55. Oh Chill - Oh, Two Animals
Oh, Two Animals is the debut album by Jeonju's favourite rock duo. Featuring just the sound of Jun's vocals and guitar, and the crashing of Snow's drums, this is an album aching to be played loud and screamed along to. Drawing from the likes of Muse, Nirvana, Biffy Clyro, and Audioslave, Oh, Two Animals is a hard-hitting debut from one of our most-loved bands.
54. Mot - Non-Linear
The debut album from now-defunct indie band Mot is as fascinating as it is bleak. Mixing elements of trip-hop, industrial rock, jazz, and even a tiny little bit of metal, Non-Linear's unusual mix creates a dark, smoky, snarling listen. The band split in 2018, and singer eAeon went on to found Nights Off, as well as his own alternative R&B-adjacent solo career. But his broody debut is our favourite thing he's worked on.
53. Oh Jieun - Jieun
Oh Jieun gained the nickname "the queen of the indie scene" when, in 2007, she became an underground sensation by selling over 3,000 copies of her self-released debut. But we've gone for her inspired follow-up to that. The deeply sincere sound of Oh Jieun's voice and the versatile music (recorded by some of the Korean indie scene's biggest names) make 2009's Jieun a must-listen.
52. …Whatever That Means - Sounds from the Explosion
The debut full-length album from punk mainstays, Sounds from the Explosion, is undeniably raw, particularly in the production. But it's just got tunes for days. Infectiously fun and with reckless, sincere emotion, Sounds from the Explosion is pop punk brilliance. The album turns 15 years old next year and remains a perfect snapshot of dizzy, anarchic youth.
51. DOMA - Drifting To An Island For A Reason I Don't Know
Even outside of the context of Kim Doma's tragically early passing, Drifting To An Island For A Reason I Don't Know stands as a testament to her beautifully understated approach to songwriting and the immense potential she had. The kind of warm and delicate coffee shop folk has never sounded as touching as it does here, with DOMA's lyrical observations about loneliness adding a layer of heart.
50. Hollow Jan - Rough Draft in Progress
It's been said of Hollow Jan's Rough Draft in Progress that every band that screams in Korea does so because of this album. Mixing screamo styles with some epic, post-rock songwriting, Hollow Jan created an incredible listen, a pastiche in pathos that is as effective as it is influential.
49. Drinking Boys and Girls Choir - Keep Drinking
A solid case can very much be made for Keep Drinking's (slightly) maturer follow-up, Marriage License. But we're in a fun mood, so we've gone for DBGC's speedy pop-punk debut. Like much of the genre, it's the sound of young people finding themselves, but the Daegu-based trio bring so much playful not-giving-a-shit that it's hard to ignore.
48. Vidulgi OoyoO - Aero
Crushingly powerful, the debut album from seminal noise makers Vidulgi OoyoO drew on the band's love of shoegaze, post-rock, and slowcore. It's huge, sweeping sound naturally invited comparisons to Slowdive. Album highlight "Murmur's Room" is a nine-minute track that is less of a song and more of an epic fuzz concerto.
47. zzzaam - siesta
There are a lot of shoegaze bands that come from South Korea, but zzzaam are different. Not only are they one of the very first shoegaze bands here, but their sound often falls on the lighter, even playful end of things. Their 2000 debut, siesta, only got a limited CD release. But, following their reformation in 2023, zzzam released a remastered version, so we can all enjoy the ethereal DIY fuzz of this happy, sleepy classic.
46. Minhwi Lee - Borrowed Tongue
This contemplative album explores cultural identity and language through Minhwi Lee's singular songwriting approach. Borrowed Tongue's meditative tone communicates themes of displacement and belonging, with some nuanced production confirming Minhwi Lee as a thoughtful voice in Korea's avant-garde music community.
45. My Aunt Mary - Just Pop
This album from one of the first generation of Korean indie bands was their first after returning from military service. It's widely regarded as being a modern rock masterpiece by fans and critics alike, who celebrate it for its comfortable and nostalgic style of pop. It may be "just pop", but it's very, very good pop.
44. Asoto Union - Sound Renovates a Structure
One of two Kim Banjang cuts to make the list (the other coming later). Like much of the music he is involved with, it's a love letter to his love of black music; here, it's R&B, funk, jazz, and soul. It's an astonishingly smooth album from a band that were with us too briefly.
43. Neon Bunny - Stay Gold
Whilst we LOVE the direct pop joy of Neon Bunny's debut, Seoulight, it's her mature follow-up Stay Gold which gets the nod from us. The atmospheric album moves into a more subtle and ethereal direction than her earlier work, drawing on her love of chillwave, electronica and R&B. Neon Bunny perfectly captures the feeling of Seoul at night, in all its hazy romance.
42. Lucid Fall - Lucid Fall
This self-titled debut album was released after his first band split up due to mandatory military service. Here, the singer-songwriter moves away from the rockier sound to a (mostly) acoustic, intimate sound. Despite the tender heart at the centre of this, Lucid Fall still finds plenty of space to expand his sound, particularly on tracks like "Island" and "My Room Filled with Tears".
41. Sunkyeol - Radical Is a Relative Concept
Released January 2015, Radical Is a Relative Concept was recorded between Seoul and Yorkshire. Self-described "Headphone Music", gentle guitars, calmly muted bass, and muffled drums create comforting layers that surface through close listening. Radical Is a Relative Concept is clever and patient in its structures, creating fuzz-driven atmospheres that build when they need to but take their time.