[cduniverse]

Album. (S) Marks the Spot Artist. <s>andwich Release Date. 2008.02.05 Language. English / Tagalog Genre. Alternative Rock Tracklist 01 Procrastinator 02 Ang Pagbabalik [The Comeback] 03 Greenpick 04 Betamax 05 Line Drawings 06 Manila 07 Partner in Crime 08 Two Lovers 09 Text in the City 10 Her Favorite Band 11 Selos [Jealousy] 12 Youth and Valley 13 Rambol [Rumble] 14 Primera 15 Fluxxe 16 Public Offender 17 Candelaria ( Click here for preview and download... )

--------COMMENTS/NOTES------------- Time for another Pinoy band. I think <s>andwich is one of the more daring bands here in the Philippines. They always experiment with different musical styles, yet at the same time, retain that <s>andwich flavor their followers love about them. <s>andwich is made up of 5 extremely talented artists from different musical backgrounds. All of them also play for other bands, and all their musical influences gel quite nicely to produce that <s>andwich feel in all their songs. Listening to their songs seem to take you on a musical trance, led along the trippy avenues of Diego's and Mong's riffs by Raimund's vocals all the while grounded by Myrene's and Mike's beats. Watching them perform live is even better, with their onstage antics complementing their high energy sets. Several of their songs were used as background tracks for TV ads, a proof of their appeal across several demographics. My favorite tracks from this album would be Procrastinator [1], Ang Pagbabalik [2], Betamax [4], Partner in Crime [7], Selos [11] and Candelaria [17]. Procrastinator reminded me of the band Franz Ferdinand. It's a song where you could practice your geeky old dance moves to and not be ashamed about it. Ang Pagbabalik's chorus shows hints of the original rap-style of this band set to a riff reminiscent of old Pinoy rock songs. Betamax gives an overview of the Pinoy music scene, something every Pinoy should listen to in order to gain an idea about the pillars of OPM. As for Selos, I first heard it after I got into an argument with my boss and it seemed to be an appropriate backgounder to my thoughts that time. I especially loved the line, "Ngunit parati na lang galit, walang gamot sa ganyang sakit." [roughly translated as, you're always pissed, there's no cure for that]. At first, Candelaria's opening riff will make you wonder if the track is playing correctly coz it sounds like when the tape of a cassette gets stuck on the tape deck [Ha! A giveaway on my age, lol]. However, I'm pretty sure the lines, "Let's not pretend, we both know how it'll end," will bring about bittersweet memories to some of you here. I don't exactly know why I liked Partner in Crime...there's just something about it that drew me to it. As a whole, this album seem to have a British vibe going on. The use of synthesizers and the mouth organ gave a new texture to several songs. The energy seemed to lessen a bit with the last songs; I would've loved it if they also ended the album with a fun song [Partner in Crime, perhaps]. But I love it anyway. I hope you enjoy it also. Hope you drop us a comment to tell us what you think of this album. :D

[cdjapan]

Album. 9uality Artist. THYME Release Date. 2008.09.03 Language. Japanese Genre. Jpop-rock Tracklist 01. Seiten 02. Hello 03. Our Rock Star 04. forever we can make it! 05. Drive 06. Fly Away 07. I'll be back 08. The LAST DAY 09. babycar 10. My Life 11. Humming Bird 12. Wonderland ( Click here for preview and download  ) </div></div></div>

--------COMMENTS/NOTES------------- There are moments when I go on a random downloading spree, getting as much albums as I can, with the intent of listening to them afterwards. Sometimes, I try to complete the discographies of artists that I like. Lately, I've been downloading albums of artists I know nothing about. Discovering a good album amongst them afterwards is always enough to make my day. THYME's 9uality is one of those albums. Formed in 2004, THYME is a Japanese pop-rock band made up of Thyme, Shimizu Teppei and Hoshino Takafumi. Their debut album, 9uality, features three of their previously released singles. Most of the songs are light and happy , perfect for those happy, hanging out with your friends moments during the weekends. Tracks that stood out for me are Seiten (1), Our Rock Star (3), Forever we can make it - sounds like a perfect friendship song (4), and I'll be back - sounds a lot like the intro that VAMPS single, Love Addict (7). If you have a liking for the music of YUI or Do As Infinity, I'm sure that's you'll appreciate this album.

[cdjapan]

Album. Message Artist. Mongol 800 Release Date. 2001.09.16 Language. Japanese/English Genre. JRock Tracklist 01 anata ni 02 Song for You 03 Chiisa na Koi no Uta 04 Melody 05 Tsuki-akari no Shita de 06 For Life 07 Oya-Shirazu - Summer Again 08 HEY Mommy 09 Marriage Blue 10 Mujyun no Ue ni Saku Hana 11 Ryuukyuu Ai Uta 12 Dear My Lovers 13 Yume Kanau 14 Dandelion DOWNLOAD zip @ 89.6 MB [Mediafire]

---------------COMMENTS/NOTES-------------------- Watching dramas is a great way of discovering other artists. Aside from the usual orchestra swells to indicate changes in mood, songs from relatively obscure bands are sometimes featured in the episodes, enough to spark some interest from the viewing public. In my case, the song which introduced me to this band was Chiisa na Koi no Uta [previously known as the 'hora hora song' since that was all I could remember from the whole song]. This song played a pivotal role in the drama, Proposal Daisakusen. Several internet searches led me to knowing about this wonderful punk/ska band from Okinawa, Japan - Mongol 800. Message showcases Mongol 800's solidity as a punk band. From the changing time signatures mid-song, angry guitar riffs with distortions, driving bass lines, 2/3-part harmonies to their tongue-in-cheek, story-telling manner of song-writing, songs in this album are very raw, yet coated with enough saccharine to make it more palatable to a wider range of listeners. Some of their songs are written in English, which might help in the appreciation part. Mongol 800 seems to have captured the joys, drama and angst of the teenage population. Message contains tracks perfect for scoring any coming-of-age story. From the innocent fun of Oya-Shirazu - Summer Again to the profound questions and uncertainties of HEY Mommy [Hey mommy, where is my dream...where is my self?], I'm sure this album has a track which will take you back to some of the more memorable, whether happy or bittersweet, events of your life. All in all, you might want to try listening to this album if you are (a) fond of listening to bands like Green Day, Blink 182 or Parokya ni Edgar; (b) a fan of Proposal Daisakusen; and/or (c) looking for something to accompany you on a trip down memory lane. For a preview of this album, click on the player below. Do comment to tell us your thoughts :D

[cdjapan]

Album. Timeless Artist. UVERworld Release Date. 2006.11.22 Language. Japanese Genre. JRock/JPop Tracklist 01 CHANCE! 02 Toki no Namida 03 Rush 04 D-technoLife 05 Yasashisa no Shiziku 06 ai ta kokoro [album version] 07 Burst 08 Nitro 09 just Melody [album version] 10 Lump of Affection 11 Tobira 12 SE 13 D-technoLife [album version] DOWNLOAD zip @ 73.66 MB ⇢ [Mediafire]

--------COMMENTS/NOTES------------- Long time no posts!!! My gush, real life [and my subbing works] caught up on me so I wasn't able to post some of my finds. Well, I hope jun_x_kohta  won't kill me for this. Gomen ne. So now, I bring you a double release :D I was trying to find other jrock bands to listen to when I came across UVERworld. Being the music expert that I am [hehehe], I thought, interesting name, a promise of a mix of rock with rap, electronica and jazz...must be good! (^o^) So I went on a downloading spree of all their albums. I have to say, I wasn't disappointed. Timeless is UVERworld's first album. My first thought was that UVERworld sounds like something I've listened to before, I'm just not aware of them then. Listening to this album, I realized I was right! Track 4 [D-technoLife] is one of the opening songs of Bleach. Some of my favorite tracks here are tracks 1 [CHANCE!], 2 [Toki no Namida], 4 [D-technoLife], 5 [Yasashisa no Shizuku] and 12 [SE]. CHANCE! is a very upbeat song, something that will make you bob your head and smile while listening to it. Toki no Namida sounds like a very sad song that's set to fast and loud melody, as if to emphasize the feelings of the singer. D-technoLife, as I've, was used in Bleach, one of my favorite animes. The fusion of different genres in Yasashisa no Shizuku was seamless. SE is for those who enjoy going to clubs to dance, perfect for shaking off one's sluggishness in the mornings :D Hope you drop us a comment to tell us what you think of this album. :D

[yesasia]

Album. On Ken's Time Artist. Ken Zhu Release Date. 2005.01.06 Language. Mandarin Genre. cpop Tracklist 01 Yong Bu Ting Zhi [Never Stop] 02 Ke Shi Wo [But I] 03 La La La 04 Yi Ge Hao Ren [A Good Person] 05 Hei Bai [Black and White] 06 Zhong Ji [Trapped] 07 Sha Qing Ren [Silly Sweetheart] 08 Fu Huo [Reborn] 09 Ling Wu [Comprehension] 10 Dai Wo Li Kai [Take Me Away] DOWNLOAD zip @ 60.22 MB ⇢ [Mediafire]

--------COMMENTS/NOTES------------- I wasn't part of the screaming throng of fans who swooped to all of F4s concerts here. I even dissed them during the height of their popularity ["Why are you listening to them, you don't even understand them?" "How could they stand wearing all those sparkly and feathery stuff? They must be gay!"] On hindsight, if I had known I'll soon listen to JE artists [hello, KAT-TUN = shiny shimmering stuff with feathers and fur topped with lace and foil], I would've kept my mouth shut. Despite my animosity towards them, Ken Zhu was my secret crush. He seemed so cute when he could barely keep up with their dance routines. He was also scruffy and plays the guitar, a few notches short of being a true blue rocker. Most importantly, he could speak English, so it wasn't really hard watching his interviews. When I came across his album, I immediately downloaded it to see if he's really worth my [secret] adulation. On Ken's Time is his first full-length album. I was a bit disappointed that there weren't any English songs here. But hey, music is universal, it transcends language. My favorite songs here are tracks 2 [But I], 3 [La La La], 4 [A Good Person], 8 [Reborn], and 10 [Take Me Away]. But I sounds like it's part of the scoring of the chinese movies I used to watch on TV every Sunday. Everything about it, the mood, the sound, the beat, not to mention the language (:p) screams that it's a Chinese song. La La La has a very nice beat, something that you could listen to while hanging out with friends. I could imagine it being used in a soda commercial for their summer promotions. I got hooked on A Good Person coz of it's catchy melody, understanding what he's singing about would've made the experience complete. Reborn is also very interesting, I like how song shows the range of Ken's voice. Take Me Away seems like the ultimate Ken Zhu song, medium tempo, edgy yet sappy at the same time.  My verdict, yup, Ken Zhu's worth crushing on... secretly :D You guys know the drill, download, then comment, okay? ps. For some reason, this album won't play with Windows Media Player. It works fine though with winamp and VLC player.

[Play Asia]

Album. Royal Blue Artist. Like absolute Myself Release date. 2008.06.04 Language. Japanese Genre. Visual Rock 01 Hymn 02 Neon Tetra 03 sleet DOWNLOAD ZIP HERE: http://www.divshare.com/download/4801945-88e --------COMMENTS/NOTES------------- Been awhile since I last posted sooo I just came to share a cute mini-album. I downloaded this one on a whim one day (since i have heard of them quite a lot recently). It really wasn't what i expected it to be. To me, they aren't like all visual kei bands in the sense of their music. The songsare catchy and instantly loved. So give it a try and see what you think ;D

[yesasia]

Album. You are the Most Beautiful Scene in my Life Artist. JS Release Date. May 16, 2008 Language. Mandarin Genre. Cpop Tracklist 01 Departure 02 Love Backpacker 03 You are the Most Beautiful Scene in my Life 04 Northeast Old Home 05 Geisha 06 Flying Against the Wind 07 Parallel Line 08 The Sky is Lighting Up 09 Rose of Versailles 10 Suddenly Meeting You 11 Heart Link 12 Landing DOWNLOAD zip @ 63.67 MB ⇢ [Mediafire]

--------COMMENTS/NOTES------------- In keeping with the thrust of this comm which is to promote Asian music, I bring you JS, a sibling tandem from Taiwan. The theme of their album is traveling love trilogy, with the first and last tracks simulating an airport setting [you know, PA system and all]. Some of my favorite tracks here are tracks 2 [Love Backpacker], 4 [Northeast Old Home], 5 [Geisha], 7 [Parallel Line] and 9 [Rose of Versailles]. Track 10 [Suddenly Meeting You] seems to stand out amongst the selections since this song sounds more like an acoustic pop-rock song with the guitars and guy vocals [think less raspy goo goo dolls in iris]. JS proves that music is indeed universal since even with my lack of knowledge in their language, I was still able to appreciate their music. The soothing vocals and the smooth melodies of the songs make this easy-listening album a perfect background to your long out-of-town drives or daily commute. I really like how the girl's voice slightly lilts during the high notes, kinda like Anggun especially in Geisha. If you guys listen to Rie Fu or Jewel, then you might want to try JS. Hope you drop us a comment to tell us what you think of this album. :D

[Amazon]

Album. Clicked Singles Best 13 Artist. L'Arc~en~Ciel Release Date. 2001.03.14 Language. Japanese Genre. Jrock Tracklist 01 Blurry Eyes YT 02 flower YT 03 Lies and Truth YT 04 Niji YT 05 winter fall YT 06 DIVE TO BLUE YT 07 HONEY YT 08 HEAVEN'S DRIVE YT 09 Pieces YT 10 Driver's High YT 11 NEO UNIVERSE YT 12 STAY AWAY YT 13 Anemone YT DOWNLOAD zip @ 56.31 MB ⇢ Mediafire

--------COMMENTS/NOTES------------- I still have a high from seeing this amazing group live in their HK concert [can't wait for the 25th anniversary tour 3 years from now]. I wanted to share something from laruku here but I can't choose amongst their albums so I picked this compilation album. Purists may flame me but I did this so that those who are not aware of laruku can listen to their hit singles without having to download all their albums [though that isn't a bad idea. Anybody who wants to do that just tell me since I have all of them]. This compilation shows you laruku's wide range. Not one to stick to a particular genre, songs here range from rock songs with loud drum beats and guitar riffs [Niji] to ballads [Pieces] with something pop-ish thrown in for good measure [HONEY]. Recent releases of laruku further raises the bar with songs from the Kiss album such as Hurry Xmas and THE BLACK ROSE, but that is for another entry. Some of my favorite songs here are flower [love the harmonica part], Niji [perfect to sing along while releasing stress], Honey [my first laruku song!], HEAVEN'S DRIVE [check out the PV]...shucks, I have to stop before I end up listing all the songs. I'm sure those who will listen to laruku for the first time will find something to suit their taste in this album. That's it for now. Members of the comm might find a surprise in my next entry [wink, wink] Those who will download, you know the drill, send us your love okay? :D

[AMAZON]

Album. Visual Audio Sensory Theatre Artist. VAST Release date. 1998.04.28 Language. English Genre. Alternative rock 01 Here 02 Touched 03 Dirty Hole 04 Pretty when you cry 05 I'm Dying 06 Flames 07 Temptation 08 3 Doors 09 The Niles Edge 10 Somewhere Else To Be 11 Untitled 12 You 13 (Extra)Free/Zulu DOWNLOAD ZIP HERE: http://www.divshare.com/download/4547297-e66 --------COMMENTS/NOTES------------- There are so many words that come to mind when I think of this album; Captiviating, ingenious, enchanting, spine chilling... The ingredient that sets VAST aside from other musicians is the experimentations of samples never touched in rock music before; lovely juxtaposed with the vocals of Jon Crosby. The album is a bit intimidating at first but the rich textures created with stand out tracks like TOUCHED, PRETTY WHEN YOU CRY and SOMEWHERE ELSE TO BE cause it to be something above and beyond comprehension. This band is little known but truely deserves some recognition!! So I took it upon myself to share this with you all~!! ♥ I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! comments are always loved =]