Hello Music!

Update!

Casey — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 03:40:21 +0000

I just want to let anyone that comes across this blog that I will not be updating. However, I’ll leave it up for your enjoyment.

Abe Natsumi [Haha to Musume no Duet Song]

Casey — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 19:46:46 +0000

The forgotten solo artist? Once the most popular member of Morning Musume, Abe Natsumi is not anywhere close to her early success. I never hear about die-hard Natsumi fans anymore! I am ambitiously reviewing all of her discography to bring some hype to Nacchi, ending with her newest mini-album release. I won’t let Tsunku stop her solo career and shuffle her into groups until she slowly burns out! *pant *pant.

Haha to Musume no Duet Song is an “unofficial” single from Natsumi she performed with Yosumi Keiko. The single isn’t too bad, and it wasn’t meant to truly be a hit single, but it is comforting to listen to.

My Subjective Score: 8/10

1. Haha no Musume no Duet
This is just a full-out cutesy song. There are some guitar parts, some piano parts, and some of everything. As it is a mother and daughter song, it doesn’t fit with any particular trend of music, but has family-friendly approach. Natsumi and Keiko compliment each other well in the sounds of their voices. This is a cover of an older song, and I am not sure who the original singer is.

2. Koi
Oh, those la-la-la choruses. There are some strange musical sounds sometimes, but I’ll listen to them under any conditions. Koi has the same peppy interaction between the two. I don’t think the song flows perfectly from the beginning to end in composition because the end seems a little disjoint to me personally.

Track 1: Haha to Musume no Duet Song

Track 2: Koi

Track 3: Haha to Musume no Duet Song (Instrumental)

A singing cellphone conversation! Keiko and Natsumi are playing mother and daughter in a bright house. “Guests” come over and the two dance unaware on the table. It’s so cute to see both of them so happy.

Spring Break Hiatus

Casey — Sat, 17 Mar 2007 18:03:15 +0000

I’m going to sunny California for spring break, so there will be about a week break in posting. I’ll accumulate a large back-up of music, so just be patient, and you’ll here more from me in a little while.

YUI [CHER.RY]

Casey — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 17:11:53 +0000

YUI’s eighth single, CHE.R.Y. was released on March 7, 2007, and reached the #2 spot. I am not particularly fond of her voice, but I give her props for composing her own music. Whether you end up liking it or not depends on your music taste, I guess, but I’m not hearing anything stellar on this single.

My Subjective Score: 6/10

1. CHE.R.RY
I like how she speeds up the lyrics at little parts, as it keeps the song interesting. I don’t know if I’m quite feeling the actual music, yet the song is upbeat and fun. Maybe you’ll really like it when you listen to it, maybe not.

2. Driving today
A slow song that fits well with the softness of her voice. I think it is a litttle too mellow for me. I don’t have much of an opinion on this one.

Track 1: CHER.R.Y.

Track 2: Driving today

Track 3: Rolling Star ~YUI Acoustic Version~

Track 4: CHE.R.RY ~Instrumental~

YUI is in a fantasy-like world, mixed between animation and an indoor Snow White reminiscent garden, with fake animals in tow. I get the feeling that she has a shy personality. Notice at the very end of the song she is strumming her guitar when there is only an electric guitar playing the music.

Hirai Ken [Kimi no Suki na Toko]

Casey — Sat, 10 Mar 2007 15:52:38 +0000

Hirai Ken, the not-seemingly Japanese ballad singer, has unveiled yet again another nice tempo, feel-good single. Kimi no Suki na Toko was released February 28, 2007 and reached #5 on the Oricon chart. It’s not exactly my cup of tea, but if you are a Ken fan you will enjoy it.

My Subjective Score: 6.5/10

1. Kimi no Suki na Toko
This really doesn’t do it for me. The song is pretty and the more I listen the more I beginning to like it. However, his voice sounds very nasally throughout most of the song.

2. Utsukishii Hito
Ok, this track sounds much better as far as a ballad goes. His tone is improved and he sounds more involved in the music with his voice. I like the simplicity of the background with the piano; Ken doesn’t need to have something covering up his voice because he can actually sing.

Track 1: Kimi no Suki na Toko

Track 2: Utsukushii Hito

Track 3: Bye My Melody -HALFBY’s music for momo REMIX

Track 4: Kimi na Suki no Toki ~less vocal~

A very interesting video. Ken is walking around in a house, continously opening up doors, closets, etc. and finding a girl and boy at differing ages. It’s like one big hide and seek game.

Inoue Marina [Beautiful Story]

Casey — Sat, 10 Mar 2007 03:54:21 +0000

Beautiful Story was released on March 1, 2007 by Inoue Marina, as the ending theme for the anime “gestumentoheika Mi-na”. Marina is mainly a voice actor, but she has also released two previous singles before this during the past three years, so apparently singing isn’t her main focus. I’m not sure if I’m convinced if she can actually sing, however. She seems cute, but I can’t take her seriously.

My Subjective Score: 5.5/10

1. Beautiful Story
I could use a little more energy out of her voice to match the music, seemed like she was a little asleep. The beat is a little funky and not bad to dance to; by the end of the song I admit I’m moving to the music. It is okay, yet it doesn’t blow me away.

2. Hen na Koi
This is a cutesy song enhanced by her high voice. I do realize that Beautiful Story was released for the t.v. show, so it’s not like she was trying to break into the top ten on the Oricon chart and had a great team behind her creating. I can see this as a song for one of the younger Hello! Project groups.

Track 1: Beautiful Story

Track 2: Hen na Koi

Track 3: Beautiful Story (Instrumental)

Track 4: Hen na Koi (Instrumental)

Angela Aki [Sakurairo]

Casey — Sat, 10 Mar 2007 03:28:13 +0000

Sakurario was released on March 7, 2007 by the graceful Angela Aki. Do I like it? Yes. But do I love it. No. I feel that she needs to have some more range in her song choices. A lot of her songs sound a lot alike. The overall single isn’t the strongest, but it is still worth spending your money on. Though I may seem negative, Angela is a lot better comparitively to other female musicians in talent. The piano version of “Home” is your treat on this single!

My Subjective Score: 8.5/10

1. Sakurairo
She has a beautiful tone throughout and the chorus sounds just as pretty. There are lots of strings that make it sound very “massive” for lack of a better word. Sakurario is a typical Angela ballad song and I am not disappointed.

2. On & On
I’m not sure if I like the way her voice sounds because at points she sounds like she’s wailing. Anyway, the song is uplifting and I can easily listen to it.

3. Power of MUSIC
I think she almost sounds like Madonna a bit in the beginning! I like that she mixed in some background music other than just a piano and strings to mix it up a little. For some reason this song annoys me just a little bit. It’s decent as a whole, I guess.

Track 1: Sakurairo

Track 2: On & On

Track 3: Power of MUSIC

Track 4: Home -piano version-

She gives off a lot of emotion with her face. There are cherry blossom petals falling around Angela as she rocks out on a piano, and the video is nice on the eyes. Will we ever see her without the glasses?

Namie Amuro [Baby Don't Cry]

Casey — Sat, 10 Mar 2007 02:05:45 +0000

Baby Don’t Cry was released on January 24, 2007 by the beautiful pop queen Amuro Namie, and is her 31st single (wow!). This single has been sitting around in my room for quite some time, and I figured I needed to blog about it instead of letting months go by. Overall the single is well created, yet it doesn’t exactly fit my taste. Anyway, it reached #3 on the Oricon chart and that says something, doesn’t it?

My Subjective Score: 8/10

1. Baby Don’t Cry
The beat in the background is creative, and it is integrates with her voice smoothly. It sounds like a slowed down dance track, and that’s probably why there is also a remix on the cd. At first I didn’t really like the song, but after I listened to it a few times it isn’t all that too bad and it is growing on me slowly.

2. Nobody
Nobody sounds a lot like Baby Don’t Cry, but just happens to sound a little softer and slower. It is basically the sequel to White Light, a previous song she did, but changed up a little bit. I really like the beat and the tone of her voice is right on. So, yes, I do have a tendency to like B-sides better somehow. I love this song!

Track 1: Baby Don’t Cry

Track 2: Nobody

Track 3: Baby Don’t Cry (TV-MIX)

Track 4: Nobody (TV-MIX)

Namie is continuously walking, looking very stylish in her long black trench coat. Her hair is so long! They have to be extensions! She looks very pretty and natural in the video.

Arashiro Beni [Luna]

Casey — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 19:06:58 +0000

Arashiro Beni’s eighth single, Luna, was released on February 28, 2007, and only reached #77 on the Oricon chart so far. She is half-Japanese, having an American father, and can speak English and Japanese fluently. Beni is also part of Bishoujo Club 21, a Morning Musume look-alike group, and one of two soloists from the group. She really isn’t that popular in the music scene, partly because she hasn’t had one single to really break her through. Luna is a decent listen, but she still needs something more spectacular. I wonder what the future will hold for Beni?

My Subjective Score: 7/10

1. Luna
Her voice doesn’t sound perfect, but then it definitely doesn’t seem like it was touched up in a studio. The song doesn’t stand out to me as being all that creative; however, it still sounds quite pretty. Luna is a ballad with a heavy r&b influence that could grow on you after a few listens. This is the theme song for the J-drama Warui Yatsura.

2. NO PAIN,NO GAIN
Beni has some attitude on this song! I like the music a lot, so I do like this much better than Luna, yet I don’t feel it fits with her. It has a rock-pop sound to it. I’m not sure if the chorus hooks me all together; she needs to work on making something a little more catchy.

3. DIGGIN’ON YOU
This is a cover of TLC’s Diggin’ on You from the 90′s. (On a side note, the first CD I ever bought was TCL’s CrazySexyCool, which is where this song is from.) Beni suprisingly does the song some justice. I think she was helped by the fun beat that was already there to give her some energy, but she pulls it off.

Track 1: Luna

Track 2: NO PAIN,NO GAIN

Track 3: DIGGIN’ON YOU

Track 4: Luna (Instrumental)

Track 5: NO PAIN,NO GAIN (Instrumental)

She looks very beautiful and soft-like. Beni is sitting in a room that seems like it could be a stable, or something, I’m not very sure. She is wearing all white and laying with white pillows, which is then contrasted with her wearing black in other shots. I guess this expresses her “torn-ness.”

UVERworld [Bugright]

Casey — Wed, 07 Mar 2007 21:38:26 +0000

I am now an official UVERworld fan forever! Bugright was released on February 21, 2007 and reached #1 on the daily Oricon chart. UVERworld is composed of five members that go by their first names: TAKUYA∞ (yes, the infinity is part of his name), Akira, Katsuya, Nobuto, and Shintarou. The album sound splits about half-way through from a friendly rock to a softer sound, and then turns back around to a great rock sound. Honestly, there was not a single track that I disliked!

Here are pics of the members:

My Subjective Score: 9/10

1. Zero no Kotae
There is a great deal of variety in TAKUYA∞’s singing that keeps the song from getting boring. The guitar in the background is great and I appreciate the composition all together. His voice is prominent, which should be in a song, and the music compliments fantastically.

2. SHAMROCK
An upbeat song that I bob my head along to. There are parts when he almost whispers the words and it makes the song for me completely because it fits perfect with mood. The only part I didn’t like was the strange, growling voice near the end added in, which was someone completely different from the singer. I thought it was unnecesary.

3. Home Binetsu 39 degrees C
Another catchy song. He does an amazing job making his voice engaging! I didn’t like this as much as the previous two tracks, but it is decent.

4. ~Nagare·Kuukyo·THIS WORD~
An eerie beginning that dives right into a hard rock edge. Even though Uverworld is a rock band, there are still elements of pop present in the sound of their lyrics that allow them to have a broader fan base. This song is definitely darker than others on the album, but as a regular rock listener I can appreciate it.

5. Colors of the Heart
I like the sound of his voice in this one. Colors of the Heart is a lighter track and easy to listen to. It was the third opening theme for the anime BLOOD +.

6. Live everyday as if it were the last day
There is a bit of rapping in this one that is completely bearable because it works. This song has a “pop” sound to it too. The guitar compliments well and has an original sound.

7. Charmant no Ura
A fun song! The chorus is catchy and I like the softer sound after hearing six rock songs. I want a single like this!

8. Hitori Ja Nai Kara
The song follows the mood previously, except for the rapping which made it sound harder. The piano in the background was a nice touch. I guess they’re experimenting with the rock and rap combination. It doesn’t sound half-bad! I feel a jazz basis going on here at parts.

9. Kimi no Suki na Uta
There is a lot of raw emotion in his voice that I haven’t heard until now. This is truly a beautiful rock-ballad. Possibly my favorite on the album!

10. 51%
The very beginning of this sounds like a 90s boy band! Luckily it doesn’t sound like that throughout, and 51% is another track that stays true to the overall sound of UVERworld.

11. LIFEsize
Now we have swung back around to the harder rock sound present earlier in the album. I like the guitar solo! The softness at the end was a nice little present.

12. EMPTY96
Much harder sounding overall. This is a head bobber, be warned!

13. DISCORD
This is probably the hardest rock song on the whole album, but TAKUYA∞ lightens it up for you if you are not a die-hard rock fan. I do like it, however. I don’t know how UVERworld manages to make everything so darn catchy all the time.

14. Kimi no Suki na Uta (Acoustic Version)
I am a sucker for any type of acoustic version. So, yeah, this one sounds nice.

Track 1: Zero no Kotae

Track 2: SHAMROCK

Track 3: Home Binetsu 39C

Track 4: ~Nagare·Kuukyo·THIS WORD~

Track 5: Colors of the Heart

Track 6: Live everyday as if it were the last day

Track 7: Charmant no Ura

Track 8: Hitori Ja Nai Kara

Track 9: Kimi no Suki na Uta

Track 10: 51%

Track 11: LIFEsize

Track 12: EMPTY96

Track 13: DISCORD

Track 14: Kimi no Suki na Uta (Acoustic Version)

Zero no Kotae: The great wilderness! There is a lot of spinning and brightness interspersed. The video definitely expresses the energy of the song.

SHAMROCK:They’re all having a fun time splashing around at a concert. The camera angles and the motions are interesting to watch.

Colors of the Heart:The band is playing in a dark alley and it seems like they are hiding out from the cops. Then each of the members play/sing on a white platform with neon lights dashing through the background. It’s nothing too original, but I like watching TAKUYA∞.

Kimi no Suki na Uta: Another dark-like theme running through this pv. TAKUYA∞ and a girl both stand in the same phonebooth at separate times, much like he is feeling her emotions. The rest of the time the band is in an older-looking house

°C-ute [Sakura Chirari]

Casey — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 18:18:36 +0000

Sakura Chirari was released on February 21st, 2007 and reached #3 on the Oricon chart, which is quite impressive for such a young Hello! Project group. °C-ute was formed in 2005, pulling girls from Hello! Project Kids, who mainly served as back-up dancers and such. Sakura Chirari is °C-ute’s first “official single” even though they have released 4 indie singles prior. The song itself is not anywhere near fantastic, but it is a modest start for °C-ute.

Current members are as follows:

My Subjective Score: 7/10

1. Sakura Chirari
Although it is a cute song it has an underlying of maturity to it. I don’t think the singing overall is strong enough throughout the chorus; there could have been more energy. Yajima Maimi sounded pretty well; I can’t recognize a lot of them yet. Overall it doesn’t stand out, but it is a decent song. I do dig the French tunes in there.

2. JUMP
The song seems like it is better suited for a solo artist than a group to me for some odd reason. Some of the girls fall flat in their singing. I like this song as much as I did the first one, yet I’m not saying it was terrible, it just isn’t catchy enough for me to put it on repeat.

Track 1: Sakura Chirari

Track 2: JUMP

Track 3: Sakura Chirari (Instrumental)

A video full of pastel colors and floating stuffy! The pink outfits they had on reminded me of bath curtains. It’s cute to watch all the different girls. Maybe I’ll begin to start recognizing them.

Quick update

Casey — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 03:20:09 +0000

I just wanted everyone to know that I will be posting tomorrow. I’ve had quite a busy couple of days!

GAM [Thanks !]

Casey — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 20:21:44 +0000

GAM is the newest super group of Hello Project, composed of Fujimoto Miki and Matsuura Aya, my two favorite gals in the whole world. As you may already know, Aya is a successful solo artist while Miki will soon be the leader of Morning Musume. Thanks ! is their first single released on September 13, 2006. Tsunku has really created something big here…and I can’t help but wonder if he’s creating a definite place for Miki to go when she graduates from Morning Musume. Aya and Miki had been grouped together before in Gommatou, along with Maki Goto. Will this be the group that finally sticks? I hope so.

My Subjective Score: 9.5/10

1. Thanks !
This is a very infectious track! I love the fast-paced chorus and background music, which makes it great to dance to. Aya and Miki compliment each other very well. Thanks ! was a smart first single for the two.

2. Shinkirou Romance
A sweet longing love song that doesn’t fall into the ballad trap of similarity. I can already understand that GAM is going to try to be more of a mature and serious group.

Track 1: Thanks !

Track 2: Shinkirou Romance

Track 3: Thanks ! (Instrumental)

There are a lot of leg shots! If you’re not familiar the word “gam”, it also happens to be a slang term for sexy legs, supposedly. They are really playing this up big time. Aya and Miki are doing some sexy dancing behind a bright pink screen and flashing lights that is surprising. I can’t say they are hip-hop stars, however. Every know and then the girls are sitting in a huge leather chair, crossing their legs. The name of the single just should have been “Legs!”

Kimura Kaela [Scratch]

Casey — Mon, 26 Feb 2007 19:14:28 +0000

Kimura Kaela is seen as a rebel and a free spirit in the music business, often sporting different hairstyles and fashion, yet she has great talent in music. Kimura Kaela’s “Scratch” was released on February 7, 2007 and reached the coveted #1 spot! This is her third album and I definitely want more of her. There are some great jewels on this album waiting for you to find them, so if you’re a rock fan, hop on the Kaela fan train because has a lot to offer.

My Subjective Score: 8/10

1. L. drunk
The background could have done without that incessant xylophone. If it wasn’t there the song would have sounded ten times better. I don’t want to listen to this if it gives me a headache. I guess that’s just what drunk really is.

2. Magic Music
Just an all around fun song with a fun beat you can bounce around and sing with your hairbrush in hand. The chorus is indeed catchy. This was one of her singles.

3. Snowdome
A little bit of a softer song that is halfway-decent. The acoustic guitar was fitting for the track and I wished there were more times in which it was the sole instrument played. The music overpowers her voice sometimes, and I surmise from this that she is very focused on the music itself and not just her singing. I’m surprised that this was a single.

4. Wani to Kotori
Her voice is pretty, yet this track gets a little “carnival-esque” sometimes with added synthesizers. If she could have just taken out all of that extra unnecessary noise the album would have been much better overall. I have noticed a trend of strong background beats throughout her songs.

5. dolphin
Though it has a harder edge, the accompanying strings make it softer. A well-composed song and I love the guitar solo at the end! This is maybe my favorite song on the album.

6. sweetie
I really like how her voice and the music complement each other well. I love the guitar! This song sounds like contemporary American girl/pop music and I enjoy listening.

7. Kirin Tan
The song sounds very retro in a way I can’t exactly describe, but nevertheless it is interesting. I kind of get a tropical island feel from it somehow. I actually really like this song because it sounds so, so different and far from mainstream, even from the other material on the album. I guess this is her experimental song.

8. Scratch
The namesake of the album happens to be an interlude of sorts with varying piano, guitar, drum, and synthesizer mixing all together with a tiny bit of singing at the end. It is very fitting with the mood overall, so props to Kaela for not creating something really whacky. Again, strong beats that make you listen.

9. SWINGING LONDON
I love the piano in the beginning! Not too shabby of a song. There’s a strong guitar solo near the end. She tends to mix in everything soft with the hard guitar sounds to produce a signature sound. I can envision a music video with her running all over the place singing.

10. never land
I didn’t like this one because it came off too strong for me at parts. Her singing during the voices was fun to listen to however.

11. TREE CLIMBERS
This song is very alternative…I can see her punk-like side coming through. I think this song somewhat exemplifies the music she wants to create.

12. JOEY BOY
JOEY BOY is ok all round but it didn’t really interest me too much.

13. Ground Control Album Mix
Her English isn’t too bad so the song survives. I hope someone can save me from that halloween-ghost synthesizer thing in the middle of the song. That was strange and umm…yeah. The song had some fun pop elements to it so it’s pleasant sounding to the ears for the most part.

Track 1: L. drunk

Track 2: Magic Music

Track 3: Snowdome

Track 4: Wani to Kotori

Track 5: dolphin

Track 6: sweetie

Track 7: Kirin Tan

Track 8: Scratch

Track 9: SWINGING LONDON

Track 10: never land

Track 11: TREE CLIMBERS

Track 12: JOEY BOY

Track 13: Ground Control (Album Mix)

L. drunk: That truly was a drunk and acid trip all together. Very bright, lots of movement and I don’t think I could watch it again without feeling ill. I guess it accomplishes what it sets out to do in the firstplace.

Magic Music: There are some crazy things going on here that I can’t accurately describe. Lots of Kaela’s and artsy stuff all over the place.

Snowdome: Kaela’s very cute and happy throughout. A very different personality from what was shown in L. drunk. She seems like a child in a fantasy world.

TREE CLIMBERS: This a live performance mixed with Kaela and her band running around in a park wearing paper bags as faces.

Aa! [First Kiss]

Casey — Sun, 25 Feb 2007 22:11:53 +0000

Aa! was created as a one-shot group under the massive Hello! Project umbrella and released only this single, First Kiss, on October 29, 2003, reaching the #8 spot. The trio was composed of Tanaka Reina from Morning Musume, and Natsuyaki Miyabi and Suzuki Airi from Hello! Project Kids. Today Miyabi is now in Berryz Koubou and Airi in C-ute; Reina is still part of MM. I am wondering why Aa! never released any more singles, as they are a decent group. I think Tsunku bites off more than he can chew sometimes…

These are current pictures of the girls who were in Aa!

My Subjective Score: 7.5/10

1. First Kiss
Not too bad of a song. Airi has a great voice for her age, but she is just so young on this song that it makes me like it a little less than if someone in their twenties sang it. She was nine years old when she sang this and she has the bulk of the vocals! Quite impressive for her but it doesn’t say much about the other two. Perhaps this single was an experiment revolving around Airi’s ability.

2. Masayume
Again, I have the same problem with Airi’s young voice, which sounded a little worse on this time around. I didn’t like the nasal-lie words during the end of the chorus. Masayume is decent but not great. Airi’s voice isn’t mature enough to fully carry the song.

Track 1: First Kiss

Track 2: Masayume

Track 3: First Kiss (Instrumental)

Airi looks absolutely comical dancing around in pants that could literally eat her alive. All three of them are just dancing in a room and continuously staring out a window.