from MUSIC ROOM:
Honey Family and Seo Moon Tak
The two best groups in the top ten right now are Honey Family and Seo Moon Tak. They cover completely different genres (Honey Family is hip hop, Seo Moon Tak is rock), but they far outclass any of the girl/boy groups taking up space in the top ten today.
As far as I can tell, I'm the only who noticed how good Seo Moon Tak's debut album was. Her music didn't get much air time, although a couple of videos Loving You, Loving Me [RealAudio] and Evergreen Love [RealAudio] did play occasionally on the waves. RKI/KBS did an interview with Seo Moon Tak with the release of her first album, but more people seemed interested in her because she has "a voice like a man."
I'm pleased to announce that not only does Seo Moon Tak have a new album, she also has a single in the top ten on several of the pop charts. Seo Moon Tak 2 came out in September, and a month later, she had a hit on her hands. In a recent interview [RealAudio], the artist discusses her new music and new look (apparently she got tired of audiences thinking she wasn't feminine enough).
Saseul (Chain) [RealAudio], the second track on the CD, is a strong rock ballad that makes for a blessed island of substance amongst the pabulum of this month's pop hits. The lead guitar is good as always, and the lyrics are compelling. The video [RealAudio] for Chain is visually attractive. The producers make good use of the black-and-white/color contrast in contrasting sections of the song.
The one other CD out there worth the 8,500 won you're likely to spend for it is Honey Family Another Level. This is a project hip hop group that--like most other hip hop groups--never sees much of their music on the pop charts. Although Drunken Tiger remains my favorite hip hop group currently recording, Honey Family is producing some good noise.
The song to listen for right now is Wuh Wuh [RealAudio], a subtly funky tune with some weird sounds going on in it. The rhythm is tight and there is nothing to complain about with this one. Honey Family gets high marks from me because I can't think of anyone to compare them to. That tells me they're doing something original and--more importantly--Korean.
The other HF song that deserves to show up on the charts is Sunny Day [RealAudio]. From the opening beats, it is obvious this song has something different going for it. It's got a slightly Soca cum reggae beat and snappy lyrics. I've heard people criticize Honey Family because they don't sound American enough, but in my mind, that's a good thing. Maybe rap is an inherently "American" sound, but music has always been malleable and fluid, and it's time more of these new groups took advantage of those characteristics.
By Denise Ahn
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