Gloomy 30's, a soft rock band with a fondness for strings and piano that single debuted in November, has got a song called 낯에 뜨는 별 featured on the OST for KBS mini series Accidental Couple (그저 바라보다가). The soundtrack will be released on June 2.

Parts 3 & 4 in Radio Cactus Cube's Korean Music Awards 2008-2009 series have been posted:
- Part 3 (Pop and Dance & Electronic winners)
- Part 4 (Hip Hop and R&B & Soul winners)

The Korea Times has interviewed The Plastic Day for an article: The Plastic Day Rises in Hongdae

The past weekend, Shawn introduced readers of Korea Gig Guide to female trio Look & Listen. It seems the band, influenced by Mama Guitar and The 5,6,7,8's, was recently signed by Beatball Records. Read more here: Something To See & Hear.

For those of you that still haven't had the opportunity to listen to all KMA winners this year and need some input as to what to try next, or for those of you that simply want to know why that song or album won the price - Radio Cactus Cube has the answer! In a series called simply "Korean Music Awards 2008-2009" the reasons why those songs and albums were picked as winners are presented in English. Two parts have been posted so far, and I'll make sure to let you know as soon as more parts show up online:
- Part 1 (main category winners)
- Part 2 (Rock and Modern Rock winners)

KoME has had an interview with trash metal band Crash, where they mention that they're in the final phase of recording an album with the goal to have it released before the summer: Heavy metal band Crash talk about their beginnings, the emotional power of music, and just what role heavy metal has in Korea.

- While posting the video for the Loveholics and Shin Mina collaboration Miracle Blue, Dramabeans offered the news that Loveholics are planning on releasing the first full length album under their new name in August.

- Han Hee Jung's upcoming EP, 끈, will contain a duet called 멜로디로 남아. It is sung together with Nell's Kim Jong Wan.

- Perhaps you had already figured it out yourself, but thanks to mrkwang now at least I know for sure: Misty Blue's 1/4 Sentimental Con.Troller is the first in a series of four EPs.

A 30 second piano piece I believe is called 표하는 마음 was posted at Tearliner's blog today. Earlier this weekend, he reportedly sang at the wedding of Lee Seon Kyun and Jeon Hye Jin - a dashing Liner was also caught on camera while supporting the groom as he sang Tearliner's Ocean Travel to the bride.

The EP Pink Elephant had promised this summer will get a release on May 26. It is called Mayday, and in addition to four new tracks it also features a "bonus live acoustic" section with another bunch of songs, including 낭만가 from last year's self-titled album debut. Sample new tracks 밀림 and Romantic tutu at Hyang or head over to MySpace to listen to the complete Pink Elephant album.

Dafne of Radio Cactus Cube dropped by Indieful ROK's shoutbox the other day, and so we learn that there is a 2 hour show dedicated to music from the Asian undergound (with a fair share of Korean music) airing from 4-6AM (PDT) each Wednesday on KUCI! The show can be streamed online when live, and playlists can be found here.

Arne von Brill had their Chairs Up EP selected "Demo Of The Week" over at IndiePages - that thinks the band reminisces ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead - last week. Currently this means that The Life and Time of Robert Downey, I am a Writer, and Sleepy Jesus can all be downloaded for free here.

In addition to the songs already mentioned, the Arne von Brill MySpace also offers the opportuinty to stream Smells like Bees, and last.fm allows full track streaming of the entire EP. If you want to learn more on them, there's a piece at the bottom of this page at Groove Korea.

Last week offered two digital singles with Pastel artists:

May 14 saw the release of Sentimental Scenery's Shiny Blue single. Just like Tarus's Lovely Pink from last month, this is a digital single for LG's Bling Bling CanU phone. Sample it through share.with.

On May 15, the first story - Pink - in what appears to be a series called Color of City was released. The cover reads Yojoh & JP, but we know the woman singing 좋아해 with Kim Jin Pyo better as Yozoh.

Here's a couple of upcoming CD releases from Pastel Music that I think many of you will be very excited about. They've been mentioned here previously, but this time it's for real:

- On May 27, adultchild with a second full length album called Dandelion. The first track, Annabel lee, can currently be sampled through Pastel's share.with gadget.

- On May 28, Han Hee Jung will release an EP album called 끈. If you manage to get the Pastel site to make friends with you there's a sweet and fairly cheerful 1 minute sample waiting for you behind that May 31 live showcase "cover".

So I know there is already relatively much written about The Plastic Day in English, but I didn't realize that when asking for a small interview for Indieful ROK. Of course the band is awesome enough to make it worthwhile anyway, so here's a few questions answered by the band's vocalist, Sun Ho:

Who are The Plastic Day?
The Plastic Day is a peaceful demolitionist against this boring plastic world.
The Plastic Day is comprised of guitarist/vocalist Sun Ho, bassist Ho Seong, and drummer Yun Beom, we are came together in late 2006. We three are all in same age of 26, live in Seoul, Korea

What would you say is the strong point of your music?
I would say our music is at least honest. It's from our heart and soul not just from our skill playing instrument. So that people can more focus on themselves while they listen the plastic day. If we are just taken in only by too many sweet words and the computerized sounds which of cause seems perfect, there is no more imagination for further. I want to make us to dream again

To My Every Journey at the very end of 30 Seconds Between The Dreamer and The Realist is quite the contrast to every other song of the album with its fairly melancholic piano. Is there any particular story behind it?
I know it may seems like a little surprise for this album but it's also my song from my heart has so many emotions.

Your album will be made available to an international audience through iTunes - do you have any other plans to reach outside of Korea?
I will try but I’m not sure.
Sometimes I feel like I want it, sometimes I don't.
It's like my song I miss me myself says "I want a quiet life". When it comes to money or business, I’m lost but I really love to meet audience in other countries. Actually some of my friends are planning the gig in Tokyo lately.

---

And don't forget that The Plastic Day has a MySpace page where 6 of the songs from last week's album debut can be sampled!

Loveholics' Miracle Blue single, mentioned here yesterday, got a release today, May 19.

And on a related note, Kpop blog Popseoul has launched an "Indie Spotlight" series. The first act selected for this bi-monthly feature is ... Loveholic! Have a read.

Through Dramabeans we find that actress Shin Mina will provide the vocals for Loveholics' second single, Miracle Blue. More on that here.

Through London Korean Link we find that BBC took the time to interview Youn Sun Nah for Thursday's episode of The Strand. More on that here.

It would seem we have a date for the release of Tearliner's Embrace All single. Not May as was said previously, but close enough: June 4.
Update 090519: cover art!

As you know I don't often write about concerts in Korea here (Korea Gig Guide does an excellent job covering that), but the other day I got an email from Sean of sighborggggg about a concert series he's leading that struck me as extremely interesting: Round Robin. These are the rules:
- All the bands set up at the same time along the perimeter of the room with the audience in the center
- Each band does one song at a time, no breaks, back to back to back etc., until the show is completed
- There is no headliner or opener, no front row or back of the room
And there's a "tour circuit among the cities of Seoul, Busan, Daegu and Daejeon for traveling foreign bands". How I wish I had the possibility of going to one of those concerts!

Rock act The Plastic Day released their debut album, 30 Seconds Between The Dreamer And The Realist, on May 12. I was fortunate enough to receive a digital promo copy of the album a few days ago (thank you! should've written about them sooner, but I've been much busier than usual...) and have been listening to it a lot since. It's one of those albums that just grow on with every listen, and with the heavy instrumentation I'm sure they're even better experienced live. Most of us don't have that opportunity though, so for now I'd suggest a visit to MySpace to hear them out. Especially recommended is I miss me myself, and for something more energetic Storm.

Soon there'll be more about The Plastic Day at Indieful ROK, but for now you can read more on the band at Mongdori or in any of the pieces written by Shawn: Korea Gig Guide; Groove Korea; Smashing Mag.

You have all heard about SPIN magazine, right? They have an "alpha site" called SPIN Earth, which features music related user generated material from all over the world. As of May 2009 they also feature MAP! Very exciting, I think. Have a look!

It's the 15th of May, and once again it is time for a post from the Music Alliance Pact. No new members this month, but there are other exciting things going on that will bring even more exposure to the featured artists - I'll let you know as soon as there's something to show!

Going through this month's selection I realized several of the countries represented had gone for something with a bit of psych in it - that is true also for Korea, where Stretching Journey is the featured artist. Not so much in that particular song, but in general. Though since writing that info piece I've realized it must be far from accidental (I was kinda tired...) - in the recent Stretching Journey mini-interview we learned that the band's rhythm guitarist has a history as psych-folk artist. Anyway, I hope you'll enjoy the track as much as I do (and give it another listen if you don't from the start) and advice you to also have a listen to the few short samples available at Hyang if you haven't already.


AMERICA: I Guess I'm Floating
Lands & Peoples - Awake
Baltimore-based Lands & Peoples seem to have a knack for hypnotherapy. With a ommanding ethereal ambience and gorgeous catatonic tensions throughout, Awake is an eye-opener from start to finish. You'll ask, "How have I not heard of them?" and "I can't believe they aren't signed!" well, believe it. There's an album in the works coming out later this year (perhaps self-released), but for now you can listen to more gems at their MySpace page.

ARGENTINA: Zonaindie
Les Mentettes Orchestra - Hold On
Les Mentettes is a psychedelic pop band who just released a five-song EP with orchestral arrangements conducted by former Orquesta de Salón member Manuloop. It's a free release so if you like Hold On you can legally download the other tracks as well. They are currently playing this record live with a full orchestra in several venues around Buenos Aires.

AUSTRALIA: Who The Bloody Hell Are They?
Jonathan Boulet - A Community Service Announcement
I only recently discovered the very talented Jonathan Boulet's music online, and upon hearing this song immediately purchased his album from iTunes. It is simply amazing that the 20-year-old produced and recorded everything himself in his garage. Big future for this guy.

BRAZIL: Meio Desligado
A Banda de Joseph Tourton - #3
A Banda de Joseph Tourton only have a few songs on the internet and released a digital EP last year, but they are already one of the most interesting of the new generation of alternative groups in Brazil. They create instrumental songs full of groove, emotion and originality, making the next step in mangue beat's (a musical movement from Brazil's northeast) history, going through post-rock, jazz and their regional culture influences.

CANADA: I(Heart)Music
Green Go - Brains For Breakfast
For a year or two now, my friends in Toronto have been raving about Green Go to me and now that their debut album, Borders, is out, it's easy to see why. As songs like Brains For Breakfast show, the band create infectiously catchy pop with shouted group vocals and bouncy riffs that sound like they'd make for a big, sweaty blast of fun in concert.

CHILE: Super 45
Mutrone - Bristol
A mix of experimentation, psychedelia and improvisation are the foundation elements from which Mutrone build solid sound walls comprising samples, effects and a dynamic reminiscent of the machine-like structures of krautrock. With two albums, Oscillatore and Centinela, both released under a Creative Commons licence, the four guys in Mutrone have discovered an exciting way to bring the real sounds of the city into the machine.

DENMARK: All Scandinavian
Sinusstøv - Who Am I?
The translation of their name is "Sinus Dust" but there's nothing at all dusty about Claus Pedersen and Søren Friis Dam's musical output. Who Am I? is lush, sweeping and crackling electro, showered in the melancholy Scandinavians have to live with and everybody else finds moving. Another grand testament to the incredibly healthy state of Danish electronica.

ENGLAND: The Daily Growl
Blue Roses - Doubtful Comforts
Another month and I'm sticking with all thinks folky, although we're leaving London for Shipley in Yorkshire which is the home of Laura Groves. She has recently rebranded herself as Blue Roses and released an amazing self-titled album (on XL). Of all the young folky female artists I've enthused about here and on my blog, she's possibly the best.

FINLAND: Glue
Delay Trees - Desert Island Song
Indie-pop quartet Delay Trees have just self-released their seven-song debut CD, Soft Construction EP. Desert Island Song is the opening track and the beginning of a dreamy trip through tender pop melodies and bits of psychedelia. It is a very promising start for these guys.

FRANCE: ZikNation
Walter - Le Dernier Bastion
In the beginning, they were two, playing in parks, festivals and concert halls. Six years and three musicians later, Walter keeps riding French roads offering a tasty blend of reggae, blues and folk, spreading messages of love, respect and peace. They'll be back in studio by the end of the year to record their next album.

GERMANY: Blogpartei
Schlachthofbronx - Good To Go
Schlachthofbronx defined a whole new genre called Munich bass. This bastard relies heavily on Kuduro, baile funk, dub and dancehall but also likes to play with elements of Bavarian folk and synthpop. Good To Go has never been released officially but turned on the crowd at their sweaty gigs all over central Europe.

ICELAND: I Love Icelandic Music
Retro Stefson - Papa Paulo III (Re-edit version)
Retro Stefson was founded in late 2006 by a group of eight teenagers, school friends from Austurbæjarskóli. They write catchy, semi-pop/semi-rock crossover songs and give great live performances. Last year the band released their debut album Montaña on the Icelandic Kimi Records label. The band's principal songwriter is Unnsteinn Manual Stefánsson. The lyrics are in English, Spanish and Icelandic.

IRELAND: Nialler9
Super Extra Bonus Party - Radar
The first single from Super Extra Bonus Party's second album Night Horses sees them joined by Cadence Weapon on a stomping live band/electro-hop crossover. It's a good indication of a band who don't like to stick to genres for too long. Night Horses also features pop, acoustic folk, instrumental rock and electronic goodness with guest vocals from Mr. Lif, R.S.A.G., May Kay of Fight Like Apes, Ann Scott and Heathers.

ITALY: Polaroid
Buzz Aldrin - Small Bad Talk With Koala Friends
Obsessive rhythms, nagging guitars, alienated voices, dirty synths and strangely beautiful songs that are greater than the sum of their parts. Think of Liars, think of Wire, think of Pere Ubu, or don't think: just dance. This young trio show a driving strength when on stage and they are improving with every gig.

MEXICO: Club Fonograma
Mr. Racoon - Ferry 3
Mr. Racoon is one of several projects by Roberto Polo, among them 60 Tigres and Fuck Her, Or The Terrorists Win. This is by far his most charming moment yet. His music unfolds the very best of a prolific songwriter that, as opposed to what his music may sound like, is a maximalist taking the lo-fi production and his shimmering voice to heroic amplitudes. Ferry 3 is a cut from his third album Katy, released earlier this year through the free storage music website Delhotel Records.

NEW ZEALAND: Counting The Beat
The Sing Songs - Pamphlet Baby
The Sing Songs sing songs, saccharine sweet pop songs. What gives them their staying power are the lyrics. Where you might expect girl loves boy, boy loves girl, instead you get the story of a woman dealing with the death of her baby by walking the streets with a pram, delivering pamphlets. To date the band don't have any releases but this song has been included on a compilation issued by Real Groove magazine to celebrate New Zealand music month.

NORWAY: Eardrums
Maribel - Flesh & Blood
Oslo-based Maribel released their long-awaited and brilliant debut Aesthetics only a few days ago, and the Norwegian critics gave them full scores in the reviews. The band play dreamy, noise-drenched, multi-layered shoegaze with almost psychedelic elements. There are obvious references in their sound to bands like My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, Spacemen 3, Pale Saints and even The Velvet Underground, but Maribel definitely do their own thing and they do it their own way. Maribel and Aesthetics is highly recommended, and will be this Norwegian blogger's soundtrack to the spring of 2009.

PERU: SoTB
Diablos Azules - Porno Music
It is time for a classic night: trumpets, breaks, ska and contagious melodies that immerse people in the most insane of their intentions. It is perhaps no surprise the band are called Diablos Azules ("Blue Devils"). Porno Music is the best legacy of their existence - an old song which is still fresh and gets revived every time someone goes to a party in Lima.

PORTUGAL: Posso Ouvir Um Disco?
The TiMaria - Pretty Girls Are Pretty High
Last year, a man was organizing a gig with a three-band bill but had just two booked. When he was creating the poster, he made up the name TiMaria and included this fictitious group as the third act of the night. (Un)fortunately, he didn't erase the name before the posters went to press and ended up with a stock of paper to throw away. However, he persuaded his friends, André Moinho and Nuno Rancho, who live in small villages around the city of Leiria, to form a band in 15 days so that he could use the posters and save the planet. And so, with the addition of Nuno's younger brother, Luis Jerónimo, The TiMaria ("Aunt Maria") was born. Their debut record will be released in September or October.

ROMANIA: Babylon Noise
Semiosis - Recovery
Semiosis is the post-rock/ambient/electronic project of Seidiu Alexandru and Serban Ilicevici, two young guys from Craiova. They have just released their debut album, Pictural, and it has received a lot of positive feedback. Pictural is considered the first Romanian post-rock album and is available for free download here - it's a must if you enjoy listening to this preview.

SCOTLAND: The Pop Cop
Boycotts - Beat On The Dancefloor
Boycotts have been in existence for barely a year but it's still no surprise they've got people in Scotland very excited indeed. The Glasgow-based quartet's edgy guitar-pop pushes all the right buttons, but the ace in the pack is their enchanting frontlady, Stina Twee, all youthful exhuberance and 'don't screw with me' lyrics.

SINGAPORE: I'm Waking Up To...
The Fire Fight - Fires At Night
The Fire Fight are an indie-rock band that have set the local scene on fire with their firebranded musicality and heartfelt lyrics. Fires At Night is the first track from their demo, The Green EP. Brandishing straight-up indie guitar rock that combines the intensity of Bloc Party and the poetic ebb and flow of The One AM Radio, Fires At Night draws the listener into its warmth and, like a slow burning furnace, purifies the experience. Perhaps the best thing about The Fire Fight is their lyrical optimism in a world spiraling into nihilism, as singer Josh Tan pleads that music is for "the hope that burns in your eyes".

SOUTH KOREA: Indieful ROK
Stretching Journey - 060
Post-punk band Stretching Journey put out a self-titled album on its own last month. The band is not afraid to blend a plethora of genres into their music and as a consequence of the lo-fi production, several of their songs ended up with a slight psychedelic edge. The album opens with 060, which has a progression and a beat influenced by Los Bunkers, whereas the style of the chorus is inspired by Korean dance-pop act Koyote.

SPAIN: La Página De La Nadadora
Sundae - Arte y Ensayo
The Field Mice, My Bloody Valentine, The Radio Dept. and The Cure are four good references for this band who have even been namechecked by the famous label Shelflife with their second demo. Sundae are like the best shoegaze pop inherited from Sarah Records, but this time from Seville.

SWEDEN: Swedesplease
Robert Svensson - I Was Summer
I can't tell you one quaint biographical detail about Robert Svensson - he's a mystery to me. But I am now an instant fan on the strength of I Was Summer. The song exists to share these two sets of lyrics: "I was summer and you were November" and "I was architecture and you were the wrecking ball".

To download all 25 songs in one file click here.

Seems Youn Sun Nah did very well on her very first London performance this past weekend. London Korean Links has a review: Review: Youn Sun Nah and Ulf Wakenius at the Vortex.

Beatball's electronica duo HourmeltS released a digital EP called Meaningful Days on May 8. The EP includes 6 tracks, the first two (Alcoholic and Roman from Italy) featuring Jeeminn Lee and the final (Unrestraint) featuring Yeongene.

On May 1, an OST single for SBS drama Brilliant Legacy (찬란한 유산) was released. Three tracks in total, including a song called 사랑에 미쳐서 sung by Jisun.

I've planned on introducing you all to Pigibit5 for several weeks now, but never got around to writing that theme post where their name should be mentioned. And now their self-titled, self-released debut EP is already released. (The theme post will still happen though, just need to find the time for it...) Hyang Music has the release date listed as May 12, though the band's MySpace says May 8. Don't know much about the band myself, but according to So Cow, Pigibit5 is "risen from the ashes of Pirigwa" (and he should know, occasional bassist & drummer of Pirigwa as he was). Listen to the all four tracks of the EP at MySpace.

Underwear Band and byul member Jowall's solo debut, Things You Are Going To See Here, will get another release through Pastel Music on May 20. The initial release through Club Bidanbam in February has already gone out of print so if you missed it the first time around this is a new chance to get your hands on it. Sampler track here, and remember that the album comes recommended by Frenzy.

Speaking of things I got from mrkwang yesterday, I was quite surprised to find Yeongene listed as one of the people lending their voices to the chorus of dream(s) 1 - the first of three parts of the half-hour long dream(s), released by Loro's a few weeks ago.

While visiting Ruby Salon's mall a few weeks ago I came across something very interesting: a demo album from the solo project of 조휴일, also known as Bryan Cho of The Black Skirts. The title of it is My Feet Don't Touch The Ground (And I'm So Winded I Can't Sing For You Today) and it gathers 20 bedroom demos. It is not an official album, and it was pressed in no more than 500 copies to give to the fans that came to the gigs headlined by The Black Skirts in March.

Bryan warned me that not even the hardcore fans have been excited about it because it's all so lo-fi and slow. And I suppose it is - "recorded through a shitty computer mic only with an acoustic guitar" of course it has nothing against the production qualities and arrangements on The Black Skirts' 201, so if that's what you had expected you're bound to get disappointed. I got my copy yesterday (left over copies are still sold through Ruby Salon and mrkwang takes special orders) and can say that those of you that have listened to and liked Castel Prayon in the past have every reason to be excited.

It opens with a sweet rendition of Moon River and continues with one sweet song after the other. They're all quite short (1-3 minutes each) but oh so charming I can't help but like them all. I think it's that voice of his - he could sing about anything and get away with it - and those brilliant passages in the lyrics too. And they've all got this intimate feeling to them. There's not so much reminiscing of 201 on here, but at least there's that heart-breaking part at the end of Tangled ("love stay with me"), repeated in the beginning of destroyed by love.

It seems Tearliner's Embrace All, scheduled for release some time this month, will have a slightly different tracklist than was previously reported here: instead of 'Radio Rabelde' and Gazer Razer there will be two more versions of the single title track - a Radio Edit version and APLS sfnk mix. As you might recall, Tearliner's new label mates Apls impressed me greatly with their sixmini>sexbig EP from last year, and the electronica duo did a great job working with Yeongene on Wgirl so now at least I'm looking forward to the single even more.

Heejin CD debuted with a single she released herself, called 사랑, 순간, on May 4. Listening to the samples at Hyang, it seems she's doing very well both with rock stuff and mellow semi-acoustic material.

This week I learned from mrkwang that 80s metal band Baekdoosan is now on last.fm, courtesy of Dope Entertainment. Five songs from their fourth full length album, Return Of The King, (released on April 20 this year), are now available for streaming here.

If that news was of interest to you, perhaps you would also be interested in the Korea Rock Group Concert release of April 16. Plenty of oldschool KRock on there, including names of more general interest such as Shin Jung Hyun & Yupjuns and He6.

Philip of London Korean Links reminds all of us that tomorrow is the date of Youn Sun Nah's performance at London's The Vortex: Time Out previews Youn Sun Nah. On a related note, her award winning Voyage album got a European release on April 24 through ACT.

Kim Se Heon, who now uses his former band name EVE for himself, released a single called 세상에 한걸음 together with former Candy Man member Chung Ahn yesterday, May 7. In addition to the title track, the single also holds an instrumental version of the same.

Through I'm Listening we find that the Chronos Wing OST with Taru announced previously was released today, May 6. The digital single features just one song, namely 시간의 날개.

Yes! It will actually happen - one of Pastel's very finest, Misty Blue, will put out a new CD some time in May. It was first announced early August, and there was that issue with them looking for a guitarist that had at least some of us worry we would have to wait even longer (it's already been four years!), but for our patience we will soon be rewarded with 1/4 Sentimental Con.Troller – 봄의 언어: seven lovely new Misty Blue songs. OK, so the date isn't all set yet, it seems, but at least there's a cover. And a tracklist. And samples even! If you're having trouble taking on the (pretty, but pretty much unusable) Pastel site to get to all of this, you might find that just dropping by the slow days blog is much easier.
Update 090504:Hyang Music has the release date listed as May 13!

On May 13, the female fronted pop/rock trio Beautiful Days will release an album called 집시들의 시간. It'll be their second full length album, following last year's Boy+Girl.

On the Happy Robot blog today a post on No Reply provided some info on their first full length album: It'll be released on June 9, the album title is Road, it'll contain 11 songs and the title track is called 그대 걷던 길. Full tracklist and more info (in Korean) here.
Update 090519: Cover art!