Top 5 Recommended Music Videos

"Applause" by Lady Gaga
One morning, I woke up and saw this video on my TV. Normally, I would've gone back to sleep because it was pretty early, but since I've been waiting to see new Gaga, I stayed awake. I did not regret what I saw or heard. Everything that she promoted for Born This Way felt overproduced, but this reeled in the craziness to her Fame Monster time. It still has some theatrics from her last album, but they are more restrained visually. The song is absolutely catchy! I can't get enough of it. I'm still going into Artpop cautiously, but this was a good start.



"INCOMPLETE" by girugamesh
It feels like forever since I found a PV and song I enjoy from this band. I was cautious going into this new PV, but I was very satisfied. It might not sound like 13's Reborn or Girugamesh, but it has all the good elements of Music, which I actually enjoyed despite some fan disagreement. It mixes electronic and rock sounds together just like the album I mentioned and Girugamesh is good at that. It's not too poppy or reminiscent of an anime opening, it's rock and that's what I missed about them. Maybe the split versions of the band reflect that in the PV.



"THE SWAN" by 12012
Despite the changes the band's music has gone, I still love this band and now they have a new member. I was happy to see this PV and expected a certain direction it was gonna take. I pleased that I was proven wrong in the arrangement. Omg! This song is so beautifully done and reminds me of "Just the Way You Are..." to some extent and I really like that song. It does still have some aggression in there, but it is very brief. I enjoy and miss Wataru's lovely, unique vocals and the music is just as pleasing to the ears. The PV is simplistic and artistic. It focuses on the band, gives Wataru a little spotlight as the black swan, and some sketches. I'm looking forward to listening to the new material.



"Picasso" by Yeti
I was very happy to see a new PV from Emiru's new band Yeti. It's a fun, little simple tune and visual concept. It still reminds me a little of Radwimps, but this time with a mix of Plastic Tree with the sound. Sometimes band centric videos can be quite interesting. I would post more PVs that are band centric, but I want to prove that music videos are not dead...even when you do it this way. I'm looking forward to more music by this band and I hope they keep their momentum. It's still a little weird seeing this normal appearance of Emiru compared to his aicle. days.



"Attraction" by BUMKEY feat. Dynamic Duo
As much as I miss 2wins, it is nice to hear Bumkey's voice and see him being active in the music scene. Visually, I think this video takes an old American approach. Warm tones, loose, but sweet love story, and focus on the artist. It's fun, relaxed R&B track with some fresh artistic approaches to the editing to keep it interesting for the modern time. The song is flawless. It does have a sprinkle of 90's R&B cliches, but we haven't heard them in decades so it's easily forgivable...especially since I miss that nostalgic sound. I hope he doesn't keep me waiting like Zion.T and puts something out soon.

Quick Music Review

MADEMOISELLE YULIA - MADEMOWORLD (2011, Japan) Rating: 3.5/5
Favorite Tracks: GIMME GIMME, LUXURY OF YOU, CHRONIC, YOU CAN’T HAVE ME THAT WAY
“GIMME GIMME” is what interested me in checking out this album. It has a Sleigh Bells sound to it, from what little I know about the group. It has a simple beat with little clashing noises in the background, but it fits the atmosphere of Harajuku. “BAM ME” has a cutesy, vintage sound that differs a little from the first track. The chorus is a little annoying to me, but I can admit the song is okay for such a short track. “LUXURY OF YOU” has an electro-pop sound that could be found in lesser known European artists. It’s a good, simple club song and I really like. “WAO” is another simplistic track, but more electronic than poppy. This also works very well with YULIA’s vocals and VERBAL’s input isn’t too out of place either. “DOWN DOWN” steps out of the club and into the lounge setting with snapping, piano, and trombone, I believe. It’s a good toe tapping song that showcases a different side from the DJ. “ZODIAC GOLD” smoothly keeps the slight touches of vintage and lounge with some heavy drums and a soft touch of electronics. “REPLAY” returns the modern club sound for a fun little dance track. Nothing new, but not bad. “YOU CAN’T HAVE ME THAT WAY” breaks out of the standard sounds of electro-pop just a bit. At least, this track sounds more interesting and has some dimension from the up and down musical progressions. “CHRONIC” is partially stripped down to some vulnerable vocal layering and piano which is surprisingly very beautiful. I can admit that YULIA doesn’t have this perfectly trained vocals or anything, but with such a vulnerable track, it still gets its emotion across successfully. “MIDNIGHT EXPRESS” brings us back to a catchy electro-pop song that I can see Lady Gaga using. That’s a compliment, btw. “DON’T STOP THE MUSIC” is a standard Europop dance track. Usual beats, vocal stutters, and noises, but still enjoyable for a typical dance song. “TOUCH ME” concludes the album with some orchestral sounds mixed with a familiar, steady R&B beat. It’s pretty smooth and suits YULIA’s voice, surprisingly. It makes for a good dance track too without being overwhelming electro-pop dance.



JASMINE - Best Partner (2012, Japan) Rating: 4.5/5
Favorite Tracks: Best Partner, B*TCH*S
“Best Partner” starts off with some beautiful violins, piano, and a simple R&B beat, then JASMINE’s passionate vocals kick for the verse. This title is nothing less than I expected from the vocalist. It’s not overly complicated and gets its point across with the lyrics and the simplistic musical arrangement. “B*TCH*S” takes a different tone than the title and gives off a more confident sound with booming bass and underlying R&B elements as JASMINE taunts with her vocal delivery while maintaining her beauty. “Touch me on the beach” is obviously a summer song. It’s a fun little track that sounds like something Christina Aguilera would pull out. It has some soft sexual aggression while still being pure and catchy with a slight reggae sound and powerful vocals.



the GazettE - TOXIC (2011, Japan) Rating: 3/5
Favorite Tracks: THE SUICIDE CIRCUS, MY DEVIL ON THE BED, UNTITLED, RUTHLESS DEED
“INFUSE INTO” starts off with light bits of dubstep and a simple starter beat for this introduction. “VENOMOUS SPIDER'S WEB” continues that electronic sound and speech pattern from the introduction, then leads off to some heavy bass and distant, distorted vocal. It surprisingly sounds like something from NIL in its musical arrangement and high energy. “SLUDGY CULT” has a very speedy drum and continues on that old sound. I can’t help but think of “Muddy Cult” though with the name. The vocals still sound a little distorted like it’s coming from a megaphone and there’s band member participation too that works better in Gazette’s music than BORN’s. “RED” brings us to the present sound of the band of that seemingly recycled musical and vocal arrangement with tiny changes. Not a bad song, but nothing fresh. “THE SUICIDE CIRCUS” was used for initial promotion. The video was kinda boring, but I really did like the song. Although the sound has been used before by the band, it was still enjoyable. I like the quiet moments and how it gradually built up to the bridge and chorus, which reminds me of the dramatics from “The Invisible Wall”. “SHIVER” sounds very generic…like “I’ve heard this song before…on Stacked Rubbish.” It’s just very standard. “MY DEVIL ON THE BED” begins with some odd noises, then the drums and bass kick in with megaphone vocals, which is a little annoying now. The music is something different though and reminds me of a couple songs from J. “UNTITLED” was the most talked about track when this album was released and I was skeptical, until it started. This is a very good track and I wish I heard this level of greatness more often from the GazettE. I probably should like “PLEDGE”, but for some reason it reminds me too much of “Cassis”…and I really dislike that song. I do like this a little more though for chorus part mostly, but there’s better slow songs by them. “RUTHLESS DEED” satisfies the heaviness I crave from time to time. It kinda awakens that old comparison to Dir en grey, but I consider that a compliment. I love the straying guitar in the background, the deep bass, and the heart pounding drums while Ruki’s vocals goes from soft to rough with ease. “PSYCHOPATH” continues on that heavy path and leads onto something somewhat chaotic like “DISCHARGE”, but a little more mature in some ways. It incorporates the chaos of “DISCHARGE” and the new elements that the band has picked up. “VORTEX” is slightly heavy like the previous tracks, but it brings back those electronic elements and auto-tune, distorted vocals. The arrangement is a little lost in places and the vocal distortions are a little annoying. They should just leave Ruki’s vocals alone. “TOMORROW NEVER DIES” tries to bring a little bit of Disorder back into their sound while keeping those silly auto-tune vocals. The song isn’t that bad, but maybe they should stay away from the vocal effects. “OMEGA” is simply an outro track to this album, which is surprisingly a slight step up from the previous albums since NIL.



12012 - DEICIDA OF SILENCE (2013, Japan) Rating: 3/5
Favorite Tracks: 身千切りの莟、奇しくも恍惚の桜, DEICIDA OF SILENCE
The band has changed since they moved to different labels and lost a member. Not sure if that was off putting for the fans, but here’s their follow up to 12012 album. “身千切りの莟、奇しくも恍惚の桜” starts off pretty dramatic with piano, a steady drum beat, somewhat quick guitar, and Wataru’s voice just leading the melody along with his soft vocals. It kinda reminds me of Dir en grey’s “Dozing Green” and “VINUSHKA” mixed together. “DEICIDA OF SILENCE” continues the growling vocals and heaviness introduced to us from the previous album, but this has a little more singing in it. I’m still not used to this Dir en grey-esque sound coming from the band and please hold onto your rocks with that comparison. It’s not a negative, simply an adjustment. “CHABOO-CHABOO” has a weird title, but it’s an…interesting track. It really doesn’t sound like anything the band has done in any aspect of the song. It’s probably the heaviest song on the mini-album, so a good track to headbang and just thrash to. “夢喰い” is a little softer than the previous two tracks, but still has a heaviness to it. There’s a little less screaming and more singing. “DOOR TO THE SKY” doesn’t let go of the heavy, pounding sounds, but it does have a nice melodic moment between the guitar and the vocals. I have a feeling that 12012 are still trying to find themselves, but I have faith in them still.



exist†trace - Virgin (2012, Japan) Rating: 3/5
Favorite Tracks: あなた, Daybreak ~13月の色彩~, 契約, シグナル
Here with another old request! “WONDERLAND” begins with some haunting organs then bursts through with some powerful guitar melodies and drums. Definitely a different and slightly subdued version of the band, but a good introduction to the album without being overwhelmingly heavy. “Daybreak ~13月の色彩~” was one of the promotional tracks and I really love this song. It’s catchy, has a good melody, and a great dual guitar solo. Also the PV’s pretty cool too. “HONEY” comes in with hard driving guitars and a determined drum beat. It’s a little more restrained than the previous track and has a lighter, upbeat sound. “GINGER” is a track that made me nervous about this album. It was used for promotion and has a jazz sound to it that works better with Nightmare and Acid Black Cherry. This was the introduction to what we now know as the dual vocals with guitarist Miko. This sound really doesn’t suit the band at all and Miko’s voice isn’t the best. It’s too high and doesn’t mesh well with Jyou’s on the forefront. “契約” steadily moves along with a set drum and bass beat with guitar chords come in and out as Jyou’s voice orchestrates the tone of the song. It’s an experimental track that works with the softer, tamer tone of Jyou’s vocals. “リトル・メアリーと美しき憎しみのドナウ” starts off with a cutesy singing voice and circus-like sound. I’m not sure if it’s some kid singing, but I’m gonna bet that it’s actually Miko. It’s a little irritating in this minimalistic song with only drums, accordion, and a few other small instruments. “シグナル” brings back the heavy rock that the girls are known for. There’s a good fast pace and tons of attitude in Jyou’s delivery. “TRUE” was another promotional track and brings in a faster musical pace with enough aggression to leave a nice impression in your ears. The vocals have a subtle gentleness while maintaining the usual confidence Jyou brings to songs like this. “二つの声” brings something different from the band. It has a nice arrangement of being in your face with hard hitting dreams and loud guitars, then reels it in enough to highlight Jyou’s vocals in the verses and chorus. “あなた” comes in slowly with soft drums, careful vocals, and a deep bass line. It’s almost haunting, but beautifully enough that it lingers in the air. It has some experimental vocal choices that remind me a little Dir en grey’s “ZAN” and “Obscure”. “KISS IN THE DARK” is a return to the unfitting jazzy lounge sound, but it works a little better than “GINGER”. The sound still doesn’t quite suit the band, but it’s less forced in this track. “I feel you” is a speedy rock track with strong emphasis on the guitars, but doesn’t drown out Jyou’s vocals. “SORA” slows down the rush of the previous track to a pretty basic rock song. Jyou’s voice is pretty in it and the music is quite constrained compared to the previous material. This was new, experimental direction for the band and it feels like they’re trying to figure out what to do with it.



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Quick Music Review

12012 - 12012 (2012, Japan) Rating: 3/5
Favorite Tracks: ABUSE, SUIREN, JAZETSU, FORTITUDE
After departing from two labels, the band joined the ranks of Free-will and fans were a little shocked by the band's makeover after Yuusuke departure. "MADARA" is an eerie atmospheric introduction to the album. It sets up the curious tone you may be feeling about this album. "SUICIDE" was the promotional track used for this interesting comeback. With soft introduction and tribal-like drums, the guitars kick in and Wataru begins to scream like a mad man. Sadly, I have to agree that this is straight out of Dir en grey 101 guide book. Perhaps this marks the death of the soft 12012 from the previous label? "BAAL-ZEBUL" starts off a bit eerily and then Wataru screams to bring you back to reality. It's another heavy song, but it seems to have more structure to it than the previous track. "ABUSE" lightens up just a little bit and adds more speed and clumsiness to the drums. The musical arrangement is quite daring and I like it. There's a bit more vocal variation in this one, just to remind us that Wataru can still sing like before. "SUIREN" brings in the piano and some distant vocals. It's a nice break from the heavy sounds and screams. This track sounds like the 12012 from before...like "Just the Way You Are..." 12012. This is a beautiful song. It's not too soft and gives us a chance to let Wataru's vocals soothe our minds with a great musical arrangement. "JAZETSU" comes in with a subtle bass introduction and slowly eases into the song with a little bit a drums then guitar. This is another heavy track, but not as abusive to the ears. The music lurks and taunts during the verses as Wataru's voice echos, then there's a more harnessed screaming delivery in between the verses and chorus to tie in the old and new sounds. "EN" brings us in with a brief drum introduction and joined by distorted guitars luring you into the song. The track is a little more balanced out compared to most of the previous tracks and utilizes Wataru's voice to set the tone. You also get a little taste of Under Code 12012 in the bridge. "HESITATION" tugs back the metal elements the band has acquired along with aggressive vocals, screaming, and a few growls. It's more under control compared to the first couple full tracks. "FEROCIOUS" starts with an almost sensual, yet intimidating sound with strained vocals lingering beneath the music. When the verse kicks in, there's layers of distant screams and a growling delivery in the forefront. It's an odd sound and it might take some getting used to to accept that this is 12012. "HIDE & SEEK" breaks out wildly with heavy drums and a guttural delivery with some clumsy, fast pace verse delivery. "MADMAN" is a short track with more growling and fast paced instrumentation. Don't feel guilty if you skip this track. You're not missing anything. "FORTITUDE" softens things up and brings in the old 12012 from the previous label. More musical structure, emotion filled vocala, and something to latch into your mind. Quite beautiful. If you're lucky enough to receive the edition with the second disc, we have some remakes of older songs from the Under Code era. "「6」party -reprise-" keeps the foundation of the song, but lightens up the music compared to the original. The musical arrangement matches their new sound though and there's some growls here and there. This version pretty much sucks the fun out of the original. "Vomit -reprise-" was already a heavy song, but the instruments seem a little lighter than the original. There's some vocal variation from a mid-whisper, half screams, and distant singing. "My agony room -reprise-" tries to go a little more metal with it and takes away the dramatics of the vocal progression from the original. Unfortunately, 12012 is no Dir en grey and their remakes just cannot compare to their originals. Even though this is totally different from the softer material they've been releasing before this label, I think this band has something to work with to gather a more steady signature sound to calm the Diru fans.



Clazzi - INFANT (2012, South Korea) Rating: 4/5
Favorite Tracks: Bad Girl, Love & Hate, 우리 변한거잖아, Can only feel
I feel like I'm late to the party for jumping on the Clazzi praise bandwagon when this album was released, but I suppose it's never too late? "Bad Girl" is a fun little retro tune that has some very quirky electronic elements and a sassy female vocals. It's slick and a great, fresh start to an album. "Love & Hate" is the second promotional track, I believe, for this album. It has a slightly dark club tone and mature male vocals to accompany the sound. You would think the rap input would throw off the smoothness of this track, but it compliments it just right. "Where's Dance" has a bit of a Daft Punk feel to the melody and some female vocals that remind me of something from the Europop scene. "40 nights" features a little more intense electronic sound that will.i.am would kill for. Despite the slight intensity to the music, it does have a subtle charm to it thanks to the guest vocals. "Star child" is definitely Europop influenced with some nice sleazy, confident male vocals. A very good club song to taunt and tease. "우리 변한거잖아" is the reason I was so intrigued and excited for this album. Who would've thought I would go for the guy from 2am with a slick electronic track. I love the arrangement. The melody knows when to pull out the punch and pull back to emphasis the vocals. "Can only feel" has a deeper electronic feel and brings back the memory of late night dance tracks on the radio from the 90s. It has a good progression, pause, and delivery with the flowing female vocals. "Loving you" is quite minimal compared to the previous tracks and has more of a crowd hype feeling to it. "Sexy doll" is a little less minimal and has this familiar current Europop sound to it. It has a fun, confident female vocals that counters the male lyrical response. "Crazy for love" has a progressive club sound to it and some auto-tune female vocals. It's a little odd and definitely experimental. The final track is a remix of "우리 변한거잖아". It's a little more subdued and experiments with some different electronic techniques to be a bit softer and a hint of funk.



miss A - Touch (2012, South Korea) Rating: 4/5
Favorite Tracks: Touch, Lips, No Mercy, Touch (Newport Mix)
"Touch" was a bit surprising how sped up the introduction was compared to the teaser, but the pace evens out before the first verse. It has a mature, broken tone to the lyrics and the music has a classy, slick electro-pop sound that breaks out of the norm in the industry. "Lips" comes in with a confident, sexy sound and delivery. I really like the music transitions from the verse to bridge to chorus. It works really well with the vocal shifts. Hearing it now makes me think that 2NE1 could something like this if they really put the extra effort in the vocal area. "Rock N Rule" is a few steps back from the previous tracks. It has an upbeat tempo to it that makes an awkward transition from such mature tracks. This sounds too generic to follow after that. "No Mercy" experiments a little better than the previous track by having some quirky electronic and rock elements mix together. It has a sassy, playful tone to it and has a bit of retroness to it that doesn't overpower the modern sounds. "Over U" carries on the electronic and slight rock sounds on into this track, but has this weird vocal arrangement. It tries to be confident, but comes off as cheesy with all the distortions and borderline cutesy repetition. "Touch (Newport Mix)" surprisingly builds on and improves on the title track. It makes it more tortured and haunting, leaving an eerie and guilt filled impression in your mind. But it doesn't leave you down in the gutter, the sound lightens in the chorus just to bring you back into the dreary shadows in the next verse.



Angelo - RIP/Moment (2012, Japan) Rating: 4/5
Favorite Tracks: RIP, The Crime to Cradle
"RIP" takes a hold of its listeners and shakes them with intense guitar rifts and a nice underlining bass to soften the blow just a little. The vocal attacks are just as fierce, then both the vocals and music pull back just enough for you to settle into the track around the bridge and following into the chorus, until the next blow comes from the next verse. "MOMENT" summons an upbeat Pierrot sound and lifts us up from the darkened mood from the previous track. It could be a deceiving song like "Psychedelic Lover", but it's an interesting contrast. "The Crime to Cradle" takes a harder sound and allows Kirito's voice to intertwine with the melody in a false seduction. Once the bridge hits, the vocals turn into screams and reel back in for the chorus, letting the music stray off for a moment before bringing it back to a steady hard melody.



Black Gene For the Next Scene - DOOM, Thirsty (2012, Japan) Rating: 3.5/5
Favorite Tracks: DOOM, Thirsty
This was a request from a reader and I was excited to do something from Rame's new band. "DOOM" quickly jumps from fun dancy to potential heavy rock to a steady mixture of both. It's an interesting combination, but it works and Ice's vocals keep up with the quick pace. I really like the musical and vocal transition from the verses to the bridge. The chorus is very high energy and I can just imagine the drummer sweating after this one. "DistRhyme" continues the electro-rock route, but adds some vocal distortions. It almost sounds like a copy and paste of "DOOM" with some minor changes to the music arrangement. "Thirsty" brings the electronic sounds forth and lets the rock sound support it in a upbeat pace while Ice's voice growls just a bit until the verse. It's a subdued aggressive, confident delivery, then it switches to a lighter tone in the bridge and chorus before cleverly easing us back into the electronic phase of the track. "A-jest" brings back the bass line and almost the exact same melody from "DOOM" with some tweaks. It's not exactly the same. It's nice to hear Rame do a solo. It's been so long. Anyway, Ice's vocals flow quite nicely and has a soft, mature edge to it that's a bit alluring to the ears.



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V-log: Hype, Scandal, Change, & Updates Ahoy~

It's been a few months since I did one of these, so let me explain the situation of what's been going around here. Hopefully, you will forgive me for the inconsistent stream of content here. I'm hoping that I will get back into the groove of things, so please bare with me while I adjust to everything. A new poll should be up by the end of the week concerning my new idea for my channel which is in the second part of my v-log. Please check that out. Also, you can always send me requests, questions, and suggestions no matter how busy my schedule is: zetsu_nightmare2.0.9[at]hotmail[dot]com.

Top 5 Recommended Music Videos

"SUICIDE" by 12012
Yes, I can see the Dir en grey in this (i.e. "-saku-" & "CLEVER SLEAZOID"), but for the most part this is the 12012 I fell in love with. I'm sure the rest of their songs aren't "Dir en grey rip-offs" as everyone keeps arguing. Stop being so butthurt, guys~ Enjoy the music! Even though I was slightly underwhelmed, I'm still satisfied with the full results. The song brings back that hard hitting sound with some new elements that they desperately needed to break away from that ballady, pop soft sound they inherited going major. Looking forward to delving into the comeback album and reviewing it here for you guys.




"Silent Assassin" by VII-Sense
I think this is a huge improvement for VII-Sense. I don't see any Kamijo or Dio in sight, except for Erina's new blonde look but that's forgivable. Anyway, the song is both catchy and badass. The guitar duet is amazing and the visual presentation is a definite upgrade from their previous works. I'm also enjoying the vocal changes Juka is trying out as well. I hope they continue with this new musical direction and grow more and more!




"Zero Gravity" by Kerli
Not really a fan, but I tried to like her music. It's a bit of a hit and miss, but her Natasha Bedingfield like vocals, reminders of Blood Stain Child's Sophia's looks, and stunning visuals in this video kept me more interested than the other two music videos I tried out. It's like a 90's raver/dance music lover's dream. It has a great musical and vocal flow and the visuals don't take away from the overall feeling while watching it. Those Europeans sure have talent!




"Devil" by Annyeongbada
One of my friends posted this on their Facebook and I must admit I'm not a huge fan of Korean rock. When I approach it, I'm usually very skeptical because it's hard to find good krock. This is one of them. The song is catchy, easy to listen to without it being cheesy. The guys aren't a bunch of pretty boy idols either like CN Blue or F.T. Island, which makes me very happy. The video also proves it deserves a spot on this week's recommendations. Looking forward to hearing more from these guys in the near future.




"待つ女" by Ziyoou Vachi
Another friend promoted this band on their LiveJournal and I thought they were interesting. They popped up again on my friends list and got reminded that this band isn't that bad. They're a little quirky and odd, but they remind me of cali≠gari with a possible gender bending twist. Either way, I think they're worth checking out. Not only does the music keep your attention, but the visuals are equally intriguing.

V-log: Jin x Meisa, Black History Month, Fan Wars, & Updates

I added annotations yet again for you guys and I will probably be using the system until someone complains about it. I totally forgot to elaborate on the 12012/Dir en grey fan war in the video, but I mentioned a little bit about in the description. Remember to subscribe and share!


+ Part 2: Black History with KPop & Muddy Cult Updates

Top 15 Things I'm Excited About in the Music Industry

15. Aoi & Ryouhei incl. Ayabie Megamasso's First Album
They reunited at the end of last year and they released their first single, Monochrome. In February, brace yourselves for their first album release. I'm really looking forward to this. Seeing them together live with the brightest smiles on their faces warms my heart. I know with their matured skills from their old Ayabie days will definitely show.

14. Big Bang's Comeback as Five
If it was obvious, I wasn't completely satisfied with their 2011 "comeback", but all drama aside. I'm really looking forward to these so-called compositions they've been working on during their "reflection" period. I don't really care about their Japanese compilation that just got released nor do I care about GD&TOP's debut in Japan either. I'm sick of recycled half assed songs. I'm ready for the new stuff, so bring it!

13. TOUCH's Comeback
Ever since these rookies' debut, I've been craving more. They gave me Too Hot 2 Handle which was fine and dandy, especially since they lost a member and everything. So, I saw that it was confirmed that they will be coming back on the scene in January and I'm looking forward to seeing how much these boys have grown. Please show Boyfriend, MYNAME, and Teen Top that you've got talent!

12. BORN's First PSC Album
If you were fortunate enough to see my rant about how I feel about BORN and PS Company, then you know I haven't been completely happy with their transition. Now, I haven't gotten around to reviewing ProudiA here, but it was the first time I heard the BORN I fell in love with before PSC came into their lives. I'll go into more detail when the time comes. With that, it gives me a little hope that the band hasn't lost their touch and maybe they'll be rebellious by breaking out of the GazettE mold that, I believe, PSC is trying to put them in.

11. New Music From SAN E
If you look back, I promoted this new addition to JYP Entertainment and since his debut EP, Everybody Ready?, there has been a bit of silence. Sure, he made a new music video, was featured in Wonder Girls' comeback album, and created the most awesome song on RH-, but no sign of a single, album, or anything. C'mon, San E, stop teasing us~ We're ready for more!

10. Miryo's Solo Album
I love Brown Eyed Girls and I love the direction they've been going lately, especially with their comeback album, Sixth Sense. One of my favorite members is Miryo. She's fierce in appearance and delivery, a killer combination. Now it's about damn time that they decided to give her the spotlight. After the flood of Narsha and Ga-in's overwhelming solo talent sweeping the world, the fierce rapper will be coming out with her own thing for 2012. I'm very curious how this is going to turn out.

9. Clazzi's Album
So, I'm a new fan, if that wasn't obvious when I posted Clazzi's music video for "How We Feel" with 2AM's Seulong. I really enjoyed the song and the video was very intriguing. When his collaboration with Sunny Hill and MYK was up on YouTube, my interest in him grew and grew even more when I watched EatYourKimchi's interview I was confident that I needed to keep an eye on this guy in 2012.

8. New Music From 2NISE
You guys are totally killing me with all this talent and waiting! This lovely R&B trio debuted at the beginning of 2010 with "She Said" featuring Jewelry's Baby J and it was very catchy. On top of that, the music video for it was very creative and caused a discussion among fans on what it was about. They finally popped back up in October with "Say That" and *swoons*. When are you guys going to release an album or something!?

7. SE7EN's Japanese Comeback
Yeah, yeah he had a comeback with the whole "Digital Bounce" blahblahblah, but there hasn't been anything else after that. I finally see some sort of activity this month with the announcement that he'll be making a comeback in the Land of the Rising Sun and "Angel" has been released to the public. Now I must say, when I got into SE7EN's music, I did enjoy his Japanese material and I'm really hoping he won't cop out like everyone else has been doing in the kpop world by re-releasing kpop songs in Japanese. Please break the cycle and blow us away with your talent like I know you can~

6. Zwei's "Inanna no Mita Yume" Single
Every month of silence makes me worry that these ladies will split, but when I see Twitter pictures of them having fun or working in the studio, my heart skips a beat. It's been forever since they've released an album as well as a decent PV, but I've been content with what I can get even though this single is for an anime. I hope they will have more releasing activities because I really miss hearing from them.


5. Black Gene For the Next Scene's Debut
So, Vidoll disband, sad times. Jui got a solo gig and might be "the next Gackt". Hm, that's interesting. Shun's retiring from music. What ashame, he was a good guitarist. Giru joined Angelo. That's great~ Rame has a new band. Fuck yeah! I'm sorry, but all the news I've heard about the other members have been well and good, but ever since I saw this little goodie for their debut single, I about abused the poor replay button. This...dear I say...may be better than Vidoll! Either way, I am totally looking forward to this.

4. SUNZOO's Debut
Korean rap royalty are slowly making their appearance with Tasha's "Get In", some previews of what to come with SUNZOO, and their performance in Las Vegas, I don't know if the world could handle what this group is going to release fully. Either way, I'm looking forward to it and I'm positive that the fans will not be disappointed with what these guys have to offer.

3. BLACK LINE's Debut
You know I was sad when Dio - distraught overlord disbanded, but it seemed like the members were keeping themselves busy somehow, excluding the retired Kei. Although, VII-Sense has been silent lately release-wise and Remming might disband, but I'm really hoping things turn around for both of them. Nonetheless, BLACK LINE have been posting every now and then on their YouTube account. They even updated their site with a new look, but there's one thing that's missing. They haven't released a single song! Stop teasing us, guys, and bring on the music.

2. -OZ- Coming to Texas
I know, I know, I've been waiting for years to see Ayabie live, but that was when they were a five member group with good music and a lolita as their fearless leader. I'm not completely displeased with AYABIE making an appearance at A-Kon 23, but it seems a bit of an odd match with -OZ-. Now if it was DEATHBIE, I'd be all for it! Who knows, they might surprise us, but this post is reserve for my excitement toward -OZ- making their first step on American soil and it's going to be in Texas, baby!

1. 12012's Comeback
I must admit I was afraid these guys were going to disband after Yuusuke left, but when the countdown ended, the site changed to a new and evolved 12012. They have become perhaps darker and maybe influenced from their Under Code past. To top it all off was this graphic preview brought in the introduction of this rebirth. Yeah, I'm totally looking forward to getting my socks rocked off.

Review: Crush! -90's V-Rock best hit cover songs-

Various Artists - Crush! -90's V-Rock best hit cover songs- (2011, Japan) Rating: 3.5/5
Favorite Tracks: Pink Spider, Gekka no Yasoukyoku, Kurenai, Schwein no Isu

I noticed my review on the Seikima tribute album ran a little long and I wanted to add something I noticed after listening to this album. While listening to these covers, I noticed the newer bands stuck by the original arrangement of the song and didn't add a little part of themselves in it like the more established bands. I thought that was interesting. Unfortunately, most of the bands that were covered in this album, I don't really follow or listen to. I might've heard of them, so at least that's something. I know when this CD came out earlier this year, I did check out samples of the bands I don't listen to to compare to the covers. That's when the observation came up. There's nothing wrong with that just interesting.

The album opens up with the most memorable hide song, "Pink Spider, covered by one of my favorite underrated jrock bands heidi.. The intro is very much themselves and they added a little creative spin to the song while still keeping the greatness of this classic with great guitar work and high energy. Next is SOPHIA's "Machi" covered by another band I enjoy DOREMIdan. Even though the band is a little more well known than BugLug or DOGinthePWO, they pretty much stuck with the original. The song is alright, but a little too slow for my liking. I haven't listened to much SHAZNA, but I know a couple friends have showed me things by them or at least IZAM. BugLug covers "Melty Love". I'm not a fan of BugLug at all and I wish Megamasso took over this song instead since they covered a SHAZNA song in their album. It's kinda bland and super indies sounding. So, I don't listen to SIAM SHADE and I don't really care for NoGoD, but I actually really liked this song. I think they did a good job covering this song and I like the vocals more than SIAM SHADE. Don't hurt me. Alright, "Gekka no Yasoukyoku" is one of my favorite Malice Mizer songs and I know that D's vocalist Asagi admires Gackt, so I concluded this track would be pretty epic...and it was! They fused the elegance of Malice Mizer and D's heavy, but classy sound together to one amazing cover that would make the band tear up from the pure brilliance of this rendition. I like LUNA SEA, probably not as much as I would like to, and I really like Lolita23q, so I was curious how an oshare kei band would pull off such an iconic band's song. The intro of "STORM" was pretty wicked, especially with all the guitar breaks. Most people would've automatically thought this was gonna turn into a disaster, but I think they did a pretty good job. Yay~ Another song I'm familiar with and normally I'm a little lost when it comes to X Japan sometimes despite them being the jrock band I was introduced to. I couldn't have thought of a better band to cover the classic of "Kurenai" than Matenrou Opera. It opens with a beautiful piano intro that would make Yoshiki proud and then when the first lines of the song come in it is...flawless. In about a minute and a half, things will really pick up and Matenrou Opera definitely take a creative spin of this song like they own it. So, I don't listen to either La'cryma Christi or DaizyStripper, so anything could happen here. In the beginning of the "With-you" cover, the singing is a bit painful to listen and it's probably the reason I never stuck to DaizyStripper. They pretty much keep everything the same, but up the tempo and the tone. Next, we have GLAY's "winter again". Not a big fan of GLAY, but I love 12012 to no end. After hearing a sample of the original, I figured with 12012's skills they could pull this off and maybe make it better. They added little bits and pieces of themselves, but stuck close to the original which was a bit disappointing. Next up is Penicillin's "Romance" covered by a j-indies band I'm not particularly fond of And -Eccentric Agent-. I'm a little familiar with the song and the sample helped me refresh my memory. They pretty much stick with the original arrangement, which I think is a wise choice for the young band. Another old band I don't listen to CASCADE and a somewhat new band MIX SPEAKER'S INC. that I don't really like. The band puts their own little fun spin of "S.O.S Romantic" which was...okay. Honestly, I've never heard of D-Shade until this album and I remember that whatever song I heard of LOST ASH I didn't like that much, but they cover "Endless Love" and stuck by the book and made it a little louder. I must admit there were a couple covers I anticipated when seeing the tracklist and Merry's cover of Dir en grey's "Schwein no Isu" was one of them. Reason is quite obvious, but for those new Diru fans out there that don't know, I think one of the members was the band's roadie, so this is a perfect match like D and Malice Mizer. Must say...I think this is the most repeated cover from this album. Not only to did they take a great classic Dir en grey song and follow along the original, but they made it very Merry! They kept the energy and craziness of it without being a Diru copycat but themselves. Moving onto Buck-Tick and DuelJewel which neither I'm a fan of. They cover "Jupiter" and basically keep it all the same without doing anything wild or special to it. Reaching the final track, I noticed that the band selection was more or less evenly distributed between indies and major/well-known bands because the last track is covered by an j-indies band by the name of DOG in the Parallel World Orchestra. They close out this album with Raphael's "Yume Yori Suteki na". This song really fits the band's original sound, so they could get away with sticking closely with the original arrangement and not get scolded too badly from me.

Overall, the album was very well compiled, although I wish they snuck some D'erlanger in there or maybe and exist†trace cover of a SHOW-YA song would be awesome, but what they picked made me check out other iconic bands that I don't normally listen to.

Quick Music Review

Untouchable - Who's Hot (2010, South Korea) Rating: 4.5/5
Favorite Tracks: We Got Game, I'm a Balla, Jiggy Get Down, Baby Girl

Since I'm not much of a Korean music fan compared to jrock, I don't keep up with these releases, so I'm not sure if it's been a while since these guys released something. All I know is that this album is very refreshing, especially since I'm getting into Korean rap. "We Got Game" is a very strong first track that definitely pulled me back in and reminded me why I like Untouchable so much. The next track I didn't feel as much as the first and just reminded me of a unhappy memory involving DJ DOC. "Hit Da Club" gave me thoughts of this Fat Joe song that used to be really popular and it was something I didn't expect to be coming from Korea. "Feelin Good" carried the same swagger and tone as the previous song with definite influence from American hip-hop artists a couple decades ago. "Talk To Me" digs up some elements from old school rap that was refreshing and gave me a little itch to listen to some George Clinton. "MC" gave me the vibe of BET's "Rap City" when they did those freestyles on generic or borrowed tracks. This is a compliment, by the way. "I'm a Balla" is a great song that shows a little cockiness for the guys along with a few other colleagues that mix it up just enough to make it enjoyable. "Jiggy Get Down" also shares a lot of that throwback sound that makes this album great and features a lot of great talent, even a female rapper. I was amused someone used a little snippet of Secret's "Magic". "Tell Me Why" was the reason I fell for these guys, because they had a hip-hop style and a smooth R&B flavor to their music at times. So, naturally, "Baby Girl" became an easy favorite on the album for me. "Makin Move Makin HOT" didn't quite click with me despite it having rock elements in it. It just seemed to have too much in it with the "screw" distortion or whatever that used to be pretty popular here down south. I never did like that. The last couple tracks cools down from that amazing ride of Untouchable attitude. Having this new found respect and liking for Korean rap now, this easily became a worthwhile CD to add to my collection.



Big Bang - 4th Mini Album (2011, South Korea) Rating: 3/5
Favorite Tracks: TONIGHT & CAFE

There was so much hype over Big Bang's comeback it was ridiculous (in some way). Now that this mini album was released, I believe some people are still waiting for their comeback. The intro was an okay way to start off by showing off everyone's vocal talent and reminding us of their chemistry as a group, since everyone had been working on individual projects. "HANDS UP" was originally on the Tell Me Goodbye single released in Japan, but now it's redone in Korean! Woo...I suppose the purpose of this song is to get the listener all hyped up because "we finally released something, y'all!" [pretty sure they don't use "y'all", at least I hope not]. I admit it is dancy and such, but kinda bland and unnatural for them. The grand song of all songs on the album is their third track, "TONIGHT". Sadly, I had fallen into this trap of loving this song. It's catchy and dramatic. I have some humorous commentary that has come from it like the laughable choreography, the annoying little kiss noise at the end, G-Dragon's opening with the irritating "two thousand and eleven~", and the fact he used a line from Eve and Gwen Stefani [5 points for everyone who caught that]. I wish that Daesung had more of part in the song and that they cut out the guitar part. It kinda ruined the mood for me. "SOMEBODY TO LOVE" is another track from a Japanese single turned Korean. Unfortunately, the radio has tainted my mind when I think of the title, but it's another dancy, autotuned track that is hit or miss depending on my mood. At least, Daesung has more vocal time. "WHAT IS RIGHT" is a little annoying for me. I don't know why...maybe because it has that "feel good" sound to it and a weird chorus that sounds like it should be in a Johnny's song placed on a beach. I actually really liked "CAFE". It has a warm, mellow vibe to it and T.O.P opening it up set the tone perfectly. I wasn't expecting G-Dragon's high voice to follow that either. I thought the vocal arrangement was perfect and it's even better that this so-so comeback ended on a good note.



AYABIE - Melody (2011, Japan) Rating: 3.5/5
Favorite Tracks: Melody & 0010101.0

I was a little uncertain on how this single was gonna turn out, especially after feeling a bit uncomfortable with the release of their first album. Upon listening to the title track, it kinda sounded like every other upbeat j-indie band. Yumehito's voice was better and the song was very catchy. "Kanata, Tsunagaru Sora He" has reminiscent sounds of Ayabie, but something new as well. It's a little jazzy, but smooth. "00101010.0" was a surprising track from the regular edition for me. I actually really liked this song. It had a strong bass, the guitars were a little heavier than usual, and the piano was a nice touch to the song. I'm not sure if it had any connection to Ayabie's "10101", but it has a somewhat similar structure to it.



Daichi Miura - The Answer (2010, Japan) | Rating: 4.5/5
Favorite Tracks: The Answer, Gotta Make You Mine, Human Nature

I never liked a single so much that I wanted to repeat everything over and over again. All of the tracks are near perfect. "The Answer" is smooth and flows easily through the ears, settling in your mind. "Gotta Make You Mine" is a nice little jazzy R&B flavor that balances out the single even more. To wrap up the whole single is a Michael Jackson cover of "Human Nature" which suits Daichi's voice perfectly. Although, there were points of the music that sounded a little odd, but I still enjoyed the cover a lot.



12012 - SEVEN (2010, Japan) | Rating: 4/5
Favorite Tracks: JUST THE WAY YOU ARE..., M, mayakashi

Guess who's back with an seriously strong force? Yes, the energy and intensity has returned in 12012's music through their latest album. Song after song resonates in my mind and leaves a permanent impression. Wataru delivers his glorious range of both fiery and soothing vocals through songs like "JUST THE WAY YOU ARE..." and "BIRTHDAY PARTY OF SECRET ROOM". More admirably you can hear the layers of instruments and how well they support each other. Each song showcases at least one of the member's musical skills, especially Tooru's fast pace drumming in "M" and Tomoyuki's strong basslines in "Ruri". This is definitely refreshing from mar maroon and Diamond. Seven brings back those hardcore roots from their Under Code days and blends them with their mature sound they've developed since graduating from the label. I hope they continue to grow and keep their momentum as they progress in their music.