Bieber is distant cousin of Gosling, Lavigne

Call it the Canadian dynasty of teenybopper pop and movie stardom.Genealogists at Ancestry.com say they‘ve discovered teen idol Justin Bieber is a distant cousin of movie star Ryan Gosling and singer Avril Lavigne. Their family link dates back to some of Quebec’s earliest settlers 400 years ago, the Utah-based company said Thursday.As if Bieber didn‘t have enough superstar genes, Ancestry.com also said he’s a distant relative of singer Celine Dion.“The great thing about family history is that yo

Oct. 11, 2012

Kim Jang-hoon, Psy make up at a show in Seoul

Pop singer Kim Jang-hoon and “Gangnam Style” sensation Psy made up after alleged conflicts over Psy’s copying of Kim’s stage techniques.  Psy (left) and Kim Jang-hoon. (YouTube)At a show “Night of the Stars 2012” held at a hotel in Seoul, Kim unexpectedly appeared onstage with Psy and publicly said he felt sorry for causing the trouble.“I apologize for making it hard for Jae-sang (Psy’s real name)

Oct. 11, 2012

Classic club offers answer to quest for posh night out

Following is part of a series of Seoul’s hottest bars and clubs. ― Ed.Visitors to Seoul often express awe at the variety of nighttime entertainment available in the capital that never seems to sleep.Hundreds of restaurants are open 24 hours and most of them offer delivery services. Bars and clubs do not close until 5 a.m. and most clubs stay open as late ― or as early ― as 7 a.m. In fact, staying at the club till it closes and then going out for breakfast is de rigueur for serious clubbers here.

Oct. 10, 2012

Pop Art genius Lichtenstein gets major U.S. retrospective

WASHINGTON (AFP) ― Roy Lichtenstein, the American painter whose comic book-inspired canvases gave the Pop Art movement some of its most vivid images, is getting his first major retrospective since his death 15 years ago.Beginning Sunday, the National Gallery of Art in Washington will be exhibiting 130 of his paintings, drawings and sculptures, reflecting a long and prolific career that ended when he passed away at the age of 73.The show moves to the Tate Modern museum in London next February and

Oct. 10, 2012

Take a peek through ‘The Keyhole’

Dutch photographer Erwin Olaf’s first exhibition in Korea features his latest series ‘The Keyhole’ and ‘Dawn & Dusk’Whether through a window or through Facebook, everyone has his share of experiences peeking into others’ lives. Dutch photographer Erwin Olaf captured a boy sitting on a table and peering through a keyhole to portray the urge to peek and the curious state of the mind. The photo is part of his latest “The Keyhole” series completed in 2011. Subjects in the series are all turned away

Oct. 10, 2012

Epik High soars to the top of the charts

The hip-hop trio Epik High recently released their new single, “It’s Cold,” which instantly became an “all kill” track with the song topping all of the major music charts in Korea upon its release. The ballad hip-hop track featuring newcomer Lee Hi, one of the “K-pop Star” finalists this year, reached the number one spot on the Bugs, Melon, Soribada, Daum, Mnet, Monkey3, Cyworld, Olleh and Naver real-time music charts just hours after it was released on Tuesday. The single was pre-released to pr

Oct. 10, 2012

How social media is used as art

The Seventh Seoul International Media Art Biennale presents media art that is approachable, accessible through social mediaMedia has become a very important part of our lives, but when it comes to art that involves different media forms, it still seems too distant to ordinary people. But at the Seoul International Media Art Biennale, people may be surprised to know how much media art can seep into everyday life and how much it enriches our lives. “People think media art is difficult. But if an a

Oct. 9, 2012

10cm to unveil new album via streamed concert

“Take off all your cover and be naked with sound” is what is written on the teaser cover of the local indie band 10cm’s newly released second album titled “2.0.” The group will unveil their new album via a performance streamed live through Naver Music On Air on Wednesday night. The soon to be released album has 11 songs including three title tracks: “Fine thank you and you,” “The Farwell of the Han River” and “Tonight,” which has been rated as an adult-only track. Band members Kwon Jung-yeol and

Oct. 9, 2012

Bollywood singer's daughter commits suicide

Police say the daughter of a popular Hindi film singer has died from a gunshot wound in an apparent suicide in Mumbai.Commissioner Krishna Prakash said police were investigating the death of Varsha, daughter of Bollywood's most prolific singer, Asha Bhosle.  Bhosle was away in Singapore for a regional film award ceremony when the shooting occurred.Friends and relatives who attended Varsha's cremation early Tuesday said she had been suffering from depression for several years. Asha Bhosle began h

Oct. 9, 2012

Glastonbury sells out in record time

Tickets to England‘s Glastonbury music festival sold out in record time, with about 135,000 sold in 1 hour and 40 minutes, organizers said.Thousands of people tried to log onto the ticket website when it opened at 9 a.m. local time Saturday, causing the website to slow, the BBC reported. Many people missed out on purchasing tickets “due to the sheer volume of people” on the website, the festival’s official Twitter feed said.Festival organizer Emily Eavis tweeted, “Sorry to everyone who missed ou

Oct. 8, 2012

Jay-Z takes subway to final Barclays show

NEW YORK (UPI) -- Rapper Jay-Z took the subway to his final performance at New York City’s Barclays Center, where his wife, Beyonce, joined him on stage. Rapper Jay-Z performs the inaugural concert at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Friday in New York. (AP-Yonhap News)The Brooklyn-native took the R train from Canal Street in Manhattan to Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn Saturday night for the last o

Oct. 8, 2012

Pop singer embroiled in alleged conflict with Psy

Kim Jang-hoon (Park Hyun-koo/The Korea Herald)Kim Jang-hoon, a pop singer widely known for his generous donations to public causes and promotion of Korea overseas, confronts a major publicity crisis: mounting speculation about escalating conflict with his close friend and YouTube sensation Psy.Psy, whose “Gangnam Style” music video is sweeping the world, publicly said that Kim is his “guardian” wh

Oct. 7, 2012

Psy goes all out with 80,000 fans

Cheering, singing, soju and a shirtless Psy ― now that’s ‘Gangnam style.”Thursday night was truly a night to remember for the global galloping sensation Psy, who put on a mesmerizing visual performance as though it were his last, and electrified the city of Seoul with his energetic stage presence. What more could 80,000 screaming fans ask for?Even though Psy has not yet overtaken Maroon 5 at the top of the Billboard chart, a feat for which he promised to dance shirtless for the world to see, he

Oct. 5, 2012

Calendar

Theater“Phantom of the Opera”: Tickets are available for the upcoming run of the world’s beloved musical, “Phantom of the Opera.” The show opens on Dec. 7 at Blue Square’s Samsung Electronics Hall in Hannam-dong, Seoul. Composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, the musical tells the story of a beautiful soprano Christine, and a mysterious, disfigured musical genius who becomes obsessed with her. Australian actress Claire Lyon will play Christine, while veteran Broadway actor Brad Little will perform as t

Oct. 5, 2012

Eyelike

Krall delivers another modern classicDiana Krall“Glad Rag Doll”(Verve)With her sexy, deep velvety voice, Diana Krall hits the right notes once again on her newly released album “Glad Rag Doll.” There’s something almost ragtime about this album which oozes a sort of sitting-in-a-blues-club-with-a-smoke-and-a-bourbon ambience that we don’t always expect from Krall. Even the album cover, featuring her classy, burlesque-like image, is like taking a step back in history to the America of the roaring

Oct. 5, 2012

When ballet meets figure skating

Russia’s ice theater troupe presents Tchaikovsky’s ‘Swan Lake’While Olympic champion Kim Yu-na has made figure skating more of a spectator sport than ever before in Korea, many still may not be familiar with the genre of ice theater.Hence Russia’s Bobrin Ice Theatre’s performance of Tchaikovsky classic “Swan Lake” would offer a unique experience for both local ballet fans as well as figure skating buffs. The troupe has been in Seoul since last week, to present the Tchaikovsky piece not in toe sh

Oct. 4, 2012