The Korean on Monsters of Talk with Margaret Cho

The Korean appeared on Monsters of Talk, a podcast hosted by the one and only Margaret Cho. Have a listen here:The conversation went all over the place, but thanks to Margaret and co-host Jim Short, it is entertaining throughout. We covered Korean food choking hazard, fan death, K-pop and diapers during the 2002 World Cup, among other things.The Korean was particularly happy that he was able to ask...

Against Hashtag Warriors

For those of you who were lucky enough to miss the shitstorm in Twitter in the last two days, here is some background:On Wednesday night, Stephen Colbert was speaking of Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder, who responded to those who criticized the name "Redskins" as a racial slur by founding a non-profit organization called Original Americans Foundation. Then a 2005 episode of the show replayed,...

NK News Pro: Special Discount for AAK! Readers

Ask a Korean! was itself inspired by the inimitable Ask a Mexican! by Gustavo Arellano, but this blog has inspired many other "Ask" blogs as well. Personally, the Korean's favorite child of Ask a Korean! is Ask a North Korean! by NK News, in which the readers can get a real sense of the life in North Korea from an actual North Korean person. The Korean hopes to steer as many readers as possible to...

SXSW Final Notes: The Thank You Cards

A round of gratitude for everyone who made the Korean's trip to SXSW such a wonderful experience:- To the Korean Wife for supporting her husband's crazy adventure;- To every artist who took the time out of their incredibly hectic schedule to be interviewed;- To Shawn D., who made most of the interviews possible and kept me apprised of everything I needed to see at SXSW;- To Robert J., Vivian Y., Douglas...

SXSW Leftover Notes: The Artists

- It is a crying shame that Idiotape and Glen Check ran into visa issues, and could not play in more offsite venues. Those two bands have the most translatable music in the U.S. market.- Personally, I feel that Glen Check has the most superstar potential. They already carry themselves like superstars: confident and charismatic.- I really want Hollow Jan to succeed. Speaking with Hollow Jan was an...

SXSW Leftover Notes: The Venues

With Day 6, the Korean's SXSW adventure was over. But there is plenty that he never got around to talk about. So here is a series of thought-dumps that never made to the regular posts. First in the series: thoughts on various venues around Austin, for future gig-workers who are looking to glean more information about the venues. Please note that I have only been to most of these venues only once,...

SXSW Day 6 Notes: Day Trip to San Antonio

SXSW was drawing to a close on Sunday. Rather than seeing the last few showcases, I decide to follow the five Korean bands' show at San Antonio, a 1.5-hour drive from Austin.After picking up my travel mates, we first head over to Salt Lick barbecue, considered one of the best barbecues in Texas. Salt Lick was located about...

SXSW Day 5 Notes, and Notes on Love X Stereo's showcase

Day 5 was Saturday, and effectively the last day of SXSW. (There were events scheduled for Sunday, but only light, daytime ones.) It was a rainy, dreary day--a perfect day to stay indoors. It was a day of rest.Only on Day 5 did I have the time to actually attend some of the panels that my badge allowed me to attend. I attend...

SXSW: Notes from Jambinai, Crying Nut, Big Phony Showcases

[Note:  The Korean is aware that SXSW is over. He hopes to punch out everything SXSW-related by this weekend. Thanks for waiting and reading.]With another successful Seoulsonic showcase, the Korean is more excited than ever to see how Korean acts will do at offsite venues. His day began with Jambinai's daytime show, a...

SXSW Interview: Smacksoft

(source)Smacksoft, led by frontwoman Whang Bo-ryung [황보령] (known in the U.S. market simply as "Bo",) is one of the few rock bands in Korea that are indisputably led by a woman leader. Smacksoft has been critically acclaimed for its colorful music that translates well to audiences of different cultures.The Korean met Smacksoft...

SXSW Day 4 Notes

Day 4 was Friday. Most of the day was spent chasing around Korean bands at off-site venues. As much fun as it is to see Korean bands in the big showcases like K-Pop Night Out or Seoulsonic, the off-site performances will give the more realistic glimpse of the bands' potential for international success. I end up seeing the off-site...

SXSW Interview: Glen Check

(source)Everyone is excited for Glen Check, for good reasons. With its mind-meltingly complex blend of modern rock and electronica, Glen Check already has a dedicated following that calls Glen Check's music a religion, hailing "Glellujah." With their appearance in SXSW Seoulsonic stage, Glen Check is poised to reach even greater...

SXSW: Notes from Seoulsonic

This year, SXSW has two official Korea-themed showcases: K-Pop Night Out and Seoulsonic. Although K-Pop Night Out was a highly successful event, Seoulsonic is a more mature show, as it is hosting its fourth annual U.S. tour. This year's lineup was:  Smacksoft, Big Phony, Glen Check, Rock 'n Roll Radio, Love X Stereo and...

SXSW Interview: Love X Stereo

(source)Love X Stereo has a real chance to become bigger in the U.S. than they are in Korea. At SXSW, Love X Stereo is in their second U.S. tour in three months. With their appealing music of racy rock 'n roll with mostly English lyrics, it is hard to see why not. The Korean met Annie and Toby of Love X Stereo at the Seoulsonic...

SXSW Interview: Big Phony

(source)Soft, melodious, full of soul. Korean-American singer-songwriter Bobby Choi, also known as Big Phony, is making himself known to ever greater audience at SXSW. The Korean met him at the venue for Seoulsonic, shortly before the concert began.TK:  Please say hello to everyone.TK:  Can you describe yourself for...

SXSW Interview: Crying Nut

(source)If there were a world rock band Olympics, Crying Nut would probably be the captain of Team Korea. Formed in 1995, the first punk rock band of Korea has maintained the same membership for nearly two decades. In the interim, the band preserved its youthful, explosive energy while becoming veterans of international tours.The...

SXSW Interview: Hollow Jan

(Source)In many ways, Hollow Jan stands alone in Korea's music scene. Hollow Jan is arguably the only screamo band in Korea. As such, they do not simply stand apart from the mainstream; they stand very far away from the prevailing Korean indie scene as well. Yet Hollow Jan presses on, playing their own style of music for more...