Like any other radio station, there’s a shortlist of songs here that are played over and over, so at the very least I’ve started to recognize a lot of them. I’ve never much been a fan of country music (despite the fact that my wife, dad, sister, and brother all are), but occasionally a song will catch on with me and force its way into the very short country music playlist in my iTunes. This month, it was Eli Young Band’s “Even If It Breaks Your Heart”:

I woke up today with this song stuck in my head, having heard it sporadically in the car over the last few weeks, without even knowing the name of the song (though I could guess) or the artist. (Incidentally, Eli Young Band is named by the combination of frontman Mike Eli and guitarist James Young, not someone named “Eli Young”.) The song tells a simple story of a young boy who finds his heart captured by every last song on the radio, sparking his own dream of becoming a musician. There’s a nice little message here just urging you to never give up on your dreams, even when you struggle, and a familiar-sounding chorus is repeated often enough to have you singing along by the end of the song.

If it sounds like this song is autobiographical in nature, then you’re probably right — though it was penned by neither Mr. Eli nor Mr. Young. In fact, the song was originally recorded by Will Hoge before Eli Young Band picked it up and recorded what became a very popular cover. If you’re curious, the original version is here – It sounds quite similar, though Mr. Hoge has a somewhat softer, wispier voice, which imparts a slightly different affect to the song overall:

In a total contrast of genres and styles, I can’t help but draw a lyrical comparison between this song and “Don’t Let it Break Your Heart” from Coldplay’s Mylo Xyloto (an album I have previously discussed). While Eli Young acknowledges that you must push on, “even if” your heart is broken, Coldplay encourages, instead, that you “don’t let” such difficulty break your heart in the first place… (Well, I’m amused by the linguistics, anyway). Where Eli Young’s rendition is laid back and free flowing, Coldplay instead brings us high-energy, driving, synthy powerpop. Nevertheless, it’s a great song, too, so here it is (Coldplay has, for some reason, kept their new music off of Grooveshark, so it’s Youtube instead.)

In any case, don’t give up on your dreams, regardless of whence your inspiration comes.

Try to listen to this song just once. Go on, I dare you.

Is that not the cutest thing you’ve ever heard? And I love the way the band’s drummer describes their musical style: “We’re not reinventing the wheel or doing anything that different, the songs are super simple.  Anyone who can play an instrument can play a Lumineers song.” And the music video is just the band walking through a big house playing the song in the middle of a big party, and there’s confetti and people singing and dancing along. It looks like so much fun. I wanna do that. Who wants to form a folk band with me?

“Take a Walk”, the lead single from their new album, came on AltNation on the radio in my car the other day, so I listened to it. It’s got a cool sound – I like the synthy runs throughout. Reminds me of MGMT. But the verses kinda lose me a little – they’re a bit lengthy and uninteresting. And for some reason the non-rhyming lines annoy me… but the bridges and chorus are good, if not overly repetitious.

Man, I’m writing a pretty lukewarm review here. It’s one of those songs where I like the sound, but I’m not gonna listen to it over and over. Do Passion Pit have other songs worth listening to?

Same thing happens to me later at home as I’m doing homework. I had just finished a problem that required thinking and drawing structures in my notebook, and as I stop concentrating for a second I hear another totally random song just bumping around inside my eardrums:

What is that? How did those songs randomly appear in my brain? How did they catch on in my head while I was intently focused on something entirely different? What random triggers did my brain catch on to randomly jump to those songs? Both of those songs are okay, but I’m not crazy about them. I can’t think of any strong associations I have for them, and I definitely hadn’t heard them in months.

It’s just so bizarre. And I love that I like, tuned back into my own brain and started listening to the song in my head. I mean – anyone, if you have music playing in the background while you’re doing homework or focusing on something else, you can like, tune back into the music after a second and realize you hadn’t even heard that song playing until just then, right? It’s like I had my earbuds in with the iPod on shuffle, except it was inside my brain.

I’m not crazy, right? Other people do this too?

So a lot of my favourite rookies have been making comebacks recently, or new bands have been debuting. Not ALL of them have been fantastic, but a good portion of them. So I’m just gonna go ahead and start throwing songs around! Here we go!

Chaos’ “Racer”

You may remember me talking about this band in this post, back in January (lol, as if anyone actually keeps up with this blog >_>) Back then, I was absolutely OBSESSED with their song, “Last Night.” And I STILL AM. Holy frick, that song is just great. That was seven months ago and I still squeal every time I hear it. And I still adore their title track, “She is Coming.” I really loved that band. But then they took soooooo long to make a comeback. I never forgot about them, and for a while I thought they’d disappeared forever. But no! Look! They came back! With their first mini-album, also titled “Racer”. It includes the old two songs, and three new ones. Eeee! I actually like one of the other random songs better than their title track, but all of them are amazing. (The song I like the most is “빨리가”, or “Quickly Go”.) I am definitely buying this album. Five totally solid tracks. The music video was a bit weird, with lots of paint-splattering and inexplicable sores and tired and stuff. But whatever. I like the effects and the quality of the video is pretty good, and the dancing isn’t amazing but I love this band so much that I don’t even care! Also, I probably wasn’t the only one totally confused by the random “C.O.S” and “C.N.X” abbreviations. Turns out, they’re ways of abbreviating their name (Ca-oh-seu) and their fanclub name (ChaoNyx). Okay, whatever. At least it’s not total gibberish. So, yeah. A great song, a great comeback (though it didn’t get them much attention… *sigh*) and a happy me. By the way, I really like their clothes in this music video. Their hair…not so much. (Well, some of them.) My favourite member is still Park Taeyang. That is all.

Phantom’s “Seaweed Soup”

Speaking of that old January post, I also spoke of Phantom, who STILL haven’t “officially” debuted. BUT…they are in four days! WOOHOOO! They have pre-released this track, and I immediately loved it. Eeeee! Phantom! (I recently went on a crazy Phantom spree and fell in love with them. Oh noes.) This song is really sweet, a little sad. It’s about a man who forgot his girlfriend’s birthday, and so he’s trying to make it up to her by making her seaweed soup, a dish traditionally eaten on someone’s birthday. I absolutely LOVE lead singer Sanchez’s voice, and their rapping always amazes me, too. I am very excited to see their debut. I’ll probably buy their whole album. YAY. (By the way, I’ll probably talk about it again in another post, but Sanchez also featured in the song “Pretty Enough” by Verbal Jint, and I LOOOOVE it. OMG. Makes me cry.) So yeah, loving this song like crazy right now.

BAP’s “Dancing in the Rain”

YEAH BAP! One of my favourite rookies of the year, hands down. And I literally think this song should win awards for being awesome. The first time I heard it, I almost died. It is so good. And so funny. And so not the BAP I thought I knew, but now love even more. Youngjae finally gets a weighty portion of the lines, and Himchan still only gets a few measly “Let’s go party!”s, but I love it and that is final. It’s a little…risque, to be honest, especially because Baby Zelo’s still only 15, but whatever. I’m not much older than the boy myself, and I don’t have a problem with it. The lyrics are hilariously epic, and every now and then I’ll bust out an “Already, I’m ready, YOU’RE VERY SEXY BABY!” because wow, I die every time. So great XD The melody is totally addicting, the lyrics are way too catchy, and overall this has got to be my favourite song on the album (by the way, the whole album rocks. I am def buying it. I am def going to be poor.) One of my new best dance party songs. Oh yeah.

Nu’est’s “Action”

Ahh, Nu’est. Another freaking amazing 2012 rookie group. I was honestly scared that they were gonna disappoint me after an amazing debut with “Face”, but they definitely didn’t. “Action” isn’t quiiiite as good, but it’s real close. (Except that annoying dubstep part. ARGH. Get out of this awesome song!) Ren’s hair is just as long and possibly uglier this time around, but all the boys are looking dang fine, and their dancing is amazing as always, and the song is super catchy and epic. They stuck with their theme of songs that send a message, this time urging people to be individual and avoid conformity. Really cool, honestly. I love the song, love the vocals and rapping and everything. Very impressed, and really happy. Really good music video, too. I like dancing ^^ I wasn’t too impressed with their mini-album as a whole, but I adored their song “Not Over You.” So lovely. Great stuff, Nu’est! Keep it up!

A-JAX’s “Hot Game”

This song was definitely underwhelming the first time for me. I’m not sure why, but I totally passed by it. I think it was the cheesy music video and the cheesy lyrics. And also, the verses aren’t that amazing on their own. But the CHORUS. Oh heavens. It was my sister that first fell head over heels for this song, but I followed close behind her. (And she didn’t even like it the first time I showed it to her -_- Figures.) And it was definitely the chorus that drew us in. The smattering of English words (“gesture~” and “signature~”) and the breakdown at the beginning and everything…just awesome. The song totally grew on me and now I love it. And their hair XD So many colours! I like the choreography and the clothes and everything, too. (Especially the dance. Now that I watch it again…so great!) The parts of the music video with KARA’s Nicole are pretty blahhhh. (And I’m not even saying that because she’s a girl. She’s actually my favourite member of KARA, for some reason). It’s just kinda old, y’know? Whatever. For some reason, I’m always shocked by the number of members in A-JAX. There’s only seven, same as Infinite, but it seems like so many >_> I haven’t gotten around to learning their names yet, but I plan to! (They’re so good-looking OMG O_O I was equally dazzled in their “One 4 U” MV. Wowza.) Anyways, fantastic song. I like.

C-Clown’s “Solo”

Another song I didn’t initially like. It’s still not my favourite song ever, but the group itself is really growing on me. (I got their whole album, and loved it. Especially “차 안에서 (In The Car)” LOVE.) I heard the song once, dismissed it. Then I saw this dance practice video by members Rome and Maru, and things snowballed from there, until I was wtaching a bunch of Rome’s pre-debut videos, when he was called B.Yu (short for Barom Yu, his real name. He grew up in Australia, so his videos were in English. And he was so cute!)  So I kinda sorta fell in love with that guy, and I downloaded their album, and I loved it. So now I guess I’m a fan! Their debut song and music video aren’t really amazing, but quite good. The video is pretty standard, with useful screen caps of each member with their names and info to help new fans (it sure helped me). The effects and stuff are cool, but as a whole, it’s not mind-blowing. I really enjoyed their sped-up dance practice, though. Original, and entertaining, as well as impressive. Also, maknae Maru is born in 1997, guys. That’s so young *-* I simultaneously am jealous of him for doing so much with his life at such a young age, and feel sorry for him. It must be hard to be that young in the industry. (That makes him…turning 15 in a month. HOLY FRICK HE’S 14 O_O) This song, though it didn’t immediately strike me as awesome, was stuck in my head for a long time after hearing it. So that’s a good sign, right? I’m liking them more and more. We shall see what they come up with next

Big Star’s “Hot Boy”

Why is it that this song and “Hot Game” came out within a day of each other? It was rather confusing and funny. Both ridiculously cheesy lyrics, if I must admit it. (This one reminded me of the horrendously cheesy “Young Boy” by Taken. Oh my.) And the effects in the music video are so lame, but I think it’s on purpose. So it’s kind of awesome at the same time. Anyways, I really, really liked the chorus of this song the first time I heard it. Really catchy and upbeat and stuff. Totally reminded me of Teen Top, too. Not just the main vocal’s voice (because it’s really similar to Niel’s, wow) but the style in general. But the verses are pretty much all rap, and while I’m slowly becoming a bigger fan of rap, I didn’t like it much. Kind of boring. Not that they’re bad rappers, because I actually think they’re quite talented, but not my style. I did, however, become a rather big fan of the song when I saw their extremely enthusiastic, energetic dance practice. I mean, look at those guys! They’re really into it. Looks exhausting. And the choreography is really quite cool. (That move at 2:01-2:03. Love it.) Also, when I found out that guy with red hair’s name is FeelDog. AWESOME XD And that shirtless guy (Raehwan) later telling people to stop mentioning his shirtlessness, because he was kind of shy. Awwww >.< And FeelDog using a water bottle as a mic. Everything about them is just so…cool. And fun. I’m starting to like them a lot. So I got this song and their other track, “Baby Girl,” which gives me more Teen Top vibes. And they’re growing on me fast. I almost WANT to like them more than I actually do. But whatever. I like supporting rookies So I’ll almost definitely buy these. Because, I mean, they’re just so cool! They deserve love and respect and lots of fans.

Cross Gene’s “Sky High”

This was a random choice because I recently got Cross Gene’s whole mini-album, and it’s all awesome. I always liked La-Di Da-Di, but I didn’t even know they HAD more songs. But they do, and they’re great. “Sky High” is one of my faves, because it’s so catchy with it’s “T-t-t-t-t-tonight I’m falling in love” line, along with “For This Love.” But the others are also great. I really like Cross Gene, and I hope they get more attention, because really, they’re talented. Lead singer JG has a really unique and powerful voice, and the other’s certainly pull their weight as well (except Takuya. What does his voice even sound like???) Also, the dance is so. cute. I can’t even. Look at it! Hehehehe. Does it not just make you giggle and smile? These boys. They know how to have entertaining dances. So weird and unique, but so great. Ahh, loving these guys and their individuality. Awesome.

D-Unit’s “I’m Missin’ You”

Yay for girl groups that aren’t just cute! (Though I have a secret soft spot for those groups, too.) I’m really liking this song, a LOT. The girls are looking pretty fierce and casual in sweaters and high top shoes, rather than hot pants and high heels. Even without those flattering clothes, or super long legs or impressive heights, they’re really pretty. I love that about these girls. They also have very powerful voices, and good rapping, and I’m overall very impressed. People keep comparing them to 2NE1, and while I can see the similarities (because yeah, they have similar concepts, you can’t deny that), I don’t know why people are blaming them of being copycats. There are hundreds of girl groups with that cutesy, innocent concept or that sexy, seductive concept. But there can’t be more than one group with a fierce concept? Ridiculous. Personally, I’m glad. I like this concept, and I hope more girl groups use it. Anyways, I recently got their whole album, and at first listen, I was really disappointed. Like, “Man, this sucks. I only like the title track. Boo!” But I didn’t take it off my playlist, so it kept playing. And it really grew on me! Now, I like a lot of the songs. So yeah. I’d like to see more. This song is still my favourite, though. It’s so good! The dance is really good, the clothes are good, everything. NICE!

N-Train’s “I’ll Forget You”

Anyone remember these guys? They debuted last year with song “One Last Cry.” Which was a sweet, kind of sad ballad, but really good. I loved it, personally. This time around, though, they came back (FINALLY!) with a completely different style. This song is upbeat, it’s a little autotuned, and it’s catchy. It doesn’t have a music video, though, which is weird and sad. I want to see more N-Train! They’re so cute, and really talented, though this song doesn’t do them much justice. I’m impressed with their ability to adapt, though. They get to show off their dancing skills and the energetic, fun side to themselves, which is nice. I really like the style and concept they went with, and even though the song isn’t amazing, I’m just happy to see them onstage again. Yay N-Train! (What’s with the weird Taz shirts, though? :/) Also, why did Seunghyun not get a single line??? Unfair! Huhl. (I find it funny that in my first post on N-Train, linked above, I said they weren’t really a dance group, but that that could easily change. Looky there!)

EvoL’s “We Are a Bit Different”

Mixed emotions about this debut, actually. The most recent, so I haven’t had time to judge it accurately. But I gotta say I’m impressed. They’re from Band New Stardom Ent, and you can tell. They’re very fierce, very bold, very in your face. And for a girl group, I think that’s GREAT. This song isn’t my favourite, but I like the exotic sound to it. They’re very powerful, very strong singers and rappers, and obviously very talented. But they’re just not my style, I guess. I’m not a fan of the clothes or the choreography or the hair (yikes), but I like that they’re not all the Korean standard of beauty. It’s definitely a refreshing change. The song is growing on me, but I’m not sure how much I’ll ultimately like it. We shall see! In any case, a debut to look into. Very impressive. (I’ll be honest; I watched this out of loyalty to Block B, who are also under Brand New Stardom. But I’m judging them based on their own talents.)

Okay, so, pretty much the freaking longest post ever. Took me so long to write this -_- But there’s just so much to write about! I’m honestly loving all this new music, and all these new bands and comebacks. YAYYYY! So basically, what I’m saying is: support the bands, love the music, enjoy the awesomeness that is k-pop. WHOOT! 

-Rebecca

Funny story about “Finding a Light” by Aereogramme: I heard it on Pandora literally 3 months ago, and wrote a note to myself on my iPod to find it and download it. And that note sat unread on my iPod until today. And then I rediscovered it and listened to this song and remembered that it’s pretty neat. It’s sorta minimalist post-rock-esque with airy vocals; a very tranquil sound. Sweet.

The other song exhibiting delayed lyrical resolution is a great one, “Someone Else’s Arms” by the under-appreciated Mae (though the song title sorta ruins the surprise lyric here). This is the first track on their concept album “The Everglow”, and it’s one of my favorite albums of all time, no question.

Mae released a few albums, did a few tours, and then shifted gears and did something pretty cool and humanitarian: They began a year-long project in which they released one new song monthly, available as a free download in exchange for a donation to the charity organization of the month. The resulting songs of that project were, to me, even more emotionally charged and powerful than their preceding records, if only because of the cause behind them. They toured throughout the year (and even came to Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro, twice!) and put on great shows. Sadly, though, it ended up being somewhat of a farewell tour, because after the year was up they disbanded and went their separate ways. (So, too, has Aereogramme broken up). But they made some great music together and did some cool things. I’m still a huge Mae fan.

So there you have it. Anyone else know any songs with delayed lyrical resolution? I’m curious if more bands do it. Maybe it’s not such a rarity.

For me it’s been, “Shake me down/Not a lot of people left around” and “Even on a cloudy day” rattling around intermittently for so long that I can’t remember what my life was like before I heard Cage the Elephant’s “Shake Me Down”.

Ok, maybe I’m exaggerating. I’m not even that big of a fan of this song overall. It’s kinda depressing, and pretty repetitive. But I guess I like the timbre of the lead singer’s voice, and those repeated lines stick with me apparently. It’s a little rough around the edges, especially in the post-chorus breakdown like 2:15 in.

All in all, this is an okay song. It’s another SiriusXM AltNation song, so it’s on all the time on that channel (like any radio station, at any given time they have a shortlist of like 20 songs that get played over and over). And if I listen to it once, it’s like I’m listening to it a thousand times. Rabble rabble.

Hello Venus’s “Venus”

A girl group! :O Yes, I actually love this song, I admit it. I will also admit that the ONLY reason I watched it in the first place was because NU’EST was in the music video. And those other Pledis Boys. They are so cute. And so I was like “Ohhhh Nu’est! Move aside, girls, I want to see mah boys!” But then I kept watching it (because the boys dancing was so cute XD) and suddenly I was singing the song all the time, and doing the dance, and watching the live versions, and I was IN LOVE with the song. It’s super cute and catchy and awesome. The girls are really talented, their live performances are really impressive, I love that green-haired rapper/singer (Lime? I think that’s her stage name), and the clothes and concept and everything are so sweet. The concept’s WAY overdone, but I can’t help but love it every time. I like cute, sugary things, okay??? So yeah, this song is totally addicting. I dare you not to sing it after you hear it once or twice. It’s really great. And I love all those adorable boys in the video. Especially that one at 1:32. He’s so squishy ♥ OH. And it took me forever to figure out what they were spelling, because they say “V” like “B”. Confusing :/

She’z “My Way”

Another girl group :O I’m surprised at myself. This group is new and very under-the-radar, it seems. Their video only has 173,000 views -_- They deserve more. This song is really catchy and fun and great, and the dance is fun too, and the girls are pretty and VERY talented, and nobody is taking any notice >_> But anyways, I totally love this song. I don’t know why. It’s just so happy And I like the costumes, too. Unique and cute. Terrible band name, though. Gah. The music video is simple, with some dance scenes and solo scenes and no plot or anything to follow. But it doesn’t look super cheap or anything. Not particularly memorable, but decent. But anyways, I hope these girls get more recognition in the future, because they’re just as impressive and talented as, say, the above Hello Venus. Really, guys, check ‘em out!

JJ Project’s “Bounce”

JJ Projectttttt!!!!!!! ♥♥ I was waiting for this debut for so long :’D I watched these boys make their small-screen debut in Dream High 2, and while that drama was pretty disappointing in the end, I LOVED the characters. Especially these two. JB and Jr. are super, suuuuper adorable and awesome, and I couldn’t wait to see them onstage. And their debut was pretty dang great. This song isn’t really impressive in terms of singing or rapping or even dancing skills, but dang if it doesn’t make you smile It’s really fun, and really catchy, and seeing them onstage just owning the crowd is really amazing. They have such an impressive stage presence for rookies, no lie. They look so confident and excited to be there. This music video is a lot of fun, too, even if it IS pretty much a remake of Bang&Zelo’s “Never Give Up.” The butt-shaking dance is so cute and funny, and the head-banging and everything. They really know how to entertain, these two. (The other songs on the album are really good, too! Check ‘em out!) Maybe I just love it because I love these boys, but seriously, loved this debut. HAPPY!

A-JAX’s “One 4 U”

Okay, so this debut wasn’t quite as eye-catching as the past three to me. I listened to the song once, kinda forgot about it. I liked it every time I listened to it after that, but I wasn’t immediately enraptured. I just remembered them as the ones with the dark, sexy concept.  And weird music video. Seriously. Um. What exactly is it about? But let me just say one thing: ABS. There are a lot of abs in this music video. It makes me chuckle a little, because the outfits are ridiculous. Also; holy freaking good-looking boys. I will not lie. These boys are pretty dang sekshi. And there are so many of them! But anyways, this song really grew on me fast. I kept on singing that “No matter what they say I’m right for you!” line. The vocals and rapping in this band are both really good. And the dance is pretty impressive. I am really digging these guys. And NOT just because they’re good-looking. I think they have a lot of potential. This is a really strong debut (what’s with the low viewcount, guise?) and I think they could go really far. So yeah. Despite the cheesy effects and weird music video, I am giving these boys my full support. And I will also be looking into the rest of their mini-album or whatever.

Cross Gene’s “La-Di Da-Di”

I looooove this ♥ I watched it for the first time because (as their name suggests) they’re a band of mixed genes; three Korean members, two Chinese and one Japanese. I thought that was pretty cool, so I checked it out. And then the first time I heard it, I was like, “WTF is with this strange dance and nonsensical lyrics.” All La-di da-di’s and Imma crazy’s. But it was funny and entertaining, and soooo so catchy. And I wanted to show it to my sister, because the dance is just so…unique. Like, there is nothing normal about it. It’s so weird o_O But I actually like it. It’s so weird that it’s awesome. And the song totally grew on me. A lot. Now I love it. It’s one of those songs that I see and just have to listen to. The vocals are really good (especially that JG) and that Shin guy is super-cute (he’s in the drama “Big”, by the way, with Miss A’s Suzy), and poor Takuya gets no lines, and Casper’s English is epic. Also, is it just me or does Sangmin look totally like he should speak English? I bet he does. You can tell. (Not that he gets any decent lines, in Korean or English). And Casper and Sangmin’s flipping or whatever is pretty epic. And the English is so laughably fantastic. Overall, a debut that I LOVED. They didn’t get a lot of attention for it, which is disappointing, but I still love ‘em.

Juniel’s “Babo” and “Illa Illa”

Linking these both because they’re kind of both her debut songs. Juniel’s a solo singer under the same company as CN Blue and FT Island, and I believe their first female artist. And I gotta say, she’s talented. And very pretty. And very…IU. Actually, I hear they’re friends. I hate to compare artists, but they have very similar vocal qualities and concepts. The first song, “Babo” (meaning “Stupid”), is a duet with Yonghwa, who also wrote the song. It’s a really sweet, cute song, and the music video is really sweet as well. Their voices go together really well, and this song just makes me happy ^^ By the way, this girl is only 19. Jealous of her skillz -_- The second song, “Illa Illa”, is quite different in feeling. It’s a rather sad, slow song, with an equally depressing and tear-inducing music video (featuring CN Blue’s Minhyuk!) It’s about an artist who falls in love with a florist, and confesses his love, but she’s deaf and doesn’t hear him. he doesn’t know this and thinks she’s rejecting him, and leaves. She was in love with him too. The end. ;_; Why couldn’t it have ended happily??? Anyways, her vocals are really powerful, and the song is beautiful. I really love both of her songs, and I look forward to seeing more from her in the future.

VIXX’s “Superhero”

This was probably the debut that left the smallest impression on me, for some reason. But don’t get me wrong, I still love this song. It’s on my iPod The dance, though quite interesting, wasn’t that amazing, and the song, though catchy, wasn’t that impressive. I wish they’d had a stronger debut. Because I really like them, honestly. Especially that rapper, Ravi. I saw him featured in a live performance of Baek Jiyoung’s “Good Boy” (I watch all the live perfs of that song for the various rappers featured. I loved Dalmatian’s Simon ^^) and thought he was awesome. Anyways, the song is fun and energetic, and the dance is fun too, and the boys look like they’re having a lot of fun. This song (and video) makes me smile “A-chim a-chim fantastic!” Ahhh, I love it. (I like that maknae, Hyuk. He reminds me of Seungri. He’s so cuuute.) The video is all just dancing and colourful rooms and a cool tunnel, but it’s still pretty great. So yeah! Don’t forget about these guys!

Okay, I’m done. I can’t believe there’s been so maaaaany debuts this year! I am overwhelmed. (I mean, do you really think all these bands will be able to make it? The industry’s overflowing with idol groups. Not all of them will survive ;_;) But I’m still happy. I love new music, after all! So, lots of new bands to keep track of. Other bands to keep up with (AA! Phantom! Taken-now-A-Prince!) Debuts and comebacks everywhere. The life of a fangirl~

Going to be posting a lot this month, I think. Look forward to it! Summer is love~!So yeah, support these bands! So that they can continue making music and surviving! Love them a lot!

-Rebecca

PS-SUJU COMEBACK! So happyyyyyyy! Also, ZE:A comeback! I can die happy. (But not before the LEDApple and AA and Phantom comebacks. For reals.)

Infinite’s “The Chaser”

*sobbing because I love this song and didn’t get to review it* I seriously adore Infinite, guys. We even bought this CD. It’s freaking amazing, and this song is epic, and I’m so disappointed in myself for not reviewing it sooner. Seriously, it came out on May 15th. That was forever ago. But let me just say; WTF is with this music video??? Does it make any sense to anyone? All I see is a lot of unrelated and strange events, with motorcycles and mazes and L flipping in a car like a million times. I DO NOT COMPRENDE. So yeah. Not impressed with the plot of the video, though the dancing, as always, is terrific. This song didn’t really stick with me at first (I could never remember how it went) but it totally grew on me. The whole album’s great, too. Infinite is great >.< But ohhhhh, surprise surprise, Sungyeol gets like no lines. Poor boy. I still believe in you, baby! I love you! And I was so proud of these boys when they won a bunch of awards on music shows :’D So proud. Infinite jjang!

BtoB’s “Irresistible Lips”

How I did not hear this song as soon as it came out is beyond me. I really like BtoB as a rookie group, I think they have a lot of talent and potential, but this song just blew me away. IT IS SO EPIC. I wish they promoted it TT_TT This song is super addicting, super catchy, and super impressive. I am constantly impressed by BtoB’s vocals. And rapping. And dancing. They performed it live once or twice, but the quality of the videos are not top-notch. But still. BtoB is amazing, and this song as AWESOME. The music video’s not that exciting, though. Minhyuk’s acting is pretty good, but the plot’s nothing new. The dancing is fantastic, though! And the boys look really dang good. So I still give it a 8/10. I’m already looking forward to their next comeback.

C-Real’s “I’m Sorry But…”

C-Real’s a pretty new rookie girl group, and they have three music videos. I really liked their first, “No No No,” but I wasn’t a huge fan of “Joma Joma.” (I liked it, but not a loooooot.) But I absolutely LOVED this comeback. C-Real has this wholesome, pure image and I really appreciate that, because I’m sick of overly-sexual girl groups and scandalous clothes. In this music video, the girls are very prettily and very modestly dressed, and they look lovely even without showing a lot of skin. Their voices are really beautiful, this song is awesome. The performance aspect is nothing special, with no dance or anything, but that doesn’t take away from the quality of the song. Really nice harmonies, too. I didn’t love the song the first time I heard it, but I fell hard after a couple more.

MIB’s “Only Hard For Me”

Another pretty new group, who I didn’t really like in the beginning of their career. I liked their one member, Kangnam’s, solo song, “Say My Name.” And “Celebrate” was pretty good, too. But I seriously like this song. The music video is pretty boring (sorry!) but the song is really pretty and the rapping is awesome. I like that guy rapping on the car. He’s cool. I like the outfits they’re wearing, too. Not too crazy, but stylishly epic. They’re mainly a hip hop group, and I’m not always a hip hop fan, but this is a great song. I’ll definitely keep an eye on them in the future.

Teen Top’s “To You”

Holy craaaaaaaaaap I love this so much. Like, insanely. The dancing in this video is just asdgbfklsjdf amazing. The fancy footwork. The Changjo dance solo. The ridiculous body waves. Everything is just so perfect. I love the heck out of the dance routine. (Want to learn it so much.) And the song is effing fantastic, too. Changjo gets a whole verse to himself! Yayyy! (Guess who has no good lines? Poor Ricky >.<) I love the rapping by both L.Joe and CAP, I love the vocals, I love the “whoo-oo-oo” chorus, I LOOOOVE the plaid suits in the video. Seriously, that makes it like 4x better. Those glorious suits. Actually, I adore the fashion in this whole video. And almost all the hairstyles (with the exception of CAP’s. Not a fan of the white and blue.) The plot’s pretty basic and unoriginal, but their acting is pretty good. Especially Chunji and L.Joe’s spat, getting all up in each others’ faces. Ohhh. Personal space issues much? (It reminds me of Big Bang’s “Haru Haru.”) I also like all the solo dance shots. Cool. This comeback made me SO HAPPY, even if they didn’t win any awards (D:) and the mini-album was pretty underwhelming. LOVE TEEN TOP.

MYNAME’s “Hello and Goodbye”

Whoooot! MyName’s finally back ^^ I love love loved these guys’ debut earlier this year (or was it late last year?) and this song is almost as great. Hated the music video, though, minus the dance scenes. Gunwoo looks TOTALLY WEIRD with gross hair. And since he’s the main character in the video, you see a lot of him. And he never looks less weird. And the plot was awfully depressing, and so overdone. The outfits are basic but pretty cool, and of course I loved the dance cuts. (OMG I love dancing *-*) That b-boy freeze was quite intense. Seyong looks great, I don’t think Chaejin’s changed a bit, Insoo’s hair looks really good, and GUNWOO’S STILL SUCKS. Forgive my caps lock. But I hate it so much. I like JunQ’s rapping a lot these days, which in the beginning I thought was weird. It has a unique quality. (I like Seyong’s, too. I just like Seyong.) This song isn’t quite as mind-blowing as “Message” was, but I’m satisfied ^^

Big Bang’s “Monster”

Excuse me, but WTF o_O That’s what was going through my head when I first watched this MV. Their hair is just so…agh. And most of the outfits, too. LOL. Taeyang’s hair is just too laughable. As is GD’s mushroom cut. (TOP looks great, as always. Daesung looks fine, too.) But besides the weird music video, this song is awesome, as expected from Big Bang. I love these guys. Their music is so solid these days. (We even pre-ordered this one. We NEVER do that!) The soft rapping at the beginning is intense, the vocals are great, the whole song has a kind of creepy, desperate feel to it. Love it a lot. not quite as much as “Blue”, but still great stuff. The music video…not so much. That stuff scares me. Haha.

Block B’s “Burn Out”

This doesn’t really count as a comeback, but it’s a new song by one of my fave bands! (I’ve been feeling very partial to Block B these days :’D) There’s only PO, U-Kwon and Taeil singing/rapping in this song, but they’re like my favourite members, so it’s all good! I reallllly love this song. It’s intense and kind of dark, and it was for the OST of the show “Phantom” (which, by the way, features MBLAQ’s GO as an actor And also Uhm Ki-joon and Daniel Choi, both of whom I loooove). I was sort of obsessed with this song for a while, and then I didn’t listen to it for a few weeks, and now, listening to it again, I’m in love all over again. AWESOME. I can’t wait for a real Block B comeback. I love that band to death.

U-Kiss’s “Believe”

For some reason this comeback took me completely be surprise. I mean, it’s actually a follow-up (as was Monster), but I didn’t expect it somehow. Anyways, when I heard it for the first time I was like, “Eh, this is okay. Pretty decent. It’s quite good, I guess. Actually, I rather like it. This song is pretty great!” But let’s be honest; the music video isn’t the greatest. It’s really kind of boring. Same old music video with lots of staring into the distance sadly, and moping, and dancing in a grungy tunnel. Nothing really special about it. And the dance, though not bad, isn’t really eye-catching either. Not as good as what I’m used to from U-Kiss. So I was rather disappointed there. BUT, I do love the song. It’s really catchy and has a nice feel to it, and the guys sound (and look) great. Liking those pastel green pants I’m glad Kiseop got some lines, too. Love Dongho’s lines (the bathroom ones). Love Dongho. Um. Anyways, this song is I guess a gift for U-Kiss fans (KissMes!) so that’s pretty sweet, too. Even if this wasn’t the most outstanding comeback from U-Kiss, I’m quite satisfied ^^ Oh, and by the way, the first version of their music video had to be fixed (there was apparently a scene where AJ accidentally hit Kevin, but it was way too fast for me to ever notice :/) so the viewcount is not accurate. BOOOO.

Boyfriend’s “Love Style”

BOYFRIEND. I have a secret deep love for these guys. Especially that Jungmin. They are just so adorable and sweet and awesome. I can’t resist them! (Even if they may or may not be a litttttttle lame.) And this comeback made me SO HAPPY. Seriously. Those flower print suits just stole my fangirly heart :’D And the song is so retro and fun and cute and the dance is so epically epic and eeeeeeeeee! I love it to death. The music video is pretty much all dancing, but I don’t mind one bit. (My sister and I laughed at the “First Mini Album” promos in the background, though. Like subliminal messages or something.) The jumping scenes made us chuckle, too. And seriously, who didn’t love that teaser with Minwoo and that cute little girl??? Ugh, I’m dying over here. Somebody come scrape me off the floor. Boyfriend is love, okay? They’re nowhere near the top of my bias list of bands, but heck, every time I watch this video I just want to kidnap them. They are amazing. I used to be annoyed that they won rookie awards over B1A4, but seriously, they deserve it, too. They’re a freaking great band. I love them, and I LOVE this song. And video. And dance and everything ♥

Jokwon’s “I’m Da One”

LOL. This music video and everything is just so….Jokwon. This is actually hsi solo debut, and it’s freaking amazing. The song and video are both so quirky and fun and hilarious and full of Jokwon’s diva style. He’s amazing, guys. Don’t judge him because he’s fabulous. The plot is freaking funny, too. All about how awesome he is and such. I was annoyed at the long plot break in the middle of the awesome song, but it was funny enough in the end that I forgave him. The dance is really high-energy and fun, and I’m so glad this boy finally gets to dance onstage. He’s so good, but 2AM only ever sings ballads, so he can only show off his dancing talents in ridiculous girl group dance covers. Now he gets to dance away in the spotlight, and I’m happy for him. And I LOOOOVE this song. It’s amazing. And so Jokwon. I will sing it forever. Makes me smile so much every time XD

Holy craaaaaap! This post was way longer than I anticipated. Who knew how many comebacks there’d been while I was away? O_O I mean, I kept track of them all, but it really added up in the end. I’m forever disappointed that I didn’t get to truly review any of these, but hey, that’s life. So busy still! The past month or so has been chock-full of awesome comebacks (and debuts, but that’s for another post), and it kept me super happy, even through exams and all that. Music’s totally my go-to thing when I’m stressed, so it was a blessing.

In other news, I’m spending all my money on music *-* Oh noes. Ah well, YOLO! (That is the first time I’ve ever said that. HA!)

Support these bands, people! Buy their music, it’s how they survive! Love them a lot! Above bands, fighting!

-Rebecca

PS-SUJU COMEBACK GUYS. My summer just got that much better ♥♥♥♥ (My babiesssssss!)

It’s just good stuff. I like the somewhat unusual harmonization in the chorus and the vulnerability you can feel in the lyrics and Patrick Stump’s voice. I don’t know.

Nevertheless, “Jet Lag” caught on with me, partially for nostalgia’s sake, and partially because, while the sound is the same, it’s at least lyrically a little more mature. And the duet here with Natasha Bedingfield is actually not bad. I heard it out of the blue on the satellite radio a few weeks ago, which surprised me because I really didn’t know they were still around and making new music. I hadn’t heard anything since their album “Still Not Getting Any…” (which is just the angstiest album name) was topping charts in like 2004-2005. Apparently they’ve even had a few more radio singles on their 2 albums since, one eponymous (2008) and one called “Get Your Heart On!” (2011), a punch line in and of itself.

Anyways, this is just another typical Simple Plan song, half a decade later, but I still like it.

Shinhwa’s “Venus”

This video actually came out ages ago, but for the longest time I was planning on giving it a full review. Yeah, that didn’t happen. So, I’m not really a fan of Shinhwa. And by that, I mean this was the first song I ever heard by them. They’re an oldies band, the oldest around. They debuted in heckin’ 1998! I was three! Pretty crazy, man. Now a bunch of the members have their own groups to look after (Andy with Teen Top, Eric with Stellar) and they’ve all gone and come back from the army and all that fun stuff. They’re not even all part of the same company anymore. But the came back anyways, and I loved their comeback, even if it was like a debut for me. This song is super catchy and awesome, the dancing is pretty interesting, and I just love it. And then I listened to their entire album, “Return,” and I loved the whole thing (pretty much). So I will be buying that soon. I look forward to it. A great album, a great comeback. All you Shinhwa Changjos, you are very lucky. I can only hope my favourite bands stick around for so long.

Ulala Session’s “Beautiful Night”

I LOVE THIS. I didn’t know anything about Ulala Session, apart from that they won Superstar K3. And even that I was fuzzy on (there are so many music shows these days -_-) But when this song came out, I just wandered over to watch it, curious about the band. I actually thought they were a band, like with instruments. Or a vocal group, I wasn’t sure. But this song and video blew my mind. SO FUN. The choreography is great, the song is super catchy and epic (Footloose, anyone??), and the video is really funny. I was an instant fan. I don’t know their other music, or even if they have any, but I am in love with this song. It makes me so freaking happy. I can’t help but smile every time I hear it. Yay!

F.Cuz’s “No.1″

I was really excited for this song to come out. I really like F.Cuz in general, and I was curious about their two new members. And while this song isn’t quite as amazing as “Wanna Be Your Love” or “Jiggy,” I really like it. I SOOOO wanted to review it fully, but I don’t have time now and I know I won’t anytime soon, especially with Dalmatian’s and Infinite’s comebacks coming up. Plus end-of-the-semester projects and exams. Ew. Anyways, this song is really catchy, and the boys are very very good-looking. (Wait what?) Though I ABHOR those tight pink-ish leather pants. Double-ew. I do like how the female in this music video is the one doing all the saving and butt-kicking, though. She’s totally awesome. The plotline is not hard to follow, and it’s very violent, and not really something you’d have to watch twice, but it’s interesting enough. The boys look…extremely good. What?? It’s true! I’m totally digging the new members, Raehyun and Daegeon. I can foresee much success from those two. I hope F.Cuz gets more recognition soon, too. They’re awesome, guise! Love them!

YB’s “Butterfly is Flying” (aka Naneun Nabi)

Wow. This song is amazing. It’s actually a k-rock song, by one of Korea’s most famous rock bands, and I heard it for the first time on the k-drama “K-pop Ultimate Audition.” I was blown away by it then, so I looked it up, and was blown away again. It’s such a  powerful, beautiful song. Love it. And the lyrics are amazing, too. So meaningful. The vocalist, Yoon Do Hyun, is fantastic. I feel like I could easily become a fan of these guys. I plan on looking into them soon. When I have more time OTL

BtoB’s “Father”

May 8th of this month was actually Parents’ Day in Korea, and that was the reason for BtoB releasing this amazing, heartfelt ballad. Although it’s not my usual style, the vocals in this song are undeniably amazing, and the lyrics make me want to weep. It’s really slow and powerful and sad, but beautiful. Love BtoB’s vocals. The music video is just short of boring, but it suits the song. I was proud of myself when I understood most of the chorus, too (the part that mattered, at least.) So yeah. If you’re a ballad fan, this is a song for you.

Tiny G’s “Polaris”

Yeah, don’t ask me how I even found this song. I knew it was produced by Jay Park, but I was most interested by the group performing it, because they’re all so little! Hence the name. But anyways, I listened to the song, and I loved it immediately, strangely. It’s very Jay Park-ish. And I love it. Except the rap, which I kind of hate. I just don’t think the girl’s voice fits it. But whatever, I’m willing to overlook that, because the song was stuck in my head for days. It’s calm and pretty and really good. I didn’t think I’d like it so much, but I really do. I want to see more from this group. They are so cute.

Tony&SMASH’s “Get Your Swag On”

Er, no, this isn’t a new song. Not very, at least. But it’s new to me! It’s not my usual style, and I’m not sure why I like it so much, apart from the overwhelming amount of swag. It’s a dance party song with little to no substance and an addictive beat and lyrics, but I still love it. When I first heard it, I most definitely thought they were saying “Listen to the song B****, and get your swag on!” and therefore was quite shocked, but after confirming that they were saying “beats”, I allowed myself to love it. Phew! The music video is rather boring, but I really really like the choreography and live performances. NICE! (Super addicting, beware!)

Monsterz’s “Banana”

This must be THE most obscure Korean song that ever lived. Because it is near impossible to find, apart from this one video. Seriously, I can’t find an MP3 version anywhere. And it’s impossible to find a download link (or at least I’ve been unsuccessful thus far) or to buy it on iTunes. On that same note, I have absolutely NO CLUE how my sister found this piece of work. But no matter; it is awesome. The song is insanely catchy, the video is ridiculously hilarious, and the dancing is epic. I know nothing about this band, but this song rocks. The music video has a totally weird concept and is really…unique, to say the least. (Where did they even get this idea from? And where did they get those springy shoes??) It has a totally indie feel to it. I like! (I am now listening to their other two songs. No opinion formed thus far.) This song will continue to crack me up every time I listen to it, and I will love it forever. 

Leo Kekoa’s “Hello” (ft. Bumkey)

Another of my sister’s totally random finds. How?? I don’t know who this Leo Kekoa guy is, or why he has a weird accent, but I do know who Bumkey is, vaguely. Well, I’ve heard his name before >_> Anyways, heard this song, loved it. It’s kind of R&B, and I love the rapping, and Bumkey’s voice. It’s a sad song, with a smattering of (excellent) English and a powerful and longing feel to it. Love the melody, love everything. And if anyone can tell me anythign about this guy, please do, because I can find NOTHING. Literally. Who is he?? (Off to look into his other music~)

Alright, I guess I’ll leave it at that. All of the above are awesome songs that I love, and I hope you’ll love too. With all these new songs coming out, I feel somewhat overwhelmed, but happy. I’m always happy to listen to new music, even if I don’t always have the time. Music makes me happyyyy (Except that I lost my iPod. SOB!) Support these bands, y’all! Love k-pop! K-POP 4 LYFE!

-Rebecca

“Equals” has all the elements of a good MuteMath song – funky cool guitar licks and driving bass beats, a splash of electronics, and charged, memorable vocals — though overall this one is a little more calm than some of their more “rock out” songs. I love the “power to the people”-ness of the chorus. And it has a certain room-filling sound that had me rocking in my car last night.

For comparison, “Electrify” is a little more fast-paced and has some great drum fills, which is unsurprising because MuteMath’s drummer is awesome. This is definitely a high-energy band, and they put on a GREAT live performance too.

But it took me a few listens for this song to catch on – to be honest, I wasn’t struck by it until I heard an a cappella version. More on that in a minute.

Another great song from the same album is “Fair”, which similarly describes broken love, but with an almost whimsical sound. It’s a somewhat bizarre juxtaposition when you compare the intense story described by the lyrics (like, um, dude getting hit by a car as the girl tries to apologize?!) to the jazzy, upbeat piano solos and vocals, but honestly it really works. The incongruous storylines compared to the musical styles of a song are kinda typical of Ben Folds Five.

 Also, a couple years ago, Ben Folds actually produced an entire album of his songs being performed by various collegiate a cappella groups around the country. It’s uncreatively titled “Ben Folds Presents: University A Cappella”, but it’s really cool. These reinspired renditions of his most popular songs are definitely worth a listen:

There’s way more to be said about Ben Folds (Five), because he’s definitely one my favorite artists, both with the Five and solo. But for now, I’ll stick with these two songs.

My buddy Bob shared “Night Drive” with me, reminiscing about times in high school when, lacking anything more exciting to do on a weekend night in our somewhat sleepy town, we would aimlessly drive through neighborhoods, talking and observing (sometimes punctuated by late-night grocery trips). Who hasn’t done this before, though? This song could be the soundtrack to those nights. I’m particularly keen on the imaginative lyrics like “The world plays for our pleasure/On our windshield silver screen” and “The highway lines pass by/in two-four double-time”. Never mind that the underlying rhythm line strangely resembles Toto’s “Africa”—this is just a super chill song.

The other Gotye song I just heard (via a “Glee” rendition, naturally) actually charted at #1 all over the world last year. I can’t think of a better way to put it – this song is just so interesting. It’s one of the most unique sounding songs I’ve heard in a long time, with the interspersed xylophone flourishes, drum cadences, and emotional voices. And I love how unapologetically honest the lyrics are. These are not prepackaged vocals – it’s as if you can hear the exact argument the singers are having. I’m so intrigued by this song.

Beyond these two, I quickly listened to two other singles he’s charted, “Eyes Wide Open” and “Hearts a Mess”. They’re all really different, and really cool. I’m definitely gonna keep exploring his music.

Anyways. Recently I’ve been going through a big girl group phase, and gathering a bajillion (more like 12) girl group songs that I actually really like. It started out being those super-cutesy songs, but then it evolved into just all girl group songs I like. These are all songs I listened to in the past, didn’t pay any attention to because they were girls, and now realize that they’re actually awesome. Don’t judge! I have weird taste sometimes!

We’ll just start at the beginning of my list and move down:

SNSD’s “Oh!”

So cuuuute! This is one of those sickeningly cute and addicting songs that gets stuck in your head all day and make you want to break out your best aegyo. My favourite lines have always been Sunny’s, by the way. If I had a bias in this group, she would be it. Her voice is so great XD (I also like Sooyoung. Don’t ask me why.) I always thought I hated SNSD with a passion, but as time went on, they really grew on me. I still get a few of the members confused now and then (Yuri and Yoona, mostly. I always forget who’s who! Also, Tiffany.) but I’m starting to rather like them. This song especially. I don’t know what it is. I just love it. Nowadays, there are a number of their songs that I like. I was first introduced to their most famous song, Gee, and then to Genie and Oh. But I didn’t like them until my friend (a boy, actually) recommended the following song:

SNSD’s “Mr. Taxi”

This song is actually in Korean, Japanese, and English. Oooh! It wasn’t what I was used to from SNSD, being less flower-and-rainbows cute and more edgy. I liked it right away. It’s catchy, it’s dancey, it’s great. A lot of fun to sing (hypertonic! And supersonic!). Not as catchy of a dance, but fun nonetheless. I was completely surprised that my friend, who had never shown interest in girl groups before, liked this song. But now I see why. It’s good stuff. So although I knew SNSD reasonably well, this was my introduction to the side of SNSD I liked from the start (the cutesy songs grew on me later on). Yay for Girls’ Generation!

Secret’s “Shy Boy”

This is another of those super-cute songs that I’ve grown to love. I only heard it for the first time when I found out that a few members from BAP were featured in it (again, my bias showing through), but it turned out I really liked the song itself. It’s really catchy, with an 80′s feel I totally love and really cute clothes. Gives off some strong Grease vibes (whoo Grease!) The plots pretty cute, and the dancing was fun and peppy, and the vocals were impressive. I like it! A lot of fun. It wasn’t my introduction to Secret, though; I heard this song first:

Secret’s “Starlight Moonlight”

I really have no idea how I found this song. I just–watched it one day. And I kinda liked it. But I didn’t love it until recently. I came back to it to see Bang Yong Guk later on, and I liked it even better the second time. I listened to it again when Ba-wool from Flower Boy Ramyun Shop had this song as his cellphone ringtone (ha!). So I heard it a number of times in the end. Maybe that was the reason i fell in love with it. It’s great! It has an oldies feel again, but not of the doo-wop variety. It’s very pretty, but still cute and sweet, and the visuals are gorgeous. And who doesn’t love the “sha-la-la-la-la”s? That main lead guy is so not good-looking, though. I think that’t the point, but still. Yikes. The plot’s cute, Bang Yong Guk is cute…wait what? Haha, gotta love him. Anyways, not quite the same feel as the last few songs I’ve mentioned, but wonderful nonetheless. Am I becoming a Secret fan??

Hyuna’s “Bubble Pop”

I really could not post the official music video. I was tempted, because it features MBLAQ’s Lee Joon, but I couldn’t do it. I HAAAAAAATE that music video. I have nothing against Hyuna or the song or anything. But the video makes me want to punch someone’s lights out. Seriously. Why did they make her act so slutty? It disturbs me. I think Hyuna is plenty sexy and everything, but in the video it just made me extremely uncomfortable. Some parts were fine, all summery and fun and high-energy. But a lot of her solo-dancing was disturbing. My opinion, don’t mean to offend. In any case, I hated the song at first, but ever since I watched a few dance covers, I’ve grown to love it. Not to mention, it looks a lot less slutty when she’s wearing a big huge shirt. It’s a really fun song and dance, and I can see why it was so popular. Not that I could EVER pull it off. Not a chance. Anyways, the song is crazy catchy and fast-paced and addicting. It’s not my favourite song ever, but I’ve come to like it. Which is surprising, because I abhorred it at first. I’ve come a long way!

Wonder Girls’ “Be My Baby”

Another classic girl group I always thought I hated! And actually, this is the only song I’ve heard from them apart from “Tell Me” and “Nobody,” both of which I’m not a fan of. Regardless, when I heard this song, I liked it right away. It has a Christmas-y feel to it, probably because it was released right before all the Christmas songs last November. The music video isn’t my favourite, giving off a very Beyonce “Single Ladies” feel, but the dance is super addicting and the song is a lot of fun. It’s a very feminine, womanly dance, and I kind of fell in love with it when I saw 2AM performing it. HA! I don’t really like the way they stuck that rap into the song; it’s not a bad rap at all, but it so doesn’t fit with the song. Anyways, this song also has an English version, which is oodles of fun, so I usually listen to that version, or end up singing a mixture of the two. Overall, a comeback I really liked from them. I might just get to know this band!

Chocolat’s “Syndrome”

This song actually got a lot of hate when it came out, and therefore the band did, because it was their debut single. I don’t know why! I admit that it can be a little annoying, and there’s way too much focus on member Tia, and the giggle at the end is ridiculously barf-inducing (that’s an exaggeration) but I actually like this song. It’s really catchy, their voices and dancing are quite impressive, there’s nothing wrong with the music video, the girls are very pretty. They’re kind of young, yes, but not that young. Okay, so the song isn’t amazing, and it’s definitely not at the top of my list. But every time I hear it, it’s stuck in my head for days. I have nothing against this group. I wouldn’t be posting this song if I didn’t want so dearly for people to grow up and stop bashing groups just for the heck of it. There’s nothing wrong with Chocolat. I’m supporting them! You should too, or just ignore them. No need to be mean about it (this to all of the group’s haters. Not everyone, of course >_>)

I have some two or three others songs that I like by girl groups in mind, but I don’t want this post to get forever long, so I’ll leave it there. Overall, I think I’ve come a long way. I no longer hate girl groups just for being girl groups, and I’m starting to like a number of their songs. My favourite groups are still the not-quite-so-cutesy ones, like 2NE1, but I don’t have anything against them anymore. Yay for progress! So I guess that’s it. Enjoy! 

-Rebecca

It’s true. I mean, he had a smattering of success with other singles after “Never Gonna Give You Up”, but he didn’t have a charted single in the UK from 1993 until 2010. That’s when he released “Lights Out”, which I just heard for the first time a few weeks ago. And it’s… actually pretty good.

Granted, it has a pretty formulaic “pop/rock” sound, but it’s catchy enough that it’s kept me listening. I’m linking the music video here instead of just a Grooveshark player for two reasons: (a) He’s now 46 years old, which means that it’s no longer visually hilarious to see that voice emanating from that man-boy, but (b) He still has the same awkward and hilarious sense of “dance moves” that just make it look like he’s lost in front of a camera. (Seriously, what the hell is he doing with his arms in these rooftop scenes?)

If nothing else, there’s entertainment value in the comparison between this video and—well, you know.

Sometimes you then realize how freaking awesome that song is and wonder how you hadn’t known this all along.

I mean, it happens to me anyways.

Dexter Freebish is not a real person—the band actually got their name from the name of a roller coaster. They’re also still making music, having released 4 albums total. But in terms of their actual popularity, as far as I know, they’re a one-hit wonder, with “Leaving Town” burning up the airwaves in the summer of ’00 and that’s it. It’s from their debut album “A Life of Saturdays” (how great is that name, by the way?), which features what I assume is the eponymous “Dexter Freebish’s Electric Roller Ride” as its album art:

Anyways, this is just one of those perfect songs to belt at the top of your lungs as you’re cruising on the highway with the windows down.

Like Atlas Genius, California rockers Young the Giant also had their first single initially placed on the alternative rock charts. Again, I first heard it playing over and over on Alt Nation. But somewhere along the way, it gained enough popularity to cross over into mainstream airplay and hit it big. “Cough Syrup” is now all over the radio, and there’s even an acoustic version playing on some of the “coffeehouse” stations. And you know it truly arrived when it received the Glee treatment last week (spoiler alert if you haven’t watched).

There’s a reason this song has gotten far more airplay than “Trojans” – it’s a more complete, radio-ready single. Some critics have noted that it still feels like formulaic, “anthemic” rock, but I think it’s got a good, fresh sound.  It took me a few listens before it caught on – something about the imagery of swallowing cough syrup as a metaphor for breaking free from the tribulations of life still seems sort of  goofy to me. But overall I’m a fan.

Tell me, loyal readers/listeners (or, y’know, probably not), what do you think of this song? I can’t quite make up my mind about it. This is the debut single from indie Australian rock group Atlas Genius and it’s been playing nonstop on SiriusXM Alt Nation. Like another song I picked up recently from that station, this one caught my attention because it has a highly repetitive, catchy chorus and quickly becomes an earworm. But something about it just hasn’t quite grabbed me. The sound is a little hollow in places, and while I like what they’re trying to do with the lyrics, it’s just not quite there. I don’t know. But I keep listening to it anyhow. This is rather wishy-washy of me.

I guess it kinda just sounds like a typical “indie” song – not enough in the way of musical creativity, oversimplified lyrics that don’t quite stick, something along those lines.

“Night Windows” is a simple, sad tune. The words are poetry, describing themes of loss and remembrance.  The repetitive, acoustic feel of the guitar and drumbeat to this song is one of my favorite little melodies.

But to balance out the somberness with something more upbeat, here’s another one of my favorite Weakerthans songs – “This is a Fire Door Never Leave Open”. It’s folksy rock with a more optimistic sound and equally eloquent vocals.

Something about the line, “I love this place, the enormous sky…” just makes me smile.

This just another really cool song. Catchy and repetitive enough to quickly become an earworm. Though it loses some of its “coolness factor” when I admit that I first heard it in an episode of “The O.C.”… I know, go ahead and judge me. Just remember that there are people who voluntarily watch “Jersey Shore” too. Food for thought.

Anyways, this song has apparently been all over the airwaves, having made it to many other TV shows as well (“Bones”, “CSI”, “Nip/Tuck”, etc).

“Seven Day Mile” by the Irish band The Frames was used brilliantly in an episode of “House”, as most of the music placed in that show is.

This song is weird. The verses are sung in a near whisper, barely perceptible over a simplistic backdrop of strings, acoustic guitar, and snare drum. Those lyrics are pretty cryptic and hard to decipher. But then, the chorus soars out of the near silence (along with the bridge), and honestly becomes one of my favorite choruses of any song. I love the way it sounds, and the lyrics are perfect.

“Well this might take awhile to figure out/So don’t you rush it/Hold your head up high right through the doubt/Cause it’s just a matter of time”
These are words that I really feel like I can connect to right now.

Alabama 3 is a British band that goes by the moniker “A3″ in the USA to avoid possible legal conflict with the country band Alabama. Their song “Woke Up This Morning” was used as the theme song for “The Sopranos”. Their style is influenced by the genre “acid house”, whatever that is. These random facts courtesy of Wikipedia.

I don’t know where/when I first heard this song, but I think it’s really cool. I think it would have been equally fitting as a title track to “The Sopranos”, or to open a heist movie, or something.

I just stumbled across a Third Eye Blind song I hadn’t heard before, called “Blinded (When I See You)”. I must admit that 3EB had pretty much been a 90s-exclusive band for me, and I never really looked into any of their stuff beyond Blue (released in 1999).

But recently I was on a bit of a kick and decided I should see what stuff they’ve put out in the new millennium. “Blinded” is an utter gem, a classic 3EB-sounding song from their 2003 release Out of the Vein. If you’ve listened to any 3EB at all, you must know that frontman Stephan Jenkins is just a magnificently horny bastard who does not shy away from injecting his unfiltered, X-rated thoughts right into the lyrics of his songs. “Blinded” truly epitomizes this fact. Can’t stop listening to this song right now.