Keiko Takamura Debuts Her 1st Album Co-Financed With Linden Dollars From Second Life Fans -- Watch the Music Video Here!

She now performs in clubs all over the San Francisco Bay Area, but Keiko Takamura is actually named after a Second Life avatar, because it's in SL where she first launched her career (as covered on MTV). When it came time to produce her first album earlier this year, her Second Life fans helped raise funds. Now I'm stoked to say that album is now online and for sale, and it comes with this excellent music video for the incredibly hooky "Grayscale", featuring her pop punk band, the Shebangs. Kick your computer's speakers up to full, and hit play:

Keiko's adorable and conveys total indie rockstar presence throughout. (Bonus points for the cute girl drummer, and what looks like Tina Fey fingerpainting in the background.) And if you attended last year's Second Life Community Convention, you'll remember that Keiko and her band performed "Grayscale" there too -- here's my video of that show. All in all, as Keiko tells me, this is very much an SL-driven project:

"My SL fans bought pre-orders and chipped in Lindens to go towards studio time," she says, "which turned out to be horrifically expensive. By the end of my week-long fundraising stint, I had collected enough for 2 studio days." (Her family help cover the remaining studio time.) You can see all the Second Lifers who donated and/or pre-ordered the album listed here. And while you're there, be sure to buy a copy, and send a link to your rocking friends.

Update, 11:30am: Added the album cover art. Look carefully at the two figures with parachutes, seem familiar? That's right: They're Second Life classic default noob avatars!

Comments

[Keiko]

And check out the album art? Do the parachuting people look familiar?

Thanks as always, Hamlet! :D See you at Whole Foods.

[Ann Otoole InSL]

yay!

[Paisley Beebe]

Wow Keiko! that production sounds amazing! might have blown the budget but it was worth it !! Congrats to all of you :)

[Komuso Tokugawa]

yay keiko! Nice toons, rock on!

[Mitch Wagner]

Sounds great - looks great too. Gratz!