D'espairsRay Redux!

So, I was running through some of our older posts and I realized that I more or less just half-assed the D'espairsRay musical inspiration entry! Just threw the video up and said, "Hey, I like them! Watch the video!" Such an awesome band like D'espairsRay deserves far more respect than what I gave them. And so do you fine people. Like I said, I tossed the video up and told everyone, "Watch!" and didn't even say a single thing about D'espairsRay. Who they are, why I LOVE their music, and so on and so forth. Everyone ready? Fasten your seatbets, cuz we're off like a hooker's clothes!

The members of D'espairsRay are:


HIZUMI (vocals)


Karyu (guitar, vocals)


ZERO (bass, vocals)


Tsukasa (drums)

Now that they have all been introduced and gotten the "Who they are?" out of the way. We have come to the "Why I LOVE their music." Well, ladies and gentlemen, the answer is quite simple. D'espairsRay satisfies all of my musical needs. Their songs vary from fast and aggressive to slow and depressing. The song above, "Trickster", is about middle of the road when comes to their sound and style.

While I am learning Japanese, I know very little (probably just enough to get myself into trouble, haha.) Hizumi sings in a mixture of Japanese and English and though is a language barrier. The emotional way Hizumi sings, at least in my mind, shatters that barrier. What's that saying? "A smile can overcome any language barrier." I think the same principle could be applied here as well.

Until next time! Everyone have an awesome weekend!

-Jonathan

Of inspiration and interests!

Hey everyone! Jonathan here.

I'm sure, by now, all of you fine folks have come to figure that I find a lot of wonderful/crazy art pieces in the strangest of places. And today's post is no different. It comes from two loves of mine - the arts and video games!

"Video games being artistic?! Blasphemy!!" Several closed-minded college art professors would be chanting. (Now, I'm not saying all art professors are closed-minded, but quite a few are.) But, I bet I could convert a few of them if they saw this beauty!

In Okami, you play the Japanese Shinto sun goddess, Okami Amaterasu - the Great White Wolf, and do battle with the Darkness that spreads across all of Nippon. The graphics of Okami draws inspiration from Japanese watercolor paintings, Japanese calligraphy, and rich Japanese folklore. Okami weaves several folktales together into a single story of Amasterasu retrieving her divine power. And if the gorgeous graphics weren't enough, the soundtrack to Okami is just as beautiful as the art!

Hope you guys enjoy the little trip into Amaterasu's world, a place I frequently find myself enjoying! Now if you would excuse me, all of this talk about Okami has given me a yearning to play my Wii. Where do you guys find an escape and inspiration?

Adios, peepsies! Til we meet again!

P.S. -- We made our first sale today! Thanks to the Fancy Lady *wink wink* ^-^