I think so many neat things have come from the Japanese: sushi, Takara Blythe, Sanrio stationery, cutting-edge fashion for one-foot-high dolls and five-foot-high people. Most recently, though, I think the absolute best thing that’s come from Japan is the latest compilation of Japanese punk rock from the people at Snuffy Smile. Snuffy Smile may be a cute name, but there is nothing sissy about the bands on this label. I Hope the End Is Always the Beginning is one CD that is comprised of two sections: Chapter One and Chapter Two. Chapter One consists of original songs by fourteen different bands, including Minority Blues Band, Bottledirt, and Pear of the West. Chapter Two consists of the same fourteen bands covering songs by bands like The Replacements, Stiff Little Fingers, and Cock Sparrer. There are twenty-eight tracks on this album, and every single one rocks. Even though more than half the time I can’t understand the lyrics, I still want to sing along. I love this CD. Get your own copy now.
–felizon (Snuffy Smile)