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
Large catch up and make up rotation!
Miss You [m-flo loves Melody]
Starstruck - "The Return of the Luvbytes"
Vanessa [m-flo loves Bloodest Saxophone]
Way U Move [m-flo loves Dragon Ash]
Get On! [m-flo loves Crystal Kay] Astrosexy [m-flo loves Chemistry
The Love Bug [m-flo loves BoA]
Life Is Beautifuls [m-flo loves Double & Toku]
Cosmic Night Run [m-flo loves Crazy Ken Band]
Reeewind! [m-flo loves Crystal Kay] Uchu No Ouou
Album two: ZUSHI by Kimaguren Songs by this duo were originally featured by Haruhi, but I found them so good I thought I’d upload the entire album. This duo released their first single, Omoi omoi, in late spring or early summer of 2007. This album ranked number one in the last week of July ’08 in the Oricon Charts. The entire album is sweet, breezy and uplifting.
2．LIFE
9． P.S.
10．Omoi Omoi
12．Dame Otoko
13. LIFE ( Smart Sports ver.) STUDIO APARTMENT Remix
14. LOVE CALL(Kimagure ShortEdit)/RYTHEM with キマグレン
Rotation #7: Starting letter A
Otsuka Ai – Amairo Parasol Japanese – Pop A rather mellow single by this usually hyper artist. It sounds very much like the A side of the single on which it was released – Amaenbo, although this is probably more upbeat. I think it’s a quite good alternative to her usually hyper music.
Arashi – Asu ni Mukatte Hoeru Japanese – Pop A typical Arashi single – upbeat, happy and poppy. It reminds me a little of Kitto Daijoubu, although this song doesn’t feature Sho’s rapping. It’s also a bit electronic, perhaps more so than their other songs. I really like it though. Happy desu~ <3
ALvino – ARCADIA Japanese – Poprock An electronic song, yet with ALvino characteristics. I really like it, mainly because it seems to step outside the regular rock which ALvino produces a lot.
Ayaka – Ai mo Uso mo Shinjitsu Japanese – Poprock Featuring her strong voice, this song sounds a little darker than most of the songs on her second album. I don’t think the song is as powerful as CLAP&LOVE, but it’s still a really good song.
B’z – Ai no Bakudan Japanese – Rock I think this was my very first B’z song. I can’t even count the times I’ve listened to it. It really is rock music like you’d expect from this amazing musical duo. Upbeat rock, definitely comes recommended.Chachamaru – As Japanese – Rock Perhaps not the first thing you’d think about when you think of Chachamaru, the song is slow and a little mysterious. Near what sounds to me like the chorus, the music becomes really strong, while the rest sounds like a relaxing ballad. Recommended.
Gackt – Another world Japanese – Poprock An upbeat, happy song by this amazing artist with his characteristic beginning. To me it’s the ultimate fusion between rock and pop. Listening to this song brings me instant happiness.
Kanjani8 – Ano kotoba ni Japanese – Pop Another typical JE boyband with a typical sweet boyband song. Although in this case I don’t think that’s a bad thing, it works for Kanjani8. It always brings a smile to my face.
KAT-TUN – Andarusia ni Akogarete (Live) Japanese – Pop I think is from their first concert, and I think the fusion between some characteristics from Spanish music works really good with the rest of the song, which is basically the typical KAT-TUN poprock mix. One of my favourite concert only songs.
Kobukuro – Aoku Yasashiku Japanese – Ballad The minimal volume of the accompanying instruments gives this songs almost an a capella feel, showcasing the harmony of the vocals. To me, the harmony between the vocals and the instruments is the main charm of this song.
Miyavi – Ashita, Genki ni Naare Japanse – Pop I LOVE this song! It’s so sweet, especially compared to some of Myv’s earlier songs. “Spring wind, breathin’ in a breeze” evokes that perfect late spring/early summer day, where the whole world just bathes in the sunlight and all is well. Rie Fu – Ame no Hi ga Sukitte Omotte Mitai Japanese – Ballad Singing of a rainy day, little bells invoke that feeling of the first raindrops on forest leaves on in late spring. This song seems influenced by classical music, with a piano and strings as main accompaniment.
SiD – and boyfriend Japanese – punk Happy happy! This one of the more upbeat songs done by SiD, although it’s nowhere near the hyperness of Smile. Staying within that typical SiD style, I think this song can be put up there with some of the upbeat An Café songs, and other sweet punk like LoveScreamParty by SuG.
Southern All Stars – Ai wa hana no you ni (Olé!) Japanese – Pop/Salsa I couldn’t stop smiling the first time I heard this song. Japanese people attempting Spanish, quite successfully actually, is really entertaining. However, I think they’ve succeeded in giving this song that Mediterranean feel. It’s a real summer song~
Rotation #8: Summer themed
Japanese – Ballad
A sweet ballad with a summery feel to it, with a typical Arashi sound. This song does feature Sho’s rapping ;D “Natsu no namae oshiete..”
Japanese – pop
Rather than their usual hiphop, this song is a really poppy song. It gives you a bit that late night at a tropical island feeling, just hanging out near or on the beach, having a good time.
Korean – pop
Starting out a little sad the song gradually changes to a happy song about the summer, or a summer love. I think, I don’t speak Korean xD It’s sweet and summery and it has DBSK. Win, right?
Japanese – hiphop Rap with a summer sauce. Later it’s a sugary sweet voice prolonging the feeling of a summer night with a potential fling. It really feels like that summer loving. Comes highly recommended.
Japanese – punk
After starting off like a ballad, the song soon becomes upbeat with a punk edge. It’s slower and a bit softer than most SiD songs, but I like it. Unlike the other songs in this part of the rotation, it has no particular summery feel, but it’s a good song nonetheless.
Southern All Stars – Oh Summer Queen
Japanese – pop
The B side of the single I am your Singer, a B side I particularly like. This song has more of a party mood, where the boy dares the girl to come closer etc., rather than a summer feeling. I think this is a cool song. “One two three, now baby come on..”
Japanese – ballad
A soft song by a very good singer. It’s a good song to listen to with a glass of wine in your hand, sitting on the porch and reading a book. A soft breeze to boot and the night is perfect. That’s what I’d do anyway x)
Japanese – pop
Poppy, upbeat, happy. One of the oldest songs in my music collection, it makes me a bit nostalgic :’) It’s just a good fun song, for a little instant happiness.
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Yes, I ran low on inspiration how to describe songs in this rotation. So shoot me ;D Also, feel free to request any songs and please leave a comment.
Labels: ALvino, Arashi, Ayaka, B'z, Chachamaru, cohost: aranka, D-51, Gackt, Kanjani8, KAT-TUN, Kimaguren, Kobukuro, m-flo, miyavi, Otsuka Ai, Rie Fu, SID, Southern All Stars, Suga Shikao, WaT
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
