Music Is the Blood: 2011

Thursday, August 11, 2011

~fade~ [Review]

Regardless of Sushi/California Roll, we less care for "Where" this food comes from, even though we tend to care at first by those shapes/looking, but the bottom lines is surely and finally "What" tasteful this dish is!

Now, listening to the title track of fade's Kings Of Dawn, I marvel at the pure poetry of 5° and Kansei's guitars, the strength and sensuality of Jon Underdown's vocals, the power of Noriyuki's bass and Rui's drums reverberating into my veins. My ears gasp with amazement that, here, in the U.S., these artists are only now gaining notoriety a result of Jon joining YFC.

These guys are beyond good. I mean, anyone with enough balls to cover Bon Jovi's "Livin On A Prayer" [Kings Of Dawn] and not only make it their own, but make it delectable, has extra brownie points in my book. "No Reason" from the anime Deadman Wonderland is pure in your face rock, while the opening of "Drifting Away" - first track off of the mini album A Moment Of Truth - exhibits blending of East and West as well as the influence of bands like Linkin Park and 30 Seconds To Mars.

Jon sings as beautifully in Japanese as he does in English - extra brownie points in my book I dare say. Not only can his voice be raw and unchecked as a tsunami, it can indeed be as precise and delicate as a rain of sakura. He is power, pain, glory, and gritty sensuality all in one.

While not discounting any member's talent, I have to say that I am most enchanted by the guitars and bass. Going from melodic to sharp, resounding roar in mere minutes of a measure, the duo work in tandem, in perfect symmetry with each others part. Noriyuki doesn't just slap the bass, but plucks it like a lyre, adding richness to 5° and Kansei's harmonies. Rui provides a backdrop of thunder and lightning, the crack of his snare in "Last Man Standing" [Kings Of Dawn] fully assaulting the senses.

It would be a mistake, nay a travesty should one neglect to treat themselves to even one of this band's offerings. Me, personally, I am addicted, the flavor too rich and luscious to resist, never mind the cause and effect of heady rock and roll served by a bunch of Black Eyed Cowboys and one Blue Eyed Samurai.

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Comprendez-vous?

I will come out and say now that I am a snob when it comes to music - I often resist what is considered the "in" sound or the "popular" trend as here, in America, radio is rarely fan-driven anymore. Most stations have a pre-programmed set list that they must abide by and if the DJ plays anything outside that list, they can get in major trouble. Usually, any DJ that is allowed to play local or underground artists are regulated to late-night slots or weekend slots - still others work for public stations that get little or no promotion. Digital stations are sometimes the exception, but as far as the mainstream stations one can flip on in the car during a long road-trip, there aren't many alternatives.

Yet what annoys me about people nowadays the most is the resistance to talented artists based on a language barrier: "Oh, come on, I can't even understand the words! Gods, change it, please!" some have complained when I have introduced Gackt or even Pavorotti. These individuals so quickly forget [or ignore] the fact that some of the most popular hits in the U.S. had not one word of English spoken.

When Ritchie Valens' La Bamba was released in 1959, it topped the charts at #22, yet when Los Lobos did the cover for the movie of the same name, it hit #1 in Billboard's Top 100. Oye Como Va, what some call Santana's signature song, reached #13 on Billboard's Top 100. Nena's 99 Luftballons peaked at #2 on the Hot 100 charts before the English version was even released, while Falco's Rock Me Amadeus hit the #1 spot in 1985.

None of these hits have a lick of English, save for the chorus in Falco's hit, so it begs to question why the music captured the generations then, and why now the concept of not understanding the words now makes some people's brains ache? Personally, in some songs nowadays - especially the Autotuned dance hits and so-called rap - I have doubts whether anyone understands a word these artists are saying when they are speaking English!

So, what I suggest is going back to listening to the music as a whole, not just the beat, or to the artificial noise that the media has drummed into our brains as being the best there is to offer. Instead, feel the music the way we felt it when we heard Santana the first time, driving on a hot Summer day, top down, on our way to the bar, the beach, or wherever our travels led us, and feel it with our hearts, our souls, not just our feet. One didn't need to understand what Ritchie was saying to know that La Bamba was a party, a celebration, an invitation to throw your cares to the dance, to the moment, to the spirit of the song.

In order to dance the Bamba

A little humor is needed

A little humor for me and for you

Faster and faster

I'll be for you

I'm not a sailor

I'm captain