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One For The Road: Happy Birthday, James Iha

By Samantha Abernethy in Arts & Entertainment on Mar 26, 2012 10:30PM

Chicagoan James Iha of the Smashing Pumpkins, A Perfect Circle, Tinted Windows and many other musical projects turns 44 today. Iha just released a solo album Look To The Sky in Japan. It's due out for an international release later this year.

There's a little-known project he also worked on: Iha did the soundtrack for a film called Linda Linda Linda. It's a Japanese movie (yes, subtitles) about a group of girls forming a punk band to perform at their school's talent show. The song below doesn't have Iha in it, but it gives you a taste of the film's musical attitude — fun and sweet, but not too saccharine. It's a cover of Japanese punk rock band The Blue Hearts' 1987 song "Linda Linda." Warning: The song below will probably get stuck in your head.