Saturday, December 31, 2011
SID - Fuyu no (Winter) Bench
1) Fuyu no (Winter) Bench
2) Otori (Decoy)
3) Alibi (Live from 『dead stock TOUR 2011』)
Fuyu no (Winter) Bench is SID's 10th single & it was released a few days ago on 28th Dec .
This single is released exactly 4 months since the group's previous single Itsuka (Forever) .
It has been close to 2 years since SID last released a winter inspired no. , the last one was their 2nd single 2 Dome no Kanojo (Get Her Back Again) so naturally I was looking forward to hear what they have to offer for Fuyu no Bench .
Fuyu no Bench is honestly not SID's strongest sounding track . I have to admit I find the song a bit weak on 1st listen but things does get better as each listen goes by but other than that , this's a nice soothing no. the group delivered .
There're 2 B-sides included in the single . The 1st one is something that's titled Otori (Decoy) .
Wow on 1st listen , Otori reminds me of dead stock's Wife which's not a bad thing since I adore Wife but I couldn't help but had that when I 1st heard Otori .
Otori plays a great contrast against Fuyu no Bench that's for sure .
Recorded live from the group's dead stock TOUR 2011 , it's a live take of Alibi . I like Alibi which's such a uplifting rocking track , which's more or less a suitable song to conclude things in the Fuyu no Bench single .
SID wraps up 2011 with their latest single release Fuyu no Bench . 2011 saw the group releasing their 2nd album dead stock & with them following things up with Itsuka & Fuyu no Bench .
This's 1 rock group that I enjoy supporting/listening & I sure hope 2012 will see them releasing even more awesome material which I think it wouldn't be a problem , since SID is a really talented group to begin with .
Shota Shimizu - Fuyu ga Owaru Maeni (Before The End Of Winter)
1) Fuyu ga Owaru Maeni (Before The End Of Winter)
2) When You Cry
3) Kimi ga Kurasu Machi -Jazzin'park Winter Remix-
4) Fuyu ga Owaru Maeni (Before The End Of Winter) -instrumental-
Fuyu ga Owaru Maeni (Before The End Of Winter) is Shota Shimizu's 11th single & this was released last week on 21st Dec .
Shota's new single was released about 2 months + since his previous single Mada Owaranai (It's Not Over Yet) & it has been described to be a winter love song .
Fuyu ga Owaru Maeni is described as a sparkly love song which's perfect in conveying the feelings of a person who can't see their loved one .
This's Shota's 1st solo winter no. & I'm really glad that he delivered such a simple heartfelt no. & immediately when Fuyu ga Owaru Maeni hits , it has the words winter & ballad stamped all over the place .
I don't think it's fair to compare Fuyu ga Owaru Maeni against Mada Owaranai since they're both different in terms of the style & sound but Shota never fails to disappoint when comes to his ballads & Fuyu ga Owaru Maeni is no exception .
There're 2 B-sides in the single , the 1st one is something titled When You Cry .
When You Cry is a nice mid tempo piano tune that compliments well against Fuyu ga Owaru Maeni . Compared to the A-side which's rather sad sounding , there's somewhat of a positive vibe that When You Cry presented .
Kimi ga Kurasu Machi (The Town You Live In) is Shota's 7th single & in here , Kimi ga Kurasu Machi has been given a Jazzin'park Winter Remix prior to conclusion of Fuyu ga Owaru Maeni .
I never really like Kimi ga Kurasu Machi as I find it a bit depressing sounding for my liking but surprisingly , the Jazzin'park Winter Remix of the song is something I like on 1st listen .
In here , Kimi ga Kurasu Machi has been transformed & given a winter touch which makes the song sound a lot more lighthearted & cheery sounding , giving the original take pretty much a run for its own $ .
Shota Shimizu wraps up a pretty fruitful year with this single Fuyu ga Owaru Maeni . After releasing his 3rd album COLOURS which was a very enjoyable & fantastic offering , he followed up with 4 more singles , inclusive of his 3rd duet collaboration with Miliyah Kato ie. BELIEVE .
To me , it's great to see Shota progress/mature as a musician/singer songwriter as each release of his goes by . He wasn't good initally but in due time , the transition/maturity Shota displayed in his music speaks otherwise .
His 12th single title tbc is rumoured to get released in Jan 2012 , followed by his 4th album in Feb 2012 .
Friday, December 23, 2011
Acid Black Cherry - CRISIS
CD
CD + DVD
CRISIS is Acid Black Cherry's 14th single & it was released 2 days ago on 21st Dec .
Their new single was released less than a month after their previous single Chou (Butterfly) & it's their 4th single from a 5-consecutive-monthly singles plan (one single per month for five months) .
Described as an intensely painful rock tune , acclaimed producer Tetsuya Komuro lends yasu a hand in CRISIS by arranging & composing the track himself .
Honestly , I was expecting pretty big things when comes to CRISIS but I couldn't help but felt let down when I heard it as it sounded like a typical standard Acid Black Cherry rock song .
Perhaps I was so impressed with what their previous single offerings had to offer which probably explains why I couldn't help but feel a bit underwhelmed with regards to CRISIS , especially since I really liked what Tetsuya Komuro did with ayumi hamasaki's Love songs .
It's not as if CRISIS is a bad song but I suppose so far out of the singles that have been released consecutively from Sept til now , this's probably my least fave for the time being .
The B-side is a cover track of 1986's Misato Watanabe's BELIEVE & this song will not be reviewed .
Acid Black Cherry's 15th single Yes will be released next month on 18th Jan 2012 & this will be the last single that will conclude the 5-consecutive-monthly singles plan .
Thursday, December 22, 2011
L'Arc~en~Ciel - CHASE
CD
CD + DVD
1) CHASE
2) My Dear -L'Acoustic version-
3) CHASE (hydeless version)
4) My Dear -L'Acoustic version- (hydeless version)
CHASE is L'Arc~en~Ciel's 39th single & it was released yesterday on 21st Dec .
The group's latest release is their 3rd single release of 2011 to celebrate the band's 20th anniversary & this comes in 2 months + after their last single X X X .
For starters , the B-side My Dear -L'Acoustic version- will not get reviewed .
Selected to be used as the theme song for the action blockbuster Wild 7 , CHASE features a strong electronic guitar presence to make a heavy rock tune .
After the sexy sounding X X X , L'Arc~en~Ciel is back on full swing with this really rocking track CHASE . I wasn't sure what to expect but this's basically classic L'Arc~en~Ciel & also I feel this song fits the whole concept on what Wild 7 has to offer too .
Compared to last year & 2009 , 2011 has been a relatively active year for L'Arc~en~Ciel in the music front & that can't be blamed since this year , the group celebrated 20 years of being in the business .
Hopefully next year will see even more music activities for L'Arc~en~Ciel , perhaps a long overdue new album since their last album was released 4 years ago which was KISS .
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Kis-My-Ft2 - We never give up !
CD
CD + DVD A
CD + DVD B
1) We never give up !
2) Kis-My-Venus
3) Love is you (CD Only Track)
We never give up ! is Kis-My-Ft2's 2nd single & it was released last week on 14th Dec .
The group's latest single release comes in about 4 months since the release of their debut single Everybody Go .
We never give up ! is described as an energetic piece that's sure to make everyone listening “stand up ! stand up !”
The tune , the theme song for Lawson Hot Station's ad campaign , is a spirited encouragement song about standing up & beating challenges that keep fans down .
Well with a song description like this , naturally We never give up ! is an enpowering no. & I really like this the very moment I heard it . It's definitely different from Everybody Go & the chorus in We never give up ! is extremely catchy/memorable .
Also I like songs that have positive vibes attached to them , with We never give up ! fitting the bill well .
There're 2 B-sides in the single , with the 1st 1 titled Kis-My-Venus which I assume this's 1 of the group's many original songs they tend to perform on variety shows before their official debut .
Kis-My-Venus might sound like a strange song title but in actual fact , it's another catchy track just like the A-side itself .
Only included in the CD pressing of the single is the 2nd / last B-side ie. Love is you .
I did not find Love is you memorable on 1st listen & it's a pretty standard upbeat pop no. . As to whether will this be a fave Kis-My-Ft2 B-side track of mine , somehow I doubt it but it does get easier for me to remember how Love is you goes as each listen goes by .
Johnny's Associates latest group Kis-My-Ft2 celebrated this year by finally getting to debut officially after they were formed close to 8 years ago & I'm sure longtime fans of Kis-My-Ft2 rejoiced the moment when this happened .
2011 has been a relatively great year for Kis-My-Ft2 & judging from the number of accolades they've received , this's nothing but the start of many great things for Kis-My-Ft2 & I'm sure 2012 will see them being more productive on the music front .
Sunday, December 18, 2011
CD Review :: Hilcrhyme - RISING
CD
CD + DVD
1) Personal COLOR
2) Tomo yo (My Friend)
3) TOKYO CITY
4) Ponpira
5) Dancers Anthem
6) Okubyou na Ookami (Cowardly Wolf)
7) Nirei Ichi Ichi Nihon Nite-ki su (Database recorded one thousand one hundred and two in Japan)
8) Changes
9) My Christmas Carol
10) Extraction -Instrumental-
11) LOOP
12) no one
13) RISING MARCH
RISING is Hilcrhyme's 3rd album & it was released on 7th Dec .
The duo's brand new album contains 3 singles & a B-side . Their last album MESSAGE was released last year on 24th Nov .
In addition , RISING was released on the same day as their new DVD Hilcrhyme Live in TOKI MESSE -Ake no Sagi- .
Starting RISING is Personal COLOR which's the duo's 9th single .
Personal COLOR was used as the outro theme song for the drama IS ~Otoko Demo Onna Demo nai Sei~ & the song's about using colour to define the uniqueness of individuals .
Tomo yo (My Friend) is the B-side of their 8th single no one .
This's 1 B-side I'm really thrilled to see it being included in RISING because I adore Tomo yo when no one was released & because of this , I have no complaints seeing Tomo yo here .
TOKYO CITY is RISING's 1st album track & this's 1 really funky no. which combines Hilcrhyme's trademark hip hop rap beats together with singer/MC TOC's rap/singing vocals nicely .
Likewise , Ponpira is also another new song I enjoyed too & it's equally upbeat & funkier just like TOKYO CITY too .
Dancers Anthem is 1 unusual no. & this's quite heavily R&B emphasised . Also it's somewhat a bit more darker sounding as well .
Okubyou na Ookami (Cowardly Wolf) is Hilcrhyme's 7th single . This song has pop essence & it showcases a new style from the guys .
Promo wise , Okubyou na Ookami received the following mode of promotion :
- NTV "MIDNITE television series " ending theme (4th Jan - 22nd March )
- Nippon TV series "Happy Music "POWER PLAY (28th Jan - 18th Feb)
When Okubyou na Ookami was released way back in Feb , it definitely showcased a different music style from the duo , with it being much different from their previous singles & they even throw in a bit of saxaphone beats for good measures too .
The rather long sounding Nirei Ichi Ichi Nihon Nite-ki su (Database recorded one thousand one hundred and two in Japan) might sound rather daunting but surprisingly , this's 1 track that I kind of enjoy .
It's 1 of the few songs I get to hear TOC sing instead of rap & I feel TOC actually sounds good when he sings , not that I dislike his rapping style .
Changes is also another song I enjoyed as this does reminds me of Loose Leaf's Hikari (Light) to a certain extent since both Changes & Hikari are acoustic guitar meets hip hop songs .
My Christmas Carol is the only album track that gets a music video but the video's not included in the DVD of RISING .
The song is described to be the ultimate Christmas gift you give to that important person you want to reach with the message , “I wrote this song for you & I’ll only sing it on this night .”
My Christmas Carol is 1 song I've been waiting to hear since I really like the preview & I wasn't disappointed when I finally get to listen to the full version in the album .
This can be considered as the duo's 1st Christmas song & I thought they did such a great job in giving My Christmas Carol a funky update feel . It's not a typical Christmas song but somehow , they were able to combine old & modern traits which gives rise to this which I enjoy a lot .
After a 2:45 mins Extraction -Instrumental- , in comes LOOP which's the 2nd last album track .
LOOP is another song that I enjoy & it's much more fast paced driven as compared to other album tracks found in RISING .
no one is Hilcrhyme's 8th single & it was used as the opening theme for NTV's Happy Music this year in June .
This's 1 heartfelt ballad that I still enjoy even up to now & I can feel just how much emotions TOC has poured into this track . Unlike their 4th single Daijoubu (It's Alright) , no one is much more simplified sounding , in terms of the piano melody that was utilised .
Kind of being named after the album , it's the last track on RISING ie. RISING MARCH .
As the song title suggests , RISING MARCH is a rather fist pumping track that's full of enthusiasm & I think this's a pretty fitting no. to conclude things , just like what it happened in the duo's previous album MESSAGE when MESSAGE BOX closed off the album .
2011 has been a pretty fruitful music year for Hilcrhyme , which saw them releasing 3 singles , 2 DVDs & now their latest 3rd album RISING before 2011 concludes .
Honestly , this's 1 artiste I'm really glad to follow ever since BREAKERZ's frontman DAIGO name dropped them on his blog last year & I can understand why at that time DAIGO was singing praises on the duo's debut album Recital (which was a really good album I must add) .
I'm not really big on hip hop/rap but I feel Hilcrhyme is an exception & with regards to RISING , they're proof on why they're 1 artiste that will bound to stick around for a pretty long time .
RISING is definitely an album worth checking out before 2012 swings by & also if you need a good dosage of hip hop/rap .
CD Review :: ON/OFF - Legend Of Twins II -Zoku Futago Densetsu-
CD
CD + DVD
CD + DVD + Christmas present box
1) Myth
2) Hajimaru no Wa , Sayonara (Beginning Of Goodbye)
3) Chozetsu (Transcendent) Requiem
4) Kimi ga Suki (Love You)
5) I loving ...-Boku no Ai- (My Love)
6) Butterfly
7) Kimi ga Inakerya (If You're Not Here)
8) Chromatic Liner
9) CONNECTION
10) Boku Dake no (I Just) Orion
11) AKATSUKI (Dawn) ~Kimi no Kireina Kokoro ga Suki~ (I Like Your Beautiful Mind)
12) Legend
13) 24 Jikan no Shinwa (The Myth Of Time) (Bonus Track)
14) Christmas Carol no Koro Niha (By The Time) (Bonus Track)
Legend Of Twins II -Zoku Futago Densetsu- is ON/OFF's 2nd album & it was released 2 weeks ago on 7th Dec .
3 singles & 3 B-sides are included in Legend Of Twins II -Zoku Futago Densetsu- . The twin brothers's debut album Legend Of Twins I -Futago Densetsu- was released 2 1/2 years ago on 22nd April .
After a really cool opening introduction Myth , the 1st proper song to kick things off is Hajimaru no Wa , Sayonara (Beginning Of Goodbye) .
Hajimaru no Wa , Sayonara is the duo's 6th single & it served as the opening theme no. for the anime Beezlebub .
I still remember when I 1st heard Hajimaru no Wa , Sayonara , I was really surprised because in general , they're known for their more angsty edgy stuff when comes to their singles so it's definitely a breath of fresh air when comes to this cheery sounding no. .
And speaking of angsty no.s , the 1st album track Chozetsu (Transcendent) Requiem falls in this category which I really like for it being downright angsty & an in your face upbeat no. .
I thought the usage of a rather strong Jazz sound works really well in Chozetsu Requiem . As a result , this makes such a really good memory track for me to enjoy .
With a title like Kimi ga Suki (Love You) , I frankly was expecting a ballad but I was surprised when I found out it's actually a rather upbeat sounding no. & it's a nice cheery sounding song just like Hajimaru no Wa , Sayonara .
I loving ... -Boku no Ai- (My Love) serves as the 2nd B-side of the duo's 7th single Akatsuki (Dawn) .
I remembered when I blogged about Akatsuki , I talked about I loving ... -Boku no Ai- in that I feel it compliments & contrasts Akatsuki pretty well . The A-side is a mid tempo track while I loving ... -Boku no Ai- is downright a fuss free ballad .
Butterfly is ON/OFF's 5th single & this was used as the 2nd ending theme for the anime Durarara !! .
When this single was released , there was quite a long release gap between their debut album & Butterfly . But still , Butterfly can be considered as a great comeback song for the twins since Butterfly became the duo's best charting position for a release to date .
Kimi ga Inakerya (If You're Not Here) was originally found as the B-side of their 6th single Hajimaru no Wa , Sayonara .
I still adore Kimi ga Inakerya a great deal & I'm real glad that this song is included in Legend Of Twins II -Zoku Futago Densetsu- as this's a song that I still cannot get enough of even up to now .
Likewise , Chromatic Liner is another standout album track & this's 1 beautiful angsty song that's quite oriental influence which's something I haven't came across in ON/OFF's discography .
Needless to say , Chromatic Liner is 1 of the album's must listen songs & this's 1 track that's crafted well .
CONNECTION was originally found as the B-side in ON/OFF's 5th single Butterfly .
I remember when I 1st heard CONNECTION , I found it not as strong if not outstanding as what Butterfly has to offer . Even up to now , CONNECTION is not something that I would consider as 1 of my fave B-sides of the duo but I suppose this's a song I can tolerate now .
Likewise for Boku Dake no (I Just) Orion , I frankly thought it was going to be a ballad but when I heard it , it's a pretty standard pop song which's neither good or bad but there're better album tracks for me to enjoy so I just leave it as it's .
Akatsuki (Dawn) is ON/OFF's 7th single & in here , it has been renamed as AKATSUKI (Dawn) ~Kimi no Kireina Kokoro ga Suki~ (I Like Your Beautiful Mind) .
For AKATSUKI ~Kimi no Kireina Kokoro ga Suki~ , it's almost the same as the original except there's a fair bit of rapping done by the brothers & also by a mysterious female rapper who goes by the name of J .
But other than that , I like the little touches thrown in as Akatsuki is already something that I enjoy .
After a beautiful Legend interlude , the last 2 songs are bonus tracks included in Legend Of Twins II -Zoku Futago Densetsu- .
24 Jikan no Shinwa (The Myth Of Time) is quite a sad sounding sorrowful no. coupled with a piano underlining . I found this a bit on the boring side but I appericate the amount of emotions both brothers poured into this track .
In the case of Christmas Carol no Koro Niha (By The Time) , as the song title suggest , it's a Christmas inspired no. & I definitely prefer this over 24 Jikan no Shinwa even though I can't help but feel this's something KinKi Kids might do .
I'm not sure why but the vibes that Christmas Carol no Koro Niha said otherwise but the fact that this's not a straightforward sounding Christmas track , it kind of speak for itself .
The legend of the ON/OFF twin brothers - Sakamoto Naoya & Kazuya - finally continues with the release of their second full-length album Legend Of Twins II -Zoku Futago Densetsu- .
Fans have been waiting for 2 1/2 years for a new album from the twins & the boys now make the fans' dreams come true .
ON/OFF is an artiste that I feel is under-rated but the material both brothers make are great . It's a bit unfortunate to see that their material has been under promoted lately , especially with regards to the charting of their music after they've released Butterfly .
But with that said , waiting close to 2 1/2 years for a new album to materialise is no laughing matter but after listening to Legend Of Twins II -Zoku Futago Densetsu- , it's definitely worth waiting for , even though a drawback I found in their latest album is that , they should have axed the less than stellar B-sides & replaced them with album tracks .
Other than that , Legend Of Twins II -Zoku Futago Densetsu- is an album that should be purchased in time for Christmas , if not before 2012 swings by .
Saturday, December 17, 2011
UVERworld - BABY BORN & GO / KINJITO
CD
CD + DVD
1) BABY BORN & GO
2) KINJITO
3) UVER Battle Royal ~5/L6S mix~
BABY BORN & GO / KINJITO is UVERworld's 20th single & this was released a few days ago on 14th Dec .
The group's new single was released about 6 months + after the release of their 6th album LIFE 6 SENSE .
The 1st A-side BABY BORN & GO infuses hip-hop into their signature rock style , creating a fresh sound that the band has rarely explored before .
Well honestly I wasn't sure what to expect when I 1st heard BABY BORN & GO but it's true in that this's something I haven't came across from the group .
They already utilised saxaphone beats in CORE PRIDE so I guess they want to do the same thing for BABY BORN & GO which I kind of enjoy .
In the case of the 2nd A-side KINJITO , the presence of saxaphone can be still heard but it's interwined with soft acoustic guitar sounds in the beginning which was followed by a loud blazing guitar riff .
Clearly both A-sides of UVERworld's latest single is some of the most unique if not unusual sounding tracks I've heard of the group in recent times & this I'm sure will leave fans debating on if this's something the group should take it as a 1 off music experiment or not .
The B-side UVER Battle Royal ~5/L6S mix~ will not be reviewed .
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
flumpool - Present
CD
CD + DVD
1) Present
2)『Arigatou』 (Thank You) Kurai Jya Tsutae Kirenai Kimochi Wo (Isn't Enough To Convey A Person's Feelings)
3) Happy Xmas (War Is Over)
4) Present (Instrumental)
5)『Arigatou』 (Thank You) Kurai Jya Tsutae Kirenai Kimochi Wo (Instrumental)
Present is flumpool's 8th single & it was released last week on 7th Dec & this comes about 3 months+ since the release of the group's previous single Akashi (Proof) .
This single is an end-of-the-year ‘present’ for flumpool's fans & it’s described to be filled with the members' strong feelings .
The band explained , “We want to combine all of the happy & sad things that happened this year & conclude the year with a smile . Connecting our feelings of gratitude for important people such as family & friends , we want to do our best next year !”
The 2 B-sides available in Present are perhaps not surprising Christmas influence driven just like the A-side .
『Arigatou』 (Thank You) Kurai Jya Tsutae Kirenai Kimochi Wo (Isn't Enough To Convey A Person's Feelings) has a very strong if not cheery sounding Christmas vibe which's definitely a song that's able to get me into the festive mood .
Despite the rather long sounding title , I actually prefer 『Arigatou』 Kurai Jya Tsutae Kirenai Kimochi Wo a lot more than Present itself (which took me a few listens to remember how it sounds like) .
Happy Xmas (War Is Over) is a cover track which was written by the late Beatles's John Lennon & his wife (now widow) Yoko Ono .
This song was 1st released in 1971 as a single by John & Yoko / Plastic Ono Band with the Harlem Community Choir .
At 1st , I found it a bit strange hearing lead singer Ryuuta singing in full English in their cover take of Happy Xmas (War Is Over) but after I got that out of the way , I guess this's a pretty good cover of this classic no. .
I'm not sure if the group was able to do justice to the original but I have to give them credit for trying their best to cover Happy Xmas (War Is Over) .
flumpool held their largest-scale concert ever on Dec 10th & 11th at the Saitama Super Arena . To coincide with the 2 concerts , the band is especially releasing their latest Present .
Truth be told , to me this year has been a rather disappointing music year for flumpool as it's no open secret I haven't been impressed with their recent material , starting from their 2nd album Fantasia of Life Stripe which I feel it's quite a letdown , especially when I compare this album against their older works .
Thankfully , the singles that followed after Fantasia of Life Stripe still are able to hold a fort on its own but I do hope next year flumpool's able to bring back that old spark of theirs back to their material as it will be a major big waste to see this talented band going the samey same old same old route .
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Kuroki Meisa - Woman's Worth / Breeze Out
CD
CD + DVD
1) Woman's Worth
2) Breeze Out
3) Wired Life (1llmnt / Illuminati / Remix)
4) Woman's Worth (instrumental)
5) Breeze Out (instrumental)
Woman's Worth / Breeze Out is Kuroki Meisa's 6th single & this was released last week on 7th Dec .
This's Kruoki's 1st double A-side single & it comes about 4 months + since the release of her previous single Wired Life .
The 1st A-side Woman's Worth is currently used in the ads of the Seiko Lukia watch starring Kuroki herself . Woman's Worth combines hip-hop & electronica pop for a new style of feminist anthem .
I love Woman's Worth on 1st listen as it presents a different music style that Kuroki displayed which's vastly different from what Wired Life had to offer .
As mentioned earlier on , Woman's Worth has a neat combination of hip hop & electronica , which give rise to this really catchy memorable track .
The 2nd A-side Breeze Out is currently used in the ads of the Subaru's BRZ car & just like for Seiko Lukia , Kuroki is also the spokeswoman for the product .
Breeze Out is also another solid A-side & unlike Woman's Worth , Breeze Out takes on a more urbanised music route . Both A-sides are equally upbeat but they're able to distinct itself from each other with an unique sound of their own respectively .
The 1llmnt / Illuminati / Remix of Kuroki's previous single Wired Life serves as the B-side track . The original take of the song has a more dark R&B feeling but in here , it presents a much more surprisingly video games driven music route .
I frankly was surprised to hear the 1llmnt / Illuminati / Remix of Wired Life & no doubt it's an interesting remix which's vastly different from the original mix of the song & this's something I frankly enjoy listening to .
Kuroki Meisa shows off some serious fierce girl power in her latest double A-side single Woman's Worth / Breeze Out & considering that this's her 1st double A-side single , I say she did it really well with plenty of gusto & attitude .
I feel this year has been a really good year for Kuroki music wise as seems to me she's focusing a lot more on her singing career while juggling this with her modelling & acting career but the fact that I known her as an actress prior to her being a singer , I couldn't be any happier for her .
Kuroki's much anticipated 2nd album title tbc will be released next year on 15th Feb & this's something I definitely can't wait to get my hands on , let alone listening to it .
Sunday, December 11, 2011
School Food Punishment - How to go
Cover for both CD & CD + DVD's
CD + DVD Anime edition
1) How to go
2) Kaeru (Return)
3) Kimi ni Mune Kyun (Heart To You)
4) How to go -Instrumental-
5) How to go -Anime Edit- (CD Only Limited Edition)
How to go is School Food Punishment's 7th single & it was released a few days ago on 7th Dec .
This release is the group's 1st single after the release of their 2nd album Prog-Roid .
How to go was picked as the opening theme song for UN-GO ! anime & it's described to be a cool rock tune with a sense of speed .
In general , the material that School Food Punishment does is very experimental & bold which I guess the same thing can apply for their latest offering How to go .
How to go is pretty much what the group does best , ie. an upbeat fast paced song that consist of a lot of different layering of beats , which makes them 1 of the most distinct if not unique artistes I've come across .
There're 2 B-sides available in the single & the 1st one is something titled Kaeru (Return) .
Kaeru is very pretty on 1st listen & the emphasis in here is a lot more synth which's really cool & I adore the way lead singer Yumi sings in Kaeru as well .
Kimi ni Mune Kyun (Heart To You) is the 2nd B-side & this's actually a cover of Yellow Magic Orchestra .
This's quite an unusual song . Unlike Kaeru & How to go which're quite straightforward sound wise , in Kimi ni Mune Kyun , it's a lot more slower & tend to skip from time to time .
At 1st I thought there was a problem with Kimi ni Mune Kyun but it doesn't seem to be the case after I checked it but I suppose this's 1 of those songs that falls either in the like or dislike category .
2011 has been a pretty fruitful year for School Food Punishment which saw them releasing their 2nd album Prog-Roid which was really enjoyable & then now , wrapping up the year with this latest single offering , How to go .
I feel that this's 1 group that's really under-rated but very talented in terms of what they do . They're not exactly mainstream & everyone's cup of tea but listening to them might bring a whole lot of fun music surprises .
I definitely can't wait to see what they have in store in 2012 .
Thursday, December 08, 2011
Namie Amuro - Sit ! Stay ! Wait ! Down ! / Love Story
CD
CD + DVD
1) Sit ! Stay ! Wait ! Down !
2) Love Story
3) Higher
4) arigatou (thank the world for LOVE ... gift song for 2011)
5) Sit ! Stay ! Wait ! Down ! (Instrumental)
6) Love Story (Instrumental)
7) Higher (Instrumental)
Sit ! Stay ! Wait ! Down ! / Love Story is Namie Amuro's 36th single & it was released yesterday on 7th Dec .
Namie's new single comes about 5 months + since the release of her previous single NAKED / Fight Together / Tempest .
Despite being a double A-side single release , Sit ! Stay ! Wait ! Down ! does not have a music video .
The 1st A-side Sit ! Stay ! Wait ! Down ! is a dance song & it's produced by T.Kura & michico . The R&B production team otherwise known as Giant Swing , hasn't worked with Namie since her 2009 album PAST < FUTURE .
Sit ! Stay ! Wait ! Down ! is currently used as the theme song used for the drama Watashi ga Renai Dekinai Riyuu .
Producer Nakano Toshitaka explained his reason for choosing Namie to sing for the drama in that , “When I was planning the main character for Watashi ga Renai Dekinai Riyuu , I thought that Namie was the only one who could sing the theme song .
Namie is charismatic to young women & has an impact on their lifestyle , so I wanted her to give them courage . She has written the song after reading the script , so I expected it to be a support song for women that involves sadness & power .”
Meanwhile , Namie expressed , “This time , I am very honoured to receive this offer to provide the theme song for Watashi ga Renai Dekinai Riyuu . Sit ! Stay ! Wait ! Down ! overlaps scenes from the drama , so I hope viewers could relate to it even more . I am also looking forward to watching the drama .”
The 2nd A-side Love Story is described as an adult ballad . While Sit ! Stay ! Wait ! Down ! is used as the opening track for Watashi ga Renai Dekinai Riyuu , Love Story serves as the ending theme song to the drama .
The song's about how Namie has grown up & moved on from the love she left behind .
Namie's not really that known for her ballads but Love Story is very pretty & I feel it compliments & contrasts Sit ! Stay ! Wait ! Down ! pretty well .
Unlike Tempest which's a dramatic sounding emotional ballad , Love Story presents a more under-stated music approach that Namie undertook .
There're 2 B-sides included in the single & it has been close to 4 years since Namie included B-sides in her singles , the last being 2007's FUNKY TOWN .
Higher is a downright bad ass R&B uptempo track . It's almost able to rival Sit ! Stay ! Wait ! Down ! since both tracks are extremely upbeat but with that said , Higher is a class of its own .
The 2nd B-side arigatou (thank the world for LOVE ... gift song for 2011) is currently used in the Kose Esprique Love Colour ads featuring Namie herself in which in the ads , Namie sang this B-side acapella style .
arigatou (thank the world for LOVE ... gift song for 2011) is available as a free download track through her recently launched official Facebook website & it is a big surprise present from Namie for the year-end as this is the very 1st time a song of hers is available to be downloaded for free .
Let alone , this is the song that Namie sings at the end of her encore segment during her current ongoing nationwide namie amuro LIVE STYLE 2011 Arena tour .
Though 2011 was a tough year for Japan , this is a present from Namie with gratitude toward people all over the world for their support for Japan .
Namie Amuro concludes 2011 with this another solid single release in the form of Sit ! Stay ! Wait ! Down ! / Love Story . Compared to previous years , 2011 sees Namie being more active on the release front , in the form of releasing her 1st collaboration album Checkmate ! & also NAKED / Fight Together / Tempest & now Sit ! Stay ! Wait ! Down ! / Love Story .
I'm pretty sure 2012 will see the release of a new studio album . I hope that will happen since Namie didn't release 1 this year .
But regardless of which , here's hoping 2012 will be another eventful year for Namie in the music release department .
Sunday, December 04, 2011
Koda Kumi - Love Me Back
CD
CD + DVD
1) Love Me Back
2) Say Her Name
3) Love Me Back (Andy Price Remix)
Love Me Back is Koda Kumi's 52nd single & it was released a few days ago on 30th Nov .
Koda's new single comes in less than 2 months + since the release of her previous single Ai wo Tomenaide (Do Not Stop The Love) .
Love Me Back is Koda's 3rd straight single release for 2011 & the A-side is described as a sexy & mysterious number .
Promo wise , Love Me Back is currently used as the opening theme song for the drama Nazotoki wa Dinner no Ato de , starring ARASHI's Sakurai Sho & Kitagawa Keiko .
Love Me Back carries a retro flavor that's almost reminiscent of those 70s spy movies . It's got a playful sound & a great energy which goes hand in hand together .
This song definitely is a spillover effect from where 4 TIMES's V.I.P. left behind as Love Me Back sounds very sexy & club driven , a perfect setting of what Koda does best in her early Ero Kawaii days .
Say Her Name serves as the B-side of the single & wow , this's such a different music direction Koda takes .
I haven't heard such a simple acoustic guitar driven track from her B-side wise & the result gives Say Her Name such an under-stated feeling which allows Koda to let most of her vocals do the work for her which's wonderful .
The Andy Price Remix of Love Me Back concludes the single & I'm not a remix person to begin with but this's 1 remix that I couldn't help but dislike simply because of how gritting Koda's vocals sound like in here .
The original mix of Love Me Back is great but in here , the Andy Price Remix takes on a much more heavily club vibe . There's nothing wrong with it but unfortunately , it's the vocals & the over usage of synth & overlayering that more or less killed things .
Koda Kumi wraps up her 3 consecutive months of single releases with her new single Love Me Back . After the emotional ballad Ai wo Tomenaide , Kumi shows off her sexy side once again with Love Me Back .
Her 10th album JAPONESQUE will be released on 1st Feb , with Love Me Back being included in the tracklist as #11 .
2011 has been a pretty fruitful musical journey for Koda & hopefully 2012 will bring nothing but the best for this talented lady .
