Classic Korean Pop Music Archive: Deulgukhwa / Deulgukhwa 1st Album (1985)

Quality classic rock in the inimitable Korean style.

Classic Korean Pop Music Archive: Deulgukhwa / Deulgukhwa 1st Album (1985): Deulgukhwa 들국화 Deulgukhwa 1st Album 들국화 1집 1985. 09. 10 Side A 1. 행진 / Parade 2. 그것만이 내 세상 / That's Only My World 3. 세계로 가는 기차 / ...

RIP Allen Lanier of BÖC

Rhythm guitarist and keyboard player for the band Lester Bangs called "America's answer to Black Sabbath" Blue Öyster Cult, Allen Lanier, has left us. In his memory, here are some of my favorite tracks from his work with the group:

"Before the Kiss, A Redcap"

"Transmaniacon MC" (Listen for the Altamont reference!)

Both tracks from their debut LP in 1972.

"The Red and The Black"

"7 Screaming Diz-busters"

Both tracks come from their second album Tyranny and Mutation.

"Boorman the Chauffeur" (An outtake. Listen to that barreling rhythm...)

"Dominance and Submission" (Radio Birdman named their album Radios Appear after a line in this song)

The angry and brooding "Flaming Telepaths"

All three tracks come from their third album, Secret Treaties.

Notice that "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" doesn't appear here. I didn't link it because even though I love the song and its dark repeating A G F G riff, I wanted to post some songs from before they exploded onto the scene.

Enjoy...

K-rock review: Crying Nut - Flaming Nuts

Bought this in Daejeon because the cover art's hilarious:



They're called a punk band, but they like to party more than they like to damn the man. Flaming Nuts, their 7th LP, is jammed with big singalong choruses, hard-hitting drums, and songs that make you want to get up and move. They follow up the "serious" song of "Unknown Universe" with the Green Day bounce-punk of "Five Minute Wash."

Flaming Nuts reminds me most of Sum 41 and Dropkick Murphys. A good time record from a good time band.

I'll be buying more from them! They're probably even better live.

Listen here:

"레고 [Lego]"

"5분 세탁 [Five Minute Wash]

Rock on, guys.

Notes:

http://www.cryingnut.kr/
http://www.koreanindie.com/tag/crying-nut/
http://www.koreanindie.com/2013/06/24/crying-nut-flaming-nuts/ The review
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crying_Nut

Thoughts from spin #1...

1. Pirate Song - Dropkick Murphys with Korean vocals. Yeah!
2. The "Wild Thing" riff takes a ride down to the Caribbean and they jam it up.
3. Fun vocals, loud guitars. 90s-style.
4. Minor key bass, swirling guitars.
5. Green Day/Sum 41, palm mutes and rhymes. "Five Minute Wash" = Cool title.
6. Party thrash about peanuts?!
7. An upbeat acoustic number about new shoes? Folk-esque--with accordion!
8. Slap-happy Dropkick Murphys action.
9. 90s pop-punk Christmas singalong.
10. Mariachi with distortion and Spanish vocals--or is it Korean that sounds Spanish? Either way, 'tis a happy little number.

Call for the Priest...Judas Priest

Sometimes albums and songs slam their way into my head and the sounds get stuck there, crying out, "Play me!" In Daejeon as well as for the last couple of weeks, it's been AC/DC; now it's Judas Priest. They're my favorite metal band and I've had the privilege of seeing them live twice. Rob Halford can belt it and the I'm always in thrall of Glenn Tipton and KK Downing's dueling guitars. To me, they exemplify everything excellent about metal: the driving tempos, the fantastic imagery, and the spectacle of the live show. I blame an old friend from back home for getting me into them. He was always talking about them and playing their riffs on his guitar, so I learned some of them. To this day, "Living After Midnight" ranks as a favorite to play along with.

Despite having listened them for a decade, I've yet to hear everything they've done--I started with Unleashed in the East and Screaming for Vengeance and jammed everything up until Turbo. I played those first two for a long time as a teenager before moving on to the classic British Steel, the underrated Point of Entry, and the earlier works of Sad Wings of Destiny, Sin After Sin, and (the exellent) Hell Bent for Leather. 

Unleashed in the East is one of the best live albums out there and has all the best songs from before they exploded in popularity. It's a snapshot of what they sounded like before 1980's British Steel. 

So, which of those LPs have graced the headphones? Screaming, Unleashed, and Hell Bent For Leather.

Catch up on Kpop?

Maybe.

I haven't had much motivation to listen to it lately. Even my favorites 2NE1 haven't graced the stereo in months. Until this morning, that is. Listening to their disappointing new single "Falling in Love" brought to mind that no, they weren't always this obvious, this American, this nasal, and this club-baiting. CL's earlier single "The Baddest Female," should have been warning enough, but actually, the last track on their (excellent) second EP, "Don't Stop The Music" was the harbinger of change. On the EP, it was a not-so-good final track, so it got skipped more often than not because it sounded too much like an obvious club song.

2NE1 still stands as the best of the Kpop groups, and while it's foolish to expect them to remain the same, these changes don't bode well for them. Their rock and roll-style hard driving attitude of yore has shifted to cloying "ghetto fabulous" platitudes.* Whereas it used to be "We're badass because we do what we want," now it's "We're badass because we're rich and we're in the club." Well, great. They must've been clamoring for those fake 80s drum beats and shots of them looking rich and bored.

"Falling in Love"

CL - "나쁜 기집애" / "The Baddest Female"

"Don't Stop The Music"

"내가 제일 잘 나가" / "I am the Best"

Hard driving. A mission statement.

*R noted this point.

Song of the day - "Superman Lover"

I came down to the cafe and heard this while ordering: "Superman Lover" by Johnny Guitar Watson. Dig that laid back and soulful groove. I thought I'd throw it up here since I saw that new Superman movie and enjoyed it quite a bit. I've always been more partial to Batman, but the movie puts the "man" back in Superman. He's still super, but he has his weaknesses like any other man.

Enjoy that cover art...

The power of Hawkwind

The 2nd half of the seminal Space Ritual double LP from 1973.

Hawkwind's LPs have been in heavy rotation for weeks now. I should've heard them sooner. Despite a decade of blasting Motorhead, I've never listened to Lemmy's work with Hawkwind. His playing on Space Ritual's something else.

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