The first new band we'll look at is GIGS. This group seems to favor a sound somewhere between rock and funk. On their debut album Band of Innovation, they've got a couple of funk songs. Nohooljah1x [RealAudio] has a real disco groove. Champ [RealAudio] borders on an older Motown (or even gospel) sound.

The group Hip Pocket has an appealing sound. The cover art on their CD made me think this would be a laidback, doobie-smoking 1970s band, but that was a false impression. Muhridok (Head Poison) [RealAudio], which is the third track on the CD, is more or less a rhythm rap song with a lot of scratching to set the beat. Track eight, To Go or Not To Go [RealAudio], gets its drive from the lead and rhythm guitars. This is a pretty neat rock song.

A couple of people have been asking me about the new Sky album, Final Fantasy. I find Yung Wyeon [RealAudio] a very perplexing song. It opens with this beautifully dramatic music, almost as if it was written for the climactic moment in a sound track. After that it turns into a aggressive punk song, and then it sinks into a quiet ballad, only to turn into a punk song again. And then back into a dramatic soundtrack. Unjehnah Hangsang Nae Kyeteh [RealAudio] is a bit more predictable. This is a straight-forward ballad (I wouldn't have believed the same group did both of these songs).

Mina is another new artist. Her first album Love In Me is just now available. The first single to be released is probably going to be Dream Lover [RealAudio], an R&B-influenced song.

Byungyunguhrowui Penji [RealAudio] (track three on the CD) is very similar in feel and tone, and fans of R&B should be happy with this album.

A lot of established groups are also releasing new albums this month. The popular group GOD has its second CD out (appropriately title Chapter Two). I got hung up writing this article because I kept playing Saranghae Gorigu Gieogae (I Love and Remember You) [RealAudio] over and over again. It's a little different than their big hit Uhmunimgge" (To Mother1x) from Chapter One, but if you liked that one, you'll probably like this one as well. The other new GOD song that I listened to is Say God [RealAudio], which is one of those rap songs that seem to consist mostly of the performer's name.

Growing is the title of the sixth release by Kim Gun Mo. Naegeh Dagaool Nuhl Hae [RealAudio] is R&B bordering on jazz. I like the vocals on this one?the upper registers are beautiful. Chutsarang [RealAudio] is also from the jazz family, but it has the lilting quality of a show tune rather than a sultry, throaty sound.

Ria is on her fourth album now. I like the spunk of Gobaeksungsah [RealAudio]. The vocal line has a punchiness in it that gives the melody some life. I also give positive marks to Black Wedding Trio [RealAudio]. She really attacks the notes of this song, reminding me a bit of Park Ki Young in her presentation.

Is it true that Byun Jin Seob is on his ninth album? Now that's staying power. I think the first single to be released off 20B will be Dashi Doraon Nuhehgeh (I Came Back to You) [RealAudio]. This is a very pretty piece and I would buy the CD just to have it. Nouhl Mooryub [RealAudio], the ninth track on 20B, is more dramatic in nature.

NRG, of course, has a completely different sound. Face [RealAudio] is a techno punk experiment. It lacks the antagonistic posturing of punk, but it retains the basic beat of that genre. At least the group tries a variety of different things. Nuh1x Na1x [RealAudio] opens up like a pretty little pop song and doesn't stray far from that pattern.

Would you like to Comment on this article or send it to a friend? You can do either one just below where you see: