Reviving dead links: Lots of song reposts

by javabeans

I just finished going through all my song posts and re-uploading all the expired links. Bejeebus!, I have a lot of songs posted. Since re-uploading is a daunting task, I’m not quite sure what I’m going to do about expired links in the future — they go dead if they haven’t been downloaded in 60 days, and I don’t have the patience to scour through them on a bimonthly basis. I should probably be surprised that most of the links were still alive. (Although someone actually went through and reported all my Shinhwa links specifically! Grr. Thanks a lot for making my job harder.)

But I saw some links that went dead or were less-downloaded, and figured I’d highlight some — songs I particularly like or which may have gone overlooked initially.

(If I put up too many of those audio players, my browser tends to freeze, unfortunately. So if I don’t put up the audio player for the song, I’m putting up a link to the page where you can listen to it.)

For instance:

INDIE ROCK/POP

Bluedawn – “Tabula Rasa”
The Bluedawn duo (Han Hee Jung aka Dawn on vocals, Jung Sang Hoon aka Ssoro on guitar) released their debut album in 2003 and has since put out a second full-length album and a dual EP album. They broke up in 2006; I believe Dawn is continuing on with the new group Invisible Fish. [ Download ]

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Cloud Cuckoo Land – “외출” (going out)
This four-piece indie rock band formed in 2002, and released its first full-length album with Pastel Music in 2006. Probably most known for having their “Coffee Is…” song featured in Coffee Prince. [ Download ]

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Fanny Fink – “향을 담은 비” (For Haru) which translates to “Fragrant Rain.”
Fanny Fink’s debut album “Mr. Romance” (2007) is like this song — soothing, melodic, fun, sweet — but better because there are 11 more tracks. [ Download ] [ Listen here ]

Love & Pop – “널 잊으려해도” (although I try to forget you).
They’re listed as an electronica band, but they’re really more indie-pop. This song’s lovely, atmospheric, vaguely haunting. [ Download ] [ Listen here ]

Lucite Tokki – “비오는 날” (Rainy day).
I love Lucite Tokki’s indie-pop cheer — light and lyrical, but not too peppy.
[ Download ] [ Listen here ]

The Melody – “Everything N’Nothing.”
The Melody contributed a fair number of tracks to Coffee Prince‘s soundtrack, so you probably are familiar with their sound. [ Download ] [ Listen here ]

Misty Blue – “Cherry”
Three-member group who shares similar sounds to Bluedawn and Love & Pop, with piano melodies thrown in. [ Download ] [ Listen here ]

Oldfish – “같이가자” (let’s go together)
Olfish reminds me of a Korean version of The Postal Service, mixing a faint touch of electronic beats with an overall indie sound. [ Download ] [ Listen here ]

W – “만화가의 사려 깊은 고양이” (The cartoon artist’s thoughtful cat)

The three-member group ranges from rock to electronica, but I like this quiet, moody song best.
[ Download ] [ Listen here ]

 
MODERN ROCK

BAY – “Saturday Night”
Four-piece rock band who released their first album last year. [ Download ]

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Kite – “Cameo.”
Modern rock with a bit of an edge. [ Download ] [ Listen here ]

Loveholic – “Blue 923” [ Download ] [ Listen here ]

Monni (몽니) – Beautiful
I’m not quite sure what’s up with Monni these days — the three-male, one-female (bassist) rock group has one album released in 2005, but have been relatively quiet since. I hear rumors that their second album is due out in September… [ Download ] [ Listen here ]

Mot (못) – “나는 왜” (why me)
I really like Mot’s unique, kind of offbeat sound. Their first album in 2004 was harder-edged but less put-together than their fantastic 2007 second album “Strange Season.” [ Download ]

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My Aunt Mary – “랑겔한스”(“langerhans”)
My Aunt Mary rules. They’ve been around for about a decade, and each album is better than the last — energetic, engaging rock music. Wow, just doing a quick search to see what they’re up to now reveals that they just shared a stage with James Blunt in a concert last week. Erm, I forgive them.
[ Download ] [ Listen here ]

Nell – “Peter Pan Is Dead” (피터팬은 죽었다)
We all love Nell, right? [ Download ] [ Listen here ]

Pearl’s Day – “보듬이”
I first heard of Pearl’s Day when they had a prominent track in Dal Ja’s Spring last year. Four members and female-fronted, they started in 2003 under another name and came out with their first album in 2006; not total newbies but still relatively new. [ Download ] [ Listen here ]

Rocket Diary – “Tonight”
Five young guys playing energetic punk-rawk. [ Download ] [ Listen here ]

Rumble Fish – “월화수목금토일” or (Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday).
A mellower, jazzier kind of song from Rumble Fish. [ Download ] [ Listen here ]

The The – “나는” (I / me)
Still going strong; they came out with their first album in 1997 and recently released their 2008 Bridge Album. [ Download ] [ Listen here ]

V.E.I.L. – “Radio”
This five-guy band isn’t really strictly rock; they mix in energetic dance-pop with their guitar licks.
[ Download ]

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Vintage Blue – “Your Song”
Not sure what’s going on with them lately either. Great intro EP of mostly rock ballads in 2005…
[ Download ] [ Listen here ]

Yi Sung Yol (or Lee Seung Yeol) (이승열) – “스물 그리고 서른” (20 versus 30).
I love the lyrics to Yi Sung Yol songs. [ Download ] [ Listen here ]

 
ELECTRONICA, BOSSA NOVA, HOUSE

Casker – “Midnight Moment”
Casker’s one of the leading groups in Korean electronica, and they bear a lot of similarities to the Japanese shibuya-kei sound, along with Humming Urban Stereo and Clazziquai — some bossa nova beats, laid-back vocals, downtempo grooviness. [ Download ] [ Listen here ]

Hourmelts – “Moonlight Melody”
This song’s upbeat, cheery piano makes me happy. It’s also my ringtone. 🙂
[ Download ] [ Listen here ]

House Rulez – “집” (jib / house)
When I first heard House Rulez and their energetic brand of house music — which I normally hate — I loved them and immediately recced them. [ Download ]

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Humming Urban Stereo – “Rainbow”
Love almost everything Humming Urban Stereo does. [ Download ] [ Listen here ]

Roller Coaster – “숨길 수 없어요” (Can’t Hide It)
I’ve seen Roller Coaster described as acid jazz, which I suppose is fairly on-the-mark but just sounds like something I’d avoid. But they mix downtempo beats and groovy melodies in a nicely loungey sort of way. [ Download ] [ Listen here ]

 
POP, HIP-HOP, R&B

Beige – “세상이 둥글지 않다면” (If the World Wasn’t Round).
[ Download ] [ Listen here ]

Brown Eyes – “비 오는 압구정” (Rainy Apgujeong)
[ Download ] [ Listen here ]

Heritage – “I Love My Life” [ Download ] [ Listen here ]

I.S. – “자연스러워” (It’s natural)
I.S. (Infinite of Sound) isn’t pop at all; they’re a fusion group blending traditional Korean instruments with a modern sound. Check out a bunch of their songs used in the fusion sageuk comedy Story of Hyang Dan in the link below. [ Download ] [ Listen here ]

Monday Kiz – “하늘아 제발” (Heaven, please) [ Download ]

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Sol Flower – “Kiss the Kids.”
She may be described as R&B, but she’s more… indie-soul? Kind of reminds me of India Arie.
[ Download ] [ Listen here ]

Soulstar – “입술” (Lips).
Boys II Men-style harmonies. [ Download ] [ Listen here ]

Vinyls – “Illusion” [ Download ]

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Wanted – “Bye bye bye”
More vocal harmonies from this all-male R&B group. [ Download ] [ Listen here ]

Wol Young /월영 – “Romantic Poem” [ Download ] [ Listen here ]

Wow (와우) – “내 머리속의 지우개” (eraser in my head)
[ Download ] [ Listen here ]