en http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/uk/ Thu, 1 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 Thu, 1 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 60 http://www.audioscrobbler.net/data/webservices http://www.last.fm/user/darwinian_finch/journal The Last.fm journal for darwinian_finch. Last.fm journals are a place to talk about all things music. http://www.last.fm/user/darwinian_finch/journal/2008/11/30/2b3cxg_d%27espairsray_10th_anniversary_tour_(9909) Sun, 30 Nov 2008 00:32:03 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/darwinian_finch/journal/2008/11/30/2b3cxg_d%27espairsray_10th_anniversary_tour_(9909) So who's going?

Let's meet up, if you are. Don't worry, I'll remind you.]]> http://www.last.fm/user/darwinian_finch/journal/2008/10/12/27ta0f_i%27m_not_dead. Sun, 12 Oct 2008 02:42:53 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/darwinian_finch/journal/2008/10/12/27ta0f_i%27m_not_dead. I swear. My hard drive corrupted and I just didn't have the prerogative to get back on the last.fm boat.

Some updates:

-The podcast has been discontinued. Sorry.
-I'm back from beyond the spirit realm.
-I'm going to be graduating college in 7 months. Weird...]]> http://www.last.fm/user/darwinian_finch/journal/2008/01/20/7ndww_update Sun, 20 Jan 2008 00:56:22 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/darwinian_finch/journal/2008/01/20/7ndww_update Still no podcast. Sorry. I haven't been in the podcast vibe but I promise to do one by the end of February if not before. It's just a matter of me collecting some relevent stuff to talk about and get motivated.

A few things to touch on:

The new "The Studs" maxi 虹の色? Meh. I expected something a little more "The Studs" at this point but it still sounds a bit like deadman.

(Sorry Daisuke.)

Maybe it's just that Aie's guitar has become so synonymous with the deadman sound that it's essentially inseperable from the band itself. I think he and Mako should just kiss and make up and go back to being deadman personally but whatever makes them happy, right? I'd like to think that Yukino dilutes aie's traditional sound just a tad but unfortunately he hasn't been showing off his sound as much.

They haven't quite developed their own sound yet but I'm still hopeful that they'll make those strides with the next upcoming release. What can I say, I'm an optimist.

Since my last update, I've acquired girugamesh's new album release as well as lynch.'s. I really like lynch.'s new rehashes of songs, especially since some of those are my all-time favorites out of their discography. Girugamesh's album was very decent and I liked it but for whatever reason, none of the songs made me want to listen to them over and over. That happens sometimes-- that I won't be too terribly infatuated with a release until after I've listened to it for a while. It's a little bizarre but it's become a pretty predictable chain of events with some of my more favorite releases.

Let's see, what else. OH. I'm going to Japan in May to see shows with a few of my close friends. That's exciting. Down side of this? It's probably going to be around the same time that JRock Revolution #2 happens so if that's the case, I'm going to need to make a decision between the two. Obviously going to Japan and seeing some of my favorite bands is better than seeing a domestic performance because there my choices are limited. That in mind, I hope lynch. doesn't decide to play this year. I would just absolutely die if I didn't get to see them finally. No, wait, I'd be pissed as hell first, and then I'd die of the aneurism that resulted.

Some of the bands I'm going to try to see are:

girugamesh
DéspairsRay
サディ (Sadie)
√eight
Guys Family
ZEXER

and I'll probably also attend some that my friends will be going to, though all of these are still up in the air. D'espairsRay, Sadie, and Guys Family are probably definates considering they'll be touring around the time that we're there.

Anyone have any suggestions of who I should check out while I'm in the land of the rising sun? Let me know~]]> http://www.last.fm/user/darwinian_finch/journal/2007/12/09/7ndsr_taste_of_chaos_2008_%22get_a_life%22_tour Sun, 9 Dec 2007 22:09:47 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/darwinian_finch/journal/2007/12/09/7ndsr_taste_of_chaos_2008_%22get_a_life%22_tour 2/29 Kansas City, MO Kemper Arena
3/1 Milwaukee, WI The Eagles Ballroom
3/3 Minneapolis, MN Roy Wilkins Auditorium
3/4 Chicago, IL Allstate/UIC Pavilion
3/5 St. Louis, MO Family Arena
3/7 Dayton, OH Hara Arena
3/8 Detroit, MI Cobo Arena
3/9 Pitt/Youngstown, PA Chevrolet Centre
3/11 Portland, ME Cumberland County Civic Center
3/12 Asbury Park, NJ Convention Hall
3/14 Philadelphia, PA Tweeter Center
3/15 Boston, MA Tsongas Arena
3/16 Nassau, NY/East Rutherford, NJ Nassau Coliseum/Izod Arena
3/18 Washington, DC Patriot Center
3/20 Orlando, FL TD Waterhouse Centre/Central Florida Fairgrounds
3/21 W. Palm Beach/Orlando Sound Advice Ampitheater/Bayfront Park
3/22 Atlanta, GA Gwinnett Center
3/25 San Antonio, TX AT&T Center
3/26 Houston, TX Verizon Theater
3/28 Dallas, TX Nokia Theatre
3/29 El Paso, TX UTEP/Don Haskins Center
3/30 Phoenix, AZ Jobing.com/Glendale Arena/Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum
4/1 Las Vegas, NV MGM/The Palms
4/3 Los Angeles, CA Long Beach Arena
4/4 San Diego, CA San Diego Sports Arena/Cox Arena
4/5 San Jose, CA Event Center/HP Pavilion
4/7 Sacramento, CA ARCO Arena
4/9 Seattle, WA WaMu Center
4/10 Vancouver, BC Pacific Coliseum
4/12 Edmonton, AB Rexall Place
4/13 Calgary, AB Pengrowth Saddledome
4/15 Winnipeg, MB MTS Centre
4/17 Toronto, ON Air Canada Centre
4/18 Montreal, QC The Stade Uniprix/Bell Centre
4/19 Quebec, QC Colisee Pepsi Arena/Pavillion de La Jeunesse]]> http://www.last.fm/user/darwinian_finch/journal/2007/11/30/7ndsq_ugh_and_ick Fri, 30 Nov 2007 03:30:58 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/darwinian_finch/journal/2007/11/30/7ndsq_ugh_and_ick Sorry I haven't been around, everyone. It's been a hectic semester and some other drama was going down so when I even had the time to do an episode or update, I didn't have the energy.

I'm posting an episode soon, maybe before or immediately after finals, but I'm sort of waiting on some pending information to release about this Taste of Chaos tour that I can include. They can't hold out on this info that much longer so it's bound to be soon.

Anyways, cheers. I live!

Check out my journal or something if you want to know what I've been up to: darwinian_finch.livejournal.com.]]> http://www.last.fm/user/darwinian_finch/journal/2007/09/29/7ndl9_tourniquet:_episode_13 Sat, 29 Sep 2007 18:02:52 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/darwinian_finch/journal/2007/09/29/7ndl9_tourniquet:_episode_13 You know where to go-- (mayerlingwaltz.podomatic.com)

This episode, episode 13, we're talkin':
Various upcoming or current DVD/CD drops
Life = drama
"I can't save this one..."
Wtf JaMe USA?
D'espairsRay Spiral Staircase #15 Final review (brief)]]> http://www.last.fm/user/darwinian_finch/journal/2007/07/22/7ndjm_%E2%88%9Aeight_lj_comm Sun, 22 Jul 2007 16:57:11 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/darwinian_finch/journal/2007/07/22/7ndjm_%E2%88%9Aeight_lj_comm I made an LJ community for the band √eight. Come check it out.

√eight Fan Comm]]> http://www.last.fm/user/darwinian_finch/journal/2007/07/21/7ndhz_tourniquet:_episode_12 Sat, 21 Jul 2007 19:51:42 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/darwinian_finch/journal/2007/07/21/7ndhz_tourniquet:_episode_12 This episode, we're talking:

UnsraW
Sadie
Nightmare
ELLEGARDEN
MUCC

And an album review of girugamesh's recent minialbum release, Reason of Crying.

MayerlingWaltz's Podcast Page]]> http://www.last.fm/user/darwinian_finch/journal/2007/07/12/7ndgd_podcast_delay Thu, 12 Jul 2007 15:41:23 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/darwinian_finch/journal/2007/07/12/7ndgd_podcast_delay Podcast is going to be delayed until I get back from my unexpected trip to Georgia-- the state, not the country.

It will be sans a 12012 live account since I was, in fact, not there for unforseen Encyclopedia Dramatica-worthy reasons. What I'll do instead is do a review of the impending girugamesh minialbum, Reason of Crying, which will be dropping on the 18th. Considering it'll be a few extra days before I get my physical copy, I'll find a rip to review and I can comment about the physical aesthetics later on.]]> http://www.last.fm/user/darwinian_finch/journal/2007/06/23/7nddv_album_review:_the_studs%22studs%22 Sat, 23 Jun 2007 22:44:30 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/darwinian_finch/journal/2007/06/23/7nddv_album_review:_the_studs%22studs%22 It's been a little while since I've done a serious CD eval+review. Since the podcast is going to be a little while longer (next episode is expected to be a little after 12012's performance at AnimeNext), I figured this would help the pacing a little. I have obtained both versions so I will be able to do a nice compare/contrast as well.

This is The Studs's debut album. Though I wish they had gone out of their way to think up a more original name then "Studs," it makes sense in a thoughtful sort of way. All members of the band are successful musical artists who knew each other from tour arrangements and previous bands. There was also a shared trait between each of these members-- all four of these men are willing to collaborate and exercise an interaction of styles without compromising each's distinct musical vision. Daisuke contributes the mood and energy that many of us has grown accustomed to during Kagerou's existence. Aie, the guitarist, allows deadman fans to embrace the distinct new melodies while still being able to catch a hint of in media during disclosure, ensuring that the style that Aie became beloved for is kept in safety. Yukino and Hibiki, ex-band members of the now defunct kein, have done likewise in preserving the style and personality that their fans reminisce about and hoped to return someday.

It is one thing to bring together four personalities from four different walks of life and direction, but these men have been walking parallel of each other for quite some time. This coming together into one entity seemed inevitable.

"Studs" is a minialbum that was constructed shortly after the announcement of the band's creation. it came in two versions, a Type A and a Type B-- Type A containing a PV for the song "thursday" and Type B containing an extra track.

Track 1 - "false the skin"

This is a song that appeared only in the Type B version of the minialbum and quickly became my personal favorite. It's immediately driving with a soft, catchy chorus by Yukino and Aie and Daisuke's characteristically harsh vocals. It would be thought that Daisuke's mode of singing would not suit this sort of song but, in actuality, it complements it. The instrumentals are minimal until the introductory chorus has ceased and Daisuke picks up into a segmented outpour. Though simplistic, the heavy emphasis on bass in this song does help to set the foundation of energy buildup that Daisuke seems to be striving to establish right off the bat. It is almost immediately obvious that this song is a stepping stone to a rush song of some type. Daisuke becomes increasingly passionate, throwing his force behind each segment of lyrics while still maintaining a sense of reserve and restraint. It ends just as it begins with Aie and Yukino holding Daisuke's tethers via chorus line while Hibiki, the drummer, maintains the stability of the song to its abrupt end.

Track 2 - "disclosure"

Its hard to stay focused on the here and now when a song so greatly reminds you of the pieces that existed before. I hear a great deal of Kagerou and deadman in this particular track. I've tried to force an unknowing ear onto track two. Daisuke is much more forceful in this song, particularly before the choruses where the throatyness of his characteristic vocals kicks in. Aie and Yukino assist again with soft background, establishing an undertone of sorts to Daisuke's quick and forceful stream of lyrics. The guitar in this track is much more animated and well timed, ending the song well with a deep, mellow note.

Track 3 - "rain drop"

This track is where Daisuke's less harsh, more fluid vocals seems to shine the brightest. "Rain drop" comes off immediately as a ballad of sorts, Daisuke's more countertenor range guiding in the listener and, when in joint with the pitchy guitar melody towards the beginning, tends to put the listener at ease. Daisuke unexpectedly breaks this about a minute into the track, briefly returning again to the softer tones before picking up again into the chorus-- more forceful, but still his "singing voice." The pattern reoccurs before continuing into the latter half of the song with a little more bravado and a little bolder guitar on Aie's part. The song continues to fluctuate (relatively) wildly between gentle and tenuous to impassioned and assertive vocals/instrumentals. Much like a summer rain storm-- how appropriate.

Track 4 - "spread from sister"

Destined to be one of The Stud's more bluesy songs, "spread from sister" reenacts the soft->brash formula that we say in "rain drop," though in this case it's a little more dramatic. This song's lyrics were very easily picked up on because of the purposefully muted instrumentals during the softer periods and the recurrence if the segmented pacing of the track. There is a beautiful intermediate instrumental piece a bit before the second chorus, gradating from light and airy to heavy and tonic-like. Daisuke follows this theme to the end with an ease that befits him.

Track 5 - "thursday"

"Thursday" is the most animated and charismatic track on this minialbum in my opinion. In that same breath, this is the sort of song that Aie and Yukino seem to be at most in the element. They are accustomed to original, impulsive-sounding string work that maintains a heavy energy at all times. Daisuke carries the mood set up by the two well, reverting to harsher and appropriately aggressive vocals, driving the song to that of a high energy crowd-rusher (by standards of this particular music genre). Unfortunately, it is very brief, not even pushing three minutes. Perhaps we'll see a longer version in the next album release.

Track 6 - "tonight is the night"

Another melodic song, though the energy invested into this track is ever present. By rock standards, this could be categorized as something of an upbeat, mellow song-- something that has a catchy, appealing beat and follow-through but not particularly harsh or heartracing. It's something of a song that you'd have in your ear buds playing while laying in a grassy patch somewhere, doing nothing in particular. A beautiful song though, again, regrettably brief.

The albums were monocolor renditions of each other, Type A having a black end piece while the other's was white. Nothing special as far as this album's coverart was concerned, it's just a play off their introductory photoshoot. I liked the photoshoot, but I've seen it plenty of times to not be wowed by its presence on the CD cover.

I was pleased with this album and has led me to look forward to an eventual full-length album. At their recent Paris live, they played quite a few new songs so perhaps another release is in the works in the very near future. I suggest this to anyone for a little "downtime listening."]]>