Showing posts with label mucc. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mucc. Show all posts

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Recommended Music Videos: Valentine's Edition

Happy Valentine's Day!



Whether you're involved in a relationship or not, Valentine's Day is often a time of mixed feelings. It may be because you can't be with the person you love. It may be because you have no special someone. Then again, it may be because your special person is being annoying. Love is a very complicated emotion. It's not all good nor bad. Most of us just enjoy the holiday because it means a lot of chocolate and candy hearts.

Regardless of your feelings on the holiday, I've decided to do something a little fun. I've put together nine eligible bachelors and one bachelorette in the form of music videos. Take this with a grain of salt. I don't intend to be offensive to any fangirls who may read this. There will be a second half to this post that I'll get up tomorrow. That one will be the opposite with songs that feel very anti-love and commitment. Feel free to comment as always. I'd like to hear feedback from the Muddy Cult readers!


Leave it to Kirito to paint a the scene of a lover who will destroy everything to leave you lost and alone. Once he's accomplished this, he'll rebuild the world and show you his vision of the future. It's unclear whether this is a healthy relationship to be in, but it's certain that Kirito isn't the type to give up on what he wants. Approach your future with Angelo's dictator frontman with caution.


This is a man who will love you forever. No matter what the future brings, he's willing to walk hand in hand with you toward it. Even if the time comes when you forget him, he'll still stand by your side and strive to reach your heart. Don't let his age fool you. His life experience only adds to his charms. Kiyoharu won't play around with your heart like some of the younger men will.

Oh Asagi. It was inevitable that a creature of the night would sneak his way onto this listing. Our dear vampire vocalist will condemn you to an eternity of endless darkness. Yet, he won't abandon you along the way. He'll guide you through every step of your damnation with a firm, loving hand. If you want commitment ladies, this is the one for you. To escape his love, you'll have to endure a big stake through the heart or burning alive in the sun! You can't get much more committed than that!

Hyde might be gone for most of your relationship. You can be assured though that every night before he goes to sleep that he's thinking of you and the life you have together. He might not come home tomorrow or the next day. His friends may take up more of his time than you'd like, but eventually he'll make his way back into your arms. You can sleep well knowing that you own his heart even if he's miles away from you.

Your blossoming relationship with Atsushi Sakurai may be the last one you ever have. Life with a gothic prince such as Sakurai-san is bound to have some side effects on your health. Whether he's a vampire or another sort of demon, it's quite certain that his darker charms will keep you spellbound for centuries to come. If nothing else, that hypnotic stare and smooth voice will lure you into his web.

Gackt is capable of having deep affectionate feelings for a person. The trouble is getting him to narrow this down to one person. He may hurt your feelings by flirting with that cute girl down the street. He may break your heart over and over by stealing a kiss from the hot guy he's been spending a questionable amount of time with. In the end, no matter how much he hurts you, he always tries to make up for it. If you can handle his playboy ways, Gackt will always come back to you in the end. 

Beni is the type of woman who'll support you even if you don't fall head over heels for her. She's scared of rejection, but she's hopeful that you might give her a chance. This is a woman with a big heart and a lot of love to give. Her heart is open to you. All you have to do is reach out and make the first move. 

Kyo is a complicated man. He's rarely one to let his emotions spill to the surface with the weight of truth behind them. However, that doesn't mean he is incapable of feeling nor telling the truth. He's a man who will protect himself with a carefully crafted lie. If you break his heart, he'll keep his pain secret. It'll take a bit of work for you to find a way through the shell he uses to protect himself. Once you have, he won't let go easily.

Inaba Koshi is a simple, honest man. If you fall in love with him, you can be guaranteed that he'd be loyal and dedicated to assuring that you're happy. The safety and happiness of his loved ones are the most important things to a man like this. He's a protector, a nurturing soul. Loving such a man is likely as close to having your own Prince Charming as you're going to get. 

Tatsurou is usually a fun, outgoing guy. You're guaranteed to never have a dull moment with him in your life. He's also capable of being romantic. Tatsurou will share his umbrella with you when you're caught out in the rain. It may take him awhile to recover if you decide to leave him. He has a deep heart that could be easily broken. Treat him with care and remember to enjoy the small things in life. 

Friday, January 20, 2012

Quick Music Review


Meisa Kuroki - Wired Life (2011, Japan) Rating: 3/5
Favorite Tracks: Wired Life, Wired Life (No Escape Remix)


Lately, I've been stuck on how to feel about the latest releases from Meisa. Like the title track will be great, but the b-sides are so-so. Anyway, "Wired Life" is has a nice balance of dance and chill vibes from the verses to the chorus. Another great electro-pop track with wonderful vocals and a catchy chorus to go with it. "UPGRADE U!", like the previous single's b-side, is not as impressive. It sounds like a generic electro-pop song that any American pop singer or less popular, new jpop artist could come up with and she's better than this. "One More Drama -PING PONG REMIX remixed by dee.c-" almost reminds me of those 90s pop songs with a modern twist. It's not better than the original, but it's a pretty decent remix. Then there's an instrumental version of "Wired Life". If you purchased the Ao no Exorcist version of the single, the tracks are a little different. The second track is "Wired Life (No Escape Remix)" featuring Okumura Rin. It's a very dramatic musical piece with some dialogue by, I'm assuming, Okumura Rin, and Meisa's voice lurking beneath the darkness and thunderous booms. "Wired Life (Ao no Exorcist ver.)" opens with a piano intro. The song is basically the same as the original, except for that and it's shorter. The instrumental version is part of this version of the single as well.



MUCC - ARCADIA (2011, Japan) Rating: 4/5
Favorite Tracks: ARCADIA, FUZZ -Thunderbeat Ver.-


Look at MUCC experimenting again. Aww~ I'm sure there are some fans who didn't like this experimental piece, but I did. "ARCADIA" has easily become a drug since its release. With its piano intro, electronic elements, and fun rock sound, it was an easy winner. Honestly, it reminded me of "FUZZ". It gives the same great, addicting vibes that make me like MUCC a little more. Way to go guys! "NAME" is a slower song to show off more of Tatsurou's emotional vocals and the rest of the member's musical skills. I guess it's nice and necessary for MUCC fans to hear that they haven't lost their music foundation. I don't hate this track, but it's nothing I'd listen to repeatedly like "ARCADIA". "FUZZ -Thunderbeat Ver.-" sounds like the introduction to some grand wrestler or something. More rock, more synths, and more energy. How could you go wrong there? It's pretty badass actually, even though Tatsurou's English isn't the best, but I can understand it for the more part.



BORN - Psycho Diva (2011, Japan) Rating: 4.5/5
Favorite Tracks: Psycho Diva, DAMNED, DIRTY STACKER


BORN has been on a bit of rocky road for me since they joined PSC, but what they've made isn't terrible just...different. "Psycho Diva" has pieces of their old musical arrangement, but it's sadly buried by this new PSC vocal structure that has been embedded in nearly every BORN song with a fast pace rock sound. You know, that whole yelling thing that's getting boring lately. The song's still good, the bass is killer, and the PV is pretty entertaining. "DAMNED" takes a slightly different direction by opening with some acoustic guitar work and incorporating it with the verses. I really like the experimentation in this song and Ryouga's voice is quite lovely. I just wish they didn't have that stupid group yelling nonsense in it. Enough is enough! Before I started reviewing this, I totally forgot the track on the regular edition, "DIRTY STACKER". OMG! This track is amazing and probably the best thing on this single. It is filled with so much energy and it just brings up great memories from lives. Sure, it still has that stupid group yelling thing in it, but it's less annoying in a way. I just hope that the vocal arrangement took a turn for the better. Totally looking forward to the album, guys (and maybe a U.S. comeback?)!



Verbal Jint - Go Easy (2011, South Korea) Rating: 4.5/5
Favorite Tracks: 원숭이띠 미혼남, 좋아보여, 우아한년 2012, 깨알같아


I wasn't sure whether to review this album or not, but you see it's here. Guess I caved into reviewing this underrated genius. Forgive me for the lack of translations for the tracks, by the way. "원숭이띠 미혼남" opens up the album with beautiful acoustic set, a smooth flow, and Block B's ZICO. Perfect combination. It's very calming and easy to listen to without being tempted to fall into dreamland. "좋아보여" is the reason I was looking forward to this album. It features the Black Skirt and fuses some catchy piano melody and borderline R&B/hip-hop elements. Honestly, I can't get enough of this song. The vocals just work together so well, it's ridiculous! "넌 내게 모욕감을 줬어" opens with a dramatic rock sound and vocals from Koonta. It has a hint of a reggae sound to it with a lot of great tropical musical sounds to make it playfully dramatic and funky. "우아한년 2012" slows the pace down with a deep R&B outline and an equally deep rap flow and attitude. It has some recognizable profanity in it if you really pay attention and don't know any Korean whatsoever. Anyway, it features San-E and Okasian which bring some really great vocal talent to this chilled out track. "긍정의 힘" has an ol' skool sound that your parents could appreciate. It's an easy going, positive track with a vintage musical backing which simply makes you feel good in the end. "Want You Back" starts off with some radio static and an ol' skool "Love Jones" R&B sound. It's quite interesting hearing such a sound from South Korea, but it's great that the genius Verbal Jint and his guest NODO could dig up these gems for your listening pleasure. "Luv Songz" keeps that throwback R&B sound (did you catch that Wonder Girls line? XD). C-LUV's Tae-Wan makes a good vocal contribution to this slow love song and makes even more enjoyable, even though he uses those throwback cheesy R&B notes in there. "약속해 약속해 2012" brings back that acoustic set sound and Urban Character Kappa's Cho Hyun-Ah into the mix. There's a couple song references in there too. (Can you find them? 8D) "어베일러블" keeps the easy feeling the last few tracks have been giving us. It mixes modern and throwback beats together with some great vocal work by the Jint himself and Lady Jane. When you think you know what's going on in this mellow hip-hop song, it switches up on you toward the end. "깨알같아" continues this chilled out mood for the listener, but the music steps into the 90s R&B sound which is very lovely for me. "My Audi" ups the beat, attitude, and takes a step back into the 80s with another one of my favorite rappers the Quiett. It has a great bass track and kinda makes me want to bust out the Adidas track suit and a Kangol. "우리존재 화이팅" closes out with a more playful sound that keeps that retro light guitar and a nice rap flow from the Jint. Very vintage~ This album is quite amazing and the title fits the feeling of the songs very well. Love you, Jint!



Trouble Maker - Trouble Maker (2011, South Korea) Rating: 3.5/5
Favorite Tracks: Trouble Maker, 듣기 싫은 말, 아무렇지 않니


I'm sure some of you are groaning and rolling your eyes as you see this on the list. Are you expecting me to rip this debut mini-album apart like I did HyunA's? Guess we'll see~ Their debut CD starts off with an uncreative titled song by the name of "Trouble Maker". Honestly, this is the main reason I wanted to listen to this mini or whatever. I thought the song sounded pretty cool, even though it sounded like something Infinite should be using. Now, you know my feelings toward HyunA and I've said this before when I posted the music video, but I'm glad that Hyun Seung's voice masks hers for the most part. "듣기 싫은 말" starts with a promising 90ish sound to it and some powerful vocals from, surprisingly, both of them. Next is "Time", which I'm really confused if it's the same duo or a different one, because the vocals sound different from the previous track. Nonetheless, this slow track isn't that bad. Nothing I'd listen to constantly, but it's alright. "아무렇지 않니" slows it down even more to a bass driven R&B track that has questionable vocals too. Oddly enough, I really like this song. It's like a pre-Rihanna era Chris Brown, very smooth and mesmerizing. There's vocal potential, but still a good track. Surprise, surprise, I didn't rip this duo apart. I'm curious if there's going to be a continuation somewhere. Guess we'll see.

If there's something you want me to review, check out this post on how you can submit requests.

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Top 5 Recommended Music Videos

This idea recently came to mind. I don't know how often I will be doing this, but I found some noteworthy music videos that need some spotlight. This list is in no particular order either, so no complaints people!



"Hikari" by Lolita23q
I know it's old news and it was released in the beginning of the month, but it is still epic. I've loved the band since the beginning with "Ishoku Othello". Reason to watch/re-watch? Two words: Synchronized headbanging. The song is amazing too and I'm pleased that the band is growing and Soshi's vocal talents mesh the band's style very well. I guess I can forgive Sou for leaving and Watashime Slug for disbanding now that we reached this point.




"Arcadia" by MUCC feat. DAISHI DANCE
As a MUCC listener (not fan), I really liked this song. It's like a mix of "Fuzz" and "Chemical Parade" which I love both on some unhealthy degree. Of course, there's debates between MUCC fans on the quality of the song and dumb statements of "You're not a true MUCC fan if you dislike it", but my thoughts on the second comment I will hold for later rantage. The video is pretty decent and the song is really addicting. Only dislike are the costume choices, otherwise I'll continue happily dance in my dorm to this tune.




"KiLLiNG ME" by SiM
Where have you been all this time? Omfg! This video appeared on the related side vids of YouTube while watching "Arcadia" PV. The screencap piqued my interest, so I clicked it and was completely caught off guard in the most amazing way. Focusing on the song for a second, it's really aggressive and replay worthy. It falls under the same category of western jrock bands like Pay money To my Pain, coldrain, and 404NOTFOUND, so it was easy to attach myself to it and crave more. On the visual side, I love the editing, effects, and camera work a lot! It's up there with PTP's "Deprogrammer". I can't wait to promote their latest album for you guys now. Thanks, MUCC~




"You Look Good" by Verbal Jint
Am I late discovering this one too? I love Verbal Jint. He is an underrated Korean rap genius! I've always thought that when I first discovered him. He has a skill with combining smooth beats and equally smooth, emotionally filled flow that entwine effortlessly. Even if you disregard the subs in the vid, you get the gist of what's going on. There's one little shocking point too.




"Get It In" by Tasha
The queen of Korean rap is gradually make her return with her king. From what I learned, this video is promotion for some sort of tech group or something. So, it's going to feature a lot CG and autotune, but it doesn't make the song any less quality. It's still amazing and intriguing. Tasha still proves she's still the reigning queen of the k-rap game. Bow down, ladies.

Friday, May 6, 2011

Quick Music Review


MUCC - Yakusoku (2010, Japan) | Rating: 3/5
Favorite Tracks: Yakusoku, Isora


Hi! I'm not a big MUCC fan, but I love them live [and I wanna learn one of their songs on guitar]. I believe things were a little quiet before the release of this single. "Yakusoku" is a fairly slowish song, but upbeat...like anime opening upbeat. It's an alright track on a good day. Let me gush about how much I love and abused "Isora". For a person who isn't super into MUCC, I occasionally find songs by them that just blow my mind and this is one of them. Tatsurou's voice is flawless, the composition with the piano is beautiful, and together it is a harmonious paradise. The next track steps into their rock side, but it's nothing super special to my ears. I think it depends on what type you buy, but the single ends up with "Freesia Electro Mix" which was kinda annoying and unimpressive.



SE7EN - Digital Bounce (2010, South Korea) | Rating: 3/5
Favorite Tracks: Better Together, Digital Bounce, Drip


After the hype of Rain's comeback, SE7EN had to get in on the action with his own little mini-album. "Intro-Reset" goes with the electro-pop trend that kinda reminds me of something Will.i.am touched, but it's not that bad. Kinda wish it was a full length song. Nonetheless, we transition to more of this electro-pop that matches the title of the mini with "Digital Bounce". It's very catchy, unique, and danceable tune to an extent. T.O.P's contribution wasn't that bad either. "Better Together" was the debut song for the comeback and it was a nice pick. It's a lot smoother, sticks with the trend, and still somewhat keeps SE7EN's original R&B style. "I'm Going Crazy" goes back to those simplistic pop/R&B tie most listeners are used to from SE7EN. It's sweet and has a nice arrangement, but not my type of song. "Money Can't Buy Me Love" also sticks to those roots, but a little more uptempo. It's a decent song, but nothing I would listen to repeatedly in a row. "Drips" goes back on the electro-train with a little more "umph"! It sticks pretty easily for me and shows off his voice the best compared to the previous electro-pop songs. "Roller Coaster" is very electronic...like full on autotune and dance trackness. It's alright for what it is, but I would've preferred something else to end this comeback CD.



Jay Park - Take A Deeper Look (2011, South Korea) | Rating: 3/5
Favorite Tracks: Level 1000, Touch The Sky, Abandoned


So, I'm not a huge fan of Jay Park's (and I loathe 2pm), but I do enjoy his music...what little there was before this mini. Luckily, I'm delving into more Korean rap lately, so I recognize a couple artists he collaborated with. "Touch The Sky" starts this mini off with a smooth R&B and hip-hop flavor. Jay and The Quiett's voices blend and balance each other very well and gives off a mellow tone that transitions very smoothly to the next track. I suppose "Abandoned" is the promo song for this mini and I was in awe upon seeing the video. Sorry, I'm gonna agree with the comments that it does give off a Tae Yang vibe. Nice, smooth, and "swoon" worthy song that isn't too cheesy and is very much him. Jay Park and Dok2 are like NassuN and G.O....winning combo! Next track is very mainstream kpop...like on the lines of those fail new Big Bang songs that's suppose to make you dance. Then we have a very slow tempo R&B track that's very bass heavy and whiny/nasally. Next is another repetitive, blasé R&B ballad I'm not too fond of either. But guess who's back? Dok2! "Level 1000" picks my interest back up for this mini and surprises me how hard it goes on a hip-hop level. Didn't know Jay Park had this in him. Got my swag on at the desk 83 The mini album ends with a previously released track, "Bestie". It's pretty basic, easy to enjoy, and shows off both sides of Jay Park: rap and singing.



VAMPS - BEAST (2010, Japan) | Rating: 3/5
Favorite Tracks: DEVIL SIDE, EUPHORIA, THE PAST


I have a bit of a personal grudge toward Hyde and how he works, but I can't deny that I do enjoy VAMPS and I was looking forward to their first album. "PLUG IN" is a basic sound effect opening track to lead us along to "DEVIL SIDE". It's very bass driven song and very rock'n'roll. A good song to try out if you're not used to all that jrock stuff. "ANGEL TRIP" brings up to a lighter side rock to balance out all that grime from the previous track. "MEMORIES" is even more light hearted and a bit reminiscent of L'Arc~en~Ciel's music. "EUPHORIA" is a little heavier and shows that side of VAMPS that I enjoy the most: the wild, chaotic side. I enjoyed the transitions throughout the whole song. "VAMP ADDICTION" has a fun melody to bounce around to, but still holds onto that sly "vampuric" side of the band. "REVOLUTION" is very much a joke to me and the PV for it is even more of a joke. Hyde's yelling is just laughable, but if you need that silly, bouncy song for the bedroom with your girlfriends (or boyfriends) this is a good one. "THE PAST" has a lovely deep bass sound and a great follow up with guitar that my ears have been craving from these two. "PIANO DUET" is a beautiful, but a powerful rock tune that should easily reach the listener's heart by providing comfort, softness, and the right amount of rock lovin'. "RUMBLE" has a hint of jazz and rock, but the vocals are not as impressive to me. "GET UP" picks it back up to that semi-generic Hyde rock sound everyone is used to, but it's still fun for everyone. "SAMSARA" seems like a dark interlude piece that brings ambiance and a haunting feeling to the ears. It transitions easily to "MY FIRST LAST" which shares about the same retro ambient rock feeling...with Engrish!! A very interesting way to end a first album for sure.



Touch - Touch (2010, South Korea) | Rating: 4/5
Favorite Tracks: I/Me, Killin' Me


What is this? An actual talented rookie kpop group that Miko likes!? "I/Me" was the debut song for the boys and what lured me to prod further into their music. It's very typical dancy kpop stuff, but they have their own flair and great harmonies. Perhaps they'll join the underdogs Infinite. "Touch" slows the tempo down a little, but still has a melody that sticks easily to the mind. The song points out a few small things the boys can improve upon, but still shows off their potential to be something. Most overplayed track on the single is "Killin' Me". I can't get enough of this song! The bass is powerful, the chorus is memorable, and the boys' voices are arranged very uniquely. Because of this song, I counted down the days until their comeback and it came! As for the remaining 3 tracks of the single, they're purely instrumentals.



D - Vampire Saga (2010, Japan) | Rating: 3.5/5
Favorite Tracks: Muku naru bara no inori, Underground road, Taiko no kiba, Desert Warrior


I was a little nervous when I started listening to D's latest album, but I braced myself for whatever was coming out my speakers. It starts off very grand, beautiful, and a little heavy...the right amount of heavy for D in "Muku naru bara no inori". Then we enter some dark territory with "In the name of justice", one of the promo songs for this album. I'm still trying to get used to this harder side of D with Asagi's vocals, but it's growing on me steadily. "Underground road" sounded a little more familiar to me music wise and it was easily enjoyable with the mixture of their new sound and old. "DAY WALKER" has an interesting musical arrangement and I enjoyed the guitar sections, but I could've lived without all the grunting or whatever. Doesn't suit D very well and I wish they would leave things like that out in their music. "Midori no tsubasa" sticks with that semi-light hearted D sound that's easy on the ears and flows without effort, but still seems fresh! "Tsuki to umi no seiyaku" also follows this pattern of mixing old and new elements of the band's growth into the track. Unlike the previous tracks, "Ai wa hitsugi no naka ni" is a little softer, but still maintains that strong rock feeling with emphasized basslines and great dual guitar harmonies. "Akaki hitsuji ni yoru bansankai" was another promo song. I must admit it took me awhile to accept this song and the members' costume choices. It's a fun song (and PV) and keeps that great D sound fans recognize easily. "Taiko no kiba" is purely instrumental. A song that focuses on Hiroki's amazing drum skills that I was surprised and pleased with hearing on an album. "Desert Warrior" combines Indian sounds and D rock together in a zesty, hard tune that intrigues the mind into a wonderful delusion. "Quartet ~mayonaka no shijuusou~" opens up with a great instrumental intro showing off the other members' musical talents before Asagi joins in. "Black Swan" delves into that dark side that I'm a little iffy about with D. It still weaves in elements of their style with heavier jrock elements like growling and harder notes. "Der König der Dunkelheit" is the longest track on the album and actually sticks to that old D the most. It mixes theatrics, opera, and rock. The elements that made "Yami Yori Kurai Doukoku No A Cappella To Bara Yori Akai Jounetsu No Aria" amazing. If you purchase type C, you get to enter the crazy circus sounds of "Silver acorn bullet". An interesting song title with an interesting sound that makes me grin like a nut (no pun intended).