the (stupid) things I do for love

sigh… didn’t check out any new bands this week coz got fixated with 神聖かまってちゃん…. hahaha

This week’s top bands are definitely 神聖かまってちゃん and amazarashi. 

Maybe I was in a mood for something with keyboards this week after finding amazarashi. 

amazarashi is definitely one of those slower keyboard based Japanese piano rock bands. Quite different from the other same genre bands too.

As for 神聖かまってちゃん… What can I say about them?! They’re totally different!! They’re like the SEX PISTOLS meet Supercar meet D.W. ニコルス. I’m not joking!! Their music is like happy keyboard based, with extremely distorted Sex Pistol-ish vocals. So go figure! Surprisingly (or maybe not!) I really enjoyed listening to this band! 

Anyway as for the other bands checked out this week:

THE NOVEMBERS

- ok, I knew about them a year or two ago but didn’t quite like the first album i checked out so… KINDA MISS OUT ON THEM!!! ごめんね！

Anyway, I like their sound. They have quite mellow slow post-rock songs. Not those experimental type of post-rock (not shoegaze).. Sounds quite mellow and melancholic, actually!

WALKABOUT

Got them from my last.fm neighbor too… They’re one of those melodic western sounding rock bands,  quite poppish, actually, and sound pretty much mainstream… VERY radio friendly tracks. I wonder why they’re like really unknown, despite having been around for quite awhile.

THE NOVELS

Ok, I actually knew this band last year when I was in Japan and checking out the albums of the bands playin the Shimokita Roundup 2 in Tower Records. I was considering to buy their album, but ended up not doing so… But it’s now online… Downloaded awhile ago but didn’t properly check them out.
They have tracks that sound ALOT ALOT ALOT like The Pillows. They have other track that are quite punk-rock-ish… Japanese punk-rock-ish.. Quite a good band, great potential to release a great album in the future, definitely.

YUEY

Hmmm… quite a good band, not much stuff out there but… they’re like one of those Japanese Japanese indie rock bands. (Yes, meaning their sounds are Japan-ish… not Western).

ナイスマーブルス (Nice Marbles)

- FINALLY get to check out this band!!! Their album “Real” was on the top rated albums of 2009 on many of the Japanese indie/rock fans’ list!!
A melodic pop rock band with both western and Japanese sounds. I’ve yet to check out “Real”. So, more on this band later!

カフカ

Yes!! Kafka!!!! I wanted to check this band out soooooooo much 3 months ago!! Like when I wanted to check out androp and  神聖かまってちゃん. Couldn’t find anything back then but luck had it, someone loaded an album this week itself!!!

Hmmm Kafka… Not as rock as I would have expected from my last.fm neighbor’s usual taste… They’re quite indie-rock, actually, with a splice of mellower indie rock sounds… 

サクラメリーメン

This group was on my last.fm’s neighbor’s top bands this week. They’re actually more on the pop side of rock than rock itself. Really radio friendly too… Sounds like mainstream pop rock band… like Walkabout.

COLORS DEPARTMENT

YES! This is the second (or next??) band of the vocalist of Co.in. I ALMOSTTTTTTT!!! got to check out their live last year but alas, missed the date by a day!!! 

So anyway, this band has a mixture of the typical Japanese indie-rock sounds with a sprinkle of “western sound” than most japanese indie-rock bands…

OOOOO that said!!  FINALLY GOT D.W.ニコルズ debut album! ONELBUM! Again, D.W.ニコルズ, doesn’t fail to deliver, happy acoustic rock tracks!!! Good release D.W.ニコルズ! Definitely looking forward to more positive vibes from this band!

woah! It’s been awhile…. 

Today’s bands/songs..:

Chicago Poodle - Fly ～風が吹き抜けていく～

This band’s a little too much of the j-pop/j-ballard type. Nice easy to listen to songs though, since it is j-pop/j-ballard-ish.

ROSARYHILL - the band (not sure which Maxi album I got)

VERY VERY VERY punk-emo-ish… When I saw their profile on my last.fm neighbor’s page, yeah, i thought they’d be a punk-ish band. They are. And with the name “Rosaryhill”.. yeap, definitely.

千年弘高 - 闇夜のダンス

Random download while looking for another band. One of those Japanese-British rock sounds. Brit rock guitar riffs and progression with the usual mix of Japanese rock styles. Quite cool but I completely have no idea where to get their other stuff. 

the storefront - SLIDE

Definitely today’s best find. Was one of the top bands on my last.fm neighbor’s playlist. One of those Japanese rock bands along the lines of Tsubaki (つばき), Setsuna Blue Star (セツナブルースター), plenty, S.R.S. and the likes. Unfortunately I can’t find anything other than this song.

ON A GREATTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT NOTE! Someone uploaded BOTHHHHHHHHHH of androp’s albums!!!! DUDE!!! These guys are AWESOME!!! Will definitely get their albums when I have the chance!!!

it’s sad that everyone can’t share the same view and opinion of a song as I do. Take for instance, hare brained unity’s DISCO LIGHTS. Dude, I DO NOT like disco-ish songs and I am not a real fan of electro-rock BUT DAMMIT HOLY! THIS IS AN AMAZING SONG! Amazing beats, amazing sounds and amazing, amazing words to go with it. I can’t understand or catch what they’re totally singing but it’s such a uplifiting, inspiring and embracing song!! I just wish everyone could share the same opinion, can feel the same thing as I do from this song coz everyone SHOULD feel this incredibly uplifting feeling that DISCO LIGHTS gives!

YESSSSSSSSSS~! Tsubaki FINALLY is on twitter~! Hoorahh!!!! 一色さん！岡本さん！ Please follow! http://twitter.com/noriyasuisshoku http://twitter.com/okamoto_tsubaki

人間の善良を信じたい。人間が悪より善良に向かって傾くと信じたい。人間の固有の善良さを信じ続けたい。人生で新しい人々に会うとき、私は彼らに疑わしくて、また敵対的に欲しくない。皆を愛したい。皆に微笑みかけたい。これが、よりハッピーな人生であると思います。

I want to believe in the goodness of men.

I want to believe that humans are more inclined towards goodness than evil.

I want to continue to believe in the inherent goodness of men.

I don’t want to meet new people in my life with hate and skepticism.

I want to love everyone.

I want to smile at everyone.

I think this is a happier life.

I want this dream because…

Because I want to live this dream.

because.

I want my parents’ sacrifices for my life be worth it.
I want them to have something to tell their friends, at least it wouldn’t be the sad tale of “She’s a part time teacher”.
I want all that they have given for me to mean something to them. To let them feel that it was all worth it.

because.

I want all the stupid choices I have made in my life to be proven to be the right ones.
I want all the wrong choices that I have made regarding my career to be worth the mistakes.

because.
I want to be able to lift my head and not doubt in my belief in life.

that life is infinite. that life is beautiful. that you can make your life into anything you want it to.


I want to be proven right.

To be proven that there IS power in dreams, in believing, in learning to dream and to want more in this life.

That’s what I want to be, you know, to let my friends know, that..

that those stupid songs we used to listen to as kids, those songs we heard and were inspired by in life… that they are real.

life can change and you’re not stuck in vain
the impossible is possible tonight

It’s funny how your dreams
Change as you’re growing old
You don’t wanna be no spaceman
You just want the gold
All the dream stealers
Are lying in wait
But if you wanna be a spaceman
It’s still not too late

Well it’s alright
And It’s alright
Who are you and me to say
What’s wrong and what’s right
Do you still feel like me
We sit down here
And we shall see
We can talk
About common ground
And we can just forget
About feeling down
We can just forget
About life in this town.


I want to believe in all that. And I want others to believe in all that.

To believe in the power of their dreams.

And not to surrender them in growing up.


I want, Lord, I wish for my dream to come true for all these selfish reasons.

Because it’s part of who I am.

To give up, to ask me to give up on this, is to ask me to give up all that I’ve ever believed in life, about life…

and I can’t do that.

And I want so much for this dream to happen,

because, I need to know that my belief is right.

That this world, this life, can be just so much more…

and I’m not just a daydream believer fool.


I’m not saying right is wrong
It’s up to us to make
The best of all things that come our way
And all the things that came have past
The answer’s in the looking glass
There’s four and twenty million doors
Down life’s endless corridor
Say it loud and sing it proud
And they…

Will dance if they want to dance
Please brother take a chance
You know they’re gonna go
Which way they wanna go
All we know is that we don’t know
What is gonna be
Please brother let it be
Life on the other hand won’t let you understand
Why we’re all part of the masterplan


Maybe I will never be
All the things that I want to be
But now is not the time to cry
Now’s the time to find out why
I think you’re the same as me
We see things they’ll never see
You and I are gonna live forever
We’re gonna live forever

Got this from my cousin today!

HOORAY! SUCCESS!!!!!!

A great band will always be a great band will always be a great band yo!!!!! <3

Seriously!