The last SotD post came after 4 months. This one comes afer a year and 4 months. Next one won’t take 2 years and 4 months… probably.

There’s been quite a lot of damned good music I’ve across since then. Almost all of them from anime, because that’s apparently the only way I discover new music these days. And first among them, not surprisingly, are songs by the incomparable Yuki Kajiura, who is without a doubt my favorite composer ever at this point.

First up, a two songs from Kara no Kyoukai. I love that series of movies for a lot of reasons, but even when put next to a story by Nasu, voice acting by Maaya Sakamoto, and amazing animation by ufotable, the music gives up nothing. Kalafina is the most recent of the “Yuki Kajiura + Vocalists” groups, and even when she goes out and find some new and relatively unknown ones, the results are still nothing short of astounding.

君が光に変えて行く – [128-192kbps VBR MP3]
Kalafina

ARIA – [128-192kbps VBR MP3]
Kalafina

And one that’s not from KnK, just released on the same disc as a single that is (fairytale).

serenato – [128-192kbps VBR MP3]
Kalafina

One more Yuki Kajiura composed song, just for good measure. I can’t say I liked Tsubasa Chronicle all that much, but the music certainly does nothing to diminish her stature in my mind – best part of the series.

風の街へ – [128-192kbps VBR MP3]
FictionJunction KEIKO

And finally, the ending theme to the best anime series of summer 2009, Bakemonogatari. This song is altogether fantastic, and also interesting because it’s composed, written, and sung by people who became famous due to their work on videos posted to Nico Nico Douga.

君の知らない物語 – [128-192kbps VBR MP3]
supercell

Lyrics after the break.

(more…)

A triplet again. First is a song from The World Ends with You. Awesome game, good music (assuming you can stand JPop). I might actually finish the game! At least if I can overcome my obsessive compulsiveness and not spend a couple hundred hours trying to collect each and every pin…

Calling – [128-192kbps VBR MP3]
石元丈晴 (Vocal – Leah)

Next, song that I randomly discovered from one of her albums which I apparently had obtained at some point in time. Not terribly original or interesting, but catchy and cute.

还是好朋友 – [128-192kbps VBR MP3]
王心凌

And finally, yet another song that I really like off what may well be one of my favorite albums ever. Out of the 16 tracks on By The Way, I enjoy at least 10 or 12 of them, including this one. Especially love the chorus.

Warm Tape – [128-192kbps VBR MP3]
Red Hot Chili Peppers

Lyrics after the break.

(more…)

…for everyone who cares about the wonderful music in one of the most prolific game franchises ever:

1UP – A Day in the Life of Nobuo Uematsu

I think. No promises though.

And yes, it’s more Still Alive. Here’s the song’s writer, Jonathon Coulton, singing it at a concert and at his home studio: