into the void

There are some albums where we like say 4 of the 10 tracks.. And then there are some albums where it's just PERFECT all the way. I think in my life there's been some albums that are like that, where every track is a favorite track! By no means they're like my favourite album of all time, but these are the albums that I can listen from track 1 to 12 and NOT SKIP a single track. Where every song is awesome, and at the end of the 12th track it makes me go "Damn, that was a great album! In its entirety!"

Wholesome albums.

I'll try to list some =)


Nirvana - Nevermind



No arguments here ;) I think this is the album that changed my life. From girl to GRUNGE/ALTERNATIVE ROCK GIRL. lols... FOREVER!

lols.

I think this was truly the first band, album, music I had ever ever LISTENED TO. you know what I mean?!

On the other notes, my second top fav Nirvana album would be In Utero, folllowed by Incesticide.





Green Day - Dookie



Yeap.. I think this is the second album I listened to in my whole life... Lols. PERFECT album dude, EVERY DAMN SONG IS GOOD!


Hole - Celebrity Skin



Ok while I think Live Through This definitely shaped me wayyyyyy more than this album did. In fact, this album was just an album. But of the Hole/Courtney Love album, this was the best one because it was a really, really good rock album. From the first song to the last song, each song was great. And this IS one of those albums that I do like each and every song, from first to last.

Seriously.






Smashing Pumpkins - Melon Collie and the Infinite Sadness



Ok, this is a 2 CD album ok... Like the first of its kind wayyyyyyy back then when 2 CD albums are unheard of... So there are one or two tracks that I skip lolsss...

But this was my first forage into.. music with thought. lols.

Great album, I don't think I can listen to this album without feeling 16 again.

Had my share of my bouts of depression with this one lols.


Oasis - (What's The Story) Morning Glory?



I think I have three copies of this album. Gosh... LOVED LOVED LOVED Oasis... Changed me from grunge girl to rock girl... lols.

But as equally awesome an album is Definitely Maybe... It's just that, I think Morning Glory is just more... radio friendly and more "progressed" in its sounds than Definitely Maybe.





Ash - 1977



Flawless album. Dude, even the bonus tracks, T. Rex and Everywhere is All Around is KICK ASS!



Alanis Morissette - Jagged Little Pill



Another FLAWLESS amazing album. Damn. One album wonder, though!


Blink-182 - Enema of the State



Sooooo this album changed me from a rock girl to a punk girl! lols...

I can't decide tho which album I like better... Enema or Dude Ranch coz I think Dude Ranch is also awesome, but I think the album that I will go back to it at anytime and still love the songs, it'd be Enema.





Finch - What It Is To Burn



I mean it, track 1 to 12. NO SKIPS. ALL LOVE. T O T A L L Y.

So this album changed me from punk girl to emo girl! lols~



Taking Back Sunday - Tell All Your Friends



What can I say about this album? TIMELESS. Stayed with me before leaving for the States, while I was in the States and even now, when I have left the States.

Their first and their best.


Something Corporate - Leaving Through The Window



yeah I know, weird pick, but I really loved this album and I thought it was a solid album. Every track is great. Well written, well arranged, well made.


Asian Kung-Fu Generation - Sol-fa




OK, I chose Sol-fa not only coz yes, IT IS AN AMAZINGLY AWESOME ALBUM from first to last! But also, I guess, it represents the epoch of Ajikan's "rock" brilliance.

I love the previous two albums too, Kimi Tsunagi Five M and Houkai Amplifier... SOLID albums too! LOVE LOVE LOVE every single one of the songs on those 3 albums! Incredible..

And yes, it was these albums that changed me from an emo/scene girl to a Japanese rock girl... LOLS!





Tsubaki - Portrait+



Yes, this is an absolutely amazing album and yes, while the other Tsubaki albums are also wonderful and I really love them too, in my opinion, this is their finest work yet.

This album like those other perfect album, I feel, is the pinnacle of their brilliance, an album where solid rock sound is constructed perfectly with studio work. Flawless marriage of the both that resulted in an album that is both rocking, yet incredibly well crafted.

I constantly look for albums like those. Sometimes a band can not progress beyond the edgy raw rock sounds and sometimes bands can go from really good but raw rock songs only to release an overly sound engineered/enhanced album the next that totally takes the edge off their songs.

Portrait+ is neither. A perfect Tsubaki balance. IMHO.

My SECOND FAVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV Tsubaki album! ALSO INCREDIBLE, every song is KICK ASS from first to last, IMHO.




Radwimps - Radwimps 3



YEAP. I LOVE THIS RADWIMPS ALBUM BEST. When I first checked out Radwimps, this was actually the first album I got and it was perfect. Every song in it was great! Thus, from that first perception, this is a perfect album from first to last.


Lunkhead - Tsuki to Tenohira



Hahaha... ok, ok, ok... I chose this album because the PERFECTEST song is on this album ;)

Guess which track =P

My other Lunkhead Favs... Albums where every song is a good song and every other song is a GREAT song!




Other really coooooool perfect albums?


Third Eye Blind - Third Eye Blind



Oh c'mon... if you were a teenager in the 90s, I bet this album's on your list!


Gin Blossoms - Congratulations I'm Sorry



YEAP!! I LOVE THIS ALBUM! I think it's brilliant! Almost every song is absolutely amazing!


The Stone Roses - The Complete Stone Roses



HELL YEAH! Dude, if there was ever the BEST BEST OF album, this is it. lols.



Days Away - The Feel Of It



I really heart his band :)


New Found Glory - New Found Glory



One of those perfect melodic punk albums that's a great listen from first to last.



A New Found Glory - Nothing Gold Can Stay



This is a VERY VERY raw albums, thus, not for everyone but I really really love every track on this album!


Plastic Tree - Chandelier



Yes, TOTALLY. THIS IS AN INCREDIBLE, BRILLIANT ALBUM. Totally love this band, dude.. Yeah.. STILL :D lols.
 



Ok I think I better stop here coz I'm beginning to list!!!!! There's just soooooooo many incredible albums out there!!!

Goshh... ima just stick the album covers here lols.

HOLYCOW! Can you believe it?! I watched Inuyasha again!! After how many years?! Man... And there's no difference! I mean in like the background music and all that. TOTAL NOSTALGIA!

Anyway, I decided to check out this episode of the new Inuyasha episodes. They started the anime again to pick up the last arc to the end of the manga... I guess that's a good thing huh? After all, it was a very, very popular series. (Killed by lengthy repeats and wth-die-naraku-NOW)

Anyway, I bothered to follow the manga (back then) only because I wanted to read about Sesshoumaru and Rin... My favorite storyline in the whole series.. And this part of the series was the MOST MOST MOST MOST MOST MOST touching and wonderful part of the entire series (lols)!

So, it was nice they animated it!

But... It was kinda dissapointment actually... I didn't think it was as powerful being adapted into the anime...


I really like this part of the series because, I felt, it signified the progress and process of Sesshoumaru's character... I mean, he had always been a hard-ass, but you always felt there was more it him than that... in that he actually did care for Rin, a very uncharacteristic thing for him to do.

And I felt that these chapters (4 chapters in total in the manga), really showed how much he has changed and show his "true heart" that being with Rin has made him become....

I always loved that part where he catches Rin and Kohaku as they fall and then he says to Kohaku, "Don't make me have to look after you. This hand can only wield a sword"... And he said it with such sadness, I feel, inside, he desires to be compassionate but he knows his fate has been assigned that he can only use a sword to kill..

And I think the part that signifies his change the most was the part where he realized that Rin is dead and he can't save her and he actually DISCARDS the Tenseiga (Sesshoumaru throwing away his sword to carry Rin), and says that it is not worth it, to exchange Rin's life for mastering the sword or anything... I thought that was absolutely absolutely touching... MORE THAN INUYASHA CAN EVER BE WITH KAGOME!! wth!


MEANT ONLY TO WIELD A SWORD.

MISSING IN THE ANIME WHAT THE HELL!!!






RIN DIES.

It totally wasn't emotional in the Anime at all!! It the WEIGH and SIGNIFICANCE of Sesshomaru's feelings and words were just LOST in the anime!!!








RIN REVIVED.

This part was quite faithful... But... Still, I feel Sesshoumaru wasn't as...... touched and caring here in the anime as he was in the manga!!!








I didn't quite like the way Sesshomaru said "mou daijoubu da" to Rin!! Wasn't soft and caring as I think it should have been!!! lols





Anyway, it's kinda like "wth" watching Inuyasha again huh? But anyway, I can't deny Inuyasha... Because it was because of Inuyasha back in 2003 that I got to know and became interested in Japan, so... I won't deny my Inuyasha FAN-NESS! lols

Awesome! Just found Love Love Love's album!!!

Two of my most compatible neighbors of last.fm have been listening to them! Was trying to get their stuff last week but MUAHAHAHAHAHA... someone just uploaded the album yesterday! So checking it out!

Also just found 1000s album and other band.. My Autumn Rain... I don't think it's an album, maybe a compilation... So will be checking that out!!!

Well... not much of music this week... meh... I didn't really check out bands.. I only checked out SONGS.

Japanese:


D.W.ニコルズ - 春風 
Woo! I had NO IDEA d.w. nicols released a new single! But for some reason it was right on top of the itunes japanese store! So I went and bought the title song... Will definitely buy the album when i've channeled money into the BOA account!

DAMNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN addictive and INCREDIBLY HAPPY song... Seriously. I think the lyrics are really nostalgic, reminiscing school days, but mann the tune! It's like this band is really incapable of making un-inspiring songs! lols~ ^_^b



ポリプロピレン - サンセット
I really really like this song by this band.... Got this song off the Quip58 sampler. I think for short they call themselves polypro... But there's practically NOTHING for this band... Can't even purchase the music LEGALLY.

残像カフェ
quite a nice band... Sounds more towards J-pop band, though. Still, nice stuff... Found them through a random click on a last.fm top listener for throwcurve. This was her most played band for the week. Only stuff I could find on them were youtube PVs tho =(

The Dilemma of Hedgehog
Just a song or two by the group.. Seems like an okay group, but maybe too punk-rock for my current flavor!

That's it for Japanese this week! Sorry!



عربي/Arabic

Yeap... felt like listening to Arabic songs thsi week...

It's like this, I don't mind arabic songs, ANY GENRE, because they just sound so COMPLETELY different... And you know the only Arabic you hear in Malaysia, and the only Arabic I had heard growing up in Malaysia were always only if it had to do with Islam... So it's just INCREDIBLY weird but cool when you hear like a Arabic rap song! lols.. SERIOUSLY!

Anyway...


فرقة جدل (Jadal) - Quite a cool/nice Arabic rock band from Jordan... They have a few nice songs on youtube :)

AKHER ZAPHEER - Only managed to find a song from this guy searching in English... Will ask Mohammad if he can look for something in Arabic for me!!


Well that's it for this week!

WELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL... for some reason, I found Riki Kinoshita (art-school, guitar&vocalist; a.k.a. the next person after Yoshitaro and Isshiki-san I don't mind having a child with lols) on Twitter (these bands and their long-time hardore fans all seem to be friends! Thus linked to one another).... and he ACTUALLY quoted 1 Corinthians 13 as his favourite "word" (well he used kotoba......... phrase... maybe?!)

WELL! Seems like Art-School moved up in my "like" list!

But then again... he said he's not a Christian =(


Anyway, passage he quoted was,

1 Corinthians 13:2,13

「たとえ預言する賜物を持ち、あらゆる神秘とあらゆる知識に通じていようとも、たとえ山を動かすほどの完全な信仰を持っていようとも愛がなければ無に等しい。信仰と希望と愛。この３つは決して滅びない。だがその中で最も大いなるものは愛である」

And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.... And now faith, hope, and love abide, these threel and tehe greatest of these is love.


Is he getting married or what?

No, actually, he was talking about loving one another.

Yes,

I think Chizu is my favorite Lunkhead album. There's a raw, yet more refined, power to those songs. Yes, 月と手のひら is a most balanced album between solid rock sounds and synthetic sound engineering, and I think the Tsuki to Tenohira album has the most soul, but... somehow, I do like Chizu alot. Hmm that said, I do like Tsuki to Tenohira a hell alot too!

I mean who can't beat 灰空 (Haisora)?? Seriously, pure rock goodness there. And 白濁 (Hakudaku)... DAMN, ANOTHER PURE SOLID rock track!

And I suppose, I really miss these type of Lunkhead rock songs...

They seem REALLY different these days. Was just sampling VOX on iTunes and yes, it seems to follow-up on the feel of At0m. While I do like the songs, I'm just not crazy over it... Maybe not yet, I suppose... But listening to At0m and sampling VOX, I actually do like Chizu much, much better... Is that bad?! Goshhh.....

But I also think sometimes, maybe it's just the type of rock songs I like. I'm very narrow minded, actually, in my music taste, I've realized. Because seriously, there really is just a very few few type of sounds that I like, and any band that is able to produce tunes along those lines, I'd tend to really like them naturally.... That said, my recent Japanese playlist is kinda an antithesis of that theory tho!


Well I guess, what I mean or what to say is that, I guess, it's way easier listening to Chizu again =)

GREAT TRACKS DUDE!

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?

Bands I've been listening to a lot.. Post Japan-Dream Destruction and subsequent fallout:


I've gone back American, actually =) Which is cool. These bands coupled with watching ALOT of House has really made me love America once again, after a really, really, really long time being in a haze with Japan.



THE AMERICAN PAST:

Northstar
- My Ricochet (acoustic and album versions)
- Taker not Giver
- Cinderella
- Rigged and Ready

New Found Glory (DAMN! It HAS been awhile!)
- The Story So Far
- Downhill From Here
(wow..... put together the two titles really sound depressing and bleak!)

Taking Back Sunday
-Miami (wow!! Who'd have thought this song!)

Brand New
- Soco Amaretto Lime
- Logan to Government Center

Fall Out Boy
-Sophomore Slump and Comeback Year
- Of All the Gin Joints In The World
- Sugar, We're Going Down

The Format
- The First Single (Cause A Scene)

Cassino
- The Gin War

Dashboard Confessional
- Vindicated
- Thick as Thieves

Reuben's Accomplice
- Lost Sun

Thursday
- Standing At The Edge of Summer (STILL my FAV Thursday song!!)


I just redownloaded Something Corporate again and mannnnn... listening to the songs really brings me back to the KDU days back in 2001... geez... Next few bands I wanna RELISTEN this week is definitely gonna be Blink-182 and Finch... Oh oh  oh!! And STARTING LINE too!!!... I'm sure I'm missing out some bands, but mannn... Really feel like I'm back in that first spring in America!


BLAST FROM THE PAST:

Placebo - Every Me, Every You
Garbage - When I Grow Up
The Verve - Freshmen (HOLYCOW!)
Our Lady Peace - Clumsy (HOLYCOW!!!)

Don McLean - American Pie
Bob Dylan - Mr. Tambourine Man


Gosh.... I feel 16 when I listen to these songs!!! What's next?? OASIS??? ahahahahaha... we'll see, we'll see if that Brit Pop feelin comes to me... But seriously? American and Brit nostalgia at the same time??? I think that'd be too much!


夢から覚めたあとの歌

WELL... I TOTALLY HAVEN'T felt like listening to ANY Japanese songs at all recently after the whole dream having crumbled... Thus explain the completely English and American-heavy playlist above...
Anyway... Considering that I HAD TO completely change my Japanese playlist, because I CANNOT listen to anything before... especially Lunkhead and Tsubaki... For some unknown reason, the first band whose sound just suddenly came up in my head was Orge You Asshole, so yes, they've been on REALLY REALLY heavy rotation as of late.


Orge You Asshole (mannn their songs are so damn upbeat!)
- かたっぽ
- しらない合図しらせる子
- ピンホール
- コインランドリー

plenty (I downloaded this band awhile back but didn't really play the album till now, quite good)
- 東京
- 後悔
- 理由
- ボクのために歌う吟

砂場 - 影炎 (This was the first band I listened to post the Japan  Disaster... I got this song from Quip 58 Sampler)

Multi Color Vox - Yellow (Holyshit!! This is an INCREDIBLE song!!!!!!! This song is TOTALLY Finch!! It could have easily been in Finch's discography except for the whole Japanese singing thingy... lols... TOTALLY. It's like the LOST Finch song that they forgot how to make! lols!)


Yeap, that's it... That's all I've been listening to for the past 2 months. But I'm checkign out new bands recently and I've added S.R.S and D.W.ニコルズ and hare-brained unity back to the playlist... So hopefully, I'll be able to listen to Lunkhead and Tsubaki soon again...

English:
.... it was a whole mix of Electro/Pop/Rock playlist....


Japanese..

12月8日
- Quite Cool band, for such a small band... I think they have good tunes.. If they're not defunct, I hope they come up with better stuff.

おとぎ話
- I could only find 1 e.p., so I guess it's not a fair nor complete assessment of this band... But in their e.p. Hellogoodbye, they sounded alot like the Beatles... Well duh, even the title was ripped from the Beatles. The second track off that e.p. is almost like a lift off Beatles' O bla di, O bla da... Seriously... Actually Pauchwheel's Real sounds like that too..



So! Do I fill the quota of 3 new bands a week?? Hopefully... Is anyone still reading this blog anyway! gee..

yes, I still love Japan, but I guess... some dreams have to die... or well, at least, I hope, it's just not the time yet...