rotation nine. [recent releases & my picks]
S.I.N - -OZ-
Quality kinda sucks, sorry. T_T Really screamy at first, then really melodic. Pretty typical fare, nothing that blew me away. Still, it was solid and I really like the verses that are actually sung.
Voyage - Shinhwa
A nice ballad, but for the first few verses until the chorus, the accompaniment completely overlaps. Probably one of my favourite songs from Shinhwa's 9th album though, which I wasn't too impressed with. Worth a listen.
One - Epik High ft. Jisun of Loveholic
GO EPIK HIGH. This is from their new album, Pieces, Part 1. Featuring the soft vocals of Jisun, this is one of my favourite tracks. The beginning of the song reminded me of HSM for some strange reason. Buut, the rest of the song is great. Kind of different from the darker style of Epik High's 4th album, this song manages to be upbeat and catchy yet sad at the same time. Highly recommended.
Ignition - Epik High ft. Na Yoon Kwon
More Epik High for you. =) This song starts out with Na Yoon Kwon's vocals. I can't say I've heard of him, but he's got a pretty decent voice. This song didn't catch me as much as "One" did, but still a decent track. It's mostly rapped except for Na Yoon Kwon's verses, which works out to be a pretty nice balance.
Eight by Eight - Epik High ft. Dynamic Duo, Double K, TBNY
A more solidly hip-hop track, Eight by Eight is very much American influenced. The English lyrics sound a bit random (I swear I heard "skinny jean" in there) and it's not really my kind of song, but worth a listen.
Usan - Epik High ft. Younha
Okay, last Epik High song. Another of my favourites, especially since Younha is such an awesome vocalist and one of my favourite female vocalists. Nice piano accompaniment but the drums keep a solid, steady tempo. Younha's vocals are really what make this song for me. Recommended.
ワールド ワールド - Asian Kung-Fu Generation
Okay, this isn't as recent of a release, but I love this song and I don't think I ever got around to uploading it. It's from Ajikan's latest album, World World World. There's a ticking metronome in the background and it's a really mellow song, accompanied by just a guitar. It's only a minute or so long. Recommended.
Natsu・Koi - Ikimono Gakari
A band that I recently discovered and am really impressed by. Their male and female vocalists are both great, and this is probably one of my favourite songs by them. Try them out!
Echo - Loveholic
From their Dramatic & Cinematic album, a great song from a great band. I'm disappointed that Ji Sun's leaving them to go solo, but I support her. Her voice really shines through in this song, which is slow but for some reason calling it a ballad doesn't seem quite right to me. Highly recommended.
Mirage - Loveholic
My favourite song from this album. Lovely piano accompaniment, Ji Sun's vocals are lovely. It's a really calm but sad song with a great chorus. Highly recommended.
honey drop - Matenrou Opera
One of my favourite VK bands. I was so happy when I finally found this single, and it didn't disappoint. Great vocals although they're a bit whiny at times, random growling stuck into a very melodic song, and overall just a great song. There are some gothic influences; it's super catchy. &&& there's a random jazzy piano lick. Highly highly recommended for any VK fans.
Anydream - Rain
Rain's submission for the Beijing Olympics. Below you'll find the contributions from Wang Lee Hom, and Jay Chou. It's not fabulous and definitely not one of my favourite songs by him, but it's decent. Maybe it's because this is a low-quality rip, but his voice kind of disappears below the accompaniment for the whole song. It's upbeat and relatively catchy.
千山萬水 (Quan Shan Wan Shui) - Jay Chou
Radio rip, sorry. But it's all I could find, and I thought some of you would probably want to hear this. A nice, slow-tempoed song that shows Jay Chou's vocals well, but it didn't really blow me away or anything. Plus the verse that's super-high pitched kind of annoys me.
Dream of the World - Wang Lee Hom
This song starts off in English and then switches to Mandarin. It's also a ballad, but I liked it better than Jay Chou's song. There's a prominent bass accompaniment and Wang Lee Hom's voice is lovely.
사랑 하는 일 - Sung Shi Kyung
Latest Sung Shi Kyung single. As expected, a ballad. Pretty standard fare, but a decent listen. It starts to grow on you the more you listen to it. He does have a great voice, which I think is shown quite well in this song.
Welcome to my misery - FLOW
If the song title made you think the song was sad, think again. A great upbeat track from FLOW's latest album, Isle. Very danceable and catchy with a great guitar part and a piano accompaniment that has varying prominence. A reminder of how much I love this band. Recommended.
Carry on - FLOW
Rock | Japanese
Another upbeat track from ISLE, this song is wonderfully executed. The way the vocals are arranged are just wonderful, with a great accompaniment. The song goes from a darker sound to the bright chorus. Great bass accompaniment, too.
Lovers Again - EXILE
I haven't liked EXILE's recent singles much, but I love this song. It's one of my favourites by them and is a gorgeous ballad that shows their vocals perfectly. Harmonizing is well done and the song has faint R&B influences.
Mannequin - Hwanhee (Fly to the Sky)
A solo track from Fly to the Sky member Hwanhee. Mannequin is a nice ballad that stages Hwanhee's deep vocals beautifully. I love Brian, but honestly I think that Hwanhee sounds a lot better singing solo. The song itself can get a little boring, but I'm highly recommending this just for Hwanhee's voice.
Electron Mailman - Kra
I love how this song kicks off. It's a pretty laid back song and one of my favourite from Kra.
Eraser - SAT ft. Lee Min Woo
I honestly don't know where I got this song from. XP I just found it on my computer and thought I'd upload it. It's a duet that doesn't offer much, but it's catchy and the female vocalist is pretty decent. Lee Min Woo underachieves in this song - he's a much better vocalist than this song shows, but I think it's a pretty old song, so he's probably improved since then. Worth a listen, but nothing spectacular.
Carving the Rock - YMCK
A very cute track from a very interesting band, YMCK. I can understand why it might not be everyone's kind of thing, but I really liked it even though generally I wouldn't listen to 8bit. It's a nice blend of sounds with soft, cute vocals.
rotation eight. [unthemed]
I love the intro for this song. I'm not the biggest fan of Son Ho Young but I do enjoy listening to his songs. No idea who Kim Rina is. Upbeat, energetic, and though vocally not that impressive, catchy and worth a listen.
童話 - 光良
One of my favourite ballads & favourite songs in general. The title of the song is "Tong Hua", which means "Fairytale". The singer's name is "Guang Liang", by the way. The lyrics are beautiful, I don't know if this song would mean as much to me if I didn't know what the lyrics meant. And the translations I've seen don't really do it justice, so if someone wants me to revise a translation just let me know. The MV is also sad (my brother's gf said she cried while she was watching it) but, to me, it didn't really represent as much as the song alone did.
Smile and Turn Away - Stephanie
Starts out upbeat, but slows down in parts until it's almost like a ballad. The song's a bit generic, but Stephanie's got a great voice, although the accompaniment kind of overlaps it in this song.
Rainbow - Tohoshinki
I bought the "T" CD when I was in Taiwan, and when I was listening to it I suddenly found this song that I'd always just skipped past before. I love this song. It's kind of relaxed but has a very bright sound at the same time, and the chorus is so catchy. Recommended.
Melody - David Tao
Gorgeous ballad. It starts out kind of boring, but the chorus is just beautiful and has a kind of darker feel to it. David Tao's vocals show the emotion of the song a lot. Recommended.
Arigatou - FLOW
I love FLOW, but I was kind of disappointed by this single. Still, not a bad song. I like how it starts off, though it kind of loses my interest after that. Great chorus though, some nice high notes are hit.
Kiss of Life - Ken Hirai
Ken Hirai! A more upbeat song, something I rarely see from him ... or maybe I just usually pick out his ballads to listen to. XP The beat's kind of annoying and it's hard to pick out Ken's voice, but it's not bad. The chorus is catchy.
Be My 1004 (Home Growling Version) - iM ft. Yuri of Girlfriends' and Brown Eyed Girls' Narcia
Very catchy. I'd love to hear more from iM. I think this song's from a few year's back, but recommended.
Gravity - Luna Sea
How can I not love Luna Sea? Recommended. Listen for the bass.
Separation Anxiety - Nell
I'm in love with Nell's latest album, this song in particular. They're kind of mellow, soft rock for anyone who hasn't heard of them before, definitely try them out. Unique vocals and a very catchy song that's sad at the same time. Must download.
Tears - the TRAX
I love this song, it's probably one of my favourite TRAX songs. It's a ballad accompanied lightly with a guitar and later with drums and bass, highly recommended.
旅立ちの唄 - Mr. Children
This was the ending theme for some movie, I can't recall what it was called. A nice ballad from one of my favourite bands, though this isn't my favourite song by them, it's very relaxing.
rotation seven. [chinese songs, my picks, bonus]
Coral Sea - Jay Chou ft. Lara
I'm not a huge Jay Chou fan, but this is one of the few songs by him that I like. It's a nice ballad that features his voice perfectly. Lara, from the band Nan Quan Mama, offers her vocals as a nice contrast to Jay's. Definitely worth a listen.
Sa Rang Hae Yo, 只对你说 - JJ Lin
Though the only part of this song that's Korean is the phrase "saranghaeyo", it's nonetheless a good JJ Lin song. I like the chorus, and the English phrases are well done. There's also a nice piano solo.
Qi Dai Ni De Ai [Anticipating Your Love] - JJ Lin
This song builds more than "Saranghaeyo" does, but I don't like it as much. It lacked emotion to me, but the chorus is catchy. Worth a listen.
One Umbrella - 183 Club
I've heard a lot about the, but since I rarely listen to music in Mandarin I only recently got around to trying them out. Pretty typical boyband fare, a mid-tempo ballad. The harmonizing is well done, but it's a pretty forgettable song. I do like a few of the verses though.
星空下的吻 - JJ Lin
This song starts out with strong beats and a rap verse, so it surprised me how absolutely beautiful the chorus was. It completely turns the song around. Definitely my favourite JJ Lin song and one of my favourite Cpop songs in general. Highly recommended.
Shi Er Yue De Qing Ge - Gackt ft. Wang Lee Hom
It's like a Christmas song with the sleigh bells at the beginning. XP Wang Lee Hom & Gackt ... not a combination I was expecting. Gackt's Mandarin is surprisingly good, and his voice isn't as powerful as it could be, but I guess it's probably harder for him to sing in Mandarin than in Japanese. The chorus builds a fair bit, and Gackt's distinctive voice is really what makes this song.
Kiss Goodbye - Wang Lee Hom
"Kiss Goodbye" has always been one of my favourite Wang Lee Hom songs since it's probably the first I heard. It's pretty old, so I thought some of you might not have it. It starts out with a beautiful piano melody and is an absolutely wonderful ballad. The MV is also pretty sad, though I found that it failed to capture the emotion of the song alone.
Xing Qi Liu De Shen Ye [星期六的深夜] - Wang Lee Hom
A more recent Lee Hom ballad, I'm not as fond of this song but it does showcase Leehom's vocals and the chorus is beautiful. It's also interesting to see how his voice developed from the older song "Kiss Goodbye" and from this song.
Now That She's Gone - JJ Lin
JJ Lin's English is surprisingly flawless, and any minor pronunciation errors are negligible. However, his voice seems kind of weak and overpowered by the piano accompaniment. I found myself unable to really focus on this song; it didn't really capture me as much as some of his songs do. Great effort, but the lyrics aren't anything special and overall, it's worth a try but not really that good of a song.
Understood - TANK
I'm sure some of you will know this song from the Hana Kimi soundtrack. I prefer Tank's more upbeat songs. His vocals aren't that great, which is underlined in slower tracks such as "Understood". It is pretty catchy and the lyrics are sweet.
part 2 - my picks
Meat Market - Everybody Else
A great band I first discovered off another rotation, musical chairs. Very catchy; I love the chorus and the lyrics. I rarely listen to American bands, but Everybody Else is one of the few that I like. Definitely try them out if you haven't already.
In Memoriam - Everybody Else
Piano intro = <33333. Lyrics are also awesome, I like the lyrics to this song even better than the ones for Meat Market. It's less upbeat than Meat Market. Again the chorus is great. Highly recommended.
GO!!GO!!GO!! - anCafe
It starts out as a sweet ballad. Miku's voice is lovely and not at all annoying as it can be in some anCafe songs. About thirty seconds in the song really gains momentum, something expected but I was expecting it would happen sooner. Typical anCafe fare, not that that's a bad thing. This song isn't as overwhelmingly oshare kei as some of their songs are.
I Wanna Go To The Disko - THE BEAT CRUSADERS
I love the guitar riffs near the beginning of this song. It's absolutely addicting and made me realize I don't listen to The Beat Crusaders often enough. I love the bass line throughout this song. Highly recommended.
Black Engine - Jang Keun Seuk
I never thought I'd actually like this song. Actor-turned-singer Jang Keun Seuk released the "Black Engine" single with JYP. Just the fact that it's a JYP song ensures that it'll probably be catchy, which it is. For some reason, Jang Keun Seuk's weak voice mixes very well with heavy beats. Worth a listen.
Space Hunter - Mix Speaker's,Inc.
I love this band, but this isn't one of my favourite songs from them. I do like the way the vocals are arranged and I thought it was a bit different from their usual style.
part 3 - goong s ringtones
Se7en's ringtones from Goong S. They are very weird to listen to as MP3s. O_o I have no idea why I have them but just in case there's any Goong S fans out there, I just uploaded them.
@01 자장면 시키신분 Se7en
@02 자장면 시키신분(Sexy Ver.) Se7en
@03 아싸!(미공개 벨소리) Se7en.
rotation six. [valentine's day, my picks]
첫키스 (First Kiss) - Ajoo (아주)
I've been looking forward to Ajoo's debut single; there's been a lot of hype about it. He's signed to the same label as Younha, and I believe that she is his teacher as well. Supposedly he is a very good singer, dancer, model, etc. First Kiss is a fairly upbeat song. Though the energetic accompaniment pretty much overlaps his voice, it does back off in parts and the chorus is very catchy. I think it's more the song itself than Ajoo's voice that makes this song good ... but it's so catchy ... O_o XP Anyways, definitely worth a listen. If you scroll down to the "my picks" section, I've uploaded the other song in this single. (By the way, some random eyecandy for you: here's a picture of Ajoo.)
Love Sweets - AILE
I love Aile. <3 This is an awesome song by them, the vocalist hits some very high notes. Not too overly-oshare but still keeping the roots of the style. I love the guitar solo too, it's quite simple but has some very nice melodies. Highly recommended.
Forever Love -acapella version- - Tohoshinki
Not a big fan of Tohoshinki's ballads, but Forever Love is one of the few that I really enjoyed listening to. While still a tad generic, I really like this acapella version. I find it shows their voices nicely, though I could have heard more of Yunho. I especially love the first verse of this song. They manage to capture a lot more emotion in this song, something that I find lacks in some of their other ballads. I especially love Xiah Junsu in this song, I find that his verses are the ones that stand out the most.
Aishiteru - Base Ball Bear
A very good band that I think is slowly gaining more and more popularity. Aishiteru is a fairly light rock song that I really enjoyed listening to. By the way, just in case you didn't already know this, "aishiteru" means "I love you" in Japanese. I especially like the female back-up vocals, they add a nice balance to the song. The main vocals are also very good, though I'm not really getting very much from the accompaniment. Try them out. =)
Once Upon a Time With Two People - Hiro
Despite the cumbersome title of this song, it's fairly good. I don't know much about the singer, but she has a very nice voice. The first time I listened to this song, I didn't really find that it was anything special, but I listened to it again and it's starting to grow on me. I love the chorus where while the accompaniment doesn't slow down, she seems to be singing at a slower tempo. If that makes any sense.
How Do I Say - Shinhwa
Ah, Shinhwa. They were one of the first Korean bands I discovered, so I've always had a bit of a bias when listening to their music. This is from "Winter Story 2004-2005", which is supposedly pretty hard to find. It's a pretty typical Shinhwa song, but they lyrics in English are sweet if quite cliched. The chorus is pretty catchy. K-pop fans will probably like this song, not so sure about everyone else.
My Picks
Seven to Date - Amano Tsukiko
OMG PIANO. The piano part in this got stuck in my head and it took me forever to realise it was from this song. There's also little random four-note saxophone licks that spice things up, and Amano Tsukiko's voice isn't outstanding, but it's solid and strong. Download this if just to hear the piano solo.
Alarm 06:00 - Ajoo
Here's the other Ajoo song, as promised. I think First Kiss is catchier than this song, but Alarm 06:00 is more energetic. It has more rock influences, but is still very much a pop song. Still, it's well executed and a worthwhile b-side.
미녀와 야수 - KCM
As with the Amano Tsukiko song, an awesome piano part. In this song it's consistent throughout the whole track, though more prominent in some places than in others. When it comes to k-pop KCM is one of my favourite artists and I definitely enjoyed his latest album, Kingdom. 미녀와 야수 is very upbeat and catchy, and KCM's voice is lovely as always. Listen for the syncopated bass drum, too.
START - DEPAPEPE
Since the last Depapepe song I uploaded got quite a good response, I decided to upload another. I like Summer Parade more than this song, but I love START too. I like just about every Depapepe song. XP For those who've never heard of them, they're an awesome guitar duo. I especially love how they play acoustic guitars in just about every song I've ever heard by them. Definitely try them out if you haven't already.
Wo Men - Nan Quan Mama
Just a note, "Wo Men" means "we". I've heard a lot of good things about this band but only got to trying them out a couple days ago and I'm glad I did. They have a male and female vocalist and this is a fairly slow song. I love the accompaniment. It goes from Mandarin to Cantonese and I'm not sure whether they're Taiwanese or Chinese. Their Mandarin sounds more Taiwanese but I'm not positive. I'd love to hear more from them; I've added them to my requests list on the front page of this site.
Fuyuyasumi ni Tsuki - Swinging Popsicle
I would almost call them alt rock ... Swinging Popsicle is awesome. They have a female vocalist. I love their "Go On" album, though this track isn't from it. This isn't really one of my favourite songs by them, I don't think it shows their unique style as well as some of their other songs. I'll be sure to upload some more stuff by them; I was intending to upload a different track but somehow it turned out to be this one. O_o Try them out anyways, this isn't a bad song either. =)
rotation five. [artist feature, recent releases, my picks]
Joanna Wang - Start From here
01. Let's Start From Here
02. Lost in Paradise
03. As Love Begins to Mend
04. Bada Bada
05. Lost Taipei
06. The Best Mistake I've Ever Made
07. I Love You
08. For No Reason
09. Stages of Flying
10. Now
11. TRUE
12. New York State of Mind
I generally don't upload entire albums, but I recently discovered this amazing, eighteen-year-old jazz vocalist and thought that I should. This album does get quite tedious if you listen to it all at once. Although all the songs are unique, they're all done in a similar style. Let's Start From Here is probably my favorite track from this album. It starts with a piano melody in the higher ranges, then breaks into the lower range of Joanna's voice. I love the chorus and lyrics. Lost in Paradise has more of a swing feel to it and I love the bass, which sounds muted and soft. Bada Bada is more upbeat and features a nice trumpet accompaniment though its a bit sparse. There was also a very nice saxophone solo in one of these songs, but I can't for the life of me find which one it was. The Best Mistake I've Ever Made features some very nice lyrics. For No Reason starts out with a lovely trumpet solo that has that gorgeous brassy feel to it though I'm not really feeling the rest of the song as much. The only critique I have to offer about this album is that it could use some more upbeat jazz tracks to keep things lively and more interesting. As much as I love this album and Joanna Wang's voice, it's simply not enough to hold one's attention. I could also have done with a ballad that showcased a little more emotion in Joanna's voice.
Tohoshinki - T
As I'm sure most of you already have this album, I didn't choose to upload it all. Though I'm not a huge Tohoshinki fan, I actually quite liked this album. It featured a nice balance of new styles as well as the tried-and-true pop/ballads. I think there's a lot more hip-hop influenced tracks, which freshens up their sound a lot.
01. TRICK
Very catchy and energetic with a surprisingly melodic chorus, TRICK is definitely one of my favorites. Though the lyrics in English could still use some work, I love the beat of this song. And there's this nice little synthy, trumpet fill that comes in every once in a while, which I love. xP
02. NO?
Starting off with an evident R&B influence, NO? has a lovely chorus. Vocally I could have done with a little more, rather than the more subdued vocals used in R&B, but still, a nice song.
04. Forever Love
A very nice ballad, I would definitely say it's one of Tohoshinki's better ones. Their vocals are all very well showcased; the accompaniment doesn't overpower but is still strong. I didn't like the PV for this song much, but I do like the song itself. The chorus is just beautiful.
07. Darkness Eyes
Finally, Darkness Eyes. As soon as I heard the preview for this song I knew I'd like it. It explores a darker sound than most of Tohoshinki's songs. I love the bass drum, and the vocals are also very well done. The chorus is just wonderful. Highly recommended.
BoA - Be with you.
01. Be with you.
02. precious
I'm not a huge BoA fan either, but I thought I'd upload this anyways as it was a fairly highly anticipated release. I was, however, quite disappointed by it. BoA's voice in be with you. just sounds ... really weird to me. It falters and sounds like its been edited a lot. The chorus needs more of a punch, though I do like the way it's introduced. precious is another ballad, and failed to really capture my interest, though I liked it more than the title track.
My Picks
My picks for this rotation. ^^
OBLIVION DUST - Red Light Green Light
A great rock band. This isn't my favorite song by them, but it's off of their latest album, which I believe is mostly or all in English. Admittedly it's not that easy to figure out just what they're saying at times, but still, try this out. This song is surprisingly catchy.
L u L u - 9x13
Another great Japanese rock band, I don't listen to them often but I would recommend you try them out. A great song off their Daizero Schuchu Chiryo [第零集中治療室] album.
rotation four. [unthemed]
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
rotation three. [j-rock]
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
rotation two. [female vocalists]
Kicking off with a music-box-esque tune, this is a cute song that lacks much variation. The overly-cutesy voices in the background occasionally yelling "whoa" and "yay" get a bit annoying, and don't really seem to add much to the song. I think this is one of mihimaru GT's older songs. Their vocalist has a nice voice, though it lacks much emotion or feeling, making singing seem like a bit of a chore - Yakusoku seems to call for a carefree lightness to the vocals that is obviously missing. Overall rating: 3/5
Love Letter (Winter Acoustic Mix) - BoA
Who hasn't heard of BoA? She's never been one of my favourites - though her dedication impresses me, I never found her voice or songs particularly good. This remix of Love Letter is bland, lacking much momentum. It's evident by the string accompaniment that it's supposed to sound sad, but fails to actually invoke any emotion. Overall rating: 2.5/5
会いたい (Aitai) - Younha
Younha has long been one of my favourite female vocalists, and one of the first I discovered. At first listen, her voice sounds quite bland, though it's really very unique once you listen to her more often. Her vocals really shine in this song - the accompaniment has been kept very light, which was a good choice. Younha is Korean, but sang only in Japanese until recently when she released her first Korean album. She was probably the first Korean or Japanese female artist I listened to. I'd definitely recommend this song and her as an artist, I don't think I've heard a song by her that I found I didn't like. Overall rating: 4/5
infection - Chihiro Onitsuka
If you don't download any other songs from this rotation, download this one. Chihiro Onitsuka is, without argument, amongst the best vocalists I've heard. She captures so much emotion in her songs and has a beautiful, distinctive voice. This ballad from her isn't catchy, but it will capture you all the same. When I first listened to her it was through this song, and it was because someone had recommended her to me. I had it playing in the background, but as soon as she started singing I stopped everything else I was doing to listen. She's a spectacular vocalist; this is my favourite song by her. Overall rating: 5/5
Story - AI
I never really liked AI's voice. It just seemed really harsh and grating and I found it annoying to listen to her sing. A lot of people actually like her voice, and this is one of the songs I can tolerate by her, so I thought I'd give people a chance to try her out. It gets boring after a while; there's nothing really to focus on. A very typical, generic ballad. Overall rating: 2.5/5
Gimme A Beat - Bonnie Pink
A break from the ballads, here's a slightly more upbeat, pop-rock song from Bonnie Pink. I've always liked her voice and the style of her songs. This is no exception - it might not make your most-played list, but I enjoy listening to this song occasionally. The part where she says "Gimme a beat" is catchy and probably my favourite part of the song. Worth a listen. Overall rating: 3.5/5
I LOVE YOU - Mika Nakashima
I nearly forgot to add this song to the rotation. Though I love Mika's voice, her songs usually fail to hold my attention for very long. This song begins with soft strains of classical instruments, building into a more solid introduction. Mika's voice seems very quiet against the accompaniment. I'm quite sure this is a cover of an English song, though I can't think of which one. I only know it's a cover because I've heard another cover of this song. It seems very ... flat. There's no build-ups or parts where it dies down, but in a way that make it more meek than calm. Overall rating: 2.5/5
rotation one. [unthemed]
A ballad that perfectly shows Ken Hirai's voice. This song, sung by anyone else, would turn into another generic ballad - Ken Hirai transforms it into a unique masterpiece with beautiful, distinctive vocals. I'm a huge fan of Ken Hirai, I'd definitely suggest you try him out if you haven't already. Overall rating: 4/5
Jue Jiang - Mayday
Though I never really got into Chinese music that much, Mayday is one of the Taiwanese bands that I do listen to. This song is pretty laid-back and relaxing. It's not particularly catchy, but the chorus is nice and Jue Jiang overall makes for a nice occasional listen, though it probably won't make your most-played list anytime soon. Overall rating: 3.5/5
hello - the seed
Korean rock seems to be getting pretty rare, but the seed is one example of it. A high-energy song that will catch your attentiton within a few seconds, "hello" is one of my favourite songs by this band. The chorus will get stuck in your head, and though this is definitely not "soft rock" it's not really that heavy either, just energetic. It doesn't have the angstier sound of some rock music, but doesn't have the cheery brightness of oshare kei either. Fans of rock music will want to add this to their collection. Overall rating: 4.5/5
White Out - TETSU69
I'm blanking on what to say about this song. It's not very heavy rock, or very energetic ... as far as rock song goes this doesn't stand out to me, though some of the guitar riffs are quite nice and I like the bass accompaniment. Overall rating: 3/5
Here is the SaveFile project where you can find the songs up for download.