ひとりの夜もそばにいようぜ　君と僕の歌を歌う

Astrogrrrl and I go see our favorite local bar band, the Hold Steady, every time they play. They always end with our favorite song, "Killer Parties," and sometimes I think, man, all the people I get to hear this song with, we're going to miss each other when we die. When we die, we will turn into songs, and we will hear each other and remember each other.

-Love is a Mix Tape, Rob Sheffield-


This week's bands:

Japanese:

サカナクション - yeah... FINALLY... Unfortunately, the first album I checked out a year ago, I just DIDN'T like the whole electronic sound, you know! But after hare-brained unity, I think I like those electronic/disco sounds wayyyy better...!
パウンチホイール(PaunchWheel) - ok, I FINALLLLLYYYYY purchased the two tracks that were available on iTunes. It's IMPOSSIBLE to get this band unless you get the real CD itself and since, i am NOT anywhere near Shimokita or any of their live, I guess 2 tracks off iTunes is better than nothing!
Peaky SALT - One of my last.fm neighbor was listening to them, so I thought to check them out. Quite ok, a little punk-ish rock.
鴉 - Downloaded them a whole year ago and liked them, actually, just never really got into them... But their songs are really quite good. Pure rock songs... But I think they're a little visual tho... Not sure...

That's it... No English bands =(

I did re-check out:
Something Corporate - Goshhhhh.... Hurricane is still my most favorite SoCo song!!!!!! And yes, I like Audioboxer's version better than the one in Leaving Through the Window... The piano part is longer on Audioboxer!
Armor For Sleep- I used to really love this band. This was like a band I found entirely through those "e-card" sampler that were popular for a short time back in 2005.


To check out:

Japanese:

PaperBagLunchBox - I think I heard of them a year or so ago, but didn't get anything of theirs till now...
back number - was on heavy rotation on one of my last.fm neighbors list... She listens to damn alot of good bands and we usually like the same type of bands, so I thought I'd try this band out.
THE ELEPHANT KASHIMASHI - Quite popular band but for some reason, had not checked them out yet. I did listen to a song or two last year but it didn't catch on.
butterfly inthe stomach - knew about this band last year along with Starboard and Oceanlane when I was searching for new music, but there weren't anything available by them at that time...
Local Bus - Random check out.... But so far, this bands seems too indie for my liking lols...
清竜人 - SEEMS TO BE REALLY POPULAR! Two or three of the Japanese last.fm neighbors have been listening to this dude this week!
ザ・ガールハント - Downloaded these guys awhile back but didn't really play the track till this week. Thought I'd give them a secon try after browsing through hare-brained unity's blog and reading about their DJ session with the vocalist of The  Girlhunt.

English:
Holiday Parade - This band was also on heavy rotation on the JPN last.fm neighbor's list! So will check them out!



Lunkhead released a new Mini-album this week. VOX. Will check it out if I can find a download... Will purchase when I FINALLY transfer some money into my dying BOA account...

And no, I have not even checked out Tsubaki's single yet...


I still love them very much, if you should know... Perhaps, I love them too much... It's sad, unlike many people, and like what Ame said to me before how Lunkhead songs save her... but... It's not the same with me for songs... I love the bands, and the bands do put meaning in my life and gives me a dream, and like I told Phooi Wah, I think some of my best and greatest memories of America were all shared with friends AND had to do with BANDS or going for shows...

But at the same time, music are the playlists of my life... They really are, every song and every band i had ever loved in my life  is a soundtrack to those periods of my life.

But because of that... sometimes, some songs just can't follow you on... And sometimes, some songs are just too painful to revisit...

Rob Sheffield wrote it very aptly in his book, "Love is A Mix Tape":

This is a calssic example of a tape taht tries to ruin a bunch of great songs by reminding you of a time you would rather forget. Sometimes great tunes happen at band times, and when the bad time is over, not all th tunes get to move on with you.

I get it home, make it halfway through side one, and the file it away in the Whatever pole because Renee loved them and it is too hard. Maybe next year, maybe not.


I guess the opposite is true too, you know.. Sometimes, some songs mark the best days of your lives and when those times are over, it's just too hard to revisit the songs because they remind you of something that was so beautiful and perfect that's now over...

I don't know... I'm just.. glad, I'm able to listen to Japanese bands again... I think a for a month or two there, I couldn't even listen to Japaense songs, thus explains all the English ones on the rotation these days...

It's like what Rob Sheffield wrote in his book too... I guess... I just gotta learn to listen to music again.. And thus all these new bands, and it's been pretty cool to be able to find new songs each week taht are awesome and totally addictive on my playlist... I guess, it's like how when I came back from America, I knew I just had to erase my entire music library and start anew... Coz, I just had to...

And I guess, I still can't go back to those bands I love...

I was listenining to D.W.ニコルズ and S.R.S. a lot just before the whole thing happened... And yes, while マイライフストーリー is probably the most hopeful and inspiring song I can listen to and give me hope to get through this, NO, I don't feel that way, because I don't feel hopeful and no matter waht band or song or whatever they sing, music just can't save me from my loss in faith and hope in life. I'm really sorry.

And while hare-brained unity has been the only band that has somehow seeped its way back into my playlist, I really, really hope and wish and want Lunkhead and Tsubaki to come back too... And I hope they will...

I've heard this last song on so many mixes over the years. It's a different song every time, but the same thing always happens. You hear something you like, and you press rewind to go back to it. But you can't rewind the tape to the exact same place again. So you start fresh.


Well, like how Taking Back Sunday has been so very timeless for me, popping up here and there in playlists before, throughout and post America, I hope Lunkhead too can be the same for me.


What song has been with you throughout?