This is my first post for the site, and it turned out to be kind of a crash course. Putting together a ranking or shortlist is purely based on personal taste, but I chose from around 30 albums, which I think is a decent amount. I hope this list can show a glimpse of the K-Indie landscape.
This also made me aware for the first time of the amount of new music that I had listened to. I believe that discovering new music is one of the foundations of this site so I hope this post encourages you to continue doing so. Now the time has come to introduce my picks:
ADOY : her
The four-piece band has the perfect formula to renew themselves while staying true to their style. In this case, this development of style feels similar to storytelling. While listening to the EP, I thought that this album could definitely be the soundtrack of a movie. I personally have a higher regard for LPs; for a matter of quantity or duration it is easier for a complete album to fully express a concept or an idea, or simply have more hits. This is one of those cases where quality is better than quantity.
Drinking Boys and Girls Choir : Marriage License
The group has reached maturity, and their first album seems very distant. That album was brimming with rebellion even in its tracklist ensemble. There was a variety of styles for all tastes, that at the same time could feel a bit heterogeneous. Two years later the band seems to have passed adolescence and found its identity… one that still has the rebellious side.
TRPP : TRPP
Ironically, the youngest are the ones who remind us the most about the past the most. This record has so much reverb and fuzzy guitars that it feels like a trip to the 90’s, or even 80’s. This is a journey that takes us through shoegaze, post-punk, and psychedelic rock. Don’t get confused, this album is not an imitation of those they grew up admiring, these young guys really know what they are doing.
Park Hye Jin : Before I Die
This was a difficult decision, but it wasn’t a matter of quality. I’m afraid to sound a bit of a hipster but it was her rise in popularity that made me hesitate, although halfway between Indie and mainstream. Keep in mind that it is just her first LP and one that has an interesting tracklist of 15 songs with several highlights. Accordingly, the level of production also shows her growth. What I have no doubts about is that it’s an album that you must listen to.
KIRARA (키라라) : 4
This list has no order so I don’t want to show favoritism, but there is an old saying in my country that says that the best comes last. Oh, and what a finale… I even delayed putting together this list waiting for its release, and it lived up to expectations. The atmosphere it generates is darker than her other works, kind of works like a mirror of these strange times we are living in. What she does not skimp on in this album is the intensity and energy to which she has accustomed us; an energy that invites us to jump out of our seats and dance.
Mauro U
Frustrated auteur filmmaker that works for the corp. I used to mosh but I'm too old for that stuff so I prefer to write reviews now.