Hello everyone! I come bringing a few different things for you to read. I'll start off with a word of the day. Since I just finished the drama, "The Flowershop Without Roses," I'm making today's word the word for flower. Hana (花）is the Japanese word for all flowers, and more specifically, Bara, is the name for a Rose, or Roses (as there aren't really plurals in Japanese). And continuing on in that thread, I'll share my thoughts on the drama. This is one of the better dramas I've seen in a long time. It has romance in it, but it delves far deeper than that. The makers of this one do an artful job taking something so seemingly simple on the outside (a father who raises his daughter alone after his wife dies in childbirth, and a new blind girl in town who is drawn to him), and making every single character deep and complicated. The makers do a great job of splitting each character to show their inner demons or conflicts while still holding onto the pure person they were when we first met them. Every episode serves to complicate the web weaving everyone together. It was well acted (especially the little girl playing Shizuku), it was real, it was great. A pleasant surprise for me was when Tetsuji Tamayama cropped up out of number (on my Top 5) list, and he looked gorgeous as ever. And, without giving anything away, I will tell you that no little children are crushed to death in the lumber/construction yard, despite how foreboding the episode titles sound. So rest assured there.
And lastly, I'm going to intro the band Ayabie. Ayabie came together in 2004, made up of Aoi (Vocals), Intetsu (Bassist), Takehito (Guitarist) and Ryohei (Guitarist), with a nameless support drummer for their concerts. The next year they had a debut album, and found their permanent drummer in the ever-talented Kenzo. However, the band hit a few bumps in the road when in 2006, member Ryouhei left the band over disagreements with the members and went on to form his own successful band, Megamasso. Despite this small snag, Ayabie pushed on and found current guitarist Yumehito, and the band's lineup has remained the same ever since. Ayabie has had the good fortune to tour Europe twice, first in 2006, then again in 2007, and came to America for a small tour in 2008 (Aoi also doing an MC part on a small DVD magazine release in California). Ayabie announced at the beginning of the year that they were going major, and their debut major release came out just recently in May of this year. This band is showing no signs of slowing down, and I look forward to seeing what more they have in them.
Hello everyone! Well, the time has come to finish out the set, so it's on to Saga. As I said before, I know very little about Saga, so this post might be a bit short, but I'll give it my best! Saga is the bassist and backup vocalist for alice nine. Saga was born June 24, 1982, which means that he is currently 27 years old and the second youngest in the band. Saga's real name is Sakamoto Takashi and has said that his childhood hero was actually father (which doesn't seem to me to fit his character, but what do I know). He has one pet, a sixteen year old dog named Chiko that he loves dearly and with whom he recently did a photoshoot. Originally, when he began music, he learned guitar but later switched to bass which is his claim to fame. A few of Saga's hobbies include walking Chiko, playing baseball and, you guessed it, drinking. The latter hobby serves as a tie of friendship between him and Nao, as they often go out drinking together. In fact, Saga was the member who gave Nao the nickname Pooh because he says now looks like Pooh bear when he sleeps. What Saga brings to the band is, as the other members readily admit, the bands sex appeal (and he makes up for the lack of flashy displays from the other members with ample displays of his own). Saga also adds that Jrock feel of the almost otherworldly, too cool rockstar, and of course his look only furthers that feel. While Saga can often ham it up, and be taken as a bit...odd (at least that's my view), he is also prone to mood swings of inspiration and melancholic mystery, which is undoubtedly his draw for many fans. Despite his not being my favorite, I do have to give him some props for being the creator of quite a few of alice nine's songs, and certainly I will concede that the band would not be nearly so VK without him. Today's video somehow seems to fit Saga's off-in-space moments, so I'd like you to enjoy the beautiful "Ruri no Ame" (incidentally my fav outfits for them).
Greetings everyone! So, I suppose I'll continue in order of my banner up there ^ and profile Hiroto today. I have to admit that I know the least about Saga and Hiroto (mostly Saga), but I'll tell you what I do know. Hiroto is the other guitarist in alice nine (along with Tora), and to my knowledge does not play any other instrument but guitar. He is in fact the youngest member of the band, and his ability to be a nonstop ball of energy is surely a testament to that. He was born May 4, 1985 (which would make him 24 now), as Ogata Hiroto, which means that he is the only member of alice nine to keep his real name. (He does have a nickname, Pon, and, like Tora has a cartoon that acts as his symbol which fans have named the Pondori, because it looks like a chicken). Over the years he has grown up under the guidance of his fellow members, and in that time, his talent and his personality has matured greatly. Where once he was the semi-shy, almost quiet talent, he now likes to steal the limelight when he can to show off just how amazing he is on guitar, rallying the audience with his encouraging yells. Despite his transformation into a bit of a ham, Hiroto could never be labeled anything but devoted to his friends and his fans, often times the most affectionate of all the members. As a sidebar it is fair to mention that Hiroto is desperately good friends with Aki, the bassist from Sid, whom he feels so close to, he calls him Aki nii-nii (which means big brother). Not only is Hiroto the youngest of the group, but he is also the shortest member. But following with the stereotype, the shorter the man, the more fiery his personality. Having seen how much Hiroto has changed over the years from a kid into a man, I can only look forward to what lays before him. Today's video is "Cross Game" because it shows off his skill and he does some awesome tapping in this song.
So, there's more breaking news on the host family issue. I was just alerted that my host family has been switched, but I have to say, I'm much more excited about this new family. They are a five person family, with a mother and father, a grandmother, and two older sons (whatever that means). They also have a small dog, live 5 min. from Shibuya (by train)!! and my room will have a toilet and a bathtub. What's even better is that the dad works at the shrine next door (how awesome is that, honestly), and the mother teaches traditional tea ceremony and calligraphy. I mean could I even ask for cooler people. So, we'll see how that turns out. Hopefully they don't pull a switcheroo on me again, because as it stands, I'll be in a house in downtown Tokyo with an awesome, artsy family.
And now on to our Alice Nine member of the day: Shou. Shou is the vocalist of the band, and just turned 28 last month (though you'd never guess it). His birthday was July 5, 1981 and he was born Kohara Kazumasa, which is an awesome name, if a little long. After Tora, Shou is the tallest member of alice nine, which becomes rapidly apparent everytime he stands centerstage. Shou is a very stylish type of fellow, throwing himself into the pursuit of trendy clothes and shoes, when he's not off somewhere playing his video games (the only truly nerdy crime he commits). In fact, I read somewhere that he even knows how to cut hair, which only furthers his image of a stylish trend-setter. Despite being the band's singer, Shou is also talented on guitar, though he has more or less always preffered the seat of vocalist in his past bands (Lost Age, and Givuss, which he was in with Tora). More than anything, Shou is unfailingly humble and gratefully for all that has been given to him, never failing to thank photographers, managers and the like on his blog at every turn. So concerned is he with the well being of his fans, that he has said he takes personal responsibility for any injury or discomfort felt by anyone going to their concerts (it's a ROCK concert girls, you might get pushed around). For the promotion of their latest single, Hana, Shou's blog featured a five story tall poster of him, and in the caption underneath, he apologized for being the only member featured. Most assuredly, all of the members admire and look up to Shou, though he's always more than happy to share the limelight with anyone that might want it. What Shou brings to the group is the artistic crafting of melody and poetic verses of song particular only to him. At heart, Shou is a very emotional, poetic soul who says he ventures into art galleries when in need of inspiration, and the use of color, light and infinitely difficult imagery bleeds through into their songs, though almost always tinged with feelings of hope (in contrast to some other bands like The Gazette). And so today, I would like to share a song that showcases Shou's artistic nature: the beautiful name.
Greetings readers! So, first of all I'll introduce today's word of the day: kakkoii (かっこいい ). Kakkoii is an adjective most often used to describe men or inanimate objects/situations, but never women. Kakkoii means attractive, cool or stylish, even 'hot,' if used to describe a stylish man. And today's word is the perfect way to describe today's Alice Nine member. Tora is one of the two guitarists in the band, as well as being the second oldest and the tallest member. Tora was born Sept. 17, 1980 as Amano Shinji, and early on learned, like Nao, how to play the bass guitar, before switching to the electric guitar. He is also rumored to play piano. Among other things, Tora loves spending time with his cat Chikin, who was the subject of a photoshoot for one of the major Jrock magazines last month. Tora is one of three members who smokes, the only member who has kept his facial piercing (the stud under his lip) and is the only member to have any visible tattoos (the heartagram thing on his index finger), though he is rumored to have another on his chest, which he never shows. Tora is a big fan of the band Korn, has a specific cat/tiger symbol that he goes by which is now on his amps, and his favorite colors are said to be black and white. My personal opinion of Tora is the strong, silent type that's just a little quirky, but hides it most of the time; he also seems like the most manly of the group, but that's just my own opinon.
Despite his cool, seemingly hard rock appearance (he has had the wildest hairstyles of all the members), Tora is unfailingly dedicated both to his work and to his fans. As I previously mentioned, in 2008, he suffered from a herniated disc in his back that kept him from being able to perform at many concerts, thus halting the progress of the band. Even so, there were times when he would perform without feeling in his arms, until finally, at the urging of the other members, he went into the hospital, where he had to sleep sitting up because laying down caused him too much pain. Even so, he worked hard at his physical therapy to be able to return to the stage and fulfill the bands promises to their fans. Shou mentioned, regarding that time, that it was quite scary to hear Tora actually voicing his discomfort, because Tora was the type who bore everything without complaint, who was hardworking and didn't let anything set him back, thus all the members were terribly worried when he finally admitted to the troubles he was having. Even so, Tora has made a recovery and is back being the amazing guitarist he is, working hard to show his love to his fans through music. Today's song is the strong, catchy "White Prayer." I don't love the two-tone mohawk that Tora's sporting in this vid, but all the same, I think the nice melody mixed with the great guitar parts fit Tora, so, enjoy!
Okay, so, in honor of Nao-sama's 29th birthday (no way on earth he actually looks his age), he is our first featured alice nine member, and he gets an entry all to himself. Nao was the creator of the band, alice nine, and before being in a9, was actually part of a band called Fatima for two years. Not only is he the creator of the band, but he is also the leader and the oldest. Nao was born July 31, 1980 as Murai Naoyuki (Naoyuki being his first name). He led a band in high school before moving on to bigger and better things, and in fact played bass in a band called Rush before finally settling on his current instrument, which is drums. While certainly not acting as the most mature member of the group, Nao is undoubtedly an integral part to what keeps Alice Nine together, showing his love for his fellow bandmates and helping them smooth over any differences that might crop up. The love between them has won Nao such nicknames as Winnie the Pooh and Pooh san for his general, blundering optimism. Nao has come to be known by his favorite, and often used, Japanese emoticon: (´┏_┓｀).
Despite being the oldest member, Nao just barely scrapes by being the shortest, beating Hiroto by a mere three inches which puts him at around 170 cm. At heart, Nao is nothing more than an anime nerd (an otaku) and freely admits to spending his days off in Akihabara, the electronic mecca of Tokyo, home to any anime or manga merchandise one could ever hope to find. Somewhat surprisingly, Nao has quite a taste for ardent spirits and has a treasured black goblet that he uses to enjoy his drinks in, tasting only of the finest and most expensive liquors. The only love he bears greater than that felt for his fans would assuredly be his unrelenting passion for Starbucks coffee, or any coffee drink in general, and the evidence of which is often to be seen on his blog. While being an outstanding drummer, what Nao really brings to the band is his never failing smile and his pure, unpretentious good naturedness.
Today's video is the alice nine video that most fits my perception of Nao's personality: Shunkashuutou.
So naturally I'm flipping out. I just got the best news of the year when I happened to check Alice Nine's official homepage. They have, in fact, signed on to be at Vrock Fest '09 on that Saturday and I cannot honestly tell you how happy this makes me. I could just die. So, of course, alice nine will be today's band. And perhaps tomorrows, who knows. But before I go off on a huge paragraph about that, I have a housing update. The company has finally placed me with a family! They have two daughters (middle and high school) and a dog. The only bad news is, the family is a 60 min. train ride...from the college, which means a two hour ride to Tokyo which makes me sad. All the same, at least now I know something! And the company is giving me a one month grace period to complain and switch families, which is also nice. Anyways, so on to alice nine!
Alice Nine formed in 2004, beginning with eldest, and the official leader, Nao and progressing from there, though most were in other bands at the time of Alice Nine's creation. The young band first released two singles, selling only a set number of copies and thus, selling out, which paved the way for their first tour with fellow band (also will be at the Fest) ayabie. Shortly after, though the band was not yet a year old, they were signed under the major label PSC. The very next year, they held their first one-man (solo) concert, which was recieved well, and they showed no signs of slowing down. They continued in success, even performing in LA at the Jrock Revolution concert created by X-Japan's Yoshiki. To date they have had numerous photobooks, live DVDs , singles and full albums, as well as being regulars on all the Jrock magazines. The band suffered one setback in 2008, after kicking off their tour, when Guitarist Tora suffered from a cervical disk hernia that left him in excruciating pain and suffering from bouts of numbness. Necessarily, many of the tour dates were cancelled while the other members kept fans informed via their blogs, but in a relatively short amount of time, Tora made a recovery and they got back to business. This August they are preparing to release the single "Hana," as well as hold the last concert on their Vandalism tour, "Vandalism-Finale-," and will also be releasing another photobook to commemorate these past five years together. I think I've jabbered enough for now, and I haven't even talked about the members yet, so we're going to take a brief sabatical from the Today's Band series and do, you guessed it, an Alice Nine series for five days. Anyway, the members of alice nine are: Shou (Vocals), Nao (Drums), Tora and Hiroto (Guitar) and Saga (Bass). Today's video is Rainbows. Please excuse Shou's outfit and ridiculous glasses, and enjoy!
Ok, first of all, we're going to start out with the word/phrase of the day, which is: Omedetou Gozaimasu (おめでとうございます）. This phrase means 'Congratulations,' and can be used, just as in English, for pretty much any occasion, such as birthdays (tanjyoubi omedetou gozaimasu), getting a new job, getting an award, etc. But the reason this phrase is our word of the day today, is because Miyavi, that jrock-punk singer that I can't help but love (b/c of his personality not his music) just welcomed his baby girl into the world yesterday. He and his beautiful wife, pop singer Melody, welcomed the little one at 4:40 PM (Japan time) after 20 hours of labor. So, Miyavi-sama, Omedetou Gozaimasu!
And moving on...
Today's band is abingdon boys school (aka a.b.s). A.b.s formed in 2005 around the already famous jrock singer TM Revolution (real name Takanori Nishikawa). He decided to form a new unit with a few of his current backup band members to establish a new sound. A.b.s was a surprise to most fans for the lack of build up before their debut, and first became a blip on the radar via a NANA tribute album for the anime. Over time, they gained some popularity (many of TM's fans naturally became fans of a.b.s. as well), and they made songs, as most new jrockers do, for anime opening songs. In late 2006 they released their first single 'Innocent Sorrow' and it's been looking up from there. What sets a.b.s apart from many other jrock bands is their lack of official drummer or bassist, their English school boy dress (they're named after a real boys school in England), their age (TM is in his 40s), and Takanori's tendency to write songs with entirely English lyrics. The band is: TM Revolution/Takanori on Vocals, Sunao and Shibasaki Hiroshi both on guitar, and Toshiyuki Kishi on Keyboard. And without any further ado,
Ok, so here is the skinny on today's band, which is, as the title implies, Kagrra,. (And yes, that comma is supposed to be there). Kagrra, is another band under the PSC label, but with a very different flare than their counterparts. Kagrra, has been together since sometime in 1998 (started by Isshi, Nao and Izumi), and was originally signed under a smaller label (Key something) under the name CROW, but then changed their name when they signed to PSC in 2000. What sets Kagrra, apart is their ability to fuse the traditional Japanese instruments/sound/style with the common traits of Visual Kei modern rock music. This tendency toward the traditional (sometimes wearing kimonos, often waving around fans, using the koto in their songs) has got them termed "Neo Japanesque," and is quite apparent in many of their music videos. The members of Kagrra, are: Isshi (Vocals), Akiya (Guitar), Shin (Guitar and Koto), Nao (Bass) and Izumi (Drums). And today's selection for you is a song that to me epitomizes the mix of rock and traditional music that is so characteristic of Kagrra: Utakata.
So, technically, the title should be 'Tomorrow's Band,' but oh well. I'm sure that I'll forget to post and so I'm going to go ahead and do it now. As the title implies, today's band in our V-Rock Fest '09 theme is the super famous and still growing: The Gazette. The Gazette, in my opinion has becoming the leading face of Visual Kei rock to most foriegners, if not to the Japanese rock fans themselves, and I think their star is still rising. A little background info for you: The band got together in 2002, with all the current members save for Kai (drummer). Originally the band's drummer was a guy names Yuna, who scidaddled after their first year together, and they made the very wise choice of sticking Kai in his place, which makes the line up: Ruki on Vocals, Reita on Bass, Aoi and Uruha on guitar and Kai on drums. In 2003 they were signed to the PSC label and steadily worked releasing singles and doing tours, all around busting their butts to make it to the top, and they very certainly have. I would argue that they have finally become PSC's golden child, despite not being the oldest band under the label. The Gazette has just released the PV for "Invisible Wall" which is somewhere on my blog, and they will be realeasing a full album I believe within the next few months titled, "DIM," and will follow that with a tour.
My personal opinion of The Gazette is that they are quite visually stimulating, and to me their look is the epitome of what a groomed Visual Kei band should be (what with the deadly-looking spiky hair, the professional aspect of their makeup, etc). Even so, I'm not usually too keen on their music. I tend to categorize The Gazette with other bands like Girugamesh and Mucc simply because they tend toward the heavy rock (though songs like Reila and Cassis do show a softer side to them). But they've got some catchy ones and at the moment I'm stuck on one of their heaviest songs: Filth in the Beauty. Still, instead of sticking that video up here, I decided to go with 'Bathroom,' because it is my tried-and-true favorite, and really shows off the guitar skills of Aoi and Uruha. I actually have a version of this concert that I subbed, which I would be happy to upload for anyone that wants it (just comment or e-mail me for the link). Without any further ado, I give you The Gazette's "Bathroom."
Hello Ladies and Gents. Well, in keeping with the theme going on here, since I got tickets to V-Rock Fest '09, I will share another band with you today that is going to be at this McAwesome event. Today's band is Kra, which I'll admit I know very little about, but here it goes. Kra (pronounced kura) fromed in 2001, releasing demo tapes and the like, and the following yer, sometime in Fall 2002 they were signed under the major jrock mother label PS Company. They are one of the oldest, if not the oldest PSC artists, and got their first wave of popularity with their single "Heart Balance" (2006). The members are Keiyuu on vocals, Mai on guitar, Yuhra on bass and our little blondie Yasuno on drums. The song I'm choosing to share with you today is one of their new songs, and a much less hard rock sound than you might expect. It is called "Amaoto wa Chopin no Shirabe." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKsf4YqKGeI
So now is when I freak out because I just bought my two-day ticket to what I'm confident is going to be the single best day of my life: V-Rock Fest 2009 in Chiba, which is just East of Tokyo. For all you non-jrock lovers out there, just imagine about twenty of your favorite bands coming together to sing over two days of musical bliss and merchandise stands, and for you Jrockers out there, I'm talking names like LM.C, The Gazette, Kaggra,, abingdon boys school, Kra, DuelJewel, D, and everyone else that's awesome (minus alice nine, miyavi, abc and nightmare, cause they have their own tours). This is how much of a nerd I am, that I've been fretting for probably a week, frantically trying to figure out the nearest Family Mart or Lawsons to Machida so I could figure out how to get my ticket. And then, because the big man upstairs loves me, the people hosting the concert opened up ticket purchases to oversees people about a month and a half early. Yes, the ticket was expensive ($200), but 50 big name bands are going to spend the entire weekend jamming out and I'm going to be there with them. So excited I can't even tell you. I'm going to buy so much stuff, I can't even fathom the expense. Well anyway, I'll stop gushing now. If you want to check out the site, here you go: http://v-rockfes.com/
And in honor of the awesomeness that is V-Rock Fest, I will try to put up a link for a song from on of the artists everyday. And today, the ever awesome LM.C with their retro-y cute song, 88. LM.C is a 'band' or rather a 'unit' made up of Vocalist Maya, and Guitarist Aiji. The two got together in 2006 when Maya quit being Miyavi's back-up guitarist, and Aiji's band, Pierrot, disbanded. The two have stuck mainly to making songs for anime OPs, but have since branched out to full albums, and maintain a bright colored, fun, 80s-ish style. If you want a subbed version, I've done one and would be happy to upload it for you (just comment or e-mail).
And now, enjoy LM.C's '88': http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMkxfU7_Wts
