My Visual Life

282 days to go.

Mar 12, 2009
Post a comment

It feels like there's a lot to do all of a sudden. Like, every single class of mine has something major due within the next 10 days. That's 5 major assignments, which only barely scratches the surface of the end products and finals. Add to that the fact that my internet is down, and me = stressed.

First things first: find an article to read for 3100, and read it during Momocon. And maybe do the paper on it that Sunday night? We'll see.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

QotD: Why I Rock

Jan 2, 2009
Post a comment

I have the unbreakable will! Although that will gets a little strained sometimes, I have a knack for stopping at nothing to achieve my goals.

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

QotD: Looking Ahead...

Dec 4, 2008
Post a comment

Probably studying a whole new set of finals. -_- but i'll be real close to graduating, so it'll be worth it! Maybe even that semester!?
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Vox Hunt: Cut & Paste

May 12, 2008
Post a comment

Ctrl-V (PCs) or Command-V (Macs) Time! Paste whatever text you copied last.

"You know who else

Wow. I win.

QotD: Cinco de Mayo

May 5, 2008
Post a comment

Are you celebrating Cinco de Mayo?

It's my last day of school, so that's what I'm celebrating. ;-)

Vox Hunt: It Never Gets Old

Jan 14, 2008

Audio: Share a song you could listen to all day on repeat.

繰り返す、このポリリズム！

2007 In Japanese Music: Part 2

Dec 21, 2007
Post a comment

A little late, but here is the promised part 2!

Most Workaholic Musician - Yasutaka Nakata (capsule)
It was -sometimes literally - impossible to avoid Nakata this year. capsule released 2 albums and 1 remix album this year, and he helped Coltemonikha and MEG release albums, including a singles by Ami Suzuki and Perfume. And that's just some of what he's done this year! He took a much-needed hiatus this summer; let's see if he repeats that this year.

Why Are They Still Around? 2007 - DJ OZMA
Okay, it was okay when they did K-pop covers. And even then, sparingly. I thought (read: hoped) that these shenanigans would end after One Night, but since then, there's been 5 ads, all of marginal quality. Where's Kishidan when you need them?!

Best American Debut - TIE: The Emeralds & The Captains
These 2 artists have rocked the indie scene in Tokyo and Kanagawa, and finally came to the Southeast this year. Seeing them live was great, brilliant, and awesome. Their new material was presented as they went on tour, and AWA helped them gain new fans in the south. Here's hoping for an encore in the future.

Best Tie-In Song - Kosaka Riyu - Danzai no Hana ~Guilty Sky~
The angsty-yet-well-produced ending theme to the anime "Claymore" was done by avex newbie Riyu Kosaka. With powerful composition and equally powerful vocals, this passionate rock ballad is a fan favorite for a reason. Here is the song:

Best Indie Artist - Retro Honpo
A 8-piece ska pop group from Japan. Their music will fill you with happiness, and that's the whole point. Their album's retro art style is also sure to bring a smile to even the most grumpy face. It's also interesting to note that on the band's Myspace page, The Captains (seen above) are one of their top friends! Their website is here:

http://homepage3.nifty.com/retro/top2.htm

And that's it. Hope you enjoyed this year as much as I did! As a related note, I tried to be neutral with this, so if you have any questions/comments/complaints, send 'em my way!

2007 In Japanese Music: Part 1

Dec 18, 2007
Post a comment

Alright, here we are. The end of the year. For the next month or so, there isn't going to be much going on the Oricon charts. But that's good, because I can analyze 2007 in Japanese Music:

Best Song That Used Cartoons - Kimura Kaela - Samantha

This song is pretty much my life summed up in one song. It's about rejecting the self you don't like, and making and embracing a new you. Naturally, because I like anything from the 60's, I enjoyed this video a great deal. Here's the video:

Best Fashion Sense - KOME KOME CLUB

Some may call this a cop-out answer, but these guys and gals are FUNKY. Seriously, they are so freakin' cool. Here's a video of them on 音楽戦士 Music Fighter from this year:

Best Use of Freak Hoes in a Music Video - Rip Slyme - Nettaiya

Although some people said that the women in this video were meant to be ironic...I don't really see it. Still a cool song. I kinda want to show the Live Earth live instead because Pes looked mad oshare, but there weren't any hos. So, here's the video:

Best Reason to Shower - Perfume - Polyrhythm

Perfume attracts many of the same people as Morning Musume... or, as are most of their fans in America, fans of capsule. As a result, the smell at the concert I imagine is pretty offensive. Con funk has nothing on this. Uh, anyway, prove yourself a good Perfume fan and shower:

Best Thing to Happen to an Artist This Year - Hikaru Utada's divorce

    Okay, this sounds like a schadenfreude thing to say, but come on. Did you hear Flavor of Life? It was probably the only listenable single she's released since 2003 (not counting Boku wa Kuma), and she followed with Beautiful World. Needless to say, she may be releasing a must-own album next year.

Best Music Trend of 2007 - Celebrity Blogs

    American celebrities are attention whores who rarely, if ever, deserve the fame they receive. Japanese celebrities are usually people working tirelessly in their field. And the best trend in 2007? Wasting time reading about their lives. Verbal, Utada Hikaru, Chiaki, Snowkel, Fuji Fabric, Keita Tachibana, Ai Otsuka. And that's just a sample of the artists who are writing and posting photos on the internet. This is my favorite trend, and I want to see even more Japanese musicians doing the same.

Worst Music Trend of 2007 - Best-of Albums

    Kinki Kids, Ai Otsuka, Sukima Switch, Koda Kumi, Charcoal Filter, Ayumi Hamasaki, and several others released best-of albums this year. And actually, it was really kind of incredibly annoying. And there's more coming in 2008 too! *sigh* I don't want it to outright stop, but it needs to slow down.

Best Single I'm Surprised I Liked - Ketsumeishi - Train

    I'm not really a fan of Ketsumeishi, but this single's lyrics are what interested me. Here is the song:

Best single B-side - ERIKA - Escape

    I almost gave this to FANTASY, Erika's B-side for her FREE single, but then this song came around. Keeping the tradition of a Trance-Pop sound as a B-side, there is greater focus on the lyrics. Here is the song:

Part 2 coming Wednesday!