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Tuesday, March 31, 2020

Stevie T The Rock N Roll Funny Man



I've been checking out a lot more YouTube musicians recently and one of the ones I have come to enjoy the most is Stevie T( aka Steve Terreberry).  Actually,  he is one of the reasons that I discovered Kiesel guitars and why I have actually have come to have a great appreciation for that brand.  Stevie T may not play live much but he has demonstrated that he is a very capable musician and is very hilarious.  

One of the first things I mentioned earlier about why I like Stevie T is that he is hilarious in many ways. One thing I find hilarious about him is his demeanor.  he has a constant energy that never ceases and he never gets boring as a result.  The other thing I find hilarious about him is his facial expressions.  He has this rubbery face that he does so many great expressions with that I laugh at constantly and never get tired of.  Some people don't like that about him but I find it hilarious and is one of the things I enjoy most about his channel.


The other thing I like about Stevie T is that he is a good musician.  One of my favorite videos from him is where he takes horrible American Idol performances and tries to make them sound good.  He isn't able to fix the bad singing but he is able to put good music to those performances that makes them sound decent or at least something that you can tolerate.  He also does a good job of throwing in his own twist to certain songs or videos he is talking about in his episodes.




Last thing is that he doesn't have a massive ego.  He is thankful for his success and he acknowledges guitarists and musicians better then him.  He has even done videos reacting to musicians that are better then him.  While he does, he sometimes will also promote musicians, as he has done with Paul Gilbert.  He is humble and while he may joke like he is mad, he actually joking.  

I think Stevie T is great to help get people more curios about guitar and music especially rock and metal.  He is very entertaining and enjoyable to watch.  Link to his YouTube channel will be displayed below, I highly recommend you check out his stuff and subscribe to him.





Monday, March 30, 2020

Top 5 Aiolin Songs



If there is one visual kei band that has caught my attention a lot recently, it would be Aiolin.  With good musicianship and a great musician to lead them, this band has put out quite a few songs since they debut in 2017.  In that time, they have put out several great songs.  Here are my top 5 songs from this band.

5.  Breathing


Aiolin does a great job when it comes to ballads and this one of my favorites from them.  I really like how the song has a good slow build and then really picks up in the chorus.  I've always like this set up at the beginning of a song and they pull it off very nicely.  The chorus in this song is also very nice.  it is just the right level o energy but not so over the top that it kills the song.  The violin solo in this song is also very well executed.  He does a good job of adding classical elements to rock and that solo is a good example of that.

4.  Ark Night
  

This song was a great song to use as the opening song for their first album (Tear In The Rain).  The high energy in the intro is a great hook that made me want to rock out, as well as look forward to the rest of the album.  I also really like the melodic vocals of the chorus.  It is perfectly balanced with the music and creates a chorus that creates feeling while at the same time making me want to rock out. 

3.  Remember the Name


This is the first song I heard from this band and man did it make an impression.  The taping guitar work along with the violin in the intro hooks you right off the back.  Then there's the awesome guitar solo.  Hikarito bust out a really good fast solo with hints of melody thrown in and it works really well. 

2.  Dusk Reaper


Being this band's newest single, they continue to produce great music.  The melodic vocals continue to serve this band well and it carries throughout the entire song. The best part of this song though is the awesome violin solo.  I've heard a lot of violin solos from Hikarito and this is one of this best.  The great melodic sound with moments of speed work very well together and gives a very epic solo.

1. Stardust Crystal


My favorite song without a doubt has to be Stardust Crystal. I even made a video using this song.  It has a lot going on in it from the piano, to the guitar and violin, yet it all works together.  As far as ballads go, this one does a great job of reminding you it is a rock song while still having that emotional feel that a ballad goes for.  The energy works well with the melodic music and has some of the best instrumental moments I have ever heard out of this band.  As far as guitar solo's go, this is Hikarioto's best, in my opinion.  He does some great melodic shredding in this song and I enjoy listening to it whenever it shows up on my playlist.





Monday, March 23, 2020

Twice U.S. Record Deal Optimistic But Cautions


News has broke that JYP and Republic records has made a partnership for Twice.  For the Once fandom there is a lot to be excited for. Twice can get more exposure, be able to land more American interviews, and possibly get a much bigger audience.  Twice has already had a short tour in the US and it was very successful. So there is a lot of possibility with this partnership! However, when you look at the history of these kinds of situations in the past, along with other components, there is also a lot to be cautious about.


We cannot forget the other KPop groups that have tried this in the past and that it has yet to work out.  Wonder Girls tried tried this with their EP “2 Different Tears” and it didn’t work. It did fine world wide.  However, the US market, the very market they were trying to gain ground in, it flopped.  Girls Generation also tried to break into the US with them joining Interscope Records.  This wasn’t really a flop because ultimately it didn’t go anywhere to begin with.  You could argue that this is actually worse then flopping.

We also have to pay attention to how the American music industry operates.  Twice has had it pretty good with JYP, though not perfect.  They are busy but they take time to make sure the songs are refined and focus on making an impression rather then just simply making a hit.  The American pop music scene is all about speed and getting  material out quickly. Unless you are one of current pop titans like Ariana Grande or Taylor Swift (both of whom are on Republic Records), you are given a short amount of time to get music out.  This leads to plenty of flops and even if a song does become a hit it usually fades faster then it took to make the song. This short term goal thinking has resulted in tons of failed acts, some of which have been better since they left major labels.  This has also led plenty of artists simply being tossed aside once the record label thinks the well is dry.

The last point I want to make is risk to Twice’s identity.  Record labels have a bad habit of molding people into what is currently big instead letting them make their own identity.  This leads to a lot of one hit wonders and artists with very short careers.  Twice already has a unique identity that has played a huge part in their success.  If Republic Records tries to make them more like Ariana Grande or Taylor Swift, they will lose what made them great. This could result in killing the momentum they have going.  

I understand people are excited, and I personally, would love to see Twice do an English speaking interview like Itzy did on Young Hollywood recently.  However, if it comes at the cost of Twice losing what made them great, I would rather it not happen and they continue to gain momentum through JYP.  The good news is that JYP listens to fans more then most KPop agencies, and if the fans say it’s not working, they will listen.

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Tuesday, March 17, 2020

Twice Moment Of 2019


Since 2020 has started, I have seen a lot of top 2019 KPop blogs, articles, and videos.  There was a lot in those videos and all of them included something from Twice in one form or another.  However, the one thing I didn’t see mentioned much that I think deserves more attention is Mina’s brief, but emotional speech during their 4th anniversary.


Considering that Mina was still struggling with her anxiety disorder greatly at this time, it was a  miracle she was able to perform at the event, let alone speak and address the audience.  Before that, she would only come on stage for music performances and would rest back stage during the games and fan interactions.


If you watch the video of her speaking on YouTube, you can tell she was nervous.  Fortunately, the Twice members are very close, more like a family then a group of friends.  Mina had Nayeon and Jihyo next to her to support her and her encourage her to speak. She only gets out a few words, but she is sincere. All the 
members then go up and hug her.




She cries a little afterwards, along with some of the other members and we end up having one of the most authentic stage moments, not just in KPop, but in music in general.  It took a lot of will power for Mina to be able to speak and the love and support of the other members is something not all that common.  That is why I think this is one of the top KPop moments of 2019.

Sunday, March 1, 2020

Martina McBride Concrete Angel Review



In all honesty, I am not the biggest fan of country music, especially of modern country.  I am a hard rock and metal fan and have been for most of my life.  However, one thing I have come to love and appreciate is a song that is from the heart.  A song that is well written and has a deep message.  Martina McBride has accomplished this many times, but one of her best, in my opinion, is “Concrete Angel”.  

Lyrically, the song is very deep and talks about the issue of child abuse.  Martina McBride wrote the lyrics in the form of a story of a girl who goes through life hiding her abuse or people seeing and ignoring it.  The lyrics take a dark turn by saying that the girls died in the final verse.  In chorus, tells us that fought through it while alive.  It then goes on to say that the girl has found happiness in Heaven.

Along with powerful lyrics,  Martina McBride has a beautiful voice that conveys the song’s message well.  I saw a YouTuber named “Too Sushi” who said her voice made the song sound like a lullaby and I honestly agree.  The soft melody is able to do both address the deep  message and give a song a bit of a calm feel.  

The music video for the song is amazing as well.  It illustrates the lyrics perfectly and Martina McBride’s look is amazing.  Her blue eyes really make you keep your attention on her.  It is not in the form of, (oh I look beautiful and sexy so look at me). It’s actually in the sense of,( I’ve got something to say, please listen).  When you look at her face and eyes, you can tell she’s being real and it sells the song that much better.

No matter what genre you listen to most, I can’t recommend this song enough.  It has a good, deep message, the music fits well, and Martina McBride’s voice really carries the song.  This is song is one that deserves a lot more attention and is one you really should check out.