ARASHI - Fuyu wo Dakishimete (Give a tight hug to winter) , YUI - Oh My God & Laugh away ~YUI Acoustic Version~
Fuyu wo Dakishimete (Give a tight hug to winter) is the B side single that's found on the regular edition of ARASHI's 21st single Step and Go .
Although the A side did not receive any major theme in for a drama/movie , it's the B side Fuyu wo Dakishimete which was used as an image song for C1000 Lemon Water advertisement .
I suspect it's because of this rather strong B side alongside with the A side which propelled ARASHI's 21st single to sell 324,223 copies .
Unlike Step and Go , Fuyu wo Dakishimete does not grab me on 1st listen because it needs a few listens coming from me to grow & appericate Fuyu wo Dakishimete . It's a perfect song to listen especially during summer .
Oh My God & Laugh away ~YUI Acoustic Version~ are the 2 B sides that're found on YUI's 12th single Summer Song which's going to be released soon this coming Wed in Japan .
Oh My God is quite a dreamy & breezy pop/rock B side coming from YUI . Maybe since summer's around the corner , I like this no. from her . The only grouse's that it's too short & it seems 1/2 finished because Oh My God clocks in at 2:47 mins .
Somemore when I 1st heard the song just when I was about to enjoy it properly , it suddenly ended .
Laugh away ~YUI Acoustic Version~ - as with every single that YUI has released (not counting her debut/indie release it's happy line) , you will find a ~YUI Acoustic Version~ song on the tracklisting & this time instead of producing a ~YUI Acoustic Version~ of her previous single Namidairo , she went ahead & did a ~YUI Acoustic Version~ of the 1st track on her 3rd album I LOVED YESTERDAY which gives you the ~YUI Acoustic Version~ of Laugh away .
I always have a soft spot for Laugh away whenever I hear the song & naturally I'm chuffed to bits when YUI decided to make a ~YUI Acoustic Version~ of Laugh away .
Not to mention I love acoustic songs & this coming from YUI , it's another great acoustic piece from her .
Yamashita Tomohisa - Daite Senorita (Hold Me , Young Lady)
CD Only Cover :
CD + DVD Cover :
Daite Senorita (Hold Me , Young Lady) is Yamashita Tomohisa's debut solo single . The song was released on 31st May '06 & it served as the theme song to the dodrama Kurosagi .
Daite Senorita debuted at no.1 on the Oricon daily & singles chart & the single sold 598,951 copies & became the 4th most sold single in '06 .
Yamashita , affectionately known as Yamapi is of course the leader of NEWS . The reason why he released Daite Senorita is because he played the lead role Kurosaki in the manga turned dodrama adaption Kurosagi .
At 1st , I was skeptical to hear his debut solo single especially on whether can he pull it off on his own without the rest of the NEWS guys but it took me real fast to enjoy & like Daite Senorita .
Daite Senorita doesn't sound like something NEWS would have done . In fact it has a more harder/edgier/angsty edge to it which's something probably KAT-TUN will do .
I like the synths & guitars that're used quite heavily on the song & it's not bad really . Yamapi can carry a decent tune in this no .
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
ARASHI - How to fly & FINAL Remix [WISH , Love so sweet & One Love]
It has been a while since I last enjoyed a single thoroughly & this time it's in the form of ARASHI's 22nd single One Love which is released officially today in Japan .
I already have talked about the brilliance of the song One Love & now it's time to talk about the B side songs that're found in the regular & limited editions of the single respectively .
How to fly is the B side that's only found in the regular edition of One Love . I did not listened to ARASHI's B sides so this's a 1st for me . I have heard the B side of We can make it ! which was Di-Li-Li that I unfortunately find really & VERY annoying & it doesn't help matters that my younger sister keep on singing Di-Li-Li almost on a daily basis too :O
Anyway the music of How to fly is quite unusual in the sense that I never come across a song in a while which has a unique melody going on in there . At 1st I thought it will sound something that ARASHI has previously done before but guess not .
The FINAL Remix [WISH , Love so sweet & One Love] is only available in the limited edition of the single . For the first time in ARASHI's discography , a remix of all the three songs that were used in the 2 Hana Yori Dango dramas & the Hana Yori Dango Final movie was done & is included in the limited edition pressing of One Love .
At 1st when I saw this on the tracklisting , I was worried that the remix will butchered the already sheer brilliance of the 3 songs but I was very surprised when I finally heard the FINAL Remix yesterday .
It has been a very long time since I heard a remix that I really really like . It's basically a montage of WISH , Love so sweet & One Love where only bits of the chorus & certain bridges of the songs are being played & are stringed together to form a medley while being backed up by a really dreamy melody .
Taiyou no Namida (Tears of the Sun) is NEWS's 8th single . It was released this year on 27th Feb & the song so far is the 7th most sold single of the year according to Oricon clocking in at 291,447 copies in Japan .
The song was used as the theme song to the movie Kurosagi in which the lead character Kurosaki was played by NEWS's leader Yamashita Tomohisa or affectionaly known as Yamapi to fans .
Yamapi also played Kurosaki in the dodrama adapation of the Kurosagi manga .
I realised that I strangely haven't talked about Taiyou no Namida (Tears of the Sun) because I had reviewed about their 7th & 9th singles which're weeeek & SUMMER TIME respectively so I thought it's better that I reviewed about Taiyou no Namida like now .
Compared to the rest of the singles that they put out so far in their career , Taiyou no Namida is probably their most serious song that they have released to date because most of their singles releases except for this one are all cheery/happy/poppy/upbeat but not the case for Taiyou no Namida which I believe fit the whole theme of the Kurosagi movie extremely well .
Not to mention the music in Taiyou no Namida presented a serious/sombre side that NEWS has not shown in their music til now . I like the opening of the song which has the melody of the enka backing up Taiyou no Namida .
It took me a while to get used to Taiyou no Namida because I got very used to NEWS's cheery/happy/poppy/upbeat singles but after a while , I have to say that Taiyou no Namida is a gem worth keeping .
Monday, June 23, 2008
CD Review :: ayaka - First Message
Tracklist :
1) Start to 0 (Love) 2) Real voice 3) Sha la la 4) Blue Days 5) I believe 6) Stay with me 7) melody 8) Kimi no Power to Otona no Furi (Your Power and an Adult's Inseparability) 9) Eien no Monogatari (Eternal Story) 10) Toki wo Modoshite (Turning Back Time) 11) 1・2・3・4 12) Story 13) Rairarai 14) Mikazuki (Crescent Moon) 15) message
First Message is the debut album released by singer/songwriter/composer/producer ayaka . The album was released 2 years ago on 1st Nov .
First Message became the 13th most sold album 2 years ago in Japan while the 22nd most sold album last year .
Prior to the release of the album , 4 singles & a B side were released that're highlighted in bold .
I actually have been following this girl's music career ever since she debuted on the scene 2 years with I believe but it wasn't until recently I decided to give her debut album a listen & not to mention her brand new album Sing to the Sky is scheduled to be released this coming Wed in Japan so I thought what better way than to review First Message before Sking to the Sky ?
First Message starts things off with Start to 0 (Love) which's a very breezy & cheery song . I think it's a neat way to start the album with such a cool & catchy no .
Real voice is ayaka's 3rd single & compared to the 4 singles that're available on the album , Real voice is somewhat overshadowed by the other 3 songs when you put all 4 side by side together but I still enjoy this track .
Track 3 is Sha la la . A live version of Sha la la is available in the melody single . The album version of Sha la la's music is just really good & I like it that the song opened with some old fashioned piano/organ .
Track 4 is the B side of melody which's Blue Days . I remembered when I 1st heard the full content of the melody single , I somewhat find Blue Days unmemorable because of the fact that I adore the live recordings of Sha la la & melody a bit too much but it's good to see Blue Days included in First Message .
Track 5 is of course the song that started it all for me & ayaka as well . Whenever I hear I believe I never fail to be amazed by how good the song's . The song's great & I like the fact that ayaka delivered the song without going over the top .
In fact an Eng version of I believe serves as a bonus track in Sing to the Sky alongside with WINDING ROAD which she did with Kobukuro .
The next 3 tracks are all upbeat no.s . I start with Stay with me . It's a pretty good song & the transition is there after ayaka finished Stay with me with her 2nd single melody which's 1 of the more poppy songs on the album . Then again I took an instant liking when I 1st heard melody .
Track 8 is 1 of my fave non singles on First Message . Kimi no Power to Otona no Furi (Your Power and an Adult's Inseparability) is such a great catchy upbeat song that I took to liking at 1st instant , you can' help but to hum along to the melodies of the song when you played it .
ayaka decided to slow things down now with Eien no Monogatari (Eternal Story) . Alongside with I believe & Mikazuki , Eien no Monogatari is the only other slow no. on the album .
The song's nice but the grouse's that it's too short seeing that it clocks in at 2:13 mins which I can't help but wonder on the fact that Eien no Monogatari (Eternal Story) sounds like a 1/2 finished track but still good effort on ayaka's part .
Track 10 is an unusual song on the album . Called Toki wo Modoshite (Turning Back Time) , as compared to the rest of the upbeat no.s that ayaka has on First Message , Toki wo Modoshite (Turning Back Time) presented a more darker & sombre tone to it which's a refreshing concept since too much of a good thing can transit to something bad .
Track 11 is another fave song of mine alongside with Kimi no Power to Otona no Furi (Your Power and an Adult's Inseparability) . 1・2・3・4 is another great catchy song coming from ayaka although it seems to be slightly overshadowed by the sheer brillanance of Kimi no Power to Otona no Furi but I still enjoy 1・2・3・4 .
The next 2 tracks are somehow the weak links on First Message . While I enjoyed the melody that's found in Story & Rairarai , it took me a few listens before both songs register in my head .
For Rairarai's case , the only thing I can remember's the chorus of the song .
I think it's a perfect way to close the album with Mikazuki (Crescent Moon) . Originally the song was not planned to be included in ayaka's debut album but luckily she decided to include the song in because I figure without the inclusion of Mikazuki , First Message would not have done so well sales wise since it has the highest 1st week sales for a debut album by a solo female artist since Mika Nakashima released her debut album TRUE 6 years ago .
Not to mention Mikazuki (Crescent Moon) is ayaka's 1st no.1 single on the Oricon singles chart so all the more it's great for her to close the album with such a sweeping tender ballad .
Even though First Message by right has 15 songs , I consider the album to have 14 songs instead because the last track on the album titled message features no music but a short verse of ayaka singing acapella which I don't include in my mp3 player .
First Message overall is a pretty neat solid album coming from this extremely talented young lady . Although some of the songs tend to sound the same , but other than that , you can assure top notch quality pop/rock no.s coming from ayaka anytime .
The only grouse on the album is that she should have included the B side of Real voice which's Peace loving people since it seems to me that the song has become a concert staple for ayaka to perform each time without fail .
But in general , I'm pleased with the way First Message turns out to be & I look forward to more great music coming from ayaka which I know is probably evident when she's going to release her brand new album Sing to the Sky this coming Wed in Japan .
Friday, June 20, 2008
MICA 3 CHU (Mika Nakashima) - I DON'T KNOW
I DON'T KNOW is Mika Nakashima's 26th single . It's going to be released next month on the 23rd in Japan .
It is a collaboration with owarai group Morisanchuu and will be released under the name MICA 3 CHU (Mikasanchuu). The songs on the single are rock songs, and the single was marketed as Girls Angry Rock .
The single will be released in two versions: a limited edition CD + DVD version and a CD only version , a 1st for Mika since previously all of her singles are released on only 1 format .
I also believe that this's the 1st song that she will be releasing in full Eng since I DON'T KNOW & the B side SHUT UP will be full Eng no.s .
I DON'T KNOW reminds me of Mika going back to the rock roots as evident when she released GLAMOROUS SKY & Hitorio . I DON'T KNOW also reminded me of the songs that she did in her THE END album which she released under the name NANA starring MIKA NAKASHIMA as well .
Kinda expected since Mika wrote I DON'T KNOW alongside with Lori Fine , the same person who wrote MY MEDICINE & BLOWING OUT .
Honestly , I DON'T KNOW is ain't 1/2 bad although I somewhat have a problem hearing Mika's Eng pronounciation or rather lack of it but I do like the music of the song .
The other grouse I have is how scary the single cover looks . If Mika's planning to play the role of a hooker in future movie offerings & the likes , then her current getup's good .
If not , then I wish that she would revert back to the days when she looked extremely beautiful , evident during the time when she put out her last album YES .
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
abingdon boys school JAPAN TOUR 2008 DVD Covers
First Press Limited Edition Cover :
Regular Edition Cover :
The DVD covers for abingdon boys school's 1st concert DVD JAPAN TOUR 2008 has been released officially on their official website & I must say it's totally not like what I expected it to be .
I thought it will be something similar to their singles/album covers which features the abs's school logo . Instead something quirky yet cute surfaced in the DVD covers for their 1st concert DVD .
Quite Beatles inspired isn't it ?
Just for a quick rundown , the tracklisting of abingdon boys school JAPAN TOUR 2008 DVD :
Tracklisting :
1. ReBirth + ReVerse 2. As One 3. HOWLING 4. DOWN TO YOU 5. NERVOUS BREAKDOWN 6. Via Dolorosa 7. DESIRE 8. BLADE CHORD 9. Desert Rose 10. Nephilim 11. LOST REASON feat MICRO from HOME MADE Kazoku 12. stay away 13. Frea@K $HoW 14. INNOCENT SORROW 15. DRESS 16. Sweetest Coma Again 17. ATHENA
The DVD is expected to be released next month on the 16th in Japan & the contents was recorded at Zepp TOKYO on 29th Feb this year .
I hope there will be an OS press for it as I want to get a copy of it !
The Piano Version of Koda Kumi's Moon Crying is a bonus track that's available on the 1st presses of her MOON single which was released last Wed in Japan .
Compared to the original version of Moon Crying , this Piano Version of the song is just Koda singing alongside with a piano . It's pretty much a more striped down & easy listening on the ears song .
Summer Song is YUI's 12th single . It's going to be released in Japan on the 2nd of next month .
No thanks to my younger sister who's a die hard/hardcore fan of this girl , I thought hey why not I give some of YUI's material a shot & I must admit she has some nice songs like Rolling star , Tomorrow's Way , CHE.R.RY , Laugh away & etc .
Just like ayaka , YUI's style of music is pop/rock although you can detect much harder & edgier guitar works in YUI's material as compared to ayaka which's quite evident since YUI plays the guitar .
Anyway , Summer Song as the name suggests , it's a cheery guitar driven song that's really breezy & easy listening on the ears . I can detect a bit of 80s influenced in this no. & I like it .
The PV is kinda like continues on from Laugh away as the same actor/actresses can be seen in the Summer Song PV .
Friday, June 13, 2008
CD Review :: KAT-TUN - KAT-TUN Ⅲ -QUEEN OF PIRATES-
CD Only Cover :
CD + DVD Cover :
Tracklist :
1) T∀BOO 2) Keep the faith 3) AFFECTION ~Mou Modorenai~ (～We can not go back～) 4) HELL , NO 5) DISTANCE 6) MOTHER / FATHER 7) LIPS 8) Yorokobi no Uta (Song of Joy) 9)「un-」 10) OUR STORY ~Prologue~ 11) Nannen Tattemo (Even after many years) 12) SHOT ! (CD + DVD Track) 13) 12 o'clock (CD + DVD Track) 14) Ai no (Love) Command (CD + DVD Track) 15) SIX SENSES (CD + DVD Track)
KAT-TUN Ⅲ -QUEEN OF PIRATES- is KAT-TUN's 3rd album & their overall 2nd original album . It was released last Wed in Japan & this's the 1st full length album that I have listened to , Johnny's wise .
This's the guys's 1st album to be released in a CD + DVD format other than a CD only edition , something that their 1st 2 albums weren't released as such .
3 singles are included in the album which're highlighted in bold & if you get the CD + DVD edition it comes with a DVD containing an 8-minute short movie-style music video of their 7th single DON'T U EVER STOP -Limited Edition- & making-of footage .
The CD + DVD edition of KAT-TUN Ⅲ -QUEEN OF PIRATES- also comes with 4 bonus tracks so which means to say if you bought the CD + DVD edition , you have a very generous mix of 12 new songs as compared to the CD only edition where you only have 8 new songs but regardless of which versions you get , you can definitely tell the new songs outnumber the singles .
I recently became a fan of this sextet's music because when I read up about them on that they have smashed numerous records since they made their official debut 2 years ago , it makes me wonder what's so good about them . It was only after I gave their music a shot which make me realise wow they're pretty something !
& unlike their Johnny's counterparts , the style of the band's music lies between Rock and R&B . + another niche of KAT-TUN is that they have 2 guys taking over the lead vocals , 1 rapper & 1 beatboxer .
KAT-TUN Ⅲ -QUEEN OF PIRATES- starts off the album with T∀BOO , 1 of the best opening songs that I have came across for the year . I think T∀BOO starts things off with a nice touch as it definitely does fit the theme of the album !
Plus I can see the music of T∀BOO being used as the opening of Koda Kumi's Kingdom too . It's just unfortunate that the introduction to kingdom was unusually mellow .
Keep the faith's KAT-TUN's 5th single & it was the 1st song that I heard from the guys & it's an extremely upbeat & rock no which I took to liking immediately as I like upbeat rock no.s & the song was used to promote the drama Yukan Club which starred Akanishi Jin & Taguchi Junnosuke .
AFFECTION ~Mou Modorenai~ (~We can not go back~) is track 3 & it's a slow jam no. . The opening of the song sounded a bit like Utada Hikaru's Nijiro Bus but it's nothing like Utada's music as AFFECTION ~Mou Modorenai~ is a nice midtempo smooth no. .
The next 2 tracks are upbeat rock no.s . I like the music of HELL , NO & so does DISTANCE although compared between both songs , HELL , NO is slightly stronger than DISTANCE as I think DISTANCE was a bit unmemorable for my liking .
MOTHER / FATHER is up next & it's 1 of my fave songs on the album . Because of the fact that the album only contains about 3 slow no.s , MOTHER / FATHER is a keeper . I think it's enough to rival the band's 3rd single Bokura no Machi de (In our city) which's so far the only ballad that KAT-TUN has released .
The next 2 tracks are songs that KAT-TUN has released prior to the release of this album .
LIPS's KAT-TUN's 6th single . 1 of the group's most hardest rock songs to date , LIPS was used to promote de facto leader Kamenashi Kazuya's drama One Pound Gospel & it's such a great explosive rock no. & for Yorokobi no Uta (Song of Joy) it's a great upbeat rock influenced tune .
It's funny that initally I didn't liked Yorokobi no Uta as I was so used to their upbeat edgy rock no.s but in recent times I gained a new apperication for the song & not to mention I find that the rap lyrics are very clever , kudos to Tanaka on that !
Personally to me the 3 singles that're included in the album are strong . It's just a bit weird that DON'T U EVER STOP is absent on the album while the movie-style music video of the song is included in the DVD tracklisting . Weird marketing move on J-One records's part if you ask me .
Track 9's a weird song title called 「un-」 . I think it's the french word of 'one' & it's a pretty catchy song although it somewhat borderline on the filler factor .
OUR STORY ~Prologue~ is the other slow jam on the album & just like AFFECTION ~Mou Modorenai~ & MOTHER / FATHER , I enjoyed OUR STORY ~Prologue~ a lot as it's almost in the same vein as the previous 2 slow no.s .
Track 11's Nannen Tattemo (Even after many years) & this's 1 groovy funky no. ! I enjoyed the melody of the song the moment I 1st heard Nannen Tattemo (Even after many years) & of course if you got the regular edition of the album , this's the last track that you will find in the tracklist of the album .
The next 4 tracks are songs that're available only in the CD + DVD edition of KAT-TUN Ⅲ -QUEEN OF PIRATES- .
I love the opening of SHOT ! with the trumpets & saxophone blaring out at the start of the song & it's quite a dancey catchy finger snapping song .
Out of the 4 CD + DVD edition tracks , 12 o'clock is the 1 that did not sit well with me initially & even up to now . The reason is because the opening of the song is quite cheesy with weird full Eng talking going on no thanks to Akanishi but luckily the song pick up the pace after the somewhat weird introduction gets outta the way .
Ai no (Love) Command is 1 kickass upbeat rock no. & just like the singles that KAT-TUN has put out so far in their career , I feel Ai no Command got enough potential & kick to be marketed as a single . The song's quite in your face & probably wants to make you get on a rather high mode .
Last but definitely not least , SIX SENSES closes the album with a very nice note as this's my fave CD + DVD edition track outta the lot . It's very catchy & I like the finger snapping that's going on in the song .
SIX SENSES is possibly the oldest song on the album because it was written by Tanaka 2 years ago , be it rap & non rap lyrics wise which's great & for it to finally see the day/light in here it's worth the wait .
I should add that for all the rap lyrics Tanaka wrote it himself in the record . The only exception is SIX SENSES where he takes care of both the rap & non rap lyrics .
KAT-TUN Ⅲ -QUEEN OF PIRATES- easily gets my vote for most surprising album of the year + most grand opening song of the year . Because of the fact that I did not listen to their 1st 2 albums , I didn't know what to expect when I download & give KAT-TUN Ⅲ -QUEEN OF PIRATES- a shot in that I just went with an open mind but the album exceeded my expectations .
It's not often that you get a generous mix of 8/12 new songs on an album with almost each of them are able to rival that of the singles counterparts .
KAT-TUN managed to combine so many different music genres in KAT-TUN Ⅲ -QUEEN OF PIRATES- such as rock , R&B , rap , hip hop , soul , funk & jazz into this album & as a result , you get an album that's extremely versatile & it takes you on a wonderful music journey from the start to the end .
Here's to more great music coming from this extremely talented sextet !
Tackey & Tsubasa - PROGRESS , Anna Tsuchiya - What you gonna do ?
This's sorta a sub review of songs as I realised I have not talked about these 2 songs which're a A & B side song respectively .
Tackey & Tsubasa's PROGRESS is the other A side song of their comeback/10th single Koi Uta / PROGRESS . The double A side was released last Wed in Japan & its peak position was no.2 & it was outsold by GReeeeN's Kiseki by a mere 4,004 copies with Koi Uta / PROGRESS's 1st week sales stands at 68,973 copies while GReeeeN's Kiseki sold 72,977 copies which = bah .
PROGRESS to me sounds like a typical Tackey & Tsubasa song as it bears similarities to their other fast paced upbeat no.s . Not that it's a bad thing but I can definitely tell it's not really an A side worthy material .
If it's a B side song then I can understand . I rather Koi Uta get all the screentime to be an A side as when you put Koi Uta & PROGRESS together , PROGRESS's definitely overshadowed by Koi Uta .
PROGRESS :
Anna Tsuchiya's What you gonna do ? is the B side that can be found on her 8th single Crazy World which was released just 2 days ago in Japan .
Just like her previous singles , all of her B sides that I have heard in cocoon & BUBBLE TRIP / sweet sweet song are Eng songs which's the same case for What you gonna do ? .
While rapper AI is featured in the main A side single Crazy World , she provides backing vocals in the B side song .
What you gonna do ? is quite unusual & different from previous B side songs that I have heard from Anna & just like Crazy World , it's in the Rock and R&B veins . The song starts off with some nifty guitar work & then it slowly builds & explodes in your face .
It will take a while for me to get used to What you gonna do ? but it's a good thing as I have always like Anna's works since I discovered her music via her NANA works .
Then again , be it her NANA or non NANA related works , they're all good for me as she's an individual in her own right .
What you gonna do ? :
Thursday, June 12, 2008
ARASHI - One Love (OST Hana Yori Dango Final)
CD Only Cover :
CD + DVD Cover :
One Love is ARASHI's 22nd single . It's going to be released on 25th this month & the song's gonna served as the theme song for the Hana Yori Dango Final movie .
I really like One Love when I 1st heard the low quality version of the full song . I personally think it fits the whole theme/setting of the Hana Yori Dango Final movie & not to mention the melody of the song is just plain gorgeous to boot .
In fact , One Love is sorta like an unofficial end to the Hana Yori Dango trilogy as ARASHI's previous songs like WISH & Love so sweet were used in the doramas of Hana Yori Dango & 2 respectively in which both doramas starred my fave ARASHI member Matsumoto Jun / MatsuJun who plays the lead actor Domyoji Tsukasa in the 2 seasons of the Hana Yori Dango dodrama & the Hana Yori Dango Final movie as well .
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
ARASHI - Step and Go
CD Only Cover :
CD + DVD Cover :
Step and Go is ARASHI's 21st single . It was released on 20th Feb this year & so far it has sold about 374,449 copies .
In the 1st week , Step and Go sold 324,223 copies , making it the 3rd most sold 1st week sales that was attained for the year so far .
I remembered when this song was released way back in Feb , I was quite pissed that it managed to snatch the no.1 spot away from Ken Hirai's Canvas / Kimi wa Su.te.ki & Utada Hikaru's HEART STATION / Stay Gold singles but now I realised why Step and Go deserved to hit the top spot without any knocks from the competition .
Step and Go is quite different from ARASHI's previous works as it has a more synth & a bit of a trance feel going on in the song . It's a bit unusual but it works well in flavor of the boys's vocals .
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Electrico's David Tan Among Locals Honoured By Martell
1) Asu e ... (Towards tomorrow ...) (previously unreleased) 2) Taisetsu na kimi e (To my precious you) (from Butterfly single) 3) 1000 no Kotoba ~Alternate Orchestra Version~ (1000 Words) (from grow into one album) 4) Your Song (from affection album ) 5) Pearl Moon (from grow into one album) 6) Rain (from feel my mind album) 7) Hana (Flower) (from feel my mind album) 8) hands (from Secret album) 9) Saigo no ame ~Time Heals Version~ (Last Rain) (from Gentle Words single) 10) Promise (from Promise / Star single) 11) you ~piano version~ (from BEST ~second session~ album) 12) Come Back (from affection album) 13) Kiseki (Miracle) (from Secret album) 14) Walk (from affection album)
BEST ~BOUNCE & LOVERS~ is Koda Kumi's 3rd BEST compilation album . It was released last year on March 14th & it was released on the same day/time as her 35th single BUT / Aishou .
Unlike her 1st 2 BEST albums , ~BOUNCE & LOVERS~ consolidates all of Koda's ballads & it features a new song titled Asu e ... (Towards tomorrow ...) that wasn't released/found in any of her singles/albums prior to the release of her 3rd BEST album .
I love Asu e ... (Towards tomorrow ...) which's the only new track on the album . The way that the music orchestra feels of the song goes is just chilling to the bone & that it really stuck a chord in me .
Also 3 of her ballads were rearranged & are different musically in which outta the 3 ballads that has been rearranged musically , I adore the ~Alternate Orchestra Version~ of 1000 no Kotoba which's really good & very grand sounding .
The ~piano version~ of you is nothing much to shout about except it's a more jazz inspired striped down version as it's just Koda accompanied by the piano .
Before I picked up this copy of BEST ~BOUNCE & LOVERS~ , I have only heard a couple of ballads namely 1000 no Kotoba (1000 Words) , you , Kiseki (Miracle) , Promise , hands .
The rest of the ballads that I never heard before sounded pretty good in which I like Taisetsu na kimi e (To my precious you) , Your Song , Pearl Moon & walk .
The other ballads that I did not mention , I need to listen to them a few more times before they can register with me .
The only tiny grouse's that I felt Koda should have included Yume no Uta (Dream Song) / Futari de ... (2 Of Us ...) as that's 1 of her best works/ballads to date , especially Yume no Uta .
Also it wouldn't hurt to include ballads from her Black Cherry album like Candle Light , Unmei (Fate) & her 1st original composition Milk Tea too as BEST ~BOUNCE & LOVERS~ was released before Kingdom was put out .
I also wish that her 9th single Gentle Words was included in the tracklisting as well .
BEST ~BOUNCE & LOVERS~ is a nice & neat album especially well recommended to get if you like Koda's ballads & also if you want to complete her BEST/albums discography .
Saturday, June 07, 2008
Tegomass - Aiaigasa (Sharing an Umbrella)
CD Only Cover :
CD + DVD Cover :
Aiaigasa (Sharing an Umbrella) is Tegomass's 3rd single . It's going to be released on 18th June , Wed .
Aiaigasa (Sharing an Umbrella) is used as the ending theme for the anime Neo Angelique Abyss .
Tegomass comprises of Tegoshi Yuya and Masuda Takahisa of the group NEWS hence the name Tegomass . By right it's supposed to be pronounced as 'Tego-masu' .
I decided to give their music a shot since they're part of NEWS so I thought no harm done . They have released 3 singles so far including Aiaigasa outta which I prefer Aiaigasa the most as it's a very pleasant nice ballad that's easy on the ears .
The PV to the song is also quite sweet & random at the same time .
Thursday, June 05, 2008
Electrico , Darker And Grittier
Even as fans ponder the fate of rock band Electrico after the departure of long-time guitarist Daniel Sassoon three weeks ago, the rest of the band — singer/guitarist David Tan, bassist Desmond Goh, drummer William Lim Jr and keyboardist Amanda Ling — are revving up to complete their third album.
Today learned that Electrico is busy putting the finishing touches to recording We Satellites .
It has “a new musical direction”, said album producer Leonard Soosay, and a “darker and grittier” sound than their previous two releases, So Much More Inside (2004) and Hip City (2006).
He declined to say how much of that was due to Sassoon’s departure.
According to Soosay, the recording will finish in about a week’s time, before the product is sent to New York for mastering.
Meanwhile, the band is also looking to finish the album’s packaging and printing.
As Tan said: “It’s crunch time.”
In the meantime, the band has turned to technology to compensate for the lack of a second guitarist, with Tan apparently adapting his onstage gear with new distortion, delay and loop effects to fill in the sound.
We Satellites is expected to hit the streets on July 8, with pre-sales on June 28, the band’s spokesperson said.
“I think a lot of people will be surprised by the new album,” Soosay added. “It sounds really good.”
This's the limited edition PV of KAT-TUN's DON'T U EVER STOP . The difference between the normal version & this is that the limited edition PV of DON'T U EVER STOP is an 8 mins movie themed video .
The limited edition PV of DON'T U EVER STOP can be found on the DVD tracklist of KAT-TUN's 2nd original album & their overall 3rd album KAT-TUN Ⅲ -QUEEN OF PIRATES- which is released officially today in Japan .
I just watched the limited edition of DON'T U EVER STOP & I must say it's a very cool PV , 1 of the most interesting & entertaining PVs that I have came across in recent times .
You can compare the limited edition of the PV with the normal one below :
Monday, June 02, 2008
CD Review :: Jesse McCartney - Departure
Tracklist :
1) Leavin' 2) It's Over 3) Rock You Feat Sean Garrett 4) How Do You Sleep ? 5) Into Ya 6) Make Up 7) My Baby 8) Told You So 9) Relapse 10) Runnin' 11) Freaky 12) Not Your Enemy 13) Bleeding Love (Asian Edition Bonus Track)
Departure is Jesse McCartney's 3rd album . It was released in US last month on the 20th .
So far , 1 single has been released from Departure which's Leavin' . Leavin' became Jesse's biggest hit to date in the US where it peaked at no.10 on the Billboard Hot 100 surpressing that of his debut single Beautiful Soul which peak position was no.15.
Just like The Veronicas , I have been a longtime fan of Jesse since his Beautiful Soul days & naturally I have seen him grow musically & then some since he debuted on the scene as a solo artist 4 years ago .
While his debut album Beautiful Soul was pretty much bubblegum pop fare , his 2nd album Right Where You Want Me presented a more grown up pop/rock sound .
This time in Departure , Jesse took a 360 degree turn in his music as compared to his previous releases .
He was quoted saying about the new album , "I'm going for Prince chord changes , Michael (Jackson) melodies , and the bigness of Madonna - fun '80s stuff . That's the best that I can put it . "
& I think he's correct because judging from Departure , it's NOTHING like what you can find in Right Where You Want Me nor Beautiful Soul .
Gone are the pop/rock & cheesy pop sounds that Jesse used to chun out . In place is a more organic pop sound with a strong R&B feel .
Standout tracks on the album include It's Over , Rock You , How Do You Sleep ? , Make Up & My Baby .
In fact as of now , there're speculations that either It's Over or How Do You Sleep will be the successor of Leavin' . Honestly I like both as I feel they're destined to be single material .
Unlike Right Where You Want Me , Departure needs a few more spins before you can get yourself into the groove in Jesse's latest new sound . It's a bold take coming from him but sometimes you have to step out of your comfort zone & venture into new music ground & I feel Jesse has done a pretty good job in here .
Also included in the asian edition of Departure is Jesse's take of Bleeding Love which he had a hand in cowriting it alongside with OneRepublic's frontman Ryan Tedder & it's interesting to hear a male perspective take on the song which put Leona Lewis on the world music map .
CD Review :: The Veronicas - Hook Me Up
Tracklist :
1) Untouched 2) Hook Me Up 3) This Is How It Feels 4) This Love 5) I Can't Stay Away 6) Take Me On The Floor 7) I Don't Wanna Wait 8) Popular 9) Revenge Is Sweeter (Than You Ever Were) 10) Someone Wake Me Up 11) All I Have 12) In Another Life
Hook Me Up is Australian duo The Veronicas's 2nd album . It was released last Nov 3rd in Aust .
So far 3 singles have been released from the album which're highlighted in bold .
This is a seriously long overdue album review on my part because I wanted to review & talk about Hook Me Up for the longest time but I just didn't had the time to review about it so I thought better late than never .
I have been a fan of this sister duo since their 4ever days ; when they put out their debut album The Secret Life Of The Veronicas .
The music style of The Secret Life Of The Veronicas is mainly dominated by pop/rock & naturally people are going to think that their 2nd album will follow suit but they took a 360 degree turn & shows a new direction of music for the duo — exploring a new electro-pop sound , influenced by LA bands .
Initally I was skeptical whether can the twin sisters put off such a bold change in their music direction especially since I was a big fan of their pop/rock material but after I gave Hook Me Up many listens , I realised that they really can rock it up with their brand new electro pop sound .
The 1st single from the album which's of the same title ; Hook Me Up became the girls's 1st no.1 hit on the ARIA singles chart while the 2nd single Untouched's peak position was no.2 .
I can safely say that almost 85% of the album consists of electro pop stuff although you still can detest traces of their trademark pop/rock sound in songs like In Another Life & I Don't Wanna Wait .
My fave songs on the album non singles wise have to be Popular , This Is How It Feels & I Can't Stay Away . Popular's destined to be a single because I adore the synth that was used in the song .
Just when I thought the girls can't top things off with a great debut , they came back & surprised me with an even better sounding 2nd album . They definitely don't fall into the dreaded 2nd album syndrome as they managed to avoid sounding the same as their debut .
Not to mention , Hook Me Up is a great album that you can play & crank it up at a party & you can guarantee that your guests will have maximum fun when you & them bopped to the songs on the album .
Fave Albums Of The 1st Half Of 2008
Since 1/2 the year has fly by already , I'm going to list away my fave albums that I have come across during the past 6 months & what I'm going to list in time to come can be an album that's released or not released this year .
Anyway , let's hit it !
(in no particular order)
1) Ken Hirai - FAKIN' POP
2) Ken Hirai - LIFE is ...
3) Ken Hirai - gaining through losing
4) Ken Hirai - SENTIMENTALovers
5) ayumi hamasaki - GUILTY
6) Koda Kumi - Kingdom
7) Utada Hikaru - HEART STATION
8) KAT-TUN - KAT-TUN Ⅲ -QUEEN OF PIRATES- (the album's not going to be released til this Wed but I have already downloaded the full album of it & I must say the non singles on the album from what I have heard are excellent , especially T∀BOO !)
9) Ashlee Simpson - Bittersweet World
10) Jesse McCartney - Departure
11) The Click Five - Modern Minds And Pastimes Tour Edition
12) Ken Hirai - Utabaka Ken Hirai 10th Anniversary Complete Single Collection '95 - '05
13) Ken Hirai - Ken's Bar
14) Gavin DeGraw - Gavin DeGraw
I will list more in time to come
Blog Personnel
Karen Pang
# 10th Jan
# #1 BREAKERZ fan in Singapore since 2008 debut single ♥
# My music blog consists of JPop/Rock singles & albums reviews that I put my heart , efforts & soul into writing them as I'm disgusted with the way that JPop/Rock music is being treated/written/reviewed in Singapore so to the local media (yes you TEENS , Teenage Magazine & The Strait Times) , screw you all . I basically can write better JPop/Rock reviews , period
