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20100628

Ask Despairs Ray!



Purple Sky will interview Despairs Ray next week, and they've asked me to invite YOU to submit some questions (and since it's a sit-down interview, maybe some follow-ups...?)!

All I can think to ask right now is what the band name is all about, but god what a noob question >_<

Submit your questions in the comments!

20100627

"Shinya's drum magazine to appear in variety shows and housewives!" - LUNA SEA NEEDS MONEY!


サイゾー:
... The plan is, we live at the Tokyo Dome is also determined (official record company)

 SEA LUNA May this year, recorded live before I went to sleep outdoors in midwinter [』, followed the revival of live field [Midsummer 1998, and summarizes the work left a strong sales DVD2 [midwinter summer and outdoor field is released. In urban areas, see LUNA SEA REBOOT They're on the promotion and development of characters into a giant Rappinguka, suggests that the ongoing project for a flashy restart.

 But why now, LUNA SEA are. Music Office officials said, "Do not know a successful restart. Members in financial trouble, LUNA SEA in a reality that has made his name again and Sugarou" It's dry and.

"Since the suspension band members has their maiden solo career. But I didn't even Ryuichi Kawamura 3 million albums sold, soon decline in popularity has forced the transfer of the office. "

 He added, "The members reached otherwise, without saying" he continues.

"Shinya's drum magazine to appear in variety shows and housewives, so they can not choose a job in financial trouble it seems. SUGIZO guitar, but the X JAPAN comeback into the project might deadlocked state. INORAN is trying to produce, but some will not even talk about.'s base J was opposed to inactivity, but also has a solo project results in a steady moderate This is ironic. "

 In a fix that not only members, staff feels the same way at the time. The resurrection of this "relief project involved" some people are cynical.
thx DarkShadow!
X Japan project might fall through? No!

Since I believe desperation drives rock musicians better than anything else, I expect a fucking awesome album to come out of this conflagration.

review: ong bak 2 (2009)



Caught Ong Bak 2 on Netflix today; fast-forwarded through all the non-fight scenes, but DAMN the big final scene -- which lasts for 20, 25 minutes!? -- and from which the above clip is pulled? FUCKIN' A.

Especially when his elephant sidekick jumps into the fray!

I'm trying to get a handle on what effect they're using in the fight scenes -- it's like a higher frames per second thing, but without the flickeriness... so maybe every other field is blurred to make it less flickery and less sped-up-but-not-really-ish? I dunno. Maybe he just moves like that!

And then when it ends, it's like... it's over!?!

rating: :)

20100626

review: aldious | "defended desire" (2010)



aldious
defended desire
2010

I imagine these chicks were raised by '80s-metal-loving moms and dads, because they are well versed in the grammar of the genre.

The three songs (and one karaoke version) on this, their first big single, are all singing (no screaming or growling), with squealing '80s solos and catchy '80s riffs. You gets fine musicianship, clear and balanced production... and of course, SEZZY GOILS!


Aldious are Sawa (b), Yoshi (g), Rami (v), Toki (g) & Aruto (d).


As is the norm with japanese metal bands, it's all above average work. (Only in Japan can "the norm" be "above average"...)

They won't blow your mind -- musically -- but I'm sure their PVs will be nice to look at. ;)

If you like early Loudness and Galneryus (they have a new CD too...) and the more bombastic X Japan songs, Aldious' new single (and the next one due out 7/7) should fit comfortably into your collection.

rating: :)

Futurama Is Back and Still Fails to Entertain Me Sufficiently



Clever does not equal entertaining.

I realize all middle-class white college-educated males in there 20s and 30s are required to worship this show, but I REFUSE!

I've seen maybe 20 episodes from various seasons, plus the two newest ones that just aired, and it's like, "eh." It's got no heart.

The only emotion it feels it needs to inspire is winking self-congratulatory-ism, like "I get that joke because I know the two quasi-obscure facts they are referring to and I didn't laugh at the joke but I got it." And that's not entertaining or fun.

20100625

review: "green zone" (2010)


Gleeson as CIA Ops Brown and Damon as Chief Miller in Paul Greengrass' Green Zone.


I dig any movie that presents CIA officers as smart, overworked good guys in rumpled sportcoats (see also PHS in Charlie Wilson's War). So I dug Green Zone.

There was some faux-complexity (which is all I want in an action flick) and plenty o' realistic action, plus an awesome heli crash, and logical motivations from the characters, and swift storytelling that only occasionally coddled the viewer.

Matt Damon's always good, and the dude who played the Iraqi translator was great benefit, bringing a new perspective to the often tiresome "modern desert war movie" sub-genre.

I'd be lying if I didn't think "BFBC2 is more exciting than this" at certain points, however. And don't go into it expecting "Bourne 4" because there's none of that ninja stuff; the (rare) hand-to-hand combat is clumsier (aka realistic).

rating: :)

20100623

Hetfield & Mustaine!


Well will you look at that!


I was gonna say, "They shoulda done a cover song (not a Metallica song)!" but I caught myself in time...

North Korea beat Brazil after all! 1-0

"You have to score at least one goal. Or else."


oh, and speaking of Korea, Hulu has a Korean drama! It's called "Bad Boy": http://www.hulu.com/watch/157543/bad-boy-episode-1

Mis-casto! You are Fired!

The New York Times:
Obama Relieves McChrystal of Command
Wasn't McChrystal a former Black-Ops guy? I wonder if that Rolling Stone writer is worried...

20100622

Chemical Pictures - Walking Ashland PV / 5ヶ月連続リリース&9/17O-WEST CM



I hate everything about the first part of this song clip -- it's like a wounded helicopter with a carousel for a rotor, spinning out of control in slow motion through a cotton candy factory and piloted by kitten!

But I love Jimi, so promote it I must. :)

More Asian-Americans Signing Up For The Army



NPR:
Ken Mochizuki, who co-authored a book about Asians in the military, says new Asian-American recruits are motivated by more than education.

"In the present war, they're not fighting against Asians like in WWII or Vietnam," he says
Good point!

20100621

Now I Can Indulge My Violent Anti-Telecaster Tendencies...



Japan K (never heard of 'em) is now making a $55 tele that is cheap, breaks easily, and the kicker: you send the pieces back, and they get recycled into another $55 smashable axe.

I never liked the idea of smashing instruments on stage -- it seems insulting and decadent and wasteful -- but now, at least, it's not quite as decadent.

Of course, if knowledge of this guitar ever got out, it would destroy the whole "aaaah i am so angry and inspired by my music i will smash things!" illusion, so... shhhh!

20100620

Happy Otosan Day!



The wife and kids took me to the local britpub or some authentic English breakfasting: scrambled eggs, baked beans, grilled tomato, black pudding, grilled tomato, chips, sausage, mushrooms and bacon-that-is-actually-ham. Mmm, just like Newcastle Poly in me' youth!

And when I switched my order from a coffee to a Guinness I was like "is that alright?" 'cos it's like 10am and the bartender was overjoyed: "Oh it's more than alright!"



And Jack loved everyone going bonkers when Italy scored against New Zealand (or was NZ against Italy?)...

Also great: Jack's noisemaking was totally drowned out by all the pub chatter and noise, so we'll definitely be going back to The Longbow again.

Yesterday:

20100619

Marty gets his first #1 with an act i have never ever heard of



Blabbermouth:
Japanese theatrical phenomenon SOUND HORIZON's new maxi single, 'Hikari to Yami no Douwa', which features former MEGADETH guitarist Marty Friedman on all of its tracks, entered the official chart in Japan at position No. 1. This is the first No. 1 recording Marty has played on in his entire career in any country.


...and his balls hit me in the forehead and...


SOUND HORIZON is known for its epic arrangements, extravagant theatrical concerts and devoted fans. This is Marty's first involvement with the project.
I think it sounds like shit to me, but whatever; everyone connected to Rust in Peace gets a lifetime free pass.

review: kagrra | " tsuki ni murakomo hana ni ame" (2010)


kagrra
tsuki ni murakomo hana ni ame
2010

Did they replace our hardpain guy? The cover art looks like an immature imitation of Yuichiro's work. Though the fact that the guy appears to be waving to a passing plane hoping for rescue kinda works with the (translated) title, "Hey Moon pick me up it's raining and i'm allergic to flowers."

The title track's the usual fluff with just the tiniest of footholds for some "look we had balls once" evidencing around the bridge (:45-:60).


Drummer boy, Rodentlike Guitar 2 guy, Isshi (v), Akiya (g), and Nao (b)... eventually I'll forget all their names and THEN WHERE WILL YOU BE, KAGRRA?! Playing for housewives and scared of even the slightest evolution in your sound, that's where!


"Hi no Moto" feels like it should have more magic than it does. Maybe if the bass was doing something more fun or bouncy?

"Gikyoku" is like Kagrra covering Marilyn Manson's "The Beautiful People" -- and it has some of their youthfuller, ominous-er Kotodamaness woven into it. It won't change your mind about the band -- it's not as heavy as you're hoping it is -- but if you were on the verge of dismissing them, this might pull you back from the ledge.

rating: :\

20100618

Matt Stone explains Matt Damon's retardation in "Team America"



Digital Spy:
The South Park co-creator said that Damon puppet ended up looking as it did just because it came out of the oven that way, which was nothing like it was supposed to look like. Stone insists that the strange-looking doll is nothing personal against Damon himself.

IMDB quotes Stone as saying: 'When we looked at the plans for his head he looked good, but when we came out of the oven he just looked retarded.

Honestly, I think Matt Damon is one of the better actors around. I think he's a pretty great actor. He's pretty talented. And for no real reason, he is retarded in this movie.'" via reddit
I confess to LOL'ing but never understood why Matt Damon was even in the flick. He didn't seem anything like Sean Penn!

Re-watching the scenes above, though, I sorta wonder if Stone isn't backpedaling on the heels of Damon's post-Bourne success/coolness. 'Cos the puppet head doesn't really look retarded at all...

Yanno what else was good? The Talented Mr Ripley. That's an evil fuckin' movie. :D

OnLive Alive


gamespot:
Twitch based game play, as is the norm for first person shooters, proved noticeably laggy, but not so much that the game was unplayable.
If the lag is "noticeable", then FUCK YES the game's unplayable!
Both Batman and Just Cause 2 felt fine as their slower pace of gameplay wasn't affected as much by the latency.
Until your internet connection drops out at a critical moment and you have to redo the whole mission over again...

My original thinking was that this would be worth trying, but now I'm like, "I've got a good card (a 4890 1gb), so why would I pay for this too?"

Maybe next year, when I start eyeballing new video cards, I'll give OnLive a one-month test run. (But then, do you have to buy games at full price, and then lose access to them?)

I don't think Steam has anything to worry about.

20100617

review: mucc | "yakusoku" (2010)

yakusoku
2010

  1. Yakusoku
  2. Yakusoku (karaoke)
  3. Yakusoku (tv edit)
  4. Gareki no Tori
  5. Isora
  6. Freesia (electro mix)

Got 'em all? Good.

Worth hearing? Only "Gareki," which has an absolutely charming prog-rock-ish vibe, chuggy guitars and tweedling bass/guitar runs and some double bass and unexpected fills, like Dream Theater goofing around covering some hit 70's tune or something.

"Yakusoku" ("Promise") is the usual mush.


"Yakusoku" opens the anime Senkou no Night Raid.
(Shanghai, 1931: the Imperial Japanese Army is dispatched to mainland China due to the First Sino-Japanese War, the Russo-Japanese War, and World War I. In this cosmopolitan city of intrigue, there is a special military spy organization called "Sakurai Kikan." -- ANN)

"Isora" is sort of a '90s Madonna-ish ballad or something, and the "Freesia (electro mix") feels like eurobeat maybe? Or something. It's not awful like many remixes can be, so that's something or something.

rating: :\

20100616

review: gilgamesh | "color" pv preview



Disgusting.

There's that one riff at the end of the preview that almost allows for some forgiveness, but it's just the same riff they've used in five other songs already.

I wanna clock them in the head with their instruments so badly!

rating: :(

20100614

direngreyuroboroswiththeproofintheofbutfor whatlivingproofthing LIVE AT ALL CAPS PLACE

Well, Dir en grey's released yet another Uroboros-era live thing (I guess Breathing, Tour08, The Rose Trims Again and Feast of V Senses weren't enough!?!)

And I'm too damn tired of 'em all to care.

All the titles are blending together into one big RAAAWWWWRRR, and I've got ten live versions of songs i HATE and how different can each one BE!?!

It's becoming a chore. Plus the limited vs regular vs Japan vs US/EU editions... fan club stuff...

Can we just put out an album and then a live DVD and then move on to the next round, please!?

Heavenly glory. Sex. Glory? Sex. Glory? SEX! [hands-as-scales motion]



Listened to a one-hour FORA.tv podcast/lecture called "Ask a Scientist: Sex, War, and Human Evolution" and it had lots of cool bits, but the coolest so far was this (paraphrased):
When Yassir Arafat realized he had a chance of getting a seat at the U.N., he became extremely concerned that Black September would stage another terrorist attack and ruin his chance.

So his organization found some girls, promised them nice apartments with refrigerators when they got married, and introduced them to the members of Black September. Within months the Black December September! terrorist group was decimated.
Rock.

The (sparse) site: sex-and-war.com.

Will read the book (at the beach this summer!) and let you know.

20100613

video game roundup, Q2 2010


Battlefield: Bad Company 2
The single player was fun, but the multiplayer is where it's at. I'm approaching 200 hours in that fucker.

My only complaints involve occasionally getting stuck in scenery and the prevalence of "noob tubes" -- especially the Carl Gustav, which allows the user to guide the 'nade right up his victim's bum. (They really should make that thing only work against metal or something... it ruins an otherwise fantastic game.)


Nonetheless, BFBC2 is still the best game since 2007's Orange Box. :)

~


Episodes from Liberty City

I made it through "The Lost of the Damned" merrily enough, but the second half of the $30 Episodes from Liberty City pack, "The Ballad of Gay Tony," got old fast, because the helicopter missions are as unpleasant as fuck; the controls are awful, and failing the second, harder part means redoing the dull, long first part again... and again... and aga[ragequit] (hooray for repetitivity!).

Disappointingly, the radio stations are also recycled from "The Lost," so you don't even get that to entertain you. Pretty lame, Rockstar. :\

~


Splinter Cell: Conviction
I like stealth action, but I'm near the end and have yet to get through a level without needing to shoot everyone in it. And it's clunky gunplay; at first i was like, alright, cover system! But then I used it. And the automatic weapons are so imprecise that the best you can do is spray-and-pray -- hardly tactical!

Ubisoft's always-on piracy-fighting 'net connection requirement wasn't nearly as onerous as I expected (just a brief popup as it connects/checks, then on with the game).

In addition to the clunkosity, every time you play, you have to tell it, for example, to invert the mouse. Because why should it ~save~ your custom control scheme!?

Oh! And there's a game element called "execute" that lets you tag each guy at your leisure, and then have the computer do the shooting for you. BUT WHO THE FUCK WANTS TO WATCH THEIR FUCKING COMPUTER PLAY THE FUCKING GAME FOR THEM!?! :(

20100612

Remembering Hyde


The only reason I didn't buy all of these was because NO SHELF COULD CONTAIN THEM.



I fondly remember taping this performance (on VHS!) back in '01 or 02 and thinking how special it was. He was doing something new that was also awesome.

20100611

Rock Band 3's REAL GUITAR Controller

Joystiq:

...the Squier Strat ... is both a Rock Band controller and a for-real guitar.
I predict an exponential explosion of "Guitarist Seeking Drummer" ads over the next decade...

20100610

Girls with a Dragon Tattoo ^_^

Japan Times:

...it is believed tattoos date to the Jomon Period (between 10000 B.C. to around 300 B.C.) as evidenced by Jomon "dogu" clay figurines with decorative patterns on their faces and bodies.

But according to Yoshimi Yamamoto, a professor at Tsuru University in Yamanashi Prefecture and an expert on tattoos, there is no physical evidence that Jomon people themselves actually had tattoos. Because of Japan's warm, humid climate, there are no mummified remains with skin intact.

In the Yayoi Period (around 300 B.C. to around 300 A.D.), the Chinese historical record "Gishiwajinden" ("Records of Wei") written at the end of the third century, says all men tattooed their faces and bodies.



Tattoos flourished in the Edo Period (1603-1867), becoming popular with people of various walks of life, including firefighters and builders.

The Chinese epic "Suikoden" ("The Water Margin") in woodblock prints, especially by artist Kuniyoshi, played a large role in increasing the popularity of tattoos among the public. In "Suikoden," Robin Hood-like bandits had their bodies fully tattooed with dragons, tigers and flowers.



But it was also during this period that tattoos were introduced as a form of criminal punishment, often marking them on their arms or forehead. In Yamamoto's book "Irezumi no Sekai" ("Tattoo: The Anthropology of Body Decoration") published by Kawade Shobo Shinsha in 2005, tattooing replaced the corporal punishment of mutilation such as cutting off the nose or ears.

"The reason why people regardless of age or gender were tattooed as a form of punishment was that it was useful in finding repeat offenders and to warn the surrounding people," Yamamoto wrote in her book.

The government officially banned tattoos because they were deemed barbarous and unsuitable for the "civilization and enlightenment" movement. Also prohibited were men and women bathing together in public bathhouses and walking around in the nude or naked from the waist up.

"Ever since the opening of Japan to the world, (the government) strengthened control over the people's appearance and customs," Yamamoto wrote. The reason for the intervention was "the Meiji government prioritized the centralization of power from a world that was (divided into) feudal domains to (create) a civilized nation."

And for more than 70 years, tattoos were banned. The ban was lifted in 1948 during the Allied Occupation.

Not sure if i like the bolt action or the semi-auto more!




(via reddit)

review: nogod | "kakusei" (2010)


nogod
kakusei
2010

"Kakusei" has got a great engine growl, a smooth runway in the bridge, but the chorus lift-off is a touch generic. The solo has its moments too, but what felt like substance on day one soon turned mostly to flash that fades quickly.


"Wonder World" I plain do not like! Mostly for the fingery, slappy, Flea-sy bass, tho the simple cowboy-ish hoedown beat ain't doing the song no favors...


"Keiken" makes up for "Wonder World"'s droolingly sappy puppy dog face by being heavy and fast as fuck. Falls into the same ballpark as the average (not the ~best~) Sex Machineguns songs, except with a little more effort put into the solo (do I smell some Marty Friedman-esque phrygian goodness in there?) It also feels a minute longer than its 4:56 running time, tho I'm not sure if that's good or bad yet...


And "Tsuki to Takt" [jDic: タクト (n) baton (ger: Taktstock)] is a lullaby, all voice and lightly strummed guitar, but isn't sweet or heartstringy enough to recommend.

So, this first major release from NoGod only earns a:

rating: :\

20100609

MIYAVI: "Not YOSHIKI. Absolutely not YOSHIKI."

Best, most interesting, smoothest, naturalest, most informative, most entertaining, most insightful interview I have ever had the pleasure to read! Thank you pSky and thank you Meev! This is how EVERY interviewer should ask questions & follow-ups, and how every artist should answer.

purple SKY:


pSKY: So, you appeared alongside SUGIZO, YOSHIKI, and GACKT for S.K.I.N. How were you approached to join the band? I remember you were the last one to join…

MIYAVI: I was the last one to join. Actually, YOSHIKI just invited me. He called me and told me about the band. He said it was the last band for him. I was really impressed at how serious he was. It was really serious. He was seriously speaking to me about the band. He was really passionate.

pSKY: What did he say?

MIYAVI: He said this was going to be his last band. Of course, he’s getting old. Everyone’s getting old. So he said, “This will be my last band.” He wanted to make it the perfect band from Japan. So that’s why I was impressed and just said, “Ok! Of course I’ll say yes. I respect you.”

pSKY: Were you surprised that he wanted to debut it in the United States?

MIYAVI: No, I was not surprised.

pSKY: Why do you think he didn’t want to do it in Japan?

MIYAVI: We were planning on doing it in Japan too after the US. Something happened. (laughs)

PS: I won’t ask.

MIYAVI: (laughs)

pSKY: Why debut in the US?

MIYAVI: It wasn’t a debut. It was a pre-show. And it was the last show.

pSKY: How do you feel about that?

MIYAVI: I was cool. We all wanted to keep doing it, but there were so many difficult things, you know?

pSKY: Were you ever hesitant to join because they’re like your superiors?

MIYAVI: I wasn’t. It doesn’t matter when we’re on the same stage. I’d beat them up. I will beat them up.

pSKY: I think you’re the tallest.

MIYAVI: Yeah, I am the tallest. In the photos, I’m the tallest. They were wearing… how do you say? You know like tall boots or high heels.

pSKY: Platform shoes?

MIYAVI: Yeah. Especially YOSHIKI. Yeah, but that was cool. It was a good experience.

pSKY: Would you ever consider doing it again?

MIYAVI: Yeah! We just discussed a lot, but it was tough, you know? It’s not only the artists there. There’s so much staff involved.

pSKY: I remember when it was announced. I thought, “How are they going to do that? That’s just impossible.” I guess it only happened once.

MIYAVI: Yeah, you are right. It was impossible. But someday after we’re all tired with our careers, maybe.


http://purpleskymagazine.com/2010/06/interview-miyavi-samurai-guitarist-and-ceo-part-2/#more-2623

20100608

Very Thrashy!

You know what i hate about this image (from the first CD to have any X Japan music on it)?

Not the awkward proportions, like the eyeball that's way too big for its socket, and not even the unthrashy saxophone (with those Quintocon bad guys from the later episodes of the Transformers on it)..

No, i hate the fact that the blue guy has no lips! Because how do you play a saxophone with only your teeth!? All the air would blow out wrong!

20100607

One Less Thing

So the iPhone 4 is out...


The new "Retina" screen (326dpi!!!) seems gorgeous, but for me, the screen size is still too small and AT&T is still too lame.

I was liking the Dell Streak (5" screen!) until I read about how half-assed it is; the EVO 4G (4.3" screen) could be a backup...

But in the end, I'll probably just stick with my old Blackberry/iPod Touch/XactiHD combo and strain my eyes into oblivion (but save $50+/mo on phone bills)!

I'd really like to get to a point where I only have one device to lug, tho.

Also: Kate says "Thanks, douches!" as it appears she won't be getting an iPad for kindergarten graduation.

20100606

Deluhi's "Frontier" PV

thx Azu!

It's okay but I'm not blowin' giant wads in my Hanes or nuthin'.

I can't help but wonder how they'd fare if they booted the singer and just went instrumental, 'cos if there's a weak link, 'tis he.

Deatharmonic next sunday


Deatharmonic: A night of Asian American rock music
Sunday, June 13th 2010
Crash Mansion, NYC
7pm-1am


KAZHA
Lilac
Gelatine
Typherus
Geist


18+ / $10

Asahi Beer NYC will be sponsoring the event, providing free Japanese beer offered to 21+ attendees for the first hour. Asahi Beer will then be offered at the bar for a discounted rate for the remainder of the night.

Buy Tickets:

20100604

Just a quick note as we roll into the weekend that I am better at BFBC2 than you. ^_^



I went from being a close-range sniper using the Saiga and C4 (on tanks) to the medic with the M60 (protip: MGs get more accurate the more longer you hold down the trigger, so don't do qquick bursts with them, do long, sustained strafes).

But now I usually play Assault class, using the early-unlocked XM8 (because when someone's close, you can hold down the trigger, unlike several other weapons that are set to three-shot bursts).

I use the red dot sight exclusively, usually with Magnum ammo, except on the vast desert maps, where i switch from the Magnum upgrade (extra kill power) to the accuracy upgrade (extra distance).

I hate engineers and their rockets, and I find sniper rifles frustrating in their slowness and in my inaccuracy. I regularly hit what I thought I missed, and miss what I would SWEAR I hit.

One new thing I wanna try is putting C4 on doors. When someone knifes through the door... BOOM! (Ain't tried it yet, just read about it today.)

review: "the book of eli" (2010)



Book of Eli was a ~little~ more flashy and pop than the The Road, and I liked it better, if it even makes sense to compare the two apocaflix.

Spoiler: nice M. Night Shyamalan twist at the end there, which I did not see coming.

Also dug the white house battle scene, in which the camera flies from inside the home (where our heroes hide) to outside the home (where from the baddies be a-shootin') on some sort of magical mini-helicopter that enables it to zip through open windows and shit. It was a little gimmicky, in a Rosebud-on-crack sorta way, but enjoyable and clever and new-ish, so, coolio.

One complaint: the sun is lethal (or at least really, really inconvenient) in Eli's world; yet whats-her-face (shutup, Meg), born after the apocalypse, is named Solara. Which is like naming your kid Cancera or Aidsy.

rating: :)

20100603

Why Japanese prime ministers stumble

CSMonitor.com:
When Japan’s next prime minister takes office following Yukio Hatoyama's resignation announcement on Wednesday, he will be the 15th occupant of the office in the past 21 years.

Take the unusually long tenure of Junichiro Koizumi (2001-2006) out of the equation, and 13 prime ministers have lasted a total of 16 years.

Mr. Hatoyama himself was the fourth consecutive leader who failed to last even a year in the job. For all the hopes of meaningful change borne in last year's historic election victory by his opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), to many it now looks like simply more of the same: another scion of a powerful political dynasty who turned out not to have the mettle to handle the pressures of the nation's highest office.

The strength of Japan’s political dynasties is a major driver in the almost annual procession of weak, mostly forgettable figures in and out of the country’s highest office. Because many politicians inherit their positions, they are not forced to cultivate leadership skills or learn to win popular support.
They gotta get a chick in office, man, one that can wow the populace and get some consensuses goin'.

The world's economies are due for a rebound, and it'd be nice for Japan to use some o' that famous adaptability it used to have to make the next decade as kick-ass as the '80s. Rev up some new business models, start producing more babies, that sorta thing.

Maybe Yuko Obuchi [site] can kick it...? Or would she be another dynasty scion?

20100602

review: exist trace | "knife" (2010)


exist trace
knife
2010

The title track is pretty tepid, with only seven noteworthy bars at the 3:20 point, wherein one of the guitarists finds she's plugged herself into a flanger and does a simple 4/4 palm-muter while Jyou does a breathy Pat Benatar impression.



"Mirror" leads in with a mellow, plodding bassline and stretched vocals that had me checking my watch. Then it gets heavy all of a sudden. At no point did my ears perk up. I'd like to hear some unpredictable Sugizo/Inoran-esque trade-offs in these long dull bits, girls!


Miko (g), Mally (d), Jyou (v), Naoto (b) & Omi (g)


Lastly we have "Liquid" again, a 2010 "vocal retake version," and it's sorta like... the vox ~are~ much improved but c'mon, we have three versions of this song already, and the band's barely five years old.

It's available for download at JapanFiles for less than three bucks, which is nice, tho it'd be nicer if I got a kickback for linking to it. :p

Also, may I wonder aloud about Jyou's resemblance to Dr. Evil's son?

rating: :\

20100601

Artist, AlbumArtist, Various Artist, fuck.

What makes more sense?

Having individual tracks from a compilation album scattered among the individual artists, or having the tracks kept together under the "various artists" moniker?

For example, the Luna Sea ~Re:birth~ Memorial Album: should all the tracks appear together, like so:


all 12 tracks all together under "Various Artists"

Or should Mucc's track ("Dejavu") appear in the Mucc folder, and ABS's track ("Coma") appear in the ABS folder, etc, etc, etc... like so:


"Dejavu" in the mucc folder


"Sweetest Coma Again" in the ABS folder


It's pretty easy to just mass-copy the Artist tag over to the AlbumArtist tag and fix it one way or the other; I'm more concerned with the underlying theory/reasoning.

My original thinking aince 2000 was that the physical ~Re:birth~ disc would go onto the shelf under "Various Artists," so that's where the non-physical version should go.

But now I'm thinking, hold on! Take advantage of the cross-referencing ability of the technology! ~Re:birth~ will still appear unified if I look in the album view; now you'll also be able to see every track an artist did under the artist view! (Like, every Mucc comp/tribute/etc track will be under Mucc now.)

EDIT: Auuugh, here's a problem. I'll have a bunch of crappy artists clogging up my artist list now (bands that suck on Iron Maiden tributes, etc...)