Today's Pick

The pop duo Karmin switches it up for the third visual for their new album title track "Pulses," just ahead of their very delayed debut full-length album release - a solid set of pop, rap and reggae songs. If you're familiar with this ongoing story, you know that this effort has been plagued by many delays, originally intended to be released in Q4 of 2012. The Boston engaged couple leaves behind the retro disco vibe of "I Want It All" on the album's title track - opting for an edgier mix of hip hop and pop that showcases Amy Heidemann's steady flow and Nick Noonan's vocal chops.
Judging from its long delayed full-length debut, Karmin can't quite decide whether it wants to fully embrace pop with extra cheese or comment on the genre ironically. The pop duo prove to be better at tweaking pop parameters than redefining them. The bright, thumping tracks offer flourishes of hip-hop, electro, disco and retro new-wave sources. About the album they said: "We want to call it Pulses because it's kind of like the honeymoon is over now. There's good and bad. It's not necessarily everything is happy-go-lucky tracks. There's also some serious stuff. There's definitely a lot more depth in it, which is something we've always felt we wanted to do."
But Heidemann's tongue-twisting rap delivery, clever in small doses, becomes exasperating with over-exposure. The new Video may still be the act's best medium: A Star Trek's George Takei-narrated clip for the title track improves it tremendously. The stylish pair always deliver memorable videos and "Pulses" is no exception. Largely filmed in black-and-white with the occasional splash of bold color that old-movie vibe, the clip begins with mock stock footage of scientists finding a way to visually represent sound before Noonan and Heidemann appear (shirtless and with a huge quiff, respectively) to do their thing with dancers and acrobats.
The scientists in the laboratory are studying cymatics, watching the visible representation of sound as it moves through water. They, of course, throw Karmin's newest album, "Pulses," on the record player, and the real fun begins. "Imagine how these pulses of sound might affect the human body and everything around us..." the duo jump right into the song, which features quite a bit of Noonan's vocals. Heidemann raps while Noonan provides the back up and parts of the chorus. As the song progresses, however, the beats are ramped up and color finds its way into the video, tinting it with the monochromatic colors we've come to see Karmin dressed in during the evolution of their debut album.

Break out the disco balls and roller skates. Karmin catches disco fever in the retro-inspired video for their new disco-pop single "I Want It All," the second single off of their upcoming full-length debut record, "Pulses," is due March 25 and featuring a mix of pop, hip-hop, and reggae vibes, which they describe as "retro-future." The pop duo, consisting of engaged couple Amy Heidemann and Nick Noonan, found their fame on YouTube covering hit songs. After their rendition of Chris Brown's "Look at me Now" skyrocketed them to stardom, they signed with L.A. Reid at Epic Records in 2011.
Co-written by the duo with songwriter Ester Dean, this Disco-tinged Pop tune is a disco and funk inspired song which features a fun and groovy disco-inspired vibe and offers enough glittery, '70s-disco-domination eye candy to totally tide us over until then. The catchy lyrics taking listeners back to the 70's disco era. "We were listening to a lot of Missy Elliott and Pharrell and old No Doubt when we were recording it and writing it and it definitely rubbed off," Karmin told MTV Australia. "It's got kind of a '90s feel and all the visuals are monochrome."
Karmin switched up their perky pop sound on their previous hit single, "Acapella" - opting for hip-hop beats and minimal production. It was an interesting departure but the duo find a more satisfying middle ground on "I Want It All," which has a fresh vibe." The track is a fun and catchy song, but is most notable for the lack of rapping, which is a common trait in most of their other work. Karmin has cornered the market on what they've coined "swag pop," that interesting blend of pop music and hip-hop that can’t really be called one or the other, but a mix of both.
The colorful video is a perfect fit with song. Heidemann struts and vamps like the best of the cool dancefloor divas throughout the colorful clip, as the frenetic high energy of the solid tune chugs along in all its funky glory. The real life couple hits up a skating rink, as Heidemann shows off some pretty impressive moves on wheels and Noonan plays the trombone before turning the place into a giant party in a type of nightclub. The clip not only reminds us that we just don't get enough sequined wall-caressing, glowing microphones, and roller skating in our lives. It also makes a very historically significant statement: Disco is not dead. It will never die.

Karmin, the definitely-maybe-soon-to-be-married pop duo of Amy Heidemann and Nick Noonan, brings a whole lot of attitude and swag to their new video for the sassy kiss-off anthem, "Acapella." which marks the debut single from the pop duo's upcoming solo full-length debut, "Pulses," is due in September on Epic Records. The video in particular is a bit of a new experience for two group members, who started out on YouTube without elaborate sets and backup dancers to go along with their singing in a variety of bright and bold colors.
"Acapella," co-written by the duo, along with Sam "S*A*M" Hollander, while production duties were handled by Boys Like Girls frontman Martin Johnson, is a song about gaining your independence from dudes who are duds. Thematically, it could be this decade's answer to 'Single Ladies,' without being quite so anthemic and obvious. The song itself is a mix of human voices with limited instrumentation. "'Acapella' was created almost exclusively with human voices," says Heidemann. Over a booming bass line, she raps about finding Mr. Right and realizing he wasn't so perfect after all. The song's incredibly catchy beat matches perfect with the video's '90s feel..
Directed by Matt Stawski, the visuals of the music video were inspired by 90's music videos the group grew up watching, mostly drawn from director Hype Williams, and artists such as Busta Rhymes, Missy Elliott, TLC, Brandy and Destiny's Child. The twosome said of the concept: "The video for 'Acapella' is visually something we've always wanted to put out. Our first few major label videos didn't totally capture who Karmin is. It feels good to create something like this where we are at the helm and can really be proud of. The video definitely plays homage to the 90's videos we grew up with and are still inspired by today."
The Hype Williams-inspired clip sees the Boston-based pop duo is taking it back to the old school, and rock red, blue and green color-coordinated outfits and accessories while performing a sequence of choreographed moves in front of a red Mercedes SLS, and features their usual quirky sense of fashion and humor, showing them at one point - sans music - pulling a piece of bread out of a toaster with a dollar sign in the middle of it. Noonan tosses it to Heidemann, who then takes a big bite out of it, and the beat comes back as they continue to dance. Step into their colorful world below.

The cutesy duo Karmin have finally served up the music video for their new pop rap single, "Hello," the second official single and title track from their Epic Records debut EP. Karmin took the internet by storm last year after posting a cover of Chris Brown's "Look At Me Now" on YouTube, which instantly went viral and became one of YouTube's most viewed videos of 2011.
After enjoying the success of their chart-busting single "Brokenhearted," the Berklee grads are back and go back to hip-hop roots - like big drums up front, with with the promo of their next single "Hello." The Stargate-produced tune, is more than a few dance beats away from their acoustic YouTube covers of yore, and shows off Amy Heidemann's impressive rapping skills as she flows over a catchy beat about their rise to fame and the people who doubted them along the way. "This one gets a little darker, the sound is darker, there's more rap in it, it's a little more aggressive," she said.
The swag-pop duo show a darker, more mysterious side in their new video for “Hello,” and in it, Heidemann wanders through vibrant Chinatown looking a little lonely and also a little mischievous while her real-life beau Nick Noonan is at home, shaving his head. He eventually shows up and the pair hug while looking seriously dour. "It's mostly performance-based and we do it in Chinatown in L.A., that's where it was filmed," Noonan explained their real-life chemistry unfold on-screen.
In the video, a long-haired Heidemann rapping in her daisy dukes as she struts her way alone throughout the Asian-inspired urban backdrop on a Beach Cruiser, changing into a black trench coat when she hits the town at night. Meanwhile Noonan gives himself a brand-new look as he shaves off his golden locks in anticipation of a date with his other half. It all gets sorted out in the end, the two reunite as Noonan picks up his fiancée in a classic convertible car and the ridiculously sweet couple drive off together in style.

Karmin are in a dramatized version of their true story in their new video for due's original tune "Brokenhearted," the second single off their upcoming debut album "Hello," set to be released on May 8. The song is, about a lover who begs her man not to "leave [her] broken hearted tonight," an energetic, uptempo blend of mainstream pop and hip hop that slots perfectly into contemporary pop radio playlists. Karmin are on the verge of a major breakthrough.
Karmin are a Pop-Rap duo made up of engaged couple Amy Heidemann and Nick Noonan from Brookline, Massachusetts. Their name derives from the Latin word 'carmen,' meaning "song," with a slightly altered spelling to "hint at karma." The pair first gained recognition from their covers of popular Hip-Hop and Pop songs posted on YouTube. They included their unique renditions of Chris Brown's "Look At Me Now," Nicki Minaj's "Super Bass" and LMFAO's "Party Rock Anthem."
Following their first single "Crash Your Party," this cheery pop track finds Heidemann begging a guy not to "leave [me] broken hearted tonight." It was produced by dance-pop hitmaker Benny Blanco, whose resume includes Katy Perry's "I Kissed a Girl," Ke$ha's "TiK ToK" and Bruno Mars'"Grenade." Heidemann sung-rapped her vocals dressed in 1940's South Pacific-esque attire, and her vocal prowess and the productions energetic vibe comes through in clear, engaging fashion. It's probably the sunniest song to ever bear a title like 'Broken Hearted,' with a super-slick flow that Heidemann shows off.
The Marc Klasfeld-directed video is a foray into romantic frustration. The story shifts back and forth between the previous day and the present day. The clip is loosely based on how the pair met, and it takes place in Heidemann's apartment, with her thinking back to the night before when she met Noonan for the first time, and thinks she and Noonan have a romantic connection. The next morning, she furiously checks her cell phone to see if Noonan has called, but he hasn't. At the end of band rehearsals, it turns out that Noonan is already seeing someone else.

Karmin, a duo that consists of Amy Heidemann and Nick Noonan, have premiered their first official video for duo's first original single "Crash Your Party," which pays homage to the duo's YouTube roots, opening with a view of their Boston apartment living room, which was the backdrop for their Karmin Covers. "We like to think of it like we're crashing the industry's party 'cause the way that we got here was through the fans," said Heidemann.
Karmin first caught the public's eye when they covered Chris Brown's "Look At Me Now" in an impressive YouTube video that ultimately garnered millions of views earlier this year. Since then, they landed a record deal and have been creating original music. Reportedly, "swag pop" duo Karmin's debut album is set to be released in February of 2012. Overall stylistically, Karmin have a very strong retro and hip-hop influences, and used a lot of the hip-hop videos from the late '90s and early 2000's for visual inspiration.
Written by themselves, the fun hip-pop song is said to be "an anthem for anyone who is fed up with that one person in their life who always demands to be the center of attention." Sampling the 1991 Black Sheep hip-hop hit "The Choice Is Yours," Karmin's song features funky fresh beats, an uplifting feeling, and swagga-fied vocals reminiscing to new artists like Jessie J and Cher Lloyd. The funky video uses refrigerators and guitar cases as the gateway for the artists to enter different scenes.
Directed by Syndrome, the video starts with Karmin in a regular living room, doing their normal YouTube thing playing 'Crash Your Party.' Then, the YouTube background falls down and Karmin climb into our piano case, go through a suitcase into an 80's colorful house, and crash onto our neighbors table just as they're eating breakfast! The real-life couple continue to "crash" a lot of different scenarios, escape from the paparazzi, blow the candles at a kid birthday party, to a jazz lounge, to finally ending up on the big stage!