2008 January « Morning☆Kuri

Archive for January, 2008

BEST OF! 2007 ~ The Polls are Open

January 31, 2008 · Filed under BEST OF

Okay, so apparently, WORDPRESS WON’T LET ME HAVE A POLL. *fume* Well, whatever. That means… we can vote in a different way!

Therefore, we’re going to do voting in a certain, systematic way. Choose your 5 TOP ALBUMS for 2007 from the list of nominees, numbering them in order of preference (5 being the last choice, 1 being your top pick). Then, send your list to heavystarrychain@aim.com. After 2 Weeks, voting will close (February 6). The list of the 5 top albums will be released. After that, I will choose the songs that go on the BEST OF! collection and then it’ll be up for everyone to download ♥

Remember, vote quickly! ♥ I have to download a few albums, and I’d LIKE for this to be complete and up for download by March~~

The list of nominees is, again:

Amuro Namie – “PLAY”
Berryz Koubou – “4th Ai no Nanchara Shisuu”
Goto Maki – “How to use SEXY”
Hamasaki Ayumi – “Secret”
Ikimono Gakari – “Sakura Saku Machi Monogatari”
JYONGRI – “Close to Fantasy”
KAT-TUN – “Cartoon KAT-TUN II You”
Koda Kumi – “Black Cherry”
Mr. Children – “HOME”
Morning Musume – “SEXY 8 BEAT”
Otsuka Ai – “LOVE PiECE”
YUI – “CAN’T BUY MY LOVE”

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BEST OF! 2007 ~ An Experiment of Epic Proportions

January 31, 2008 · Filed under 2007, Amuro Namie, BEST OF, Berryz Koubou, Goto Maki, Hamasaki Ayumi, Ikimono Gakari, JYONGRI, KAT-TUN, Koda Kumi, Morning Musume, Mr. Children, Otsuka Ai, YUI, album, avex

My family does this thing called “The History of Rock & Roll.” They’re a collection of tapes/burnt CDs, tracing classic rock from 1967 and the Summer of Love to today. We vote every year for the best albums released. We usually produce some kickass stuff (1967 has Jefferson Airplane AND The Beatles! The 2000s got in some Linkin Park, System of a Down, U2… Oh, and Neil Young is, like, ALWAYS in there).

So, I figure… Why don’t I do one for Jpop?

I have several nominees for the first BEST OF! Jpop: 2007 Edition, based on Oricon sales and generally how the albums released in 07 were received among bloggers and others (and, admittedly, there are always autonomic nominees: Hamasaki Ayumi, Amuro Namie, Morning Musume, and Berryz Koubou are autonomic noms in this blog). Also, as a rule, Best Of albums DO NOT COUNT, which is why Ayu’s 2 Best albums, and the mihimaru GT album did not count here.

However, in order for this to work, I need people to vote. Tomorrow, I will be setting up a poll in which people can vote for the nominees. It is supposed to be perfectly democratic and anonymous. And, of course, it’s just for fun ♥

The nominees for 2007 are (in alphabetical order):

Amuro Namie – PLAY
Berryz Koubou – 4th Ai no Nanchara Shisuu
Goto Maki – How to use SEXY
Hamasaki Ayumi – Secret
Ikimono Gakari – Sakura Saku Machi Monogatari
JYONGRI – Close to Fantasy
KAT-TUN – Cartoon KAT-TUN II You
Koda Kumi – Black Cherry
Mr. Children – HOME
Morning Musume – SEXY 8 BEAT
Otsuka Ai – LOVE PiECE
YUI – CAN’T BUY MY LOVE

Okay? Tomorrow there will be an awesome poll and we can all vote. After 2 weeks, the poll will be closed, and the top 5 albums will be used to create BEST OF! 2007. The best songs from these albums will be used, and then, the collection will be released here on Morning Kuri ♥

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Papapapapaafyumu News~!?

January 25, 2008 · Filed under Perfume, album

According to Tower Records, Perufme will have a new CD release in APRIL. This would be their first non-best-of album, currently untitled. The release will have all their single releases prior to their first album (the best-of one) plus 7 new songs, produced by Nakata Yasutaka, the Capsule guy who gives them the big hits. So… 13 songs, including favorites like Chocolate Disco, Polyrhythm, Baby cruising Love and their b-sides (…and Macaroni).

The limited edition will include a DVD with a performance of Polyrhythm, the Macaroni PV, and 3 member-only versions of the Macaroni PV.

This is a HUGE release for Perfume. It’s their first full length album with more than one new song on it ♥ It looks like it’ll be extremely good as well.

[credit for the information goes to Perfume City]

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In which Kuri and Naoko rip on Kusumi Koharu.

January 20, 2008 · Filed under Uncategorized

After listening to Kusumi’s konnichi pa, the following conversation ensued over AIM:

HeavyStarryChain (10:06:56 PM): *gouging ears out*

HeavyStarryChain (10:07:06 PM): Kusumi Koharu. nuff said?

nekohimenaoko (10:07:18 PM): Totally

HeavyStarryChain (10:07:23 PM): konnichi pa

HeavyStarryChain (10:07:29 PM): not even the accordian can save it

nekohimenaoko (10:07:34 PM): *giving Legolas a new wife*

HeavyStarryChain (10:07:37 PM): xDDD

nekohimenaoko (10:07:41 PM):

HeavyStarryChain (10:07:50 PM): OMG

HeavyStarryChain (10:07:51 PM): OMG

nekohimenaoko (10:07:53 PM): A noble endeavor, to be sure!

HeavyStarryChain (10:07:55 PM): KUSUMI KOHARU SOUNDS LIKE

nekohimenaoko (10:07:58 PM): Yes? *god*

HeavyStarryChain (10:07:58 PM): THE LADY

HeavyStarryChain (10:08:04 PM): FROM

HeavyStarryChain (10:08:08 PM): SWEENEY TODD

nekohimenaoko (10:08:08 PM): from?

HeavyStarryChain (10:08:12 PM): THE BEGGAR LADT

HeavyStarryChain (10:08:14 PM): *LADY

nekohimenaoko (10:08:16 PM): Ew

HeavyStarryChain (10:08:27 PM): NO LIE. SHE SOUNDED LIKE HER IN KONNICHI PA

HeavyStarryChain (10:08:29 PM): XDDDDDDDDDDDDDd

nekohimenaoko (10:08:35 PM): eww

HeavyStarryChain (10:08:35 PM): if she sang “city on fire………”

nekohimenaoko (10:08:39 PM): rofl

nekohimenaoko (10:08:40 PM): *listens*

nekohimenaoko (10:08:48 PM): new album, right?

HeavyStarryChain (10:08:49 PM): its at the whole “slow” part

HeavyStarryChain (10:08:50 PM): yeah

nekohimenaoko (10:09:34 PM): dear lord

nekohimenaoko (10:09:58 PM): dear LORD

nekohimenaoko (10:10:09 PM): was this devised as a method of torture?

HeavyStarryChain (10:10:22 PM): yes.

nekohimenaoko (10:10:33 PM): there went all thoguhts of ever covering all of Kusumis music

nekohimenaoko (10:10:36 PM): what slow part??

nekohimenaoko (10:10:45 PM): it sounds like TOTAL NONSENSE, too

nekohimenaoko (10:10:54 PM): No, you know what she sounds like?

nekohimenaoko (10:11:00 PM): ANZAMoon being silly

HeavyStarryChain (10:11:02 PM): a junkie looking for crack?

nekohimenaoko (10:11:03 PM): only bad

HeavyStarryChain (10:11:12 PM): okay, we’ll go with that

nekohimenaoko (10:11:23 PM): okay

nekohimenaoko (10:11:28 PM): closer to a junkie looking for crak

nekohimenaoko (10:11:30 PM): she sounds like

HeavyStarryChain (10:11:31 PM): xDDD

nekohimenaoko (10:11:33 PM): she’s been out all night drinking

nekohimenaoko (10:11:36 PM): and is stumbling home

HeavyStarryChain (10:11:40 PM): xDDDDDDDDD

nekohimenaoko (10:11:44 PM): and hoping Tsunku doesn’t smack her around for sleeping with jack Sparrow

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Boys&Girls, it’s time for some penance.

January 20, 2008 · Filed under Hamasaki Ayumi, album, avex · Tagged Ayu, GUILTY, Hamasaki Ayumi

Alright, for all of you heathens, I’m going to give you a lesson on Catholic Guilt. Catholic Guilt is the foundation of Catholism. Anyone who tells you otherwise is selling something. It’s about Original Sin, and thus, is due to all women. Especially Eve, that whore. Anyway, Catholic Guilt is what makes up your conscience. It’s also what makes my mother such a bitch on Sunday mornings, when she comes home from working graveshift at the Trump Plaza at around 6:30 AM and then goes to teach CCD at 8:30 AM… And then we all go to my brother’s hockey games, which, let me tell you, does not always mesh well with my mp3 player–although, I have discovered that they score more often when I’m watching and dancing to Ai Araba IT’S ALL RIGHT. I assume this is because I am just so absurd~~ly attractive~~ to watch, and the other team gets so distracted (by my obvious Aphrodite-esque looks, am I right? No? Well screw you). Interestingly, they rarely score when I play KAT-TUN’s Make U Wet but I really don’t think they want to be associated with that song…

Now, what does ANY of that rather long tangent have to do with Jpop, praytell?

Well, it has to do with that songstress Ayu’s latest album, the amazing and anger-tastic GUILTY. I know it hasn’t gotten the best reviews to date, but… well, I’m going to try to remain unbiased until the end.

On a side note, I wrote most of this during an AP English class when the substitute that day wasn’t looking. Because it’s highly weird to be writing a review of a jpop album in your little blue diary, I guess; also, because apparently my Gryffindor sweatshirt is not within dresscode and I did not want to call attention to myself, so quietly writing this seemed like the best choice at the time.

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Cruising Straight to the Top of the Charts

January 16, 2008 · Filed under Perfume, single

CONGRATULATIONS TO PAPAPAPAPAPAPA-PERFUME!!

Their newest single Baby Cruising Love/Macaroni debuted at Number 3 on the Oricon Style charts today, higher than H!P’s duo of GAY, GReeeeN, and Miyavi. They’re below Acid Black Cherry and the number 1, DBSK!

Hopefully, the techno trio will cruise all the way to Number 1 soon! But they’ve got stiff competition with those smexy Korean boys and ABC. Still, congrats to Perfume!! ♥

I’m not going to review the single until I get my copy in the mail, so until then, I’ll wait and continue writing Retro Review! 04…

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It’s official!

January 15, 2008 · Filed under Perfume, purchase, single

I made my FIRST EVER PURCHASE OF A JPOP SINGLE tonight! Yes, I am spending $13.74 on a marvelous single… The first Jpop single I’ve ever bought myself.

And it is of…. Perfume’s Baby Cruising Love/Macaroni! This is something that goes into my collection of Japanese Musicness: my copy of Hamasaki Ayumi’s RAINBOW that I got for my 13th birthday; ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION’s awesome SOL-FA that my friend gave me as a gift (for no reason other than that he went to Japan and I like Japanese music); and the Polysics US release. It counts because that album is 10+ tracks of pure Japanese joy for me.

Anyway, this is my first ever Jpop purchase on my own (i.e.–with my own money, not as a gift, and not becasue I’m trying to ask someone to marry me). It’s kinda an honor for it to go to Perfume, since I was trying to decide between Hamasaki Ayumi’s GUILTY, Morning Musume’s Mikan, and C-ute’s Tokaikko Junjou. And then… well, it hit me: dude, why the hell SHOULDN’T I get the latest from Perfume? I adore the technopop trio. I have mp3s of their indies singles (I love Kareshi Boshuu Chuu or whatever).

Oh, I was also tempted to get KAT-TUN’s second album, because…. I love KAT-TUN. They are my eyecandy of choice–second only to my FAVORITE EYECANDY EVER, Shirota Yuu.

Anyway, I should be receiving Perfume’s latest soon…~ Huzzah~!

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Test-driving Musume in America: Turning to the Youth

January 11, 2008 · Filed under Hello! Project, Morning Musume, PV, real life experience, モーニング娘。 · Tagged Hello! Project, MoMusu, Morning Musume

My baby sister, aged 10 (11 in April), is the perfect example of the typical American 5th grader: her favorite movies are High School Music and High School Musical 2, her favorite artist is ALY & AJ, she thinks Nick Jonas is the the cutest thing alive, and one day she wants to be just like Miley Cyrus or Ashley Tisdale… Oh, and she is going to be my key to introducing Morning Musume to other Americans.

See, what I’ve noticed by watching my sister and her friends is that they LOVE little Asian dollmakers–like the eLouai Candybar Dollmaker. Mainly, these games are Korean, and I refuse to let my sister get into DBSK or Super Junior, but… I can give her a little taste of Asian culture with Hello! Project. I know, the H!P Kids+Kanna seemed like the more natural choice, but I thought that since my sister likes older singers… maybe she’d like MoMusu a tiny bit better.

I gave her a small taste of Morning Musume/Hello! Project: the PVs for Kanashimi Twilight, AS FOR ONE DAY, Onna ni Sachi Are, Mikan, Tanaka Reina’s Memory Seishun no Hikari and C-ute’s Tokaikko Junjou for starters. A basic summary of her thoughts are as follows:

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OMG IT’S A TECHNO BALLAD!!!!

January 8, 2008 · Filed under PV, Perfume · Tagged Baby Cruising Love, Perfume

Perfume’s new single, Baby Cruising Love is SO a technopop ballad. I love it. It’s heavy on Kashiyuka, my favorite member (and the prettiest, in my opinion), and it’s just another great release from Perfume. I’m really hoping this gets them some more notice.

Some notes:

The opening takes forever, but after the singing begins, its really cool to watch.

I love the shadows, against that lightboard thingy; the shadowed outline thing is always a really stunning visual. The dance is just ADORABLE to say the least, but when has a Perfume dance NOT been supercute?

The whole ball of light thing–well, I guess that’s just this’s video’s apple (see the Polyrhythm PV xD). It’s not making me think of particularly inappropriate things, though, which is AWKWARD, to say the least.

I adore their outfits. Everyone gets enough solos to keep me satisfied. Perfume PVs are always very quirkly and fun, and… this doesn’t disappoint. It’s not my FAVORITE PV (that award goes to the amazing Electro World), but this is still a lot of fun to watch. I love Perfume PVs.

I wish Hello! Project would make something like this…
Oh: and the radiorip of Macaroni is just funny xDD Perfume just always keeps me guessing. I can’t wait to see a PV for this. If there is no mac and cheese, I’ll be sad.

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