I’m probably years behind discovering Nataly Dawn and Jack Conte, but in case you are too, Pomplamoose is what you get when you Wonder-Twins the two of them (minus the whole sucky water-only power of Zan). With Dawn’s powerfully adorable (or adorably powerful) vocals and Conte’s plain awesomeness, it’s hard not to love what they produce. Alone they are both amazing, but together they are a force to be reckoned with. Anyway enough talky talk. Onto the good stuff.

If there’s one thing I can consistently count on in life it’s that Studio Ghibli can makes some awesome, emotional movies. Hayao Miyazaki is an incredible genius and one of the best filmmakers of our time. But this entry is about a different genius behind the films. Without him the movies would definitely not be as powerful. And that man of course is Joe Hisaishi, the composer of every single Ghibli film and undoubtedly also the best in his field.

A couple of years ago along the Japaense release of Ponyo, a concert was held celebrating the 25 years that Hisaishi had spent with Studio Ghibli. For this concert they assembled a 200 piece orchestra, a 400 person choir, and even a marching band possibly making this one of largest productions for this kind of concert. The concert featured music from various Ghilbi films while clips from the movies were projected onto a gigantic screen behind the orchestra.

Recently a Bluray/DVD of the concert hit the markets and I was finally able to watch it. Suffice it to say I was blown away. The emotion it welled up was practically unparalleled. It almost makes me depressed that I was not able to see it in person. It also makes me wish there were more big orchestra productions in the US. To give you all a little taste, I included one “track” from the concert. It features the pieces “One Summer’s Day” and “Reprise” from Spirited Away with vocals performed by jpop star Ayaka Hirahara. Normally two hauntingly beautiful instrumental pieces, she elevates them even further with her sweet voice. Definitely one of my favorites from the concert.

So give it a list down below and I definitely recommend seeking out either the CD or Bluray/DVD to get the full experience. It will be money well spent. Hopefully this won’t be the only one because I’d travel to Japan just to see another concert on this scale.

Spirited Away - Joe Hisaishi feat. Ayaka Hirahara
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Sis introduced me to a bunch of new bands over break so lately I’ve been slowing going through them finding some favorites. Finally accumulated a good amount and thought I’d share a few of them for today. I’ll share s’more later on.

Since arriving here in Ohio I’ve had the pleasure of attending two concerts already. The first band we saw was Sea Wolf with Sara Lov and Port O’Brien opening. I’d say that these bands were right up my alley. They were all pretty much indie folk bands with a fun by very mellow feel to them. The night started with Sara Lov playing a few of her songs. Not being able to bring her band with her, she recorded all their stuff on an LP which she played back during the show. It was actually pretty cool and kinda cute. Overall she had some pretty nice songs. Reminded me a bit of a mellowed out Regina Spektor. Second up was Port O’Brien who I think had the best stage presence of the three. On the other hand they were definitely the most disorganized and ill prepared. Most of their songs weren’t really my style but the last song of theirs was definitely the best of the night. Had some audience participation which involved banging some pots and lids. Tried listening to the same song a few days later, but it was totally different from the live version which bummed me out. The main act, Sea Wolf, was pretty cool. Definite props for having a cute Asian chick playing the piano and cello. In the end though they were a bit too mellow for my tastes. Still had a blast at the concert though.

At the second concert was Pepper with Iration and illScarlet. Now these guys were in a totally different side of the music world that I usually don’t listen to. They’re more or less a mix between reggae, ska, and rock so I pretty much didn’t know what to expect. The night started with Iration and can’t say I really liked them. In the end all their songs sounded pretty much the same. Next up was illScarlet from Canada! Definitely my favorite band of the night. Pretty nice stage presence and their songs were really fun. Could see myself listening to them in the future. And finally Pepper. That is where things got a little wild. They’re definitely great at revving up the crowd cause everyone was going crazy. They’ve also got some awesome stage presence. Was a blast just seeing them up there. Probably wouldn’t see them again, but it was fun for the night. Overall their songs were okay with just one sticking in my head.

So yeah. Hope this is just a glance at things to come. OK Go is going to be in town next month so I’m hoping to check them out. Definitely hoping some of my favorite bands will stop in. That’d definitely make my day. (more…)