Some Vanilla Smooth Acoustics.

I had a lot of stuff to do today. But, then again, I scrapped it all and just went for a book. That's the life really. Reading a good book on a couch, munching on some apples while listening to smooth tunes. And that's what I did for the rest of the evening as soon as my day was done.

Well, today on my itunes as I was lazing on the couch, I found a song that had been there for a long time, much before I started this blog. A great song too. By a great band. Vanilla Acoustic. 

The aforementioned song, is called My Own Drama. 

I really like the bass sound in this one. It's like, drinking a warm cup of hot chocolate on a wintry night. Sweet, smooth, and sensual. That's what Vanilla Acoustic excels at. They stir up your heart, just enough to warm it.

Here's another one, called Good Morning Lady.

Although you've probably noticed by now, Vanilla Acoustic is a Korean indie band, composed of three members, with two female members as the vocals. They're style is quite jazzy, with a hint of pop rock/ acoustics here and there.

This one kind of sounds like a Jason Mraz song. It's called, Ginseng Candy. 

This song, named Goodbye June, has more pop rock sound to it.

Vanilla Acoustic can be easily mistaken as all the other k-indie bands out there, but they do have a unique color of their own. It's the sort of emotional tickling that they do. The melo, yet upbeat sound that gets you in a mood for a comfortable evening. As the name says, Vanilla Acoustic's music sure comes as sweet as the taste of vanilla.

 

Clearing the Tangles of My Mind.

So life is complicated. It's like a ball of yarn that seemingly has only one end. You have to pick it out strand by strand at a time. Then sometimes you get frustrated and mess it up even further by shaking it, pulling at it, and crumpling it. Now, that might give some temporary cathartic effect on your turbulent consciousness, but it doesn't solve anything.

Therefore, when my mind was racing this evening, I took a step back from it all, to calm down and look at it from a bird's eye view. And for me, there's no better way to do that than to look for some new music.

Today I think I've found another good band. I sincerely have no clue where these bands are popping up from, but as much as their existence baffles me, I'm heartily comforted by the possibility that there are plenty of more bands out there like the ones I dig up. It's like a treasure hunt, but with each treasure leading to another one and then another one.

I introduce you, Monni, a Korean indie-rock band. This following song is called, Habit. 

It seems so far, that their specialty is melo-rock. The kind of music that tickles the heart and lets you rest on it as if you're floating on a puff of cloud. Like this next one, called Forever in My Heart. 

The band started back in 2005, with three members. Now with four members and three albums under their belt, Monni is fast garnering fame in the indie scene, standing at times alongside big name bands like Camomile.

Every time I discover a band that has been around for more than five years, I'm shocked at the indifference people have to these bands. If a band with a sound as good as Monni, has to be literally dug out like an ancient relic in an archeology expedition in order for someone to be able to discover them, then something certainly has gone awry.

Here's another jewel of a piece by Monni, called Together with You.

A band like Monni is a good band to listen to on a day when too many things are swirling around in a big mind storm in your head. That is exactly what I did, and I feel that a small, but significant bit of peacefulness has been recovered for my troubled mind.

Music can't be the cure, but it sure can be the remedy that will get you back on your feet. Here's a couple more, and good night.

My Glory Days, have finally begun?

New year, new place, new start, fresh attitude. It seems that everything about my life has pressed the reboot button. I enjoy new beginnings though. The feeling of uncertainty, that exhilaration which resonates through my body as I plunge into the unknown realms of life's adventures, is welcome anytime for me.

Well, some people will know that when I say new things, I could be quite selective, but moving on.

People asked me recently, regarding how in the world I'm finding these songs. Well, I find them on Youtube as you can see. One only needs to maybe go through three or four links and voila, there's the next exit to the underground-indie country. 

So here's T.A Copy. This song is called, Cute But Annoying. 

It's a fun song. If you don't understand the lyrics, allow me to narrate. In its most basic form, it's a song about a friend whose nose hair has grown too long so that the narrator can see it. From his perspective it's kind of cute, but it's so annoying that he wants to hit the friend. As a result, the narrator asks the friend to cut his damn nose hair.

T.A Copy is a four-man punk rock band with an extensive history in Korean underground music. They formed in 1997, playing in clubs and enjoying fame as their unique style caught the attention of indie music scene seekers. 


So far they've produced five studio albums, participating in many original soundtrack albums as well in between the years of their regular album releases.

You can definitely tell that with this band, its sound is punk. Like this one for example, called Goodbye Yesterday.

There was a time when my musical interest was exclusively punk. We've all had those phases no? Well I certainly had it badly, and this band took me back to those days. Aside from the nostalgia, T.A Copy certainly has style. Check this one out for one, called Que Serasera. 

Listening to this, I instantly knew what is a T.A Copy sound, and their style is certainly a rarely found one. I understand how they garnered so much interest when they formed. They stand out from the crowd like a dude in a library, wearing only a pink thong.

Aside from disturbing imagery, I encourage all of you to go and look for some indie music on youtube. There's an entire sea of them, and all you need to do is go and click a few times. Don't be so lazy now eh.

I leave you off with a couple more, one called Smash, and another one, which is my favorite of their songs, called Glory Days. 

Wishing for a Misty Blue sky.

No matter how much everyone deplores it, miserable weathers always find a way back. I don't mind the cold. It's just the snow. On the contrary to popular belief, snow is not the best thing that could happen in winter, especially if you're in a city.

To start off with, snow does not accommodate city life in one bit. Getting up to go to wherever you have to go becomes a torture, as you try to plant your boot heels in firm ground covered under two feet of snow. Roads become slippery as the freezing winds harden all that moisture. The worst part is the slush. That pretty white snow, in a matter of hours becomes a black pool of ice water from hell's deepest corners. Your shoes get wet, you get wet, it's a pain. Get the picture now eh?

So by my natural instinct I stayed in for the morning. With a cup of tea in my hand, and my mouse in the other, I browsed the internet for some good bands after yesterday's find.

Well the band I found today, will certainly melt away the cold weather.

I introduce to you, Misty Blue. 

This song is called, Summer Palace.

Misty Blue was a Korean band that formed in 2002, when the entire nation was in the heat of hosting the 2002 World Cup. The reason why I'm saying 'was' is that they disbanded in 2010.

One thing I like about this band, would have to be the vocal. The female vocal in this band has a rare color that's not often found in the music industry. Her voice, sort of floats above the melody, but at the same time is a central part of the overall sound. It gives the band's music an ethereal feeling, like if a ghostly spirit is whispering into my ears.

Here's another one called Language of Spring. Try to close your eyes and feel that gracefully spiritual aspect of the music.

Here's another one I like. It's called Chocolate. 

It really got me upset, as I was listening to Misty Blue, that the band is now no more. Now, reasons for dissolving a band can get quite complex, but I'm going to take a blind hunch and say that part of the why they disbanded, was that they weren't earning enough from the band to play on.

And the view counts on Youtube. Sometimes these videos have been on for three or four years. Why must bands like these suffer such indifference? Have anyone even seen what's on TV these days in Korea? Compared to that ridiculousness, how is this garnering such apathy? Does anyone have any sort of musical taste left? Has everyone's musical taste been blown off due to the inconceivable torrent of fast-food music pouring from media corporations?

Here's another one from them. Snowberry. 

And another!

Honestly, whoever is not listening to these songs are indeed missing out. There are so few bands out there like Misty Blue now. Sounds that give comfort, that give peace of mind, that gently reach out and pacify the soul with careful hands.

Look what's out there. It's full of flashing, ear splitting, noise. Sounds like plenty of noise to me. Artificial, unnatural, ultra-hedonistic music that cripples the senses.

Ultimately the judge is you, but try this band. Although the band is no more, I desperately want this band's music to live on in people's memory, because a musician truly dies when not a single person listens to them anymore. And when a band like this dies, that's when I'll truly lose hope that people can at least appreciate something beautiful when it's shown to them.

I wish I had an aunt called Mary. Poppins.

I have two aunts as long as I can remember, both from my father's side. They were both kind, and always seemed so heartwarming. One of my aunts however, were one of those extremely strict parents. So every time I went to that aunt's house, I would see my older cousin suffer, under what seemed like tyranny at the time, and shudder with cold sweat as my older cousin would tuck his tail between his legs with sad droopy eyes.

Oh well, what pleasant memories I have. It will take months to finish my saga on such moments of remembrance, so let's forget about that for the time being.

Speaking of aunts, today's band is My Aunt Mary. 

My-Aunt-Mary is a Korean band with the earlier introduced Thomas Cook as the center man. There were three others at the time, each taking drums, bass, and keyboard. They formed back in 1999 with their self-titled album,  My Aunt Mary.

Now, comprised of three men including Thomas Cook, they are a veteran band with five studio albums under their belt.

One interesting fact is that they used to be with Fluxus Music, which is the label that Urban Zakapa, Clazziquai, Loveholics, and W-and-Whale belong to. Good bands do find themselves it seems.

My Aunt Mary is a distinguished modern rock band. The one below is a single from their third album. It's called On the way to the Airport. 

I really like this song. As in, I can't find other words to describe my feelings toward this song. I just, really like it. To tell you the truth, this is the song that sparked my interest in this band.

And I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised, because I just couldn't make sense of how I hadn't noticed this band before. A rock band of this magnitude that I hadn't even heard about until I dug it from the dark depths of Youtube. They began in 1999! For crying out loud why can't music like this featured in mainstream media? Their music needs to be much more salient in this world!

Here's another great song from their third album called Memory of a Memory 

The first time I felt this strong about a Korean band was when I discovered Nell. That was four years ago, when I barely knew Korean music. Nell was one of the first Korean bands I encountered and I certainly loved their sound.

I think My-Aunt-Mary is certainly bringing that feeling back to me. The urge to click on the replay button over and over again. The desire to listen to more songs by them. The need to have their music hit my eardrums. Suddenly, all these feelings are raging inside my head.

One may ask what makes them so great. Well darn it can't anyone hear? The tune, the harmony, the melody, it's all so fresh and deeply moving. The lead vocal Thomas Cook's strong voice certainly adds to the impact with a fine finishing touch on the overall sound. The lyrics. Well. Listen and let me know what you think, because whatever I will tell you will be on the lines of 'call of the heavens'.

Here's another one, called Monologue

Perhaps I'm so excited about this band that I'm becoming blind to any negative aspects that My-Aunt-Mary may have.

Still, this band is one of the best Korean bands that you will ever come across, and that is an undeniable fact.

My-Aunt-Mary is one of those bands that represent the future of Korean rock, like Delispice and Nell. So keep your ears fixed to their frequency, because bands like this don't go on the air so often!

Not the Broccoli! Oh, NOOOOOOOOO!

Actually, I may not be a fan of broccoli, but I sure do enjoy them from time to time. Broccoli is a healthy addition to your diet, so eat your greens you darn kids.

However, this is not a nutritional advice blog. So onto today's band, Broccoli you too. 

First thing about Broccoli-you-too I noticed was that, they were certainly different. There are traces of influences from here and there, but once you hear their songs, one sure thing you would be thinking of will likely be, 'Gee, I haven't heard of that one before.'

This first song I present you with, is called Don't Cry. 

A bit of history lesson on Broccoli-you-too, is that they formed back in 2005, used to be in a Independent record label but have now formed their own label since 2009. They're comprised of three female members and one male member, all involved with vocals.

If someone wanted to get into the K-indie scene, Broccoli-you-too would be a good start. They're one of the brightest, and most publicized K-indie band out there.

Their sound has a bit of pop at times, such as this song, in live version. It's called As long as it doesn't disturb the neighbors 

And at times it contains some mellow mood, like almost every other K-indie band out there. Usually an indie band will experiment with some slow emotionally evoking style, but I think Broccoli-you-too pulls it off quite nicely like in this song, Five thirty 

This certainly is a band that I would be enjoying for a long time. The reason is simple. They have color. At once I was able to picture Broccoli-you-too's sound in my head. It is not so definitive as to say it's not malleable at all, but it's not too thinned out as to say that it's not memorable enough.


I mean this next song, Dance, is a song that people would certainly respond to by saying, 'Oh, hmm. This sounds like Broccoli-you-too.'

Broccoli-you-too is a band that definitely needs some exposure, along with all the other bands that need more publicity but today I'm supporting this band foremost. It's like, a good story. You don't keep a good story to yourself. You spread it, tell it to everyone, until it becomes a tale that touches generations and beyond. That's like what this band has.

Broccoli-you-too has a story to tell you, so go forth and give an ear!

A twentysomething's life

So I'm twenty one. About now is when you really think about the decisions you make in life. Especially when university is coming to a close. The fear of uncertainty grapples with hope for the future, and turns your mind into a mush of thoughts and feelings. The nonchalant choices before have now suddenly become so sincere, and every single turn starts to have real consequences.

There are two ways to approach this in my opinion. Either take the easy, structured way out. Or dive headfirst into life and see where it goes. Of course, there is a myriad of in-betweens, but to turn this into something more simple, let's stay with those two.

Personally, I'll take the latter path, and it seems that our artist today, Jamie Cullum, agrees.

I found out about this artist fairly recently from a friend of mine. At first I wasn't too enthusiastic about this guy, but this veteran musician surely knows how to free up his music.

His sound has two elements I enjoy: piano, and jazz. With those two I certainly knew that a song couldn't go wrong. Now, I'm a fan.

What really draws me in, is that every single one of his songs have a distinctiveness that identifies with each of them. Even his covers of other songs have such a character of their own that it would be believable to say that they were all his songs to begin with. For example, I present this cover of the commonly performed song, "I get a kick out of you."

And here's the live version.

That bang, when he slams his heels into the piano, was so unexpected when I was watching it that I almost jumped from the seat. Not that it was loud and sudden, but because you just don't expect someone to push his boots into the keys of a precious grand piano. However, it certainly made for a good show, and that's what Cullum does. He leaps into action when he wants to.

Jamie's style of playing reminds me of a free-flowing wave. Sometimes high, sometimes low, but never constant. There are always uncertainties and twists that come in. You can't expect what note to come after the other, because his music simply is like that. It's unpredictable, and it's beautiful because it's so full of to-be-discovered wonders.

So if you're a twentysomething, or feeling like one, and in need of some adventure, give a try to Jamie's music. It might give you that spark of action that will compel you to think less, and feel more in this world of cold knowledge and harsh realities. Follow those feelings, and believe in them. That's the advice I can give, although I'm still working on that advice myself.

With that I give you my favorites from his album twenty something!