The Killers to bring 'hot fuss' to Korea with first concert

American rock band The Killers, who brought listeners hits “Somebody Told Me” and “Mr. Brightside,” will be hitting the stage in Seoul for the band’s first concert in Korea on Oct. 5. The upcoming concert is the 12th installment of the “Hyundai Card Culture Project” series, which in the past brought acts such as Keane, John Legend, Ke$ha, Jason Mraz, Kraftwerk, Mika and Damien Rice. Formed in Las Vegas in 2001 by lead vocalist Brandon Flowers and guitarist Dave Keuning ― later joined by Mark Sto

Aug. 22, 2013

Picasso murals at heart of debate after Breivik bombing

OSLO (AFP) ― Five Picasso murals that survived Anders Behring Breivik’s bombing of an Oslo government block in 2011 are now at the heart of a divisive debate in Norway on the buildings’ fate.The murals drawn by the Spanish master in the late 1950s and 1960s ― “The Beach,” “The Seagull,” “Satyr and Faun” and two versions of “The Fishermen” ― risk being removed from the location for which they were conceived if the damaged buildings are torn down.The government is currently mulling whether to demo

Aug. 21, 2013

Girl’s Day to perform in support of women’s issues

As the current honorary ambassadors of children’s development and child sponsorship programs for Plan Korea, the four members of Girl’s Day are holding a special guerilla concert on Aug. 20 at Everland’s Caribbean Bay.The concert is being held as part of Plan Korea’s “Because I am a Girl” campaign to raise awareness and support young girls in need around the world. Plan Korea will also be hosting a special Facebook event along with Everland, aiming to get more fans involved with the campaign. Sh

Aug. 20, 2013

G-Dragon donates 80m won to charity

K-pop superstar G-Dragon of Big Bang recently celebrated his birthday in the spirit of charity by donating 81.8 million won ($72,000) to the Seungil Hope Foundation, a rehabilitation hospital for Lou Gehrig’s disease patients.The donation amount represented the star’s birth date, Aug. 18. Representatives of G-Dragon’s agency YG Entertainment announced that the entertainer decided to make the birthday donation as a sign of gratitude and appreciation to all of his fans. In return, members of the s

Aug. 20, 2013

No regrets leaving would be a lie: Ex-Wonder Girl Sunmi

Ahead of her comeback as a solo artist, Sunmi, a former member of Wonder Girls, confessed that she had to leave the girl group after seeing herself appear on the stage mechanically, with no heart and soul.Sunmi withdrew from the five-member band in February 2010 after the Wonder Girls finished touring 50 cities in the U.S. to promote their music. The fans were shocked by her sudden dropout and raised countless speculations behind the decision. She said the busy schedule and losing appreciation f

Aug. 20, 2013

British girl group release Korean-language single

British girl group Little Mix released a Korean-language, digital version of their hit single “Wings” on Monday amid the global boom of Korean pop culture, its local music distributor said.“Little Mix members, who have much interest in Korean culture, were greatly impressed by a cover video of their song from SBS TV’s ‘K-pop Star,’” Sony Music Entertainment Korea Inc. said, referring to a local television audition program.“So we suggested them to sing the song in Korean and release it worldwide,

Aug. 19, 2013

Bucheon University students showcase comic art

Bucheon University students majoring in cartoon and 2-D visual graphics showcased their works at Bucheon International Comics Festival in Gyeonggi Province, from Aug. 14 to 18.The annual event is Korea’s only comics festival that features cartoonists from home and abroad.Bucheon University’s cartoon and 2-D visual graphics program is known for its 2010 animation “Robot Zzibba,” based on local cartoonist Shin Moon-su’s manhwa of the same title, which was broadcast on KBS2 as a 26-episode series.

Aug. 18, 2013

Artists turn old factory neighborhood into vibrant art space

Over the past five years, young artists have been moving into Mullae-dong in northwestern Seoul in search of affordable space. The influx of artists into the former steel workshop site has made the area one of the most vibrant artistic spots in Seoul with the number of artists reaching an estimated 200. Often compared to Willamsburg in Brooklyn, New York City, Mullae-dong is now seeking to get closer to local residents and citizens in Seoul with its annual art festival. The 7th Mullae Arts Festi

Aug. 18, 2013

Keeping it fresh

This is the second in a series on producers, MCs, DJs and artists working in the Korean underground hip-hop scene. ― Ed.According to Korean rapper Paloalto, promotion is difficult for independent labels in Korea. Lack of financing limits their promotional reach and makes it difficult for promotion companies to want to work with them.But a recent show put on by underground hip-hop label Hi-Lite Records saw hundreds crowd into the venue to support the artists, while the musicians jumped from one s

Aug. 18, 2013

Records return

It was only a few decades ago that buying records seemed like little effort for the listening pleasures it promised. But over time, LPs started collecting dust and filling up empty boxes in the back of garages. Today, with the advent of the Internet, MP3 players and smartphones, music lovers can play songs in the palm of their hand with the touch of a button. The music industry releases singles online before CDs ever hit the shelves of music stores. However, the unpredictable nature of trends di

Aug. 16, 2013

Korea’s only LP manufacturer seeks niche

The LP Factory stands alone as South Korea’s only manufacturer of LP records. Its founder and CEO, Jason (Gil-yong) Lee is a music industry expert and devoted LP fan who started the factory on a whim. Today, the factory churns out more than 4,000 records a year to export overseas. The factory is a mid-sized warehouse in an industrial park in Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province. Large machinery imported from Germany and France stands inside, along with boxes of cardboard, plastic and PVC lining along the fl

Aug. 16, 2013

Eye like: MBLAQ average on ‘Love Beat’

MBLAQ average on ‘Love Beat’MBLAQ“Love Beat”(CJ E&M)MBLAQ has released its fifth album, “Love Beat,” with a whole new concept that drifts away from its usual bad boy flair. The group has gone for the charming, boy-next-door concept with tracks that may appeal to tween fans, but overall the album lacks a depth, meaning more mature listeners are likely to be disappointed. “No Love” has a classic boy band sound with a bright piano melody led by a steady beat and a layered chorus. “I Don’t Know” is

Aug. 16, 2013

Seoul Philharmonic to perform Mahler, Mendelssohn

Violinist Leonidas Kavakos will join the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra led by Chung Myung-whun on Aug. 29 and Aug. 30 at Seoul Arts Center, bringing his highly acclaimed interpretation of Mendelssohn to Korean classical music lovers.This is the second time Kavakos is appearing with the SPO; he performed the Brahms Violin Concerto with the orchestra in 2007.Kavakos, lauded as the star of the new generation of virtuosos, will be performing Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64 on both even

Aug. 15, 2013

A tale of Korean independence fighter’s family

The story of a Korean family who dedicated their life to independence movement of Korea is being retold at the Seoul Museum of History to mark Korea’s independence from Japan 68 years ago. The exhibition “A Story of the Dongnong Family: 27 years with the Korean Provisional Government” retraces their footprints of life in exile in China after Korea was colonized by Japan in 1910. The 27-year quest to achieve independence is narrated by documents, photographs and belongings of the family and other

Aug. 14, 2013

Then & Now: A look back at the changing tides of K-pop

From traditional Korean folk music and the sounds of pansori, to the heavily Western influence of Korea’s old rock ’n’ roll scene, all the way to the current trends of choreograph-heavy K-pop idol groups, the nation’s music industry has had a number seismic shifts. After the trend of popular music shifted from folk to rock to pop, the modern era of music gave birth to the continually growing, internationally recognized genre that is now referred as K-pop, or Korean pop music. Within the first ha

Aug. 13, 2013