Today's Pick

Chris Shiflett and The Dead Peasants premiered their video exclusively on AOL Music's Spinner for "Get Along," the lead single off the band's debut self-titled album, which was released July 13. Foo Fighters' lead guitarist Shiflett finds himself drawn to the American song quilt on the rock/folk song, "I wrote 'Get Along' about moving out to NYC and having an old friendship fall apart. It made me want to run back to California (which I ultimately did). It's fitting that I name-check Jesse Malin's bar Niagara in it, and now we're out on tour with him."
The Sam Jones-directed video is a stripped-down performance clip that showcases the band's and the song's bare essentials. As such, it's an effective sell. "I was on vacation a few months back with a bunch of our friends and one of 'em, Mr. Jones, asked me if I needed any help with my record," Shiflett tells Spinner. "Without hesitating, I asked him if he could help me make a video. I figured we would do something cheap and on the sly, but he blew me away with a full-on pro video shoot. I never could have made something this good without him."
Shiflett never takes a break. When he's not out touring the globe with the Foo Fighters', he's spending time with his other band, Jackson United. When he's not spending time with JU, he's devoting his efforts to still another band, Chris Shiflett and the Dead Peasants. The man has an absolutely ravenous appetite for creating music, and he recently began moonlighting as a country-fried Americana troubadour of sorts. Getting back in touch with his country and rockabilly sides, Shiflett hunkered down in the Foo Fighters' studio this past winter with his pickup band, the Dead Peasants for making their self-titled debut album.
Shiflett draws from his country influences on the self-titled release, The album highlights his versatility and skill as both a guitarist and a songwriter that shows a new, perhaps unexpected side of the longtime Foo Fighter lead guitarist: his skill at writing slightly dialed-down, infectious Americana-laced rock songs. The album is chock-full of soulful pedal steel, twang guitar-accented and alt-country inspired rock songs steeped in his longtime appreciation of classic country artists, rockabilly, and deep-rooted rock bands. Built around Shiflett's innate pop sensibilities and punk enthusiasm, each track reveals new layers on repeated and ever rewarding listens. Chris Shiflett and The Dead Peasants sets aside Shiflett's big guitar sound played through a distortion pedal and a loud amp in favor of twangy electric guitars and his beloved Martin acoustic.

Alternative popsters Hey Monday have unveiled their music video exclusively on MTV Networks for "I Don't Wanna Dance," the lead single from their forthcoming debut 6-song mini EP, "Beneath It All," from it being a LP to an EP, which hits shelves in August 17, and will be their first release with new member Patrick McKenzie taking over on drums. The pop punk band has been playing new songs from the EP this summer while out on Warped Tour.
Led by powerhouse vocalist Cassadee Pope, Hey Monday lace their infectious emo-pop with alt-rock guitars and slick studio production. The band formed in West Palm Beach, FL, where Pope was first discovered at a regional music conference. Although still in high school, the singer drew attention from A&R execs with her voice, which recalled the radio-ready wails of Avril Lavigne and Paramore's Hayley Williams. She then formed a band.
The track itself manages to send the crowd to jump up and down, following the peppy, guitar-led pop confection, but what really sets it apart are the powerhouse pipes of lead singer Pope, who sounds like an angrier Belinda Carlisle as she shoots down a would-be lover. Pope actually starts the song with the rebel yell "Take me home!" The Petro Papahadjopoulos-directed video takes place in what looks like a parking lot, as the West Palm Beach, and showcases a high energy performance from Florida band, are no strangers to the road and race through the raucous pop-rock song. While all this rocking out is taking place, some heartbreak goes down as well, as a too-cool-for-school guy gets his just desserts from some ladies he's wronged.
"It was kind of a group effort, and we were all on the same page about it, so that's why it ended up being so great," Pope said about their upcoming album, "Beneath It All." "Everyone wanted the same thing - a mature, organic sound." Commenting on her influence in writing songs, she shared, "I started writing the record a long time ago, and was listening to a lot of Battle Studies. John Mayer is a lyrical genius, and one of those artists who really made me want to up my game." If every Monday were as invigorating and infectious as Hey Monday, there would be no reason to look forward to weekends.

The former American Idol contestant and current member of 'If I Can Dream,' Alex Lambert teamed up with iheartradio in New York City to create a brand-new video for his song, "I Didn't Know," which premieres exclusively on the iheartradio mobile and Hulu. The colorful video, produced by Clear Channel, showcases the up-and-coming musician's artistry against the backdrop of New York City and features several pianos installed through out the city, from Times Square to Harlem to the Brooklyn Bridge to Coney Island, during New York's public art piano installation as part of Sing For Hope's Play Me I'm Yours public art project.
Born into a musical family, Lambert taught himself to play guitar at age eight and recently began singing and writing songs. He cites blues great Stevie Ray Vaughan as one of main inspirations, though he describes his own music as more eclectic. "As long as a song has a good melody, meaningful lyrics, and a dynamic performance, it doesn't matter what genre it is," Lambert says. "I listen to everything, and I want people who like different styles of music to enjoy what I do."
With his electrifying soulful voice and humble demeanor, Lambert charmed millions of viewers on the current season of American Idol. Though it didn't save him from elimination, a viewer-created online petition calling for Lambert's reinstatement impressed executive producer Simon Fuller, who decided to give the 19-year-old Texan a second chance to fulfill his dream of becoming an artist by inviting him to participate in latest project 'If I Can Dream,' which follows the lives of five young hopefuls as they pursue their dreams of fame.
"It's really like a dream come true to be in New York and be able to experience this. Honestly, the whole time I was like, 'This is the best day of my life.'" When Lambert first moved into the 'If I Can Dream' house back in April, he said that he couldn't wait to "get busy" with his music career. Fast-forward three months and he's just filmed his newly-released debut music video for "I Didn't Know" and already thinking about his first album! "It's honestly going way better than I thought it would be. I've done way more stuff than I thought I would do, just so much stuff in such a short period of time, which is amazing." About new video, he said, "Actually, that was probably the highlight! It was filmed in New York and I've never been there before. It was so intense, it was amazing!"

British pop singer Natasha Bedingfield had a pocket full of sunshine, now she's back after a two-year hiatus with her phenomenal new video for "Touch," the Julian Bunetta and Steve Kipner co-production serves as first single from her upcoming fourth studio album "Strip Me," which she announced on her Twitter page earlier this month.
Originally from New Zealand, and grew up in southeast London, the 29-year-old is straight out of the UK school of "pop" pop star: antipodean, Anglophile and enviably attractive. "I'm not interested in lines that go 'blah blah blah.' I want something that provokes me as well as the listener," she said. In the tradition of British female singer-songwriters Annie Lennox and Dido, Bedingfield brings lyrical honesty and vocal clarity to her music: not surprisingly, record buyers throughout Europe and beyond have responded to those qualities in droves.
The dance track starts off reminding us a lot of Temper Tramp's "Sweet Disposition." The verses seem a bit rambling, but the catchy chorus of "we danced, and we laughed, and we touched" wins us over. The song is quintessential Bedingfield. Even though it has conformed to the current dance/electropop trends, it has an upbeat, sunny melody with inspirational vocals that only Bedingfield seems able to pull off. The opening lyrics that mesh with the sequence of images above are, "I was trying to cross the street when I tripped and spilled my coffee on a man who yelled at me, then he walked off in a hurry. Now he's gunna be late for work, so he called his secretary, said to cancel his appointment with the guy in the lobby."
While I find all her music perfectly blends into the background, this one is notable because she has created her very own literal music video! Yes, Bedingfield has taken all the fun out of it for us by creating one herself. Directed by Rich Lee , the video sees Bedingfield singing in front of a projector screen that plays out the lyrics to the song with showing everyone being connected in some way, and with some grainy film footage intercut of people enjoying life. All of which plays out in the most literal way possible, while the train of thought lyrics also call to mind the "In Living Color" spoof on Tracy Chapman.
2010 is all about electrosynths, and Bedingfield definitely knows so. "Touch" is quite a shift from her previous albums, delving more into danceable instrumentals. Actually, the verses are nothing special, but once "Touch" gets to the chorus, Bedingfield's amazing vocal prowess emerges in its full glory and it's so amazingly uplifting that I'm tempted to cut out the chorus and put it on loop for eternity. It almost makes up for the rap-ish verses, but all in all "Touch" is a great track that's keen on keeping our interest until the release of the album, which I hope will be soon because this new direction Bedingfield is headed has smash potential.

Sunshine can be a metaphor for many different feelings, and in Steve Azar's case, it's the realization that after searching for so long, he's finally found his true love. For his new video, "Sunshine (Everybody Needs a Little)," he makes his way through the nighttime streets of Nashville to get home just in time to watch his sleeping beauty wake up. To him, her dark hair draped across his pillow means he finally got it right, while the morning breaking through his window reveals that she really is the one. With Azar's careful vocal delivery and a peaceful rhythm, this track would definitely be a sunny way to wake up.
The country musician Azar grew up along the silted riverbanks of Greenville, Mississippi, near the Arkansas/Louisiana state lines. His love affair with music began early. For Azar, a veteran who's craft likely still feels like new, making music is a compulsion. His songs come in spurts, and are often far between, but fans can sense the time, feeling and spontaneity put into the pieces he releases. The second single, is a ballad sweeter, softer and achingly powerful like few on country radio. It's a laid-back groove-filled number from his fantastic new album "Slide On Over Here." Following on the heels of the top 40 hit "Moo La Moo," a catchy and fun number, Azar changes attitude to a love song in the true sense of the word. The song is an ode to his Sunshine – a tome of what she means to him, and his words invoke images of the summer sunshine pushing away a bleak dawn. Azar channeled his softer side with this ballad about finding that special someone. "I haven't written many love songs, but this one feels really special to me," said Azar. "It can be about any special relationship that brightens up our life. Whether it's new, or one that's been around for years. And, who doesn't need a little sunshine now and then, especially in today's troubled world."
"It's playing in heavy and medium rotations in a lot of markets," he said about "Sunshine." After moving to Nashville to pursue a career in music, he has made a living with the kind of lyrical outpourings rare in the genre, both whimsical and lovestruck, heartfelt and party-going. His words sound of one who has been writing for nearly 20 years, and the ability to mix cliché with lyricism impresses even more. The now 46-year-old Azar proves that age has not stripped him of any of his vocal prowess, as he uses the soft guitar strumming and an oh-so-perfect harmonica to compliment to sultry cool that he brings with a half-spoken vocal. The song "Sunshine" is about a protagonist obviously in love, and the effect comes through not only in the lyric, but in the melody and vocal as well. The album "Slide On Over Here" is the most emotionally complex one the artist has ever crafted. The sweetly melodic "Sunshine" is as pretty a love song as Azar has ever sung.

The Florida-based Alt-Rockers VersaEmerge are out with the video to their new title track off their full-length debut studio album, "Fixed At Zero," is catchy modern dream rock at its most ethereal and entrancing, just released on Fueled By Ramen. Infectious and sexy this is most certainly worth your time. Not only does "Fixed At Zero" feature pristine production, it also has one of the best vocal performances I've heard in a while, female or otherwise. The lead singer Sierra Kusterbeck's range, from sultry to soaring, is fantastic, as she knows when to pull in the reins as well as knowing when to belt it out.
This Florida trio is the future superstar of the heavily superstar lead by powerhouse, cute-as-a-button vocalist Kusterbeck. Her electrifying vocals are the batteries powering this machine, which is already good in and of itself. So the combo of soaring vocals and quality, catchy rhythm and riffing are the prime reasons why this band is on the verge of "emerging" from the underground and rocket to the stratosphere! With their dynamic brand of rock music, has already been named by Alternative Press as "A Band You Need To Know." However what makes all of this even more impressive is the fact that the band pulled all of this off without the benefit having a proper full-length to their name, but all of that's about to change with the release of "Fixed At Zero."
VersaEmerge in a heavily art-directed forest set where director Spence Nicholson takes some visual cues from the "vulture on my shoulder" lyrics, but keeps the focus on Kusterbeck and the band's performance. Kusterbeck explains how the storyline/treatment for the video follows here as she is 'lost' and wakes up in nest occupied by a vulture and how the live performance is set in a majestic forest. The vulture represents all your demons and bad habits that lurk in the back of your mind. They haunt you and try to control you. It's not always a bad thing. We aren't perfect. We all have a little vulture inside us, and sometimes it makes us take chances that we can learn from. I chose a vulture not only because it rhymed with 'shoulder,' but because they're so evil and lazy. It waits for its food to die and isn't even a skilled hunter. Sometimes we get all get lazy. We feel fixed at zero, which basically means to be stuck in one spot, not able to move forward or in the right direction- in the sense that 10 is the greatest and zero is the lowest. I want to get the phrase 'fixed at zero' in the dictionary, so I'm trying to think of many explanations as possible.
"Fixed At Zero" is like a walk through wonderland. It's powerful yet dreamy female lead vocals with a hint of vulnerability, it's unique fantasy feel from the varied instrument sounds and it's varied tempo lend to a surreal sound that feels a bit theatrical. At some point I realized I was experiencing the music more than just listening. VersaEmerge has found the perfect pop-rock mix, it'll lend nicely to make a few radio hits while others are meant to be admired and appreciated by true fans. "Fixed At Zero" has the charisma to draw in your attention and the substance to keep it as well. Looking for a new obsession? Say hello to 2010's breakout band, VersaEmerge.

Singer/dancer Julianne Hough reveals a more mature side to her music with the release of her new music video Friday on CMT to promote her latest single "Is That So Wrong," the first offering from her upcoming sophomore studio album, "Wildfire," tentatively scheduled to arrive in November. The ballroom dancer/country music singer is lingering alone in her home, singing her heart out about wanting someone to light up her day. Hough turns in a strong, able vocal performance and positively noted the influences of co-writer Sarah Buxton.
The radio-friendly track "Is That So Wrong" is a mid-tempo track complete with a strong, able vocal performance from Hough, who co-written with Blair Day and Nashville treasure Buxton, backed by electric guitar and percussion with steel guitar fills. It certainly sounds like a different, the tune shows an edgier, more complex side to Hough and her music. Buxton's influence is prevalent throughout the song, from the vocal phrasing to the lyrics of the track. The song's female narrator has just experienced a breakup and describes the longing for someone to fill that vacancy. Hough described the process of writing the song in a behind the scenes video. "Blair was playing this rift and I said 'let's write a song about how I just got out of a relationship, and I don't want anything really, but I just want to like have somebody there.'" Hough admits that the breakup with boyfriend and charting of a new course afterwards helped inspire the new single.
The music video is directed by "So You Think You Can Dance" judge Adam Shankman. Travis Wall, the runner-up of the dancing competition season 2, reportedly creates the choreography which is a bit steamy with Hough disrobing while dancing around the house. In the video, Hough is shown carrying some items from her car to her apartment, but on the way she bumps into a man walking his dog. They smile at each other and continue on, with Hough going up to her apartment, where she begins to dance on her furniture and all around her living space. Upon hearing someone at her door, she opens it to find the man she bumped into previously with a bouquet of flowers.
Hough was really trying to break away from the 'dancer' typecast and shows off her talents as a country singer. She came to national prominence as the two-time professional dance champion on ABC's Dancing With the Stars, but the 22 year-old says her ultimate goal is a career in country music. One of the reasons for the moderate instead of smashing success was the 'dated' production style throughout the album. The production on the single is handled by stalwart Nashville producer Dann Hough and he completely gives the song the 'current' sound that Hough needed to set herself back on the path to country music stardom.

Southern rapper T.I. brings the story of his life to the small screen by adapting it for "Got Your Back" music video. The track is the first official single off Tip's highly anticipated seventh studio album "King Uncaged" which is set to hit stores on September 28. The Keri Hilson-featuring new video is inspired by a chapter in T.I.'s life who spent much of 2009 behind bars for weapon possession charge, and the Atlanta rapper rhymes about a lover holding him down during arduous times, and he shows love to the women who stand by their man despite legal woes.
"Got Your Back" is a female-friendly cut that essentially attempts to recreate the magic of "Whatever You Like." The song features a bright and bouncy electro/synth beat with a super catchy chorus provided by the ultra fashionable Hilson, while T.I. raps the verses and harmonizes in the song's melodic bridge. "[It's] basically just me showing my appreciation to all the ladies who got they man's back in the world, acknowledging the one who had my back and acknowledging the ones that got they man's back at the same time," T.I. explained about the song to Jamie Foxx. Tip's flawless rap technique with Hilson's incredible vocals makes for one hit fans won't be able to get out of their head.
The clip begins with a couple sitting in a sterile courtroom, the man seated before the judge and his love, tearful, sitting in the row behind him. The video then segues to another couple, showing the female love interest having lunch with her man at his loading-dock job. The visual transitions again to the pair making the best of what legal troubles have done to their lives: She shares a laugh with her incarcerated love during a visit to him in jail. Whether it's the easy bliss of one romance or the strain of another, the clip represents how both women get his back. The rest of the video shows Tip and Hilson performers grooving to "Got Your Back" in various well-chosen outfits, often while separated by a symbolic wall. At the end, T.I.'s real-life fiancée Tomeka "Tiny" Cottle makes a cameo, throwing her hand on the rapper's shoulder in support.
T.I., one of the biggest names in hip-hop, gradually came into his own and established himself as one of rap's most successful MCs during the early 2000s. Father, astute businessman, fashion icon, King of the South, future Hollywood A-Lister, and hip-hop standard bearer. With all these titles, no wonder Atlanta, GA native Clifford Harris needs two monikers to tell his whole story. And with the release of the year's most anticipated rap album, T.I. vs. TIP, we get both sides of one of contemporary music's most compelling characters, who carried a balance of smoothness and toughness.

Christina Aguilera is back and better than ever! This time she's taken a much softer approach and looks great doing it, in the new video for her powerhouse latest 3rd piano-driven ballad "You Lost Me," which premiered Thursday on Vevo with an emotional and heart wrenching storyline of love. Both the song and its video are the polar opposite of Aguilera's first "Bionic" single, "Not Myself Tonight," representing a kind of return to form for the gifted singer. The 29-year-old singer goes natural beauty and is emotionally shook up over a seemingly perfect companionship tarnished by deceit.
The somber track is about a man who cheated on her and eventually left. It brings the honesty and emotion that have made Aguilera one of the premier balladeers of our time. The lovely ballad song shows off her amazing vocals, while the Anthony Mandler-directed video shows simplicity with pure passion and emotion. "This video will take you from a very dark place," Aguilera says of her new video. "What I wanted was a very raw and real feeling, kind of falling apart of your whole world." Aguilera says her goal was to capture the emotions that happen when "your relationship with this person is sort of being destroyed right before your eyes."
The video swapping her platinum pinup style for a softer image to suit the "Bionic" ballad. It begins with an extreme close-up of a gun barrel while the newly strawberry-blonde star wanders through a deserted bedroom and lays down in the dirt, but like a vintage Hollywood vixen, she always remains impeccably glamorous -- even while mascara streams down her cheeks. Mandler adds, "From the first keys of the opening of the track, we know that we are about to watch something that is going to move and transform us." The video will feature a series of connected vignettes. "In the end, we've traveled through Christina's world. One that is physical, mental and spiritually charged. Nothing is what it seems. Everything is fractured and evolving, falling away... fragile."
A leader in the parade of Mickey Mouse Club veterans who stormed pop at the turn of the millennium, Aguilera was the sexy, brassy diva of the bunch as it were. But by the time of 2006's third album "Back to Basics," it was clear that Aguilera was the most musically ambitious, and reliable, pop diva of the boom, and became a worldwide success. Although the blue-eyed Aguilera has matured and mellowed as she entered motherhood, it's won't be the last you'll see of her. She's a true talent, one of the best vocals in the industry today and a soulful singer worthy of all the praises and awards she has been credited at such a young age. Emotionally driven and visually beautiful, the video thrusts viewers right into her feelings, with the lightening and effects altering dramatically with each run of her stellar voice. Hopefully for Aguilera, "You Lost Me" will cast those doubts aside and remind everyone of what she does best.

Hoping to keep her momentum going after the poor performance of debut single "Massive Attack," the 25-year-old hip-hop artist Nicki Minaj released the video Wednesday on MTV for her breezy mid-tempo follow-up "Your Love," from her forthcoming, as-yet-untitled debut album, slated to arrive November 23. Find out whether the Queens emcee and Young Money female rapper loses or wins in a love battlefield against fellow martial arts student in new clip.
After the leaked version started receiving heavy airplay on the radio because of its inclusion on her Barbie World mixtape. "Your Love" went on to become Minaj's most successful single so far, topping the Billboard Rap Songs chart, the first by a female rapper in eight years. She was initially reluctant to release the song, but was forced to after it leaked and eventually blew up on the Internet, according to MTV News.
"Your Love" is the downright business! While the actual track samples Annie Lennox's "No More I Love You's," the recently released and Hype Williams directed video pulls from inspiration like Lucy Liu's "Kill Bill" character and features a cameo from the smoking hot Michael Jai White. The music video was shot during July 4th weekend. Things really heat up when it turns out she isn't the only student with a crush on the teacher. The video shows an almost demure Minaj cooing for the affections of a irrepressible lover, and finally brings her into the center stage all by her lonesome, where she deserves to be.
In a line from the tune, the female MC says emphatically that for "your love she will 'Die Hard' like Bruce Willis." Her verbal word play is tongue-and-cheek yet undeniably addictive from first listen to the tune's throbbing backbeat. Minaj frolics throughout the clip in Asian-inspired garb, slaying any figures daring to challenge the love of her "samurai." The same figures Minaj slashes in "Your Love" could very well be her musical predecessors as the Queens, N.Y., rapper looks to conquer the entire hip hop industry, one chart entry at a time. And With killer curves she was obviously proud to flaunt plus a background in the performing arts, and with a winning number like "Your Love," the Queens rapper's on the right track. Currently, Minaj is also enjoying top-five status as a finalist vying for MTV's "Hottest Breakthrough MC of 2010." She's earned plenty of fans with her over-the-top delivery and facial tics during her rhymes.

For anyone who has ever entered a hotel room and wondered to themselves who else had spent a random night in the same room, have we got a video for you! Behold, the premiere of Secondhand Serenade's "Something More," the first single from its upcoming third album "Hear Me Now," due out in August 3. "Something More" is a perfectly typical Secondhand Serenade song. Directed by Declan Whitebloom, the video matches the track's gorgeously depressing sound as we follow a series of temporary residents, caught between stations as they wander through their lives.
Much like Five for Fighting or Dashboard Confessional both musically and in theory, the acoustic rock band Secondhand Serenade is the vehicle for a solo artist John Vesely uses to get his songs out into the world. With the help of producer Aaron Johnson (from The Fray), Vesely makes somber, intimate pop rock, full of quiet, contemplative moments. The 28-year-old has the vocal range of an 80s hair band, and looks to rival Elvis, wandered through life. Raised in the San Francisco Bay Area in a musical family, Vesely spent a number of dues-paying years become a lead acoustic guitar over strummed chords. he claims that the inspiration for the band name 'Secondhand Serenade' is the fact that all of his autobiographical songs are directed first and foremost to his wife, thereby making the audience mere bystanders to their pas de deux.
Driven by a piano melody and mid-tempo percussion, the ballad "Something More" is focused on Vesely's vocals, as he wails about self-revelation and purpose in life. In "Something More," Vesely has penned some of his most honest, relatable and mature lyrics yet. The hypnotic ballad opens with an ominous piano chord as Vesely reflects on learning how to forgive and move on from a shattered relationship. "There must be something more/Do we know what we're fighting for?" Vesely belts on the chorus, which blends the electronic pop of "Owl City" with the sweeping melancholy of OneRepublic. As Vesely sings of the internal strife that a breakup can cause, he powerfully conveys the very human message that everyone makes mistakes. A no-brainer for top 40 and hot AC radio formats, "Something More" is sure to saturate the summer airwaves.
With the heat of summer in full swing, the next stage of Secondhand Serenade's saga is gearing up for release. Those familiar with the words of Vesely, have lived through his picturesque stories of life's ups and downs. Fans have gravitated to Vesely's heart-on-his sleeve approach and are consistently moved by his tales of life, love and loss that foster universal understanding. Along this journey, he spawned the platinum-certified 2008 hit, my favorite "Fall For You." With the upcoming August release of "Hear Me Now," he gives a more in-depth look inside a man coming to terms with his shortcomings and moving forward with that understanding.

Remember the hilarious joke song called "Inside Of You" from Forgetting Sarah Marshall? Phoenix pop-punkers The Maine have released their own version on MTV, the first and promotional single off their major-label debut album "Black & White," which dropped last Tuesday. Watch the band leave their black and white world behind to enter the crazy, colorful imagination of a young boy via his kaleidoscope.
The track "Inside Of You" is a classic The Maine song, with heartfelt lyrics and a catchy, passionate chorus. It's not quite as catchy as the Infinite Sorrow version but MTV hearts it, declaring it an "Instant Classic" via twitter. Arizona alt-rockers was basically made two videos in one here. There's a performance aspect, shot in crisp black and white, as the band rocks out in a stark white room on a black-and-white tiled floor. Alternatively, there's a narrative aspect. Shot in blurry black-and-white bordering on sepia tones, we follow a young boy as he navigates his way through a wake for an old man who one assumes is his grandfather. The old man "visits" the boy, giving him a magical telescope. When the boy looks through the scope, he sees a world full of magical colors and characters. Pretty beautiful and meaningful, too.
You're the type that knows what music is all about. The careful melodies, the heartfelt lyrics, the catchy hooks and vocal harmony. To you, it doesn't matter whether a band wears matching t-shirts or whether they take the stage sporting the latest trend. It's all about the music. And that's a good thing, because The Maine feels the very same way.
Hailing from Tempe, Arizona, The Maine throw their hearts and souls into making genuinely good music, no matter the image. Noted for their fun, fresh rock and their smart mix of originality and polished talent, The Maine creates the type of music you want to play with the windows rolled down, the wind through your hair and the warm sun on your face. With down-to-earth lyrics and a bright energy, it's no surprise that success has come quickly for the rock quintet who forged their identity as a band before some members had even finished high school. Now already juggling music video shoots, recording sessions and concerts, The Maine actually had the ink dry on their record contract before it dries on their diploma.

Shifting modes of transportation from sports car to speedboat to race-ready motorcycle, British dance/pop singer Taio Cruz revs up his engine and plans to take fans along to a fiery junkyard fete with the new video for his the second US hit single "Dynamite," from his sophomore album "Rokstarr." You will find dozens of models outfitted in mechanic uniforms and boasting scantily-clad women, fast bikes, and fireworks on the Sun Valley of California.
Cruz is following up on his Luda-assisted smash debut "Break Your Heart"s massive US success with ease, "Dynamite" further solidies his reputation as one of the planet's rare, sure-bet chart toppers. If you look for slick, catchy and dancefloor-ready pop, Cruz delivers every single time. "Dynamite" is guilty pleasure pop of the finest kind. And that should really come as no surprise. The track was written by Cruz in collaboration with Dr. Luke and Swedish pop genius Max Martin. "The song 'Dynamite' itself is about when you go to the club and when you go to a party and when you're just going out... you got to feel like, 'I'm just gonna explode,'" Cruz explained. "Basically, we are going to represent that with just massive, massive, fireworks in the sky!"
It's been said that "insanity" can be defined as performing the same activity over and over and expecting a different result. This particular Cruz cut "Dynamite," though, has a slightly more robotic, relaxed feel to it, which should help get the attention of those who haven't yet had the pleasure of hearing the UK pop star sing about breaking poor girls' hearts. If Cruz's edgy production and Seal-like vocals don't have you hooked by the first verse, then maybe he'll be reeling you out of the water by the song's end.
Cruz takes state-of-the-art cyborg pop to a stylistic extreme, layering ultra-processed vocals over computer-born beats that often suggest the pumping of pistons. His dependence on new-jack software doesn't mean he lacks an appreciation for old-school tunecraft: up-tempo club jams like "Break Your Heart," and "Dynamite," sport melodies sturdy enough to support all the digital detailing. Cruz may be a robot, but he knows that his market is made up of humans. With even more surprises planned down the road, 27-year-old British R&B artist has no plans of stopping. He is indeed living the musical dream and is just getting started.

Canadian jazz-pop singer Nikki Yanofsky just dropped a new video for her latest stunning original compositions "For Another Day" off her new self-titled debut album "Nikki," which was produced by the Grammy-winning pair of Phil Ramone and Jesse Harris, Yanofsky puts her own spin on newly-arranged standards and includes sophisticated originals reflecting her passion for jazz, blues, R&B, soul, and traditional pop.
Montreal-born Yanofsky is a 16-year-old musical prodigy with an extraordinary gift - a magical voice and velvety tone. Singing since she could speak, and as her passion for music grew, so did her voice. Full of pep, playful enthusiasm and an inability to contain herself since her debut at the 2006 Montreal International Jazz Festival, where she won the hearts of the 100,000+ audience, Yanofsky has never looked back. She made a name for herself at the young age of 12, earning her first No.1 hit single in Canada with "I Believe." The hit making her the youngest Canadian artist to achieve that level of success.
Yanofsky stepped on center stage to perform at the 2010 Winter Olympics, her nerves did a curious thing: They vanished. She gave the audience chills with the caliber of her voice. "I never get nervous and I was so nervous for that one," she says. "But I walked out and all my nerves went away. That's how I knew that [performing] is really what I'm supposed to be doing." Sure, not every burgeoning singer gets the chance to gauge whether she's chosen the right career path by belting out a number in front of a captive worldwide audience. But this jazz-inspired Quebec native has never had a problem with shooting for the moon.
Yanofsky co-wrote the languid acoustic ballad "For Another Day," and she shared about the video: "We wanted to tell a story with the video. The song has to deal with dreaming so the whole idea was that I'm in a dream. All these strange things are happening. There's a guy that appears and disappears. He hands me a flower and then I wake up and the flower is actually there."
Her new album "Nikki" pursues a similar agenda of maximum exposure, and all feature Yanofsky's mature and versatile vocals, which seem to channel jazz greats like Ella Fitzgerald through a pop/R&B sensibility. her relationship to jazz is at once evocative and evasive. She says. "Jazz is definitely my first love and I will always want to sing it, but I also love to sing pop, R&B, blues, and everything else, and 'Nikki' definitely reflects that." The music industry is buzzing, to say the least. There is already intense international interest. Her calendar is filling up rapidly and more great things are on the horizon. We all look forward to watching Yanofsky's growth, both as a burgeoning talent, and as a young woman with a radiating, warm and infectious personality.

Chris Daughtry, one of the most successful Idol graduates in the show's history, and his band have debuted the music video Friday night on Vevo for their third single "September" from their platinum-selling sophomore album "Leave This Town." The single that Daughtry has said is the most personal to him and the album's title comes from a line in this song. You may also remember that song from when Daughtry performed it this on American Idol Season 9's Top 4 results show on May 12.
Penned by Daughtry with his guitarist Josh Steely, the mid-tempo bittersweet ballad is inspired by Daughtry' childhood memories growing up with his brother in a small town of 100 people in North Carolina, but knowing that someday he'd have to leave to make something of himself. "Every time I hear that song it takes me back to my summers in Lasker," Daughtry says. "I loved growing up there, but I knew I'd have leave to make something of my life." The song's lines, "Yeah, We knew we had to leave this town, But we never knew when and we never knew how, We would up here the way we are" inspired the title of the band's latest album "Leave This Town," which "explores the different paths we take in our search for transcendence." Said Daughtry: "A lot of it is about how leaps of faith can set us free or tie us down, and how we often find heartache when we run from something and redemption when we run toward something."
The video was directed by Chris Sims, and shot in an empty theater, with the band performing on stage in front of home movies of Daughtry and his family earlier this month in North Carolina. He did a creditable job, growling out the lyrics to "September," a reflective song that showed more maturity and vulnerable side of Daughtry, not as hard-charging, and waxing a bit nostalgic. Like many American Idol finalists, Daughtry had a long run as an amateur musician.
Daughtry made it to the Top 4 of American Idol season 5 and was shockingly eliminated after delivering incredible performances throughout the season, but his appearance in the final did earn him a contract with RCA, who then formed a band for him to front. Just a few months later, they released self-titled debut album. It topped the Billboard 200, and was No.1 of the Billboard Top Rock Albums chart for 14 weeks. The album was certified triple platinum (3 million copies) in just seven months, making it one of the fastest-selling debut rock albums ever. And now Daughtry's "Leave This Town" is a solid follow-up to his hit debut album and featured more of his signature back-to-basics modern rock sounds.

British-Georgian singer Katie Melua is out with the new video to her new single "A Happy Place," the second release off her latest Chart Topping fourth album "The House," which is a real leap forward lyrically, musically and vocally. With lyrics expressing her dismay at the overwhelming pressures of 21st century life over strident strings and military percussion, The single "A Happy Place" is perfect evidence of the more mature Melua who is now, it sees Melua push on from her familiar sound to establish herself as an intelligent pop chanteuse. The new album "The House," is also adding plenty of stylistic strings to her bow.
"A Happy Place," isn't quite the modern masterpiece its predecessor "The Flood" was but the William Orbit produced track is definitely much better than "Nine Million Bicycles." What also stands out is the track's wonderful video. The bright and attention-grabbing outfit works wonderfully well with the dark undertones of the song. The video itself was filmed in a paternoster lift, which is constantly moving and as there are no doors, you just walk in and hop off when you want. The constant movement and one's inability to actually stop it represents the constant flow of life, don'tchaknow. Melua explains to the Sun: "It was about finding peace within yourself no matter how much life is flowing in the right or wrong direction." Melua definitely uses her creative juices for her music videos these days.
Plucked from music school obscurity by songwriter/producer Mike Batt, who'd been looking for a vocalist capable in both jazz and blues styles, Melua is already a hit in UK, and she's also made a dent in the European and Australian record charts, but hasn't yet had much of an impact in America. She hasn't yet felt the need to exploit her youth by showing off her lean and healthy frame. The sexiest thing about this young lady is still her smooth, sultry voice, and we don't expect to be seeing her writhing around in a music video displaying fresh breast implants any time soon. What I like most about Melua's new style is that she has simply evolved her music into something more grand and less irritating, not changing it and abandoning her old fans. And also she manages the all important feat of doing it while keeping her clothes on.
Dark, beautiful and grown-up it's the moment Melua starts being taken seriously. In what has to be one of the biggest musical turnarounds in recent history, Melua has quickly gone from being a snooze-worthy, low-key singer songwriter with vaguely annoying, sleepy songs to one of the most arty, interesting popstars of 2010. Whether the 25-year-old has finally grasped creative control of her work or her record company have realized quirky is really in these days, I'm certainly loving the new direction she's taken with album "The House."

American R&B singer-songwriter Ne-Yo took over BET's "106 & Park" on Wednesday evening, premiered the dual story-driven videos, "Beautiful Monster" and "Champagne Life." The first time that "106 & Park" has ever hosted a double video premiere of such lengthy clips. 3-time Grammy Award-winning superstar's movie career over the past five years has had a profound effect on his work as a composer revealed in the cinematic story-line of his upcoming fourth album, "Libra Scale," dropping on September 21 and would form part of a larger overall visual narrative.
Ne-Yo collaborates once again with producers Stargate for "Beautiful Monster," the first single from new album, is an uptempo dance song, containing new rave, Eurodisco, Europop, and Ibiza influences, featuring Ne-Yo's R&B vocals over "strobing dancefloor beats." After a sizzling performance of "Beautiful Monster" on FOX's So You Think You Can Dance on July 1, Ne-Yo traveled to London to preview tracks at the swanky Hospital venue one week later. Tastemakers had a chance to sample the album's narrative, threading through each of the songs, as explained by Ne-Yo, who takes on superhero powers in two new clips.
The R&B gentleman gets a taste of the good life in the video for "Champagne Life," but the story takes a dangerous turn in "Beautiful Monster." "'Beautiful Monster' is one piece of a very long and intricate story," Ne-Yo revealed. "When you see the first video, make sure that you're paying attention because all of the videos tell a story. So pay attention — you don't want to miss nothing." In "Beautiful Monster," Ne-Yo is portrayed as a disheveled superhero, à la Will Smith in "Hancock," who must battle his former flame Princess Sinclair in order to save the world from danger. Fans later learn in the "Champagne Life" video that Ne-Yo's superhero and Sinclair were once romantically involved. As a result, she assumed some of Ne-Yo's powers, but in adverse fashion. The transfer turned Sinclair into Diamond Eye, a "crazy, psycho mass-murderer," as Short's character describes her.
Ne-Yo began his career as a songwriter writing for boyband Youngstown and Mario. The track he wrote for Mario, "Let Me Love You", was a huge success and spent two months at the top of the Billboard chart. He has subsequently written tracks for a host of performers, including Whitney Houston and Britney Spears. His own releases have done as well, his debut album "In My Own Words" went straight to No.1 on the Billboard Top 200 and was nominated for Best Contemporary R&B Album at The Grammys, while the follow-up "Because Of You" sold over one million copies and has also received award nominations.

The 'King of R&B' Usher might be getting ready to release a new EP "Versus," but that hasn't stopped him from filming a video for current single. With Usher joining all the artists going towards a dance pop direction, he has finally dropped this new video on BET and Vevo for his mid-tempo R&B urban single "There Goes My Baby" from his latest platinum-certified album, "Raymond vs. Raymond," to show that he hasn't forgot about his urban fans and that he can still do R&B. This heartfelt ballad was the first promotional single for album, but later it was released as the record's fourth single.
The slow-burning ballad song has been out for a very long time with a lot of radio spins since even before the album dropped back in March. We have to say this is the longest we had to wait for the video of a hit record. The song is a really smooth and sexy R&B jam that has a lullaby style melody. Usher explained the song's origins to The New York Times on March 26: "The feeling of it is if you have a true connection with somebody, no matter what happens in life, it will always come back," he said. "No matter how long it takes to make it through whatever issues pull you apart, something pulls you back together. The rest is between the lines."
The R&B crooner slows it down and seduces the ladies in his brand new music video which was directed by Anthony Mandler is quite similar to Usher's previous music videos. Basically, this clip gives fans a look at "every man's desire for women," according to Us Weekly. The 31-year-old R&B singer is seen occasionally wears a tank top, and goes shirtless. He does some Tai-Chi-inspired dance moves on a hillside at sunrise, some lonely, tortured singing to a concrete wall and eventually, in the grand finale, consummates his relationship with his beautiful leading lady.
Time is testament to the mark of greatness, and for this era that mark belongs to Usher, the consummate entertainer who transcends the boundaries of popular culture, redefining the nature of superstardom. After 14-year-old Usher was spotted by a LaFace record executive at a talent show in his hometown of Atlanta in 1992, it took no time for his career to take off. Usher's considerable achievements begin with over 45 million records sold world wide and a stable of five Grammy awards. The singer, composer, producer, actor, businessman, designer and philanthropist is the quintessential contemporary icon, celebrated for nearly two decades. Usher has come into his own as a sage artist, skillfully capturing the stirring emotions of the human heart in a complete, balanced album in soul-stirring jams, in serious grown man fashion.

British indie-pop princess Ellie Goulding premiered the music video this weekend for her fourth single, "The Writer," off her acclaimed chart-topping debut album "Lights," her label has wisely gone with her lush, will be released in the UK on August 9. Goulding's delicate touch perfectly suits the summery ballad. Apparently, the single is the "most personal and emotional song" the starry eyed star has ever written. It's fair to say she plans to take full advantage of all her album.
Goulding sprang to fame after she came top in the BBC's prestigious Sound of 2010 poll. Her new album "Lights" features ten tracks of sparkling future pop and Goulding herself has written a few words about each track. When asked what "The Writer" was about, endearingly Goulding said: "The Writer is the most personal and emotional song I've written yet. It's about how you'd do anything and change absolutely everything about yourself if necessary, just to be noticed by this one person."
"The Writer" is a pretty ballad, but not really loving the sleeper music video. Obviously, the label didn't have much budget for her latest single. The lullaby-inspired music video was filmed at Happisburgh Lighthouse in Norfolk in June. It was released onto YouTube on Sunday. The video shows the 23-year-old Brit Award-winning singer wandering through a field and exploring the Happisburgh Lighthouse, which was constructed 220 years ago. It also includes in-studio sequences of her in front of a bright screen, giving the impression that she is in front of the actual light of the lighthouse. It's an understated affair. If you've ever wondered what the inside of a lighthouse looks like, you'll love it. There isn't really much to say about the video. It very much suits the romantic mood of the song and sees Goulding looking all virginal and white while strolling through some scenic, rural imagery with plenty of close-up shots.
Despite it's personal lyrics, "The Writer" has a very typical pop ballad sound and sees Goulding sacrifice some of her trademark quirkiness because of this. Her voice still sounds as distinctive as ever but the production, lyrics and vocal hooks are kept on the straight and narrow. However, sometimes quirkiness needs to be put to bed in order to hear the real person behind it so I think "The Writer" is a lovely song and I hope it does well.

American Christian rock band Fireflight have streamed the new video for their latest single "For Those Who Wait," the title track from band's third full-length album "For Those Who Wait," the highly-anticipated follow-up to their breakout sophomore album, "Unbreakable."
Formed in 1999, they were the best kept secret of a part of central Florida that's not exactly known for its music scene, and they spent years playing shows and building a following for their female-fronted positive rock. All the hard work paid off when the Flicker Records debut "The Healing of Harms" introduced them to the world in 2006, and 2008's breakout hit "Unbreakable" captured the attention of Christian rock fans even more. Now over a decade since their career began, Fireflight is ready to unleash their third album "For Those Who Wait."
The title track "For Those Who Wait," produced by Rob Hawkins, once again delivers lead singer Dawn Michele's soaring vocals and the band's signature melodic Rock. it jumpstarts the album with a slightly new twist for them. Symphonic string flourishes are all the hard rock rage lately, and Fireflight uses them to powerful effect here. An orchestral intro clears the way for Dawn's first battle cry: "This is for those who wait!" and melts into a wall of thundering rock similar to Red or Skillet. The music ebbs and flows between softer verses and pounding choruses, as Dawn's voice alternates between the triumphant screams of the chorus and the fragile whispers of the quiet acoustic bridge. It's a powerful opener all around that recalls "Unbreakable" without being a clone, taking a slower, more methodical approach than its predecessor without sacrificing the epic feeling.
Great mix of symphonic and rock all in one song, "For Those Who Wait" introduces new musical elements coupled with vulnerable lyrics, offering hope and recovery to recharge listeners. A dynamic progression with songs, Fireflight encourages fans to reach out to a world eager to find healing and strength in the waiting, stating "the hard lessons make the difference, and the difference makes it all worth it." As the lead single, it definitely will be a single that "The pressure makes us stronger, the struggle makes us hunger, the hard lessons make the difference and the difference makes it worth it." Another one of those powerful messages that the band usually gives.
Premiere rock band Fireflight continues to gain national exposure and acclaim, nominated for Artist of the Year at the 40th Annual Dove Awards. For more than ten years, Fireflight has remained tireless road warriors on the concert circuit, playing more than 100 shows a year. "For Those Who Wait" is sure to please Christian rock fans as another entry in Fireflight's great career.

R&B's crooner new rising star Jason Derülo has premiered the cinematic new video for his fourth single "What If," taken from his eponymous self-titled debut album, slated for early 2010, there is the thrilling sense of the arrival of a major new star. There was a time when pop artists wouldn't have dreamed of touching rap, and vice-versa, but over the last two decades the lines between R&B, hip-hop and pop have become so blurred these differentiations have become almost meaningless.
After three up-tempo cuts, "Whatcha Say," "In My Head" and "Ridin' Solo" have been Top 10 hits in the U,S,! Derülo finally slows things down with a ballad and it sounds like it's going to pretty catchy. This is of course another JR Rotem production and marks a turning point on Derülo's single releases - as all of his previous cuts were upbeat, and he's now trying differently with this midtempo ballad. "Jason is one of those guys who can have a career like Ne-Yo, who writes songs for other people but has a career of his own," says Rotem. "He can write female pop songs, male R&B, he can write ballads. He's very eclectic. He's really inspired us."
Interesting plot. "What If...the only way to save the one you love was to never meet them," reads the tagline. Derülo tugs at the heartstrings in the mini-movie for "What If" video. The R&B crooner plans to propose to his girlfriend, but what happens when fate takes an ugly turn? The movie-esque video is engaging enough but the whole 'Butterfly Effect' theme to save the girl while Derülo sacrifices their first time meeting her in order to save her from being car-bashed has been done to death. Having slowed it down and left the at-times good and appalling choreography on the back-burner, both this song and video present the 20-year-old in a much more musically-durable light than his earlier releases.
At the tender age of 20, Florida native has already experienced feats that many veterans in the game aspire to. A truly multi-talented artist knows no creative boundaries. Derülo has set his sights high. "I don't want to stay in a box," Derülo says. "I want all the love!" Derülo has always possessed much in the way of star potential, however a lethal combo of auto-tune and cringe-worthy Michael Jackson impersonations have prior to now over-shadowed that. With Chris Brown on the comeback trail, Trey Songz somewhat doing his thing, and Derülo proving to be more than a one-hit wonder, the male Urban/Pop market is looking increasingly promising.

Veteran songstress Sheryl Crow has just premiered the music video at VH1 and CMT simultaneously, for "Summer Day," the willowy uptempo track that will serve as the lead single off her forthcoming seventh studio album "1000 Miles from Memphis," which is expected to have a classic soul vibe and featured guest spots from Keith Richards, Justin Timberlake, and Citizen Cope, and is due for release July 20. The album title makes reference to her hometown of Kennett, Missouri and "its proximity to one of music cultures historic hotbeds, Memphis, Tennessee."
"Summer Day" is a slow-grooving, sultry, horn-laden salute to summer and love, which are often entwined. It is also a delightfully breezy slice of glory-days AM radio pop. "I wanted to experiment with writing something simple and positive," says Crow. "The feeling of a great, solid love—not just a new love, but something everlasting." It doesn't sound 100 miles from Memphis to us, it sounds like it is right in the heart of the music loving town with its sweet, '60s vibe and slow and easy feel.
It's been a while since we've heard any new tunes from Crow. The trendsetting musician has high hopes for her latest foray on the pop-rock scene. Crow shows you what's the best way to spend summer and has all her summer clichés in place for the video for "Summer Day," which was shot in Nashville with acclaimed director Wayne Isham in June. The clip captures of people enjoying the summer are flashed while Crow delivers a groovy performance with her band in a park. Some are playing hula hoops and the others are either sitting on a bench while listening to music or canoeing in the lake nearby in a lovely summery day. She wrote on her official website, "My friend Keith Megna made an amazing 'Summer Day' video for us - inspired by a great day in Central Park and our actual studio recording of the song."
Crow's music blends country, pop, folk, and blues rock into one mainstream sound, and her fresh, updated spin on classic roots rock made her one of the most popular mainstream rockers of the '90s. Her albums were loose and eclectic on the surface, yet were generally tied together by polished, professional songcraft. Crow's sunny, good-time rockers and world-weary ballads were radio staples for much of the '90s, and she has won nine Grammy Awards. Although her songwriting style was firmly anchored to the rock tradition, she wasn't a slave to it -- her free-associative, reference-laden poetry could hardly have been the product of any era but the '90s. Her production not only kept pace with contemporary trends, but sometimes even pushed the envelope of what sounds could be heard on a classicist rock album, especially on her self-titled sophomore effort. All of this made Crow one of the most dependable stars of the decade, and she showed no signs of relinquishing her hard-won success in the new millennium. By the way, my favorite her song is "Always on Your Side," re-recorded with British musician Sting.