City’n Lights is a fun, short EP with a strong focus on indie pop rock. The first song “City’n Lights” features DJ Friz and contains female vocals. I’m not sure who the vocalist is, but she fits the song perfectly with her melodic but ambient style. The second song, “여름밤 그대와 레게,” has the same vocals and is a well composed indie pop song.

My favorite song on City’n Lights is “Moment” because it features some added effects on the song. It’s still an indie rock song with the female vocals, but is an interesting mixture of styles that blend into an addictive song. It’s overall a short EP, with five songs but the music is really well arranged.

It sounds like he spends more time as a producer than a musician, but it would be nice to hear a full length of his style of music. It may be an outlet for music ideas he has and would be great to hear more of his style.

Bomb & Tree on Melon.

Overall, Princess Disease really focus on melodic songs. Even when they increase the tempo, like in “Falling in Love” it’s still a song that doesn’t really present huge intensity. If you enjoy pop rock, this is a perfect band. Love Letter has 8 songs, so it’s more of an EP than full album, but you do get to know the band’s particular sound very easily.

It’s difficult to get right into the music of Princess Disease if you’re a fan of other styles, but like some of other bands, this is like coffee shop music. It’s interesting with the song “Kiss Me” because it has a very early 2000s sound in the arrangements and how the vocals flow over the instrumentals.

Not know what to expect from Princess Disease, the music is very distinct. Fans of indie pop rock will enjoy the release. If you enjoy more aggressive styles, it may be difficult to really get into the music.

Princess Disease on Facebook.
Princess Disease on Twitter.
Princess Disease on bandcamp.

In the fourth episode of MUST Era Of The Band we again get to see Galaxy Express, Goonam and The Solutions with Rose Motel, Monni and Dear Cloud joining in on the fun. The theme of the week is ‘genre kill’.

Anna: It’s been so long since I saw Rose Motel! This’ll be fun. Will be very interesting to see what Dear Cloud do of this too. And of course – such a delight to get to see both Galaxy and Goonam again! A bit surprised about Galaxy’s return though, considering they already won last week’s episode.

Lightinthemind: I do love Rose Motel a lot! I was at their album release show and finally I could understand the whole lot of epicness of those guys. But really, why again Galaxy Express and Goonam?

Youngmi: Looks like Goonam really wants a win!

Dahee: Yay for Rose Motel! I’ve missed them and their wackiness. I feel bad for Goonam – they haven’t won a single round yet, despite pulling off great performances. And yes, why is Galaxy Express back? Aren’t they going to be performing in the final episode anyway? Did I miss something in the explanation of the rules? This is very possible, since I wasn’t paying attention to that part anyway…

Sangha: I’m so very excited for Dear Cloud!

Galaxy Express vs. Dear Cloud

Anna: Galaxy Express will go up against Dear Cloud after picking U2’s Rattle And Hum from the stand of vinyls selected by each band during last month’s Seoul Record Fair. It seems Jung Yup is a Dear Cloud fan? Cool! And Galaxy Express doing trot? This could be fun!

Dahee: Oooh, interesting match-up! And whoa, Choi Min Soo is a Galaxy Express fan! I admit I let out a little squee when he appeared onscreen. I love that man.

Galaxy Express – “참아주세요” (Kim Hye Yeon cover)

Anna: Galaxy Express take trot to heavy metal! Great drive. I wonder if it’s the original trot melody that does it, but to me this sounds like a modern Korean 80’s metal. I love it! And a bit of kids song “두껍아” thrown in there as well, working better than I could’ve guessed. It’s really amazing that this rich sound can be created by just three people. Great opening!

Lightinthemind: Trot and heavy metal? According to the outfits at first I thought it was going to be street punk, but heavy metal sounds are also well selling for me. At least GE returned again to a ‘high octane’ sound.

Youngmi: *Swoon* This is the Galaxy Express I know and love. Aside from the fact that they are singing trot, their combination of the well known children’s song was incredible! And excuse the fangirl in me, but does Jong Hyun look good or what?!

Dahee: Love that Western opening! I wasn’t entirely into this at first – I felt it was a little too repetitive, which was something I was afraid would happen with that particular song. But after that switch into the children’s song I was won over again, and those instrumental bits were just glorious. By the end I wanted to be in that crowd, headbanging along to this. Yay for Galaxy Express!

Dear Cloud – “백만송이 장미” (Sim Soo Bong cover)

Anna: Regardless of language this song is so nice. The rose petals falling down on stage as well as the rose clouted microphone stand is taking the song a bit too literal, but Nine’s voice is as fantastic as always. Unfortunately the refrain of this song falls a bit flat for me. It can be done so wonderfully, but there is so much potential lost here. The instrumentation is done well, but as much as I adore Nine’s deep voice it’s just not enough to bring out the otherwise so enchanting qualities of this song. Until Nine reaches even deeper into her registers and starts falling all over the stage, that is. Nice recovery! And when we get the tremolo on the guitar? Fantastic! Here I was thinking that Galaxy Express was way superior, yet I find my eyes watering.

Lightinthemind: I’m curious if anybody knows the true original song. True – means not Sim Soo Bong, but our Russian singer – Alla Pugacheva. That is why I was comparing the Nine’s vocal and the arrangement with our russian version. And I should say that the cover was a bit boring, I wish they would’ve added something psychedelic that could have showed new colors of the song, but this was just flat. That is why when Nine started falling on her knees I didn’t understand the point. Sorry, my overall impression – good, I missed Nine’s voice; the melody was polished to the details and brought qualified modern rock sounds. But not winning.

Dahee: I love, love LOVE Sim Soo Bong’s version, and think this was the perfect song choice for Dear Cloud. Is Nine fantastic, or is she fantastic? There’s something so sexy and enchanting about her, and that voice!! While I think this arrangement didn’t exactly reach the heights it could have, it was still very good, and the little details like the roses on stage and the lighting showed that they really put a lot of effort into this. And really, I think Nine saved this with her amazing vocal performance…even if the staggering on stage reminded me of Boohwal’s Jung Dong Ha, heh. I suddenly want to see them on Immortal Song 2.

Youngmi: I’m a fan of Dear Cloud’s music (and of course the incomparable Nine) so it excites me to see how they’ll do on the show! I can’t help but be mesmerized by Nine’s voice every time I hear her sing and the song fit her so well. It was also awesome to see the members so emotionally invested in the song. Lastly, it looks like they really used “a million roses” to cover the freaking stage! Wow!

Sangha: Brilliant! Nine has such a great stage presence. I’ve never heard this song before but I’m really digging their interpretation too! The roses must have been a pain for the staff to organize though! But they’re a lovely touch.

Result

Galaxy Express: 228
Dear Cloud: 257

Anna: This is such a tough choice! I think Dear Cloud may be getting extra points from being the second of the bands to perform, but Galaxy did very well too. I’m not at all surprised Dear Cloud came winning out of this one though.

Lightinthemind: The audience… I think again it is only because of the mainstream sound of modern rock.

Dahee: I’m happy about this. Galaxy Express were the winners last week, so they don’t need to win. And I was equally engaged with both performances.

Youngmi: I thought Dear Could would win, but always happy for Galaxy Express!

Sangha: They were both good and since Galaxy Express has already won, I’m happy with how this turned out.

Rose Motel vs. The Solutions

Anna: Rose Motel gets support from Baek Ji Young, that’s nice. While Rose Motel consider commercial songs, The Solutions are looking to musicals for inspiration. Then it seems Rose Motel instead of just going for one song will be combining two – I don’t usually like that and this particular combination seems like it’ll be very difficult to pull off. And look, there’s Yook Joong Wan in the radio studio for Roy Kim & Jung Joon Young’s Close Friends!

Youngmi: I’m not the biggest fan of Rose Motel from the little I know of their music, although they always seem to have defining performances/outfits. The Solutions seem to be more stressed over what they should do. Park Sol in particular looks so incredibly nervous! I’ve never seen him so concerned over a performance. Breathe, Sol, breathe!

Rose Motel – “빈대떡신사” (Hahn Bok Nam cover)  + “Shots”(LMFAO cover)

Anna: What? I didn’t recognize him at first, but it seem Yook Joong Wang has taken inspiration from Jeong Cha Sik. But no… How horrible. I love the trot part of this, but the ‘shot shot shot’ part is so disturbing to me I can’t really enjoy it anyway. Couldn’t they just have taken inspiration from LMFAO for a Hahn Bok Nam cover only? Then I would’ve been able to support them more.

Lightinthemind: That is what I expected from Rose Motel. Doing something unbelievable like mixing trot and electronic sound. The appearance suits well to Yook Joong Wang as if he was high class gigolo for a long time. They played a lot on the stage as usual and showed a funny performance. Maybe I’m acting as a fan here, but my vote will be for them.

Dahee: When I saw that they were covering that trot song, I thought, “Wow, they couldn’t have chosen a more perfect song! This will really allow them to bring out their greasy, corny side.” And then they…didn’t do that at all. And yet I…kind of love this. I am shocked by my reaction. I despise that LMFAO song. And yet they’ve arranged the two songs together so seamlessly, and perform with such energy and enthusiasm, that I can’t help but be completely won over. That moment when Yook Joong Wan was kneeling on the stage sadly murmuring those lyrics, and then the song built up again to that climax…I nearly wet my pants. Awesome!

Youngmi: Hmm. I always feel like Rose Motel puts on similar performances every time which can be a good or a bad thing depending on what you prefer. Their energy was fantastic as usual, but I don’t think the two songs worked very well together. LMFAO’s “Shots” got a little annoying after awhile and it left me wondering if Park Sol of The Solutions was doing okay back there in the dressing room all by himself.

Sangha: Yook Joong Wan looks…. really good?? I was also really shocked that they decided to mash the trot song with “Shots” and I’m not quite sure if I like the final product, but the crowd is really loving it. It seems like something you have to be there to appreciate fully…

The Solutions – “지금 이순간” (from Jekyll & Hyde)

Anna: Now this will be interesting! Already with their song choice they got on my good side. The synth wall with Park Sol singing the first few lines is a great opening. When there’s more of a band feel to it it’s not working as well for me, but when they get to the refrain and still stay with the powerful musical melody line for song I like it all the more. The key change is great as well. Overall I have the feeling this is not really as good as it seems to me right now – it is a bit too simple and relies too much on the original song – but compared to what we just had to sit through it’s a relief to listen to.

Lightinthemind: Musical melodies can sometimes play a bad role with the singers who are trying to do something new with them. Everybody knows the main parts and knows where the melody is going to be weaker or stronger, it is really hard to play around the melody. The Solutions were not able to change the main theme and to make it their ‘own’ like the other bands did. What I heard during the whole performance – were separated melody and good voice of Park Sol and somewhere behind the recognizable main line were all that synth-pop and guitar laces that were not able to hide the color or to bring something original to the song.

Dahee: Ugh, this song is so cheesy. Just the act of choosing it was a major cliche. There are so many better musical songs out there – why go with this one? I don’t understand. And the arrangement itself leaves me vastly underwhelmed. What’s the point of going for the shock value of choosing a musical song if you’re not going to stray from its musical roots? This could have been interesting if they’d done something really experimental with it. But no, they’ve gone the safe route. Colour me unimpressed.

Youngmi: I thought the song choice was a bit alarming for I did not expect a musical theater number from The Solutions. Although I respect their challenge to show a different side of themselves. I can tell that they worked really hard on the arrangement to make it as less cheesy as possible. I was a little disappointed that Park Sol’s voice didn’t fit the song at all. The band played a huge supporting role in filling up the performance. Unrelated, I have been infatuated with their drummer since they first came on the show! After few minutes of research it looks like he’s the main drummer of the band Hologram Film? Anyways, he’s fantastic. Brownie points to the drummer!

Sangha: Yup, he’s the drummer for Hologram Film! I was terribly bored by this whole performance – Park Sol is a great performer and I really appreciate him (and he is so cute!) but his vocals don’t quite cut it to really pull off the song. And I feel like the song didn’t ‘kill’ the genre like it was supposed to. Meh. I like The Solutions and they’re a really fun band to see live and all, but this was less than spectacular.

Result

Rose Motel: 261
The Solutions: 221

Anna: What?! Now I’m sincerely surprised.

Lightinthemind: Well done, Rose Motel!

Dahee: Sounds about right to me.

Goonam vs. Monni

Anna: I’ve got so much love for Goonam. Getting all excited every time I see them on TV. My interest in Monni on the other hand has fallen flat since Top Band 2 when they consistently failed to deliver so I’m already 90% sure where my vote would go. Looks like Goonam too will be combining two songs, but in this particular instance it might actually turn into success. I was really hoping for them to take on a trot song as they do that kind of music so well, but this will also be interesting.

Youngmi: I desperately want Goonam to win at least one round! It pains me to see them work so hard and struggle to get votes. On the other hand, there was this one time where I was obsessed with Monni and bought all of their albums, until I realized it wasn’t Monni that I was obsessed with it was Kim Sini’s voice. He’s a gem, indeed.

Sangha: God how I wish they’d win for once!!!

Goonam – 서울 탱고 (Bangshillee cover) + “강원도 아리랑” (folk song)

Anna. Awesome 80’s outfit on all and Naun in particular. Loving the tango beats of it all so much I want to hear a full on tango tune from Goonam on the next album. And what a fun way to get into “Arirang”! Great touch with the dancers.

Dahee: I love the tango opening, and the use of the drummers was kind of brilliant. But after that, this performance fell kinda flat for me. There were three very distinct parts, and none of them gelled together all that well, in my opinion. The transitions could definitely have been better. I feel like if they’d stuck to one song, this could have been amazing, because the arrangements for each section were actually really good. As it is, I just sense that they’re really desperate for a win. That ending was so anticlimactic, to the point that I was surprised that it was the ending, and was let down that they didn’t have one more card up their sleeves.

Youngmi: First of all, I dig their groovy outfits! I love how sure Goonam is of their overall look and sound which is why this performance made me so happy!  I most definitely preferred the “Arirang” better than the “Seoul Tango” part, but I had as fun as Yoon Do Hyun did while watching!

Sangha: Loved what they did with it! At first I was skeptical of them picking “Arirang” because to be honest, I’m tired of hearing that song, but their arrangement was refreshing! I really hope they win with this.

Monni – “바보처럼 살았군요” (Kim Do Hyang cover)

Anna: Monni will be borrowing from Hedwig And The Angry Inch ending to make a musical  version of this old folk number. A shirtless Kim Sini to deliver those great vocals – just look at the eyes of the girls in the audience! The arrangement, as expected, isn’t all that convincing to me though. Not even when the pace finally picks up is this something I can enjoy, but the audience and YB seem to be convinced otherwise.

Dahee: I was so excited when I thought they were covering a Hedwig song, and was so let down when it turned out they were just borrowing the beginning and the concept, really. And yes, the arrangement is rather straightforward, despite them trying to jazz things up a bit with the shirtlessness and the strange carrying of Kim Sini to the other end of the stage. It’s fun to watch, and you can tell they worked really hard on it, but I’m pretty underwhelmed regardless.

Youngmi: I, too, was expecting a Hedwig number because there was so much emphasis on Kim Sini’s musical theater experience in the clips. Monni almost always seems like it’s Kim Sini and back up band instead of a collective unit. I truly felt it in this performance which is unfortunate. However, the vocals were great and darn you Sini, you just had to be shirtless!

Sangha: Oh no, sorry Goonam, Kim Sini is shirtless. Again, not quite sure how this successfully radicalized the genre but it’s a solid performance overall.

Result

Goonam: 234
Monni: 254

Anna: I so want to see Goonam win this, but I suppose they have yet to build up the fan base required to beat a band like Monni. It was still a good score for them though. A few episodes more and perhaps the ‘band people’ invited to the show will be able to share my affection for the wondrous Goonam.

Dahee: Poor, poor Goonam. They look so depressed. I actually winced for them when they lost. Are they just not mainstream enough for this audience?

Youngmi: What the freak? No! Gahh poor Goonam!!

Dear Cloud vs. Rose Motel vs. Monni

Anna: Considering I only liked the performance from Dear Cloud out of the three this is an easy choice for me.

Dahee: As long as Monni doesn’t win, I’ll be happy. But I think Rose Motel has the upper hand among these three…

Youngmi: Team Dear Cloud!

Winner: Rose Motel

Anna: Hopefully they’ll do something more fun next time we get to see them.

Dahee: Yup, as I expected. I’m perfectly fine with this, and look forward to what they’ll show us in the final episode.

The song actually sounds like a mix between video game chiptune and dance electronica. It is very addictive when listening to beats and the vocals which sound like they are battling each other in the beats.

With the remixes, you get “Curiosity Kills” and “Monkey Defense.” “Monkey Defense” has two versions called Overdrive and Andromeda mix. I’m not sure what the original song sounded like, but each of the remixes is very strange. The Overdrive mix is high speed and frenetic. The Andromeda mix is much more bizarre and sounds very strange, but still interesting to hear in it’s own way.

Curiosity Kills is a good introduction to EE, but doesn’t really explain much of the band. Still if you’re a fan of electronica, EE is a band to listen to for some really interesting songs.

Click the play button icon to listen to individual songs, right-click on the song title to download an mp3, or grab a zip file of the full 34-track compilation through Ge.tt here.

SOUTH KOREA: Korean Indie
Asian Chairshot – Mask Dance
Asian Chairshot formed in 2011 and released their first official EP, Mask, in May this year. Equipped with drums, bass and guitar, the trio merges rock with Korean melodies in a powerful fashion, crafting a unique sound. Mask Dance starts out calmly but soon turns into a hard-hitting fest for the ears. The song’s refrain borrows the rhythm of traditional Korean mask dance.

ARGENTINA: Zonaindie
Excursiones Polares – La Guerra Psicológica
Concepto Cero, one of La Plata’s finest record labels, just turned four, and they decided to celebrate by releasing a free compilation with songs from all of their artists. La Guerra Psicológica is an original track by El Perrodiablo, but in this case played in a blues fashion by Excursiones Polares. Both bands are from the Concepto Cero family, so we recommend you to download the whole album and check for their latest releases.

AUSTRALIA: Who The Bloody Hell Are They?
Gang Of Youths – A Sudden Light
Harmonies and punch-the-air victory songs are generally always in high demand. Sydney’s Gang Of Youths are next. This sounds like Win Butler singing at your birthday and Julian Casablancas singing at your funeral at the same time. A Sudden Light is a loose, belter of an anthem with a modulating chorus, overbearing references to children, drugs and enough harmonic “WHOAHS” to easily make them your new favourite band.

AUSTRIA: Walzerkönig
The Unused Word – Heaven (Testa Remix)
Much like the recent 4AD signing SOHN, Anna aka The Unused Word is not only working and living in Vienna, but also has her finger on the pulse with her soulful mixture of hip hop and new school electronica. Heaven is taken from her debut EP ∞ (Infinity). The version here is a remix by her labelmate DJ Testa.

BRAZIL: Meio Desligado
Rua – Às Bolas De Gude
Rua, also known as Rua Do Absurdo, is an experimental quintet. Às Bolas De Gude shows their minimalism with beautiful vocal melodies and a marimba guiding us through the song.

CANADA: Quick Before It Melts
Ketch Harbour Wolves – The Good Blood
Weaving together history, mythology and their own personal experiences, Ketch Harbour Wolves’ new album, Queen City: Volume One, is their first of what is expected to be a multiple disc project that aims to create a sonic map of their home, Toronto. The Good Blood is an excellent gateway into this sprawling, ambitious project, and to Ketch Harbour Wolves’ majestic, cinematic back catalogue.

CHILE: Super 45
Alex y Daniel – Cada Vez Que Invento Algo Sobre Ti
After reaching recognition and fame through their solo projects, Alex Andwandter and Daniel Riveros (Gepe) – two of the most iconic faces of Chilean pop – got together in a joint project that, under the suggestive name Alex y Daniel, combines their musical curiosity. Their new single Cada Vez Que Invento Algo Sobre Ti (“Every time I make up a story about you”) mixes Andwandter’s penchant for dance music and Riveros’ melodic instinct perfectly, leaving no room to doubt that, together, they’re dynamite.

COLOMBIA: El Parlante Amarillo
La Etnnia feat. Doctor Krápula – La Gran Epidemia
It is our pleasure to introduce you to perhaps Colombia’s biggest hip hop project, La Etnnia, who formed more than 25 years ago in the Las Cruces neighborhood of Bogotá. La Gran Epidemia, a preview of their eighth album Universal, features the stellar appearance of Doctor Krápula, a rock band with long renown in Colombia. You can watch the video for the song here.

DENMARK: All Scandinavian
Scarlet Chives – In A Ground Floor Apartment
Scarlet Chives is something as rare as a Danish band signed to a Norwegian label and, in a not so distant future, that label, Riot Factory, will release the alternative rock quintet’s second full-length album. In A Ground Floor Apartment, a MAP exclusive download, is the B-side to first single The Timber Will Fall.

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: La Casetera
Hache ST – Sebastian Lemba
Culture and rebellion are at the center of this experimental piece, which revolves around the figure of the black anti-slavery advocate Sebastian Lemba Calembo. This track is a portal to that struggle and it’s an essential component of the journey outlined by Hache ST in his new album, Zafra, which portrays the main ideas of life in a shared Caribbean island, and its intricate, passionate toils for freedom.

ECUADOR: Plan Arteria
El Extraño Comportamiento De Un Torso Animado – ¿Dónde Están Tus Amigos?
El Extraño Comportamiento De Un Torso Animado is an indie band with a lot of attitude. Formed by Ernesto Torres and twins Nicolás and Felipe Meneses, the trio have a punk-rock spirit with a guitar sound that invites you to dance. From their first EP, Mujer Pulpo, we present the single ¿Dónde Están Tus Amigos?

ENGLAND: Drowned In Sound
BODYWORK – Tame
English avant-pop or alt-rock or whatever the kids on the cobbled streets are calling it these days hasn’t had the respect it deserves for quite some time. Percolating beneath the Mumford mirth and Adele success, there’s a throbbing underbelly of eccentricity and experimentation that flirts with radio-friendly melody. Leeds’ BODYWORK are one such act, muddling Roxy Music’s odd shuffle with Wild Beasts and Heaven 17′s falsetto into a sublime cocktail of alien grooves. Download their LP for free from their website.

ESTONIA: Rada7.ee
Forgotten Sunrise – Sisters, Brothers & Other Hellborn Creatures
Forgotten Sunrise is a cult band who are pleasing the ears of the world with negative music for positive results. They have just released their seventh album, Cretinism.

FINLAND: Glue
Constables – Ludovico
With all its members born in the early 90s, Constables is a very young band and is simply inspired by the three most important things when you are 20: sex, girls and alcohol. Musically, Constables offers melodic guitars and fast rhythms with a post-punk approach. The band has just released its debut Bedroom Culture EP, which is available on SoundCloud.

GERMANY: Coltran
Poétique Électronique – Irregular Heartbeat (Video Edit)
Poétique Électronique is a clever group: they have a good band name, they know what they want to do and they know how to do it. Their musical approach stands out from the crowd as they realise when to pause and when to push. Irregular Heartbeat is a fine example of the current penchant in electronic music for soft vocals and punchy bass. As this is my final MAP submission due to time contraints, I want to say goodbye to you folks and many thanks for the great time!

GREECE: Mouxlaloulouda
Playground Noise – The Plan
Playground Noise’s second album, 8 Songs, brims with endlessly replayable, perfect pop tunes that glimmer with pure magic. Every note and transition is smooth and effortless, and there is such a wealth of brilliantly executed music. Brass and strings swarm beautifully around soaring guitars and vocals, and intense crescendos linger over delicate passages.

INDIA: NH7
Drawing Short Straws – Predator
Drawing Short Straws is a prog-rock band from Pune. This is their first single and a taste of what their debut LP will sound like. A combination of electronic and rock elements make for an interesting sound, which DSS are trying to hone.

INDONESIA: Deathrockstar
White Shoes & The Couples Company – Tam Tam Buku
One of Indonesia’s most beloved bands, White Shoes & The Couples Company make us proud. Purveyors of quality music, they’re coming with a new EP that rearranges traditional Indonesian songs and invites us to dance with them. After playing around Europe in June, they’ll release another EP documenting the tour.

IRELAND: Harmless Noise
The Violet Roadkills – Solar
Taken from their debut album Lead Kindly Light, Solar has everything The Violet Roadkills need to make a good first impression. The four-piece hail from Dublin and use electronics and instruments to take vintage concepts in a fresh direction, resulting in songs that are simultaneously geeky and cool. Solar’s assertive, warm bassline and beat build up to spangles of synths that sound like small studio commissions for 70s television shows. When the outer drift subsides, the beaming krautrock core of Solar begins to blast out, reaching a blisteringly heated finish.

JAPAN: Make Believe Melodies
Ykiki Beat – Garden
Something something summer jam. It is that time of the year when everybody starts nominating songs as the soundtrack to the warmer months, and here is the strongest candidate from the ever-sprawling Tokyo indie scene. Garden is giddiness reduced to sonic form, powered on by handclaps, neon basslines and yelpy back-up singing. At the center, though, is an irresistible jogging melody that rarely slows down. Recommended if you like: running on really hot days.

MALTA: Stagedive Malta
Andre Camilleri – Same Old Fool
In 2000, Andre Camilleri moved from Malta to Australia, where he continues to follow his musical ambitions. Having served his apprenticeship playing the streets of Berlin and Malta’s capital Valletta, wearing his trademark cowboy hat, his world is one of nostalgic reflections, acute and often intimate observations. Andre has released nine albums to date, with his influences including The Flying Burrito Brothers, Big Star, Uncle Tupelo and Hank Williams.

MEXICO: Red Bull Panamérika
Santos – La Cosita
There are plenty of people religiously devoted in northern Mexico, even the drug dealers have their own sacred figure there. Santos come from that cultural background, belonging to the ‘ruidoson’ musical scene of Tijuana. Santos is the brainchild of two brothers who have embodied their faith, but their faith comes from their lust and it is well printed in this new single. La Cosita has a very intense carnal desire and highly erotic resounding kettle drums.

NETHERLANDS: Subbacultcha!
Nouveau Vélo – Kite
A gang of best friends from small towns home-recording dreampop. Much like bike-life in Holland, Nouveau Vélo has a touch of romance to it. Kite, from their new Dazed EP, could be described as upbeat melancholia, one of those songs that makes you feel nostalgic for the things that are happening right now. Possessing a chorus that catches you straight away with its blurry guitar licks and far-off vocals, Kite is a dreamy summer anthem.

PERU: SoTB
TOURISTA – Requiem
One day Rui Pereira decided to leave his job as a publicist to follow his true passion – music. He moved to the beach and began to make songs that would form part of his first EP, Déficit de Atención, recruiting a group of experienced musicians who soon formed TOURISTA. The band mixes its electronic concerns with indie-rock, although the labels don’t matter when you start to feel a connection with the musical passion of its creators. Requiem is TOURISTA’s latest single, take a look at its funny video.

POLAND: Łukasz Kuśmierz Weblog
Milcz Serce – 22.22
Although Nawyki/Kolizje is their first studio album, Mysłowice-based trio Milcz Serce are experienced musicians. Their debut LP talks about a break-up which starts at 10pm and ends at 9am the next day. So what you hear in 22.22 is the beginning of the whole dramatic story.

PORTUGAL: Posso Ouvir Um Disco?
Elektra Zagreb – Kesey Palms
Elektra Zagreb began in Croatia, of course. After an EP, many concerts and experience, this Portuguese quartet, now living in Lisbon, recently released their debut LP, Dreams About Dying In California. Mostly inspired by rock bands, their sound is harsh, sort of The Stooges meets Suicide. Kesey Palms is a genial piece of music in which you never know what is going to happen next, a feeling that its video achieves even more.

PUERTO RICO: Puerto Rico Indie
MoreIra – Pao
José Iván Lebrón Moreira (Las Abejas, Venera-3) created MoreIra after buying a second-hand Alesis Micron keyboard from a local musician. His mind racing with new musical possibilities, José embarked on an electronic solo project that is now slowly evolving into a fully-fledged band. Pao is the first single from his debut EP, available later this year. Noisy, glitchy, yet filled with heartfelt melodies, Pao is both powerful and personal – dealing with Moreira’s paternal love toward his younger sister.

ROMANIA: Babylon Noise
Valerinne – Ins Meer
Taking inspiration from everything that surrounds them, this three-piece from Bucharest started creating atmospheric, loud and emotional instrumental music at the beginning of last year. Combining their sound with equally haunting visuals, they will transport you to twisted worlds. If you like this song, you will definitely love their album, available on Bandcamp.

SCOTLAND: The Pop Cop
Friends In America – Quietly Quietly
Such is my love for the sweeping, elegantly crafted indie-rock of Friends In America that their previous lack of recorded material resulted in me going to desperate lengths to consume their music. One time, after taking along my dictaphone to interview the band before a gig, I kept the ‘record’ button on during their live set just so that I could play their songs at home. This month, though, the waiting is over as FIA release their debut record What It Is To Be – from it we have a MAP exclusive download of the brilliantly melodious Quietly Quietly.

SOUTH AFRICA: Musical Mover & Shaker!
John Empire – Dead Stars feat. Drunk Beggar Thief
Two honours students – hip hop artist John Empire backed by producer The English – created a meeting point between hip hop and indie influences that pushes the understanding of both genres. With their song Dead Stars, the added feature of Drunk Beggar Thief gives their sound an extra dimension. Their mixtape Drunken Night Make Up has recently been released and further shows off the duo’s range and diversity.

SPAIN: Musikorner
Prisma Circus – Paradox
Prisma Circus was formed in September 2010 in Barcelona. Inspired by 70s psychedelia, with a lot of wahs and fuzz, they have toured Spain, Portugal and France, becoming the ambassadors of a new but old sound.

TURKEY: WEARTBEAT
Da Poet – Other Side feat. Ince Sarj
Da Poet, one of the most showy producers in the Turkish hip hop scene, creates an innovative, sharp sound. He tries to connect with his audience just as much without speaking and expects listeners to pay attention to the instrumental parts of hip hop.

UNITED STATES: We Listen For You
Kaleidico – Pretty Panasonic Dear
Kaleidico is a band that has been around for a few years but, being perfectionists, scrutinized every detail before releasing their first album this month. It’s dreamy, smart, catchy and all too perfect for the summer moments creeping up on us.

VENEZUELA: Música y Más
Los Mentas – Cacería (live)
Los Mentas formed in Caracas in 1998, influenced by punk and rockabilly from the early 50s, resulting in a fusion that went down well in the music scene in Venezuela. After six studio albums and 15 years of experience, they have released their first live album, Arriba Carajo!, recorded in the main rock bars of the country.

The third episode of the special summer band survival format of Yoon Do Hyun’s MUST features Galaxy Express, Goonam, No Brain, 3rd Line Butterfly, The Solutions and Deli Spice. The theme of the evening is 9010 Idol–from Seo Taiji & Boys to 2NE1.

Anna: I’m so glad to see Goonam getting another chance. Also very curious to see 3rd Line Butterfly doing a cover like this, especially considering that Nahm Sang Ah is one of the indie singers I picked as somebody I’d like to see on I Am A Singer a few years back. And I’m loving the theme of the evening. Will the 3rd episode be even better than the 2nd?

Dahee: That lineup is like a dream come true for me. Especially 3rd Line Butterfly – I have been yearning for them to join a show like this for ages now (I also wanted them to go on I Am A Singer), and now that wish has been granted. I am over the moon with excitement!

Youngmi: This lineup is a dream come true! I absolutely love every single one of these bands.

Xtian: *gliterry anime eyes* Ooooh, I’m enthralled by the names!

Lightinthemind: In this episode the rivals choice is totally random – they are taking glittering vynil disks and the same color is the sign of pairs. So I’m curious who is gonna be rivals.

1 Round: Goonam vs. The Solutions

Anna: Nice match! “Old Rock vs. Future Rock”, as the show would have it. The Solutions are getting mentored by first episode’s winners & label mates Daybreak. I like Goonam’s suggestions for artists to cover: Kim Gun Mo, Kim Gwang Seok, Fly To The Sky and UN. Oh! But they’re going for miss A!!! This will be extremely interesting.

Dahee: Haha, I love the video message Goonam sent The Solutions. What is with the random gun?? They’re quirky, all right. They don’t even know many idols, and are instead naming people like Kim Gun Mo, haha. And then they go for Miss A (without actually knowing the name of the song off the top of their heads…), and immediately perk my interest. This oughta be fun.

Goonam: “Bad Girl Good Girl” (miss A cover)

Anna: I love it!!!! The britrock feeling of the intro is completely irresistible. I even had to pause and explain the awesomeness of it all to one of my k-pop friends.  And it just continues the same way! But then what? Goonam takes it reggae with some extra percussion. Not all that good to me, even though I can appreciate the idea of not wanting to keep it too simple. After a while they fortunately return to the whiny sound reminiscing Radiohead during OK Computer, with Lim Byunghak putting down some characteristic Goonam base lines.

Lightinthemind: They take my mind away. I just can’t understand how this magic of transforming the songs work. Just how were they able to create this out of a Miss A song? Totally like it.

Dahee: Ahhhhh, this was so gorgeous!! I was already in love by the beginning, and then felt iffy about the first transition with the faster beat…and then they went back to the slower sound and I was just swept away in a wave of blissful sound. That guitar, man! That guitar!! That groove! Guhhh, so good!

Xtian: I can’t add anything else that hasn’t been said, so I’ll just add this: I want those jeweled headbands.

The Solutions: “Oh Yeah”(GD & TOP cover)

Anna: I’ll have to admit I’m not all that familiar with the original song, but this seems like it could be a fairly straightforward adaptation. Nothing to get me all that excited even if I do like me some The Solutions every now and then. The audience on the other hand seems to be sucking this right up.

Lightinthemind: I know the original and I should agree with Anna. Very simple cover just with the additional ‘woo-woo’s that immediately reminded me of Handsome People. But maybe because the song is so easily recognizable it was meet up warmly by the audience. Or probably the audience doesn’t like ‘clever’ and complicated music melodies like Goonam has. But now I have a strong feeling that they will win.

Dahee: Despite thinking that it’s not a bad arrangement (despite never having heard the original song) and that if I were actually there in the audience I’d probably have a lot of fun with this, I was rather bored watching this performance since it was so straightforward. It wasn’t until they did those mini instrumental solos that I started getting into it, really, and started to feel the excitement. Overall, it’s fun, but kind of forgettable.

Xtian: Y’all are the worst! I’m a fan of the original and this cover was barely recognizable until 30 seconds in. The ‘woo-woo’s were a nice addition to the chorus and the solos were fun. Not as mind-blowing as Goonam’s, but like the original, The Solutions’ cover is fun. The audience seems to agree.

Result

Goonam: 224
The Solutions: 251

Anna: Goonam is the easy choice for me here, but the audience seemed to be more into The Solutions and that showed in the results. They really do have different styles, as Goonam’s Joh Ung pointed out.

Dahee: And of course the more mainstream of the two performances wins…

Xtian: Kinda wished Goonam went further, but because it’s audience voting, you gotta appeal to the most common denominator.

Lightinthemind: Yep, I was right. The audience made the predictable choice.

2Round: Galaxy Express vs. 3rd Line Butterfly

Anna: This will be mighty interesting! Apparently there’s a 17 year age difference between leader Sung Kiwan and current drummer Seo Hyun Jung. Sung Kiwan’s age become hilariously obvious when he suggests 80’s star Nami as somebody to cover for this challenge.

Dahee: SO EXCITED. Sung Kiwan is adorable. I love how they are so clueless about these idol groups.

Anna: I’m enjoying Galaxy Express’ suggestions for artists to cover as well–Teen Top, Shinee, Beast–imagining what they’d do to their songs. And “Bubble Pop”! Please let us see a Galaxy cover of “Bubble Pop”! Oh!! They’re showing video from Apollo 18 guitarist Choi Hyunseok’s wedding!! While there Park Jong Hyun solicits HarryBigButton’s Park Juyoung for some advice on song choice. The groom too appears to have been asked for his opinion. I like how GE goes looking for styling advice to make them #1 after picking a song.

Dahee: I look forward to seeing their dapper outfits.

Xtian: Rooting for 3rd Line only because I haven’t seen Galaxy Express live. They have real reasons why they can’t make it to NYC, but still.

Galaxy Express – “By My Baby” (Wonder Girls cover)

Anna: Wow! And they got styled good! All of them looking really clean and well dressed rockabilly style, with Jong Hyun even keeping his hair in a ponytail. This was fun and very different from what we got to see last week. I’ll have to say I like them more when they do their own wild rock thing but it’s impossible not to enjoy this. Very light and charming.

Dahee: Whereas I am…underwhelmed. I was hoping for a wild rock arrangement of what is, quite frankly, a song that I detest…but they stuck rather closely to the original for this old school rock ‘n’ roll number, and I can’t say I really like it. It’s cute, but that’s about it. Maybe I was just so blown away by their performance last week that I want more of the same.

Xtian: I am not a fan of the So-Cal Beach Boys sound, so this performance didn’t speak to me. I felt the same way about this the way the rest of the panel felt about The Solutions.

Lightinthemind: And here again my voice is for Galaxy Express. When I just saw the performance my jaw met the the floor cause I never thought the GE guys could pull off that look and that sound. I was dancing during the entire song. And I like the Moulin Rouge theme with dancers in sh dresses.

3rd Line Butterfly – “I Love You” (2NE1 cover) + “필승” (Seo Taiji & Boys cover)

Anna: Very stylish start with “I Love You” from 3rd Line Butterfly, channeling the sexiness of their own “니가 더 섹시해 괜찮아”. Cool break into “필승” after a while with far more wilder rock and more shouting from Nahm Sang Ah, but unfortunately that part is not at all as enjoyable and takes away from the first part of the song. The next return to “필승” at the ‘아무도 모르게’ part is a much better fit with Sung Kiwan and the rest of the band too supporting with vocals. The finale was also nice, but only because it was pretty much the same as in Seo Taiji & Boys’ original. I wish 3rd Line Butterfly could’ve just stuck with “I Love You” all along.

Dahee: I love this. The opening was exquisite, and while at first I wasn’t sure about the sudden transition into the Seo Taiji song, the wild shouting very quickly won me over, and was glory to my ears after Galaxy Express’ disappointing lack of wildness. The finale was perfection itself. But most of all, I just can’t keep my eyes off of Nam Sang Ah. She is so sexy, so amazing. I want to be her when I grow up. This performance put the biggest grin on my face. I am so happy right now.

Xtian: YEEEEAAAHH!! \m/ Oh my god, now that’s a performance! Excellent sexy intro, crazy grrl rock mess for the rest, and Sang Ah’s oozing personality. I love 3rd Line Butterfly and the work they did on these two songs was amazing. My heart’s soaring with rock happiness :D

Lightinthemind: That is what I call magic once again. And here you can understand why the critics love 3rd Line Butterfly as this band is searching for craziness and sexiness in many ways. But this cover is too clever and complicated for the public to eat. We’ll see how they vote.

Result

Galaxy Express: 248
3rd Line Butterfly: 232

Anna: Wow, that was much closer than I had expected. If 3rd Line Butterfly had not tried to do so much

Dahee: And again, the more mainstream performance wins. I’m starting to get annoyed by these voters…

XTIAN: NOOOOOO!!!!!

Lightinthemind: Predictable…

3Round: Deli Spice vs. No Brain

Anna: No Brain already have good experience with this sort of performances since their time as regulars on Immortal Song 2 so I imagine they may be quite the challenge for Deli Spice. Deli Spice may be able to kill it just with their song pick, though. Even my own all time favorite idol Kang Ta cheers them on after they decided to go with “Candy”.

Dahee: This should be interesting, considering how different the two bands are. Deli Spice definitely look more nervous than No Brain do, maybe because they feel the pressure with this being their third time on the show and all.

Xtian: I got no real hat in the ring, but after sorely losing to GE, all I want is more good performances.

Lightinthemind: Still can’t understand the system. Why are they here for the third time? But let it be a good performance. Even though their rivals are strong.

Deli Spice – “Candy” (H.O.T. cover)

Anna: Lovely intro on the acoustic guitar, and this time we get a special sweetpea treat as soon as Kim Min Kyu starts singing. After the first refrain the full band joins, but instead of turning into Deli Spice as I had hoped, we get more of a country feel to the arrangement. Not at all what I had expected and frankly not as good as had it been just Kim Min Kyu and that guitar throughout.

Dahee: This is cute, and strikes me as being pretty brave, considering that the chances of the audience voting for this kind of country style arrangement seem quite low. I appreciate that they’re bringing some more diversity to this show, and I like that they made me really focus on the lyrics to this song for the first time – it’s a very sweet little love song, isn’t it? I can’t say I was blown away by this, though.

Xtian: Where’s that Guiness? Coulda sworn I had one… That was so cute! I was gonna blast it for the slow intro, but the quicker pace and the fiddle brought me around. Grinning ear to ear, this guy is.

Lightinthemind: Boring beginning that made me think they decided to go safety way to please all that little girls in the audience but adding country feel made it better. Still not what I expected. Can they win with this lack of stage energy?

No Brain – “여름안에서” (Deux cover)

Anna: This song lends itself well to covers and is never more right than this time of the year. Lee Sung Woo’s rough voice doesn’t really suit the melody line, but the punk infused arrangement makes up for part of it. Not too fond of the break into Yoon Do Hyun’s old “오! 필승 코리아”, but I suspect that’s mostly because I could never really stand that song. As negative as I may sound, I still like it though. I’d probably enjoy this plenty should I ever hear go to a No Brain concert and hear it there.

Dahee: Why are Lee Sung Woo’s vocals so pitchy here? It’s very distracting. I’m not fond of the break into the YB song either, and as a matter of fact, I’m not fond of this entire performance. It’s a boring, very standard arrangement, with nothing new to offer. They’re not even serving up the kind of energy that I usually expect from No Brain. I’m disappointed.

Xtian: Y’all are being too harsh (I’m one to talk, I know, I know), but this was not a bad performance. Yeah, we’ve heard better from No Brain, but this cover was pretty cool. Deli Spice deserves the win, but No Brain’s energy on stage is undeniable. It helped carry that song.

Lightinthemind: Don’t want to sound harsh but I have a feeling they didn’t want to struggle that much trying to create something outstanding. They showed exactly what punk bands are – full of energy, furious sometimes, sometimes out of sync but still pretty fun. Overall impression: good but not amazed.

Result

Deli Spice: 218
No Brain: 232

Anna: Aw, Deli Spice! Not that I mind this week. I’m with the audience on this one.

Dahee: Wow, not a single one of my favourites from this episode got voted in. This is making me grumpy.

Xtian: Eh.

Lightinthemind: Erh… Strange… For this audience I mean.

The Solutions vs. Galaxy Express vs. No Brain

Anna: There were plenty of weird sticks in the arrangements this week, but even so my favorite overall would’ve been Goonam. Now they didn’t even make the top 3, so instead I’m hoping for Galaxy Express to bring this home.

Dahee: I think it’s pretty clear that out of these three, Galaxy Express deserves the win the most…and are also the most likely to win.

Xtian: C’mon Solutions!

Winner: Galaxy Express

Anna: Go Galaxy Express! Good job!

Dahee: Very predictable, but I’m glad they won. Looking forward to their performance in the final episode!

Xtian: Ugh! But I loved this episode. Great line-up of bands and some crazy cool performances. I know for sure that I’ll be replaying 3rd Line’s as soon as I hit period.

Lightinthemind: They deserve it!

The second episode of Yoon Do Hyun’s MUST‘s summer special sees Deli Spice return to the competition, this time facing Peterpan Complex, Galaxy Express, Romantic Punch, Goonam and Thornapple.

Anna: Do we get to see Deli Spice again because they got the second highest score last week? So happy for a chance to see Peterpan Complex on TV and very excited to have both Galaxy Express and Goonam here. Thornapple seems like the odd one as they, from my view overseas, seems to be the least accomplished band in the bunch, even though their music is well worth recognition.

Youngmi: It looks like there’s a theme to each week. The theme of the second episode is “taboo.” So I’m assuming bands will take advantage of this great freedom and be more than a little rebellious with their song choices and performance antics! How exciting! It feels so good to be bad!

Dahee: I’m a little confused about Deli Spice returning to the competition so quickly…not that I’m complaining. I just think it would have been okay to wait another week. I’m loving the line-up though. And like Youngmi, I’m digging the theme of taboo. Hopefully this will encourage the bands to be more badass.

1Round: Peterpan Complex vs. Deli Spice

Anna: Peterpan Complex will cover Nami!! I hope to see some well placed dance moves from Jeon Ji Han borrowing from the original choreography. Oh, and Jeon Ji Han goes camping with Kim Min Kyu and Yoon Jun Ho? So sweet! Would love to hear a collaboration between the two bands.

Youngmi: Are they preparing for the Grammys or something? Goodness, they’re putting a lot of effort into this! It seems like Peterpan Complex and Deli Spice have been friends for a long time. How cute is it to see them camping together?

Lightinthemind: Started to watching the show thoroughly from this episode but gosh! I’m so glad that producers give lots of freedom to bands to have the chance to create the sort of performance that they really want to do.

Dahee: What I’m really liking about this show so far is its laidback feel. The bands are competing against each other, sure, but there’s no real pressure about it. It’s such a refreshing change of pace from all the overly dramatic audition shows out there. And yes, the camping is adorable.

Peterpan Complex – “보이네” (Nami cover)

Anna: Jeon Ji Han singing in front of a video of himself playing the piano! It’s not one of Nami’s more energetic songs and Peterpan Complex keep it dull in the start, but after a while they’re making it seem like it was a dance track all along. I wouldn’t say this is Peterpan Complex at their best, but nevertheless it is an entertaining enough performance.

Youngmi: I really like their concept of showing logos of diverse brand names on the screen which is totally not allowed on Korean television. I think this is one of those arrangements that I will randomly find myself singing along to while grocery shopping. It’s pretty darn catchy.

Lightinthemind: I wasn’t very optimistic with the cover from the start of the song, thinking with a sign that it is one more boring ballad-esque version with piano and pretty vocals but thanks god everything changed) I think I should trust Peterpan Complex more. They didn’t disappoint me by decorating the main theme with elements like electronic drums amplifying the drum part and the distorted vocals of Kim Kyung Min. I must say they showed a good example of authentic synth pop.

Dahee: This was fun! While I agree with Anna that this wasn’t Peterpan Complex at their best, it was still quirky and energetic and engaging. I also love the logo concept, and had fun reading all the deliberately misspelled brand names. Although I think that as long as Jeon Ji Han keeps dancing, I could dig anything they do, really…

Deli Spice – “행복의 나라로” (Han Dae Soo cover)

Anna: Oh! So the camping part with the ukulele was actually part of setting the stage for this week’s Deli Spice performance! As much as I enjoy a good ukulele tune, I can’t help but think Kim Min Kyu’s voice deserves so much more so I’m relieved when the band joins him. Another very Deli Spice-esque performance and as formulaic as it is I gotta love it. But those clowns jumping in on stage with huge balls? Would’ve been much better without them.

Youngmi: What better way to stick with the theme than performing a banned song that suggests individuality and freedom?! Yeah! Anyways, I liked the performance because I felt Deli Spice was really trying to bring the song (and its meaning) justice which wasn’t appreciated much at the time.  Yes, the clowns and the balls were a bit confusing, but it was an attempt to express the joy and expression that are found in the lyrics. I embarrassingly admit I wasn’t that aware of the veteran indie band Deli Spice, but I’m quickly becoming a big fan!

Lightinthemind: I feel like for Deli Spice this sort of fancy decorations at the performances is probably a habit cause when I saw them at the Grand Mint Festival everything was brighten up with led screens and lots and lots o  varicoloured fireworks that lasted really long, not as usual for the bands. Anyway, about the song I agree with Anna – they showed true Deli Spice song with the energy needed for modern rock. There’s not that much to say about a band which each time is performing on the same high level.

Dahee: They seem much more relaxed this week. The vocals are way better, too. And yeah, the arrangement is formulaic, but who cares when they’re having so much fun and are clearly so intent on getting across the message of the song? And I actually liked the ukulele, balloons and the clowns…I thought it really suited the lyrics, and gave the performance the boost of whimsy that it needed. I think this could easily have become a boring performance without all the added bits.

Result

Peterpan Complex: 249
Deli Spice: 221

Anna: Both bands are great, but in my mind it will be difficult for any band to win over Deli Spice. Still, it was a fair win for Peterpan Complex.

Youngmi: Does this still not add up to 500? Were they not able to get 500 audience members for the show? Hmm

Lightinthemind: I’d better choose Deli Spice, but again, it’s hard to say who is better here.

Dahee: I’m a little surprised, since I thought the audience would surely pick the more standard performance. But I’m not complaining, since I enjoyed both.

2Round: Thornapple vs. Romantic Punch

Anna: Both bands will be doing k-pop covers–I like it!

Youngmi: The Thornapple members are so young and awkward it’s adorable. I’ve never heard of them before, but I’m excited to see how they will cover f(x)’s “Pinocchio”! I always tend to prefer Kpop covers over the original songs. Let’s get this round started!

Lightinthemind: Wow! They even made a video with f(x) cheering on the band! That is cute! And it’s good that they invited Thornapple, who are not a new band but still don’t have much experience within such shows.

Dahee: I’m not overly familiar with Thornapple myself, but am digging that both bands went with K-pop covers. They’re sure to make these songs a lot more digestible for me. And I’m just happy to see Romantic Punch again after Top Band 2. Look, it’s Kim Kyung Ho, their rocker coach with the beautiful hair!

Thornapple – “피노키오” (Danger) (f(x) cover)

Anna: I’m loving the vibe from Thornapple as the song opens. A bit psychedelic with props that really do set a somewhat dangerous mental hospital vibe. And the make-up! Do the Thornapple guys always look like this? After the first refrain I feel like that this depressing thing has been going on for too long already and keep waiting for a change, but that could just be that my attention span is not what i used to be. By the second refrain the arrangement takes a welcome turn adding a bit more drive and I can get into it again. Good choice putting them on the show!

Youngmi: Thornapple looks great on stage first of all! They have every right to be a little nervous, but are truly engaging the audience through this dark cover. There’s definitely a sense of eeriness and even a little creepiness in the lyrics that I’ve never even noticed before. YB’s bassist compliments them on their bass riff and I took thought their overall sound was stellar! Looks like I’ve found a new band to listen to!

Lightinthemind: I’ve seen Thornapple on the Club FF stage this spring and should say I totally like their vibes and psychedelic sound. Usually they don’t wear that make-up but the stage behavior and energy is almost the same. At first I really wondered what they can do with that pop song made for female voices and worried about the result. But the outcome! Strange, partly gothic with a scene creepily arranged with those naked mannequins. Maybe a slightly flat main theme but after you get into the mood you don’t even see that, you are diving into the song. So yes, I liked it.

Dahee: I’m really digging the mood and vibe that they’re going for, and I think they have some good ideas…but parts of this performance definitely fell a little flat, and the intro really was too long. I guess the original song itself was too repetitive for them to do something more interesting with the singing bits sooner. On the other hand, that ending was stellar. Basically, I really liked the beginning, then got bored and a little confused, and then was brought back to their side by the awesome instrumental at the end. I am definitely going to check out their music after this.

Romantic Punch – “주문 (Mirotic)” (TVXQ cover)

Anna: Hear the girls scream as Romantic Punch prepare to enter the stage. Very gothic setting. As the song gets started it’s heavier than I had expected, but wow it’s good! What an amazing chorus! And when Bae In Hyuk takes off his sun glasses and reveals those vampire eyes! Wow! The entire performance is fantastic.

Youngmi: “Mirotic”? More like erotic, am I right? Hehe. Anyways, bad jokes aside Romantic Punch brought out all the stops for this performance. Bae In Hyuk has such a dynamic stage presence I think he is what makes the band so special and why this kind of thing works so well for them.

Lightinthemind: I screamed like those girls when I heard that Romantic Punch covered “Mirotic” cause this song made me  jump into the world of Korean music. If not for “Mirotic” you wouldn’t be able to read my blog. Sounds strange but it is the fact. But you know what? Bae In Hyuk’s stage presence is awesome, but I wasn’t able to get rid of the feeling that their series of joint concerts with Wiretap in My Ear played a huge role in this cover. Just take a look at the feather decoration of the guitarist! At the manicure with long nails and just all the gestures of Bae In Hyuk! No doubt, I see Lee Hyuk’s influence in him. There was only one thing disturbing me – those backdancers who at first were just dancing out of sync with both music and style, but when they turned into zombies I felt like they had the right to be on the scene.

Dahee: I am kind of blown away right now. AWESOME. Bae In Hyuk is always incredible, but he was especially amazing in this performance. Those screams! Those growls! And those vampire eyes! I love everything about this…well, with the exception of those back-up dancers, who I felt were unnecessary. This band has Bae In Hyuk, that’s all the entertainment we need!

Result

Thornapple: 211
Romantic Punch: 274

Anna: Thornapple did well and I would’ve loved to see them go farther than this, but if Romantic Punch can prompt this reaction from me by the TV I can only imagine how excited the audience in place was. No shame shall come to Thornapple from this. Congratulations, Romantic Punch!

Youngmi: Thornapple did an incredible job and I think they will benefit the most from this experience! The obscure lyrics and arrangements for both songs fit well with the theme too.

Lightinthemind: I feel sorry for Thornapple but these days winning over Romantic Punch is very hard. RoPun had a very powerful yet thoughtful cover so Thornapple should take this experience as an advantage to go forward.

Dahee: I’m not surprised, and I’m happy, too. Romantic Punch deserves the win. I hope Thornapple will pull a Deli Spice and return to the show soon.

3Round: Galaxy Express vs. Goonam

Anna: Galaxy and Goonam! They just got home from the Korea Rocks UK tour playing together and now they have to play against each other… Oh! And they’re showing clips from the tour as well!!! Both bands have made great song choices. Now let the best band win!

Youngmi: Galaxy Express and Goonam are two of my absolute favorite Korean bands so I’m so stoked for this round! Looks like Galaxy completed everything that was needed for the performance while touring in the UK. Efficient!

Lightinthemind: I liked the way Jonghyun pronounced ‘You and Me’ while making the choice between the bands, feels like being on the same tour helped to build a good relationship between the two bands.

Dahee: I am so stoked for this. Also I’m very impressed by how responsible and efficient Galaxy Express were while preparing for this performance. Poor Goonam, they’re still suffering from jetlag…

Galaxy Express – “바람” (Kim Jung Mi cover)

Anna: High energy from the start and it continues throughout. Galaxy Express–Never boring. The harmonizing in the refrain is great and I like just about everything with this straightforward rock explosion. Except maybe for the smashed guitar in the end. That was a tad bit unnecessary, making Yoon Do Hyun stand with his mouth open. But then Jong Hyun makes some fan very, very happy by throwing what is left of it into the audience so at least it wasn’t for nothing.

Youngmi: I think Galaxy Express is one of those few bands that can keep things simple without being boring or cliche. I love this performance because it’s a perfect representation of their sound, energy and overall mental craziness. I just about fell in love with the band all over again. Plus, what’s more taboo than smashing your instruments on stage?! Straight up rock and roll badassery. They’re my favorite for a reason!

Lightinthemind: I should blame myself and cry out loud but I didn’t have the chance to see GE live. But I always have them in  my playlist for the periods when I need to enjoy the world. What is the better way to do it than the pure energy of rock’n’roll? About smashing the guitar – please tell me what other show could have allowed that? And that is totally amazing if comparing with Top Band. Bands being judged and appreciated by an established band, what is better?

Dahee: Fantastic!! So much energy throughout. I was completely swept away. When you stop and think about it, there’s nothing overly unique about this arrangement, but they made it work somehow. I love the flag bearers, the breaking of instruments, the jumping into the audience…I love everything about this.

Goonam – “주저하지 말아요” (Kim Hyun Sik cover)

Anna: Goonam!!! Before seeing them in the UK I didn’t really expect much, but now I have high hopes that in spite of the cold that has struck the band, they will be able to deliver something worthy to compete with Galaxy Express. The beginning does seem a bit tame, but half-way through the tempo increases and we get to see Kim Naun bring it behind the keyboard while the two Goonam members are as charming as always. The performance didn’t bring that distinct Goonam vibe I was hoping for, but it was still a very good one.

Youngmi: A sick Goonam is not a good Goonam, but they still brought that groove I love so much from them. Naun is such a gem in this group! Not only she is adorable, but she really keeps the rhythm going with her cute stage presence. Nice 19+ song choice (hehe), but Galaxy looks hard to beat!

Lightinthemind: The band which still remains a sort of dark horse for me. I feel like I should appreciate them anyway. Going to the stage being ill is the kind of heroism which is the second nature of Korean bands, I think. The stage presence and the sound itself bring the feeling of different times, or maybe even a parallel world, cause my mind while listening to them can’t concentrate on the present.

Dahee: I’m really liking the mood that they’re going for, and love parts of this performance…but as a whole, there were transitions that were definitely a little jarring, and I think it’s pretty clear that they didn’t have a lot of time to work on this. With a little more work, this could have become something truly amazing. As it is though, it’s still very good, and I’m loving the little touches like the back-up dancers. Amazing energy, too, considering that they were sick and jetlagged at the time.

Result

Galaxy Express: 252
Goonam: 209

Anna: Aw, too bad for Goonam but well deserved of Galaxy Express.

Youngmi: Gah I like both of these teams a lot! They both did great!

Lightinthemind: I’m sorry but as expected.

Dahee: Not at all surprising.

Peterpan Complex vs. Romantic Punch vs. Galaxy Express

Anna: Great bands all three of them. I like Galaxy Express more of the three, but as much as I enjoyed their performance tonight Romantic Punch wowed me the most. Looking to the performances the line-up felt much stronger this time than in the first episode.

Youngmi: Go Galaxy Express go!

Lightinthemind: If somebody ever tried to make a choice between those two who I like (RoPun and GE) I would feel like Buridanov’s ass not being able to make any move and finally would die.

Dahee: I am so conflicted. I love them all, although Romantic Punch and Galaxy Express definitely had the strongest performances tonight. Honestly I would be happy with any of these bands winning…although if we go by creativity alone, then Romantic Punch is the clear winner.

Winner: Romantic Punch

Youngmi: Ah Romantic Punch’s powerful vampire performance left a lasting impression! Good for them!

Anna: I’m glad you thought of vampires too. I got confused when Scott started talking about luxury zombies, knowing I haven’t kept up with the zombie trend of recent years. Great job by Romantic Punch.

Lightinthemind: Congratulations, RoPun!

Dahee: I think Scott was referring to the zombie dancers. Anyway, congrats to Romantic Punch! It’s well-deserved…although I want to see Galaxy Express and Peterpan Complex at the final too…can both bands please come back for another episode??

“Timelines” forgoes an introduction and starts as a much more upbeat song than their others. The previous songs were more ambient and focused on electronica and synth, but Timelines sounds like it could easily be played by a full band. The song is a progression in their style and it sounds like they are continuing to evolve in what their sound will be.

If you’ve gotten their other songs, then “Timelines” is another great addition.