DSTM Blog - Welcome To The Neighborhood!

2012-01-30T01:07:00.000-05:00

2012-01-30T01:03:00.005-05:00

2012-01-30T01:01:00.002-05:00

::YEAH OH OH::

2012-01-30T00:53:00.000-05:00

::REMIX FEATURING SEAN PAUL::

2012-01-30T00:48:00.003-05:00

::MIXSHOW EDIT::

BONUS: HOW DEEP IS YOUR LOVE [FEATURING KELLY ROWLAND]

2012-01-30T00:33:00.003-05:00

::SYNTHESIZER::

2012-01-30T00:26:00.001-05:00

BONUS: DON'T WAKE ME UP

2012-01-30T00:20:00.001-05:00

WONDERING WHY I HAVE NOT BEEN UPDATING THE NEIGHBORHOOD? BLAME THIS SONG. FOR THE PAST THREE WEEKS, I HAVE LITERALLY BEEN OBSESSED WITH THIS DAMN SONG AND VIDEO. THIS IS WITHOUT A DOUBT MY FAVE K-POP SONG OF 2012 - HANDS DOWN.

2012-01-29T23:44:00.000-05:00

2012-01-29T23:36:00.004-05:00

2012-01-29T23:21:00.003-05:00

I POSTED THE LQ VERSION OF THIS TRACK A FEW MONTHS AGO AND ADMITTEDLY, I HAD NOT GIVEN IT A PROPER LISTEN. SHAME ON ME BECAUSE THIS IS WITHOUT A DOUBT HER MOST HEARTFELT TRACK TO BE RELEASED AS A SINGLE. LOVE IT, LOVE IT, LOVE!

2012-01-22T23:09:00.002-05:00

2012-01-22T22:59:00.001-05:00

HERE IS YET ANOTHER REASON WHY FOR THE PAST SIX MONTHS I HAVE WATCHED AND LISTEN TO MOSTLY K-POP SONGS AND VIDEOS. WHEN THIS VIDEO PREMIERED ABOUT 2 WEEKS AGO, MY SON AND I WATCHED IT TOGETHER AND WE WERE BOTH BLOWN AWAY. ADMITTEDLY, I CRIED AT THE END. I AM A WUSS THAT WAY. BUT THIS GROUP HAS WITHOUT A DOUBT DECLARED THAT THEY ARE THE FUTURE OF BOY BANDS IN K-POP. I AGREE WITH THAT DECLARATION.

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2012-01-07T21:52:00.000-05:00

SO YEAH, WE ARE A WEEK INTO THE NEW YEAR AND I AM FINALLY GETTING AROUND TO POSTING MY TOP 25 GAVE TRAX OF THE 2011. WELL, I HAVE AN EXCUSE...I WAS DRUNK. :) NOW THAT I HAVE SOBERED UP AND WIND DOWN MY END OF THE YEAR CELEBRATIONS, I HAVE NARROWED DOWN A LONG ASS LIST OF MY FAVORITE TUNES TO 25. THERE IS NO SCIENTIFIC SYSTEM THAT WAS USED TO DETERMINE THIS LIST. SO PLEASE TRY TO KEEP THAT IN MY BEFORE SENDING ME HATE MAIL. :) I CHOSE THE 25 SONGS THAT EVEN AFTER MONTHS HAVE PAST, STILL REMAIN ON MY RECENT PLAYLIST. ENJOY AND PLEASE FEEL FREE TO SHARE YOUR LIST OF FAVE SONGS OF 2011.

01.

NO OTHER THIS SONG MADE ME FEEL AS GOOD AS THIS DAMN SONG. I LITERALLY SMILE AND SKIP TO MY MUTHA EFFIN' LU WHENEVER I HEAR THIS JOINT. EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS SONG WORKS - THE PRODUCTION, THE HOOK AND FEATURED ARTISTS. NOT ONLY IS THIS THE BEST POP/DANCE SONG OF THE YEAR, BUT THE BEST COLLABO RECORD. YUP!

02.

CLOCKING IN AT JUST ONE MINUTE AND FORTY-THREE SECONDS, THE SONG SHOWCASES EVERYTHING THAT MAKES THIS DUDE THE PRESENT AND FUTURE OF R&B.

I AM STILL SOMEWHAT BAFFLED WHY THIS SONG WAS NOT RELEASED HERE IN THE STATES. A FORMER CONTESTANT ON SWEDEN'S IDOL COMPETITION, THIS CHICK PROVED THAT EVEN OVER A THUMPING PRODUCTION, THE VOICE CAN STILL SHINE. I AM REALLY CROSSING MY FINGERS THAT SHE GETS THE PUSH SO DESERVES IN HOME COUNTRY AND WORLDWIDE.

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2012-01-04T01:06:00.000-05:00

SO 2011 IS OVER (BUT YOU KNOW THIS AS WE ARE WELL INTO OUR FIRST WEEK OF 2012), BUT WE CAN STILL REVISIT SOME OF THE DOPEST K-POP JAMS OF LAST YEAR. SO HERE IS IT - MY FAVE SONGS OF IN THE HAPPY GENRE WE CALL K-POP.

1. AFTER SCHOOL (RED) "INTO THE NIGHT SKY"

IN THE K-POP WORLD OF BLOGS, I WAS APPARENTLY THE ONLY ONE WHO LOVED THIS SONG. SO MUCH SO THAT IT IS MY FAVE K-POP SONG OF 2011. AFTER SCHOOLIS WITHOUT A DOUBT ONE OF THE MOST UNDERRATED GIRL GROUPS AND THEY ARE WITHOUT A DOUBT THE HARDEST WORKING. EXPECTATIONS WERE HIGH FOR THIS SUB GROUP OF THE GROUP (YEAH, THEY DO THAT IN KOREA), AND MANY FELT THAT THIS LIGHT WEIGHT SYNTH JAM DID NOT PUSH THE AFTER SCHOOL BRAND IN A NEW DIRECTION. WHILE I AGREE WITH THE LATTER, I DID APPRECIATE WHAT THEY WERE SHOOTING FOR - A LIGHT WEIGHT POP JAM WITH A CATCHY HOOK.

2. MISS A "GOOD-BYE BABY"

UNTIL THE RELEASE OF THIS VIDEO, I HAD NOT GIVEN THIS GROUP A SECOND LOOK. BUT AFTER JUST ONE VIEW, I WAS ALREADY TRYING TO MASTER THE CHOREOGRAPHY. WHILE OTHER GIRL GROUPS ARE INFUSING ELECTRO-POP INTO THEIR FORTE, MISS A'S POP/R&B SOUND REMAINS REFRESHING. EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS TUNE WORKS; THE HOOK, THE VOCALS AND THE PRODUCTION. THE FACT THAT THE VIDEO IS AMAZING, JUST MAKES ME WANT TO JAM TO IT FOR THE NEXT YEAR.

3. KARA "STEP"

I HAD HEARD OF KARA BEFORE THE RELEASE OF THIS TRACK, BUT I THOUGHT THEY WERE JUST TOO DAMN BORING. BUT THEY CONVERTED ME INTO A FAN WITH THEIR SHINY COLORS, JUMPING CHOREOGRAPHY AND CATCHY HOOK. BOTH THE SONG AND VIDEO HARKENED ME BACK TO A TIME WHEN MTV'S TRL RULED THE PLANET. IT WAS THESE THINGS THAT LITTERALLY MADE ME PLAY THIS TRACK SO MANY TIMES THAT MY 9 YEAR OLD SON CAN SING EVERY LYRIC...IN KOREAN!

4. WONDER GIRLS "BE MY BABY"

IF IT HAD NOT BEEN FOR THE WONDER GIRLS' 2008 HIT "NOBODY," I AM NOT SURE IF I WOULD HAVE BEEN THIS INTERESTED IN K-POP. SO I WAS ECSTATIC WHEN THEY MADE THEIR COMEBACK. WELL WORTH THE DAMN WAIT! THESE KILLS DELIVERED ONE OF THE CATCHIEST SONGS OF 2011 PERIOD AND ONE OF THE DOPEST MUSIC VIDEOS. WHILE THEIR IS AN ENGLISH VERSION OF THE TUNE, I PREFER THE ORIGINAL KOREAN VERSION MUCH, MUCH MORE!

5. NINE MUSES "FIGARO"

THIS GROUP SHOULD RE-NAME THEMSELVES "REDEMPTION." AFTER THE DEBACLE THAT WAS THEIR DEBUT, THEY BECAME THE LAUGHING STOCK OF GIRL GROUPS. BUT THESE CHICKS CAME BACL (MINUS TWO MEMBERS) AND DELIVERED ONE OF THE FUNKIEST TRACKS OF THE YEAR. THIS DISCO ORIENTED SONG WAS SO GOOD THAT THEY SINCE GARNERED SOME RESPECT AND A NEW LEGION OF FANS...ME BEING ONE OF THEM.

6. INIFINITE "BE MINE"

I WAS DRAWN TO K-POP BECAUSE OF THE GIRL GROUPS, BUT I STAYED BECAUSE THE BOY BANDS JUST RULE! THIS GROUP IS BY FAR THE TOP PERFORMING BOYBAND IN THE SCENE. THEIR CHOREOGRAPHY AND LIVE PERFORMANCES CAN NOT BE MATCHED. THEIR MATERIAL IS JUST AS GOOD. THIS TRACK IS LIKE A BALLAD SET TO A DANCE GROOVE. SO SWEET, SO LOVELY AND SO DAMN INFECTIOUS.

7. U-KISS "NEVERLAND"

YEAH, THEY WERE A LOT OF EYE-LINER, BUT WHAT K-POP BOYBAND DOESN'T? WHILE THEY MAY NOT HAVE ANY STAND OUT MEMBERS, THEY DID MANAGE TO RELEASE ONE HOT ASS TRACK. THIS CLUB-ORIENTED JOINT ABOUT STAYING YOUNG FOREVER COULD BE RELEASED IN ANY COUNTRY RIGHT NOW AND BLOW-UP. YEAH, IT IS THAT GOOD!

8. AA - "CRAZY"

YEAH, SO THEIR NAME IS PRONOUNCED DOUBLE A (AS IN THE BATTERY). THEY LOVE DO WAVES WHILE THEY DANCE (SOME HAVE CALLED THE CHOREOGRAPHY "SUPER GAY" EVEN BY K-POP STANDARDS.) BUT WHAT MATTERS MOST IS THAT THIS PIANO HEAVY POP TUNE IS KILLA! SORTA REMINDS ME OF AFTER SCHOOL'S "BECAUSE OF YOU" (WHICH BY THE WAY, IS MY FAVE K-POP SONG OF ALL TIME!) WITH IT'S STOP AND GO PRODUCTION. I AM SURE THAT IS ONE REASON WHY I LOVE IT TO DEATH, BUT ALSO THE FIRST LINE OF THE HOOK "I DON'T WANNA BE WITHOUT YOU" MAKES THE TRACK WORTH CHECKING OUT.

9. HYUNA "BUBBLE POP"

THIS SONG IS SO GOOD THAT RADIO STATIONS HERE IN THE STATES, PLAYED IT. IMAGINE THAT, K-POP ON U.S. RADIO. THIS SONG ALSO PLACED #9 ON SPIN MAGAZINE'S TOP 20 SONGS OF 2011. AMAZING, HUH? WELL IF YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH THIS SONG THEN YOU KNOW THE ACCOLADES ARE WELL DESERVED. THIS BASS HEAVY TRACK PROVIDES ENOUGH SUGAR FOR THOSE WHO LOVE THE CUTESINESS OF K-POP BUT ALSO ENOUGH SASS FOR THOSE WHO YEARN FOR SOMETHING DIFFERENT. BUT WHAT ULTIMATELY GIVES THIS TRACK SOME EDGE IS THE DUB-STEP BREAK. GENIUS!

10. 2NEI "I AM THE BEST"

ALSO MAKING SPIN'S LIST OF TOP 20 SONGS OF 2011 WAS THIS CLUB BANGA. RECENTLY NAMED "BEST NEW BAND" IN THE WORLD BY THE MTV IGGY WARDS, 2NE1 IS PROVING THAT HAVING SOME EDGE CAN PRODUCE K-POP HITS. IN A SCENE DOMINATED BY SONGS ABOUT LOVE AND HEARTACHE, THESE CHICKS SCORED A HIT BY SIMPLY STATING "I AM THE BEST!" GOTTA LOVE THE COCKINESS. :)

AND SOME MORE OF MY FAVES OF THE YEAR

11. DJ CLAZZI FEATURING SUELONG "HOW WE FEEL"

12. SUPER JUNIOR "MR. SIMPLE"

13. 2PM "HANDS UP"

14. MYNAME "MESSAGE"

15. GIRLS GENERATION "THE BOYS"

16. TEEN POP "NO MORE PERFUME"

17. SECRET "LOVE IS MOVE"

18. BROWN EYED GIRL "SIXTH SENSE"

19. T-ARA "CRY, CRY"

20. RANIA "POP, POP, POP"

2012-01-04T00:32:00.001-05:00

2012-01-04T00:29:00.002-05:00

2012-01-04T00:27:00.002-05:00

2012-01-04T00:25:00.001-05:00

2012-01-04T00:21:00.002-05:00

HERE IS THE FOLLOW-UP VIDEO TO THE ACTION PACKED "CRY, CRY."

2012-01-04T00:17:00.002-05:00

::MALA MALA (SHE SO BAD) [NO SHOUTS]::

2012-01-04T00:15:00.001-05:00

2012-01-04T00:13:00.000-05:00

2012-01-04T00:11:00.003-05:00

::BULLET [DEMO]::

2011-12-27T00:23:00.002-05:00

FINALLY, A PROPER VIDEO. GEESH.

2011-12-24T01:59:00.001-05:00

2011-12-24T01:50:00.003-05:00

2011-12-24T01:41:00.001-05:00

::MONTREAL::

2011-12-24T01:37:00.005-05:00

2011-12-24T01:36:00.001-05:00

2011-12-24T01:35:00.000-05:00

2011-12-24T01:33:00.002-05:00

2011-12-24T01:32:00.001-05:00

::CLINTON SPARKS & DISCO FRIES REMIX FEATURING SNOOP DOGG::

2011-12-24T01:25:00.001-05:00

SUCKS THAT THEY HAVE DISBANDED.

2011-12-24T01:23:00.003-05:00

THEY'RE BACK!

2011-12-24T01:22:00.000-05:00

::HOLDING BACK [FEAT. RYON LOVETTE]

2011-12-24T01:20:00.004-05:00

::LINK FIXED::

2011-12-24T01:14:00.001-05:00

2011-12-24T01:13:00.001-05:00

<3 THIS!

2011-12-24T01:04:00.001-05:00

2011-12-24T01:02:00.002-05:00

2011-12-24T00:57:00.004-05:00

::CRUCIFY MY HEART::

2011-12-24T00:51:00.003-05:00

2011-12-24T00:49:00.003-05:00

::REDTOP REMIX::

2011-12-24T00:39:00.000-05:00

2011-12-24T00:37:00.004-05:00

2011-12-24T00:35:00.000-05:00

2011-12-24T00:33:00.004-05:00

2011-12-24T00:32:00.003-05:00

2011-12-24T00:25:00.000-05:00

RELEASED THIS PAST SUMMER, I THOUGHT THIS SONG WOULD BLOW THE HELL UP. BUT THE LABEL DID NOT GIVE IT THE PUSH IT SO DESERVED. BUT NOW WITH A CHANGE OF HEART, THEY ARE HOPING THE NEWLY RELEASED VISUAL WILL HELP TO FINALLY CONVINCE PEOPLE TO STOP SLEEPIN' ON THIS DUDE.

2011-12-14T01:40:00.001-05:00

2011-12-14T01:35:00.002-05:00

2011-12-14T01:28:00.001-05:00

2011-12-14T01:20:00.005-05:00

::F.U. I'M FAMOUS & WAIT FOR YOU::

2011-12-14T01:13:00.001-05:00

2011-12-14T01:08:00.002-05:00

2011-12-14T01:05:00.001-05:00

2011-12-14T01:00:00.003-05:00

GREAT COLLABO!

2011-12-14T00:58:00.005-05:00

::MALA MALA (SHE'S SO BAD) [W/ SHOUTS]::

2011-12-14T00:53:00.000-05:00

2011-12-14T00:46:00.002-05:00

2011-12-14T00:42:00.002-05:00

2011-12-05T00:15:00.001-05:00

2011-12-05T00:10:00.001-05:00

::R.E.O.O. MIX::

2011-12-04T23:54:00.001-05:00

HOTNESS!

2011-12-04T23:49:00.001-05:00

::DAN CLARE REMIX::

2011-12-04T23:39:00.001-05:00

2011-12-04T23:30:00.001-05:00

TOTALLY DIGGIN' THIS JOINT. YUP!

2011-12-04T23:22:00.001-05:00

2011-12-04T23:20:00.001-05:00

2011-12-04T23:16:00.001-05:00

::NEVER GIVE UP::

WITHOUT A DOUBT THE HOTTEST TRACK OFF OF HIS JUST RELEASED ALBUM.

2011-12-04T23:11:00.001-05:00

2011-12-04T23:03:00.001-05:00

::DAN CLARE REMIX::

2011-12-01T02:21:00.001-05:00

THIS IS WITHOUT A DOUBT ONE OF THE DOPEST K-POP SONGS OF THE YEAR!

2011-12-01T02:17:00.001-05:00

2011-12-01T02:10:00.001-05:00

::SLIDE OVER [FEATURING MIGUEL]::

2011-12-01T02:02:00.001-05:00

THIS IS MAN IS STILL FINE!

2011-12-01T01:56:00.001-05:00

CALL ME A CORNBALL, BUT MY SON AND I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE THIS SONG!

2011-12-01T01:52:00.001-05:00

::TONIGHT::

2011-12-01T01:42:00.001-05:00

DAMN NEAR EVERYONE GAVE THESE HOT CHICKS A HARD TIME WHEN THEY HIT THE SCENE EARLIER THIS YEAR WITH THE SUPER RAUNCHY "DR. FEEL GOOD." I ON THE OTHER HAND APPLAUDED THEIR RACY APPROACH TO K-POP, A GENRE WHEN CAN JUST BE TOO DAMN "CUTE" AT TIMES. ANYWHO, THE NAUGHTY GIRLS ARE BACK AND PEOPLE ARE LOVING THIS SONG. I AM GONNA NEED A LIL TIME TO FEEL THIS JOINT OUT. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS?

2011-12-01T01:34:00.001-05:00

WHY DOES RADIO CONTINUE TO IGNORE HIM? #DAMNSHAME!

2011-12-01T01:33:00.001-05:00

DAMN, MARIAH! I BELIEVE IN JENNY! :)

2011-12-01T01:30:00.001-05:00

2011-12-01T01:22:00.001-05:00

2011-11-14T07:48:00.001-05:00

WELL LET ME JUST SAY THAT WHILE I LOVE ME SOME K-POP, THERE ARE SOME ACTS THAT I JUST COULD NOT GET INTO. T-ARA IS ONE OF THOSE ACTS. DESPITE THEM HAVING ONE OF THE BIGGEST HITS OF THE YEAR IN BOTH KOREA AND JAPAN WITH THE ANNOYING TUNE "ROLY POLY," I FOUND THEM BLAND. ADMITTEDLY, I STILL DO BUT THESE GIRLS KNOW HOW TO PROMOTE A DAMN RECORD. "CRY CRY," THEIR LATEST EPIC MUSIC VIDEO IS JUST AMAZING. I WAS SO ENTHRALLED BY THE VISUAL THAT I LITERALLY FORGOT THAT I WAS WATCHING A MUSIC VIDEO. IT EVEN GIVES US A CLIFF HANGER. PART II WILL BE RELEASED NEXT MONTH. UNTIL THEN, IF YOU HAVE NOT GIVEN THESE GIRLS A CHANCE, DO WHAT I DID AND WATCH THE VIDEO. IT'S ONLY 15 MINUTES LONG!

2011-11-14T00:48:00.001-05:00

2011-11-13T16:52:00.001-05:00

AFTER A SLIGHT DELAY, IT HAS ARRIVED. IS HE JUST NOT THE CUTEST!

2011-11-13T16:46:00.001-05:00

2011-11-13T16:40:00.001-05:00

2011-11-13T16:32:00.001-05:00

2011-11-13T16:30:00.001-05:00

2011-11-13T14:36:00.001-05:00

::FUTURE FREESTYLE REMIX::

2011-11-13T14:00:00.001-05:00

2011-11-13T13:47:00.001-05:00

MISS LEA FINALLY DEBUTS THE VIDEO FOR HIS FIRST OFFICIAL SOLO SINGLE.

2011-11-13T11:32:00.001-05:00

I LOVE, LOVE THIS!

2011-11-13T11:12:00.001-05:00

2011-11-13T10:58:00.001-05:00

::SILENT NIGHT (WITH SHOUTS)::

FYI: THIS IS NOT THE CLASSIC HOLIDAY SONG.

2011-11-13T10:46:00.001-05:00

2011-11-13T10:30:00.001-05:00

::CRUCIFY [WITH SHOUTS]::

2011-11-13T10:24:00.001-05:00

AFTER TWO YEARS AWAY FROM THE K-POP SCENE, THE GROUP THAT SPARKED THE GIRL GROUP CRAZE HAVE RETURNED TO THE STAGE. WHILE I AM NOT A FAN OF THE DULL OUTFITS, I STILL LOVE BEING CHARMED BY THEIR SMILES AND ENERGY.