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Old 2007.09.17, 05:30 PM   #1
Tokyo Jihad
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Default [ELE-CRITIQUE MOLE FORUMS] Music reviews.

Reviews written by:

EmilScherbe:
Kinniku Shoujotai - Shinjin

Tokyo Jihad:
Feist - The Reminder
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Is Is

---------------------------------
Whether you've noticed or not, I like to air my opinion on certain works. And not because I enjoy "shitting on parades," as I'm in the field of making "artistic" works too and wouldn't want my stuff to be shat on for the sake of shitting. However, as being in the field I also think its critical to analyse other works. Find the good (cuz theres always something good,) find the bad (cuz theres also always something bad,) decipher then, find out what works, what balances, what offsets what. And most importantly, why?

So I thought it would be a good idea to have a sort of directory where-in we all get to pretend to be Roger Ebert (or one Tokyo Jihad ) and critique works that we wish to critique. So the plan is, you post a review, I edit this OP and link it to your post for easy access (organized by poster.) And of course, discussion of reviews is also greatly encouraged as well. (It'd be nice if you put your discussion and reviews in seperate posts, but its not totally necessary.) Even if no one ever adds to this but me, I think its better than having it hidden in the "Currently Listening/Watching" threads. They don't have to be very topical or current. If it took you 40 years to get to The Wall and you want to say how overrated it is: go ahead!

Of course the caveat being, keep the Shiina related stuff to their respective sections/threads. Also, if you review an album from a japanese artist (or language with non-roman characters,) please be nice and provide the roman spelling too, Mugg.

So lets get this train-wreck a-rolling!
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Old 2007.09.17, 05:32 PM   #2
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Default Feist - The Reminder


Feist - The Reminder

Feist is a act whose bandwagon I was always meaning to jump on, but something always came up (ooh, The Eames Era are pretty good! Or Snaps! The Cardigans got a new album!?) I had in my procession The Broken Social Scenes “You Lose it in People” back in the day but never gave it a single spin and gave it off to a friend. Had I known it would have some vocals by Feist I might have not let it gather dust. Then when I was DJing, Feist was often a pick of mine – yet I’d always forget to look her up when I left the studio.

Now I’ve had a whirlwind love-affair with The Reminder the past 2-3 days. It seems to be receiving much critical acclaim, and I agree. Feist is of the folk-fusion ilk (Feist being most relatable to Cat Power, but including other noteworthy acts like Jenny Lewis on the more country realm, and my girl Beth Orton on the more electronique end of the spectrum.) The Reminder is the first album of this circle (that’s not Beth’s first two records) that can stand up to more mainstream, rough-and-tumble, music.

Now, lets get to “The Two Towers” of this album. They’re extremely apparent, and if you own a tv, you’ve heard at least the intros to both songs, “My Moon My Man” and “1234.” Moon is probly the more “EMF” song. Its smooth, yet bombastic; controlled in its wild spin. She sings it sultry and silky while the music behind brings the balls. Plus, its immediately stuck within you on the first listen. Howevva, my choice track on the album is “1234.” I know I constantly repeat that the 00-decade is horrendous for music, but that shouldn’t undercut my saying that this will (or at least should) go down as one of the best songs of the decade. Of course, when the headlines are “50 cent v. Kanye West” it’s unlikely it will get the dap it deserves. Someone in Whisper’s “What song reminds you…” thread labeled this song as a happy song. While that’s certainly apt, I think theres a bit more to it than happy. Its an uplifting song. Anyone who knows me knows I strive to not be so “high-falutin’” in my critique, but I think the guitar intro, with the banjo outro is very poignant and sums it all up perfectly –I’ll leave it at that. While I certainly wouldn’t think less of anyone favoring Moon to 1234, I think the latter has a certain timelessness to it. One that’s as fun to sing-song-along ala “All You Need is Love” or similar.

Now, I often wonder if an artist grows a bit weary when they realize that they have one or 2 monster tracks, and a handful or mortal tracks. –Not to say the rest of the album is a bust. Far from it! “I Feel it All” is a track that I was immediately comfortable with. Not particularly “mind expanding” but its got a hearty beat and rolls the way it ought. “Past in Present” and “The Limit to your Love” also easy to access for almost all.

And then we reach the point where we separate the great folk(-fusion) acts and albums from the middling: the stripped down and slower-tempo’d songs. The true crux of the genre. To me it always amazes me how often a songwriter falls in love with acoustic notes and possibly insightful vocals, but completely forgets to make a song with them. Maybe they take way too damn long to “get to the point” – or entirely forget and we all wind up with an incredibly boring time. Cat Power is a horrendous offender of this and I wouldn’t even bother speaking of her if the good songs she has weren’t so amazing. So after immediately likening her to Feist, I was immediately most interested to see if Feist would fall into the same trap.

The album starts off with exactly the typage of song, “So Sorry.” Upon my listen, I had my finger hovering over the skip button. The thought was in my mind, but the song just was not letting me commit to the act. This song passed the test! How does the rest fair? It seems the album becomes “spent” after each single and drops into at least two down-tempo songs. Proceeding Moon is “The Park” and “The Water.” The Park I think establishes its own beauty, melody, and niceness. Howevva, The Water sorta drowns. The trio following 1234 aren’t as clean cut. “Brandy Alexander” has its own merits, but dare I say too repetitive. “Intuition” and “Honey Honey” also seem to not strike much out of their skins, though inoffensive.

Sea Lion Woman” being a cover of a song from Veruca Salt’s better half, Nina Gordon, I’m a bit on the fence about. This is one of those instances where the good and bad balance so evenly against each other. On the one hand, the guitars are slick. On the other, the chanting is hokey. Oh, decisions! The finale, “How my Heart Behaves” is killer as well and is probly the second best song on the latter half of the album.

So, as in even great albums, there’s some pitfalls, some high peaks (including a song for the ages) but it’s the balancing act between them, between album cohesion and gut instinct that matters, and I think The Reminder is one that leaves you sterling.



I give it 5,6,9 or 10 out of a 1,2,3,4.
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Last edited by Tokyo Jihad : 2007.09.18 at 05:52 AM.
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Old 2007.09.17, 05:36 PM   #3
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Default Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Is Is


Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Is Is



Doing my research on this one, none of the tracks are ‘new’ in the “made after one of 2006’s best records, Show Your Bones” sense, but in the “nevar before in studio” sense. So that’s good enough for me. Upon my first listening I remarked, “its like a compromise between Fever to Tell and Show your Bones.” Many times when you see an artist take a large departure from their previous record, you see them head for middle ground in the proceeding release (not that I’m really a fan, but a classic example of this would be Marilyn Manson’s Antichrist Superstar, Mechanical Animals, Holy Wood “progression”) So I assumed that’s what was going on with the YYYs, so learning its older material actually makes less sense to me in a curious way. But of course, it does at the same time.

Rockers to Swallow” is certainly the YYYs as you knew them in their debut. Howevva, I wasn’t such a great fan of the songs typical of that album. The rest of the tracks all seem to generally have the fever of Fever, but the shine of Bones. There’s not a real loser amongst the remaining tracks of this EP. The band promoted this disc by playing “Down Boy” on Letterman, my personal pick would have been “Kiss Kiss,” but to each their own I suppose.

If you weren’t a fan of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs by means of their debut ep or album, or their (in my opinion) vastly superior follow-up record, there’s really nothing here that will sway you. It’s fairly predictable. Howevva, if you’re a fan, theres no reason not to be listening to this right now.



I deem it a "Yeah Yeah Y" out of a possible "Yeah Yeah Yeahs"
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Old 2007.09.17, 05:51 PM   #4
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Nice thread! I'll be posting a review soon
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Old 2007.09.22, 04:14 AM   #5
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Default King-Show - Newcomer

筋肉少女帯* (Kinniku Shoujotai) - 新人 (Shinjin)

I don't want to listen new song, please play old tunes
Shamelessly returns, re-unions of rock band
from Shinjin Band no Theme (Theme of Newcomer Band)

This original album is their 13th and first since 1997.
So this inserted line is somewhat masochistic.

This album has 15 tunes, 4 self-cover and 11 new song.

Start with piano solo by pianist Mishiba Satoshi.
He also plays another piano solo later the album.
2 individual tunes show real status of supposed supports keyboardist.
He was central figure of musicanship in late 80s of this band,
but left band in early 1989.
Old fans have been eager his return since then.

2nd tune is Nakanaori no Teema (Theme of Reconciliation),
"composed" by frontman/vocalist Ohtsuki Kenji.
This melody line was actually appeared at re-union concert in Dec 2006
as his humming like singing and this concert has DVD release.
Lyrics of all songs except 2 piano solo is done by him.
This piece is also single release in same day Sep 5, 2007.

3rd tune is Iwan no Baka, a self cover from their 5th album in 1990.
Composed by lead guitarlist Kitsutaka Fumihiko, a HR/HM man.
This song is one of most popular piece of them.

4th tune is also Kitsutaka's compostition but new song.
Triffid no hi ga kitemo, hutari dake ha ikinuku
(Even the days of Triffids has come, anyone but us would survive together)
Theme from SF novel/movie.

5 and 6th is a actually one song and composed another guitarlist Honjo Toshiaki.
He was good pop song composer in 90s (from '92 to '97).
Sonogo or Tsuzuki (Afterwards or sequel) is about meeting with old friends.

7th is only song which composed by bassist Uchida Yuichiro.
He is original member of the band from the beggining.
Nukenin (A fled ninja) is well,,,, different.

8th is self cover song from Ohtsuki's project in 1998.
Guru is excellent piece suitable for center of album.
you are beautiful even got bloodied

9th tune, Hedoban Hatsudensho (Headbanging Power Plant)
is again Kitsutaka's compostition and typical HR/HM.
The story is ridiculous.
The headbanger are gathered for a girl to be able to read books.
But she later become fearful ruler.

10th tune is Honjo's compostition, his typical hard song.
Mishiyou Hikikaeken (Unused Coupon)
An angel gave a coupon that can exchange anything to love,
but no one can use it.

11th and 12th is story about 16 years old girl bloodthirsty killer called Rosalia.
Koushonin to Rosalia (Negotiater and Rosalia) is composed by Kitsutaka.
Negotiater was also past bloodthirsty killer, he can see himself in her.
Ai wo Uchikorose! (Shoot love dead!) is composed by Honjo.

13th and 14th is self cover from their major debut album in 1988.
Saimei is Mishiba's piano solo.
Mouretu Ataro (Intense Ataro) is Ohtsuki and Mishiba's composition.
Is he charisma because he went mad !?
Is he genius because he cried out !?
Is he god because he is dead !?
Is he living Buddha because he don't anything !?
Children are dancing for that kinds of rock
Intense Ataro, please preach them

Last song is Shinjin Band no Theme (Theme of Newcomer Band)
composed by Honjo.

Overall good album much better than expected from
Shamelessly returns, re-unions of rock band.
They maintains their sound and power of heyday.
And supposed support Mishiba adds even more than 90s lineup.

Old fans like me is satisfied.
Hopefully they can get new fans.


* They used to write their name King-Show in alphabet.
It's just a similar sound of abbreviation of Kinniku Shoujotai.
Unlike Jihen <-> Incidents, completly differnet mean.
Kinniku Shoujotai is literally "Muscle Girls Belt".

Last edited by EmilScherbe : 2008.04.15 at 01:28 PM.
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Old 2007.09.22, 07:44 AM   #6
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Thanx for the mega review Scherbert!
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