20 posts tagged “oshare kei”
Date released: 15.4.2009.
Track list
1. 39GalaxyZ [PV]
2. VAMP VAMP VAMP
3. V.I.P GOBLINZ
Looks at the pink post-it placed above her head threateningly saying "I will not make fun out of bands in my reviews" and headdesks herself.
Though trying to compare SuG with anything coherent fails, you can consider them as a kind of cheap, colorful, E-colored, health check certificate-less candy which is anything but good for you yet you still consume it once in a while when your candy-rush goes over your healthy judgment capability.
Unfortunately 39GalaxyZ is (if even possible to believe) this insane Oshare kei's band worst output. 39GalaxyZ parades around with a clowny melody, squeaky electronics, really really bad singing (though that stopped surprising after a few singles) and guitars simply crying for help to get out of this rainbow colored LSD mash. I believe that even kindergarden kids (for whose level Takeru's singing/songwriting is) would find this song over the top.
VAMP VAMP VAMP tries to be all oriental and seducive, but it's melody evokes certain allusions on a certain kind of music I DESPISE so it's a minus from the start. The industrial touches and moody, distorted guitars would have worked really good if this was any other band than SuG. Just no. V.I.P GOBLINZ goes a bit faster, rougher, bringing more overall distortion noise a few background growlz, more of Takeru's squealing and some brainless headbanging/jumping. This probably works somewhat decent on a live performance, but here...
Unfortunately 39GalaxyZ doesn't have a upbeat, crazy, sugary yet somewhat enjoyable song that would make the endurance of the [insert pejorative adjective] songs be worth even a bit of your while. I can only imagine really tolerant listeners and DIEHARD fans listen to this single (questionably enjoying it).
Oh yeah and SuG's drummer Mitsuru will leave the band, which I think is a bit tragicomic because of all of the members, we know who deserves to be kicked out of the band first and banned to do music ever (and I'm not speaking of the drummer).
Date released: 3.12.2008.
Track list
1. UMBILICAL [PV]
2. 宴ぴーぽぉ (Utage Piipoo)
3. Dress up with darkness [Red edition]
4. 晴天 (Seiten) [Blue edition]
Toriko Roll Collar is a new single by my all-time favorite band-to-bash-in-reviews SuG! And I was surprised to see them release another release this year because they surely have caused me indescribable headaches with their album noiz star and mini-album Punkitsch driving me on the verge to smack my head against a wall. But you know there is a catch when it comes to this band and it is that the songs are mostly such unbelieveable trash that in the end you end up liking them... in certain occassions of course.
The point with Toriko Roll Collar single is... that it isn't so trashy... my god. It's still nowhere near something you'd listen everyday and something that you'd consider as a cultural uprising. I think this band reached their momentary trash climax with Punkitsch that's for sure.
So we get UMBILICAL (dear Lord what is that for a title, simply gross) which is kind of a gentle pace song like Shikisai and RomantiC, but with more intensity and more energetic instrumental basis. And I kinda like the intense and nice ending, you rarely see such uprising intensity in a ballad at the end, (my god has my trash tolerance risen?).
Utage Piipoo is simply strange and for me slightly intimidating with this merry-go-round carnival melody before engaging in a full pack of inchorenet, jumpy verses and overly irritating chorus thanks to, oh shit, no one other than Mr. I-can-fuck-up-any-possible-song Takeru and his squealy voice.
But then we get Dress up with darkness which would have been a KILLER song, a KILLER if it was performed by any band other than SuG (ok maybe even SuG but with a waaaaaay better vocalist). The riffs are driving, dark but not in a sinister kind of obscure way, but powerful and expressive. The verses are good, the chorus not so much (because of the F-tard Takeru) and I love the dark middle growly part, it's like better than Ayabie's wild stuff. In short, I really like this song but I don't have to repeat for the n-th time what's holding this song from perfection.
Seiten hits back to the old SuK self with an aloof chorus, naggy kind of singing (oh wait there is this short solo part that I like and the basslines are pretty neat) and a recycled melody, but it's short enough not to be torturing annoying.
Overall Toriko Roll Collar (I'm not even sure if that's the real name of the single, but like who cares) ISN'T as annoying as this year's SuG releases were, but it's still well, not good. And it's really sad to see a band whose musicians can actually pull off decent riffs/basslines (please buy the drummer a new drumset because this one sounds bland) and whose songs might have been excellent IF IT WASN'T FOR THE SINGER TAKERU AND HIS HORRID VOICE WHICH CAN FUCK UP ANY SONG IMAGINABLE!
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE SUG FIRE TAKERU!
Date released: 29.10.2008.
Track list
1. MY ♥ LEAPS FOR “C” [PV]
2. 可愛湯's ЯocК (Kawaitou's RocK)
3. ZETSUBOU
4. NYAPPY in the world 4 ~般ニャ化教のテーマ~ (NYAPPY in the world 4 ~HanNYA kakyou no teema~)
Koakuma USAGI no koibun to machine gun (The machine gun and love letter of the little devil bunny) is the first mini album by An Cafe after the band member change.
You could basically call MY ♥ LEAPS FOR “C” Ryuusei Rocket 2 because it's one and the same song with minor changes. The verses are almost the same, tension building ones and the chorus is just as explosive as the one in Ryuusei Rocket. So it's another Oshare kei, synth injected power rock song, without the will to be different whatsoever.
Kawaitou's Rock (please forgive any mistakes in my romanization, I wasn't so sure about the song titles this time) has got a thick bass line growling like an earthquake and subtile guitar riffs giving still enough energy for this semi-mosher.
Whereabout ZETSUBOU (Despair) is your typical power swing Visual indie kinda of song with ska guitar rhythms, Yuuki's stylish piano play and an overall cheeky feel. As if you've just dropped by in a mafia bar.
And I must say that all post-Bou NYAPPY in the worlds have been dropping in quality, but the 4th part is simply gah. And the beserk metal/techno fusion wouldn't be half so bad if it wasn't for the horrid high pitched chimpmunk like chorus that is the trash of all trashyness that An Cafe has. Gah, talking about a fun song being spoiled!
After their blast of freshness with the member change, An Cafe have slowly slipped in the period of repetition with Koakuma Usagi delivering most of the songs sounding like some of their other tunes. Basically there's nothing new here on this mini album, but it certainly is enough to satisfy An Cafe fans and those alike.
Date released: 1.10.2008.
Track list
1. サヨナラセツナ
2. So high
3. imitation
Sayonara Setsuna is the third single by the very talented pop-rock oriented Oshare kei band THE KIDDIE and honestly I must admit that this band is growing on me with every single they release. Their style is simple: catchy and positive melodies combined with an adorable and interesting pop-rock performance and slightly sprinkled with some Oshare kei fanciness. But what sets this band from other Oshare kei bands apart is that their songs are more focused on their instruments and on a positive vibe rather than being somewhere in between trashiness and overdone-ness like your generic Oshare kei tune.
Sayonara setsuna reminds on their previous single Plastic art and it's title song: feather light and with a very charming chorus that is like a white cloud on a perfect blue sky. Refreshing and instantly making your mood better. So high is the standard Oshare kei jump-around fun tune like An Cafe's Merry Making, upbeat, fun and charming though nothing special in particular. So high singing is definitely going to stay in your head along with the pretty good rock'n'roll passages. As for the end we come to imitation, my personal favorite on this single especially because of the stunning guitar riffs and it's cool attitude. Somehow there is something familiar in this song, something old-school in it, a certain sound that wasd around a few years ago and then vanished. Anyway imitation is cool either for chilling or just rocking around.
So yeah, with everything THE KIDDIE is my favorite Oshare kei band and with every single they manage to bring good mood and show more and more of their undisputable talent. I've said it once, and I'll say it again: Have a bad day? Play THE KIDDIE and you'll feel better instantly. Sayonara Setsuna isn't necessarily better than Plastic art but it certainly is somewhere on it's level.
Date released: 3.9.2008.
Track list
1. butterfly BoY
2. 輪廻せんちめんたるギャング (Rinne sentimental gang)
3. HYSTERiC HONEY
4. The last slim bullet
5. 餓鬼☆戦争~デスペラードは突然に~ (Gaki sensou ~Desperado wa totsuzen ni~)
Hehe did your brain had enough time to recover from the damage caused by Noiz Star, SuG's first album? Are you ready for some more that will be caused by their second mini-album Punkitsch?
The title Punkitsch pretty much accurately displays the content that lies beneath the very flashy and in a way disturbing CD cover. Combine punk with kitsch (German for flashy, basically cheap things with no artistic value). Or maybe they wanted it to sound like the Croatian word Pankić which is the pejorative version of the word punk (as a person). Any way, SuG continue their Candy-punk cataclysm with this H-bomb.
butterfly BoY actually has a pretty good combination of funk, nu-metal and oshare kei flashness wrapped with a catchy chorus wrapper. Nice for getting your sugar rushed oshare kicks without damaging your brain. But still though nicely packed butterfly BoY is simply bland. From what there is to like of these songs I somehow digged Rinne sentimental gang and Gaki sensou the most; basically because I like twisted riffs, background, rough group shouts and growls of any kind (though rather failing here, but still well...decent?). Gaki sensou (future loop song) gets points for being one of the most incredibly dumb songs I've heard recently, but I have a good sense for humor... so I'll consider it as a joke (or as a warning not to take drugs).
Then you have HYSTERiC HONEY which is no where near hysteric and the Last slim bullet which is a bad version of Ayabie's Hanageshi (though with nice riffs). Anyway you'll forget this songs before you reach the end of this sentence so...
I'm glad I'm not the only person around here who wishes to mobilize UN forces to lock up Takeru and ban him from singing FOREVER! He'll surely ruin any potentially good SuG song.... What else to say... SuG's Punkitsch is the best possible anti-drug and anti-oshare ad there is. 100% efficiancy guaranteed.
Baku hits second issue! Yeah!
So again I've had fun and haste in making this issue but I believe it has come out quite well (though a bit compressed in article space and similar). I had to hasten up with this issue, but the next issue will probably be widen up to 3 pages or more. So look forward to it. Right now enjoy Baku!
The boys have not just released a new single this month but they have also toured the world going from Europe all the way up to America. I am certain that some of the Baku readers have been a part of this tour. To support Ayabie and to honor their achievements in this month Baku featured them as a cover artist.
But two more bands made it to the cover. The J-rock stars Kagrra,, who will certainly mark the summer both in Europe and Japan, and the jazz-rockers from Sugar. Sugar turned out to be the discovery of the month and as such they are this month's featured artist in Baku.
This time Baku had even more music reviews that really took the most space out of the mag. But in the next issue I'll make sure there is enough space for everything so the whole magazine won't look as a frontal crash of various articles.
Single: chariots - 独 ☆☆☆
Album: Nightmare - Killer Show ☆☆☆☆
Single: born - [-tHiNk-] ☆☆☆
Single: since1889 - DIABOLOS ☆☆☆
Single: 彩冷える - ミカヅキノキセキ ☆☆☆
RELEASE OF THE MONTH
Single: Sugar - antlion ☆☆☆☆
OHP: Sugar
Visunavi profile
Sugar on Rockerica
Founded: 2005.
Label: Graveyard Records
Status: Indie
Vocal: LOKI; Guitar: SIZNA; Bass: 真悟 (Shingo); Drums: 篤人 (Atsuto)
D'espairsRay - BRILLIANT
Even tough D'espairsRay have said that there won't be a new PV, it looks like they have changed their minds. Partially...
BRILLIANT PV is actually the live footage of this songs performance used as a PV. Though not even half as spectacular as the song itself the PV is still decent and shows how brilliantly D'espairsRay perform and put their heart and soul into it.
I have also reviewed this PV whose review and a few screencaps can be seen here.
Hopefully the guys will make a flashy, hardcore PV for their upcoming single KAMIKAZE. D'espairsRay rarely do have PV's but all of them (except this one) and mindblowing. So I'm wondering which is your favorite D'espairsRay PV? Mine is definitely Garnet :) because the PV perfectly fits the song and shows the disturbing, true side of Visual kei.
Listen to the Top 5 songs of the month
(okay momentary not, because I have got limited bandwidth and I can't upload them all but I will try to upload them on summer one day when I go to my dad's place where there is unlimited bandwidth internet. Sorry)
1. Sugar - Blossom
2. Sugar - Danshou to kuroneko
3. Nightmare - Djainism Batsu
4. Nightmare - TrickSTAR
5. Since1889 - celtic
Get the rest of the Baku here! Just click on the images and view them in original size. You may notice that the images are a bit bigger, I've made them like that so you can read Baku easier. And as always I look forward to your comments, suggestions, feedback, ideas and similar. Enjoy this issue of Baku.
As from today up to 12.7.2008. I won't post anything on Rockerica because I have to learn and I really don't have time to spend here. But after the short hiatus I will post reviews and everything else from this two week period. Thank you for your understanding and support.
And while I'm here please wish me luck in my entry exams for medicine college. If I pass I'll celebrate it, of course, here on Rockerica. I'll make a huge party on this site and you all are invited to party with me.
Till next time! ジャーネー!
Asari.
Date released: 25.6.2008.
Track list
1.ミカヅキノキセキ (Mikadzuki no kiseki) [PV]
2.デジタルネバーランド (Digital Neverland)
3. ハレノヒ [Type B] (Hare no hi)
3. ひなげし [Type C] (Hanageshi)
Don't get me wrong, I do love the sweetness named Ayabie and their last two releases were honestly just a step away from perfection. But unfortunately I didn't like so much Mikadzuki no kiseki.
Mikadzuki no kiseki reminded me of some older Ayabie works due to it's dominate horns, guitars put in background and a parade like feel. It's charming and catchy nevertheless, but rather forgettable and average for Ayabie. Digital Neverland could be a bit over-the-top for some listeners because of the upbeat, 8-bit electro-pop sound that you're likely to hear on a colorful Harajuku Para-para party (I can even imagine Aoi's coreography for this). Really saharoze and darn catchy but the aloof verses and chorus simply don't make it crappy/crazy enough to make you get all freaky on it. SuG does this better, unfortunately.
The B-sides are somewhat better. Hare no hi is a clap-along, 80's dramatic anime ending kinda song but without the drama, more kind of a happy-jerky Ayabie kinda way. I'm glad to hear more of Yumehito's and Takehito's guitars in the front and Intetsu's bass lines are as perfect as always. Still the song is rather unexciting, though kinda cool.
Hanageshi is probably the best song on the whole single, basically being Ayabie going Kagrra, with Japanese festival like sound, semi-fast tempo, good guitarwork and Aoi's innovative singing that I really like.
Ayabie, as always, perpared a small package of sweetness, power and happiness in their Mikadzuki no Kiseki single, but unfortunately it isn't as strong nor exciting as the previous few single's were. Nevertheless if you count Ayabie as a favorite artist you'll probably count this single as a new one in your collection. Though honestly, we have heard much, much better from Ayabie.
Date released: 14.5.2008.
Track list
1. chocoholic nOiZ
2. b.r.k
3. 虚空 (Kokuu)
4. Vi-Vi-Vi [PV]
5. ヤミツキディレイ (Yamitsuki delay)
6. 四季彩 (Shiki sai)
7. RomantiC
8. 生欲HoLiC (Seiyoku HoLiC)
9. CRIMSON SODA
10. うえすとふぁいとすと～り～ (West fight story)
11. pikaLIFE
Dear Masato (gt.), Yuji (gt.), Chiyu (bs.) and Mitsuru (dr.). Hi I'm Asari and I liked your first two singles. They were really cool (^▽^)b! Hey I was wondering if you could take a pillow and suffocate your vocalist Takeru? You know like put it on his face while he is sleeping and press it until he stops twitching? That be really great! ありがとう Love you!だいす～ぅき！ V(≧▽≦)o
Citing myself
What the fuck was I thinking? I definitely taking this back. I am really an idiot to listen to this album after their horrible I SCREAM PARTY mini-album that literally caused me headaches with it's chaotic, loud, irritating candy punk songs. But to hell I thought. Scheat and Alterna. were decent so maybe similar songs will be on the album I thought. But a Oshare kei band gone bad, always stays a Oshare kei band gone bad. They don't redeem themselves nor improve. On the contrary they get worser!They might just end up to be the next J-rock highlight.
(...) this talented new band SuG ...
(...) great singing...
(...) shows great potential this band has.
The album opens with the techno-like intro chocoholic nOiZ which actually sounds decent compared to the rest of the songs on the album (Maybe it's because Takeru DOESN'T sing?). As you can see from the song titles most of them are like addiction inspired titles thus giving another proof of my theory that this band's singer Takeru is a freaking LSD and speed junkie. The album continues with b.r.k which has got fun riffs, but horrid singing/rapping. Takeru's bunny voice makes my ears bleed every time I listen to them. b.r.k isn't bad as a song, but I think only Takeru has got the power to screw every song existing. Now that is a skill.
Kokuu has got deep, distorted riffs and sound's even a bit dark. This song is interesting primary because of the schizophrenic switches between dark singing and happy squealing. I like dark Takeru better. I hope this side of his split personality will really prevail. And I nearly choked when I saw that the obscure titled Vi-Vi-Vi has got a PV! Vi-Vi-Vi is like the fucking peak of Takeru's squealing abilities and the refrain will make your ears beg for mercy. I wouldn't play this song not even to my most notorious enemy, such is the cruelty of it.
Yamitsuki delay somehow tries to fix the damage done by Vi-Vi-Vi with pretty much good bass lines and ,for the first time on this album, decent chorus. The song has got some futuristic-like playful feel and well, Takeru's voice isn't so placed in the front. That still doesn't make his voice suck less. Shiki sai represents a somehow relaxing point on the album with reminiscing riffs. This song would sound voiceless almost perfect and relaxing. RomantiC then again just proves that the second half of the album is actually better than the first one in a way that it is tolerable. RomantiC has got this gentle, fleeting melody and probably the best singing on the entire album: gentle, quiet and floating.
Seiyoku HoLiC is the kind of serious and dramatic song every album should have (at least every Koteosa album) with roaring riffs and strong chorus. Then again you could only imagine how great this song would sound with a more maturer vocalist (though Takeru doesn't fail so much here on the chorus, he was probably sober). CRIMSON SODA (WTF?) is the band-be-growling aggressive piece that bands play in other for their spectators to break each other's bones. CRIMSON SODA is harsher and I like it harsher especially because it shows how the band consists of solid musicians stuck up with a retard singer. West Fight Story begins with this playful, funny instrumental part before turning into the merry-go-round happy song like An Cafe's Merrymaking, the one Oshare kei fans love the most. Takeru's singing really sounds like he is mocking the listener (Haha, this is what you get when you listen to us). And closing the album is another fast, bye-bye song type pikaLIFE I personally despise, but bands keep making them, just to put the cherry on top of their releases.
I am a tolerant person (I mean I have listened to this album IN WHOLE for like four times and am probably going to listen to it once again for the sake of my other reviews site) and I don't like flaming bands and releases, but fuck, this album is bad. It has got like 2-3 songs that sound decent, but most of them are just shallow, hyperactive, candy punk songs that'll just give you headaches. As I said on I SCREAM PARTY the greatest problem of this band is their damn vocalist Takeru which sounded pretty good on their first two singles but then suddenly turned bad. His bunny-voice is irritating and he can't be serious not even for a moment. God damn. With an other vocalist they'd sound at least decent, because the rest of the band can actually PLAY music.
Really, I mean really do you want to spend 42 minutes of your life on this? The most of this album is hardly tolerable. Unless you really, really like SuG.
Damn I hate bad releases. They often piss me out so much that I write bad reviews. But I have learned a few things from this:
- Immature bands never redeem for their sucky releases
- Don't trust an illiterate band that uses Z instead of S
- Reviewing music means reviewing both good and bad releases
- SuG should fire Takeru
Date released: 9.3.2008.
Track list
1. 流星ロケット (Ryuusei Rocket) [PV]
2. S☆B☆Y
3. Cherry咲く勇気!! (Cherry saku yuuki!!) [PV]
4. NYAPPY in the world 3
5. ベイビーキング (Baby King)
6. デイブレイク (Daybrake)
7. ピアス (Pierce)
8. 孤立ホスピタル (Koritsu Hospital)
9. 覚醒ヒロイズム (Kakusei Heroism) [PV]
10. 愛情サイクリング (Aijou Cycling)
11. オレンジドリーム (Orange Dream)
The third album of one of the most popular Oshare kei bands around An Cafe comes as one big, colorful, uninterrupted, 50 minute candy Harajuku rock (as An Cafe reffers to their music) party being just as colorful and vivid as the famous part of Tokyo which inspires them.
The party begins off with the fancy disco flaired rock song Ryuusei Rocket that clearly announces the style of the album: strong, fast guitar riffs, bouncy beat, playful and chunky bass lines all spiced op with charming, yet sometimes trashy keyboard sounds and Miku's irreplaceable voice. Ryuusei Rocket is, alongside my favorite Cherry saku yuuki!! and powerful Kakusei Heroism, one of the songs that were released on previous singles.
The party blasts off with the Merry Making reminiscing S☆B☆Y following up the rather disappointing third spinoff of the song Nyappy in the world and the electric organ decorated rock song Baby King before giving a short pause with the relaxed Daybrake. All of these songs show a refreshed, more mature and harder An Cafe sound that really benefited from the member change of this band because Takuya gives off some really heavy rock riffs while Yu-ki adds the fun to all the songs with the playful, electric sounds.
The album then moves on to the spectacular half with the firework of a song called Pierce, shining with a marvelous passionate refrain and a great instrumental, a song that really blows you away. Kokuritsu hospital then shakes the ground with the fierce metal riffs and fast beat. An Cafe pulls off another charming song Aijou Cycling before going to the adorable last song Orange Dream, enchanted with a beautiful piano instrumental and a cute melody which will make the sun rise on even the gloomiest day.
I think that by now everybody has realized that the change of members has proven to be a very positive thing for An Cafe resulting in a more sophisticated sound acceptable to even the non Oshare kei fans.
So get your friends up, buy cand and get ready for the wildest party in town with Gokutama ROCK CAFE.
Date released: 26.3.2008.
Track list
1. Plastic Art
2. 恋して★DISCORD (Koi shite★DISCORD)
3. one and only
I really found KIDDIE's first single little SENOBI quite the charming one because the songs really radiated with positive vibes and would make you happy every time you'd listen to them.
Plastic art explodes with a blast of positive energy thrown at you in the form of feather light Yuusa's voice, flying riffs and bass. The chorus takes on to the heavenly heights with the incredible trust from the mere positive energy it bursts from. You'll be smiling in no time. Especially somewhere at 3/4 of the song at the passage where the background vocals join in.
Koi shite DISCORD is a bit less upbeat than Plastic Art but still sparkles with good vibes and a nice groove presented in the disco like rock song with the keyboard melody reminding a bit on Ayabie. Cute, even with a bit repetitive chorus.
And just when you start thinking what next audio-candy THE KIDDIE has prepared for you they blast out with roaring, hard, metal riffs and heavy drumming in one and only, making your jaw fall down from discredit that such a cute band is capable of pulling something as hard as one and only. The almost spoken, abrupt singing in the verses does sound a bit unusual, but is still very interesting. The refrain is simply wonderful, emotion charged and sung wonderfully. Yuusa has got a really clear and pretty voice.
Plastic Art turned out to be a very pleasant surprise that is worth listening more than once. If you count bands such as SID, Ayabie and alice nine. to your favorites you might even count THE KIDDIE very soon to your favorites also. A band that has got this magical ability to brighten up even the darkest day. I think the slogan in the band's blog the best describes the band's philosophy:
When one door closes, another one opens; but we often look so long and regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us.
My Groups
-
J-Rock Fans Updated: 3 days ago
-
J-rock music reviews (host) Updated: Oct 19, 2009
Neighborhood
Explore friends, family, friends & family, or entire neighborhood.
