artist: Arashi (嵐)
title: Dream"A"live
release date: 2008 April 23
language: Japanese
genre: Sparkly Boyband Pop
sounds like: NEWS, Tackey & Tsubasa
type: eighth album
oricon chart debut: #1
rating: 10/10

01. theme of Dream"A"live
02. Move your body
03. Happiness
04. 虹の彼方へ (Niji no Kanata he)
05. Do my best
06. シリウス (Sirius)
07. Flashback
08. Dive into the future
09. 声 (Koe)
10. My Answer
11. Life goes on
12. Step and Go
13. YOUR SONG
14. Once Again *not included in .rar. I forgot to include it, my mistake. t_t

15. Hello Goodbye (Aiba Masaki)
16. Gimmick Game (Ninomiya Kazunari)
17. Take me faraway (Ohno Satoshi)
18. Naked (Matsumoto Jun)
19. Hip Pop Boogie (Sakurai Sho)

▐ download album @ MegaUpload (122.51MB) (It's really split into two CDs, but I didn't realize that until I had already uploaded it. >_> If anyone wants, I can upload the two CDs separately on MF.)

eryn says: I was so sure that I had uploaded this album when it was released... I guess I didn't. Sorry for the influx of Arashi lately, but there hasn't been anything released recently that's piqued my interests so I'm stuck sifting through older releases that I never got around to posting. Here's Arashi's latest album, Dream"A"live. theme of Dream"A"live is an instrumental intro, and quite honestly one of my favorite song intros ever. It starts out sounding like a music box being wound up, then it starts playing circus music, but in a really creepy tone. All of the sudden the song hits a beat and it does a complete 180 to this upbeat pop-ish dance song that's so much fun! I love it. Move your body is a continuation of sorts to the intro, and it's really upbeat and fun! This whole album is a lot of fun, honestly. I love the Engirsh in this track, especially "D-D-D-D-DANCE" and "DON'T STOP MUSIC." I just reviewed Happiness, so moving on~ Niji no Kanata he is a pop song influenced by... jazz? I don't know, there are saxophones involved in certain parts. The rest of it is pretty much pop though. Do my best is one of my favorite tracks on this album, and for some reason it reminds me of an Hello!Project song. o_O It sounds like it could easily be sung by Buono! or something, LOL. I guess that's saying it's cute. Sirius is ♥x4768272. Not only one of my favorite tracks off the album, but one of my favorite Arashi songs overall. It's a ballad-type song, and it's beautiful. Ohno's voice just completes it. ♥ The lyrics are beautiful: "Only one shines high in the sky, a voice calling my name, swearing my love on a passing star...". Flashbackand Dive into the Future are both slower, more urban types of pop. Koe is another slow song, and while not a ballad and as touching as Sirius, it's really sweet in it's own way. My Answer is mostly rap/pop, and Life Goes On is another pure pop song, the kind that Arashi is famous for. Step and Go was a single they released earlier this year, and for some reason it just never stuck with me. It's catchy enough, just not one that I play too often. YOUR SONG is a slow song, probably the weakest of the three slow songs on this album (Koe and Sirius being the others). Once Again is another Arashish (... shish-kebob?)song. I'm getting lazy with these reviews, haha.

NOW, SOLOS. Hello Goodbye is Aiba's solo, and it's actually pretty catchy. Aiba has a pretty deep voice, so I'm not sure how well the song suits his particular vocal range, but the song makes up for it by being catchy. Gimmick Game is Nino's solo, and maybe I'm just a completely biased Nino fangirl (What can I say, his whiny brat attitude reminds me of myself. :'D -shot-), but I like it a lot. Not as good as his previous solos (Niji and Kako, for instance), but still good. Take me faraway is Ohno's solo, and that guy could sing me a Mexican restaurant menu and still make it amazing. He has one of the best voices in Johnny's, in my opinion (not like there's much competition, but I DIGRESS). The song actually reminds me of DBSK's Love In the Ice, don't ask me why. >_> Naked... I'm gonna do MatsuJun a favor and not even review it, LOL. Not his best solo, to say the least. >_> Finally (FINALLY), Sho's Hip Hop Boogie is more RAP RAP BREAKDANCE than anything, but whatever. That's what he's known for, so you gotta love it. :D (Btw, sorry for skimping over a few songs, but with 19 tracks I'd be here forever if I didn't. >_>) Overall, one of my favorite Arashi CDs released to date, and definitely worth checking out!

東方神起; 呪文 -MIROTIC-
release date: 15 October 2008
language: Japanese
genre: pop, hip-hop,"pop-hop", dance, ballad
you might also like: Dong Bang Shin Ki, SS501, Super Junior
type: twenty-fourth single
buy: YesAsia
rating: 3/10

01 呪文 (日本語ver.)
02 どうして君を好きになってしまったんだろう? - THE LEVEL Remix-
03 呪文 (日本語ver.) (Less Vocal)

download 320K @ shareBEE; MediaFire; SendSpace
change 'hxxp' to 'http'!!


Chay says: O__O; I really don't understand why I've been in a posting frenzy these last few days. I have off school tomorrow, so hopefully I can get up that D.Gray-Man ENDING Theme special tonight as well as a few other odds and ends. :3

I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVEEEE Dong Bang Shin Ki's new Korean album. LOVE it. To be frank, I've always liked their Japanese music/versions over their Korean stuff. Yes, yes, shoot me. But, their new album is just absolutely perfect. I was a bit hesitant to listen to the Japanese version of MIROTIC, but I couldn't keep myself from it and now I wish I had. If you haven't heard the ORIGINAL version I'm really disappointed in you!, Jumon / MIROTIC whatever you want to call it is a perfect blend of various elements of hip hop, pop, and R&B... creating what I like to call pop-hop. :'D SO, in comparison to the Korean version, the Japanese version is just so... so strangely awkward (especially the rap!!) I'm slowly getting used to it, but the Japanese version just isn't as POWERFUL as the original version, you know? It doesn't have that really almost "erotic" essence. I don't know. - THE LEVEL Remix - of Doushite Kimi wo Suki ni Natte Shimattandarou? is horrible. The remix totally butchers and warps that beautiful song into something really obscure. I really don't think I'll ever come to like it. The remix gives it a really heavy (and queer) R&B/hip hop beat as well as other additives. D: All in all, definitely not their best Japanese release. It's probably one of my un-favorites of theirs, if not the one I dislike the most.

HIGH and MIGHTY COLOR; Remember
release date: 15 October 2008
language: Japanese
genre: rock, pop-rock, ballad
you might also like: ORANGE RANGE
type: fourteenth single
buy: YesAsia
rating: 9.5/10

01 Remember
02 花ふぶき
03 PRIDE "Live Mix 2008"
04 Remember (Instrumental)

download 320K @ MediaFire; shareBEE


Chay says: I really just want to scream "What in the world are you doing?!" at Maki. If you haven't heard, she married Nakamura Masato (HE'S LIKE THIRTY YEARS OLDER THAN HER TOO D: HE COULD BE YOUR FATHER MAKI! YOUR FATHERRRR. PICTURE PRO-CREATING WITH YOUR DAD :O) from the group DREAMS COME TRUE back in early July. Following the wedding, she announced that she'll be leaving HMC at the end of the year to become the equivalent of a housewife. All that talent... gone to waste. -____-" I really hope she doesn't become a housewife. Go solo at least. I'm really anxious to see what will happen to the rest of the band. Will they put together an album quickly before Maki leaves? Will they find another main vocalist? I just can't picture HMC without Maki. They introduced me to this whole world of Eastern music. I feel as though my whole world is just crumbling beneath my feet.

That aside, I quite like this single. :'D I've been having a bit of difficulty swallowing their musical image/change (before Rock Pit), but I'm happy to say that this single sounds somewhat their GoOver era. Uhm, Remember is a sweet uptempo pop-rock song with plenty of feeling. I love Maki's vocals in the song, especially during the chorus. :Db superb! You can check out the PV here. They've adapted a hippie image for the single. XD; 花ふぶき, is the single's ballad coupling. It's defiantly very strong in contrast to the A-side. o_O It's so slowwwww. The single switches from a powerful song to a slow one too quickly. It makes me dizzy. In itself, 花ふぶき is a really good ballad. At some points it feels as if the song drags on too much, but that's my own opinion. I'm really glad that they featured PRIDE "Live Mix 2008" on here. It's as if this single's real theme is "beginnings and endings". There's really not much to say about this song other than the fact they sound good live. :3 Oh! I'd like to point out that you can really tell how much Maki's voice as matured since their olden days. :D; /lameness

Anyone else want to weep with me over Maki's departure? D:

PIERROT; COCOON
release date: 21 November 2001
language: Japanese
genre: rock, pop-rock, visual
you might also like: Angelo, PENICILLIN
type: eleventh single
buy: YesAsia
rating: 10/10

01 COCOON
02 真っ赤な花
03 サルビア

download 320K @ MediaFire; shareBEE


Chay says: Thank you everyone who participated in that amazingly long poll yesterday! I really appreciate it!^^ Many of you said that you would like to see some more rock music around here, so I'll do my best to comply! My Jrock knowledge is really limited, so I hope you can bear with me. DX

I wasn't sure what to post at first, so I raided my personal collection and came up with this single. I bought it on a whim over the summer (for what reason, I have no idea). I'm really glad I did! PIERROT is amazing♥

PIERROT (another word for clown), was at one time one of the most famous rock bands in Japan. They formed in 1994 and quickly gained a lot of attention as an indie band. PIERROT was considered a "visual kei" group in the early stages of their bandmanship (I'm making up words~), even though they had a mainstream look and sound. They're perhaps most known for "Kirito's thought provoking lyrics as well as twisted sound." Members include Kirito (vocals; leader), Aiji (guitar), Jun (guitar), KOHTA (bass), and TAKEO (drums). The group officially disbanded in April of 2006. The members have sought refuge by forming other bands or going solo. Are you familiar with LM.C? Aiji is the guitarist! He helped found Lovely-Mocochang after the disbandment. :3 He's probably the one who has had the most success after the end of PIERROT. DX

I'm not very familiar with the group's work, but I've heard hearsay that COCOON isn't really PIERROT's typical style :shrug:. COCOON is a spirited almost pop-rock song. I really don't like saying pop-rock, but it's not entirely rock- it has a softer, more harmonic edge to it. What I really love about this song is the random bursts of energy. It really keeps the song fresh. 真っ赤な花 is more rockesque than the first song, but it still mirrors that slight pop effect, however minimal. Also, it keeps up with that harmony tidbit I was talking about earlier. :'D We move furter into the rock category with サルビア. The music in itself is rock. Kirito's vocals takes on a life of its own, merging the past two songs characteristics into this one. I really think that this single is an excellent example of unity within a single. If only more artists did this... Overall, GREAT single. I highly recommend checking them out if you haven't yet. Also, this is my own personal rip, so the quality is awesome! 8Db

I have releases from SOUTHERN ALL STARS, MarBell, S.E.S, DaizyStripper, Folder5, and TRICERATOPS to be posted sometime in the near future, so please look forward to them!^^

中島美嘉; ORION
release date: 12 November 2008
language: Japanese
genre: pop, ballad-like
you might also like: YUI, NANA starring MIKA NAKASHIMA
type: twenty-seventh single
buy: YesAsia
rating: 7/10

01 ORION
02 FOCUS

download 192K @ shareBEE; MediaFire


Chay says: I can't believe how early this single has leaked!! O__O It's a month early. A MONTH! D:

I think ORION will make an okay single. Butttt, I don't know. I just love Mika's voice so much!♥ For those of you who aren't familiar with her, Mika Nakashima starred in the famous NANA movies (one and two!). Her singles GLAMOROUS SKY and Hitoiro are used for those movies (you should be familiar with them, no?). :3 Her style tends to be a fusion between jazz and pop, with the occasional exception (the Nana singles).

But yup, good single. ORION is a slow pop song. Although the song does feel like it drags on at times, it overall contains a pretty essence. However, I wouldn't say it's a strong example of her work. DX All in all, it's kind of forgettable. FOCUS is my kind of song. :D; It's a mid-tempo blend of light techno beats, pop, and a slight pinch of jazz. I really, really like it! I'd like if the song were a tiny bit faster, but I'm glad Mika's voice is at least audible in this song. I could barely hear her in ORIION!

All in all, it's an okay single. Not her best, but not her worst. Be sure to check out her album, VOICE which releases on November 26!! (my birthday!! 8DDD)

artist: 2PM
title: Hottest Time of the Day
release date: Sept. 8, 2008
language: Korean
genre: Dance, Pop
you might also like: NEWS, ARASHI, Super Junior
type: 1st single
buy: YesAsia
rating: 10 7/10

1. 10점 만점에 10점
2. Only you
3. Angel
4. 10점 만점에 10점 (Old School Ver.)
5. 10점 만점에 10점 (Inst.)
6. Only you (Inst.)

download @ shareBEE; @ MediaFire

About the Artist: 2PM is a new group produced by JYP, who also produced Rain and Wonder Girls. They are a subgroup of One Day - the other half of the group is 2AM, the ballad counterpart to 2PM's dance focus. One Day was featured in the reality show Hot Blood Men and is JYP's first boy group in ten years, the last group being G.O.D.

Kittie says: Hey guys remember me?! Sorry for being such an absentee uploader! I was gone for a good 3 weeks because every time I tried to upload something my internet would crash which is very :/ and not conducive to regular posting. But I have a great surprise planned for you guys (*cough* I blame Chay, she started it) so get excited!

Okay, so I'm usually pretty finicky about my boybands because I hold them up to such a high standard. However, my love for the Wonder Girls has proven that I'm a huge sucker for anything that JYP produces and this group is no exception. Not only does the title song 10점 만점에 10점 have the cutest MV ever, it's also insanely catchy. If you're not singing "shipjeom manjeomae shipjeom!" by the end of the song then you must be immune to catchy songs, in which case I want you to teach me how you do it. :D The rest of the single is rather generic - Only You is a dance ballad (not that's not a typo) with a steady gentle backbeat and a soft melody. Think Big Bang's "Pabo" but not as awesome. :P Angel is more fast-paced but it's repetitive and not all that creative. It's enjoyable but forgettable, as far as I'm concerned. As for the remix, I don't like it at all; it takes all the energy out of the original song and replaces it with a boring beat that sounds like it was lifted straight from a 90's song. I guess that makes it "old school" but it also makes the song incredibly boring.

Bottom Line: Title song is a must-have; the rest of the single is up to you.

artist: Arashi (嵐)
title: Happiness
release date: 2007 September 5
language: Japanese
genre: Sparkly Boyband Pop
sounds like: NEWS, Tackey & Tsubasa
type: twentieth single
oricon chart debut: #1
rating: 10/10

1. Happiness
2. Still...
3. Snowflake
4. Happiness (Instrumental) *not included in .rar

▐ download single @ MediaFire (29.4MB)

eryn says: I feel like today is mod announcement day or something. D: Aanyway, I felt like I needed to contribute SOMETHING, so after staring at iTunes for 25 minutes I chose this. Everyone loves Arashi, right? 8D;; (While we're on the subject, I must confess that I take back my horrible review of Arashi's truth. Looking back at that review I literally have no idea what I was smoking when I wrote it. I think I was really stressed from work that week and took it out on that single, lol. but yeah, I just wanted to ~get it out there~ and not go down as the crazy Johnny's fan who hated that single. I'm not THAT insane, believe it or not. 8D ANYWAY.)

This is one of my top two Arashi singles. ♥ If I were stuck on a desert island and could only take one Arashi sngle with me (... don't ask me why that would be the condition, just work with me here), it would be a tough choice between this single and their We can make it! single. Happiness is an amazingly fun and uplifting song- the title says it all. It's one of those songs that you can listen to when you have a bad day and make things a little bit better. (Or you could just watch the PV, which is amazing in itself.) Seriously, this song is so cute and happy. Still... is another song that I love on this single. It's not as fast-paced and hyper as the title track is, but it's still really catchy and sweet, especially once it hits the chorus. Snowflake is a slower-paced song that really shows off Ohno's voice best, imo. Overall, a definite recommendation, especially if you've never listed to Arashi. (Because really, where have you been? XD)

HEY GUYS. Well. This is kind of an epic day I guess, what with Chay's gigantic poll and such, so I figured this would be a good day for me to mention this.

I'm sure I'm not the only person that has noticed my complete lack of posting lately (I am always the lazy poster, but this has been pushing it a little bit, don't you think?), and to be honest I'm not really that enthusiastic about YZDX anymore. Posting even my favorite things has been like pulling teeth, and I've been struggling with my Switzerland status as far as certain things are concerned. It's kind of like a bad marriage, I guess...it seems great in the beginning and then it's just kills you after a while O__o;;;

Don't get me wrong, I love all of you (you are so sweet and make me giggle with your comments ♥), but I need some (a lot of?) time off from the illegal music uploading business :Dv However, I don't want to make a harsh decision by leaving and then regretting it, so I'll be doing a trial run, of sorts. -_-;;; I hope that makes sense skghskhg

SUMMARY OF RETARDED ENTRY ABOVE: I'm not sure for how long, but I'm ~*hereby*~ going on a hiatus from YZDX. I love you all and hopefully I will be back ♥

SS501; 그 남자의 책 198쪽 (Theme Single)
release date: 7 October 2008
language: Korean
genre: ballad, pop, soundtrack, boyband
you might also like: DBSK
type: ? digital single
buy: iTunes, Cyworld
rating: 9/10

01 바라보며 (Original Ver.)
02 바라보며 (Violin Ver.)
03 바라보며 (Guitar Ver.)

download 192K @ shareBEE


Chay says: I hate balladssss. D:! I really haven't seen much of the Double S boys since... uh... LUCKY DAYS? The group is going to temporarily split up. Jung Min is going off to star in a Korean adaption of Grease and Hyun Joong has been nominated to star in Boys Over Flowers. The remaining members will be releasing an album/mini-album in November (under the name of Triple S), pushing back the announced group album until spring of 2009. And that about sums it up for recent SS501 news.

I actually thought that this digital single was pretty good. I was unprepared for it's extreme balladness though. The song is so soft and whispy! Paired with the boys vocals, 바라보며 is turned into a delicate flower of music. :Db The second and third tracks are different instrumentals. :3

I can't wait until November!!

비; Rainism (single)
release date: 8 October 2008
language: Korean
genre: ballad, pop, soloist
you might also like: SE7EN
type: ? digital single
buy: iTunes
rating: 8.5/10

01 Love Story

download 320K @ shareBEE


Chay says: I guess Rain finally realized how bad his English was and went back to the motherland. :'D As much as I love this man, you must admit that his English blows. D: But that's okay. When I became a fan of Asian culture, I also pledged a love of Engrish.♥

Moving aside, Bi is finally coming back to the Korean music scene after being absent for about two plus years. His new album, Rainism will be released in the very near future. This is the first -really- main track from the album. Love Story is a heartwarming ballad. Honestly, I forgot that he had it in him. :3 Surprinsingly, the instrumental is really something. It compliments his voice beautifully.

On a side note, what is it with Korean artists coming up with their own words for albums? 8D? Hyorish, MIROTIC, and now Rainism... XD; Just an observation!~