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 Releases of the Year Part 2

This is a year of some big releases in the music world and this is a follow up to the last post.

While 2011 may be a year of comebacks and music releases it has also been one marked by drama. Case in point being Paramore who lost two of its members.


We are (still) a band!

While Hayley Williams, Jeremy Davis, and Taylor York handled the matter with calm and kind professionalism, brothers Josh and Zac took a less savory route and slammed their former band with numerous accusations. The remaining three members addressed and confirmed some of these issues in an interview with MTV.

Paramore fans, however, were not swayed and have loudly proclaimed that they (still) love their band. Now that the tour is over the band is back in the studio working on their next album and will be recording a batch of songs this summer. The next full length album is set to be released later this year or in 2012 and fans of Paramore will be there every step of the way to support their band.

Another band marked by the loss of a few band members is Evanescence.



Never listen to rumors.


Amy Lee is the only original member still with the band and there has been a total of 10 musicians so far since the group released its first album Fallen in 2003. Rumors of Amy Lee being an "iron fisted" diva started to swirl after the messy departure of Ben Moody in 2003 followed by drummer Rocky Gray and guitarist John LeComp in 2007.

After The Open Door which was released in 2006 and sold 5 million albums the problems started again as Amy Lee reported in Spin Magazine. She had done a lot of writing without the band while producer Steve Lillywhite had them working on some experimental songs with more of an electro lean to them. The sessions were stopped, but music will find a way. Amy Lee and the new members moved in together and started re-working her songs and also creating some new material as well. Now functioning as a real band things started to come together and now Evanescence is back in the studio this April and is looking to release their new album sometime this year.

A band with less drama but certainly not less talent is the Black Veil Brides.

Rock and roll is back to Set The World on Fire!


After releasing their first independent album We Stitch These Wounds on July 20th 2010 the glam rock band has skyrocketed in popularity due entirely to their devoted fans the BVB Army. Now well into the AP Tour they have, or have almost, completed their next album entitled Set The World on Fire. The title track for this album was chosen by popular demand to be in the movie Scream 4 which is now in theatres. However, the first single off this album Fallen Angels will be released soon with the full length CD coming out in this summer on June 14th.

This is a great year for old pros and new faces. Whether you like pop, rock, or metal. English, Korean, or Japanese the language of music is universal and this year is shaping up to be one for the record books.

New Releases of the Year Part 1

It would seem that this is the year of the music. Tons of artists around the world either have or are preparing to release new songs, singles, or full length albums. From the United States all the way over to South Korea the music charts are being dominated by talented young stars.

First up is Lady Gaga.


Lady Gaga is the new Queen of Pop


Her real name is Stefani Germanotta, but now legions of "Little Monsters" know her as Lady Gaga, or just Gaga as she prefers to be called. After joining Streamline Records and writing songs for fellow label artists, she was signed to Akon's label Kon Live Distribution. It was in 2008 that Lady Gaga released a record her own titled The Fame and emerged on the scene with her first smash hit Just Dance. The rest as they say is history.

Following up with The Fame Monster in 2009, Gaga then went on another worldwide tour. When it finishes up this May it will have run for over one and a half years. Now we have the latest single of her new album called Born This Way which sold 1 million copies in just 5 days making it the fastest selling single in iTunes history. Today her fans were surprised with an early release of the next single Judas and Gaga's next full length album is scheduled for a May 23rd release.

Continuing the pop line up is are some girls that have shown us all what it really means to be a fan. Naturally we're talking about fans of the Korean girl group f(x) who nearly started a revolution when one of the members, Amber, disappeared off the radar due to a sprained ankle.



These five girls are gonna rock the kpop scene all over again!

After months of agonizing wait, fans around the world will finally get the comeback they have been dying for. While a teaser video for their new single Danger has been released the full video will be posted to the official SM Entertainment YouTube page on April 18th followed by the album release on April 20th.

The alternating rapping style of Amber combined with the sweet pop vocals of the other girls Luna, Krystal, Sulli, and Victoria provides a unique twist on the all too familiar girl group that idea that is currently overflowing in the Korean pop market.

Already the teaser is generating tons of interest and fans are more excited then ever to see their girls back in action with the same strong pop sound and fashion sense that made them popular in the first place. If fan dedication and parodies are anything to go by then the girls of f(x) are on their way to even greater stardom and popularity.

Now lets move on to Japan.

Electropop rock doesn't come in any flavor other then LM.C

Another upcoming single release is by the Japanese visual kei group known as LM.C. Playing a mix of rock and electronic pop, all you have to do is listen to any of their songs to see just what it is that sets them apart from all the other bands. Its hard to define their style exactly but Maya and Aiji, the main part of the group, have labeled themselves New Century Electrorock

After posting the video for Super Duper Galaxy to their Facebook page for several days the video was taken down leaving fans eager to get their hands on the new song. Originally set for a March 30th release, the next single Super Duper Galaxy was pushed back to May 18th after the massive earthquake in Japan.

This is just a small sample of some groups that are releasing music this year. We have plenty more bands to cover so look for Part 2 and possibly a Part 3 coming this weekend.

The New Face of Rock and Roll: Black Veil Brides

They have legions of fans who call themselves the BVB Army. They have raging guitars that will leave your jaws on the floor and drum beats that will rattle your windows. They have song lyrics that will lift you up and have you singing along at the top of your voice.

And they have looks and hair that put Kiss themselves to shame.

The Black Veil Brides are the true face of rock and roll.

But are they really the next Motley Crue? The next Kiss even? No.

They're even better.

That's what singer Andy Six is aiming for as part of the band Black Veil Brides. As he said in an interview with Billboard they are a "larger-than-life image" and no one will deny that this theatrical presentation is sure to capture attention. In fact it already has.

Their album We Stitch These Wounds debuted on the Billboard Top 200 at #36 overall followed by a #10 spot on the Rock Albums chart, #1 for Independent Albums, and finally #3 for Hard Rock Albums on August 7, 2010.

The first single off their debut album We Stitch These Wounds is called Perfect Weapon and is a follow up to their song Knives and Pens which was written earlier and with a different band lineup.

After some changes though, the Black Veil Brides were ready to take the world by storm and what a storm it has been!


Suit up in your leather and war paint boys and girls. BVB is here to ROCK!

Metal, metal core, glam, goth, rock it doesn't matter what you call them or what genre you want to place them in. Black Veil Brides is more concerned with the music and the powerful message of acceptance and standing up for yourself that you gain from it.

If they've spent months honing their look then they've spent years perfecting their music. The deep vocals of Andy Six followed by his screaming passion is something that must be heard to believe.

The legions of people that turn out to their concerts didn't just show up overnight though and its thanks to the major investments in live shows, social networking, and autograph sessions that they have become so hugely popular in a rather short period of time. Before and/or after each concert they take the time to hang out and talk with their fans. Taking pictures, giving out hugs, signing autographs and more is just part of the territory for this band and they love every minute of it.

While their drummer, Sandra Alvarenga, may have left and joined the band Modern Day Escape that isn't going to slow down the Black Veil Brides any. At the moment their girl Sandra is playing like the Goddess of Rock that she is for MDE and gearing up for a new album. Meanwhile, the guys of BVB have a new drummer by the name of Christian Coma or just "CC" and a new album in the works for themselves as well. 



Line up left to right: Jinxx, Christian "CC" Coma, Andy Six, Jake Pitts, Ashley Purdy

 
A vision, a mission, and song lyrics that will stay stuck in your head for days. This band has put a lot of thought into their image and music and its certainly paying off. After touring around the USA they made their way to Europe and then even to Japan before a massive 9.0 earthquake put an unfortunate halt to their plans.

But even that couldn't stop them from playing their hearts out for the 40 or so brave souls who came out that very night to see them perform in Tokyo, Japan. Bass player Ashley Purdy even had an interview with the Huffington Post about the experience which you can read right here.


The very night of the Japan earthquake BVB is still ready to play!

Whether they are meeting with fans, putting on an unforgettable concert, doing interviews or just playing a couple songs like Heaven's Calling, We Stitch These Wounds, or Perfect Weapon they are always available to their fans that that is a key ingredient to their booming popularity among both male and female teenagers and young adults.

Raging, roaring metal songs or a softer ballad like The Mortician's Daughter there is bound to be a song by the Black Veil Brides that you will enjoy.

Andy Six in the studio

With plenty more tour dates to come this year and a new album this summer there is plenty to keep fans excited and hungering for more of their favorite glam band. Their fans are truly an army set on propelling their guys straight to the top of the charts and to rock and roll infamy.

So download their songs off itunes or buy the album from Hot Topic because these guys are going to be around for a long time to come and you're going to want to be there for every pulse pounding second of it.

Concert Experience: Apocalyptica Live at the House of Blues Orlando

Sore feet, ringing ears, and 4 1/2 hours later. It was March 5, 2011 when I left the House of Blues at Downtown Disney in Orlando, Florida feeling as if I had just experienced the best night of my life. Looking back now it's entirely possible I did.


Apocalyptica is here to rock and roll!

I'm talking of course about the concert I went to. Last year when they put their concert dates up it didn't take long for me to grab myself some tickets to their show locally. It was scheduled for November and would be my first concert ever.

Unfortunately it and many other tour dates here in the United States had to be rescheduled due to Perttu falling ill.


Perttu is back!

Thankfully I opted not to go for the refund, since there was no telling when they would be able to get back and tour again in the United States and it was a decision I'll never regret.

We got there to the venue with plenty of time to spare and I made sure to buy a hat and t-shirt at the gift shop in order to qualify for the Pass the Line option offered at some House of Blues concerts.

It still meant more standing around as the doors opened at 8pm instead of 7:30pm as stated on the tickets and website. It wasn't bad though. All one had to think about was the awesome show that was to come.

Rather then stand on the floor and risk not seeing a thing due to some tall patron who would assuredly stand in front of me, I opted for a place at the top of the stairs. Doing so ensured me one of the best views in the house and put me a foot or two about everybody else. Of course unless your a shorter person there is really no "bad" spot to stand at the House of Blues Orlando. Wherever you go or stand it's practically impossible to miss the stage and the railing is a great place to lean up against if you aren't fast enough to grab one of the few (very few) seats dotting the area.



A perfect sheen to accompany a perfect sound

Opening up for Apocalyptica was a band by the name of Stained Angel who had great music and great energy to get the crowd going. I even heard a couple people singing along. The real show, however, was reserved for the four guys we had been waiting months to see.

Apocalyptica.

They opened with a bang and the roar of the crowd nearly drowned out music coming from the massive speakers and amps. Eicca greeted the crowd and asked who had bought their latest album 7th Symphony. A good number of people screamed loudly to show that they had indeed purchased it.

Eicca then proceeded to chastise everyone who hadn't which made everyone laugh. By the way I'm pleased to say I bought mine the day it came out.
Turns out Paavo was the one sick this time around with a cold, but that certainly didn't stop him from rocking harder than anyone else. Aside from Eicca and his epic cello headbanging that is.

They played pretty much all of their songs from the current 7th Symphony album with a few surprises thrown in such as a Master of Puppets a Metallica cover, I'm Not Jesus, and Hall of the Mountain King as their closing song. Tipe Johnson did all the singing and can honestly say that his voice was even better than I had initially expected. His voice was the perfect accompaniment to the amazing cello playing and hard drum beats.

Mikko can drum but he can also... strum the cello?

My favorite moment of the entire night came when Mikko disappeared off stage and then came back holding a cello of his own. Rather than sitting off to the side he joined in and played the song Beautiful with the rest of the band and the crowd stayed quiet until they finished, after which they roared with pleasure and me right along with them.

The cello playing was perfect. The singing by Tipe Johnson was wonderful. We had the privilege of seeing Mikko play the drums and the cello. Eicca started headbanging like it was his last day on earth.

You could even get drinks from the bar and food from the counter if you started getting hungry during the performance. Thankfully despite the copious amounts of beer floating by me in plastic cups and as people walked from the floor to the bar, I never had my toes stepped on or my shirt ruined by a cup tipped to far my way.

Really what more do you need from a concert?

Hall of the Mountain King was the closing song and after a long roar of approval from the crowd Mikko threw his drumsticks to the crowd and all the guys bowed before exiting stage left.

Unfortunately I couldn't stick around to wait for the guys to come back out and maybe take a few pictures with their fans, but that can always happen the next time their in town right?

So if Apocalyptica comes to your city, town, village, or hovel then you must see them live. Failing to do so is practically a criminal offense.

Album View: Humanoid City LIVE by Tokio Hotel

This time I thought I would do something just a little different and give an album view for the German pop/rock sensation known around the world as Tokio Hotel.

Notice that is album VIEW and not an album REVIEW. There are 19 songs here and not enough blog space to contain my enthusiasm for each one. So I'll just give an overview of the whole thing. Ready?

They are officially the biggest German band ever and they have released several studio albums so far: Schrei, Schrei--so laut du kannst and Zimmer 483 are all in German. The next album Scream is in English and was released outside of the United States as Room 483. Their recent album Humanoid was released in both German and English.

On July 20th however eager fans were finally able to get their hands on the latest release by their favorite German sensation. Humanoid City LIVE, as the title suggests, is a live album that was recorded during the band's concert in Milan, Italy. Anyone who thinks today's song artists can't sing and just have voices that are like nails on a chalk board have evidently never heard Bill Kaulitz sing live. Now you can simply download this album from iTunes or whichever site you prefer, but the actual CD comes packaged with a special DVD showing the entire concert.

It features a special Tokio Hotel TV episode showing what it takes to prepare that massive stage and special display.

Are you ready for an incomparable LIVE experience?

The CD + DVD combo pack is a must have for any fan of this band, for a person who's decided to take a look at the band for the first time, or someone wanting to see some of their new music. The song list is as follows:

1. Noise
2. Human Connect to Human
3. Break Away
4. Pain of Love
5. World Behind My Wall
6. Hey You
7. Alien
8. Ready, Set, Go!
9. Humanoid (German version)
10. Phantomrider
11. Dogs Unleashed
12. Love & Death
13. In Your Shadow I Can Shine
14. Automatic
15. Screamin'
16. Darkside of the Sun
17. Zoom Into Me
18. Monsoon
19. Forever Now

Some songs such as Pain of Love are rearranged slightly and others such as Humanoid are completely changed and done in a more acoustic style. Most of them, however, are the same as fans remember.

This album and DVD gives you a real feel for what it would be like to be in such a massive crowd listening to Tokio Hotel play their hearts out. The cheering and screaming of the fans, the pauses as singer Bill Kaulitz holds up the microphone to let the crowd sing along with him, even Bill thanking all of the fans and then asking them to shut off their camera's and cell phones (excuse me that's "mobile phones" as he says it) and just enjoy the next song as they get ready to perform Phantomrider. Even the flash of fire at the end of Darkside of the Sun although you might not realize what it is until you see the DVD.

It also helps you appreciate just how loud concerts can be. Don't forget to protect your ears everyone! Especially if you are close to the stage!

I was actually wondering how well Bill would do on some of those high notes and falsetto's such as in the chorus of Automatic, but he pulls them all off flawlessly and admirably. Now Bill's voice might sound a bit restrained on some parts of different songs and it certainly does to me at times; kind of like he's not singing as loud or as hard as he could be. That's just might impression and it could be completely wrong.

If it's true then you can't really blame him. He's only 20 years old and he has already had surgery to remove a cyst on his vocal cords once because of constant inflammation and the rigorous schedule they were on. However, even if he is holding back just a tiny bit he still has an astounding voice that few others can compete with. These guys are taking a break after their European tour but they still have a lot of concerts afterwards so its good to see them going on vacation no matter how short that may be.

Let's get back to the album though. Noise has a noticeably longer intro and is the perfect song to open the concert. It easily gets the crowd pumped up and excited for what is to come it has. Slightly older favorites such as Break Away and Ready, Set, Go! off their album Scream are included as well and help you appreciate just how far these four Germans have come since then.

The lyrics to World Behind My Wall are filled with depth and emotion while Dogs Unleashed, actually written about Bill and Tom's own pet dogs, is a great track and helps show the love they have for all animals. So much so that the twins have turned vegetarian and all the outfits that you see Bill wearing during the concert on the DVD are made from fake leather.

Next up you have a powerful beat and lyrics that no one can resist. Yes, I'm talking about Darkside of the Sun with Sonnensystem being its German counterpart. This is my favorite song off the recent Humanoid album besides World Behind My Wall and I was so happy that they made it their latest single as you can see by this video here.

A song I really looked forward to listening to is In Your Shadow I Can Shine. This song was only available when you purchased the Humanoid (English) CD from Hot Topic stores. If you are like me and did not get one of those CD's then this is your chance to hear it in all its glory. This is a beautiful song and Bill's vocal are soft, sweet, powerful, and touching. This is a song right up there with World Behind My Wall and it really helps highlight their song writing skills. People can say what they want about these, but listen to these lyrics and there is no denying that every song Tokio Hotel performs has meaning and depth to the lyrics and words.

Closing out the Humanoid City LIVE album is Forever Now and is the perfect song to close the concert just as Noise was the perfect song to open. Bill sings like never before and thanks the crowd and the fans for coming out before jumping right back into the song again. One verse says that "I will never let you down" and we can all be sure that Tokio Hotel will continue to put out great music and put on amazing, heart stopping, tear jerking performances for all of us.

All of this doesn't accurately describe just how good this LIVE album is however. I've never been one for LIVE CD's or tracks, but this one has certainly turned my opinion around.

So what's my favorite song? Well, I can't name a single one, but rather In Your Shadow I Can Shine, Darkside of The Sun, Pain of Love, and Forever Now really stand out to me and are my personal preferences.

For die hard fans such as myself there is no question as to whether or not you are getting this album. However, if you've only seen or heard of Tokio Hotel in passing then this is certainly the place to start if your looking to get your feet wet. If you weren't thrilled by their previous music (although I can't imagine why you wouldn't be) then you'll most certainly be impressed by the different and more electronic/rock sound that most of these new songs offer.

Humanoid City LIVE is the album and you can find it in stores around the world. So if Tokio Hotel comes to a city near you then buy yourself a ticket to the show because it is one band and one sound that you will most certainly never forget.

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!