Rise of Korean Pop Music and the Resurgence of the Mega-Pop Group
Rise of Korean Pop Music and the Resurgence of the Mega-Pop Group
By My Nguyen
The past decade has seen a significant shift in musical formats: from the CD to the MP3, we’ve now become more attuned to the way music is being downloaded. But the most significant power shift has to be once record companies and their clout fell into the hands of the consumer. The wake of the 21st century was, also, greeted by another drastic change in our music listening landscape.
In 2001, it was Steve Jobs and his crew of designers and engineers, who introduced the world to iTunes and the iPod, which went on to immediately shape the way we store and play music. Now it seems like that era is coming to a close. For one, speculation has been made on whether Apple will discontinue the Classic iPod and the iPod Shuffle when press passes were issued for the most recent Apple summit on Oct. 4th and no word was mentioned about the iPod. But the most shocking news of all happened the day after the summit; the date we will all perhaps remember as the day a revolutionary figure in the tech world passed away. Mere months after Steve Jobs’ resignation from Apple was announced, the death of the former Apple CEO is a closing, in many ways, of a chapter within our cultural identity. And with that thought, Steve Jobs will be sorely missed.
It is still a shock to even talk about: Jobs has been a guiding force in the tech world, interceding as Apple’s spokesperson to present to a not easily swayed world a more accessible approach towards music. He has inspired legions of fans as well as critics, but in the long-run it is undeniable that his and Apple’s influence spans the globe. Without his earthly presence, the expectant ‘Now what?’ runs tandem with ‘What’s next?’
Greg Kot reinstated in his music column for the Chicago Tribune, “Turn It Up,” that before Apple founder Steve Jobs passed away last year, he had proclaimed “the end of the PC-centric era of computing.” And that is certainly true, with the emergence of free streaming and music storage sites like Spotify, Amazon Cloud, and Apple’s iCloud, you can now access all your music data with a touch of a button on your cell phone.
According to Prefix Magazine, the online audio distribution platform, SoundCloud is quickly becoming one of the most used MP3 streamers on the internet, and with a reported $50 million in new funding from investors; this should vault the Berlin-based company into possibly conceding in the tech war with Apple, Google, Amazon, and Microsoft in the forefront.
Music used to be made up of mainly three components: physical, radio, video. If you could get all those three things working for you, then everything was great. Now there is so much more to consider with the popularity of social media and with these free streaming sites emerging as a sudden fixture within the music industry’s ever-shifting paradigm.
Niche music markets, Korean pop and especially the Asian American music scene’s heavy reliance on platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube has seen a dynamic rise in media interest in recent years.
YouTube sensations David Choi and Marie Digby, whose cover songs and original tracks quickly went viral due to word-of-mouth via social networking sites, are now pop stars in their own right – the former singer-songwriter’s songs have appeared on NBC, FOX, VH1, MTV, A&E, E!, Travel Channel, Style, PBS, Food Network, Disney, among others, while the latter has performed at the Lilith Fair and released three studio albums, including one Japanese cover album.
As a Hong-Kong born, US-raised singer songwriter, Jane Lui, like Choi and Digby, has developed a loyal following through her YouTube channel, and was featured on the front page YouTube’s Unsigned Picks in 2009. For her third full-length release, Jane raised over $11,000 in two months thanks to the generosity of her fans to fund 50% of Goodnight Company, a self-released project.
And who can forget the mega-rap group, Far East Movement? Released after signing a major record deal with Cherry Tree Records in 2010, their hit single, “Like a G6,” launched them straight into the limelight. According to NYDailyNews, the band consisting of Korean, Japanese, Chinese and Filipino members born and bred in L.A.’s Koreatown, have waited a long time for this historic moment. Gauging from their party anthem appeal and from their collaborations with popular artists like Mike Posner, Bruno Mars, and Ryan Tedder from OneRepublic, Far East Movement is reported to be the first Asian-American group to break into the mainstream.
But it was only a few years ago that music insiders were reported to be highly hesitant to address Asian-American mainstream music as an actual trend. Despite the split consensus, it looks like other facets within the Asian American music scene are making headlines. Recent coverage from Pitchfork and The Guardian writers that chronicled the rise of the Korean pop wave shows that these two major publications have sniffed out the potential of this growing internet phenomenon.
Korean group Bigbang’s surprise win at the 2011 MTV European Music awards sheds some light on this burgeoning trend. Beating Britney Spears by 58 million votes, it goes to show just how much of a stronghold social media has on music. The Guardian reports that with a smatter of K-pop events throughout the west, the SMTown World Tour – featuring Super Junior, TVXQ and Girls’ Generation – and televised soap operas that can also be found on the net, are paving the way for what is for now deemed as an internet-based phenomenon crossing over into mainstream success.
But what is the likelihood of these K-pop stars reaching the same statuses as the Justin Bieber’s or the Lady Gaga’s of our day? Soompi, one of the longest-running blogs on the internet that provides extensive coverage on Korean pop culture, disputes the chance of K-pop hitting the big time. According to the pop culture blog, in the same way that Hollywood is painted as the golden standard of movies, the same goes for the music market and its influences. For any K-pop group to achieve the kind of fame that put top acts like Justin Bieber and Britney Spears onto the top Billboard charts – they would have to first make an impression on Americans first.
Yet in the peripheral lies the question whether Asian American music will become mainstream and with the Asian American scene still under its own developmental stages, whether the far-reaches of K-pop becoming a mainstay within our musical landscape is plausible. With no reported historical precedent to compare notes with, it’s hard to gauge how much further international as well as Asian American acts have to go. But there is no denying that K-pop and the Asian American acts of today have come a long way. Out of hearing so little out of this niche group in music to the appearance of Hong Kong-based MC Jin, to the emergence of pop sensation Bruno Mars, and the success story of Far East Movement, there seems to be a newfound hope for the scene. And with fans of K-pop and Korean soap operas’ downright fanatic peddling for the public’s interest, it only seems a matter of time before these underground pop sensations become a part of the predominant scene.
Show Review: Dead Feather Moon w/ Shady Maples
By Christopher Skrypack Jan 14th 2012
A Griffin is a legendary creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle. It is thought of as the king of creatures, known for guarding treasure and priceless possessions. Well, if you consider a friendly commune where one can enjoy great live music and appealing craft beers a treasure, then the name plays. The Griffin, located on Morena Blvd. hosts the best in local and up-and-com
ing bands. Saturday night, bartenders satiated the thirst of music enthusiasts, serving up artistry brews from San Marcos’ very own Lost Abbey Brewery.
The Griffin offers everything a good venue should. It is easily accessible, versatile, and comfortable, doing all of this while providing quality sound. The lively crowd in attendance was encompassed by what has become Death Feather Moon’s loyal fan base. San Diego’s Shady Maples situated the night’s vitality early seizing the tavern’s attention from the first note struck. Singer-songwriter Owen Roberts’ performance did not go unnoticed showing evidence of headlining capabilities sure to be utilized on any other night. With help from Greg Peters on lap steel, the gritty, acoustic and electric mélange added much appreciated substance to the line-up’s potency.
Peters, in his own right showed as much versatility and professionalism in his musicianship as one might find from a highly skilled studio instrumentalist. Admirable in his approach towards his craft, he pulled double sessions performing with Dead Feather Moon as he regularly does after the culmination of Shady Maples’ set.
Dead Feather Moon’s first show in 2 months was not lackadaisical in any form as one may expect after such a period of time off. Like a well-oiled machine the group failed to skip a beat, unless it were intentional of course, as they illuminated their eminence performing brilliantly.
Prompting fan participation from stomping and clapping to lyrical refrains, those in the pit and throughout the venue threw their worries aside and enjoyed every minute of the show.
Not enough can be said about Justin Berge on lead vocals. His genuine likeability, together with his talent and energy, is sure to be vital to the group’s continued success. Tyler Soule on drums, along with Jesse Kling (guitar), Chris Bowling (bass) and Greg Peters who played anything with or without strings that was close enough to get his hands on, were so exuberant it was contagious.
The group’s avid fans, as it tends to be relative, embodied the same qualities as the band. They were friendly, polite and real, all of which added to the gratifying atmosphere. As much as I look forward to experiencing another Dead Feather Moon show at the Griffin, I will be sure to follow them to any venue they frequent in San Diego and beyond. Regardless of the size of the stage they perform on, I can only imagine the band consuming the environment as they did Saturday night at the Griffin.
For More Info, Please visit:
By Connor Green Jan 13th 2012
The three day weekend is upon us and that means your Sunday just opened up for partying. With all of Monday to sleep in you have no excuse not to party all night with the Handsome Furs this Sunday January 17th at the Belly Up Tavern. If you’ve never witnessed the ferocious power of Dan Boeckner and Alexei Perry live, now is the time. Boeckner, the guitarist and vocalist for the seminal (now sadly defunct) band Wolf Parade, plays guitar while his wife, Alexei, plays keys and both sing and/or howl. Together, the duo’s frenetic energy, lust and raw nerves make for an exhilarating live show that combines the immediacy of an unhinged yet earnest doomsday prophet with the rabid energy of a trapped wolverine.
Speaking of vicious woodland creatures, I would be remiss in not mentioning the two openers and local standouts D/Wolves and Snakesuit. Snakesuit will start off the night drenching you in buckets of moody synths and D/Wolves will keep the party raging with their special brand of haunted, dreamy pop. Doors open at 8pm, show starts at 9pm so don’t be late!
Sunday Jan 15th 9:00 pm
http://snakesuit.bandcamp.com/
Purchase Tickets here www.bellyup.com
Like I always say, what better way to start of a new year than with some new sounds? Thursday January 5th at the Belly Up Tavern I was able to do just that with San Diego’s The Spells first ever album release party. Openers for The Spells included other local bands The Tall Ships and Family Wagon. Three bands with three very different sounds helped to create a night of unexpected and memorable musical discoveries giving me a glimpse into the excitement of 2012.
My night began a question: Am I early? Minutes before The Tall Ships were to take the stage the Belly Up seemed to be unfortunately barren of eager ears waiting to experience what this trio had in store for them. With maybe only a couple dozen of us in the place, The Tall Ships delivered the first sounds of the evening and quickly made me realize that I was a part of the lucky few who were experiencing this. Under dim lighting Keith Andrew, Kyle Conwell and Steve Kuhn began with a mellow instrumental that held hints of Death Cab for Cutie and The Postal Service but stood out as unique and original. Progressing into further layers of sounds they pleased us with deep yet smooth vocals which paired perfectly with stronger tempos and richer guitar. With their composure and fluidity they produce the perfect soundtrack for those clear-your-head road trips or moments when searching for artistic inspiration. I had become so lost in their music that I only noticed by the end of their set all the admirers they drew in to the now crowded venue.
A short wait later Family Wagon took the stage and instantly sparked intrigue and energy with every soul in the place. With half the band looking like they were straight out of the 70’s, they recreated the classic rock sounds of the free spirited decade and added all the eccentricity of today’s generation. I was quickly impressed when they managed to take several genres of music and confidently added them into their stand out style. Their song “Hard Times” had a blues meets rock and roll feel while “I Wonder if She Knows” produced a rock meets country twang with more passion and soulful lyrics. They had the crowd screaming and banging their heads right along with them and had some serious hair whipping that could put Willow Smith to shame. Killer guitar riffs, perfectly toned vocals, and captivating stage presence proved a cohesive and ingenious band that should have no problem making a larger name for themselves and in my opinion, the only thing missing from this show was a stellar cover of “Sweet Home Alabama”.
After the first two bands immediately captured my attention and made me want to hunt down their albums, I was excited to see what The Spells had coming up. My hopes were high and I could hardly stand the wait for them to begin. Formed from the indie-pop project Years Around the Sun, they spent over a year writing and recording music for their first album “Little Oaks”, which on this night we were there to celebrate. Shortly after 10pm Ronnie Dudek, Matt Lynott, Mia Stefanko and Jonny Doan took to the stage. Maybe it was nerves, or the lack of practice they admitted to, but excitement and energy seemed to be missing in their performance. Despite that, their upbeat indie sound and captivating lyrics suited them well. Stefanko complimented the rest of the band perfectly on the keyboard and the fluidity from song to song seemed on point. The Spells undoubtedly have talent, work well together as a group and have a fan base which was evident from the strong turnout, however, their stiffness on stage made the show a bit uncomfortable after following two bands who provided us with just the opposite.
Beginning my new year with three new bands to add to my playlist has already made 2012 something to look forward to. The Tall Ships are perfect for some fresh inspiration and new perspectives, Family Wagon will for sure be on my next party playlist and will be blasting loud through my speakers as I cruise down the highway with the top down, and The Spells’ new album “Little Oaks” should be a first choice for fans of the local music scene. So far 2012, I applaud you!
The Beautiful View
By My Nguyen Jan 9th 2012
Based in San Diego, The Beautiful View is mainly comprised of group members who grew up in Chula Vista (translated in Spanish means, Beautiful View), a city close enough to Tijuana to feel affected by the border violence headlining in the news, but removed enough for kids to safely play in the streets under the conservative banner that makes up San Diego county. Perhaps it’s with this delicate balance between two entirely different regimes so closely aligned together, and yet coinciding as if they are world’s apart that makes The Beautiful View such a hard band to coin.
With influences and correlations from all over the place, The Beautiful View’s loud, oftimes gaudy sound in life is beautiful has connotations of punk enmeshed with classic rock with an operatic feel. And with touches of Alien Ant Farm’s sound detected as well as far-reaches of The Airborne Toxic Event entrenched in the clever hooks and melodious sound, it doesn’t come as a surprise that TBV’s music emerges as a bit mainstream.
But gleaming with a little of glam rock in-between the epic backbeat and tight sound, perhaps radio music would pale in comparison. Towards the second track “The Spaniard,” The Beautiful View makes it plain that they are an Alternative band, but as the incoming tracks on the album compilation elicits, TBV is able to retain a rawness that still makes them relatively indie.
Starting at “Mercy is a Cold Shower,” the guitar riffs and disparaging vocals shows that TBV’s debut LP can get yet even more dynamic and cohesive. In life is beautiful’s fifth track, “Bells” as Aaron Magnan (vocals, guitar) sings “I’ve been waiting for you with bells on/ liberty bells/silver bells/and all hells on—,” the track should immediately signal to the world that TBV is a band to be reckoned with. And while their debut full-length officially drops Jan. 10th, the Chula Vista-based quartet is definitely making waves with a local tour, SXSW, and a national tour in the works.
Towards the 7th track, “Ides of March,” (Wiki defines ‘ides of March’ as middle of March and the date of Julius Caesar’s assassination), you can see where The Beautiful View has perfected their sound. Dripping with condescension and a killer ease, the song speaks of betrayals, and definitely has a psychedelic feel with a bit of reggae, and a surfer vibe.
The Beautiful View’s music has that same epic appeal that grows with every listen. “Always Only Me” is about a loner seeking love. Like an anthem for the soloist, as Magnan sings “Just keep the light on/Love will keep the love on,” you feel the modulations of emotions exhibited in the track especially after the great guitar solo near the end.
With an eclectic sound, you can see The Beautiful View’s influences are from all over the board. TBV has elements of all classifications under the rock umbrella as well as the genre’s influences, but overall they have a really cool sound. With great musicianship and happening vocals, be sure you grab your copy of life is beautiful, which comes out Jan. 10th, or be sure you catch The Beautiful View live. Loud and distinct with approachable vocals and a tight sound – just imagine them live.
For more info, please visit http://thebeautifulview.com/
Coachella will be taking place over the course of two weekends in April. The line up will be the same for both weekends. Check out the full line up below.
Night 1 April 13 & 20
The Black Keys
Swedish House Mafia
Pulp
Refused
Arctic Monkeys
Mazzy Star
Afrojack
Explosions in the Sky
M83
Amon Tobin
Cat Power
Madness
Jimmy Cliff
Tim Armstrong
Girls
Rapture
Madeon
M. Ward
Horrors
Frank Ocean
James Alesso
Sebastien
Yuck
Neon Indian
Dawes
Black Angels
Deathgrips
Wu Lyf
Breakbot
Atari Teenage Riot
Feed Me
Givers
Other Lives
Band of Skulls
R3hab
Wolfgang
Midnight Beast
EMA
Ximena Sarinana
Kendrick Lamar
The Dear Hunter
Honeyhoney
Hello Seahorse!
Sheepdogs
LA Riots
Night 2 April 14 & 21
Radiohead
Bon Iver
The Shins
David Guetta
Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds
Kaskade
Miike Snow
Jeff Mangum
Sebastian Ingrosso
Andrew Bird
Feist
Firehose
Godspeed You! Black Emperor
St. Vincent
Martin Solveig
Subfocus
Sbtrkt
Flying Lotus
Manchester Orchestra
Kasabian
AWOL Nation
Azealia Banks
Squeeze
A$AP Rocky
Buzzcocks
Kaiser Chiefs
Destroyer
The Head and the Heart
Laura Marling
Tuneyards
Grace Potter and the Nocturnals
Black Lips
The Big Pink
Childish Gambino
The Vaccines
Zed’s Dead
Grouplove
Jacques Lu Cont
We Were Promised Jetpacks
Gary Clark Jr.
Borgore
Dragonette
We Are Augustines
Mt. Eden
Destructo
Suedehead
Keep Shelley in Athens
Pure Filth Sound
Night 3 April 15 & 22
Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg
At the Drive-In
Justice
Florence and the Machine
AVICII
La Roux
Beirut
The Weeknd
Girl Talk
The Hives
DJ Shadow
Calvin Harris
Nero
Wild Flag
Modeselektor
Dada Life
Porter Robinson
Santigold
Flux Pavilion
Dr. P
Gotye
Seun Keti
Egypt 80
Beats Antique
Fitz and the Tantrums
Araabmuzik
Company Flow
Real Estate
Zed
Le Bucherettes
Greg Ginn
The Growlers
Noisia
Morgan Page
Gaslamp Killer
First Aid Kit
Oberhofer
Lissie
Thundercat
Metronomy
Wild Beasts
Housse de Racket
Fanfarlo
Spector
Gardens & Villa
Airplane Boys
Sleeper Agent
If you’ve been searching for a breath of fresh air in San Diego’s local music scene or a slice of Americana is what you’ve been craving, the Griffen in Clairemont will have what you need this Saturday, January 14th.
As a recent selection of 91X’s “The Local Break”, Dead Feather Moon has played a prominent role locally while remaining true to their artistic roots. After headlining shows at the Belly Up Tavern and the Casbah, fans alike have signified how this group is bound for glory.
Like any good rock and roll band their influences run deep. Hailing from North County, founding member’s Justen Berge (vocalist/guitars) and Jesse King (guitar) transitioned from their youthful punk pursuit to writing lyrically proficient and original music. Their recent vibe integrates everything from psychedelic blues to southern rock. Berge’s vocal versatility irradiates on the their recent album Dark Sun, at times emulating Jim James from My Morning Jacket. The band’s harmonies will also satisfy the appetite of any fan looking to appease their contemporary folk fix.
Saturday night’s music scene at the neighborly dive bar is sure to be a sight to see. It seems fitting that in this industrious band’s quest to consume the San Diego circuit, music goers have an opportunity to venture out and enjoy southern rock situated in Southern California.
The Griffin 1310 Morena Blvd, San Diego 92110
Doors at 9:00pm
Cost: $8 Pre sale, $10 at the door
More Info visit: www.deadfeathermoon.com
