Jul 25
Amy Winehouse’s style & music has touched the lives of millions across the globe. Now one year later, Mio Soul from Tokyo dedicates a tribute remix of “You Sent Me Flying” to the remarkable life, talent and beautiful spirit of Amy Winehouse.
The Remix is fully Produced and Performed by Mio Soul.
Jul 23
July 20, 2012 – J-Pop veterans Swinging Popsicle released their new digital single, “You’ve Got A Friend,” on iTunes America and Japan today.
Originally recorded by Carole King in 1971, James Taylor’s version hit number 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 that same year, and won a Grammy for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance. Often included in Swinging Popsicle’s live sets, vocalist Mineko Fujishima chose the song to thank the band’s fans for ”their friendship of 15 years.”
Bassist and band leader Hironobu Hirata echoed the sentiment. “I feel that friends are one of the most important things in life. Respect and friendship have kept Swinging Popsicle together for 15 years, and there’s no way we could continue without the support of our fans. So we want to cement our friendship with our fans through this song.”
The release of “You’ve Got a Friend” is the band’s first digital release in 4 years, following 2008′s single “At Christmastime” and 2007′s album “Go on.”
Band members have kept busy in recent years with solo projects, including Hirata’s work with Japanese R&B singer Kusuo and producing Super Sonico’s Love & II+ Peace Plus, which debuted in the Oricon Top 50 in June 2012.
Swinging Popsicle official website - http://www.swinging-popsicle.comJul 23
Baltimore, MD (July 19, 2012) – Otakon, once again as a trailblazer in the industry, is proud to present K-Pop group VIXX as Friday night’s musical guest and main act. This will be the first time world wide that a K-Pop band will perform at a convention. Six-member K-Pop boy band VIXX is the final product of Mnet‘s K-Pop reality show Mydol, wherein the top six finalists on the show were grouped together to form the band. The six finalists and the band name (which stands for “Value in Excelsis”) were all selected by audience vote, so you could say that this is a band of the fans, for the fans and by the fans. Debuting under Jellyfish Entertainment (home to reality singing contest winner Seo In-guk) the group aims to become “of great heroic value to the industry,” and with this idea in mind, they recently released their debut song, “Super Hero.” Otakon 2012 invites everyone to experience this groundbreaking introduction of live K-Pop on the convention scene!
Mnet is the nation’s No.1 English language TV network focusing on Asian Pop Culture. From anime, K-Pop, K-Drama to fashion, food and gadgets, Mnet brings you all things Asian cool 24/7. For local listings and more information, visit www.mnetamerica.com.
Otakon 2012 will be held July 27 – 29 at the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore, Maryland.
Jul 16
Annual Weekend-Long S.F. Pop Culture Celebration In August To Present Video Game-Inspired Artists And DJs Including Random Encounters, The Glowing Stars, SpaceKraft, DJ Amaya, and Vex Mode. August 25-26, 2012.
San Francisco, CA, July 12, 2012 – NEW PEOPLE, a dynamic entertainment destination bringing the latest examples of Japanese popular culture to North American shores, invites the Bay Area to get its dance groove on at this year’s 2012 J-POP Summit Festival as the company continues to expand the event’s roster of live programming.
Celebrating the Festival’s theme of “Cyberpop Overload,” a just-announced full slate of video game-inspired artists and DJs will feature mesmerizing and danceable sets from Random Encounters, The Glowing Stars, SpaceKraft, DJ Amaya and Vex Mode. More performers and artists will be announced next week!
The annual J-POP Summit Festival, now in its fourth year and presented in association with the Japantown Merchants Association, will be held across San Francisco’s Japantown district on Saturday, August 25th and Sunday, August 26th.
Jul 10
Otakon is proud to announce that Aya Hirano, voice actress and vocalist, to appear and perform at Otakon 2012 as our Sunday musical guest.
Born in Aichi Prefecture, Aya Hirano began acting as a child in Japan, and as an adult had her big break in the The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya for which she provided many songs, including “God Knows.” She went on to perform the ending theme for other anime, such as Hyakko, and “Motteke! Sailor Fuku” for Lucky Star. As an actress, Ms. Hirano has had featured roles in shows such as Haruhi, Death Note, and Lucky Star, and has become a prominent figure in the anime world. A versatile performer, she can play an entire spectrum of roles ranging from a young child to a sexy woman, and even a boy. Other popular roles include Lumière from Kiddy Grade, Lucy in Fairy Tale, and Mamori in Eyeshield 21. Whether it’s in the field of music, narration, stage, or TV drama, Aya Hirano will continue to do great works in the future.
Otakon 2012 will be held July 27 – 29 at the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore, Maryland.
Aya Hirano Official website – http://www.ayahirano.jp/ Otakon Official website – http://www.otakon.com/
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