If you’re not familiar with the actual band, hearing the name The Japanese Popstars may immediately bring to mind images of Utada Hikaru-esque girls dancing across the stage in frilly outfits and/or very, very androgynous looking men. In fact, it is the name of an electronic band from the opposite side of the world. You’ve probably heard them before without realizing who they were, as they not only have a good handful of original songs, but a nice sized catalog of remixes, everywhere from Beyoncé to Gorillaz to a track on the recent Tron: Legacy R3configur3d album.

The group’s forthcoming effort, Controlling Your Allegiance, marks their Astralwerks debut. Set to hit stores stateside on June 21st, the six-track as-yet-to-be-detailed full length album comes three years after the group’s first, but in that time, they’ve changed things up. Rather than relying solely on synthesizers, The Popstars will be adding vocals this time around — a first for the group.

So, what’d you learn here? For one, the group’s certainly not Japanese, but also, they’re not exactly popstars, either. However, come June 21st, you’ll find all the truth you’ll need in their incredibly catchy music. As for tour dates, they have several shows scheduled for this summer, but you’ll have to be in Europe to see them.

The Japanese Popstars 2011 Tour Dates
04/08 – Morlaix, FR @ Panorama Festival
04/09 – Toulouse, FR @ Garorock Festival
04/28 – London, UK @ Cargo
04/29 – Dublin, IE @ Button Factory
04/30 – Belfast, UK @ Stiff Kitten
07/15 – Dour, BE @ Dour Festival
07/23 – Huntington, UK @ Secret Garden Party
09/10 – Isle of Wight, GB @ Bestival
09/24 – Wirral, UK @ Hubdu Festival