K-rock sampler
Jan. 30th, 2006 02:41 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tarigwaemirLowell House, on the Feast of St. Bathildis
Back at school! I've been looking through the textbooks and syllabi for the various courses I plan to take this semester, and I don't know whether to be thrilled or terrified. I can already tell this semester will be heavy on the math. -_- On the other hand, I may finally learn how to use MATLAB and get over my unreasoning fear of differential equations.
![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
sangoire was asking for K-rock favorites a week ago, and while pretending to study over intersession, I wrote up this music post, which is incredibly biased and should in no way be considered authoritative. I waited until I got back to school since I couldn't upload sample tracks from home (not to mention the DNS fiasco, which thankfully is all sorted out now).
The Korean artists that most people know of on LJ tend to fall into two categories: bands that have also released albums in Japanese (the TRAX, Se7en) and bands created on the H.O.T. or Shinhwa model (DBSK, SS501, Super Junior, i-13). I'm afraid I tend to avoid both these categories like the plague, not because I can make any claims to be a musical elitist (far from the case), but after a while, their songs start to sound the same. >_> Anyway, the following artists are personal favorites of mine that I never tire of listening to. Some of them may be considered a bit "obscure" but they've all been featured on at least one music rotation LJ before, and besides, a group isn't really indie if they have a song in the karaoke machines. My most recent favorites have released their debut albums very recently, which is probably why they aren't as well-known. Of course, some of the artists are in fact quite popular in Korea, so once again, this list is quite mainstream.
Seo Taiji (서태지): [male] Can we really talk about Korean rock without mentioning Seo Taiji? He practically defined the sound of Korean mainstream years ago with his band Seo Taiji and Boys (서태지와 아이들), and even now, he continues to make waves. I'm not so much a fan of his earlier albums, which tended towards a rap or hip hop style, but his latest album "7th Issue" (2004) is all rock and has unpredictable rhythms backed up by hard but still melodic instrumentals.
Cherry Filter (체리필터): [female] Cherry Filter is another classic in the world of K-rock, and they have an upbeat, energetic sound, usually with a fast, loud beat. These are songs you can jump to. I find their instrumentals tend to sound more acoustic than usual for Korean pop-rock, although that doesn't mean much considering how synth-heavy all the mainstream artists are. (The lead vocal singer for Cherry Filter is also known as the solo artist Youjeen, who has recently released some albums in Japanese.)
Nell (넬): [male] Nell's music falls under the category of soft alternative: very melodic, acoustic instrumentals, and a bit on the slow side. For some reason, I find his style almost "American" at times. He's a creative songwriter, and I enjoy listening to his lyrics. To tell the truth, his songs tend to be a hit-or-miss for me, and his high tenor voice does have a bit of a whine at times, but on the whole, his songs are relaxing, like a good ballad without the saccharine quality.
Loveholic (러브홀릭): [female] I can't say I ever get obsessed over Loveholic's music, but certain songs of theirs have the tendency to get stuck in my head for days and days. The vocalist has that kind of beautiful soaring high voice that sounds vaguely as if it's half-dreaming. They also like to use English lyrics, and miraculously enough, it makes sense (most of the time).
Rocket Diary (로켓다이어리): [male] This band debuted last fall, advertising themselves as the first Korean emo-punk group. I was quite enthusiastic about their singles album "20 Instant Life" for a while; now, not so much, but they're still worth recommending. (Despite their emo pretensions. I couldn't stop laughing when I watched their music video and saw them smashing their guitars to pieces.)
Modern Juice (모던쥬스): [female] Discovered Modern Juice last summer and still haven't stopped loving their music. This is the only debut album where I unabashedly adore all the songs. The lead vocalist has a rich, gorgeous, flexible voice, perfectly suited for the melodic quality of their music. The lyrics are fresh and well-written, which is why they are my current favorite for karaoke.
Nemesis (네미시스): [male] Nemesis came out with their debut album "La Rose de Versailles" last year, and I haven't stopped listening to it since. For some reason, I keep thinking of their style as being rather gothic, even though there are several tracks on the album that are cheerful and lighthearted. I suppose they are still experimenting, but the results are definitely fun.
Grayscale (그레이스케일): [male] I don't know how to really describe Grayscale, but their style is definitely recognizable. I've heard them compared to Coldplay, but I don't know if I'd agree with that description. In any case, their debut album is my favorite background music for studying: their songs are laidback but not too slow, backed up by complex, creative instrumentals.
Buzz (버즈): [male] Their new hit single has put Buzz at the top of the charts, and I for one can't stop listening to it. They've also released two albums and have a third coming out in late February, which I'm sure will only continue their current wave of popularity.
Other commonly recommended artists: Moon Heejun (문희준), Yoon Dohyun (윤도현), Lorelei, Pia, Peterpan Complex, Rumble Fish, Huckleberry Finn, Every Single Day, and many, many more.
Some places to download K-rock on LJ:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
kpop_uploads (requests and uploads), korean_rock (requests and uploads), yongwon (rotation), beatxbeat (rotation), aodai (rotation), angelyrique (rotation). The last two LJs feature more dance and pop than rock, but they do regularly upload Korean music. kpop_uploads, korean_rock and angelyrique are Korean-only; the rest feature Japanese, Chinese and other Asian music. There are more rotation LJs out there that feature Korean music but these are the ones that I tend to frequent most often.
I did sing several of these songs while off at 노래방 withaetherangelette on Saturday, including the single by Buzz, which I attempted for the first time and mangled horribly, despite what the machine thought. I forced my parents to listen to it over and over again all during break too, and if you noticed my "current music" field, it's playing on iTunes right now. ^_^
Yours &c.
Back at school! I've been looking through the textbooks and syllabi for the various courses I plan to take this semester, and I don't know whether to be thrilled or terrified. I can already tell this semester will be heavy on the math. -_- On the other hand, I may finally learn how to use MATLAB and get over my unreasoning fear of differential equations.
sangoire was asking for K-rock favorites a week ago, and while pretending to study over intersession, I wrote up this music post, which is incredibly biased and should in no way be considered authoritative. I waited until I got back to school since I couldn't upload sample tracks from home (not to mention the DNS fiasco, which thankfully is all sorted out now).The Korean artists that most people know of on LJ tend to fall into two categories: bands that have also released albums in Japanese (the TRAX, Se7en) and bands created on the H.O.T. or Shinhwa model (DBSK, SS501, Super Junior, i-13). I'm afraid I tend to avoid both these categories like the plague, not because I can make any claims to be a musical elitist (far from the case), but after a while, their songs start to sound the same. >_> Anyway, the following artists are personal favorites of mine that I never tire of listening to. Some of them may be considered a bit "obscure" but they've all been featured on at least one music rotation LJ before, and besides, a group isn't really indie if they have a song in the karaoke machines. My most recent favorites have released their debut albums very recently, which is probably why they aren't as well-known. Of course, some of the artists are in fact quite popular in Korea, so once again, this list is quite mainstream.
Seo Taiji (서태지): [male] Can we really talk about Korean rock without mentioning Seo Taiji? He practically defined the sound of Korean mainstream years ago with his band Seo Taiji and Boys (서태지와 아이들), and even now, he continues to make waves. I'm not so much a fan of his earlier albums, which tended towards a rap or hip hop style, but his latest album "7th Issue" (2004) is all rock and has unpredictable rhythms backed up by hard but still melodic instrumentals.
- Heffy End - I couldn't stop listening to this song when I downloaded it two summers ago. It's still at the top of my iTunes charts.
- 이밤이 깊어가지만 (Even As This Night Grows Deeper) (live remix) - I didn't much like the original version of this song but the remix off his live album has the most fantastic instrumentals.
Cherry Filter (체리필터): [female] Cherry Filter is another classic in the world of K-rock, and they have an upbeat, energetic sound, usually with a fast, loud beat. These are songs you can jump to. I find their instrumentals tend to sound more acoustic than usual for Korean pop-rock, although that doesn't mean much considering how synth-heavy all the mainstream artists are. (The lead vocal singer for Cherry Filter is also known as the solo artist Youjeen, who has recently released some albums in Japanese.)
- Dive - My "number 18" at karaoke! Also the first Cherry Filter song I ever heard. It's still my favorite out of all their songs. From their third album, "The Third Eye".
- 푸른 꽃 흰 나비 (Blue Flower, White Butterfly) - From the same album and a bit slower paced than usual for Cherry Filter. I think the songs on this album had particularly exceptional lyrics (by which I mean they were interesting and new), and this song is a good example of that.
- Yesterday - I think I used this on an FST before but I like it so much that I'm uploading it again. This one is off their second album, "Made in Korea", which best exemplifies the Cherry Filter sound.
Nell (넬): [male] Nell's music falls under the category of soft alternative: very melodic, acoustic instrumentals, and a bit on the slow side. For some reason, I find his style almost "American" at times. He's a creative songwriter, and I enjoy listening to his lyrics. To tell the truth, his songs tend to be a hit-or-miss for me, and his high tenor voice does have a bit of a whine at times, but on the whole, his songs are relaxing, like a good ballad without the saccharine quality.
- Stay - From the third album, "Let It Rain". The first Nell song I ever heard, and to this day, my favorite of his songs.
- Marionette - All right, to tell the truth, I didn't really listen to this song before, but I just noticed that it was recently added to the Ziller karaoke charts this month, and after listening to it properly, I found that I rather liked it. From his latest album, "Walk Through Me".
Loveholic (러브홀릭): [female] I can't say I ever get obsessed over Loveholic's music, but certain songs of theirs have the tendency to get stuck in my head for days and days. The vocalist has that kind of beautiful soaring high voice that sounds vaguely as if it's half-dreaming. They also like to use English lyrics, and miraculously enough, it makes sense (most of the time).
- Hyri-Rumaya - No, I don't know what the title means either. I think this is my favorite track off their album "Invisible Things".
- Blue 923 - Also from "Invisible Things". Yes, one of those songs that got stuck in my head and refused to leave. This sort of floaty, surreal quality is exactly what I like best in a Loveholic song (even if the lyrics are rather conventional).
Rocket Diary (로켓다이어리): [male] This band debuted last fall, advertising themselves as the first Korean emo-punk group. I was quite enthusiastic about their singles album "20 Instant Life" for a while; now, not so much, but they're still worth recommending. (Despite their emo pretensions. I couldn't stop laughing when I watched their music video and saw them smashing their guitars to pieces.)
- What You Want - The best out of the three tracks from their single album. I think they sort of pinned down the style they wanted to achieve here (even though it's still not emo or punk in my book).
Modern Juice (모던쥬스): [female] Discovered Modern Juice last summer and still haven't stopped loving their music. This is the only debut album where I unabashedly adore all the songs. The lead vocalist has a rich, gorgeous, flexible voice, perfectly suited for the melodic quality of their music. The lyrics are fresh and well-written, which is why they are my current favorite for karaoke.
- 벙어리 장갑 (Mitten) - To sum up the theme of this song, "I think I might like winter after all because I'm falling in love with you." Hm, sounds rather prosaic in English, but this song is bright and delightful nonetheless.
- 우울병 (Depression) - This song is a paradoxical mix of cheerful melody and depressing lyrics. About coping with heartbreak, but expressed in a charmingly grumpy way, "I hate blue skies...I want rainy days. People are such hypocrites," etc. First Modern Juice song I heard, and still my favorite.
- 사랑을 시작해도 되겠습니까? (May I Start to Love You?) - The perfect schoolgirl confession song. If anyone makes a shoujo FST, this song belongs on there without a doubt.
Nemesis (네미시스): [male] Nemesis came out with their debut album "La Rose de Versailles" last year, and I haven't stopped listening to it since. For some reason, I keep thinking of their style as being rather gothic, even though there are several tracks on the album that are cheerful and lighthearted. I suppose they are still experimenting, but the results are definitely fun.
- 베르사이유의 장미 (The Rose of Versailles) - The title song of the album. I keep wondering if the lyrics are supposed to refer to the manga of the same name. In any case, it seems like they are referring to a specific backstory that's never quite explained in the song. At the moment, it's my favorite track off the album.
- 이클립스 (Eclipse) - A relatively slow-paced song, but I think it has the characteristic sound that I associate with this band.
Grayscale (그레이스케일): [male] I don't know how to really describe Grayscale, but their style is definitely recognizable. I've heard them compared to Coldplay, but I don't know if I'd agree with that description. In any case, their debut album is my favorite background music for studying: their songs are laidback but not too slow, backed up by complex, creative instrumentals.
- 사랑한다해도 (Even If You Say You Love Me) - The first song I heard from their album. The repetitive chorus creates an almost hypnotic effect, which may be why I find their music so meditative.
- 하늘아 (Sky) - All right, so I can barely understand the lyrics because the vocalist sings so softly, but the instrumentals on this song are fantastic. I never knew the electric guitar could have such a beautiful timbre until I listened to this song.
Buzz (버즈): [male] Their new hit single has put Buzz at the top of the charts, and I for one can't stop listening to it. They've also released two albums and have a third coming out in late February, which I'm sure will only continue their current wave of popularity.
- 사랑은 가슴이...시킨다 (Love is Commanded by the Heart) - Where to begin? The ballad-style melody backed up by rock instrumentals was what first caught my attention. But I really like the lyrics too. One of these days I'll attempt a translation.
Other commonly recommended artists: Moon Heejun (문희준), Yoon Dohyun (윤도현), Lorelei, Pia, Peterpan Complex, Rumble Fish, Huckleberry Finn, Every Single Day, and many, many more.
Some places to download K-rock on LJ:
kpop_uploads (requests and uploads), korean_rock (requests and uploads), yongwon (rotation), beatxbeat (rotation), aodai (rotation), angelyrique (rotation). The last two LJs feature more dance and pop than rock, but they do regularly upload Korean music. kpop_uploads, korean_rock and angelyrique are Korean-only; the rest feature Japanese, Chinese and other Asian music. There are more rotation LJs out there that feature Korean music but these are the ones that I tend to frequent most often.I did sing several of these songs while off at 노래방 with
aetherangelette on Saturday, including the single by Buzz, which I attempted for the first time and mangled horribly, despite what the machine thought. I forced my parents to listen to it over and over again all during break too, and if you noticed my "current music" field, it's playing on iTunes right now. ^_^Yours &c.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2006-01-30 08:57 pm (UTC)Nemesis reminds me of Lareine (and they did a cover song of the original Rose of Versailles opening). I didn't know there was something like Gothic pop-rock in Korean music! Thanks for sharing! ^_^
(no subject)
Date: 2006-01-31 04:02 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-01-31 07:49 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-01-31 01:22 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-02-01 01:25 am (UTC)*happy* Thanks again. ^_^