A lot of people have been pissy about Deg's image change for a long time now. But ym favorite, and first, album by them was the one that solidified that change: Vulgar. There is not a single boring song on the entire album. I remember when I first got it, being confused because I couldn't read Japanese and thus didn't know half the song names. But I knew them by what order they came in, yet I never skipped over any of them. I still don't. I can not listen to that album without listening it the whole way through.
I have had Withering to Death for age's now, but I've never even bothered listening to it because of the bad reviews, and also because there were only certain tracks I could remember, so I always skipped to them.
Now, you are here to witness and read the first full listening of WTD. I am going to write my reveiws as I listen, so don't be surprised if I jump around a lot.
So, let's go.
1. Merciless Cult I'm only close, close friends with one Deg fan, and she loves this song to her very core and listens to it constantly. I must say it's...different. I don't especially like it yet. It doesn't sound like Dir en grey to me. It doesn't fit with any of my previous experience except for the fact that Kyo sounds about the same, though a little lower.
The slower bits of the song, scream Deg, though, and that's satisfying. I am slightly amused by the fact that, as usual, Kyo becomes rather incomprehensible as the screaming goes on and starts to sound like he's saying "Gobble gobble! Gobble gobble! TURKEY!"
2. C This is the kind of song I expect from Dir en grey, in a way. I enjoy it, already, more than Merciless Cult. :P I'm also pretty sure this is one the fans like, isn't it? I tend to avoid Deg fandom because they scare me. But I have had the luck to run into some normal, sane fans aswell, so that's satisfying. Kyo sounds rather like he usually does, exactly. This song has something I love in rock music which is what I call "the light side of black". You go from aggressive, screaming vocals or gobbling and gurgling, to singing and a nice melody. I think my favorite use of this by Deg would be in FILTH, which is probably one of my favorite Deg songs.
3. -saku- Ah, I notice that opening scream from anywhere. Oh, and the use of "Fuck off, fuck off, fuck off and wipe." What the FUCK is that about anyway? I've yet to look up a translation of this song anywhere. This song also contains "the light side of black" (which is also the name of an old, abondoned Jrock fansite.) I really wish Kyo didn't do as much scremaing. It's horrible for his voice, and it's noticeable in concerts these days. He really needs to give it a rest for awhile, or he's going to be mute for the next 30+ years of his life. I like this song more with the video. It's not especially pleasant or enjoyable to listen to, which most of Deg's songs ARE, whether they be full of screaming or not.
4. Kodoku -long title here- What, you thought I'd type all that out? No. More screaming. Is there a single song on here witohut it so far? I know Deg took a turn towards being more metal not to long ago, but, come on. Too much screaming makes the screaming lose all it's effect. Regardless, I REALLY like this song. I don't think I've listened ot it before, either. Must of been one of the one's that got skipped over. This song is actually very enjoyable to listen to, unlike Saku.
5. Itoshisa wa fuhai ni tsuki So far I have no impression. Though I'm loving the vocals on this song so much right now...Kyo's voice is SO sexy at a slower pace. I don't know why. Even on the saddest, or most disturbing of songs, he still manages to make his voice sound...amazing. Gentle and calming when it shouldn't be at all.
His speaking voice tends to be the same, from what I've heard.
6. Jesus Christ R'n'R I love this song. Sadly, the live performances I've seen of it have been less than stellar. And this is because, Kyo only ever seems to nail the screaming lines. He has really put his voice through hell, a hell that's not repairable.
7. GARBAGE A pretty unremarkable track for me. I can't think of anything to comment on. Just more broken English and growling, with some effects and such. I'm bored...almost make sme want to listen to Rainbow 7. Risa's attempts at being ghetto keep me entertained for far longer...
8. Machiavellism I like this track way better than the previous. Kaoru, Kaoru it's a cashew//Hurry up, hurry up, wrist cut show. I really pity Kaoru. Haha. I just don't know how Kyo screwed that one up so...oddly. His engrish always keeps me on my toe's, I suppose. Anyway, god I love the guitar on this track. It's just really...satisfying.
That's the best word I can come up with. This is turning less into a review and more into a...I don't know. But not a review. A big pile of observations? Isn't that what ALL my entries are, though? I mean, BUKKAKE SHEILD counts as an observation, right?
9. dead tree My friend Arielle liked this song. It's the only Deg song she could sit through. Her brothers love Deg, apparently. She recognized the name when I mentioned it. And now we commense with the gobbling... "AGHRHJERG GOBBLE TO THE GOBBLE!"
No, Kyo is really starting to remind me of a turkey. I should put his head on one or something. I figure if it can win Airelle over, though it must be good. This song is also very satisfying. I don't like it as much as the previous, though.
10. THE FINAL This song won over my friend Nicole. THAT IS SOMETHING THAT NEVER SHOULD HAVE HAPPENED. It's really...scary, actually. She's the last friend I would have expected to like a Deg song, right after Moel, who i spent three hours trying to convince to listen to one song. I've seen a lot of people say this was the only acceptable track on the album or such. I don't really agree with that...at all. One of the things I like about this song, however, is that listening to it is an experience. I'm not sure how else to explain it, but it is. Deg has a lot of songs like that...FILTH, Drain Away, Yurameki...I'm not sure how many people would AGREE on those. But to me they are. I can't bring myself to overplay them no matter how much I like them because it feels like a waste. I'm almost AFRAID I'd get desensitized to that "experience" and it would just turn into any other song.
11. Beautiful Dirt Nothing to say on this track. At all.
12. Spilled Milk I believe this one has only been listened to once. It's growing on me AS I listen to it, though, which is odd, because if I don't like something at first, I tend to stay that way.
Not much else to say on it, however. An okay track, I suppose.
13. Higeki wa me futa wo oroshita yasashiki There are too many damn long titles on this thing. I like this song aswell...but like the above it doesn't leave a lasting impression on me. Not yet, anyway. I think I just set my standards up REALLY high after Vulgar. I'm sorry but that album is just GREAT. I can't find a single flaw with it. I love every song, i think the most lackluster track on that is Child Prey, and I even love that. :P
14. Kodou I LOVE THIS SONG AHKJSKADKAHDK YES. I love the music, the singing, and the lyrics. I've recorded it, and plan to again sometime when my mic stops sucking. or when I'm less lazy. or when I'm not busy trying to be the BEST LEADAR EVAAAR. Fucking Scarlet Kusari/ D: So much work trying to get people to audition for something besides jpop!
Annnyway, that doens't matter right now. This song makes me happy. Very happy. Well, actually, no. It made me cry the first time I listen to it because of the lyrics. D: But in a good way. This is the face it makes me make D:! And it stays that way. But IN A GOOD WAY!
Overall, what do I give it, out of ten? I'd say a 7.5/10. Too many songs let me down, but there were some really good songs that gave it the .5
I wouldn't recommend it to someone who I was trying to leave a really good impression on. They have way better albums for that. But if you're already a fan, I don't tihnk it's going to make your ears bleed.
I really think Maki is gorgeous. So she deserves more than useless T&A shots. And, don't even get me started on the name Foxy Fungo...
Now, THIS is what I'm talking about. But what the fuck is that frilly, feathery nightey they've thrown over her? It confuses me greatly.
GOD FUCKING DAMN MAKI HAS LONG FINGERS! HOLY SHIT! Moving on...
Bottom line: Maki isn't a amazing singer with range and skill out to HEYAH. But she has her good points and her songs haven't really highlighted them.
One of my fave. pics from the book. Ignoring the boobs, it seems to express some kind of emotion, which it shouldn't, considering how plastic, fake, ect photobooks are but it still holds some kind of meaning. Good shot.
I think the fact I've only liked the nature shots says I am crying out for a nuetral, mature but not too sexy Maki. I like the new songs, but not the image. It seems awkward, and seeing how Maki deals with it makes me wonder about her ego too. She's gone from charming, cute, and dorky, to this weird "sexy", withdrawn, almost snobby creature. From he rmanuerisms, it almost seems to me like she's trying to forget she's part of H!P and instead live in a happy little world in her head imagining it's AVEX. Not that I can blame her, but I hate people who are ashamed to admit their roots.
I was oddly weirded out by the rest of this set, but this photo has a nice look to it. You know, I have to say they hired a really good photographer for this photobook. I used to hate this pic because of the weird make-up, ect. But it's grown on me.
That's all I have of it, all ANYONE has of it, actually. No one has yet to scan in the whole thing. I've only got 54 or so pics, but anyone who's interested just comment. It's full of tons of fanservice I didn't include in here, so if you like Maki, just ask, I think you'll enjoy it.
Next up will be Mako's new photobook!
Night, kids. :P
As you may or may not know, I do jpop karaoke. I currently have posponed three jrock karaoke projects; Jealous - Dir en grey, Kodou - Dir en grey, and Beast of Blood - Malice Mizer, respectively.
I plan to make a poll today over what my next karaoke should be, supplied with mp3 files of the songs if you don't know them. ALL THESE SONGS WILL PROBABLY BE JROCK SONGS. That might peeve some of you jpop listeners, but give it a chance, would ya?
Moving on....
Artist: Morning Musume/Abe Natsumi
File size: 7.26 MB
Notes: This one actually started as something I was doing for practice, but halfway through it turned into a real karaoke, and now you have this. Those high notes are killer, I must say, and I doubt I'll ever be able to hit them just right. Abe deserves some real credit for those, I suppose.
Artist: Morning Musume/Abe Natsumi
File size: 53.4 MB
Notes: I'll probably end up redoing this version, because I experienced a wee problem where on some parts the harmony carried on just seconds too long, making it seem louder than the actual vocals, or making it apparent they were recorded seperatley. I really like the harmonies at the end, for the "Oooo, ooooO" part turned out, though. =)
Artist: GAM/ Fujimoto Miki&Aya Matsuura
File size:6.13 MB
Notes: I EVEN DID THE MOANING! You HAVE to give me credit for that (Though, I AM the anti-sexy, but regardless. :P) This one was really hard, actually, because it's sung in a style I don't think I've ever done before. Far too breathy for me. I'm not toally satisfied with how it turne dout, but I doubt a redo.
IN PROCESS
Artist: Morning Musume
File size:
LENGTH: 30 sec
Notes: Just started this morning! I'm on Thanksgiving vacation and I'm taking advantage of it.
This was recorded in the raw. Out of nowhere. Using a vocal remover, no effects, and while I had bedhead (actually, I still have bedhead. Can't find the hair brush and have tangles in the back. =/)
Hearing me sing this song has resulted in my family mocking the engrish in it, and my brother making fun of the fact that nature is OBIVOUSLY good by replacing it with "Booowel movemennnts are neccesaryyyy!"
My mom actual has started singing along with when I play it, though, so I must be doing something right.
Artist: Dir en grey
File size:
LENGTH: 30 SEC
Notes: Also recorded this morning, though only because I couldn't find the original copy. I needed to re-record anyway, the original was recorded after recording Kodou several times, meaning ym voice was extremely sore from growling. ;D I can't owrry too much about how the vocals on this sound, not now. It is, afterall, a song sung by a smoking 30 year old asian man, and me being an American, 18 year old girl who's smoked only so many cigarettes she can count on both hands.
I basically wouldn'y ne listening to JPOP or H!P at all, since those basically dominate my blog I'm only mentioning them, but I've noticed a lot of jpop bloggers, who seem to have an odd little thing againstvisual (Not counting Ray, who seems to give Shinya's tranvestitey goodness all the respect it deserves.
But, just to give my jrock some love, I shall now examine and display the very most gaudy and odd jrock photo's I have in my posession, or stole from people more dedicated, or atleast not as lazy as me.
Exhibit A:
What could Miyavi be in the kingdom? The Jester? Maybe. This just made me realize what an odd mix Dir en grey, Miyavi, An Cafe....mixed with morning Musume can be. I've definatley thought "OMG, SHINYA LOOKS LIKE -insert here- there" "HOMG MAKO LOOKS LIKE DIE!" "WTF, AYA + KEI = SAME PERSON TOTALLY!"
You know, Myvster looks like he has some belly flab goin' on there. Then again, I know Miyavi could bend over for 5 days trying to squeeze out a shred of loose skin, and still be a toothpick...or, no, more like a zipper. No, really, just ask him to stand sideways and stick out his tongue. It's an uncanny resemblance.
You know, I'm trying to figure out how Mana got Kozi into THIS (those fake boobs look oddly befitting of Kozi.)
If you whipped him he'd ask for more, if you threatened to tie him up he'd get worse...I can't think of anything. However, this picture is both tacky, gaudy, and awkward. Mana deserves a trophy.
I wonder if Shinya and the horse are arguing on who has bigger lips? I am dubbing Shin-chan the Angelina Jolie of jrock lips. Yes.
This picture is only tacky because, to be honest, Shin-chan looks EMO.
For my dear, dear Sayumi. I don't think people give her enough credit. People say she's a horrible vocalist, but so are a lot of Momusu's singers. I mean, for example, I showed my mom (GREAT singer, teaches me, almost actually got signed to a major label back in the day.) the GREAT live performance of NATURE IS GOOD! that Reina and Yossie did to fill in for Tsuji. My mom basically said both sucked. She noticed several mistakes I never would have. None of these girls will EVER be up to standards outside jpop, because in jpop, it's POP. No one cares. SO much studio magic is done, it doesn't matter. In pop, looks and charisma matter more, and that's fine. It's always going to be that way. (I will admit several, like Nacchi have a lot of potential, and are already pretty good, but could do with some SERIOUS training, not basically Tsunku making them sing the same thing over and over again until it's close enough to right.)
My point is, whether she can sing or not doesn't matter, because there are definatley worse, and ANYONE can sing atleast okay with training.
So, onto the love...
You know, I finally figure dout what animal Sayumi reminds me of...
Surely someone else sees it! And I -LIKE- koalas! So more power to ya, Sayumin. You know, Bou of An Cafe reminds me of a Koala too...
Especially that koala, come to think.
But back to Sayumin! So, who wants to send in a picture of a koala to her "things that are cuter than me (?)" thing for her show? I'll totally do it if no one else does.
You know, I kind of feel sorry for the Sayumi of back when she first joined Morning Musume. I don't think i've ever seen that DEAD look in someones eyes for that long. That vocal coach must have seriously been harsh on her, you know, because shoving a pencil in someones mouth on film isn't harsh at all... What WAS that for, anyway?
That concludes todays Sayumi love.
You know, I've mentioned, just in my last entry, I have a shakey past with J-music.
Well, now I'm going to tell you all about it.
Lets take it back a bit, not to far, 2003, ah, just right....
I was about 14 or 15 at the time, and I had recently rekindled my anime obsession in movies such as Totoro and Kiki's delivery service, all childrens movies, but all extremely enjoyable for adults and teens as well, and because of this, I had been looking at anime forums and the like.
Well, one faitful day, I was having an arguement with someone on the anime section of some art board, when suddenly, someone defends me. I have no idea who this person is, but they're agreeing with me and defending me.
Well, that perked my curiosity and I messaged that girl one day.
That's when we got to talking, about anime, games, stuff like that...And then she askes me if I listen to jpop. I think, "Oh, what is this jpop thou speaks of?" And, of course, asked this very question, though minus the phony speak.
This lead to her sending me pictures of Mini Moni, and Morning Musume, (Who, I at first, called Morning Museum. Several times, until she smacked it out of me. Next time I complain about people mispronouncing and spelling Japanese, just mock me about that XD)
Keep in mind, I had no way to get this music. I was banned from using Limewire, had no idea if I could buy stuff off ebay (actually, I don't think I even THOUGHT of that, because i figured my mom would never pay for the shipping of soemthing overseas. (Don't start on me about asking my parents for things...I never ask for anything so when I do she gets it because I don't ask a lot. >.>)) So, that died and the most I did was catch a few of the songs on Japanese fan radio stations, and I stopped talking to the girl aswell...
Fast forward, of course, to last year.
I had downloaded Limewire the night before, and I was anxious to look up some jrock because I'd run into several jrock fans after that. The first song I downloaded was Color Me Blood Red by Malice Mizer. This instantly got me HOOKED to MM, and I'm a huge fan now (even though it doesn't seem like it, as this blog has turned 99% jpop.)
I, after this, looked up a list (yes, a list. I am and was such a dork, it amuses me to death...) and spotted one name that rang a bell somewhere in the back of my head, this name would be Dir en grey.
I downloaded Pink Killer and Cage. Both songs are so different, showing just how much Diru has changed over the years, but I loved each song. Then, after finding Malice Mizer, I looked up information on Mana, which in turn lead to finding out about MDM, so I downloaded some of their songs (Before someones head explodes at the huge use of the word download, I'd just like to clarify that just months after I got into them (them as in all of them), I purchased Nocturnal Opera aswell as Vulgar. Vulgar is still my favorite Diru album, to this day, and it keeps this place also because it was my first Jrock album.)
So, by about December or November, I was a pretty huge jrock fangirl...And I was browsing a jrock yaoi blog (yes, yaoi. Aren't I predictable?) when someone cracked a joke about Kyo eating Mini Moni.
INSTANT DEJA VU ON THAT ONE.
So this led to me getting curious, and typing Mini Moni into google video. I found the rollercoaster segment from H!M where Nacchi spazzed and her head nearly exploded. I also found the lizard clip (that I only learned was from the Christmas special this year.) this got my interest, and I found Za Peace! video.
This is the short version too! But every jpop blogge rhas done an entry like this, so this is me jumping on the bandwagon.
You know, I'd always considered the girls,a s girly pop idols, probably had it easy. But today, I was thinking about what the leaders do. Why choose a leader for Berryz or Momusu? Why do they need one? I mean, bands obviously need them, because leaders generally work with the manager some, and write their own music, but Momusu et al just do what the producer tells them to do. The producer does it all.
The most I've even heard the leaders speak of doing s rounding the girls up backstage, but surely someone else usually does that anyway.
However, he girls must put in much more work than someother groups. They not only release atleast 4 or 5 singles a year, they also have a weekly show, performances and such on Utaban and shows like that, concert tous, various sports actvities (futsal, isn't it? Like wussyfied indoors soccer?), photobooks, photoshoots for singles.
Bands generally take downtime between albums, but these girls work around the clock. I'd never even considered that. It actually makes me wonder why the girls would want to join H!P. You have a high chance of getting snubbed, an equally high chance of being stalked by some perverted mowota, and very little rest time. Does the idea of stardom truely have that much reign over these girls?
Then again, some idols must work even more,looking at Koda Kumi. The girl seems to have a button on her back you can press whenever you want a single, and it pops out (where it pops from and how, I don't care to consider.)
Or not.
But I'm going to ask you guys a favour. If you read this, and have a blog, or just another website, I'd really appreciate if you'd link to me with this little button I rigged up,
I'd also like if people commented a little more, because that definatley means more updates, though I understand a lot of you don't have time to comment, but I've been trying to do that more on other blogs aswell.
Breif entry, but you get the idea. My blog needs love. Though, I was completely shocked when I looked at my blog once I had a counter and saw a wopping 103 people had veiwed it in less than a week after I put it up, only 2 or 3 of thos epossibly from me. Keep reading guys, because it gives me a reason to update, you know, besides to vent or anything.
I recently got a great download of them, and because I don't really especially have a thing for chestless girls in bikini's, I don't really plan on adding this to my photobook collection, so it stays on the compy.
Note, that you can click to veiw these full size. I would just put them in standard, but I don't know if VOX uses BB code or HTML (?).
Standard cover. Yossie looks HUGE. I don't know when H!P will learn, that on a girl with a broader build, a fitted shirt is ten times more flattering than a tent. I'm going to skip the standard "Cute girls goofing off and doing the expected peace signs" pics and go striaght to the solo sets.
This set seemed to be trying to make Nacchi seem sexy, well, more than bikini shots of these girls USUALLY do. I mean, watch that girl squeeze them suckers together with her little forearms! Now THAT could give the girls a little muscle, just look at Maki, she's got ab's now! I guess we know how. That aside, Nacchi will never be mroe than a classic beauty or a cute girl. She has no sex appeal, and that's okay, because I just keep telling myself guys take sex pots to parties, guys marry pretty girls. :P But my own insecurites aside, lets move on to...
Now, MARI can work sexy. This is because, depsite her often child like look, Mari definatley just SEEMS fun to party with looking at her, same with Maki, though Maki has slightly off kilter features that work so that she can do sexy, pretty, cute, innocent, or gorgeous. Plus, Mari has somewhat average features (as much as I like ehr) btu she amkes up for it with a genki personality, and she's several, several yards from ugly.
I think w eall know Japanese girls tend to be thinner, much thinner (though, so many of them are broad shouldered (Think Ai or Makko) that it often makes them look awkward. But none the less...), especially idols, so I think H!P and UFA must not be used to dressing girls with a little meat on their bones at all. Fat or meat is not something to hide and cover with tenty clothing, but something to work around by enhancing other features. I don't think there's a single flattering picture of Yossie in this photobook, besides this one, which just reminds me why I like Yossie. And I'd also like to go back to the sexy thing, (Oh, to hell with it, we ALL know what these photobooks are for, anyway.) and say Yossie works great with sexy, as you can see in her first solo photobook (some of those shorts were so short they should have probably been reserved merely for stage performances.) I really wish she'd gain a little weight, she's looking oddly like a grasshopper these days...
I feel the need to interupt the string of photosets to use this picture, because, if I were an otaku (*cough*), I'd be running around the room screaming "KAWAII KAWAII KAWAII!" everytime I saw this. But since I'm not, (*cough*), I shall simply do so in my head and in text.
KAWAII KAWAII KAWAII.
God, I <3 Ai.
Ah, Ai Kago. Always a face of Musume for me, along with Ogawa, because the person who first introduced me to jpop about 4 or 5 years ago, had an obsession with the two. The kind of photos they took here with Ai are an example of the kind they SHOULD have taken with Nacchi, I mean, can you imagine Ai trying to look ero-kawaii? I think not.
We now interupt your regularly schedueled program for thi- KAWAII KAWAII KAWAII.
Ah, Konno. Another example of someone trying to look cute AND somewhat sexy (It's all in the pose.) at the same time, and actually doing it well. I'm not one of those who goes all crazy over Konno's boobs because I'm used to seeing bigger (The good ol' US of A. I've really udnerstood the obsession with her's from American guys, actually, because I see American-Asian girls all the time who are much bigger, just a little less skinny. So I don't know what it is that drives the guys crazy, it can't just be that they're Japanese, because like I said, I've seen far more remarkable American-Asians aswell, so is it just that they're so unattainable because of their Idol-ry rules and the fact that they're on the other side of the planet? Either way, live and let live, I'm completely shameless about my preferance for Asian men anyway, though Otaku seem much less accepting of Caucasian or African-American women than Yaoi or Jrock fangirls seem of men of other races...odd.
Moving on,
Kaori, in photo's, possesses such a aura of grace and control in photo's, that she basically drops once she starts dancing like a drunkey monkey on Hello Morning. I have to say, out of all the girls, Kaori seems most date-able, like a model girlfriend. Mature but very fun, and very calming. Watching her, just talking to the camera, or interacting with the other girls, makes her seem like some kind of bgi sister, or mother.
That is all, moving on...
Well, that wraps up our overlook of the PB, and also my first real post to the new blog. Thanks for reading, because I KNOW this was obnoxiously long.
Miyavi...ah, where to start. His music took a lot of getting used to for me
. Dir en grey
Dir en grey is of the second set, and while they have a large fanbase in both American and Asia, many peo ple decide to take the band only at face value, and be disgusted, and refuse to give the band credit for what they are. You can think a band is stupid, but why cast aside their actual musical talent? Back to the point: Dir en grey was formed from the band La: Sadies with one change: the original bassist left and was replaced by Toshiya. Their first mini-album, Missa, was released in 1997, followed by Gauze in 1999. The most recent album was Withering to Death in 2005. Over all this time, Dir en grey has dropped the visual image, and their musical style has also changed significantly. I first became a fan of this band in November of 2005, and I bought one of their albums last month, and plan on buying Withering to Death soon, as it is now available in American stores. Dir en grey is currently touring in America as their fanbase in Japan is much less than it was before.
4. Malice Mizer
Another band that people are probably groaning that I mentioned, but again, I don't care.
For a short time MM was on Mana's personal indies label, Midi:nette, until shortly signing to the major label Nippon Columbia, until Gackt left for his own solo career, when they switched, again, to Midi:nette.
See what I mean about changes? Malice Mizer eventually disbanded but Mana now leads the band Moi dix Mois.
