MUSIC LYF: Linkin Park Beats Maroon 5 in Billboard Top 200 Album

This is a week has been a great tome for Linkin Park as I they were first, part of the soundtrack for Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. Then they are making Linkin Park PCs with Dell. And finally with the launch of their new album, LIVING THINGS brings them to the their glory as the premiere rock band of our generation. 

And with more than a decade in the industry, they still are a hot band to watch. Now they made another record by hitting the number one spot at the Billboard Top 200 albums with a whopping 223,000 copies, just a thousand higher than Maroon 5's "Overexposed" with 222,000. See the rest who made it on the top ten after the break!

MUSIC LYF: Dia Frampton - Red (Album)

The Voice’s DIA FRAMPTON debuts ‘Red’

The Voice (NBC) Season 1’s runner-up Dia Frampton returns with a bang through her first full-length album entitled ‘Red’. Fans of the American singer-songwriter will be pleasantly surprised with the new album as Dia projects a completely diverse selection of melodies with her beautifully unique singing voice and stellar songwriting. The album is a stunning collaboration with notable producers and songwriters including Isabella Summers of Florence + The Machine, Tom Shapiro, Kid Cudi, Toby Gad, Chris Seefried, Mark Foster of Foster the People, Julie Frost and Meg White. Dia also proudly acknowledges her sister, Meg, as an instrumental part in the making of the album --- “It's fun to write with friends and work with producers, but when I work with my sister, I can just be myself 100%. We are also close enough to say to each other, 'Yeah, that part sucks.' No hard feelings.”      

REEL DEAL: Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter - Dominic Cooper SPOTLIGHT

On July 4, the secret part of Lincoln’s life and the secret part of the battle he fought will be revealed in cinemas nationwide in the blood-curling, non-stop action thriller “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter” starring Benjamin Walker, Dominic Cooper, Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Rufus Sewell. 

Every good vampire slayer needs a mentor (even Buffy).  For Lincoln, that turns out to be Henry Sturgess, a 500-year-old vampire who has tired of his peers’ bloodlust and attitude towards humanity. For that role, the filmmakers chose Dominic Cooper, who saw his career enjoy a boost with the likes of “Mamma Mia” and and “An Education” and won plenty of acclaim for “The Devil’s Double.” But Cooper wasn’t quite sold on the idea when he was first handed the script. 

Great Northern Sale at SM City North EDSA This July 13 to 15

Its that time of the year for great shopping at the middle of the year with SM City North EDSA Great Northern Sale happening this July 13, 14 and 15, 2012. Shopping is indeed fun in the biggest mall in the Philippines with almost a thousand stores to choose from. 

The family can also enjoy a lot of fun these rainy days as SM City North EDSA is an iButterfly mall where you can "catch" promo butterflies to get discounts and even freebies using your iOS and android devices.

REEL DEAL: Ice Age 4 Continental Drift - Jennifer Lopez SPOTLIGHT

One of the world’s most loved idol, musician and actress  Jennifer Lopez joins the fourth outing of the phenomenal hit franchise “Ice Age” headed by its three heroes from different species namely Manny the mammoth, Diego the tiger and Sid the sloth in “Ice Age: Continental Drift”

This time, along with Manny’s family and Sid’s grandma, they face a formidable chilling adventure against a group of pirates in the cold seas. With Scrat in the middle of it all subdividing land masses into what we now know as the seven continents, the group’s all-new adventure takes them on a thrilling ride to the far end of the seas.

Jennifer Lopez plays Shira, a beautiful saber tooth pirate who is also a loyal first mate on their ship of pirates headed by a prehistoric orangutan named Captain Gutt (Peter Drinklage).  After Diego and Manny capsized Gutt’s ship, Shira gets separated from the pirates and is shocked to discover that Gutt has no real loyalty to her.  When Diego appeals to her join his motley crew, she has to make the decision to stick with Gutt or to join Diego, Manny and the herd. Initially battling Diego and his best friends Manny and Sid, Shira finds herself slowly losing her heart to Diego in the midst of their adventure to find home.

Benjamin Alves says uncle Piolo Pascual knew he was entering showbiz

GMA Network officially launched Benjamin Alves as its newest star last Sunday, June 24, in the musical variety show Party Pilipinas.  Although Benjamin had signed up with the Kapuso Network much earlier, he decided to finish his studies first, and finish he did – with flying colors!  He recently just graduated summa cum laude in AB English in a university in Guam.

In an interview with the entertainment press on Tuesday, June 26, Benjamin said that he did not find it hard to decide to become a Kapuso.

“I felt at home here and I like yung atmosphere po dito, the people really put their hearts into what they are doing,” he said. 

One of the interesting things about Benjamin is the showbiz blood that runs in his blood: he is the nephew of actor Piolo Pascual.  Benjamin said that he told his uncle about his intention of entering show business beforehand. 

MUSIC LYF: Richard Poon - In Store Singing Session at Astroplus and Odyssey

Meet, greet and spend time with the country’s multi-platinum crooner RICHARD POON as he visits the following record stores for a special in-store signing session: July 7 (Saturday) at Astroplus Trinoma, 4pm and Odyssey SM Megamall, 6pm and July 21 (Saturday) at Odyssey Gateway Mall, Cubao, 4pm and Astroplus SM Mall of Asia, 6pm. Get a copy of his latest album “The Crooner’s Songbook: The Best of Richard Poon” and have it signed by Richard Poon himself. You can also have your photo taken with the crooner.

Songs included in the album are: “All of Me”, “Moon River”, “Blue Moon”, “Portrait of My Love”, “Kahit Maputi Na Ang Buhok Ko”, “The Last Time”, “Way Back Into Love”, “Panalangin”, “You and I”, “Complicated”, “Kahit Di Mo Napapansin”, “I’ll Take Care of You”, “Kumot at Unan”, “That’s All” and “Beautiful As You”.