Gaslight Anthem’s ‘Handwritten’ is hardyThe Gaslight Anthem"Handwritten" (Mercury/Island Def Jam)The Gaslight Anthem has always occupied this unsettling space between the earnestness of Bruce Springsteen’s lyricism and the musical passion of harder-edged bands like Jawbox. The former is no surprise, given the quartet’s New Jersey Roots and the latter -- well, this is a band that bounds back and forth across the line between punk and folk with no apologies.Nor should it.On its fourth studio album

[HERALD INTERVIEW]Crossover artist focuses more on vocals, experiments with musical talent with new albumEven among fans, not many know that BoA has a six-letter tattoo on her left wrist. “Chiara, it is my baptismal name, meaning clear,” the singer explained. Now, she might seem a little more transparent than some Korean fans would like, since she has spent most of the last decade away from home to expand her international career. Her dynamic dance moves and heavy stage make-up even on TV often

Belgian violinist Lorenzo Gatto, the second-prize winner at the prestigious 2009 Queen Elisabeth International Music Competition, holds his first solo recital in Korea at the Seoul Arts Center on Aug. 6. Together with Italian pianist Roberto Giordano, the 26-year-old will perform Paganini’s variations on the G string on a theme from Rossini’s “Moses,” Kreisler’s variation on a theme by Corelli and Ravel’s Tzigane. Gatto will also perform with Incheon Philharmonic Orchestra led by maestro Gum Nan

SAINT PETERSBURG (AFP) ― Russian opera star Yevgeny Nikitin, who was forced to pull out of the Bayreuth Festival over swastika tattoos, on Tuesday insisted the images were not Nazi and he abhorred National Socialism.The statement by the bass-baritone ― published by his home opera house the Mariinsky Theatre of Saint Petersburg ― was his first reaction released in Russia to a scandal that threatens to overshadow a stellar career.“National Socialism disgusts me, in all its forms,” said the soloist

Actress Go Doo-shim shows off some fine dancing in her latest playVeteran actress Go Doo-shim’s latest play has been largely promoted as a “healer for women.”The 61-year-old actress, mostly known for her TV roles as self-sacrificing devoted mothers, is depicted as a sultry dancer in the play’s poster. The way the play is marketed, “Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks” looks like yet another story of an elderly woman finding herself ― in the tradition of Sohn Sook’s “Shirley Valentine” or Noh Sa-yeon’

Megabox to broadcast Salzburg Festival live in theaters for the first time in AsiaIt is true that live classical music is a luxury to many. Ticket prices have risen dramatically in recent years, making it hard for many to appreciate the emotional sound of a classical music performance.To offer such a chance at modest prices, Megabox will hold a special event starting this Sunday.The local movie theater chain in partnership with Kevin & Company will broadcast five live concerts and operas from Sa

South Korean popular singer Kim Jang-hoon has received the U.S. President’s Volunteer Service Award, his management company said Monday.Kim was given the award during a concert in Los Angeles on Saturday (local time) through a local concert organizer, the management company said. Kim, known as the “angel of donation,” was selected as the winner of the award by the White House for his contributions to the South Korean community and the United States, according to the organizer. The White House ma

Classical Music“2012 Aramnuri Symphonic Series Concert 2 -- Choi Soo-yeol & TIMF Ensemble”: The second part of Goyang Aramnuri’s project on Beethoven and Brahms symphonies this year will be held on July 21 with the Tongyeong International Music Festival Ensemble led by conductor Choi Soo-yeol. The TIMF ensemble will perform Beethoven’s Violin Concerto in D Major Op. 61 with violinist Kim Jae-young, a member of NOVUS Quartet and emerging solo violinist. The ensemble will also perform Brahm’s Symp

Frank Ocean’s bewitching ‘Channel Orange’Frank Ocean"Channel Orange" (Def Jam)In this cynical world, Frank Ocean’s timing in revealing his sexuality seems a bit curious: The Tumblr-page announcement that shook the urban music world came less than two weeks before the release of his sophomore album, "Channel Orange," bringing him an avalanche of publicity and making him the most celebrated figure in music at the moment.It would all seem a bit manufactured -- if we were talking about a lesser arti

Korea Railroad Corporation is holding a series of cultural events starting this weekend, as part of efforts to draw the public’s interest on the country’s railroads. Starting today, KORAIL will hold an exhibition on various types of trains at Seoul Culture Station 284 for three days. The exhibition features hundreds of miniature trains ― from early 20th-century steam locomotives to KTX-Sancheon, the latest bullet train developed by homegrown technology. The collection includes a 2.8-meter-long r