27 posts tagged “music”

New York Hell Sonic Ballet

3 days ago
3 comments

A Japanese jazz sax player Naruyoshi Kikuchi has this band called "Pepe Tormento Azucarar", and their album "New York Hell Sonic Ballet" is the craziest thing I've heard in quite a while. It's got a kind of club jazz, more old-school jazz element, bossa nova, tango, avant-garde violin, and even opera, all mixed up in very inexplicably cool way. I'm probably not really getting this, but it certainly is interesting music.

Resident Evil, Tokio Hotel, maNga and Asia Argento

Nov 15, 2009
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Something was wrong with my head (which has always been that way, I know (^ ^), but it felt even more wrong than usual:-), so last night I took aspirin (headache is my lifelong friend. Another of my lifelong friend is depression, but somehow I haven't seen him for a while), stayed home and (a) finished playing Biohazard (aka Resident Evil) 5, (b) watched MTV European music award, and (c) continued my reading of "Descent into chaos".

As for Biohazard 5 (It's the original, Japanese title for Resident Evil), I had picked it up quite a while ago from a bargain bin (don't ask me how it got there), but the control scheme was so cranky I decided to let it marinate for a while. Then somehow I read on the net that there were several control options available, I went back to it and found one that worked for me, then it went fairly smoothly- though I think it's pretty dumb that you can't move and shoot at the same time- and contrary to my expectation, I enjoyed it quite a lot. Sheva Alomar has to be the hottest cyber babe ever invented on a game!!

And this year's MTV European music award was held in Berlin, (everything seems to be taking place in Berlin this year because of 20th anniversary of The Fall of The Wall) and what was interesting watching it was not Biyonce or Shakira, but the fact that there's a Turkish band called "maNga" (I am not making this up) and also there's this apparently quite popular German band called "Tokio Hotel" (I am not making this up either) !! I thought that was pretty funny! None of the members looked Japanese, and I have no idea if any of them has been to Tokyo- but maybe someone here should form a band with a name like, you know, "Berlin Love Hotel" (^o^) Their song was actually pretty cool.

Again, I am a bit worried about the whole Japanese pop culture taking over the world and the weird image of Japan spreading all over... But I guess it's better than sliding into complete oblivion, which, if not complete oblivion, seems more and more likely in terms of business world (ask someone in the auto industry about this year's Tokyo motor show compared to Shanghai motor show)... Wait, maybe "manga" means something else in Turkish. Sorry about my utter ignorance if that is the case.

I was glad I'd watched it because U2 did a great performance. Oh, and Asia Argento is so hot!!!

Reading "Descent into chaos" today is kind of weird, because I may have been reading about life and career of Musharraf one night and the next day, Musharraf himself is on GPS talking to Fareed Zakaria about how paranoid he is about India, just like the book said:-) Kind of like multi-media education on Central Asian politics:-)

My built-in DJ has gone insane

Sep 7, 2009
1 comment

Everyone has a built-in DJ in his/her head right? You know, that little evil guy/ girl who plays stupid songs into your consciousness when you are just standing on the train (without your iPod, that is) or sitting around getting bored?

Well, my built-in DJ for some reason has been playing a Fiona Apple song all day. A song called "Criminal". I like her music and this is one of my favorite songs of hers, but still, it gets a bit too much to be listening to it being played over and over again in your head.

"I've been a bad, bad girl; I've been careless with a delicate man..."

Probably the most famous Fiona Apple song?

A good song, great voice, I even like the clip for this tune, but please. Let's have something more cheerful tomorrow:-)

Summer Sonic 2009

May 9, 2009
10 comments

This year's Summer Sonic, one of the two biggest rock summer festivals in Japan (the other one is Fuji Rock Festival) features Linkin Park (yay!), Nine Inch Nails (yay!), and... Biyonce (huh?). I have no problem with Biyonce, but I have to say she's kinda very strange pick for this festival whose past headliners include likes of Metallica and Red Hot Chili Peppers. I would imagine she's more fitting for Fuji Rock Festival...

Other bands to appear include Hoobastank, Keane, My Chemical Romance, Kasabian, Mogwai, Placebo, Elvis Costello and The Imposters, Joan Jett and The Blackhearts, The All-American Rejects, Mando Diao, and The Ting Tings.

Let's see if I can get a ticket. I'm very unhappy that Linkin Park and NIN don't show up on the same day:-(

Don't play it for me Argentina

Apr 11, 2009
2 comments

I guess this is the side effect of the economy slowing down. You know, people have more free time on their hands? Someone in the building (whoever's just above me from the sound of it) has taken up the acoustic guitar last week. From how s/he plays it must be the first time the person touches the instrument. And for some reason, if my ear serves me fine this person is trying to play "Don't cry for me Argentina" from Evita. Madonna fan maybe? But then, there has to be easier songs to learn...

I'm not that annoyed by it, but it sure hasn't happened before.

Covered better than the original?

Feb 7, 2009
3 comments

While toying with my iTunes lists in my preparation for PC switching, I realized I have several songs that I know to be a cover version, and even though I do have the original version as well, I end up listening more often. I don't know why or how it is so, but hey, they just sound cool and I like it. I wonder if the same has happened to anyone else.. Most notable are as follows (includes some that I found on music DVDs and, when I think about it, I like it better than the original);

* "All Along The Watchtower"

Covered by U2 in "Rattle and Hum", the original by Bob Dylan

* "The Man Who Sold The World"

Covered by Nirvana in "Unplugged in New York", the original by David Bowie

* "Fell in Love with a Boy"

Covered by Joss stone in "The Soul Sessions", the original by The White Stripes

* "Amsterdam"

Covered by David Bowie in "Bowie at the Beeb", the original by Jacques Brel

* "I'm Waiting for the Man"

Covered by Vanessa Paradis in "Vanessa Paradis", the original by Lou Reed

* "Bessie Smith"

Covered by Norah Jones in live DVD "Live in New Orleans", the original by The Band

* "Requiem pour un con"

Covered by Vanessa Paradis in "Au Zenith", the original by Serge Gainsbourg

* "Havana Affair"

Covered by Red Hot Chili Peppers in live DVD "Live at Slane Castle", the original by The Ramones

* "Wild Horses"

Covered by Alicia Keys, feat. Adam Levine in "Unplugged", the original by The Rolling Stones

* "Tower of Song"

Covered by Marianne Faithful in "Vagabond Ways", the original by Leonard Cohen

They tend to come up more often in live albums and DVDs, which is not very surprising i guess. Come to think of it, J-Pop don't do much covers. Although recently, there have been a few tribute albums for classic J-Rock bands I believe.

Nickelback

Nov 15, 2008
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At least, Nickelback has dropped a new album. Not everything in the world is going wrong.

(Yes, I do tend to buy my music in the form of CDs. I don't trust my HDD enough)

Piece of me the video of the year !?

Sep 8, 2008
3 comments

I smell conspiracy. I smell corruption. If anything, the video for Britney Spears' "Piece of Me" was, you know, a piece of crap. I mean come on, the video for "Break the Ice" was much better as a music video (partly because there was no Britney in it:-) and there must be more videos out there that deserve the MTV award.

For example, I think the video for Ne-Yo's "Closer" is very creative and very good; I like the way it uses black-and-white contrast, it has kinda old-skool jazz feel to it. Meh. (x_x)

Queen of Kabukicho

Aug 5, 2008
8 comments

Shiina Ringo is probably the most important female J-rock musician since 1990s. She's like Alanis Morissette, Courtney Love, Fiona Apple and Sid Vicious all combined. In this live version she goes unplugged (first french song, obviously, is not her own). So cool!

Too bad this video doesn't come with subtitles, you may be able to locate one somewhere out there.

【Live】 Shiina Ringo - Kabukichou no Joou (椎名林檎 - 歌舞伎町の女王)

Britney meets Ghost in the Shell

May 28, 2008
2 comments

Holy crap, the new Britney Spears video (for a song called either Break the Ice or Breaking the Ice) is ANIME!!!

The character that looks like the blonde version of Major Motoko Kusanagi is supposed to represent Britney, I think. The whole thing looks so Ghost in the Shell, I wonder if I.G. Production had any involvement in this. I have to find this one on YouTube.

... and I hate to say this, but the songs from her latest album are not that bad.