Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Shine Bright Like A Diamond… like RIHANNA!



GET A CHANCE TO WIN a gorgeous necklace worth
Php 50,000.00 from SILVERWORKS plus get INSTANT PRIZES when you buy the RIHANNA UNAPOLOGETIC CD & LOUD TOUR Concert DVD at participating Astroplus & Odyssey Music stores!

PROMO PERIOD: March 11 to April 30, 2013




They say that DIAMONDS are a girl’s best friend. But we would like to prove otherwise --- DIAMONDS and RIHANNA are now two of a girl’s new best friends! It’s time to get your swag on as the No. 1 music company in the Philippines, MCA Music (Universal Music Philippines), invites everyone to shine bright like a diamond!

Join us as we celebrate the worldwide success of global superstar, RIHANNA, and her chart-topping hit, “Diamonds”. Make sure to schedule a visit to your favorite Astroplus/Astrovision and Odyssey Music & Video outlets between March 11 to April 30 when you buy Rihanna’s Unapologetic CD and Loud Tour Live at The O2 DVD, and get a chance to win a gorgeous necklace worth Php 50,000 from top local jewelry brand SILVERWORKS! Not only that, you also get to take home a SILVERWORKS Eco Bag, Dog Tag with a photo/text engraving card for every purchase of the Rihanna CD/DVD Bundle (Unapologetic CD & Loud Tour DVD) --- these items are very limited so hurry and get your very own Rihanna Bundle now! Raffle coupons are available on the counter upon purchase. See print ads or visit www.facebook.com/mcamusic for more details.  

Rihanna has ignited record charts around the world with “Diamonds,” the fastest-rising single of her career to date, which is her 12th record-breaking Hot 100 No. 1 hit. The single is part of her 7th studio album entitled Unapologetic which also includes the current single “Stay” featuring Mikky Ekko. Also available is Rihanna’s Loud Tour Live at The O2 DVD, a 90 minutes-plus chronicle of Rihanna's sold-out show at the legendary London venue, the climactic final stop of her 2011 world tour.  Featured are 21 performances including the #1 hits "We Found Love," "Only Girl (In the World)," "S&M," "What's My Name," "Rude Boy," "Umbrella," "Love the Way You Lie," and many more.    

The recipient of six Grammy Awards® and seven Billboard Music Awards, Rihanna has sold over 37 million albums and 146 million digital tracks worldwide, and currently holds the record as the top-selling digital artist of all time. 


RIHANNA’s Unapologetic CD and Loud Tour Live at The O2 DVD are now available at Astroplus and Odyssey Music and Video stores nationwide or download online via iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/ph/album/unapologetic-deluxe-version/id577347018 or MyMusicStore.com.ph http://www.mymusicstore.com.ph/album/1074074/Unapologetic-Deluxe-Edition.html

For more promos and album launches, visit and like the L.E.N.S. blogs on Facebook.

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Karen Mok gone Wicked



Karen Mok premieres new music video “Wicked Game”

“Wicked Game” music video directed by famous
Hong Kong director, Wing Shya

Karen Mok’s Jazz album officially released in the UK,
entering international market for the first time



HONG KONG, March 2013 – Asia’s Newest Jazz Diva, Karen Mok, plays the wicked game while combining sexy and sultry in her sizzling interpretation of Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game”, her sexiest music video to date. The music video was directed by one of Hong Kong’s famous directors, Wing Shya, notable for his work on Buenos Aires Affair, In the Mood for Love and 2046 among others. Two sets of costumes were worn in the music video: (1) an attractive see-through outfit which outlines Karen Mok’s graceful curves and (2) a contemporary heavy metal guise by Italian designer, Guiseppe Zanotti (of which Lady Gaga is a fan of). “Wicked Game” premiered last 19th March on the FOX Music Channel.
 
Karen Mok’s first solo Jazz album, “Somewhere I Belong”, has also entered the international market for the first time. ‘Releasing the album in the UK means a lot to me, I was very touched’, said Karen Mok.

Indeed, the Asian Superstar opens up a new pathway for the Chinese music industry. Besides having been interviewed at BBC Radio and London’s Jazz FM, Karen Mok has also been invited to attend the Shiatzy Fall 2013 fashion show in Paris. Although it was just a short two-day stop, Karen was still able to revel in the breathtaking streets of Paris.


KAREN MOK’s new album “Somewhere I Belong” is available in CDs at Astroplus, Odyssey Music & Video and Fully Booked or online via iTunes http://smarturl.it/kmsomewhereibelong | For more information about this release, please visit http://www.facebook.com/mcamusic.ccj

Friday, March 22, 2013

Panatang Makabanda marks the return of Rivermaya in the local recording scene

Iconic and multi-platinum-selling band Rivermaya makes a local recording scene comeback with the much-awaited release of their album Panatang Makabanda, under Universal Records. The album is their first in four years and their first with Universal Records.


Rivermaya is now composed of Mark Escueta, Norby David, Mike Elgar and Ryan Peralta.

Rivermaya joins the label’s elite roster of bands – Parokya Ni Edgar, Kamikazee, Sponge Cola, Calla Lily, among others.

“It's really a great honor for us, not only to become part of such a high-calibre roster, but to be given the chance to work with a company that has always championed the Filipino artist. It took a few weeks for it to really sink in. Di kami makapaniwala,” says Mark. “Finally, we're ‘home.’”

The album’s single Pilipinas, Kailan Ka Magigising, penned by founding Rivermaya member Mark Escueta, is reminder to everyone to go against crab mentality, and selfishness, especially now that another elections is within the horizon once again.

When asked how the single was chosen among the tracks recorded for the forthcoming Panatang Makabanda album, drummer-turned-guitarist Mark quips, “In the early stages of recording, this song became the initial favorite of the group. It's also a fun song to play live.  Maganda yung message ng kanta and very timely rin since election time nanaman tayo. 

Norby adds, "Hopefully our new record can take the fans to a whole new level and attract more new listeners to our songs and stories. We are all excited for what each of us can bring to the table, and soon to your ears."

When asked to sum up his Rivermaya journey from 1993 to 2013 founding member Mark says: “One of my firm beliefs is that the best part about being a
musician is the PROCESS. If you enjoy the process then all your gigs,
songs and albums will be celebrations after a great day at the ‘dream
office.’ If the process is messed up, many things can go wrong and it
can even end up as a painful experience. It has to be good for
everybody, not just one or two. Few people know, and I’m sure a lot of
my fellow musicians will agree, that one of the most important things
that keeps a band going is something that is not so musical in nature.
It’s called laughter. A band that laughs together, stays together.
Diyan mayaman ang Rivermaya ngayon, tawanan, pagkakaibigan at bagong
musika.”

 

 Stay in touch with Rivermaya through their facebook page
www.facebook.com/rivermayamusic, Twitter and Instagram: @rivermayaband
and also check out the bands voice blogs on the Bubbly App for iOS or
Android. Their official website is www.rivermaya.ph.

Thursday, March 14, 2013

The Metropolitan Opera live in HD at the CCP!



For the first time, the Cultural Center of the Philippines, in cooperation with the Opera Guild Foundation of the Philippines, features screenings of the latest operatic productions by the Metropolitan Opera through digital technology, starting with Giuseppe Verdi’s AÏDA in high definition video and full dolby sound at the CCP Tangahalang Aurelio Tolentino (Little Theater) on March 19, 2013 at 3pm and 8pm.

          AÏDA stars Liudmyla Monastyrska as the enslaved Ethiopian princess caught in a love triangle with heroic Radames, played by Roberto Alagna, and the proud Egyptian princess Amneris, sung by Olga Borodina. Fabio Luisi conducts.

          Other scheduled screenings of Met Opera productions for this year include Rigoletto (April 16), L’Elisir D’Amore (May 28), Maria Stuarda (July 9), and The Tempest (August 20). All screenings are 3pm and 8pm.

For information on subscription and ticket inquiries, please call the CCP Box office at 832-3704 or 832-1125 loc. 1409. Visit the CCP website at www.culturalcenter.gov.ph for more details.

For more online updates about CCP activities, visit the LENS blogs on Facebook.

Saturday, March 9, 2013

MOTION CITY SOUNDTRACK LIVE IN MANILA

She’s Only Sixteen Opens the March 9, 2013 Concert at the SM City North EDSA Sky Dome

Opening for the famed band is fresh, young local band She’s Only Sixteen, who released their self-titled debut EP a few months ago. The album was received warmly by music aficionados and critics. The EP, named by www.abscbnnews.com the 2nd top OPM release for 2012, included the singles Dying To Meet You and Amygdala.

She’s Only Sixteen is composed of Roberto Sena (vocals/guitars), Andrew Panopio (guitars), Anjo Silvoza (bass) and King Puentespina (drums).

“We are thrilled to open for Motion City Soundtrack, one of our musical influences,” says King of this opportunity. “It will be an awesome night of good music.”

She’s Only Sixteen’s EP is under Universal Records. The band is being managed by Orion Entertainment.

Motion City Soundtrack has released five studio albums and has sold more than 500,000 records in and out of the United States. They’ve achieved great success in the Independent Albums Charts with releases such as Commit This To MemoryEven If It Kills MeMy Dinosaur Life, spawning hits like “Hold Me Down,” “Broken Heart,” and “Disappear,” respectively. More recently, they released their fifth studio album titled Go.

After putting out one album with Columbia Records, Motion City Soundtrack went through a careerrenaissance of sorts when they returned to their longtime label Epitaph to release Go, the most mature and developed album of their 14-year career.

Having previously worked with Ric Ocasek, Adam Schlesinger, and Eli Janney, as well as Mark Hoppus, Go saw the band reconvening in their hometown of Minneapolis, Minnesota, to spend an extended stretch of time with producer Ed Ackerson (who the band worked with on their acoustic singles collection). The result is a cerebral collection of sounds that confronts big questions without sacrificing any of the energy or raw emotion that has endeared Motion City Soundtrack to fans worldwide.

“I think honestly I was really obsessed with death,” Pierre explains when asked about his mental space during the writing of Go. In addition to entering his mid-30s, his obsession with mortality was also provoked by the passing of his grandmother who he spontaneously visited the night before she passed away. “That’s where it started and I don’t necessarily think of it in terms of life or death, but more as love and death as two sides of the same coin,” he explains. “There are choices you can make as far as holding back or embracing your existence and choosing life, which all ties into the album title for me.”

While this might seem like heady subject matter for a band who burst on the scene more than a decade ago with their pop-culture-heavy single “The Future Freaks Me Out,” in reality, Motion City Soundtrack has always maintained a striking dichotomy between upbeat music and darker lyricism—and Go sees the band entering the next stage of their career in a flash of brilliance. “I feel like this album is a Choose Your Own Adventure book in the sense that you can look at these songs from different angles depending on your mental state,” Pierre explains. “My hope is that they will make sense to you no matter where you’re at.”

From the expansive-sounding, intricately arranged ballad “Everyone Will Die” to the sweetly syncopated, falsetto-fueled rager “Boxelder,” Go sees Motion City Soundtrack stretching out sonically to push the limits of their sound without altering the solidly constructed foundation that it’s built upon. “I think this was one of the hardest records we’ve ever made because it was so emotionally draining since we recorded it in the middle of winter. In the end, though, I think that frustration helped us make a better record.”

Like all classic albums, Go is teeming with happy accidents such as the guitar solo on “Son Of A Gun,” which Cain originally played as a joke that the band eventually fell in love with. “We did a lot of stuff like that,” he explains. “When a unique moment happened, we kept it. That’s what I really love about this album.” Ackerson had a huge influence on the final product, too, which features many firsts for Motion City Soundtrack—including a string quartet on “Everyone Will Die.” “We probably wrote 30 songs for this album, but nothing was written in stone. We really had the freedom to make up some of the moments as we went along, which we had never done before. It was a really exciting experience for us,” Pierre adds. Equally thrilling is the fact that Go sees Motion City Soundtrack returning to their first label, Epitaph Records.

Despite the full-circle musical evolution they’ve undergone with Go, the band members agree that, in some ways, they feel the same way that they did when Motion City Soundtrack was starting to make their mark in the early 2000s. “We weren’t on a label when we recorded this album, so we didn’t have to answer to anyone—which was exactly how we worked when we were first starting out,” Pierre explains. “We’ve never tried to consciously write a certain kind of song, which is why we’ve never fit into some specific category. I do think, though, that this album has a very cohesive narrative that ties it together from start to finish.”

The band is also quick to point out that their fans have been open to the evolution. “Most people who listen to a band’s first record go in a completely opposite direction as the band progresses. It’s very rare that you grow with a band, but that seems to be a common thread with our fans,” Pierre astutely adds. “There are certain bands where every record they put out speaks to me in the moment and, hopefully, Go can be one of those albums for the people who love our band.”

Now, fans can finally rock to Motion City Soundtrack’s hits live as they bring 14 years-worth of powerful pop-punk sound to the Philippines. Don’t miss Motion City Soundtrack on March 9, 2013 at the SM North Edsa Sky Dome for the very first time. Tickets are sold for P1,850 (Free Section Standing). For tickets, call SM Tickets at 470-2222 or buy online via https://smtickets.com.

The show is brought to you by CNCA Media Concepts—the same producers behind Jay Sean Live in Manila, Gin Blossoms Live in Cebu, Adam Lambert Live in Manila, and Creed Live in Manila—together with Redstone Productions.