Sean McConnell“Sean McConnell” (Rounder Records)One of the freshest new voices coming out of Nashville has actually been around for a while.His name is Sean McConnell, and though he’s barely on the senior side of 30, he’s been putting out indie records since he was 15. He's also made a mark as a songwriter, covered by the likes of Tim McGraw, Brad Paisley and Christina Aguilera. But his earlier material never touched down with this much force. With his new self-titled album, McConnell unleashes

Steven Tyler“We’re All Somebody from Somewhere”(Dot/Big Machine)The opening stanza of Steven Tyler’s move into country music includes references to Jesus, mama, bullets and whiskey. On paper, those clicheuros feed those who see the Aerosmith veteran’s Nashville embrace as a desperate attempt to stay relevant by finding a musical genre that will accept him.  Those naysayers would be wrong. “We’re All Somebody from Somewhere” -– Tyler’s first solo album -- plays to his strengths: inventive melodie

Aaron Neville“Apache” (Tell It Records/Kobalt)Aaron Neville picks up the pace and delves into songwriting on “Apache,” a lively album meshing New Orleans R&B with Brooklyn funk. Ably guided by Soulive’s Eric Krasno and backed by members of Lettuce and session aces like keyboardist Pete Levin and sax player Cochemea Gastelum, Neville’s famous falsetto and vocal quivers shine brightest on the ballads while also raising some of the brisker tunes above where they belong.Evoking a childhood nickname,

Maestro Chung Myung-whun was questioned by the Seoul Central Prosecutors’ Office Thursday morning regarding his alleged involvement in the ousting of former Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra CEO Park Hyun-jung in December 2014. “I believed what my colleagues of 10 years had told me,” Chung told reporters outside the Prosecutors’ Office, in reference to the 10 SPO members who had filed charges against former CEO Park over allegations of sexual and verbal harassment. After a months-long investigation b

Four years after his global hit “Gangnam Style,” Psy continues to hold his position as one of K-pop’s biggest names.“Daddy” from the singer’s seventh album “Chil-jip Psy-da” gained the most global views of all official K-pop music videos on YouTube from November 2015 to June 30, the company announced on Thursday. The video has recorded over 170 million views so far. Psy’s award-winning hit “Gangnam Style” still maintains its spot as the most viewed video on YouTube of all time, accumulating over

Several of the country’s top names in classical music are gearing up to hit the stage with new performances, promising a star-studded July for fans of local classical piano music. The first highly anticipated piano recital will kick off on Friday with the country’s latest classical phenom Cho Seong-jin, who last gave sell-out performances here in February. Cho is slated to perform alongside the Seoul Philharmonic at its upcoming recital of Chopin and Tchaikovsky later this week under the baton o

Maestro Chung Myung-whun, the former 10-year music director of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, is scheduled to return to Korea on Wednesday after being summoned by the Seoul Central Prosecutors’ Office.Former SPO CEO Park Hyun-jung, who was ousted as the orchestra head in December 2014 over allegations of sexual and verbal harassment by members of the SPO, has filed a suit against Chung and his wife, surnamed Koo, who are currently staying in France, on charges of defamation.Along with the all

GFriend has no intention of losing its innocent schoolgirl image anytime soon, the K-pop group’s members said Monday. They were holding a press showcase for the release of their first full-length album “LOL,” whose track “Navillera” topped major Korean music charts after its release at midnight on Sunday. “For now, we still want to be girls,” Sowon said when asked whether the group was ready to show off a more mature side. “It’s only been a year and a half since our debut ... we thought it would

Legendary idol group Sechs Kies will be holding its first concert in 16 years, according to management agency YG Entertainment on Monday. The group had split up in 2000, but some members recently got back together.Sechs Kies debuted in 1997 and returned to the spotlight earlier this year when it appeared on MBC’s show “Infinite Challenge” in April.  Since that appearance, the group’s members have been participating in other variety programs, including KBS’ “Happy Together,” JTBC’s “Please Take C

Korean-American singer-songwriter Eric Nam will release a new single this week, announced his management agency CJ E&M. The summer track “Can’t Help Myself” will be available on local music sites from midnight on July 15, and Nam will be holding a special performance of the single on Mnet’s “M Countdown” a day ahead of the official release.Epik High’s Tablo wrote the song’s lyrics upon personal request from Nam, according to Nam’s agency. “The two have a very close, sibling-like relationship,” s

Korea’s longest DJ festival, 2016 Summer DJ Festival, is coming to Seorak Beach in Gangwon Province, from July 21 to Aug. 15. The 26-day festival will bring together 20 of the most prominent and up-and-coming DJs and musicians in the country, including DJ Chunja, Super Junior’s Kim Ki-bum, DJ Peachade, Davii and DJ Pascal Dior. In addition to showcasing some of the season’s hottest electronic dance music, the festival will include dance performances and other exciting attractions.  Big Bang memb

Fans came from all over Asia. According to S.M. Entertainment, some 6,000 fans flocked to Seoul’s Olympic Park on Sunday for Girls’ Generation member Taeyeon’s first solo concert.On Sunday, the concert’s second and last day, occasional bursts of cheers in Chinese, Japanese and even Spanish could be heard throughout the packed stadium in between songs. The show was also live-streamed at some 44 theaters in Japan, according to the singer. The 27-year-old singer performed 22 songs, including those