Contributing writer Drowningn00b has listed four songs you need to know. I don’t know about you, but I hope there’s more where this came from, because these songs are fab!

Maybe it’s the air, stagnant with summer, or not enough material grabbing my attention at the moment. Or perhaps it’s a cycle that I perpetuate every year, but whatever it is, I’ve recently had a binge of non-idol music (and idol side-projects) and could not be happier to share them with you all. Over the next several posts, I’ll be highlighting several records you might not have heard of (or have, depending on your particular k-pop tastes). For this one, I’ll be talking about four in particular, so bear with me.

Soul One – Go Away

This is baby-making music all the way. No matter if he’s singing about leaving a girlfriend or professing his love to one, the music on Soul One’s ‘Go Away‘ digital single is smooth and sexy R&B. The layers of production put you in a mood of swaying relaxation that is crucial in this style of music, and done well for “Go Away” and “U R The Only One”. Soul One has a great alto voice and resorts to falsettos when need be, adding that bit of drama to the climax for this duo of R&B ballads. This is satisfying adult-contemporary and the Korean equivalent of the “grown and sexy” vibe.

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Urban Daisy – Hey Boys!

On a totally different note, Urban Daisy will not make you relax. They are loud and raucous all the way. Urban Daisy has made the rounds on the underground scene and their live performances heavily influenced the making of their debut single, “Hey Boys!” Leader and lead vocalist, G1, sings this song in English, which is commendable. Though this is a rock track, “Hey Boys!” is still a pop song, placing the emphasis on the vocals than on instrumental solos. Completely noisy, reminding me of the punk kids in high school, this is one for those that like playing air-guitar and bang your head when no one is looking. And now I do.

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T&J – Summer Time

Hip-hop can be tiresome, but every once in a while, someone (or a couple of some ones) breathes new life into the genre, and they’re name is T & J, short for Tako and J. Hyeung. Though classified as k-indie, this is closer to rock-rap, but not in the vein of Linkin Park and their ilk. T & J take a pop-rock approach, injecting a good dose of fun and carefree attitude. Both songs on this single are similar in composition, with “Summer Time” opting for a bouncy feel, while “헬스타임” flows nicely and feels more like a dance song. Both have great energy, with no pretense, no faked swagger persona, nothing but great party music. With summer reaching its end, T & J will help you grab those last rays before the fall.

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Jung Jinwoon – 걸어온다 [You Walking Towards Me]

The last thing I heard about this side-project was Jinwoon’s interest in pursuing rock, and that was it for several months. But in the beginning of August, “걸어온다 [You Walking Towards Me]” was released without a peep. There was no marketing behind it, and 2AM’s maknae did little promotional work on mainstream media, except for a live set (which you can watch on Mr. Jung’s YouTube page). While Changmin continued the high-energy, post-break up music with”남자니까 웃는거야 [Man Should Laugh]” for his side project Homme, Jinwoon went the soft-rock route for his debut single. Jinwoon wrote the song and played guitar on it as well, making the overall effect of the song that much more impressive. However, it does help to have Michael Brauer on the mixer, who’s worked with U2 and Coldplay. “걸어온다 [You Walking Towards Me]” is an emotional roller coaster, with highs and lows, full singing and falsettos, but it all fits. A solid first single and hope he gets to do more stuff like this.

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There you have it, Residence visitors! Variety is the spice of life, and there is enough to go around with these releases. These are four acts that I’m a fan of and hopefully I’ll turn you on to them. Enjoy!

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Hi! My name is Xtian, and I’m a total pop music whore. I’m from NYC and can be seen dancing in the streets with headphones permanently glued to my ears. I may not have had a musical background, but I’m a lover of all things music, so I’m excited to be bringing a new voice to the McRoth’s funhouse. Y’all can email me at paulaboy2505@aol.com, or better yet, follow me on twitter, where I do most of my social media-ing, @drowningn00b. See y’all lataz!