s.park!

I usually go through phases, where I'll just be really obsessed with k-pop, and then I wouldn't listen to any of it for a bit, and then I'll be manically refreshing omona, and the cycle continues.... currently I'm in the k-pop phase again, and this time it's pretty bad. I've been getting very analytical of it in recent times, which makes it worse because it's so much fun. It's actually really interesting to dig through kpop a bit more seriously. It could be because I've been really into analyzing things lately, but the fact that kpop is so flawed, and there are some obvious shortcomings but there are also such hidden gems, and always room for improvement... all those things make it so much fun to ramble on endlessly about kpop. So let me talk about kpop for a couple of posts. share my irrelevant two cents about silly boy bands and girl groups.

And since I headlined this entry with the wonderful face of D.O, (from hereon, Kyungsoo since I prefer that), why don't I start with EXO. Oh. Exo. To be honest I was extremely skeptic of them before the debut. Why the 24058 teasers? And this Kai dude, he's not attractive at all! What's the big deal? And what is this crazy idea of having two groups under the same name promote same songs in Chinese and in Korean in two different countries - that's so confusing! It's not gonna work!

Putting my skepticism aside, and after I have laughed for a good 10 minutes after my initial viewing of the MAMA music video, I was won over. I can't really pinpoint what got me into them so much, but yup, I knew all their names by the first week after MAMA was released, I had my bias list figured out, I had a stupid grin on my face when EXO-K first performed MAMA live on a music show, and I was clawing at my face when I watched my first EXO-M interview. I was sold. Darn, SM. You win this around.

But now that I have watched enough of their performances and interviews, listened to their mini album a bit too much and have seen my share of their off stage antics, I'm beginning to form some coherent thoughts on them that isn't "omgbaconbaozidonutsDON'TLEAKANYMOREchanyolo". Exo is definitely an interesting venture on SM's part, and EXO has enough talent in them to keep them going for a while (hopefully). EXO as a 12-member group is extremely strong, I feel like that they have a really great group dynamic as a whole (and as K and M too), and the dance for both History and MAMA are stronger as 12-member pieces, from what I have seen from the music videos. I also love the relationships between the Chinese members and the Korean members - they seem to genuinely care for each other, which is great to see.

Now onto the subgroups. EXO-K has gotten significantly more exposure being the group for Korea, and we've seen them from more angles. Musically, it's clear that neither of EXO groups are particularly strong, but EXO-K has Baekhyun and Kyungsoo who show a lot of potential. But from their live performances it's obvious that EXO-K wasn't exactly ready to debut; Kyungsoo seems like he's peeing his pants every performance (although it's gotten better exponentially) and he can barely hit the right notes when he's belting out the long notes. Obviously he has a  lot of potential as a vocalist, but a big part of live performance depends on the stage presence and he somewhat lacks that. Baekhyun, on the other hand, is very stable, and has a great stage presence. He's also a very capable dancer. Suho is also a very stable singer and like a breath of fresh air since his voice is a nice contrast to Kyungsoo's and Baekhyun's. I actually really like Suho's voice, and I can't wait until we get to hear more from him. The vocal black holes of EXO-K are Kai and Sehun, who obviously are not the singers of the groups, but not rappers either. They're sort of horrible as rappers, and musically they are both dead weight for the group. At least they're both capable dancers, Kai especially, which is a relief of sorts. Personally, the biggest surprise for me musically was Chanyeol, who proved to have the sexiest rapping voice I've heard in recent times (quasi-pros like Zico, Park Kyung and Bang Yong Guk excluded). And boy, this kid has swagger. His rap in Two Moons is some of the best I've heard in idol music in recent times, and definitely the best I've heard coming out of SM.
EXO-K is has extremely endearing personalities (see: Chanyeol, Baekhyun, Kyungsoo), and it's really great to see them get used to being idol groups, because they do have a lot to offer, I think. And they are so darn cute, damn.

EXO-M, although we haven't seen much of them, have surprised me greatly last week when we finally got to see them perform live (although they lip-synched, boo) in HD on MBC Show Champion. It was a pleasant surprise to see them so confident on stage, especially since they have significantly less experience performing than K. They really developed through their interviews as well, and seem more comfortable in the  recent ones. (On Show Champion when Xiumin introduced himself as Bao Zi and Tao was so excited to say that he was Kung Fu Panda - I died) I think EXO-M is far more interesting visually than K as well. However, they're really lacking in the music department, but mostly because they haven't had the chance to show off their skills. Chen, the lead vocal, is a very strong singer recorded but I have yet to see him sing live and really determine how good he is. Lu Han also seems to have a strong voice. We haven't really heard from the rest of the members, although I feel like Lay, Xiumin and Tao seem to have really nice voices and have a lot of potential. It's not like they have strong rappers, either. M's version of Two Moons is almost embarrassing to listen to, and the resident rapper Kris has been just really nice to look at when he's just standing there looking like a model, and Xiumin being so bad at Chinese doesn't really help him as a rapper either.

Speaking of Chinese. I have something to say about EXO-M and their Korean members. Obviously it's not their fault that Chen and Xiumin ended up in EXO-M but I blame SM for so naturally assuming that it was going to be okay to put Korean members who didn't know Chinese at all in M. I'm actually so glad that they don't seem to have any issues among the group members because that would just have been heartbreaking to see, but it's still so unprofessional of SM. First of all, their names. I know it's just stage names but giving the two Korean members Chinese stage names, when they can't even speak Chinese... I was almost offended when I saw them resort to speaking Korean in interviews, because I naturally assume that they were Chinese. I don't think it's fair for anyone, especially the Chinese audience, to present these Korean members as Chinese (although SM has never said this directly, it's so obvious by their names) when they clearly are not. And I don't think it's fair for the Korean members as well. It's so obvious that they could be easily replaced, it wouldn't make a single difference if SM stuck in two different Korean kids in the group instead of Xiumin and Chen because it's not like they speak the language. It's just not fair for anybody. I almost dreaded seeing them in interviews and in Chinese media after I found out that they were Korean and didn't speak Chinese because I feel like it's so easy for them to slip up and show that they hate being there (as Korean trainees they were probably expecting to debut in Korea and instead they were put in a foreign country where they don't speak the language and the market is hugely under-developed) but they have been so, so endearing so far, showing a lot of enthusiasm. I just wish that they are as enthusiastic about learning Chinese because it's still cringe-worthy to see them speak Korean in Chinese interviews.

But I have a lot of hope for EXO. I really like all the members (I'm even warming up to Kai and Sehun... slowly but surely...), and I can't wait until we get to see them shine more on variety shows and such.

As for the mini-album, I was more then impressed. MAMA is still a dumb song, and What is Love is too Yoo Young Jin for my taste, but Angel and Two Moons are totally my jam. Angel is so beautiful, and a really great ballad - it's almost reminiscent of some of Beast's ballad tracks, which is a good thing. Two Moons really shows how great Chanyeol is as a rapper, and Key sounds awesome in it as well. Obviously I wasn't too impressed with Baekhyun doing the chorus tracks for a lot of the EXO-M songs since I believe Chen and/or Luhan are capable of doing them themselves, but well, I can't ask for too much, when it's SM controlled by YYJ. Speaking of YYJ, he really needs to get out, I'm really beginning to hate his style.


I'll probably return soon! I have lots and lots to say about recent k-pop.

I'll blame the lack of updates on school. I have so much work! I currently have two papers to write, a comic book to create (more on this later, perhaps?), a whole campaign (equipped with media plans, actual print ads, a video, and interviews...) to muster up, two finals to start studying for... life is pretty crazy. Which sucks because I have so much I want to talk about! The return of my beloved Nell (and the beautiful music video)! Albums I've been listening to! k-pop I've been listening to! Anime (!!!) I've been watching! TV shows I've been crying over!!! Books! Webtoons! Photos!!!

But all that for later. Hopefully, if I'm productive enough, I might do some un-quality blogging about things I have been dying to talk about soon. Soon!

Until then, wish me luck on school. I think I might need it... :(


(p.s. I just got a fantastic job on campus for next year! And my other job interview I had today went pretty well. I think I might be able to make some decent money next year...)

I normally wouldn't do single episode reviews for TV shows, but I just watched the first episode of 닥치고 꽃미남 밴드 (Shut Up Flower Boy Band) and thought I'd jot some thoughts down about it. Because it's been  ages since I watched a Korean drama (lie. I finished White Christmas two months ago) and because it seems promising and I'll probably keep on watching it. And I feel like this is a good habit to develop.

So yes, I won't get into the summary or anything because that's really boring. I normally don't watch a lot of dramas, but I have heard a lot of good things about this drama. On top of that, the cast is beautiful, and the music is directed by the guys of Loveholics, so it seemed quite promising. And the first episode didn't completely let me down! There are some good things, some things that could definitely be improved, but all-in-all, a fun ride.


First of all: acting. A huge reason why I started watching this was because of Lee Hyun Jae, who is the drummer for the band Mate, and a total babe. Seriously. He is so beautiful. He deserves a solo shot in this post because he is so gorgeous. I was initially very skeptic of his acting chops - could he actually do it? We saw a bit of it in the Mate movie Play - but he wasn't all that good in it. So I really expected him to be a bit cringe-worthy, but alas! He actually doesn't have a big of a role, and he is totally bearable. You go, Hyun Jae, you go.
As for the general cast (and the main band 안구정화), it's definitely Lee Min Ki who pulls everything together. He is so perfectly cast and extremely charming. His character is funny, charming, cute, and a bit pathetic - basically you start rooting for him right away. It's a shame that it's only a cameo because Lee Min Ki totally makes the drama a whole lot better. Sung Joon, the other male lead, is also a lot of fun. His character has a lot of potential and seems promising, although at times his lines seem a bit too staged. But Sung Joon has definitely gotten a lot better since I last saw him in White Christmas, which is good to see. The other band members are all quite interesting and just from the first episode you can really see their characters. I am loving the chemistry between Kim Min Seok's character and Yoo Min Kyu's character. They are super adorable and seem comfortable enough with their roles. L though, despite all the hype and pre-existing popularity from Infinite activities, is the black hole so far. He is extremely stiff, almost all of his lines seem forced, and his expressions are at times over the top. I'm hoping that he gets better though, because he is also quite nice to look at. The whole band, I say, the whole band!


As for the supporting cast and the love interest (who could forget!), I remain unimpressed. Jo Boa, the main love interest, is the epitome of "extremely pretty actresses who can't really act". Everything she seems to do is so self-conscious, so forced, so gimmicky, it was really disappointing. Although it's not surprising that Lee Min Ki's character falls for her at first sight because she is a doll. As for her acting, I'd have to watch her more.
The rival character, played by Jung Ui Chul, also seems a bit shaky. Not so much because of Jung Ui Chul's acting, but because of the writing for the character, which is so cliched and trite.


Speaking of writing. I know I shouldn't expect much quality from Korean dramas, but I couldn't help it, not after watching White Christmas. But yes, don't expect an amazing script from this one, it's your generic Korean drama writing. Which isn't a completely bad thing, but not a really good thing either. The editing was also mediocre; most of the time it was a bit too much, when simple cuts could have been better. The camerawork wasn't also great, it was too all over the place when simple slo-mo or simple panning could have done the job perfectly. No need for fancy camera works, guys, when you don't know how to do it. I'll blame the low budget though. If this was picked up by a major broadcast channel, I'm sure it could have been that perfect drama I'm Beautiful (or any other "band" dramas that were on major broadcast channels) tried to be but failed.
There were a couple of scenes that really got me though. One being the image above, when Im Soo Ah (Jo Boa's character) falls into Kwon Ji Hyuk's (Sung Joon) arms instead of Joo Byung Hee's (Lee Min Ki). Some great, heart-wrenching foreshadowing for those who are aware of what's to happen, I'm sure. And any scenes with the whole band were pretty awesome. They really work well together.


I think it will be sad to see Lee Min Ki go because he does dominate the screen and makes everything a whole lot better, but I have a lot of hope for this drama. The initial premise is already interesting enough to keep me watching, and I love how raw and precious the main band is. They just seem so real - driving in a beat-up laundry van, making ramyun in a small, dim rooftop room ... I can already foresee some golden moments of them in this drama. It's probably not going to be perfect, especially technically, but I'm excited to see more, for sure.

it's a blog, silly, what did you expect? of course outfit posts were necessary.

need to get myself a better photographer

what a week! valentine's day was definitely the most dynamic one i had in a long time. for the first time ever i decided to make other people happy - so i made little valentine cards and got some chocolate. i didn't receive much in return, but i was in a good mood throughout the day nevertheless. oh, the joy of giving!

it's been hectic the last few days - i dropped a course, i made a mixtape, i gave advice - and i hope something good comes out of it. i really do.

part 2 from saturday night at cowboy monkey! second last band that performed was White Mystery. a band from chicago, they are a sibling duo (sister and brother) who make kickass music and have kickass hair. so much hair. and something I forgot about the last post - I'm supposed to watermark the gig pictures since I took them for the station. so yes, even if it's annoying, bear with me! Watermarks are what's getting me into these shows for free despite being underaged... watermarks are awesome...
and so is our station! it's a student-run station at my university, but commercial, and all about alternative music. oooooh. it plays too much 30 Seconds to Mars and Muse (I'm not complaining though; I love those bands) but yeah, good stuff. check it out online if you have time!

back to White Mystery. I really, really liked them. the singer, Miss Alex White, had a great voice, and they put on a great show. it was really fun to watch them perform. I tried listening to them online but they didn't sound as awesome as they did live. and did I already mention that they have great hair? quite possibly.  here are some pictures to prove it:

the drummer - Francis White - was really adorable. which is a weird thing to say about a floral-shirt wearing dude with a beard and really long hair.


the main act - The Dirty Feathers - gave them a huge valentine's day card. it was so adorable!

To be frankly honest the first two bands were not all that exciting to me - their music isn't exactly something I enjoy on a regular basis - but they had great energy despite the small crowd. The second band, Midstress, was super interesting though. The members were all doing their own thing visually. The bassist had the hippie thing down, one of the guitarists looked like he'd belong perfectly in a frat, the other guitarist was really punk with his bleached blond hair, and the drummer looked like a gamer kind. Sort of makes me wonder how they met each other!

I don't remember what the first band was called - sorry!

their bassist was cute, though.

More of the band whose name I don't know! I think they were local. did a lot of cover songs.

seriously though, idiotape's music is the greatest thing to do anything to. try it. laundry? oh yes. cleaning your room? yes yes. STUDYING? awwwwww yess.

I can't normally listen to music with headphones when I'm studying - I find them too distracting. But with some good lyrics-less electronic music with a kick-ass beat I get everything done twice as fast. so obviously idiotape's 1st full-length studio album 111101 was a godsend to my troubled, distracted soul. if you remember, I included it in my albums of 2011 that could have been list, and darn I wish I've really checked this album out sooner because it's so full of awesome. all the songs that were on their previous EP are on this album and the whole album is extremely consistent so there weren't any huge surprises, but I simply can't get enough of this album. I automatically play this album when I'm studying with headphones on... so don't be surprised if you see me in the library doing stiff bodywaves in the chair while writing a paper on buddhism. I'm probably listening to Even Floor, my favourite track from this album (and from idiotape).

finally! eAeon released his solo album Guilt-Free last week, and although it's not a Mot album, it's still genius. seriously, it's so awesome, I almost cried. (that is a lie. I cried.) the album consists of 2 CDs, second being a collection of instrumentals of songs from the first CD. (hence thoroughly revealing eAeon's music - it's like he wants you to analyze and pick apart his music)

eAeon's music is hard to describe; it's so complicated, it's so dense, it's so dark, it's so awesome. there are a lot of good reviews and analyses of his music floating around online, and one of them says that listening to this album too much makes you go insane - and that's true. the music gets hold of you and doesn't let you go.

there's certainly a sense of loneliness, emptiness in his music, which goes really well with the destructive electronic sound. it's just really great. so great. i had so much expectations for this album and i wasn't let down at all. although this album literally had me down because i was floored with emotions...

i tagged this as 'rock' but that just doesn't cut it. it's significantly more. there's definitely the electronica element, the glitch pop element. it's really something completely different. can't be defined.

the song that really caught my attention at first was of course the title track Bulletproof ("I wish I had a bulletproof soul..."), a gorgeous and tragic song. but all the other songs got to me as well soon enough: SCLC ("mix them up and drink it down") with its addictive, strangely danceable beats; 5 in 4 with its abnormal rhythm that just had me speechless with its complexity. 무슨 일이 일어났는지는 아무도, narration-track reminiscent of 다섯개의 자루 from Mot's 2nd album Strange Season. Lovely track.

basically a flawless album that holds a lot of things you can dig through. you discover something new every time you listen to it - the music is just so intricate - and it's amazing. really. go listen to it.

오후 4시의 희망
기형도


김은 블라인드를 내린다, 무엇인가
생각해야 한다, 나는 침묵이 두렵다
침묵은 그러나 얼마나 믿음직한 수표인가
내 나이를 지나간 사람들이 내게 그걸 가르쳤다
김은 주저앉는다, 어쩔 수 없이 이곳에
한번 꽂히면 어떤 건물도 도시를 빠져나가지 못한다
김을 중얼거린다, 이곳에는 죽음도 살지 못한다
나는 오래 전부터 그것과 섞였다, 습관은 아교처럼 안전하다
김은 비스듬히 몸을 기울여 본다, 쏟아질 그 무엇이 남아 있다는 듯이
그러나 물을 끝없이 갈아주어도 저 꽃은 죽고 말 것이다, 빵 껍데기 처럼
김은 상체를 구부린다, 빵 부스러기처럼
내겐 얼마나 사건이 많았던가, 콘크리트처럼 나는 잘 참아 왔다
그러나 경험 따위는 자랑하지 말게 그가 텅텅 울린다, 여보게
놀라지 말게, 아까부터 줄곧 자네 뒤쪽에 앉아 있었네
김은 약간 몸을 부스럭거린다, 이봐, 우린 언제나
서류뭉치처럼 속에 나란히 붙어 있네, 김은 어깨를 으쓱해 보인다
아주 얌전히 명함이나 타이프 용지처럼
햇빛 한 장이 들어온다, 김은 블라인드 쪽으로 다가간다
그러나 가볍게 건드려도 모두 무너진다, 더 이상 무너지지 않으려면 모든 것을 포기해야 하네
김은 그를 바라본다, 그는 김 쪽을 향해 가볍게 손가락을
튕긴다, 무너질 것이 남아 있다는 것은 얼마나 즐거운가
줄거운가, 과장을 즐긴다는 것은 얼마나 지루한가
김은 중얼거린다, 누군가 나를 망가뜨렸으면 좋겠네, 그난 중얼거린다
나는 어디론가 나가게 될 것이다, 이 도시 어디서든
나는 당황하지 않을 것이다, 그래서 나는 당황할 것이다
그가 김을 바라본다, 김이 그를 바라본다
한 번 꽂히면 김도, 어떤 생각도, 그도 이 도시를 빠져나가지 못한다
김은, 그는 천천히 눈을 감는다, 나는 블라인드를 튼튼하게 내렸었다
또다시 어리석은 시간이 온다, 김은 갑자기 눈을 뜬다, 감자기 그가 울음을 터뜨린다, 갑자기
모든 것이 엉망이다, 예정되 모든 무너짐은 얼마나 질서 정연한가
김은 얼굴이 이그러진다

by ki hyung do.
korean poetry. grotesque realism.
some of the best stuff I've read in korean.
he passed away, after publishing one book of poems, at the age of 29.

it's a shame that people try to cover up the fact that he was gay, because it really had a huge influence on his works and his life. the moment you realize that, the poems mean something more. because he voiced his anguish, his hatred toward himself and the city - things he could not get rid of because they were who he was - in his words.

it's extremely fascinating. i can't wait until i get back home and read some more of his works.

무너질 것이 남아 있다는 것은 얼마나 즐거운가.  

how delightful it is to still have something that could be destroyed. 

I was in a "new music" phase a couple of weeks ago and basically listened to a lot of new music. I'm still going through all the music I found, I have so many albums to go through! Here are a couple I've listened in the last few weeks. I'll start off with the singles and the EPs and move onto the full-lengths. Glen Check, 한강의 기적 (Miracle on Han River), 망각화 (Manggakwha), Summer Here Kids, Monolead. 

Glen Check - Au Revoir 
I was sort of blown away when I first listened to Glen Check's Disco Elevator. It was so fresh, so young, so hip. Glen Check - a rising star in the Hongdae electronica scene - sounded like something you'd hear on one of those cool e4 shows. The digital single they released late last year, Au Revoir, contains yet again very catchy and polished beats. Compared to Disco Elevator though, it sounds bolder, even somewhat in-your-face. The songs are more aggressive and show a more house-oriented tune.  Au Revoir is a repetitive electro track that might sound just decent at first listen - but it really stays with you, and you are bound to hum the song through the day. However, the real gem out of the two tracks is the second track, 60s Cardin. This track is a super good representation of Glen Check's sound - suave English, catchy beat, danceable tune. The claps throughout the song adds a nice touch as well.
Monolead - Monolead Teaser Sound 4/11 
Monolead is my newest discovery. I don't know if you follow the k-indie tumblr but a member requested Monolead and I ended up checking them out, because I've never heard of them. I'm so glad I did because they're quite excellent. A once-anticipated modern-rock band, they re-grouped recently and released a "teaser EP" called Monolead Teaser Sound 4/11. They have a very mellow sound similar to various other popular Korean modern rock bands. Different from them though, Monolead has a certain jazz sound to their music, perhaps from the more prominent usage of the bass sound that can be heard in a couple of their songs. The layering of the voices are very effective as it gives the songs a dreamy feel. The best track on the album is definitely Almost Blue, which masterfully incorporates the jazz influence. Another excellent track is Film 2-607, a nostalgic song layered with electronic sounds, beautiful string orchestration and keyboard that fits the more well-known Korean modern rock genre to a tee (and sound awfully like a Nell song). I wouldn't say the vocals aren't anything amazing, but the songs compliment them extremely well. I'm really anticipating their next release.


망각화 (manggakwha) - 몹시 용기를 내어 (with great courage) 
망각화 is a band that I've heard so many good things about but never had the chance to really give a listen. 몹시 용기를 내어, their first full-length album, is an album full of stylish guitar riffs, youthful vocals and modest pop rock melodies. Actually, if I could describe this album in one word, it would be modest. There's nothing grandiose about their sound or lyrics; but it's a very listenable sound, easy on the ears. I was really impressed when I first started listening to this album. The first track (and also the title track), 너는 날, was a beautiful song that instantly drew me in. However, the rest of the album   sounded quite different from that one track. I still enjoyed the album thoroughly, but it's definitely not something I'll avidly seek out.


Summer Here Kids - Summer Here Kids 
Summer Here Kids! If you remember, I listed this album on my albums of 2011 that could have been list. Thus I was extremely excited when I finally got a proper opportunity to give this album a listen. Like I mentioned earlier, I really loved the songs Fish & Chips and 자니, the two title tracks of the self-titled debut. They were cute electro pop-rock songs that were catchy and funny, just the kind of stuff that's perfect for a sunny summer day. The rest of the album is also pretty amazing, although it's not as bright as I expected it to be. I initially anticipated an up-beat, electro pop-rock album full of cutesy lyrics and melodies. But there are some songs on this album that are quite melancholy, even slow. I love it though; I really like how they mix the electronic sounds with the guitar-heavy alt rock sounds. Other than Fish & Chips and 자니, I really like Radio Signal, an experimental electronic track, and 부럽지 않아, a nostalgic rock song.

한강의 기적 - 한강의 기적 (miracle on han river) 
한강의 기적's self-titled debut album was also on my albums of 2011 that could have been list. Although I'd say Summer Here Kids' album might have just missed the top 10 albums of 2011 and maybe made the honorable mentions, 한강의 기적's album would have definitely made it. This brother-duo's debut album of 10 pop-rock tracks is exactly what I'd love to listen to when I'm bored: fun, light, cute. Their songs are just downright adorable - something that I really appreciate. (I love my cutesy music!) Their lyrics are refreshing and fun to listen to. The melodies of the songs just bounce, bounce, bounce - they almost make me want to run out to a playground and let my inner child roam around freely in pure gleeful innocence. The title track (track 3) with the awfully long title is my happy jam at the moment! It's so much fun. Other songs like 해파리 and 물로켓, 글라이더, 고무동력기 are also equally fun songs that have me bopping my head to the beat. They are all such feel-good songs! It's such a feel-good album! Love it.

My favourite band in the whole entire universe is coming back. Nell. Whenever someone asks me what my favourite band/musician is, I always know my answer. Because I have Nell. It's been 3-4 years since they went on a hiatus and my feelings have stayed the same all throughout. There were many other bands that I discovered, fangirled over, and supported, but in the end it was always Nell.

The teaser track is beautiful; it's exactly what I would have expected from them. The snare drum sound is perfect for the dramatic mood of the song, and I'm hoping that it's a part of a full track because the song sounds gorgeous. Gah. I basically have a lot of feelings when it comes to Nell. A lot.

I don't know when "soon" is but I'm hoping that it will actually be soon... school is hard right now, it'd be nice to have something to look forward to during the days.



I have a feeling that this album will be amazing.

pictures from my two-day Montreal trip few weeks back! I bussed east with a friend to surprise-visit a high school friend at McGill. She was still in midst of finals so we didn't get to hang out much, but she was genuinely grateful for the surprise visit & that was worth it. following are few pictures I managed to snap while wandering around Montreal.

Montreal is a nice, cozy urban city - which can be hard to be, especially when the city is big. There are tons of hip hangouts, a great art scene and some nice eateries. I feel like I'll eventually fall in love with it if I stayed there for a while. Perhaps in the future?
The McGill residence hall we stayed in (the second last picture) was awfully nice. It used to be a hotel, so the rooms were big, had their own washroom, and had really comfy beds. The food was pretty great too, although the dining hall was extremely small. Overall a seemingly great dorm, but for the atrocious price (it's almost double what I'm paying for my college housing! ridiculous.) - not worth it.

I watched a documentary last week called Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired and it was definitely an interesting watch. I put the DVD in expecting a huge revelation (as promised by the DVD sleeve) but oh, not really. I did learn a lot about Roman Polanski as a person and what went on with his trials after the event, which were basically what the whole movie was about anyway.




The promotion on the back of the DVD promised that it will change the way you view Polanski's stance and I sort of expected it to, because I'm probably one of the easiest people to persuade. On my view on Polanski going into the movie - you could say that I have the "American" opinion of him. "American" opinion being the one that condemns him and thinks he deserves to be severely punished. "European" opinion standing on his side, saying that he should be forgiven. I'll be frankly honest, I don't know how people think it's okay to rape a 13 year old girl and say it's okay, but. I don't know how people think a lot of things.

the list of punishable acts that Polanski committed.

The movie promised to reveal what people didn't know about the whole fiasco. It's a well-made documentary, I'll give it that, but it barely skims the surface - most of the time it's going over the trials, on how Polanski was mistreated in his trials, and how he deserved a better treatment. It even goes to justify his escape from the States to Europe. It interviews various people, from friends of Polanski to the victim herself, providing intensive insider information on the cases.

But consequently, I felt that the documentary didn't change how I thought about Polanski. Yes, he should have been given the chance in his trials. Yes his judge was not fair. But what about the crimes he has committed?

There were also few interviews in the documentary that really angered me - Polanski's friends who blamed the mother of the victim for letting her child stay with Polanski. Excuse me? Is that really a viable reason for Polanski's actions? Also... I'm not familiar with Polish culture but someone who spoke said that maybe it was normal where Polanski came from. I don't know man, maybe it's normal to rape a 13 year old girl in Poland, but it sure isn't in America. And he was in America when he did that.

It's well-known that Polanski is a genius director and his movies are significant in the development of cinema - but this incident also makes me think a lot about how one's talent can be used to forgive one's unlawful behaviour. Does Polanski's artistic talent makes it okay for everyone to turn a blind eye to the crime he has committed? If you are famous and talented - does that give you the right to do whatever you want?

Something else I took away from this documentary was that Roman Polanski is one creepy dude. He seems so gullible and helpless in many instances through the film - at points I even felt sorry for him - but man, the things he did to that girl. So damn creepy.

when will I stop posting photos from thanksgiving? probably never.

With school starting in less than two weeks, I feel like I should be making the best of the last week of my winter break. And at times I feel like I should just crawl into bed and sleep through it.

Made some changes to the blog over the last week or so. A fancy favicon (I didn't know what it was until today!), a banner I put up a few days ago, a 2012 page to kick off a new year, other minor layout changes... and quite possibly a resize of images. I've been using 800px for the photos, but I feel like 750px looks better? Not so sure. I'll have to experiment a bit more. but not too bad, right? Not gonna lie, I am a bit in love with how this blog is looking at the moment. (let me bask in some self-loving for once, yeah?) oh, and I dropped the hello from the titles. It was getting a bit cheesy.

Maintaining this blog is easy because I am comfortable with English. On the other hand, I've been quite shy with my posting at my Korean blog because my writing skills are not so great. But still, I need practice.

Not meeting the 20-books quota in 2011 I am determined to go over 20 this year. I've already finished reading Arthur Miller's After the Fall. Enjoyed it tremendously. I haven't read that many plays in my life (and half of them being Shakespeare surely doesn't help) but I am really beginning to like Arthur Miller's works. I've read The Crucible for school (and "because it is my name!" scene from the movie version will always stay with me, it was so memorable) and Death of a Salesman on my own - but After the Fall is by far the strangest. It could be because the characters so utterly surreal. The fact that it is based on Arthur Miller's life is extremely fascinating. I enjoyed it though, I really found the characters approachable, despite the confusing narrative. I'd like to see it on stage one day.

Another play I read before reading After the Fall was Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? by Edward Albee. An interesting work, featuring only four characters, characters that slowly starts to self-destruct as the play progresses. It was horrifying at times, because I kept expecting someone to physically harm someone, or something. Apparently the movie version is really good, so I might see that soon. (Although I have so many movies I have to watch still)

I was initially planning on reading The Iliad which I have to read for a class (thought I'd get some stuff out of the way early) but... I think I'll rather wait until I have to read it. I think I'll try Milan Kundera's The Unbearable Lightness of Being again. I started it in the summer before my trip, and never finished it. I think I got through a few pages. I want to finish the Hunger Games trilogy as well. I also want to read some more Herman Hesse books; Steppenwolf is something I've been meaning to read for a while, and Demian a book I've wanted to read properly since I read the abridged version in Korean. Speaking of Korean, I still can't find my copy of Lucid Fall's 물고기 마음, although both my mom and I have been looking for it, and also I want to read some more Korean poetry in my mom's collection before I leave for school.

I wish I could bring more books with me to college but I know that I don't have room for them (I'm already bringing the A Song of Ice and Fire box set back with me, along with my Mad Men DVDs) and I'm not going to have time to read any of them. But I really want to finish at least another book at home before I leave.

at last. the final installment of my lackluster 3-part series, korean indie in 2011. I actually enjoyed making these lists, not just because I normally enjoy making lists but because I got to talk about some albums and artists that I really enjoy. And I realized that I should probably listen to more recent korean indie music, which is good. Let's hope that I don't give up on that & the end of year lists for k-indie in 2012 would be much, much better.

this will be the post where I will talk about k-indie albums of 2011 that could have been. This topic sounds like a vague one, and it is - so I divided it into two parts: albums that were disappointing considering the talent behind them, and albums that I wish I gave a listen to because they seem to be promising. Yes, this is where I rant about albums that were less than spectacular, and lament about albums I wish I've remembered to listen to / had a chance to listen to. These lists are not in any order, unlike the previous posts. And a warning beforehand - this is perhaps the messiest jumble of nonsensical writing out of the 3. So let's move on: 8 k-indie albums of 2011 that could have been.






장기하와 얼굴들 (Jang Kiha and the Faces) - 장기하와 얼굴들
Who'd knew. Who'd expect that the oh-so-great Jang Kiha and the Faces' second album - and self-titled, no less - would be such a let-down. This album is so forgettable and so boring. Excluding that one song I really liked from this album 그렇고 그런사이, I don't have any recollections of this album, despite listening to it numerous times. It's still a decent listen, but I'd really rather listen to their first album over this one. I don't know, maybe it will grow on me, maybe I'll realize its greatness one day, but I just was not excited about this album, and still isn't. Disappointing, because it's getting lauded by everyone. Maybe it's because they don't excite me like they used to. To tell you the truth, I think it might have something to do with the fact that Jang Kiha lost his 'stache and glasses. Now he looks too suave. I miss his glasses.  and the Mimi Sisters.

Mimi Sisters - 미안하지만 이건 전설이 될꺼야 
Speaking of Mimi Sisters... They are next on this list. From the beginning days of Jang Kiha and the Faces, I really liked the Mimi Sisters. I thought they were really, really cool. They made Jang Kiha and the Faces really great, and fun to watch. So obviously I was sad when they announced that they would be going separate ways. And rightly so, because their first album wasn't exactly the legend its title promised to be. (title roughly translates to: sorry but this will become a legend) in fact, it was far from being a legendary album. They still look great, and the album packaging seemed awfully nice, but... Sorry. Your music isn't quite there yet.

10cm - 1.0
I suppose this is cheating a bit because I was never a huge fan of 10cm, but here it is anyway. Maybe it's because of all the hype that they are on the list, but I really didn't enjoy their first full-length album, 1.0. I like the simplicity of their music, and they're cute and I like their sound in general, but Kwon Jung Yeol's voice is something I just cannot, simply cannot warm up to. I can stand it, in songs like 사랑은 은하수 다방에서 or 오늘밤은 어둠이 무서워요, but his voice is not something I'll avidly seek out and listen to willingly. I'm not a voice expert so I don't know how to describe it, but I'm sure anyone who's ever listen to 10cm will know what I'm talking about - just the way he sings, the way he sounds (as awful as that may sound). Which is really a shame,  because I think other than his voice, 10cm can be quite nice.

Pia - Pentagram 
Pia is a great band. Otherwise they wouldn't have lasted so long in the industry. They are absolutely fantastic live, and super fun. I thoroughly enjoyed their 3rd and 4th album, Become Clear and Waterfalls, and I absolutely adored what they did with their 2008-release Urban Explorer. I liked their sound a lot on those three releases. Unfortunately, their follow-up, 4th album Pentagram, doesn't really live up to those albums. I liked how they still had a certain progressive, experimental sound that they had in Urban Explorer, but overall, they failed to achieve the effect they had in that EP. It's not a bad album, but it's just not as good as it could have been.




Deli Spice - Open Your Eyes 
Deli Spice. Another veteran that cannot be ignored. I'm ashamed to admit that I completely missed their 7th album, released in 2011 after 5 years of no new albums since their 6th Bom Bom in 2006. There I was, listening to 챠우챠우 like the usual, not realizing that there was a brand new album I could be fawning over.
Anyway. I really liked Deli Spice's previous albums, so I'm sure I'll like this album too.



Idiotape - 11111101  
Did I miss a one there? No, the more important question is, how did I forget about Idiotape's 1st full-length album? I was always dying to find out when it was going to be released! I even tweeted about it, and the band tweeted back saying that it'd be released in early fall. (It was sort of exciting..) And then. I forgot about it. It's my fault, really. Similar to Deli Spice above, Idiotape is a group that I have listened to before and really liked. I've listened to their EP, 0805, and loved it. I was so excited for their 1st full-length, but when it was actually released - I missed it. And just managed to remember it when I was coming up with this list.
I should be embarrassed.

Summer Here Kids - Summer Here Kids 
Summer Here Kids is a band that consists of musicians that have been around for a while - Kim Won Joon from Pony, Choi Young Hew of Cheezstereo, Kim Mi Sook of Look & Listen, Choi Ook No from Seokyo Group Sound - and from the little I have heard from them, they seem to sound amazing together. Of course, I have only listened to the songs with the music videos, Fish & Chips (first k-indie MV in 3D) and 자니. I really liked their sound though, and I've been meaning to listen to their first full-length album for the longest time, but I simply didn't have the opportunity to do so.


한강의 기적 (miracle on the han river) - 한강의 기적 
Isn't the cover so great? When I'm looking for new artists, I tend to look at their album covers first. Although the quality of the album art isn't reflective of the content, most of the time it's easy to get a general idea of what the album - or the band - will sound like. Take Mot, for example. One look at the Non-Linear album cover and you know that it's going to be dark. Or Kwon Milk's album covers - you know it's probably gonna be some silly retro fun. So when I looked at the album art for 한강의 기적, I got an idea of a simple, maybe acoustic, but definitely low-key sound. Exactly the stuff that I normally enjoy so much. And the face. So adorable! I really should have checked this album out, because I had a good feeling about it when I first came across it.


I have access to all 4 albums on the second list of this post, so I'll probably post a review about them one of these days. I'm so excited! And in the future, I think I'll try to keep up with the recent stuff.

And that concludes the 3-part k-indie in 2011 series! Let's hope that in 2012 I listen to more k-indie and have lots to choose from when coming up with the lists.

얄개들 (the freaks) - 그래, 아무것도 하지말자 
얄개들 (a.k.a. the freaks in English) was my new discovery of 2011. they are a relatively new band, 그래, 아무것도 하지 말자 being their first album. They have a lot of potential, as can be heard through this album. They have this laid-back, chill rock sound that's really easy on the ears. This album's great for just chilling and lounging on your own; not too odd, not too boring. Their sound here is extremely uniform; only reason it's on the honorable mentions instead of the actual top 10 is probably because there aren't any songs that really stand out. But it's the consistency that makes it so great!
favourite tracks: 메주, 우리 같이 

전기 뱀장어 (electric eels) - 충전
 My other new find of 2011! Electric Eels have been around for some time, but this is their first release. They're a really fun band, with song titles like Steak and Your Teeth, and their songs are extreme fun to listen to. I wish this was a full-length album, because an EP of 6 tracks was certainly not enough.
favourite tracks: 자외선, 스테이크 








검정치마 (the black skirts) - Don't You Worry Baby (I'm Only Swimming)
Ah. The Black Skirts! I believe the song Love Shine was on my top 10 song list earlier. I have a soft spot for The Black Skirts - they were one of the first k-indie bands that I got into, and I always appreciated how catchy the songs were. I was basically in love with all the songs on the album 201. So I suppose this particular album was a slight let-down, since I only really liked two or three of the songs. Now those two or three songs were really great songs - but the rest of the album was - unfortunately - forgettable.
favourite tracks: Love Shine, International Love Song, 날씨 






10. 정준일 (jung joon il) - Lo9ve3r4s 
#10 on the list is Jung Joon Il of Mate's solo project, Lo9ve3r4s. He maintains a sound familiar to the Mate fans in the couple of songs on this album - but also branches out to other genres. There's a great ballad track (and also the title track) 안아줘. There's a solid Bosa Nova track, 그 계절의 우리. He also experiments with electronica in a couple of songs as well. The experimental sound of the album is really great because it really shows his potential. (And he has a lot of potential.) Lovers is a great track, trying to guess all the featured artists on that one track is really difficult but fun! all-in-all, a great album, full of different sounds.
favourite tracks: 안아줘, 그 계절의 우리, Love (Intro)


9. 짙은 (zitten) - 백야 
I talked about this album before in a previous post so I won't get into it much. But yes, Zitten makes great music, everyone should check them out, and this EP is quite good, thanks to the nice balance between the usual Zitten sound and the experimental rock sound. And such a beautiful album cover!
favourite tracks: Moonlight, 백야, March 






8. Ynot? - What the Funk? 
(this album cover's not included in the quilt above. 13 didn't really work out and I don't care much for this cover anyway. apologies.)
#8 is Hongdae veteran Ynot?'s What the Funk?. I probably wouldn't have listened to this album if I didn't see them live over the summer. And I'm so glad I decided to listen to the whole album, because it's really amazing. Ynot? is a great band that manages to be both consistent in their sound but also maintain different colours in each of their songs. This album is full of songs that are catchy, songs that you could bop your head to.
favourite tracks: Run You'd Better, 낙오자의 노래, Livin' in Today


7. 구남과여라이딩스텔라 (gunamguayeoridingstella) - 우정모텔
A much anticipated 2nd album of Gunam, released 4 years after their fantastic 1st album. 4 years! The wait was worth it; this album is gold. They maintained the strange-but-likeable sound they had on their 1st album. This is actually so alike to their first album, almost like a continuation from it. I think Gunam might be a bit of an acquired taste, but I really, really like their sound. To me, they sound  like some sort of lo-fi electronica with a hint of grunge and a hint of garage rock. And such fun lyrics! I really love their lyrics. A great album by a great band.
favourite tracks: 귀여워, 남쪽으로 간다, 아침의 빛




6. Mongoose - Cosmic Dancer 
ohhh. Mongoose. I think I can sum up Mongoose and their 4th album Cosmic Dancer in one word: cute. Yup. There's no other word that fits them better. How a band that's been around since 2002 and has released 4 albums can be this adorable, I have no clue. Anyway, their cuteness has grown on me since my first encounter and I sort of fell in love with Cosmic Dancer over time. It's just so cute, and such danceable beats! Most of the songs (all the upbeat songs, anyway) are so easy to sing along to. Things like "Mon amie!" or "우리는 하나!" or "밤밤밤!" or even "로라"... this album is a hell of a ride. A ride that sparkles and is purple and has gold stars all over it and shoots rainbows.
favourite tracks: 우리는 하나, 로라, 서울의 밤 청춘의 밤



5. 몽니 (monni) - 단 한번의 여행 
Monni's 2011 release was initially an EP, which was then re-released as a limited edition full-length album. The version I have is the limited edition. It's a fantastic release; although not as good as their first album. (it'd be real difficult to top their first album, actually. it's so great) The reason why it's so high on the list is probably because my copy of the album is autographed by all the members, haha. (I didn't seem them in person - I was just lucky to come across it as a special event in one of the stores in Hongdae.) Even without the superficial reasons, though, this is a great album. Great vocals, and an amazing featuring by Nine on track 단 한번의 여행, really emotionally beautiful songs like 영원한 여름... a really beautiful album.
favourite tracks: 단 한번의 여행,  눈의 여왕, 영원한 여름 


4. Lucid Fall - 아름다운 날들 
4th on the list is my love Lucid Fall's 5th album, 아름다운 날들(beautiful days). Befitting to the title, it is a gorgeous album. I don't think you can ever go wrong with a Lucid Fall's album (unless he decides to really.. change) because you don't really listen to it for the melody or the beat - it's all about the lyrics. The lyrics on this album are simply stunning. So beautifully written, with so much heart, and the sincerity in Lucid Fall's voice adds to the overall quality of the album. I'll tentatively add that I still like his 4th album Les Miserables the best, but this is a great, great follow-up.
favourite tracks: 불, 그 밤, 어부가 


3. Gogo Star - Black Comedy 
Forever a favourite! Gogo Star! GOGO PARTY! I have the biggest bias when it comes to Gogo Star. I don't know, it's something about them - the crazy antics? costumes? the catchy tunes? - that I just simply cannot turn away from. I absolutely adored their first EP, and their first album, so I had high hopes for their later releases. Their EP following their 1st album - 성난 인형극, was a bit of a disappointment. So naturally I didn't expect much from their 2nd album - after all, they have such a specific sound, how can you create another full-length album that still won't be boring? But oh, how wrong I was. Black Comedy is perfect. The band said that they really put a lot of effort into producing this album and you could tell, every track sounds so polished, so danceable, so awesome. Gogo Star, you've won me over all over again.
favourite tracks: 서울의 달, 블랙 코미디, 회전목마

2. The Koxx - XXOK 
cream of the crop! from #3 to #1 are the albums that really stood out to me this year. And #2 is from my love-hate band, The Koxx. Their 1st full-length album, XXOK was really anticipated on my part and really lived up to it. It's such an excellent album, with songs that I can really rock to. At first I wasn't sure about this album - there was just too much wrong English, I didn't know how to handle it! But I kept coming back to this album. I listened to it, and then listened to it again, and then again and again and again... until I started to love the album. It's really well-produced, and all songs are so solid in their execution. The English still throws me off (perhaps the reason why it's not #1?), but they all sound really amazing. Still sad that I didn't get to see them live. Still so sad.
favourite tracks: Access OK, 12:00, 술래잡기 


aaaand.... the number 1 album of 2011 is....

did it surprise anyone, after my declaration of love for tete and his song Romantico in the previous post? probably not. Not only the song Romantico extraordinary, the whole EP is flawless. At first I wasn't sure if I should make this number 1 - it's only an EP with 6 songs, after all. But no, this is the album that really got to me in 2011, and the album I listened to the most. (I really did listen to it a lot.) So here it is, number 1: tete's romantico. This EP could be described as the lovechild of a hopeless romantic and a sex-god. It's romantic, it's sexy, it's melancholy, it's beautiful. Every time I listen to it I'm overwhelmed with emotion. The image of the album is a complete change from the previous characters of Tete - the bassist of electronic rock group Telepathy (that really knows how to rock) & psychedelic rock group Nastyona - and that makes this album so much better. It's generally an acoustic album - but there are elements that throw you off with their electronic sounds, like the last instrumental track, Last Scene (and it's so awesome). I'm not gonna pretend like Tete's the greatest singer or has the best voice - but his voice works extremely well with all the songs, and the music is really hard to get sick of. No, really! I've listened the heck out of this album, and as I am listening to it now again, I'm falling in love with it all over. A really wonderful album. It's especially great when you listen to it late at night by yourself.
favourite tracks: all of them. every single one of them... but especially Romantico (duh), Instant, Last Scene.
(I'm so excited for what Tete will come up with next. And also fearful, since I'm not sure what it will sound like. But since he's decided to go solo for sure - I'm hoping that he will release something of a full length soon!)

aaaah. so long. and this post took me forever. coming up next: k-indie albums of 2011 that could have been. the next-and last- post of this 3-part series will be short...probably!