volumes i say!
for instance, there are some interesting thoughts on these threads:
http://www.network54.com/Forum/message?forumid=26694&messageid=1011838392
http://www.network54.com/Forum/message?forumid=26694&messageid=1028324789
http://www.network54.com/Forum/message?forumid=26694&messageid=1065951637
a trip to visunavi.com, armed with a little common sense, might shed a little light on what 'being a visual band' is, currently O_o
as for the 'american vk' bands, it's a bit like this:
people liking vk -> people thinking vk is cool -> people wanting to emulate vk.
there's no coherence involved in this 'thought process'. not in the way [i think] halley was hinting at. there is no valid explanation to someone in the american midwest starting a JROCK band. 'the heart has ratios that reason is unaware of'.
there was a small discussion about this over at batsu too, but if i remember correctly, the thread was locked! =X
checks
yep, locked. i now remember i wanted to pm annie's grave to comment but the forum script adds slashes to the usernames and thus annie's grave becomes annie\'s grave, inexistent user. the digital tower of babel crumbles down by the ineptitude of its tools!!! but i'm rambling now. this was the thread:
http://www.batsu.org/viewtopic.php?t=3512
-- please replace 'okonomiyaki' with 'visual kei' ;]
also, in retrospective, i think i'm still coming to terms with all this western vk business. because i find contradictions in my line of thought.
here's why:
1. authenticity of japanese chefs is not important to the enjoyment of japanese food
2. BUT western vk bands are trying to be something they're not! [= importance of authenticity!!]
3. i love how the japanese reap whatever they like from other cultures without being apologetic about it
4. BUT i'm somewhat upset about westerns impersonating the vk style/sound and calling it vk. i think maybe the trick is in doing like the japanese, reap, warp and rename things -- again, it's ALL in the semantics!
i hope i'm not talking nonsense. if i am, sorry, i've just crossed that border between really late in the evening, really early in the morning when your thoughts start to get jumbled and you stop making sense =P