Hong’s Cave

[I guess I am lazy. I've had these CDs for a long time (like 8 months), but I just can't seem to get around writing about them... until I buy another batch of CDs. So, those new CDs will get reviewed some times later. :p]

o. “Blue in Green” by Lazybone [레이지본]

This is their third album. They are RO Jinu [노진우] (vocals and guitar), Jundoy a.k.a. LEE Jun Won [이준원] (vocals and rap), IM Jun Kyu [임준규] (guitar), AVAIL a.k.a. AHN Kyoung Soon [안경순] (bass), KIM Seok Nyun [김석년] (drums) and KIM Mun Yong [김문용] (keyboards), with RYU Hae Won [류해원] (drums). Other musicians participated include RYU Bok Seong [류복성] (percussions), BAEK Jeong Hwa [백정화] (flute), KIM Ji Yeong [김지영] (cello), and Common Ground (KIM Sung Min [김성민] and AEO Young Soo [어용수]) (brass).

They are a reggae rock band with some other modern musical elements mixed in. Sometimes closed to punk. Not bad. Personally I am not that big of a fan of reggae rock/college bands, but I thought they were quite good with the tempo and the consistent underlying reggae themes.

o. “Skylab” by Casker [캐스커]

It’s his second album, but I’ve never had the chance to listen to his first (solo project, I heard). But I’ve seen his name mentioned a lot in other bands’ works. Casker is LEE Juno [이준오] (programming, synths, samples, dsp) with LEE Yoongjin [이융진] (vocals) and LEE Jinwook [이진욱] (acoustic and electric pianos).

As with most one-person project, this one is uses a lot of elements of electronica (mostly sampling and rhythm programming). However, I’d categorize it more as a pop album. You know the light and cute kind whose many tracks are based on Latin rhythms. I was not particularly fond of his slower numbers, but overall, I thought this is a good compilation.

o. “closedtrace [페곡선]“ by dyE [다이]

I think it’s her first single album. Dye is LEE JiSeon [이지선].

I usually try not to buy single albums (not enough returns per medium/cost). I don’t know why I bought this. I can’t think of this as a pop album especially with a couple of tracks by Jang, YeongGyu [장영규] (of EoEoBu Band [어어부밴드]). Those give this album an experimental feel.

o. “first story” by KWON Sung Min [권성민]

This is his first album. Besides Mr. Kwon on piano, there are other musicians: OH Jong Dae [오종대] (drums), JEONG Jung Ha [정중화] (bass) and SON Sung Jae [손성제] (sax).

This is a jazz trio (with a sax on some tracks) album by a pretty young and unknown fellow from an obscure label (SpinWorks). I thought this whole thing was interesting. But I am glad that even with the downfall of the Korean CD industry, diversity in music is growing.

Eight of 11 tracks were written by Mr. Kwon (the rest was traditional themes), and the orchestration is pretty standard, nothing fancy or anything avant-garde. Actually, I thought it was pretty good for Korean domestic jazz album, much closer to common U.S. jazz trio albums. But as I stated before, it isn’t anything really fancy, but pretty solid.

o. “_illusion” by moodstone [무드스톤]

I think it’s her first album. Moodstone is LEE YeongJeong [이연정] with LEE Sang Hyeon [이상현] (a.k.a. Backtrip). Actually, LEE Sang Hyeon wrote all the words and music and performed most of the instruments (except for one track by Moon5150).

I don’t know how to categorize the album. I am inclined to say it’s a rock album, but it’s more atmospheric than anything else, I guess. Not really my cup of tea.

o. “Instant Romantic Floor” by Instant Romantic Floor [인스턴트 로맨틱 플로어]

This is a single (project?) album among three musicians, Sugar Flow, YeSLow and Brown Bunny (a.k.a. Jeereen, a.k.a., LEE Jeereen [이지린]). I think most of the music was written by Jeereen.

Another “cute music” (incidentally, I really wish my all-time favorite “cute music” artist Pizzicato 5 would make a come-back) album with some flavors of R&B and rap, which seems to be exactly the style of Jeereen. This is true of all Korean songs that may contain raps, but it had too many instances of these that I irritates me to much: “yo”, “y’know what i’m sayiiin’” with faux ghetto accents. Besides that, the music wasn’t too bad.

o. “Seoul Electric Band” by Seoul Electric Band [서울전자음악단]

This is their first album. They are SHIN Yun Cheol [신윤철] (vocal, electric & acoustic guitars, keyboards, programming), KIM JeongWuk [김정욱] (vocal, bass, keyboards), and LEE GiTae [이기태] (vocal, drums).

With such a groovy lettering and the name, I have to say I was expecting something different. They are a pretty traditional rock/pop band, actually a bit old-stylish (70s psychedelic rock-ish?), and musically pretty solid. But yeah, I am a bit disappointed.

o. “Tree Bicycle” by NaMuJaJeonGeo [나무자전거]

This is their first album. They are KIM Hyong Seob [김형섭] and KANG In Bong [강인봉].

They are both acoustic guitar players. I think they are continuing the folk pop/rock tradition of KIM GwangSeok [김광석] and DongMulWon [동물원]. Actually, one of the guys sings just like Kim GwangSeok. Very nice guitar playing and good melodies. Not really my thing now, but still makes me very nostalgic.

o. “Alpha Beat” by Omega 3 [오메가 쓰리]

This is their first album. They are YUN Junho [윤준호] (bass, vocal>, KO Kyungchun [고경천] (piano, keyboards, vocal), and CHOI Jaehyuk [최재혁] (drums, percussions, vocal).

The marketing sticker on the CD presented them as a “piano rock” band, which made me think that maybe they are similar to Ben Folds Five. Well, one or two tracks do have passages that just sound like early Ben Folds Five, but that’s about it. They are more of a keyboard rock band.

For me, the best thing about BFF was not only about Ben’s awesome acoustic piano, Darren’s amazing drums, and Robert’s lyrical electric bass, but about the amazing vocal harmony of three. I don’t see anything in Omega 3. Very disappointed.

o. “Very Very Nice! and Short Cake” by Humming Urban Stereo [허밍 어반 스테레오]

I think this is a one person project. This double-CD package includes a previously released (?) single album, “Short Cake” along with the new album, “Very Very Nice!”. I think the person behind the project is Jeereen (a.k.a. LEE Jeereen [이지린]).

As I’ve mentioned before, his music is very “cute” (and groovy) with a lot of them based on Latin rhythms (I guess one could say “lounge”). Among many of Jeereen’s projects that I’ve heard so far, I like this one the best. I think “Very Very Nice!” is indeed nicer than “Short Cake”.

o. “Where the Story Ends” by W

This is their second album. They were also known as WTSE, but this time they shortened it even more. They are BAE YeongJun [배영준] (guitars), HAN JaeWon [한재원] (keyboards, programming, vocals), and KIM SangHun [김상훈] (vocals, bass, guitars, keyboards, programming).

I can’t be sure (it’s been a while since I’ve listened to their first album), but I think their musical identities have changed in this album. Their music sounds, at least to me, very Japanese pop-ish (including “Everybody wants you”). It has that, just-cannot-exactly-explain, Japanese pop feel. :p Otherwise, it’s a pretty good album, very catchy.

o. “Furious Five” by BulSsaJo [불싸조]

This is their first album. They are CHO YunSeok [조윤석] (a.k.a., CHO SeongSik [조성식]) (bass), HAN SangCheol [한상철] (guitars), and JEONG JuHyeon [정주현] (drums).

I don’t know what they were thinking. At least, they could have mixed it better (it could have been intentional, though). Do not get this unless you have heard the tracks before. If Mr. Cho is the same guy as Lucid Fall, I am quite disappointed.

o. “O, SaRang [오, 사랑]“ by Lucid Fall [루시드폴]

This is his second album. Lucid Fall is CHO YunSeok [조윤석]. I think he is the same guy from above. He was also in HwangSinHye Band [황신혜밴드] and MiSeonI [미선이].

Mostly acoustic guitar-based folk-ish pop. As usual with his previous work, pretty good melodic lines. Much subdued (is that why he made the rubbish above?) and nostalgic. I think I liked his work on the movie “Bus Stop” the best, though.