Friday, May 22, 2009

MONORAL – VIA (The Album): A (Mind) Journey via Heart






It’s been more than 6 months after the band MONORAL released their third full length album VIA, but those eleven songs still remain on my player, and regularly being played. And by saying regularly, I mean, DAILY *grinning*.
I’m not usually like this actually, sometimes I only spend a month listening non-stop to a new album and the next month I already change my play list into another new one. But this album is just like a dope to a certain level.

Talking about this album, probably I’m not the best one when it comes to musically-speaking, because I tend to let my heart listens to the music rather than my brain, so practically I’m dumb in music business. So what can my heart say about this album?

Well, actually, it’s not a big surprise seeing the album content. It still has the same MONORAL-ism: “simple but has a rich uniquely flavor of melody and sound that tightly wrapping a thick emotional filling”. [ps: I wrote that ‘filling’ correct, I never meant to write ‘feeling’ there ^^V]
So basically, it’s another enjoyable ride on a ‘rollercoaster of emotion’ as listening to their new album VIA.

BUT, one thing I discover after listening to the album constantly, continuously and orderly couple of times, is that this album I think is their first album that has a frame on it. I’m not talking about the jacket or the cover album, but I’m talking about a concept here. So the whole song in it is kind of flowing to one another, describing the same story about ‘a journey’.

Opened by the line “Everybody’s got somewhere to go, how about you?” in the opening song, ‘Everybody’s Way’, a less than 2 minutes song, I guess the album frame is pretty clearly said.
This line actually stole my attention first time listening to the album. It made me set aside anything else I was doing back then, and focus my whole senses in this album. I must say this line, this song, is perfectly placed as the opening. It actually gives me a precaution also that this album has a possibility of containing chaining-songs.

Well, what do you know? As listening to the second song, ‘You’, that started with a very rocking guitar rhythm, and the line “there’s nothing new about you, but I’m still with you.” It’s pretty much like an answer to the opening song, telling you that, “Well fine! You still have no idea which way you’re heading to, you still the same old brand new you, but hell, I’m still with you, all the way, no matter what.
So maybe this is what the album all about, maybe it’s a companion, a travel-mate in a journey to find the ‘You’. That’s what I thought and expected.

Heading up we have “Costa Rica”, as the third song, and I like the sounds of drum in the beginning of this song, pretty unique and somehow takes you to an exotic place. And thou I’ve never been to Costa Rica before, I’m sensing that this song is about miserable, a regret maybe, for not taking the right choice. Something that makes your life collides upside down.
Emptiness? Something like that I think.

But soon as I thought that the next song will be drowning me in darkness and despair, “Safira” came waking me out from the desperation. “Make your choice! Stand up, be brave!” or whatever it is, but it feels like a wake up call. This song is one of my favorite, although, I can sense a bit of Smashing Pumpkin’s 1979 in the beginning, I don’t know, I don’t read music note, so I don’t know whether they (MONORAL) chose the same chord for the opening, it’s only couple of notes I think, not the whole song.

So the choice is made in the fifth song, “Via”, a popish and catchy song so far after listening to four twisting sounds and music in the beginning. I like the how the sounds, the vocal and the vibe in this song, they’re pretty describing the whole story in this song: “I made it!
What are you going to do if that happens? Exactly! Overexciting that almost makes you jumping out of the bridge doing the bungy, and that is what the song sounds like. You can never sing this song in a bitter and cynical tone while frowning. This song makes you smiling and laughing and it feels like, “finally you have made a choice to embrace the world, and ready to dare.
I listened to this song over and over and over again while I was on the road and it felt so damn great. I screamed the whole lyrics silently as listening to it. And somehow this song made me enjoying the whole journey.

But you know what, no matter how brilliant your choice is, obstacles are there, ready to block you from breaking through, and that’s when you need assistance, a guardian that rises up in the sixth song, “Guards of Mice
First time reading the title, I thought, “whoa!!! Are these two guys writing a song about the John Steinbeck’s ‘Of mice and men’?” That’s not impossible, but…. “do they read?” Whhoo!!!! No offense but I just cynically thought it’s impossible *grinning*
Anyway, as I listened to the whole song, I thought this might be telling about the book… neah, but it seems like that actually.

And yes, those obstacles are there, and thou there are guardians around you, somehow the feeling of loosing yourself will always be there no matter how small it is. It breaks you, tearing you apart. But climbing the “Everest” would be so much easier if you do it together, with friends, partners, whatever you'd call them. Sometimes you fall, sometimes you have to stop, sometimes you must climb up again, but when you reach the top of the hill, there’s nothing more incredible as sharing those feelings inside with your partner. That’s what “Everest”, the seventh song is all about, that everything will be much lighter and easier when you have a friend to share, to help and to lean on sometimes. Two heads are better than one, right?
And for this song, I like the idea of bringing the vocal to the foreground. The vocalist’ voice is pretty unique and this song shows it off nicely. This is the catchy part of the song actually.

And being in the shadow is never been the easiest part in this life. It actually what holds your feet from moving on and you have to make a choice to cut the rope or else you will stand still. “Sun Shadow”, as the next song, somehow reminds me of Radiohead’s ‘High and Dry’, I don’t know why. This song is in my top list favorite from this album. It gives me the same kind of feeling when I first listened to “Kiri” (a single from the previous album, Turbulence). I like the harmony here.

Again, a decision is made. History will always be something to remind us how precious life is, and the journey is just started. No matter how crazy things might be on the road, somehow when you reach the final destination, everything will be nothing but beautiful. That’s “Casbah” is all about.
And I am so freaking hip about this ‘arabic metal’, as they described, because it’s damn rocking. The music, the vocals just blend in perfection and just when I got really high, it stops right there and leave me breathless. Damn.

Thou I hate the next part because the song suddenly drastically change to another ballad, I like the idea of “I Don’t Mind”, it seems telling you that, “who cares whether I’m going to be hit by a train or crashed into pieces, I would still grab the chances, dare all the challenges to create my own world. That’s what makes me content, period.” *smiling*
I like that. I love it actually.

So the end is here, and “Sometimes” is a great song to summarize the entire journey been through.
This is my most favorite one actually. I really love the music, the sounds and how the emotion comes out here. Pretty emotionally relaxing, I must say. This song seems like telling you that whatever happen, whatever uphill and down you have been through, you will always own this shoulder to lean on, just to rest your bones for a while before heading back on the road, no need to say a word just lean on and surely will try to sweep away all the burdens inside. Damn!
And as listening to it, it feels like you have found the best partner in crime in the whole world that would stick with you no matter how crazy and frantic you might be.
I really like the idea of putting this song as the ending of this album because somehow it seems like a closing but actually it’s just the beginning. It makes you unconsciously thump the play button again as the CD stops rolling and takes another journey. Over and over and over again.

So that’s VIA (the album) to me is all about. This is why I describe it as “a (mind) journey via heart” because somehow, it’s another rollercoaster of emotion created by two lovely gays (oops!!!) I mean GUYS *grinning* kidding!!!
An album that suits any kind of journey you’re into. It offers nothing but a joyful ride of life, a life-adventure that you yourself ever created; any life adventure to be underlined here. And this album acts as a friend, a travel-buddy, a partner in crime, an assistance you might say or whatever you want to call ‘something/someone that stick with you throughout the journey’.



Well, want to experience a blastful emotional journey??
What are you waiting for?
Grab (or in this case I mean, Ship) the album and enjoy the ride!

how to purchase it?
try these sites:



www.cdbaby.com
www.cdjapan.co.jp



need samples?
try this one: MONORAL-VIA
or just visit the official myspace to get a clue



cheers!


_______________________________

MONORAL are Ali Morizumi (bass) and Anis Shimada (vocal)

AMBER





Brainstorm…
Take me away from the norm
I've got to tell you something..

This phenomenon
I had to put it in a song,
and it goes like:

Whoa
Amber is the color of your energy
Whoa
Shades of gold displayed naturally

You ought to know what brings me here
You glide through my head blind to fear,
and I know why-

Whoa
Amber is the color of your energy
Whoa
Shades of gold displayed naturally

Whoa
Amber is the color of your energy
Whoa
Shades of gold displayed naturally

You live too far away
Your voice rings like a bell anyway
Don't give up your independence
unless it feels so right
Nothing good comes easily;
Sometimes you've got to fight

Whoa
Amber is the color of your energy
Whoa
Shades of gold displayed naturally

Launched a thousand ships in my heart, so easy
Still, it's fine from afar,
and you know that

Whoa
Brainstorm
Take me away from the norm
Whoa
I've got to tell you something



.by 311.
__________________________________

Love this song. A LOT.
And I’ve been listening to this song for the hundred times today. Miss it so much.
The lyrics, the feeling you get as you’re listening to it, and…. Nick Hexum’s voice… all of those just make this song pretty romantic. Nice to chew along while relaxing
Somehow I wish that Anis Shimada from the band MONORAL, one day, will perform this song. Although, I don’t quite sure if it fits him, but… it’s just a wish anyway =D (or maybe singing ‘Love Song’? hmm….)

- dedicated to someone across the waters :,) -

Credit to the clip: LBCSublimer89

Friday, May 15, 2009

... a masquerade ...

is
something
I
can
not
put
on
...
..
.

@10:29 PM
____________________________________________
Listening to: PLACEBO – Protège Moi
[dear you in the attic, protect me from what I want, pretty please? Because I can not put this masquerade on any much longer.]

Note:
Since I’m starting ‘the project’ now, this will be my last post for quite a while, pretty quite long, actually.

So long!
Cheers.

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

TUESDAY




I can hear this silence crawl around

Hello, you thinkers
Hello, you fakers
And I see the summer drown you dry
Hello, you lovers
Hello, you dreamers

When I feel so insecure
I will need you, turn around

There's no one left to decide who is right or wrong
Waiting's not enough for you
Wasting what I want the most
Tuesday's gone and I'm tasting it over
Let me reside with the same old view
Sharing's all I need from you
Taking what I want the most
Tuesday's near and I wish that you were here

I can feel this sadness drag you down
Hello, you talkers
Hello, you sleepers
And I see this madness close your eyes
Hello, mistreaters
Hello, you weepers

When I feel so insecure
Grace my day
Please, stay around

There's no one left to decide who is right or wrong
Waiting's not enough for you
Wasting what I want the most
Tuesday's gone and I'm tasting it over
Let me reside with the same old view
Sharing's all I need from you
Taking what I want the most
Tuesday's near and I wish that you were here

If this comfort holds you down
I would gladly pull you out
It's a heavy
(Keep, keep, keep me awake somehow)
(Keep, keep, keep me awake somehow)
Now


….by MONORAL….
___________________________

A <long> Side Note:

‘Visions in My Head’ was the first song I heard from MONORAL, but this song ‘Tuesday’ was the first song I love the most instead of ‘Kiri’ (like many other would choose). I think it’s because of the line: “let me reside with the same old view, sharing is all I need from you…” ^^
Well, sometimes, we just need friends/best friends to share, to accept, not to solve, or to break the problems down. and then when it feels too comfy that you choose to refuse to change, they’ll pull you out and force you to grow.
^_^
(well, probably this song is not as much complicated as I interpret, but what do you know? Me and my twisted world, twisted mind…. Ooh well, me is twisting anyway^^)

O! Yea! And to make it even complete, today is Tuesday, and it’s all started with a medium rain pouring down that lasted since the night before, but Thank God the rain had stopped falling as I left the house early this morning, although the heavy grey cloud still hanging up above. I was complaining along the morning to The Almighty Above of why He decided to paint the Tuesday’ sky all grey, but something hit me right away.
As I walked out the train station, and looked up the sky, WHOAAAA!!!! There it was, a slight sketch of rainbow on the sky, trying to deliver the message that no matter how grey the sky is, there’ll always be bundles of colors to paint the Tuesday.
So I smiled to the rainbow, and whispered, “Ohayou.”

Cheers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ooh!! Wait! Wait! Not finished yet here!
About MONORAL!! Uugh, how I deeply wish that there will be another Video Clip or Music Video coming out. As I noticed, there is no MV yet for the latest album VIA, and I asked the management once, he (the manager, J-san) said that they’re still not planning neither DVD nor MV *heavy sigh*
I actually thought that they would film the tour, those South America and Europe and Japan, and packed it into a… three or four minute’s documentary clips and slide in the song Via, BAM! It’ll be a good documentary/music video for the single 'VIA', right? *so typical actually*
But hey, at least the promotion would be a lot easier, right? Right? No?
Now I’m talking this way as if one of the management of MONORAL would read this post,
hell.. there’s NO WAY they’ll spend their precious times surfing here and there and deserted here, right? RIGHT?!?! Now this one is ROOOAAAAIIITTT.

Ooh well, it’s just me and my twisted mind again, as always…

NOW!!!

It’s: Cheers anyway…. ^^V

Saturday, May 09, 2009

Digging up the Forgotten


I’ve just realized that even thou I like this band a lot, I have never ever posted a single thread about them, here. And this came out after I dig up my trash bin to find a test file (a placement test, to be underlined here) that I mistakenly erased some times ago *silly me*

Instead of finding the file (yea, I still couldn’t find it, and I think I should make another one. Shiitt!), I found things that more precious, those were: few songs from the band LIFEHOUSE. And those were buried under. I was shocked, “What the heck?! What was I thinking, erasing these precious treasures?

So I restored them back to where they used to belong and from that moment, I kept playing the whole songs *grinning*

Listening to those songs again reminds me of my college year, how I put them as my original soundtrack during the finishing touch of my Bachelor-thesis. Well, that phase has never been the easiest phase in the college age, rite? And I found my consolation from them. I even put them in my thanks parade page.

How are they doing right now?!
Last time I checked, they just released the single First Time and an album “Who We Are” (am I correct here?)
But yesterday, as I logged in to the official website, which I hadn’t done for so very long, they actually already released the newest album last year called ‘Broken’ (isn’t it the single in a previous album? *shrugging*)

Ooh well, I guess I have to rush the record store A.S.A.P to get the copy. Let’s just wish that it IS released here also, so I don’t have to ship it. I still have to manage my saving to ship all those MONORAL albums, some times next June, so I really hope that the LIFEHOUSE latest album is already on every local record store.
And soon as I get the album, I’ll definitely write something about Jason Wade and the boys, here, in a long post.

Hey, I even just found out that there’s a new comer in the band for the guitarist.
DAMN!

I surely need to recharge my LIFEHOUSE-ism *grinning*


Sidenote:

This post is actually just a rant about how stupid I am in some parts, and I have no idea but I’m suddenly losing all my appetites in writing (not even an FB note). Should I start thinking about starting ‘the project’ like now and abandon this blog??
Hmmm, I’ll go figure and ask him first how he’d feel about starting ‘the project’ sooner as expected


Cheers anyway!
(ooh well, maybe I’ll just keep flooding this blog with songs… *wondering* now where’s my Slipknot’ album??)

____________________________

Listening to LIFEHOUSE – Stanley Climbfall (the song I adored a lot back in the day)

Quiet, a sound you know so well. You’re living just to make it through another day. Stand climb and fall. Carry the world. Can’t carry on your own

^_^

Still love the song no matter what.

Thursday, May 07, 2009

Sleeps With Butterfly



Airplanes

Take you away again
Are you flying
Above where we live
Then I look up a glare in my eyes
Are you having regrets about last night

I'm not but I like rivers that rush in
So then I dove in
Is there trouble ahead
For you the acrobat
I won't push you unless you have a net

You say the word
You know I will find you
Or if you need some time
I don't mind
I don't hold on
To the tail of your kite
I'm not like the girls that you've known
But I believe I'm worth coming home to
Kiss away night
This girl only sleeps with butterflies
With butterflies
So go on and fly then boy

Balloons
Look good from on the ground
I fear with pins and needles around
We may fall then stumble
Upon a carousel
It could take us anywhere

(reff)

I'm not like the girls that you've known
But I believe I'm worth coming home to
Kiss away night
This girl only sleeps with butterflies
With butterflies
With butterflies
So go on and fly
boy

….by Tori Amos….

_______________________________
Hmm, whatta weird swing I’m in right now, isn’t it? Listening to the kind of song?
Well, guess the Ghost of Mellow is just haunting me today, haa…

I just love this song.
To love someone is to let them free, to be themselves.

Note:

and the band!! updated their blog again last night, and this is my first time not commenting there. I don’t know, just not in the mood? Just whispering a “welcome back in Japan” to the stars above, I guess, hoping the stars would kindly enough to deliver the message to them.

Ee???
I think this ghost of mellow, indeed is haunting me. WAAAKKSS!!

Cheers anyway!!