Artist: The Yoshida Brothers

Album: III

Country of Origin: Japan

The Brothers, Ryoichiro and Kenichi, themselves are a couple of swell kids who, when they're not watching Japanese robot porn, play the tsugaru shamisen (a sort of Japanese three-stringed banjo). When left on their own to play traditional Japanese tunes in the traditional Japanese way—as they are on far too few tracks on their latest release, III—they shine like a brand new robot buying schoolgirls' panties from a sparkling vending machine. Unfortunately, someone at Domo Records had the truly loathsome idea of peppering III with string sections, slide guitars, synthesizers and the screams of the casual listener. Future generations will no doubt judge the Japanese less harshly for the Rape of Nanking than they will for the reprehensible decision to waste the Yoshida Brothers' considerable talents on a cover of John and Yoko's "Oh My Love."

While it may not be wise to enforce the entire Bush doctrine of carpet-bombing a country until they accept our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, we really need to send in a battalion or two of Marines in order to liberate the Yoshida Brothers from Domo's marketing division, and allow them the freedom to create the wonderful CD that lurks somewhere in their DNA.