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...
Oh, Halloween ~ I am excited it's almost here, but my excitement is mingled with sadness knowing that it will soon be over. Take a gander at a little look I put together using the Esuga/Sugar Garden Male Ball Jointed Doll FTLO Hunt Prize, (here's a hint on where to find the little bat: "Look to the far East!",) a cool prize that Fatal Error Gave away during the last Twisted Hunt called Inkubus, (LOVE those birdy feet!) and the latest hunt prize from Actuate Eden, (back spines, arm armor, feathered skirt, shoulder and jacket and pants! Look for a red prim cross and buy for 1L.) Also, remember to check out the other sales going on there as well ~ lots of cool/spooky/gothy/glammy makeup, horns, clothing and other finery! (Homepage here.)
I originally posted separate pictures of this Bird Avatar in mid-September, but I have been trying to teach myself some new photoshop skills and I finally figured out how to do something cool ~ putting three of the images on one picture. I am slowly learning more and I realize this is a pretty basic thing I have accomplished but I am kind of proud of myself at any rate.
I might never get over how cute this Special FTLO100L Ball Jointed Doll avatar from Esuga/Sugar Garden is. I just keep finding new ways to dress it up. Cute Halloween Group Gift Dress from Rotten Toe, *Epic* Stuck on Fall Garters with Hooves, (100L at the FTLO Event! While I kind of missed the "bent-back" look of your usual hoofed legs, this makes up for it by being cutely encrusted with acorns, leaves, squash, floating butterflies/moths and even an optional particle "footprint" of autumn-colored sparklies!) Gloves from Sn@tch, Black Choker from Violent Seduction, Decorated Horns from the amazing Rotten Defiance Hunt (look for little skulls,) Candy and Ghost Crown, earrings and choker from the great Dimbula Rose/Amato Hunt (look for the buyable pumpkins,) and beautiful Group Gift hair from D!va (Who ALWAYS has really nice group gifts!)
(***Speaking of "Doll Love" (lol) I recently found this amazingly artistic blog, "Ensconced in Velvet," which I really admire for presenting such creative posts and would you just take a look at THIS new doll avatar! I think I will have to go get it ASAP.)
Here are some pictures I took last month, but with moving into my new house and all the stress associated with that, I simply forgot to post them. There's still a lot of unpacking and organizing to be done, but the house is beautiful and the secure feeling of being a homeowner is unmatched. My boyfriend, Me and and even our cat are really loving it! ~Now onto the pictures: No, the pictures themselves aren't fancy and my lack of photoshop skills is pretty evident here, but I was of proud of the looks I came up with and had a lot of fun putting them together using many old and new items from my inventory. I think they are kind of perfect for Halloween, at any rate! Enjoy~
I still haven't taken off the adorable Doll Avatar I got from Esuga/The Sugar Garden at the FTLO Halloween Event. It was only 100L (bargain!) AND there's a free male version in the hunt. Speaking of Hunts - I scored this adorable dress, cane and crown from the Dimbula Rose & Amato Hunt Event. I especially love the HAT, (outfit comes in male also,) and it looked really cute with my beautiful free hunt gift [*RD*]* Faun Legs & Horns from Rotten Defiance. Hair is from lamb.
Happy Halloween ~ Be Safe and Have Fun!
My friend Kiba Tachikawa, the owner of Actuate Eden, made this cute outfit a while back and I always wanted to get it, so I finally did! It's called Punky Heart and is inspired by the video from LM.C. It comes with cool legwarmers but I didn't use them so I could wear my faun legs, (which I am addicted to!) I love the floppy arms and the bright colors so much! As I stated, the outfit is a bit older so it came with invisiprim "hand hiders" to keep the hands from poking through the floppy sleeves. I decided to forgo those in favor of some free alpha hand hiding layers I got on marketplace. Oh ~ and the gorgeous doll avatar is from The Sugar Garden. They keep impressing me with their creations and this is no exception! (More on the doll-avatar soon!)
For comparison's sake - here's the cute video! Enjoy~!
Kiba has been making a lot of new things lately, like beautiful horns & makeup, etc. (even working on a special Halloween outfit to be released very soon!) ~ so please check out his Main Shop!
I had been wanting this Nymph skin/ears/hooves set from Violent Seduction for a very long time so I finally remembered to buy it. My friend Kiba Tachikawa, the very creative owner of Actuate Eden has decorated his personal skybox so beautifully so I took some photos the other day when I was over to pet his Meeroos. I love the dreamy, sparkly feel of the place and I love the way these pictures came out!
Stores:
Skin, Ears, Hooves, Dress: Violent Seduction
Corset: *elymode*
Eyes: Fantajecca (Almost four years old. Can't find a store, Creator gone as well.)
Hair (Heavily Modded): LOGO & Kin
Two of the Makeup Layers from Elegant Epiffany: Available on Marketplace only
Teal & Pink Stars, Swirls & Blush made by LaDonna!
As Fall begins to chase away some of the blistering heat I have lived with all Summer, I find myself becoming more relaxed yet simultaneously stimulated. The oppression of Summer is finally lifting and I am again feeling creative and colorful in so many ways. Earlier I was browsing the "How Do I Look" blog (here) and the author had featured the most beautiful eggplant-colored skin I had ever seen, from a store called The Sugar Garden. I had never been there before so I immediately teleported myself and some friends in for a major camping session in front of the Lucky Boards. It took me hours to get the same skin, but I finally did. (I will have pictures of that skin soon but I want to get a whole look together first.) I did arrange *this* colorful look using another one of the very lovely Lucky Board skins. (Freckles added.) ~Enjoy!
Stores:
Skin, Shape and Hair Bow (Group Lucky Boards - Free to join) from The Sugar Garden
Fall is here and Halloween is just around the corner, but everyone who knows me knows that I don't really need a special reason to play dress-up. Second Life has been my "Virtual Dolly Dress Up" for almost four years now and I never get tired of creating new looks and finding new things. Here are two animal/human mixed avatars I have been enjoying lately in my Second Life. The Bunny was created piecemeal from many outfits and avatar bits, with homemade eyes and teeth and a lot of modding as well as tattoo layers, etc.
(Please forgive my amateur Photoshop skills!)
The Bird is pretty much straight out of the box, except I substituted my own shape, chose the feather colors and changed the eye color. I scoured my inventory to find a nice outfit for the Bird, but honestly, she just looked better naked! I just adore these colors so much!
+ I have about five Faun looks saved as well, so stay tuned for pics of those!
*Stores:
(On The Bunny)
Original Bunny Shape and Skin from Rotten Toe. (I severely modded the shape as well as the skin with makeup layers, freckles, tattoos, etc, but it's cute to begin with. This store also has great creepy/carny clothes, skins, hair and quality group gifts. A longtime favorite store of mine since I started SL!)
Rotten Toe: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Las%20Venturas/224/32/21
The outfit is a mix of clothes from Little Heaven, (which, unfortunately I cannot seem to find a store for anymore,) Heartsick, (http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Farley/28/220/21, (but the outfit is no longer there,) and a belt made by Tahani Petrov.
AnthroXtasy: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Elliquiy/225/130/43 (This avatar is called "Burd" and comes in many different colors in male and female versions. Arm, tail feathers and eye color is changeable. Comes with PG and Mature skin options. They have a huge selection of other animals from many species. I was eyeballing their rabbits and otters as well as many others! Great store.)
*Berries, Inc. is closing after September 12th. I'm pretty sad that they are going out of business. Not only is the store itself beautiful, but the items are simple, casually elegant and easily mixed into my wardrobe. Right now everything is 50L. I got this shirt and shoes and I am going back for more!
So, I went back and got these boots, jeans and cute top:
I also got another, shorter jean, a cute brown top, this great hat/hair combo and more shoes:
Here's another shirt, cool skirt and another color of the same heels:
I just wanted to show off my new favorite outfit I got from the massive COCO Designs sale. High-waist tuxedo trousers, (which I would have LOVED, except for a seam right on the waist I just couldn't get rid of even by using any of the included layers - I smudged it out in Photoshop,) pretty bow blouse and awesome oxford shoes. I felt so classy I put on my old monocle from Nala and took this photo in the gorgeous Noctis furniture shop. Go there, buy things. Stay Classy, Second Life.
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.
As we all know, a massive earthquake, severe aftershocks and devastating Tsunamis have recently rocked Japan. I really can't imagine going through what people there now are having to go through. I lived in San Francisco when the "Great Quake of '89" struck and it was extremely traumatizing for me. Part of the Bay Bridge fell, whole chunks of Highway were destroyed, many people died and whole neighborhoods burned. My apartment was damaged and we were left without power for almost four days. My Mother was downtown at the time of the quake, in danger and had to hide from falling glass that was coming off buildings. My roommate saw a man get sliced in half by the glass! I had just turned 19 and it was a terrible time, I was so scared. Not to trivialize any of that at all, but this tragedy in Japan makes makes '89 look slightly innocuous by comparison. My heart goes out to the people of Japan - as well as their friends and families abroad.
I have always been interested in Asian culture. My Grandparents and my Mother lived in Japan for a few years after WWII. My Grandfather always spoke very highly of the land and the people and he managed to bring back some lovely books, furniture, knick-knacks and photos which I got to grow up with and enjoy. Over the last few years I have been exploring the vast amount of amazing music and film that comes out of Japan and now some of my favorite movies and bands are Japanese. I would like to share some of my favorite Japanese people, movies and music with you now. Don't let the fact that you may not speak Japanese deter you. I don't speak it but I can still enjoy the melody, emotion and feeling of any song, in any language. I hope you enjoy this little "tribute" to my love of all things Japanese and let's all take a moment to send good, healing thoughts to the people of Japan, Hoping and praying for their swift recovery.
Here is one of the first videos I saw from the highly successful Jrock band called L'Arc~en~Ciel. This is basically the video that started me on my Jrock obsession. This year will mark L'Arc~en-Ciel's 20th year making music together and I pretty much love everything they have done. This video really caught my eye because of the wonderful use of color, the dancing and of course the super-catchy song! It never fails to make me happy! Here is "Seventh Heaven" by L'Arc~en~Ciel:
Pretty cool, right? The lead singer's name is Hideto Takarai, or HYDE and he is SO very talented. He is a wonderful, passionate singer and songwriter for L'arc~en~Ciel as well as the band VAMPS, (we will get to them!) He is also a very good actor. He stars in the tear jerking-vampire-action-film (!) called "Moonchild" with another amazingly talented Actor/Musician named Gackt, (we will also get to him!). Here is the trailer for "Moonchild":
Jeesh - I can't even watch that trailer without getting choked up! Hyde was also in another cool tearjerker based on a popular manga. The film is called "Last Quarter" and Hyde composed some beautiful music for it as well. This trailer does not have sub-titles but I think you can still get the sad, trippy vibe just from the music and the images:
Ok, now onto what is probably my favorite movie from Japan, Kamikaze Girls. This movie is based on a popular novella and tells the story of two teenage girls who are almost exact opposites but form an unlikely bond and develop an extremely strong friendship. It's a total "girl-power" fest but it's also very witty and visually interesting, (the costumes and makeup alone are amazing!) It's kind of "zany" but it's also very deep and quite touching. I love it so much!
Ok, now that we are on the subject of "girl-power", I have to tell you about two more great movie on the subject of strong female friendship. These movies were so emotionally touching that once again, even the trailers reduce me to tears. The "Nana" movies are based on a wildly popular manga and, like Kamikaze Girls, involve two seemingly polar opposites who bond very strongly and develop a genuine love for eachother.
And, here's the trailer for "Nana 2" which has a different actress for the more "conservative" Nana. I think she is great, though and I cried even MORE for this movie!
This next film absolutely gripped me. It's also based on the concept of extreme friendship and loyalty - although this time between two young homeless boys. It's an animated feature based on a popular manga and it's probably one of the most visually beautiful movies I have ever seen. Honest to God, after watching this movie, (and going through a box of Kleenex, it's that touching,) I jumped up and painted one of my favorite paintings I have ever done - The movie inspired me that much. I just recently bought it on DVD so I am looking forward to watching it and being inspired again! It's called Tekkon Kinkreet and it will blow your mind:
Now that we are onto animated films I'd like to present two films I usually like to lump together in my mind because they are both from the uber-talented Hayao Miyazaki. They are both lovely, amazingly unique and magical stories told with real tenderness and feature outstanding animation. I have probably seen them both at least ten times each and I often find myself thinking about them randomly throughout the day. The first is "Howl's Moving Castle":
The next is "Spirited Away":
So if you haven't seen either of those, they are a MUST. Small children seem to enjoy them as well, even though they are kind of complex and strange. I once babysat a four-year-old who was enraptured by them!
Now onto a movie I DON'T suggest for children. "Wild Zero " features the legendary rock band Guitar Wolf saving Earth from an invasion of aliens that turn people into zombies. The band basically saves us by using their ultimate coolness and the sheer power of Rock and Roll. They even manage to squeeze some anti-homophobic messages in as well. There is even an interactive drinking game you can play. On the DVD every time someone in the movie drinks, combs their hair, fire shoots out of something, anyone says "Rock and Roll!", something explodes or a zombie's head pops a beer mug appears on the screen & you drink. I really don't suggest playing this game as you would have to drink about ONE HUNDRED times by the end of the film!
Ok, so now that your face is melted off by that, I will show you a movie that might make you crap your pants. This sick and twisted affair is called "Ichi the Killer". It's really depraved but it's also quite stylish and interesting in it's extremes:
So, yeah - totally gross! *nervous laughter* I want to get back to some music but I seem to be on a roll with the movies. If that last movie seemed like something sick you could possibly get into then you will LOVE the next two movies! These are really comically gory, ultra-extreme, totally unbelievably fantastically violent freak-shows. If you like copious amounts of ultra fake blood and guts and bizarre mutations then "Tokyo Gore Police" is for you!
If that intrigued you, don't forget to check out "Machine Girl!" I think it's a little more "tame" than Tokyo Gore Police but it's really effed up as well:
WHEW! Ok, I think we have traveled down the blood and guts highway long enough, No? NO! We can't just come out of all that so abruptly! Let's ease out of it with a really sick, sadistic and rather disturbing video by the brilliant, beloved but now defunct band Malice Mizer. the song is called "Illuminati":
Told you! hahah, Oh, and the cute girl with the long kind of orange-y hair is actually Mana, a dude in the band. It's a "thing" to dress up like a girl with a lot of these bands. I think it's cool. So anyway, the lead singer there was Gackt, who plays multiple instruments and has gone on to a HUGELY popular solo career. Besides starring in the movie Moonchild, many commercials and at least one TV show I am aware of, his androgynous good looks have made him a world-wide sex symbol and even seen him used as a model for a character in a Final Fantasy video game. He is also in a new movie that stars Josh Hartnett, Demi Moore, Woody Harrelson and Ron Perlman to name a few. And Gackt gets second billing in the trailer! Yay! This just proves how universal his allure is!
Looks like it might be pretty cool - I will definitely see that! Josh Hartnett is pretty easy on the eyes - but we are talking about Gackt now so let me share a couple of my favorite songs with you. The first one is a little dated looking - it's eleven years old but looks more 90's to me, (the red leather suits *facepalm* and what's up with all the smoking? Yuck!) Anyway, this is one of my all-time favorite songs. I cannot sit still when I hear it and it gives me a real feeling of elation. You can hear his beautiful vibrato and the violin parts are just wonderful! It's called "Mirror":
Now for my other favorite song. (He has so many wonderful tunes but these are the ones that always stick out in my mind and I find myself humming them around the house.) This one is so beautiful to me. It's called "Secret Garden", enjoy...
Beautiful! Ok, now is the time to use my magical powers of segue! There is this amazing Japanese bassist named Ju-ken and he has played with Gackt (among many others,) for years. He is literally known as Ju-ken "The Bass" - that's how rad he is. He also plays in VAMPS. As I mentioned before, Hyde from L'Arc~en~Ciel has another band called VAMPS and they are kind of a "Supergroup". KAZ , a great guitarist from yet another band called Oblivion Dust basically makes up the creative "other half" of VAMPS. Hyde and KAZ have also worked together on previous solo Cd's that Hyde put out. KAZ is a very talented guitarist and a wonderful songwriter. I am always pleased to see that some of my favorite songs on Hyde solo Cd's or the VAMPS Cd's are actually written by KAZ! I had the absolutely astounding pleasure of seeing VAMPS play in San Francisco while on their world tour this past October. It was a present to myself for my 40th Birthday and nothing could have been better. I was jumping, singing and screaming like a teenager. It was really a wonderful evening and I will never forget it. Ju-ken "The Bass" was so much fun - he kind of stole the show with his energy and audience interaction. That show was the kind of show that reminded me of why I have always loved music so much and why I never felt better than when I am singing or rocking out. Here is the first VAMPS song I ever heard and it totally rocks. It's super catchy and the video manages to be hot and funny at the same time. Here's "Love Addict":
Rad, right? Yessssss. Ok, this next video may seem a little self-indulgent at first, (yeah, like Bon Jovi-ish "we're the cliche hard rocking road dogs with the slo-mo live concert footage set to a plaintive song" style,) but it's such a gorgeous song (check out the bass!) and VAMPS really ARE that awesome in concert and the fans really ARE that devoted and into it. So there. This video brings back great memories of seeing them live. Here is "Sweet Dreams":
*Wipes Tears* Ok! I could really go on for hours with only Hyde and Gackt videos but I want to prove I don't just sit around thinking of them all day. I have other interests! I promise!
Here's another band who has been around a long time and they have so much variety in their music. They are called Buck-Tick and they are amazing! This is just a little taste and it's pretty mellow but believe me they are a fantastic band. Here is "Dress" and it is used in the Trinity Blood amine.(Yes, that's a dude - they like to wear makeup and be "glammy". )
You may have noticed a lot of makeup and some cross-dressing going on. If that offends you then I am sorry, but that's your problem. If you are upset then definitely skip the next video, although it would be a shame because you will miss some amazingly shredding guitar action, not to mention some gorgeous period costumes and perfect makeup! This next visual and aural feast is by Versailles, (all dudes,) and it's called "Ascendead Master". I admit when I first saw it I knew nothing about them and I was like, "OMG - those chicks shred!" lol - But I read a few comments under the video on youtube and quickly learned that they are all men. I liked this song so much I had to buy the CD immediately after hearing it!
Ok, now for something a bit "lighter". I am going to show you two videos by the band SuG. I think they are just adorable and I am blown away by the costumes, hair and makeup here, too. I tried posting these videos on my facebook page and did not get the reaction I was hoping for. I wanted everyone to love it as much as I do, but most of my friends were pretty unresponsive. I KNOW I am not the only person in the world that thinks these songs and videos are great because these guys are quite famous. The colors, the clothes, the cuteness and the playful, youthful energy make me feel all giddy inside like a schoolgirl! Anyway, you judge for yourself. Here's SuG with "Love Scream Party":
Awesome~! That lead singer, Takeru is so darn cute. Gah - they are all so cute! *Breathe* OK! Let's do more! Now here is SuG again with "Vi Vi Vi." Man, it must be fun to be a rock star - just check out how happy they all look in this video!
Adorable! Ok let's feature another cute, younger band called Alice Nine. They started in 2004 and already have a huge worldwide following. I really like this song and the video is cool, too. They have a good style with their hair and clothes - it's fashionable and rocking, yet still pretty accessible. This is "Rainbows" By Alice Nine:
Nice. Now, no tribute to Japanese Music would be complete without featuring some Miyavi. This guy - what can I say? Talk about diverse and ecclectic and super talented! Let me show you some examples...First, here is Miyavi with "Selfish Love" - seriously the intro alone is AMAZING - that's some badass funky guitar work!
Dig! Ok, that was impressive, So now I will show you another side of Miyavi. This is "Itoshii Hito":
Weird & kind of sad! Ok - now that we are on the subject of "weird" again I think I can safely transition into Gazzette. This is probably one of their more accessible songs, so I will start you off here with "Silly God Disco". (I think this song is slick as f*ck.) Check out the outfits, too.
This next song is even cooler, in my opinion and it sounds dreamy in headphones. This is a fan made video and chock full of sexiness. I think this song kicks so much butt. Here is Gazette with "Toguro":
Sweet. This next one is just super rocking. I love the female backing vocals - so sexy, it all works so well here. It's "Filth in the Beauty":
Yeah. Not quite sure how to transition out of that one. Gazette makes me feel kind of funny inside so I am disoriented. I think what we need right about now is a trailer for the super-disturbingly sad action murder-fest called "Battle Royale". Children are pitted against each other in a "last-man-standing" scenario that is basically a game for adults to watch. It's violent & heartbreaking:
Speaking of heartbreaking, I finally get my segue into one of my all-time favorite documentaries. "The Great Happiness Space - Tale of an Osaka Love Thief". Believe it or not I could not find an official trailer for this sad & poignant film on youtube. I cannot recommended the documentary more highly. It was interesting, moving, profound, disturbing, bleak, sad, exciting, touching & overwhelming. I rented it from Netflix.
Also, here's the films website:
http://www.thegreathappinessspace.com
There were other videos on youtube with similar names & themes. I found an interesting piece which showcases an American woman experiencing a Host Club for the first time. This is a pretty good introduction to the whole affair without touching on the more melancholy aspects like the wonderful film "The Great Happiness Space" does. Here is that short piece with the American woman experiencing a host club: But the actual documentary is really worth seeing.
Ok, I am going to move right into one of the most beautiful songs, ever. It's the theme song to the anime Ergo Proxy which is in my Netflix queue but I haven't seen yet. The band is Monoral and the gorgeous, evocative, emotional song is called "Kiri". I can usually barely get through it without tearing up and now it seems a bit more timely, especially with the words, "Come and save me" resonating so strongly...
Wow. Well, I'm sure there are tons of things I am forgetting to mention but I may have to take a break from this blog as it has been a few hours and I am a bit fatigued. I hope you have enjoyed this TINY sample of the amazing music and movies that come from Japan. The more I learn about other cultures, the more intrigued I am by our interesting differences and the more comforted I am by our similarities. Peace to You and Yours...
