All those people who thought Country Kko Kko was merely a novelty act must be surprised to see this duo show up in the number one spot on the charts with the single O1x Gani (Oh1x Are You Leaving?) [RealAudio]. The secret to Country Kko Kko's success is simple--they're fun, they dance funny, and they lack the pretentious posing of other pop groups. It's an interesting time right now, watching Country Kko Kko being stalked on the charts by Roora's Poong Byun Gee Gok [RealAudio]. And if Roora doesn't catch up with that song, the group's single Summer of Love [MP3] is also climbing fast toward number one.

Now that summer is fully underway, the up-tempo beach and dance club tunes are ruling the charts. Listen to Sad Salsa [RealAudio] by Baek Ji Young if you doubt this. It's not the purest of salsa's, but should be good for a few wild moments on the beach. Also trying to cash in the season is Moonchild with Taeyangeun Gadeughi (Summer Couple) [RealAudio], a rock-and-roll-ish tune.

Cool is also pushing a summer sound with Maekjoo Wah Ddangkong [RealAudio], a Baby Vox type of song. This is a light-hearted dance hit with just the slightest suggestion of techno behind it. And speaking of Baby Vox, their new single Baeshin [RealAudio] has replaced Why [RealAudio] on the charts this week.

One of my favorite groups, Jaurim, is back on the charts with a third album, The Wonderland. The new hit song is called Magic Carpet Ride [RealAudio] and it's reminiscent of the B-52s (only not quite as manic). Jaurim will probably never make it big with the bubblegum crowd, but they do deserve attention. The slightly (and deliberately) dissonant tones of Jaurim's Orange Marmalade [RealAudio] are a nice change from the pabulum of ordinary pop music.

Listeners looking for the summer's ballad might look into Bootak [RealAudio] by Kim Won Jun. The first chords have an anthem-like character but the song in general is gentle with a few dramatic upsweeps. Another good ballad out is Geudaegah Geudaereul [RealAudio] by Lee Seung Hwan. This song comes from his new CD collection Long Live Dream Factory, a 3 CD set that includes new songs, greatest hits and videos.

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