knife, but my favorite track is on the soundtrack to The Powerpuff Girls: Heroes & Villains movie. The Shonen Knife contribution is "Buttercup (I'm a Super Girl)", and The Ramones influence is way beyond obvious. But that's okay. The song is a lot of fun.

Shonen Knife - Buttercup (I'm a Super Girl)