[album review] MEG - BEAM

Tracklist:
1] 甘い贅沢 (Amai Zeitaku)
2] IN YOUR EYES
3] GIRLY STEP
4] LOVE LETTER
5] dreamin dreamin
6] OK
7] MODEL
8] ROMANTIKA
9] LOVE LETTER (ajapai remix)
10] GIRLY STEP (CLAZZIQUAI PROJECT remix)

I think I first heard of MEG from lurking the contemode community on lj and thought I should give her a listen since she teamed up with Nakata-san. The first song I heard from her was OK and that it was. Actually, it was more than OK; I LOVE it. The dancing nekos in the PV are awesome. Oh and the kokoro pantsu... *nosebleed*

It's weird... MEG's voice has a tinge of annoying but for some reason, I can't get enough of it. I can't put a word to the type of quality I hear in MEG's voice. Maybe it's cutesy; except when I think cutesy, Momoko or Koharu comes into mind. Maybe it's a little pointed (I just loaded up Toshiko's dreamin dreamin and there's a softness and calm in her voice that just relaxes me so). Pointed sounds about right. Having a pointed voice is a double-edged sword in MEG's case. dreamin dreamin is delivered better by the softer Toshiko though a song like OK would be more down MEG's pointed alley.

Anyway, on with the individual track comments. Amai Zeitaku started off the album strong. The Nakata-style just bleeds from this track. It's not that I'm not a fan of ballads and downtempo tracks but I usual like knowing what's going on lyrically before I really comment on tracks like that from other languages, but in a strictly musical sense, I skip thru IN YOUR EYES and LOVE LETTER. Nothing really excites the senses. GIRLY STEP is a toss up; I'm either in the mood to listen to it or not, though mostly not. I prefer Toshiko's dreamin dreamin like I said above but I suppose - like girly step - it depends on my mood. OK's my 2nd favourite track on this album. So infectious. So cute. Need translation. MODEL is definitely number one for me. Someone from contemode said to check it out in a post. The first 56 seconds were downtempo and I personally couldn't see where Nakata was going to take the song. I was doing my run through of the album in the subway on the way to school a few weeks back and I had to pull out my PSP to find out which song it was because it was so awesome. I see stepchart potential. Finally, ROMANTIKA bleeds Nakata-style as well. I loved this song from the start with Amai Zeitaku since they're the songs that sound most like my favourite capsule songs.

I like the remixes... kinda... they're negligible. I can listen to them without noticing though when they do come up, I tend to skip... unless I'm coding or blogging or surfing.

*sigh*

I really like the upbeat and happy tracks. Big basslines and fast tempos (as fast as techno-pop goes anyway... lol >_> what, 135bpm? 140 if you're lucky?). I guess that's why I listen to drum and bass, breakcore, trancecore, and freeform. That and you can sing whatever genre you want, if you have a knock-out voice, I will love you. MEG isn't quite knock-out vocally. Though if you're a techno-pop fan, give her a chance.

Random sauce: MEG on theppn wiki

[news] yes, it does. oh, and Buono's new single announced.

Ray from International Wota writes:

And is it me, or does Momoko’s ass look huge in that photo? I’m sure it’s just the angle and I love her anyways, but you’d think somebody would’ve noticed.

I noticed. I like. That is all. Funny thing is I'm not usually a big Momoko fanboy.

If I'm not mistaken, the new single's gonna be called "Renai ♥ Rider". Oh ho ho ho... I won't go there. Single releases February 6th, 2008, just 14 days before their 1st album. My how the Kids just grow...

Release sauce: Buono! on theppn wiki
Link: Original Post

[remix] Nakata Yasutaka - xgroove

Here's something you won't come across often. For anyone who doesn't know who Nakata-san is, he's the musical half of the shibuya-kei duo, capsule, as well as producer and collaborator who has worked with artists such as Suzuki Ami, m-flo, Perfume, and MEG. His music inspires me so, and to my surprise, when I lurked contemode on LJ and found the midi files he made when he was 16, I almost shat myself. Anyway, here's a slight instrumental rearrange of the song... not really a remix but close enough I guess. I just changed the beat a bit...

http://www.box.net/shared/0ldadz7404

enjoy?
maybe!

Midi sauce: yasutaka's 3rd XG DATA CONTEST entries on contemode

[lyrics] Becky - Less Than Three

I first heard this song playing the ITG3 pack for StepMania. I fell in love.
The cake is a like, however; there are no women on the internets.

Oh I just can't wait to get home from school
So I can get online and talk with my boyfriend

Here I am online again
Stay up and wait for your IM
A cyber-date boy, here I am
I'm waiting just for you

E-cards, chats and mail direct (That's right)
Just a click and we'll connect (Oh yeah)
You're so funny, here we go! (Here we go!)
R-O-F-L-M-A-O

Less than three, you love me
Typing out my fantasy
Meet me here on IRC
L-O-L-O-L
Less than three, O-M-G
Love computer fantasy
Meet me here on IRC
L-O-L-O-L

Comic sans and Arial
Forward jokes; hysterical
Blinking .gifs that bounce and glow
Your web page is so cute

E-cards, chats and mail direct (That's right)
Just a click and we'll connect (Oh yeah)
You're so funny, here we go! (Here we go!)
R-O-F-L-M-A-O

Less than three, you love me
Typing out my fantasy
Meet me here on IRC
L-O-L-O-L
Less than three, O-M-G
Love computer fantasy
Meet me here on IRC
L-O-L-O-L

Oh I just can't wait to get home from school
So I can get online and talk with my boyfriend

Less than three, you love me
Typing out my fantasy
Meet me here on IRC
L-O-L-O-L
Less than three, O-M-G
Love computer fantasy
Meet me here on IRC
L-O-L-O-L

[playlist] The Music I Kill People To

Note: Whoa there. Before you make any assumptions on my playlist title, I'd just like to say I've been listening to this playlist playing Team Fortress 2 and I listened to songs like it playing other FPS. I do not condone the killing of another human being ever. Unless it's self defense. But even then, don't kill them, just stop them from killing you. By. Any. Means. Necessary.

Playlists are feature articles on groups of tracks with a common theme. A list of the songs on the playlist will be given as well as a brief description of why I believe the song belongs in it. Discussions of the song choices (via comments and email) are welcome and are the purpose of me posting my personal playlists. Also, if there are songs that belong on the playlist and aren't there, comment!

Without further ado:

The Music I Kill People To

(in order of artist, alphabetical)

Demo & Cease - Ladies Night (VIP Mix)
Die & Clipz - Number One
Discotronic - Tricky Disco
Distorted Minds & DJ Hazard - Mr Happy
DJ Paul - Kill A Lot Of People (Nosferatu Mix)
Killingscum - MAD INVADERZ
nc ft. FINALFORCE - SEDUCTION
Pendulum - Granite
Pendulum - Slam
Pendulum - No One Knows
Roni Size & Die feat. Hollie G - Impact Music
Taxman - Scan Darker
TC - Raise The Roof
TC - Deep
Suzuki Ami joins Nakata Yasutaka - FREE FREE (extended mix)

These are my heavy hitters right now. I personally find drum and bass to be an excellent genre of music to do stupid things to: killing people, driving recklessly, kung-fu fighting, competitive eating, the list goes on. If you didn't notice, a lot of the drum and bass tracks are off of the recently released mix cd from DJ Hype from Drum and Bass Arena. There's something about the sample from Ladies Night, "And I said "Fuck You, Bitch!" and kept going", that's just awesome for playing FPS's. Follow these simple steps for great success:

1. BOOM HEADSHOT!
2. FUCK YOU, BITCH!
3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 as necessary
4. ???????
5. PROFIT!!

Representing hard dance, we have SEDUCTION, Kill A Lot Of People, MAD INVADERZ, and Tricky Disco. SEDUCTION is from DDR Supernova and I just enjoy the fast paced, high energy sound of hardcore. Tricky Disco was introduced to me from the In The Groove R2112 pack. One of the best step charts of all time in my opinion. Also, one hell of a song to shoot people's heads off with. I find this track to be an optimal example of hard trance. Kill A Lot Of People is self explanatory. I got this from Scott Brown and Neophyte's rotterdam mix cd entitled "The Second Coming". Samples from American Psycho which is an awesome movie from what I remember. I need to rewatch it but it fits the criteria with lines like, "I've killed a lot of people, with an axe, in the face...". Good old Pyro. Finally, MAD INVADERZ is noise/loli-core with an evil center. I first heard the song not knowing it was that song from a video off the sharpnelsound website. I'll never forget that gasmask... The song just fkn pwns when it reaches 4:25.

The last song is FREE FREE by Suzuki Ami featuring Nakata Yasutaka. It's not really a killing song... I just want to listen to it. It's good a good mix of japanese pop with hard techno-pop.

I could easily just stick in a rotterdam album and have a blast blasting people's heads off but this list is a little more personal. I know lots of people like listening to punk while kill people as well. I listen to a little MAXIMUM THE HORMONE when I feel like it.

Anything I'm forgetting?

[album review] capsule - FLASH BACK

Tracklist:
1] construction
2] FLASH BACK
3] Eternity
4] You are the reason
5] Love Me
6] I'm Feeling You
7] MUSiXXX
8] Get Down
9] Electric light Moon light

I won't get too in-depth on this review because the album's kinda short though it's a smidge longer than Sugarless Girl. For some reason, it feels shorter. Probably because I'm not a fan of all the songs... or I liked more songs on Sugarless Girl as opposed to here on FLASH BACK.

Favourite song would have to be a toss up between the title track "FLASH BACK" and "MUSiXXX" because I plan to make stepcharts for them (MUSiXXX is already under way). The other songs are good for just playing while typing up blog entries or doing some late night surfing/blog reading/coding.

"Eternity", "I'm Feeling You", and "Get Down" come next in line solely because Toshiko sings in them. I need to listen to "Electric light Moon light" more to make it mean something to me. "You are the reason" and "Love Me" sound too dark and there's something about "You are the reason" that sounds off. It could be too much delay in the vocals and the vocoder is overused? I don't quite know or can't put my finger on it.

Bottom Line: IN MY OPINION, The FREE FREE / SUPER MUSIC MAKER single with Suzuki Ami was much better. Oh burn.

UPDATE: "I'm Feeling You" and "Get Down" have really grown on me. Excuse me while I take my foot out of my mouth. *cough*

[live review] The Pipettes @ Lee's Palace - November 18th, 2007

For those who don't know, The Pipettes are a UK based indie pop band with a groovy, sixties feel. The group consists of the Pipettes (RiotBecki, Gwenno, and Rosay), who take the spotlight and provide the vocals and some keyboards, and the Cassette (Monster Bobby, Jon, Seb, and Jason), who provides the music (playing guitar, bass, keyboards, and drums respectively).

My history with the group involves finding out about them 2 days before their first show here in Toronto. I didn't get to see that. A friend showed me an article in the Toronto Star about Canadian Music Week and they were playing at the Rivoli. Based solely on the picture they had in the paper, I decided to sample some of their music and instantly fell in love. Their catchy tunes and witty lyrics infect your head. Humming and foot-tapping ensues.

This was my second Pipettes show this year. After the Rivoli, the polka dot clad gals returned June 1st which, I believe, was for their first North American single release entitled "Your Kisses Are Wasted On Me". The November 18th show was for their first North American album release entitled "We Are The Pipettes".

Now that all the formalities are out of the way, let's get to the good stuff, shall we?

The ladies are just as fantastic live as they are in studio. The venue's sound system was better the second time around. The June show's mic levels were a bit imbalanced. I didn't manage to get away with a setlist but I remember they opened the November show with "Dance and Boogie" and "Your Kisses Are Wasted On Me" - both of which I love and have a video of at the end of this post. I managed to capture "I Love You" (one of my personal favourites) and "Guess Who Ran Off With The Milkman?" which are also at the bottom of the post. They played a lot of their upbeat songs and stay away from their slower, deeper songs. I really want to hear Gwenno sing "A Winter's Sky" but I doubt I'll ever hear it live. I don't remember them performing "Sex" though something inside tells me they did. I love whenever they perform "Pull Shapes" since it was the first song I heard from them. It has a lot of sentimental value as well as a kick ass dance which everyone can join in with. The ladies "audience-friendly" dancing on stage is entertaining to watch. Their voices so pleasing to the ear. I can't really say much more than go watch them live if you're a fan of the genre.

Fortunately, their opening act for the November show was Nicole Atkins and the Sea and she is awesome. She performed a good handful of songs from her album "Neptune City" and a few more. She gave me a button at her merch table and gave me a bunch of stickers. She said she was coming back in February. Expect a review of that.

Bottom Line: AWESOME SHOW LADIES. COME BACK SOON!

"Dance and Boogie" and "Your Kisses Are Wasted On Me"


"I Love You"


"Guess Who Ran Off With The Milkman?"

boylikesmusic likes to blog about music too.

oh and he will try his best to post when he can though he cannot make promises to post meaningful content on a regular basis. some posts will be large, some small, some medium, some containing pictures, some with music samples, some without text, some with only text. you have stumbled upon a mish-mash of material from a boy who likes music. enjoy your future readings here.