3 posts tagged “gam”
Okay, so '06 was the year I REALLY got into j-music. There's no point in lying about that- I'm a newb.
But, for a year that should've been relatively big, I am looking over it and realizing really nothing happened in the world of j-music for me.
American music either, actually. My Chemical Romance and Taking Back Sunday put out new albums, and that's it, on the western front for me. 2007 doesn't seem to have much in stock, either. Oh, yeah, we have GAM's new single to look forward to, solidifying that they are now an official group (not that all that promotion was pointing to anything else, anyway.) But we aren't going to ge tmuch more in this PV than the other one, unless they release a 69 ver. with added, useless sex noises like in Melodies. Though, maybe this time they won't cut right before the lips meet....you never know. GAM actually took it a step farther than Viyuuden ever did. Viyuuden merely touched each other; as if touching someone's leg or crawling over them can be DIRECTLY sexually connected. Or, atleast, in MY life, it isn't....don't know about you. But anyway, my odd interests and activities aside (or does j-pop count in that category?), a kiss CAN be connected to one of two things. An extremely intimate show of affection (something I refuse to associate sex with...) or sex. Either one is very, very yuri. And ecchi, in a way, if you're conservative. And -awesome.-
And we have the reunion single, but that is not looking especially hot to me right now. The only stand out-ish things are: OMFG YAY KAORI IS GROWING HE RHAIR OUT AGAIN. YAY. SHROT HAIR WAS SUCH A BAD DECISION. SEVEN YEARS GROWING IT AND SHE -CUT IT-. >_> Look, Kaori, if I have to regret it, you do too.
Besides that, you have Koharu (a given. Though, I would've TEN TIMES preferred Yuuko.) Nacchi, and Maki. All of them are fairly active, excluding Nacchi, some what, because her sales have been pretty disappointing, resulting in slightly rare-r releases. Koharu, however, is two singles in and already releasing an album, completely hidden under the disguise of a stupid anime show that I can't stand, knowing I'll have to hear that whiney, high pitched, over-acting hyper voice of Koharu's for atleast half an hour. And then Maki, who is THE Miracle Girl, no matter what Koharu may think of her self. I don't know about Koharu, but surely Tsunku knows that if Maki's sales were to go down, and, you know, go down to like, Nacchi level, H!P would be near death.
After that...what is there to look forward to? Not much. Yet, anyway. So H!P this year looks pretty bad, and'06 was fairly un-eventful besides some of the odd choices Tsunku made (but them being and odd and from Tsunku makes them -normal.-)
So, in OTHER things I can tolerate/listen to, uh, Dir en grey, yes, them!
Agitated Screams of Maggots is...horrible, song wise. YES, I SAID IT. I could some what tolerate Clever Sleazoid, and i actually like recent stuff, but I. Don't. Like. Metal. I don't dislike it, especially, well, okay, this kind of metal/hard core/screamo muttm yes, I do. But I dislike how Diru does it, slightly less than normal. So, all as fine and good with Clever Sleazoid, though I was both highly amused and slightly disturbed to know said video is getting played here.
That's just...creepy. Or, was. But now they're touring here, so I'm not really bothered by it.
But, back to music. Clever Sleazoid - okay, somewhat listenable on a rare basis. It's just...too agressive. And...not really pleasant. I've always liked that Diru can manage to be both, but apparently not anymore... Ryoujoku no Ame = Good. It doesn't especially...stand out. Well, okay, it DEFINATLEY stands out among the other two, but in general, no. I liked it, not much more to say. Agitated Meows of Kittens- uh, I mean...never mind - No. NONONONO. DO NOT WANT. FAIL. FAIL HARD. BAD/ I can't even listen to it and enjoy it. You know what, be right back, I'm going to give it another try...
No, it still sucks. I just...know they can do better. So much better. So, why aren't they? I read this interview, too, and they're basically trying to seperate themselves from the VK thing because OMG PPL RNT TAKIN US SRSLY!
Boo, fucking, hoo. Vk was a big, big thing at the time. It helped get them far. Do I expect them to continue it? Honestly, I don't care, either way. I don't care how they look (okay, so, Kaoru looking like a fucking hobo SOMETIMES bothers me...) as long as I can still listen to the music and enjoy it. Just don't try and hide your roots. It's stupid, and it makes you look like a pompous asshole. STOP. NOW. (It's 7 AM and I haven't been asleep...excuse the loose cussing. I'm half asleep.) And besides, how is a bunch of metal heads that will abandon you as soon as you even consider doing anything similar to the old days, or, if you took up VK, any better than fans that would leave you for metal, and for dropping VK?
My point is made. And I know I'm not the only one looking at it this way
Oh, and the daily song is now weekly because I'm LAZYYYY. You get one tonight, and then you have to wait.
1. Mako's Solo PB
There is a certain justice when someone ignored their entire career can go out with a bang. And, disregarding actual sells, the PB is great. Mako looks both mature and silly depending on the photo set, she got her old haircut back and it looks amazing and hits her in all the right places, sort of like a really well fitted dress. I'm not much for PB's, but as I'm a photoshop junkie, they're much fun to play with (not like that, though I'm sure that's fun, too.)
<3 Mako. And again, I remind you of the fanlisting I made.
Err, okay, so maybe they didn't. But surely it's one step closer, right? Regardless, wota seem to like lesbians because, sales have been satisfactory...and that video is certainly "satisfactory".
I hated this single. Hated it. A lot. Despise dit. Said it was their worst single yet.
But the video and lyrics saved it for me. It's nice to finally have a song by them that isn't about some kind of "sexy" boy or "ambitious" girl. A normal song, maybe?
The video highlights all the girls best features, including their normal clothes, and they all look cute or mature. The song also hit number one on th eOricon chart, their first #1 in years. I think it COULD possibly show a bit of a rise in the girls popularity, maybe only temporarily and for a few more singles, but the better the sales, the better the singles we're going to get. Maybe they will stop experimenting, and start caring again.
I have a subbed version of the video you should look forward to, also.
4.Some Boys! Love to Touch to Maki!
At first the sexy image pissed me off, but lets face it; It sells, it's hot, and the songs are a huge improvement. Even my mom likes Some Boys!, and she hates both slutty singers, and jpop. ESPECIALLY H!P jpop. But I find her now singing it, Nature is Good, and Massara Blue Jeans under her breath while she works.
It appeals to a wide audience and has both a killer melody and rythm, Overall, I expect a lot of good from Maki from now on, music wise.
5.Return of Yuko to HM
HM has been a boring, sad little place for awhile now, but the queen has returned. LONG LIVE THE QUEEN!
Uh, yeah. But it seem the producers are smokin' the good stuff again, because Yuko has returned, along with some drag queen who is not completely devoid of any form of sexual attractiveness.
I wish she'd be the host again, honestly, and we'd get more games with Nono et al. Karaoke games where the girls embarass themselves, anything. Just something owrth watching again. The girls are cute, and so were the animals, but animal cafe's and such are not cute. At all. =(
BONUS
6. Munasawagi Scarlette (Scarlet Apprehension)
I hated Berryz. Despised them. They failed at catching my attention, and singing, But I REALLY like this single. More than I should. The PV is cheap, but still fun to watch, especially seeing the girls apply make up and "chu" the camera. The dancing is insanely good, I'm wondering where all the dances for Momusu and Biyuuden come from.
I have this single on repeat, and it's my first Berryz single (only other ones I've heard I popped the window closed within two minutes.) I want to have the children of whoever made this single...okay, well, now I remember that's Tsunku. But hey, Tsunku ain't so bad...
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.
