사랑이라는건(Sarangiraneun Geon - Acoustic Version) – Bi/Rain
Korean | Pop
I like both this version and its original but definitely prefer this one. It conjures up a picture of Rain sitting in a small studio setting with a few band mates singing this song. The opening guitar is nice and mellow and the rest of the instruments add to its jazzy-ish sound.
Manic Monday – Bonnie Pink
English | Pop
Yes, it’s a remake of the famous Bangles song. I actually really like this song, so much so that I will listen to this on those horrid Monday mornings where I really don’t want to go to work. It’s a much mellower and slower version of the original, with the first two verses focusing on the acoustic guitar, base, piano, and drums.
Knock Knock Knock (Piano Version) – Daichi Miura
Japanese | Pop (R&B)
I prefer this version to the original, more upbeat version. The piano and keyboard (higher-pitched keys) provide a simple accompaniment to Daichi’s voice but bring out the best in the song. It gives the song a moodier and sadder quality, which seems to give it more weight.
Life Goes On (D Side) – Chemistry
Japanese | Pop
A nice, mellow version of the opening theme to “Antique Bakery”. The slower beat and Chemistry’s voices without the electronic overlay found in the “K Side” mix make the song seem more sincere than the upbeat electronic-ish pop version (although I like that version better).
This Song – 2AM
Korean | Pop
I really wanted to finish off with a more upbeat number but I ended up with this song instead. It’s a really heartfelt song and the words could almost make you cry. The boys’ voices mesh really well with the background.
Labels: 2AM, Bonnie Pink, Chemistry, Contributor; Carmi, Miura Daichi, Rain
Rotation 19 is a touch of colour, featuring song names that contain colours. Along with the new rotation is a new layout, featuring Lee Jun Ki. Also, we have a new cohost, Aranka, who will probably be introducing herself soon. =)
22 songs this rotation, definitely one of the larger rotations I've done. Please remember to leave a comment or rating.
Red Soul - AAA
Japanese | Pop
AAA's style varies so much, I never know what to expect from them. Red Soul is rock-influenced and upbeat. It sounds like something out of a video game or anime. A fun listen, but not exceptional.
Red Hot - ELLEGARDEN
English | Alt Rock
This is the original version, not the remastered one. I love ELLEGARDEN's unique sound and style, it killed me to hear that they were going on "hiatus". Although they're a Japanese group, this song is in English. Takeshi's voice is raw and powerful.
醉赤壁 (Drunk Red Cliff) - JJ Lin
Mandarin | Ballad
This track is from JJ Lin's new album, Sixology. The intro incorporates traditional Chinese instruments, which make small appearances throughout the song. A nice ballad, not overloaded with influences of classical Chinese music yet touching on them all the same.
Red Room - Lolita23q
Japanese | Rock
One of my favourite VK groups. Red Room doesn't waste any time, jumping right into a noisy, fast-paced rock number. It's a little repetitive, but I enjoyed it.
Mirage in Blue - Chemistry
Japanese | Pop/R&B
A sweet, poppy song, accompanied with acoustic guitar. The sparse accompaniment allows their vocals to shine through. Recommended.
BLUE VACATION - BOØWY
Japanese | Rock
'90's rock just has that ... feel to it. Haha, not really my kind of thing, but it's fun as an occasional listen.
Blue & Green Waves - DE DE MOUSE
Japanese | Electronica
I'm loving the variety of genres this theme allows. DE DE MOUSE has an experimental, fresh sound. It's an acquired taste, but give them a shot if you're a fan of electronica.
Blue Doors Ahead - F.I.R.
Mandarin & English | Pop
This is probably the only time you'll see me upload F.I.R., I'm not a huge fan of them. A downtempo jazz track, Blue Doors Ahead is relaxing and strong vocally, but not overly memorable.
Blues - Jam Hsiao
Mandarin | Rock
An underrated but up and rising star in the C-pop industry, Jam Hsiao's style varies from pop to ballad to, as is the case with Blues, rock. It sounds better when you listen to it with the rest of the album, where it stands out more against the ballad/pop tracks. But, a good song nonetheless.
Deep Blue - Vidoll
Japanese | Rock
Eh, I'm kind of iffy on Vidoll. Some of their songs I love, others, not so much. Deep Blue is kind of in-between, I thought it was decent but not great. The bass-heavy accompaniment kind of drones out the already whisper-y vocals.
Green Apple - Ynot?
Korean | Rock
This rotation is pretty low on Korean songs, I noticed. A light-hearted rock song reminiscent of summer. I quite like this group.
Green Rivers - Pia
Korean | Rock Ballad
Pia is probably one of the more well-known K-rock groups. Green Rivers is a strong rock ballad. It sounded a little bland to me at first listen, but it's starting to grow on me.
Green Requiem - Joe Hisaishi
Instrumental | Piano
A relaxing piano piece. If you like Yiruma, you'll probably like Joe Hisaishi.
Yellow Beauty - LM.C
Japanese | Rock
Typical LM.C, jumps at you right from the start. It dies down a bit, showing impressive changes in tempo and mood. Recommended.
Yellow Butterfly - Fly to the Sky
Korean | R&B/Ballad
I love this duo. Yellow Butterfly varies - at times a sweet acoustic ballad with a sparse guitar accompaniment, at others an almost upbeat R&B song. Beautiful vocal work, as usual. Not my favourite song by them, but it's pretty good.
Purple Rain - Shin Hye Sung
Korean | Ballad
Pretty typical ballad, HyeSung's voice is beautiful and strong in parts but can barely be heard in others.
Purple Apple - the pillows
Japanese | Alt Rock
From the pillows' latest album, PIED PIPER, Purple Apple is typical to the pillows' style - quirky and fresh. I love the bass line and bright guitar chords.
Orange Evolution - ALvino
Japanese | Rock
I don't remember where I first heard of these guys, but I love them. They're a rock group but not VK, their sound is a little more mainstream. The chorus is genuine and memorable, although overall I wouldn't say this is one of their best songs.
Orange Dream - Antic Cafe
Japanese | Oshare kei
It's been so long since I heard a slower track from anCafe. It does build more and more, but differs from their usual fare in that it's much more serious in tone. Their sound has matured a lot. I love the piano accompaniment in this song. IMO, a very impressive track.
Orange - BRIGHT
Japanese | Pop
I'm not a fan of girl-groups, but I like BRIGHT for their great vocal work. A breezy R&B song, Orange features beautiful harmonizing. The melody and composition of the song itself isn't the most memorable though.
Orange Parade - Ichigo69
Japanese | Rock
More upbeat, in your face rock. Personally it was a little too messy for me, I found the bass of the song to be lacking - there was no real foundation, although it does even out a little. The slightly off-key vocals and random squeals from the guitar are kind off-putting. Part of the song sound almost ... fast-forwarded. O_o Definitely interesting, but I found it too jarring.
ORANGE GRADATION - Imitation PoPs Uchuu Sentai NOIZ
Japanese | Rock
I love this band. The song has a nice intro and vocals, it's upbeat and energetic but not overwhelming.
Note: Ichigo69 and Imitation PoPs Uchuu Sentai NOIZ are not tagged in this entry because Blogspot will only let me add 20 tags per post.
Labels: AAA, ALvino, Antic Cafe, BOØWY, BRIGHT, Chemistry, DE DE MOUSE, ELLEGARDEN, F.I.R., Fly to the Sky, Jam Hsiao, JJ Lin, Joe Hisaishi, Lolita23q, Pia, Shin Hye Sung, the pillows, Vidoll, Ynot?
9mm Parabellum Bullet - Psychopolis
Alt-rock. They have a very aggressive, in-your-face sound and you can't help but stop and listen - I absolutely love their style, especially their drummer. Definitely recommended. There's an absolutely crazy guitar solo in this song a bit over halfway (trust me, you'll know it when you hear it) that is just awesome. Overall rating: 4.5/5
ayabie - Day Dream
Very oshare kei, but without as much of a punk influence. I wish you could hear the bass more, though. The vocals are good but not outstanding, it's pretty typical ayabie. But I love ayabie, so that's not really a bad thing. XD For some reason this reminds me more of an anCafe song than an ayabie one although they have somewhat similar styles in the first place. Overall rating: 3/5
∀NTIFEMINISM Å~ Grid - Abura Sumashi
I'm not a huge fan of pure punk. It's just so busy yet not heavy and it mostly just seems like noise to me. Luckily, this song is only one and half minutes long so, even I can stand it. It's got growly vocals that sound like they're coming in through a radio. Personally, I don't find this song really offers much. It is very energetic though. Overall rating: 2.5/5
Chemistry (supported by Monkey Majik) - Kagayaku Yoru
Here's your not-rock song. XD Although Chemistry's last single (Saigo no Kawa) kind of disappointed me, I loved this song as soon as I heard it. I should have known I would as soon as I saw that Monkey Majik had something to do with this. It's catchy and blends Monkey Majik's unique style with Chemistry's. One of the best collabs I have heard. I love the chorus and the melodies in this song, it's awesome. Probably my favourite song from this rotation, and it's not even a rock one. XD Overall rating: 5/5
Girugamesh - jarring fly
Some heavier rock for you. I don't listen to Girugamesh that much but I've just recently realized how much I like them. XP Jarring fly has an awesome bass accompaniment and I love how some parts of the vocals are growling and incomprehensible yet others are very melodic. There's also some impressive changes in tempo where things suddenly speed up then return to their normal pace, yet the band always stays together. Overall rating: 4/5
jealkb - Chikai
This band is actually lead by former comedian Atsushi Tamura. When I first heard about this band I thought it would be sort of a parody of VK, yet ... they don't seem to be. I actually really like their vocalist. Chikai is growing into one of my favourite songs by them, it's not too heavy but not that soft either and has a strong melody while the accompaniment is very busy, setting a nice contrast. Overall rating: 4/5
Kazoku - Night
This song starts out with an interesting blend of sounds ... I don't even know how to describe it. XD But the way it transitions into the song itself is just awesome. I was like OMG how did they think of doing that. O_o Just because of that I love this song. It has this sort of waltz-ish sound because of how the beats are arranged and I love everything in this song - the vocals, the guitar, the drums, the bass. I love how in some parts it seems like the vocals are going too slow for the accompaniment yet it all fits, and then everything speeds up again. I don't think I'm making any sense. XD AND THEN THE DRUM SOLO!!!! you must listen to this song. Overall rating: 5/5
L'arc~en~Ciel - Hurry Xmas
Yay, Christmas rock. And Laruku, too! Awesome jazzy sound, definitely worth a listen. I love how it starts out and sounds familiar yet is a very unique Laruku-take on a Christmas song. Overall rating: 4/5
Luna Sea - Rain
Yeah, it's LUNA SEA! Starting out with a steady beat on the bass drum, this song has a lot of syncopated stuff and it sounds cool. XD This song is surprisingly calm at the chorus because of the vocals. Ryuichi's voice is such gold. Not my absolute favourite Luna Sea song but it's a good one. Overall rating: 4/5
MUCC - FUZZ
MUCC = awesome. When I first heard FUZZ I was disappointed. It's very ... not eroguro kei. But it's such an awesome song ... it's sooo catchy. I love this song but not because of MUCC. As in, the reason I like it is for the song not because it sounds anything like MUCC. So awesome song but MUCC fans probably won't be too impressed. Overall rating: 4/5
STRAIGHTENER - TODAY
I guess this is alt-rock? Nothing that special, but worth a listen. I like the vocals and the chorus. Overall rating: 3/5
v(NEU) - ROCAT PUNKS
Almost forgot to include this. v(NEU) is the new H e a R t and this song is the most hyperly annoyingly awesome thing you could imagine. It's catchy and very energetic, definitely recommended you check out this band if you're into oshare kei. Overall rating: 4/5
Labels: 9mm Parabellum Bullet, ANTIFEMINISM, ayabie, Chemistry, Girugamesh, jealkb, Kazoku, L'arc~en~Ciel, Luna Sea, Monkey Majik, MUCC, STRAIGHTENER, v(NEU)
