Sorry this rotation got backtracked so much. Hopefully it’s worth the wait, I’ve tried to upload as many runners-up as possible. This theme does not include any pop-rock, alternative rock, soft rock, etc. - but it does include rock ballads. Like with all the top ten/twenty themes, these are only the top songs in my opinion. Unfortunately, ruling out alt rock, soft rock, and “rock-influenced” groups/songs also ruled out many Korean or Chinese/Taiwanese groups. This rotation is extremely Japanese-dominated, but since pop songs were mainly Korean/Chinese and ballads were mostly Korean, I think overall it’s pretty fair. I haven’t been following rock music as much lately, so most of these songs will be a little older.
This rotation took a tiring amount of time to prepare, especially my comments (which get progressively worse), so please take the time to comment/leave a rating. Anyways, on to the music. =)
- Haruhi
#10. DOLLS - Janne da Arc
I really like Janne da Arc. Dolls is a mid-tempo track - the opening verses are a bit of a bore featuring a sweet if somewhat repetitive melody, but the chorus is great. It’s a slightly formulaic track, which kept it from moving up on the chart.
#9. Black Cherry - acid black cherry
I just realized I’d uploaded this before, way back in my tenth rotation, so there’s two links for you. A seamless blend of rock and jazz - Black Cherry starts out slow and ambient with light guitar and percussion, putting Yasu’s unique voice into the spotlight. Wailing electric guitars kick in and the percussion steps it up into a fast-paced fusion track, complete with trumpet riffs. A fantastic song from a great group.
#8. Orange Dream - Antic Cafe
This song was uploaded in rotation 19. Since most of their songs are upbeat and happy (after all, they are an oshare kei group), I was surprised at the richness and maturity of this ballad. I love the piano part - I think it adds a lot of colour to the song. The opening is heartbreakingly sad, but as the song builds it grows more and more hopeful and optimistic. A beautiful rock ballad.
#7. Et cetera - ONE OK ROCK
An angsty rock song, leaning more towards the style of American rock than Japanese. I absolutely love the chorus and the contrast in volume between the chorus and other verses. The arrangement might not be the most original or innovative, but it all fits together perfectly to make a unique and memorable song.
#6. yozora ni saku hana - Clavier
Returning to ballads, yozora ni saku hana opens with a sad piano intro. The whole song just has a certain flavor that’s unique to Japanese music, I can’t explain it - you’ll know it when you hear it. Toshi, their lead singer, has an expressively vulnerable but steady voice that suits the song perfectly. This group is technically oshare kei, but even in their other songs they don’t have a really sugary, sweet sound - their material is just generally brighter than visual kei stuff.
#5. Kimi ni Negai wo - Miyavi
Being the first Japanese artist I listened to, Miyavi had to show up somewhere on this rotation. This was also one of the first songs I heard by him. It’s a fairly bright, midtempo track driven by piano and guitars - and later, strings. Miyavi’s voice is soft and crooning pretty much everywhere but the chorus, but can still be heard over the relatively light accompaniment.
#4. Close - Mot
The sole Korean band to make the list (actually the only non-Japanese band), Close definitely deserves its position. Some people call them alt rock, but whatever. It’s such a unique song, filled with dazed, dreamy synths. Overall the song has a very sad, longing atmosphere, but its emotional value is what makes it good. It can get a little repetitive, which actually kind of adds to the atmosphere of the song - definitely try them out.
#3. Isshunfuran - B'z
A polar opposite of the sad, longing atmosphere in Close, Isshunfuran is upbeat, bright, and irresistably catchy. You can’t help but move along to it - it’s confident and assured. Not convinced? This duo has been around since 1988, and are considered the most popular rock group in Japan. They were also the first artists from Asia to have their handprints and signatures put in in Hollywood’s Rock Walk, placing them right alongside American rock legends like Black Sabbath, AC/DC, Iron Maiden, Les Paul, and Jimi Hendrix.
#2. Libra - MUCC
MUCC is one of my favourite j-rock groups. I still follow their releases despite losing interest in heavier rock (I posted a recent single of theirs not long ago). Libra is definitely my favourite song by them - it’s dark and gritty, but then it leads into the chorus, which is just stunningly beautiful and pure. I absolutely love the PV and lyrics, too.
#1. over - 12012
I knew this song would be in the top two when I started this rotation. 12012 is one of the first j-rock bands I listened to, and one of the first Japanese bands in general. “Over” is a simple but gorgeous ballad. The haunting melody always gets stuck in my head and I never forget it, even if I haven’t listened to the song in a long time.
Runners-up:
Carnation - Janne da Arc
A simple but beautiful relaxing acoustic ballad. If it was a little more of a rock song, it definitely would have made the list.
ブランコ - kannivalism
I love these guys, but unfortunately I think they’ve disbanded. A fairly slow, relaxing song with refreshing clear vocals and a dreamy arrangement. I prefer their upbeat songs, but couldn’t find any on my computer.
Lost Reason - abingdon boys school
I love this song. It was definitely close to making the list. It transitions from gritty and aggressive to softer, melodic portions. I absolutely love the chorus. A great song.
風の鳥 - Matenrou Opera
I really like this band in general; I wasn’t sure what song to upload by them. In the end, I chose a piano-based ballad, which shows their impressive vocalist. The piano is just gorgeous.
My Heart Draws a Dream - L’arc~en~Ciel
I’m sure most of you know this song, I’ve followed Laruku for a while but have never really picked out any real “favourites” by them. My Heart Draws a Dream would definitely come close - a fresh, mid-tempo track with a great melody. Of course, Hyde’s voice is wonderful.
JEALOUS -Reverse- - Dir en grey
There’s quite a few ballads in this rotation, huh? JEALOUS -Reverse- is another one, also piano-based, but Kyo’s unique voice sets it apart. I’ve kind of grown apart from their harder material where he screams more than he sings, but he has quite a nice voice when he’s actually singing, although he sounds a bit strained at times. It’s sad but hopeful, and very emotional.
Aribai - SID
A light-hearted, jazzy track that doesn’t take itself too seriously. It’s a breath of fresh air after listening to all these heavier rock songs or emotional ballads.
The Love From A Dead Orchestra - Versailles
This band’s whole image reflects splendor, royalty, etc. Their music, too, is extravagent - deep, thick vocals, a densely packed arrangement, many transitions. I love the slower, melodic verses of the song (eg. the one starting at 1:22), but unfortunately found the song to be on a whole too overdone. The slower portions where the different parts can actually be separated and viewed individually are the best. The transition about halfway through between the piano solo and the next, heavier portion of the song is roughly done - I would have thought it was going into a whole other track. A lot of great ideas and themes that got cramped together into one big song - personally, I think they could have been better and more fully explored, which kept this song from ranking higher.
Snow Flower - Plastic Tree
Ghost - Plastic Tree
Two great songs from another j-rock band that’s been around for a while: since 1993, to be exact. One of the first j-rock bands I really got into and one of few that I still loosely follow.
Night - Kazoku
I absolutely love the intro of this song. The transition into the actual song is brilliant and seamless. Faint jazz influences, a dark-ish, mysterious feel.
너 없인 행복할 수 없잖아 - Mary Story (I Can't Be Happy Without You)
I had to stick another Korean band in here somewhere. These guys are awesome, they were very close to making the list. A pretty light rock song that might even be considered soft-rock or pop-rock or whatever, but I love it. The melody is just extremely memorable to me, and even when I haven’t listened to this song for ages I can still recall it without any difficulty. Try them out if you haven’t, k-rock needs more attention - and these guys definitely deserve it.
Note: I ran out of tag characters, so I took the tag for Kazoku off because the song "Night" is already uploaded in a previous rotation, and they're tagged in that post.
I likely messed up at least one link, so if there's any mistakes with the links or anything else, please let me know!
Labels: 12012, abingdon boys school, acid black cherry, Antic Cafe, B'z, Clavier, Dir en grey, Janne da Arc, kannivalism, L'arc~en~Ciel, Mary Story, Matenrou Opera, miyavi, Mot, MUCC, ONE OK ROCK, Plastic Tree, SID, Versailles
Sorry that this rotation was a little late - the jazz band that I play in had a concert on Saturday, so I didn't have much time to update this weekend.
Fashion Scans was started roughly October of 2007. It’s November 2008 now, so the site recently passed its one year birthday! ^_^ Rotation 20 is themed then and now, featuring songs that topped the charts in 2007 and ones that are topping the charts now.
Korean;
2007:
둘이라서 - Eru (Because it’s the two of us)
Ballad | Vol 3 - Eru Returns
The ever-popular ballad seems to dominate k-pop charts, although I’ve noticed recently that with the new electronica trend, more upbeat songs are taking the top spots, especially with artists like Big Bang, Wonder Girls, and DBSK. 둘이라서 is a typical Korean ballad - to my ears, it was a bit too generic. IMO, Eru’s second album was better than his third, although his voice is still lovely. Worth a listen if you’re a fan of ballads.
사랑한다 - Lee Seung Chul (Sa Rang Han Da)
Ballad | The Secret of Color 2
Another ballad. As opposed to Eru’s deeper, thicker voice, Lee Seung Chul’s vocals are light and melodic. The warm, uplifting arrangement is really what made this song worth listening to.
2008:
어제보다 오늘 더 - Kim Jong Kook (Today More Than Yesterday)
Pop/Ballad | Vol. 5 - Here I Am
2008 saw the return of Kim Jong Kook, one of the top male singers in Korea, from his mandatory military service. He’s always been one of my favourite artists. His voice, while high in range, is still thick with emotion. Recommended.
라디오를 켜봐요 - Shin Seung Hoon (Turn on the Radio)
Pop/Rock | Radio Wave
A veteran k-pop singer known to be the “king of ballads”, has also returned with a mini-album that differs from traditional ballads, featuring an acoustic rock sound. Turn on the Radio starts out as a relaxing, laid-back track featuring a simple piano accompaniment, building suddenly and without much warning into the chorus. I love the contrast in dynamics in this song, but the softer parts were a bit dragged out.
Gossip Boy - Younha
Pop-Rock | Someday
Last year, Younha topped the charts with the song “Comet”. She seems to be enjoying a relative amount of success this year, too, with the release of her album Someday. I love her voice and the style of her music. Gossip Boy is an upbeat rock-influenced track, catchy and fun.
Japanese;
Songs chosen from the top 100 Oricon Singles of 2007 & from the most recent Top Singles chart of November 2008.
2007:
Tabidachi no Uta - Mr.Children
Soft Rock | Tabidachi no Uta
A laid-back, slow rock ballad. It’s not one of my absolute favourites by them, but worth a listen.
Eien ni - KinKi Kids
Pop/Ballad | Phi~Universal Love
A gorgeous ballad by KinKi Kids. Their vocals are rich and thick with emotion. The accompaniment is kept light throughout the song, even in the chorus, allowing their voices to shine through. Recommended.
Daybreak’s Bell - L’arc~en~Ciel
Rock | Daybreak’s Bell
I haven’t enjoyed Laruku’s newer material much, this is probably the last release by them that I really liked. Daybreak’s Bell has a darker tone and a memorable chorus, hopeful and strong.
2008:
無責任ヒーロー - Kanjani8 (Musekinin Hero)
Pop | Musekinin Hero
I have to say I don’t like these guys much. They’re fun, but a little too poppy/cheesy for me. A bright, upbeat song filled with trumpet riffs and a jazzy/ska feel.
Monochrome no Kiss - SID
Rock
I think this was done for the opening theme of an anime? While it seems very fitting as an opening theme, I prefer SID’s jazzier side. A solid rock song, but not much more.
My Heart Leaps for “C” - Antic Cafe
Oshare kei |Koakuma Usagi no Koibumi to Machine Gun
Upbeat, electronica-influenced in parts - at first I thought it was bit too overwhelmingly hyper, but it tones down a bit. Eh, it wasn’t exceptional in my opinion - most of my favourite AnCafe songs are actually their ballads - but worth a listen.
PROMiSE - MiChi
Pop/Rock | PROMiSE
She’s a relatively new artist, I think she’s only released one demo EP before this single? Signed to Sony. A simple mix of pop, rock, and electronica. If you’re looking for something experimental this probably won’t suit you, but it’s a decent song.
Mandarin;
2007:
離開地球表面 - Mayday
Rock | Jump! The World
Mayday! <3 All their releases seem to be fairly successful - their latest album, Poetry of the Day After, is also topping charts - in fact, I’ve uploaded a track from it further below. 離開地球表面 is an fast-paced, catchy track. I love the beats in this song - slightly choppy yet never jerky.
青花瓷 - Jay Chou
Pop | I’m Busy
Jay Chou is another artist who you’ll see twice in this rotation. Is it just me, or have his last two albums (this one & his latest, Capricorn) really gone downhill in quality and consistency? There’s two or three decent songs and the others are either mediocre (more like “fillers”) or just really bad. T_T Anyways, 青花瓷 is a soothing, mellow ballad. Like many of Jay’s songs it features some faint influences of classical Chinese music, but unlike in some of his other songs it’s not quite so overwhelming. I actually thought this song was quite nicely balanced out between classical influences and modern sounds.
Super Sunshine - Gary Cao
Pop | Super Sunshine
I love Gary Cao. <3 This song starts out with a sweet a cappella verse, leading into a light-hearted, feel-good pop song. Despite the cliched lyrics - You are my sunshine, my only sunshine I thought it was nice.
夠不夠 - Khalil Fong (Is it enough?)
Pop/R&B | Wonderland
Another great artist. A tasteful blend of R&B and pop, Is it enough? allows Khalil Fong’s wonderful vocals to shine through while also having a great beat. It’s not my favourite song by him, but definitely close.
我就是我 - Guang Liang (I Am Who I Am)
Pop/Ballad | 不會分離 (Never Apart)
A great singer - you might know him from his song Fairytale/Tong Hua which was a huge hit (I think I’ve uploaded it before, too). I Am Who I Am is a lovely ballad - while it lacks the instant impact of Tong Hua, it is a song that I found myself replaying.
2008:
Always Online - JJ Lin
Pop | Sixology
One of my personal favourites from JJ Lin’s latest album. Always Online is fairly slow in tempo with faint R&B influences. It’s a sad song but catchy at the same time. Recommended.
稻香 - Jay Chou
Pop | Capricorn
This was the closing track of Jay Chou’s Capricorn album, and, IMO, one of the few decent tracks. A peaceful mid-tempo track backed by acoustic guitar 稻香 is light and youthful.
如煙 - Mayday (Ru Yan/Smoke)
Rock | Poetry of the Day After
A lovely acoustic ballad from Mayday. The vocals are genuine yet laid-back and the thick, blunt bass sound contrasts nicely with the short, separated guitar chords.
Labels: Antic Cafe, Eru, Gary Cao, Guang Liang, Jay Chou, JJ Lin, Kanjani8, Khalil Fong, Kim Jong Kook, KinKi Kids, L'arc~en~Ciel, Lee Seung Chul, Mayday, MiChi, Mr.Children, Shin Seung Hoon, SID, Younha
사랑해도 될까요? - Yurisangja
genre ballad
language korean
An absolutely gorgeous ballad. I realised I knew absolutely nothing about this group, so I googled them. Did you know there was such a thing as kpopwiki? O_o Click here for a very, very brief description of the group. Anyways, this is a very typical Korean ballad but I love it. It gets a bit tedious after a while but I love the melody. It's very relaxing and calm. overall rating: 4.5/5
Isshunfuran - B'z
genre rock
language japanese
I cannot express how much I love the intro and first verse of this song. It's a very upbeat rock song. I love this band, I'd definitely suggest you try them out if you haven't already and this is very likely my favourite song by them. I also love the bass. <3333 Very addictive and catchy. Highly recommended. overall rating: 5/5
Urineun - Lee Seung Yeol
genre ballad
language korean
The beginning of this song is so nice. Another ballad, another artist I'd never heard of before this song. XP It builds in tempo a little, I would call it a mid-tempo ballad. This nice sort of blended bass sound. My favourite parts of this song are the slower parts where the accompaniment kind of dies off, leaving just Lee Seung Yeol's voice. The first time I listened to this I didn't like it as much, but his voice and the song itself is growing on me. overall rating: 4/5
한 남자 - Kim Jong Kook
genre ballad
language korean
Random note: the title of this song, 한 남자, is romanized as "han nam ja" and translates to "one man".
When people ask me what my favourite song is, I usually have no idea what to say because I have so many, and my favourites change so fast. If you really pressed me for an answer, I would say it was this song. It's another ballad (seems to be a lot of them this rotation xP) by one of my favourite singers, Kim Jong Kook (he was a member of Turbo, if that rings a bell). He has a very high range but it doesn't seem as high in this song. I have the lyrics for this song, translated, and they are just so beautiful. I'll probably post them up sometime. (If I don't/haven't yet, feel free to e-mail me for them.) The first time I listened to this song I didn't actually think much of it, but after listening to it a few more times and reading the lyrics I just love it. overall rating: 5/5
Drink it Down - L'arc~en~Ciel
genre rock
language japanese
From the Devil May Cry 4 OST. I love love love how this song starts out and how the drums come in. This song is very catchy - I listened to it once and put it on repeat right after. The chorus is gorgeous, as is Hyde's voice. It differs from Laruku's usual style a little, probably because it was for Devil May Cry. Definitely worth a listen. overall rating: 4.5/5
Shiroi Hana - THE LOCAL ART
genre rock/ballad
language japanese
The Local Art needs more love. I happened to download their "KiZUNA" album and just fell in love with this song. Another song I've had on repeat lately. I love the vocals. It's rock, but almost like a rock ballad without losing tempo too much. The chorus is <3333333. It makes me sad but happy at the same time. If that makes any sense. Every time I listen to this song, I notice something else I like about it. Highly recommended. Overall rating: 5/5
Summer Parade - Depapepe
genre guitar instrumental
language none
OMG GUITAR DUO. XP Yeah, I love Depapepe. How can you not? It starts out kind of melancholic, and then is suddenly upbeat and very summer-y. It reminds me of being out on the beach. (And yes, I uploaded a summer song in January.) Please please please listen to this. I have to say I love "Morning Smile" better, if for the only reason that it was the first Depapepe song I heard. Summer Parade comes in close, though. They have the most beautiful little melodies that seem so simple yet sound amazing in the way they're put together. overall rating: 5/5
冬の唄 - xTRiPx
genre visual kei/rock ballad
language japanese
Listen to the very first seconds of this song; they are the reason I love it so much. This is an awesome rock ballad. I have no idea what the vocalist's name is. T_T I tried looking it up but ... -is lazy-. Anyways, I love it when he hits higher notes, and when the accompaniment is stripped away to leave just the vocals. I've always been a fan of xTRiPx's more upbeat songs, but I didn't know their slower tracks were just as good, if not better. overall rating: 4.5/5
Ari no mama - Se7en
genre pop
language japanese
Random Se7en song. XP (Random note: the cover image for this song is <333) A more upbeat track, not really one of my favourites. I've always liked his Korean songs better. I love the chorus, though. And his accent when he sings in Japanese. xD In case you didn't know, Se7en is currently preparing for his US debut, which is supposedly going to come out in a few months. But they said that a few months ago, too. -_- Anyways, I'm really looking forward to his American debut although I don't know what to expect from it. -is going off topic- Yeah, overall rating: 3.5/5 By the way, sorry this is only a 128kbp rip. I thought I had a 320kbp one but I don't know where it is. O_o
Girl Friend - Se7en
genre pop
language korean
Korean Se7en! Again a more upbeat track and again, not my absolute favourite, but I used to listen to it a lot. From the Se7olution album, his fourth Korean album. I find the random snippets in English amusing. overall rating: 4/5
Bo Go Ship Da - Kim Bum Soo
genre ballad
language korean
More ballads! I love Kim Bum Soo's voice, but listening to this song I wasn't that impressed. I do like the verses in it where his voice is stronger, though. overall rating: 3/5
Memory - Kim Bum Soo
genre ballad
language korean
Finishing off this rotation is ... yeah, a ballad. xP More Kim Bum Soo. It gets pretty tedious, but I get bored whenever I listen to more than a few ballads in a row. I actually like Bo Go Ship Da a little better. overall rating: 3/5
Labels: B'z, Depapepe, Kim Bum Soo, Kim Jong Kook, L'arc~en~Ciel, Lee Seung Yeol, Se7en, THE LOCAL ART, xTRiPx, Yurisangja
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)
