CAT5

Y'all ain't ready:
SPIRAL CHORD - DISTANCE TO SUBSTANCE

Here's some funny/amazing ones imo:
 

 

 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLBjH0iByrg
 
Also, even though I don't really enjoy most of their music, I have to admit most of Golden Bomber's recent PVs have made me laugh. Example:
 

 
 

Spin off of Zess's topic, post a song and the person under you rates it 1-10 with a explanation if they would like. songs must include clean vocals since most people are not into harsh. if you don't do harsh please put "pass" instead of a number. You can post the same vocalist twice or more if you feel there is a difference in how he or she is singing.
 for example "clean: 7 harsh: 8.5 overall: 9 (.............................................)"
 

It would be awesome if more vk bands took the parodic approach, but I think quite a few take themselves rather serious in their PVs. XD Which can be funny in itself, I guess.
 
 
Also, I do not want to start another "Old vk vs. new vk" debate, but I really love the cheesy cheapness of old vk PVs. While many new PVs still use the same motifs (band standing in some place looking pretty, deliberate overacting, wild gestures etc.) many of them are actually quite well-made from a technical perspective. Lighting, camera, post-production - all looks (semi)professional these days. But I just love the hopeless, amateurish yet try-hard crappiness of classic vk PVs. XD

Women:
 
Ringo Shiina - I adore her radical, but still mature changes, and admit already guys: she's such a cutie (Cat's "the milf of j-rock" is not an overstatement at all!)
Nocchi from Perfume - I don't personally get those who call her "the most un-feminine one", considering that she has some sort of "strong woman image" imho. Guess I am into tomboy-ish ones? Who knows.
Utada Hikaru - for the same reasons as Shiina tbqh, unf.
 
Men (I just look up to them - not gonna go on "over-obsessive, hypersexual and rabid fangirl" mode, yuck):
 
Toshiya (DEG) - obviously the best-looking (and the most tasteful style-wise) member in DEG- even nowadays, heh.
Hyde - even if he has that of "wasted"-like appearance, he still managed to save his "almost androgynous" looks back from the past.
Byou (Screw) - okay, this guy can't even sing. But hey, at least he's doing well in being "more-than-decent" looking both with makeup and without makeup (not that many post-millennium vksters have a chance to appear in various fashion-related events/magazines more than once, hey)
 
J would have been in my list too, only if it wasn't for his apparent, sweaty "hyuk-hyuk"-ness back in the 90s.
Oh, and I adored Ayu's/Kuu's looks back in the day but eww what did happen to them now tho...

Anza is hot <3

MAXXX is the top-masc-kei bassist of everyone's dreams.

I would go with J from LUNA SEA, definitely when it comes to men. Also 凛として時雨's TK looks very handsome imo. Takeshi from Boris too. I only noticed at a conert though, haha. Morrie from DEAD END and Atsushi Sakurai from BUCK-TICK have looked better in the past, tbqh, currently...eh.
 
For females I'd have to say Shiina Ringo too! And AI, the j-pop singer, whoa.

LIPHLICH and DISH are the only bands worth listening to on this tribute album smh

SADS RESPECT ALBUM "M" will be released at 2014/03/26 (3,150yen)
 
[track list]
LIPHLICH - Masquerade
DIAURA - Nightmare
DISH - Third Eyes Trial
Lycaon - ロザリオと薔薇(rosario to bara)
MEJIBRAY - ポルノスター(porno star)
OMEGA DRIPP - Acme
DAZZLE VISION - Hate
Leda and ryo - Gentle Darkness
アヲイ(awoi) - Evil
HEXVOID - Because
 
 
btw SADS RESPECT ALBUM "M" release-commemorative event "carnival of evil" will be held at Ebisu The Garden Hall at 2014/03/28-03/29
 
[live participating artists at 2014/03/28]
Lycaon
HEXVOID
アヲイ(awoi)
DISH
OMEGA DRIPP
 
[live participating artists at 2014/03/29]
LIPHLICH
MEJIBRAY
DIAURA
DAZZLE VISION

I realize we liked a lot of the same things this year on the non-Japanese side of things but that's mostly in part because I've been really behind on the J-indies scene this past year. Definitely going to be going through and catching up on many of these and share my thoughts on my new listens. 
 
One thing though I will say is actually I was disappointed in this Toro Y Moi album. I was really looking forward to it as a fan and after "So Many Details" was released I had high hopes but the overall album was so-so to me. I'm not sure if it was because I felt he hit too many of the same beats over and over again on it or if the lyrics just really started to irritate me lol. On the subject of the latter: I think his lyrics have always been kind of annoying non-sense but I don't think he's sung so much or more like his vocals/lyrics weren't as much of a focal point. Like... Underneath the Pine it is easy to get lost in the lushness of the music but on Anything in Return I kept getting taken out of the groove by them.

NON-JAPANESE PICKS:

I thought this was pretty cool to look at. Best of 2013 lists from artists that are on and associated with the subenoana label (which is a fantastic record label I might add)
 
http://subenoana.net/best2013/
 
I'm somehow not surprised to see Eminem on DOTAMA's list, ha.
 
 

There's nothing wrong with 128k and 192k - I have TONS of music at these bitrates. And no shit, sherlock - pirating is illegal! That's not going to stop people from sharing music and it never has. If you're going to do something illegal, you might as well do it well. You may personally be satisfied with 128k and 192k, but in this day and age, many people prefer higher rips - so WHY NOT just rip music at the widely preferred bitrates? That way, people like yourself as well as people who are sticklers for audio quality will be pleased.
 

Firstly, I never said that files should be at least 320k. There are a variety of different formats that people find more satisfactory than 128k and 192k (personally I prefer v0 and 320k). If you're even vaguely educated about bitrates and you deliberately choose to rip your CD at a bitrate that YOU KNOW people generally dislike, then YES - YES I WOULD CONSIDER YOU AN ASSHOLE! Ripping music at high lossy bitrates DOES NOT require any extra effort. Sure, people are free to rip their music at whatever bitrate they choose, but I'm also free to think you're an asshole if you rip your music in low quality when you could easily rip at more preferable bitrates with the click of a mouse.

Some shitty quality phone pics of myself, my little brother, and my older sister that we took today.

Reminds me of the guy who uploaded a single in 98kbps and stated "perfection" as the bitrate lmao.

Context is key here, so I need to clarify my "share to the fullest" mantra. If you're going to upload something, don't intentionally downgrade the quality because you feel that people should go buy the album or something silly like that. People are gonna be people - and if someone really wants to buy an album, they'll buy it regardless of the bitrate that it was shared in.
I agree that people shouldn't complain about bitrates (sometimes it's impossible to find an HQ rip), but if you actually own a CD and you INTENTIONALLY rip it at a bitrate that is generally unacceptable, then you're an asshole. That's what I mean by sharing to the fullest. Now "fullest" is highly subjective, but in general most people have no problems with V0, 320, or lossless.
 
It's like you said, Champ - I also look at uploading as a community service - so why half-ass it? Ripping something at a bitrate that most people prefer (aka the ppl you're servicing), is hardly a daunting task (click of a mouse, really). But with that said, if you're uploading files that you didn't rip yourself and you have no control over the bitrate, then that's fine - people shouldn't bitch over stuff like that. I've got tons of old and obscure stuff in inferior bitrates, but I'm damn grateful to have them.

You might note that I bolded and capitalized the word "INTENTIONALLY", you know, to put emphasis on the fact that I was referring to uploaders who know exactly what they're doing.  ; )