In times like these, it’s refreshing to hear new music from a band that still delivers exactly what made them worth following in the first place. That’s the case with Our Best Place, the recent album from Japan’s long running all female power pop punk outfit, Shonen Knife.

First released in 2023, the album earned strong praise from fans and critics alike. Now, ahead of a 2025 to 2026 U.S. tour with Toad the Wet Sprocket and Men at Work, the band is issuing an expanded edition featuring additional content and an alternate cover design.

“Our Best Place which was released in 2023 became a representative album of Shonen Knife,” says Naoko, founding member and lead vocalist. “It includes many of our punk pop songs. The 2025 vinyl version has fabulous embroidered artwork and will [be] a collector’s item for our fans! “Not only that, I hope this vinyl release will be a good opportunity for other people to know our music!”

While I can’t claim to have been following every step of the band’s career — I became a fan when I purchased their brilliant holiday 45 RPM single “Space Christmas” around the time of its release in the early 1990s (and I still have it and play it each year!) — every Shonen Knife album I’ve picked up randomly over the years has been great fun.

For those of you not familiar with Shonen Knife’s sound, this group effectively bridges the gap between The Ramones and The Ronettes via Osaka, Japan.

A quick look at the track list reveals one of the running themes in Shonen Knife’s universe: food. “Spicy Veggie Curry” might be the best vegetarian punk rock song you didn’t know you needed. “Afternoon Tea” is not the Something Else by The Kinks cut, but you get the sense Ray Davies would appreciate the spirit. “The Story of Baumkuchen” dives into the German “tree cake” that found a second home in Japan, delivered with a quirky charm that oddly recalls Guided By Voices. And then there’s “Vamos Taquitos,” where acoustic strumming collides with a wall of fuzzy, overdriven electric guitars, and somehow it all works.

But its not all food puns here. “Just A Smile” is a great power pop cover tune, originally recorded by Scotland’s Pilot (of the hit “Magic” fame).

Our Best Place now includes four additional songs: “Nice Day (‘60s Mix),” “The Story of Baumkuchen (Japanese Version),” “Girls Rock (2023 Japanese Version)” and “Green Tea (2025 Naoko Vocal Version).” 

The bonus 60’s mix of “Nice Day” is a hysterical concept which audiophiles of a certain vintage will appreciate as it places all vocals in one channel and the whole band backing track is in the other — ultra extreme early stereo! 

Our Best Place comes pressed on crystal clear vinyl that is well centered and happily very quiet. You can order the CD version with the original cover design for $19.99 at Amazon. It is also available at their Bandcamp page for about $15.95. 

As far as getting your hands on the vinyl, as far as I can tell it is presently only available at their concerts but some online sources indicate it will be made available online later in the year after the tour. I have inquired with the band’s PR team and if/when we get additional information I’ll be sure to update this section accordingly. 

That said, what are you waiting for? Go see Shonen Knife live and grab the album at the merch table while you’re there. Here’s their current tour itinerary. And yes… let’s knife.

Mark Smotroff is a deep music enthusiast / collector who has also worked in entertainment oriented marketing communications for decades supporting the likes of DTS, Sega and many others. He reviews vinyl for Analog Planet and has written for Audiophile Review, Sound+Vision, Mix, EQ, etc. You can learn more about him at LinkedIn.

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Avatar fans, this one’s been a long time coming, and it finally has a release date. Announced in a new trailer at the Evo Awards on Saturday, Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game officially drops on July 2, 2026.

The game is coming to pretty much everything, including PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch (including Switch 2), and PC. It’ll launch with 12 playable characters, alongside multiple modes like Story, Arcade, Training, and full online multiplayer with ranked and casual play. As for what kind of game it is, think classic 2D fighter… but with bending.

Why does Avatar Legends look so promising?

Avatar Legends is a 1v1 fighting game built around elemental combat, letting players control fan-favorite characters from both Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra. It features hand-drawn 2D animation, which honestly looks straight out of the show, and a unique “Flow System” that focuses on movement, positioning, and expressive combat rather than just button mashing. There’s also a support character system, meaning fights aren’t just about your main pick. You can even tweak your playstyle with assist abilities and special moves.

However, the best part about this game is that it’s not just coasting on nostalgia. The devs are clearly targeting both casual players and fighting game enthusiasts, with features like rollback netcode and full cross-play, which are huge for competitive longevity. Add to that an original story mode and a planned roster expansion via DLC, and it feels like this could stick around for a while.

So… is this the Avatar game we’ve been waiting for?

Avatar Legends looks like it actually gets what makes the series click: fluid movement, expressive combat, and that signature bending chaos. Add in hand-drawn visuals, a solid 1v1 fighting system, and mechanics like the Flow System and support assists, and it’s shaping up to be more than just another licensed fighter.

And that’s the big deal here. This isn’t trying to reinvent the genre. Instead, it’s trying to belong in it, while staying true to Avatar’s identity. If everything clicks, this could easily become the go-to fighter for fans… and maybe even pull in players who’ve never watched the show.

Top 5 360 Cameras Compared

Honorable Mentions

Photograph: Scott Gilbertson

Insta360 X4 for $340: I’d recommend skipping this one unless you can get it on sale for under $300. The X4 Air is (usually) cheaper, smaller, and more capable, though the X4 does have a larger screen and the battery life is better (though again, the video quality is not as good as the X4 Air). If you can find a killer deal under $300, the X4 is worth nabbing. Otherwise though, stick with the X4 Air.

Qoocam 3 Ultra for $539: It’s not widely available, and we have not had a chance to try one, but Kandao’s Qoocam 3 Ultra is another 8K 360 camera that looks promising, at least on paper. The f/1.6 aperture is especially interesting, as most of the rest of these are in the f/2 and up range. We’ll update this guide when we’ve had a chance to test a Qoocam.

360 Cameras to Avoid

Insta360 One RS: Insta360’s interchangeable-lens action-camera/360-camera hybrid was a novel idea that just didn’t seem to catch on. Now it’s a bit dated. The video footage isn’t as good as the other cameras in this guide, but you can swap the lens and have an action camera in a moment, which is the major selling point. Ultimately I’d say skip this, get the X4 Air and if you want to use it like a GoPro, just shoot in single lens mode.

GoPro Max: You’ll still run across GoPro’s original Max sometimes, but again, there are better options.

Insta360 One X3: Insta360’s older X3 is not worth buying at this point.

Insta360 One RS 1 360 Edition: Although I still like and use this camera, it appears to have been discontinued, and there’s no replacement in sight. The X5 delivers better video quality in a lighter, less fragile body, but I will miss those 1-inch sensors that managed to pull a lot of detail, even if the footage did top out at 6K. These are still available used, but at outrageous prices. You’re better off with the X5.

Frequently Asked Questions

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