Korean Job Discussion Forums

[princess]

I love Korean music. I am a bubblegum gal.

[The Great Wall of Whiner]

I have a fondness for S.E.S.

"Dreams come true"

(Or should I say "Duh-leems com Tuh-Loo")

[katydid]

Man, I remember being so sad that all MTV Korea was showing was crazy-bad pop and ballad singers. And what is up with this idea that a good video involves someone dying? I remember thinking, man I better not get myself involved in a relationship here because it would just figure that Mr. Wonderful and I meet and he gets hit by a truck..or his nose starts to spontaneously bleed one day, spelling the (tragic) end of our blossoming relationship.
In terms of pop, I like Lee Jung-hyun. I think she has a cool style. And BoA does some pretty catchy pop. Kangta's videos and songs are good for a laugh.
But I mainly am a fan of rock, and I looked around and managed to find some great rock bands.
I have Cherry Filter's "Made in Korea?" CD, which I think is really great. The band reminds me of Garbage. I also have Yoon Do-Hyun's "Live is Life" CD, and I just find him to be an amazing singer. My friend gave me a CD by Park Hye-Kyoung called "Feel Me." She's got a cute breathy voice. The music is kind of fluffy, but so are the Cardigans...
When I go back, I fully intend on buying some Crying Nut and Jaurim. The woman in that band has an excellent voice. I really hope to catch a concert or two in Gwangju next year, never mind I may be the only waygook there.

[william beckerson]

Cherry Filter reminds me of Josie and the Pussycats.

[visviva]

I hate rock music. Also hip-hop and pop. Ugh. I have heard some great Korean traditional music and cabaret-type songs (music of the older generation, I suspect). Unfortunately my Korean is still so bad I haven't been able to find out who the artists are. Argh! Can anyone recommend anything?

I did pick up a nifty new-agey tape by Kim Soo-Chul called Pal-Man-Dae-Jang-Kyung (at a Buddhist shop in Jungang Market, Daejeon). Recommended, but not highly.

[VanIslander]

I didn't set out to collect Korean music, yet I find I have a couple dozen tapes and have an interest in getting more.

Not so much Korean pop, though I listen to m-net sometimes (which is enough of a fix for me) and I enjoy older ballads, especially the standards sung by Korean friends when we go norebanging.

Instead, I want to get more into local traditional music. Any suggestions?

(Aside: I met the members of Wayna Picchu, a great Peruvian band, on tour in Busan and took home their c.d.. Great stuff.)

I have a couple of tapes of a famous Korean cellist, but, I forget his name at the moment and lame me can't read Korean.

But what I really want is from a genre I'm not usually the biggest fan of, those I have my odd favourites: Country music. I heard a local band play at a restaurant and I really enjoyed it, western music in every sense of the word but with... an eastern flair? Different in an intriguing way.

Does someone know of some Korean country music artists?

[coolsage]

K-pop is shallow and imitative, as is most of contemporary Korean culture. Jo Su Mi has a splendid, soaring voice. Funny thing is, even though she sings opera, most Korean Uni students know her work. There's still hope for this country.

[Yangkho]

I wholeheartedly recommend any of the four albums by Jang Sa-Ik (�����).

I would classify him as world music, because he's a traditionally-trained soriggun (�Ҹ���), but he blends Korean music with other musical idioms from around the world.

His latest, from two years ago, is still readily available in most CD shops. It's called ggum-gguneun sesang (�޲ٴ� ����), "The world I dream", and it's a lovely album.

He writes many of his own tunes. He's famous for setting famous poems to music. He's supposed to be amazing in concert.

He also knows how to rock, if you can believe it. On the title track of the afore-recommended disc, he takes a folk-style song and adds some electric guitar. (You could imagine the song originally being sung in the fields, although it's a Jang composition.)

He also does at least one trot per album. Even if you don't like trot (I certainly don't), you'll be surprised to hear his versions: think of the worst possible, cheesiest casio-keyboard composed ditty, boiled down to acoustic guitar, understated percussion, piano, and soaring voice. You'll see trot in a whole new light.

Anyway, ask for it at the local CD shop. I promise you won't be disappointed.

OK, maybe you will be. I myself have pretty high standards, and until I found his music, I was not impressed by anything in this country except the traditional stuff.

[Yangkho]

Just wondering if anybody has checked out anything after reading this thread.

I tend to kill threads, sorry about that.

[sadsac]

It's all the same. They look the same, they sound the same and they dance the same. Korean music is the pimple on the butt of Asian music. Ten minutes of fame and then 90% of them disappear forever.

[Butterfly]

[komtengi]

Rolllercoaster
Windy City
Assoto Union
Clazziquai
Keeproots
Garion - before JU left the group

[Butterfly]

[komtengi]

they werent all hip hop... check out

garion
trespass
keeproots
DJ soulscape
�����׳�
KOD
CB Mass
Dynamic Duo