Open Thread #26
by javabeans
Happy Friday, everyone!
Everyone’s talking about the pope, astronauts, Democrat infighting, creepy polygamists sects… What’s going on with you?
SONG OF THE DAY
Dashboard Confessional – “The Best Deceptions.” Okay, I haven’t liked Dashboard Confessional for several albums — his recent stuff doesn’t have the raw appeal of his earlier music, this ability to capture the raging hormones and painful uncertainty of adolescence, for instance. Or the emotion when he got his heart broken and wrote the intensely personal (and awesomely, spewingly bitter) album “The Places You Have Come To Fear the Most.” But still, who among us wouldn’t want to be able to respond to a cheating boy/girlfriend with this? [ Download ]
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1 djeedjes
April 18, 2008 at 9:56 AM
I'm following you on Twitter! :P
Weather is bad here in Jakarta. Already April, but rain is almost everyday. Maybe we'll get snow one day. That would be scary - tropic country gets snow? Is it the end of the world getting nearer? - but somehow I like the idea, I want to get a long coat, and dress like girls on 'Winter Sonata'. Lol.
( And I hate Winter Sonata! :P )
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2 giddygirl108
April 18, 2008 at 10:08 AM
I definitely agree with you on Dashboard Confessional. I do love "The Places You Have Come to Fear the Most". On another note but related to music, have you heard the new Epik High album? The new music video with Jeong Ryeo Won (or Jung Ryu Won...I can never figure out which romanized version is better) is great, although a bit creepy because it reminds me of Heath Ledger. *shudders*
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3 belleza
April 18, 2008 at 10:42 AM
Definitely the new Epik High -- One. Future sound of K-hop by reclaiming mid-late 90s K-pop dance. All the young dudes/dudettes may have broken Tablo's heart, but One is the new national anthem. The song is not only great, the video is on everybody's minds today. Did a (fabulously miserable) Jung Ryeo Won die in the video, or did she get saved by the epic three?
Feeling around the new M83. OMD with extremely bright lights. Fashioncore persists, but 80s without cocaine and Duckie ain't the 80s at all! M83 gets it all right.
Fall Out Boy's Beat It makes me hope that My Chemical Romance covers Wanna Be Starting Something. Mama say mama sa mama coosa!!!
I'm really excited about a Lee Byung Hun return to K-drama. And I'm really, really dreading that he chose a project attached to the Air City/Lobbyist PD. What's next? Son g Kang Ho in a K-drama where he tries to save Korea from a massive asteroid?
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4 yelibean
April 18, 2008 at 11:02 AM
i am totally loving Epik High's new album too!
but i am a bit confused by the One MV...did she die? Because at the end she wakes up and everything is back to normal..
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5 Paula
April 18, 2008 at 11:18 AM
Anyone see the new Drama City episode that WITH S2 subbed? The one called Transformation? It was really good! I watched it last night, it was like a twisted version of The Outer Limits :) They're going to be subbing more, you guys should check them out! :D
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6 choram
April 18, 2008 at 11:20 AM
Somehow I want to read and finish a book this weekend..... :)
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7 ripgal
April 18, 2008 at 11:33 AM
Nothing special for or from me.. but seriously dreading the upcoming exams, first paper is in 2 weeks.. but i'm still lacking the study mood.
Have been indulging myself in Kevin and Scotty in Brothers and Sisters lately.. a bit late into the series, but wth they're freaking adorable, tho they're gay..:P
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8 twreckx
April 18, 2008 at 11:50 AM
Not quite on the "Pieces: Part One" love fest train just yet. Listening to it as we speak and so far it ain't bad.
Just read a collection of short stories by Akutagawa Ryunosuke. Some good stuff. Didn't know that Akira Kurosawa's Rashomon was culled from 2 stories much less that the author was a brilliant writer. Funny too.
Had my heart shattered by visa laws. Not much else. U?
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9 Javabeans
April 18, 2008 at 11:56 AM
Epik High --
I actually didn't like "One" that much until I saw the video. Somehow the context of the song in video form makes it different, more energetic. Upon listening the track on its own, though, it doesn't quite do it for me. I had a similar response to "Fan" -- liking it more after the video -- but I think Fan was stronger on its own (and that's not even including that killer gayageum version with Honey Lee).
The album... I'm listening to it with reservations. On one hand, I'm happy to have new Epik High stuff available. Per their usual style, they're still a cut above standard kpop. But I think Remapping the Human Soul was such a strong, cohesive, intense piece of work that Pieces feels a little more disjointed (how apropos!). But since it's Pieces Part One, perhaps it'll come together with Part Two. Like with Remapping, which I liked better with its second half.
Oh, and the "One" video -- in usual Epik High fashion, the video's pretty oblique. My interpretation for now (which may change) is that she died. The last part shows things start to reverse -- clothes flying back on the rack, pills unswallowed -- and the song goes "Time is ticking" to bring us back to the point before the guys got there, her last lucid moment before falling over and dying, as though to remind us that we've got one chance and time is ticking, so don't mess it up. But that's my knee-jerk reaction; I'll have to rewatch.
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10 twreckx
April 18, 2008 at 12:31 PM
Amen on the gayageum version: I was hoping that they would release it as an extra on the album or something. No such luck.
Basically with Pieces i get this sort of deja vu feeling; I've heard it all before in some manner. It actually sounds more like they found some unreleased tracks from their 2005 release, Swan Songs and decided to chuck it on this album, as both albums are very stylistically similar. Then there's track number 8, which sounds eerily like Ayo Technology, which is quite disappointing as that is the first time I have EVER thought Epik High has sounded like anyone else.
There are some very strong tracks on there, but whereas Remapping the Human Soul was very forward-looking and had a strong sense of identity, this album feels like a step backwards for Epik High. Pieces is good, but lack's the strength of its immediate predecessor.
PS did you know that a google search for Rivals has Dramabeans right after the official website(s)?
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11 Darlene
April 18, 2008 at 12:47 PM
Not much, theres just this TTC (Toronto Transit Commision - buses) strike happening in toronto and like for students who take the bus to school are screwed since there will be no buses, and i have lots of tests coming AND I STILL NEVER FOUND THE RIGHT SHOES FOR MY GRAD DRESS : ( *cries*
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12 dulcedeleche
April 18, 2008 at 12:55 PM
Well in the Midwest in the U.S everyones talking about the 5.4 earthquake that happened here. I slept through it though.....
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13 belleza
April 18, 2008 at 1:50 PM
I think Pieces will alienate some core fans, just as Remapping's sonic tourism did. Here and there, there is a revisit to the cleo fabulous sound of the first 2 records (which kinda feels like a "keeping it real" reflex that weakens the logos of Pieces's mission statement), but I absolutely fell in love with the "m-flo meets moby" buzz of the other tracks. When the crew more steadfastly sets aside their hip-hop bona fides for man-of-people evangelicalism, the words and the rich midrange are ultra blue evangelical.
Looking forward to hearing "Epik Nell" when Vol 2 comes out. I do feel bad for Tablo though, since they obviously didn't want the album/single to show up this way. But dry your eyes, mate. Pieces will be big.
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14 haezi
April 18, 2008 at 2:04 PM
wow, it's been a while since i've heard this album. i used to listen to it nonstop, along with some other earlier songs of theirs.
i'm so out of the loop that i didn't realize epik high released a new album and MV! awesome.
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15 MovieWatcher
April 18, 2008 at 2:21 PM
still shocked that there was an earthquake in the midwest
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16 kotatsulove
April 18, 2008 at 5:00 PM
yup, i felt a tremor where i live (northern kentucky). anyone else from kentucky? i'm sort of convinced that i'm the only k-drama lover in the state.
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17 dariav-
April 18, 2008 at 7:34 PM
I'm holding out till my album arrives in mail hence I've only heard One and Breakdown so far. And since I first heard One while watching the MV on youtube ... I quite like it :)
Tablo loves making his fans think and analyze each of his MV huh?
Oooh, the creepy polygamist sect. Can someone enlighten me on this ? You mean the state that this splinter Mormon group is residing at recognises polygamous marriage? I'm surprised that the state hasn't been able to dissolve the entire sect completely with all these rumours flying around (there is at least 50% truth in most rumours, I swear by that). It's not that difficult to install high-tech gadgets around or infiltrate the place by some anonymous individual to see what's going on right? I like conspiracies :)
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18 Javabeans
April 18, 2008 at 8:57 PM
LOL, forgive me for not feeling appropriately sympathetic for the Midwest earthquake. We SoCal-ians have gone through too many for that. ;) Actually I think earthquakes are fun (once I realize I'm not gonna die), but then, I think airplane turbulence is fun too.
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19 merriwether
April 18, 2008 at 9:32 PM
Argh, I need to watch where I'm going. Had a nasty fall in the dark.
Javabeans, if you think airplane turbulence is fun, what else do you think is fun? The Lost experience for a holiday? =P
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20 Suzy
April 19, 2008 at 10:13 AM
Hey Paula! Where did you find "the new Drama City episode that WITH S2 subbed? The one called Transformation?" I check their current project page all the time but I never saw it listed there. (http://fansub.d-addicts.com/With_S2)
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21 fizzlex3mh
April 19, 2008 at 2:02 PM
I love Epik High's new album. Haven't had a chance to check out their MV for One yet, but now that I know JRW's in it, I'll definitely watch it soon. Pieces, Part One (will Part Two be their next album?) has a different feel to it which I totally dig. I can't say it's better or worse than Remapping the Human Soul, which is the best thing that's ever happened to Korean music IMO, because I still haven't heard enough of it to form a comparison.
Favorite tracks so far: Breakdown, One, Umbrella, The Future. God, I love Epik High.
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22 its_trish
April 20, 2008 at 11:44 AM
thanks for all your hard work ^^
I love escaping to this page when I can't take the stress
I often chuckle or laugh out loud after reading some of your stuff - it's great!
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