Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Through the Ages

This winter is failing me in K-pop right now I find ridiculous things like SNSD's Hoot and Kara Jumping hitting the top of the charts. Mostly because of their Music videos and hot bodies not because they make Great music or even good music. Whatever happened to being something that would last through time as a song itself and not as some sexy icon? I mean they are supposed to be "MUSIC" Videos not just some pythimic sex tape. ~end rant~

Here is the Kara Video for Jump so you can see what I am talking about.


A song needs to be seriously good to fit into my repertoire of K-pop history. Give me something that the song itself can hold up over time. Something where I can enjoy just listening to it.

Seotaiji "Come back Home"


Jinusean "How Deep is your Love"


Park ji Yoon "Steal Away"

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Co-Ed Kids

Wow I was surprised to find that I ended up liking this song. From a group I never heard of before Co-Ed School. From the beginning of the Music video I did a total eyeroll at the overly cutsey decor and expected a crapped out SNSD "Gee" type of song but it turned out really enjoyable.

"Bbi Ri Bbom Bbae Ri Bbom"

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Goth in Korea

No it doesn't really work in K-pop but it was a nice try.
I can't hate 2NE1 they are my current favorite for a newer group, I think they have the moxy to make them last as long as SES did before breaking up.

At least the song tempo matched with the music video and the styling was still spectacular. They just aren't Goth.....



It kind of made me think of the Tempo of SES "Eternal Love" which I am epically surprised that I can not find a Video for.

Monday, November 29, 2010

Being In Love

On a personal note with my engagement there are two songs that have just hit the spot for me.

Mighty Mouth "Love Is" featuring Kim Hee Sun


and San E "Love Sick"

Friday, November 26, 2010

Pop and Rock it!

I love the remix versions that Nemesis has done on some K-pop Songs.  It's not a parody at all just a remix in good ole' rock.

The first one is Gee by SNSD who now as the new song "Hoot" out which I don't like very much.  In fact I don't even want to put it up on the Blog because it's not quality.

Here is Nemesis' version of "Gee"!


And the Original Gee for good measure.



And Nemesis also did a remake of The Wonder Girls "Nobody"


And the Original "Nobody" with intro by Park Jin Young aka JYP of his song "Honey" which is actually quite dated now.

Current Crushes

I have two current Music crushes both rappers.
First is the AMAZING Outsider with his speed rapping unrivaled by anyone in Korea and perhaps on the lines of Snow in terms of WPM he can rap.


Snow Informer for Comparison


My Second Crush is PSY. I posted his MV recently for "Right Now" which was pretty awesome. Now looking at some of his live performance videos I have developed a geeky crush on his talent and mannerisms. He has made the list of people I'd want to sit in a Cafe with in Apkujung and shoot the shit. I also appreciate the fact that he is not super fit or skinny but being natural and still being incredible, that on it's own is major hotness.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Aged like Sharp Cheddar

I got this video from one of my former High School students.  I like the music but the video is kinda ehhhh another one of those WTF types where they are trying too hard to make it an epic video story.  If you just listen to the song it seems like it would be some sort of cute upbeat video in Lotte World like H.O.T.'s "Candy"  but it's this club breakdancing scene. 
I commented on her FaceBook that it made me "miss breakin" and "feel old" because I remember the days when I used to hit up underground raves, break dance battles and clubbing when I was still underaged in High School myself.  I hope she is a better behaved girl then I was at her age!



For reference here is my Beloved H.O.T Candy!

Monday, November 22, 2010

Good song but WTF Video



Yah.......... Why does Korea have some really crazy shit in their music videos?  This song alone I like.  But the creepy owl costumes I just don't get.  I mean Legend of the Guardians wasn't even that popular in the States do they need to be an All Owl Rocker band?  ~sigh~

Ok and not to mention this song another fantastic boy group but I really would of been better off never seeing this music video where I mistake most of them for cute Girls.

Friday, November 12, 2010

2NE1 - Go Away

This has been one of the songs on repeat on my Ipod and I'm happy to see they put out a music video for it but it's kind of strange.....They are trying to do the epic story line but just not quite pulling it off.  Either way it's a great catchy song and the girls as always are dressed to the Nine's and super cute.

This Video kept making me think of Priss from Bubblegum Crisis Anime/Mangas also!



Bubble Gum Crisis sample - If you don't know Priss is the Rocker/Motocyclist


And in Other news this Music video was just damn entertaining and made me miss Korea yet again!

Friday, October 29, 2010

Gain - Irreversible

This is one of those few music videos that is sort of legendary because it is a full story line and the drama in it just pulls at your heart strings.  Not to Mention it is an incredible song on it's own.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Feeling the Rave Effect~!

OH man do you remember R.ef?  Started in 1995 this 3 member group of guys was all the rage.  Their name R.ef stood for Rave Effect in the beginning and then it changed a little to suit their more "black" ablums, which I still don't totally understand, Ruff Eazy Flava?

Their first album as pretty good, a lot of memorable tracks but unfortunately their later albums as most K-pop ones do lack.  There are few K-pop artists that could keep more then 3 tracks in the rankings per album popular.

I remember all the girls having a crush on the lead singer Lee Sung Wook and his silky hair. For some reason I was always about the background guys. I had a thing for dancers so I was into the Back up singer Sung Dae Hyun. And lastly their older rapper Park Chul Woo.









Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Monster

With Halloween fast approaching who can't help but delight in this K-rap of emotions and intense fist pounding action.

Monster by Drunken Tiger


This is another one of my favorite videos to watch over and over again when I need to rage out a little.

Monday, October 18, 2010

Goodbye Summer

I always like to resist the coming of cold in the fall. I have to give in once I turn the heater on under my desk. I can still celebrate my memories of summer fun when I listen to JINUSEAN's "How deep is your Love".


If you don't know JINUSEAN they first hit the k-pop/k-rap scene with "Gasoline" and they are under Yang Hyun Suk's recording label "YG Entertainment".  Yang Hyun Suk was a member of Seotaiji and Boys from the start.  JINUSEAN is a compliation of the two guys that make up the group Jinu a(Jin-woo Kim ) and Sean (Noh Seung-hwan ).  They compliment each other by one being the main rapper and the other with a lyrical voice. 

Here is their debut song from 1997 "Gasoline"


Their last album was in 2004 but they did not leave us empty handed there is a pleathora of great songs that they have added to the K-pop charts.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Outsider-Maestro

So I just found out about this guy from a random encounter at MOMO2 in Columbus.  They were playing someone's Ipod and I heard Pierrot Tear's come on and I could not help myself and had to get the title from the Clerk.  It was just some of the most smmoth lyrical korean rap I have heard in a long time.  I like the dark undertones of the song mixed with the classical pizzicato string background.



When I got home I downloaded the entire Album and It is AMAZING! 
After doing a little research I found that he has been active since 2004 and he is signed under MC Sniper's Label "Sniper Sound".    MC Sniper is another one of the Select Korean Rappers that I will listen consistently.



Either Way I would for sure Download the Entire Outsider Album called "Maestro".

I'm also working on figuring out how to Use MIX TAPE so I can share things more easily with everyone.

Monday, October 11, 2010

K-Rap

Personally I've never been a big fan of rap.  I remember when it blew up in 90's when I was growing up getting more and more intense in the States.

In Korea it was something they were just wrapping their head around.  They were in-between this huge Reggae phase and finding themselves.  I remember Roo'ra with their original "panic" style Rap.


and Of course SeoTaiji Rap from Hayago and Nan Arayo which I won't repost.  Just go back and check it out on the earlier posts.

Also Deux was early onto the K-rap Stage.


I did find this entertaining little nugget of Seotaiji doing a little Reggae style rap


But The Group that I remember that started K-Rap for me was DJ DOC with "Sorrow of Superman"
Which I am having a hard time finding a Video to share except this Myspace video, follow the link!

DJ DOC- Superman's Sorrow

Friday, October 8, 2010

Friday Fever

I'm going to post the Song that is putting me through the day into the weekend.

Today I have two songs on repeat.  No particular reason they are getting me pumped up.  Partially due to the dance, the sweet sugary girl voices and the sweet outfits.  The Pop beat keeps a spring in my step as I walk the library Stacks.

Enjoy!
First up we have "Clap your Hands" by 2NE1


Then "Shady Girl" by Sistar

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Seotaiji and Boys - in my eyes the First!

My first memory of K-pop was when I was in 6th grade.  My Oldest brother (ok ok my Opa) picked me up from someplace and he had just come back from Korea.  He popped in a tape of Seotaiji and boys 2nd album and I was hooked.  Around this age is when I think most kids start to develop a taste for pop music and start to search around for what they like and what makes them into the people they are today. 

I know I had heard of them earlier because the prior summer I had spent that in Korea for the first in my life.  It was surreal because I did not grow up speaking korean.  My parent's decided it would be easier for me to fit in if I wasn't taught Korean.

In 1992 Seotaiji had their First Debut with their Song "Nan Arayo"


Here is a little Factoid Straight from the Video Poster that I didn't know about.

"Seo Taiji Boys' debut. It was first broadcasted in MBC in 1992 where new artists would perform and get judged by a panel of critics. Taiji boys got the lowest score in the show, but the audience differed and changed the way music was done in Korea. Korean music can be divided in two eras: Pre Seo Taiji and Post Seo Taiji. Also, they gave rise to the boy bands that we see in Korea today."

I have to agree that I feel Korean music is either Pre Taiji or Post Taiji.  They changed so much about the way korean music industry turned and became a booming business that it is today.  They were the influence for a lot of change in Korea socially as well.  To me Seotaiji is a true Idol in korean culture.   Without them putting their necks on the line for that Silly MBC music contest the youth would of been starved for something original for their own culture.  After Taiji brought Pop to the masses it opened the way for everyone else to be different and try different genres of music.  Today's K-pop is unlike any other Countries in it's music.  Sure it goes through the trends of fashion, synths and rap but the lyrics make them different.  Also their Genre of Ballad truly tugs at the heartstrings.  I can't think of anyone else who does Ballad on the same level as Koreans.

It begins out of Love

Just as a little side thing for me to take notes, vent, and reminisce on something that has always been a huge part of my life,  K-pop.

A little history of myself first.  I started to listen to K-pop when Seotaiji and Boy's first hit the scene. I was probably in 5th grade at the time.  I'm now 29 and have followed more groups and watched their progression then most K-pop fans these days. I remember when in the States the only way to get K-pop was on video through the Korean grocer and it was Inky Gayo and Sang bangson TV Gayo 20!  Before KMTV and around the same time AOL got started.  I am OLD SCHOOL ~puhahaha~  I'm not so up to date with Current K-pop I relay on my High School Students, and K-pop Charts like Soompi.  I have over 150 K-pop CD's from original releases and some groups their full career anthologies such as Deux, Noise and Roo'ra.

I am Full Korean born and raised in OHIO.  I am no where close to being Fluent in Korean so you can expect some mistakes.  I used to go to Korea on a regular basis when my oldest Brother lived there.  So if I was dropped off in the middle of Seoul I could definitely find my way home or the nearest station to Apkujung or Yonsei dae.  I did one summer at Yonsei before College, I would advise any new High School gradute to go do that!  AMAZING experiance you will never forget and some life long friends. 

FIGHTING!
Expect a lot of music videos, references and comparisons and some history from what I know.

Let's start it out with one of my All time favorites Seotaiji Hayoga