Category Archives: Music

AMV of the Day: Sexy and I Know It (NSFW)

Posted on by Arleigh

To say that 2010’s Highschool of the Dead was the hit anime series for that season would be an understatement. It’s a series that about a bunch of Japanese highschool students trying to survive the sudden onset of the zombie apocalypse. You’d think that would be enough to pull in the audience, but no the Japanese anime studios needed to really hook the audience and they did so by turning it into an ecchi-fest that’s just a couple steps lower from turning into hentai.

What better way to mark the latest “AMV of the Day” that makes perfect use of LMFAO’s “Sexy and I Know It” song than using an anime that’s got an overabundance of sexy in your face. There’s nothing else to say other than just sit back and enjoy the finished work of Mystic Shaek.

Anime: Highschool of the Dead

Song: “Sexy and I Know It” by LMFAO

Creator: Mystic Shaek

Past AMVs of the Day

Song of the Day: The Outlaw Torn (by Metallica and S.F. Symphony)

Posted on by Arleigh

The latest entry in my “Song of the Day” feature is from one of my favorite bands ever, Metallica, and from one of their live albums: “The Outlaw Torn” feat. the S.F. Symphony Orchestra.

This song was part of their 6th album, Load, and was picked by classical composer Michael Kamen to become part of the set list for the band’s live collaboration with the S.F. Symphony Orchestra. One of these days I’ll review that live album with all its great entries and some so-so ones, but for now it’s all about “The Outlaw Torn” and how the band’s attempt at trying a hard rock sound instead of their original thrash metal beginnings ended up becoming pretty great once paired with a full symphony orchestra adding their own voices to the song.

Unlike some of the other songs picked for the S&M album (as this one was called Symphony & Metallica), this particular track benefited from the added melodies and arrangements that only ranks upon ranks of strings, brass and percussion sections an orchestra could bring to the table. The orchestra didn’t just mimic the very sound and notes the band was playing but added different layers of sounds and with this song one could hear those additions.

This version of “The Outlaw Torn” gets continuous play on my computer and iPhone that I know by memory just when certain sections of the orchestra comes in and just what sort instruments would be coming in. It’s that good.

The Outlaw Torn

And now I wait my whole lifetime
For you
And now I wait my whole lifetime
For you

I ride the dirt I ride the tide
For you
I search the outside search inside
For you

To take back what you left me
I know I’ll always burn to be
The one who seeks so I may find
And now I wait my whole lifetime

My whole lifetime
My whole lifetime
My whole lifetime
And I’m torn

So long I wait my whole lifetime
For you
So long I wait my whole lifetime
For you

The more I search the more my need
For you
The more I bless the more I bleed
For you

You make me smash the clock and feel
I’d rather die behind the wheel
Time was never on my side
So long I wait my whole lifetime

My whole lifetime
My whole lifetime
My whole lifetime
And I’m torn

HEAR ME
And if I close my mind in fear
Please pry it open

SEE ME
And if my face becomes sincere
Beware

HOLD ME
And when I start to come undone
Stitch me together

SEE ME
And when you see me strut
Remind me of what left this outlaw torn

HEAR ME
And if I close my mind in fear
Please pry it open

SEE ME
And if my face becomes sincere
Beware

HOLD ME
And when I start to come undone
Stitch me together

SEE ME
And when you see me strut
Remind me of what left this outlaw torn

AMV of the Day: Everytime We Touch (Toradora!)

Posted on by Arleigh

The latest “AMV of the Day” is another in a long line of videos using one of the more popular anime series of the past couple years. Toradora! is one of those romantic/comedy slice-of-life anime that always tugs at the heart strings. It’s no different with this anime as we see with the series’ two main characters in the tiny Aisaka Taiga and Takasu Ryuuji.

This time around it’s a straight up ballad of a video from the point of view of Taiga as she contemplates her true feelings for Ryuuji during the holidays. AMV creator HiddenFlowerDesi picked a very appropriate song to convey Taiga’s feelings with the song “Everytime We Touch” by the German Eurodance group Cascada. Instead of using the more upbeat version of the song the Yanou’s Candlelight mix of the song was used to better use the slower tempo to fit the video and also to put the focus on group singer Natalie Horler’s evocative singing.

Anime: Toradora!

Song: “Everytime We Touch” by Cascada

Creator: HiddenFlowerDesi

Past AMVs of the Day

AMV of the Day: War (Valkyria Chronicles)

Posted on by Arleigh

Time for a new “AMV of the Day” entry and this time I found one that combines one of my favorite songs of the last couple years with an anime series that I’ve grown to like very much.

“War” is the title of the song and the AMV created by saberslayer. I grew to love this song after I first heard it play during my play-through of Remedy’s Alan Wake psychological-horror game. As for the anime series Valkyria Chronicles this was something that I wasn’t sold on when I first found out it was based on the PSP strategy rpg of the same name. Not being a major fan of anything Sony gaming-related I just dismissed the series as just another attempt by Sony to push the PSP since it wasn’t selling as well as it’s rival the Nintendo DS. Well, to my surprise I tried the series and ended up really liking it.

The video really captures the feeling of the song with the backdrop of a world that’s a mix of World War II Europe with anime-style techno-magic. Saberslayer does a great job in keeping much of the hyper-editing cuts that many amv creators have fallen in love with. While the video still uses some graphical flourishes like making certain scenes play out in sepia-like tones the rest of the video is pretty straightforward in terms of editing and it allows for the song’s tempo to match the video’s pacing. Saberslayer could easily have sped things up but to the detriment of the song and the video’s overall emotional impact.

This is one AMV creator I shall keep my eyes open for whenever they release a new video.

Anime: Valkyria Chronicles

Song: “War” by Poets of the Fall

Creator: saberslayer

Past AMVs of the Day

Song of the Day: The Avengers (by Alan Silvestri)

Posted on by Arleigh

To say that Marvel Studios’ The Avengers has become a hit sensation since it’s release this weekend would be an understatement of cosmic proportions. I think almost everyone has seen it or, if that’s not the case, then there was a lot of people who saw it multiple times (guilty of seeing it twice over a 24-hour period). People were amazed by the action, spectacle, comedy and everything in-between. One thing that really stuck to me was the theme for the team itself. It’s that theme which I’ve chosen as the latest “Song of the Day”.

“The Avengers” theme was composed by noted and veteran film score composer Alan Silvestri (he was also instrumental in composing the very good film score for 2011’s Captain America). While I thought that Silvestri’s score for the whole film was quite good it was the theme for the group that stood out best. It had hints of the old-school heroic them from Captain America but within an overarching sound that didn’t denote a singular hero but a team coming together as a group of heroes.

One thing that rarely gets used in such heroic themes (at least haven’t been utilized of late) would be the French Horn section. In this theme they’re used to great effect and, to be honest, it’s the best use of French Horns in a film score since Basil Poledouris used it to great effect in his classic soundtrack to Conan the Barbarian. In fact, I’d say that this theme wad primarily all about the French Horns being backed up by the other sections of the orchestra. If one doesn’t know what a French Horn sounds like will hear it at it’s most epic around the 1:10 mark of the video. Now those are epic notes.

Now I go back to listening to this track while I continue to gather my thoughts for a review of this film.

Song of the Day: House of the Rising Sun (by The Animals)

Posted on by Arleigh

The night is growing late and to close it out I’ve chosen a new “Song of the Day” and it’s an all-time blues-rock classic from the 60’s.

Even if one wasn’t a fan of rock from the 1960’s they still would recognize the biggest hit ever released by the British blues-rock band The Animals with their 1964 hit, “House of the Rising Sun”. The weren’t the first band or musicians to have sung the song. No one truly knows the origin of the song, but music luminaries such as Bob Dylan, Woody Guthrie, Lead Belly, Joan Baez and Nina Simone were just a few to have covered it. It would be The Animals version which would live on as the one best remembered.

The song doesn’t just have the soulful cadence of classic blues, but has lyrics that show’s the band’s folk rock influences. It became part of the British Invasion of the United States during the 60’s when rock bands from them to The Beatles, The Rolling Stones right up to The Yardbirds would dominate American airwaves. The Animals would cement their place amongst these giants with this single. One thing which really powered this song through the juggernaut that was The Beatles would be the powerful vocals by frontman Eric Burdon matched with the keyboard playing of Alan Price.

“House of the Rising Sun” by The Animals continues to entertain fans old and new and still one of the best songs to come out during the 1960’s.

House of the Rising Sun

There is a house in New Orleans
They call the Rising Sun
And it’s been the ruin of many a poor boy
And God I know I’m one

My mother was a tailor
She sewed my new bluejeans
My father was a gamblin’ man
Down in New Orleans

Now the only thing a gambler needs
Is a suitcase and trunk
And the only time he’s satisfied
Is when he’s on a drunk

[Organ Solo]

Oh mother tell your children
Not to do what I have done
Spend your lives in sin and misery
In the House of the Rising Sun

Well, I got one foot on the platform
The other foot on the train
I’m goin’ back to New Orleans
To wear that ball and chain

Well, there is a house in New Orleans
They call the Rising Sun
And it’s been the ruin of many a poor boy
And God I know I’m one

AMV of the Day: Hold On To That Feeling

Posted on by Arleigh

After finding a whole database full of some of the best AMV’s ever made in the last couple years I have another new AMV to post as the latest “AMV of the Day”. The latest one actually uses a song that is near and dear to my heart.

“Hold On To That Feeling” is the AMV in question and was the collaboration effort of two creators, Ileia and PWolf. I’ve always admired the videos that actually have more than one editor involved in it’s production. When both editors are on the same wavelength as to how the video should look like and play out the ultimate result ends up being quite good to great. This latest AMV is one such example of two creators whose joint collaboration doesn’t even show in the final product and that’s a good thing.

Another reason why I love this video so much is the song the two picked to base the video on. It’s Journey’s classic rock anthem song and one my San Francisco Giants used as their official rally song during their 2010 World Series run. Everytime I watch this video I can’t help but sing along to “Don’t Stop Believin'” and any Giants fan would do the same, but with the extra bonus of great anime scenes from a boatload of great anime.

Ok, enough talking, back to watching and singing along to the AMV.

Anime: 5 Centimeters per Second, Ah! My Goddess, Ah! My Goddess! Always Together, Ai Yori Aoshi, Ai Yori Aoshi ~Enishi~, Birdy the Mighty Decode, Chobits, Cowboy Bebop, Ef – a tale of memories, Full Metal Panic: Fumoffu, Full Metal Panic: The Second Raid, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, Hōkago no Pleiades, Kimi ni Todoke, Macross Frontier, Macross Frontier MUSIC CLIP Collection – Nyankuri, NANA Neon Genesis Evangelion 2.22 – You Can [Not] Advance, Neon Genesis Evangelion: 1.11 You Are [Not] Alone, Romeo × Juliet, The Sky Crawlers, Suzumiya Haruhi no Shoushitsu, Tengen Toppa Gurren-Lagann, Towards the Terra

Song: “Don’t Stop Believin'” by Journey

Creators: Ileia and Pwolf

AMV of the Day: Disco Heaven

Posted on by Arleigh

For the latest pick for “AMV of the Day” I went into moe-overload. The latest amv chosen is “Disco Heaven”.

I am not what you would call a fan of Lady Gaga. The fact that I actually picked this particular has less to do with Lady Gaga’s song “Disco Heaven” being used but more on the anime the creator used to make his video out of. JudgeHolden does a great job in picking the right scenes from so many different anime titles. Even the choreography from each chosen scene matched almost in-synch with the song’s tempo and beat.

Interesting how a song I would never catch myself listening to actually ends up being catchy when married with so many moe-related anime scenes.

Anime: Amazing Nuts! (OAV), Angel Beats (TV), Baccano! (TV), Birdy the Mighty Decode (TV), Excel Saga, K-ON! (TV), Lucky Star (OVA), Lucky Star (TV), Macross Frontier (TV), The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (TV), Mnemosyne – Mnemosyne no Musume-tachi (OAV), My HiME, Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt (TV), Princess Resurrection (TV), Rosario + Vampire Capu2 (TV), Sekirei (TV), Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann Parallel Works (MVs), xxxholic

Song: “Disco Heaven” by Lady Gaga

Creator: JudgeHolden

Song of the Day: Abracadabra (by Brown Eyed Girls)

Posted on by Arleigh

The latest “Song of the Day” comes way out from left field. I’ve posted many metal of different types, hard rock, blues, classical, film scores and even some video game scores, but I still haven’t moved into the realm of pop music from Asia. To start things off I decided on a very catchy tune from a Korean all-girl K-Pop group: Brown Eyed Girls.

Their song “Abracadabra” is a megahit with the otaku crowd and those who follow Asian pop music. I came across the song through a video that was recommended by Youtube to me. I have no idea how that happened but after watching the video I was quite thankful that it did.

I have no idea what the ladies are singing about other than what I’ve read on-line. The song is about blind love and the danger that comes with it. Sounds like a song tailor made for those of the yandere stripe. What I do know is that the group (comprised of Ga-In, Narsha, JeA and Miryo) and this song with its unique brand of hip dancing actually one of the more popular videos on-line. I guarantee that listening, or watching this video, will get it hooks into people and get them to subconsciously do the very hip dance even while sitting down.

AMV of the Day: Hands Up! (Dragonball)

Posted on by Arleigh

I don’t think one has to a fan of anime to have even heard of and/or seen Dragonball. It’s like a prime introduction for kids on anime during the mid-90’s. The latest “AMV of the Day” takes things back to that era when most American kids were introduced to the anime series through Cartoon Network’s reruns.

“Hands Up!” is an amv produced and created by one Drabaz88 who did a great job editing together scenes from not just Dragonball but Dragonball Z. It’s great to see well-renowned manga artist Akira Toriyama’s character designs at any time and in this video they make for an action-packed and quite funny video.

The video has become quite the sensation in the anime conventions of 2012, so far. It’s won awards in pretty much every anime con it’s been entered in with the latest being at Anime Boston 2012 where it won in the Best upbeat category. If there’s one thing this video is all about is that it’s pretty upbeat. It’s hard not to have a big smile once the video has ended. For one thing it has my favorite Dragonball(z) character not made to look like a buffoon and idiot: Hercule!

Anime: Dragonball, Dragonball Z

Song: “Dynamite” by Taio Cruz

Creator: Drabaz88