Cover for both CD & CD + DVD's editions
1) DARK RIVER
2) Eternally
3) Tokei (Clock)
This's the group's 1st single release since they released their 11th & 12th albums JUSTICE & GUILTY on the same day earlier this year on 23rd Jan .
All 3 songs in DARK RIVER / Eternally / Tokei have various promotion tie in's . The 1st A-side DARK RIVER was picked to be used as the theme song for NHK's drama Gekiryu ~Watashi wo Oboeteimasuka ?~ which started airing from 25th June .
DARK RIVER is described as a medium-tempo rock tune that was produced by ex Tokyo Jihen member Kameda Seiji .
The 2nd A-side Eternally was picked to be used as the theme song for GLAY's special live GLAY SPECIAL LIVE 2013 in HAKODATE「GLORIOUS MILLION DOLLER NIGHT VOL.1」 that took place last weekend on July 27th & 28th in Hakodate .
Eternally is described as a touching rock ballad with a memorable melody & in addition , it was also picked to be used in the ads of Menard Cosmetics' 'illuneige' , which will start airing from Aug 21 onwards .
In fact , Eternally was 1st made available for download through iTunes Store & dwango.jp from May 8th onwards .
The last A-side in the single Tokei is the only track that does not have a music video unlike DARK RIVER and/or Eternally .
For this track , it was picked to be used as the insert song for NHK's drama Gekiryu ~Watashi wo Oboeteimasuka ?~ which started airing from 25th June . DARK RIVER & Tokei were both used respectively for the drama with DARK RIVER as the theme song while for Tokei , as the insert no. .
Former Tokyo Jihen member & prolific music producer Kameda Seiji teams up with rock band GLAY for the 1st time for DARK RIVER / Eternally / Tokei , the band's new triple A-side single !
Overall , DARK RIVER / Eternally / Tokei is really enjoyable if not great & the 3 songs are basically ballad driven numbers at the end of the day but the way each song is interpreted , it's done differently if not really well .
And in this aspect , GLAY has proven why after all these years , they have stood the test of time & it's evident in their latest single offering DARK RIVER / Eternally / Tokei .
MUSCLE ATTACK is fronted by BREAKERZ's guitarist SHINPEI in which he started it as part of his solo project since BREAKERZ are currently on hiatus in order for each of the members to focus on solo projects for this year .
In MUSCLE ATTACK , SHINPEI serves as both the vocalist & guitarist . The rest of MUSCLE ATTACK consists of guitarist Shunp , bassist Jong & drummer HIDEHIRO .
So far , MUSCLE ATTACK has not released anything in physical CD mode .
Sometime back , My BLOODY BUNNY was picked to be used as the image song for Music Japan TV's MUSIC LAUNCHER , which was aired nationwide via 23 stations .
When I 1st heard the preview & then subsequently the full version of My BLOODY BUNNY , I feel that MUSCLE ATTACK's sound is quite Americanised sounding & even though SHINPEI is the main lead vocalist in MUSCLE ATTACK , in actual fact , My BLOODY BUNNY is not sung by him .
My BLOODY BUNNY is actually mainly sung by bassist Jong & not only that , he was also the 1 that wrote the lyrics to the song which surprised me when I found this out .
So far it's still premature for me to really give proper remarks/comments on MUSCLE ATTACK but I definitely look forward to see what else they have in store in due time .
CD
CD + Blu ray
CD + DVD
1) Alive
2) Rainbow
3) Can You Feel This Love
4) Big Boys Cry
5) Hands On Me
6) Heaven
7) Poison
8) La La La
9) Supernatural Love
10) Let Me Let You Go
11) Contrail
12) Stardust In My Eyes
Only 1 single Big Boys Cry / Beautiful is included in FEEL . However Beautiful is excluded from the tracklist . Likewise , digital single Damage is not included in Namie's latest album offering either .
Released 1 year 1 month since her previous album Uncontrolled . FEEL is Namie's 1st release under the avex trax established sub-label Dimension Point .
There're a total of 12 songs in FEEL with 5 album tracks that received music videos .
A wide range of sounds is presented in FEEL , from aggressive dance tracks incorporating drums & bass , to simple ballads using only classical instruments such as the piano .
Alive is the 1st song in FEEL with it being 1 of 5 album tracks that has a music video .
Namie always has a tendency to have extremely good opening songs for her albums , no exception goes to Alive . Just like Uncontrolled's In The Spotlight (TOKYO) , Alive is sung completely in English .
The difference's that for both songs , Alive has a lot more attitude & the melody's just completely out of the water , with it being such a futuristic sleek one , making it 1 of the best opening album tracks I've heard for this year & it definitely pays homage to the album title too .
Rainbow is the 2nd album track right after Alive . For this song , wow it sounds like something straight from a video game .
Not that it's a bad thing but it's a music style that Namie has never tried before until now . Rainbow is just 1 of those songs that gets addictive as each listen goes by & for all the right reasons .
Can You Feel This Love is track #3 & this was picked to be used as the theme song for Mezamashi TV .
With regards to the DVD tracklist of FEEL , Can You Feel This Love actually also received a music video but for some reason , it's not stated as so in the DVD tracklist but the video for Can You Feel This Love is essentially behind the scene offshot footages taken from the videos that have been included in FEEL .
To me , I thought Can You Feel This Love might be a ballad but I was surprised it's not the case as this's actually quite an upbeat cheery sounding no. & it's those type of songs that makes people feel good upon hearing it . Well that's what I had after I listened to Can You Feel This Love .
Big Boys Cry is the 1st A-side in Namie's 38th single Big Boys Cry / Beautiful . This's the only single included in FEEL since Beautiful has been excluded .
In this case , Big Boys Cry is described as a springlike pop dance no. & it was picked to be used as the theme song for the Kose ESPRIQUE TV ads which started airing at the end of Feb .
Big Boys Cry / Beautiful is Namie's 1st single since 2005's White Light / Violet Sauce that was not released in a CD + DVD format .
The next 2 album tracks are 2 songs back to back that received music videos , just like Alive .
Hands On Me was used to promote the ads of Recochoku while Heaven was produced by ZEDD , whom served as the DJ for Lady Gaga's tour .
Both Hands On Me & Heaven were released digitally via iTunes on the same day as FEEL with both songs sung completely in English just like Alive .
Between both songs , Hands On Me was the 1st 1 I heard & it's a really catchy solid no. . I found myself being captivated by it after I kept on listening to it .
Likewise the same thing goes for Heaven too . It's also a dance no. just like Hands On Me but what sets Heaven apart is that it has a fun disco feeling .
To me , Hands On Me feels like something I might hear being played in a hip hop party/club while for Heaven , it's a perfect disco track but all in all , both songs are equally top notch despite being dancey no.s at the end of the day .
The next album track is Poison & this's quite a bad ass sounding no. as it incorporated rap . It's not a typical style Namie goes for but I must say in this case , it works well for her .
Likewise , La La La is an aggressive angsty song . I thought it was going to be something cheesy sounding but the title itself fooled me & in the midst , I got surprised in a good way . Now I know why both Poison & La La La are side by side each other as they give off almost the same music vibe .
Supernatural Love is track #9 & I feel this's 1 of the coolest sounding tracks in FEEL simply because of the melody .
If I thought Alive has a great futuristic sleek sound , for Supernatural Love , it can be considered as so , only that it's a lot more energetic if not fun . There's just something about Supernatural Love that makes each listen of the song extremely addictive as each listen goes by .
Let Me Let You Go is the only album ballad in FEEL & it's the 2nd last of 5 album tracks that gets a music video .
This song , alongside with most of the album tracks , is sung completely in English .
To be frank , I never have been so keen on Namie's ballads as I feel her forte lies with upbeat hip pop songs . I guess she wanted to incorporate a ballad in FEEL in making sure that she does actually has the capability to cover a wide range of different music styles & not just only focusing on purely upbeat tunes .
In the case of Let Me Let You Go , it's a nice piano driven ballad but it's definitely a somewhat sore thumb in FEEL since it's the only track that's a ballad but sometimes slowing down ain't such a bad thing .
Contrail is the 2nd last track in FEEL & it was used in the drama Sora Tobu Kouhoushitsu . It's also the last album track in FEEL to get a music video too .
Released as a digital single on 28th April & 1 of the 1st few songs I heard before FEEL was officially released .
Somehow or another , I just like Contrail . It's 1 of those songs that has a very likeable feeling & it's 1 of the more mellower songs alongside with Let Me Let You Go .
Stardust In My Eyes is the final last song in FEEL & just like Alive + Supernatural Love , the album's last track is yet another sleek sounding futuristic no. .
Except in this case , Stardust In My Eyes has a lot more synth thrown in which allows FEEL to go out with a bang .
Namie Amuro lights up Summer with her new album FEEL . The album's 12 tracks range from simple piano & string ballads to powerful dance tracks .
I must say when FEEL was announced , I was quite skeptical especially since this album only included 1 1/2 of a double A-side single which means that the album tracks must be exceptional if not be able to stalk up to what the album's worth .
But upon hearing FEEL , I was completely blown away over the top notch production if not sheer quality of what the songs were . The overall feeling I have for FEEL is that even though it's a dance album , each of the songs have an unique identity of their own which makes things really entertaining if not very enjoyable .
I guess 1 of the grouses surrounding FEEL is that most of the album tracks are sung by Namie in complete English which's a lot more English driven than what Uncontrolled offered which in the process , FEEL might not sound like what a typical Japanese album offers .
That said , FEEL is 1 of the most enjoyable if not well produced albums I've heard/come across for the year . For Namie to release a new album so soon after Uncontrolled , it takes guts for her to do something like that but even more so when virtually it comprises of brand new material , except for Big Boys Cry .
The end results gives FEEL & in this aspect , it completely pays off very well for Namie !
CD
CD + DVD
1) NORTH OF EDEN
Himuro's 1st release of 2013 , NORTH OF EDEN was picked to be used as the theme song for Osawa Takao's movie Wara no Tate that was released in cinemas on April 26th .
Unlike his other singles , NORTH OF EDEN only included the main A-side in the single , with no inclusion of any B-sides .
Himuro released his 27th single IF YOU WANT last March , which included special footage from director Miike Takashi . The director then wrote a letter to Himuro requesting that he provide the theme song for his film . "With respect to the director & cast , I decided to do the best I could within my allowance , " Himuro commented .
Himuro worked on the lyrics with Miike's letter & the film's script in mind .
NORTH OF EDEN was produced by Warner Bros. Records chairman Rob Cavallo , who is known for producing Green Day & My Chemical Romance . This is his 1st time producing a song for a Japanese artist & it is said that Himuro transferred to Warner Music as he was eager to collaborate with him .
Upon meeting with director Miike for the 1st time , Himuro said , "He is just as how I had imagined him to be . I'm a fan of director Miike , so I’m very happy that I've been given a chance like this. I'm thankful . "
Wara no Tate , based on Kiuchi Kazuhiro's novel , is an action suspense film that portrays the great efforts & hardships of SPs who escort murderers across a total of 1,200 km . Osawa Takao played one of the SPs named Mekari Kazuki . Matsushima Nanako & Fujiwara Tatsuya also starred in the film .
NORTH OF EDEN is included in the 2nd disc of Himuro Kyosuke 25th Anniversary BEST ALBUM GREATEST ANTHOLOGY in which this greatest hits album will be released next month on 14th Aug in celebrating Himuro's 25th anniversary in the business .
CD
1) Taisetsuna Mono wa Kimi Igai ni Miataranakute
2) Binetsu Refrain
BONUS TRACK (ALL BONUS TRACKS from EARTH × HEART LIVE 2013)
3) Kotoshi no Sakura (Live)
4) labo (Live)
5) Hello Live)
6) Kimi wo Tsurete (Live)
7) Harukaze (Live)
8) Touch (Live)
9) Vega ~Kako to Mirai no Hokkyokusei~ (Live)
10) Ii Janai? (Live)
11) Hoshi ni Negai wo (Live)
CD + DVD
1) Taisetsuna Mono wa Kimi Igai ni Miataranakute
2) Binetsu Refrain
3) OAOA
4) Taisetsuna Mono wa Kimi Igai ni Miataranakute (Instrumental)
5) Binetsu Refrain (Instrumental)
6) OAOA (Instrumental)
This's the group's 1st release of 2013 after they released their 3rd album experience last Dec . The CD only edition of Taisetsuna Mono wa Kimi Igai ni Miataranakute / Binetsu Refrain includes a total of 9 bonus live tracks which're all recorded from EARTH × HEART LIVE 2013 in which all of them will not be reviewed .
Despite the really long rather wordy song title , the 1st A-side Taisetsuna Mono wa Kimi Igai ni Miataranakute is actually a really nice uplifting song . The video that accompanied this song just takes Taisetsuna Mono wa Kimi Igai ni Miataranakute to a whole new different level in making me appreciating the song much more .
In addition , Taisetsuna Mono wa Kimi Igai ni Miataranakute is a mid-tempo rock ballad with a sweet message , what's there not to like about it ?
Binetsu Refrain is the 2nd A-side . Described as a bright summer song , it was used in the ads of Meiji Essel Super Cup .
Perhaps it's because I really like Taisetsuna Mono wa Kimi Igai ni Miataranakute a great deal , somehow this has overshadow me in liking Binetsu Refrain . I frankly think Binetsu Refrain is ok but it's nothing ground breaking as compared to let's say their previous single release Answer which really stretched their music boundaries .
OAOA serves as the B-side in the single . This song's actually a cover of Taiwanese rockband Mayday & it was originally found as a bonus track in the 2nd disc of the special Taiwan press edition of experience , something that the Japan press of their album didn't include .
I actually own both editions of experience but I didn't want to listen to OAOA in the bonus disc with regards to the Taiwan press as I was lazy but eventually flumpool's cover of OAOA made me sit up & take notice when they did this song live 2 times when they came here to perform 2 months ago .
I went for both of their back to back concert dates 2 months ago & flumpool really got the whole audience fired up when they sang OAOA . It's 1 of those songs that will get people together & make everyone extremely pumped up for the right reasons . I just wish that I listened to the studio version of OAOA prior to that but it's never too late to discover just how great this cover's .
flumpool released their 1st original release of 2013 in the form of their latest single offering Taisetsuna Mono wa Kimi Igai ni Miataranakute / Binetsu Refrain . I frankly feel this's quite an enjoyable single overall , with special mention towards OAOA which's a very highly recommended B-side/song .
Hopefully it wouldn't be long before the guys release something new soon as for me to see them live in concert for 3 times & counting in my country , it has been a blast if not a real treat for me & for flumpool , what you see of them in person is what you get , literally .
Cover for both CD & CD + DVD editions
1) WOMAN DON'T CRY
2) KISS
3) Mada Owaranai -Jazzin'park Sweet Summer REMIX-
4) WOMAN DON'T CRY -Instrumental-
This's Shota's 1st solo single release of 2013 after he released his 4th physical collaboration single LOVE STORY with Miliyah Kato on 17th April .
WOMAN DON'T CRY itself is quite a standard offering from Shota but what I like about the song is that the video that was made for it , it tells a much better story on what WOMAN DON'T CRY is all about .
It's basically 1 of those songs that has motivation & positive traits incorporated into them .
There're 2 B-sides in the single . The 1st 1 is something titled KISS .
KISS is a short B-side , clocking in at 2:47 mins . It's quite a smooth sounding R&B track which plays a good contrast against the main A-side . I don't think I consider it to be a fave B-side from Shota but still this's not bad really .
Mada Owaranai is Shota's 10th single & in here , it has been given a remix , which results in Mada Owaranai -Jazzin'park Sweet Summer REMIX- .
I always have a soft spot for Mada Owaranai . The remix itself is really fun if not enjoyable . It doesn't stray that much from what the original offers but Mada Owaranai -Jazzin'park Sweet Summer REMIX- gives off a very nice Summer feeling , which's something that's perfect to listen to .
Shota Shimizu is back to what he does best in the form of releasing thoughtful R&B driven no.s which applies to his latest single offering WOMAN DON'T CRY .
So far , Shota has been relatively quiet in releasing material this year . I wouldn't expect him to release a new album so soon but hopefully he'll be able to put out something new in due time .
Released on 3rd July , FLOWER FLOWER is hemmed by singer-songwriter yui (previously stylised as YUI) who serves as the vocalist of the group .
Tsuki was picked to be used in the latest ads for au titled au PERFECT SYNC./REAL . The ads themselves began airing last month from 28th June onwards .
The ads used footages from au PERFECT SYNC. LIVE , in which this event was held at Ryogoku Kokugikan last month on 11th June . It was a participatory live event which integrated music & technology . FLOWER FLOWER performed Tsuki at the event for the 1st time .
Details on the formation of FLOWER FLOWER were revealed in April & this's their 1st time to not only sing for an ad but to also starring in 1 .
FLOWER FLOWER made its formal debut at the Japan Jam event in Tokyo on 4th May . The band also played at the Tokyo Metropolitan Rock Festival 2013 on 26th May
YUI formed FLOWER FLOWER with other musicians she respects & the band started studio sessions earlier this year . She said that with FLOWER FLOWER , she is able to purely enjoy the music that the band creates & from each new performance , she naturally gets new ideas for potential new songs.
Last Nov , YUI announced that she would be taking a hiatus from her solo music career . At that time , she explained then that she wanted to try something new .
Well honestly I'm not going to lie in that I was in a rather panic mode when YUI said she was going on hiatus as it was the 2nd time she said she was going on 1 as so but I definitely did not expect her to form a band with other musicians which give raises to FLOWER FLOWER .
In terms of FLOWER FLOWER , everything from the type of music they've done in the form of Tsuki down right to yui's image , it's nothing unlike what YUI does when she was in solo mode . Sound wise , from what they've come up with , Tsuki is definitely something yui will not do alone .
In this case , Tsuki is quite experimental & dreamy sounding . It almost reminds me of what the now defunct band school food punishment does , only somewhat more mainstream driven .
For now based on what I've heard from FLOWER FLOWER , I think they have quite the potential to do well & I definitely look forward to see what else they have in store in due time .
CD
1) Genjyo Destruction
2) 0 GAME (80KIDZ Remix) (CD Only Track)
CD + DVD
1) Genjyo Destruction
2) Sakura Mitsutsuki
3) Samurai Heart (Some Like It Hot !!)
4) Genjyo Destruction (inst.)
5) Sakura Mitsutsuki (inst.)
6) Samurai Heart (Some Like It Hot !!) (inst.)
Released 2 months + after their previous single Niji , Genjyo Destruction was picked to be used as the theme song for the anime movie Gekijouban Gintama Kanketsu-hen Yorozuya yo Eien nare that opened in cinemas yesterday on 6th July .
This marks the 3rd time for the band to provide the theme song for Gintama . Their 4th single Samurai Heart (Some Like It Hot !!) was used as the ending theme no. in 2011 . This year , their 10th single Sakura Mitsutsuki was used as the opening theme for its TV anime series .
Both Samurai Heart (Some Like It Hot !!) & Sakura Mitsutsuki are included as B-sides tracks in the CD + DVD pressing of Genjyo Destruction .
Leader/bassist MOMIKEN commented , "This is our 3rd time to sing for Gintama . And it's for the movie ! It's the final one too ! We have no choice but to take this great opportunity ! We are working on it while giving it our all . Everyone , please look forward for the theme song as well ! "
Found exclusively in the CD only edition of the single , it's 0 GAME (80KIDZ Remix) . 0 GAME is the group's 8th single & their 1st single to get remixed/included as a B-side .
0 GAME is easily hands down my fave single that was included in their 2nd album Just Do It . In the case of the remix , it's very unusual & the melody wise sounds nothing on what the original offered .
Instead of a rather straightforward sounding rock song , 0 GAME (80KIDZ Remix) pushes the music boundaries & this ends up as a really edgy sleek dance sounding no. with plenty of aggressive synth thrown in for good measure . The fact that this's their 1st single to get remixed/included as a B-side , I think this was nicely done .
There's definitely no stopping rock group SPYAIR in releasing material after material . Just when I thought they wouldn't be releasing anytime new soon after they released Niji 2 months ago , in comes their latest single offering Genjyo Destruction which's already unofficially their best charting single on Oricon at this point in time , seeing that prior to this , Sakura Mitsutsuki was their best charting single with a peak position of #10 but now Genjyo Destruction has already suppressed things .
With a strong promotion tie in backing up Genjyo Destruction , it's evident how much important significance it's to have a good tie in because I feel if not for the Gintama association , Genjyo Destruction wouldn't be performing better than expected but to give the guys credit , for them to include their past singles which were used to promote Gintama as B-sides , it's definitely a smart marketing tactic to use .
Upon the release of Genjyo Destruction , this's their 3rd single release they put out for 2013 .
SPYAIR's 3rd album MILLION will be released next month on 7th Aug , with Genjyo Destruction included in the album as track #3 .
CD Regular
CD Limited
CD + DVD
This's the group's lst release of 2013 , with them releasing their 2nd album JUMP WORLD last year on 6th June .
The main A-side Come On A My House was used in the ads of House Foods's Vermont Curry which the ads were shot in Thailand .
Filled with outbursts of cheer & energy , Come On A My House is a uptempo dance song that fits perfectly with the group's young & bright image .
There're a total of 4 B-sides in the single , with the 1st 2 songs only found in the CD only regular edition of Come On A My House .
BOUNCE is the 1st B-side & out of the 4 , this's my fave with it portraying a much more mature side as compared to the A-side . It sounds almost on par with Magic Power's Beat Line but with it slightly less catchy . Still BOUNCE is definitely A-side potential worthy .
New Hope ~Konna ni Bokura wa Hitotsu is a ballad & quite a rather lengthy no. I must add with it being over 5 mins long . Once again , the song plays a good contrast against the fun bubbly Come On A My House & this track allows the group to showcase that they do have a serious mature side when comes to the delivery of ballads .
The next 2 B-sides are only found in the CD only limited edition of Come On A My House .
Just For You is sung by the younger members in the group , Hey ! Say ! 7 & it's actually quite a nice acoustic guitar driven no. .
On the other hand , Scramble is sung by the older members in the group , Hey ! Say ! BEST , in which the lyrics of the song were written by the group's unofficial leader Yabu Kota .
Compared to Just For You , Scramble definitely has a much more grown up sound & kudos definitely has to go to Yabu for having personal input in this aspect by writing the song himself .
With the release of Hey ! Say ! JUMP's latest single Come On A My House , it achieved the #1 spot in the 1st week of release . This is also their 10th consecutive #1 single since debuting with Ultra Music Power 6 years ago on November 2007 . For artists with 10 consecutive #1 singles since debut , they're the 4th artist to have achieved it , after their seniors , KinKi Kids (32) , NEWS (15) & KAT-TUN (21) .
Both BALLAD & UP BEAT were released on the same day ie. last week on 26th June . Both compilation albums have a total of 15 songs each , with track #15 for both being the new song in question .
MY ANGEL is the new track that's found in the BALLAD compilation album . As the compilation album title suggests , BALLAD contains solely mid tempo/ballad driven songs of Aoyama .
Personally , I think MY ANGEL is a really sweet no. . I don't think it's Aoyama's best mid tempo/ballad but something about it leaves me with a warm fuzzy feeling from within .
On the other hand , ALL OF ME is the new track that's found in the UP BEAT compilation album . As the compilation album title suggests , BALLAD contains solely upbeat/energetic driven songs of Aoyama .
Between MY ANGEL & ALL OF ME , I prefer ALL OF ME slightly as I still feel up to now , Aoyama's upbeat no.s are much more stronger if not prominent . It's not that she doesn't sound good doing ballads but I just feel that not a lot of people appreciate that she actually can do a mixture of both types of music genres rather flawlessly & I think she was able to achieve that aspect with ALL OF ME .