Top 13 Recommended Music Videos

"Bones" by Rose Noire
I'm so glad Kiwamu hasn't ditched these talented musicians. Sometimes it's just nice to listen to some melodic, haunting vocals accompanied by some beautiful violin. This is definitely a step up production wise for these two and I hope they get more backing this year with their music. They're sadly underrated and exude so much talent.



"SOMEBODY WANTS DAYS YOU CLOSE" by NOISEMAKER
After "PLATINUM SHOES", I was thrilled to see something new from this band and it was equally, if not as, incredible than what I heard before. The title of the song doesn't really make sense to me grammatically, but I'm willing to ignore it. The setting reminds me of P.O.D video and shares some small similarities to it. This is definitely a memorable, emotional effort from this band and I am anxious to listen to this new mini-album.



"Cheeky Ren" by DALATH
I must admit that I was confused by watching this the first time. I thought it was another all female band, but it wasn't. I was a little disappointed, but I kept listening and ended up liking what they had to offer. It's a simple concept and reminded me of old Girugamesh visually. The vocals aren't extremely clear, but they are tolerable and quite good for what it's worth. I'm hoping to hear more from this band in the future.



"愛國革命" by R-shitei
I don't think I've ever mentioned this band on this site, but I've been following them since they were called Catheline. Anyway, this is a totally new direction and it still manages to suit their upbeat, slightly dark style. It's a very high energy song and the visuals are interesting. They can be a little overwhelming, but your eyes get used to the over use of white. The only odd part for me is the dubstepish dance break that reminds me of SuG and xTRiPx.



"Take My Chance" by DOLL$BOXX
Remember Acid Black Cherry's "SPELL MAGIC"? Well, this video is just like that. The girls play with the stereotypes of cutesy girls and lonely male otaku audiences, then flips it around to blow the crowd away with an epic rock sound. The vocals are very strong and I always admire when a drummer does back-up vocals well. It has a playful, but decently hard fun sound. I'm looking forward to hearing these girls' first full length album.



"BEZOARSTEIN" by Megamasso
I think its been a while since I posted anything by these guys, but they have progressively gotten better and better with each release. This PV further proves my point. The band shows off some intense attitude, emotion, and passion. The transitions are smooth and share their signature style they've carried throughout the years. It's hard to believe that it's possible for them to continue to exceed my expectations with each release. Keep it up!



"and Cry" by JAWEYE
A friend introduced me to this band through this PV and I'll give a warning that there's a lot of flashing lights in this video. So, if you're sensitive to that, then this isn't a good video for you to watch. It's a a simple blue-greyish tone PV that's very band centric. It has some cool slow motion moments and plays with the simplistic set to make it interesting for the viewer. The music is energetic and you can definitely rock out to it in your bedroom. I'm thankful I was introduced to them.



"HALO" by BLUE ENCOUNT
With JAWEYE came my ventures off to more amazing non-visual artists. This is another simplistic, band centric video. It might seem boring, but I like the lighting they chose for this video. It's almost as if the members are merely shadows playing instruments, but you can clearly see them excluding their faces. The song is quite upbeat and kinda has this pseudo-college rock feel, perhaps. It's familiar, but fresh. Forgive me for having a hard time explaining their sound, but it's good!



"sympathy" by KEYTALK
I think I have a little easier time describing this one. The sound reminds me of a more upbeat Plastic Tree without the wispy vocals. It's a fun song and you'll have a hard to resisting those lalala's. The PV is quite artsy and clever. Lots of geometric shapes, play on colors, and doesn't distract you from the overall feel of the song. It's definitely a nice feel good song of sorts.



"二時二分" by Suck a Stew Dry
Unlike the previous non-visual bands above, I couldn't quite hook myself into these guys. Please don't let that discourage you from checking out this PV though. I have my reasons for posting it, like other videos where I didn't care for the group. The song is quite simple throughout the verses and has a nice storytelling feel to it, then the power hits near the chorus. The visuals are once again band centric, but they nicely compliment the storytelling aspect with handwriting, scribbles, doodles, and a pink/purple color tint.



"moody pavilion" by mudy on the 昨晩
Another non-visual band that didn't quite stick to me, but I really like this song. It's kinda eerie, especially with that upside down body floating in the middle of the room. There's a lot of eerie atmosphere actually and some interesting artistic moments with color splashes and falling pieces as the band plays. It's intense and very easy to lose yourself in that you completely forget that there's no lyrics. It also feels too short as well, but still strangely satisfying.



"Sweetest vengeance" by Pay money To my Pain
I'm still trying to figure out how I missed this track, but it's great. It's chaotic and mosh worthy. It has some nice melodic moments and the visuals are just as chaotic and mesmerizing. Watching it now makes my heart melt for more reasons than one. I'm hoping K recovers soon and rests up for more energetic, aggressive, and emotion filled songs like this.



"Mayaku" by Lycaon
Another PV that I have no idea how I missed, especially since I've listened to the single. It's a simple band centric video, but it speaks volumes. Yuuki is absolutely beautiful in this and you can feel the emotion from his voice. I'm glad that theykept this so simple visually, because the music fills in all the important gaps for the viewer to lose themselves in. Also, Satoshi's solo is amazing!

Review: Crush!2 -90's best hit cover songs-

Various Artists - Crush!2 -90's best hit cover songs- (2011, Japan) Rating: 3/5
Favorite Tracks: Mizerable, Yurameki, Shiroi yami, Rocket Dive

Looks like they decided to make a sequel to this classic 90's compilation. Did they comply with my wishes from the first review? No, but it's okay, there's always a third album, right? This time around I didn't go back to compare the original with the covers that I wasn't familiar with, so please forgive me for that.

Ayabie's Aoi opens the album up with a familiar Gackt classic by the name of "Mizerable". I wasn't sure how well Aoi would do with this song, since I kinda have an attachment to it, but he did a pretty good job with it. The music arrangement accommodated with his voice and he pulled it off without sounding amateurish. Next is Annie's Black cover of SOPHIA's "Gokigen tori ~crawler is crazy~". I'm actually familiar with the band doing the cover's music, but SOPHIA...not so much. For all I know, the song is pretty upbeat and it sounds alright. Nothing extravagant, but good enough for Annie's Black, a band I hardly listen to but enjoy. ADAPTER's cover of CASCADE's "FLOWERS OF ROMANCE" is the next track and it's very electronic based. I'm not sure if this is ADAPTER's original sound or how CASCADE's original sounds like this. It's alright, but I don't like the distorted vocals in it. I was surprised to see another Dir en grey cover included in this second compilation. I was even more surprised that R-shitei (R-15) was covering "Yurameki". Honestly, this was a good choice for the band as MAMO's vocals are very similar to Kyo's vocals during his GAUZE era. They didn't change too much with the music like Merry did in the previous album, which is a little saddening, but nonetheless, this was a very good cover of an old Dir en grey song that I love. I believe I mentioned I'm never very familiar with LUNA SEA songs, but I do enjoy the band. So, it was interesting seeing amber gris covering "SHINE", since I'm somewhat familiar with what both bands sound like and they're a little different. The vocals and music sound pretty much on point and the band preserved the essence of LUNA SEA without losing a little taste of their sound in the cover. -OZ- is next with Rouage's "Shiroi yami". It definitely sounds like a 90's visual kei song and nothing like an rough -OZ- sound, which is interesting to hear that they're capable of such control. I commend them on that. Two bands I'm not familiar with at all, but it's GUILD's cover of SIAM SHADE's "Gureisharu LOVE". It's pretty light-hearted and fun with some great guitar work and strong basslines. I was surprised and pleased that Chemical Pictures had a part in this album, unfortunately I have never heard of THE YELLOW MONKEY's "JAM". Despite that, the music was simplistic and beautiful and TenTen's voice was quite lovely with his own little flair. I could never get into ZUCK, but this is their cover of Kawamura Ryuuichi's "BEAT". It's a slower song than the previous track, but the vocals don't sound too awful which is always a plus. Not a BUCK-TICK fan, but I enjoy a couple songs by them. This time around is 9GOATS BLACK OUT covering "SPEED", which I think suits them in some odd way. Maybe it's the vocals or something, but it's nice to hear them do something more upbeat than their original mellow sound that could either be beautiful or boring. Never could get into T.M. Revolution, but I think I like a couple of his songs. Anyway, vNEU covered the fun upbeat "HOT LIMIT". It's very electronic based and simplified which I didn't really like that much, especially compared to the original and HIGH and MIGHTY COLOR's cover of it. I love Pierrot, but I don't particularly like Hanashounen Baddies, but I was willing to listen their cover of "Kumo no ito". They managed not to butcher the song too much either. The vocals were on point, attempting that Kirito flair, and the musical arrangement stayed the same. Next up is HERO's cover of GLAY's "Yuuwaku". Not a fan of either. The vocals are a little annoying and whiny in this upbeat tune, so I'll just move along to the next track. Now for another couple bands I'm not familiar with which is Blu-BiLLioN covering La'cryma Christi's "Mirai Kuro". The music is pretty, but the vocals are just as bad as HERO's which makes it unbearable to listen to in some places. Megamasso's hide cover of "Rocket Dive" was my first taste of this album and I saw the complaints that some hide fans had, but honestly, I thought this was a good fit for them. Inzargi did well with the vocals and the music is still energetic and captured the energy hide had when he performed it. Moran closes out this compilation with one of my favorite Malice Mizer songs, "Illuminati". I like the musical direction they went with this song which was more of a rock sound than their Victorianesque signature that Malice Mizer is known for. I thought it was a very good cover, even though I was a little skeptical how this would turn out. I'm glad I was reminded not to worry about Moran, because they produce good work.

Overall, I thought this was another good compilation and I'm crossing my fingers for another. Maybe just a full on cover album that isn't just 90s visual kei. It would be interesting to hear Loki doing a deadman cover or ALDIOUS performing a SHOW-YA song.

Top 5 Recommended Music Videos

"Dear My Suite..." by Aoi & Ryouhei incl. Ayabie Megamasso
Ever since the reunion and release of Monochrome, I've been on board with this amazing duo of cuteness and talent. My friend showed me their latest PV and I must say, I like this way more than "Monochrome". This makes me extra pumped for their first album release. The melody is very Aoi-solo work, but it has that Ryouhei edge that he has added to the beginning of Ayabie and Megamasso's songs. The PV is a little dark and doesn't have much "wow" to it, but the song more than makes up for it.




"L'oiseau Bleu" by Moran
I was about to add Megamasso's latest PV to this list, but the previous PV above led me to Moran's latest. OMG! I love it so much. I saw there were a few complaints in the comment section of YouTube about all these "blue bird" songs (namely D and SCREW's recent versions of "L'oiseau Bleu"). It would be unfair to compare them all to each other because they all have different sounds and tempos. If I did, I honestly would choose this one. It's fun, upbeat, and refreshing from their last PV featuring their new member, ex-Sugar guitarist, Sizna. Aside from the song being ridiculously awesome and catchy, the PV is visually stunning. It shows lots of beauty and loads of fun energy from the members.





"Lay Down" by Koda Kumi
Ever since the leak, Kumi fans have been crazy with these slew of PV overload. I don't blame them, there's a lot of interesting stuff going on with this album. So, I'm wondering, did the director or whoever get the inspiration for this video from Colette Carr? I'm not mad, I think it's interesting that Kumi picked up this image and direction for one of her songs. I'm glad she's taking some risks with her music and style as usual. Anyway, this is a cool club banger and it has loads of sexy attitude in it, even though her English isn't perfect.




"Romance" by Satsuki
Same friend that showed me the first PV, showed me this one. It's nice to see Satsuki solo without Kisaki in the background. It's not a negative comment, I promise. Anyway, I think this is better than his last PV. Good energy and visuals, plus Satsuki is the cutest angel bear ever especially with glasses! Ahem~ The song is your typical Satsuki solo sound, but there's definitely some growth since the time I saw him live in 2009. I'm so proud of him. I hope his next CD release is more memorable as well.




"LOVE&HATE" by Clazzi feat. Lee Seung Yeol & MYK
I actually had a hard time narrowing it down to these five, which means I can use my leftovers for the next set of recs. So, Clazzi's album was on my list of things I was looking forward to and this video makes me more anxious to listen to it. It has a familiar "western" sound that mixes Clazzi's music skills, club, and rap all together into one catchy, unique tune that could be enjoyed worldwide. The video is darker than his collaboration with 2AM's Seulong, but it's still visually stunning beyond belief for something from South Korea.

Most Shocking/Disappointing/WTF Asian Music Moments of 2011

It doesn't seem like many scandalous things have been happening in the jrock world, so this year I decided to include a couple jpop and kpop excerpts. Perhaps this is a good thing that the dark cloud over jrock is slowly turning white (or at least light gray). But nothing will top the tragedy Japan had to face on 3/11 and I hope that 2012 will turn things around for the nation.

QUAFF disbanding
Last year, this band made the list with the news of all the members leaving, excluding leader Makito, and a new set of members joined shortly after. Without any new releases, the band dissolved once again. Perhaps Makito is in a bit of bad luck, but I hope things turn around for him and the other former members as well. On the other hand, congratulations to Shingo on his marriage and Makito on his engagement!

Aoi and Ryouhei Reunite
It was announced at the end of 2010 that these former Ayabie members would be reuniting for a little side project. I was looking forward to this collaboration considering I was fan of Ayabie from the beginning when Ryouhei was leader and Aoi's voice wasn't quite up to par as it is now. They made their first single and PV release this year, then started doing a few lives together. I hope both Aoi and Ryouhei continue to work together more, but I want them to continue focusing on their main projects as well.

D's Double American Appearance
It started in Texas where Babel Entertainment announced that they were bringing D, along with Blood Stain Child, to the oldest anime convention in North America called A-Kon. Fans were super excited, especially southern jrock fans. What was more surprising was when the band was returning in the same year for California's PMX. I hope D isn't sick of the U.S. and that they return in the future for another amazing show.

DOREMIdan disbanding
I haven't been following this band very closely, but when I did pay attention, I was not disappointed, especially their last album. It was recently announced that the band will be breaking up on their 10th anniversary. I hope everyone makes the best out of this celebration and departure and I wish the members luck in the future.

chariots Reboot
This was announced recently on the LiveJournal community under_code. It's a bit of "controversial" topic it seems, but it looks like the disbandment of chariots has been put off and the revival is starting in 2012. Some fans are worried that Rin will suffer from this revival and they are also concerned about Riku's well being with the whole situation. I suppose we'll wait and see what comes of this restart.

Kibum and Alexander's Dismissal
U-KISS was having a little trouble making a name for themselves, but they finally stuck out with "Man Man Ha Hi". They continued to get better and better and they were loved internationally. Unfortunately, the company didn't believe Kibum and Alexander were putting enough talent into the U-KISS pot, so they made an excuse for their departure which was clearly a lie. Kibum and Alexander spoke out about the situation. I'm not completely sure what Kibum is up to nowadays, but Alexander is returning to the music scene with a collaborative and solo work.

Jui Going Solo
After the disbandment of Vidoll, it was announced that their precious vocalist would "be the next Gackt". I thought the comment was laughable, but overall I was concerned for Jui's well being since Hizumi left/took a break from the music scene due to similar reasons Vidoll was on hiatus...vocal issues. When Jui debuted, I was disappointed with the results. I still remain a Jui fan, but I'm hoping that he rests his voice for bigger and better things in his solo endeavors.

Big Bang Scandals
All eyes were on this kpop group and their anticipated comeback. Too bad the mini-album fell short of talent, in my opinion. Somehow fans ate it up and even welcomed the new version of the release that included two new songs and a solo track from Daesung. If you're like me and consider their latest release a start of their downfall, then we can proceed to Daesung's car accident. Fortunately, he wasn't arrested for the incident, but all activities for him were put on hold for him to reflect. As the year went on, the group continued to be involved in advertisement activities and the like as a foursome, but G-Dragon got caught in some drug trouble. This little situation postponed the debut of G-Dragon and T.O.P's duo promotions in Japan. Nonetheless, the group moved on and they have recently announced that they would be making a comeback as five in 2012.

D'espairsRay disbanding
There was so much sorrow hovering over the band between their tour getting cut short and the announcement that Hizumi's voice was in danger. The band made a safe move by taking a hiatus. I believe Hizumi underwent surgery while the other members busied themselves with various projects. It was saddening when they decided to disband completely as opposed to waiting around until Hizumi recovered. Nonetheless, Hizumi opened an online design shop by the name of umbrella, Zero and Tsukasa became part of THE MICRO HEAD 4N'S, and Karyu joined Angelo (along with ex-Vidoll guitarist Giru).

Ayumi Hamasaki's marriage
I'm not really a fan of Ayumi, but she is a big icon in Japanese pop music. When the news came out earlier this year about her marriage to Austrian actor Manuel Schwarz, fans were surprised. Perhaps non-fans who know about her were surprised like I was. I wish their marriage all the best and that their love lasts forever.

DELUHI disbanding
Things were looking up and up for the j-indies band. They just released three consecutive singles and "The farthest" showed a great emotional strength within the band's music that no one has ever witnessed before. Unfortunately, Aggy was pulling out and the other members felt they couldn't continue without the original four, which I respect them for. In the end, Sujk closed out the year by releasing a solo album, Arkhelist, which the other members had a part of.

Koda Kumi & BACK-ON's KENJIO3 Tie the Knot
This month Koda Kumi and BACK-ON's guitarist and vocalist KENJIO3 announced that they would be getting married in the near future. Their message of love for each was posted online for the fans to admire and further support this union. Then the rumor came up that the pop goddess may be hiding a little secret. Unfortunately, a "friend" of Koda's discussed the situation on a tabloid pressuring her to release a confirmation that she is indeed pregnant. Honestly, this is the first marriage in the Asian music industry that I'm seriously approving of. I wish them all the best and that the pregnancy goes smoothly.

Taiji's Passing
Former X Japan bassist had a lot of things going on in the music industry. It was reported he was on a plane with his assistant or manager, but was arrested when a violent incident occurred on the plane. While being held, he passed on. It's still unclear whether his death was an accident or not, but nonetheless, my condolences go out to his family and friends.

Isshi Passes Away
Last year's list included the "demise" of PS Company's beloved Neo Japanesque band Kagrra,. Isshi later announced that he would be starting a solo project by the name of shiki∞project～志鬼陰謀～ and some time later Naoki and Shin formed PLAYERS under PSC. It was some time after the release of shiki∞project～志鬼陰謀～'s first release and the eve of the release of his first album that the vocalist passed on. Isshi's legacy and voice will continue to live on.

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.

Top 5 Recommended Music Videos

"Identité de la lune" by CHiAKi KURiYAMA
Brought under the wing of the legendary Shiina Ringo, it took me some time to adjust that this girl was a singer some time ago. I saw some people complaining that she's just imitating her mentor, but I believe she does have a decent voice, especially for an actress. I'm pretty sure you guys aren't strangers to the whole "you either sing or act" formula, you're bound to suck at one of them. Anyway, I really like this song. It's easy to listen to and the video is pretty simplistic, but clever at the same time.




"Rocket Dive" by Megamasso
Yes! More classic jrock songs being covered by the visual kei youngsters~ I don't care what anyone says, but I think Megamasso owned this song. It's playful, cute, and just as catchy and enjoyable as the original. The PV is pretty simple with vibrant colors, playful costumes, and natural band chemistry. If you're feeling sad today, check out this PV to put a smile back on your face.




"Huang di ~Yami ni umareta mukui~" by D
After seeing the preview to this PV, I was excited to see how this whole PV and song was going to play out. It mixes traditional Japanese elements with hard D rock; a wonderful combination. The costumes are...interesting. Asagi's would make a nice set of curtains XD; Nonetheless, their yakuza form is quite attractive. I think it's safe to say that this band is going in the right direction with their music.




"How We Feel" by CLAZZI feat. Seulong
Alright, I don't listen to Clazziquai nor 2AM, but the comical couple Simon and Martina pointed this video out. Simon practically praised it and that's huge! I think he's almost as critical as I am about kpop. Anyway, the song has a electronic, classic sound to it and the video is very neo-abstract artistic. CLAZZI's musical skills and Seulong's voice work very well, surprisingly.




"Trouble Maker" by Hyun Seung & HyunA
I came across this music video through LinzerDinzer's Facebook and I was a little hesitant to click, because...I really dislike HyunA. I have a very good reasons to, but they won't be explained here. Anyway, I clicked and I actually liked it, but I do have some "criticism" toward it. I wish HyunA wasn't apart of this song, especially with Hyun Seung. No fangirl reason either, just simply I dislike her and I love B2ST. Fortunately, Hyun Seung's voice is more powerful than her voice, so it masks it a lot during the chorus section. Then there's the music. I guess Infinite let the duo borrow their leftover beat, but it works. Oh, and don't forget the leftover Michael Jackson choreo too! I'm not hatin'. Nonetheless, the song's catchy and mellow and the video is quite entertaining, even though I gagged a little.

Quick Music Review

Various Arists - Tribute to SEIKIMA-II -Akuma to no Keiyakusho- (2010, Japan) | Rating: 3/5
Favorite Tracks: Rouningyou no Yakata, JACK THE RIPPER, ARCADIA

Around the time this album was released, I was very in engrossed with Seikima-II's music. Now, I haven't fallen off the bandwagon of thinking they're an amazing band, but I haven't been playing them as much as the beginning. With that aside, let's start with "FIRE AFTER FIRE" by the legendary SEX MACHINEGUNS. It begins with a similar and slightly rearranged guitar opening. The cover is pretty decent and follows the original pretty much. I'm not too fond of the vocals, but it's still enjoyable and keeps it's place. The metal female rockers SHOW-YA bring us into a haunting organ introduction of "Rouningyou no Yakata". It still keeps it's original concept, but has that special SHOW-YA twists that proves that these girls definitely hold their own. "EL DORADO" is one my favorite Seikima songs and I didn't know what to expect from Earthshaker. They have an interesting retro introduction, then bring on a solid rock sound with heavy drums. Honestly, I didn't like the cover that much. The music arrangement was okay, but the vocals were too out there for me. I'm not a big fan of Galneryus, but their rendition of "HOLY BLOOD ~Tatakai no kettou~" was very enjoyable. Surprised me for sure! "Adam no Ringo" is another one of my favorite songs and was covered by a band unfamiliar to me by the name of Zigoku Quartet. It's definitely more metal sounding than the original with fast pace drumming and growling vocals. With crying guitars, X.Y.Z.→A's "SAVE YOUR SOUL ~Utsukushiki CLICHE ni se wo mukete~" enters as the next track and manages to keep that inspirational feeling of the song like the original. THE KANMURI brought this freaky rock talk intro and then a familiar melody like the original. There's a pause and BAM! a slightly heavier version of "JACK THE RIPPER". I think I actually like this version better than the original. I'm pretty sure majority of Sadie fans have never heard of Seikima in their life, but I think they did a decent job representing for the new breed of visual kei on this album with "STAINLESS NIGHT". It brought on a softer side of Mao's voice and they easily made the song their own. TRiCK, another young visual kei band on the album, took over "Kaiki Shokubutsu". I'm not familiar with their work, but I believe they tried their best of keeping themselves in the song while maintaining the essence of Seikima. Grand Illusion's "1999 SECRET OBJECT" brings out that nostalgic feeling of 80's rock that we're familiar with in America. RX closes out the tribute with an emotional and passionate cover of "ARCADIA". An amazing way to end a well rounded tribute album of a great visual, iconic band.



BEAST/B2ST - Fiction and Fact (2011, South Korea) | Rating: 3.5/5
Favorite Tracks: The Fact, Fiction, On Rainy Days, Lightless (Unplugged Ver.)

The group's first full length album starts off very mellow, complete with acoustic guitar work in "The Fact". A beautiful introduction to the album. Along with the first track as a teaser, "Fiction" was chosen to help promote the album. It has a fusion of electro-pop with R&B vocal harmonization that makes the song enjoyable and beautiful. "Back to You" has a strong opener with piano and slightly intense vocals. It keeps the pace of the previous track and then the tempo picks up to a dance beat. "You" is a very light track to please the fangirls with sweet nothings. "Freeze" delivers (DDR) electronic feel and is very upbeat, instant smile on your face type track. Unfortunately, I didn't like it that much. "Virus" goes back to that electro-pop/R&B fusion, but lacks the power of "Fiction". It's a decent track and has a couple impressive vocal moments. The next track is your typical almost ballad with piano that gives the boys a chance to show off their ranges. I believe the next track is called "On Rainy Days". It's a mellow, guitar song that I surprisingly enjoyed a lot compared to all the slow songs on the album. The grand finale is brought to us through newly arranged versions of "Lightless" and "Fiction". This version of "Lightless" is completely unplugged and the vocal arrangement was genius. It sticks to the original dancey version, but adds a little more complexity to this already great song. I was already crazy about "Fiction", but the orchestral version of this track proves that they deserve the name "BEAST". It has a gorgeous musical arrangement and there's even more of emotional flow within the lyrics. I didn't think B2ST could get any better, but it's wonderful see them grow. For once, I'm looking forward to the limited edition version to be released.



Yankie - Lost In Memories (2011, South Korea) | Rating: 4/5
Favorite Tracks: Zombie, 몽유병, Stabilizer, Runaway

During my ongoing journey of being in awe of Korean rap, I found the latest release by Yankie. I'm not a stranger to his name as I enjoyed TBNY alot and some songs he's been featured in. The hard hitting bass beats of "Zombie" immediately attack the speakers with a fierce flow and a memorable chorus. The next track fuses old school and new school elements into a unique flow that can either be hit or miss to listeners. "Love" had a more familiar sound to me that fits right in with what's going in the Korean pop world while still mixing a smooth R&B flavor. "Polar Bear" features a familiar beat that American hip-hop lovers should pick up pretty easily. It's a pretty simple sound and just has lyrical blows from Yankie and Unique One that hypnotizes you around the chorus. The next track fuses Latin hip-hop elements and introduces something slightly new to Korea that kinda reminds me of Leessang (maybe because Red Roc is apart of it). "Happy Birthday (Born-Day)" reminds me of something my brother would've put together. This is not an insult for those not familiar with his work. The beat is easy to get into and the chorus is pretty catchy. The next track following the interlude slows it down and gives a chilled out R&B sound with the beautiful vocals of Mellow to ease our minds. "Stabilizer" definitely steps out of the mold of krap. It features a dub step sound with expertly arranged lyrical flow. The next track reunites Yankie with former partner TopBob (and, of course, Bumkey!) to make a laid back and funky beat that's irresistible. I've been indulging myself in a lot of Dok2, so this next track goes hard! It has a throwback sound and a present time flow that suits both rappers with ease. Yankie closes the album with a smooth, bass driven R&B sound that could easily be used by Jill Scott and delivers his words smoothly in "Runaway".



Linkin Park - A Thousand Suns (2010, USA) | Rating: 3/5
Favorite Tracks: When They Come For Me, Waiting For The End, Wretches and Kings, The Catalyst

After the release of Minutes to Midnight, Linkin Park's work has caused a massive divide within their fandom as well as a massive annoyance for me (and possibly others) with all the useless bickering. The latest album sadly adds fuel to the fire of fan division. "The Requiem" opens this album up quietly with a few piano notes and ambient musical elements to lure you in gradually with lines from "The Catalyst". "Burning In The Skies" is the first "real" track on the album. The vocals aren't that spectacular, but the song does have a nice, mellow dramatic arrangement. I appreciated it a little more live, but it still hasn't stuck to me very well. "When They Come For Me" is one of my absolute favorite tracks from this album. It features electronic elements with tribal drums and a whole lot of hip-hop attitude that I didn't expect from Mike. "Robot Boy" reverts back to piano and a dramatic melody that has a slightly uplifting sound. "Waiting For The End" took a while for me to get used to, but there's something about the chorus that hooked me eventually. It has semi-simple electronic sound bits and the right amount of empty musical space to highlight Chester's soft vocals. "Blackout" combines LP's new experimental sound with their slightly older aggressive vocal arrangement. It's an interesting combination that could be hit or miss with the slightly chaotic arrangement. Is it proper to say that "Wretches and Kings" goes hard? Well, it does! It has intense bass, the right electronic distorts, and Mike and Chester definitely deliver a one-two combo with their voices. "Iridescent" is a beautiful piano rock song that gives both vocalists a chance to sing out a sorrowful emotion. A whole new side to the guys that some may disapprove of. "The Catalyst" was the defining point of what to expect from this album. I thought it was a good choice to promote the album as it features a new side to this experimental phase in LP's musical journey. It has a dramatic sound and still holds onto their electronic rock fusion. Chester's emotional driven vocals accompanied by acoustic guitar closes out the album in "The Messenger". A Thousand Suns is consistent with LP's ever changing sound and keeping fans on their toes on what they're going to do next. This album combined world impacting quotes, emotional lyrics, and a soft electronic rock fusion to the core. It's not one of my favorite albums, but it has grown on me a little more since this year's tour.



Megamasso - Loveless, more Loveless (2011, Japan) | Rating: 3.5/5
Favorite Tracks: Loveless, more Loveless, Hakugin Shoujo, Hanabira, Until

"Sekai no Owari no Jellyfish" opens up this album on a slightly awkward high electro-guitar note. It's very low energy from the vocals and music and I didn't think it was a good choice to start off the album. "Loveless, more Loveless" picks up things a lot more. Inzargi's voice sounds better and the music shows off what Megamasso is good at: mixing upbeat melody and heavy guitar sounds while keeping a memorable chorus. "Hakugin Shoujo" opens up with a semi-Miyavi-like guitar intro and perhaps an old Ayabie sound. It picks up a very prominent bass guitar and Inzargi hits some decent low notes in this oddly arranged song. "Kagome Kagome in TOKYO Night" softens things off a bit by combining piano, strong bass, acoustic guitar, and traditional Japanese musical elements. "wonder_wall_sunset" shows off a new side of Megamasso while keeping their foundation in tact during the verses. It emphasises the bass and has a great chorus that makes the song a bit fun for the listener. "Tasukete" busts in immediately with a crying guitar and an unexciting presence of mystic sounds and lots of vocal breaks. Although "fate" sounds a bit generic visual kei, I somehow enjoyed the high energy and Inzargi's unique vocals make it stand out from the rest. "Pandemonium, Hakken." opens up dramatically and then a rush of drums and guitar come in with Inzargi's signature vocal wave that can sound a bit off in times, but somehow sounds right. "The Requiem" begins a bit oddly, but then picks up with a cheerful melody until it drops down once the first verse begins. It feels like a bit of a chase, but a fun one. "Shizukana Kuchidzuke de, Asa no Aisatsu wo." features dramatic drums and guitaring with bits of India influences. It has an interesting musical arrangement and dramatic vocals that expertly match the mood of the music. "Twilight Star" picks up the band's signature upbeat sound and manages to keep the song aside, but still familiar to fans. "Hanabira" was another featured promo song for the album that features a strong bassline, melodic guitar, and clever vocal layering and arrangement to make the song catchy and enjoyable. The great vocalist IZAM makes a guest appearance in the band's cover of "Sumire Septemeber Love". I think they did an amazing job putting their own twist to the song while still maintaining the original cheeriness of the song. "Until" concludes the album with a heavy sound that admire from Megamasso (and missed from Ayabie). It has a great arrangement and shows off Inzargi's vocal diversity.