Akira Takasaki's "KI"

Artist: Akira Takasaki (Japan)
Album: KI

Okay, now we've got something! This is the first album so far that I have high hopes for!

See, Akira Takasaki is the lead guitarist and founder of the popular Japanese band Loudness. I haven't heard too much of them (I have two albums), but from what I've heard, they're great.

So! Please impress me, Takasaki!

Dancin' Siva is the first track. Ooh, I'm excited!... A nice, slow, whammy-bar heavy opening sets the album up nicely. Slowly, it's gaining speed. Though it's slow, it still sounds quite explosive, doesn't it? Hell, why am I asking you? Just a very good opening song, it gets me excited for what's to come!... So, what is to come, Takasaki? (lame)

Jap Gold is a-- Wow, it's about 7:40 long. As a fan of X Japan, this shouldn't sound too long, but it does. (haha) Well, it's starting out slow. I was secretly hoping for a really powerful from he beginning song as the second track, but that's okay. It still has my interest.
At aboutthe 2 minute mark, it starts to sound very middle eastern. If you haven't noticed, I adore the traditional middle eastern sound, and when I hear it, the song immediately scores higher with me, haha.
This is another slow but powerful song. I start to really get into it by about 4 minutes in. Takasaki's guitar work really is superb.

Okay, now I'm expecting a faster paced song by track three. And fucking yes, here it is! Seven Peppers certainly sounds a bit sleazier so far (I mean that in a good way). Refreshing to hear an energetic song after two very sollumn ones. This is a toe-tapper, with (of course) amazing guitar. But, that would be disappointing if the guitar wasn't amazing, wouldn't it? The guy isn't well known for nothing.

Soft Cream sounds like it has that same sleazy quality as Seven Peppers, I definitely like that! As you can tell, I'm easily excited by up-beat songs. I love somber tracks, but sometimes high energy is what I need.
I got a little bit bored by the middle of the song, but keep in mind that my attention span isn't top-notch.

Walt Man seems to be a bit heavier than what I've heard so far. For some reason, the drums catch my attention in this song. It sounds like real, genuine thought was put into them, which you don't see too much. That's my opinion anyway. I think it could use a second guitarist during the main solo, but I'm so used to massive amounts of layers in my songs that I might not know what I'm talking about. It just sounds like there's a bit of an empty void. I still like the song, though.

Death Mask. Okay, now I'm expecting something really heavy. Is this how it's going to be? Two slow songs, two up-beat, two heavy songs? What's next then? I'm betting on cowboy. Don't doubt me.
Oh, the song. Well, it definitely is darker. Now, this has layers that are nice to listen to. You know, I don't have much to say. I like it. It's not very happy. It's good.

...
(disappointed at lack of cowboy influence)
That's okay, though. Natural Mind is still really good.
Usually, an album that focuses mainly on guitar without any vocals bores me. The only other album like that that I enjoy is Radiant Heat by Hisashi Takai (AKA HISÅSIH), but this one keeps my attention.
Hey! Don't fade out! Damn! This really badass guitar solo at the end of Natural Mind just fades away!... Ah!...

Well, let's move onto Free, then..
This one doesn't excite me quite as much as the other songs. Until the great solo around 2 minutes, that is. But there's that empty hole that I hear again. It just feels like it needs something...

Anyhoo. Run About. I'm really loving this one, it feels like I could headbang to it, or something. (But I know better, I hurt myself whenever I do that.)

Voodoo Bose is the last track on the album, let's see if it leaves me feeling fulfilled. Even if it doesn't, it's still one hell of an album.
Well, it is the strangest so far, I didn't expect a piano at all. Oh holy shit I just noticed that this song is over ten minutes long. Christ. Okay, if a ten minute song doesn't leave an impression on me, then I don't know what will.
Ahh, I'm tired now.

4 out of 5.
I really, really like this album. It's a good listen, and I would recommend trying it out. Provided that you like this kind of music, that is.

Aikawa Nanase's "R.U.O.K ?!"

Artist: Aikawa Nanase (Japan)
Album: R.U.O.K. ?! (released 11.19.2005)

I think the only reason I even have this album is because one of my favorite guitarists, Pata, is featured on it. Well, let's see how it is.

Foolish 555, huh... Please don't disappoint me.
Oh hey, the guitar is pretty cool, the drums are good, it sounds pretty cool. Ooh, a female vocalist. That's refreshing. Her voice is a bit too cutesey for my taste, and the chorus sounds a bit boring, but HEY! It's pretty okay!
Sounds a lot like Dope HEADz, and I'm not saying that just because Pata was in that, too. Well, maybe I am.

Let's move on to R.U.O.K ?!
...
(siiiiigh) I'm disappointed now. This is one of the most stale songs I've heard for a long time. It doesn't stand out from any other alternative song in existence. Pata, stop this madness!!

Okay, I can't handle that anymore. Fly to Rainbow Ray is track three.
I'm getting the feeling that all these songs are blending together as one mediocre, alternative mass. I don't like this. I can't even come up with any witty commentary, this is so devoid of originality that it is sucking the life out of me.

Track four is Rock Star's Steady. I literally can't remember what the last songs even sounded like and I just heard them a few seconds ago. That's how... un-unique this is. Yes, un-unique. It is taking away all my vocabulary, apparently.

Red Wheel sounds like it's going to be some kind of ballad. As much as ballads such as these bore me, at least it's some damn variety. And yes, it's boring. It sounds kind of like Do As Infinity, a band I liked when I was first getting into music. Shows how quality it is... (Don't get me wrong. DAI have some good material.)

Snowfall is nothing special. Again, it reminds me of Do As Infinity, except that Aikawa has a much more typical J-pop voice that I tend to detest. DAI's vocalist had somewhat of a smokey quality that's interesting to listen to. This isn't interesting to listen to.

The last track on the album should be good. It probably won't be, but it should be. And no, it isn't. These all sound exactly the same, am I supposed to be able to tell these songs apart?!

Now I'm all in a frenzy. Pata, why are you doing this?

1 1/2 out of 5.

I don't even know. The instruments are good enough, and the vocals aren't bad, the whole album is just so incredibly dull. Next band.

Aggressive Dogs- "Dizzy Life", "If You Please" and "We Never Trade"

Artist: Aggressive Dogs (Japan)
Album: Dizzy Life

Track 1 is Give a Blow (I wonder if it's sexual?...). Already I can tell it's low quality.
Well, shit. I don't have much to say. It's just mediocre punk with bad vocals. It's not good, it's not bad. It's... mediocre. I have to admit that the guitar solo was pretty good, if not short.

Moving on to Hell's Day. I wouldn't be able to tell if it was a different song, if you want the truth. Maybe I just don't UNDERSTAND it, maybe someone really into punk music would like it.
I like some punk music, provided that the vocalist isn't godawful. This vocalist is bordering on really, really bad.

Soldier Boy isn't good.

Shout to the Future isn't good either.

Not quite as interesting as the last albums I've reviewed, but maybe it's just boring in comparison to the fucked up After Dinner that I just listened to. Either way, it's kind of boring. It's alright to pass this album up.

1 1/2 out of 5
Yes, yes, I am harsh.

I have two more albums by Aggressive Dogs to look at before I publish this post, so hang around.

Album: If You Please

If You Please starts off with the song Aggressive Dogs. The guitar is actually pretty nice to listen to and they add background vocalists at one point. Not as bad, I don't regret listening to it. Now we're getting somewhere!

Now for Do Your Selfe. Is it meant to be misspelled?
I don't listen to much punk music, so I have no idea if a fan of punk rock would enjoy it. I just personally don't enjoy most of this genre because the compositions and vocals are typically very sloppy, in my opinion. So, you know, someone probably would love this. I think it's bad.

Dead Janky Girl is track three. What the hell does janky mean? (looks it up) Oh. Okay. It still doesn't excuse bad music.
Again, guitars= pretty damn good. The rest= no.

The last track on this record is All Fucking Age. I have the feeling this band doesn't have an amazing grasp on English. But that's alright. This song, however, is all wrong.

1 1/2 out of 5. Next!!

Album: We Never Trade

Oh wondrous, this is a longer album. But but but!! The sound quality sounds a lot better! This is a good start! Maybe they've improved? The guitars certainly sound impressive, as usual, and...
(sigh) ....
.... (stiffles a laugh)
The singing...
(hee)
Is he supposed to sound like...
(ha ha hee)
Ohhh. I see they haven't done much about that vocalist. Shame.

Moving on to Throd. Good guitar, bass, drums, decent enough composition, but that vocaliiiist...
The music itself sounds a bit stale, but it's excusable.

Now, don't start thinking I have a bias against bad vocalists, because I don't. I listen to Auto-Mod and Ippu Do, after all, and Genet and Masami have pretty terrible voices. But it works. This doesn't work for me.

You know, I guess I don't have much to say. There's not much variety to this album, I'm getting bored listening to it. I suppose I'd recommend listening to it if you're into heavier stuff, and listening to their earlier music for you punk fans.

But in my eyes, it scores a
2 out of 5.

After Dinner- "Editions" and "Souvenir"

Artist: After Dinner (Japan)
Album: Editions (released 1983)

I don't know much about this band, but from what I know, After Dinner can be described as an avant-folk band. Very underground, very cult, very weird. I've heard a little before, and I definitely got that impression. Well, let's start.

...
.....
... I'm not sure what to think. Um. What is this? It's not bad. It's just... next track, maybe I won't be as confused.

.... I still am. Sepia-Ture just the woman vocalist singing very softly with very quiet guitar, bass, violin and drums that sound really toned out. I'm not sure what to think.

The third track (An Accelerating Etude). So far, it's just the vocalist singing, "Ahhhhh" with forest sounds in the background. Um, now she's singing with some kind of answering machine, a siren... little girls breathing and singing... This is the most bizarre song I have ever heard. And that's saying a lot. I kinda like it... Let's go to the next song. I'm obviously going insane.

....
.... It keeps on getting weirder!!
What am I listening to?!?
Pots and pans... synths... some sound going in reverse... child-like vocals... bubbling water... a baby-creature-thing cooing... Yes, that is what I'm listening to. That makes up all of Soknya Doll.

Shovel and Little Lady starts off with a narration that sounds like Microsoft Sam. I don't know why they chose now of all times to tell me what this track was recorded with... Especially because this song is a melody-less horn tooting, the singer singing a tune in the distance while banging a tambourine. There are some random sounds thrown in here and there, and her voice fades in and out, sometimes leaving the tambourine the only remaining sound in the song.
This is... bizarre. So bizarre.

Cymbals at Dawn... Please, please make sense. I'm so confused.
So far, a peppy little marching song. Dare I say, it's rather cute. I really love it, it's quite fun.

Glass tube starts out with... something that sounds like someone blowing into a hollow plastic tube (it should sound like a glass tube, though, shouldn't it?). Um. This one is rather interesting too. Her voice is skipping all over the place in pitch, it sounds like the random plucks on the guitar in the background. I'm.. not sure what to think.

With Dessert, I'm beginning to notice a pattern... All the instruments are random!! This sounds like an elementary class's jam session!! Ahhh! I feel like I'm losing my mind! And that's honestly all this song is to the very end. I don't even think it has a melody. It's weird.

Here appears to be the second part to Sepia-Ture. Again, the random bursts of instruments that make no sense.

Okay, okay... This song is called "A Walnut"... Great.. What a normal title.
A Walnut seems to be performed live? There are dogs, though, I don't think they would allow dogs in the venue. It has that same middle eastern flair as After Dinner. I really, really like it. I... really, really... like it? Peculiar.

Umm... It seems that there's another track named Cymbals at Dawn? Is this one different than the other one, or did I just add it twice somehow? Oh, well... the vocals on this version are nearly inaudible. I wonder if this is a live?

Oh! Re begins with a male vocalist! I had no idea there was more than one. Not too much to say other than that, it's normal (in comparison).

Kitchen Life sounds kind of polka-ish, maybe... I'm just trying to compare this to something. I can't explain any of this in words. I like this song, too. Don't know why, I just do. Even if the vocals are so low at parts.

Again, there is another Glass Tube. Is this one different? It's much quieter and softer, I can barely hear most of it. To be honest, it's kind of giving me the creeps. It just sounds rather haunting and unsettling.

The 'would You Like Some Mushroom' Variation....
The 'would You Like Some Mushroom' Variation.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?!?!
I didn't think it could be any stranger... (slump) I'm getting worn out.

Well, Ironclad Mermaid really is similar to the rest of it. Equally strange, confusing, quiet, etc.

So, here is the track, After Dinner. This song really just represents who After Dinner are. Very middle eastern with quick bursts of.. loudness. I'm not sure how to explain it. At least the guitar solo is very "normal".

The last track on this 18 track album is The Room of Hair Mobile. I don't even... Let's just end this review, it's already an essay.

Really, the only thing you need to know is that this is the strangest album I have ever, ever come upon. I don't know why I love it... but I feel slightly crazy after listening to it. I think I'd actually really recommend getting this album. The members of After Dinner are obviously very creative people, because this is easily one of the most interesting records I have ever heard, and it leaves a very big impression on me. Not one I'll be likely to forget. And yes, it is very good.

4 out of 5.

... What? I have another album by After Dinner?
Well, kind of.

Album: Souvenir (1988)

It seems as if all eight tracks on Souvenir also appear on Editions, except they are much better quality. I'm not sure if any of them are different other than that. That's how poor of quality Editions was in, haha.
Anyhow, the tracks are After Dinner, Kitchen Life, The Room of Hair Mobiles, A Walnut, Sepia-Ture, Cymbals at Dawn, Glass Tube and Soknya Doll.

Because of how radically improved the audio quality is, I'd also recommend this album, but Editions includes An Accelerating Etude, Shovel and Little Lady, Dessert, Sepia-Ture II, Re, The 'would You Like Some Mushroom' Variation and Ironclad Mermaid, so get that one too.

Hell, I love After Dinner now.

access- Fast Access

Artist: access (Japan)
Album: Fast Access

SENSUAL GLIDE begins with a sort of electropop opening, and quickly turns into something ultra 80s. Kind of sounds like the credits theme for an 80s movie. A movie where two underdog skateboarders are hassled by a group of mean douches, but they prevail in the end. Kind of catchy, slightly repetitive and nothing special, but fun at the very least.

VIRGIN EMOTION is a typical pop song that lacks any personality whatsoever. Whatever fun I was having with that first track is now gone. Thanks, access.

Okay, now PALE BLUE RAIN... Oh God, it sounds like it's going to be a sappy ballad. It starts out like thousands of other damn ballads. I already hate it. NEXT!!

JEWELRY ANGEL has that same 80s dance feel as the first song, but with more of that soulless J-Pop feel to it. Bad.

DISTANCE~MOTOMEAUNIWA TOSUGITE~ is slower and... (snore) ... Oh, the sixth track just started as I slept in my own drool. This one is.... (snoooore).... Oh hey, from there on, it's so cliche and boring and lifeless that I just can't stay awake. G'night.

1 out of 5.

God, I hate J-pop. Why the hell do I even have this on my iPod?!

Aburadako- OK Ban ~ Shoki Ongen

Artist: Aburadako (Japan)
Album: OK Ban ~ Shoki Ongen

Okay, so far, a decent sound from the track Ranninguhai. Terrible sound quality, but it's alri--- oh Christ, the vocals. It's all downhill from here, guys. I realize punk music isn't known for its vocal mastery, but this is just plain annoying. My God, it feels like I'm being raped in the ear.

The second song, Nintai... sounds as if the vocalist got drunk and decided to try to play anyhow. The other band members were equally wasted and decided it sounded good, then released it as is. Something like that. It sounds like white noise. I think my friends and I were doing a music parody once, and it sounded something like this.

Erusaremu no Kutsujoku, I have faith in you to save this album.
... Damn it all.

Zekku? Interesting opening, but maybe you should get your poor vocalist some laxatives. He sounds like he needs to take a huge dump. You meant for him to sound like that? Ohh...

Mu is stupid. Genbaku is bad. Mai Nisuto is ungodly terrible. You know what? I'm not even going to bother with the last half of this 18 track album.

Basically, they have decent enough compositions (I actually like the sound of some of it), but I personally find the vocalist intolerable. If you have a high tolerance to awful singing, give it a try. To each their own.

1 out of 5.

I've heard that this is an earlier work from Aburadako... Did they improve with time? I can only hope so.

Abigail- "Decending from a Blackened Sky"

Artist: Abigail (Japan)
Album: Decending from a Blackened Sky

The album starts off with a boring bell instrumental (entitled "Swing Your Hammer"), which sets up for a gothic-inspired sound. But, at the second track, "The Lord of Satan", it immediately jumps into a low quality bastardization of black metal. The vocalist has an annoying, "hardcore" growl and the instruments are difficult to even hear. From what I do hear, however, it's just noise: the dummer apparently only knows of the cymbals on his kit, the guitarist is just strumming away some terrible riff as the vocalist growls and laughs all "scary-like". And don't bother with the bassist, the quality is so bad, I can hardly hear it. And that's just the second track.

The third track (Mephistopheles) isn't quite as bad, but it's still bad. At least I hear an attempt at composition. It's a start. Even if it sounds almost identical to their last track, Count Barboros. Okay, nevermind, it's really, really bad.

Track four, Decending from a Blackened Sky, is another boring midi-bell instrumental. Is this really necessary? You'd think you'd make the track that your album is named after a bit more... quality. Abigail must just be too ~*~HaRdCoRe~*~ for quality. I just don't ~*~UNDERSTAND IT~*~. Okay, okay, enough with the sparkles.

Count Barboros, the final track (thank God), begins with that obnoxious growly laugh and has practically the same damn sound as the last tracks. Fuck, this is terrible.

Okay, I've had enough. I admit I'm not much of a metal head, especially black metal and the like. But I know bad composition when I hear it. And this is it.

0 out of 5. Yes, I can do that.

↑THE HIGH-LOWS↓ - "Do!! The★MUSTANG"

The first artist on my iPod:
↑THE HIGH-LOWS↓ (from Japan)
The album is "Do!! The★MUSTANG"

The first track is pretty shallow sounding, and I immediately thought the vocals were lacking. So, this is how the album starts? No introduction at all, we just jump right in there. Not a good start, High Lows.

Satetsu sounds almost like the same song. As does Noronoro. Wait, no. Noronoro is a hell of a lot more annoying. At the very least it sounds like the guitarists are making an effort.

Kouya Harukani has a (gasp!) different sound, but damn, they should've ditched that vocalist. They have a lot more problems than just the singing, but it would be an improvement.

I'm not even going to bother with the other tracks, they all. sound. the. same.

The last song should end on a good note, you don't want your listeners to end the record feeling unfulfilled or something like that. But no. The vocals on Purapura are pretty unbearable. Hell, Purapura is unbearable.

As I skipped through the album, none of the songs stood out as being anything other than typical 90s pop/rock/crap. I can't even say anything about the separate tracks because, well... they're all mediocre, cliche, uninteresting, soulless pop. Not truly awful, I can imagine someone would like it... Just not me. I prefer to be able to differentiate between songs, after all.

Overall...
1 out of 5

I just really don't appreciate unoriginality, hence the pitiful score.

Nice start to the blog, huh!

First Post, First Post!!

Hey, introduction post. You can find most of what this blog is about in the profile sidebar, but what the hell, figure I might as well introduce myself.

Hello, my name is Anna. I'm a soon-to-be-16 year old girl who spends far too much time on the internet filling all the space on my hard drive with music I download from other people. Nice to meet you.

As I said in the sidebar to the right, I have a lot of music piled up on my computer that I haven't even listened to. I have been meaning to review all of this music for a long time, but haven't gotten to it.

... Until now!..

That was lame, but necessary, I apologize.

Anyhoo. I basically just type up my first impressions of these artists on this blog. I know very little about music technically, and I hope no one is expecting an expert review or anything like that. This is really just the cold, honest opinions of a very bitter teenage girl.

Most of the artists I listen to are fairly obscure. I tend to download a lot of Japanese and, more recently, various European artists from before the 1990s. My tastes range from New Wave to Power Metal to Positive Punk to Classic Rock, among others. I'm not very picky genre-wise, but I do care about originality and composition.
(And no, I am not one of those J-rock fangirls just because I listen to music from Japan. Please don't group me in with those kinds of people. Yuck.)

I doubt this will get views, and I'm beginning to wonder how long I'll even do this, but I hope someone finds this entertaining or of value.

Thanks and goodbye!