夏: YUI - Holidays in the Sun

Its been 2 long years since YUI has released an album, the last being "I Loved Yesterday".

2 years and 3 months on, her long-awaited 4th studio album has finally been released on the 14th of July! Including 5 singles, 1 remake and 7 new compositions, "Holidays in the Sun" manages to capture the essence of summer. From the cheerful "Summer Song" to the melancholic "Please Stay With Me", YUI brings you on a roller coaster ride through the ups and downs experienced during the holiday season.

While most of the tracks are pretty much standard YUI fare, she does spice up the songs with a dash of creativity here and there, notably in "Shake My Heart" and "es.car". Its also evident that YUI's lyrics are maturing somewhat, continuing a trend first spotted in "I Loved Yesterday".



Tracklist:

1. to Mother
2. again
3. Parade
4. es.car
5. Shake My Heart
6. GLORIA
7. I do it
8. Please Stay With Me
9. Summer Song
10. Cinnamon
11. Driving Happy Life
12. It's all too much
13. Kiss me

Notable tracks:

1) to Mother
From the title, its quite obvious that this song was written "to mother", and it wasn't a coincidence that the single was released around Mother's Day. The lyrics are exceptionally touching, telling of the strains between mother and child, of taking others' kindness for granted. The song itself is simple and straightforward, and marks YUI's first time playing the piano in a song.

3) Parade
This track really gives off a summer feel, using the sounds of the acoustic guitar and bongos to add to the carnival atmosphere. I wouldn't be surprised to hear this song being played in a beach bar or something like that. The lyrics are surprisingly frank, about wanting to openly display love between 2 people, instead of being shy about it.

4) es.car
I love this track. The opening intro really sets the tone for the song, upbeat and carefree. What really distinguishes this track apart from the rest is the solo - a piano solo, rather than the usual guitars. The accompanying strings also provide a nice touch the song. Interestingly, the title comes from a very long escalator (hence the name escar) on the island of Enoshima. From the song, its not hard to imagine a sunny day spent with a loved one out having fun on date.

5) Shake My Heart
It seems everyone is experimenting with various instruments this season. "Shake My Heart" includes a brass section to spice up an otherwise normal-sounding song, giving that oomph-factor (lol). The chorus is also unbelievably catchy, with a whole choir backing YUI. In an interview she mentions attempting a gospel-esque track, which I assume is referring to this.

8) Please Stay With Me
My favourite track out of the whole album. Its a sad, emotional song from start to finish, and it really struck a chord with my heart when I first read the lyrics.

"If I say I want to meet you, will it cause (you) pain again?
Even though my tears overflow, my love
While we pass each other by, you become more dear to me
Please Stay With Me"

Kanashii, ne? And she sings it with such emotion its difficult to not be moved by the song.

10) Cinnamon
A rather happy-go-lucky track, and from the opening guitar riffs you can already feel the urge to bop your head along to the tune. The lyrics are also written in a somewhat whimsical, sweet and fun way - of the exchanges between a couple arranging to meet up.


The rest of the songs are equally good as well, but these 6 tracks stood out in particular. Note that I chose to introduce her newer songs because I could still form impressions of them. Older singles like "Summer Song" and "again" have been played countless times til' I can't really think of what to write :P

Now for some short notes about the other 7 tracks:

2) again - Opening theme for FMA: Brotherhood. As you'd expect for an OP, a very powerful and deep song. The pre-choruses in particular pack a punch. YUI-style rock at its very best!

6) GLORIA - Released as a single before "to Mother". A very catchy song, especially during the chorus, and was written as a form of encouragement to students taking their exams and pursuing their dreams. I listened to this a lot during my exams last semester :P

7) I do it - YUI originally wrote this song for Stereopony, and decided to include her version in this album. Another one of her classic rockin' songs, alongside "Rolling Star", "Daydreamer" and of course "again".

9) Summer Song - Her oldest single on the album (it was released in 2008, 2 years ago!), and literally brings out the summer feel of the whole album. Happiest song on the album :D

11) Driving Happy Life - Another of YUI's "happy" songs :P It does fit the title very well, I can imagine zipping down the expressway with the windows down, blasting this song from the stereo.

12) It's all too much - Theme song for the movie "Kaiji". Very very deep lyrics, as well as a very emotional sounding chorus. Beautiful song, beautiful lyrics.

13) Kiss me - Unsurprisingly, a love song by YUI. But the surprising part is how frank and in-your-face the song is, and she sings it with that whispery voice during the verses - goosebumps :P


"Holidays in the Sun" should be released in Singapore soon (overseas version), so if you like what you hear, support YUI by buying the album! :D

5 ways to prevent flooding in sunny Singapore

Its been all over the news lately, and following a somewhat predictable pattern.

Rain -> Flood -> Damages -> Complaints -> Reassurances -> More complaints -> Repeat

Its amusing that for something as simple as a flood, the number of things you can point fingers at are aplenty - the PUB, the Barrage, inadequate drainage, debris, over-urbanisation, even the freakish weather.

I'm in no way trivialising the matter, I do know that many people have been affected by this whole flooding fiasco, businesses and homes alike.

But instead of complaining to the gah-men, why not do something about it, to protect your property, your money and your livelihood?

*Do note that the following are tongue-in-cheek and are meant to be a light-hearted joke, so please don't take them seriously*

5 DIY ways to prevent flooding and its effects

1) Learn from the Japanese! Hang Teru teru bozu dolls outside your windows.

Quote Wikipedia - "Teru teru bozu is a little traditional hand-made doll made of white paper or cloth that Japanese farmers began hanging outside of their window by a string. This amulet is supposed to have magical powers to bring good weather and to stop or prevent a rainy day."

Make sure to hang them upwards, as hanging them upside down prays for rain instead.



2) Sandbag your entrance. In many countries, when their rivers are in danger of flooding, sandbags are stacked along the banks to prevent water from spilling over. Cheap, proven and effective solution! Even Liat Towers have dumped sandbags outside the building.

Downside is, your house/shop will probably look like a military entrenchment. Should sandbags be unavailable, trash bags filled with trash will do the job as well, if you don't mind the rubbish-dump image.

3) Dig a trench around your home. Not only will it slow down the water flow, giving you time to save your precious belongings, it also acts as a trap for potential burglars at night. And in the event of an all out war, a trench provides excellent cover from gunfire :D

4) Seal up your home i.e waterproof every single crevice and hole. The most obvious solution! Plus when the floodwaters subside, you can gloat over your neighbours by showing them your dry interiors. Only problem is, you'll probably be stuck inside your home forever, if the seals were to stay.

5) Get a land rover. Throw away that lousy Ferrali/Lambogini/Linguini - when the floods come their oh-so-powerful-engines become a hunk of scrap metal. The land rover on the other hand, can be partially submerged in water

Better still, get a monster truck. No matter how high the flood is, it will never ever reach the engine/cockpit. Or hark back to the olden days and keep a sampan at home, just in case.



I'd love to see that rolling down on our expressways.

Ok this was a totally random post. :P

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QUIS and Natsukashii will be playing at the Blujaz cafe this Friday, 23rd July, 7.30pm onwards.

Do join us for a night of Japanese pop, rock, and some Mando/Kpop thrown into the mix!

The place is at 11 Bali Lane, within walking distance from Bugis MRT, opposite Golden Landmark Hotel.

For more information please visit this website: http://www.blujaz.net/

Summer夏： Asian Kung-Fu Generation - Magic Disk

Summer's an excellent period where many Japanese artists release their albums. Fukuhara Miho, Asian Kung-Fu Generation, YUI and SCANDAL, all have albums either just released or going to be released! It's great to be a fan in summer, and not just because of the heat (ok bad pun)

Amazingly, this will be the first time I'll be doing an AKG album review. I guess it's because I'm having a lot of free time now to just listen to music and allow feelings to develop with the songs. Watch out for more reviews, while the holidays are still ongoing :P

"Magic Disk" is Asian Kung-Fu Generation's sixth studio album, and marks the start of a change in direction for the band's music. Consisting of 13 tracks, including 3 singles previously released (Shinseiki no Love Song, Solanin and Maigo Inu to Ame no Beat), the overall feel is definitely a step in a new direction and a more refreshing change from their previous music.

Its quite evident that AKG have grown over the years, progressing from raw, angsty punk rock in their younger days, to melodic guitar driven rock, and finally to a blend of experimental and mellow rock.

While their previous full-length album "World World World" had the Bleach tie-in "After Dark" and the excellent "Aru Machi no Gunjou" single to boost sales and radio-friendliness, "Magic Disk" is more of the band telling the rest of the world "Hey, we're trying something new, why not take a listen?"

Tracklist:
01. Shinseiki no Love Song
02. Magic Disk
03. Soushiyou
04. Sayonara Lost Generation
05. Maigoinu to Ame no Beat
06. Aozora to Kuroi Neko
07. Kakū Seibutsu no Blues
08. Last Dance wa Kanashimi wo Nosete
09. Microphone
10. Rising Sun
11. Yes
12. Daidai
Bonus track
13. Solanin
Notable tracks:

1) Shinseiki no Love Song
The opening drum beats really set the tone for the entire song. Coupled with the guitar volume swells, delay, complicated rhythm and Goto's half-rapping, this is really one of their most creative songs on the album. It progresses to standard-rock fare halfway into the song and really takes you in, as if you were standing on a cliff facing the new century (ala the PV). Goto's lyrics, deep as usual, speak of adversity and uncertainty, and of humanity's ability to face the darkness with love (no matter how cliche it sounds).

2) Magic Disk
The title track of the album and definitely the most radio-friendly of all the tracks. It shouts AKG all over, with guitar riffs meshing wonderfully with each other and Goto's characteristic vocals given a dash of delay. You get the feeling of being trapped on a spinning CD, with the world rotating in a blur around you.

4) Sayonara Lost Generation
An upbeat, pop/rock flavoured track that gives the lead guitarist pretty much freedom to spice up the song. Goto tries his hand at rapping yet again, giving the song a much needed change of pace right down the middle. Nothing special, yet very friendly to the ears.

5) Maigo Inu to Ame no Beat
Infusing a brass band with rock is no mean feat, and they've done it with this track. Amazingly, it blends in well, providing a touch of grandeur to an otherwise straightforward rock song. The lead guitar riffs are spot on as well, matching the big band feel of the song, unobtrusive (except for the solo) and often complementing the brass instruments.

7) Kaku Seibutsu no Blues
Probably the most mellow track of the album, and for once there isn't a single trace of distortion in the song. The clean feel is enhanced by the inclusion of a strings ensemble playing in the background, giving the track a little class as well as proving that classical can mix with rock. The guitar (and strings) riffs during the verses are downright addictive. A nice chill-out song to slow things down a bit.

13) Solanin
You knew this would be on the list right? Its not the most overplayed song on my player for nothing :P Manga and movie tie-in aside, this song brings out the best of AKG. It starts out slow and mellow, before slowly building up to a climax at the end. Emotional and heartfelt, wonderfully blended guitar riffs, beautifully constructed verses and breaks, uncomplicated and simple. Lyrics, even though not written by Goto (by the mangaka of "Solanin" instead), resonate well with the youth of my generation, speaking of regrets, lost opportunities, goodbyes and starting anew. If you've read the manga or watched the movie "Solanin", this song will touch your heart even more so.

The other songs on the album may not be as memorable as these 6 tracks but are equally good. "Microphone" infuses synth, as does "Rising Sun", while "Daidai" gives a nod to their mini-album "Surf Bungaku Kamakura", surfer rock style.

"Magic Disk" will never be able to replicate the success of "Sol-fa", arguably their most popular album no thanks to Full Metal Alchemist, but its definitely one of their more creative, balanced and varied ones musically. A step in the right direction perhaps?

I'll be looking forward to more the next time.

Journey to the South of Japan - Kyushu! #8

Day 10 - Shingu, Fukuoka

*YUI stalker alert*

I woke up super early (and dragged my dad along as well) to make a trip to Shingu (YUI's hometown) for a short beach visit. The train ride was pretty short, and the train itself looked very old-school!





We cut through a small forest to reach the beach, paying a visit to a small shrine on the way. The pine forest was nicely maintained, especially with the various shapes and sizes of pine trees. Eventually we could see the sea!





The beach was totally deserted, save for a couple of elderly walking their dogs on the sand. Still, it was beautifully clean and the sea water was sparkling clear. After 2 weeks of driving around and walking on concrete, it felt good to feel the sea breeze, hear the sound of the waves and plod around in the sand. I did get a sunburn though, the morning sun was blazing (even though it actually felt chilly).

We headed back to Fukuoka to meet up with my mum and sis for a breakfast of (guess what?) ramen! Next on the itinerary was a visit to Hawk's Town and Yahoo! Dome.

Hawk's Town is really just a very large shopping centre, similar to VivoCity. Together with the Yahoo! Dome, it forms the home ground of Fukuoka's baseball team, the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks. And true to the name, I spotted a couple of hawks soaring high in the sky above the Dome.





Zepp Fukuoka was also located in the area, as well as a Hard Rock Cafe. I was particularly interested in Zepp Fukuoka (a live house) so I went to check out the premises. It had an underground and industrial feel to it, judging from the thick steel doors. One day I'd love to attend a live performance in one of these live houses. The performances for that night went along the lines of "RUDE", with fierce looking bands plastered all over the poster. Not my kind of music :P



We took a short walk to Fukuoka Tower, located adjacent to the Yahoo! Dome. It was nothing more than a glorified observation tower, but the view from the top was great!





We then took a bus to Marinoa City, a large outlet mall located on the outskirts of Fukuoka. I didn't have much to see, other than a very interesting shop selling all kinds of random stuff (their version of a chapalang shop). I bought a couple of vinyl stickers for my guitar and bass, and that was about it. I had wanted to get myself a new pair of sneakers, but the prices weren't that great, and those that were cheap didn't have my size. Curse my size 10.5 feet!

We headed back to Tenjin for some more shopping (I headed straight to the music stores), followed by dinner at this really nice restaurant. The waitress looked exactly like Ayumi Hamasaki in her younger days! I wanted to take a picture but she was busy serving other customers and so I couldn't get a shot.

My dad ordered a dish he'd been craving for days - live, transparent squid



It was still moving D: and the skin kept changing colour whenever something touched it D:
Needless to say I didn't touch it at all. I prefer my food cooked and very much dead, thank you very much.

Day 11 - Fukuoka

The next morning we visited a local seafood market.



There wasn't much buzz since it was a Friday morning, but it was still interesting to look at all the fresh seafood on sale. My dad, being the "tam jiak gui" that he is, decided to try a live abalone. Unfortunately it was quite tough and wasn't very nice.

We then took a short subway trip to Ohori Park.



The lake in the middle of the park was filled with HUGE carp! And judging from the number of people throwing food into the lake, I could tell why. We took a little walk around the lake and chanced upon a some Mandarin ducks and a couple of egrets looking for their meal.





As we made our way back to the park entrance, I spotted a group of kindergarten kids having a picnic in the middle of a field with their teachers! Why didn't my kindergarten school ever organise something like this? ):



We took a subway back to Tenjin for lunch at Shin Shin Ramen, a ramen place favoured by many local celebrities and bands. *YUI stalker alert!*



All the walls and every available space above the counter was filled with signatures from various musicians, singers and indie bands! Besides YUI, I also spotted Nico touches the walls, The Okamotos, Supercar, ACIDMAN and many others!







And of course, the reason for their popularity was their ramen! I can safely say that the bowl of Shin Shin ramen I had could beat all other ramen that I've had during my stay in Japan. Usually most people judge a good bowl of ramen from the soup stock, right? Well almost every ramen I've had had very tasty stock. But this was different. The stock was good alright, but the noodles, an often overlooked ingredient, had a very distinctive taste! I could just eat the noodles by itself!



I was thoroughly satisfied after that lunch. What a way to complete this Kyushu journey, starting off with a bowl of ramen, and ending off with another bowl of the very best. In a way, this trip can be summarised into a few words - a castle/shrine visiting, jigoku/onsen viewing, ramen tasting, YUI stalking trip.

And so I've come to end of my narration. Hope you guys enjoyed reading it and looking at the photographs! For more photographs visit my Facebook page, or my Photobucket album :D

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Phew, finally done with it. I can now go back to posting random stuff about my not-so-interesting daily life.

Journey to the South of Japan - Kyushu! #7

Yesterday was my last day of work, so I finally have lots of free time now. Which is not a good thing really, I'd rather be doing brainless work than to have to think of what to do. Anyway, I guess I'll finish up on my Japan trip (it's taking too long XD)

Day 8 - Beppu

The city of Beppu is famous for its hot springs, both bathable and the not-so-bathable. After a nice breakfast in a little bakery, we took a walk along the coastline and found a sand-bathing spot. You're supposed to lie flat on a bed of black, hot sand, while workers shovel sand all over your body. Its supposed to be good for the skin, but I don't see why I would want to be buried and baked alive.



Anyway we went on to see the main attraction in Beppu, the 9 "Hells of Beppu", which really refers to hot springs for viewing, not bathing. Try bathing in 100 degree waters :P

The first one, Umi Jigoku (Sea Hell) was coloured a spectacular blue.



Next was Oniishibozu Jigoku, which had pools of bubbling mud.



There were a few others which were not as interesting to look at, such as the Yama Jigoku which had a mini-zoo (of all things) that was quite sad to look at. The animal enclosures were amazingly tiny, and a poor hippo was forced to open its mouth waiting for tourists to throw vegetables in. I couldn't stand to look at it. There was a crocodile farm at another Jigoku (again, I don't see the link), and a Tatsumaki Jigoku (geyser) which spout every 30mins.

The Shiraike Jigoku was one of the more beautiful ones, with a pond of milky white water.



And of course, the Chinoike Jigoku (blood-pond hell), which had a pond of blood red water.



After lunch we headed out of town to see a waterfall. We couldn't pinpoint the location on the GPS so it was more of looking at a map and driving in the general direction, hoping to see a sign on the way. Luckily, with the help of a roadside stall owner, we managed to find the waterfall - Higashishiiya Waterfall

It was quite a spectacular sight.



There was a girl sitting on some rocks, looking at the waterfall pensively, checking her handphone from time to time. I wonder what was going through her mind.



While we were about to leave a group of artists came and found spots to sit on, before starting to sketch out the scenery. Quite interesting! And they looked quite good too!



We headed back to the city after that, where I holed myself up in a Book Off second-hand bookstore to hunt for CD bargains. And I emerged from the store with a haul of 5 albums and 2 singles. The damage? About SGD$100, which was a steal considering the original price would've been somewhere in the $200 region. Still, I recieved a lemon single, the CD case was cracked at the hinges. Well, you win some, you lose some.

Dinner was a great bowl of (what else?) ramen! :D The waiter who served us was a Nepalese and his English was good! He said he was studying there and took up a part-time job to pay for his studies. The ramen, like every bowl I've had in Japan so far, was excellent. When can I ever be satisfied with the ramen in Singapore?

While walking back to the hotel I heard the sounds of that same busker wafting from the underpass again. Hardworking dude! Maybe we'll see him strike it big in a few years time heh.

And so that marks the last night in Beppu. Next - back to Fukuoka!


Day 9 - Beppu - Hita - Dazaifu - Fukuoka

On the way to Fukuoka we stopped by in Hita and Dazaifu.

We visited Mameda Town in Hita, which consisted of 2 streets running parallel, with rows of old-rustic shophouses on both sides. There were many of speciality shops, selling goods ranging from soya sauce, cakes, rice crackers (I bought one :D), bamboo crafts, sake and ice-cream. Speaking of which, I had a cone of sake ice-cream :D Tasted pretty light and refreshing, no alcohol taste at all.



Next was a short drive to Dazaifu, which is famous for its Tenma-gu Shrine.







Plenty of students there, all praying for success in their studies I suppose :P

Since it was still early, I persuaded my dad to make a slight (ok, it was rather long) detour to Fukutsu to visit the Miyajidake Shrine. What's the significance of the shrine, you might wonder?

*YUI stalker alert*

Well, only YUI fans would understand :P The shrine appears in her "Muffler" video, and is mentioned in the song as well.

For the non-YUI fans, the shrine houses the largest "Oshimenawa" or a giant straw rope in Japan, as well as the largest bronze bell and largest Taiko drum. Talk about big.

But the most spectacular feature of the shrine was this:



A perfectly straight line all the way to the coast! Amazing, ain't it?

Unfortunately the shrine was undergoing major renovations so I couldn't get a picture of the main hall. Still, the straw rope looked pretty impressive!





As evening approached we decided to head back towards Fukuoka for dinner. Along the way, I again persuaded my dad to stop over at a Chinese restaurant, "WEST" for dinner. Yes, you guessed it, something YUI related again. It was the restaurant where YUI worked part-time, and also the place which sold her favourite "supaiku" or sweet 'n sour pork.







I did try the "supaiku" and it tasted more sweet than sour, but good nonetheless. We had ramen (chinese style) and some fried rice, and all were surprisingly good! Chinese food, with a Japanese flavour, is how I would describe the meal.

We then headed back to our hotel in Hakata, Fukuoka, took a subway to Tenjin for some shopping and that was it for the night!