togz

It's true! I kinda always say I'm going to post vocal covers then can't decide on songs I want to do. This was a total spur of the moment thing and that's probably why song choice isn't my best. Paramore is just something I knew the lyrics to and could record this really fast. I want to do another song now, though. lol. But I have to brush up on some Japanese lyrics first.
 
Right, with time your voice will grow and stretch. It's just practice. I'm just really out of practice too. lol. Not to make excuses because my voice is still loads better than it was in my early recordings when I was like 21 and 90% of my vocals were 'barking'. 

The funny thing is that... I think this is the first time I have ever heard your voice in the what? 6ish years I've known you? HAS TI BEEN THAT LONG? 2008/2009 right? ANYWAY you have a pretty good tone, I think you're right when you say some parts were a bit high for you, but it doesn't sound bad. Plus I noticed there's songs that I couldn't sing years before but gradually over time as I kept challenging myself my range has grown a bit more. I like this please do more of these.

I don't have any good equipment, but I like to sing stuff sometimes.
 
This was a one-take lo-fi computer recording using youtube karaoke music. lol. But it was fun and if anyone wants to know what I sound like this is as real as it gets. I've always sang punk and metal so if you came looking for a "pretty" voice, you might be a little disappointed. ^^;
 
 
Paramore - Monster
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5tgbWhxdM8
This song is a little high in my range so there's a couple pitch problems in the beginning but it gets better into the second half. 

I wanted to do this so bad... but considering the account I have on last.fm was scrobbled from another computer, and I only recently started using it again after switching from another account... i don't feel it is accurate. and the itunes I have now I have only recently added music to... so my plays aren't really... there at all yet.... so basically if we are going by my last.fm.... all 10 songs are galeyd.... and if we are going by my itunes.... it's the novembers....

lol..... maybe i'll revisit this next year....

 

Just what the world needed. A low-budget indies label for low-budget vocaloid stuff.
 
THE CREAM OF THE CROP.

Bruh let's not bring in private parts like... That's just a hidden rule or something like.... I don't want to know who is like welcome to the jungle or who is like ..... Let's just talk about armpit hair

Sorry to hear so much is going on. Hopefully everything sorts itself out and you can hang out with us again. Take care!

Oh no. I know we probably never spoke... but I saw you around here and there quite a bit. ;___; I hope you are able to do well with your schooling! Best of luck and I'm sure I'm not the only one to say that I look forward to your return.

Artist: JUPITER Single: 氷の中の少女 Score: Bland power metal single take three.
氷の中の少女 is the newest single before their sophomore album THE HISTORY OF GENESIS, which will feature all six songs from their last three singles. While hyped at first because it was going to feature four members of theatrical power metal outfit Versailles, JUPITER has failed to deliver any release - let alone any song - that gives them their identity. I don't follow JUPITER religiously, choosing to check out a release of theirs now and again to see if their sound has changed. Since this, as well as ARCADIA, is indicative of the sound on their upcoming album, it's looking pretty weak right now.
氷の中の少女 is another run of the mill power metal track. It has Hizaki written all over it, and it's clear he's lost his touch. He's always used the same bag of tricks, but it's never felt so familiar and rehashed. The ambitious, grandiose tinge to the tone of the song, as well as the variety and inspiration from different eras of classical music are gone. It's been replaced with a more commercial, accessible, and unoffensive sound. Since it's been this way since the beginning of their career, it's a deliberate attempt to either distance themselves from previous bands or to compensate for Zin's peculiar singing style. Whatever the reason is, it's not working.
On one hand, I shouldn't be comparing this band to previous bands by these members. On the other hand, when all the complexity and camp is stripped from the music this is what's left. A part of me is bothered that four of the most talented musicians in modern visual kei are producing music of this caliber. Teru, Masashi, and Hizaki all have vastly different compositional styles, yet I don't sense a synthesis of their influences anywhere. Zin sings with clarity and control, but has no power or presence. He's at odds with the quick, demanding melody. Hizaki and Teru are more concerned with twin guitar riffing than with the overall direction of the song. The result is a song that while technically demanding, doesn't go anywhere. Those with a preference for guitar will adore this song; for the rest of us it goes in one ear and out the other.
The crucial ingredient of diversity, missing from 氷の中の少女, is present on SACRED ALTER. This sounds like a Teru creation, but I could always be wrong. JUPITER like to switch it up by producing a faux-thrash number, and most of the time it complements the usual bright and cheery affair well. It starts out with a spoken voice section over violin and electronic beat before going into riffs with some groove and body. Even the rhythm section feels invigorated and all the life missing from the first song is here. That's where all the praise ends. Zin can't growl, so he improvises with a combination of an awkward rasp, a falsetto that would make Asagi blush, and poor harsh vocals. He was able to get by on Darkness by just sticking with the rasp, but his need to be diverse does more harm than good. The falsetto in the chorus is the tipping point, as it doesn't harmonize with the sudden change in the melody. Overall, it was an experiment that didn't work so well this time. Jupiter need to either accommodate for Zin or do something else, because this type of music does not suit his voice.
What frustrates me most is that the song with the goofy vocals has all the drive and energy and their actual single feels so dead. 氷の中の少女 has a feel of "been there, done that" and models the previous single ARCADIA in both composition, construction, and mood. It fails to distinguish itself in any way. I must sound like a broken record by now, but there's an insurmountable wall between the band and I. There's a crucial element missing to their music and I can't put my finger on what it is. If we could take the energy from SACRED ALTAR and mold it to complement Zin's singing, we would be cooking with gas. But I don't understand why Hizaki and company decided to go with Zin as a vocalist if they weren't going to make music he could keep up with.
Time is ticking for this band. THE HISTORY OF GENESIS better have some killer tracks that define this band's modus operandi, or they will soon fall into obscurity.

I laughed so much at this.
 
I once tried cold waxing. It was great, all I managed to do was rip off the sheet WITHOUT THE WAX. Last time I'll ever try cold waxing. You can decide for yourself which body part I was trying to wax...

Oh wow. I kinda didn't think anyone was gonna take that seriously. But thanks for all the advice! XD Maybe in December I'll brave it with that bottle of vodka... lol.
Lol "welcome to the jungle" omg haha

Bruh let's not bring in private parts like... That's just a hidden rule or something like.... I don't want to know who is like welcome to the jungle or who is like ..... Let's just talk about armpit hair

Bruh let's not bring in private parts like... That's just a hidden rule or something like.... I don't want to know who is like welcome to the jungle or who is like ..... Let's just talk about armpit hair

no shave november is for a good cause... and tbh... even me... my legs get a little prickly because... bruh I wear jeans all the time... no need to spend the extra 5 minutes in the shower if no one gon be seeing my legs cept me. more like no shave all year (kinda) armpit hair is another story.... especially in the heat... like pls wear a lot of fragrance or something so I don't choke... i'm sorry but BO fer days with hairy pits. Especially at shows bruh. Like people be tank toppin it at shows.... with the jungle under their arms, thrown they hands in thu air like they're partying like it's 1999.... getting your face smashed by pit hair tho... pls. pls have mercy on my vertically challenged placement.

no shave november is for a good cause... and tbh... even me... my legs get a little prickly because... bruh I wear jeans all the time... no need to spend the extra 5 minutes in the shower if no one gon be seeing my legs cept me. more like no shave all year (kinda) armpit hair is another story.... especially in the heat... like pls wear a lot of fragrance or something so I don't choke... i'm sorry but BO fer days with hairy pits. Especially at shows bruh. Like people be tank toppin it at shows.... with the jungle under their arms, thrown they hands in thu air like they're partying like it's 1999.... getting your face smashed by pit hair tho... pls. pls have mercy on my vertically challenged placement.

Just do it yourself! Cozy up to a bottle of vodka and let the good times flow.

Bruh let's not bring in private parts like... That's just a hidden rule or something like.... I don't want to know who is like welcome to the jungle or who is like ..... Let's just talk about armpit hair

I like to use wax, when I do bother to remove my leg hair... but if I'm rushed it then becomes not an option. It hurts too much for me to do it quickly. Unless I go out and pay someone to do it. 
Also question... people that go out and get bikini wax jobs, or the entire private area. How? I would be so weirded out by some stranger messing around my bits. ;; Is it scary?

Oh goodness, arm pits are definitely an entirely different story and I agree with you 100% hahahaha
 
It's meant to start conversations. So when people mention that you have stopped shaving, you tell them all about the organization.  And done so in honor of the people going through treatment that can not grow their own hair. 
Hopefully you know I was joking in the first post, though. I ain't hating on leg shavers. Though I really can not be bothered unless a date is imminent. XD

no shave november is for a good cause... and tbh... even me... my legs get a little prickly because... bruh I wear jeans all the time... no need to spend the extra 5 minutes in the shower if no one gon be seeing my legs cept me. more like no shave all year (kinda) armpit hair is another story.... especially in the heat... like pls wear a lot of fragrance or something so I don't choke... i'm sorry but BO fer days with hairy pits. Especially at shows bruh. Like people be tank toppin it at shows.... with the jungle under their arms, thrown they hands in thu air like they're partying like it's 1999.... getting your face smashed by pit hair tho... pls. pls have mercy on my vertically challenged placement.

Well that's just something you'll have to sacrifice to be cool! Above everything else, you gotta be cool. (but really No Shave November is for a good cause. ^^)

[2]
 
though I'm still pretty shocked, they seemed like they were doing okay... then again 5 versions of releases would probably cost a lot of money to produce, and I'm sure not everyone can afford to buy them up. Odd marketing plan.... either way they'll be missed.

Tbh I stopped caring about this band ever since Jun left. Hasn't been the same without him for me.

[2]
 
Homodachi [Tomodachi]

Artist: THE NOVEMBERS         Album: Rhapsody in beauty         Score:         Fifth time's a charm, right?
With five albums and a number of EPs under their belt, THE NOVEMBERS have had a hand in the Japanese indie scene for years. Their first EP was released in 2007, but I didn't take the time to listen to them until their third EP, GIFT, in 2012. With no disrespect to their beginnings, they started off as a better-than-average band playing good ol' angular indie rock. They've since evolved into so much more, adopting heavy shoegaze influences. Their most recent releases exhibit a louder, darker sound. So what does their fifth album Rhapsody in beauty have in store?

The album kicks off with the noisy intro 救世なき巣 (or Xenakis as it's known on the English version of the tracklist). The instrumental features a dense concoction of airy synths and layers of atmospheric distortion. It begins in a chaotic and foreboding manner, but then slowly develops into something blissful. I find myself zoning out to the second half with its euphoric heaviness. It clocks in at almost six minutes, so impatient listeners might find themselves reaching for the skip button. Next up, Sturm und Drang opens with a bang, or rather a shriek. The title, a reference to the German literary period characterized by passion and an outpouring of emotion, is spot-on. The energetic punk riffs, screams, and distortion-filled outbursts conjure up the notion of "Storm and Stress." Due to the repetitive notes in the first half of the track and Yusuke's extremely distant, unintelligible vocals, this track reads like an interlude. Considering it just followed a lengthy instrumental opener, the structure of the album is off to a perplexing start.

You could say the album gets underway with Xeno and Blood Music.1985. Both songs continue the darker, alternative sound the band began to explore on their previous two releases, Fourth wall and zeitgeist. Expect hi-octane riffs, crashing drums, and powerful, fuzzy bass. Without being predictable, these two choruses have a signature flow that instantly let you know "This is a NOVEMBERS" track. But the best vocal work is yet to come. tu m'(Parallel Ver,) slows things down for a ballad with a hypnotic guitar loop. If you're wondering what "Parallel Ver," refers to, this song is a rerecording from the band's second album Misstopia. This version is noticeably slower than the 2010 one, which in retrospect sounds rushed. This new rendition sounds the way the song was meant to be. The following title track is a rockier approach to the calmer sound just presented. Built around the siren-like guitar riff that repeats throughout the track, Rhapsody in beauty is a dreamy romp into sublime shoegaze territory. Yusuke's vocals simultaneously tread the line between effortless ennui and ecstasy. 236745981 guides you back to the gloomy dark side. About two-thirds through the song, all the distortion is lifted and the song begins to sound like a classic Strokes song! The change is abrupt, but both sections are enjoyable. It's up to you to decide whether the track was patched together convincingly enough. dumb provides one final helping of brooding NOVEMBERS goodness. A deliberate beat and mysterious synths establish a melancholy mood and to top it off, Yusuke shows off a selection of vocal styles: chanting, soaring falsettos, and his gruff scream.

Romancé begins the last leg of the album. A short percussive intro leads into a section of feathery soft synths and jangly guitar riffs. So begins my favorite album track and one of my favorite NOVEMBERS tracks, period; I'm not sure anything will top Reunion with Marr from GIFT, but this is a damn good attempt. The intro reminds me of something defunct dream pop band Hotel Mexico might have done. But it would be unfair to compare Yusuke to Hotel Mexico's vocalist. Beyond the rich vocals and beautiful harmonies in the second half of the song, everything is in place on Romancé from the breathy synths to the tight basslines and, dare I say, perfect guitar. Sit back, close your eyes, and relax. Heaven must sound something like this. This gentle beast of an album closes with 僕らはなんだったんだろう (Bokurawa Nandattan Darou), a gorgeous acoustic ballad. Despite its length, the song never overstays its welcome. Slowly, the song unfolds in front you. Yusuke delivers an emotional and delicate performance. Matching that, the sole guitar doesn't hide behind any production tricks. You can hear every single strum and twang of the guitar strings. Track two might represent the more violent, visceral side of Sturm und Drang, but this track represents the counterpoint; it's equally as emotional, albeit in a different way.

Although the best NOVEMBERS release remains GIFT for me, I do tend to prefer their softer, dreamier side. Having said that, Rhapsody in beauty is my favorite album of theirs. It's more memorable and varied than zeitgeist and more consistent than any of their pre-2011 material. I could listen to Yusuke's vocals all day long and this album is further confirmation that he is one of the freshest and most versatile voices in the Japanese indie scene right now. While not without its minor structural flaws, this is a hell of an album, sure to make appearances on many a Monochromium's Album of the Year list. Whether you'd rather float aimlessly through the clouds with Romancé or fuck shit up to the tune of Blood Music.1985, THE NOVEMBERS have you covered. Anyone with even a marginal interest in Japanese indie rock/alternative/shoegaze owes it to themself to check out THE NOVEMBERS' Rhapsody of beauty. You'll be glad you did!

What did you think about the album?