We're used to seeing Slipknot in their tribal-metal costumes, banging on any number of kettle drums or pieces of sheet metal, generally making a real racket. However, in this new interview, we get to meet the men behind the masks.
In this clip, percussionist M. Shawn Crahan (also known as Clown, Kong, or #6) talks about the making of Slipknot's newest video, "Snuff," a track from their 2008 album All Hope Is Gone.
For Crahan the video is an act of closure for Slipknot singer Corey Taylor. The themes of breaking up and betrayal hang over the track, which happens to be incredibly personal song for Taylor.
Check out the interview with Crahan. And watch the cinematic, moody video for "Snuff" (featuring A Clockwork Orange's Malcom McDowell!) below.
John Mayer, you are officially on warning. You are no longer the only sensitive singer-songwriter with a flair for comedy, my dude!
Here we have the delightful Sara Bareilles -- she of "Love Song" fame -- stepping away from her usual seat at the piano and stepping up to the mic to lovingly mock everybody's favorite Ron-Ron-juice-guzzling-t-shirt-selling hair-gel aficionados, the cast of Jersey Shore.
After doing a pretty admirable imitation of Sammi Sweetheart's profane declarations of love and hate towards Ronnie, Bareilles then goes into a quasi-Christmas carol written in honor of our beloved Jersey Shore cast members.
The song begins with funny quips like, "I love my hair gel/I think I'm hot as hell...I have perfect abs/They're right above my crabs," and then, following Rihanna's "Umbrella" melody, "If some punk comes in past 11/I'm gonna kick ass, I'm The Situation/That's how it's done in the Jersey Shore nation (nation, nation)."
Check out the NSFW video below. And watch Snooki, The Situation, and Pauly D talk about the drama between Vinny and The Sitch.
To take nothing away from the original, it must be said: Rihanna's "Hard" was begging for other artists to take it out for a spin and see what it could do.
The-Dream and Tricky Stewart's beat has absolutely everything: foreboding synth-horns, vaguely Caribbean percussion over a pulverizing rhythm and tons of attitude.
While there have been a few scattered remixes here and there, the most prominent (and most recent) takes on the song have come courtesy of R&B loverman Trey Songz and raunch-rap legend Lil' Kim.
Trey Songz, who invented sex, dropped a version that recalls the half-crooned/half-rapped flow he dropped over Jay-Z's "D.O.A." beat (wherein he took shots at R. Kelly...ah, R&B beef). He does this flawlessly, by the way. You kinda wish he'd use this unique skill on more of his songs, rather than just remixes and freestyles.
The second take on "Hard" comes from the forever-young Lil' Kim. Now, regardless of how you may feel about Kim's propensity for cosmetic rejuvenation...she still knows how to tear a song like "Hard" up. On this version she uses the same island patois that she utilized on her classic "Lighters Up."
Adam Lambert may let you into his sleek bachelor pad in his new video, "Whataya Want From Me?" And Adam Lambert may need you, but Adam Lambert maybe doesn't need ALL of you, all of the time, you know? Dude needs to take a breather, wipe off his makeup, cry a little, and chill out a few extra minutes in bed, okay? He may make it look easy, but being Adam Lambert takes work.
"Whataya Want From Me," directed by Diane Martel, is like the morning after Adam's "For Your Entertainment" video. It's a look at the man behind the makeup -- a very real look at the downside of fame. But "Whataya Want From Me" is still a very real look at love -- in this case, the love of and from his legions of fans -- and ultimately, Adam Lambert isn't giving up on them and doesn't want them to give up on him either. He just needs to sleep in, okay?
Any artist or celebrity with a heart is either donating directly to the relief effort in Haiti or coming up with ways you can help too. Check out blink-182's brand-new Haiti t-shirt. It features the classic "blink bunny" carrying the Haitian flag. It's $15.00, and best of all, 100% of the proceeds go to The Red Cross.
Listen to the full-length single, "Fanatic," and sample "Hey Boy," "I'll Do It," "Turn Ya Head," "Twisted," "Superficial."
Heidi's uptempo, strictly-come-dancing sound is kinda disco (think Alicia Bridges), a little freestyle R&B (think Pebbles "Mercedes Boy"), with a healthy, breathy dose of Britney (there's a song called "Blackout," and I can't lie -- it's kinda hypnotic) and a little Paris Hilton (admit that you kinda liked "Stars Are Blind").
The details are still being finalized, but apparently George Clooney and MTV are collaborating on an telethon to benefit the relief effort in Haiti. The telethon for Haitian relief, tentatively scheduled for Friday, January 22, will be a bi-coastal event that will air on MTV, BET, CMT and VH1 to raise funds for the victims of the earthquake in Haiti.
Rihanna's return to the spotlight hasn't just seen this singer push the boundaries of her music to darker, moodier extremes, she's also toyed with her style Whether it's apocalyptic (like her militaristic Road Warrior look for "Hard") or polar (that coat), she's consistently thrown new looks our way.
Well, for the February issue of W Magazine, Rihanna is going all white everything. The Craig McDean-snapped cover shot finds her look sultry and classy in this strappy number.
If you're wondering about that fierce, feline eye look or anything else about the shoot, check out the below behind-the-scenes video of the shoot. W's February issue is due out January 26th.
London's2009This Charming Mixtape established him as a name to watch on the hipster/hip-hop axis. And his presence on DJ A-Trak's well-received 1,000lb Hamburger Tour gained him a strong cult following.
Now, London makes a visual splash with the video for his Green Label Sound single, "Humdrum Town."
A melancholy mix of electro keyboards and hip-hop, "Humdrum..." is kind of like a Brooklyn version of Lost In Translation, with director Ben Fries cutting between some footage of a depressing karaoke bar and shots of London pacing through BK.
Check out the video below and keep up with London's moves over at his charming blog.
Muse, already one of the biggest bands in England, have been making inroads in the States recently. Appearing on the cover of Spin, releasing their fifth studio album The Resistance to great acclaim, even playing on Saturday Night Live. Those milestones aside, much of whatever success they've achieved up to this point is down to their amazing live show; an experience documented in their new video for "Resistance."
Directed by Wayne Isham (Metallica, Britney Spears, Lambert, Clarkson, everyone really), "Resistance," is a vivid visual account of Muse's live power. After a suitable amount of build up, we're treated to a quick cutting, visceral barrage of images; jumping from fans to awe-inspiring light show to singer/guitarist Matt Bellamy pouring his heart into the song.
Check out the video below, and if you haven't already, go check out Muse live. They're touring the U.S. rather soon.
Consummate MTV music fans obsessively covering pop music, pop videos, pop stars, and pop culture from MTV headquarters in New York. Plus, trends, LOLs and stuff we love.
