paperclippy

...because I found out today that X Japan has reunited and is planning a WORLD tour this year, and that Yoshiki formed a supergroup with Gackt, Sugizo, and Miyavi (which played at Anime Expo in 2007 and NOBODY TOLD ME?). Also that apparently there was something called the JRock Revolution festival in LA where MUCC played. Also apparently Hyde has done several performances in the US. This is kind of like when I found out that L'Arc~en~Ciel was performing in Baltimore like two days before it happened.

Although I guess I can't call myself too much of a jrock follower in general because Dir en grey actually played in Indianapolis and I didn't go. Admittedly I haven't heard any of their albums from the past 8 years and they were playing as the opening act for Tool, who I hate, but still.

In any case, if X Japan actually does follow through with a world tour and comes to the US, I am so going. The trick is just finding out when/if tour dates are announced. Same with the supergroup S.K.I.N. (although apparently all they've done with it is announce that it exists). Yoshiki, Gackt, and Sugizo on the same stage? It's like a jrock fan's dream come true. (I admit, I know next to nothing about Miyavi.)

Yes, I realize that entire post was nonsense to 99% of you. :P I wish that jrock fandom could separate itself out from anime fandom, because they really can be quite different, and it's not like everyone in Japan who likes jrock music likes anime too. It would just be nice if jrock concerts existed outside of anime conventions here.

Pandora, I wish you had a feature where I could say, "Don't play me any songs by this artist." It's figured out some bands/people I like -- yes, I am a fan of Depeche Mode, Duran Duran, All-American Rejects, Asian Kung-Fu Generation, Bowling for Soup, and Pet Shop Boys. However, it has also decided that I must be a huge fan of Ben Folds, Linkin Park, and Counting Crows, which I am decidedly not.

Edit -- another random observation. If I say I like a song, that doesn't mean I want to hear 50 covers of it and remixes of it. Seriously, there are about five million remixes of "Get Into the Groove" and I only like one of them. Same for "(I Just) Died in Your Arms" and "Rhythm is a Dancer." Also, I don't ever want to hear live recordings of anything, ever.

In the chorus of "Shine On" by Needtobreathe, they are I guess saying "Shine on, shine on," but the song came up on Pandora while I was looking at another window and not paying attention, and I found myself thinking, "What the heck is this song? Are they saying shalom, shalom??"

So, this weekend I was feeling good enough to dig my violin out of the closet and give it a shot. It was woefully out of tune, and my bow needs to be rehaired (about half the hairs had fallen out), but still functional and no damage. I played for about 5-10 minutes, not long enough to do any more damage to my wrists.

Those 5-10 minutes were enough to show me that not playing in three years has really left me out of violin shape. :( I could feel the weak muscles in my wrist any time I used my third and fourth fingers, and shifting felt really awkward. On top of that I found that I was really out of tune (at least to my ears I was, I don't know how it would sound to someone with untrained ears). My high school violin teacher's voice was echoing in my head saying, "Use your fingertip ears, Jessica!!" I made it through a couple scales and an etude before putting it down.

Anyway, I waited two days after that session to make sure that my tendons and muscles didn't freak out, and they still feel okay. My new plan is to slowly work up. I'll work on scales for about 5-10 minutes every other day until it starts feeling comfortable again, then gradually up my time about 5 min/week or less and start etudes. Every day is probably pushing it for my wrists right now. Now the trick is to sort through my scale and etude books and figure out which ones I should be using. Any violinists out there want to make a recommendation? Here's what I have in my library:

• Sitt - Scale Studies (appendix to Schriadek's Scales)
  
• photocopies of some Dont stuff, I think 4-octave scales and arpeggios
  
• Trott - Melodious Double-Stops
  
• Mazas etudes
  
• Kreutzer - 42 Studies
  

I might also have Sevcik lying around here somewhere. I seem to remember that I started with Sitt and moved on to my photocopies, and that I started with Mazas and Trott and moved on to Kreutzer, but my memory isn't great. I think Sitt is all three-octave scales and arpeggios. I definitely think I should start with three octaves to avoid stressing my wrist, but maybe I should only start with two?

Anyway, I hope I can get back into good shape with my violin. This is the longest I've gone without playing since I started when I was six years old. Previous to this I'd only reduced my practicing during summer vacations.

I don't remember the exact wording but it was something like, "if we stay together / it could get worse / then again it could get better." DUH.

Although I can't really complain, because one of my favorite new L'Arc songs has the English lyric, "my wish is over their airspace." At least they have the excuse of not really speaking English.

In case there is anyone here who doesn't already know, L'Arc~en~Ciel is my favorite band. They're Japanese and recently celebrated their 15th anniversary. Their songs are used a lot in commercials and as theme songs for anime, movies, and video games. My commentary refers a lot to other L'Arc songs, so chances are that nobody on my friends list will know what the heck I'm talking about. I'll try to give references to songs you might know to give you an idea.

Okay, so the album came out in November, but I just got it the other day. It's an interesting mix of songs in their older style and their newer style. Some of the songs sound more like their stuff from the True era -- think "Lies and Truth," or for the anime fans among you, "The 4th Avenue Cafe" (one of the ending themes for Rurouni Kenshin). Some sound like their most recent album. Some are just kind of in between.

My thoughts on each track after a few listen-throughs of the album:
( Read more... )

Anyway, my mind will probably change on some of these songs as I listen to it more. I still think my favorite L'Arc albums are probably Heart and Ark.

New favorite creepy song: Queensryche, "Eyes of a Stranger." OK, I don't know if it can really beat out Sufjan Stevens's "John Wayne Gacy, Jr.," but it's definitely creepy. I think I just listened to it on loop about ten times. I even changed my work chat status to "People always turn away from the eyes of a stranger."

( for those of you who have not had the pleasure of hearing the chihuahua song )

Thanks, capnqueeg!

Do you ever have songs that remind you of specific people?

That song "At The Beginning" from Anastasia just came up on my playlist, and it totally made me think of jyorraku (I miss you, dude! How are you doing??). Similarly, yesterday while I was walking home Meredith Brooks's "Bitch" came on and also made me think of jyorraku. ;)

The Mario Twins song (Group X Arabian Rap Sensation!) always makes me think of mbrubeck. I'm sure there are other songs that make me think of other people, but I can't recall any at the moment.