Today's Pick

Dutch rising star Esmée Denter is one of the first artists signed to her mentor and producer Justin Timberlake's Interscope imprint, Tennman Records and she premiered a music video for her third single, "Love Dealer" from her debut album "Outta Here" and featuring Timberlake premieres Wednesday on VEVO. "Love Dealer" is a light, refreshing electro jam, as her next official US single and will be available for download on iTunes May 4 and will impact radio on May 25.
The Malloys produced video was shot in downtown Los Angeles on April 18. Unlike the other artists who take their recording sessions inside recording booth, this former pancake house waitress chooses to craft the song with Timberlake on the rooftop. Collaborating on the feisty, urban-flavored hit is just the tip of the Denters/Timberlake connection. This is not the only song which features Timberlake as the former member of NSYNC also hooks up with her in another track called "Casanova."
The 21-years-old Denters fascinating story began a couple of years ago with a webcam and a dream. She rose to YouTube celebrity-dom by performing and then posting covers to her favorite hits. Her urban flavored pristine vocals quickly captured attention internationally and among her list of fans was Timberlake. Not long after he discovered her talent the two began collaborating on her debut album "Outta Here" which is set to be released later this year.
Hollander Denters called working with Timberlake as a dream comes true. "It's an honor to even meet him and to have him produce my songs and write with me and really give me the attention as an artist," she said. It's only a matter of time before "Love Dealer" will take the airwaves by storm and solidify Denters's place as a star in Pop music. The new video will clearly get a much larger promotional push and get a glimpse of what all the buzz is about. Enjoy!

2008 X-Factor champion, Alexandra Burke is gearing up for the release of the video on Tuesday for her fun dance single, "All Night Long" featuring reggaeton rapper Pitbull. The track serves as the third release off her recently Platinum selling debut studio album "Overcome," which has been in stores since October 2009. Burke looked the best she has yet, with the video certainly capturing the the essence of the uptempo song, is out on May 17.
Burke throws a house party and invites her devotees to join her in this newly-debuted video, which was filmed in a Hertfordshire mansion in London back in mid-April, and follows the theme of a pool-side party and amongst the back-up dancers. The video also features Burke dances around in various outfits inspired by Lady Gaga in a raunchy night club where everyone is making out with everyone. In one scene Burke is seen with "a mohawk, bejewelled eye-lids and long legs in a leather swimsuit."
Burke has definitely proved that she's worth falling over for in this brand new video. According to the Daily Mail, the songstress asked family and friends to help film the video using 100 pocket video cameras. It's quite a fun and messy video. As you'll see, halfway through, the party switches to the swimming pool with some of the girls jumping into the water. Pitbull which is featured on the remix version of the song is also captured spitting his verses. "Some of the footage filmed was interesting, to say the least," Burke said as quoted by The Daily Star. "I just wanted to do something different. Filming the video was the most fun ever."
The girl who never gives up and who lives for her dream to sing. The girl who was turned away from X Factor in 2005 and came back fighting in 2008 – to win in an undisputed blaze of glory. She captivated the hearts of the British public with her hauntingly beautiful voice. Her awe inspiring talent and all encompassing passion for music and the creative process is what sets Burke apart from her peers. Her enthusiasm and genuine love for music coupled with a young fresh approach continues to wow her fans. She has come a long way in a very short period of time. No one could have ever predicted the scale of her success. Burke is set to firmly establish herself as a modern international pop icon.

British indie rock/post-punk revival band Editors have assembled a cast of internationally renowned filmmakers to unleash the video for their second single "You Don't Know Love" features on their last year's number one-selling third album "In This Light and On This Evening," which unveiled the band's new direction from their guitar-sound of previous releases and sent them down a more electronic, less immediate route. "You Don't Know Love," described by The Guardian as 'an unsettling ode to decaying affection' and 'bleakly haunting' is a glacial ballad illustrative of the album's innovative reinvention of the band's sound.
"You Don't Know Love" is a relatively short burst of over the top dramatic techno romance blockbuster soundtrack. The video is bloody crazy and actually rather brave, unique and worth watching. Arni & Kinski-directed new video for new track was shot in Krakow in Poland before Christmas, sees the emotional turmoil of a disintegrating relationship expressed through the stunning choreography. And the first-time use of hair as a deadly weapon. . It was shot by one of the world's most celebrated cinematographers: Christopher Doyle, who was using a Red camera for quite possibly the first time. The war-dancing is by Damien Jalet & Alexandra Gilbert, who are definitely not in the mood for love.
Formed in 2003, Editors became one of the leading bands in the post-punk revival that swept America and England during the early 21st century. Editors' own variation of dark indie guitar rock draws on influences from both older and contemporary bands, such as Echo & the Bunnymen, Joy Division, Interpol and U2. The band draw their musical style particularly from the latter two bands' debut albums Murmur and Asleep in the Back. While often compared to Joy Division and Echo and the Bunnymen by the media, the band have indicated that those bands are too old to have a major impact on their musical style.
There have been many changes to life in Editors since "An End Has A Start" broke the band worldwide and established the then Birmingham based four piece as one of the UK's most prominent bands of recent times. Whilst all four members were keen to make a far more electronic record, they were determined to 'give the machines a human feel' in the words of lead singer Tom Smith. The Birmingham-based post-punk revival band externalizes some massive relationship tension with a dark living room dance duet.

Capitol Records Nashville recording artist Emily West doesn't mind wearing her heart on her sleeve or in her songs. The Iowa native is reaching out for fame again, released a duet with labelmate Keith Urban titled "Blue Sky," the second single from her upcoming self-titled debut album, which is set for release on August 10. The rising star is a force of nature, a charming and vivacious performer and her new single gives listeners a bit of insight into the personal turmoil she experienced.
A passionate singer with a rich and distinctive voice, West is also a songwriter who co-wrote the heartbreaking "Blue Sky" with Gary Burr after her parents dissolved their marriage of 32 years. "That time period was devastating and so difficult to go through but I needed to let go and just write my pain out on paper," shares West. "I'm happy to have experienced the healing process of creating such a personal piece of art and only hope it touches someone else's life."
Penned by West and Gary Burr, the heartbreaking "Blue Sky" is a somber balled about a woman who is reluctantly pushing away an old flame when he returns to call. When he provides lengthy apologies and so-called proof of a now functioning conscience, she does not allow herself to grant him absolution, and instead, clings to the opulent memories of his mistakes and quick temper. Guided by inner wisdom, she is ready to step aside and live her own life and no longer act as a blue sky to brighten the dark days he brought upon himself.
Possessing a voice that simple proves to be a master class every time she sings, "Blue Sky" is a subtle, intimate ballad similar to the emotion-laden tracks that topped the charts in country music's yesteryear and does not rely on glitz or glamour. With her vocals, West truly shines. She is blessed with a deft power, impressive range, beautiful tone and above all - a natural ability to emote that makes her not only a singer but a storyteller like the great Reba McEntire and Jennifer Nettles.
Keith Urban gives a low-key performance and allows his young label mate to take center stage, only singing along to enhance the chorus with a few tender harmonies. The world needs more confident, independent minded singers like West and "Blue Sky" is already a contender for one of 2010's best singles. Hopefully, "Blue Sky" will allow West to breakthrough onto the difficult mainstream market and pave the way for brighter days in her career.

For all you lovely wolfcubs, the UK indie pop band Scouting for Girls have uploaded the brand new straight off the shelf official video for their chart-topping first single "This Ain't A Love Song" from their sophomore studio album, "Everybody Wants to Be on TV," which was produced by Andy Green and released on April 12 through Epic Records. The hard work has paid off and "This Ain't A Love Song" went straight to top in the UK Singles Chart on April 4, marking the band's most successful single to date, and is already being embraced by press and radio programmers.
If there's one thing that's guaranteed to get my attention when it comes to music, it's piano led songs! There's just something special about a melody that has a piano high in the mix, so I was quite excited when I saw this video from Scouting For Girls. The video was filmed at London City Airport in England. The idea for the video came from lead singer, Roy Stride, was to show everyday things such as saying hello and waving goodbye to loved ones on travels. The video, also goes along the double pronged hurt/hope route, and cue scenes of 'lost' men and women; some sitting alone, some receiving comfort and others moving on and finding new love. Stride has commented on how hard they worked to make this record the best it could possibly be, scrapping early recording sessions and re-writing many of the songs in his quest for the 'perfect pop song.'
Formed in 2005, The three piece indie/pop band based their name off of the Scouting for Boys handbook written in 1908 stating the principles of scouting and giving instructions to younger men on good citizenship. They exuded a bouncing, fast paced, somewhat youthful style, in earlier releases such as "She's So Lovely," and whilst this new track still maintains a recognizable charm, it expands and matures their sound as well. "This Ain't A Love Song" is all about sweeping, soaring melodies, raw emotion, and a catchy beat that hard to resist. The lyrical story goes on a journey through all the stages of a break-up, from anger and hurt, to saying goodbye, and fighting through the pain. The character in the story also refuses to be broken, and the band has been quite clever in crafting a melody that reflects hope along with the pain.

Canadian-American singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette premiered the video on Yahoo! Music, to her new remixed single "Not As We Are," the second single from her seventh studio album "Flavors of Entanglement," an album like any of her previous ones that channels her emotional states. "As soon as I start to write there's this uncensored, unedited freedom to step outside out of the shackles of the thoughts in my head around being ashamed," the Canadian singer has won 12 Juno Awards and seven Grammy Awards, said. "If I could offer anything to anyone listening to my songs it would be just a four minute moment of dropping any shame of anyone being human."
The ballad "Not as We," is a song about learning how to relive your life without someone else in it. Someone who was a big part of your life and now you don't know how you're going to get by without them, so you have to "psuedo-making it" and basically just taking it one day at a time. Morissette explores the often cyclical nature of learning in track in this pensive, rock bottom-capturing "Not As We." The Canadian singer takes steps towards a new life as herself in the new music video, directed by James Whitaker and produced through RSA's promo division Black Dog Films, was shot in Los Angeles on September of 2008. Simple in its concept, the video features Morissette in various stages on the path to emotional recovery.
A dozen years after the breakthrough debut of the rock-influenced "Jagged Little Pill," an album which earned four Grammys and spawned a dedicated worldwide fan base, Morissette remains not only an enduringly popular artist, but one whose success stems from a fierce commitment to authenticity and, to an equal extent, vulnerability. Both of these traits enable her to climb to new ground with her latest album, "Flavors of Entanglement." The Album Version is a piano driven ballad while the shorter Radio Edit adds guitars, bass and background effects and starts with the first line of the song while the Album Version has an instrumental opening. The music video uses the Radio Edit. The studio version first appeared on Fox's TV series "House" and later made a return to primetime on MTV's "The Hills."

The pop rock quartet We The Kings recruit Demi Lovato to help capture childhood fun in "We'll Be A Dream" music video, which premiered on MTV yesterday. Despite the chaotic scene resulted from 'a feathers battle,' people are quite enjoying themselves as they put on huge smile in this video. It's a gorgeous glimpse at an I wanna live forever night and a look at the kind of fight that everyone wins. The tune is served as the second single off We The Kings's sophomore studio album "Smile Kid," which has hit the market since December 2009.
We The Kings are an unapologetically commercial pop-punk band hailing from Bradenton, Florida have made a name for themselves with over 55 million plays on MySpace alone. They are currently signed to the independent label S-Curve Records. Lovato is edging it up a bit for her pop-rock song with We The Kings to follow up her recent duet with boyfriend Joe Jonas, "Make a Wave," for the eco-conscious film "Oceans." Lovato will also appearance on upcoming episode of Grey's Anatomy in May 13.
The mid-tempo ballad track is about young love and two people sharing their dreams of making it big someday, depicted in the video as a dreamy escape into a world of pillow, water balloon and food fights. The video was shot in Elysian Park in Los Angeles earlier this year and includes a live performance scene from the Travis Clark-fronted band.
Lovato first appears in the clip walking through the forest with feathers flying as the teens laugh their way through a pillow fight. She then hits the stage and lends her vocal for a performance of the song, while lustful glances are exchanged between two teens in the audience in the midst of the craziness going on around them. The partygoers settle down and simply start enjoying the song. Lovato appears to settle into her role as rocker, while she and the band's lead singer, Travis Clark, smile and have a good time onstage.

The Welsh singer songwriter Jem is out with the official music video for her lead single "It's Amazing," from her sophomore studio album "Down To Earth" on Dramatico/ATO Records, the follow-up to her successful 2004 debut, "Finally Woken." The song was featured on the soundtrack to the 2008 film "Sex and the City." Jem talk about track, "I already had a song put on 'The Women' soundtrack through the same company behind 'Sex And The City' movie, so I played them my new album - it wasn't even finished yet - and they liked 'It's Amazing.' I'm really lucky because there must have been so many people trying to get in there."
You could say that the new music video for Jem's hit song "It's Amazing" was shot at Hearts & Fives in Echo Park, California, or you could say that co-directors Saam Gabbay and Jem ran off to play one day and found themselves immersed in an intense, exhausting, exhilarating, and ultimately, inspiring labor of love. Both are true, and the resulting photofilm is a spirited, affecting montage culled from 25,632 photographs depicting the recording artist in performance - and engaging in a game of dress-up. "It's Amazing" is the first commercial project Gabbay has done with this technique.
"It's Amazing," is an infectious ballad that has Gabbay&Jem gained added popularity via its appearance on the motion picture soundtrack of Sex and the City. "Often when I write my songs I have a visual for the video right then," Jem notes. "This video went through many different concepts, especially after the song was featured in the movie, but the first and foremost idea I had and loved, was that I would be a ballerina, then a cop, cutting from one to the next as the beat rolls on, so the theme of the song would be captured with a really fun backdrop - 'It's amazing all that you can do...' Plus I love to dress up in my videos!"
Hailing from Wales but living in LA, Jem is an incredible storyteller and has an intuitive and refined sense for what is right for her. She's known for her eclectic fusion of musical genres like trip-hop, pop, folk, and rock. Before she straddled the border between electronica and pop/rock with songs like "They," Jem began the roundabout road to songstress stardom in Cardiff, Wales, where the singer was born and raised. After dropping her last name and moving back home, Jem began building tracks on her own, as well as fine-tuning her voice into an amalgam of soft electronica and soothing, Dido-like vocals. You might not know her face but her music has been constantly used in various movies and TV shows.

The 23-year-old Owatonna wunderkind Adam Young or more commonly known as the one-man synthpop act 'Owl City' has been all over the world these past few months. After gaining worldwide recognition status for "Fireflies" and "Vanilla Twilight," the Owannota bred synth star is gearing up for his second release in the UK. It might be known to all that "Fireflies" had a warm welcome to the British fans earlier this year as it went No.1 for three straight weeks. The new single is titled "Umbrella Beach" and is taken from his sophomore full-length album "Ocean Eyes" and will be released as the album's second UK single on May 17, and it will possibly be released as the third US single following "Vanilla Twilight."
"Umbrella Beach" was originally released promotionally on November 19, 2009, preceding the release of the official first single "Fireflies." An exclusive remix created by Kenny Hayes is included on the single release. The single is the uptempo with it comes a very British video, shot at Hope Cove on the Devon coast, directed by Alexander Brown who has created an evocative narrative about a boy and his very special boxcar. The track is a mere collection of slick synth dance beats making the track a potential club hitter. You can hear positivity from the track which makes it absolutely radio friendly as a summer anthem.
Owl City is the electronic brainchild of Adam Young, who launched the project in 2007 while living at his parents' home in Owatonna, Minnesota. Troubled by insomnia, Young began spending his evenings in the household basement, where a computer and several instruments provided a welcome diversion from his sleeping patterns. He eventually combined those diversions into a blend of electronica and emo-pop, using little more than his computer and various keyboards to record the material. Songs were uploaded to MySpace upon completion, and Young began attracting a surprising amount of attention on the networking site. Owl City has reached the "Top Unsigned Artist" position on Myspace, having over 10 million total plays. Young maintains two side projects, Swimming With Dolphins, and Port Blue: "If your household appliances wrote love songs while you were away on vacation, their cheerful blips and bleeps would pour out the windows, sweep through the neighborhood like candy-coated tidal waves, and you would return home to find crowds of people standing on your lawn, clapping and singing along to the happiest pop melodies imaginable. Welcome to Owl City."

R&B star Ciara admits to going Hollywood for a minute, but is coming back to stake her claim and reminding her detractors that she's still the 'Same Old Chic' in the new formal promotion video for her upcoming fourth album's title buzz song "Basic Instinct (U Got Me)." The song sees the singer speaking about the return to her R&B/urban roots and ditching the pop sound of previous records. The expletive-filled street anthem video directed by Phil the God and features a cameo from The-Dream. Ciara will unveil a glossier image when the video for her lead single "Ride" which features Ludacris premieres on Vevo via Jive Records today.
So apparently Cici is holding no punches on her new project, "Basic Instinct." The ATL princess has sprung a surprise on her fans by releasing this first visual hard-hitting cut, just moments ago on her official Twitter page. The "Love Sex Magic" hitmaker tweeted, "Hey my sweet fans!! Check out my video Basic Instinct (U GOT ME) Enjoy!" In the video Ciara is walking down a dirt road spitting venom like verses addressing the bloggers, critics and one particular R&B songstress that has yet to be named. With The-Dream on her side, The 24-year-old R&B singer shows off all the things she got from singing, dancing and rapping skills. She take shots at the haters and the blogs that criticize her and spread rumors about her. Also, the track reportedly is to fight back singer Keri Hilson who is rumored to diss her on "Turnin' Me On" remix.
The freshly-released video came out around a week after Ciara unraveled the title of her fourth album in an interview with Maximo TV during her red carpet appearance at the Los Angeles premiere of "Death at a Funeral" on April 12. "You're gonna get an even more sensual side and also confident and cocky. I got like such an attitude on this record, but in a fun way," she gushed further. A follow-up of her 2009 album "Fantasy Ride", "Basic Instinct" is due in stores across the U.S. this summer.

Cincinnati-based modern rock outfit Seabird is back with a new music video for their great song "Don't You Know You're Beautiful," was premiered exclusively with the online home of the popular Seventeen magazine, Seventeen.com last Friday. The hit track was the lead single pulled off of their sophomore album, "Rocks Into Rivers," which releases on January, and garnered the band their first No.1 radio single on the CHR charts in early March, and was also recently used on an episode of CBS's "Ghost Whisperer," the show recently celebrated its 100th episode.
"Don't You Know You're Beautiful," is a perfect representation of the album's tone and sound. A tale of a woman whose world has shattered to pieces because of her parents' divorce, it is an epic love song meant to remind her and all of us, really, regardless of where we find ourselves in life that we are all far more valuable than we can possibly imagine. Skyscraping guitars and strong vocals from singer Aaron Morgan bring the message home with stark clarity and power. Like this track, most of the album's 12 songs are simultaneously loaded with the sort of beauty and fire that some bands strive for their entire careers, yet rarely achieve.
The band crafts soul-searching, piano-driven, alternative pop and effectively mixes glorious melodies and exciting rock 'n' roll grooves with just the right amount of quirkiness, subtle moments and insightful lyrics to be more than just a good time. Unafraid to give their audience meaty sounds and meaningful content, Seabird is bound to put on a show that will resonate with the audience's emotional side without devolving into emo-style histrionics. Fans of Coldplay, Maroon 5 and the like should be pleased by what they hear.
Usually bands and their labels try to milk their newfound success for all they can before moving on to another record, so it was something of a surprise when Seabird recently released their sophomore album, "Rocks Into Rivers," a mere 18 months after their 2008 debut, "'Til We See the Shore," which received phenomenal national publicity, featured on TV episodes of "Numb3rs"(CBS), "Grey's Anatomy"(ABC) and "Pushing Daisies"(ABC). The quartet makes piano pop songs that are among the best around. It is something of a wonder that more people have not yet latched onto this band, but this quartet is gradually making its presence known on the music scene, and the steady influx of new fans should continue for the foreseeable future.

I'm very happy to present the brand new music video for a unique Katherine Jenkins & Andrew Lloyd Webber collaboration - the song "Love Never Dies." Welsh mezzo-soprano Jenkins was approached by Phantom of the Opera curator Lloyd Webber to record her version of "Love Never Dies" in late 2009. The song will appear in Lloyd Webber's sequel to the hugely successful Phantom - "Love Never Dies," which will also appear as the title track on the musical's album soundtrack, and as a special addition on the deluxe edition of Jenkins top-10 selling album "Believe," which was just released on March 29 in the UK by Warner Bros. Records.
The Welsh light classical-popular crossover singer Jenkins was delighted when the theater impresario asked her to sing the title track for new musical "Love Never Dies," because she grew up idolising the composer. She says, "This, for me, is such a massive honor because when I was little my sister and I used to have the Andrew Lloyd Webber easy piano book. My sister would play and I would sing all the sings. A few months before the end of last year I got a call inviting me to Andrew's house and he asked me to sing the lead track and I'm so thrilled. It's such a beautiful song and I'm so pleased to have been asked. I feel really honored he's asked me."
For a singer in her mid-20s, Jenkins has done better for herself than most people would ever imagine. After studying opera in school, she landed the biggest classical record deal ever in the UK, and has released three No.1 albums, which feature arias, popular songs, hymns and classical crossover music. The former school teacher from Neath who became the Britain's all-time best and fastest-selling female classical singer since Maria Callas, an American-born Greek soprano. To top it all off, she's even had lunch with the Queen.
Classical music isn't really known as the sexiest musical genre, but with Jenkins' sweet charms giving it new life, there'll be more cleavage than concertos in the concert hall before you know it. The Welsh glamorous singer is the most expensive classical record signing of all time – and she's firmly in control of her multi-million pound empire. Some say she should keep to old fashioned operatic love songs and leave pop culture to the rock stars. On this blog you can decide for yourself and have your say.

A music video aimed to support the revamped version of Shuggie Otis' 1977 song "Strawberry Letter 23" has been debuted. The Dayo-directed video features Quincy Jones sharing screen with his collaborator Akon, who going to a fantastical world and meeting his beautiful secret admirer.
Legendary producer Quincy Jones is the all-time most nominated Grammy artist with a total of 77 nominations and 28 winning Grammys. He says, "If there are any common denominators, they are spirit and musicality. I go for the music that gives me goose bumps, music that touches my heart and my soul." Jones has pulled together today's musical elite for his latest compilation album "Q: Soul Bossa Nostra," a celebration of Jones' legendary talent and infinite stamp on musical history. In honor of Jones's achievements, today's music stars will cover some of his biggest produced hits. The album will feature Jennifer Hudson, Jamie Foxx, Trey Songz, Tyrese, Ludacris, and more!
Seven years in the making, Q's remix album "Soul Bossa Nostra" is scheduled to release this summer. As the first single off the record, Jones to remake a great song from his catalog: the trippy, soulful 70’s gem "Strawberry Letter 23." Written by the great Shuggie Otis and made famous on a Jones-produced album by the Brothers Johnson, the song was inspired by the strawberry-scented paper Otis' girlfriend would use to write letters to him. As a tribute, Akon's music video opens with him holding an envelope and a note that reads, "I've been listening to this song all day."
"The concept of the video is almost like the concept of the new song," Akon told MTV. "It's about receiving a letter, but the letter is scented in a strawberry scent, and it happens to be the 22nd letter or 23rd letter. In the video, I'm receiving it from this beautiful admirer. I go through this fantasy world, this garden, and I'm following her through it. I actually get to meet her." Akon was quoted as saying, "When Quincy called and told me about this album, I said you have to let me do 'Strawberry Letter 23' and the funny thing is that's the song he was thinking about already. We brought a new modern feel to this classic and I think everyone's going to really enjoy it." And Jones couldn't agree more. The producer stated, "It is [opaque]. Its imagery... abstract imagery. It was abstract back then. [Akon] did it. Talk about impeccable taste. That's why it's the first single."

Nashville Star Whitney Duncan premiered a special video for the song & title track "Right Road Now" on AOL's TheBoot.com in support of her new major Warner Bros label debut album, which is set to hit stores this coming Tuesday, April 20. The video will be available to all digital partners and available for purchase on iTunes the same day as album release. I really like this one and hope it does well on the charts for her.
If looking good is the best revenge, Duncan wins! She turns a bad breakup into great fun in her brand-new video. Born in the small Tennessee town of Scotts Hill, which might explain the blues-rock edge heard in her songs. Duncan developed a passion for music as a child and was soon singing in church, expanding to performing at local talent shows, fairs, and festivals, and even traveling to neighboring states like Kentucky and Missouri to sing at events. In her late teens, country music icon Kenny Rogers asked Duncan to duet on "My World Is Over," which she wrote. Furthermore, establishing her songwriting abilities, she penned songs for LeAnn Rimes, Crystal Shawanda and Lee Ann Womack to name a few. Duncan shows a depth and vocal prowess in her songwriting that most young women can only dream of achieving.
After joining forces with producers Mark Bright and John Shanks, Duncan attracted label interest from Warner Bros., and the trio's work together resulted in her debut album, and she co-wrote every single song on "Right Road Now." Duncan is an intriguing voice in contemporary country music, and she didn't say "I want to be a country music singer" with her very first words, but she might as well have. The country star is CMTT's Celebrity Tattle Tale this month and she is sharing all of the juicy details about what she has been up to, what fans can expect in the upcoming months and some of her plans for coming Sunday's Academy of Country Music Awards.

Ryan Kirkland, the lead vocals from American indie rock band Between The Trees Premiered a video for the soundtrack, "You Give Me Hope" with the help of Bailee Madison from the major motion picture, "Letters To God," a Christian themed movie about Tyler, a young boy battling cancer. A heartfelt tale of inspiration, hope and redemption, now playing in theaters. Also featured in the video is Tanner Maguire, Michael C. Bolten, and Patrick Doughtie.
Kirkland joined the "Letters To God" team when his manager David McKenna approached him about writing a song for the movie since he has all experienced music in a movie before, and knows it is key to complete the experience. The movie was looking for a song that older brother Ben would sing to Tyler at a significant point in their journey. Kirkland says that as soon as he heard the story, "I called my fiancé Monika and told her. We both immediately got to work. Excited to be a part of such an inspiring story."
The song "You Give Me Hope" is written from two perspectives. Kirkland describes: "The first being the obvious relationship between the brothers at that point in the movie. We felt like the older brother, Ben, would be inspired by his younger brother's strength. And would almost look up to him. The second was the relationship between the main character, Tyler, and God. We wrote the chorus' from that perspective because we felt more people could relate to it. Only in God do we find absolute unconditional love. Through God we find the ability to hope in what seems like hopeless situations. If we give ourselves the chance to have faith like a child, we can see God's will in it all."
Between the Trees, one of Alternative Press' "100 Bands You Need to Know" has been laying the groundwork down hard since releasing their 2007 debut album "The Story and the Song." The mission of Between the Trees lies in plain view. It's not just in the music, though their sound is a wonder: hard-hitting, ambitious, accessible, riddled with unforgettable hooks that course through a sonic landscape of open vistas, quiet private spaces and sun-drenched, slamming beats. Certainly there's much to appreciate in their words, but an even greater truth stands Between the Trees literally.
It's in the name itself specifically, in the space staked out by its suggestion of beginning and end. "One tree represents where time and existence begins," ventures Kirkland. "The other is the end of everything. Between them is the time we're given on Earth. What matters is what we do with that time." You can't get simpler or more profound than that. And it's not only the starting point for what you hear from these five guys. It's also the creed that's driven them to accomplish something extraordinary. This is a band not to be taken lightly and never to be forgotten, whose secrets and pleasures are there for all to enjoy between the trees.

Just twenty-four hours after the video premiere of "Make My Heart," the R&B veteran Toni Braxton is really on a roll, and she has just premiered another brand new video on PEOPLE.com for her second single "Hands Tied," the sultry ballad and one of the new dual singles off her forthcoming 5th studio project, "Pulse" is hitting stores in America May 4 via Atlantic Records. Stunning! Besides the fact, Ms. Braxton, at 42, knocked it out of the park with this one. The R&B seductress delivers a sexy striptease in the video for "Hands Tied," and the song is one of her best offerings in a while too.
Braxton is one sexy mama! In her new video for the single "Hands Tied," the 42-year-old mom of two shows off her svelte assets, and proves age ain't nothing but a number in the Bille and she's still got the moves to compete with some of the hottest chicks in the game. The Billie Woodruff-directed video centers around a sexy striptease where Braxton teases a bar full of men who are mesmerized by her moves. Braxton says things were totally hands off but that folks on the set still got a little accidental peep show. "My let boobie kept falling out," says the singer. "It wanted to make a cameo!"
Accidental nudity aside, Braxton says rocking super high heels in the video had the 5-feet-2-inch tall singer feeling like a super model. "I felt as tall as Cindy Crawford," she says, but not without a price. "The shoes hurt really badly," she says. "It guess that means my stylist got me some pretty fabulous shoes [because] the better they are it seems the more they hurt." When it came to choosing one of her leading men for "Hands Tied," Braxton called upon her actor pal Michael Jai White of Tyler Perry's "Why Did I Get Married Too," who's "been a friend of mine for years," she says.
Granted there isn't anything groundbreaking here, Toni did a great job. Braxton's both new songs "Hands Tied" and "Make My Heart" are very solid radio-friendly R&B numbers, and it could be her first top ten R&B hit in ages. I'm also really hoping "Pulse" proves to be a successful project for her as her talent far outweighs that of anyone topping the charts presently. When you listen to a Braxton record that's exactly what you want to hear.

American blues-rock musician John Mayer unveils a second music video on his Facebook page and Vevo for his latest hit single "Heartbreak Warfare" off his 2009 adventurous fourth studio album "Battle Studies," was released and debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 album chart. The song is the opening track on the album, and was released as the second single from the album. The video coverage was captured from one of his eclectic live performances during his tour, which is still underway.
The song "Heartbreak Warfare" marked some changes from the music that Mayer was known for, which was the soft blues influence in his previous albums. Songs like this song from "Battle Studies," along with "Edge of Desire" and "Half of My Heart" went more towards Mayer's more rock-oriented sound, which he showed more on "Battle Studies." About the album, Mayer said, "I approach music like a director doing a period piece. Where 'Continuum' was R&B and Soul, 'Battle Studies' was written with the timelessness of Tom Petty, Fleetwood Mac and Neil Young in mind. The melodies and message are concise and from-the-gut with the efficiency of simplicity."
As an artist and a multi-platinum singer, Mayer has been on the forefront of emerging technologies, embracing the art of blogging and tweeting before it was trendy to do so. However, Mayer has been able to make music and technology history as the first recording artist to release an augmented reality music video last October, which allowing online viewers to become active participants in the 3D experience.
The second new video is laid over a black-and-white treatment of a concert, but it's not a live version of the song and feels a bit false at times. But it's sort of a classic music video. The video for the song, about the war between men and women in affairs of the heart, takes us on the stage with Mayer. The song that many have referred to as the Jennifer Aniston breakup song is rising up the charts. About "Heartbreak Warfare" being attached by media critics to his ex Jennifer Aniston, Mayer told Playboy magazine, "I feel bad because people think "Heartbreak Warfare" is about her. I wanna go on record saying it's not. That woman would never use heartbreak warfare. That woman was the most communicative, sweetest, kindest person." This video was shot at one of the stops on his current tour, which will be running through September.

Broadway star and country recording artist Laura Bell Bundy has released her newest music video, for her single "Drop on By" from the Achin' side of her brand new sophomore album, Achin' and Shakin' is Bundy's first mainstream album, out for wide release via Mercury Nashville today!
Bundy slid past the usual "Music Row" approach for country albums. She has created a bold concept album that is essentially two separate albums within one project. Achin' is a collection of slow, sultry country songs; Shakin' is a group of sassy songs that are equal parts humor, confidence and attitude. Achin' presents a modern-day mixture of Loretta Lynn, Minnie Pearl and Sex and the City's Carrie Bradshaw; the other unveils country's answer to Norah Jones.
Bundy's major label debut album Achin' and Shakin', has generated enormous buzz, thanks in part to the success of her first wildly popular Single, "Giddy On Up," has received almost one million streams in a month and has sold over 30,000 digital singles. In "Giddy On Up," Bundy took a sassy approach for her first video. In this new second video for "Drop On By," she slows things down and takes a sexy approach and features a bottle of wine, candles and a bubble-bath. Any guy would be silly not to just drop on by and see Laura! The romantic "Drop On By" oozes sensuality as she beckons a lover to visit. You will get a better idea of the range of music covered by this highly talented, Tony Nominated actress/singer. This ballad new song also really feels like a song ready to soar on the country charts this fall.
Achin' and Shakin' is clearly the work of a really talented artist. It announces the arrival of an important new star for country music. The best thing about Bundy is that she's clearly her own artist, with a vision for the kind of artist she wants to be. She isn't afraid to take chances on this album and her record label Mercury Nashville allowed her to not only take them but to thrive with it. New album does have a few moments that recall Bundy's Broadway past but it's also part of what makes the album so darn charming. Achin' and Shakin' is a record full of spirit, personality and in the end; it's exactly the kind of album that more artists should be willing to record a record that is reflective of the artist itself.

After a nearly yearlong wait for his fans, Canadian rapper Drake has released his highly anticipated video on Vevo today for his first single "Over" off his upcoming debut album "Thank Me Later," to hit stores on June 15. The song "Over" touches on Drake reaction to fame and stardom. Drake has been one of the most talked about rappers for the last couple years, especially since at the time, he was still on the mixtape circuit and had not signed a deal with any label. He became the subject of a bidding war, but eventually signed with rapper Lil' Wayne's Young Money label nearly a year ago and has already worked with some of rap music's vets and heavyweights, including Lil' Wayne, Eminem, Kanye West and Jay-Z.
The Anthony Mandler-directed video was shot on March 12 in Los Angeles. "I'm shooting with somebody I really look up to and respect...Anthony Mandler", the 23-year-old Toronto native told MTV on the set of the video for "Over," "We talked colors, we talked epic, emotion-evoking visuals". "I've shot a lot of videos before", Drake continued, "but this is my first attempt to establish myself as Drake the artist. Shooting the other videos I've done has been great. I really don't care what other people think about them, they were great experiences for me. I've learned a lot from them". About the concept of the video, Drake said: "It's sort of a love story in the video, it has a lot to do with the album. The album is about finding love, feeling 'Have I sold my soul' as far as 'Will I ever be able to gain the trust of a woman? Will I only be able to be around the dark, evil women? Will I ever find that pure love?' Those elements are in the video". The director Mandler, said about the video: "I can tell you that it's not gonna be what you expect. Drake and I were very conscious about trying to push the limits and trying to push things forward. He came to me because he wanted to throw away the conventions of a medium, and take chances and be daring and take certain themes that are relevant to him and try to visualize them in not the obvious way."
The Canadian rapper has a wild vision in this new video, which starts off with Drake, dressed in white, sitting in a room on a bed, reflecting on his life these days. Images of explosions and time-lapsed cityscapes are projected on him and the wall of the room. From there, he launches into a heavy performance. Toward the end of the video, it looks like Drake has to choose between two beautiful women. One, played by Roc Nation singer Rita Ora, appears to be a more wholesome girl, while the other lady looks more dangerous as she dances provocatively in the background. the Young Money franchise player said of the video last week on the opening night of his Away From Home Tour: "The video really reflects that. It's a struggle between the purities of my past life and what this new life has to offer. Even in the video, you see me looking back and forth between the two and deciding. At the end of the video I don't necessarily make a decision, but when you get the album, you'll see what choice I make."

Australian singer Kate Miller-Heidke has premiered a gorgeous new video for her third haunting new single "The Last Day On Earth" from her critically-acclaimed sophomore album "Curiouser," which has released in the US on March 16. Had never heard of Miller-Heidke before hearing a ten second sound bite of the song "The Last Day on Earth" on a TV commercial promoting some upcoming funeral scene or something in "Neighbours" (an Australian soapie show). The song has a poignant melody line and fragile vocals, the kind of thing that works wonders for a tear jerking TV drama finale.
Miller-Heidke is one of the rising stars in the Australian music scene, and has achieved gold status. Although classically trained as an opera singer, Miller-Heidke has followed a career in quirky alternative pop music. She uses her voice to reach high notes the other artists would rely on instruments to convey the same effects. There's still instruments in the songs but her voice is by far the leading one. She has been nominated for five Australian ARIA Awards including Best Female, Best Pop Release, Best Video for "The Last Day On Earth" and Single of The Year at the 2009 ARIA Awards.
"The Last Day on Earth" is Miller-Heidke's first ever Top 5 hit and first platinum-selling single. Although "The Last Day on Earth" was never initially released as an official single, and was used in promo advertisements for television series "Neighbours," but it has since reached No.3 on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart. The song was used for promotions for the block of episodes from the Australian soap opera "Neighbours," which surrounded the death of Bridget Parker in early July 2009. This in turn caused high sales of the song from her "Curiouser" album. Due to the high demand for the song, a physical single was quickly produced, and was released on July 14, 2009. The song ended up becoming her first top ten single.
The best song now has a lovely and heartwrenching video, which starts in a dark house decorated for Christmas. We then see Miller-Heidke in a Peach-coloured dress singing in numerous locations in her house including her living room and a fishtank. The outdoor Christmas decorations light up and Miller-Heidke walks outside and sings toward the camera as the video ends. Miller-Heidke is an absolute delight to watch live. If you find yourself in the US and unable to obtain a copy of the Live at the Chapel video concert, check single's official site, you're truly missing out. By the way, she's currently touring the US throughout the spring.

Modern soul has a new name. Widely tipped as one to watch in 2010, UK singer and new urban kid on the block McLean (aka Digga) has just premiered a brand new video on McLean's YouTube channel for his first electro-pop ballad single "My Name" via Asylum Records, and taken from his upcoming debut album. Once again McLean has impressed with another high quality video. I absolutely love the synths in this track and combined with McLean's amazing voice.
The track is a relaxed dance-pop/R&B record and a great follow-up to his last years magical and soulful debut single "Broken" which has since amassed 5 Million YouTube views and 20 Million views across Myspace. "My Name" showcases this voice, prompting a host of media to predict that McLean will be a major breakthrough act this year. It has been remixed by many other British artists. It thought that the producer of the song is Fraser T. Smith, but was also originally produced by Slick and Magic in London.
The song was completed in Los Angeles by Dylan "3D" Dresdow, the mix engineer that also mixed every Will.I.Am or Black Eyed Peas' record since "Elephunk."BBC chart blog's Fraser McAlpine states about song: "Interesting how they really layer on that autotune at the crucial moment, the bit where he claims to want to give you, the most important person in his life and therefore his most precious love, his name. I wonder if that's so the song can't be considered to be legally binding, should McLean's actual girlfriend sue him for non-delivery of ring and promise in the event of his becoming famous with a song in which he promises to marry her."
Hailing from Dagenham, emerging British crooner McLean has fought his way up through the UK urban scene working with Chase & Status, Tinie Tempah, Ironik, Tinchy Stryder and N-Dubz along the way. McLean's voice is uniquely soulful and producer Fraser T Smith describes him as: "The modern day Marvin Gaye," leading to a plethora of premiership producers working in the studio with McLean on his debut album. "My Name" is an ultra-catchy ditty that you can file right next to Jay Sean, Jason DeRulo and Trey Songz. McLean has some savvy songwriters who know perfectly how to match his warming soul timbre with a polished, radio-ready melody. I really hope this one gets enough exposure and he continues to do great things for UK urban music.

2-time Grammy winner, Colbie Caillat has released a new music video on Vh1's Top 20 Countdown for her latest single, "I Never Told You," just in time before she heads out on tour with the lovely ladies of "Lilith Fair!" "I Never Told You" is the second single, and is the follow-up to the singer's equally-lovey-dovey Top 20 hit "Fallin' For You." Both singles are featured on her sophomore album "Breakthrough," which earned a 2010 Grammy Nomination for Best Pop Vocal Album.
The power pop ballad song was released in February 01, to coincide with the Valentine's Day. In "I Never Told You," Caillat reveals she still has feelings for a previous love and misses him. Caillat originally penned this song whilst touring Europe in her hotel bathroom. She told Starpulse.com: "I wrote it about someone I had broken up with that I was missing at the time." Later on the song was completed during a three week "writing camp" in Hawaii that Caillat organized with fellow singer/songwriter Jason Reeves and American Idol judge Kara DioGuardi. The song has been already a moderate success on the Adult Pop Songs, staying for seven weeks, and reaching thirteen, so far.
There is no naughtiness in Caillat's "I Never Told You" Video. There's nary a pink Lamborghini, girl-on-girl prison yard scene, high-heeled balancing act on the toilet, traipse through a looney bin or dude with a second mouth on his throat to be found in Caillat's music video for "I Never Told You." Instead what you get is an earnest, straightforward glimpse at three couples who nearly lose out on love, but manage to salvage their relationships. Head below to watch Caillat's little bit of sweet amidst of music video world full of so much naughty.

R&B upstart Iyaz has already scored a chart-topping smash with the sunny, Caribbean-flecked flashback ditty "Replay;" now he seems poised to do the same with new single "Solo." The song's melody is sampled from Janet Jackson's 1993 single "Again" without directly sampling either the main hook or re-upping the lyrics directly. The official music video for "Solo" was shot in Tortola, British Virgin Islands and it features the singer strolling down the street during a sunny day with beautiful scenery from the beach captured along the way.
The new single "Solo" is the second single and produced by J. R. Rotem, off his upcoming album titled "My Life" which is due to arrive in the US stores on April 27. The new single "Solo" already has millions of hits on YouTube since it was posted on January 26, and is expected to be released in the UK on May 2. The track is aimed to follow up the album's lead single "Replay" which peaked at No. 2 on Billboard Hot 100 and ruled the UK Singles chart for two weeks in a row.
Countless hooks in R&B and hip-hop are built, of course, on borrowing; you could say Iyaz is just aiming to compete a land of Jason Derulos and Jay-Zs. And maybe it feels unfair to call him out for not taking enough of the song to make it more than just naggingly familiar. When asked what he wants to achieve, Iyaz said, "I don't want the fame. Just put me in the studio and let me do me. Let me do what everybody fell in love with, which is make good quality music for people to listen to - feel good music."
Iyaz's publicity openly acknowledges the connection, but it still feels a little squirrelly, especially considering many of the 22-year-old singer's young fans probably aren't familiar with Jackson's nearly two-decade-old hit. Undoubtedly, the song will put some residuals cash in Janet's jumpsuit pocket, and also very likely save Iyaz from one-hit-wonderdom forever. So in the end, it mostly comes down to the listener.

American rapper and hip-hop singer Rasheeda has released a new video for her fifth single, "Don't Let Him Get Away" taken off her latest fifth studio album "Certified Hot Chick." It features R&B girlgroup Cherish of whom we haven't seen since 2008.
Motown hip-hop artist Rasheeda has been bubbling under the radar for many years now, but I think she is comfortable being under the radar. Rasheeda is ready to fill the void of strong female voices that Hip-Hop seems to be lacking right now and she is hitting the hammer on the head with hot anthems like "Don't Let Him Get Away." I have been following Rasheeda since she stepped in the scene with her starting group Da Kaperz and she has grown so much since then. With this "Certified Hot Chick" album, she made it very fun to listen to and every track has it's own meaning and something anybody can relate to.
Rasheeda has been making southern-fried hip hop, more popularly known as crunk music, for years. She is ready to release her fifth album when many of her hip hop peers have either slowed down after two albums or stopped rapping altogether, the Queen of Crunk is ready to take her place at the forefront of the music scene and prove to the world that she is just Certified Hot Chick.
As Rasheeda furthers her journey, she says she has no plans to stray from her course, and she knows it is now her time to rule the hip hop kingdom and she plans to do it her way. "I'm distinctive, I have my own sound," she says, "and I put out my own music. I don't feel like I sound like anybody or look like any other female. I don't try to mock anything, I just try to go out here and do what Rasheedaa does. When you come out as an artist you're also a person that people look at. I want people to see me for just what I am — not for something that I have to put on." Rasheeda is definitely making waves as an unstoppable female MC. Glad to see all the female MC's emerging again!

Grammy Award nominated Contemporary Christian musician Matthew West debut the new music video for his current chart topping radio single, "Save A Place For Me" from his latest "Something To Say" project on RANSOM.tv, a ministry of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, provides a place for youth and young adults to land and grow in their spiritual walk. RANSOM.tv is excited about working with West. His heart and passion to minister to the lost and hurting will appeal to RANSOM.tv users.
"Save a Place for Me" is a track that touches the hearts of those who have lost someone close to them. The video for song was filmed in Nashville, portrays both the burden of loss as well as joy found in the hope of Heaven. West explains, "I wanted the video to tell the story beyond my own personal experience of losing a loved one. One setting in particular captures the sentiment of the song so well. There is a memorial wall, and all these different people are walking up to the wall, placing pictures on the wall, leaving flowers, saying a prayer, and remembering someone they've lost. I get chills just writing about it. I hope the video and the story it tells will enhance the emotion of the song when people see it, both the sadness and the hope of Heaven."
The song has additionally prompted a "Save a Place for Me" Memorial Wall web site where fans can share memories of lost loved ones. "We have been so moved by all the emails that we have received about "Save a Place for Me" that we have built an online memorial wall to serve as a place for people to remember loved ones lost." So visit the page, upload a picture and share a memory. Let's all celebrate the lives of loved ones lost and be reminded of the promise of Heaven. We'll see them soon!