SHINee is a very talented South Korean R&B/Pop Vocal & Dance Group that I love. Their fans are called "Shawols." I put together this look in honor of them.
Skin - .tsg. (The Sugar Garden) Ulzzang :: X tone :: Bust :: Black :: T - Soft Body (Group Gift)
Eyes - Candy Mountain - . dew - sick .
.Birdy. Aria Extras - Blush 1
.tsg. Beauty Marks 2
L.Fauna Dimples [Tan]
Hair - /Wasabi Pills/ Mia Mesh Hair - Crystal pink (Past Fifty Linden Fridays Color)
:::Sn@tch You Are Loved Earring (Pink/RT):::
Aloft Headphones
Baiastice_Triple Skulls Leather Cuff-black- Right (Gacha) VCO - bunny phone (black) (Gacha)
Slink FEMALE (Av.Enhance) .tsg. Slink Finger Nails - Jewel Decora VCO - Halloween band_Devil (BLACK) (Gacha)
[-B-] :Basic Piercings: - Labret (Shadow)
[SnF] (Shiawase na Fukuya) SHINee Layered T-Shirt (Marketplace)
.Tattoo - Identity. - Sweet Mess [Faded]
* Keiko Takamura, FANnie pack - Black MIEL FIT PANTS (Customizable Words & Symbols) F-WINGS SHOE (Customizable)
I cannot express how much I am loving this new SHINee song. It's on the Japanese release entitled Boys Meet You & it's just about as close to pop heaven as I've gotten lately. It's just dripping with hooks & sexy aural bliss. The vocals are gorgeous & the mix is seamless. I recommend putting on your headphones & enjoying the ride. *SHINee Fighting!*
This sounds SO good in my headphones - Shimmering harmonies & Pure Pop Bliss. Such a catchy, well-made song. I really like the video for dance, fashion, hair & makeup as well. I love Amber's one glitter eyebrow the best. SO cool. f(x) Fighting!
I can't get this one out of my head. The ladies look & sound Gorgeous! I love the tempo & sultry vibe. There are so many hooks, it's ultra catchy & has great sing-along quality. Please enjoy 2NE1with I Love You ~
Spiral Connector is the
latest full-length offering from Japan’s dynamic digital performance duo, Bespa
Kumamero. This high-energy, eclectic pair met and formed in 2001, after then-poet
and budding photographer Azumi Kuwadate, (vocals and lyrics,) read an article in a local paper written by Monkichi
Irikura, (Music Programming, Guitar, Vocals,) in which he talked about his innovative,
homemade studio equipment, instruments
and artworks. She was so impressed she emailed him and they met, quickly realizing they
shared a love of electronic music, performance art and fashion. Thus began a
fruitful and creative partnership that has taken them all over the world, from
Europe, to the US to Mexico. Anyone who
has seen them live or even seen a filmed live can tell you they stop at nothing
to entertain, incorporating traditional Japanese dance, sword dance,
acrobatics, infectious rave energy, bright cyberpunk looks and other colorful
costumes, makeup and the aforementioned machines and instruments of their own
making.
Their music is extremely
varied and eclectic, making it more than just your average repetitive techno
plod and this album is no exception. There is much to hold your interest. Each
song is it's own entity while still staying cohesive to the overall vibe of the
band. The album begins with the song “Prologue,” in which the slightly
distorted vocals are delivered by Monkichi over some some nice drums, synth and
guitar that builds and breaks abruptly to transition into “Like A Moonlight,”
where Azumi’s lovely vocals take over and more catchy synths are present.
The entire albums vocals
are usually clear, melodic and have a pleasing, dreamy, electropop feel but
often vary and become stronger to convey different emotion effectively. To put
it plainly, this woman can sing and her tone is appealing. Monkichi does sing quite a bit on the album to
a great effect and there is even a French speaking guest-vocal, (ELECTRONIKBOY,)
on the third song, “BK’s Je Suis Fou,” that works very well alongside Azumi. I
think that’s what I like the most about this band – the variety and experimentation does not
disappoint. They are different enough to
hold your attention, but not too “weird” to be off-putting. The music
throughout is dance-oriented, industrial-tinged
electropop, strong on beats, breaks, hooks and melody, eclectic and varied.
Take the Eastern-flavored “Totem Master,” which features some cool
Tabla-sounding drums and interesting vocal delivery. I googled the name and
apparently this is the nineteenth episode of the Star Wars:
Ewoks animated television series, but it’s also a World of Warcraft character
and a game for your phone, so I’m not quite sure what they are referencing
here, but I just thought that was a funny bit of trivia and would throw that
in.
I really liked
“Betty’s Mirror,” which made me feel like I was trapped in a video game, (in a
good way,) and the title track, “Spiral Connector,” a deceptively simple, piano-laced
track that made me feel like I was walking though a sunny garden with dear
friends. “Kimi ga inai asa,” and
“Losing time (Toby and Bus Remix,)” were also standouts for me, both being more
on the mellow, dreamy side. This album has something for every mood, upbeat
dance tracks and reflective, more mid-tempo tracks as well.
I will
admit I had not heard of Bespa Kumamero before this album, but I immediately
liked it upon first listen and continued to listen to it nonstop for days
afterward. I can honestly say I recommend this album and have come to really
respect the group as I have done the research into their history. They are truly
creative in their appearance and performances and their music is very likeable.
I can’t wait to see what they do next.
Albums:
Romantic Waves - January 20, 2008
Plastic Confusion - May 22, 2009
Spiral Connecter - December 2010
Hey everyone - please take a moment to read this hilarious interview with my old pal & awesome deejay/music mogul, "Bazooka Joe" Almeida from the folks at SYFFAL.
*
"Bazooka Joe" & I met in Las Vegas way back in the '90's when I had a radio show right after his on KUNV, (the number one college radio station in the country at the time!) It was a pretty crazy, exciting time for sure. We became friends, listened to a lot of music, went to shows & he even ended up working at the cd store I managed for a time. He's a great guy & now works with his lovely wife, Christine, under the moniker "The Thing with Two Heads," deejaying & managing Slovenly Recordings & Black Gladiator out of Pennsylvania.
So, my Second Life friend, DJ A.F.I, a great SL & RL DJ, (who is also my longtime "Real Life" friend, since she was a teenager!) was like, "Hey I want to take you to this really cool store," & proceeded to take me to Ladies Who Lunch. Little did she know I am a big fan of that store but haven't been there in a while because every time I go, I end up broke. There are just so many awesomely unique designs & cute, cool stuff that I always want & this time was no exception.
Anyone who knows me probably knows I like birds. Well, I mean they are pretty easy to like: First of all they are nice to look at, secondly they have lovely singing voices, thirdly there's the whole metaphoric "freedom of flight" thing to envy & lastly, they just have a real air of majesty & mystery to them. I think birds are quite magnificent & interesting creatures & they never cease to amaze me.
SO ~ when I saw this colorful mesh sweater/skirt/heels combo resplendent in feathers & with giant Cockatoo faces on it - it was pretty much a no-brainer that I had to have it. (BTW - there are also dress sets with a Pachyderm, Bird of Paradise, Lotus & Owl, in case Cockatoos aren't your thing!) You can get the top & skirt separately or get the set which includes the shoes, like I did. I already had the LoQ hair, (which is VERY much like a "Cockatoo-ish" crown itself,) the Paper Couture earrings & the awesome ni.Ju makeup totally finished off the look & really complimented my brand new Jesylilo skin that I am LOVING, (absolutely amazing lips & eyebrows!)
This outfit reminded of one of my favorite old songs by the Cure. Even though the outfit is a LOT more upbeat & happy than the song is, I decided to include it anyway because for one I just couldn't get it out of my head & two, it's really pretty & kind of melancholy & that's just how I am: half crazy, upbeat & colorful & half nostalgic & melancholy. Enjoy! :P
Shape is my very modified version of "Jennifer" by Glow Studio *JeSyLiLO* at Dressing Room Blue*:::ShamS:::*LightSkin
LaDonna Oceanlane Eyes made by Me! L.Fauna 2.0 Tattoo [Dimples + Freckles] L.Fauna 2.0 Tattoo [Full Body Freckles] [ni.Ju] Visual Edge (the black thick liner) [ni.Ju] Kumi (the pretty rainbow makeup - comes in different versions & tintable!) P.C; Tumbled Stone Set (I have TONS of jewelry from this place, I love EVERYTHING.) LoQ Hair Grappa Pieva - Dark Blonde (I have the fatpack - I love this hair!)
Blacklace Passionate Touch Stockings [LWL] Zoology (Cockatoo) Ampersand - For your eyes only Poses.(This was from a pack of James Bond-Girl inspired poses. You can find it at Shag right now, it seems like they are still in the process of building their own store. Cute poses!)
*
Here's the Cure from 1987 with, "Like Cockatoos." If you haven't heard the whole album "Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me" - I highly recommend checking it out. So many great, very emotional & personal, yet identifiable songs with amazing musicianship. It's a classic!
Lyrics:
She walked out of her house
And looked around
At all the gardens that looked
Back at her house
(Like all the faces
That quiz when you smile...)
And he was standing
At the corner
Where the road turned dark
A part of shiny wet
Like blood the rain fell
Black down on the street
And kissed his feet she fell
Her head an inch away from heaven
And her face pressed tight
And all around the night sang out
Like cockatoos
"There are a thousand things" he said
"I'll never say those things to you again"
And turning on his heel
He left a trace of bubbles
Bleeding in his stead
And in her head
A picture of a boy who left her
Lonely in the rain
(And all around the night sang out
like cockatoos)
If you go to filth.fm you will find the sickest nonstop dubstep...& you know you want that. My friend Zayne from Second Life told me about this site & I'm so glad he did!
This poster comes a little close to describing the sound of dubstep to those unfamiliar:
Imagine that, but like, 100% more SEXY to your ears. (At least that's how I feel about it!)
Here's a funny youtube clip about dubstep, (WARNING ~ contains a little bit of "foul" language!)
Please take a look at the video that my longtime friend & music promoter, Alex Ilich, (or "Sasha" as I've always known him,) conceived, scripted, produced, etc. for the San Francisco band, The Started It's. The song is called "The Shocker," so it's pretty safe to assume there's some "adult humor" going on here! The video is fun & silly, shot & edited by a newer acquaintance of mine, Christopher Sorrenti, & the song is upbeat, kind of "pop-punk." I think everyone did a really good job! Please support them all by clicking "like," subscribing, & leaving a youtube comment! You can also "Like" them on Facebook, follow them on Twitter, check out their Official Site, buy their music on itunes & amazon & be sure to catch them live when they come to a venue near you! Thanks for your support!
Today I received the Mark Lanegan Band cd that I had pre-ordered about a month & a half ago. I am a very longtime, hardcore fan & I have to say I am not disappointed at all. It's really beautiful: full of dark, evocative poetry, lush emotion, masterful musicianship & ghostly harmonies...I couldn't be happier. The mix is clear & his voice is gorgeous, deep & haunting, touching my very soul. I'm in heaven. He was the lead singer of The Screaming Trees, has a prolific solo career,
was in the Queens of the Stone Age, worked with U.N.K.L.E, worked on a
children's album, done three albums with Isobel Campbell, worked with
Greg Dulli on the Gutter Twins, done albums with the Soulsavers &
probably a million other things I don't even know about. He is wildly respected all over the world & revered by his fans & other musicians for his talent. He is in the
top three of my all-time favorite male singers &
probably the top three lyricists as well. Amazing man. I could go on & on. I think I own ALMOST everything Mark Lanegan has
done but actually, no, that would be pretty hard since he never stops working. Check him out. He's very serious. He does not move, live, he's like a tree. So stoic!
The Gravedigger's Song (from Blues Funeral)
Please enjoy some older Lanegan favorites, you might be surprised!:
Gospel Plow: (with Screaming Trees)
Carnival: (From Whiskey for the Holy Ghost)
Mockingbirds: (From the Winding Sheet)
Morning Glory Wine: (pretty sure Gregg Dulli is on this one, track is on the album Bubblegum)
Methamphetamine Blues: (features Josh Homme, PJ Harvey & Jonathan Russo)
Hanging Tree: (Live, with Queens of the Stone Age)
Revival: (singing with the great band Soulsavers who I saw him with! The video is quite interesting as well.)
Sunrise: (again off of Whiskey for the Holy Ghost. This is an outstanding album, start to finish. Really a gem.)
Wish You Well: (Probably one of my all-time favorites. So short & simple sounding musically, but the lyrics are pure beautiful, sad poetry to me. Makes me cry like a baby.)
I've had this song stuck in my head since I first saw the video/heard the song. On a facebook post to the band I jokingly said they sound like Hawaii-five-0's hitch-hiking acid cousin of the Beach Boys, but this seems sillier & more dismissive than I wanted it to sound. I have been a long time fan of the music made by Dante White Aliano & the people he chooses to work with . He's extremely talented & has good taste. I urge you to look google, facebook, youtube & otherwise poke, prod & defile him/them on the world wide web. You will be glad you did. His music has been featured on movies & tv soundtracks. New album coming out soon! This song makes my ears shimmer, thanks I'm sure to the great musical performances by the band including the mixing by Drummer Jeff Ehrenberg & Dante. This video is funny & these kids, (I can say "kids" (lol) 'cos they are all at LEAST a year younger than me I know, ) Look & sound GREAT ~ Enjoy!
I just had to post this awesome video really quick because I am liking it so much. Seoulbeats & My Music Radar did really good, descriptive write-ups so I won't try to out-do them, lol. Enjoy!~
I have been listening to/watching this Big Bang video nonstop since
yesterday. Where has this song been all my life? I only heard a couple
Big Bang songs before I fell in love with the GD & T.O.P.
solo collaboration cd. I played it so much my boyfriend begged me to put
something else in the car stereo, so I tortured him with more SHINee
cd's. But honestly, I can't believe I have missed out on so much good
music by being blinded by SHINee's beauty, (lol - no offense to my
shining boys & I am a Shawol forever,) but DANG - this Big Bang song
& video is SO GOOD & I want to hear MORE. The music & vocals have so many hooks &
catchy bits - you don't need to understand Korean to get the vibe
thanks to the wonderful performances. I LOVE the guitar melodies - very
evocative of the Edge (from U2,) and the drums - I could go on, but
just listen for yourself. I am going to listen to it again. (Oh &
BTW ~ GD proves that cool guys DO look back at explosions at the end,
cos he's the only one who looks & he's Pretty Darn Cool, lol.) PS -
Happy Belated Birthday to T.O.P.~ a beautiful, talented guy with that
sexy deep voice I always go for, (Plus he has the most amazing eyebrows.) Good Luck to Big Bang who are up for an award in the MTV EMA's. * I LOVE THIS GROUP!*
~ Ok now here's my little Second Life look I put together out of all free items!
I have really strange dreams and I almost always remember them, well into the following day. I thought I might start posting the more memorable bits, not only as a record, but also for entertainment purposes. I cannot promise they will always be entertaining, nor make much sense. I just thought it would be an interesting experiment. So here goes the first one:
"I dreamt my boyfriend Ted and I were taking care of a building. We were basically custodial house-sitters for an office building where Dan Rather had an office. I was trying to help Mr. Rather clean his lunch up off the desk when he asked, "Can you manage all that?" I replied, "Yes," just as I accidentally dropped his cherished jar of home-made caesar salad dressing into his leftover vegetable soup. He looked very irritated as he tried to fish the jar out of the soup."
Now I will present a song/video that relates somehow. Since this is the first of my "Strange Dreams" posts I will tell you a little something about those two words. Every time I think of, hear or say the words, "Strange Dreams" I think of the amazing song, "Sharkey's Day," by musician/performance artist/legend Laurie Anderson. I had the vinyl album and the cassette copy of Mister Heartbreak, (that this and many other wonderful songs are from,) as a teenager and never, EVER had seen this video for the song until tonight. I truthfully cannot say I love the video as much as I love the song. In fact, I almost couldn't watch it because it was kind of ruining the song for me. I was in my teens in the 1980's when the video age was born, and I mostly did other things besides sit in front of a fledgling MTV suffering through Poison videos just to occasionally catch a glimpse of something I deemed cool, (although it did happen on occasion!) Life didn't revolve around TV as much back then, and there were no cell phones or computers in everyday homes, (and if there were in some more affluent or technologically advanced homes, they were mostly just word processors and there wasn't an "internet,") so it was really a VERY different life experience. I think that growing up this way has made me prefer to HEAR music FIRST, before I see an accompanying visual. I like to let my mind wander and let my own imagination interpret the music. This is not to say I don't enjoy visuals - I do, totally, yeah,...but for me, some of the magic is lost when I have to see something I might find silly, irritating, goofy or unsettling the first time I hear a song. I would much rather have already heard the song and THEN see whatever they offer for the visuals. This is a strange preference to have while living in the "youtube reality" of today and as I have stated in previous posts I DO love having so many options for visual entertainment so handy ~ it's just that I miss being able to have my own personal experience with the music beforehand. With that long explanation out of the way I will now present a totally goofy video of a song I treasure. I suggest just LISTENING to the audio first, because you might get "put off " by the dated video. Or maybe not. But it is kinda goofy...
Sometimes life gets to me and the only thing that helps is Music. Here is an old favorite I discovered way back in 1986. This song never fails to lift my mood and I cannot help but dance around when I hear it. ~But first, a bit of back story: In 1986 MTV was pretty brand-spankin' new and NOTHING like it is today. Sure, there was a lot of "hair metal" but late at night the weirder and more obscure videos would be played. Since I was in High School and couldn't stay up ALL night hoping for something "cool" to grace the screen, I would pop in a 120 minute VHS tape and just let it record until it filled, as I slept. I would come home from school the next day and watch it, eagerly searching for something really cool. One night this video was captured and I was absolutely enthralled when I saw it. The song got stuck in my head immediately and the search to find more from the band was ON. I finally got my hands on the record almost ten years later. Remember, this was long before the internet as we know it. You couldn't just type your desires into amazon.com or ebay and get whatever you wanted. There was a LOT of stuff I sought out for YEARS. I mean actually physically going to other cities and looking in record stores to find these things. Yes, it's a lot easier now, and I like that, (although I STILL can't find a couple very rare items I have been seeking for over 20 plus years!) ANYWAY, here's the great song I found by "accident" and have never stopped loving. This is the French band Les Rita Mitsouko with "C'est Comme Ca". Enjoy!
I was researching something about Kpop, (South Korean popular music,) when I happened upon a conspiracy-theory/illuminati/mind-control obsessed site called Vigilant Citizen. I will link the article at the end of the post but I wanted to have my say first. Check it out, but I warn you, your head will spin from all the theories and you might start to question everything. In the Kpop article the author describes a symbolically homogenized "face" of music being presented all over the world by the illuminati, citing many "western," "occult," and "christian" symbols used in the songs and videos, and how horribly manipulative and "mind-controlling" it is. While I find the site VERY interesting, and DO believe in sinister underground dealings by those who wish to gain or retain power over the masses the truth is, those kinds of symbols don't really "get" to me, because I am not a christian, therefore I assign no real power to them. (Not to offend anyone, but usually, it will induce the opposite effect, causing me to reflect on how detrimental religion is and how so many people in a position of "power" can use religious faith to control others or do terrible things in the "name of god.")
I believe in energy, matter and the fact that we are all on this Earth and part of this Universe making us all automatically connected. Some people have a conscience that keeps them from being "bad," some don't. Some need to be told what to do by the use of fables and fairy tales. Some people actually are severely abused, indoctrinated and manipulated. Some even have actual physical and/or mental issues that color their perception and behavior in good or bad ways. I don't need to believe in dieties, actual human biology is "supernatural" enough for me. I have always thought of depictions of angels and devils to just be "symbolic" of good and bad sides of human nature. I don't believe in a god or gods, angels, the devil, or demons, so to me, if a song or video is using that kind of symbology, it's just trying to illustrate "good" or "bad" in a simple, symbolic way most people can comprehend. Most of the time I find excessive use of christian symbols in music and videos to be kind of "tired". It's so overused, it's not even creative, shocking, powerful or scandalous to me.
For me, the most off-putting part of the vigilant citizen website was the fear mongering and radical christian hysteria that is expressed by a lot of the commenting readers. People were leaving comments about how, "Oh that Korean band is a bunch of Satan worshipers! I will never listen to them again!" When in actuality most of those performers are in fact, christians, (not that it really matters,) AND most of the songs are written by others or "teams of others." (Some could say this further proves the illuminati "handler" scenario.) Perhaps I am so indoctrinated that all I see is just talented, hardworking performers, performing songs and videos that their managers, handlers and companies think will be provocative and appealing enough to the largest amount of people, so as to make the most money! Not to say the performer has no obligation to be conscious of his participation in any activity and Yes, it is kind of a detestable business point of view, but to say someone is "evil" for simply singing and dancing in a music video that uses the word "lucifer" (one of their examples of "evil" was the song Lucifer, by SHINee - one of my favorite songs which is about about an unhealthy, constricting love affair,) is kind of ridiculous, considering there are actual rapists, murderers and child-molesters in the world, who I really do consider defective and "evil" - Not to mention that most popular American songs and videos seem to be promoting the idea of "money love," jealousy, anger, failed relationships and painful longing, violence and power-plays, insatiable sex drive and even willful ignorance coupled with mindless "rebellion." I think a LOT of the reason I enjoy "Foreign" music is because I can't readily understand the lyrical content. Therefore it is all about the music, melody and the tones of the singers voices. The emotion felt by me is picked up by all these factors. I don't have to be instantly "off-put" from what I consider "stupid" or "base" lyrics because I really don't know what they are saying. It is up to the music and the singers to convey the emotion and overall feeling of the song. I think it actually works better. I am not distracted by "stupid' lyrics. I can just get the FEEL. This is also a major reason I don't get tired of foreign music as fast as I do music that is in my native tongue of English. Sure, it's not as easy to sing along to, but it surely doesn't lose it's flavor as quickly.
Regarding all the "conspiracy" theories: Yes, I am quite sure that the "elite" would love for us to swallow whatever is force fed to us, and be able to "control" the general population, (which it is believed they already do.) However, I feel that ALL of these overall messages of "Do This, Buy This, Fear This, Feel Like This, Obey This" are truly rendered impotent if the "target audience" is already "hip" to the shenanigan-type usage of the fear mongering and controlling symbology. (Which is, I suppose the exact goal of the Vigilant Citizen website - to alert you of all this.) However, if these symbols mean nothing to me, then how much power can they assert over me? For example, if I don't believe in god, then you can't scare me with the devil. Or, I'm not going to buy your snake-oil because I actually know a little about biology and medicine. The message I got from the website is: Take responsibility for educating yourself, for your actions and don't be mindlessly led or duped by ANYTHING or ANYONE.
So, here's the "offending" SHINee video, "Lucifer". To me it's just regular old slick packaging of a commodity. I don't feel "forced" to buy or do anything because of this, (except maybe get up and dance, which I consider a good thing,) because I am not an idiot, (or I am so indoctrinated I can't even tell, lol.) Although I REALLY enjoy their looks, clothes, hair, singing, dancing, and the actual catchy tune, I seem to be able to take it simply for what it is: Entertainment.
Here's the original article that started me down the path of this post:
There are people I have known in my life that I cannot let go of. Sometimes they have just gone their own way, other times they have passed on, as in actually "died". At any rate, there are a handful of people I dream about constantly, who haven't been in my REAL life for some time. I feel like this only goes to prove how much they meant to me and how much of an impact our time together, no matter how long or short, truly meant to me. I will not name Names right now, but I just wanted to express that there are many people I truly MISS, and I send all my love to them right now.
