Sometimes you can find awesome music in the least likely of places. It was true for me this week when I embarked on my old habit of surfing the web for tunes I’ve never heard of before, and I’m pretty sure I found a gem with Used Cassettes’ latest release Rock N Rills. The Seoul, South Korea, rock ‘n’ roll act have a distinct catchiness to their songs to go along with distorted and noisy riffs. In a land that musically is mostly known for their brand of K-Pop that’ll annoy the hell out of you, it’s amazing and refreshing to see that Seoul has a flourishing indie rock scene.
A band that was formed as a drunken pact between friends Ollie Walker, Patrick Walsh, Danny Arens and Matt Spence, Used Cassettes have a sound reminiscent of Pavement and Sonic Youth with a tinge of Lou Reed-esque coolness to create a unique style that’ll have you hooked. Some songs are kind of long and abstract, while others are absolute rippers. A few are party anthems and at the same time there are a handful of somber and heartfelt tracks. Variety that comes straight from the heart, Used Cassettes are a diamond in the rough when it comes to their rhythms and beats going with the chords.
Have you been to a festival near you yet? Well if you have, then awesome. If you haven’t, then what are you waiting for? It’s summer in New England, which means that it’s festival season and you gotta get your friends together and get out of the house. While you tune up for the drive to a remote location with all of your favorite bands, take a taste of my top tracks from the Album Of The Week.
The surf rock boogie down monster jam “President” is a groovy track all about being in a foreign place and you’re trying to figure out who’s running the joint. Straight party rockin’ “Wasted” gives the rebellious side of you a kick while making you want to bask in a bunch of libations. Another one I like a lot is “She Got Burned,” adorned with pop aesthetics coming from the song’s structure. The chorus will definitely grab you.
Being from South Korea, Used Cassettes won’t be hitting the US anytime soon, but let’s hope that they make their way over here in future so us live music fanatics can check them out in person. Until they invade your friendly neighborhood music venue, grab a copy of Rock N Rills from Used Cassettes. Killer music by some cats from Seoul with a lot of soul if you catch my drift.
Stream Rock N Rills here: https://msbsound.bandcamp.com/album/rock-n-rills
Used Cassettes on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/usedcassettesseoul