I apologize again that this is taking so long, I've been really busy with school lately. In hindsight, I think it would have been better to upload the songs as I went along - I'll definitely remember that if I decide to do another number lottery in the future. Only one more batch remains, I can't promise how long it will take to be posted but I will definitely try my best to get it done as soon as possible. Thanks for being patient! =)

- Haruhi

EDIT: It seems that a few of the links (Shining Butterfly - BRIGHT & Koi Hitoyo - acid black cherry) weren't right, they've now been fixed.

Ayumi:

#1657. Shining Butterfly - BRIGHT
Japanese | Pop
A bubbly pop number by one of my favourite girl groups. Although I wouldn't consider it to be one of their very best songs, it's upbeat and fun.

#157. 式日 - ACIDMAN
Japanese | Alt. Rock
I really like this band, especially their vocalist's crisp, clean voice. A mid-tempo track with lots of bright guitar work.

#2345. Nalcha Byongyongson - Clazziquai
Korean | Pop/Electronica/Jazz
This is from their Color Your Soul album. It's a sweet, light song featuring Alex's cream vocals and Horan's light, airy voice.

#1000. Sands of time - Back-on
Japanese | Rock
I love this song. It's upbeat, and although definitely a rock song it has some electronica/rapcore influences too. These guys definitely deserve more recognition, try them out!

Allie:
#10894. 宝物 (Takaramono/Treasures) (Homemade demo vers.) - ROUND TABLE ft. Nino
Japanese | Pop/Acoustic
This version features only acoustic guitar and sweet, feminine vocals. Although I found the vocals a bit too childish and thin, it's an endearing song.

#1777. Suffocating Under Words of Sorrow - Bullet For My Valentine
English | Metal
Although I don't listen to heavy rock as much now, this song isn't actually too overpowering once you get past the screaming in the first verse and a little bit later on in the song.

#135. Koi Hitoyo - Acid Black Cherry
Japanese | Rock
I love this group, and Koi Hitoyo is a fantastic song. I love the intro, the percussion really pulls you in. It has an air of mystery to it, and I love the way the song builds up.

#2626. Shining - Crystal Kay
Japanese | Pop/R&B
A sweet, poppy song by Crystal Kay. I love the subtle harmonies and the bright atmosphere.

Labels: acid black cherry, ACIDMAN, BACK-ON, BRIGHT, Bullet For My Valentine, Clazziquai, Crystal Kay, number lottery, ROUND TABLE feat. Nino

Here are the first batch of songs uploaded for the number lottery! Whew, there was more than I thought. My reviews will be quite brief because of the number of songs, sorry about that. Enjoy, and remember to comment or leave a rating!

The rest of the songs will hopefully be up sometime this weekend, thanks for being patient!

Lena:

#458. Love Song _ Andy
Korean | Pop
A sugar-sweet song from Shinhwa's Andy. It's not amazing (I have to say that I've always thought of him as a rapper, and his singing is passable but not fantastic), but it's a cute, warm song with lots of brassy riffs and the occasional synth.

#10984. Billy _ Romeo
Japanese | Rock
A slightly predictable rock song that nonetheless is quite good - tough and gritty and reminiscent of classic rock.

#9458. You Gotta Be (Des'Ree) _ Nature Living
English | Rock
This is a cover, Des'Ree is the name of the original singer. I've only heard the original version if this song on the radio a few times so I can't say I'm too familiar with it, but Nature Living's cover is impressive. I really love the harmonies between the female and male vocalists and the rock spin they put on the song, keeping the bright atmosphere but really putting their own take on the song.

#888. 今夜も星に抱かれて (Konya mo Hoshi ni Dakarete) _ ayaka Link has been fixed, sorry about that!
Japanese | Pop/Ballad
I love ayaka. Her voice is so powerful and rich, and she absolutely shines against the warm, full piano arrangement that is the sole accompaniment of this song up to around the halfway point where some light strings are thrown into the mix. Recommended.

Stephy:

#922. B Love (So Baby) _ The b
Korean | Ballad
I'll admit, I had no recollection of who these guys were or sounded like. According to a quick google search they are a girl group from Goodberry Entertainment that debuted sometime in the summer of 2008. The song is a dramatic string-lead ballad. Their vocals are quite good, almost reminiscent of Seeya or Black Pearl. Why is it that it's the girl groups who sound like they might have some potential that drop off the radar and never get really popular. T_T

#1024. enter _ the band apart
Um ... apparently this is just a minute-long intro of sparse rustling sounds. Whoops. To compensate because this isn't really an actual song, I uploaded the next track too:
#1025. Falling _ the band apart
Japanese | Alt. Rock
I really love this group's style. Falling has some watered-down jazz influences, which really give the song a unique touch. Try them out!

#777. トラベログ _ ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION
Japanese | Alt. Rock
I love them. <3 トラベログ is a mid-tempo song with lots of bright guitar chords and a summery atmosphere. It's not one of my favourite songs by them, but it's certainly good.

melody 84, 10487, 17244, 999

#84. 旅ダチノウタ (Tabidachi no Uta) [TW Departure Mix] _ AAA
Japanese | Pop
I really love the soft opening of the song, leading into a synth-filled, cute remix of Tabidachi no Uta. I really like the ambient, warm arrangement and smooth, electronica-laced vocals.

#10487. beauty delusions garden _ POITRINE
Japanese | Rock
A gritty rock song by POITRINE. Although I'm not a big fan of their vocalist's slightly guttural voice, I really like the melody & especially the chorus of the song, as well as the tightly-knit guitar work. Worth a listen.

#17244. shower _ 12012
Japanese | Rock
12012 was one of the first Japanese artists I listened to, and although I'm no longer a follower of J-rock, I still enjoy listening to them. The bass line in shower really holds the whole song together, although it's fairly simple and mostly fades into the background. The opening verses are quite soft, leading into the more powerful chorus.

#999. Hikarisasuhou _ BACK-ON
Japanese | Alt. Rock
I love BACK-ON's style: a mix of rock, hip-hop, and electronica reminscient of groups like FLOW and UVERworld (although not as poppy). Hikarisasuhou definitely leans more towards rock, but the short rapped segments show their hip-hop influences. Recommended.

Labels: 12012, AAA, andy, Asian Kung-Fu Generation, Ayaka, BACK-ON, nature living, number lottery, POITRINE, romeo, the b, the band apart

Just a small update. The next rotation will most likely be summer-themed. So happy that school's almost out. <3

9mm Parabellum Bullet - Supernova/Wanderland
Japanese | Alt Rock
01. Supernova
02. Wanderland
03. Wildpitch
04. Supernova (piano)
05. Wanderland (piano)

Japan has so many awesome alt-rock bands. <3 9mm Parabellum Bullet is one of my favourites. I didn't upload the two piano versions, but I will on request. Supernova is probably my favourite track from this single, it has a really solid rhythm and nice guitar riffs. Wavering from Supernova's steady rhythm is Wanderland, which has more of an element of surprise. Love the vocals. Wildpitch is awesome; crazy drum accompaniment.

BACK-ON - Sands of time
Japanese | Alt Rock/Rapcore
01. Sands of time
02. message for kidz
03. fifty/50

Latest BACK-ON single, I think they're releasing their first full-length album soon too? Sands of time is a fun, light-hearted track. message for kidz starts out really sweetly, and leads into a rap verse. It's very summery with shouted vocals and alternating between acoustic guitar and a grungy electric sound. There's also these random sounds that I think were supposed to imitate a rooster crowing, which made me laugh. fifty/50 has a darker sound that contrasts nicely with the other two tracks. I like the chorus, though the lyrics (I wanna kill myself and my mind/I wanna break myself and my mind) are a little depressing.

Shinee - 누난 너무 예뻐 (Replay)
Korean | Pop
01. 누난 너무 예뻐 (Replay)
02. In My Room
03. Real
04. 사.계.한 (Love Should Go On)
05. 누난 너무 예뻐 (Replay Boom Track)

SM Entertainment is behind DBSK, BoA, Super Junior and SNSD - obviously, there were high expectations for their newest boyband, Shinee. Compositionally, the songs in this mini-album are mediocre, though vocally, it's quite impressive. 누난 너무 예뻐 (Replay) has a laid-back sound and shows their strong voices well. In My Room is the standard acoustic-guitar ballad, opening a softer, sweeter aspect to their vocals. The faint harmonizing in the chorus is nice. Real jazzes things up a bit, it opens with a quick piano passage and then leads into a fun, upbeat, catchy song with a nice bass accompaniment. 사.계.한 (Love Should Go On) also has a bright, happy sound, featuring more rapping than the other tracks. Overall, each track showed their powerful voices and potential. I wasn't disappointed, and I think it's at least close to what it was hyped up to be. Shinee is definitely a group to look out for in the K-pop world.

Tae Yang - Hot
Korean | Pop/R&B
01. HOT - Intro
02. 기도/gi do/A Prayer (feat. Teddy)
03. 나만 바라봐/Na man bara bwa/Only Look At Me
04. 죄인/je in/Sinner
05. Baby I'm Sorry
06. Make Love (feat. Kush)

Tae Yang, the main vocalist of Big Bang, recently released his first solo mini-album. I didn't really like the Intro, at 1:30 it was a bit too long to me considering that most intros/interludes are like, 30 seconds. Coincidentially, it was written by G-Dragon. A Prayer is an R&B-type ballad, featuring digitalized vocals. It's not bad, but not outstanding, either. The principal track, Only Look At Me, didn't catch my attention at first listen. When I watched the MV for it after (which, by the way, has some pretty nice dance sequences) and then listened to the song again, it started to grow on me. It's very similar to Big Bang's style. Sinner has an interesting string accompaniment and a darker sound. Baby I'm Sorry's lyrics ere also written by Big Bang's G-Dragon. It's a pretty generic mid-tempo ballad, but it's not bad. Make Love reminds me of A Prayer except the voices aren't digitalized. Overall, not a bad single, but not as good as I thought it would be.

monobright - あの透明感と少年
Japanese | Alt Rock
01. あの透明感と少年
02. boy
03. 夏メロマンティック
04. 旅立ちと少年
05. 幽霊
06. 雲男
Eh, I might get around to uploading the rest of this later. monobright is a pretty awesome alt-rock band I recently discovered, I like the title track to this single the best so far. I haven't gotten a chance to listen to all the songs yet, though. Try them out, they've got a unique vocalist and refreshing, bright sound.

Labels: 9mm Parabellum Bullet, BACK-ON, monobright, Shinee, Tae Yang

I apologize again that this is taking so long, I've been really busy with school lately. In hindsight, I think it would have been better to upload the songs as I went along - I'll definitely remember that if I decide to do another number lottery in the future. Only one more batch remains, I can't promise how long it will take to be posted but I will definitely try my best to get it done as soon as possible. Thanks for being patient! =)

- Haruhi

EDIT: It seems that a few of the links (Shining Butterfly - BRIGHT & Koi Hitoyo - acid black cherry) weren't right, they've now been fixed.

Ayumi:

#1657. Shining Butterfly - BRIGHT
Japanese | Pop
A bubbly pop number by one of my favourite girl groups. Although I wouldn't consider it to be one of their very best songs, it's upbeat and fun.

#157. 式日 - ACIDMAN
Japanese | Alt. Rock
I really like this band, especially their vocalist's crisp, clean voice. A mid-tempo track with lots of bright guitar work.

#2345. Nalcha Byongyongson - Clazziquai
Korean | Pop/Electronica/Jazz
This is from their Color Your Soul album. It's a sweet, light song featuring Alex's cream vocals and Horan's light, airy voice.

#1000. Sands of time - Back-on
Japanese | Rock
I love this song. It's upbeat, and although definitely a rock song it has some electronica/rapcore influences too. These guys definitely deserve more recognition, try them out!

Allie:
#10894. 宝物 (Takaramono/Treasures) (Homemade demo vers.) - ROUND TABLE ft. Nino
Japanese | Pop/Acoustic
This version features only acoustic guitar and sweet, feminine vocals. Although I found the vocals a bit too childish and thin, it's an endearing song.

#1777. Suffocating Under Words of Sorrow - Bullet For My Valentine
English | Metal
Although I don't listen to heavy rock as much now, this song isn't actually too overpowering once you get past the screaming in the first verse and a little bit later on in the song.

#135. Koi Hitoyo - Acid Black Cherry
Japanese | Rock
I love this group, and Koi Hitoyo is a fantastic song. I love the intro, the percussion really pulls you in. It has an air of mystery to it, and I love the way the song builds up.

#2626. Shining - Crystal Kay
Japanese | Pop/R&B
A sweet, poppy song by Crystal Kay. I love the subtle harmonies and the bright atmosphere.

Labels: acid black cherry, ACIDMAN, BACK-ON, BRIGHT, Bullet For My Valentine, Clazziquai, Crystal Kay, number lottery, ROUND TABLE feat. Nino

Here are the first batch of songs uploaded for the number lottery! Whew, there was more than I thought. My reviews will be quite brief because of the number of songs, sorry about that. Enjoy, and remember to comment or leave a rating!

The rest of the songs will hopefully be up sometime this weekend, thanks for being patient!

Lena:

#458. Love Song _ Andy
Korean | Pop
A sugar-sweet song from Shinhwa's Andy. It's not amazing (I have to say that I've always thought of him as a rapper, and his singing is passable but not fantastic), but it's a cute, warm song with lots of brassy riffs and the occasional synth.

#10984. Billy _ Romeo
Japanese | Rock
A slightly predictable rock song that nonetheless is quite good - tough and gritty and reminiscent of classic rock.

#9458. You Gotta Be (Des'Ree) _ Nature Living
English | Rock
This is a cover, Des'Ree is the name of the original singer. I've only heard the original version if this song on the radio a few times so I can't say I'm too familiar with it, but Nature Living's cover is impressive. I really love the harmonies between the female and male vocalists and the rock spin they put on the song, keeping the bright atmosphere but really putting their own take on the song.

#888. 今夜も星に抱かれて (Konya mo Hoshi ni Dakarete) _ ayaka Link has been fixed, sorry about that!
Japanese | Pop/Ballad
I love ayaka. Her voice is so powerful and rich, and she absolutely shines against the warm, full piano arrangement that is the sole accompaniment of this song up to around the halfway point where some light strings are thrown into the mix. Recommended.

Stephy:

#922. B Love (So Baby) _ The b
Korean | Ballad
I'll admit, I had no recollection of who these guys were or sounded like. According to a quick google search they are a girl group from Goodberry Entertainment that debuted sometime in the summer of 2008. The song is a dramatic string-lead ballad. Their vocals are quite good, almost reminiscent of Seeya or Black Pearl. Why is it that it's the girl groups who sound like they might have some potential that drop off the radar and never get really popular. T_T

#1024. enter _ the band apart
Um ... apparently this is just a minute-long intro of sparse rustling sounds. Whoops. To compensate because this isn't really an actual song, I uploaded the next track too:
#1025. Falling _ the band apart
Japanese | Alt. Rock
I really love this group's style. Falling has some watered-down jazz influences, which really give the song a unique touch. Try them out!

#777. トラベログ _ ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION
Japanese | Alt. Rock
I love them. <3 トラベログ is a mid-tempo song with lots of bright guitar chords and a summery atmosphere. It's not one of my favourite songs by them, but it's certainly good.

melody 84, 10487, 17244, 999

#84. 旅ダチノウタ (Tabidachi no Uta) [TW Departure Mix] _ AAA
Japanese | Pop
I really love the soft opening of the song, leading into a synth-filled, cute remix of Tabidachi no Uta. I really like the ambient, warm arrangement and smooth, electronica-laced vocals.

#10487. beauty delusions garden _ POITRINE
Japanese | Rock
A gritty rock song by POITRINE. Although I'm not a big fan of their vocalist's slightly guttural voice, I really like the melody & especially the chorus of the song, as well as the tightly-knit guitar work. Worth a listen.

#17244. shower _ 12012
Japanese | Rock
12012 was one of the first Japanese artists I listened to, and although I'm no longer a follower of J-rock, I still enjoy listening to them. The bass line in shower really holds the whole song together, although it's fairly simple and mostly fades into the background. The opening verses are quite soft, leading into the more powerful chorus.

#999. Hikarisasuhou _ BACK-ON
Japanese | Alt. Rock
I love BACK-ON's style: a mix of rock, hip-hop, and electronica reminscient of groups like FLOW and UVERworld (although not as poppy). Hikarisasuhou definitely leans more towards rock, but the short rapped segments show their hip-hop influences. Recommended.

Labels: 12012, AAA, andy, Asian Kung-Fu Generation, Ayaka, BACK-ON, nature living, number lottery, POITRINE, romeo, the b, the band apart

Just a small update. The next rotation will most likely be summer-themed. So happy that school's almost out. <3

9mm Parabellum Bullet - Supernova/Wanderland
Japanese | Alt Rock
01. Supernova
02. Wanderland
03. Wildpitch
04. Supernova (piano)
05. Wanderland (piano)

Japan has so many awesome alt-rock bands. <3 9mm Parabellum Bullet is one of my favourites. I didn't upload the two piano versions, but I will on request. Supernova is probably my favourite track from this single, it has a really solid rhythm and nice guitar riffs. Wavering from Supernova's steady rhythm is Wanderland, which has more of an element of surprise. Love the vocals. Wildpitch is awesome; crazy drum accompaniment.

BACK-ON - Sands of time
Japanese | Alt Rock/Rapcore
01. Sands of time
02. message for kidz
03. fifty/50

Latest BACK-ON single, I think they're releasing their first full-length album soon too? Sands of time is a fun, light-hearted track. message for kidz starts out really sweetly, and leads into a rap verse. It's very summery with shouted vocals and alternating between acoustic guitar and a grungy electric sound. There's also these random sounds that I think were supposed to imitate a rooster crowing, which made me laugh. fifty/50 has a darker sound that contrasts nicely with the other two tracks. I like the chorus, though the lyrics (I wanna kill myself and my mind/I wanna break myself and my mind) are a little depressing.

Shinee - 누난 너무 예뻐 (Replay)
Korean | Pop
01. 누난 너무 예뻐 (Replay)
02. In My Room
03. Real
04. 사.계.한 (Love Should Go On)
05. 누난 너무 예뻐 (Replay Boom Track)

SM Entertainment is behind DBSK, BoA, Super Junior and SNSD - obviously, there were high expectations for their newest boyband, Shinee. Compositionally, the songs in this mini-album are mediocre, though vocally, it's quite impressive. 누난 너무 예뻐 (Replay) has a laid-back sound and shows their strong voices well. In My Room is the standard acoustic-guitar ballad, opening a softer, sweeter aspect to their vocals. The faint harmonizing in the chorus is nice. Real jazzes things up a bit, it opens with a quick piano passage and then leads into a fun, upbeat, catchy song with a nice bass accompaniment. 사.계.한 (Love Should Go On) also has a bright, happy sound, featuring more rapping than the other tracks. Overall, each track showed their powerful voices and potential. I wasn't disappointed, and I think it's at least close to what it was hyped up to be. Shinee is definitely a group to look out for in the K-pop world.

Tae Yang - Hot
Korean | Pop/R&B
01. HOT - Intro
02. 기도/gi do/A Prayer (feat. Teddy)
03. 나만 바라봐/Na man bara bwa/Only Look At Me
04. 죄인/je in/Sinner
05. Baby I'm Sorry
06. Make Love (feat. Kush)

Tae Yang, the main vocalist of Big Bang, recently released his first solo mini-album. I didn't really like the Intro, at 1:30 it was a bit too long to me considering that most intros/interludes are like, 30 seconds. Coincidentially, it was written by G-Dragon. A Prayer is an R&B-type ballad, featuring digitalized vocals. It's not bad, but not outstanding, either. The principal track, Only Look At Me, didn't catch my attention at first listen. When I watched the MV for it after (which, by the way, has some pretty nice dance sequences) and then listened to the song again, it started to grow on me. It's very similar to Big Bang's style. Sinner has an interesting string accompaniment and a darker sound. Baby I'm Sorry's lyrics ere also written by Big Bang's G-Dragon. It's a pretty generic mid-tempo ballad, but it's not bad. Make Love reminds me of A Prayer except the voices aren't digitalized. Overall, not a bad single, but not as good as I thought it would be.

monobright - あの透明感と少年
Japanese | Alt Rock
01. あの透明感と少年
02. boy
03. 夏メロマンティック
04. 旅立ちと少年
05. 幽霊
06. 雲男
Eh, I might get around to uploading the rest of this later. monobright is a pretty awesome alt-rock band I recently discovered, I like the title track to this single the best so far. I haven't gotten a chance to listen to all the songs yet, though. Try them out, they've got a unique vocalist and refreshing, bright sound.

Labels: 9mm Parabellum Bullet, BACK-ON, monobright, Shinee, Tae Yang

Welcome to Fashion Scans, an mp3 rotation that features Korean, Japanese, and Chinese music as well as the occasional English song. Fashion Scans was created in October 2007 and is run by Haruhi with contributions from Carmi.

Please send all affiliate requests to Haruhi. Carmi is currently open to requests.

Files are for sampling purposes only, I am not responsible if you keep them for longer than the 24-48 hours permitted. Please support the artists by purchasing their CDs.

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