Ft Island was the band that prompted me to write this post, following the release of their new song, "I Wish." Ft Island has a very distinctive style with lots of guitar in the background and catchy verses. While they aren't totally clouded in anonymity, it is much harder to find an FT Island fan than it is to find a 2NE1, Big Bang, or SNSD (a very popular girl band) fan. My favorite song of theirs is "Love Love Love," and the music video is below.
Besides just being a good song, the music video for "Love Love Love has amazing side effects with starbursts of color along the walls and an interesting story line. Well, "interesting" in a weird sense. I don't really know what the burning dolls are for, but you know, it makes it more meaningful, yes?
Another band that I enjoy is CN Blue. I can't really say much about this band that I haven't already said about FT Island, the two bands are very similar in style. Neither band really fits into the usual sense of the genre Kpop, but both are just as good as any other Kpop band. My favorite song from CN Blue is "Loner" ("외톨이야" in Korean). If you listen to it, you'll probably notice how similar FT Island and CN Blue are.
The last band I want to mention is 10cm. Out of the three bands in this post, 10cm is definitely the least well known. The band is named 10cm apparently because the difference in height of the two band members is, you guessed it, ten centimeters. The duo got their start playing their indie songs in coffee shops and bookstores and got a big jump when a well known Kpop new website in the US, allkpop, did an editorial on them. In fact, that was how I first heard of them.
10cm's songs are softer and slower than those of FT Island and CN Blue and have more harmonies and prominent acoustic guitar. Their song "Healing" is below, from a live performance in a bookstore. I don't know about you, but this is my go to rainy-day song.
Needless to say, I definitely lean towards Korean indie bands when I am discovering music. I did a little happy dance inside when I found these three bands. Sadly, these are the only ones I know of so far because, as the post title says, my Bonnie lies over the Pacific ocean...
--Julia
Seeing as someone else in the room is playing a video right now, I will just go off of my former knowledge of the contents of these videos. This was really interesting! I never thought of CN Blue or FT Island as indie bands, mostly because I hear about them and their songs so often (hey dramaland). But I do remember looking up CN Blue and reading that they were an indie band that debuted in Japan first or something. In any case, the videos you posted for those are from songs that I have heard (not seen), so I can vouch for their awesome!
ReplyDeleteThe past two summers spent in Korea, I noticed that the general enthusiasm for "indie" bands has been growing, both in the college and high school communities. My friend (a former VIP) was all over Busker Busker this summer, and 10cm's Americano was playing in every cafe, street shop, and commercial two summers ago. Oh, those Korean hipsters. I haven't fallen prey to this indie phenomenon yet, but perhaps it's because these potential bonnies also lie far away and I haven't stayed in their habitat long enough for the hipster osmosis to take action!
I like how you discussed indie Kpop music in this post, because as you mentioned, it is difficult to be exposed to much Asian music in the United States. I was not really aware of indie as an up-and-coming genre in Kpop since the only current Asian songs I have heard are of the more mainstream pop variety, so I'm glad you introduced some different, less famous bands in this post! Very well-written too :)
ReplyDeleteI have this really weird habit of rejecting music that doesn't satisfy my ears right away. That's why it took me longer to fall in love with Infinite... Now, I LOVE them. Anyway, I like how you briefly introduce the bands, and give a video for the readers to sample the bands' music. I really must try 10cm, I have this urge, but my aversion to foreign/new things is pulling me back...
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