Today's Pick

Mikky Ekko plays pinball in his recently-released moody video for "Kids," the second single from Ekko's forthcoming debut studio album. The first time Yours Truly heard that song it sounded a lot different. Follow-up from the megatronic lead single, "Pull me Down," the 29-year-old Nashville singer displays his indie-epic side on new cut, which is masterful and melancholic, a freight train roaring through nostalgia. As he explains that the song came to him during the London riots, when he was thinking about how different things were when he was growing up. "Kids" is the first sign that, in Ekko's own words, he's "starting the next chapter."

While the original is effective in its own way, this singularly naked and bare-boned version with just piano and vocals is powerful. He recruited Benny Blanco and John Hill to produce this absolutely irresistible anthem that's sure to be an inescapable soundtrack to your summer. "Kids are gonna do what they want!" Ekko sings, tinged with just enough charming melancholy, and you can't help but raise the volume, get a taste of that clattering percussion and those thrumming synths and strings, and sing along. The Southern crooner has the sort of voice that is exactly two notches above James Blunt-esque.
Where Ekko anthem "Kids" grabs you, firstly, with its big, wide-eyed vocal melody, and it reels you in with a pretty minor detail—the crisp finger snaps that he's substituted for the original's chunky digital bounce, echoing into a delicate, almost inaudible infinity. Skeletal and slanted are the first words that come to mind in describing the Vienna-based producer and LuckyMe artist's idiosyncratic version, which chops up the vocal, pitches it downward, and punctuates it with wonky synth chords in a way that almost undermines its melodic momentum, but ultimately ends up doing quite the opposite.
With nothing but his black tee, baggy pants, a crucifix and a shiny, intergalactic-looking pinball machine, Ekko travels from locale to locale in his video for synthy new single "Kids." You'll know the Southern crooner fresh off from his recent stint as duet partner on high-profile Rihanna's mega-hit "Stay," a song Ekko wrote. Here, however, Ekko is front and center, looking angsty while flanked by umbrella-toting women in the desert, knocking a pinball around by the side of a lonely American highway and hanging out on a barren city street at night. Give the video a spin below.

Primed for a 2013 breakout is New York-based indie-pop duo MS MR, who reaches previously unknown heights with the release of their stellar debut track "Fantasy" only a week ago, and have quickly followed up with the brilliant, glitter-puking video for the song and it's pretty fantastic. The track is the first single from their forthcoming full-length debut album, "Second Hand Rapture," is scheduled to grace our ears and dancefloors and mood swings on May 14, should be an absolute monster. Fantasy was a happy find!
And my reality could never live up to my fantasy. If only reality was as beautiful as the way MS MR, lead singer Lizzy Plapinger and producer Max Hershenow, envision it, but leave it to them to have glitter-vomitting cheerleaders in their video and make it look so magical. MS MR is how they spin darker lyrics and emotions into a sweeping pop tune that can just run and their ability to carry this perspective over into pulsating videos that breathe new life into an already great song. Honestly, who needs reality when we have MS MR to capture such a great fantasy?
"Fantasy," a tense, brooding stormer with a hypnotic chorus, is a dark little jam with smooth vocals and a strong Florence + The Machine feel, without the Gothicness, that's far too powerful to be brought down by an unspectacular video. With each passing drop-off, it's clear that the somewhat mysterious tandem is getting better and better. "Fantasy" is no different, accounting for an undeniably enchanting number focusing in on vocals this go around. Clearly, Plapinger's voice sounds full and lovely, the piano and hand claps are infectious, and it just has the buoyant feel of a well assembled pop song.
Channeling dark Lynchian weirdness in "Fantasy," trading pointed glances from across a diner as cheerleaders vigorously vomiting up glitter in the parking lot outside and the duo singing along in a diner which is a pleasant surprise considering how notoriously mysterious they are. "Shot on location in Jamaica, Queens with talented director Austin Peters, the clip for 'Fantasy' stays true to the main themes and questions behind the track: things we imagine or think we understand are not as they appear. The clip presents a world filled with fantasies gone wrong where the mundane, the surreal and the supernatural are all intertwined and what is real becomes a matter of perspective," MS MR explained.

Taking a break from her dance-fuelled videos for "Headphones" and "Brand New Chick," the Canadian singer-songwriter Anjulie is back to the music scene with her brand new Bonnie & Clyde-Inspired visual for her latest pop/dance single, "You and I," the third promotional taken from her upcoming sophomore album that's scheduled for release soon through Universal Republic Records. It's an instantly catchy anthem that you won't soon forget.
The Toronto-born, Los Angeles-based pop performer is an intriguing, authentic new voice on the pop landscape, with the melodic gifts, vocal prowess and sophistication that announce her as a true original. Anjulie remains an in-demand songwriter herself. Based around snappy acoustic guitar and a soaring club-ready refrain, pop electro hit "You and I" boasts production by Italian super producer Benny Bennassi, is a sweet love song and pop ballad by the talented female musician. The song has a melody that it captivating and truly catchy. It is a song that only needs to be heard once and forever will be remembered.
The lyrics of the song is a story of a woman in love and describes her relationship with her partner. The track is a light, lush and disco-infused tune that is a perfect fit for Anjulie's candy-coated vocals. Her voice is sweet and express such as innocent personality through her music, but this make no mistake she is a diva. "You And I" also neatly shows off Anjulie range as a pop artist who can easily bounce from powerful girl anthems to thoughtful political statements, and from genre-mashing experimentation to the sweet disco balladry on this new single.
It's a stereotypical girl falls for a bad guy story, full of happy, sexy and dangerous shots. The clip begin on a tear-stained bed, Anjulie runs away from home to be with her boyfriend. Anjulie and her guy are on the run first from her parents and later finds the two robbing a store and trying to get away with it from the police. It shows off the Anjulie's acting chops and a bit of skin, as she pulls off the hipster classy look and is one of the few that can get away with these long dark routs in need of dying. The whole video in pastel and sandy colors looks wonderful.

American Idol Season 10 contestant Tim Halperin debuted a music video for his original tune called "The Last Song," Monday morning on 'Kidd Kraddick in the Morning,' a nationally syndicated radio program. The single is one of the songs that will appear on his debut album, which will come out in September. This 23-year-old from Omaha, Neb., has been giving away the song for free since early March, made popular after his premature departure from American Idol.
Simple piano melody, the song which he flawlessly performed during "Hollywood Week" on American Idol, was originally released on YouTube after Halperin was eliminated from American Idol on March 3. Halperin wrote on his Twitter feed that the video was independently created, and the $8,000 budget was funded entirely by fans. "The funding for the video came from fan donations, and it was all shot locally in Fort Worth," Halperin writes in an e-mail. "I think this video demonstrates the power of independent collaboration, apart from a major label or American Idol. We are hoping to get a million views on this video." So do help him get a million views so he could further his music career.
Directed by Jonathan Combs and Joe Childress, the video for the tune–a lush, big-chorused ballad is quite brilliant with visually intriguing, lyrically stellar, and vocally magical. Halperin climbs into his piano at the beginning of the video and spends the next few minutes of his dreamy pop song in an almost Alice in Wonderland meets The Lion, and a "Narnia-like" world. As he struggles to deal with a lost love, the video chronicles a world blinded by the complexities of love.
First, he is sitting on his bench trying to think how to write the words to help him heal. He folds a picture of him and his ex in half, opens the wooden piano, and ventures into a surreal world. He stumbles through a landscape of trunks, musical notes, cotton clouds, and swimming pools before coming back to reality. Upon the realization that his ex has moved on, he falls backwards into a cold pool of truth. He awakens from his revery to find himself at a wedding. He has finally come to his senses, and he is now able to move on. The real world sets in, and he climbs back out of the piano. Amazing stuff! How did this guy not go further than the Top 24? It is beyond me.

One of my favorite discoveries of 2011 was undoubtedly Winnipeg-based group Ash Koley. The band just released a new music video for their second single "Brighter At Night," in support of their debut mini album "Inventions," which features eight original tracks, and available now. These eight tracks were selected for "Inventions" from scores of songs written over the past five years because they truly depict their style and character.
Don't be fooled by the eponymous nature of the name. Ash Koley is a Canadian New Wave/alternative pop band from Winnipeg consists of Ashley Michelle Koley (lead singer), after whom the band is named, and her buddy Phil Deschambault (guitar, keyboard). Their sound is an amalgamation of diverse influences, their songs sketch together diverse melodies and lyrics, drawing on cross-generational influences from Abba to the Eurythmics, and from Peter Gabriel to Radiohead. The result is a band that is a full embodiment of what they each bring to the duo – quirky charm, and upbeat classic pop music.
The catchy and sunny "Brighter At Night" opens the CD sounding like something Blondie would do. A band that has this much charisma can make the night brighter and better than ever before. This song is poppy and brings us more clever melody and lyrics than before. The song has a moderate tempo, pianos, and a great vocalist to go with it all. The Canadian pop-duo really brings it together with her strong and present voice. The video, shot in Vancouver, is fun to watch too. The dancing is fun to watch because I can't recall a video that uses flash lights in its choreography. The video is best described as a romantic version of the night with flashlights and group dynamics. It's also a great video to watch about what to do to have fun when there is a power outage. "Brighter at Night," is an energy-packed trip into the world of night and its beauty.
With "Inventions," they have established themselves as one of the most exciting bands of this new decade. "For us, creating music is like building little inventions. Every song we write comes from an idea we then craft, construct and design into something we both fall in love with," said Koley of the album title. Inventing doesn't stop at songwriting for this Winnipeg twosome. "Each song has a different personality and reflects those moments we were in when we wrote them. We feel the tracks selected for 'Inventions' give a perfect introduction to Ash Koley," said Deschambault. All the tracks are powerful, served by upbeat melodies and poetic lyrics, and the band's trademark: Koley's haunting voice. In a few words, the album is pure fun and optimism!

Welsh belle, Charlotte Church is a master of metamorphosis, having previously transformed from a fresh-faced classical singer to popstar and a TV talk show host too. And she's back again for a second stab at pop music with the video for her new track, "Logical World," off her recent folk-inspired sixth studio album "Back To Scratch." The single is a grown-up guitar driven track with a rousing, perfect pop chorus, and will be released on November 28. The Welsh classical crossover artist recently admitted that she was 'done' with classical music.
"Walking in the sunshine in the middle of the night/painting pictures with the rain," sings Church, gleefully jumbling contradictions over the kind of melody perfect for snuggling into as the nights draw ever shorter. The track was produced by Martin Terefe and Sacha Skarbeck. Discussing the record, Church said in a press release: "I'm so proud of this album. It's been completely organic and honest and real. I can't wait to get it out there and remind people that I'm not a TV personality, I'm not some celebrity whose just famous for being famous, I'm not some lager lout chav who sells papers. I'm a singer. And I'm good at it."
The very pretty video features the doll-like Church dressed up in a variety of costumes, posing and making funny facial expressions, as is standard policy for any music video. The stunning video was directed by acclaimed photographers Sandrine and Michael, who have previously worked with the likes of Alicia Keys, Shakira and Cheryl Cole. The video sees Church in a vintage setting in a number of different dresses and pieces of jewellery, perhaps trying to shake off the 'ladette' image the singer has managed to acquire in recent years. The chorus line "I'm a mixed up girl, in a logical world" is possibly some sort of pseudo social commentary, but with the video ending with Church holding a lamp which subsequently flickers out, we're left a little in the dark about what the video is actually all about. Spin your own interpretation on it by watching it below.
Her second pop effort following 2005's underrated "Tissues and Issues," "Back To Scratch," the fourteen track collection is multi-textured pop dynamite, showcasing the 24-year-old's incredible range as well as her knack for informing each and every song she sings with unabashed emotion. It also shows off a mature, refined side to Church, with a sophisticated pop sound that will doubtless win her legions of new converts as well as satisfying her loyal fan-base. "Logical World" places Church alongside the likes of KT Tunstall and Amy MacDonald, a grown up guitar track with a rousing, perfect-pop chorus.

Australian band St Leonards have joined up with LP33.tv for a the video exclusive of new single "Opened Up My Eyes." It's been a meteoric rise for Australian act St Leonards since front man and songwriter Shane Fritsch decided to form a band around his solo project early in 2009. Arrived in Los Angeles in May 2009 to record and produce music for their forthcoming debut album. With the direction of Grammy-winning producer John Wooler and legendary manager Ted Gardner they have compiled a collection of songs ideal for placement in film, and television, and other audiovisual media. Their song "Now That We've Grown" featured on smash USA TV show "The Vampire Diaries."
Talking about the ideas behind the video, Fritsch says: "When we started thinking about filming a music video for 'Opened Up My Eyes' we started asking around for possible directors and venues. We wanted to capture the true emotion and meaning of the song, being that things are not always as they seem. Through recommendation we contacted Directors David Roberts and Liam Donaghy who were in Sydney, Australia. I remember meeting them at a small bar where we started talking about the treatment for the video. We talked about the meaning of the song and what was the best way to capture that. I had an idea of the band playing in a 1930's after hours casino/bar, being in a fish out of water situation, like we were super imposed over the scene and the characters had no idea we were there, as they were to be so consumed with themselves and their external image that we were not noticed. David and Liam come up with the idea that as the song starts to build towards the end the lights get brighter and exposes the true nature of the characters, which turned out to be a great idea and really locked off the treatment of the video. The video was shot in one day at a cool little music venue in Sydney called Raval. The venue was exactly what we had been visualizing in our meetings with the Directors as well, actually it was better."
St Leonards's music marries the intensely personal with the epic – song inspiration comes from Fritsch's family, the struggle to accept his path as an artist, the challenges of balancing a music career with a stable home life - all lifted to a level of grandeur through glorious keys riffs, intense drumming, and rich guitar; overlaid with Fritsch's heartfelt and resonant vocals. Their sonic palette spans eras contemporary to classic; reflecting artists from Coldplay and The Blue Nile to David Gray, and has an intensity and feel that wouldn't sound out of place in a stadium, even with the band less than a year old.

The UK band I Blame Coco have just released the music video for their second single "Self Machine," from their finest long-playing debut album, "The Constant," is due for release in September. I like the moody, angsty and really fitting how I am feeling today. "Self Machine" is an electronic/alternative mix with a killer melody, ding ding, an instant winner.
I Blame Coco are a five-piece fronted by one Coco Sumner who is, for better or worse, the daughter of Sting and his wife actress/producer Trudie Styler. The burgeoning talent, just 19-year-old at the moment, has been diligently plucking away at her debut record for the past five years now. Ironically though, there's hardly anything constant about it, given that slaving over those mega lyrics and the shape of the sound, she apparently scrapped it all in the autumn of last year and re-wrote it to her own, exact specifications.
The 19-year-old Londoner has been a simmering, growing presence on the capital's music scene for the best part of a year, and she and her band released their first single, "Caeser" in February, a track that featured vocals from Scandinavian pop nymph Robyn. Impressively, the Italy-born singer and her band have been signed to Island Records on a six-album deal.
The follow up single "Self Machine," will be released on July 12, is a nice piece of alt-pop, but it feels a little creepy since Sumner looks and sounds exactly like her father. The blaring, 80's-inspired beats of the song sparkle with shades of producer's pop sensibility, yet Sumner's deeper voice suggests something far darker: "I saw the mirror staring back at me, and it told me I'm a self machine," Sumner croons, sounding appropriately lonely as she tackles the personal void missing in today's digital age. It was lush, quiet, soft and introspective, then out burst the official single, and it's an up-tempo winner with a driving beat and a terrific acrobatic arrangement. The result is nothing short of alt-disco brilliance.
Sumner takes the idea of the global online community to its extravagant conclusion and imagines herself in a robot state to a thumping electro-rock sound-bed. From the press release: "Self Machine" is a soaring dystopian disco anthem and a dose of heartfelt, creative electro pop at its finest, and the video is no different. Directed by Alex Smith at Warp Films, (the man behind Coldplay's "Yellow" and Manic Street Preacher's "Empty Souls") it was shot at an old derelict swimming pool in an abandoned college in Oxfordshire, giving it an almost 'post apocalyptic' feel. The video is very high fashion, a bit magical, and quite beautifully shot all around.