Today's Pick

Tampa homegirl Juliet Simms and her band, Automatic Loveletter, just premiered their new video for the jarring and candidly autobiographical "Story of My Life," which taken from the group's debut LP, "Truth or Dare," released last year. Take a cosmos full of confidence, a fist full of defiance, a potent set of lungs alongside a rollicking band and Juliet Simms, better known to the world over as Automatic Loveletter, is unflinchingly kicking down music industry doors and commanding instant attention. Equal parts Pink and Foo Fighters, crossed with Heart or Joan Jett for the Now generation, the singer/songwriter's vehicle to stardom is absolutely unstoppable as her sassy and seductive new CD "Truth or Dare" so boldly articulates.
Countless people have moved to Los Angeles desperate for musical fame and riches, only to end up asking some sleazy record producer or label person, "How does taking my shirt off improve my range?" before giving up and moving back home. Success is an one-in-a-million shot, but once you get it, like Tampa rock band Automatic Loveletter, the move to the City of Angels can make for great songwriting fodder, as evidenced by the video premiere for the band's "Story Of My Life."
In their "Story Of My Life" video, Front woman Simms recounts the band's history amid a backdrop of actual old photos of herself and the band. We see Simms writing the song's lyrics in her notebook, hanging out in her car in some field in Anywhere, U.S.A. and quoting Nietzsche because, well, that "What does not kill me makes me stronger" quote pretty much applies to everyone.
Given the reflective tone of the song, it's no surprise to see slow-mo shots of Simms in remote places looking serious and contemplative. It's an emotionally honest song, detailing the flip side of fame and success while transforming a rock star into a naive, fledgling singer who "would sometimes be hungry" and "miss my bed when I sleep." We see rock stars acting like rock stars every day. It's refreshing to see the other side once in a while.

The rock outfit Paramore's most recent third album "Brand New Eyes," a darker, more mature, more tumultuous collection of tunes than anything the band had ever done, has been out for nearly 14 months now, but the teen faves are still squeezing singles out of the Gold-certified disc like there's no tomorrow. The punk pop band have just released a new video for the angry mid-tempo track "Playing God," the fifth single overall from album. The tongue-in-cheek video goes as far to tug at the band's subdued Christian roots, suggests that the red-headed frontwoman Hayley Williams is indeed "Playing God" with the rest of the band, keeping them tied up in a basement and poisoning them Lady Gaga style.
The Brandon Chesbro-directed video was shot entirely at Williams's house in Franklin, Tennessee. It opens with Williams sitting in her actual car in front of her actual house, and sees Williams looking at old band photos and performing in front of mirrors in her guest room, and also taking a page out of Jazmine Sullivan's "woman scorned" book, as she holds her bandmates captive in the basement underneath her home and proceeds to terrify them with a mixture of vengeful self-hatred and eerie detachment. The video, is reportedly meant to be a tribute and a farewell to their album, explains how a small woman like her is able to take down four strong men like her bandmates. It turns out that she drugs the guys while they come by for a tea party.
Williams said that this song is "about self-righteous people and me feeling the blow of that." She added, "The main line in the chorus is about people who place blame and how they should look at themselves first. It's something I've dealt with since I was young. What I love about the song is the contrast between the subject matter and the melody. The song, at its core, is very angry. I'm ripping at self-righteous people, ripping at my own bandmates and anyone who ever made me feel not good enough. But the overall tone of the song is completely different. It's laid back and really fun. It's one of my favorite bridges on the record and one of those that we've been waiting to write for a long time."
The message appears clear: Paramore are returning home, looking back, wrapping things up. "Playing God" is a bittersweet, sentimental thing, a scrapbook of the past year of their lives, and the final chapter in the "Brand New Eyes" saga. It's a story that began with the band's future severely in doubt and concludes with them stronger, happier and better than ever. Paramore are currently in the U.K. whipping through another tour, but they'll be back in Tennessee next week to celebrate Thanksgiving before hitting a handful of holiday radio festivals in the month of December.

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.