Halloween Junky Orchestra - Halloween Party

Not going to say much today except that it's time to lose nearly eight minutes of your life to Halloween grandeur! The big day may still be a week away, but I know that I, for one, need to up my spook factor. Despite being released a few years ago, I just discovered this amazing Japanese Halloween track from the awesomely titled collaboration project Halloween Junky Orchestra. The video is pretty hypnotic and addicting, despite not changing much throughout its running time. The song itself is a wonderfully oddball mix of English, Japanese, carnival, hard rock and theatricality. You'll have a hard time pulling yourself away.

Epik High - Born Hater (ft. Beenzino, Verbal Jint, B.I., Mino & Bobby)

A new release from YG Entertainment is always something to celebrate. And even though rap group Epik High are not among my more favorite artists on the company's roster, I was surprised at how much I fell in love with their pre-release single, Born Hater. It helps that the track features a small army of guest rappers. Of the bunch, Ikon's B.I. and Bobby completely steal the show. B.I. offers the track's only real hook, which appears a scant two times in the five minutes. It's so catchy and awesome, though, that you wait for it each time. Other than that, this track is all about the beat. It's a beat so instantly amazing that you can't help but fall in love with the rap verse after rap verse that accompanies it -- even if you can't understand 95% of it. (Though if you really want to know, the gist of it is these guys slamming their internet haters). I wish there was more uptempo stuff like this on the album, but I'm definitely happy settling for this unexpected October highlight. I'll leave the video here, since I think it's pretty memorable and innovative.



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. Buy the album here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Red Velvet - Be Natural (ft. Taeyong)

Despite being a child of the 80's, when it comes down to it I'm really a music lover of the 90's. It seems strange now, since music is such a huge part of my life, but I was really a late bloomer when it came to discovering pop music. My discovery just happened to coincide with the soul/hip-hop/r&b boom of the mid to late 90's. I wouldn't consider it my favorite genre now, but these types of songs are certainly a pillar to my music appreciation. Because of this, I love that the smooth 90's sound is coming back. This new single by Korean girl group Red Velvet is actually a cover of of a track by 90's Korean girl group S.E.S. The production is pure I Get Lonely-era Janet Jackson, and the vocals and flow are sooooo smooth and funky. Even better, the track is paired with a hypnotic video that captures the whole essence of the era beautifully. I love this.



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. Buy the single here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.

Billy Idol - Save Me Now

"I don't wanna wait for your love"

Billy Idol's new album is out tomorrow in the States. It's half excellent, half boring, so I'll probably end up whittling it down to a solid EP. Luckily, the songs that are great (ie: the uptempos and maybe one or two ballads) are AMAZING. Now, I'd consider myself a big Billy Idol fan from the 80's, but songs like Save Me Now are even more suited to my taste. I love glossy, propulsive rock. I've heard some people call this new album "overproduced," which is a word I can't stand because to me what they're really saying is that someone took the time to polish the tracks until they're as professional and impressive as they can be. Idol's voice drips with charisma throughout, and the hooks are gargantuan. Save Me Now deserves to be a massive hit, though of course it won't be. We just don't get music like this very often anymore. It's a real treat. I mean... that chorus!!



(Music posted for evaluation purposes only. Buy the album here. Follow me on twitter and facebook.