Or just plain busy.  Sleep-deprived, which contributes to anger and frustration.

But, there was no school today so I spent all of today doing nothing academic.  Except studying physics a little bit (because I’m beyond lost in that class…).  Though, I know I should have practiced and studied for tomorrow’s mini-meet and audition.

I sort of snapped yesterday.  I was easily irritable, and apparently someone else was having a bad day.  I tried to cheer her up, but she wouldn’t have it and I reacted badly.  But it’s alright.

The Academic Decathlon mini-meet was nerve-racking.  I had my speech memorized.  Sort of.  But I felt ready enough to struggle through the entire thing.  Definitely not what happened.

MOAR PLZ…

I don’t post for two weeks, but I return with a goody!  Picture credit to Linnea.

This happened towards the end of 2nd lunch.  Unfortunately, I didn’t get to see it happen, but I started walking to back to class when I noticed a shit lot of people scrambling towards the grassy knoll in A parking lot.  I stared at the crowd a little, and asked Jennifer, “What’s going on?”

“I don’t know, man, what happened?”

“Oh…oh shit!  The car’s butt isn’t supposed to be that high!”

“What?  Holy shit!” And she scrambled off to get a better look.  News travelled really fast, and as I continued forth, it’s all people talked about.  By the end of the minute it took me to get to my English class, it’s the only thing we talked about.

As it turns out, it was some white girl who turned into the parking lot too fast and tried to turn the wheel the other way, but overcompensated.  It still doesn’t make sense to me, though.

Normally, I would feel bad, but apparently afterward she just giggled and said, “Ha, that was me!” and posed for pictures with the car.

Really?  What a dumbass.  $15 says she was high.

I usually see her driving behind me on my way to school in the morning.  Guess I won’t, anymore.

Edit:
Word is, she was texting at the same time.  Rumoured to have been high.  No surprise. (Oct. 05)

Agitated Listeners of Dir en grey -UNIMPRESSED-

So I’ve listened to the new Dir en grey single.  Don’t let the subtitle fool you, I adore it.  I’ve just been reading different opinions around the ‘Net, and decided I may as well assert mine.  Though, I sort of did that in the last post.  But anyway.

Concerning the unplugged recording of “Agitated Screams of Maggots.”  I think that it’s not supposed to be musical, in the sense of melody, harmony, beat, composition, etc.  I noticed that some people were pissed off, some creaming their pants over the prospect of listening to it in the dark.  Approach it as an aural work of art, in the same way that a painting or a novel may not intend to entertain.  Popular music is very personal to the composer, rather than intended to please an audience. I remember once reading an interview where one of the band members (I can’t remember which!  I think it was Kaoru?) mentioned something along the lines of music transcending language barriers yet still managing to communicate.  Perhaps this new “Agitated…” is just another way of doing that exactly.  The intention is to make you feel uncomfortable.  The piano backing is reminiscent of silent movies.  Remember Nosferatu?

I could be completely wrong, but that’s alright. Is grainy piano and screaming a viable art form?  Debatable, but we would not be questioning this if no one tried to pass it off as one.

The title track itself, “Glass Skin”, is gorgeous.  Every Dir en grey appreciator has at one point considered Kyo-screaming vs. Kyo-singing.  I think he keeps a good balance of them on each album.  I do want to note, however, that when he goes a capella and starts beating the shit out of himself on stage I felt like I could die with no regrets.  (That’s an exaggeration - it was just fucking amazing in a beautiful, bittersweet way.)

Like I said, “Glass Skin” reminds me of “kasumi,” and maybe a bit of “CONCEIVED SORROW.”  Ballads.  Yeah, that’s a better word.

The new “undecided” arrangement is just as great as the original one - for different reasons, though.  It has another dimension to it - you can tell that the group collaborated on this version and everyone’s strengths really show.  Kyo’s vocals are still as great as ever, but now with more confidence and clarity.  Kaoru plays a more prominent role, yet you can still hear the Die (who composed the original arrangement).  And the drumming.  Oh, the drumming.  Shinya is a contradiction.  Such a tiny, gentle, fragile man…such Amazon drumming.  Have you seen his drum kit?  It’s a behemoth of a set.

And, finally, “Ryojoku no Ame” - one of my favourite tracks from The Marrow of a Bone.  It would be hard to disappoint me.

Final Verdict: YEY.  If it were financially convenient for me, I would spend more money on Dir en grey merchandise.  You, however, can, by purchasing “Glass Skin“.  I think I’ve done my part, buying outrageously-priced tickets, waiting hours outside with disappointing pizza pies, enduring shitty opening bands, and blowing the rest of my money on the posters and t-shirts that are still exactly where I put them when I got home that night.  Totally worth it, though, and I’d do it again.  In fact, I’m going to.