A Look at Utada

For this post, I am going to stray from the usual styles of music that I listen to. Most of the time I stick to rock and its many sub-genres. I feel like when someone says "I listen to rock" that could mean so many things nowadays. So when I tell someone about a band, I try and explain as best I can what they specifically sound like. Anyway, this time I would like to talk about pop artist Utada Hikaru. She has had some of her music released in America, most notably her album, "Exodus". However, she is more well known in Japan. In one American interview, the reporter basically equated her to Brittany Spears. Personally I would take this as an insult because, unlike Brittany Spears, Utada can actually sing.

According to online sources, Utada was born in New York in 1983. Both her parents have musical backgrounds, which partially led to Utada's involvement in music. She has been active pretty much since the mid-90's. Utada has had many singles released in Japan and has also acquired many awards throughout her career.

Now usually I am not someone who is a huge fan of Pop music. I think that it all pretty much sounds the same. Sometimes its just a matter of finding that one amongst the crowd who is a little different. For some reason when I listen to Utada, I don't get the feeling that I am listening to just any other Pop artist.

The first place I discovered Utada was in a video game: Kingdom Hearts. She does the theme songs for both of the Playstation 2 games in the series. For some reason I just really enjoyed the two songs, especially "Simple and Clean". From there I decided to start looking up her music on iTunes and such and I was hooked. Like I said, some Pop artists just fade in with the rest, but I feel like Utada is different. Maybe it is because she hasn't really been influenced by our country's crappy mainstream music, but who knows.

I would say that you should certainly look into this artist. Maybe start with the album "Exodus", and also look for her songs "Simple and Clean" (Japanese version is called "Hikari") as well as "Santuary" (Japanese version is called "Passion"). Don't be afraid to try out her songs and albums in Japanese. You may not understand what she is saying, but I would say it is still worth listening too. I feel that sometimes something is lost once the songs are translated to english, but whatever. Listen to Utada Hikaru!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RefdhRjRSM

The Legend of: He is Legend

So its been awhile, but now I am here to tell you about another band I consider to be noteworthy: He is Legend. Now, unlike the last few bands I discussed, these guys might not be for everyone, but if you are open to trying new styles of music, you might be able to fall in love with these dudes.

I guess it was about tenth or eleventh grade when I first came across He is Legend. I was sort of beginning to broaden my horizons, starting to look for sounds coming from bands that I had never really heard before. The first song by He is Legend that I heard was called "The Seduction". I have to admit, at first it took some getting used to. Sometimes I do not give songs much of a chance, I'll listen to the first few seconds and pass my judgement. Once I gave the song a full listen though, I was pretty much hooked. The great thing about He is Legend is that they are metal, but not the gloomy, downcast, dark metal that many are used to. They almost have a "happy" or "mischievous" sound, which fits quite well with their short story-like lyrics. So, their first album "I Am Hollywood", was released in 2004 and gained He is Legend quick fans. That album was one of the most diverse albums to be released on Tooth and Nail/Solid State records.

In 2006, He is Legend released their second album, "Suck Out the Poison". Many fans of the band went crazy because He is Legend certainly made some changes in their sound and the album did not contain a lot of the same qualities as "I Am Hollywood". They leaned a little bit more towards the heaver side of metal and adopted a little more of asouthern rock type sound. Personally, I love "Suck Out the Poison". I can see why many fans were upset, it certainly was a departure from the He is Legend that was so familiar. I am, however, a huge believer in the fact that bands should be able to grow, adapt, and produce the kind of music they want, even if it makes some fans a little unhappy.

Currently, He is Legend has posted some new recordings on Myspace and such, and I am stoked for their new album, which supposedly is coming out in the next month or two. No matter what, He is Legend has sound that I think is definitely their own, even if they continue to tweak things a bit. I still have not yet had a chance to see the live, but I have heard some crazy things about their stage antics and would love to go see them as soon as possible. If you like music that is often frantic and heavy, give these guys a listen. They certainly are in a league of their own, maybe even legendary. Get it, cause their name is He is Legend... oh never mind.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-SiDge4hBU



He is Legend is:

Schuylar Croom, vocals

Adam Tanbouz, guitar

Steve Bache, drums

Matt Williams, bass

Worth Weaver, guitar



Albums:

"91025" EP- 2004

"I Am Hollywood"- 2004

"Suck Out the Poison"- 2006