Have Been Thinking A Bit: Presenting Achime

Since this is my music/thought pouring blog, I shall proceed to use it as a place where I write things that belong in a diary. Lately, it has come to my knowledge that I have been working myself to death. Now I don't know if that's a valid association between work and death since if that logic is true then everyone should just start relaxing. By the way, that's something called kidding there you know. Of course I know that's not what it means, but in any case, the modern path of personal growth is really a minefield of complacency. Finding your place in the world, through studying and self-improvement I believe requires much more generation of motivation than let's say, a rebel soldier in Syria. A bullet in the air is quite the motivation to haul ass than a cushiony chair in the Old Building of LSE campus.

In any case I will sound very extreme again, so let me cool my head a bit. Achime. Yes. 아침. That's Korean for 'morning', which brings me to the reminder that I do hope the morning is refreshing for me tomorrow. Haven't had one of those in ages.

Yes, don't tell me. That seems like a girl lifting her skirt there on the album cover. Not my decision, it was theirs. Aside from that, I really like this song. Funky alt-rock is always a treat. Speaking of which, here's another one.

By that second song I knew that I had found another unique K-indie band. Founded in 2008 was pretty much all I could find about them, as they are another one of those really elusive bands outside of Korea. Shame I'd say. Just for the music I'd go to Korea.

Here's a video with all their faces showing.

First of all, if you're Korean and into rock, you should totally try to get these guys' stuff on your smartphone/ipod/or whatever the kids these days carry.

Secondly, I ask, to people especially say they're 'into' Korean culture, why don't bands like these get focused in this K-pop craze that I hear about all the time? You knew any of these guys? I feel like all the boy bands and girl bands and the rest of the 'idol' crowd get unjustified attention in place of real talent. They're great to look at, but peel their faces off and they've got nothing but necks that aren't good for singing and barely any talent in their noggins. Oh, and don't forget those stick figure bodies that can memorize a few dance moves. Give me a face like theirs and a major production company sponsorship and I guarantee you, I could probably clone their 'success'.

Same things go for others. If you don't know who Jung Myung-Hoon is, you don't know Korean culture at all. Just because you know Justin Timberlake, you don't KNOW American Culture. Just because you know Celine Dion, that doesn't meant you KNOW Canadian Culture. So if I hear once more, about someone putting SNSD and Korean Culture, or like, Shinee and Korean Culture in the same sentence, I will probably do nothing but secretly hope to cause nightmares for you in your sleep.

In any case, I've diverged too far already. Let me get back to the point. These guys are fantastic, and yes, they do have some stuff posted on iTunes. I highly recommend them. With that note, I'll sign off by leaving you a fantastic clip of them playing live.

Check Please! These Guys Are F*CKING AWESOME, Presenting: Glen Check

Okay. I usually don't flaunt national pride, but this time I have to. Glen Check, Korean Indie Band. I'm not even going to do any explanations, I'm just going to jump right into the point. You ready? You really ready? Okay here we go.

Holy awesomeness. I have not heard a band that I was crazy for as much as I've been for Glen Check since I found Nell five years ago, which is another Korean indie-band. There was a time two years ago when I fell in love with Escort, but that was because I was feeling disco craze. I'm a bit picky when it comes to bands. The coordination and the right amount of consonance/dissonance. So many times I'll hear some boring four-chord spamming band without even a solid melody and some really cliched lyrics that have been picked out from a random list drawn up by a mainstream radio station. The litmus test I do is whether I can guess the next chord or not. Sad thing is I usually do, and when I do I just crumple that band up in a ball and throw them in my memory trash can. These are about 95% of all the bands out there in the world.

Then there are some bands that try too hard, and they usually end up sounding like a cacophony of random notes with a direction that cannot be saved by a musical Indiana Jones with a compass. I am so desiring to name-drop some of those over-achievers but gosh, I won't. I'm not here to defame anyone.

These guys though. There is definitely dissonance, the uniqueness of seemingly separate notes that are coming together when you take a step back. Then again, there is balance. Just enough so that it doesn't turn anyone off.

I'm not getting the tennis balls but I will buy it from the seeming reference of the title, that there is 'racket' being caused. Anyways these guys are Koreans from abroad. One of them is definitely from UK, since the vocalist's voice has an accent and they've confirmed that one of them is indeed from UK. In any case, they are all about simple but cryptic-enough lyrics that complements their sound just right.

Their first studio album, Haute Couture, has been out since 2012. Buy it. Seriously. I've only ever bought from iTunes twice in my life. Once for Escort (a simply sweet disco band led by a korean-american), and Glen Check. They are worth supporting. I want them to give me more. I want them to play wherever I am. I want to go and watch them play wherever they are. This was the Dreaming Jukebox and I will sign off because the blogger is currently going through technical difficulties by the means of musical seizures in his brain.

Why Thank You, Yes I am a Smug Little Shit (Presenting The Seoul Philharmonic)

Oh Herro, you decided to come back? Why did you? Did you not see the sign that this is a music blog where I do whatEVER I want to do? Oh you did. Okay well let's get started.

I felt like appreciating some Beethoven and Tchaik so I turned up one of my favourite orchestras in the world, the Seoul Philharmonic. If I may add why I like them, no it's not because I can tell that they're better than other orchestras. Simply it's because it is conducted by my childhood idol, Chung Myung-Whun.

Here's some Eroica. That's 'Eroica' mind you, Italian for heroic, there's no 't' in there.

Sorry about not warning you that this was a 55 minute clip. To redeem myself on that mistake here's Tchaik no. 6 with 50 minutes. 5 minute less of your time, not too bad eh?

By the way, do you know what I hate the most when I go to classical concerts? PEOPLE COUGHING. HOLD YOUR FUCKING COUGHS YOU FUCKING PEOPLE, JUST CHOKE ON IT DON'T LET IT OUT.

Sorry, I got a bit out of hand there. But this is a space where I pour my rage and anger and infuse it with the dark side so that I can barter the blog page with a Sith Lord for a nice red lightsaber. I hear it's quite a handy flashlight.

Let me get back on track though. Mr. Chung was a prodigious pianist from a young age, studied conducting at Julliard, and trained under great musicians like Artur Schnabel and Maria Curcio (that's wikipedia working its magic). Needless to say he is now a superstar in Korea, recognized for his wide contribution for classical music in the country. He was even nominated as a UNESCO man of the year.

The Seoul Philharmonic is also a bombshell of an orchestra. Certainly the best of Korea, and one of the finest in Asia if not the world. It was the first Asian orchestra to get a contract with the Deutsche Grammophon, one of era-defining classical record labels. Now there will be some people who will say 'Yeah, but Vienna Philharmonic does it better hurr durr durr.' Well to those people, I will kindly unfurl my middle finger at you and keep it straightened until you get my point.

However, let me not explain it further. Let me just, explain through the music.

Glorious. Beethoven is always glorious. There is a reason why I keep on playing his sonatas. Hopefully though, you found today's entry entertaining. I shall bid you good night, until tomorrow's whatever randomness I think of.

Back on Blogging with Busker Busker

So I've been away from the Dreaming Jukebox for quite a while now, for a good reason however. I've been writing a short story to submit to a writing contest, and it's been taking quite a toll on my time. However, I'm quite enjoying this as of now. Writing, playing music, reading, and hanging out with friends. Now there's a life written just for me.

To be honest, I've been kind of lazy with this blog, but I'm going to break that today, because I've been listening to a band that has instigated me to haul my flattening bottom out of the cushion. This band, is so musically colorful, and rich in its sound, that I cannot bear not to share them with everyone else. Their name, is Busker Busker. 

Busker Busker is a three-man band comprising of Bum Joon Jang, the vocal and the guitarist; Hyung Tae Kim, the bassist; and Bradley Ray Moore, the drummer. An interesting fact is that, Brad the drummer, is a professor at the university that the other two are attending as students.

They garnered much attention when they entered the television audition show, Superstar K, in its third season in 2011. In the competition, Busker Busker performed quite well, gaining second place overall.

In the course of the show, the band did a number of covers, which all turned out to be quite impressive compared to the originals. Now I'm certainly a fan of cover bands, as a cover band member myself that is.

Here's my favorite from Busker Busker, called Makolina, originally written by Jong Shin Yoon. 

To give you a brief summary, Makoli is a traditional drink of Korean origin, distinguished by its white color and milky texture. In this song, the drink is personified as Makolina, which reflects the singer's love for Makoli.

The original song is quite a bit more easy-going and laid-back than this version, but I like this version much better, because the song became so much more fun in this cover. It's something I would listen to brighten the day with, and goddamn, does it do its job.

There are other covers that Busker Busker did over the duration of their survival throughout the competition, such as this next one, called You're Different, which is a song from back in 2006. I can't remember who sang this, but it was composed by Jong Shin Yoon.

And also this next one called The Bus Stop, originally by a Korean band called Panic.

These are all great songs, and looking at those two above after Makolina, it certainly shows that Busker Busker can be flexible with their musicality, all the while maintaining their unique tonal hue. Still, we've looked at enough covers I think. How about some originals. This one is called, That Person You Are With Is Not Normal. 

Here's another one from them, called Perfume. 

A lot of their songs are like this: chill, relaxed, with well written lyrics, and the vocal's rare voice quality certainly adds to the band's distinctively pleasant sound. I actually quite like his voice, because when he sings, it really sounds like he simply puts his emotions into the song, and lets it out. No fancy techniques, no artificial retouching. An everyday guy like you and me, singing everyday things. Now here's a band for the people.

Busker Busker is still a young band, but they've proven so much in their little time, that I'll be keeping my ears tuned to their frequency for the future, and I recommend you certainly do the same. In the meantime, here's another one to keep you company, called Seoul People. 

   

Lucidly falling through the hole of life

It's been a rush these past two weeks, trying to do this, do that, do whatever that had to be done. Midterm exams, fundraising, and a show to plan. They all just came at once, swamping my time. So there's my excuse for leaving this blog empty for nearly two weeks.

Days like this I really feel like I'm simply falling through life. Like how Alice entered the Wonderland, just endlessly falling through events, places, and people. They all drift past me, and I simply have no time to appreciate them one by one. They all just zoom behind me as soon as I'm finished with it. I have no opportunity to simply sit back and gaze at my accomplishments, like when I used to assemble lego parts when I was little.

Therefore, I'm declaring myself, on break. I'm going to relax, and let the days pass me by, instead of me passing by them. Just for a week. I'm going to study, read, and eat, not straining myself at all.

So I was looking for some good music to relax this, and I came across an especially ear-catching singer-songwriter. His name, is Lucid Fall. 

Lucid Fall is of course his stage name. His real name is Yoon Suk Cho. He debuted back in 1997, with a band named Misunny. They disbanded in 2001 when the members entered military service, so Lucid Fall then debuted with his own album from then on. Besides being a musician, he is also a scholar with a doctorate degree in chemical engineering under his belt.

Now here's an artist to listen to when you really need to lie down and relax. Soothing instrumentals, and his calm serenading voice all come together to create Lucid Fall's unique, and dreamlike lucidity in his music.

Take a listen to this one. It's called, Oh Love. 

Here's another one from the same album, called, Can You See It? 

For someone with a heavy background in scientific academics, I'd say Lucid Fall is full of artistic expression. One thing I can definitely notice about his singing is that, it's full of emotion. He is one of those few that really feel the very essence of his music when he plays. In these next two, Calling You From Here, and Softly You Say, try to feel what he feels. Even though some of you may not understand what he is saying, you may be able to take in what sort of emotion he is trying to convey.

It's music like this, that really enables one to stop the rushing speed of life, and look back on the road one came. At least that's how I feel about his music. Certainly needed for one of those slower days of life.

Anyways, I'm going to go back to listening to more of this goodness. I'll give you my favorite one from him before saying goodbye for now. It's called Let's Walk. Enjoy!

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!

Whoa, I just realized I don't know any Thomases.

Unless I'm forgetting one, in which case I would be a terrible person. I actually don't know any Thomases, and my facebook can attest to that. Yes I checked.

Today, I have a special singer-songwriter to present. His name, is Thomas Cook. That's his stagename by the way.

Thomas Cook is in fact a part of a Korean band, called My Aunt Mary. I'll probably cover them soon as well.

But it seems that his solo project is as good as any band could go. As the singer-songwriter movement is not so noticed in Korea, Thomas Cook is one of those who put a unique taste to the Korean music scene. Check this one out. It's called, Youth. 

 
Gives a feel of 10cm I'd say. In some ways like acoustic Nell as well, as evident in this next one, called Path to home. 

And sometimes kind of like John Mayer. Like this one, called Forthrightly. (again, excuse my translation, it could be Honestly.)

Lastly, I'm going to throw one in that doesn't really remind me of any artist off the top of my head. This one is called, I'm nothing at all. 

All these different colors are only a fraction of the musical sound that Thomas Cook makes out of his voice and guitar.

If there was an artist that need to be heard, it would be Thomas Cook. His songs always have something to say, have a message and I can tell from his songs that he only says things that are need to be said. Just like how his latest album had a 10 year latency from the last one.

There's no ostentatious attitude neither pompousness. Nor does he have overly crafted melodies or exhaustively repeated lyrics. His music is all about honesty. Everything is truly him. I believe that when the music reflects the person, that's when a musician becomes integrated thoroughly with his music, and that's when a musician can be happy, solely with his music.

I don't think that music is just about pleasing other people's ears. It's also about finding your inner self, drawing out those deeply hidden truth by the sturdy rope that is music.

Thomas Cook, has found his inner self in my opinion. I sure hope I can do the same.

Studying until daybreak.

Not quite, but close to it. I'm probably studying until late night. My take on all-nighters, is that they never work in a profitable way. Sleep is lost, and that sleep is eventually made up. So there's no actual gain in hours of studying, because all the sleep debt acculmulates to a point where the sleep repoman leads you to the bed in a tight grip of insatiable slumber. Then you curse out loud after waking up from a thirteen hour sleep. I've done it, my friends have done it.

So I'd rather wake up at daybreak, rather than study until daybreak. It's just better that way. It really is. Therefore I should be studying right now in order to sleep at a normal hour. However, I'm searching for music through youtube, again. Although this one's pretty good. If you haven't guessed the name yet, here it is, Daybreak.

Now this is the kind of song I'd listen to at daybreak after waking up from a comfortable night's sleep. A morning song. A song to ensure a refreshing day. On that note, here's another feel-good song from Daybreak. It's called, It's great. (although the definition can shift based on context.)



How can so much positive emotion exist in one song? Beats me, but ask these guys, since they seem to be hoarding all the galaxy's optimism.

Bands like these, are simply direly needed in this morbid world that keeps on cutting out items from the list of postivity, and offers only a bleak vision of the future. Daybreak's music however, is more than enough to bring that spectacular daybreak to anyone's night.

Daybreak formed in 2005, and debuted with their first album in 2007. Since then, they've had quite a number of album releases. Quite prolific for a band that hasn't been around for that long.

One aspect of this band I really enjoy is their utilization of instrumentals. Since explaining won't suffice. Just listen, to this next song.

As you can hear, there is a variety of instruments that make up the band's sound. The wind section especially gives off that live-music-at-a-jazz-bar feeling. However, I'd say their sound is more towards the alternative rock sound rather than jazz. Like this next song, called Popcorn.



Before I die of excess happiness from listening to this band, I'm going to say the truth however. It's just too, bright sometimes. It's like, it's always daytime. At times, there's no emotional tension or melodic dissonance to nicely toss up the musical salad at all in these songs, so the band sort of comes off as very unicolored and commonplace, since there are a lot of bands that make songs like them. There's needs to be more variety in their sounds, otherwise they'll only attract people who are into these songs. These next couple songs will demonstrate my point.



And then they do have more moody songs, like these ones.



But it's too, typical. There are thousands of songs like this out there, and therefore songs like this often automatically lose any sort of meaning to whoever's listening, because they have lyrics and melodies that have been tried and tried exhaustively . So what they need to do, is do more songs like from their first album. Like these ones.



The second one is actually a cover of a classic Korean song from back before the 90s, but the gist is that they all have a color of their own. That's what Daybreak needs to do more, and it's not just for Daybreak, it's for every band out there. The reason I'm blabbing on about this, is that from listening to their music, I still have no clear picture of Daybreak's "sound" that is unique to only them. There will be people who disagree with me but from all these songs, I see no clear style. There is a style of course, but it's not so definite. If I'm getting too confusing, go back and check out Nell.

Of course, I might be just talking crazy, but I believe that every band should discover its own color, and stick to it, at the same time being flexible.

A band is like a person. Only when the band projects its uniqueness into full blossom, it truly shines.

But what the hell, I'm being too anal. It's great music anyhow. Great enough that I could probably listent to it until daybreak. On that note, I'm going to hit the sack. Peace!

10cm of laziness

It's a great time, to be struck by the lazy bug. Lately I've been extremely sluggish. Perfect timing really, I mean finals are just around the corner, no big deal. In other words, I'm freaking out.

So to calm my raging soul, I've brought another band from back in my days of struggles and boggles. They are 10cm. 

10cm, is an indie band from Korea, comprising of two guys, Kwon Jung Yeol on main vocal and percussion and Yoon Cheol Jong on vocal, guitar, and when the need arises, tambourine. The name of the band derives from the fact that they have a 10cm height difference between them.

Officially they debuted in 2010, but in fact they were around for a bit longer, in the time when they were aspiring musicians from the wild jungle of the Korean underground music scene. I remember when they were just a couple guys with guitar and djembe in hands, shooting videos on the streets of their songs. There are quite a few of them. This was the first one I ever saw. It's called, Tonight I'm afraid of the dark. 

Also, this other one is the famed Americano. 

Although they did record studio versions after their major label debut, I love this version much better. It's full of that raw spirit one can only call, music. It's unprocessed, uncut, and most of all, fresh. Well it's been a long time since then, and 10cm's presence has now pervaded the Korean music industry, along with various television programs as well. Now I'm not going to gripe about 10cm getting some credibility and spreading its name out. However, artists do have that tendency most of the time, to lose sight of their original frame of mind when recognition and popularity suddenly swamp them. Luckily, it seems that 10cm is going strong with their musical heart beating steadfast and strong. Check this song out, Love Starts at a Milky Way Cafe. 

And this one, I'm Dying. 

It's not that he's actually dying. It's an expression for saying that one's being driven crazily annoyed by something.


Anyways, overall, I really like these guys. In the short time between their major debut and present time, they've truly become something out of the ordinary. Not only have they spread their sweet chocolate mousse of musical goodness like wildfire, but they have generated tremendous interest in the indie music scene, making 10cm the oasis of musical ingenuity in the great desert of big money music industry that has been dominated by k-pop, which in most of the time, is equally arid of any sort of finesse or creativity.

Their sounds, their lyrics contain that musical innocence, shaped by adventurism and innovation that used to be the gold standard during the early 90s and the 80s. The vocal's voice, unspoiled by any modern studio trickery, raw and heartfelt, adds to the young spirited brilliance of pure artistry.  

I love listening to these guys, and moreover, covering these guys, because when I strum their melody, I feel that it's different, that it's unique. When that rare chord, often not found in today's Korean music industry, rings through my hand, my ears, my body, I feel joy. I feel comfort, because I become aware of what sort of gem I've found for myself, that it's truly one of a kind.

I'll leave some more for your own perusal, but keep an eye on these guys. They are bound to make history, and their songs, will be remembered for many years after.

While I was digging through my itunes.

With the finals season, that same breed of brutal monotony that pervades my universe every now and then has surfaced into existence. So in order to combat such droning boredom from taking over my spirit, I was searching through my digital library of music, and came across a band that I discovered a long time ago.

Their music pulled me through hard times, tough situations, and my recurring episodes of depression. Whenever I listen to their music I feel a relief, a sort of cleansing. So much is my love for them, that I've played them quite frequently at shows.

Their name, is Nell. 

This first song is called, Time to walk on memories. 

This one is from their fourth major record label album. Although this song has been criticized as lacking that "Nell sound," due to its more electronic nature, I do like that they were able to incorporate the style of popular trends into their music and make it their own.

So, what's Nell's sound? Well, let me demonstrate with, music.

Got the picture? Now try to compare these with these others.

The two above are also songs from the fourth album. Evidently, it's in a way much more than what Nell have been before. Here they've integrated electronic, and orchestral sounds into their musical composition. Normally I'm not much of a fan of electronic rock unless it's done right. In this case, I tip my hat to Nell, and here's one of the principle reasons why I adore their music: they keep their color despite going through so many trends and influences.

Nell is another one of those feel- good bands. A way out for troubled times, a relief for a harrowing day. When getting by gets tough to bear, I crawl back to Nell, and surely enough, I feel comforted.

However, what really draws me to Nell, is their lyrical poeticism. No word is ever wasted when it comes to their songs. Everything means something. To those who can't understand Korean, I assure you; this band is reason enough to start learning.

Along with their lyrical mastery that have been inseminated in their music, often in Nell you'll find melodies and rhythms you've never heard before, and in today's music scene, with songs that are not unlike from each other being pumped out like water from a drinking fountain - for mostly money making reasons - Nell's sound can be considered a musical triumph in today's profit oriented music industry in Korea.

This next music video, actually is a criticism of today's music industry from Nell. The song starts around 19 seconds in.

Did you get the message? This one I can particularly relate to, because it demonstrates the point that I want to make to everyone. Music is the artform of ears. If you need to see it to enjoy it, that's not music. There has to be a shift, from today's horridly pervasive "music of the eyes" to "music of the ears". There has to be a more active proliferation and support of bands like Nell.

They briefly put a halt to the band in 2008 in order to complete military duties, but fortunately, in 2010 they came back. They haven't come up with a new album yet, but if they do release it, I would go to Korea, just to buy their record.

I'll leave you with some more from their 4th major album and their EP from 2008.