Thursday, July 31, 2008

ANNA inspi' NANA (BLACK STONES) - rose

CD Only Cover :




CD + DVD Cover :



Tracklist :

1) rose
2) Lovin' you
3) Ah Ah



rose is Anna Tsuchiya's 3rd single . This was released on 28th June '06 in Japan under the billing ANNA inspi' NANA (BLACK STONES) .

The song was used as the opening theme song for the NANA anime series & it was released on the same day as OLIVIA / OLIVIA inspi' REIRA (TRAPNEST)'s 9th single a little pain , which was used as the ending theme song for NANA & this's the 1st single coming from Anna which was released in 2 different editions , in a CD only & a CD + DVD format .

rose was the 1st single that Anna released to be used for NANA & it's incidentally her most successful single to date in terms of chart & sales performance .

This's Anna's 3rd solo song to feature Japanese lyrics . The lyrics of rose also refer back to her past songs .

For example , the line "Kogoeru bara no you ni" translates to "I'm like a frozen rose" (FROZEN ROSE found on her 1st mini album Taste My Beat EP ) .

Also , the lyric "Kodoku na little girl" was used before in Anna's song MY LULLABY , which's also found on Taste My Beat as well .

I always have like Anna's angsty rock guitar driven no.s & it's easy to see why rose's another great single from Anna & I love it that she delivers the song with gusto & angst .

The 1st B side on the single's titled Lovin' you which was used as the theme song to the Japanese release of the movie Silent Hill .

Lovin' you was eventually made available on Anna's debut album strip me ? alongside with rose as track 4 & it's a mid tempo rock guitar driven no. as compared to rose .

For me I think it's quite fitting to use Lovin' you to promote Slient Hill as I found the melody of Lovin' you a bit creepy initally with the cello playing at the background but slowly but surely , the song let off some great viberations & it does help that I consider Lovin' you to be 1 of the more prominent tracks on the strip me ? album too .

The last B side's titled Ah Ah & I think it's bit interesting to include the 1st track of Anna's Taste My Beat EP on here but not that I'm complaining since I adore Ah Ah .

The way that the melody of Ah Ah goes with the slight distortion of the guitar riffs makes the song stands out on its own right .



rose

B-sides :

Lovin' you

Ah Ah



Aoyama Thelma Feat SoulJa - Soba ni Iru ne (I'm at Your Side)





Soba ni Iru ne (I'm at Your Side) is Aoyama Thelma's 2nd single . This was released on 23rd Jan this year & it features rapper SoulJa .

This song can be considered as Aoyama's breakthough hit since her debut single ONE WAY's chart & sales position wasn't really fantastic to shout about but Soba ni Iru ne was the one that paved the way for this newcomer & incidentally it's her 1st no.1 single too .

I remembered when I 1st found out that Soba ni Iru ne was & is still currently in the running for the top selling single in Japan for the year , I was wondering what's so good about it since I rather KAT-TUN's DON'T U EVER STOP take over from the top but now I understand why that's the case !

It's an easy & pleasant pop/r&b no. which's quite mellow driven . There's just something about Soba ni Iru ne that's charming although I somewhat find that SoulJa's a bit of a distraction in here with his rapping vocals .

I think the song can stand good alone on its own without the appearance of SoulJa .

Soba ni Iru ne's still currently selling pretty well at a steady rate at this point in time . It's going to be quite a task for KAT-TUN to fight for the top spot but in anycase , good luck to either 1 of them !

Soba ni Iru ne


GReeeeN - Ai Uta (Love Song)

Regular Edition Cover :



Limited Edition Cover :





Ai Uta (Love Song) is GReeeeN's 3rd single . It was released last May on the 16th in Japan .

This song's considered as the JPop/Rock quartet breakthough hit since their previous 2 major labelled singles Michi & HIGH G.K LOW ~Hajikero~ did not fare well , sales & chart wise until Ai Uta came into the pic .

At that time when Ai Uta was released , it was the group's best charting & sales performance reaching a peak position at no.2 on the Oricon singles chart but of course right now the honour goes to their latest 7th single Kiseki which outsold Ai Uta after 2 weeks , sales wise & it's the only single to have stayed on top of the Oricon singles chart for more than a week for this year so far .

It's easy to see why Ai Uta's fantastic . It has a great catchy hook & the way lead vocalist HIDE worked his magic on this song's good but if you ask me , I find Kiseki slightly more catchy than Ai Uta but still this's quality stuff coming from 1 of the current IT bands that found major success in the JPop scene this year with the fact that they made their major label debut in Japan just last year & I predict bigger & better things will come by GReeeeN in time to come if this keeps up .

& oh do you know that they wrote & composed NEWS's 7th single weeeek ? See the connection of the song & the band's name with the 4 "e"s in place .

Ai Uta



ARASHI - We can make it !

Regular Edition Cover :




Tracklist :

1) We can make it !
2) Di-Li-Li
3) We can make it ! (Original Karaoke)
4) Di-Li-Li (Original Karaoke)

Limited Edition Cover :



Tracklist :

1) We can make it !
2) Di-Li-Li
3) Future



We can make it ! is ARASHI's 19th single . This was released last May on the 2nd in Japan . The song was used as the theme song for the dodrama Bambino ! which starred fellow ARASHI member Matsumoto Jun who played Ban Shogo .

Another piece of info's that We can make it ! is a remake of sorts as the original was done by Agnes Carlsson & the original song title was Love Is All Around .

Well let me just say that at 1st I didn't like We can make it ! in any single bit . I remembered I 1st heard the song when my younger sister played it for me to listen & yes I didn't like it at all on 1st listen .

My perception on the song changed considerably ever since I had the chance to watch an Eng subbed episode of HEYx3 in which a really senseless & silly inquiry took place during the shooting of the We can make it ! PV & at that time I didn't know what PV was being shot when I watched HEYx3 til I became to get more familiar with ARASHI's music & PVs .

& right now the A side's 1 of my fave coming from their 7th album Time in which I feel it's a great album & of course I always love it when Sakurai comes onboard to give his magic rapping touch which makes We can make it ! sounds even better .

The 1st B side on the single's called Di-Li-Li & just like We can make it ! , I hated Di-Li-Li initally no thanks to the fact that my younger sister kept on playing it on her laptop like there was no tomorrow as she had & still has a strange obsession with it .

Personally I found Di-Li-Li quite & still a bit annoying for my liking & not to mention whenever I play it on my laptop , my younger sister will sing it alongside with the guys which ain't helping matters .

But jokes aside , I'm OK with Di-Li-Li now . Something good must have happened after I watched their SUMMER TOUR 2007 FINAL Time -Kotoba no Chikara- DVD & I really like it when they did Di-Li-Li live .

The next B side's only available in the limited edition of the single . Titled Future , this's a poppy & rock driven no. . It's a bit random for that matter which I wasn't used to at 1st but I really like it now although it seemed to me that the guys had a bit of trouble keeping up with the jones pertaining to the melody of Future but still it's a fun song & nice to see Sakurai rapping on here as usual .


Wednesday, July 30, 2008

KAT-TUN - DON'T U EVER STOP Solo Singles Review


I have reviewed the main A side DON'T U EVER STOP a while back ago & this time round , the spotlight's on the 6 solo singles that were done from each of the KAT-TUN members respectively since 4 different editions of the single were released in which the 1st 3 are limited editions & in each limited edition , it contains 2 solo songs .

Initially when I 1st saw the 4 singles covers , I got a bit confused but right now it's not so bad .

I will review the solo songs according to the tracklist from each limited edition of the single & to prevent any confusion of sorts , I will highlight the respective solo tunes in bold lettering .

Anyway let's go !


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1st Limited Edition Cover :



Tracklist :

1) DON'T U EVER STOP
2) w/o notice ?? (Kamenashi Kazuya's Solo)
3) Natsu no Basho [The place of summer] (Taguchi Junnosuke's Solo)
4) w/o notice ?? (Original Karaoke)
5) Natsu no Basho (Original Karaoke)




w/o notice ?? (Kamenashi Kazuya's Solo) - Pronounced as 'without notice' , this's Kame's solo & w/o notice is a laidback R&B driven no. .

It's not bad but unfortunately not outstanding enough which's quite a shame because I was expecting a bit more coming from the de facto leader of KAT-TUN & the lyrics of w/no notice ?? are quite cheesy too which was a bit of a letdown .

The part where Kame goes chu chu ru ru chu chu is totally un-necessary too .

I put it down to bad choice of song since I adore Kizuna coming from him which was really amazing .

Natsu no Basho [The place of summer] (Taguchi Junnosuke's Solo) - Surprisingly I enjoyed this coming from Taguchi especially since I seldom hear his vocals in the group's songs .

Natsu no Basho (The place of summer) is the perfect song to listen especially since summer's here since it's a mid tempo no. that's quite heavy emphasised on the synth factor that has a few instruments being thrown in the mix & Taguchi's vocals are pretty decent in carrying this no. quite well .


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2nd Limited Edition Cover :



Tracklist :

1) DON'T U EVER STOP
2) LOVEJUICE (Akanishi Jin)
3) PARASITE (Tanaka Koki)
4) LOVEJUICE (Original Karaoke)
5) PARASITE (Original Karaoke)



LOVEJUICE (Akanishi Jin's Solo) - This's the 2nd lead singer of the group's solo coming from Akanishi .

The music style of his solo song's kinda like a dirty gritter R&B tune that someone probably like Timbaland might come up with .

My 1st thought when I saw the title of his solo song was a bit worrying but after I heard LOVEJUICE , it's not bad actually & this's the only full Eng solo song among the solos & what surprises me was that Akanishi wrote this when I went to check the lyrics sleeve of LOVEJUICE .

I realised Akanishi's Eng dictation's pretty easy for me to understand although I can't help but wonder on the dirtiness of the lyrics of LOVEJUICE .

Sample of LOVEJUICE's lyric/s - "I can tell you want me too / & everytime I think of you / That luscuious drink your lips produce / I can taste the sweet LOVEJUICE" .

Erm ... right .

But other than that , good vocals that Akanishi displayed in here .

PARASITE (Tanaka Koki's Solo) - This's coming from the rapper of KAT-TUN who wrote the lyrics to PARASITE . I would like this song a lot more provided if Tanaka/JOKER were to scream less or stop screaming altogether in the background of the melody of PARASITE & yes just like LOVEJUICE , I was stunned & ?? when I 1st saw the song titles of both their solo songs .

The music pace of PARASITE is hard rock at its max & it boosted some interesting/unusual melody going on in here & of course Tanaka's strength's in his rapping which he showcased in PARASITE .

He could have showcase a bit of his singing on his solo spotlight though .


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3rd Limited Edition Cover :



Tracklist :

1) DON'T U EVER STOP
2) Ai no Hana [The flower of love] (Ueda Tatsuya's Solo)
3) SMACK (Nakamaru Yuichi's Solo)
4) Ai no Hana (Original Karaoke)
5) SMACK (Original Karaoke)



Ai no Hana [The flower of love] (Ueda Tatsuya's Solo) - This's probably my fave solo outta the whole lot & also the most surprising one outta the whole lot too .

Not to mention Ai no Hana is the longest track outta the 6 , clocking in at a whopping 6:04 mins & it's the only ballad outta the whole lot .

I was blown away the 1st time I heard Ueda's solo seeing that alongside with Nakamaru & Taguchi , I seldom heard his vocals on the group's material & this's 1 heck of a great ballad .

Not to mention Ueda wrote & composed Ai no Hana which's impressive to say the least .

I love the music arrangement of Ai no Hana & the style of the song reminds me of Electrico's Shadow in that both songs started off in a mid tempo basis & then slowly but surely , it lashed out in full swing .

Ai no Hana's 1 of those really sad piano driven songs that's great to be released as a winter ballad & I can visualise Ueda singing this song with a waterfall backdrop & maybe him or someone tinkling the ivories of the piano should a PV were to be made for Ai no Hana .

Sample of Ai no Hana's lyric/s - "Looking up the sky , I lost my heart to innumerable clouds with nothing" .

Woah & extremely deep I say .

This's 1 highly recommended tune .

SMACK (Nakamaru Yuichi's Solo) - The last solo coming from the beatboxer of KAT-TUN which's Nakamaru .

Just like Ueda , his solo song was also a pleasant surprise considering that most of the time , I never got to hear him sing that much in the group's songs since he beatboxs a lot & if he were to get singing parts , he will only manage to sing a few lines & then that's it .

SMACK's a quite a poppy & upbeat tune & Nakamaru allows his vocals to work its best in this no. & it gets catchy the more I listened to it . You can hear bits of his signature beatboxing at the background of SMACK .

Nakamaru did a nifty job to allow his vocals to shine in SMACK , great one & also you have to give him credit for writing SMACK as well .


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In general I'm quite surprised at the quality of the 6 solo songs that each member of KAT-TUN has delivered because listening to solo songs that have been put out by individual boyband members is not really on top in my list but the KAT-TUN guys could pull it off on their own & as individuals , their vocals are really not that bad at all .

The solo songs does have their own strengths & flaws but most of them are quite well tailored & crafted to showcase/conceal each individual's vocals's strengths & weaknesses respectively .

It's nice to give Ueda , Taguchi & Nakamaru a chance to sing their own solo songs considering their singing parts are quite limited on whole as a group & they tend to be overshadowed by the other 3 guys & it's surprising to know that Ueda & Nakamaru's solo tunes are real great & a pleasure to listen to . Got to give credit to both of them .

If KAT-TUN plans to include solo songs in their future album/s or single/s & if they keep up with the quality & calibre of the tunes , I welcome that .



ANNA TSUCHIYA inspi' NANA (BLACK STONES) - Kuroi Namida (Black Tears)

CD Only Cover :




CD + DVD Cover :



Tracklist :

1) Kuroi Namida (Black Tears)
2) JUST CAN'T GET ENOUGH
3) I'm addicted to you
4) Kuroi Namida ~deep sadness version~



Kuroi Namida (Black Tears) is Anna Tsuchiya's 4th single . The song was released last year on my birthday ie. 10th Jan in Japan under the billing ANNA TSUCHIYA inspi' NANA (BLACK STONES) .

The song was used as the third ending theme song of the NANA anime series & it's her 2nd most successful single in terms of chart & sales wise , the 1st being her 3rd single rose .

Kuroi Namida's the 2nd straight single that Anna released to be used for NANA , the 1st being rose & the subsequent one after Kuroi Namida was LUCY which was incidentally the 3rd straight/last single that she released for the NANA anime series .

So far at this point in time of Anna's music career , Kuroi Namida's the only single release coming from her which features full Japanese lyrics unlike her past & current music releases which contains a hybrid mix of Eng & Japanese lyrics & it's the 2nd ballad that she has released , the 1st was MY FATE which was the 2nd 1/2 of her 2nd single SLAP THAT NAUGHTY BODY / MY FATE .

I remembered when I 1st heard Kuroi Namida , I was blown away by the way Anna delivered the song without going over the edge & also I like the way that the bass & electric guitar kick in with such gusto which allowed Anna's vocals to shine a lot in this great ballad .

The 1st B side on the single is a cover of Depeche Mode's Just Can't Get Enough . JUST CAN'T GET ENOUGH was used in the Nissan March ad song & Anna sounded like she had a lot covering the song just like her take on Cyndi Lauper's True Colors on her strip me ? debut album .

I think her take on JUST CAN'T GET ENOUGH is a great contrast to the otherwise serious music tone of Kuroi Namida .

The next B side is I'm addicted to you which was used as an insert song for the NANA anime series & it boost strong , angsty & gritter guitar riffs that was given on the song .

I'm addicted to you was eventually be included on Anna's 2nd album , the NANA concept theme album ANNA TSUCHIYA inspi' NANA (BLACK STONES) as track 7 .

In a way I'm real glad that I'm addicted to you was eventually added on her 2nd album because it's 1 of my fave rock songs on the album & also on the B side too . While Kuroi Namida & JUST CAN'T GET ENOUGH are relatively calm mid tempo rock no.s , I'm addicted to you is an extremely upbeat rock tune .

I like that there's something for everyone going on in the Kuroi Namida single & you can pick either 1 of them or all to listen to , to suit your mood .

Last but definitely not least , a rearragement of the A side single titled Kuroi Namida ~deep sadness version~ .

This version is different to the electric guitar-based standard/original version , & it features verses filled with postly strings and piano , followed with a heavy sounding chorus .

If you ask me , just when I thought the original Kuroi Namida sounds amazing , in comes a ~deep sadness version~ of the song in which the melody's just stunning & beautiful to be described with words .

Then again why wait for it ? Just hear it right now !



Kuroi Namida

B-sides :

JUST CAN'T GET ENOUGH

I'm addicted to you

Kuroi Namida ~deep sadness version~



ARASHI - Happiness

Regular Edition Cover :




Tracklist :

1) Happiness
2) Still ...
3) Happiness (Original Karaoke)
4) Still ... (Original Karaoke)

Limited Edition Cover :



Tracklist :

1) Happiness
2) Still ...
3) Snowflake



Happiness is ARASHI's 20th single . It was released last year on 5th Sept in Japan & the song was used as the theme song for the dorama Yamada Tarou Monogatari which fellow ARASHI members Sakurai & Nino starred in .

Happiness is 1 of those songs that never fails to perk me up whenever I'm down in the dumps & not to mention since summer's here , you can't help but wonder on the fact that the song sounds even better than usual .

For me I love the the fact that various instruments were used to give Happiness a unique sound of its own . Also whenever the guys have the chance to perform & promote Happiness on live performances , they always have a good time performing & singing it without fail which's great .

The 1st B side found on the Happiness single is titled Still ... which was used as the ending theme for Mago Mago ARASHI & this's 1 song that I enjoyed simply because of the laidback melody & the appearance of Sakurap going on in Still ... .

I can en-vision myself listening to Still ... on a lazy afternoon .

The next B side Snowflake is only available in the limited edition of the Happiness single . This's a mid tempo ballad which I really adore because of the xylophone & acoustic guitar that's going in the backdrop of the melody & the vocals of the guys are in synth with the sweet melody of Snowflake & not to mention you can't help but like the title isn't it ?


Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Koda Kumi - KODA KUMI LIVE TOUR 2008 ~Kingdom~ DVD Details

Japan Release Date - 24th Sept '08 , Wed

DVD Tracklist :

(OPENING MOVIE)
1) Under
2) FREAKY
3) CUTIE HONEY
4) Himitsu (Secret)
5) MORE
6) LAST ANGEL

(INTERLUDE MOVIE 1)
7) Ai No Uta (Love Song)
8) hands
9) Someday
10) Futari De ... (2 Of Us ...)
11) you
12) Kiseki (Miracle)
13) WIND

(INTERLUDE MOVIE 2)
14) Wonderland
15) It's a small world
16) Koi no Mahou (The Magic of Love)
17) anytime
18) Run For Your Life
19) Come Over
20) girls

(ENCORE)
EN01) Single Medley : SHAKE IT UP ~ BUT ~ Butterfly ~ real Emotion~ Crazy 4 U ~ DANCE BATTLE
EN02) Moon Crying
EN03) walk



KODA KUMI LIVE TOUR 2008 ~Kingdom~ is Koda Kumi's 5th concert DVD . Her brand new DVD will be released about 4 months since the release of her previous concert DVD KODA KUMI LIVE TOUR 2007 ~Black Cherry~ SPECIAL FINAL in TOKYO DOME .

The latest concert DVD will be released in Japan on 24th Sept '08 & the contents of the dvd features footage of Koda's 4th domestic tour in support of her 6th studio album Kingdom .

& of course the bulk of the Koda's upcoming concert DVD features quite a lot of songs that can be found on her Kingdom album . In general I'm quite pleased with the DVD tracklist as it's great that she kicked things off with Under although I'm real sore that Amai Wana & Aishou are not included in the tracklist especially Amai Wana which I personally think it's 1 of the stand out non singles on the album .

Not sure why she decided to do a cover of It's a small world where that can be replaced with Aishou anytime of the day .

But ah well , I look forward to get my hands on it . I'm not sure whether can her 5th concert DVD matched up to the brilliance of KODA KUMI LIVE TOUR 2006~2007 ~second session~ & KODA KUMI LIVE TOUR 2007 ~Black Cherry~ SPECIAL FINAL in TOKYO DOME in which both of them were superb in their own right .

I just have to wait & see about this before I made anymore further assumption on things .


KAT-TUN - LIPS

CD Only Regular Edition Cover :




CD Only Limited Edition Cover :



CD + DVD Cover :



Tracklist :

1) LIPS
2) LOVE
3) MESSAGE FOR YOU (CD Only Limited Edition Track)
4) LIPS (Original Karaoke)
5) LOVE (Original Karaoke)
6) MESSAGE FOR YOU (Original Karaoke) (CD Only Limited Edition Track)




LIPS's KAT-TUN's 6th single . It was released on 6th Feb this year in Japan .

The song was used as the theme song for the dorama 1 Pound no Fukuin which stars the sextet's de facto leader Kamenashi Kazuya & 1/10 of Hey ! Say ! JUMP , Yamada Ryosuke .

The sextet's currently 1 of my fave JPop artistes at this point in time & I thought it's never too late to review & talk about 1 of my fave singles coming from the band since I have talked about their 7th latest single DON'T U EVER STOP before & not to mention I had reviewed their debut & 3rd albums respectively but I haven't got the chance to review LIPS as a single just as yet .

Described as hard rock by Kame in an episode of HEYx3 , it's easy to see why LIPS's currently hovering in the top10 most sold singles chart in the year in Japan .

Kame mentioned that the group sung hard rock songs before but LIPS's the hardest of them all during HEYx3 in Feb this year . The beginning of LIPS sees some soft singing of sorts coming from Kame & then after he did his own thing , the song began to kick in with edgy & hard rock beats .

I love the way numerous drums & guitars were used & being layered over LIPS which's the main highlight of the song & of course the appearance of Nakamaru's beat boxing & Tanaka/JOKER's rapping just take LIPS to a new whole level .

The B side of LIPS is titled LOVE . LOVE was really a case of L.O.V.E on 1st listen simply because it's also another rock song coming from the group .

However unlike LIPS , the music arrangement of LOVE is slightly less jarring & I detect less drums in the melody but still LOVE's really 1 solid B side & the opening of LOVE is really strong & caught me by surprise when I 1st heard it .

I think LOVE's probably good enough to give the other non singles rock songs that KAT-TUN has put out a run for their $ .

MESSAGE FOR YOU is only available in the CD only limited edition of the LIPS single . Unlike LOVE & LIPS , MESSAGE FOR YOU takes a backseat in the rock factor & instead it's a midtempo R&B driven no. which's a breathe of fresh air .

The song kinda reminds me some several uptempo no.s that're available on their future 3rd album the fantastic KAT-TUN III QUEEN OF PIRATES which's definitely not a bad thing .

Monday, July 28, 2008

CD Review :: ARASHI - Iza , Now

Regular Edition Cover :




Limited Edition Cover :



Tracklist :

1) Kotoba Yori Taisetsu na Mono (Important than words)
2) JAM
3) The Bubble
4) Thank you for my days
5) PIKA★★NCHI DOUBLE
6) keep a peaK
7) EYES WITH DELIGHT
8) RIGHT BACK TO YOU
9) RAINBOW
10) Hadashi no Mirai (Bare Footed Future)
11) Yasashikutte Sukoshi Baka (It is gentle and somewhat foolish)
12) Dear My Friend
13) Kimi Dake wo Omotteru (Thinking of you and you alone)
14) Check no Muffler (A checkered muffler)
15) Tochuugesha (Stopover)




Iza , Now is ARASHI's 4th album . It was released 4 years ago on 21st July in Japan . The album was released in 2 different versions ; a regular edition that came with an application form for ARASHI's next CD event and a limited edition that included a DVD with the best 5 clips voted by fans .

2 singles are included in Iza , Now in which 1 of them is a double A side .

The 1st track to start things off is the highly infectious no. Kotoba Yori Taisetsu na Mono (Important than words) which's the 2nd 1/2 of the band's 11th single Hadashi No Mirai / Kotoba yori Taisetsu na Mono .

I remembered when I 1st Hadashi No Mirai / Kotoba yori Taisetsu na Mono , I had a bit of problem distinguishing both songs from each other because both are upbeat no.s but at least now I can tell the difference between both songs . Kotoba yori Taisetsu na Mono is more guitar driven unlike Hadashi No Mirai but still good stuff .

The next 2 non singles on the album contains weird song titles but yet they're really great no.s . Track 2's titled JAM & it's quite a chirpy no. while the next track titled The Bubble has some unusual but interesting melody going on in the song .

Track 4's 1 of my fave non singles on Iza , Now . Titled Thank you for my days , it's a slow jam song & it's not as heavily emphasised on the synth factor unlike the other songs on Iza , Now . The guys's vocals compliment each other & are in synth with the melody of Thank you for my days .

The next track's the band's 12th single PIKA★★NCHI DOUBLE which's 1 of my fave singles .

The song was used as the ending song of the second movie in the PIKA★★NCHI series which stars all of the members . Their 10th single's called PIKA☆NCHI so you can say that PIKA★★NCHI DOUBLE is a sequel of sorts .

However unlike PIKA☆NCHI where it has a hard rock gritter edge , PIKA★★NCHI DOUBLE is a mid tempo song that's not as hard edge rock as compared to its 'successor' but stil I really adore PIKA★★NCHI DOUBLE & of course the apperance of Sakurap's great too which made the song sounds even better as each listen goes by .

Track 6's an interlude which's oddly titled keep a peaK . Soon after , it's followed by a really slamming no. EYES WITH DELIGHT . This's 1 really cool song because I really adore the Sakurap going on in there where Sakurai goes A to the R to the A.S.H.I which's very charming & not to mention I really like the lyrics of EYES WITH DELIGHT despite the weird title of the song .

The next non single is titled RIGHT BACK TO YOU which's 1 of the more angsty driven songs on Iza , Now & it's evident in the way the guys sing in the song & also the appearance of Sakurap just takes this song to a whole new level of brillance .

RAINBOW's somewhat the only weak link on Iza , Now because on 1st listen , I did not find the song as memorable as I thought it would have been . But after many listens on RAINBOW , I really appericate the song now especially the lyrics & the melody where you got a saxophone going on .

Track 10's the 1st 1/2 of the band's 11th single Hadashi No Mirai / Kotoba yori Taisetsu na Mono which's of course Hadashi no Mirai (Bare Footed Future) . This song's so insanely catchy on 1st listen & it was used in an ad to promote Coca Cola .

Yasashikutte Sukoshi Baka (It is gentle and somewhat foolish) is up next & it's another of my fave non single on the album simply because it has quite a hard rocking edge attached to it & it's kinda like an Aiba pickup song of sorts since I mainly tend to hear Aiba's vocals quite a lot in this song but regardless of which , The sound transition from Hadashi no Mirai to Yasashikutte Sukoshi Baka is there which's great .

The next song's another slow no. on Iza , Now . Titled Dear My Friend , this's 1 finger snapping catchy tune that's extremely pleasant to the ears & of course the guys's vocals are in synch with the tune of Dear My Friend too .

Kimi Dake wo Omotteru (Thinking of you and you alone) is also another great track on Iza , Now that's being backed up by strong trumpet beats & also I adore the lyrics going on in the song .

The 3rd slow no. on Iza , Now is titled Check no Muffler (A checkered muffler) . When I 1st saw the title of this song , I was going ?? but this's 1 swell no. & as compared to the other 2 slow songs on the album , this's probably the only 1 that's deemed to be called a ballad , well almost .

I honestly find Check no Muffler really charming & the guys's vocals really shine in here .

I thought it's a cool way to close off the album with Tochuugesha (Stopover) which's an upbeat no. that's backed up with strong disco inspired beats .

In general , I'm quite impressed with the way Iza , Now delivers itself & considering that the non singles outweight the singles on the album , it's definitely a task to try to keep the non singles to sound better or if not on par/superior than the singles but I'm glad to say that the non singles on Iza , Now managed to stand out in their own unique way / right .

Iza , Now is an album worth checking out & to be added to your ARASHI discography .

Sunday, July 27, 2008

Aoyama Thelma - Nando mo (How Many Times)

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CD + DVD Cover :





Nando mo (How Many Times) is Aoyama Thelma's 3rd single . It was released this month on the 9th in Japan .

Nando mo was used as the CM theme song for the Nintendo DS game , Daigasso ! Band Brothers DX .

Because recently I recommended my friend to give Anna Tsuchiya's music a shot , I thought I return him back the favor & try out this newcomer's music who debuted on the scene last year .

Not to mention before I decided to give her music a try , I have heard quite a fair bit about Aoyama & the fact that her 2nd single Soba ni Iru ne (I'm at Your Side) feat rapper SoulJa is currently the top selling single in Japan so I thought no harm done .

The style of Aoyama's music is a mixture of pop and R&B . I can't really tell any musical similarities between Aoyama's material with the other female artistes that I support like ayaka & Utada Hikaru .

Personally I think Aoyama has a unique voice/style going on in her & her latest release Nando mo's a breezy chilled out song that's perfect to listen to especially since summer's around .

She has quite a lot of raw potential going on in her & if this keeps up , I think she's 1 newcomer to look out for in the near future in the Japan music scene .



Nando mo


Saturday, July 26, 2008

ANNA TSUCHIYA inspi' NANA (BLACK STONES) - LUCY

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CD + DVD Cover :



Tracklist :

1) LUCY
2) better day
3) Dance with me



LUCY's Anna Tsuchiya's 5th single . It was released last year on the 7th of Feb in Japan . The song was used as the third opening theme song of the NANA anime series & it was released under the billing ANNA TSUCHIYA inspi' NANA (BLACK STONES) .

Also LUCY's 3rd straight & last NANA related single coming from Anna after the release of rose & Kuroi Namida (Black Tears) .

Both Kuroi Namida & LUCY will be included in Anna's upcoming 3rd album which originally was supposed to be released on 10th Sept but it was pushed back to 1st Oct due to the release of another new single titled Virgin Cat . More details of Virgin Cat & her 3rd new album will surface later on . The focus today's on LUCY .

LUCY's 1 of my fave singles coming from Anna & it's so easy to see why that's so . It's such a great energetic rocking no. & you can't help but sense that Anna has tons of fun belting out this no. . It's also evident in the PV too which's worth watching .

The 1st B side on the single is titled better day . It's used in the ad for the English learning school ECC's . Unlike the highly charged up LUCY , better day's being driven by an acoustic guitar & drums & it's a sharp contrast to the A side .

I always liked her mid tempo no.s & better day's no exception .

The 2nd B side on LUCY's called Dance with me . Much like better day , Dance with me is delivered in full Eng by Anna except the melody for the 2nd B side is heavily emphasised on the synth factor which caught me by surprise initially .

I thought Dance with me might sound distorted with Anna's vocals but she actually managed to work things out really well & the sound on Dance with me fitted her vocals like a glove .



LUCY

B-sides :

better day

Dance with me


Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Hey ! Say ! JUMP - Your Seed / Bouken Rider (Rider Adventure)

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CD + DVD Cover :





Your Seed / Bouken Rider (Rider Adventure) is Hey ! Say ! JUMP's 3rd single & their 1st double A side . It was released officially today in Japan .

Your Seed's served as the image song for the movie Kung Fu Panda .

Interestingly , HSJ's label mates with ARASHI in which both of the bands's works are produced by J Storm .

I only recently became a fan of this 10 piece member band that's signed by talent agency Johnny & Associates . HSJ's a very young band with the average age of the group is 15 with the youngest member being 13 & the oldest 18 .

I was initally skeptical to give their music a shot especially when I found out how young they're but after I heard their latest single Your Seed , I was pleasantly surprised with how mature they sounded in Your Seed as compared to their 1st 2 singles Ultra Music Power & Dreams come true .

Not to mention the inclusion of an erhu in the melody's surprising & just plain brillant which gives a much deserved edge to Your Seed .

Perhaps due to the sheer brillance of Your Seed , the other A side Bouken Rider (Rider Adventure) is somewhat being overshadowed & neglected upon but it doesn't mean that Bouken Rider's not an enjoyable song to listen to .

The music style of Bouken Rider's a guitar pop driven no. . It's definitely not as catchy as Your Seed but it's worth a few spins & it's a definite grower for that matter .

They have a lot of potential brewing in them & I predict pretty good things that will be showered upon this group in time to come .


Tuesday, July 22, 2008

CD Review :: ARASHI - One

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CD + DVD Cover :



Tracklist :

1) Overture
2) Natsu no Namae (The name of summer)
3) ROMANCE
4) Lai-Lai-Lai
5) Days
6) Subarashiki Sekai (It's a Wonderful World)
7) Sakura Sake
8) Rain (Ohno Satoshi's Solo)
9) Itsuka no (The one day) Summer (Aiba Masaki's Solo)
10) W / ME (Matsumoto Jun's Solo)
11) Hitmitsu [Secret] (Ninomiya Kazunari's Solo)
12) Yume de li Kara [You can dream] (Sakurai Sho's Solo)
13) Yes ? No ?
14) Kazamidori [Weathercock] (Regular Edition Track)




One is ARASHI's 5th album . It was released 3 years ago on 3rd Aug in Japan in 2 different formats .

The regular edition contains a bonus track Kazamidori (Weathercock) , while the limited edition contains a DVD which contains a documentary of the making of the album & a 32-page booklet .

There's only 1 single included in One & this's the 1st album that included 5 solo songs that were done from each of the guys in the band . This measure followed suit in their future 7th & 8th albums , Time & Dream"A"live respectively .

I don't consider ARASHIC in the picture since the guys did pick up songs in that record so techincally they're not full solo songs by right .

I will review the 5 solo songs separately from the mix .

The album start things off with a rather long introduction called Overture . & after that you get 3 uptempo tracks .

I start 1st with Natsu no Namae (The name of summer) which's a really nice song to listen to especially since summer's here & the song's made even better with the apperance of Sakurap .

Track 3's called ROMANCE . It's quite a poppy upbeat no. & it gets quite addictive as I listened to it everytime the song rolls . This's followed by the next song titled Lai-Lai-Lai & as the title suggest , you get to hear lots of the words Lai-Lai-Lai in the song & this's 1 guilty pleasure song that I like .

The only ballad of sorts in the album is up next . Titled Days , this's probably the only slow jam no. in One but I adore it big time . I love the fact that Days sounded really uplifting & soaring at the same time which's backed up by strong saxophone & trumpet influences being thrown in the mix . This song's a keeper in One .

The next track's 1 of my fave non singles on the album . Titled Subarashiki Sekai (It's a Wonderful World) , I love the harder gritter rock sound attached to the song & Sakurap just makes the song even more better as each listen goes by .

The album has reached the 1/2 way mark now & what better way to fill the spot with the only single found on One which's the band's 14th single Sakura Sake ! & I can definitely tell that the sound transition's there after the spotlight on Subarashiki Sekai been shifted to Sakura Sake .

Sakura Sake was used as an image song for Johnan Yobiko , a prep school which features Sakurai . This's probably the last single that the band has put out in a while which has a strong rock edge to it although the most hard rock song that they have put out the last time was their 9th single PIKA☆NCHI that was released 6 years ago .

But still I adore Sakura Sake , Sakurap in the song's just awesome & the PV was quite random for that matter .

Since the next 5 songs are the solo no.s of each member , I will skip this part for a while & jump all the way straight to the last 2 songs on One .

1st in line's 1 of the more stronger tracks on the album . Called Yes ? No ? , there're traces of Sakurap yes & also the melody of the song presented a more heavy trance disco setting which I surprisingly like considering that I'm not really a trance person to begin with .

Kazamidori (Weathercock) is only available in the regular edition of One & this's such a cool way to close off the album . I like the melody of Kazamidori as it's really charming .

& right now I will review the solo songs that're available in One .

1) Rain (Ohno Satoshi's Solo) - Rain's the 1st solo song done by Ohno & once again he doesn't disappoint to deliver this rather mid tempo no. . He has great control over his vocals in this no. & you can definitely tell that outta the 5 , I enjoy all the solo songs that he has put out in One , Time & Dream"A"live the most .

2) Itsuka no (The one day) Summer (Aiba Masaki's Solo) - a rather well summer & cheery song coming from Aiba which's quite nice really . It will be good for him to do ballads as solo tunes in future ARASHI albums since the other 2 found on Time & Dream"A"live are also in the same vein as Itsuka no Summer .

3) W / ME (Matsumoto Jun's Solo) - MatsuJun's 1st solo song . In case you're wondering how to pronounce this title , it's Without Me .

W / ME is not bad but it's not the best solo tune coming from MatsuJun & the chorus gets repetitive as each time I listened to it . His vocals seems to wear thin after a while but still I prefer this over the solo songs that he put out in Time & Dream"A"live & yes my stand's still the same in that I like I Want Somebody outta the whole lot .

4) Hitmitsu [Secret] (Ninomiya Kazunari's Solo) - This solo tune coming from Nino is really breezy & fun . The piano & the beats going on in Hitmitsu is quite cool although I definitely can tell he doesn't seem to have much control in his vocals in here as compared to future solo songs that he put out in subsequent albums .

5) Yume de li Kara [You can dream] (Sakurai Sho's Solo) - my 2nd fave solo song in One coming from Sakurai . Yume de li Kara is quite a chilled out & smooth no. & you get a good mixture of Sakurap & his singing in this song which's good .

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At 1st , I was skeptical to give One a listen because well there's only 1 single available in the album but I'm surprised that I enjoyed the non singles & also considering that this's the 1st album that they included solo songs in the mix , it's not bad really .

The non singles are quite well defined & strong in their own way although I personally think it would have been better to include the band's 13th single Hitomi no Naka no (In the eyes) Galaxy / Hero as this's 1 double A side that I enjoyed a lot .

With that said , One's worth getting especially if you want to add it to your ARASHI CD collection .

Monday, July 21, 2008

CDs Review :: NANA Triple Billing


3 albums that I'm going to review in due time are fall under the same umbrella in that material coming from the 3 albums are songs that were done specially for the NANA anime series in which 1 of them's a compilation album .

ANNA TSUCHIYA inspi' NANA (BLACK STONES)



Tracklist :

1) rose
2) Without You
3) zero
4) scream
5) Take me out
6) Kuroi Namida (Black Tears)
7) I'm addicted to you
8) LUCY
9) rose -STREET LIVE Edition-
10) Kuroi Namida -TV Live Edition-



ANNA TSUCHIYA inspi' NANA (BLACK STONES) is a special NANA concept album that was released by Anna Tsuchiya last Feb on the 28th in Japan alongside with OLIVIA's OLIVIA inspi' REIRA (TRAPNEST) .

The 3 singles that she released prior to the announcement of the album are included in the album with Kuroi Namida (Black Tears) being my fave outta the whole lot as it's a great fantastic ballad .

rose's her most successful single to date , chart & sales wise while LUCY's 1 song that never fails to get me on a high mood without fail .

Interestingly enough , zero & rose were available in her debut album strip me ? before ANNA TSUCHIYA inspi' NANA (BLACK STONES) was put out .

When you subtract the 2 live editions of rose & Kuroi Namida (Black Tears) & the B side of Kuroi Namida I'm addicted to you , it only leaves you 3 new songs in the bag .

The only song that I didn't like outta the 3 was scream . As the title suggests , it's Anna screaming into the song & her voice sounds distorted & being masked quite heavily with the music arrangement of the song .

But the other 2 songs are great especially Take me out which's described as an Evanescence style ballad by Anna & I like agree with that since in this album there're only 2 ballads & I love the way her vocals goes in Take me out .

I do find ANNA TSUCHIYA inspi' NANA (BLACK STONES) a bit too short for my liking . I thought it would have been better if she included the B sides found on Kuroi Namida & LUCY which probably will make the album a bit complete but aside from that , the album's not bad & worth a listen .


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OLIVIA inspi' REIRA (TRAPNEST)



Tracklist :

1) a little pain
2) Wish
3) Starless Night
4) Shadow of Love
5) Tell me
6) Rock you
7) Winter sleep
8) Recorded Butterflies -Studio Live-
9) Wish -Live-
10) a little pain -Studio Live-




Just like the NANA theme concept of Anna Tsuchiya's ANNA TSUCHIYA inspi' NANA (BLACK STONES) , OLIVIA inspi' REIRA (TRAPNEST)'s OLIVIA's 3rd album & it was releasd on the same day as ANNA TSUCHIYA inspi' NANA (BLACK STONES) album .

The singles that she put out as singles are available on the album in which 1 of them's a double A side .

Her 1st Top10 single a little pain's still awesome after every listen & not to mention Wish / Starless Night are stars in their own right although I still wish that Starless Night would have received its own PV . I bet it would have been awesome .

When you subtract the live versions of Wish & a little pain from the picture , you have 5 new songs in which my fave non singles have got to be Winter sleep & the studio live version of Recorded Butterflies .

I remember when I 1st heard Winter sleep , I was blown away by how earnest OLIVIA delivered the song without going over the top & I enjoyed the studio live version of Recorded Butterflies a lot .

I wasn't really feeling the other non singles on the album & I can somehow tell that the non singles on the record were a bit overshadowed by the singles which're fantastic but still this's an album that's worth getting for .

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NANA BEST

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CD + DVD Cover :



Tracklist :

1) rose (ANNA TSUCHIYA inspi' NANA (BLACK STONES))
2) a little pain (OLIVIA inspi' REIRA (TRAPNEST))
3) zero (ANNA TSUCHIYA inspi' NANA (BLACK STONES))
4) Wish (OLIVIA inspi' REIRA (TRAPNEST))
5) Starless Night (OLIVIA inspi' REIRA (TRAPNEST))
6) Kuroi Namida (Black Tears) (ANNA TSUCHIYA inspi' NANA (BLACK STONES))
7) LUCY (ANNA TSUCHIYA inspi' NANA (BLACK STONES))
8) stand by me (ANNA TSUCHIYA inspi' NANA (BLACK STONES))
9) Shadow of Love (OLIVIA inspi' REIRA (TRAPNEST))
10) Winter sleep (OLIVIA inspi' REIRA (TRAPNEST))
11) ANARCHY IN THE UK (ANNA TSUCHIYA inspi' NANA (BLACK STONES))
12) LUCY ~Studio Live Version~ (ANNA TSUCHIYA inspi' NANA (BLACK STONES))
13) Nothing's gonna take my love (OLIVIA inspi' REIRA (TRAPNEST))
14) Recorded Butterflies ~Live Version~ (OLIVIA inspi' REIRA (TRAPNEST))



NANA BEST is a special compilation album feautring the combined works of Anna Tsuchiya and OLIVIA that were used in the first season of the NANA anime .

The album was released only one month after the release of two full-albums dedicated solely to one singer each's work for the anime (ANNA TSUCHIYA inspi' NANA (BLACK STONES) and OLIVIA inspi' REIRA (TRAPNEST) respectively) .

5 new tracks are available on NANA BEST which're highlighted in bold .

I think it's quite interesting for Anna to cover the Sex Pistols' Anarchy in the U.K. even though that's not my fave new track on NANA BEST although I adore stand by me . Instead that honour goes to OLIVIA's Nothing's gonna take my love .

The rest of the new songs are live recordings basically .

In conclusion , I feel each of the NANA inspired albums are unique in its own right . While the material found on ANNA TSUCHIYA inspi' NANA (BLACK STONES) presented a more harder & gritter rock sound in it , the material that's found in OLIVIA inspi' REIRA (TRAPNEST) has a more softer rock edge to it .

Depending on what type & shade of rock music that you like , you might probably find something that you like in here . If not , just savour the best tunes outta the mix with NANA BEST .


CD Review :: OLIVIA - The Cloudy Dreamer EP

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CD + DVD Cover :



Tracklist :

1) If you only knew
2) Stars shining out
3) Dream Catcher
4) Who's gonna stop it ?
5) Cloudy world
6) Cut me free
7) Wish (English ver.) (OLIVIA inspi' REIRA (TRAPNEST))
8) a little pain (OLIVIA inspi' REIRA (TRAPNEST))



The Cloudy Dreamer EP is OLIVIA's 5th mini album . This 8 track EP was released last Jan on 17th in Japan .

The EP contains 2 singles which OLIVIA contributed to the NANA anime series except the original Japanese version of Wish is not included in the album but rather a full Eng take of the song can be found in the EP .

Stars shining out wasn't released as a single but it received its own PV .

Just like Anna Tsuchiya , I have been a fan of this under-rated , super cool & bilingual girl for quite sometime ever since I discovered OLIVIA's music & the 1st song I heard from her was Wish .

The music style of both ladies are about the same since they both dabbed in pop/rock except OLIVIA's songs tend to contain more Japanese lyrics than Eng ones but unlike Anna , OLIVIA's 1st language is Eng & her 2nd language's Japanese .

As such , I feel that OLIVIA's grasp on Japanese is not as strong as Anna's case since it's the opposite for Anna & it's quite evident in OLIVIA's Japanese dictation .

But in anycase , I also respect OLIVIA's music as she has some great songs going on in her discography .

Track 1 up in the list is a haunting mid tempo no. called If you only knew . The song was a bit boring for my liking when I 1st heard it but it's nice to know that the song gradually begin to build up its momentum in time to come .

The next track's 1 of my fave songs on the EP . Titled Stars shining out , I love the melody that's going on in the song as the synth & guitar riffs really kick in , in this song . Then again I already have like the song on 1st listen .

Track 3's titled Dream Catcher . The song was the theme song of the Nippon Terebi drama Jigoku Shoujo .

Up next's another fave song of mine on the EP . Titled Who's gonna stop it ? , I love the drum beats that's going on in the song & the song's sung in full Eng by OLIVIA . It's a pity that Who's gonna stop it ? didn't received a PV of its own .

Track 5's a mid tempo cheery no. called Cloudy world & the mood switched considerably after you moved from Cloudy World to Cut me free .

Just like If you only knew , Cut me free is another haunting & yet somewhat creepy song on the EP . I do like the piano that's going on in Cut me free but the lyrics somehow creeps me out in a good way & the lyrics are sung in full Eng .

The last 2 tracks are songs that OLIVIA had released as singles under the billing OLIVIA inspi' REIRA (TRAPNEST) . Track 7's her 10th single & it's also 1 1/2 of a double A side since the other A side Starless Night was excluded from the tracklist .

Wish was used as the second opening theme song for the NANA anime series .

The version of Wish found on the EP is sung in full Eng & so it's totally different from the one that she has released as a single . It was a bit odd hearing Wish being sung in Eng because I was very used to the original Japanese take of the song but with that said it's interesting to incorporate full Eng lyrics in her most successful single to date , chart performance wise .

I think it's an awesome way to close off the short EP with a little pain which was used as the ending theme song for the NANA anime series .

I remembered when I 1st heard a little pain , I was charmed by the melody & the haunting & thought provoking lyrics that was thrown in the mix . Not to mention the PV was very interesting to watch .

The melody for a little pain was inspired by a song called Just Missed The Train , originally done by Norwegian singer Trine Rein . Just Missed The Train was later on recorded by Kelly Clarkson for her debut album , Thankful .

The Cloudy Dreamer EP has its own fair share of great mid tempo & ballad songs that're being thrown in for good measures . All 8 songs are well defined in its own right , the only grouse's that I feel OLIVIA should have included Starless Night since it's not really fair to separate 1 1/2 of a great double A side away from Wish .

OLIVIA's going to release her brand new & her 6th mini album titled Trinka Trinka later on in the year & I can't wait for brand new material coming from this really talented lady .

Saturday, July 19, 2008

The 1st Song I Heard From My Future Fave JPop Acts


Title says it all .

Here's a list of the 1st songs I heard from my future fave JPop acts .

ayumi hamasaki :
About You

Koda Kumi :
Cherry Girl

abingdon boys school :
HOWLING

Anna Tsuchiya :
SLAP THAT NAUGHTY BODY

ARASHI :
Kitto Daijoubu

ayaka :
debut single I believe

Ken Hirai :
fake star

Namie Amuro :
Hide & Seek

KAT-TUN :
Keep the faith

ai otsuka :
Planetarium

Mika Nakashima :
a tie between GLAMOROUS SKY & Yuki no Hana

Yuna Ito :
debut single ENDLESS STORY

Utada Hikaru :
COLORS

Kobukuro :
Tsubomi

NEWS :
weeeek

GReeeeeN :
Kiseki

Tegomass:
Aiaigasa

Tackey & Tsubasa :
Venus

T.M.Revolution :
INVOKE

YUI :
Rolling star

V6:
CHANGE THE WORLD

KinKi Kids :
Harmony of December

OLIVIA :
Wish

Hey ! Say ! JUMP :
Your Seed which's 1 1/2 of their 3rd single Your Seed / Bouken Rider

Aoyama Thelma :
Soba ni Iru ne Feat SoulJa

Shuuji to Akira :
Seishun Amigo

BREAKERZ :
SUMMER PARTY which's 1 1/2 of their debut single SUMMER PARTY / LAST EMOTION

alan :
Sora Uta

L'Arc~en~Ciel :
NEXUS 4 / SHINE

Kanjani∞ :
Wahaha

GIRL NEXT DOOR :
debut single Guuzen no Kakuritsu

Hidemi Uematsu :
debut single Dear My Friends / Trauma

Shota Shimizu :
「Ashiteru」

Kuroki Meisa :
Bad Girl

Aqua Timez :
ALONES

Yusuke :
Himawari

flumpool :
Hana ni Nare

UVERworld :
Hakanaku mo Towa no Kanashi

Fukuyama Masaharu :
Keshin

Kanon Wakeshima :
Suna no Oshiro

ON / OFF :
debut single Eien no Setsuna

Matsushita Yuya :
LAST SNOW

Suga Shikao :
Party People

school food punishment :
butterfly swimmer

Saito Kazuyoshi :
Don't Worry Be Happy

Koike Teppei :
Kimi Dake

Nakayama Yuma w/ B.I. Shadow , NYC boys :
Akuma na Koi / NYC

Dew :
Thank you

SID :
Uso

B'z :
Ichibu to Zenbu which's 1 1/2 of their 46th single Ichibu to Zenbu / DIVE

Prague :
debut single Slow Down

BENI :
Kiss Kiss Kiss

NEVER LAND :
Tengoku e no Tegami

DAIGO☆STARDUST :
debut single MARIA

Acid Black Cherry :
Nemuri Hime

Hilcrhyme :
Loose Leaf

JASMINE :
JEALOUS

Himuro Kyosuke :
ANSWER which he was featured on a collaboration single with GLAY

Kis-My-Ft2 :
debut single Everybody Go

SPYAIR :
Last Moment

Kuriyama Chiaki :
Roulette de Kuchizuke wo from her debut album CIRCUS

WEAVER :
Debut single Hard to say I love you ~Iidasenakute~

GRANRODEO :
The Other self


CD Review :: Anna Tsuchiya - strip me ?

CD Only Cover :




CD + DVD Cover :



Tracklist :

1) zero
2) rose
3) NO WAY
4) Lovin' you
5) Under My Mask
6) True Colors
7) Give me Kiss & Kiss
8) Forever
9) Interlude
10) Change your life (Album Version)
11) ecstasy
12) Jane
13) Grooving beating
14) knock down
15) SLAP THAT NAUGHTY BODY




strip me ? is the debut album released by Anna Tsuchiya . The album was released in Japan 2 years on 2nd Aug & just recently , it was released & manufactured locally by Warner Music S'pore .

3 singles & a B side are included in strip me ? in which 1/2 of Anna's 2nd single was excluded which was MY FATE .

An interesting fact on strip me ? is that Anna didn't include Taste My Skin which was found on her Taste My Beat EP although the PV for the song was included in the DVD tracklisting of strip me ? & also only 3 songs on the album contains Japanese lyrics according to the Chinese lyrics translation sheet that's found in the OS press of strip me ? so it's quite possible to say that this's an album in which's 90% of the material are English songs .

The 1st 2 songs on strip me ? were songs that Anna did for the NANA anime series . I start 1st with zero which was used as an insert song in the anime as one of the songs that the band BLACK STONES performed live .

The guitar riffs being used for zero's great & so's the next song which's Anna's 3rd & most successful single to date in terms of sales & chart ranking wise , rose . rose's the 1st song on the album to feature Japanese lyrics & it was used as the opening theme song for the NANA anime .

I always have liked her angsty rock no.s & it's evident in rose .

An interesting fact for both rose & zero is that subsequently both songs are available in her 2nd album ANNA TSUCHIYA inspi' NANA (BLACK STONES) & the NANA BEST compilation album .

Track 3's titled NO WAY . Just like rose , it's another angsty guitar driven no. except it incorporated a much harder & gritter sound as compared to the latter . Anna has control on her vocals on NO WAY .

Track 4's titled Lovin' you & it was initially found as the B side in the rose single . This song was used as the theme song to the Japanese dub version of the movie Silent Hill .

The next track's Under My Mask which I think is 1 of the somewhat borderline filler tracks on strip me ? because I don't find the song memorable on 1st listen & not to mention it doesn't help that there's absence of the song title in the song but having said that after extensive listens , the song begins to grow on me .

Track 6's the only cover found on strip me ? . Titled True Colors , it's a cover of Cyndi Lauper's which was arranged by ACIDMAN . It's quite interesting for Anna to do a rock inspired cover of True Colors & she sounded like she had a lot of fun singing in here .

Up next's a song titled Give me kiss & kiss . I like this song as it's a mid tempo & carefree song coming from Anna .

Track 8's 1 of the star tracks on strip me ? & it's also the only ballad on the album . Titled Forever , it's a sweeping & deep power ballad which showcases Anna's vocals at its finest form . It definitely bear similarities to her other fantastic ballads like Kuroi Namida (Black Tears) & Take me out which's plain awesome .

After a short Interlude which flows nicely to the next track which's Anna's debut single Change your life . The version found on strip me ? is a bit different as compared to the single version .

The album version starts off with Interlude . The instrumental from this track builds up and continues into the start of Change Your Life , which is otherwise unchanged .

At 1st I did not listened to Change your life as the 1st song I heard from Anna proper was SLAP THAT NAUGHTY BODY but Change your life's a mid tempo & nice tune which's accompanied by a graphics driven PV .

The next 2 tracks are 2 of the songs that Anna did not had a hand in writing . 1st in line's ecstasy which's a pretty catchy rock song & after that's done in the way , track 12's titled Jane .

Jane's the 2nd song that incorporates Japanese lyrics after rose . I really like the melody that's going on in Jane & the acoustic guitar that's being used in this song's lovely too .

Track 13's 1 of my fave songs on strip me ? . Titled Grooving beating , it was featured in an ad campaign for Whiteen & as the song title suggests , it's a great groovy catchy rock no. & it's very enjoyable on 1st listen .

The 2nd last track on strip me ? is called knock down . The song was similarly used as the Kosé Cosmetics Visée range commercial . It borderlines on the mid angsty range which's cool .

Last & definitely not least , 1 1/2 of Anna's 2nd / 1st double A side single SLAP THAT NAUGHTY BODY . This was the 1st proper song & PV that I heard/seen of Anna & you can't help but like the title .

It was used as the Hart CM theme song & it's the last song on strip me ? to feature Japanese lyrics alongside with Eng ones . The lyrics are quite funny to boot courtesy of Anna although the chorus gets repetitive subsequently but still this's 1 really fun track to tune the volume up on .

Not sure why the other A side MY FATE is excluded on strip me ? as it's a great mid tempo song .

Just like Taste My Beat EP , strip me ? is strictly a rock album with the majority of the songs are sung by Anna in Eng with a few Japanese lyrics thrown in the mix .

strip me ? has its own share of strengths & weakness in which 1 of the flaws I realised is the lack of ballads since there's only 1 ballad (Forever) that's being included on the album . It would have been better to include MY FATE & the B side of SLAP THAT NAUGHTY BODY / MY FATE , the awesome BLUE MOON .

It's quite a risk to pull off such an album considering that Eng's by right not Anna's 1st language but she did it pretty well for a debut album & also she has written some great Eng lyrics in the songs found on strip me ? .

I'm sure in her subsequent & upcoming 3rd album , she probably might incorporate more genres & different styles in her music as evident in BUBBLE TRIP & Crazy World feat AI which I totally adore .

Go do yourself a favor & get strip me ? alongside with Taste My Beat to get a taste of Anna's brand of English meets Japanese style of rock music .

Friday, July 18, 2008

CD Review :: ARASHI - ARASHIC

CD Only Cover :




CD + DVD Cover :



Tracklist :

1) WISH
2) Runaway Train
3) Raise Your Hands
4) Kitto Daijoubu (Surely Okay)
5) Ready To Fly (Ohno Satoshi's Pick Up Song)
6) Caramel Song (Ninomiya Kazunari's Pick Up Song)
7) COOL & SOUL
8) Tabidachi no Asa (On the morning of departure)
9) I Want Somebody (Matsumoto Jun's Pick Up Song)
10) Secret Eyes (Aiba Masaki's Pick Up Song)
11) Chou Arigatou [Thank you very] (Sakurai Sho's Pick Up Song)
12) CARNIVAL NIGHT part 2
13) Silver Ring
14) LOVE PARADE (CD Only Track)




ARASHIC is ARASHI's 6th album . It was released in Japan 2 years ago on July 5th .

The album was released in two editions , a Regular and a Limited Edition . The regular edition contains a bonus track LOVE PARADE and a 32-page lyrics booklet , while the limited edition contains a DVD with clips from their live performances that they did in their One Summer Tour .

2 singles are included in ARASHIC which're highlighted in bold .

Unlike their 5th album One & subsequent albums after they put out ARASHIC in the form of Time & Dream"A"live , in this record , instead of solo songs , each member did a "pick-up" song with one member being the lead vocal and the rest providing backing vocals for each "pick-up" song .

As such , I will review the 5 "pick-up" songs separately from the non singles & singles found on ARASHIC .

The 1st track to start things off is the the band's 15th single WISH which was used as the opening theme song for the 1st season of Hana Yori Dango which Matsumoto Jun played Doumyouji Tsukasa in the dodrama .

An interesting fact about WISH is that MatsuJun accepted an offer to play Doumyouji Tsukasa so that ARASHI can release the song as their next single .

WISH is yet another great single coming from the guys & not to mention it does fit the whole theme going on with Hana Yori Dango although I'm not feeling the PV as much as the song . Must be the all red outfits that the guys wore in there although I love the concept going on in the video .

The next 2 non singles songs on ARASHIC are uptempo no.s which're fantastic in their own right . I start with Runaway Train 1st which's 1 of the stronger & more prominent tracks on ARASHIC .

The melody's awesome which has a heavy synth factor being attached to the song & of course the appearance of Sakurap just makes the song a whole lot more fun than usual .

Track 3's Raise Your Hands also contains traces of Sakurap where Sakurai opened the song with his vocals . Raise Your Hands's 1 of those songs that will put you in a really good mood after each listen .

The next track's the song that started it all for me & for getting me hooked onto ARASHI's music & also it was the very 1st song I heard from the guys . Kitto Daijoubu (Surely Okay)'s the band's 16th single .

I remembered a while back , I was wondering as to how come Ken Hirai was obsessed with Kitto Daijoubu as he talked about his obsession with the song during his Ken's Bar '06 Winter performance & naturally I was curious to know why that's so .

& 1 thing led to another , I was soon hooked & drawn to Kitto Daijoubu within mins of hearing & watching the PV which's very entertaining to watch . As such I have a special liking for Kitto Daijoubu & this song never fails to brighten me up whenever I hear it .

Since the next 2 tracks are the pick up songs from Ohno & Nino , I will reveal them separately & so I jump straight to track 7 COOL & SOUL which's the most odd song on ARASHIC .

The reason why I said that so is because in here , all the members tried their hand in rapping from the start to the end . I disliked COOL & SOUL when I 1st heard it as it's quite obvious that only Sakurai's adapted & good at rapping but now after hearing the song many listens , I grew to appericate the uniqueness of COOL & SOUL since there're not many songs that all of them tried their hand in rapping .

The next track's 1 of my absolute faves on ARASHIC & it's 1 of the 2 ballads on the record . Tabidachi no Asa (On the morning of departure) is just amazing from the start to the end . The melody's just gorgeous to boot & the guys have control over their vocals in here .

Not to mention there's a great saxophone beat going on in Tabidachi no Asa & the song just captivates me big time .

I jump all the way to track 12 on ARASHIC . CARNIVAL NIGHT part 2 is 1 seriously addictive catchy song on 1st listen , you can't help but like it on 1st instance .

The 2nd slow no. on ARASHIC is up next which's titled Silver Ring . It's an interesting song title & just like Tabidachi no Asa , it's a great ballad coming from the guys & I love the piano & guitar riffs that're being used in the song .

The last song to close off ARASHIC is LOVE PARADE which's only available in the CD only edition pressing of the album . The melody of the song consist of swinging jazz & trumpet beats that's so addictive it hurts .

I feel it's a great way to close off the album with such a guilty pleasure song .

& now I will review the 5 "pick-up" songs separately from the non singles tracks .

1) Ready To Fly (Ohno Satoshi's Pick Up Song) - I adore Ohno's solo songs that were found in Time & Dream"A"live & in this pick up song , Ready To Fly showcases Ohno's great vocals that he was being backed up by the rest of the guys & it's a mid tempo no. coming from Ohno .

2) Caramel Song (Ninomiya Kazunari's Pick Up Song) - Nino's always full of surprises & in this tune which's a rather slow no. which has a charming melody attached to it & Nino allowed his vocals to shine & he has complete control over his vocals .

3) I Want Somebody (Matsumoto Jun's Pick Up Song) - this's my fave pickup song among the 5 of them . I Want Somebody's an angsty mid tempo guitar driven no. . The melody's fantastic & MatsuJun has great backing up assistance from the rest while he sang the lead in I Want Somebody which's a good thing considering that the solo songs that he did in One , Time & Dream"A"live are not really that fantastic to begin with since he's not the best vocalist in ARASHI so this's really something !

4) Secret Eyes (Aiba Masaki's Pick Up Song) - this's a pretty good pickup song from Aiba & the melody's choked full of Carribean beats & trumpets being blared out for good reasons & also great Sakurap going on in the midst of Secret Eyes . This's a nice song to listen to during the summer or if you're having a beach party .

5) Chou Arigatou [Thank you very] (Sakurai Sho's Pick Up Song) - The last pickup song on the list that's done by Sakurai . Chou Arigatou allowed him to showcase his vocals & Sakurap in its finest form possible & in the song he does more Sakurap than singing in which it's nice since he's more prominent in his rapping than singing in ARASHI .

------------------+++------------------


ARASHIC's 1 of my fave albums coming from ARASHI alongside with their 7th album Time .

All the songs on their 6th album are solid & well crafted in their own right & not to mention the idea of a pickup song's a smart move to undertake seeing that it serves as an advantage for some of the guys in ARASHI whose vocals are not strong to begin with & it's a wise move to get 1 member to take the lead vocals & the other 4 backing him up musically .

Also I personally feel that the non singles are superb & onpar if not even better than the 2 singles found on ARASHIC .

ARASHIC's 1 highly enjoyable & well liked album from the start to the end & it's worth getting a copy of it .

Thursday, July 17, 2008

CD Review :: KAT-TUN - Best of KAT-TUN



Tracklist :

1) SHE SAID ...
2) NEVER AGAIN
3) I LIKE IT
4) MIRACLE
5) BLUE TUESDAY
6) RHODESIA
7) GOLD
8) WILDS OF MY HEART
9) SPECIAL HAPPINESS (Kamenashi Kazuya & Taguchi Junnosuke Duet)
10) ONE ON ONE (Tanaka Koki & Nakamaru Yuichi Duet)
11) BUTTERFLY (Akanishi Jin & Ueda Tatsuya Duet)
12) RUSH OF LIGHT
13) Harukana Yakusoku (A Promise Long Time Ago)
14) PRECIOUS ONE
15) Real Face #1 (Regular Edition Track)




Best of KAT-TUN is KAT-TUN's debut album . It was released 2 years ago on 22nd March & it was released on the same day as their debut single Real Face & also their DVD Real Face Film & no surprises , all three shattered records in sales & topped the charts , making them the 2nd artiste do so after ayumi hamasaki & for the guys to finally able to debut after a 5 year long wait since their debut formation in 2001 , it's amazing so to speak .

Just 1 single's lifted from the album which's only available in the regular edition pressing of the record . Even so , the single available on the album's not the same version as found in the single . The only difference's that it has been arranged differently , music wise .

It might sound strange to call their debut album Best of KAT-TUN but the reason why that's so is because the album comprises of many of the songs they made popular during lives along with 7 new songs recorded just for the album in which the 7 new songs are in question , they're MIRACLE , BLUE TUESDAY , RHODESIA , SPECIAL HAPPINESS , ONE ON ONE , BUTTERFLY & RUSH OF LIGHT .

1st up in line's the infectious & very grand sounding SHE SAID ... . Just when I thought the opening song of KAT-TUN III -QUEEN OF PIRATES-'s T∀BOO is awesome , SHE SAID ... is also equally fantastic too .

I like the fact that Tanaka started things off with his rapping skills which added a nice touch to SHE SAID ... & of course the melody of the no. is to die for with the crunchy guitar riffs .

Track 2's titled NEVER AGAIN . It's an edgy hip hop no. that has shades of guitar riffs being thrown in for good measure . I think it's somewhat a bit of a weak song on 1st listen but it grows on me eventually .

Next in line's the 1st 4 of slow no.s available on Best of KAT-TUN . I LIKE IT is a slow mid tempo no. which the guys's vocals gel extremely well together with the melody of I LIKE IT .

Track 4's MIRACLE & this's a great & extremely catchy song on 1st listen . The chorus of MIRACLE's strong & very likable going on in the tune .

The next tune's titled BLUE TUESDAY & it's the 2nd slow no. on the album . This's another nice ballad coming from KAT-TUN as it bear resemblances to their 3rd single Bokura no Machi de (In Our Town) & the guys have control in their vocals in BLUE TUESDAY & not to mention the title of the song's charming too .

The pace's now cranked up to maximum level with the next 3 tracks on the record . 1st in line's a song called RHODESIA which's 1 of the harder sounding songs on Best of KAT-TUN . The melody's awesome with heavy emphasis on the lead & bass guitars .

Track 7's titled GOLD . I had a problem remembering how GOLD sounded like at 1st because there wasn't a mention of the word gold in the song + the beginning of the song was a bit boring for my liking but now I have no issues with GOLD as I can remember it from the chorus which the guys went 'all or nothing now or never we can make it happen we can make it alright' .

The album's 1/2 way mark track follows suit with an interesting song title called WILDS OF MY HEART . I love the title of the song & when I managed to heard the song eventually , I wasn't disappointed . It's another uptempo rock influenced no. at its best .

The next 3 songs are duet no.s which's no doubt an interesting concept that the guys have partake .

The 3rd slow no. in the album is called SPECIAL HAPPINESS & it's sung by Kame & Taguchi . This's my 2nd fave slow song on the album . That's something charming about the melody of SPECIAL HAPPINESS & it's a very nice finger snapping & guitar driven song which's very cool .

Credits really have to go to Kame for penning the lyrics of SPECIAL HAPPINESS under his pen name K^2 .

The pace is now picked up with the next 4 tracks on Best of KAT-TUN . Up 1st's Track 10 called ONE ON ONE & it's sung & rapped by Tanaka & Nakamaru respectively . The beginning of the song's very interesting because it features great beat boxing skills from Nakamaru & Tanaka's rapping skills in which both guys's unique skills compliment each other really well .

Subsequently after that's gotta outta the way , the actual tune of ONE ON ONE kicks in . The melody's sorta like futuristic inspired & reminded me of a more mellow take of DON'T U EVER STOP .

ONE ON ONE is 1 of the most unique songs on Best of KAT-TUN & not to mention 1 of the more rap influenced tune coming from rapping provided by Tanaka in the background of the song & both guys cowrite ONE ON ONE together which's awesome as they displayed considerable good songwriting skills in their subsequent solo singles .

Track 11 has gotta be 1 of my fave songs on Best of KAT-TUN for a non ballad song that's . Titled BUTTERFLY , this tune's sung by Akanishi & Ueda . For me , I love it that the song kicks off with an explosive guitar riff & it's practically in your face just like their previous hard rock no.s like Keep the faith & LIPS .

& of course being a rock chick , this's 1 song that I loved to play & cranked it up a notch or 2 whenever I have the chance to & I also feel BUTTERFLY's 1 of the stronger & memorable tunes in the album & the guys had a hand in cowriting BUTTERFLY together which's great . They even throw in a good measure of French in a paragraph or 2 which's cool .

Track 12's titled RUSH OF LIGHT . This's another very catchy tune except as compared to the group's rock songs , the melody of the song's quite toned down considerably & being quite heavily emphasised on the synth factor since that's what I heard in the beginning but then eventually the guitar & amp factor kicks in .

Next in line's Harukana Yakusoku (A Promise Long Time Ago) which's the only Japanese titled song on the record & it was the 1st song that the group recorded together as 1 .

Once again KAT-TUN has put out another awesome catchy guitar driven no. & Harukana Yakusoku's 1 smooth uptempo rock song & this's also another fave song of mine as I'm hooked onto the guitar riffs that's being used in Harukana Yakusoku .

The 2nd last track's incidentally the final slow no. on the album . Titled PRECIOUS ONE , this's my fave slow jam tune outta the 4 slow tunes . I love the way the guys's vocals work in synth with the melody & they really put it their best & deliver a great solid ballad .

It's just them being backed up with a piano & the final result's just stunning for words .

The final track on Best of KAT-TUN's just so happened to be the only single available on the album except it's titled Real Face #1 .

Real Face's their debut single & the single version's not available in the album . Instead the song has been arranged differently music wise by B'z Matsumoto Tak & been renamed as Real Face #1 .

Real Face #1 is only available in the regular edition of Best of KAT-TUN .

Well honestly I prefer both versions of Real Face , be it the single or album version since at the end of the day , both of them are still rock songs but it's quite something for 1 1/2 of the top selling Japan act of all time to come onboard to lend a hand & put a few nice touches to the top selling single of 2006 in Japan .

Best of KAT-TUN was quite a task for me to listen especially since there're 14 new songs & only 1 single for me to listen to but it's an interesting package .

Unlike their 3rd album KAT-TUN III -QUEEN OF PIRATES- which's extremely radio friendly & well defined in all aspects , I had a bit of problem with Best of KAT-TUN as some of the songs did not grab me on 1st instance but gradually as time goes by , I managed to appreciate every song & different aspect of KAT-TUN's debut album .

The songs that stood out are fantastic & sounds even better as each listen goes by while the slightly weaker ones managed to catch up & grow on me after I listened to Best of KAT-TUN over & over again .

Definitely an album worth checking out .

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

CD Review :: Anna Tsuchiya - Taste My Beat EP



Tracklist :

1) Ah Ah
2) Taste My Skin
3) in my hands
4) FROZEN ROSE
5) MY LULLABY
6) Somebody Help Me



Taste My Beat EP is Anna Tsuchiya's 1st solo / mini album after the disband of Spin Aqua .

This 6 track mini album was released 3 years ago on the 24th Aug in Japan . Although no singles were released from Taste My Beat , Taste My Skin was used as a radio single for promotion and had a PV to go with it .

I have been a fan of this under-rated/super cool lady for quite sometime now ever since I discovered her music that she did for the NANA anime series but it was only recently I decided to go more indepth & focus on her 1st mini album & subsequently her debut album strip me ? .

Despite the fact that Anna was born & raised in Japan , a good bulk of her music is sung in Eng especially the B sides that're found in her singles which surprises me because it's quite an unusual move to sing most of your material in Eng with a bit of Japanese lyrics thrown in considering that Eng's by right not Anna's 1st language .

As such whenever I listen to her music , most of the time I will tend to forget that by right she's a JPop/Rock artiste to begin with .

But I must say that her Eng command's good & she writes most of the lyrics to her songs which's great .

The 1st song on the EP kick things off with a pretty good no. called Ah Ah . I like the guitar riffs going on in Ah Ah .

Track 2's by right the 1st unofficial single that Anna has put which's Taste My Skin . I say so because she has made a PV for Taste My Skin & oddly enough the song was excluded from her strip me ? album for some reasons although the PV made the cut in the CD + DVD edition of her 1st full length album .

But still I enjoyed Taste My Skin & the PV's really interesting to watch as well .

Track 3's 1 of my fave songs on the EP as it presented a more fun upbeat side to Anna . Titled in my hands , it was used in the Venus Jean CM & it's an enjoyable song to listen .

Next in line's the only slow dramatic ballad on the Taste My Beat EP . Titled FROZEN ROSE , the melody of the song's stunning with an orchestra & sweeping feel to it . Anna has good control of her vocals in this no. & she didn't went over the top when she delivered this power ballad & she did so with ease .

The next track's called MY LULLABY , this's also the shortest track on the EP clocking in at 2:53 mins & unlike the 1st 4 songs & the last one on the album , this's the only song which features Japanese lyrics alongside with Eng ones .

I like the song which has a more gritter & rock sound as compared to the other 5 songs on the EP . MY LULLABY has a nice hard rock edge & touch which I adore .

The final track on the mini album's Somebody Help Me which's a cover of the now US defunct band Full Blown Rose .

Anna's take on Somebody Help Me was used as the Japanese ending theme to Tru Calling .

It's quite interesting that she decided to make a cover of Somebody Help Me . Then again since I never heard the original take of the song done by Full Blown Rose so I leave it as it's .

Anna has great control over her vocals in this angsty driven no. which bear resemblance to the future songs that she has did after she put out the EP in the form of rose & cocoon .

Taste My Beat EP is a nice little package to get yourself familiarise with Anna's music in which I feel her vocals are suitable for singing rock music as she carries the songs on the EP pretty well .

This's strictly a rock mini album although subsequently 2-3 years later , she dabbed in pop and R&B no.s as evident in BUBBLE TRIP & Crazy World but still it's a good effort to listen to .


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

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Upcoming New JPop/JRock Releases

# L'Arc-en-Ciel's 30th L'Anniversary LIVE DVD + Blu-ray , 270324 , Wed

# Saito Kazuyoshi's KAZUYOSHI SAITO 30th Anniversary Live 1993-2023 30 DVD + Blu-ray , 270324 , Wed

# B'z's B’z LIVE-GYM Pleasure 2023 -STARS- DVD + Blu-ray , 030424 , Wed

# Ichi no Mori Daigo's debut solo single Ichi no Mori Daigo Desu / Modotte Okure , 100424 , Wed

# Koda Kumi's 19th album UNICORN , 170424 , Wed

# GRANRODEO's guitarist's e-ZUKA debut solo album LET’S GET STARTED , 240424 , Wed

# Hilcrhyme's BEST 15 2009-2013 -The Beginning & Flying- , 290524

# GRANRODEO's vocalist's KISHOW debut solo album title tbc , July 2024

# BREAKERZ's 8th album title tbc , July 2024

# GRANRODEO's 35th single title tbc , Sept 2024





Album Reviews


# SPYAIR - Orange EP

# Hey ! Say ! JUMP - PULL UP!

# NEWS - NEWS EXPO

# Shota Shimizu - Insomnia

# ayaka - Funtale

# NEWS - Ongaku -2nd Movement- EP

# KAT-TUN - Fantasia

# ayumi hamasaki - Remember you

# Hilcrhyme - SELFISH

# Hey ! Say ! JUMP - FILMUSIC!

# NEWS - Ongaku

# B'z - Highway X

# Mika Nakashima - I

# KAT-TUN - Honey

# SID - Umibe

# flumpool - A Spring Breath

# GRANRODEO - Question

# Koda Kumi - heart

# ayaka - LOVE CIRCLE

# Aoyama Thelma - Scorpion Moon

# Hilcrhyme - FRONTIER

# V6 - STEP

# BREAKERZ - WITH YOU

# Shota Shimizu - HOPE

# Domoto Koichi - PLAYFUL

# Ken Hirai - Anata ni Narita Katta

# SPYAIR - UNITE

# GRANRODEO - Bokutachi no Gunzo EP

# YUI - NATURAL EP

# Fukuyama Masaharu - AKIRA

# Hey ! Say ! JUMP - Fab! -Music speaks.-

# Koda Kumi - angeL + monsteR [MY NAME IS...] EPs

# ARASHI - This is ARASHI

# Shota Shimizu - period EP

# JASMINE - S EP

# Beni Daniels - MADE IN LOVE EP

# Mika Nakashima - JOKER

# BENI - Y/our Song EP

# Hilcrhyme - THE MC

# JASMINE - M EP

# AKi - Collapsed Land

# Kis-My-Ft2 - To-y2

# flumpool - Real

# FLOWER FLOWER - Target

# NEWS - STORY

# Koda Kumi - re(CORD)

# JASMINE - JASMINE2.0 EP

# Hey ! Say ! JUMP - PARADE

# Kanon Wakeshima - odd sting & intrigue EP

# SID - Shonin Yokkyu

# KAT-TUN - IGNITE

# B'z - NEW LOVE

# GRANRODEO - FAB LOVE

# Kis-My-Ft2 - FREE HUGS!

# Matsushita Yuya - BLACK NEVERLAND

# NEWS - WORLDISTA

# Hilcrhyme - Hilcrhyme

# Yamashita Tomohisa - UNLEASHED

# BENI - CINEMATIC

# ayaka - 30 y/o

# GRANRODEO - M・S COWBOY no Gyakushuu EP

# Hey ! Say ! JUMP - SENSE or LOVE

# Koda Kumi - DNA

# Shota Shimizu - WHITE

# SID - Ichiban Sukina Basho EP

# Aoyama Thelma - HIGHSCHOOL GAL

# ayumi hamasaki - TROUBLE EP

# Hilcrhyme - One Man EP

# Kis-My-Ft2 - Yummy!!

# NEWS - EPCOTIA

# FLOWER FLOWER - Spotlight

# Koda Kumi - AND

# B'z - DINOSAUR

# ARASHI - 「untitled」

# BREAKERZ - X

# Aoyama Thelmas - 10TH DIARY

# SPYAIR - KINGDOM

# SID - NOMAD

# V6 - The ONES

# Shota Shimizu - FLY

# Ken Hirai - Utabaka Dake ni.

# Acid Black Cherry - Acid BLOOD Cherry

# Kis-My-Ft2 - MUSIC COLOSSEUM

# Mika Nakashima - TOUGH

# NEWS - NEVERLAND

# Koda Kumi - W FACE ~inside~ & W FACE ~outside~

# GRANRODEO - Karma to Labyrinth

# GRANRODEO - Pierrot Dancin'

# Hilcrhyme - SIDE BY SIDE

# Kanon Wakeshima - luminescence Q.E.D

# ARASHI - Are You Happy?

# Mao from SID - Maison de M EP

# Hey ! Say ! JUMP - DEAR.

# Ken Hirai - THE STILL LIFE

# BENI - Shiki Uta summer

# Kis-My-Ft2 - I SCREAM

# ayumi hamasaki - M(A)DE IN JAPAN

# MUSCLE ATTACK - HERCULES ROAD

# Aoyama Thelma - PINK TEARS EP

# Shota Shimizu - PROUD

# flumpool - EGG

# NEWS - QUARTETTO

# AKi - EPHEMERAL EP

# BENI - Undress

# SPYAIR - 4

# ARASHI - Japonism

# Aoyama Thelma - GRAY SMOKE EP

# ayumi hamasaki - sixxxxxx EP

# BREAKERZ - 0-ZERO-

# Domoto Koichi - Spiral

# Kis-My-Ft2 - KIS-MY-WORLD

# Hey ! Say ! JUMP - JUMPing CAR

# Namie Amuro - _genic

# ayaka - Rainbow Road

# THE TURTLES JAPAN - ELECTRONIC HUMANITY

# ayumi hamasaki - A ONE

# Hilcrhyme - REVIVAL

# MUSCLE ATTACK - ATTACK

# Koda Kumi - WALK OF MY LIFE

# B'z - EPIC DAY

# Acid Black Cherry - L

# Kanon Wakeshima - Tsukinami

# NEWS - White

# FLOWER FLOWER - Shiki EP

# AKi - ARISE

# FLOWER FLOWER - Mi

# ARASHI - THE DIGITALIAN

# Anna Tsuchiya - LUCIFER EP

# Yamashita Tomohisa - YOU

# Aoyama Thelma - Lonely Angel

# Yamashita Tomohisa - Asobi EP

# Kis-My-Ft2 - Kis-My-Journey

# ayumi hamasaki - Colours

# KAT-TUN - come Here

# Hey ! Say ! JUMP - smart

# Fukuyama Masaharu - HUMAN

# Miliyah Kato x Shota Shimizu - THE BEST

# JASMINE - Welcome to Jas Vegas

# SID - OUTSIDER

# Shota Shimizu - ENCORE

# Hilcrhyme - FIVE ZERO ONE

# DAIGO - DAIGOLD

# Koda Kumi - Bon Voyage

# Tegomass - Tegomass no Seishun

# MUSCLE ATTACK - MUSCLE

# KAT-TUN - Kusabi -kusabi- EP

# ARASHI - LOVE

# Yamashita Tomohisa - A NUDE

# Matsushita Yuya - #musicoverdose

# JASMINE - Complexxx

# SPYAIR - MILLION

# BENI - Red

# ON/OFF - DICE EP

# NEWS - NEWS

# Namie Amuro - FEEL

# AKIHIDE - Amber

# Kis-My-Ft2 - Good Ikuze !

# girl next door - Life of Sound

# V6 - Oh ! My ! Goodness !

# ayumi hamasaki - LOVE again

# Mika Nakashima - REAL

# flumpool - experience

# ayumi hamasaki - again EP

# Hilcrhyme - LIKE A NOVEL

# ayumi hamasaki - LOVE EP

# ARASHI - Popcorn

# Domoto Koichi - Gravity

# SPYAIR - Just Do It

# SID - M&W

# Yamashita Tomohisa - Ero

# Namie Amuro - Uncontrolled

# Hey ! Say ! JUMP - JUMP WORLD

# Kis-My-Ft2 - Kis-My-1st

# Acid Black Cherry - 『2012』

# Shota Shimizu - Naturally

# ayumi hamasaki - Party Queen

# Matsushita Yuya - 2U

# KAT-TUN - CHAIN

# Kuroki Meisa - UNLOCKED

# L'Arc~en~Ciel - BUTTERFLY

# ayaka - The beginning

# Koda Kumi - JAPONESQUE

# Kuriyama Chiaki - CIRCUS Deluxe Edition

# girl next door - Agaruneku !

# Hilcrhyme - RISING

# ON/OFF - Legend Of Twins II -Zoku Futago Densetsu-

# BENI - Fortune

# YUI - HOW CRAZY YOUR LOVE

# Saito Kazuyoshi - 45 STONES

# Tegomass - Tegomass no Mahou

# SPYAIR - Rockin' the World

# BREAKERZ - GO

# ayumi hamasaki - FIVE EP

# B'z - C'mon

# School Food Punishment - Prog-Roid

# ARASHI - Beautiful World

# Aoyama Thelma - WILL

# Ken Hirai - JAPANESE SINGER

# GIRL NEXT DOOR - Destination

# Tackey & Tsubasa - TRIP & TREASURE EP

# Shota Shimizu - COLORS

# Koda Kumi - Dejavu

# SID - dead stock

# flumpool - Fantasia of Life Stripe

# Yamashita Tomohisa - SUPERGOOD , SUPERBAD

# Kuroki Meisa - MAGAZINE

# ayumi hamasaki - Love songs

# BENI - Jewel

# Hilcrhyme - MESSAGE

# Saito Kazuyoshi - ARE YOU READY ?

# Mika Nakashima - STAR

# Kanjani∞ - 8UPPERS (Pacchi Uppers)

# GLAY - GLAY

# Anna Tsuchiya - RULE

# NEWS - LIVE

# JASMINE - GOLD

# Domoto Koichi - BPM

# Aoyama Thelma - LOVE ! 2

# Hilcrhyme - Recital

# ARASHI - Boku no Miteiru Fukei

# Kanon Wakeshima - Shoujo Shikake no Libretto ~LOLITAWORK LIBRETTO~

# YUI - HOLIDAYS IN THE SUN

# Hey ! Say ! JUMP - JUMP NO.1

# KAT-TUN - NO MORE PAIИ

# BENI - Lovebox

# Matsushita Yuya - I AM ME

# Acid Black Cherry - Q.E.D.

# Acid Black Cherry - BLACK LIST

# school food punishment - amp-reflection

# Tegomass - Tegomass no Ai EP

# BREAKERZ - B.R.Z ACOUSTIC EP

# ayumi hamasaki - Rock'n'Roll Circus

# V6 - READY ?

# DAIGO☆STARDUST - HELLO CRAZY GENTLEMAN

# DAIGO☆STARDUST - The space toy

# Shota Shimizu - Journey

# Koda Kumi - UNIVERSE

# NEVER LAND - Beautiful Days EP

# abingdon boys school - ABINGDON ROAD

# BENI - Bitter & Sweet

# GIRL NEXT DOOR - NEXT FUTURE

# LANDS - Olympos EP

# flumpool - What's flumpool !?

# Kuroki Meisa - ATTITUDE EP

# Yusuke - Ano .. Konnan Dekimashita Kedo.

# KinKi Kids - J album

# Namie Amuro - PAST < FUTURE

# BREAKERZ - FIGHTERZ

# alan - my life

# LOVE - LOVE.IT EP

# B'z - MAGIC

# Dew - PRESENT

# Saito Kazuyoshi - Tsuki ga Noboreba

# Aoyama Thelma - Emotions

# SID - hikari

# Kobukuro - CALLING

# Domoto Koichi - mirror

# Tegomass - Tegomass no Uta

# ON / OFF - Legend Of Twins I -Futago Densetsu-

# Fukuyama Masaharu - Zankyou

# Kanon Wakeshima - Shinshoku Dolce

# GReeeeN - Shio , Koshou -SALT & PEPPER-

# flumpool - Unreal EP

# Yuna Ito - DREAM

# Kanjani∞ - PUZZLE

# KAT-TUN - Break the Records -by you & for you-

# Kuroki Meisa - hellcat EP

# Kanjani∞ - KJ2 Zukkoke Daidassou

# ayumi hamasaki - NEXT LEVEL

# Utada Hikaru - DEEP RIVER

# Utada - This Is The One

# Kanjani∞ - KJ1 F·T·O

# ARASHI - Dream"A"Live

# Kanjani∞ - Kansha ni Eight EP

# alan - Voice of EARTH

# Aoyama Thelma - LOVE !

# Koda Kumi - TRICK

# Aoyama Thelma - DIARY

# YUI - I LOVED YESTERDAY

# YUI - CAN'T BUY MY LOVE

# BREAKERZ - BREAKERZ

# GIRL NEXT DOOR - GIRL NEXT DOOR

# GReeeeN - A , Domo. Ohisashiburi Desu

# YUI - FROM ME TO YOU

# GReeeeN - A , Domo. Hajimemashite

# BREAKERZ - CRASH & BUILD

# ai otsuka - LOVE LETTER

# Mika Nakashima - VOICE

# BREAKERZ - BIG BANG !

# NEWS - color

# Anna Tsuchiya - NUDY SHOW !

# Soundtrack Of High School Musical 3 : Senior Year

# L'Arc~en~Ciel - KISS

# BREAKERZ - Ao no Mirai EP

# ai otsuka - LOVE PUNCH

# ai otsuka - LOVE COOK

# ai otsuka - LOVE JAM

# KAT-TUN - cartoon KAT-TUN II You

# OLIVIA - Trinka Trinka EP

# NEWS - touch

# NEWS - pacific

# ARASHI - Iza , Now

# ARASHI - One

# NANA Triple Billing

# OLIVIA - The Cloudy Dreamer EP

# Anna Tsuchiya - strip me ?

# ARASHI - ARASHIC

# KAT-TUN - Best of KAT-TUN

# Anna Tsuchiya - Taste My Beat EP

# ARASHI - Time

# Electrico - We Satellites

# ayaka - Sing to the Sky

# ayaka - First Message

# KAT-TUN - KAT-TUN III -QUEEN OF PIRATES-

# Koda Kumi - BEST ~BOUNCE & LOVERS~

# Jesse McCartney - Departure

# The Veronicas - Hook Me Up

# Ken Hirai - LIFE is ...

# Ashlee Simpson - Bittersweet World

# Ken Hirai - gaining through losing

# Yuna Ito - HEART

# Utada Hikaru - HEART STATION

# Ken Hirai - FAKIN' POP

#
Yuna Ito - WISH

# Ken Hirai - SENTIMENTALovers

# Koda Kumi - Kingdom

# ayumi hamasaki - GUILTY

# ai otsuka - LOVE PiECE

# abingdon boys school - abingdon boys school

# ayumi hamasaki - I am ...

# ayumi hamasaki - RAINBOW

# The Great Spy Experiment - Flower Show Riots

# Koda Kumi - BEST ~second session~

# The Click Five - Modern Minds And Pastimes

# Soundtrack Of High School Musical 2

# Koda Kumi - Black Cherry

# Namie Amuro - PLAY

# Maroon 5 - It Wouldn't Be Soon Before Long

# ayumi hamasaki - Memorial address EP

# NANA starring Mika Nakashima - THE END

# Mika Nakashima - YES

# Jamie Michael - People Watching

# ayumi hamasaki - A BEST 2 -BLACK- & A BEST 2 -WHITE-

# ayumi hamasaki - (miss)understood

# ayumi hamasaki - Duty & MY STORY

# Muse - Blackholes And Relevations

# Utada Hikaru - ULTRA BLUE

# ayumi hamasaki - Secret

# Utada - Exodus

# Vanessa Hudgens - V

# The Veronicas - The Secret Life Of The Veronicas

# Jesse McCartney - Right Where You Want Me

# Maksim - Electrik

# McFly - Motion In The Ocean


Other Posts Worth Checking Out


# Fave Songs Of 2010

# Fave Singles Releases Of 2010

# Fave Albums Releases Of 2010

# Fave Songs Of 2009

# Fave Singles Releases Of 2009

# Fave Albums Releases For 2009

# The Best Music Releases For The 1st 1/2 Of 2009

# Fave New Acts Of 2008

# Fave Songs Of 2008

# Fave Singles Of 2008

# Fave Albums Of 2008

# The 1st Song I Heard From My Future JPop Acts

# The Best & The Worst Music Releases For The 1st 1/2 Of 2008

# Fave Albums Of 2007

# The Click Five - The Band Behind The Band Documentary

# 987 Control Songlist Set

# Hot Review Of Maksim's Electrik

# Lu Yong Find My Shoes Journey

# Eric Dill Of The Click Five Got Punk'd !


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Credits

designer - Chronicles

imageeditor - adobephotoshop

music - radioblogclub

image - fortminorwebsite