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LED Apple - Bad Boys (MV Review)

6/17/2013

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Bad Boys or Cabana Boys?

LED Apple never fails to show spunk in their music, and of course in their MVs as well. This one feels very Spicy summer night in a South Beach club and I like it. The dual vocal set up in a band with real instruments is always one of my very favorite band designs, but it does lend even more credence to the idea that they're a cabana group performing on a hot night in Florida. Kang Yebin's feature is fabulous. She's brings just enough girl power attitude and seductive sexiness to the picture to make it all come together perfectly, especially with how she invites Hanbyul off the stage and is surprised and happy when he accepts.

My favorite part, though, is how much fun it looks like they're all having. Even if they're really miserable, that they LOOK like they're having a blast is important for this sort of summertime release and they do it perfectly. I honestly think that they really are having a great time and that just makes the video all the more fun to watch. This MV really is the picture of sexy summertime fun, just scandalous enough to be 'grown up' and yet so playful you can't help but smile like a five year old through the whole thing.

I Give It AN 8/10: Fabulous!

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After School - First Love (MV Review)

6/17/2013

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Sexy Smoothe

First of all, I LOVE anything that shows pole dancing as genuinely athletic, not to mention elegant and intricate in a way that isn't purely sex-for-show. I found the color-scheme to be an interesting choice. At first I thought it was too jarring but after a few views I warmed up to it for some reason. I'm not sure why. All of the colors compliment each other well and I like the pattern of the parts in blue. It also goes well with the styling. This is not my favorite AS look. Some of the individual pieces are cool, a shirt here, a dress there, tights, a few hairstyles.Over all though, it's not my favorite.

It's also not my favorite choreography. I LOVE the pole dancing parts, but the on the ground group moves are meh. The reason I fell in love with Flashback was that beautiful line of choreo that permeated the piece (and went entirely, abusively, ignored in the MV). I've made sure to watch this live a few times before deciding, but really the Choreo's pretty bland. It's sexy, certainly, but nothing spectacular.

I like the song. It's a nice smoothe RnB track. Some people have been saying that it's dull, but honestly it's just slower than most people like to hear.  It's a very well done track, lots of power and drive behind it's movement, like inertia verses zippy speed. Over all a pretty great release.

I give it a 7/10: Me Gusta.

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SISTAR - Give It To Me (Music Review)

6/17/2013

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Top Track: Hey You

Final Score: 6.5/10

Promotional Track ~

Give It To Me is a lovely track. It's smoothe and smoldering and yet excitingly intense with the high-energy piano and strings. The pattern of the bass is refreshing too, after a summer of dance-tracks with bass-on-every-beat-and-only-the-beat. The instrumentation is well spatialized and balanced with the vocals. It's also terribly catchy and the performance of the voices is beautiful. It's a track with a decent shape, but the shape isn't structured to hold much more than attention. As a flashy promo track it's perfect, but it's not the best for listening to independently. And yet there's too much complexity and detail for it to be relegated to BGM. It would make for GREAT workout music.

I give it a 7/10: Me Gusta!

Other Tracks ~

Miss Sistar is bubbly and bright, bringing in the RnB style of smoothness that carries through the concept. The English is fun and the deep voice is great against the girls' sopranos. It's a great and energetic intro.
The Way You Make Me Melt is very relaxed. Geeks' appearance is lovely. It suits the song and the girls' voices very well. The song has a simple structure but not a boring one and it's well balanced. The mix is a bit bass heavy, and as someone addicted to the lower freq levels . . . when I think the bass needs to be turned down it NEEDS to be turned down. It's fabulous music for just chillen in the summer sun.
Bad Boy has a lovely bright toned melody that's fantastically catchy. The song moves very well and the rhythms are wonderfully intricate. The vocals are are all strong and well complimented by the instrumentation.
Summer Time is another bright track, filled with fantastic energy. It's great summer-party music. The song's fun, and catchy, and well balanced, it even moves well, but it lacks a certain spark for me.I can't specify a reason I don't love this track, but I don't. It's a great track and I really like, but I just don't love it.
A Week makes me very happy. It's a nice relaxed track with this subdued energy. It moves well and I really like the rap/soprano interpay in the bridge. The harmonica is a nice touch as well.
Crying makes for a nice ballad, particularly in compliment to Give It To Me. It has a vague sad-show-girl vibe, and good build. The volume increases and the pitch raises and the fill becomes fuller in a very elegant raising of tension.
Hey You has a great Euro-dance/Anthem feel. The intro and the first verse has the vocals mixed a little oddly, they sit very high in the mix. Once it gets into the 1st chorus everything's fine. The chorus is lovely and it contrasts well with the rap verses. The bridge is fun, but I feel like they could have made it a bit more dramatic by cutting more of the instrumentation. I still like it.
If You Want stands as another direct compliment to Give It To Me. It's more lounge-singer and the high synths are a fabulous balance to the more sultry vocals. The piano and the bass lend a great live-venue vibe, and the synths draw in an element of whimsy. The bridge is surprisingly well suited to it's place. All in all, a good track.
Up and Down is breathy and sweet. The bass gets a bit muddled and really feels unnecessary for the most part, annoying background buzz. Other than that the song moves well and is quite fun.

I give them a 6/10: Good Job!
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F.cuz - Hello Again

6/15/2013

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Well, That was not my favorite . . .

I LOVE F.cuz. I love them so much that I probably give them way more benefit of the doubt than I ever should, but honestly even with my unconditional love for them, this was pretty awful. The song is tragic, it's barely suited for the tune it's been squished into some parts are out of tune and way off key. All the vocals have low-cut issues and they don't mesh with each other let alone the track. At first I thought it was a revamp issue, going from a 4-voice Korean version to a 5-voice Japanese version, but then I remembered that Dreaming I is way  too recent for that to be a problem. Then there's also the whitewashing, the whole MV is sub-saturated, color-drained, and it really has no thematic reason to be. The styling's incredibly dull, preppy and severely in lack of spark. All of the boys have too-similar, dull brown hair cuts, and nothing to draw special-attention differentiations so that new fans might have a hope of getting to know the members individually. The story is cute, but it's confusing and not told very elegantly.

Dreaming I was great, truly wonderful, and that makes the sting of this disappointment all the worse.

.5/10: You Didn't Even Try At All, Did You?

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Crayon Pop - Bar Bar Bar (MV Review)

6/15/2013

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Funny is ALWAYS in Style.

Crayon Pop has a history of delivering hilarious MVs and they have lived up to their reputation with this one. The girls are both adorable and completely kick ass, and I like that they're not the clean cut sort of pop stars that we've gotten so used to. Their image is very real-person meets comedic-insanity and it's quite refreshing. The MV's story is not terribly complicated, but it's not the usual, so it doesn't particularly come across as the same old thing. Structurally, it drags in places, but the shots it lingers on are typically very funny. The song is sub-par, but it's a very fun and aggressively playful release.

It's generally entertaining, but nothing terribly special. I enjoyed it and I have hope that they can bring up their sound's level of quality so that it doesn't just fade into the background of their funny and vaguely-satiric MVs.

4/10: Meh, Not Bad.

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SISTAR - Give It To Me (MV Review)

6/15/2013

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Circus to Showgirl, Sexy Stardom to a T.

First of all I found it very interesting that they could go from eerie abandoned circus grounds to bright and colorful clean so well. It's beautifully done, the strategic outfit/setting changes and clever camera cuts. I really love the editing of it all, and they get it geared up right from the very beginning. There's something like 20 cuts in the first five seconds. Besides that the styling is absolutely gorgeous, all of the setting and costumes and hair/make-up arrangements compliment each other, and the girls, like very few other MVs released so far this year. They really managed to push their concept hard and still bring in some of the expected elements for a normal girl-group-summer-release. The choreography is elegant and clever (especially the drag-across-the-stage move, I really like that), and of course, sexy as hell. And the glitter. I like the glitter. All in all it's a very glamorous release and I think it suits Sistar perfectly.

Also, the BTS peek was the perfect touch. I LOVED it. Everything about this industry is caught in this tug of war between adorable-sweet and sexy-serious, but the BTS showed very easily that neither category is exclusive of the other, nor of any other sort of theme. All in all, this was a GREAT music video!

I would have liked to see a story, though honestly this song is probably better off without one. This way, the focus is on the girls and their glamour and the smootheness of the song and it's interactions with the MV's reality rather than on a complicated back story or the song's barely there shape. The song itself isn't terribly well suited for a story so choosing to forgo one is actually a wise decision.

9/10: Blissful!

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Henry - Trap (Music Review)

6/15/2013

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Picture
Notes: I was kind of disappointed in the MV. I was hoping for something more suit-porn related. Sure I know they were going for gangster, but you don't have to be a street thug to be a gangster. I was hopping for something like Mob Boss, top dog in high fashion with the tats of earlier days... They gave us a taste of it with the little bursts of story, but not enough.

Overall, the album is great, easily marketable to fan both inside and outside Korea, and it proves that Henry does have what it takes to go solo. I'll forever think of him as part of Super Junior, but still, he can go far on his own.

Also, I think this is one of SM's best releases this year so far. I'm not sure if I'm happy about that, or sad that it's taken them so long to gear up for 2013.

Top Track: 1-4-3 (I LOVE YOU)

Final Score: 7/10

Promotional Track  ~

Trap started out beautifully. Right from the get-go, I was happy with it. The classical instrumentation and the street-wise beat go fabulously together. It's a pretty low-key track it doesn't build tension through pacing, but rather through raising the pitch as the song progresses. I like the bridge very much; it's a nice classical overlay that still feels very street-stuck. I even like Taemin and Kyuhyun's brief appearances, their voices wrok very well with Henry's I very much approve of it. I would have liked it better if the MV had told a more complex story. It's a great story telling song. The MV's story was a very basic love-lost thing. I was hoping for something like I Remember (Bang YongGuk & Yang Yoseb).

Ah well, I give it a 6/10: Good Job.

Other Tracks ~

1-4-3 has a nice bounce to it. The build up is also really well done, the melodic line is balanced and cleanly shaped.The song itself is also really cute. 1-4-3 as the number of letters in I-LOVE-YOU and then 4-8-6 as the strokes in 사랑해. It's a good lesson in Korean slang, and an adorable ode to a love with an outsider which definitely appeals to non-Korean fans (like moi). Overall it's a nice upbeat song that isn't upbeat simply because it's fast. I like it.
My Everything is a nice chill, almost campfire sounding song. I love the relaxed vibe of the guitar in contrast to the beat. It builds nicely and balances all the parts, the chorus doesn't explode but instead washes nicely over the listener, especially with the violins and the piano in the background. The English is an interesting add, I've got no complaints with it. All of the transitions have a nice lean-in pick-up of at least two beats and still the transitions are dramatic enough to create solid movement. The bridge is lovely and amps up the tension while taking away instrumentation and distraction (something too rarely done these days). The ending comes up suddenly but in a way that leaves you nicely breathless rather than lost. It's a good solid track.
Ready 2 Love starts with subdued tension that continues to build throughout the piece. It's well spatialized and really makes a listener move. Again it's a low-ish key song, not really all that fast, I'm guessing around 120 bpm, but it feels like it's going way faster than that, which give it this wonderfully dizzying feel of tension and mental release when tied to Henry's high-line vocals. Very nicely done, and again the ending comes up quick but not in a bad way.
Holiday screams vacation in every way most delightfully. It's very fun and light, even with the heavy beat. It's loose and freeing, a great summertime track. The claps and the rapid, loose-toned vocals give it a very organic feel. It speeds up slightly in the choruses and, uniquely, it makes the listener very aware of that fact with short vamps just beforehand. The double-bridge sort of thing is very nice, and quite unique. And the song calls to what everyone is thinking about, their stresses and how they need to just get away. It's a good track and very easy to relate to.
I Would shows off Henry's piano and violin skills beautifully, both playing and composition. It also brings out the unique smokiness  of his voice, it's not quite rough, but it's on the tight and definitely not the typical solo-ballad-singer voice. It is very nice to listen to though. The English is a nice touch too, this whole album has been very cleverly geared towards international fans.This song is well structured and well balanced, and just nice to listen to.

Overall, I give these tracks an 8/10: Fabulous!

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Boyfriend - Seventh Mission (Music Review)

6/14/2013

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Favorite Track: Dangerous

Final Score:  4/10

Pre-released Singles ~

Be My Shine is synth heavy, it really doesn't need as much as it has the ostinato pattern either fades away into the backdrop or just gets annoying depending on how you listen. It doesn't change position, it doesn't spatialize, it's just there. Other than that the song is lovely and bright, it has a nice energy from the Melody alone and the beat lends it a feel of urgency. The synths are great in the bridge, but only if you haven't grown to hate them by then.
Dance Dance Dance, as I've said before, is one of the few fusions of cute energy and vibrant power that Boyfriend is likely capable of putting out. There's only a very fine line to walk between the two concepts and they've tried and failed a few times, but they've also hit it right on the mark a few times too. This leans a bit towards using the dance-y synths to push an infusion of energy, but still.
My Lady is sweet and energetic, very suitable for a drama OST or general BGM. It has good shape, but no spark to keep me listening as it progresses.
Hitomi no Melody is a sweet, soft-toned song, even with the introduction of heavy bass. Prototypical of boyfriend, and nothing unique in the world of cutesy boybands.

I give them a 4/10: Meh, Not Bad

Album Originals ~

Code Name; Spy Get Love is a cool intro song, very dramatic. Totally misleading though, there's nothing in the rest of the album to justify it being the 1st track. Even Dangerous & Supernatrual are nothing like it. I LOVE it and there SHOULD be many more tracks like this on future Boyfriend releases. It's still a bit rough, because they've never done anything like it before, but it still has solid energy and melodic movement. A little too much autotune, and a little too much synth overlay, but still pretty good.
First Kiss starts off cool and quirky. It jumps pretty quickly into fairly typical cute-group music and the vamp it samples is a) way over used, and b) totally not suitable for this song. The chorus is lovely and light, but without the rest of the song pulling it's own weight, it falls fairly flat.
Party Plane is nice and bright. It's elegantly built, the transitions are lovely, and it's fabulously catchy. As a whole it has a great energy and it moves well. The bridge seems pretty unnecessary, but it's a cute bit of Engrish. The last few choruses build nicely and the ending comes up with expectations, but it ends on an upbeat, not a downbeat, so it only gets half points.
Supernatural is what I've wanted ever since their water floor teaser way back when. Boyfriend, their cute concept aside, are really good at this sort of aggressive thing. I'd love it if more 'flowerboy' groups went for an aggressive angle. You don't have to be stereotypically manly to have some powerful moves. The song itself is only okay, it's not very well balanced, but I like it conceptually.
Dangerous has some more dramatic elements in it. This is the sort of song I want to hear more of from Boyfriend, they're good at it. There's still the higher pitched aspect that trends towards cutesy, but there's an undercurrent of anxiety and energy that they could really utilize more.
My I is cute, very energetic. Catchy and melodically vibrant, it moves very well.The transitions float lightly together and the piano gives it a chipper and elegant vibe. It's definitely a great song.
Waikiki sounds like a wintertime beach vacation, it has elements of Christmas music and elements of beach-y fluff. It seems like its trying to be too many different things at once, because there's also elements of summer-time relaxation jam and summer-time party-anthem. I like the pitch-bending in the bass, but it doesn't actually feel necessary, it's just a bit neat.

I give them a 4/10: Meh, Not Bad.
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Bangtan Boys - No More Dream (MV Review)

6/13/2013

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Pretty Good, but I'm Not Quite Feelin' It . . .

Okay. The upright bass makes me happy. VERY happy. But it fits neither the concept nor the song. I have to say, the raps are pretty impressive, but there's no real shape to them. The chorus lends the track enough melody to keep it out of the straight rap category. It's also nice and catchy. I'm still just not really a fan of it. I liked the member introduction bit, but they went through them too quickly for them to really be useful and they did it before giving the members solidly identifying features. The members are all individually impressive (and adorable). And the song gets better as it goes, but it's still not something I'm fond of having stuck in my head. It does get stuck in my head though, so I'll be the first to admit that it has appeal. It's very B.A.P sans power-melody, or old-school Big Bang. So I'm game for watching how it evolves. I haven't listened to the whole release yet so, I'm thinking it could be good.

I'll also admit that their choreography has appeal, but there's still nothing in it to make it really stand out from the crowd. Very aggressive and strong, but nothing particularly dramatic. I did like how they used each other as props and launchpads, that was pretty cool, but it has been done before and it wasn't done here in such a way so as to make it unforgettable.

4/10: Meh, Not Bad.

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ODD EYE - Too Busy Imitating (MV Review)

6/13/2013

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A Win for The Industry.

I LOVE this concept, having a band based around classical instruments is definitely a great direction for the kpop industry to expand into. This is a total win for the industry. That doesn't mean Odd Eye has any hope of doing well with their debut. Honestly this feels so incredibly amateur, the song is bland and boring, it's not mixed well, nor does it have any solid or interesting structure, and there's nothing at all in it that makes me feel like the instruments are really being utilized as anything other than props and concept-stunts. The video is lame at best. Really, it looks like it was made on a home computer  by someone making a youtube cover and didn't just film themselves making the cover...

All in all it's pretty pathetic.
But I'm still hopeful that the concept could catch on.

1/10: Wow. This is the Best You Can Do?

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