Today's Pick

The hard rock band Valora have released the official music video for their first and title song from band's Hollywood Records debut album, "I Waited For You," will be released to digital retailers on October 24th. Musically, Valora could be considered fans of hard rock bands such as Muse and Foo Fighters, but within the band's style flows an expanse of rock influences.
Valora is a six piece hard rock band from Whittier, California. featuring electrifying frontwoman Syd Duran, who sings with fearsome conviction, summoning all the just powers of rock into her three-octave range, her powerful vocals and stage presence have catapulted the band from obscurity to national attention. But Duran is about more than technique or stage presence. She has stories to tell: stories about isolation and betrayal, of misbegotten love and life out of whack. As the album shows, her rock vocal chops would mean nothing if she didn't sing from the heart. "I didn't want to write a feel-good record," she says. "You don't always feel good. For the most part, in life you're getting over something."
Valora will be issuing their debut album, "I Waited for You," in the coming months. The album opens with this savagely indignant "I Waited For You," a song Duran co-wrote a few years ago, and which drew early attention to the band. "I'm really proud of it," she says. "I wrote it right out of high school." "I Waited for You" was produced by Grammy-nominated Johnny K and mixed by Neil Avron. It's simple and raw – no horns, no synths, no auto-tuned perfection. "The main thing Johnny had to understand about Valora was the feeling I want people to get when they hear my voice," Duran says. "I needed to find a producer that valued vocals as much as I do."
For a paltry $500, an early incarnation of Valora snuck into local Whittier High school after hours and shot their own DIY video for "I Waited For You," which intrigued Hollywood Records execs. Duran explained: "We decided that 'I Waited for You' was probably the catchiest thing we did and it had potential to be a hit. So we found a film student that made the video for us for a budget of like $500. We broke into my local high school [Whittier High] and shot it there. Then we threw it up on the Internet and this was right when YouTube starting blowing up."

Oklahoma country music star Blake Shelton premiered the music video for the country-fied reboot of the hit "Footloose" on Thursday's show 'Entertainment Tonight,' for the first time since Michael Jackson's "Thriller" in 1983. "Footloose" was performed for the original 1984 film by music legend Kenny Loggins, and the film is about a town that has banned rock and dancing, will open in U.S. theaters on October 14.
Writer-director Craig Brewer helms a new take of the well-loved 1984 film, which was loosely based on real-life events that happened in 1980 in Elmore City, where students convinced the school board to let them organize the school's first prom, despite an 80-year-old city ordinance banning public dancing. The Oklahoma farming community marked the 30th anniversary of the first prom last year. Shelton tells The Boot. "When I open my mouth, what comes out is country. There's really only one way to approach it when you think of it that way: a fun, uptempo, catchy version just like Kenny Loggins did."
It's no surprise that a movie about dancing features a lot of dancing. However, the video for "Footloose" is incredibly middle American good time and fairly vibrates off the screen with high-octane dance segments from the movie. There's simply no room to compete. The 35-year-old singer wants to cut loose, but he wisely leaves the fancy footwork to others, and choosing instead to sing in a pickup bed and let the energy bubble around him.
The video started as a quiet night, but brings life to a sleepy drive-in theater, and turns into a raucous block party when "The Voice" coach exchanges pleasantries with the old man running the joint and then grabs his guitar and sings the iconic title song from the upcoming film standing in his truck bed, while a bunch of dancers embark on a well-choreographed routine around him. "Footage" and key scenes from the film, which also appears as loyal to the original as Shelton's remake of the theme song, are spliced throughout and it all blends seamlessly that looks just as great now as they did 27 years ago.

A month after debuting her latest single on NBC's America's Got Talent, Susan Boyle has unveiled the official promo to support her underwhelming new single, "You Have To Be There." This stirring ballad is the lead single features on Boyle's upcoming third full-length album, "Someone to Watch Over Me," to hit stories and iTunes November 1st. The album features Boyle's interpretations of pop classics by George and Ira Gershwin, Joni Mitchell and others, as well as original material.
Unlike the other artists, the 50-year-old singer shuns elaborate costume changes, over-the-top choreography and dramatic storyline. She's doing what she does best; belting out the lyrics in high notes. "Well this song makes a demand on Gods presence, it raises questions as to whether or not he can be there when needed," Boyle said. "It's a powerful song. It was written by Benny & Björn from ABBA and originates from their musical Kristina and it's very evocative and emotional."
ABBA's Benny Anderson and Björn Ulvaeus originally wrote the song as "Du måste finnas" for the 1995 popular Swedish musical "Kristina från Duvemåla." The show is based on a series of four novels by Swedish author Vilhelm Moberg set in the mid-19th century, which tells the epic story of an extended family's poverty-driven migration from Sweden to America. It's a really good song with a mighty chorus that roars in a Celine Dion sort of way. The essence and feel of the video is sure to grab your attention.
The clip was filmed during her rehearsals for major televised performances at London's Symphony Orchestra home on Old Street. It's classic Boyle in every way, too, as this Scottish singing sensation, who surprised the world and claimed her fame through "Britain's Got Talent," shows off her ridiculous vocal range, and keeps it simple yet classy in this black-and-white affair, backed up by a full string orchestra when showing off her pipes.

Beyoncé has finally dropped her colorful mod-tastic video on MTV for "Countdown," the third cut lifted from her recent multi-million-selling album "4." The pregnant R&B diva loads this '60s-inspired masterpiece with various energetic routines, taking on a variety of iconic looks, rocking out mod style, showing off her growing belly and channeling the spirit of Audrey Hebpurn by wearing short bangs and cropped black pants.
This playful upbeat, horn-heavy track was co-written and co-produced by the 30-year-old herself and samples Boyz II Men's 1991 R&B hit "Uhh Ahh." The song's development was motivated by the fact that Beyoncé wanted to create something refreshing and different by mixing several musical styles of the 1990s with the 1970s. It was considered to be everywhere on the genre map, and contains elements of funk music amongst dancehall influences. It's a perfect mix of classic and modern, which seems to be what Beyoncé is aiming for in this era of her career.
Lyrically, it's about twinned boasts of self-worth and proclamations of fidelity into a tight knot of romantic ideals. "Countdown" finds Beyoncé as the female protagonist delivering her message of ten years of loyalty seeming just as thrilling as the first time to her love interest and boasting of all the ways he should feel lucky to have her by his side. Throughout the song, Beyoncé sings with a sassy attitude, setting a futuristic tone.
The video was directed by Adria Petty, who previously worked with Beyoncé on the clip for "Sweet Dreams." In it, Beyoncé turns into a human clock behind a classic '60s psychedelic, black-and-white-striped background, then a human art gallery as she morphs into a series of Lichtenstein girls come to life in primary-colored bathing suits. The video ends with the superstar in a chair, grooving to her uptempo track. Throughout the clip, which bubbles with excitement, she is all smiles, perhaps reflecting her joy at beginning a new phase in her life.

British musician James Blunt, best known for his track "You're Beautiful" has released a new video for his newest track "Dangerous," the fifth British single from Blunt's the third studio album "Some Kind of Trouble." We're sure the 37-year-old musician has had his fair share of promiscuous women and he has expressed his feelings about it in his new visual. "The brief was simple: a gorgeous/dangerous girl and just a cameo for James," director Luc Janin explains.
The promo is filmed in a mysterious POV depiction and in the point of view of a lovely lady in red stiletto heels. The mysterious woman takes us through the crowded rooms of a dance hall where beautiful show girls are in costume getting ready for the night, and through the sketchiest of hallways in a seedy burlesque club. Her venture ends when she strolls into a room with a long awaiting guest, and of course, it's Blunt himself. The ending showcases a smidgen of eroticism in a purely artful form that leaves the viewer wanting more.
"Dangerous" is quite good with an uptempo beat backed up by a distinct indie type melody whilst. It starts out as an uplifting key board build up, dropping into a hard hitting track with incredible electro synths and pounding drums that progressively get more and more powerful. This distortion heavy progressive track comprises of women walking around in scanty attire which can be deemed dangerous when viewing this video in a office or school environment. Not his best work but when they mix from mellow to heavy that are definitely worth a listen!
Blunt told The Metro that this song is about the English supermodel Kate Moss. "Yes, she is a dangerous woman," he said. Failing to elaborate the singer cryptically teased; "It's one of those naïve songs full of that teenage energy. That excitement of having someone, that fear and the excitement of the unknown. On the song 'Dangerous,' it feels like a teenager picking up a new instrument and writing something with all of that naive excitement." "Dangerous" is not the first word that springs to mind when you think Blunt, which is probably the reason why he opted to not actually appear in the video until the very end, and then only in silhouette!

Dutch symphonic/Gothic metallers Within Temptation has just released their new video for the standout track "Shot in the Dark," the third single from the female-fronted metal outfit's latest fifth LP "The Unforgiving." Truly an inspiring album. The latest video, alongside the short film "Triplets," is the last part of the combined "The Unforgiving" short movies, following "Faster" and "Sinéad."
This concept album is based on a comic book series. The band's lead vocalist Sharon den Adel stated about the new album's concept: "It's a very realistic story, although you don't see that in the first phase when you see a lot of the supernatural and people being brought back to life to have a second chance. It's not about bad people but good people making bad choices. There are many layers and characters but it's about making peace with yourself. The main characters embody the comic characters in the songs. The concept we were challenged our boundaries and it inspired to the sound from a different angle to approach. This resulted in an album with our best songs yet!"
This Dutch phenomenon gives us a modern version of the classic Within Temptation sound. Some sound effects are added, no sounds that distract or disturb. Adel and her gang made with "The Unforgiving" a solid symphonic rock/metal album. Adel is an amazingly powerful vocalist, she really summons up a bounty of believable emotion on "Shot In The Dark." Within Temptation took Melodic and Symphonic Metal to incredible heights with "The Unforgiving." I admire and respect the direction that this band has taken on this album and it has become quite the contagious listen for me over the past month.
The music video for their instant thrills of the anthemic "Shot In The Dark," is shot in the same place as the "Faster" Video. It is in black and white and features the band only. All band members are there with the drummer having a black sock over his face as when the video was shot his identity was not revealed. Nevertheless with "The Unforgiving," Within Temptation proved once again that they are the best in their genre.

Following that recent weekend remix, Florence and the Machine is once again dolling out a masquerade-set clip for their the newly released gloriously uplifting track "Shake It Out," the lead single proper from Florence Welch and her mysterious mechanical band's upcoming sophomore effort "Ceremonials." Welch became a bigger-than-indie darling when their debut album "Lungs" burst into unlikely mainstream success. In the nearly five minute technicolor blast, Welch splits her time mourning and dancing her way through a stately psychedelic costume party at a masquerade ball.
This gospelly pop tune is about having a hangover and wanting to shake it out, and it features a churchy organ and concludes with Welch roaring, "It's hard to dance with the devil on your back. So shake him off!" Welch explained: "I wanted to just shake something out, shake out these regrets, shake out these things that haunt you. It was one of those songs that came in about half an hour and when you've got a hangover, it is almost like a hangover cure. You're like, thank you!"
Given the track's bursting vocal moments, "Shake It Out" could have lent itself to something far more grandiose visually. But Florence and the Machine have kept it relatively low-key. Kind of. I'm using relatively very loosely here. The track's music video is still an over-the-top affair filled with Old World imagery and glitter-covered dresses and suits. But it's not quite as outrageous as it could have been, even if things do get really dramatic at times. I guess I was picturing something more arena-sized, though maybe that's because the track is so goddamn huge.
The video is as gorgeous and ethereal as the song itself, features Welch at a Shakespearian masked ball, dressed in a long red gown. She traded only a few of her Stevie Nicksian chiffon gowns for something a little wilder, tighter, for this Annie Lennox-directed clip. In it, the singer is equal parts naughty and nice as she cavorts between dancing, drinking, shaking it out and shrinking away during this fairy tale party. She flows between beautiful people in masquerade masks and drops in on a seance. This is easily one of Welch's best vocal performances to date, and the imagery will leave a mark on fans and aspiring fans to boot.