Random Song Wednesday! Lily Allen: The Fear

Lily Allen is by no means completely under the radar! The song I chose for this post was once number one in the charts in the UK and in the top ten in the US when it was initially released a little over ten years ago.

However, I feel she will always stand alone in many ways for me as a female performer! She has her own style both in life and expressed within her music. I will always have extreme respect for her in more ways than one!

Not only did she become successful by releasing her music herself on YouTube to be “discovered” but also because every single one of her songs are so unique in presentation with what they lyrically consist of and convey, all while always being brutally real and honest!

One of my favorite songs by her will always be one entitled “Knock ‘Em Out” which I totally recommend for any females viewing this post! I don’t think any song both accurately and hilariously portrays the interactions with some men that women can experience.

The song I picked for this post was the first I ever heard from her. “The Fear” is a satirical creation both with the song itself and the video as well. It mainly pertains to how most modern female artists, really people in general for that matter, are often concerned with all the wrong things and very materialistically driven?

Really just the overall experience of consumerism and values that most of “western society” have come to accept as the norm. Which in many ways is extremely impressive and almost a premonition of sorts considering this song was released over ten years ago as stated above. With these ideals and views only becoming more and more commonplace and acceptable as time goes on.

I highly recommend you check out her other work if you enjoy this song because this alone doesn’t nearly begin to show her full range musically and personally!

Lily Allen: The Fear

I want to be rich and I want lots of money
I don’t care about clever, I don’t care about funny
I want loads of clothes and “truckloads” of diamonds
I heard people die while they are trying to find them

And I’ll take my clothes off and it will be shameless
‘Cause everyone knows that’s how you get famous
I’ll look at the sun and I’ll look in the mirror
I’m on the right track, yeah, I’m on to a winner

I don’t know what’s right and what’s real anymore
I don’t know how I’m meant to feel anymore
When do you think it will all become clear
‘Cause I’m being taken over by the fear

Life’s about film stars and less about mothers
It’s all about fast cars and cussing each other
But it doesn’t matter ’cause I’m packing plastic
And that’s what makes my life so “freaking” fantastic

And I am a weapon of massive consumption
And it’s not my fault, it’s how I’m programmed to function
I’ll look at the sun and I’ll look in the mirror
I’m on the right track, yeah, I’m on to a winner

I don’t know what’s right and what’s real anymore
I don’t know how I’m meant to feel anymore
When do you think it will all become clear
‘Cause I’m being taken over by the fear

Forget about guns and forget ammunition
‘Cause I’m killing them all on my own little mission
Now I’m not a saint but I’m not a sinner
Now everything is cool as long as I’m getting thinner

I don’t know what’s right and what’s real anymore
I don’t know how I’m meant to feel anymore
When do you think it will all become clear
‘Cause I’m being taken over by the fear

(Some minor alterations to keep the lyrics “PG” in text form, ha ha!)

I hope you enjoyed it!

Don’t forget to look forward to more random songs from my very eclectic musical tastes, ha ha!

“Death by consumerism”by onepointzero is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Media Mondays! Breath of Fire! One of my Favorite Videogame Series of All Time!

The image above is from none of the games for the record! Just trying to avoid copyright issues, ha ha!

The Breath of Fire series is hands down one of my favorite videogame series of all time. It honestly could even be my number one favorite RPG series ever created! It brings almost everything to the table I could ever hope to find in a videogame experience.

The original Breath of Fire was released for the Super Nintendo back in 1993 during the peak growing popularity of traditional turn-based RPGs after the success of Final Fantasy. This game was far ahead of it’s time in many aspects which have remained fairly consistent through most of the titles that followed.

The games two main characters, Ryu and Nina, are the only two whose names and likenesses remained constant throughout the series. They are in no way supposed to always be the same person as the games progress but rather “incarnations” if you will. Ryu always being a male character with blue hair having the ability to transform into various dragon forms. While, Nina is always portrayed as a blonde female having wings for different reasons. Many of the other characters often share resemblances to other characters but with none of them having this same exact relevance.

Most of the games involve what you would expect from traditional style RPGs being story driven, consisting of fairly linear game-play leading you to explore various towns/dungeons and having a turn based combat system. Many aspects of the games entail elements that have always set this series apart from others in a number of ways! One of the most notable being that every character is completely unique not only in style but also their skill sets both in and outside of combat.

I’ve always enjoyed games that give characters various abilities/items that they use to complete puzzles and interact with the environment outside of battle. I think this is one of the coolest things a typical game in this genre can implement to add to the game’s experience. This was something even the original Breath of Fire achieved, which in many ways was “ground-breaking” in it’s own way for what games like this had achieved and experimented with up to this point.

The abilities that each character has in battle throughout the series is a whole other aspect in and of itself. As I previously mentioned, the main character, Ryu, is able to transform into different dragon forms which is achieved in a completely different manner in almost every single game. He alone is not the only character with the ability to transform without spoiling anything for anyone who has yet to try or experience all the games in the series. I can’t think of many other games that have such a wide range of different styles and abilities in the way this series accomplishes. This has always been something that can make or break a game for me honestly!

(One of the main reasons I’m not all that big a fan of Final Fantasy 7 for example…simply because you can essentially make every character exactly the same minus their “limit breaks” but this is a topic left for another day, ha ha!)

The story and themes of all the games are inherently linked in a number of ways while also not explicitly stating so. A number of stories and histories are shared throughout the series that reveal information about the varying races and the progression of the world over time. These can range from the history of the dragon clan or the winged race that Nina descends from slowly losing their ability to both fly and shape-shift into birds. Also, in the last “true game” of the series, society has shifted to living underground which is only mildly elaborated upon as the story progresses.

My favorite game in the series will always be the third for me personally. Breath of Fire 3 was my first introduction to the series which probably leaves me slightly bias. Overall, I just can’t think of one aspect about it I didn’t simply fall completely in love with! The story-line, the graphics, the characters, and above all the particular way the dragon transformations are implemented will always leave it having a special place in my heart! Potentially, my favorite game of all time if I had to solely pick one.

Most seem to prefer the fourth from what I have read which is honestly probably my least favorite even though I enjoy many things about it that set it apart like all of the games in the series. I even enjoyed the fifth game which receives more mixed reviews than any other completely changing up almost every aspect of the original four.

A sixth was technically created as a mobile game never becoming successful enough to even be deemed worthy of a release in English. I would still love to try it someday being such a fan but to most it marked the “final nail in the coffin” for the series…

Capcom, the creators of the games, have been quoted as saying they wouldn’t completely rule out potentially making another game in the future but most have come to accept the series will never rise again.

I highly recommend trying any of the existing games if you enjoy turn-based RPGs!

Who knows what the future may hold for one of my favorite videogame series of all time?

I know I will never stop looking it up on occasion in hopes of seeing it’s revival one day in the future.

Only time will tell!

Thank you so much for Reading!

“Dragon’s Breath”by Mr Noded is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

“Nina – Breath Of Fire III”by qiqo is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 3.0

Media Mondays! My Experience Being in Bands/Supporting your Local Music Scene!

Any type of career or even mild interest in making it in any forms of entertainment has to be one of the most challenging and draining under takings that one can choose to devote their time to in my opinion.

It’s been almost 10 years, give or take, at this point since I was heavily involved with being in bands and taking part in live performances.

I have watched many of my friends and acquaintances dedicate their lives primarily to music throughout the years and even some that still do so to this day!

To make it in any form of entertainment you have to fully dedicate every last bit of yourself to fully committing to making it work! The second that you or one of your “partners” in such endeavors begin to lose interest or hope in such activities then you’ve already failed!

This can sound very harsh but 100% dedication for your particular passion has to constantly drive every second of your being or you may as well quit before you even begin to try.

This becomes even more complicated with trying to make something like a band work. Not only do you have to maintain this yourself but you also have to rely on the others in your particular group to keep up this mentality as well!

The many various factors that are involved in such a project are almost literally endless with how many different issues/concerns can arise!

Not only do you all have to stay in agreement on the material that you create together. You all also have to continue to get along hopefully on a personal level! All of this and more I have dealt with myself in my own experiences and watched many others struggle with as well.

As you would imagine the level of stress with all the varying factors that come into play during the creative process, working together at all times, and having to agree on things in general can all lead to a very “taxing” experience. Not only do you have to deal with creating the content itself but also when/how you choose to distribute it, where you all agree/disagree on performing, etc.

The saddest part of all of this is that even if you yourself or your band as a whole are incredibly talented and people love your music! The chance that you will still “make it” are slim to none no matter what!

This can be very hard to maintain such a level of dedication when you begin to enter your early 30’s for example, as myself and most of the individuals I used to associate with find themselves currently getting older. I remember in my early twenties watching other bands in their 30’s, 40’s or even older still giving it their all and they always had my highest respect! If you don’t continue to give it your absolute best and dedicate such a huge part of your life towards it then once again you will never succeed!

Complications can arise on multiple levels with such a “task” as you could imagine! Whether it be worrying about your career, continuing to pay bills, or even maintaining your personal relationships, whether this be friends, spouses, or even children for some.

Let’s break up this random depressing notion for a second with some positive thoughts!

I will always love a local music scene almost more than I prefer to see bigger more well known performances!

Nothing more amazing to me exists than watching people I know, or even ones I don’t know, up on stage playing their hearts out literally giving it their all doing what they love!

I remember one of the number one things I used to enjoy in my early twenties was going to this local “run down bar” in my nearest city that did “open-mic nights” every Wednesday! I will never forget those nights for the rest of my life! People were allowed to show up with whatever they wanted and play three songs a piece until everyone who wanted to play had a chance. Sometimes people would mix and match with others they just met, all different styles of music, ages, walks of life, and it was nothing short of an incredible mix of musical passions!

I know this is no new concept to many but big or small never underestimate how amazing it can be to experience your own local live music scene!

Sometimes this can become a struggle to maintain depending on location, other varying factors but even if your own might be on the decline then make it your own personal “duty” or project to make it great again!

I feel like honestly right when I found myself unable to stay so involved in my own local scene for a number of reasons was when it began to pick up more than ever before! New festivals, activities and the like were all growing and being created by the very people I used to share these experiences with.

Venues and places to play in general will always come and go but the spirit will always be alive inside people! Whether it’s at a location where you can currently actively see it or not!

You always have to remember that the most important thing about keeping a local scene alive is supporting other performers! I feel like this aspect of things is what greatly hurts local music in more ways than one.

I remember when I used to play live in one of my bands very early years that we would often always play with another very popular local band at the time. This band would show up with a reasonable number of fans who would leave along with the band themselves once their own set was complete.

This is absolutely disgraceful in my opinion!

How can you truly claim to love and appreciate music if you can’t even have that passion for your fellow local performers?

I hope to eventually be able to get to a point in the future eventually when I can play live more often again myself. Whether this be in another band or even just another acoustic set at an open mic!

Music will always be my overall biggest passion!

If you at all feel the same then I highly recommend you get out into your own local scene!

If you don’t have one?

Create one like I said!

Music truly will always be amazing in it’s ability to bring people together who have a mutual appreciation for it!

I think this is the primary reason that I will always love it so much above anything else!

Thank you so much for Reading!

(Probably could have made this two separate posts in retrospect but whatever! As always, the writing bug took hold and it ended up way longer than intended! Perhaps I’ll edit it in the future, ha ha!)

“Flight Brigade – Live”by phin_hall is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

“Music”by Chris_Hawes is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Random Song Wednesday! Hatsune Miku: Rolling Girl

To be completely honest this was fairly far down on my list initially of songs I planned to introduce in this new up and coming series.

I suppose it does further prove my point of entailing just how vast my musical tastes truly are, ha ha!

I guess it also may come as no surprise to some considering I have made a fair amount of anime/otaku related posts so far and claim for it to be one of my primary topics of discussion.

I do, however, only slightly dabble in the ways of the various Asian inspired music that exists whether that be K-Pop/Rock or Vocaloid productions.

For those of you who may not be aware of the world of Vocaloids, they are artificial personalities and performers who can on occasion even be projected as holograms during concerts and the like.

The voices themselves are usually completely unique and fabricated using a combination of methods. While, I am not typically a fan of modified voices usually, I feel that in this situation it’s interesting and fun to see what they can do vocally in some songs things that could not be achieved with “normal human” capabilities.

Many different Vocaloids have come into existence at this point but one of the first and more well know is Hatsune Miku! You can find her adorable persona all over the web, on various merchandise, marketing purposes, etc.

I truly do find this world fascinating for a number of reasons. One of her songs even include a description of the complexity that can exist in this very concept.

The song included in this post will always remain one of my favorites! Not only for being one of the first I was introduced to but because it really is just all around an incredible song both musically and lyrically.

“Rolling Girl,” as the title slightly hints at, is a song about a girl who has had an extremely rough life so far and has become accustomed to “rolling with the punches” as they say.

It is extremely deep and something I feel most of us can relate to in some way. The video itself I feel is very powerful and almost perfectly encapsulates the heart and feeling behind the piece.

(I have linked the Japanese version of the song with English subtitles included but versions of the song/video exist as well if you may find yourself interested. I always feel it is better first to hear any media in it’s original language first personally.)

Without further ado, I present to you…

Hatsune Miku: Rolling Girl

Rolling Girl always looked at unreachable dreams
Making a fuss if you got inside her head and disturbed, disturbed.

“No problem.” Was murmured, but weren’t those words lost?
Fail again, fail again.
After ending your search for mistakes, it spins again!

Once more, once more.
“I’ll also roll today,”
That girl says, that girl says,
Playing her words with meaning

“Are you better now?”
“It’s still a ways off, I still don’t see the point. I’m gonna stop my breathing, now.”

Rolling Girl is at the end of the ruins, beyond unreachable colors
Overlapping voices with voices and blending, blending.

“No problem.” Was murmured, but those words were lost.
How are you going to turn out good?
Even the hill tempting me is making mistakes now.

Once more, once more.
Somehow I’m rolling.
That girl said, That girl said
Repeating silent words with meaning

“Are you better now?”
“Just a bit more, and you’ll see something soon. I’m gonna stop my breathing, now.”

Once more, once more.
“I’ll also roll today,”
That girl says, that girl says,
Playing her words with a smile

“Are you better now? It’s okay now. Let’s go, you must be tired as well, right?”
I wanna stop my breathing, now.

I hope you enjoyed it!

“hatsune miku”by 夜の猫さま is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Media Mondays! SKA! Let’s Face it People! Some Music is just Way Better with Horns!

As the tittle would suggest, most music is just plain better if you add horns!

You may not know however, that ska actually dates back a lot farther than you may realize if you’ve never fully researched it before!

For the most part, it is generally said to consist of three major periods of influence!

Ska has been around since the Jamaicans first primarily started the genre during the 50s to 60s roughly? This was a huge time for the “rock-steady” and reggae era which sparked much of the initial influence for the basis of the style. This primarily drew upon heavy use of walking bass lines and was made for dancing!

It wasn’t until about the 70s to 80s that it really started to have that major of an influence on other cultures all around the world! This is when the sound really first began to pick up it’s slight jazz and punk influences and really started becoming more “well known” and really being something pretty cool for a lot of people who may have been experiencing something like this for the first time.

This was a huge time for developing musical genres of all different types, obviously, so I feel that sometimes Ska has become almost overlooked and more of a “niche” musical taste with it’s fans varying immensely for the various individuals who have enjoyed it throughout history!

Now, Once you starting getting more into “my time” in the 90s to early 2000s is when the genre completely took on more “extreme” punk undertones. Usually, involving a three piece horn section, at the very least, with upbeat sounding rhythm and style that as happy as they may seem can honestly been some of the most depressing songs you’ll ever hear in your life more often than not!

At a typical “average Ska show” nowadays you will most likely see what is known as a style of dancing which has become known as “skanking!”

This style itself, in my opinion, is in a few words phenomenal, random, and awesome!

It tends to be a lot more relaxed than say a typical “pit” involving multiple people going around in a circle tossing their arms, legs, and everything else about in various personal styles to the beat of the songs in appreciation of the music!