"I wanted to write you about a concert I'm helping to organize in San Antonio on Sunday, March 16 called Korean Underground Vol. 1. The concert will feature six of the top acts in Seoul's indie music scene. Doors open at 7 pm, tickets are $7, and the show in open to all ages. Would the SA Rocks Blog have any interest in writing an article about Korean Underground Vol. 1
There are 15 Korean acts playing at SXSW this year (that's the most there's ever been). Since so many of the groups are in the area for the fest, we decided to hold a show in San Antonio for six of them as well. Four of the bands have been announced so far -- Crying Nut, Jambinai, Smacksoft, and Big Phony -- and the final two acts will be confirmed soon.
SXSW Schedule
Crying Nut (punk / rock) – The “godfathers” of Korea’s punk and indie scenes. They were the first punk band in Korea and were one of the first indie bands as well. They are also the best-selling Korean indie act of all time. Despite being an indie band, they are household names in Korea. They have toured overseas in Japan, Singapore, England, Sweden, Germany, Canada, and the US. You can check out their "Five Minute Laundry" music video here: Youtube
Jambinai (post-rock / world music) – Jambinai play post-rock with Korean traditional instruments and are one of the coolest and most unique acts in East Asia. They won “Best Crossover Album” at the 2013 Korean Music Awards. The band have toured overseas in Brazil, Wales, Finland, and Norway in the past. This year is going to be the band's best year yet. In addition to playing at SXSW, the will be playing at festivals in China and Europe, including Denmark’s Roskilde Festival – one of Europe’s biggest rock festivals. Jambinai were recently listed by MTV Iggy as one of the "10 Unmissable International Acts at SXSW 2014" and NPR included Jambinai on their "The Austin 100: A SXSW 2014 Mix" which features 100 of the music festival's best discoveries! You can check out Jambinai's "Time of Extinction video here: Youtube
Smacksoft (post-punk) – Band leader Bo Ryung Whang is one of the Korea’s most-respected female rock musicans. Smacksoft were nominated for “Best Modern Rock Album” at the 2012 Korean Music Awards and have gigged overseas in Japan, Mexico, and the US. You can check out their "Marching Through War" video here: Youtube.
Big Phony (indie folk) – Korean-American singer-songwriter who was born and raised in the US, but now calls Korea home. His music brings to mind the work of Elliott Smith. Big Phony recently released two new albums. One is an acoustic album named "Bobby" and the other is an electronic album named "Long Live the Lie." "Bobby" made it to #75 on the iTunes Singer/Songwriter Chart and "Long Live the Lie" hit the top 10 on the iTunes Electronic Chart. You can check out Big Phony's "I Love Lucy" music video here: Youtube
