Sunday, July 31, 2011

Best Quote of the Week ~ [07/31/11]

          "I'm not sad, I'm French."
~Oancitizen from his review of Exterminating Angels

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Oh My God!! Galaxy Express 999 Rereleased!!


     
          After God knows how long, Galaxy Express 999 and it's sequel Adieu Galaxy Express 999 have finally been given another American release with both Japanese and English voice! I'm so happy. These are two great films and deserve being watched whether or not you like anime. If you like film in general or a good heart wrenching story -- buy it. The are both cheap at only $17.99 each. No one knows how completely jacked I am right. I needed this. Amazon links below!

UPDATE 1 (7/26/11): Deepdisount.com is even cheaper with Galaxy Express 999 at $14.71 and Adieu Galaxy Express 999 at $11.99. Also, for those who don't know, Deepdisount.com has free standard shipping on all items and Amazon has free standard shipping on all orders exceeding $25.

UPDATE 2: Amazon lowered the price of Adieu Galaxy Express 999 from $17.99 to $16.99. Deepdisount.com still has the best deal.

Amazon links:
Buy Galaxy Express 999

          The creator is the one and only Leiji Matsumoto. Look him up if you don't know!

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Best Quote of the Week ~ [07/24/11]: The French Revolution

Eugene Delacroix - Liberty Leading The People 1830
          "The Third Estate is the People and the People is the foundation of the State; it is in fact the State itself... It is in the People that all national power resides and it is for the People that all states exist."
~Louis-Alexandre de Launay, comte d'Antraigues


Jacques Bertaux - Prise du Palais des Tuileries 1793

Jean-Victor Schnetz - The Battle for Town Hall 1830



Thursday, July 21, 2011

musica es musica: School Food Punishment


School Food Punishment
          School Food Punishment is a Japanese, post-rock, electronica band fronted by Yumi Uchimura. They were formed in 2004 by Uchimura and the current lineup includes Uchimura on guitar, Masayuki Hasuo on keyboard, Hideaki Yamasaki on bass, and Osamu Hidai on drums. The band’s music is characterized by Uchimura’s strong and passionate voice, Hasuo’s great keyboard work, as well as fast and furious guitar riffs and drumming. Their sound is almost always unique and interesting thanks to their use of genre blending. School Food Punishment is constantly mixing rock and pop together with electronica sounds that at times are ambient and at other times more glitch sounding (mostly this). School Food Punishment is a great band that makes great music and if you have the time definitely give them a listen.


Yumi Uchimura

          They are currently signed with Sony Music Japan's Epic Records Japan record label. To date they have released five albums, including EP’s: school food is good food (April 4, 2007), air feel, color swim (November 21, 2007), Riff-rain (December 10, 2008/January 14, 2009 ~ My personal favorite), amp-reflection (April 14, 2010), and Prog-Roid (July 13, 2011). Their single ‘futuristic imagination’ was used as the ending theme to the excellent Eden of the East anime. Light prayer was used as the main theme for the first movie, The King of Eden, and future nova/after laughter were used as the opening and ending themes of the next film, Paradise Lost, respectively.

Eden of the East (The King of Eden)

          I’ve provided a few songs and more pictures after the jump. 

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

musica es musica: Introduction

          Random Music is evolving... Random Music has become musica es musica!

          Today, I’m introducing new, or to be precise, an evolution of an old feature: Random Music as musica es musica.

          Now, what exactly is musica es musica? You may have noticed that most of the posts on this site that contain music also bear this phrase in its tags. Well, I’m big into music, all kinds of music, and am always looking for more and new music. I just think it’s foolish to say “I like rock and all I will listen to or look for is rock.” Or “Classical is the only type of music worth calling music.” There is just so much great music from all genres if you are willing to search. So, awhile back I created this phrase ‘musica es musica’ – music is music – as sort of a banner or motto that means all music should be embraced. All music is music. All music should be sought out. Now, that’s not to say that a person should like every song on the radio. It just means to explore as much as possible and to not limit your view of music to just a single genre, sound, or term.

          Frank Zappa once said: The Ultimate Rule ought to be: “If it sounds GOOD to YOU, it’s bitchin’; and if it sounds BAD to YOU, it’s shitty.” The more varied your musical experience, the easier it is to define for yourself what you like and what you don’t like. American radio listeners, raised on a diet of_____ (fill in the blank), have experienced a musical universe so small they cannot begin to know what they like.

          I’ve used this quote before, but it perfectly sum up my idea of musica es musica.

          Okay, second, what exactly is the feature musica es musica? It’s going to be pretty much what Random Music was, just slightly more in-depth of the information side and varied on the music side, as well as having a more consistent format. I will showcase music I like in all its forms, highlighting single bands, artists, albums, games, movies, etc and will give a little information on the highlighted person, band, album, you get the picture and have several select songs from them so you guys can give them a listen.

          Also, I want to make this very clear -- this is a showcase and information piece not reviews. If I’m showcasing it assume I like it.

          Welp, hope you guys enjoy the feature when I roll it out and please check out my short story: Castella in Theory Story 2: The Worst of Derek Russell. Read and comment.

          P.S.: Having phrases in Spanish just makes them cooler. Also, I didn’t know how to say it in Japanese at the time.

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

(Another Belated) Best Quote of the Week ~ [07/19/11]

          "A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on."
~ Winston S. Churchill

Friday, July 15, 2011

Best (Belated) Quote of the Week ~ [07/15/11]: "We choose to go to the moon."

          "We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon... we choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too."
~ John F. Kennedy on September 12th, 1962