Quick Music Review

AZIATIX - Nocturnal (2011, U.S.) Rating: 3.5/5
Favorite Tracks: Slippin' Away, A Game, Say Yeah

I must admit that their first release wasn't all that, but I was still excited to listen to more music from this talented trio and spread their talent from friend to friend. Skipping over the "Intro" and going straight into "Slippin' Away", it starts this CD off very calm and mesmerizingly beautiful. The vocals are very emotion filled and the rap sections don't sound awkward either, which takes skill. I also have to agree with LinzerDinzer that the video for this song is absolutely breathtaking as well. "Superstar" brings the tempo up a little bit to a smooth hip-hop song with a great balance of singing parts. "A Game" really braces the hip-hop side of the trio and reminds me a little of the St. Lunatics' "Batter Up", but a different message of confidence. "Be With You" takes a step back to that silly electro-pop sound that I don't think suits them very well. It seems too cheesy. "Say Yeah" closes out with a more club like feeling that I actually prefer a lot more than the previous track. It sounds more natural and displays growth. I'm really looking forward to a full length album...and a second chance to see them live.



Tablo - Fever's End (2011, South Korea) Rating: 4.5/5
Favorite Tracks: 집, 나쁘다, Airbag, 출처

I love Epik High and Tablo is a lyrical genius, so I was a little skeptical what kind of music he would produce under YG Entertainment. "집" introduces us in with some beautiful, yet sorrowful piano melody that flows smoothly with Tablo's voice. I love the haunting female vocals that accompany his as well. It already pierces the heart and it's only the first track! "나쁘다" was everyone's first taste of Tablo's return and debut under YG. The song features a simple beat and subtle acoustic guitars as well as another female guest vocal to tell the other side of this painful love tale. Before I heard this album, I heard a sample of "Airbag" through someone's countdown list and I had a feeling this would be my favorite track of all. I was right! The music a simple hip-hop beat that compliments Tablo's rapping and the guest vocals were the perfect addition to the song as well as the acoustics. "밀물" mixes hip-hop scratches and piano together, giving us a little taste of what Epik High was. It has a simple, memorable chorus that makes an impact without forcing itself in. Seeing Bumkey's name attached to this track automatically made it good, it's called "밑바닥에서". It has a simple, atmospheric beat with each voice complimenting the other equally. "Tomorrow" was the second choice for a promotional video. It has a beautiful instrumental with some piano and drums. Oddly enough, I think this song would've been better without Taeyang in it. DJ Tukutz joins Tablo for "출처" with an old school sound and real underground hip-hop feeling. It feels almost comforting. "Dear TV / 해열" is an experimental song that features prominent drums and emphasizes Tablo's voice throughout the whole track without taking you out of this traditional atmosphere. "고마운 숨" jumps in with a feel good acoustic melody and uplifting vocal tones. "유통기한" closes out this album with a distant, mysterious shell. It has some sorrowful guest vocals, borderline orchestral elements and piano, and ticking sounds. Overall, I thought this first YGE album was a masterpiece and I hope he continues making art. Perhaps Epik High reunion in the near future, yes?



U-KISS - Tick Tack (2011, Japan) Rating: 4.5/5
Favorite Tracks: Tick Tack, Coincidence

Everyone is aware of the hallyu invasion in Japan and nearly every group just remakes old Korean material into Japanese. Well, I was proud when U-KISS decided to take a different route with their promotions. "Tick Tack" left a good feeling in my ears. It's addicting, the pronunciations were natural, and I think it stayed true to the group as well as subtly blending a few elements of Japanese mainstream sound. I've probably listened to this song more than 25 times and I'm still not sick of it. "Coincidence" kept the sound from the previous song consistent. It doesn't pack as much of a punch for me, but it's still a pretty good song that I can listen to repeatedly. "0330 -Piano & Chorus ver.-" is, of course, a remake of a Korean track, except they changed it up to showcase their vocal talent accompanied by piano. It's beautiful, but I'm still not that fond of this song. The last two tracks of this single are instrumental versions of "Tick Tack" and "Coincidence".



The Quiett - Stormy Friday (2011, South Korea) Rating: 4/5
Favorite Tracks: T.G.I.F, Mr. Lonely Part 1, 귀로

"T.G.I.F" opens the EP with a smooth, old school feeling that makes you reminiscent on the instrumentals of the iconic Marvin Gaye. It effortlessly flows smoothly with The Quiett's voice and the tag line just makes you appreciate this track even more. "Came From the Bottom" is more of a typical mixtape sound where a bunch of buddies can gather in the studio and just attack the beat with words. "The Real Me" goes back to the old school R&B music that gets you in the mood for the sweet flow as well as some playful vocal distortion. I'm starting to think that every rap song Jay Park is featured in is flawless. "Mr. Lonely Part 1" has a smooth, simple acoustic R&B beat that compliments The Quiett's voice and Jay contributing to the chorus was the perfect touch to this track. "우리들만 아는 얘기" starts off gradually with drums and piano, then The Quiett joins in with his lines, keeping your mind in awe. "귀로" keeps a consistent old school R&B sound with horns this time and also features another rapper I enjoy Jerry.K. "Stormy Friday" plays like a record effect with a downtempo 80s hip-hop beat to close out this EP. It's a simple 3 minute instrumental just for you to take in everything you just heard. A unique way to close out something so great.



Sadie - Rosario (2011, Japan) Rating: 2.5/5
Favorite Tracks: Break the silence

It feels like I've been quite harsh to Sadie. Maybe not here, but perhaps mentally. Anyway, "Rosario" doesn't completely stick out in my mind. At first, it sounds like a rip from Dir en grey or something, but it takes some vocal risk and a nod to their older material. "Suicidal Rock City" follows Girugamesh's experiments of mixing rock and hip-hop record sounds together. The song is alright, but does that weird group yelling thing that annoys me with BORN. "Break the silence" features some great instrumentals with underlying beauty hiding in the background. Mao's voice sounds the best in this track and, in general, this song is amazing. For a neutral feeling single, the ending track left a good impression in my mind and I simply repeat it over and over.


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Review: V-Rock Disney

Various Artists - V-Rock Disney (2011, Japan) Rating: 2.5/5
Favorite Tracks: Chim Chim Cher-ee, This is Halloween, Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

When I heard that jrock was going to try its hands at Disney songs, I was partially curious yet skeptical to the idea. Nonetheless, I wanted to find out how this album was going to turn out.

Nightmare's cover of Fantasia's "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" opens up the album. They essentially kept the original arrangement, but added a more rocking flare to it. I love the small bits of dueling guitar moments. Definitely shows a harder side to the band. Next is their cover of Aladdin's "Friend Like Me". It has a nice bass driven sound that's very lounge-esque, think of "Dasei Boogie" sound. I'm not completely sure if the lyrics are a mixture of Japanese and Engrish or what, but Yomi tried. Next track is the theme to Beauty and the Beast sung by LUNA SEA's Ryuichi Kawamura. The song is very calming with soft drums and stray guitar sounds. Rest assure, it still maintains its beauty in Japanese. Although, there are a few places in the song I get a bit annoyed with his voice, but overall the cover is good. Here's a song I really raised eyebrow to when I saw it. This is "Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride" covered by PENICILLIN from Lilo & Stitch. I honestly had to re-listen to the original to remember what it sounded like. I'm not completely sure what to think of this cover. It's really...odd. So, I'll just move onto the next song which is "Chim Chim Cher-ee" from the classical Mary Poppins performed by Plastic Tree. This was another eyebrow raiser. This definitely sounds like a grey cloud mellow Plastic Tree song. I kinda like it, but those who expected to have some sunshiny feeling like the original won't get that from this slowed down version. Surprisingly, this took me some to adjust to listening to Nightmare Before Christmas's "This is Halloween" by Sadie, but I really like it. Considering I've listened to the original and the Marilyn Mason version more often, but I like the arrangement choices. From Mao's growls, distorted yells, and whispers, it makes the song super eerie and the music sounds a little different then their norm. Lots of guitar highlights and musical risks. You probably never would've guessed, but "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" was one of my favorite Lion King songs as a kid and seeing that Ayabie's Aoi was covering made both excited and nervous. It's definitely more upbeat, which is a little odd, but it works with Aoi's voice. Good job, kid. We have another Mary Poppins tune by the name of "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" covered by none other than THE KIDDIE. This definitely was a good match. It has great energy and the Engrish is so cute. >//> I have never heard of Ninjaman Japan, but next is their cover of Pinocchio's "When You Wish Upon a Star". It starts off slow and promising, then it picks up very rock like. Not a particular fan of the vocals. Next is Snow White's "Heigh-Ho" by CASCADE which is quite...obnoxious. I've never heard of DASEIN either, but they close out this album with Tarzan's "You'll Be In My Heart". Of course, nothing compares to the great Phil Collins, but this was actually pretty good. The music is still pretty calming and the vocals match as well. Good way to end this cover album.

In the end, I'm not overly impressed with the whole collection. Not many tracks blew me away, but I commend the artists and bands for contributing in such a bold cover album of Disney classics. I'm curious if they're going to try for a second volume like they did with the 90's visual kei songs. Please look out for that review!

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Quick Music Review

Gorillaz - Plastic Beach (2010, USA) | Rating: 3.5/5
Favorite Tracks: Welcome To The World Of The Plastic Beach, Stylo, Empire Ants

After seeing them live, my view has changed a little about this album. It's hard to categorize Gorillaz into one genre and this album proves how diverse their sound is. "Orchestral Intro" is just what it says. It's not too classical or anything. It's just the right sound to set a light mood and smoothly transitions to "Welcome To The World Of The Plastic Beach". It features a smooth R&B sound with great band elements and smooth rapper Snoop Dogg make it an even cooler first full length song. "White Flag" mixes traditional Indian sounds and hip-hop together in one enjoyable package. "Rhinestone Eyes" is a seemingly simple electro-pop song with megaphone vocals and an interestingly, dramatic chorus that sticks to the mind. "Stylo" skillfully combines old school elements from the great Bobby Womack, a sprinkle of hip-hop, and Gorillaz's unique electronic twist. This song is easily catchy and enjoyable by fans of either artists. "Superfast Jellyfish" leans more on the hip-hop sound of the band, but in a very comical and catchy way. It kinda reminds me of PaRappa the Rapper game. The music steps down to something softer. Originally, I wasn't too fond of "Empire Ants", but hearing it live made a huge difference. It's a beautiful ballad mixing that old electro-funk sound and Asian ambiance. "Glitter Freeze" is purely an electronic instrumental song. "Some Kind of Nature" and "On Melancholy Hill" is a light hearted electro-rock songs. "Broken" is very down tempo song that keeps their signature electronic sound. "Sweepstakes" is a bit of a random song mixing brass instruments and raggae elements to a fun melody. "Plastic Beach" is a very mellow rock song that touches base with their roots and combining it with this new format. "To Binge" is very islandy. Mellow and familiar like a Beach Boys song. "Cloud of Unknowing" is a very deep, emotional song that proves that Bobby still has it. The album ends with a retro electro-pop sound in "Pirate Jet". In the end, Gorillaz stick to their original plan of being abstract and opening our ears to different sounds worldwide.



Rain - Back To Basics (2010, South Korea) | Rating: 4.5/5
Favorite Tracks: Love Song, Same, One, Hip Song

It had been 2 years since the last release from Rain (unless you wanna count the repackaged material), so I was really excited to see him finally releasing something new. I must say, this comeback did not disappoint. "Love Song" was the title track for this sexy mini. Usually I would whine and complain over love ballads, but...I sadly have a slight Rain bias. Yes! There are a few Rain ballads I can't stand, but this one wasn't so bad. It's passionate, soft, and the music has a nice build up. I believe "Hip Song" was the next target for promotion. Completely opposite of the first track and displaying a heavier R&B/hip-hop fusion of bass and a catchy chorus to keep you rockin'. "One" resembles a lot of Rain's older material, but suitable for his age. A mature R&B song with a lovely chorus that's easy to remember like the rest. "Same" also has the same type of sound as "One", which proves that he could blend easily with American R&B artists. The mini ends with "Love Song" once more, but in English. His pronunciation is improving little by little. It's a bit awkward to listen to, because my ears and memory are tainted by the original Korean lyrics.



f(x) - NU ABO (2010, South Korea) | Rating: 4/5
Favorite Tracks: NU ABO, Mr. Boogie, Ice Cream, ME+U

So, I wasn't part of the original fan club of f(x), but hearing their collaboration with Son Dam Bi and this mini album sold me for good. "NU ABO" is a strong electro-hip-hop/pop song with intense beats, catchy chorus, and signature Korean girl cuteness that isn't obnoxious like some female kpop groups. "Mr. Boogie" goes into that whole electro-pop trend that's just catching on every where, but it's a good arrangement. It's very dancy and has attitude written all over it. Missing a good old sugary sweet girl kpop song? Well, "Ice Cream" is definitely cutesy and pop. If you listen to this track too much, you might get sick of it. "ME+U" has become a recent favorite from hearing it in the car. It's fun, simple, and very dance worthy. The mini ends with something more mellow and slow. The arrangements are nice for both songs, but not my style.



Big Bang - Big Bang Special Edition (2011, South Korea) | Rating: 3/5
Favorite Tracks: Baby Don't Cry, TONIGHT, CAFE, I Need a Girl

If you weren't satisfied with the mini-album, prepare yourself to be disappointed with this not so Special Edition the boys have released for us. I wasn't even expecting another release so quickly, but I found it extremely unnecessary. Don't get me started on the Japanese version of "TONIGHT". So, pretty much we have 3 tracks from the mini: "TONIGHT", "Somebody to Love", and "CAFE". I like 2 out of 3 of those songs. Then we have a couple released solo material by Tae Yang and Seungri. And if you haven't picked up your GD&T.O.P CD, this includes "HIGH HIGH" and "Oh Yeah" with Park Bom. As you can see, majority of the tracks have already been released, but wait! There's 3 brand spankin' new tracks to rattle in your brain. "Love Song" has been the promotion song to convince fans to pick up this not so Special Edition. Sure it's mature and follows a totally different direction than most kpop male groups [and Daesung gets more voice time], but it proves that songs about complaining how you dislike love songs are annoying to me. *coughs*Ne-yo*coughs* I did think the video was beautiful, but could've lived without the half assed choreography and just mute the music. What's more annoying about whining about how much you hate love songs? Admitting how dumb you are...over and over and over again. "Stupid Liar" is an extremely repetitive and annoying song that seems like there was no thought put into it, but honestly...it's just all over the place. After cleaning my ears from this blasphemy of a CD, I braced myself for the usual trot/ballad-y song that Daesung usually produces. And OMFG! It was the best addition to this train wreck and I couldn't get enough of it. Little Daesung is growing up ;~; Sure, it's a bit of a slow song, but it's not an obnoxious love ballad. It has a R&B/rock flare to it that makes it even more enjoyable with Daesung's sweet voice. At least they did one thing right.



Sadie - COLD BLOOD (2011, Japan) | Rating: 3/5
Favorite Tracks: sabaku no SYNDROME, Graceful Angel, deathtopia, mabuta no yuuutsu

I wasn't sure what to expect from this album, since the singles leading up to it were a bit hit and miss. The album starts off pretty calm and you can hear every instrument clearly in "doukoku". It has a dramatic build and helps you get settled for the rest of the ride through the other tracks. "Juggernaut" was one of the singles that didn't quite agree with me. It sounded very anime, but still Sadie in some ways. Very generic. Nothing special except the chorus on a good day. "LOOSING MY WAY OF THE PROUD" shows a lot of Dir en grey influence. It's aggressive, sneaky, and energetic. "sabaku no SYNDROME" shares a similar Diru influence, but still true to Sadie's aggressive, dark sound. The musical transitions are interesting and Mao skillfully follows his own transitions from a low growl to raw vocal. "棘 -toge-" was another single they released for promotion and I'm sure you can find my thoughts on it in an older post. "deathtopia" made me a little skeptical with the name, but it had an interesting beginning that no one would expect from them and explode instantly into something aggressive. Very clever~ "Dress" was a miss single and I simple just skipped it as usual. "Graceful Angel" brought something a little new to the band and I really enjoyed this one. It had a great dual guitar and bass relationship and Mao's voice were flawless. "kasumi ni kieru hana" features a slightly softer side of the band that is equally enjoyable to their heavier sound without selling out to a mainstream "anime" rock sound. "GIMMICK" sounds like their roots back in the "Meisei" era when they first started out with mixed with that mainstream sound I mentioned before. "Kuraimoa" was actually a single I kinda liked compared to the others. It's fast pace and a little aggressive. "mabuta no yuuutsu" is another soft song with a dark undertone. The album ends with an unplugged version of "Dress" which I'm sure fans will enjoy if they liked the original, but for me it was a pass...obviously.

Quick Music Review

-OZ- - Rouge (2010, Japan) | Rating: 4/5
Favorite Tracks: Rotate, LEAD, flood bead, PLANT

-OZ- has been a fairly consistent band with their visuals and music, so I knew what to expect from their latest album...at least I believed I did. "Birthday" and "Rotate" set a totally new level to the band's sound compared to Versus, in my opinion. They still had the basic elements that made me follow them, but their growth as musicians shone throughout every track without straying too far. If you haven't picked up Versus, then Rouge is a must have to your collection!



exist†trace - TWIN GATE (2010, Japan) | Rating: 3/5
Favorite Tracks: DECIDE, RESONANCE, VANGUARD, Maid of Orleans

The girls have been busy experimenting with their sound and their latest album is proof they've been testing the waters. Their single releases "VANGUARD" and "RESONANCE" were already amazing to me. Jyou's smooth and aggressive vocals flow beautifully with the intense sound and even some of the ballads were pretty decent. Not all the songs clung to me as easily as the two previously mentioned songs, but it was alright overall. I'm hoping their next big release will blow me away like before.



Sadie - 棘-toge- (2010, Japan) | Rating: 3.5/5
Favorite Tracks: GREEDY EMOTION

I believe this single marked the band entering anime territory and I really don't mind that. Lately, Sadie's releases have been okay, but this has raised the bar back up a little. "棘-toge-" took me a little time to get the feel of it, but "GREEDY EMOTION" is what sold me. It had Sadie's signature style and a little extra power. I'm hoping the band will keep the momentum going whether it's heavy or mellow. Just keep it up!



MAA - Ghost Enemy (2010, Japan) | Rating: 3/5
Favorite Tracks: Ghost Enemy

Former vocalist of Marbell has decided to go solo and share here beautiful vocals with the world a little more. Upon hearing and seeing the title track, I had mix feelings. Her visual style were remnants of early Lady Gaga and the sound was similar to ICONIQ's. Then I moved onto the next track and heard that special quality that MAA has to her voice and style. I anticipate her fist mini-album this month to see what direction she's going.