January 19, 2006

A Teeth-Whitening Pep Rally

MP3 Lovely / Kim Jong-guk [down]

This is the very beginning of the soon to be eminent We Pass Notes On Bananas, so the two songs for today are supposed to represent the opposite extremes of music in South Korea. This one's by Kim Jong-guk who's been around ten years and still has the voice of a castrated angel, not to mention hair that appears to be unshatterable. "Lovely" is from his third album, This Is Me (2005), and can currently be heard on every radio in every convenience store throughout the land. I'd tell you to buy the album and support Mr. Kim, but the melody is so catchy and the song so ridiculous that you probably won't want to. Plus, he's got to be a jillionaire by now.


MP3 Ping / The Ten Speeds

In contrast, The Ten Speeds barely exist. They only record when their London-based guitarist visits Seoul. They have no drummer. And their bassist is a Canadian who's been living in Korea for ten years and plans to leave soon. (He wears a Paul McCartney hat and drives a purple scooter.) But "Ping" is good, if unpolished, Ian Curtis worship, and the band somehow continues to survive in an underground scene focused primarily on punk and noise. I'd tell you to buy the album, but it's not an album and it costs nothing. "Ping" and five other tracks are available at the website for Double Riche, the band's moniker before it was rechristened The Ten Speeds. Like, you know, a bicycle.

More on The Ten Speeds...

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

nice face.

Anonymous said...

nice but so small! such a tiny face.

Anonymous said...

i don't know why like ping so much. Its my least favorite song of our set. Every time i play it live i almost fall asleep in the middle of it. Chinese farmer is way better.

bye
b.

ps. we are "the ten speeds" not 'ten speed"

Anonymous said...

i like chinese farmer(s) too, and i changed the name. are you guys playing anytime soon?

Anonymous said...

we're playing soon as our guitar player, Hyun-bae, is back for vacation for two months. 'Stereo' is a possible venue but no gigs have been set. sEE YOU AT THE 'voodoo' beer tent.....
Leo

Anonymous said...

hey,

hope to see everyone at the penta, in inchon. The Ten Speeds will be at the voodoo bar tent. Stop by.

bye
b.

Anonymous said...

niceness. unfortunately i leave korea on monday. where/when, exactly, are the shows?

Anonymous said...

we are gonna play only 2 shows this year. One is at the rock in shinchon, the other is gonna be at stereo, (we hope). will keep you posted.

b.