exist†trace Album Review: TRUE

If you thought this band was good before then you haven't seen anything yet. Now that they've made the move to a major record label the girls of exist†trace seem determined to surpass everyone's expectations and prove that they should have been here a long, long time ago.

These metal maidens are back and stronger then ever before.

Opening the album with the title track TRUE was a wise decision and immediately shows you what this band is all about. Everyone is in top form and Omi's guitar riff paired with Jyou's opening vocals certainly surpassed my expectations and that's hardly the best part of the song. Familiar to any exist†trace fan is the sound of Naoto's bass at the midpoint of the song combined with Mally's drumming helps build the song to a climax just before a surprising but blistering double-guitar solo courtesy of Omi and Miko sends the song even higher on the scale.

Every part of this song is on fire as Jyou sings passionately about moving past betrayal and fear. Certainly a well taught lesson in being TRUE to yourself.

Only Miko and Omi can offer up a double-guitar solo of such epic proportions!



Next up is HONNOU (which translates to "instinct") and this song follows the blistering pace that TRUE began. Jyou's playful invitation of "shall we dance?" sets up Omi's raging lead guitar. The furious solo following Jyou's eerie laughter would rightly scare any man who dared to think of these women as pushovers. Instantly catchy and with a sound that will have you dancing and headbanging all day long, its a surprise when the song starts to fade out instead of just ending at a climax or a final note the way the other four songs do. Any fan in their right mind will be wishing this song could go on longer.

Mally's drums and Naoto's bass make one killer combination!

While TRUE and HONNOU were written by Miko who does most of exist†trace's songs, the next song on the album Tokoyami No Yoake belongs solely to the lead guitarist Omi. The melody is an obvious shift from the past two songs as the opening guitar leads into softer vocals by Jyou fused with the slinking bass from Naoto and the light drums of Mally. Smooth, strong, and everything exist†trace represents perfectly describes this song. While some metal vocalists my struggle a bit when it come to slower songs that is no problem for Jyou and her voice shines beautifully in this dark melody.

Left to right: Miko (guitar), Mally (drums), Jyou (vocalist), Naoto (bass), Omi (lead guitar).



KISS IN THE DARK is the riskiest track on the TRUE album as it differs from anything exist†trace has written or performed so far. The up and down pace of the song has kind of a jazz feel to it at first or maybe that of a song from the 70's or 80's. Playful and upbeat is a big switch from the almost haunting tone of Tokoyami no Yoake, but give this song a chance and you'll see it as the amazing song it really is. Every band needs to change things up stylistically and the girls do this perfectly in this song by creating a melody that is different, but hard to forget.

Closing the album is Jiyuu no Sora, Chijou no Uta which is also written by Omi. While the album opened with a bang it closes on a softer note giving a greater sense of finality. This is not the end of an era, but the beginning of a new one and the steady melody conveys the feeling that exist†trace is merely taking a breath as they prepare the next round of songs to amaze and dazzle their adoring fans.

Jyou and Naoto help show fans what this band is all about.

TRUE is a mix of both old and new styles and any fan of rock or metal would be doing themselves a huge disservice if they did not pick up this album. It is currently available online from JapanFiles.com.

It's A Hot Summer For K-pop!

Summer time has come and with the release of the single and repackaged album Hot Summer by f(x) it looks like this season is going to hotter than ever!

Finding love in the summer sun!

After winning performance after performance on various Korean TV music shows and racking up award after award, f(x) has released their repackaged album Hot Summer. Available both in Korea and on itunes in the United States it contains all of the songs from their first full album Pinocchio and also two new songs Hot Summer and ...Is It Ok?

Fans will also be overjoyed to see previous singles La Cha Ta and Chu♡ on the repackaged release as well seeing as the singles were originally released a year ago.

The previous single Pinocchio (Danger) was just released on April 18th and f(x) has been touring with SM Town which recently played a concert in Paris, France. Despite the fact that none of the acts have ever released any music there the concert still managed to sell out 14,000 tickets in just two days. You can watch the live f(x) performance here.

Fashion, fun, great vocals, and slick dance moves

While the song Hot Summer is a cover, the original of which was done by German band Monrose, fans don't seem to care much and the video is quickly earning more and more views on YouTube after being released just yesterday June 17th.

f(x) has already done two live performances of the song on Music Bank and Music Core. All while dancing and wearing heels that would make most music stars scream for mercy. Well except for Amber Liu who's tomboyish looks favored a pair of stylish sneakers instead.

It's good to see SM Entertainment giving more attention to fans overseas and releasing songs from their artists on itunes.

I already have my copy so go out and get yours today!

Virtual Ambition: Gorillaz Have Taken Over

Gorillaz started off as a British music project in 1998 created by Damon Albert and Jaime Hewlett. Since then it has since grown to truly epic proportions. Few people could have imagined that a virtual band for all intents and purposes would become so widely known and popular.

The biggest virtual band ever.

The actual band itself consists of 2D (vocalist), Murdoc Niccals (bass guitar), Noodle (guitar and occasional backup vocals), and Russel Hobbs (drums). Collaboration between various music artists helps to create and define the Gorillaz sound which is a mix of hip hop, alternative rock, and electronic, and pop. Damon Albert has been the only consistent musical influence.

The fictional universe that the band members "live" in is explored through their songs and music videos as well as short cartoons. Their self titled debut album in 2001 sold over 7 million copies and also earned them the title of Most Successful Virtual Band according to the Guinness Book of World Records. In 2005 the second album Demon Days was released. Not only did it go 5 times platinum in the UK and double platinum in the United States, but the album also earned 5 Grammy Award Nominations and even won the award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals.

By 2007 the combined sales for Gorillaz and Demon Days had exceeded 20 million copies with the third studio album Plastic Beach being released in March 2010 and the physical release of their fourth album The Fall being released in April 2011.

While they have done numerous concerts over the years and their first world tour entitled the Escape to Plastic Beach World Tour officially kicked off in October 2010 and ran until December 2010. They did  release a live DVD. but the most famous performance is probably the one they did with Madonna at the Grammy's where hologram technology was employed to make the band members 2D, Murdoc, Noodle, and Russel appeared larger than life. Literally.

Stylish and ready to rock.

Whether the Gorillaz were intended to be a short term project or a long term idea there is no doubt that they have come farther than their creators could ever have imagined. Rumor has it that the Gorillaz will perform at London's 2012 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony alongside Coldplay, Muse, The Rolling Stones, but this is unconfirmed.

No matter what happens the Gorillaz have proven that a virtual band can not only be successful, but can actually be even more successful then some real life bands.

The video for their latest video On Melancholy Hill can be seen here.

1st Album Review: Pinocchio by f(x)

Korean girl group f(x) has gained fans all over Korea and all over the world thanks to their unique look and unique combination of singers. With the release of their very first official album f(x) is performing and winning awards left and right, but how do their new songs stack up to all this hype? I'm a huge f(x) fan and was extremely excited to get this album into my hands. So here we go.



Pinocchio is here!


The album Pinocchio opens with their single Danger. This edgy pop song is quickly gaining views on YouTube and the video has a great style as well as a bright background to highlight the girls changing fashion styles. Its a great song and while it may not be stuck in your head for days, its still worth buying. Some might view the lyrics as redundant but I feel that this factor helps to add to the songs appeal.

Luna's voice really shines through on the song, but its lacking in that Amber doesn't rap more than one line. Her rapping would have helped the song stand out more, instead it falls somewhat flat since she doesn't get a singing part the way the other girls do.

After that is the song Sweet Witches. This very upbeat tone doesn't do much to lift your spirits and the opening synth beat just feels way out of place. f(x) carries a very urban pop feel but instead this song delivers a sugary sweet pop feel that just doesn't fit in with their look, much less their vocals. We really could have done without this song.




f(x) is ready to add a little Danger to your life


Third on this album is Dangerous. This song is more upbeat and less edgy then the title would have you believe and the first verses could easily turn you off, but give this song and chance and you'll find yourself singing along and driving around town like a super spy out on a mission. The high pitched singing voices the girls churn out do seem a little off putting at times though. Listen to it a few times, however, and it proves itself to be a good song. Not great, but good.

Fourth is the song Beautiful Goodbye. As one of only two ballads on the song it doesn't quite reach the same emotional heights as Sorry (Dear Daddy) from the first mini album. However, it does a good job of showing off the girls great singing voices and proves that there are kpop groups out there that can sing instead of relying on overly auto tuned song lyrics. Beautiful Goodbye is a soothing rhythm that shows you how good these girls really are when it comes to singing. The combination comes together beautifully on this song.

Gangsta Boy is up next but instead of the edgy tune in the same flavor as Mr. Boogie it is actually a rather stripped down song with a simpler melody then the first song Danger. I wasn't a fan of it at first but after listening to it a couple times I think its a great song although Luna's staple high note seems a bit unnecessary and the cheesy final bridge/verse will make you bust out laughing rather than actually enjoy the song. The ending ruined it a bit for me my taking the sugary sweet tone that is so out of place with the style f(x) portrays.

f(x) is out to win the Love of their fans

The 6th song Love. It may be sweet with a few sprinkles on top but for the first time on this album it actually works out pretty well. It brings back a little bit of the pop feel that f(x) is supposed to have and while it's not the best song I've heard from my girls at f(x), that doesn't mean it isn't worth playing.

Stand Up! falls into the same category as Sweet Witches. It's trying to showcase how cute and pretty the girls are without much success. Its so sweet you can barely stand it. Just skip this one.

Almost to the end of the album we have the funky song My Style to help round out the album. As a reminder of some of their past songs this one is actually a favorite of mine. The verses and chorus are perfect and the girls vocals all make this song a great one. Amber switches things up by rapping entirely in English this time and that gives this one that extra kick it needs to stand out.

As the last ballad on the album you'll find that the song So Into U is one of the best songs off the album. Amber actually gets a chance to sing on this album instead of just showing up to rap a few lines towards the end and then disappearing again. Her part is towards the beginning and will certainly shut up anyone foolish enough to question her singing abilities. Not only can Amber hold a note in tune, but she does it very well. Luna's high note seems thrown in just because she's good at it, but aside from that this is a great song. Not quite at single status but it tries hard to get there.

f(x) is winning performances left and right

Finally we have Lollipop featuring boy band and label mates SHINee. Actually this is the Korean remake of the same song that f(x) did with Chinese group MIC. Much as I love my boys from SHINee Lollipop actually might have been a better song without them. Onew has a great voice and his part is the best part of this song, but the others' just don't quite come together. That said this song is going to be stuck in your head for some time once you listen to it and your finger will keep itching to hit the replay button.

f(x) is a great group that is overflowing with potential, unfortunately this album doesn't do much to prove that. SM Entertainment is known for mixing things up, but they should have stuck with the style that made f(x) popular in the first place.

Overall this album gets a 3.5 out of 5. Pretty good album, but it certainly could have been better.

Artist Spotlight: t.A.T.u

Two girls, dozens of hit songs, plenty of controversy and the undeniable title as the biggest Russian band EVER. We can only be talking about the electronica pop group t.A.T.u.

This is Russian Pop

The duo came together in 1999 after their producer Ivan Shapovalov and his associate Alexander Voitinskyi held auditions in Moscow to form a new Russian musical group. Both Lena Katina and Yulia Volkova stood out, but ultimately Lena was the one chosen. After some demos were made, however, the decision was made to bring 14-year-old Yulia back on board and the name t.A.T.u was chosen. It was written in such a way so as to distinguish it from an Australian band of the same name.

In the year 2000 the girls completed their first single Ya Soshla Uma, which means "I've Lost My Mind"; later it was released in English as All The Things She Said. On May 21, 2001 their first full length album 200 Po Vstrechony was released followed by Nas Ne Dagoniat and 30 Minut as the second and third singles respectively. The English version of the album was released in 2002 under the name 200 km/h in the Wrong Lane. All the Things She Said and Not Gonna Get Us were the two singles released off this album along with 30 Minutes.

Beautiful and Dangerous

A DVD compilation of t.A.T.u's music videos and more entitled Screaming For More was released in November 2003. The documentary Anatomy of t.A.T.u aired on Russian TV the next month and revealed that, despite the image and controversy, Yulia and Lena were not lesbians. Early in 2004 both girls broke ties with their producer Ivan Shapovalov saying that he was more interested in creating scandals then focusing on their music.

In 2004 the girls went back to the studio backed by their label Universal Music International to record their second English and Russian albums. All About Us and Lyudi Invalidy were to be the first singles from each record. Dangerous and Moving was released in October 2004 with the Russian counterpart Lyudi Invalidy following a few days later.

Add some music and few sparks for one amazing combination

Late 2007 the single Beliy Plaschik was released followed a couple months later by 220 in May 2008. Both were highly favored songs and were supposed to released on a special EP, but the EP was delayed and then canceled due to Yulia becoming seriously ill. The third single You And I was released and then the full length album entitled Vesyolye Ulybki/Happy Smiles was finally released in October 2008 and the songs were also made available on itunes.

A statement released in May 2009 stated that t.A.T.u would no longer be a full time project and both girls were working on solo projects. Although the singles and videos for Snegopady (RU), Snowfalls (EN), White Robe (the English counterpart to Beliy Plaschik), and Sparks (the English counterpart to 220) the band was officially announced as disbanded in 2011.

Both Yulia and Lena are now pursuing solo careers as they have wanted to do for some time. A double remix album was released at the end of March 2011 and is also available on itunes, but there are no definite plans for t.A.T.u to reform any time soon if at all.

It has been 12 years of music and still fans old and new continue to discover the amazing Russian group known as t.A.T.u. They are unquestionably the most popular Russian group there has ever been and they look to be the most popular and best selling band there ever will be.

While t.A.T.u is over Yulia and Lena most certainly are not. Here's to more great songs and more years of great music in the months to come.

New Blood: f(x) is Back!

When they first appeared on the music scene known as Korean pop it would have been easy to dismiss them as just another girl group.

After all "k-pop", as it is more commonly known, is a heavily saturated market filled with boy and girl groups singing their hearts out and dancing to slick electronic beats in front of their fans. Some are better than others and there seems to be a new group practically every month.

Then came f(x) with their debut video LA chA TA.


f(x) is ready to take the Korean pop scene with a vengeance! 

Sure they had the looks, but they clearly had the dance moves as well as the vocals to back up their wonderfully executed video and music. These were not overly auto-tuned notes that so many more established groups were using.

The one thing that really caught people's attention was... the boy dancing in the background? Wait a minute here!



This is no ordinary girl group

Second glance shows never to judge a book by its cover. That's no boy dancing there in the background. It was none other then the tomboy known as Amber. This girl wasn't just a singer... she was a rapper and a darn good one at that as this video of her freestyling shows.

Now these girls really had something really special. It's not every day you see a girl group with a rapper in it after all. Much less one as good as her.

Alone they would have been successful, but look at any f(x) music video and you'll see dozens if not hundreds of comments about Amber.

Clearly more handsome then beautiful and certainly more boyish then the other girls, Amber makes up a significant part of why this group is so successful. Not only does she stand out, but she also fits in with the other girls and they all work together to form a group that certainly deserves all the attention they have received since their debut in September 2009.

Their second single was the song Chu and helped show off their unique style and cohesion as a group. They were certainly on the right track and they also did a cover of SNSD's song Chocolate Love which doubled as a promo for a cell phone.

Finally there came the song NU ABO. The title implied "new blood" since ABO refers to the various blood types. Combined with the lyrics the song was meant to signify that f(x) was here to put some new blood into the k-pop industry and this single was by far the most stylish and captivating beat yet.

When you first watch it and hear the song its very different from other k-pop songs and you can't help but watch it through to the end. All of the girls shine through in this video and with nearly 4 million views on YouTube it's certainly doing pretty well.

It is the first video listed when you search for their name on YouTube and this video really helps to highlight the girls singing, dancing, Amber's rapping and the fact that they really are infusing the saturated k-pop industry with a fresh sound and different look.

But things took a sour turn when Amber hurt her ankle during a performance and went back home to the USA so she could recover and regain strength. These things happen and no one would have thought much of it... except that it took so long for news of her recover and return to the group to come that fans started to worry.


Is f(x) even complete as a group without Amber?

Worry soon turned to irritation and then to outright outrage. Amber's fans demanded to know where she was and what had happened to her. It shouldn't take months for a sprained ankle to heal should it?

The fact that their label SM Entertainment put out videos showing the other four girls, minus Amber, did nothing to reassure them. Weeks turned into months and then nearly a year as news trickled out at a maddeningly slow pace. Even after it was announced and confirmed that Amber would be returning there were few pictures or videos of her aside from a promo shoot for K-Swiss.

http://www.allkpop.com/ even put out an "Amber Alert" article about the situation that highlighted everything f(x) fans were currently agonizing over.

SM Entertainment finally squashed the rumors once and for all when all five members were featured in the latest edition of Maire Claire magazine. Classier then ever and a bit more mature they looked ready to take on the music world once again and a new album is set to debut sometime this spring or summer.



It's a new year with new looks, but f(x) is the same group as before.

Finally fans were assured that their favorite rapping tomboy was still in the group and that all the girls were sticking together. It's hard to make a splash in the k-pop industry considering how many pop groups their are. Yet the claim f(x) made of infusing some "new blood" into the music industry wasn't just proud boasting after all.

These girls have got talent and it only took one of them to cause an outrage of massive proportions among fans.

All of f(x)'s fans eagerly await their new music and keep our their group title in mind as well. That (x) is a variable. It represents the different talents of each girl and the way their sound may vary in the future, but no matter what happens their fans will stick by them with a tenacity unseen with any other group.

The first mini album by f(x) is currently available on itunes.

Artist Spotlight: Seven Symphonies With Apocalyptica

Some of you may have heard of them, but chances are some of you have not. That is why I'm here to tell you about the cello rock sensation know as Apocalyptica. That's right... cello rock.

Apocalyptica is taking over the world one concert at a time

It's understandable that a person could hear the opening rifts to a song like Distraction or Misconstruction, both off their recent self-titled album, and mistake those amazing rock beats as guitars instead of cellos.

It is high time a group like this came along and changed our opinions of what is possible with different instrument and with music in general. In my opinion I think it's great that there are groups and artists willing to think out of the box and try styles of music that other people may never have considered before.

Apocalyptica, Nightwish, Within Temptation, Kamelot, Epica, Tarja (solo artist and formerly the vocalist for Nightwish) are only a few such groups who have fused different instruments and genres into a more streamlined modern sound that we know and love to call symphonic rock or symphonic metal. Its different, beautiful, and unlike anything else mainstream today.

Current lineup from left to right: Mikko Sirén/drums, Eicca Toppinen/cello, Perttu Kivilaakso/cello, Paavo Lötjönen/cello

The band itself, though, is composed of classically trained cellists and in 2003 drummer Mikko Sirén was made an official part of the band. Classical music is often looked down upon by the younger generation and a group like Apocalyptica helps bring this genre back to the fore and helps foster an interest in it. Or at the very least it helps generate a deeper respect for this kind of music.

Featuring a slightly different lineup, Apocalyptica got their start by doing Metallica covers at Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, Finland. Not long after they then released their first album Plays Metallica by Four Cellos.

Their next album Inquisition featured cover songs by Metallica, Faith No More, Pantera, and Sepultra and is rounded out by three originals by band leader Eicca Toppinen. Following are albums containing mostly original pieces along with a variety of guest singers.

Press shoot for their video End of Me released in July. It features Gavin Rossdale  (third from left)

End of Me is the latest single and comes off their new album 7th Symphony. Gavin Rossdale is only one of the guest appearances on the album and he is better known for being the vocalist for British alternative rock band Bush.

Apocalyptica has been going strong since 1993 and shows no sign of slowing down anytime soon. They are currently on tour with Japanese metal group Dir En Gray and still have shows scheduled across America in various states. You can check the official website to see if there is a concert near you.

Their new album 7th Symphony comes out today in the United States and can be purchased off iTunes. Buy the deluxe album off iTunes and it will come with 13 songs and 6 live performance videos as well.

7th Symphony is certain to please old and new fans alike as well as provide the unmistakable sound that is undeniably rock but is also subtly fused with classical undertones. This is Apocalyptica and we wouldn't want them any other way.

Stick Them in a Room and See What Happens

You know it's always interesting when two totally different bands or singers get together and just hang out, or if they happen to meet each other backstage at a show.

Learning about which fellow song artists and bands they admire in turn is also interesting because it gives you a better look into their lives. It helps you appreciate them more and see them as people, not just icons standing up on a stage somewhere.

So what would happen if you stuck a couple song artists like Justin Bieber, Adam Lambert, and the group Boys Like Girls in a room together? Apparently they will gather out in the hallway and practice their "gangsta" handshakes.

No joke.

Don't believe me? Well I don't blame you. If you must have proof however, then just check out the YouTube video I saw yesterday yesterday. They were all participating in Jingle Ball for the radio station KDWB. The whole thing is hilarious by way of its sheer randomness.

Then we have Tennessee born Miley Cyrus the former Hannah Montana star and still raging pre-teen sensation regardless of whether you like her or not. On the other side Tokio Hotel. Four guys from Germany who were nominated for Best New Artist at the 2008 Video Music Awards. They still carried admittedly thick (but very cute) accents and have quickly and officially become the biggest German band ever.

Stick them all together and what happens? A rather interesting Rock Band 2 session with drummer Gustav Schafer on the....um... drums and singer Bill Kaulitz on the guitar. Meanwhile, Miley Cyrus belted out Livin on a Prayer by Bon Jovi while Georg Listing and Tom Kaulitz stood off to the side looking decidedly amused as she bounced around.

You can watch the video here on YouTube of course.

This was backstage at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards so it was only a few seconds before host Russel Brand came, chewed her out as well as chastising her for "leading them astray" them being the guys of Tokio Hotel of course. The video ends as she prepares to introduce P!nk.

Next we have the Jonas Brothers. I'm not exactly a fan of their music and never will be, but I did happen across a short interview clip where they explain who they would like to go on tour with.

Now who could that be? None other then Tokio Hotel. Just check out the interview and see for yourself. Apparently its a dream of theirs. Not exactly sure TH fans would appreciate the overture but I'm not here to settle wars I'm just stating the facts.

Of course there are the fan videos too. One is Rhianna offering her "Umbrella" to Bill so that he can make it through the "Monsoon".

Get it?

You know because she made that song Umbrella and Tokio Hotel did Monsoon....

Never mind. Moving on.

The point is that it is always interesting to see music artists interacting with each other. Besides collaborations and duets I mean. It is these random moments that allow us to see what our favorite artists are really like when their able to relax and just be themselves.

My favorites being Adam Lambert and Tokio Hotel of course. I know you'll get a kick out of the first video at least so be sure to check it and the others out too!