Posted by jungbae on Dec 21, 2011 in Editorial | 12 comments

2011 In Review series

Part 1 – Introduction
Part 2 – Best In R&B/Soul
Part 3 – Best In Rock/Alternative
Part 4 – Best In Dance/Electronica
Part 5 – Best In Rap/Hip-hop
Part 6 – Best In Pop/Ballad
Part 7 – Best In Crossover/Jazz/Miscellaneous
Part 8 – Best In Performances
Part 9 – Label of the Year
Part 10 – OST of the Year
Part 11 – Rookie Artist of the Year
Part 12 – Song of the Year
Part 13 – Album of the Year
Part 14 – Artist of the Year
Part 15 – Wrap-up

Welcome back to Part 3 of our ongoing series, 2011 in Review! Today we take a look at the year's best works in rock. Similar to the R&B genre, which we looked at yesterday, there was no clear-cut claimant to the top spot here in 2011; this is in stark contrast to the last couple of years, when artists and bands like Crash, Art of Parties, and Seo Taiji were more or less consensus picks as having produced the best works by far. As expected, the indie scene pretty much dominated this field again this year; this is inevitable in Korea's current rock scene, where bands in general rarely become successful in the mainstream market. But don't discount today's rock musicians – they do their more popular predecessors from decades past in every way, as the following selections exemplify.

Before we get into the selections, let me reiterate the disclaimer from Day 2. Please remember that these selections are 100% subjective, and reflect only the opinions of the writer. Also, these posts are organized in this way: first, the top albums in each category, with a "winner", a runner-up, and honorable mentions (not arranged in any order), and then the top songs in each category, with the same subcategories as the albums. The winner and runner-up land one-paragraph breakdowns, and honorable mentions get a sentence breakdown. (Bear with me on the absurdly long list of honorable mentions for the songs category – this is after cutting out a bunch of great tracks.)

Best Rock/Alternative Album:

Huckleberry Finn – 까만 타이거 (Black Tiger)

There is something pervasively uneasy about Huckleberry Finn's music. (They are pictured at the top, by the way.) Maybe it's the abrasive, high-pitched electronic tones that seem to find their way into every other track. Maybe it's the incredibly melancholy melodies and themes that switch effortlessly between mainstream-ready catchy and prohibitively confusing. Maybe it's vocalist Lee Gi-yong's fragile "pretty-boy" voice. Whatever it is, that uneasiness makes for sublime atmosphere, and Black Tiger captures that perfectly. The album is breathtaking from an instrumental standpoint, featuring endlessly creative uses of synthesizer on top of a relentless, rich traditional rock soundset. The album's centerpieces are the tracks that do this type of fusion the best: Girl Stop, 도레미파 (Do Re Mi Fa), and Time To Say, among others abound with infectious energy even with their peculiar sounds and approaches. That doesn't mean Black Tiger is all electro, all the time. Indeed, the eponymous track Black Tiger and Too Young are both excellent pop-rock pieces with minimal electronic usage, and others like 숨 쉬러 나간다 (Going Out To Breathe) eschew synthetic sounds completely in favor of interesting replacements like a violin accompaniment. With Nell having been out of the picture for a bit, there may not be a better modern rock band in Korea right now. There certainly wasn't a better rock album this year.

Runner-up Rock/Alternative Album:

The Koxx – Access OK (read the review)

So much energy, so much power. As I intimated in my review earlier this year, electro-garage band The Koxx just doesn't take its foot off the pedal throughout Access OK, and the listening experience is roughly equivalent to drinking eleven cups of raw Turkish coffee in a row. (Don't try that at home.) As you might guess from the genre name, this is heavy synthesizer and effecter meeting garage rock, leading to explosive results. The balance is exquisite (the electronica part stands out a bit more, though) and the velocity exhilarating; when a track like album opener XXOK (note the double pun) is not even close to being the most electric song on Access OK, that's saying something. The album's craziness on the surface is supported by the depth and complexity of its expertly crafted melodies and satisfying accompaniment. There's a reason why these guys are one of the most popular performers in the indie scene right now. It sounds like they'll be at the top for a while.

Honorable Mentions (no particular order):

Mongoose – Cosmic Dancer

Irresistibly charming most of the time, but also surprisingly transcendental at others.

Dear Cloud – Bright Lights

Continuing the lineage of Loveholic and Rumble Fish, and often doing things better than they did.

Deli Spice – Open Your Eyes (read the review)

It's not perfect, but class is forever.

10cm – 1.0

Painting life in acoustic guitar.

lalasweet – Bittersweet

The gorgeous instrumentation almost seems to have emotions of its own.

TheThe Band – How Many Times

The new vocalist is perfect for TheThe's brand of alternative.

The Black Skirts – Don't You Worry Baby (I'm Only Swimming)

Nobody else in Korea does such authentic old-school rock 'n' roll, let alone channel Sanwoolim while at it.

Best Rock/Alternative Song:

Lowdown 30 – 아스팔트 (Asphalt) (Featuring Joosuc)

Grungy – that's probably the first word that comes to mind to describe Lowdown 30's sole single of the year. Consider the relentless beat created by untidy hi-hat and bouncing bass. Consider the elusive guitars that both linger and punctuate. And lastly, consider the remarkably vivid imagery that Asphalt evokes. Yoon Byung-joo's singing melts into the gritty, sweaty ambience as the untamed instrumentation refuses to pause for such a triviality as vocals. The band made a brilliant choice in putting Joosuc on the track, and his dry flow adds even more personality to an already fiercely unique track. We say certain music is "electric" and "charged" all the time, but if any song could really represent that audibly, Asphalt would be it.

Runner-up Rock/Alternative Song:

Apollo 18 – Sonic Boom

Hardcore-punk band Apollo 18 has been releasing a color-coded series of albums since 2009, and it was thought that the series was over with 2010′s The Violet Album (The other two were Blue and Red, if you were curious.) Apparently they were just kidding, because they came out with The Black Album and lead single Sonic Boom in November. And what a single it is: Sonic Boom controls rhythm expertly in switching between sections and tempos, including a thunderous, recurring breakdown sequence that's as good as any other I've ever heard. Fierce drumwork kicks up the intensity a couple notches, while the muffed shouting adds a nice touch. The song accelerates towards its thrilling climax for seemingly forever, but once it's over, you'll wonder where the time went.

Honorable Mentions (no particular order; and like I said, please bear with me):

Jeong Jinwoon (of 2AM) – 걸어온다 (Walks Towards Me): A breathtaking Brit-rock piece from a most unexpected artist – I never knew Jinwoon was into rock, let alone be this good at it.

Lucite Tokki – go (read our interview): That harmony is golden, but so is the refreshing and subtly complex arrangement.

Mate – Yeah: Heady, dizzying vertigo in musical form.

Achime – 02시 무지개 (02AM Rainbow): Idol-group-reminiscent title apart, attractive melodies elevate this piece of chiptune psychedelia.

The Moonshiners – 푸른밤의 Beat! (A Blue Night's Beat!): It's a Cha Seung-woo-led band, so no surprise that they resemble old-school No Brain.

Dear Cloud – You're Never Gonna Know: Uplifting vibes brim over in Dear Cloud's pleasant brand of modern rock.

Kim Chang-wan Band – Darn It: Sanwoolim is no more, but one of the most legendary figures in Korean music is as incisive and creative as ever.

lalasweet – 우린 지금 어디쯤에 있는 걸까 (Around Where Are We Now): Bittersweet, like the album title; but in terms of quality, it's all sweet.

10cm – 그게 아니고 (That's Not It): Never before has an ascending crescendo sounded so abjectly sad.

YB - 흰수염고래 (Blue Whale): A poignant rock-ballad in that inimitable YB style of 1178.

Jaurim – 피터의 노래 (Peter's Song) (read the related review): Kim Yoon-ah deftly sings a mesmerizing melody in this string-modern rock hybrid.

The Koxx – XXOK: It may not be the wildest song on the album, but it's got the best balance.

Monni – 바람을 지나 너에게 (Past The Wind To You): Unorthodox structure is the last thing you'll notice; you'll be too busy admiring the rousing chorus.

Mongoose – Cosmic Dancer: Remember when I said "irresistibly charming most of the time" about the album? This is one of those times.

Polacostic – Acacia: Relaxed yet chic, a great debut effort.

Deli Spice – 슬픔이여 안녕 (Goodbye Sadness): Mellow on the surface, but very edgy underneath.

Rubber Duckie – 미운 오리 이야기 (The Ugly Duckling): As summer tunes go, it's hard to beat.

Analog Forest – 별 (Star) Part 2: The mid-track transition from smooth electronica to modern rock (and from whisper to belt) is delectable.

Deb – 소녀여 기타를 잡아라 (Girl, Grab The Guitar): Female solo rock artists are rare in this scene – but Deb holds it down for them.

Broken Valentine – Down: A heavy, thunderous proof that Top Band has produced some legit bands.

And that massive list wraps up Part 3 of the series. Now it's your turn – what would make your list of the year's best rock music? Tell us in the comments!

Don't miss what's coming up tomorrow if you're an idol-group fan: idol groups, electronica teams, and even a radio producer aided by an actress make their case for "Part 4 – Best In Dance/Electronica"!

Photo credits: All photos from maniadb; cover art for Access OK and Cosmic Dancer are from Bugs Music.