The Music Box

[SarahsKnight]

Ayreon - the Netherlands was always going to be represented by one of Arjen Lucassen's bands/projects, but he is best known for Ayreon, so that's what I went for in the end.

Whoa. Scary-looking guy on the link image, there.

 

[alsughasoughaiuyfygh]

.

 

[Citanul]

Whoa. Scary-looking guy on the link image, there.

That's actually a woman...

And she doesn't look scary in the video - that's just a really unfortunate freeze frame.

 

[Citanul]

Pakistan

Blackhour - while this metal band can definitely play and the singer can pull off some decent screams, I think they do need to work a little on making their songs a bit more memorable.

Poland

Agnieszka Świta - a singer who was discovered by progressive rock keyboard player Clive Nolan and played a prominent role in the rock operas he's put together. Her own music is a bit more straightforward rather than progressive rock, but it's still a collection of well-written and well-played songs.

Portugal

Waterland - a power metal band who slightly unusually have two male vocalists. I don't have much else to say other than that they're pleasant to listen to without being remarkable in any way.

 

[Citanul]

Romania

Byron - a few years back I went on a free music kick, and downloaded a number of albums that bands were giving away for free. I don't do that all that much anymore, as the ratio of really good albums to so-so albums wasn't great, and I'd much rather go for albums that I'm more likely to like even if I have to pay for them. Byron were one of the better bands I came across, playing quite a mixture of styles - sometimes jazzy, sometimes heavier/more alternative, sometimes a bit in the progressive vein.

Russia

Flash Range - this is a two-man progressive rock band, consisting of a guitarist and keyboard player. To provide the rest of the instruments (and vocals) for the songs on the EP, they roped in John Mitchell (Arena/It Bites), John Jowitt (IQ/Arena), and Andy Edwards (IQ) - in a similar fashion to Desert who I mentioned earlier, if you know who those guys are you'll know that's a pretty high calibre guest list who are wouldn't contribute to something that isn't any good. And the EP is pretty good, although sadly it's the only thing they've released.

Serbia

Claymore - power metal band (who for some reason now go by the name Claymorean). It's not a bad album, but didn't really stand out all that much either.

 

[Citanul]

South Africa

Bright Blue - this song is widely regarded as one of the great South African songs. It was released in the 80s at the height of apartheid, and it's very clearly about that. Somehow the censors missed that it contains a musical reference to "Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika", which at the time was a banned song due to it being used by the anti-apartheid movement as an alternative anthem. Josh Groban did a cover of the song, so he did expose it to a wider audience, but I prefer the original.

Spain

Dark Moor - a power metal band who gained a bit of fame as a result of them having a female vocalist at a time when it wasn't all that common. But vocalist aside, I didn't feel that the band were all that special.

Sweden

Flagship - another country where I've opted not to go for a metal band, despite Sweden producing a whole host of metal bands. But even though Flagship aren't metal, they still have a connection with sing Christian Rivel (aka Christian Liljegren) being best known as the frontman of various Christian metal bands, including Narnia, Divine Fire, Audiovision, and Golden Resurrection. Musically, this band is very definitely progressive rock, with a strong Kansas influence and features a cover of a Kerry Livgren song on which the man himself makes a guest appearance.

 

[Citanul]

Trinidad and Tobago

Orange Sky - I suppose that for a number of the countries I've mentioned it's a little surprising to see rock and metal bands coming from them, but this was one of the ones I found more surprising, which is probably due to the type of music generally associated with the Caribbean. That does crop up a little in Orange Sky's music, but they are very definitely a hard rock band, and a good one at that.

Tunisia

Carthagods - Tunisia seems to be producing quite few metal bands these days, and it's probably the second-most represented African country in my collection after South Africa. Myrath have had a lot of success internationally, and could very well be the most successful African metal band, although I've opted for a different Tunisian band who play a bit more of a straightforward style than Myrath's Middle Eastern tinged progressive metal.

Uganda

Threatening - a metal band who appear to have vanished after releasin two songs. Their Facebook page states that an album is coming soon, but that was five years ago, so band quite possibly is no more, which is a pity as the songs they did release were pretty good.

 

[SarahsKnight]

Thanks for continuing to post your music here, Citanul. Keeping this thread alive and it's a fun ride through the amusement park of your musical tastes.

 

[Citanul]

Ukraine

Sunrise - a power metal band with a strong Sonata Arctica influence (not that there's anything wrong with that), although with more positive lyrical themes.

UK

Suede - alphabetically, the final two countries (because "United Kingdom" comes after Ukraine) are the two most-represented in my collection, so I've got the opportunity to go for some different genres from those I've been posting so far. So for the UK it's Britpop, which like grunge (which was happening on the other side of the Atlantic at the same time) was a bit of a catch-all term rather than a distinct style. Even though I wasn't as familiar with them at the time, Suede have become my favourite of what could be termed the "Big Four" of Britpop, alongside Oasis, Blur, and Pulp.

US

Joe Bonamassa - although I can admire the guitar playing, I'm not a blues fan in any way, except for Joe Bonamassa. He does have a rock edge to his music, which I suppose is why he appeals to me.

 

[Citanul]

Thanks for continuing to post your music here, Citanul. Keeping this thread alive and it's a fun ride through the amusement park of your musical tastes.

Glad you're enjoying it. My world tour is over now , so I'll have to think of something else to do as there's still plenty I could post.

 

[SarahsKnight]

Sunrise - a power metal band with a strong Sonata Arctica influence (not that there's anything wrong with that), although with more positive lyrical themes.

This one I particularly liked.

 

[kittysbecute]

Here is my final post of my 5 star rated songs from my iTunes. (I could make this into two posts but I will just put links for the videos that I don't embed.)

13. Every New Day by Five Iron Frenzy
I think this might be my favorite FIF song. I've always been able to relate to the feelings in the lyrics. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86P6lCkAhRk

14. Hero by Superchick
Since I included two of their songs in my previous post I will skip embedding this one. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDofHdz36kc

15. Secrets of the Castle (from Harry Potter #3) by John Williams
This is one of my two favorite songs, in my favorite soundtrack. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82mb_pmRZDs

16. Little Honda by the Beach Boys
This was my favorite band when I was a kid. (I used to just listen to 50s and 60s rock). This is my favorite song by them.

17. Yesterday by the Beatles
I think this is my favorite Beatles song. I have heard most of them (I think), and many of the alternative recordings.

18. When the Rain Comes by Third Day
This is my favorite Third Day song. I used to listen to it a lot. It's really short and pretty simple. But it sounds good musically and lyrically, in my opinion. I was informed once that my playlists are mostly depressing, gloomy, or sad.

19. Surrender by BarlowGirl
This song is my favorite by BarlowGirl, and really the one that resonated with me the most lyrically. It is hard to just let go of dreams and trust in God's plan. That doesn't mean I know what God plans, it just really means that I don't know but I want/need to be willing to surrender that to Him and trust Him. Letting my "dreams" define me vs. surrendering those dreams to God. It makes sense to me. Not sure if it makes sense to others when I explain it.

20. A Window to the Past (Harry Potter #3) by John Williams
Like I said, this is my favorite overall soundtrack. This is also my favorite song on it.

21. Mulan's Decision by Jerry Goldsmith
Good song. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3oDaVLZC0Bs

That’s it for the songs I’ve rated 5 stars in my iTunes. I have not rated most of my music so there would likely be more on this list, but I have rated a lot of my most played music. I don’t really use iTunes as much now days, but I should use it more again.

 

[SarahsKnight]

Part 9 =>

From "Shuffle!":
From another harem-ish anime I once liked for some reason back around 2008 or so but of course now it makes no sense and would likely just get on my nerves. Good music, though. Makes it sound like it would be a highly emotional, intelligently-directed anime.

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From "Star Ocean":
Music from the RPG games Star Ocean 2 and Star Ocean 3. The former is probably still in my list of ten best RPG's ever, and the latter I grew to dislike overall because of the story direction, but in both cases the game's musical score is great.

The intro theme to SO2, called "Silent the Universe",

A mellow town theme from SO2,
My Top 50 RPG Town Themes #34- Star Ocean 2

One of my favorite dungeon themes in RPG's, mainly due to how well it accents the desperate but determined situation of the heroes as they make one last stand to find and destroy the source of all the evil plaguing their planet in the foreboding Tower of Eluria,
Star Ocean II (PS) - Kamikaze

The Dim Light of Dusk
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From "The Slayers":
Another anime from the classic days about a mouthy girl who roams the world comically blasting demons and monsters with an array of magic. Sorry, could not find the full versions of some of the songs below, like I actually have, but instead just the songs as they appear on the anime's opening and ending credits.

Slayers Evolution-R - ED "砂時計(모래시계)"

In the Limitless Desires

スレイヤーズ / Slayers - ED 「KUJIKENAIKARA!」

 

[SarahsKnight]

Part 10! =>

From "Wild Arms":
An underrated RPG series that, while not having as many installments, actually may have a higher overall rating on a 1-10 scale in my eyes than Final Fantasy does (mostly thanks to how revoltingly bad FFXIII was by itself). Also great music. .

A town theme in Wild Arms 3,

The best flight theme in any RPG I have ever heard, from Wild Arms 3, where you fly on a sentient metal dragon,

From the best and very first installment in the Wild Arms series, the Curan Abbey theme where our singular heroine Princess Cecilia begins her story,

The theme of Adlehyde Castle, also in Wild Arms 1, and where Cecilia returns in triumph as the shamanic princess who saved her kingdom from an invading demon race at the end of the story,

The music that plays when you are in a train station in Wild Arms 5,

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From "Xenogears":
From a time in the latter half of the 90's when it seemed that Squaresoft could do no wrong in video game development, we have the music of 1998 RPG Xenogears, and its three space opera prequels known as the Xenosaga series to come late in the 00's. ... Now that I think about it, I'll notify you for this one, @Swan7, since you were a Xenosaga fan, I believe.

The vocal ending theme to Xenogears, brilliantly written and sung,
Xenogears Soundtrack - Small Two of Pieces

Probably my favorite piece when it comes to ambient music in games,
Xenogears Soundtrack - The Wounded Shall advance into the Light

If you were paying particular attention when hearing the last few Let's Read videos on my channel that you have been so graciously supportive of, Miss @Multifavs, then you may recognize this one ^-^,
Xenogears Soundtrack - The Valley Where Wind Is Born

And finally these last two songs are from the three Xenosaga games, prequels to Xenogears,
Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht Soundtrack: Shion Emotion
Xenosaga Ep. III OSBT 2:17 - Maybe Tomorrow ~ Ending Medley
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That's pretty much the end of the alphabet for folders in my little PC music box, but there is one I skipped over to save for last because of the sheer number of songs within it: the "Miscellaneous" folder, which pretty much has all manner of songs within. Like @Citanul did, I will probably just try to pick one song out of that folder for each letter of the alphabet, to post here later on.

 

[Swan7]

since you were a Xenosaga fan, I believe.

Yep! And you know what? I don't think the devs intended this, but the story of Xenosaga/gears is actually quite biblical. It was very well done, and am sad to see it go as there was a huge disagreement with them in further development and ended up selling it to Monolith/Nintendo. Spiritual struggle, perhaps?

Even this music piece reminds me of Christ's light. Especially when it talks about the mirror. Very personal for me. Thanks for mentioning this to me

 

[Toro]

Yes and Xenosage was about the only nonfinal fantasy game that I knew before Swan.

I didn't like the style of art in the third one though.... at least I think it was the art.... something just didn't feel right.

And just cause......

I miss Tenchu....

 

[SarahsKnight]

at least I think it was the art.... something just didn't feel right.

I think what didn't feel right was the revelation that a robot woman (KOS-MOS) is actually Mary Magdalene. .... I mean, overall I really liked the story of Xenosaga, but whoa, that one plot point is really going out there.

 

[Swan7]

Yeah, not sure where they were going with that one, they shut it down so quickly in the third one. They really rushed the story and I didn't like that. Too bad, really.
There's a Xenosaga wikipedia and I had to correct some information about the story as well. People seemed to mix up Biblical people, specifically Mary - the one Jesus cast demons out of. Mary was also a popular name back then, as was the name Jesus. So, correction made, I wonder if it's still there. lol.

 

[SarahsKnight]

Part 1 of Misc (for "miscellaneous") Folder =>

So for this last bit I will put up a song from every letter of the alphabet, two or three if there are enough songs starting with the same letter.

A

I really don't ever know the history or names behind the bands that create music I happen to like, and Avalon is no exception, but I am thankful for that one time on, I believe it was, my 17th birthday that my paternal aunt, Pam, and her family sent me this one album from Avalon as a gift. Perhaps to have an official way of celebrating my having been led to becoming a Christ-believer, and this was my first birthday since. I do remember seemingly everyone in my father's known side of the family were really excited to hear on the day that happened. Here I had been, all my 16 or so years of life before that time just having been taught in my household that there was a God and a Heaven and a Hell, ... and yet I never knew for myself who Jesus Christ was. And it had nothing to do with specifics or details about how I was living (you guys have probably figured out by now that I am one of those believers who just doesn't play like that, trying to find reasons to believe someone might not be "a true Christian"); I simply did not know Him, Jesus. Don't even really remember giving thought to Him, honestly - just that there was a God. Well, Scripture says that even the demons believe that, and that certainly will not save them and give them eternal life. What the demons truly cannot stand to see or hear of is Jesus, the Son who willingly sacrificed Himself for our sins and finished - at least ultimately - the work of bringing salvation and defeating Evil once for all right there at the cross. And until I came to realize that and trust in it I was on my way to the second death just like where all Evil and the unredeemed from that Evil will sadly end. ... So, yes, while there was far more to come on the journey ahead, that day in February of 2001 was a good day for me. ^-^

This isn't my absolute favorite song from Avalon, though. I believe that one would be "Can't Live a Day Without You". Which I am sure I have posted here somewhere before.

Also, there is this song from the A's that I have only recently come across at random and decided it should be good enough to add to the collection.

Atelier Iris is just some RPG series I really don't knwo anything about, though, outside of playing one of their games (the third one, maybe?) about halfway through one time before I just decided it wasn't my personal style. Not that I thought it sucked; I just couldn't stay invested at the time, and so I sold it off on Amazon.

And finally from the A's, there is this song from one Ayumi Hamasaki, "Dearest".

I just know her name because apparently she did a lot of music for shows that my then-roommate Lantis was a big fan of at the time, like Inuyasha. She has a pretty voice, and honestly I think a lot of female Japanese vocalists get too easily overlooked as high-pitched squeaky dog toys by Americans who just don't really know the culture. So for such people, if they heard a woman singing in Japanese off my radio (this was especially bad at my first job) as they wandered by my area of the lab, they'd just be like, "this is in another language, so it's weird", and that was it. No, there is real beauty to many of these songs in my opinion, but I guess that's something that can only be truly understood and appreciated by us anime goers. (And again, the weird thing is, I don't say this as a fanboy, because I seriously think about 95% of the anime shows themselves I have seen are really awful and annoying. I just really like certain aspects of the culture, particularly the animation style itself and the vocal music.)
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B
Not much from the B's here in my Misc folder. Just a couple of Bioshock songs and that one track from Guitar Hero by Boston, "Peace of Mind", that I came to suddenly like the last time I was at the arcade. That's about it.

The melancholy violins in the first ten seconds or so of this song. Just another reminder of how dang near brilliantly the story of Bioshock 2 was told ... and how just as teeth-grindingly painful the story in the next Bioshock game to come ended up being.
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C
As you may have guessed this is the only song in French I have in stock, but for some reason I think it is great. This one is from a show I used to like called Code Lyoko.

Now, I have no idea what this is supposed to be a picture of on the cover of Coldplay's album A Rush of Blood to the Head, but this is still a great song. They usually do sound kind of mopey and all in their music, true, but it's still a nice sound, and can often hit you right in the feels.
Coldplay - In My Place
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D
Also hardly anything on the D side, here; this one is just some random mix of a Da Capo song that I already knew and liked in its original vocal form, "To Button no Chikai", made to sound like how it might if it were playing on an NES system.
Da Capo - Dai 2 Button no chikai (8Bit version)
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E
And finally for today, on the E side, we have an Elton John song. The ending theme to the movie Rocky V, which I understand seems to be the most heavily criticized of all the Rocky films by fans and even hated by Sylvester Stallone himself, but I think it still had its good points, this song being among them.
Elton John - The Measure Of A Man (Rocky V)
(You still can't say this line from before the final fight in Rocky V is bad, though: "There's no ring here! We'll settle this later!" .... "My ring is outside.")

.... No, that was awesome.

 

[SarahsKnight]

Part 2 of Misc (for "miscellaneous") Folder =>

F

Everyone loves Fleetwood Mac. ^-^

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G
My thanks to - was it @Hawthorne/Lord of the Forest? - for making me a fan of Gabrielle Aplin by first showing me her music years ago when I had formerly never heard of her before.

Yes, yes, they have a horrible band name based on the onomatopoeia of a giggling baby, but you can scarcely compliment the sound enough in most Goo Goo Dolls songs.

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H
A song from one of my favorite Disney movies as a child (but never was a big fan of Disney movies in general for some reason, at least the animated ones), Pete's Dragon,

_____________

I
From Illusion of Gaia, an adventure game on the SNES that did not seem particularly well-known,
Illusion of Gaia: Itory Village/Lily's Village
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J
Jason M'raz,
Absolutely Zero

Josh Groban,
You Raise Me Up