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www.groovekorea.com / March 2014 52 Edited by Elaine Ramirez (elaine@groovekorea.com) MuSIC & ARTS K o r e a t a K e s s X s w b y s t o r m 1 4 b a n d S T o c a n n o n b a L L I n T o S o u T h b y S o u T h w e S T Story by Conrad Hughes / Photos courtesy of the bands E very year, hundreds of thousands swarm to South by Southwest in Aus- tin, Texas, to experience film, come- dy, music and general entertainment. One of the biggest draws, no doubt, is the nu- merous bands showcased on its multiple (and highly publicized) stages. Ever since Korea made its entrance in 2007, SXSW has been seeing a Korean Wave of its own, with 14 Korean groups set to perform at its 27th edition, up from 11 last year. The bands making a splash this year aren’t treat- ing the opportunity as a one-off, but are rather using it as the springboard into the Seoulson- ic 2014 tour across the U.S. Annie Ko from Love X Stereo acknowledges the doors that SXSW opens for foreign bands, and says they “want to be a known international band ... like any other band out there.” She acknowledg- es there’s a lot of legwork to do; not just for her band, but for the whole scene: “Because K-pop is so well known to the world, as indie musicians we feel like there’s a lot to catch up (on). In order to do so, we need to make better music.” Crying Nut has been performing and record- ing for 20 years now and are no strangers to the international tour. They previously toured in the U.S. with Seoulsonic in 2012, and have been looking forward to SXSW ever since. For guitarist and vocalist Park Yoonsik, an interna- tional audience is a fresh challenge. “The U.S. has a very strong rock music scene. I want to see how Crying Nut can do there.” “I hope all people, regardless of where they are from, love our music and want to have fun with us,” adds bandmate Kim Insoo. “If you see us, and you like us, please buy our CD … or me a beer!” The breadth of Korean bands going to the huge Austin festival th is year is staggering, from YB, the band that started the SXSW hal- lyu, to the tiny giants creating and exploring hitherto unheard spaces. There’s still a dis- tance to go before we see a healthy musical counterculture like Japan’s, but the peninsula knows a lot about progress. Perhaps in a few years it won’t be a novelty that a good band comes from Korea. Jambinai, a progressive post-rock group utilizing traditional instruments, acknowledg- es this upcoming U.S. debut is a big financial risk, but they could be the first to legitimize Korean alternative music internationally. “I want to make music that everyone can enjoy. Nationality, race and location shouldn’t matter. Good music is good music,” says Lee Il-woo, who plays piri and guitar for the group. Here are some of Korea’s finest rock exam- ples set to hit the Texas stage. y b