Album Review: SID- Outsider

New SID album! *flails*

If you don’t know, SID is my absolute favourite band. Been a fan for over three years now (so proud of that length of time it’s kind of pathetic). This is their first album since their 10^th Anniversary Best and the Side B Collections (1 & 2), and the first one with new songs since… M&W? Wow, it’s been a while. No wonder I was so excited.

So, let’s start!

My J-Rock Exploits in Review (bands, PVs, etc) part 1

   A special thank you to the guys (and girls!) over at SЯ: JROCK UK UPDATER, who have rekindled my love of J-Rock, and helped me discover great artists. Thank you!

   So basically I'll be trying to regularly update the internet on what I've discovered in the world of J-rock, what's come out and how I liked it, and all that. Hopefully help at least one other person to discover something good.

SID in Singapore at Music Matters Live 2013

   Nothing has made me quite so giddy in such a long time. I've missed my SID, my favourite band, and seeing them at this live show just made my insides burst like fireworks. Everyone who was there, I envy you so, as I envy anyone who has seen them live.

   They didn't sing too many songs; they did Monochrome no Kiss first, then Uso (my first SID song and still one of my favourites), then V.I.P, One Way (not all of it though, sadly), and last of all Natsukoi. 

   Stuff I loved: SID. I love SID's lives. They are always good. Also, what they wore! Shinji stylish as always, and Mao and Aki wore sleeveless... allow the regular-teenage-girl-ness in me to flow a bit while I sigh. Also, I liked their song choice. Uso and One Way, these songs are almost always performed, and for a reason. V.I.P, I can tell SID are going to perform this many times in the future, but what I loved best was that they ended with Natsukoi. I love Natsukoi, it's so upbeat and warm-- the perfect ending. Also, in one part Mao and Aki shared the mike. I love heard Aki (and Shinji) sing! Yuuya lip-synched along to nearly all the lines, and it was so heartwarming.

   Stuff I didn't love so much. Unfortunately, there were quite a bit. The organisers didn't seem very good. In the beginning, Shinji's guitar volume was too low, and in the middle of One Way it stopped working completely. You could see crew members scurrying around the stage, pulling wires, trying to fix stuff. Also, cameramen, you know Shinji's part of SID too, they're not just three members. You could've at least given Shinji some nice shots when he was doing the guitar solos.
   Also, Mao wasn't at his best. He was better than 90% of the whole world, though, because that is how amazing he is, but yeah, he was having some problems. A little out of breath sometimes, and his voice was shaky too. Maybe he was nervous, or it was the heat (he was sweating a lot), or was this during that time when he was really sick, and passed out backstage? It kind of hurt to hear him sing like that, I really hoped he was okay, and enjoying the stage.

   But even with all the drawbacks, I will always love this stage. One simple reason: English. Mao spoke English. It sounded quite rehearsed, and his cute accent was just ripping through his words, but it just poured a happy fire into my heart. He was so cute. He talked about how it was SID's first time in Singapore, how they loved Singapore, and then he asked the crowd if they loved J-Rock, and SID. Of course they screamed yes. He introduced the next song V.I.P, and he did it pretty well and very, very cutely, saying it was an anime theme for Magi, and he also introduced Natsukoi very, very cutely. Mao did most of the talking, though at the end Shinji and Yuuya (who was a ball of sunshine all throughout) thanked the crowd and said they loved them. It was just so, so nice to hear, and not too embarrassing. You could tell Mao worked hard to memorise those lines, and he pulled them off very well.

   This half an hour has really shot my spirits to the moon; that's the power SID has over me. Can't wait until SIDNAD vol. 9.

Album Review: Deadstock- SID

Hello, and welcome to my next album review! Yes, it’s another review of my favourite band SID, but I just had to share this with y’all!

I believe in reviewing and sharing stuff most people likely wouldn’t find otherwise. Actually, it’ll pretty much be all Japanese rock and I’d like to up its popularity. Alright, here we go, with Deadstock.

 

Deadstock was released in February 2011. The songs on it range from 2009, when the first single on it was released, to 2011. Deadstock has a lot of SID’s most famous and successful songs, and fared very well on the album charts, reaching #2 (SID’s unlucky number. They’ve never gotten a #1, but are always stuck at #2.)

No LDK

First track off the album. It’s a pretty good song. It starts off with really little beat, with Mao keeping his vocals soft and carrying it through… until it reaches the chorus. And then it just bursts out with this wonderful, catchy tune and Mao shakes his voice in his wonderful way. The whole song is really catchy, even though it’s not really loud and bouncy. 

Shelter

Alright, when I first heard this song, I really liked it, as it was not usual SID-fare, and had this strange, out-of-world guitar work to it. It slowly faded away though. It’s only 2:45 minutes, and that’s a good thing, as it couldn’t satisfactorily be any longer.

Cosmetic

One of the singles SID released prior to the album release. It’s a very addictive song that is jazzy without going over the top like MOM, which I mentioned in my M&W review. This song is one of SID’s #2s, and it’s not hard to hear why. It has definite playback quality.

Ii Hito

(Title means ‘One Person’, or so says Google Translate. I personally thought ‘Ii’ meant ‘good’, but I guess that’s another meaning.) As far as I know, this song was the most popular among the English SID fans (Googling SID Deadstock has ‘Deadstock track #4 download’ come up). This is a really sweet-sounding song, one with a chorus that you might sway along to. There’s also lots of acoustic guitar, and the bass is easy to hear. Mao’s voice is sweet, but strong where he needs to be. Just something you’d like to sing along to. Good song, but can be boring if you’re not into it.

Wife

A song very similar to Shelter in some ways, but different also. This song just… sounds better. A little themed, you might say, like many of the songs on M&W. Like Shelter it’s very short, and it seems to go by in no time.

Rain

One of the singles off Deadstock, and it’s freaking awesome. Oh, sorry, let’s rein it in. Yeah, it’s pretty cool. Rock, but has that melancholy edge to it that you’d expect of SID. Really, it’s the quintessential SID song. Mao’s voice is wonderfully powerful in it, though he can really make it soft and saddened when need be. Really, it’s a song worth listening to over and over. No wonder it reached #2 on the charts.

Dog Run

What a change in tone. From the sad rock of Rain, to the upbeat jazz of Dog Run. I didn’t quite like this song when I first heard it, but it can be quite addictive and catchy. Mao’s blog advertises the ‘catchy chorus’ for a ringtone, but I personally like the parts better. From the few words I understand, the song seems to have sad lyrics, but you really can’t tell from the tune.

One Way

Another of the five singles off the album, and my least favourite to be honest. It’s upbeat rock, and to me it sounds really forgettable and generic. Mao does some good things with his voice, but this song really isn’t up to par with the other singles in my opinion. It reached #3 on the Oricon charts, though.

Nigatsu

My sister says this sounds like an English song. I can kind of see her point. It’s not really what I’d label SID with, but it doesn’t make this a bad song. It’s just… rather plain. Although when I listen to this song, I can imagine the band playing on a rooftop, and Mao in a crisp pink shirt and skinny jeans. I don’t know why.

Oh, wait, it appears to be some sort of take on this picture. Yeah.

 Ranbu no Melody (ALBUM MIX)

A slightly different version of the single they released. The differences aren’t too marked, just a higher guitar tone. I was quite disappointed. Being not the biggest fan of the original song, I expected something fresh done with it, bringing it up to the level I associate with SID singles. Nope.

The song in itself is just some usual-sounding rock song, one you might hear every day. The original single reached #4 or 5 on the Oricon chart.

Sleep

Fifth and last SID single, and my favourite (with Rain, I guess). It is quite similar to Rain–rock, with a sad tune–but different also. Rain was much louder. Sleep is much quieter, and Mao is really fantastic with his vocals. His voice is so haunting and striking in this song, I love it. The melody in itself is really beautiful without being slow (rock, like I said).

Sympathy

Last song off the album. When SID ended their Deadstock 2011 Tour DVD, this was the last song. They said it was because they usually ended their concerts with sad songs, and they wanted something upbeat this time. (I can vouch for this. Of the four concerts I have, they’ve ended twice with Binetsu, the song that makes my heart crack.)

Anyway, this song starts off with Mao making his voice really strong and powerful, which can be pretty misleading. It’s actually an upbeat rock track, and to be honest not my favourite. Perhaps because I’ve never really cared for this type of music from SID, but it just doesn’t stand out. Not the best song to follow Sleep.

Favourite track(s) off album: Sleep, Rain

Least favourite track(s) off album: Sympathy, Shelter

Overall rating: 9/10 (I’m going to start rating out of ten now. Five is just too little)

Well, that’s it for now. I noticed this review was longer than the others, and it’s mainly because Deadstock is a pretty old album (it’s coming up on its 1^st birthday, one week after mine on 15^th February). I’m also greatly attached to this album. It was my first SID album, my first gateway to my beloved band.

So check out SID’s brand-new iTunes page!  (I don’t know what it looks like, really, so it might be in Japanese. Might be handy to have Google Translate on another tab.)

Thanks for reading! xo

SID Pictures: What's In? December 2011 Scans

 Hello! And welcome to my blog. In this post, I'll be sharing SID's photoshoot scans with the Japanese music magazine What's In? I have scans of three months, Dec 2011, May 2012 and August 2012. The boys look fantastic all dressed and made up, and so I had to share these! I wanted to share them all at once, but arranging pictures in blogger is something I fucking hate... plus my internet connection sucks.
So, for now....

December 2011

 This is the shoot SID did for their winter single Fuyu no Bench 'Winter Bench'. That's why they're all in winter clothes. I have no idea what Mao is wearing, though. I'd freeze my ass off in those, and I live in a tropical country.
  Well, I hope you enjoy!

  Credits to SID stock

This is an awesome wallpaper picture. Just sayin'

Clicking on the pictures should get them in full-size. My next SID post will have the May 2012 scans, where Mao is dressed better, and the theme is sakura.
Thank you!

Album review: M&W- SID

An album review on SID’s newest album, M&W (if you couldn’t tell by the post title). I absolutely loved this album, and I had to share what I thought of it with everyone. I tried to be impartial, which was damn hard as I am one of SID’s biggest fans. I hope you enjoy, and maybe think about buying the album?

Thank you!

Konagona

Track number 1– an upbeat rock track, and one of my favourites of the album. While I essentially have no idea what the lyrics are about, I’m assuming it’s sad (Google Translate tells me ‘Konagona’ means ‘in small pieces’), the music isn’t. It’s not uber-bouncy, it’s fun and awesome.

You should especially listen to the track with headphones. The bass plays in one ear and the guitar in the other. Really cool. Not so cool if your headphones are fucked like mine, where you can usually only hear one ear at a time.

Ghost Apartment

The thing about this album is, some of the tracks sound kinda… themed. Like Ghost Apartment reminds me of one of those old horror shows, with the vampires that had too much make-up on, and with the great, fake castle backgrounds and bats. No? Just me?

Still, I like it– it’s dramatic and has that jazz sound. I also love what Mao does with his voice in the chorus. It really doesn’t sound like what I’d expected to see in this album– it feels like a Play song.

Fuyu no Bench

One of four singles released before the album. It’s actually my least favourite single, but it’s still a sweet and warm song. Y’know, winter-cuddling warm. From the couple of lines I could understand, the message was really sweet. About how their love is not over and all– basic heart-touching Mao-fare.

I actually love singing along to this song. It just… feels lovely.

Ito

I knew it was going to be a rock ballad the moment I saw the name (‘Ito’ means ‘thread’. I’m pretty sure it’s referring to ‘red thread’ which is supposed to be the connector of fate and destiny).

So, my expectations were high, and the beginning of the song inspired faith. But, somehow, it didn’t sound as good as I expected. It was less rock than I’d wanted, and I’m not the biggest fan of it.

Café de Bossa

(Can I tell you, I was wondering how to make that little line over the ‘e’ in Café, but autocorrect fixed it for me. Yay)

Uwaa, I love this song! It is also kinda themed– it feels like a holiday, beach song. I love listening to it and swaying. Mao keeps his voice light and sweet in it, and I really like it for that. And I’m a sucker for songs with acoustic guitar in it. I love singing along, especially the pre-chorus! Mao’s voice is really sweet there. I think this might be my favourite song in the whole album.

‘S’

Another of SID’s pre-released singles. So not mellow, new-style SID. Fast, hard rock. I love it. I love how Mao sings the chorus, and I especially love the music. This song went to #5 on the Oricon, and it’s obvious to see why. The music is really… original. I don’t know; I really haven’t heard songs like it.

MOM

Okay, you do not get anymore jazz than this. Bright, loud, fun– it’s much louder than Cosmetic, but I can’t say I like it more. I really liked this at the beginning, but it somehow wore out for me. Still, if you liked Smile and Virtual Bansankai, I’m sure you’d want to listen to this more than once.

Itsuka

SID’s first single off the album. Total rock ballad, their forte, and it was really good! It reached #2, and I’m really not surprised. Mao really strengthens his voice, and he sounds good. It does remind me of Rain and Sleep, except in those two beautiful songs, Mao’s voice really hits you with longing. This song affected me less than those.

Dresscode

Themed song? Yup. The ‘parts’ sound like one of those themes that’d be playing in one of those chic clubs, where skinny girls in short, tight dresses would chatter and sip champagne. The chorus, though, is really different, and really good, as well. The third part, also, sounds like it could be from a different song. It’s much more dramatic and rock, and I really like it. That transition from it to the flitty music is really seamless. One of those songs I wasn’t particularly fond of (the flitty-ness pissed me off), but am glad I took the time to listen to more than once.

gossip!!

From the name, I guessed a loud, jazzy song like MOM, and I was really excited. It’s not jazzy. Really, it isn’t. It’s themed, but not jazzy.

The theme (to me, anyway) is some sort of old, high-school rock. Y’know, like those old movies where students get up on tables and start dancing. I was pretty disappointed. It’s not bad, but not really great. I do like the chorus, though.

Nokoriga

My favourite single off M&W, and possibly my favourite song off it too. So quintessential SID. Touching, beautiful, with this melody that makes me heart move with it. It’s not too slow, though. It only got #5 on the Oricon charts– I expected a higher ranking, to be honest.

And now, because I saw this in someone else’s blog review of Deadstock:

Favourite song(s): Café de Bossa, Nokoriga

Least favourite song(s): Ito, gossip!

Overall rating: ●●●●●

Well, I hope you liked reading this review, and if you’re not a SID fan, convinced you to buy the album. Seriously, I will be overjoyed if I did. One of my goals is to try and gather as many fans for SID as possible.

Thank you!

SID Pictures: The Best of Mao's Blog 1

Mao is vocalist of the Japanese band SID, and to me, extremely attractive. Here, I'll show you why.

Hello and welcome, to where I'll be sharing some of Mao's personal pictures-- those he posts on his blog.I was originally going to post all of them, but my internet connection's not agreeing with me, and so I'll be posting only half.

The images have been scaled down, so I'd advise viewing the image for full Mao awesome-ness. They're in chronological order; the oldest ones are first. The first picture is from early October 2011, and the last mid-January.

Mao's Halloween costume; he went as Ayanami Rei

Well, those are all the blog pictures for now. I gotta say, arranging pictures in blogger is a bitch. Be sure to bookmark the blog, as the rest of the Mao Blog pictures will be coming next, and then the SID photoshoots for the music magazine What's In? And can I tell you, all the guys look amazing in all three issues ;)

I hope you enjoyed this fest of pretty men! Please stay tuned for more!

Thank you!

SID's Top 10 Videos

SID are a Japanese band who do primarily rock, as well as jazz and something called ska, according to their wikipedia page. They are, to me, undoubtedly the best band in the world. Seriously, I can sing along to their songs, even if I don’t understand more than three words.

And so, I present to you, ten of the best SID videos (I will be referring to them as PVs, meaning Promotional Videos). I highly recommend the song in each of them, but it’s the actual video that I’m presenting.

And, in no particular order:

Ajisai

It is in random order, but this song will be at the top of every list I make– and being the SID fan I am, you can expect more. But I love this song– it’s one of SID’s oldest, being the first track in their first full album Ren’ai. It’s just so rock, and still beautiful, and haunting and is everything that SID was in the Ren’ai period.

Alibi

The iconic SID video. You can recognize Mao’s eye make-up and ice-cream pink pants anywhere. And the other members look gorgeous too, even if Aki is playing bass left-handed (that has always bothered me). I’m not really a jazz fan, but I love how SID play it.

Itsuka

(I tried to embed the video... failed)

One of SID’s newest PVs, released last year September. They all look amazing, though if you can take your eyes off Aki I will be impressed. The broken glass and crystal theme really goes with the song. It’s a rock ballad, SID’s most successful theme, and this one peaked #2 on the weekly charts.

Mitsuyubi

Added mostly because they all look terrific, not really for anything else. I like the tube-lights, though. Now, let’s stare at uber-pretty Mao while he wows us with his great voice.

Namida no Ondo

Yes, Mao is pretty. No, he’s not a girl. Yes, the members aren’t that bad at acting. I’m not too big a fan of this song, to be honest. But I do appreciate that it’s beautiful.

Uso

シド 嘘 - SID USO PV por animesDark  no Videolog.tv.

You might recognize this song if you’re a Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood fan; this was the first ending theme for that anime. And the PV of it is gorgeous, with those beautiful lighted flower fireworks. And, of course, they all look great. I love how Shinji plays that acoustic guitar.

‘S’

SID’s newest PV. So unlike SID’s usual style visually, and it sounds like something older of theirs. I love how it’s so dark and grungy. And while my sisters may have criticized him, I think Mao looks cool with that cigarette.

Sweet?

Old song, as you might be able to tell by weirdness. Overload of make-up, but I like it. I also have a weird fascination with what Mao does with his eyes while he’s singing. He looks real pretty here, but in a rather weird sort of way? And everyone agrees– Aki’s weird dancing is sexy.

Monochrome no Kiss

My sister’s favourite SID song, and not surprisingly so. The song is original, rockish and very cool. The video is spectacular. I love Aki’s hairstyle, and this is one of the few PVs where they’re dressing with a theme. I love that they’re playing on a pool.

Nidome no Kanojo

Damn it. Damn all these Ki/oon era songs that aren't on YouTube!

Again, not one of my favourite songs, but one of my favourite PVs. The special effects are magnificent. The background gorgeous. Mao and Aki even more so. Shinji and Yuuya look great too, but I can’t get over how pretty Mao and Aki are. And the falling snowflakes? Wonderful

Special mention:

Smile

Not the best video (damn weird, too), but just skip to 02:42 and look at Mao’s smile. It’s so cute; I don’t know why he’s so shy about it. I just replay this video to see him smile– it always makes me smile.

Sorry for this overly-long post on nothing but fangirling. I just had to share this list. I most definitely will be posting How Not to Write a Book next, so don’t get scared away by my love for this overly pretty man and his band!