Music Review: Green Day - Jaded

Artist: Green Day Members: Billie Joe Armstrong (vocals, guitar), Mike Dirnt (bass, vocals), Tre Cool (drums) Album: Insomniac Release date: 10/10/95 Video link: live performance from 1998

Lyrics: Somebody keep my balance I think I'm falling off Into a state of regression The expiration date Rapidly coming up It's leaving me behind to rank Always move forward Going "straight" will get you nowhere There is no progress Evolution killed it all I found my place in nowhere I'm taking one step sideways Leading with my crutch Got a fucked up equilibrium Count down from 9 to 5 Hooray! We're gonna die! Blessed into our extinction Always move forward Going "straight" will get you nowhere There is no progress Evolution killed it all I found my place in nowhere

About the song: Jaded is the companion song to Brain Stew. (See the music video for both here.) On both the album and the music video, Brain Stew goes right into Jaded without missing a beat. As a result, it'll be difficult for me to discuss Jaded without referring to Brain Stew.

Billie Joe wrote Brain Stew when he was being kept up all hours of the night by his newborn son. That song (and the accompanying music video) is about exhaustion and the hallucinations that go along with it. Jaded, on the other hand, is more about the rush of adrenaline you get when you are completely exhausted. It's a lot faster and Billie Joe slams through the lyrics at a frantic pace. The two songs are perfect compliments for each other.

Music review: Barenaked Ladies - Christmas Time (Oh Yeah)

Artist: Barenaked Ladies Members: Steven Page (vocals), Ed Robertson (guitar), Tyler Stewart (drums), Jim Creegan (bass), Kevin Hearn (keyboards & more) Album: Barenaked For The Holidays Release date: 10/5/04

Lyrics: Now that all the snow has fallen It's crunching in below my feet And all the Christmas lights are shining On houses up and down my street And I can see the happy families inside If only for a moment, it's Christmas time

I think I see the children down the street Here they come caroling Now we can hear them, they sing "Oh yeah"

Mr. Johnson bought a Christmas tree He set it up with his family They're opening their presents big and small Mr. Johnson got a big, brown, bowling ball And Sally got a pair of brand new skates And Jimmy got a box of frosty flakes He knows that there's a special little prize inside What a happy moment, it's Christmas time

The carolers are standing in line They sing, "Oh yeah" Oh yeah About the song: I'm not usually a big fan of Christmas music. However, this is one of my favorite songs about the holiday. I particularly love the harmony on the "Oh yeah" parts. In my opinion, Kevin is the weakest singer of the band but his nasally sounding voice is appropriate for a song about family. This song isn't about being a great singer. It's just about enjoying the holidays with your family, even if you only get Frosted Flakes as a present.

Music review: Rie Fu - decay

Artist: Rie Fu Album: Rie Fu Release date: 1/19/05 Video link: On YouTube

English translation: You could’ve said a word but you turned away Why do you always act such a passive way? Now don’t you ever think that I would suck up to you But I still believe in you

Great men that live mysteriously – they are always out of reach, out of reach The scene I completely shut the door on – I always detour, detour around it Thus day after day passes, without any big jumps What are you doing here? Waiting for guidance, withering away blue, all the way to the end

The growing extinction of passion is bad – even under the sun, even under fluorescent lamps Pale cold emotions are illuminated, illuminated in that light Thus day after day passes, without any big jumps What are you doing here? Waiting for guidance, withering away blue, all the way to the end

In the interval between irritations, my negligent body slowly gets up

Just with illusions is meaningless already; empty time draws us towards the blue sky When I follow the road until my goal, it feels as if I’m helpless inside water... Thus day after day passes, without any big jumps What are you doing here? Waiting for guidance, withering away blue, all the way to the end I’m just waiting for you to stand up to it What are you waiting for?

You could’ve said a word but you turned away Why do you always act such a passive way? Now don’t you ever think that I would suck up to you But I still believe in you About the song: Rie Fu is a Japanese singer-songwriter who spent a couple years of her childhood living in the United States. I believe she's currently going to university in London. So a lot of her songs feature English lyrics. decay is one of those songs. There is an English language version of the song but the lyrics are quite different. It's a sweet little ballad but it's a little too slow for my tastes. I can listen to it once or twice and that's it.

Music review: Arashi - Yume De Ii Kara

Artist: Arashi (Sakurai Sho solo) Members: Ninomiya Kazunari (Nino), Ohno Satoshi (Leader), Matsumoto Jun (MatsuJun), Aiba Masaki, Sakurai Sho Album: One Release date: 8/3/05 Video link: On YouTube

English translation: (Oh) I see you Everyday in my dreams and I just wanna say It's ok as a dream, right C'mon yeah! S.H.O. What?! Yo, I need you girl! Yeah ha ha Check it out

Right now this relationship is ONE WAY If I wake from this dream it'll be OK (but in order to be okay) I need your love OH Go beyond this door (to be) as one with the one on my mind Anything and everything for you BABY A throbbing (heart)beat, let's make a promise This happiness I feel with you PLEASE BE MY LADY

Is this for real? Yeah, maybe it's just on a whim. It's fine if it's a lie, I'm already out of time Repeating words, even if I recall (them) I can't believe it after all

+ From between the clouds a brilliant light shines on me Little by little, I float up from the ground I spread my arms and fly into the sky as the town becomes smaller Look, I search for your smile, ah- it's all right even if it's a dream

I don't want to say something trite THE WAY I FEEL INSIDE This is not a dream, IT'S REAL Feelings that aren't lies, after L.O. (is) V.E. and you, together, MAKE A story If the light shines then there will be no confusion If time passes then I will mature THIS LOVE SONG IS FOR YOU Again in a daze (because of) you YOU ARE MY SUN AND MOON (on) this earth that we journey on

Were shall we go? Nothing comes to mind, anything is fine as long as I'm with her Please help this me who has fruitless feelings(2), what should I do?

Before being lost, before being tormented I'll show you the happiness i feel for you from my heart Don't forget these precious, precious feelings If I can touch your tears ah- it's all right even if it's a dream

(ad lib)

'It's not a dream,' to me, this is all I can say I've never had experience (of this sort before) moving forward, changing, the meaning of loving someone Am I able to find it?

+ repeat About the song: This is a sweet little love song. It almost sounds like it should be the theme song for some drama but it lacks the 'oomph' that drama theme songs tend to have. Sho is known more for his rapping in Arashi, yet this there is little rapping in this. What rapping exists in the song is very light and love-songish. If I was to compare this to an American release, it feels almost like a Boyz II Men song. However, Boyz II Men always felt like they were aiming for a "mature" audience whereas Arashi feels like they are aiming for teenage girls, which, most likely, they are. Yume De Ii Kara would be a good song for relaxing or snuggling with your significant other.

Music review: Kuroki Mio - Change of Pace

Artist: Kuroki Mio (played by Alisa) Album: Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Original Song Album "Dear My Friend" Release date: 6/23/04 Video link: A slideshow featuring the song

English translation: Step by step, one by one Stepping firmly on the road The boring days pile on top of one another In this dazzling world

Worrying only about appearances Acting like other people takes some boldness Do we have the kind of relationship We can't tell people about, The two of us?

You might be convinced You've gotten hold of The treasure in front of you But she's going to vanish like an illusion Say goodbye to the girl of convenience

*In the unbearable ?Morning mist of 5 a.m. ?I repeat the same story ?I only want to just ?Cuddle with someone ?I want to feel more free ?Change of pace

The momentary love is over The agreement was for one time only You won't get anywhere Step by step, one by one Stepping firmly on the road The boring nights pile on top of one another In this dazzling age

I just make whatever excuse works And run out Pressed by my quota Behaving awkwardly, you know It's ridiculous, the two of us

Looking just at what I see I feel like I know reality But in a city accustomed to crowds Without doing that You can't live life

Like it permeates my body, this Emotion I have to be careful of sweet traps Since life has only just begun I'm being stingy with The real high points, all the time

*Repeat

The eternal love affair I realize is fate, but I'm taking the long way round Step by step, one by one Stepping firmly on the road The rose-colored days pile on top of one another Love you, love me, please About the song: Change of Pace is a very catchy song from the Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon drama. Kuroki Mio is a villian sent by Queen Beryl to defeat Tsukino Usagi, the human form of Sailor Moon. She becomes an idol (like Aino Minako) and transfers into Usagi's school. Once there she tries every mean trick to undermine Usagi's cheerfulness. Anyone familiar with the Sailor Moon universe knows that the bad guys never win.

This is one of my favorite songs from PGSM. Each of the main female characters has a couple of songs they sing on a variety of albums. Most of them are cutesy types of songs. Change of Pace is more on the mature side of things. Kuroki Mio may be a bad girl but, in my opinion, she makes a better idol than Minako!

Jconcert review: Gackt - TRAINING DAYS 2006 DRUG PARTY

Artist: Gackt Concert: TRAINING DAYS 2006 DRUG PARTY Date: 12/19/06 Location: Zepp Tokyo GacktJOB members: You, Chachamaru, Ju-Ken, Jun-Ji Song list:

1. Cube 2. Maria 3. uncontrol 4. Emu-for my dear- 5. seven 6. REDEMPTION 7. Ash 8. NINE SPIRAL 9. Speed Master 10. Lu:na 11. Storm 12. Papa lapped a pap lopped 13. Kalmia 14. Fragrance 15. mind forest 16. Metamorphoze 17. Birdcage 18. Mirror 19. ANOTHER WORLD 20. Kimi ga Oikaketa Yume

Tell me about the concert: This is one of Gackt's most laid back concerts. There are no costume changes, no backdrops and few videos. The entire concert is just Gackt and the band playing their hearts out in a smaller venue. None of his dancers are there but two new dancers - Kaori and Chika - dance in masked nurse uniforms to Storm and Papa lapped a pap lopped. On the DVD, only the second half of Mirror is performed. When you reach the extras, you will find that You and Chacha sang the first half of the song while Gackt slammed away on the drums. It is extremely funny to watch but I wish they had kept it in the context of the concert. I was very confused when the second DVD began with the infamous Gackt yelling in the middle of the song. There is also a beautiful rendition of Kimi ga Oikaketa Yume at the end of the concert. It begins slowly - almost like a tinkling jewelry box song - then it picks up speed, giving you a very satisfied ending to the event.

What are your feelings? TRAINING DAYS is my favorite Gackt concert. All of the guys seem more relaxed here and therefore seem like they are truly enjoying playing music together. There are some amazing performances in here. Fragrance and Birdcage are absolutely stunning. While I know that some people didn't enjoy this concert, I think that the lack of theatrics made it much more breath-taking than anything else he has done. This is a perfect example of the musical genius that is Gackt.

Music review: Do As Infinity - One or Eight

Artist: Do As Infinity Members: Tomiko Van, Ryo Owatari, Dai Nagao Album: True Song Release Date: 12/26/02

English translation: (Listen...)

...But you're still too dull. Look, you're still wandering lost, always wasted. You're back to being a whimsical lady -- [!!] Your ideals are great but still unclear.

Close your eyes -- try feeling it, This speed. Feel your dream -- there's no limits On that field.

Until you grasp victory, don't stop those legs -- Whether you sink or swim, do as much as you can. [1] Aim for your goals, Like the heroes on TV That you always watched.

It's gonna be crazy, that perverseness of yours... You're doing whatever you want again; it's all monkey business. Selfish lady, hurry up and stop crying A splendid life is reckless and OK.

Can you hear? The cheering Won't stop. Play the truth -- You're shining On that stage.

You don't have to mind rumors -- Whether you sink or swim, do as much as you can. Awaken a miracle, Like the heroes on TV That you always watched.

Until you grasp victory, don't stop those legs -- Whether you sink or swim, do as much as you can. Aim for your goals, Like the heroes on TV That you always watched...

...Awaken a miracle. About the song: Do As Infinity is one of my favorite Japanese bands. Sadly, they disbanded in 2005. This song is great because it has a very upbeat feeling to it. Of course, the lyrics go along with that. As the theme song to Japanese satellite station WOWOW's Europe Soccer show, the song drowns in sports references. The title of the song is a sports pun in itself. In Japanese, one or eight sounds similiar to ichi ka bachi ka meaning sink or swim. So you have a happy, upbeat song telling you to do your best. A great theme song for a sports show.

Amateur Voice Acting - A Geeky Hobby

I have a lot of really geeky hobbies. One of them is amateur voice acting. A lot of anime fans have a desire to lend their voices to their favorite characters. Maybe they think they can do a better job than the dub actor that was hired. Maybe they think they can get rich doing voice acting. Maybe they just like doing silly voices. For those of us that don't live near the major studios (basically New York, California, Texas and a few places in Canada), there is amateur voice acting. This is when a group of fans get together to put together a show using their voices. Sometimes the project is dubbing an animated series, though they aren't always anime shows. Sometimes the project is a radioplay where you don't have to worry about matching your voice something visual. No one gets paid for working on these type of projects and most people are just doing it for fun. However, some people use amateur voice acting as a springboard for paid voice acting. They will use clips from productions to put together a demo reel to send out to various companies.

So how does one get into amateur voice acting? First, make sure you have a good microphone and headphones. Producers, the people who are putting all of the pieces of the show together, don't like recordings with a lot of background noises, clicks or fuzziness. The headphones will help you listen to the original work while you record your piece of the puzzle.

Next, find an amateur voice acting community. I usually visit Voice Acting Alliance when I'm searching for roles. You'll find a wide variety of people and projects on their forums. From teens to adults and anime dubs to singing groups, this is one of the largest amateur voice acting communities today. I'm also a member of Dream Realm Enterprises. They have a very active Yahoo Group where they will list auditions for their new productions.

Finally, audition a lot. Find some projects that interest you and audition for as many characters as you can. Don't get upset if you don't get cast for your favorite character. Great casting can make a great production. Chances are there was someone else with that little extra something that made them perfect for the role. Keep your chin up and keep auditioning. You can only get better by working hard and practicing a lot. Most producers will give you feedback on your audition if you ask for it. If you think you nailed an audition but someone else was cast, ask the producer what he/she thought of your audition and really listen to what they have to say. They will most likely give you some tips that will help you be a better voice actor.

I suppose I should give you some links to productions that I have been in. Some of my early works are quite embarrassing. In my opinion, I was really bad when I was starting out but I'm pretty sure I've gotten better with time. The main acting project that I am currently working on is a radioplay based on the Batman: No Man's Land comics. I play Sarah Essen, Commissioner Gordon's wife. None of my past projects have websites of their own. I have uploaded a lot of the older productions on my Vox.com account.

Hopefully everyone that would like to do some voice acting will give amateur voice acting a try first. You'll quickly find that it is not an easy job and the professionals don't get paid nearly as much as everyone thinks they do. I find it to be a pretty fun hobby though. It's your chance to be a star in the comfort of your own bedroom.

Music review: m-flo - EXPO EXPO feat. Towa Tei, Bahamadia & Chops

Artist: m-flo with Towa Tei, Bahamadia & Chops Members of m-flo: Taku Takahashi, VERBAL, Lisa Album: EXPO EXPO Release date: 3/28/01

Lyrics: (Sorry, I don't have a translation for the few Japanese lyrics) + people unite, and celebrate no reason to fight all living creatures hear the soothing future music easin' your plight, so unite, and celebrate, no reason to fight all living creatures hear the future EXPO m-flo...

we globally achievin' new heights, innovative creative we made this exposition mission, eli-minated those seekin' to bite

trifocals increasin' ya sight, vocals release and ignite flo bright like a mediarite, chops like chubb rock treatin' em right

future music even tonight so we can excite, the crowd leavin em hype, computer love produces lucid dreamin' in flight,

pantagalactic rhyming, keepin it tight planet shining, seein' the light Verbal Taku Lisa unite with me & Bahamadia freakin the mic, like that!

species of technology collaborate with human breed say we are one yes we are one cosmic message in the breeze will free the world to unity say we are one yes we are one

+ repeat

to cats who spit zirconium, I vomit jewels with supreme cut and clarity, audible, tetra-sonical telescopic visions wandering from planet earth we got media, compatible, with all machinery appropriately called The Miracle, with 1950's aestheticals host of sick technology to shatter most obsolete ones, we pull stunts beyond your wisdom satellites to venture unknown solar systems

CHATAA ZA kasei kara kita ABENJAA KYAPASHITII mugendai EKISUPO sen kan Zendai-mimon kenbikyou TORINITORON NOOBERU shou FUROO OOTO saikidou Komaku KOCHOKOCHO 48 TORAKKU Saisentan tsumami sousa chakushoku HAADOUEA chuu ni mau Juuryoku mushi joutai suu jikan

C-H-A-T-R (EMUSHII BAABARU) High-tech's the way we are (ANAROGU daisakusen) We on the vehicle, at large (uchuusen GUROOBARU) Shooting off to new stars (kasei kara dai-nana wakusei) Yo, it's about that time (EKISUPO EKISUPO) Yo, it's about that time (SHISUTEMU saikidou) Yo, it's about that time (EKISUPO EKISUPO) Yo, it's about that time (SHISUTEMU saikidou)

peep the architecture, dwellings sectioned off with metallic textures even engineers failed to make predictions 2012, viscious liquid silver condominiums transform to suit residents, state of the art, to transport, we teleport instantaneously, we send them off, multi-dimentional, incredible acceleration of velocity exponential electromagnetic motor aviation in collabo with SwissMetro breakbeat overdrive, cold crash data roller-skating tetsuwan Atom cataracts on photo micrographs particles compact, Duration Studio is re-vamped, enormous voltage back draft last century is brought back

spit spectacular, vernacular, miraculous, m-flo backing it up with the chain-ja' stacking up, 24 bars of me acting up Illadel and Japan be like "ah," similar to the sound when you making love, peep radius of vocal influx catering to thugs and to intellects, EXPO EXPO banging like four-fours expose souls like Edgar Allan Poe, sick live show you know how Bahama' go freak speech techniques from a long time ago breakbeat to techno i get it in through, making your slow on some "3 triple 0" next shit eclectic wit, brain like computer chip esoteric logic infused in it data transmit past 64 bit transfixed in orbit metamorphosis got my MP3 file hot as august it download then burn 2 minidisk analyze, dissect, detect, process analyze, dissect, detect, process analyze, dissect, detect, process analyze, dissect, detect, process About the song: This song joins an interesting group of people together. Towa Tei is famous as the DJ of the early 90s New York trio Deee-Lite who had a hit with "Groove Is In The Heart." Bahamadia is a Philadelphia-born hip-hop artist, DJ and MC. Chops is a Philadelphia-based Asian-American hip-hop producer and rapper. As such, the song is mostly in English. Mixing the rapid pacing of the rap with the lyrics, I wouldn't be surprised if most Japanese people have no idea what they are saying. (I had a hard time myself!)

While hip-hop is not my favorite genre of music, I really like this song. I think my favorite part is how the rap doesn't stay at one steady pace. It starts out at a 'normal' pace then speeds up just before hitting the chorus and going back to regular again. m-flo has definitely changed my view on hip-hop music.

Music review: Barenaked Ladies - I Live With It Every Day

Artist: Barenaked Ladies Members: Steven Page (vocals), Ed Robertson (guitar), Tyler Stewart (drums), Jim Creegan (bass) Album: Born On A Pirate Ship Release date: 3/19/96 Video link: On YouTube

Lyrics: On August first, nineteen-eight-one I cycled to Scott's house with a BB gun We were almost twelve, but we looked thirteen He had baby-blue eyes that I shot him between Nature provides for us a safety net Whatever we do, we can never forget

Chorus: I live with it every day Even though we moved away Our yesterdays are on a loop; A marathon of heartbreaking moments I live with it every day For every step I have to pay The only thing that they can't take The guild that spirals in my wake

The day they found me asleep on the floor Engine running, closed garage door Was the day the For Sale sign arrived on the lawn Two weeks later, and we were gone Everyone falls through time and the funnel it makes But I'm staying here inside my biggest mistake

Chorus

The love I put away Like games that children play The hearts you choose to break Like cars dumped in the lake The laugh lines on your face The life I won't embrace The cold house I won't leave The guests I won't receive

Chorus About the song: What can I say about this song? BNL has been pigeonholed as a 'funny guy' group due to songs like One Week, Pinch Me and Another Postcard. Meanwhile a lot of their albums contain deep songs about drunk driving, war, domestic abuse and other serious topics. The lyrics to this song are pretty straight-forward. A couple of kids are playing around with a gun and one of them is fatally shot. The surviving kid has to live with the guilt of killing his best friend.

I Live With It Every Day is a good example of why I love this group. I'd also like to note that in the video I linked above, Kevin was recovering from battling leukemia. This concert was aired on PayPerView and I was lucky enough to be able to watch it. I'm glad Kevin has fully recovered and I look forward to many years listening to the band's music.