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Posts Tagged “videodrone”

videodrone

Xoel López Does It Right


When I first wrote about Spanish musician Xoel López back in February, he was just about to release a new album, and this song (from the DVD) was not yet on my YouTube search radar. I'm always skeptical toward the dude-with-acoustic-guitar-format, so "Ver en la oscuridad" was a pleasant surprise: It's nothing more than a lovely melody and a few aphoristic verses ("If you look up, be careful, you could trip and fall / The sun comes out for everyone, it comes out for everyone, and it sets for everyone, too," "Dying is learning to wait / Living is learning to see in the dark"), but López's dulcet vocals pack an emotional heft that Chris Carrabba could only dream of. [YouTube]

2:30 PM on Fri Oct 10 2008
By Kate Richardson
10 views, Comment

videodrone

Robyn Racks Up A Big Dry-Cleaning Bill


Robyn's video for "Cobrastyle" is the latest entry in this year's mini-trend of videos where lots of paint gets splattered all over the place, a concept which I suspect will catch even more fire as people try to think of more creative ways to save money. (Side point: The slo-mo shots of the Swedish singer being assaulted by various paints and colored powders make me wonder just how inspired she was by the clip for Ocelot's remix of "Be Mine.") I'd say that this color-drenched clip would be perfect fodder for a premiere on one of those TV shows about home improvement, but I guess that particular TV genre isn't really all that popular these days. [YouTube; HT 5500]

8:53 AM on Fri Oct 10 2008
By Maura Johnston
77 views, 6 comments

Latest by mexiback: @Paul D: Well, she "push triggers, don't push people buttons", so she's got that going for her. more »

videodrone

Berke Breathed: A Tribute


I would be remiss if I didn't let loose a "thbbbt" over the fact that that Berke Breathed, the creator of the comics Bloom County and Outland, announced earlier this week that he was retiring from comic strips to focus on writing kids' books. Breathed's deadpan Bloom County was a pretty gigantic influence on my evolving sense of humor during its Reagan-era heyday, and the fact that he brought the New Jersey goof-core band Mucky Pup to millions of giggling adolescents when he included a flexi of their song "U Stink But I Love U" in the collection of Bloom County strips Billy and the Boingers: Bootleg only adds to his stature in my book. Above, Mucky Pup's clip for "U Stink" debuts on the Adam Curry-hosted Headbanger's Ball; after the jump, another take on the song from a high school talent show ca. 1989. More »

4:00 PM on Thu Oct 9 2008
By Maura Johnston
144 views, 5 comments

Latest by Nicolars: I'm still sad I had to throw away my Billy and the Boingers tee because it had gotten too many holes in it. more »

videodrone

50 Cent Returns To The Club, Scott Storch In Tow


Well, 50 Cent has released the first single from his forthcoming album Before I Self-Destruct, and the Scott Storch-produced "Get Up" sounds kind of like an inverted, oddly muted take on "In The Club," only with 50 gritting his teeth during his boastful/boring rhymes. Because, as he would like to remind you: He has money! He is utterly convinced of his awesomeness! He still uses the phrase "make it rain"! Kind of weird that 50 is singing about having lots of wealth as Storch twiddled the knobs, given the producer's well-chronicled cashflow issues, but I guess 50 figured that he should just be happy getting any work after the Paris Hilton/Brooke Hogan one-two punch. [YouTube]

11:00 AM on Wed Oct 8 2008
By Maura Johnston
547 views, 3 comments

Latest by Al Shipley: @panfriedcharlie: Oh god, yes, Storch has some of the cheesiest synth patches in major label rap. And his beats aren't even that catchy, really. more »

videodrone

Missy Elliott Makes Me Sad

The new single by the Pussycat Dolls, the listless "Whatcha Think About That," features a few cameos by Missy Elliott, who during her bits in the video is forced to mumble inane lines like "Tonight I’m goin out and ain’t comin back / You ain’t gonna get no more pussycat" while standing in close proximity to Nicole Scherzinger and her handmaidens shaking their asses to the track, which sounds kind of like a dessicated take on Whitney Houston's "I'm Your Baby Tonight." Only this time, instead of Whitney belting out every note, we get Scherzinger whinging and preening as Missy drops anemic verses like "Up in the club its just me and my girls / Play like Katy Perry kissin on girls." Sigh. Missy. Katy Perry references and rhyming "girls" with "girls"? Maybe you should get back together with Timbaland—surely whatever he thinks up for you could cause a spark of some sort, right? Oh, wait. [Dailymotion]

1:00 PM on Tue Oct 7 2008
By Maura Johnston
271 views, 13 comments

Latest by narymary: @Ned Raggett: I don't know about that Prince with his high heels and purple jackets. D'you think he'll really take off? more »

videodrone

Weezer Make One For The Books


Weezer debuted its video for the slightly catchy, too-long-by-halfish "Troublemaker" last night, and like the YouTube-happy clip for "Pork & Beans," it too has a gimmick: It's tried to cram as many attempts to break Guinness-sponsored world records into its three minutes and change. (Well, at least they're going for a kind of recognition that's a little less ephemeral.) Some of the "records" broken were sort of cheesy—like the literally dairy-enhanced The Biggest Weezer Logo Made of Nachos—while others were a bit dubious (World's Smallest Drum Kit Played In A Video, a futile attempt that must have given Pat Wilson some crazy neckache). The full list of certified records after the jump. More »

9:30 AM on Tue Oct 7 2008
By Maura Johnston
433 views, 8 comments

Latest by heyzeus: There is no Weezer. The band broke up after releasing Pinkerton. Don't try to contradict me. Please, just let me live in my world. It's all I have. more »

videodrone

The Killers Blast Off Under The Cloak Of Night


The Killers took to the Saturday Night Live stage over the weekend, where they garnered the distinction of being the season's first musical act that wasn't completely torpedoed by whoever was working the show's sound. And I really enjoyed the pogo-inducing track "Spaceman," which brings together shout-along "oh oh ohs" and Duran Duran-level basslines and is just a bit too long, but still pretty goofy fun. (Sure, Brandon Flowers' voice is straining on the high notes, but that sort of thing can always be fixed in post.) "Human" after the jump. More »

5:30 PM on Mon Oct 6 2008
By Maura Johnston
669 views, 11 comments

Latest by galactus5000: Count me as another who likes Human a bunch. And to me, The Killers haven't done squat worth talking about since the first album. more »

videodrone

Common And Pharrell: Professors Of Robotics


A leather-clad Common, Pharrell (or probably just some dude) in a robot head, and a lot of "abstract" black and white computer graphix: the video for "Universal Mind Control"—which leaked way back in May—is either "stark" or "cost-effective." All I know is those glowing red robot eyes are going to haunt my dreams tonight, much as Pharrell's vocoder hook is going to haunt me for the rest of the day. [Nah Right]

2:00 PM on Mon Oct 6 2008
By Jess Harvell
131 views, Comment

videodrone

Gojira Goes Coffin Dragging, Cliff Diving, And Head Banging


One of the few genres I have followed (somewhat) closely this year has been metal, owing to writing the occasional review for Decibel, a covert government watchlist for pervert terrorists "America's Only Monthly Extreme Metal Magazine." The Way Of All Flesh, the forthcoming album by genre-blurring Frenchmen Gojira, is a definite '08 fave. (If not quite as good as their previous LP, From Mars To Sirius. Or that newish Nachtmystium album, which should be purchased by anyone with an interest in metal, space rock, and/or bad trips.) Not quite sure what's going on in the symbolism-choked clip for "Vacuity," where a young lady lugs a coffin up a hill, eats some fruit, and either winds up baptized or drowned. (Warning for the squeamish: there's a teensy bit of blood.) But that chunky-ass main riff might have made me sprain something, so thumbs up. [Blabbermouth] More »

11:30 AM on Mon Oct 6 2008
By Jess Harvell
106 views, 2 comments

Latest by TheRunningboard7: I picked up From Mars to Sirius the day I proposed to my wife in France. Fact: Their Virgin megastores have something called trash metal. I'm American and unfamiliar with these genre breakdowns (my wife, bless her, more »

videodrone

Usher Strips Off His Shirt In A Time Of Crisis


How can Usher revive America's flagging response to Here I Stand, which has only just broken the million-sold mark (it's currently at No. 83 on the Billboard 200) and had an unrepentant flop of a second single with the dirgey, yet screamy "Moving Mountains"? Apparently the answer is "a video with naked Usher rolling around with a naked model... and a piano that seems to be made out of the same material as Wonder Woman's jet. Oh, and don't forget the diamond-earring product placement!" Whether or not the sex-soaked "Trading Places" will make America remember that the libidinous singer exists is still up in the air, but I'm most disappointed that the lyrical homage to "What What (In The Butt)" at the song's end got cut, perhaps because the clip needs to be "family-friendly." What with the rest of it being so buttoned-up and all. [YouTube]

9:30 AM on Fri Oct 3 2008
By Maura Johnston
288 views, 3 comments

Latest by Al Shipley: @ITMS: No, you're totally right, that's exactly what this song conjured for me when I first heard it on the album, which is why I was surprised when it was picked as a single. more »

videodrone

Miranda Lambert Is A Caged Bird Who Sings


The clip for Miranda Lambert's other-woman lament "More Like Her" is a simple affair, full of moving men, birdcages, and the hard-luck country singer boarding a 13th-floor elevator right at the clip's climax. It fits the wistful, gently self-flagellating mood of the song so well, you want to reach into the screen and give Lambert a hug, or at least invite her over for a glass of wine and some friendly conversation about methods of revenge. [YouTube; HT Rob Murphy]

4:00 PM on Thu Oct 2 2008
By Maura Johnston
127 views, 2 comments

Latest by Chris N.: Two country posts in a row and neither is by Dan? What a strange world I've entered. more »

videodrone

Girls Aloud Get Retro At The Drive-In


I kind of wish that the US would embrace the "slightly brassier version of old-school soul" pop aesthetic that is embodied by "The Promise," the new single from UK girl-group stalwarts Girls Aloud, instead of the bulldozer-like robo-stomps that have been topping our charts for the past too-many months. The shuffly love song brings together old-style pomp-pop and modern attitude, with a string part that sounds like it was tailor-made for soundtracking lots of people twirling around. [Dailymotion]

11:30 AM on Wed Oct 1 2008
By Maura Johnston
210 views, 6 comments

Latest by cassidy2099: I think this is kinda superb. Fuck that Katy Perry track. more »

videodrone

Seriously, Why Is Katy Perry So Hung Up On Traditional Gender Roles?


I finally heard Katy Perry's second top-10 single, "Hot N Cold," while driving around Connecticut over the weekend, and this video gives me the chance to note, first, that Perry's semi-broguey breathiness on this track makes her a dead vocal ringer for Cranberries singer Dolores O'Riordan—at least, until the Dr. Luke/Max Martin production comes in to clobber any eardrums in close proximity to the music. And second of all, what is up with that opening couplet? "You change your mind / Like a girl changes clothes / Yeah you, PMS / Like a bitch, I would know"? It's like every day, she provides even more fodder for the thesis that her "conservative Lolita" schtick basically paved the way for the national debut of lipsticked reactionary Sarah Palin, although I'm sure Perry would dispute the idea that she'd ever vote for the GOP veep candidate. (After all, that PMS reference is a sign that she's wary of ladies' "emotions" and "menopause" and stuff.) [MySpace] More »

9:00 AM on Wed Oct 1 2008
By Maura Johnston
608 views, 31 comments

Latest by ObtuseIntolerant is in the tank for Obama.: Very enjoyable thread all around!! Nicely done. Only two cents I'd like to add is...why is our choice down to crappy phony-rebel bitchpop or over-the-hill blandrock? Can't we vote both out and just move on?! Ugh..the election is affecting my more »

forever breathes the lonely words of alan mcgee

Alan McGee, Why Do You Hate The House Of Love?

Alan McGee is certainly known for his ridiculous proclamations—it's sort of his business—and his Guardian blog post today is no particular exception, considering he sort of compares the new Oasis album to the Beatles' Revolver. Still, that's the sort of thing he does all the time and with Oasis needing a little push for their new album, a headline like "Why the music world needs Oasis" should surprise no one. The first sentence of his extended press release seemed to be the real story, at least to me. More »

2:00 PM on Tue Sep 30 2008
By Dan Gibson
417 views, 5 comments

Latest by the earl grey: i heard him dj at don hill's and he was flat. i saw the pistols reunion at roseland cos of him and it was lame. he cuts down MBV when they are actually genius.and the house of love were sure more »

videodrone

Alicia Keys And Jack White Stand Around In The Desert And Yell A Lot


While I am sort of warming up to the James Bond-occasioned collaboration between the guitar-wielding Jack White and the so-called piano prodigy Alicia Keys, "Another Way To Die," I have to say that I'm utterly disappointed by this video. The first duet in Bond history gives the directors lots of options—the two of them working in concert to nab a group of baddies, or even some sort of Spy Vs. Spy scenario (Jack could have worn the white tux and a beret, Alicia a red dress and robot hand). Instead we get a lot of "meaningful" looks and cheesy CGI'd lightning fields? Booo, Jack. Boooo. [Yahoo!] More »

10:30 AM on Tue Sep 30 2008
By Maura Johnston
346 views, 5 comments

Latest by Clevertrousers: Apparently making a suck-ass video is now another way to die. @DW: I'm still all about Matt Munro: + Watch video more »

videodrone

Wye Oak's TV Eye Is Trained Upon You


I'm finding it hard to say much about the video for "Please Concrete" by the Baltimore duo Wye Oak, mainly because I'm struck by its almost-scary resemblance so many daydreams I had as a solitary, sorta-sickly young girl, right down to the muted fall colors. (Sure, the shoegazy indiepop twosome is something of a House Band for this here site, but I didn't think that would give them a line in to my childhood memories!) Anyway, I suppose "childlike reverie" is kind of a nice thing to be plunged into on a day when the world seems to be going even crazier than usual, right? Ha ha. [Pitchfork.TV] More »

2:45 PM on Mon Sep 29 2008
By Maura Johnston
68 views, 2 comments

Latest by the_j: I miss b-more, "The Greatest City in America." more »

videodrone

Janelle Monae Parties Like It's The Apocalypse


The video for Janelle Monae's "Many Moons" is a lengthy affair that recalls Metropolis and George Michael's "Freedom 90," with the droid-obsessed R & B singer taking on multiple mechanical personas while waxing apocalyptic about the planet's future. It's pretty arresting, with Monae's manic dancing in particular underscoring the desperation that lurks underneath all the surface glamour. (Not to mention that the source material for the song's hook is pretty undeniable.) [YouTube]

10:45 AM on Mon Sep 29 2008
By Maura Johnston
178 views, 11 comments

videodrone

More Dance-Pop, I Say!


As the week winds down to Friday, a pop song with a nice beat you can dance to is always welcome. The Aussie electropop outfit Sneaky Sound System probably won't be a "career artist" for me, and I haven't really listened to anything else of theirs yet, but "Pictures" is a fun little song for a day bookended by the bank I use being seized by the government and a Presidental debate. [MySpace]

3:30 PM on Fri Sep 26 2008
By Dan Gibson
61 views, 1 comment