What do the three things have in common? Apparently one of Korea’s top rock bands is called Huckleberry Finn, which I just discovered recently on Youtube.
I lived in Pusan, South Korea for a couple of years as an English teacher, and at the time I just couldn’t find bands I was into (unlike when I lived in Taiwan as a teacher). It was hard to escape the nauseating pop songs, girl bands and banal hiphop acts that seemed to permeate Korea and the rest of Asia in the ‘Korean wave’. There were a few punk and ska groups and the odd indie-jazz band, but nothing that captured me. It’s only recently that for some reason I am finding some interesting indie/alternative/rock acts.
One thing that struck me about Huckleberry Finn is the sheer number of live gig vids up onYoutube -these guys have been around and they’ve got a good live performance happening. Of course, having an animated show-woman up front is a winning formula.
But the reason I chose to embed the following vid clip wasn’t because of the sound quality, the songwriting or the tightness of the rhythm section but because of the way the singer interacts with the audience and has them all grooving to her hand moves. I don’t know if they were all avid fans who knew the moves, or she taught them just before the song, but it works and gets the crowd involved (except for one girl with the glasses, she didn’t seem like a team-player). This just had me fascinated.
I’d love to see them love, but I might not be into their albums so much. However, another Korean band grabbed my attention: Frenzy (not to be confused with another English-speaking band of the same name). They’re shoegaze, which I’m starting to acquire a taste of. So for me, the hunt is on for more Korean indie…
Struggling Muso 