New Blog

I deleted my hotmail account, and I can't figure out how to merge this onto my gmail, so I just made a new blog. Find it here.

It's 5AMish, & I Feel a Little Emo

My iPod is dying. It's been a good 3 1/2 years, so I can't really say that I'm... disappointed in it. I frankly expected it to start dying a lot sooner. But despite its many hours of service, I'm still annoyed to all hell at it. No sir, Mr. Classic iPod, you're not getting any sympathy from me! Your constant pausing and refusal to play continuously for more than half an hour is crossing the line, no-sir-ee! I'm gonna do what I should've done years ago! What's the newest generation of Sony players...

So I'm considering buying a Sony 8gb for about 60-70 bucks. I hardly used a 10th of the Classic iPod's storage, so I won't notice the size difference. A lot of reviews comment on the relatively small user wheel, but I'm sure that after a few months, I won't even notice the difference. Plus, this product has an FM tuner, which is something I'm actually looking forward to having in a portable player again. Maybe it's the old fuddy duddy in me, but I enjoy listening to hours and hours of commercial laden music, with playlists that boast hardly any variety and that contain songs with less lyrical content than most elementary school haiku.

... wait, no, but I'm being serious about liking the option of having an FM tuner. Real talk, real talk!

Still job hunting. Clerical positions have rather stringent requirements, which seems a bit silly, considering that a good chunk of those positions don't pay particularly well. I suppose in this economy, companies can afford to be a bit choosier and pay less, since the demand for jobs is so high. I'm considering doing a 2 job stint and just murder the free time for a while until something better comes my way. Hopefully I can land a job somewhere soon. This lack of real purpose behind my life is starting to get to me. My sleep schedule is entirely out of whack, I'm starting to feel listless, I still have bills to pay and debts to get rid of... Bleh.

I should look into getting an unpaid internship, and just get my foot in the door, but I need the revenue. I can't really justify working for free to myself... but then again, I'm barely employed right now. What would an unpaid internship really do to my current situation except eat into my gas bill a bit more?

Bleh. Gonna job hunt a bit more online before falling asleep.

Family Reunions, Colorado, and the Job Hunt

It's 2011, and I have yet to find myself a stable career. I have to put myself out there more, and do it more aggressively, but I'm finding myself somewhat unsure of what it is I want to do. A steady source of revenue is key, but as much as I joke about not caring about what sort of job I get, it does gnaw away at my mind. I want to find work in an industry where I can care about what I do, but what is that exactly? Immediate answers like the music or gaming industry come to mind, but how do I get in on the ground floor? It's hard enough to get basic entry levels with my background, but to venture into the entertainment industry, which is notoriously underwhelming in terms of pay and treatment, and is harder to break into without the right connections and experience... sigh. I should have gone into CS in college from the get go.

Visiting Andrew for a week in CO. It's such a beautiful place, with a crisp, clean feel that I could never quite find in MD. The people aren't as... diverse, but they all seem fairly friendly and open. I could see myself coming around here more often, just to gawk at the outdoors and revel in the feeling of... different. It's not loud here, there aren't any social obligations, it's... it's just nice here.

The 2011 Family Reunion was... messy, to say the least. Terrible health news caused a lot of stress for one branch of the clan, and saw their premature departure. Brother woes invoked a wave of migraines and other stress-related issues for me. Underage pregnancy was another hot button topic. On that subject, it feels so... surreal, seeing this girl that I remember as this little rugrat, now showing signs of a baby bump. Family as a whole is doing what it normally does when it comes to touchy issues like this, but the cousin in question seems to be taking it in stride, as well as she can. I feel for her and her situation, but I need to be in a better situation before I can think of helping her with her's.

There's also a small possibility that I could see how my niece and nephew are doing, and that... it's something that I tried not to think about, since their father wasn't able to be a part of their lives. I grew convinced that their roles in my life were over as soon as the messy divorce happened. But... just the thought of seeing them, even if only through photos... my nephew's a teenager now, with his sister chomping on his heels. It's... I felt a rush of emotions just hit me when I heard about this possibility. I don't know how to even describe it. I only really knew them through stories my brother told me, and I've only ever seen them, held them a couple times when their parents were still together. But the idea that there's blood that I haven't seen in more than a decade, blood that I was supposed to care for, as an uncle... it really digs deep.

Sigh.

SIGH.

EMO POST SIGH.

I'm coming close to breaking...

As the years go by, I'm starting to see more and more of the missteps, and I'm making a mad dash to shore up all the deficiencies, but everything I've relied on, everything I've built up, they're all collapsing around me, and I don't know if I even want to try to hold on.

I'm a terrible friend, unable to keep my own pain out of my social interactions. It floats to the surface, and it hurts those around me. I see it happen, but I'm so consumed by self-pity that I don't even bother to stop it. I become spiteful, and look for the littlest reason to lash out, because I can't handle the happiness of those surrounding me. I see the errors, but I just let it go, because I can't control the few things in life that I WANT to control. It feels like I've given up, and it's somewhat worrisome that I'm not any more concerned than I already am.

I've spent so many years trying to help him, but the effort's always been halfhearted. His pain, his sorrow, his need for comfort defines me as a person. I can't imagine myself as having grown up happy, as being happy. I've shaped my existence around his flaws, his legacy, and it feels too ingrained in my mind to change now. I suppose I enjoy playing the victim, set upon by his burdens, my burdens by proxy. It gives me something to live for in life, acting as the lifeline that can never quite pull in the hapless victim, but helps to keep them afloat for a little while longer. It sets me apart from my peers, in it's own small, insignificant way. It sounds idiotic, but I feel unique, even though I use my brother's shadow to define myself.

I know I shouldn't let personal matters affect my social standings, but it's getting so hard to keep the two separated.

Stray Thoughts

Write what you know.

It's 5:36 in the morning, and I'm still awake, gingerly pecking away at the laptop while the window shades allow the first rays of sunlight to seep through. I'm still awake because... because I want to recapture those brief moments of... I can't even describe it. My mind's so muddled, and everything just seems so impossibly difficult to explain in words, but...

It was so much easier when I was writing for you.

What am I, without you.

A Sense of Relief

// The future's hardly set, and the paths ahead of me are so clouded and unsure, but this sense of relief filling my very core is something that I can't seem to shake. For the first time in a long while, I can say that I feel happy. Hopefully the grades for this semester won't rob me of this high... ^_^ Here, have some Jane Lui. Good for the soul. \\

No job lined up, no relationship, no real plans for the future aside from some vague aspirations, not even the guarantee of a passing semester, and yet, I can't help shake this warm sensation blossoming in my chest, bringing a smile to my face.

I just feel so overwhelmingly happy.

Hopefully Liz and I will get our little comic strip off the ground within the next week. Something small and fun that I've always wanted to do, but never really found the motivation to see through until recently. Let's see if this endeavor bears any fruit, neh?

A music-related job may be a bit hard to land, but let's see what I can manage, right? ^_^;; History major with no formal musical education? No sweat, dood. I GOT THIS.

Gonna see about doing something productive right now. Ja!

~ Kess, FXC

Breaking Out, Part 1

The issue of breaking out onto the music scene for Asian-Americans has always been a funny one to me. Let's not even address the issue of Asians on screen, or Asians on television. Music. Overseas, Asian music has branched out and touched every type of sound we could possibly imagine, yet in America, there are no real prominent Asian-American figures. I could name a few somewhat obvious ones, like Mike Shinoda or Doug Robb from Hoobastank (or if you want to dig a bit deeper, mixed race singers like Ne-Yo, Amerie, Cassie, etc...), but for the most part, Asian-Americans are largely absent from the music scene. Those of mixed descent are normally identified by the other aspects that figure more prominently into their skin tone (I doubt too many people associate Ne-Yo with Asians), or their Asian ethnicity is glossed over.

As a demographic in America, it helps to have figures in the media to look up to. Sure, we could look towards other strong figures of other ethnicities and emulate their successes and achievements. However, there is much to be said for having someone you can readily identify with via visual and cultural cues. Growing up, I didn't have too many Asian role models I could look up to aside from the martial artists imported to ooh and aah the audiences with their fancy kicks and exotic war cries. I suppose I had yellow-face and whitewashed movies too. Yay for Asian-Americans apparently being deemed unable to sell product?

Anyway... a strong Asian-American presence does even more than provide a role model to younger generations. It could also work towards erasing the negative and hurtful stereotypes and perceptions of Asians that still exist today. While every ethnicity has their own list of stereotypes, it seems, at least to me, that people seem much more willing to make the Asian joke, do the slant-eye, or make the off-hand penis joke. We all apparently know kung-fu, are super smart when it comes to mathematics, technology, and the sciences, and eat dogs. It doesn't matter if the stereotype is positive; stereotypes dehumanize the individual. Stereotypes rob individuals of their own personal identity in the public sphere, and instead objectifies them, and that's the real danger of any form of stereotype. I become less than what I am. I am no longer myself, I am perceived as the myth. I myself am aware that I am an individual, but to those who proscribe to the stereotype, what am I but a walking joke? Self-worth and not needing external validation are all well and good, but it still sucks on some level to know that you're not measured according to your own accomplishments, but according to idiotic perceptions created through ignorance.

Oh shit, class is letting out. More on this later!

~ Kess, FXC

Music

As long as I'm listening to music, I can forget, for the briefest of moments, about the outside world. I can lose myself in the rhythm, and let the voices take me for the most wondrous of rides. It doesn't even necessarily matter if I don't understand the lyrics. The emotions are there, and at the end of the day that's what really matters. That raw strength, the enthusiasm, the sorrow, the joy, it's all there in the best of songs, and whenever I can glimpse that sort of feeling behind the words, it sends shivers down my spine. I can feel the world anew. Listening to this art, flowing through my speakers, I cannot help but be amazed and thankful that, despite it all, I was fortunate enough to have found these brief moments of clarity, and been able to appreciate it for what it is.

It's somewhat depressing to finally realize what I've wanted to do with my life so late into the education game. I suppose it's not financially feasible to go back and start the degree over as a music major, but hopefully I won't need it. I just... I don't want to just be a music enthusiast. I doubt I'd be able to create anything remotely remarkable, but... maybe if I can bring this music to a wider audience. Purge the tired lab tracks and revitalize the music scene. Bring back to feeling, the substance. I don't quite know how this desire will translate into action, but... I want to make this happen.

Awkward

Apparently if I hit enter when I'm typing the title, it'll submit the post as is. >_>

I'm not sure how to go about this. I know that the issue of self-confidence is a mind game; if I want something, I should go for it. I think too much about what I have to offer (or lack thereof), my appearances, whether I'll be received well or not, whether or not they already have a boyfriend, etc, etc... I know that I'm my own worst enemy, cliche cliche, and that I'll never be able to progress in life if I don't take risks, but...

It's poisonous, but I honestly don't think I can offer them anything aside from loyalty and a willingness to listen. And a lot of the shortcomings can be remedied, but even if none of those things were in the way, I still don't know if I can do good by them.

I'm not a brave man, and I don't want to hurt anyone.

I'm also a lazy man, I guess, because I won't take the necessary steps to make it better.

I'm just so lonely nowadays, that it eats away at whatever happiness I can grasp in the world today.

More Rambling

Stop trying to act black.

I hear that every now and then, from near strangers to close friends. It's delivered in different forms, but the meaning behind it is always the same. It makes me question quite a few things in life whenever I hear this, and the answers I arrive at are often unpleasant. I've tried to explain my take on the matter, but it seems nearly impossible to help people understand, as though they've already come to a conclusion about me. Maybe writing this all down will help illustrate my point better.

I'm my own person.

My habits, my dress, my musical tastes, my dialect, my life experiences, these are all MINE. I am not some chigga, some wannabe Asian thug, some suburban kid looking for street cred. I don't pretend to be "black", I'm not a byproduct of the ghetto, I'm not some awkward kid looking to stand out by embracing something normally seen as the polar opposite of Asianhood. I. Am. Me.

It makes me feel so awkward when I find myself defending what I like to supposed friends who genuinely question why I like the things I like. Does it matter? I didn't grow up impoverished, but I grew up around it for a time. I didn't do any dirt, but I had friends and family who did plenty. I saw enough. I lived through enough. Even if I didn't have any ties to this lifestyle, who the fuck are you to say that I shouldn't enjoy this culture? There's no neon sign that says only black people can enjoy these things. There are plenty of black people who DON'T enjoy these things, and enjoy things people associate with white culture. Does that make them any less black? Hardly. Does my taste in music and the way I talk make me any less Asian? No.

Why do I have to explain why I do the things I do. I'm not killing a puppy for shits, I'm listening to rap. I'm not masturbating furiously in public, I'm talking with a slight drawl and fewer complete words. I'm not fucking your mom, I'm watching BET. Who the fuck cares?

I started this post with the intention of explaining my background, but you know what? Why should I? Who are these people to criticize what I like, to even mention the race card? I enjoy it. I'm not doing it to look hard, or to look cool, or to pretend like I belong in a certain group. I'm a fat Asian kid who always wears two shirts and also listens to Backstreet Boys and hyperactive Asian pop.

Come on.

Bleh at the Weather

// Dreary weather can't dampen my excitement for Starcraft II though. As much as I loved the Protoss in the first one, Terran are growing on me in the beta for II. Get psyched, get hyped, get ready for a fucking fight. Cowboy up! \\

Starcraft II is coming. I can feel my free time bleeding away at the prospect of sitting in front of a computer monitor micromanaging my underlings and balancing my resource budget.

And by that I mean MMM rushing. >_> I'm still new to the beta, don't harsh my newbie tactics! Goddamn banelings...

Atlantic City is so abusive sometimes. Borgata likes playing with my emotions by letting me struggle to get in the green, then raping me in one fell swoop like I was some fresh meat in the state pen...

I suppose updating in class isn't the best of ideas, so I'm out for now. Whooooooooooo Modern Chinese history!

~ Kesshi, FXC

Still Awake

// Younha somewhat reminds me of Frou Frou's sound. Becoming more and more enamored with Korean artists with every new singer I find. Lovin the second album... \\

So it's been a while. Semi-quit my job, going back to school, trying to get my life back on track, etc, etc. And what better way to kick off a brand new start than going to see Utada in concert, not once, not twice, but thr-... no wait, twice. Yes.

Because of the kind efforts of a Boston cousin, I was able to land tickets for the Boston concert at Paradise in addition to the New York tickets at the Fillmore I had already scored. I'm really glad I was able to go to the Boston concert, because it was such an intimate setting, and Hikki was, aside from a Boku wa Kuma flub (which was really quite adorable), really on point and looked like she was having a ton of fun. Youtube the concert in Boston; a line friend got it all, and it's actually pretty good quality, although the sound is a bit meh.

Korean R&B has been surprising me left and right. Aside from Younha, I've been dabbling in a bit of Brown Eyed Girls and Gavy NJ, and it's all soooo soooo good. When I'm not feeling quite so lazy, I'll talk more about them. Until then, good night! Wish me luck on my exam in.... 6 hours and 43 minutes!

~ Kesshi, FXC

Lol, So I've Been Away For a Bit

Guess I've been neglecting this blog for a minute. But who really reads this, neh? :P

Going on a diet doesn't work too well without the willpower to back it up. But I think I've met my newest crush, so maybe that'll be motivation enough to get into gear. ^_^;; Gotta spiffy up the outfit a bit too, clean up the whole image. Get correct, get correct!

Aion's such a pretty looking game. Dunno if I wanna fall into the monthly subscription trap though. SOOOO PRETTY tho.

Net's pretty bad right now, so no video for now. Just wanted to post and say that I'm not dead! Yay!

Don't Say Lazy

// Been getting back into anime recently, and just started watching K-On! Actually enjoying it immensely. It's cute, funny, and seems... real? in the sense that I can imagine real people acting like this. I thought it was going to be something ridiculously fan service-y and sugary, but it's quite watchable. The music is also damn catchy. \\

I miss the simple life that came with college. It had its ups and downs, and there were definitely bleak moments, but still, it was leaps and bounds better than the monotony of cafe life. It also meant I was out of the house, lol...

The idea of moving out is so massively appealing, but I should go continue my education at UMBC. Torn between striking out on my own, away from the problems of home life, versus reentering the college life. Yeah, school would take me away from home as well, but it's not quite the same when they're just a few minutes away... iunno, maybe I'm just being weird.

It's just been so hard pretending. Smiling and chatting like everything's okay, like the past is long forgotten and I've moved on. I can't be myself around them, and it's eating away at my sanity, every moment I spend faking happiness. The only real positive that's come from being at home for a prolonged period of time is that my relationship with my sister has improved dramatically. We get along so much better nowadays, and while that's in no small part due to the fact that she's reached an age where our interests and humor mesh better, I think it's also because we've been able to spend so much time together. I don't want to lose that, but at the same time I don't want to suddenly crack under the pressure again and cause a scene that I'd regret later.

It does feel like running away, but...

Onto less emo/whiny topics... K-On! What a fun anime so far. It reminds me of Azumanga Daioh, except with a more linear storyline (by that I mean not as random at times) and a musical slant. The characters are all very likeable, and so sooooo adorable! I know I tend to gush over everything minutely cute... it's probably something that's gone from silly little quirk to creepy old guy thing... >_> I'm really looking forward to watching the rest of the series when I have a bit more time to myself.

When the Seagulls Cry is another anime that I've begun to watch. Made by the same people behind Higurashi, it seems to share a lot of similar themes, but... it's not quite as engaging as Higurashi was for me. Iunno... we'll see how it goes with the next episode. Ah, I'm waiting for anime to come out on a week by week basis again! How nostalgic. ^_^;;

STILL WAITING FOR A GOOD QUALITY VERSION OF 2.0 TO SURFACE! T_T_T_T_T_T_T_T_T_T_T_T_T AAARGH, ASUKA, I LONG FOR YOOOOOU!

Delicious 1TB external, yay!

~ Kesshi, FXC

Decisions

// No real introduction for this music video. Faye's voice is just very pretty, and I need something to brighten up the gloom, even if it is a dramatic song. \\

Presented with the opportunity to escape the situation I've found myself in, a feeling of trepidation creeps in unbidden. Stay the course, stay strong, and stay focused...

After a long conversation with Ben and Ngoc, the possibility of moving out crept up. The idea of living in Texas isn't too appealing, considering the weather and the sheer distance from my current circle of friends, but let's be realistic. While I do adore my core set of acquaintances, I rarely spend any time with them, perhaps meeting up once a month or so for a brief drinking excursion or movie adventure. I wish we were closer, but we all have our commitments, and our interests often clash. Besides, they seem comfortable enough without me. I can always adapt to the weather/stay indoors hugging the A/C unit.

The issue of the brother does come up though, and it's a rather serious thing to contemplate. I love him, no doubt, but he brings problems to the table that are hardly dismissable. I don't know if I could handle it, his problems... it's hard enough handling it over the phone, I can't imagine dealing with it in person on even a weekly basis. I know I joke about dying early, but the stress from having to carry his burdens probably would shave off years from my already short stack.

Another option would be Wisconsin, but I don't quite know about that. Ben did offer first, and it would seem a bit rude to opt for someone else. But it's Wisconsin, and the presence of snow is so alluring. I don't know how well I'd fare outside of the metropolitan setting I'm used to, but I guess I'd adapt for a few years. The lack of asians might be a bit unsettling, but it's not like I'm looking for someone to settle down with up there; I just need a change of scenery for a while.

The problem with either option is that I'd be imposing and become a burden.

I feel too old to be doing this sort of stuff, but young enough that I can't quite establish my own roots. What should I do...

~ Kesshi, FXC

Losing My Grip

// I suppose since this was a demo, there wasn't an official music video made for it. Regardless, one of my favorite songs from the Cardigans, with the bass track being covered by minsatellites. \\

I suppose I'm not making enough of an effort, or that I don't bring anything interesting to the equation. I call occasionally, but I don't want to seem too pushy or desperate. It just seems like I'm drifting farther and farther away, and the more I flail against the current, the harder it is for me to keep afloat.

Is this even normal, feeling like this so often for so long. I thought perhaps it was just a phase, or just because of things happening at the moment. But I'm on vacation, I have one more day until I get to see the cousins again, I've got Otakon to look forward to, and romantic possibilities are on the horizon. And, despite it all, I still feel so...

In the end, it doesn't really matter, does it. No one particularly cares, and I can't especially blame them. Why would someone want to sit around and listen to me bitch for hours on end. I guess that's why I can't maintain friendships; I'm just not positive enough. I could force positivity, I suppose, but I do enough of that at work that it would defeat the purpose of having friends if I had to keep that facade going. It's not like I try to be a stick in the mud around people; quite the contrary, I try my hardest to be upbeat and funny, and perhaps I try too hard sometimes and come off weird. It just gets tiring after a while, and I let the happy mask slip.

I don't really think I can put how I'm feeling right now into text without rambling and not making much sense. Heh, I act like people actually read this. The perks of hiding in plain sight, people don't go looking for your shit.

"I Figured Out" from the Cardigans. The person in the video is a bassist covering the song's bass line. Whether or not the bassist in the video is a very cute trap is something that's occasionally crossed and occupied my mind. I like to think it's a girl. Hope it's a girl.

The whole not recording your face and dressing up in girl's clothing to make the viewer question the gender schtick is a bit annoying after a while...

~ Kesshi, FXC

Haziness & Alarm Clocks

// Dreaming, and singing, laughing, crying, and dancing, falling in love... \\

These dreams have been driving me crazy as of late. They've been so realistic, and even as the day wears on, I can still almost feel her touch, smell her scent upon my clothing... it felt so real that I just can't shake her out of my mind. Maybe I don't want it to fade away into obscurity. I just felt so... happy, and that sensation lingered for quite a while, even as I boarded the bus to work. The day went by in a hazy blur, the images in my mind, slowly deteriorating, still seemingly more real than the daily dredge of cafe work. The fantastic backdrops that normally occupy my wandering mind during sleep where absent; in its place something much simpler, much more grounded in reality arose. I found myself yearning for something with such intensity that I knew in my heart that it couldn't possibly be a dream, that something this vivid had to be what life was meant to be.

Waking up to the sounds of a cell phone slowly vibrating itself off the nearby desk as my alarm clock bleeped incessantly for me to get to work... it was heart-wrenching to leave that place I had found in my mind, that quiet little spot where I could breathe in clarity and know what it was like to have someone love you back, the worries of the world drifting away into those darker recesses of my mind, no longer relevant. I was happy, and I died a little when I realized what the cold world truly had in store for me.

It can't quite take me out of this funk, but I'm still gonna let Ms. Kaela try...

~ Kesshi, FXC

Musical Tastes (Part IV: Pop/Guilty Pleasures)

Yeah, so I'm not going to pretend to be some cultured music connoisseur who only listens to the cream of the crop, not sullying my pallet by partaking of the opiate of the masses. Quite to the contrary, I dive right in! It's good to listen to something fresh and upbeat every so often, something you can sing along to while glancing nervously about for someone who might spot you and mock your nerdiness.

BoA: Yeah, she could've easily been clumped in with the R&B group, but she comes off as much more of a pop sensation to me than anything else. Whatever, she's hot, has catchy vocals and catchy melodies, and that's all that really matters, right? "Moto."



.melody: Another artist I found out about through listening to m-flo. She has such a pleasant voice, and is quite the looker. Yeah, she probably should be classified as R&B, but it's 5am right now, and I'm tired. "Born 2 Luv U."



Wonder Girls: Alright, guilty pleasure. It's so mind-numbingly catchy... @_@ "Nobody."



Ugh... I'm tired. I might follow-up on this tomorrow, iunno. Why the fuck did I stay up for 6 hours...

~ Kesshi, FXC

Musical Tastes (Part III: R&B)

It's somewhat hard to separate Asian singers into specific subgroups, because so many of them tend to crossover into a variety of genres. The next few artists I'm classifying as R&B will more often than not have a few songs that are decidedly not R&B in flavor, but for the most part will have either the majority of their music conform to the R&B image, or have had their roots in R&B (although they may have subsequently branched out).

Utada Hikaru: Oh Hikki... there are no words to describe how much I love her. My favorite artist of all-time... even with those songs that will not be mentioned here marring my eardrums... She had her roots in R&B, with a soulful English album that served to catapult her to the top of the Asian music scene. Although her style has decidedly evolved into something more experimental at times, it hasn't yet fallen in quality, and only seems to be getting better with every year.

Fuck it, I'm posting more than one video for Hikki. "Sakura Drops."



"Beautiful World."



"Hikari."



"First Love."



"Wait and See."



Okay, so I might be an Utada fanboy. >_> On with the rest...

Emi Hinouchi: It infuriates me that she's not a bigger star in the Asian music scene. She has such a wonderful voice that manages to convey a sense of strength to the listener while still remaining delicate. You can hear her emotions spilling out on her slow songs, and her upbeat tracks invigorate the soul. "Only Love."

愛だけが


Mika Nakashima: Yes, she's more jazz than R&B, but whatever, the two genres are related enough for me to justify putting her here. Besides, I don't really know any other jazz artists... >_> "Aishiteru."



Faye Wong: Not quite R&B either, but it's definitely not pop, at least as far as I understand what pop is. She has such a hauntingly beautiful voice that it's hard for me to shrug off what her singing does to me. Her English is also really damn good, at least in her songs. Posting two of her songs for comparison. "Hero."



"Eyes on Me."



Chae Yeon: This woman embodies sexy. Helps that the music is damn catchy too. "Two of Us."



Bonnie Pink: I'm running out of English to describe these singers, and that's terrible, considering I want to write... I need to go back to school, or buy myself a thesaurus... whatever, I just really really like her stuff. "Water Me."



Seo In Young: She has such potential. I wish she had put out more ballad-type songs than she did. Oh well, I'm content with her up-tempo tracks for now, and the occasional slow song. "I Want You."



Bennie K: Two sexy girls, one rapping, one singing. What more do you want! "Sunrise."



Hn... Pop next!

And yeah, I'm gonna clump BoA into pop. WHATEV, WHATEV, DUNT CURR.

~ Kesshi, FXC

Musical Tastes (Part II: Rock)

Sadly, rock is one of those genres that I haven't really explored much of in the Asian music scene. I do have a few bands that I absolutely adore though, so let's work with that first, shall we?

Kagrra: I don't really know where to start. From Isshi's strange lilting vocals to the haunting melodies, Kagrra's body of work is impressive, and contains a surprising amount of variety. Not content to stay with one "sound", their albums contain a myriad of sounds and tempos that can satisfy a wide range of rock enthusiasts. Let's try out "Satsuki."



The Gazette: I love his voice so much. The songs are so catchy, and are a bit... grungier, heavier sounding than Kagrra. Here's "Filth in the Beauty."



the pillows: I'm so pissed I missed catching their New York performance all those years ago. >_< Such happy, peaceful music! "Hybrid Rainbow."



L'Arc~en~Ciel: Saw them in concert at Otakon 2004 and fell in love. Hyde's got such an epic ballad-type voice... although his english accent leaves a lot to be desired. Cracked up so hard at the concert when he tried to ask us if we liked crabs. XD "Kasou."



F.I.R.: Such a pretty vocalist frontwoman. I love her voice so much! Amazing chinese band. "Lydia."



I know I'm forgetting a few groups here... but whatever.

Next come the pretty girls! I promise!

~ Kesshi, FXC