5 November 2012 - Hyun-A - Ice Cream & Bubble Pop

Those of you who follow K-Pop must have known this post was coming.

By now, you've all heard the last great Korean pop classic (and read my post about it), "Gangnam Style".   At this point, it's our second biggest post ever.  And it's the #2 pop song in the country as of this writing, even this long after its initial discovery here.

Look back at that video, and you'll see that PSY has a female protagonist in his video.  That female is Hyun-A.  She also did a version of "Gangnam Style", callled "Oppa Is Just My Style" - that was also featured on our previous post, by the way - that has also gotten a lot of attention.  So, PSY really owes a lot of his success to Hyun-A, one could say.

Which is why he makes a cameo appearance at the beginning of this video.

But don't let that cameo fool you.  This song is all Hyun-A.  It's the in-your-face power K-Pop that she is well-known for in her home country, complete with envelope-pushing themes and outfits.  Her cleavage in this video is something of a minor scandal in Korea. She also weaves a little bit of English into her song and her video - check out the signs that the crowd is holding in the video.  And try not to laugh - English isn't their first language here.

Plus she runs over a clown with her ice cream truck.



Now, here's a little trivia.  What's the most seen K-Pop video of all time?  Easy one, right? It's "Gangnam Style."

So, what's the video it dethroned?

It was another Hyun-A song!  Here, she exhibits the same power pop - a little more pop, and a little less power, but both are still there.  More importantly, she exhibits a skill not often seen in K-Pop - rump shaking.  Seriously, this song borrows heavily from American hip hop, in both style and music.  Check out the breakdown at 2:18.

4 November 2012 (Special Standard Time Edition) - Night Ranger - The Secret of My Success

Would you like to know the secret of Night Ranger's success?

They're alive 25 hours a day.

Seriously, I couldn't pass up posting this song, a fun 80's rock romp from the movie of the same name, starring Michael J. Fox and Helen Slater.  Their music ain't Tchaikovsky - it's just fun rock and roll music.  With keyboards.  And lines like "The secret of my success is I'm alive 25 hours a day" seem especially appropriate today.

2 November 2012 - Prince - Raspberry Beret

I am a huge Prince fan, and I have been for a very long time.  There's not much that this man has done that isn't brilliant on some level.

This single, one of my favorites - and a song that I can sing word for word unprompted - was one that Prince, a perfectionist, worked on for almost four years, before he released it as a single.  And, for a song first recorded in 1982 and released in 1985, it still sounds fresh and new and unique.  This is a testament to the musical genius of Prince - he is multi-instrumental, deals with themes in his lyrics that no one else does, has a tremendous grasp of how to properly use a metaphor, and surrounds himself with musicians that are as strong as he is.

To that last point, look at how prominently Wendy Melvoin, on guitar, is featured in this video.  In fact, the entire Revolution - including a strings section - are featured at several points.  To those who claim Prince to be an egomaniac, I point you to the 3:38 point in this video, when it is made clear that Lisa Coleman is the 2nd vocalist.  This is a theme that recurs through several Prince videos.  The man knows music, and he knows he can't do it alone.

1 November 2012 - Thomas Dolby - She Blinded Me With Science

It's time for another 80s Thursday. Here's a gem with an interesting, if not sometimes confusing storyline. I'd take the time to analyze it and make some funnies, but my head hurts. Regardless, I always thought this was a pretty rad tune. Hate to admit it, but it's probably the only song by him that I know...I think.

31 October 2012 (part 2) - Concrete Blonde - Bloodletting

Concrete Blonde might be the most underrated cheesy band of all time. (Discuss.)  Born from the ashes of Dream 6, they released several albums but only had one hit.

I've always loved Johnette Napolitano's gravely voice, and it sounds extra creepy on this song, a tribute to author Anne Rice.  It's not my favorite song of theirs, but it's one of them - this isn't the last you'll see of these guys on here - and it's appropriate for today!

31 October 2012 - Ministry - Everyday is Halloween

Happy Halloween, everyone!  We'll have multiple posts throughout the day, celebrating the day in song.

There's no better way to start the day than this early Ministry tune.  Later music by Alain Jourgenen's industrial project would be much harder edged than this early, 808-influenced song, but we still hear echoes of dark themes here.    Sure, the song sounds like it was largely composed on a Casio keyboard, but it's still aurally interesting, especially given Ministry's later history.

The video is fan-made and not for the squeamish.

30 October 2012 - Spacehog - In The Meantime

Had to scrap the post I painstakingly pre-wrote yesterday as none of it thankfully turned out to be true. So instead, here's Spacehog and their hit single from 1995.