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"The Drop with Danno" on GFN 광주영어방송 98.7FM in Gwangju & 93.7FM in Yeosu, Korea. An eclectic radio curation of all things musical spanning the spectrum every week. Broadcasting 8-10pm KST nightly.
Aug 1, 2022
I & II
David Bowie – Moonage Daydream
US Girls – So Typically Now
Cults – Poodles Dancing
Ginger Root – Holy Hell
Whitney – BLUE
Dora Jar – Bumblebee
Alex G – Cross The Sea
Sun’s Signature – Bluedusk
Julien Baker – Mental Math
Montell Fish – Darling
Khruangbin – First Class
Khruangbin – August Twelve
Ron Trent feat Khruangbin – Flos Potentia (Sugar, Cotton, Tabacco)
It is 20 hours past midnight and we start a new week tonight as far as the labor and boredom goes for those of us unlucky enough to still be at work, and tonight we start a new era on our New Muses Monday with a bit of a long-in-the-making remodeled new format. But before any of that, welcome to all of you tonight, we are as always grateful for your presence whether now or later on. August begins rainy hazy just like July tonight, but we’re shining into the future. Danno here coming at you from the mic in studio 2 at GFN HQ, how do you do? Big new stuff going on for tonight’s reformatted Monday nights, as we’ll be covering our favorite new music as per usual for the first hour but we’ll finish covering some upcoming shows here in Korea that you might wanna get some tickets to see. For part 3 we’re still covering the new pop out this past week but in part 4 we’re putting the spotlight on Korean indie to finish the show, and I’ll be solo moving forward as well on our New Muses Monday nights. To start things though, we’ll be doing the monocle sporting as usual with our TIGHT (or) feature, as it was 8 years ago today that the Guardians of The Galaxy film opened in theaters, and we’ll talk about this truly old but very unique soundtrack after a prooper Moonage Daydream. THIS is The Drop.
David Bowie – Moonage Daydream
The Drop is off and running this week on our nightly game of audio mirrors. A little bit of a remodel for our New Muses Monday nights, as we’ll be covering our favorite new tunes as usual for the first hour this evening, but finishing with an early warning on the shows upcoming here in Korea. We’ll also have the usual new pop segment for part 3, but our real new girl this evening is our Korean indie spotlight that gets its first closeup this week for the entirety of part 4 to finish the gig.
Now, as to what just happened for our TIGHT (or) history to begin things tonight, we just opened with David Bowie and Moonage Daydream. Of course, this is a classic off of 1972’s The Rise & Fall of Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders from Mars, still one of the best albums of all time.
But what was turning heads on this date in 2014 was this song’s addition to the Guardians of the Galaxy soundtrack, starring Chris Pratt. In the film, Chris Pratt plays a human who totes a Walkman with a tape his mother gave him: the Awesome Mix Vol. 1.
The tracks are not what you'd expect to hear in a superhero film, as the film's target audience was born decades later. But director James Gunn sees them as key to the development of Pratt's character, who loves these songs even if they aren't cool anymore. They also jibe with the quirky nature of the film, where the music doesn't have to fit the mood.
The soundtrack is a huge hit as well, even though it’s the only OST to date that has nothing original on it. It’s also a success in terms of introducing a new generation to some great music of the past. Also interestingly, Director James Gunn played the songs live during filming, with Pratt having to endure hearing some songs hundreds of times in a row. The only one that wore on him? Escape, the Pina Colada Song, which has obviously driven lesser men including this one speaking to you towards total madness.
#9870, @gfnthedrop, pod.
So moving along, let’s get into the new tunes for this week, as we have joints from US Girls, Cults, and Ginger Root out with new singles, and we’ll talk about the key points after the sonics swerve. THIS is The Drop on your New Muses Monday.
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The Drop continues this evening and it is first newly refurbished Monday nights to start this year’s eighth month. We still got the new tunes for our first hour, but covering the upcoming shows visiting Korea later this year to finish part 2, and we still have the new pop for part 3, but for the final quarter we’re covering our favorite new Korean indie to close proceedings.
Now, as to the latter, the reason we’re doing this is mainly that the Korean indie scene has really developed over the past few years, but they have no airtime here in Korea, which is obviously just dominated by K-pop which I don’t play much of for exactly the same reason on this program.
Now, as to what we just began things with for our first triad of new tunes tonight, that was…
US Girls – So Typically Now (…Meg Remy is back for the first time since 2020’s excellent Heavy Light. This tune deals with the conspicuous consumption of those that fled the cities during the pandemic but also acknowledges the artist’s own self-critical nature as being complicit in this phenomenon. Nothing bigger announced as far as an LP or EP, so we’ll have to keep eyes & ears out.)
Cults – Poodles Dancing (…for those unfamiliar, this is the duo of Madeline Follin and Brian Oblivion, and with this release they have announced a new EP featuring B-sides and remixes of songs from their latest album, Host. The EP, entitled Host B-Sides & Remixes, will be out on September 9 via Sinderlyn.)
Ginger Root – Holy Hell (…another EP out September 9 presaged with this new tune from the Cali-based purveyors of aggressive elevator funk. The EP is titled Nisemono, out via Acrophase Records.)
Alright, so we still real estate for a couple more new tunes before we jump up and over to part 2 tonight. Up next Chicago’s very own Whitney are out with a new single called BLUE. This one presages a new album out for the band called SPARK, which drops September 16 via Secretly Canadian. And finally we have a new cut from Dora Jar (disambiguate) and this one is called Bumblebee. This is the first new music since the rising indie artist opened on select dates for Billie Eilish’s ongoing tour, and also is the first new single since signing for Island Records, which are both huge moves so do pay attention. THIS is The Drop on your New Muses Monday night.
Whitney – BLUE
Dora Jar – Bumblebee
___
II
Back at it and getting to the slow-cooking stuff for this week’s refurbished new muses Monday. As usual, playing the new cuts we like for most of the first hour, but finishing momentarily with some early warning on upcoming concerts and tours on the way here to Korea. As to what we just opened things with for the sauteed selection, that was...
Alex G – Cross The Sea (…a lot of people are surely excited about what this new single tells, as the famed singer-songwriter is out with a new album also dropping September 23 called God Save The Animals, and that comes out courtesy of Domino.)
Sun’s Signature – Bluedusk (…now, this is from a new album from this group, and until looking into the background one might be wondering who this is. Sun’s Signature just dropped an eponymous debut EP on Friday night, and the band consists of Cocteau Twins Elizabeth Fraser and romantic partner Damon Reece. Really interesting EP, getting lots of love this weekend so definitely go check it out if you liked what you heard there.)
Pod, socials, etc…
So, let’s continue but also end with our final new tunes of the night with joints from Julien Baker and Montell Fish, and we’ll discuss these two tunes further after they’ve floated and returned. THIS is The Drop on your renewed New Muses Monday night.
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Back on The Drop here on our remodeled New Muses Monday as we open the new month tonight. This is Danno as always in studio 2 GFN HQ on the usual steelo, but we do have new things we’ve added for Mondays that we’re debuting tonight, with our early warning concert and tours coming up momentarily to end part 2, and we are doing it all Korean indie for part 4 tonight to finish the two hours for this evening’s show. Now, as far as what just happened, that was…
Julien Baker – Mental Math (…certainly one of 2021’s best albums was this artist’s Little Oblivions. Now we have an EP called B-sides, which are tunes that didn’t make the cut for the album for whatever reason, but are certainly worthy if you wanna check it out in full. Baker is always amazing and just keeps getting better and better and better.)
Montell Fish - Darling (…this is an artist out of Pittsburgh that was kicked out of his house at 16 due to an ongoing romance with drugs. A breakup and ongoing family drama was followed by a religious turn, and the artist’s new album JAMIE which dropped July 22 is a lamentation on the artist’s past and faith.)
Alright so for our first new feature tonight we have Khruangbin’s First Class Tour visiting Seoul on November 12 this year, and MAN do I wish Khruangbin and Big Thief were not in town on the same night. However mark November 12 as the trio who say they’re from Houston but are obviously from outer space touch down locally for a Saturday night. We’ll play the title track of the tour itself to start, and then we have August Twelve to follow that, and we’ll end with Chicago’s Ron Trent and the Khru getting down on a cut called Flos Potentia. THIS is The Drop and we are on tour at haltime.
Khruangbin – First Class
Khruangbin – August Twelve
Ron Trent feat Khruangbin – Flos Potentia (Sugar, Cotton, Tabacco)
III & IV Popcast
Beyonce – PLASTIC OFF THE SOFA
Rina Sawayama – Hold The Girl
ROSALIA – DESPECHA
Tove Lo – 2 Die 4
Maggie Rogers – Anywhere With You
Benson Boone – NIGHTS LIKE THESE
Young Gun Silver Fox – Winner
HUNJIYA – OUTGROWN
KIMMUSEUM – Hidden Castle
Fiesty Wxs – Silent Light
Hoyeon Kim – FINE
GooNight – Lock Me Up
Brick – You’ll Be Fine
Lee Jun-hyung - Earth
Part III: New Pop
Beyonce – PLASTIC OFF THE SOFA
- Just out Friday we have the 7th studio album from Bey called Renaissance.
- The album was written and recorded in Atlanta with the usual slew of courtiers, and interestingly this marks the first in a trilogy series.
- On this record, Beyonce states "with all the isolation and injustice over the past year, I think we are all ready to escape, travel, love, and laugh again. I feel a renaissance emerging, and I want to be part of nurturing that escape in any way possible."
Rina Sawayama – Hold the Girl
- A big announcement right here, as Sawayama has released the title track to their 2nd career album.
- Hold the Girl will drop September 16, with article announcing the album's release in Variety describing the record as "an evolution in [Sawayama's] style that will meld influences from across the pop spectrum".[3]
- Talking about the album's inspiration, Sawayama stated that the album has been influenced by Kelly Clarkson, the Corrs, Paramore, Sugababes,[4] and Taylor Swift's Folklore.
Fresh Buns
ROSALIA – DESPACHÁ
- This is a tune that has gone absolutely viral via social media over the past few months even before release.
- Now, the official audio has finally been released as the singer was on tour in Bilbao for the Motomami World Tour.
- Obviously, everybody is freaking out about this cut right now.
- As to what it’s all about, the song is mainly about how Rosalia reacts in the aftermath of a romantic split.
Tove Lo – 2 Die 4
- This is the latest single from the Swedish pop superstar to the upcoming Dirt Femme LP.
- The album drops October 14, and Tove Lo says that listeners should ready themselves for a “beautiful, sexy journey” once the album drops in full.
Maggie Rogers – Anywhere With You
- Just out Friday is what’s sure to be an absolutely smashing LP called Surrender.
- This would be Maggie Rogers’ sophomore studio album, and with another feature on Barack Obama’s Summer Playlist just out last week, the sky’s no limit.
Benson Boone – NIGHTS LIKE THESE
- Another album that’s out as of Friday that’s definitely been highly anticipated over the past few months is Benson Boone’s debut LP.
- Walk Me Home is available everywhere and interestingly just to flex how supremely talented Boone is, the artist played drums, guitar, and piano on the recording, in addition to designing the artwork for the single.
Young Gun Silver Fox – Winner
Part IV – Fresh K Cuts
HUNJIYA – OUTGROWN
- This is an EP that just keeps getting better and better with every listen since release in July.
- KHAMAI is Kim Hyunji or Alice Kim’s latest work, who’s based in Miami but was born here in Korea and grew up in New York.
- This EP is a Greek word meaning from the earth or root, and the artist is looking at social criticism and change reflected in HUNJIYA’s own relationships.
KIMMUSEUM – Hidden Castle
- This is the latest standalone single from the artist after the release of his debut album in February called Blue Forest.
- Not a lot of info on this single, but it would seemingly be a cutting room floor release. Something that got cut from the album itself but a song the artist and producers really like. Do check Blue Forest out in full if you dug that joint.
Festy Wxs – Silent Light
- This is the 2nd tune and title track on the hip-hop artist’s album that dropped July 13. 고요한 빛 is an impressive array of 16 tunes that cover a diverse array of genres in the process.
- Do check it out Silent Light, available everywhere via Passport Seoul & Sony.
Hoyeon Kim – FINE
- An artist that you could definitely say is in the K-pop realm but is just starting to bubble up right now.
- Not to be confused with Kim Hyoyeon or DJ Hyo, this artist is just starting to release their own music with just a handful of singles to their name. This of course, is the latest just out last month.
GooNight – Lock Me Up
- Of course, this is the band led by Jogu that is a well-known commodity here in Korea, but not much is known beyond about the group.
- This is the band’s latest from last month, although not much more to report as far as an album or anything like that.
Brick – You’ll Be Fine
- This is the latest from the artist, who made his debut independently in 2018 and has since released 4 EP’s.
- Again, nothing announced with this single as far as a larger release, but Brick now appears courtesy of Tidef.
Lee Jun Hyung – Earth