Today's Pick

Atlanta hip-hop star B.o.B ventures out in the wilderness in his latest video for Dr. Luke-produced single "Strange Clouds," the lead single and title track from his upcoming sophomore effort, set to hit store shelves March 2012. It's a 3 minutes 47 seconds of bass heavy bragging, and harder edged hip hop. The 'Airplanes' hitmaker does not only bring rapper Lil Wayne, but also takes fellow rapper T.I. with him to enjoy some strange-colored clouds in a beautiful meadow.
On the kickoff to his second LP, the 23-year-old Atlanta rapper slings references to Nancy Kerrigan, Inception and Top Chef over a blippy dubstep beat. Wayne drops a wink-nudge verse about getting blitzed, but it's B.o.B who lights up with a charming, tenacious flow. It definitely has a catchy, melodic chorus, but the rhymes hit hard, and the two voices and sensibilities blend well. Lyrically, the song is focused on self-promotion and dismissal of any haters.
B.o.B told Billboard magazine he chose the album title to reflect his maturity as an artist. "It's reflective of the growth, and how my perspective has changed. And 'Strange Clouds' is like a hybrid, the sci-fi with the organic. It's all about art, it's all about music, and I feel like this album is going to be a classic." He said the track was originally just something he wanted to rhyme on: "'Strange Clouds' could mean a variety of things from lacunosus clouds to unidentified flying objects to puffs of the most exotic of plants. He wanted to get an artist on it who could really bring that idea to life, and who better than Lil Wayne?"
With its infectious hook and braggadocious lyrics, the Motion Family-directed clip has an evening outdoors theme, and the two rappers performing under psychedelic natural light display which is apparently sending everybody in the hood crazy. The video finds the two MCs spitter swank about their meticulous rhyming in a green field beneath a sky of strange clouds, while T.I. drops in for a few appearances and everyone tries to figure out what's happening with those strange clouds up above. Once again, B.o.B proves that Young Money is still on top of the mainstream rap game.

British-Irish boy band The Wanted have unveiled their new music video for "Warzone," as the fourth cut from their new sophomore LP, "Battleground," a euphoric widescreen classic of epic-pop proportions. The Wanted are wrapping up another tremendously successful year. With its tear-strewn piano melody and melodic hook, "Warzone" was their most mature effort to date and one of the highlights of the album.
Co-written by Max George and Nathan Sykes from the quintet, the song tells a story of bitter heartache and pain. "You're the reason we started this fight," the five harmonize on this gut-wrenching ballad that comes with a subtle dubstep touch, which gives the song a compelling British flair. The electropop ballad is a subtle attempt at dubstep that fuses somber piano chords and an epic soft rock chorus with distant wobble basslines and spacious beats.
It hasn't been easy for British pop outfit to break in North America but Mercury Records in the U.S. is up for the challenge. First priority is to build a loyal fanbase online who can help spread the word about the group. The Wanted's music will also be strategically placed on TV and radio to get mainstream audiences slowly but surely familiar with their music. A good example of that are The Wanted's recent features on Simon Cowell's X Factor in the U.S.
Featuring a haunting piano riff, emotional vocals and a truly epic chorus, it's easily the best thing they've ever recorded. The video, filmed in Brooklyn, New York, was directed by Director X, who previously directed their video for "Glad You Came." The promo sees the boys having their hearts broken when they discover their girlfriends cheating on them and decide to confront them in the bedroom bust-up. The boys belting out their dubstep-infused ballad while surrounded by huge piles of rubble, smashed up cars and a burning piano.

Victoria Justice has made her brand-new visual grand premiere for her hit song "You're the Reason" on Nickelodeon Saturday, right after the airing of her Nickelodeon show's Christmas special episode of 'Victorious,' with the piece mainly comprised of Justice perched behind a piano.
The 18-year-old budding solo singer is going unplugged and giving us her special unplugged version of "You're the Reason," which is from the Victorious soundtrack. Justice has performed a more uptempo version previously, but this version is a ballad and she says it really let her get more into an emotional level of singing. The Nickelodeon star laid it all on the line as she belted out her song behind a piano.
The video was shot in Zuma Beach and also a place called the Enchanted Forest. The concept of the video is of Justice traveling with her piano. One little tidbit that fans out there should know is that there are "no" guys on this video - although Justice laughingly tells us that guys are cute and all but this video is purely herself. Along with the visual, Justice says her style in the video was so in sync with what she likes - lots of fun fashion and of course her favorite - feathers. When it comes to who she is thinking about and singing this beautiful ballad - Justice tells us that when she performs the song the person who she is dedicating the song to is her mom, sweet!
The new video was directed by none other than Wayne Isham, who has worked with huge stars like Britney Spears, Michael Jackson, and Bon Jovi. Justice is seen looking as lovely as ever in a red dress, sitting at a piano customized with light bulbs in the video, which spies the ravishing red carpet stunner playing piano in a number of outdoor locations that it looks like it'd be hard to get a piano to the beach, a forest clearing. The new video will showcase a version of the same song that appeared on the recent 'Victorious' soundtrack.

San Diego alt-rockers Switchfoot have released the music video for "Restless" serves as the co-lead single with their mainstream single, "Dark Horses," from group's eighth studio album "Vice Verses." After a year of touring for their Grammy winning CD "Hello Hurricane," they went back to the studio and have worked hard on their new CD "Vice Verses." Stuffed to the rafters with one melodic triumph after the other, the record could quite possibly be Switchfoot's finest work yet.
Lead singer and principal songwriter for the band Jon Foreman wrote the song in Europe, with the intent of "trying to embody the story of the rain," which comes from the idea that raindrops are on a "relentless" journey back to the ocean, and in this song he examines his place in the world alongside nature. "I was thinking about the idea that I'm on a journey myself," said Foreman: "Restless is the story of my life: thirsty, reaching, yearning for more."
"'Restless' was inspired over in the UK. I was listening to the rain and watching these individual drops drip down the window and thinking that every one of them is in pursuit of the ocean, that they will stop at nothing, and gravity will eventually one day lead them to the ocean. And I began to think of my own life and wondering if I had that same drive, that same pursuit for that which is right and true. And then I was thinking through C.S. Lewis' idea that this life, when we're aware of beauty, it's kind of a bittersweet thing, that it's a transient reminder of eternal beauty, which someday we will be face to face with."
Switchfoot frontman admitted that he hasn't always been that thrilled with their videos, but this time out everything fell into place. "Yeah, they don't always turn out the way you pictured them to, but this video we kind of did ourselves, with the help with our friends at Hurley. We feel that these songs truly come to life in a live setting so we wanted to deliver a video that captured that feeling. I'm really excited with the way it turned out." The energy Foreman and the band puts into their performance came across authentic and inspiring.

Taylor Swift has one boring day at work but ends in the best way possible in the video for the country songbird's latest single, "Ours," and it's a thoroughly adorable clip that fits perfectly among Swift's other crushingly cute videos. The 2011 Billboard Woman of the Year honoree survives the day only because she's looking forward to coming home and welcoming back her "distant love," who happened to be away serving in the military.
The tune serves as the sixth offering from her multiplatinum-selling album "Speak Now," "Ours" was solely written by Swift as a love letter and as being in love and knowing that they can make it through the rough times. The song finds Swift in a relationship of which others do not approve. She reassures her beau that despite the criticism they are getting, she loves him. It's a pretty, slower tempo song that showcases Swift's strengths, which are her inviting, open journal lyrics and that sweet voice. Swift saved the best for last.
Directed by Declan Whitebloom, the video features the soon-to-be 22-year-old out of princess mode, plays herself as a bored corporate drone sleepwalking through an average day: awkwardly riding the elevator, and dealing with the average frustrations like an out-of-order copy machine and cliquey girls in the break room, until she's reminded that there's always a special someone she can count on. Admittedly, she looks more flawless and glowing than any office worker we've ever seen, but we'll cut her a break.
Everything that can go wrong does. It's not her day, nor is it her life. Throughout the clip, the only thing keeping Swift sane is dreaming about her absent boyfriend, who makes a return by the song's end. "I had a very definitive idea of what I wanted this video to be," Swift told E! News. The overarching theme of the "Ours" video is that deep down, we're all looking to connect with people, be it on the surface, in a fleeting moment or something deeper. It makes you think about engaging in conversation with that guy you ignore in the elevator every morning or making eye contact with that person on the bus and sharing a smile. It's a really lovely, little video that captures the nice nature of the song. It’s those quiet ones you have to watch.

Lady Gaga has a reputation to uphold, so when she releases a self-directed 14-minute autobiographical video she really has to bring the crazy. "Marry The Night" doesn't disappoint! The opus features the 25-year-old pop star at her most gloriously provocative, with extended dance sequences, explosions, nudity, and a violent attack on a box of Honey Nut Cheerios. While the clip is an homage to her pre-fame roots, the song is also a tribute to the Big Apple.
As the fifth single from her latest album "Born This Way," "Marry the Night" is a dance-pop song influenced by house and electropop. The electro-thumping number with euphoric synths and uplifting melody was inspired by the energy of Gaga's previous song "Dance in the Dark" and features electronic church bells, a driving electro organ sound and a funk-rock influenced breakdown. The lyrics are about Gaga's love of the night and partying, while serving as a homage to her hometown, New York City.
"'Marry the Night' is about marrying your obstacles and the challenges that you face to become great or to live your dreams," Gaga gave more detail about her favorite song on the album, "It's about committing yourself wholeheartedly to the thing you're most passionate about. For me, it was always music. It's about that moment when I decided I was going to tear it up, that I was going to get married to my work, and that my work would be my husband forever. There was no fire and no rain that could get in the way."
Gaga is nothing if not a storyteller. And this particular musical yarn may be her best yet. At the very least, it's her most personal. "Put 'Born This Way' back in the vessel, for rebirth, as I lay in mine. When too strong to divorce, then buckle up, MARRY THE NIGHT." Intense though the video is, it isn't without its levity. "I always believe that you walk the line of humor if you're being so incredibly serious," she explained. "There's something quite comical about the opening of the video, even though it's quite sinister and dark." And that the video itself serves as a window into the heart and mind of Gaga.

Time to spread that holiday love! Honor Society encourage their devotees to give back to the community in a newly premiered Micah Weisberg-directed music video for their latest holiday tune "Spread the Love." The four-piece band have enlisted some fans and teamed up with the Salvation Army and they wonder the streets and parks and spreads papper-cuts in heart shapes to people passing by, to show the fans what they could do to help others.
The boys, who recently released their second mini album "A Tale of Risky Business (EP)." The band's backing vocals and drums Alexander Noyes shared in a statement, "We wanted our new album, 'A Tale of Risky Business: Part 2' to inspire change, both musically and socially, and to encourage the next generation of philanthropists. We are so fortunate to have this opportunity and to support the important work being done by The Salvation Army."
In the spirit of holiday, Noyes and his bandmates inspire others to help community members in need. The lead vocals Michael Bruno added, "It's been such a life changing experience working with the Salvation Army and we're ready to be out on the road, playing concerts, encouraging our amazing fan base to get in the spirit of giving and to be part of this iconic Salvation Army tradition."
Honor Society joined forces with the Salvation Army many times before, as they appeared on band's 2009 music video for holiday song "White Christmas" and in 2010, the band helped the non-profit organization to raise fund in an inaugural Rock the Red Kettle Concert. This year, the band headline Salvation Army Rock The Red Kettle Tour. Honor Society gathers in a vacant theater and everyone was asked to bring paper hearts in their new music video for "Spread The Love."