Ahh, what can I bring to the table this month. Let's see, we already had fireworks for Gackt's birthday. I'm looking forward to Kamijo's Revival Best album in a week. Yoshiki announced X Day and confirmed an album and documentary release. I guess I can recommend a playlist of songs compiled by my computer. They do say musical tastes can reveal something about a person.
The following songs are in no particular order. The format goes Song Title/Artist.
1. Hajimari no Yoru/Kamijo
I showed this song to a friend who has never heard his voice. Her first impression was that "it was banging". This sad piano ballad is romantic in my opinion. Kamijo plays to his strengths of using a bit of his vibrato and his deep vocals.
2. Shinda Tsuma ni Niteiru/Golden Bomber
The song title means "you look like my dead wife". It is a funny song and PV about a guy who marries a girl who resembles his dead wife. He gets haunted by her face every time he looks at her. It's really catchy for the most part and the dance is fun to watch.
3. Oh My Love!/Yutaka Kyan (Golden Bomber)
The song resembles 80s dance music and Kyan's vocals are kind of like heart throb singer singing love songs. I like to bob my head to this one a lot.
4. Tresor/Kamijo
Tresor evokes the feeling of a forgotten memory. The accordion brings a nostalgic feeling and you can see it clearly in the PV.
5. Laura no Kizudarake/Golden Bomber
Another fun, but aggressive song. This one is more of the headbanger type. The lyrics to this song are also hilarious as it recounts a stalker's obsession with a woman named Laura.
6. Miracle/Yoshiki
Another one of Yoshiki's best works. This instrumental track gives me chills when I listen to it.
7. Dance My Generation/Golden Bomber
Great song to dance and/or work out too. Not to mention the dance in the PV is ridiculous to watch.
8. Uroko/Dir en grey
Eerie and aggressive. One of my favorites on the Arche album.
9. Sugar Song to Bitter Step/UNISON SQUARE GARDEN
This one took me some time to like. I enjoyed it as with the animation as it is the ending theme to Kekkai Sensen. It's a very upbeat rock song.
10. Kimi Sae Ireba/DEEN
Released in 1998, it still remains one of my favorite 90s j-pop/rock song. I always find myself returning to this song time after time. Used as the third opening to Chuuka Ichiban, Kimi Sae Ireba blends acoustic guitar with a refreshing beat.
11. Uzu/Kagrra
It's that time of year that I honor the death of Ishii. I give you Uzu. Kagrra was a band that combines traditional Japanese instruments, rock, and visual kei together. Uzu means vortex or swirl and the PV makes use of spinning pinwheels as a repeating motif. Though I'm not sure what the song is about, it's
relaxing to listen to.
12. Madara/Sadie
Madara is foreboding with the piano in the beginning and the song gets progressively more harsher in sound. I like the various changes in tempo and melody in this one.
13. The Underworld/DEATHGAZE
Deathgaze doesn't release new work that often and I know they are best representatives of nagoya-kei characterized by dark attire and dark sound. It has influences of death metal and metalcore. The Underworld is more melodic and has a good flow to it.