MTV Featured Artist

MTV PUSH Artist Of The Week: Every Avenue

Posted 8/15/11 6:00 am EST by Jason Newman in Celebrity, Interviews, MTV Featured Artist, Music, PUSH, Videos

Last month we brought you the exclusive premiere of Every Avenue's new single, "No One But You," off their Bad Habits album. Speaking of bad habits, we've pretty much become addicted to the Michigan pop-punk band's biting, breakneck anthem, and we'd be shocked if you've been able to stop obsessing about them too. And now you don't have to, since they're this week's MTV PUSH Artist Of The Week.

Every Avenue recently released their third LP, Bad Habits, and they've been touring the country on the Vans Warped Tour. But they took some time out of their touring schedule and destructive behavior and resultant songwriting to sit down with us for some exclusive interviews.

In the first video, guitarist Joshua Withenshaw discusses how the condom cover art to "No One But You" fits into the bigger picture of the album's artwork. "We're all about safety," the guitarist says half-jokingly. Speaking of safety -- or lack thereof -- the guys are a bit reluctant to discuss the most warped thing they've seen on the Warped Tour (come on, guys!!!), but they'll gladly share all the moshing injuries they've witnessed in the medic tent. And, like anyone would be, they're more than happy to discuss the time Zooey Deschanel tweeted them. (Wouldn't you?) Plus, lest you think Every Avenue's all bad habits and Zoeey crushes, they've got a do-gooder side too, as you'll see in their MTV Act video where they discuss the organization "Keep A Breast," which empowers women to learn how to prevent and detect breast cancer.

Finally, we'll refresh your memory with "Mindset" and "Tell Me I'm a Wreck," two videos from the band's 2009 album Picture Perfect, as well as the audio clip of their new single, "No One But You."

+ Watch exclusive Every Avenue interviews, videos and more:

++ EVERY AVENUE ON THEIR CONDOM ALBUM COVER:

Watch more videos after the jump:

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MTV PUSH Artist Of The Week: Kids Of 88

Posted 8/8/11 6:00 am EST by Jason Newman in Celebrity, Interviews, MTV Featured Artist, Music, PUSH, Videos

Credit: Jaden Parkes

New Zealand New Wave duo and MTV PUSH Artist of the Week Kids Of 88 have a lot to be thankful for. "My House," the band's self-released first single, became a hit in their home country, while their 2010 debut album Sugarpills earned them scads of good press and a trip to South By Southwest, one of the biggest music festivals in the country. Having toured both as support for Ke$ha and headliners in their own right, the kiwi duo, named after the year of both members' birth, are set to take over stateside.

You probably already heard the group's "Just a Little Bit" in MTV's reincarnation of "Teen Wolf." While the show hasn't hit New Zealand yet, the first video we have shows the guys' fondness for the original 1985 film. After that, check out why Kids Of 88 named the album Sugarpill, and go behind the scenes on their visit to South By Southwest. "We're freaking out, but we're suppressing it just so we have an aura of confidence," admits singer Sam McCarthy. "When you come to watch us play, you get down and dirty and have a good time."

Finally, the guys spoke with "120 Minutes" host Matt Pinfield about each member's home studio, and if you need reminding, we've got the video for the trippy lead single, "Sugarpills." Consider yourself up to speed.

+ Check out Kids Of 88's performances and interviews after the jump.

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MTV PUSH Artist of the Week: Wallpaper.

Posted 8/1/11 6:00 am EST by Jason Newman in Celebrity, MTV Featured Artist, Music, PUSH, Videos

If you want to find Wallpaper.'s Eric Frederic, who produces and remixes as hedonistic performer Ricky Reed, start at the club. The Bay Area musician has been making dance floor-friendly electro tracks since 2005, yet it was Reed's 2009's debut album Doodoo Face, with traces of everyone from Daft Punk to Funkadelic that earned the artist serious shine. The MTV PUSH Artist of the Week and "Jersey Shore" musical contributor recently dropped the #STUPiDFACEDD EP, igniting a Twitter movement and instant catch phrase.

We've got some videos to get you familiar with the movement. First, the perpetually sunglasses-clad artist discusses his connection to "Jersey Shore," noting, "When we were contacted to have music in the show, I thought that it made a lot of sense. Although a lot of people may write off that show as silly, there's something very genuine and...very loving and sentimental about those people and their friendship that I think more people relate to than they want to admit."

After a live acoustic performance of "#STUPiDFACEDD," watch Wallpaper. give his hypothetical acceptance speech at the Video Music Awards and learn how Lady Gaga stole his swagger. Finally, the musician gives a quick tutorial on what exactly #STUPiDFACEDD is and, given a list ranging from #mileycyrus to #beingvegan, breaks down what gets included in the movement and whose face is, sadly, not stupid. The more you know.

+ Watch Wallpaper.'s performances and interviews after the jump, and pick up the album on iTunes.

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MTV PUSH Artist Of The Week: Kreayshawn

Posted 7/25/11 6:00 am EST by MTV in Celebrity, MTV Featured Artist, Music, PUSH, Videos

Twenty-one-year-old female rapper and MTV PUSH Artist of the Week Kreayshawn had already earned an impressive amount of shine from directing videos for fellow Bay Area MC Lil B. But it was the release of her first single, "Gucci Gucci," two months ago that launched the rapper from obscurity to ubiquity. The video generated more than 3 million views in its first three weeks and led the Odd Future affiliate and VMA Best New Artist nominee to a $1 million recording contract with Sony. Swag indeed.

Now, the femcee with an affinity for larger-than-life accessories is balancing dual careers, prepping her debut full-length for later this year and directing videos, including "The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie," the lead single from Red Hot Chili Peppers' upcoming album I'm With You.

We've got some interviews and a live Kreayshawn performance to get you up to speed. First, check out the rapper discussing the importance of her Oakland hometown and the influence of her mom, a member of '90s all-girl surf punk band The Trashwomen, on her sound. Kreayshawn also gives an in-depth history of her video director past as well as her obsession with cats. As for her unique image, we've got video of MTV Style's eyeliner challenge with the rapper, followed by a live performance of "Gucci Gucci" shot at MTV in Times Square earlier this month.

+ Watch Kreayshawn interviews and performances after the jump.

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MTV PUSH Artist Of The Week: Theophilus London

Posted 7/18/11 6:00 am EST by Jason Newman in Celebrity, Interviews, MTV Featured Artist, Music, PUSH, Videos

New York rapper/singer Theophilus London is prepping for the release of his debut album, Timez Are Weird These Days, and we're celebrating accordingly, honoring him this week as MTV's PUSH artist of the week. But while his star is quickly rising, he's put in serious studio and stage time along the way. The Trinidad-born, Brooklyn-raised musician released numerous critically acclaimed EPs and mixtapes in recent years, including 2009's The Smiths-inspired "This Charming Mixtape," which earned the style-minded artist accolades from New York's scenester crowd. Lovers Holiday, an EP released earlier this year, spread London's name to the quasi-masses and led to an MTV.com "Live in NYC" show at New York's Webster Hall. And we've got exclusive Theophilus London interviews and live performances to get you all caught up in case you were just joining his career in progress.

First, watch a live version of "Why Even Try" from "Live in NYC," then check out Theophilus London discussing his high school days spent battling other Brooklyn rappers for cred and female attention, see what Kanye West told him about releasing an "aggressive single" and hear all about the troubles people still have with pronouncing his first name.

London also gets emotional returning to Webster Hall, the site of his first big show, and waxes on the influence of his home city: "New York is the reason I feel comfortable wherever else I go in the world." Once you're up on London's background, check out the rapper/singer's exhilarating performances of "Wine and Chocolates" and "Flying Overseas" from "Live In NYC."

Timez Are Weird These Days is out July 19.

+ Watch more Theophilus London videos after the jump.

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PUSH Artist Of The Week: There For Tomorrow

Posted 7/11/11 6:00 am EST by Jason Newman in Celebrity, MTV Featured Artist, Music, PUSH, Videos

Orlando punk-pop quartet There For Tomorrow have been recording music since 2004, but as our MTV Push Artist of the Week admits, their new album, The Verge, is the first in which the band has shown who they really are. "I don't think we've ever been able to show our true colors until now," says guitarist Christian Climer. "We've always been doing stuff that we thought we needed to do to be successful, when the whole time, all we needed to do was just be ourselves."

The group put out their first album, the self-released Point of Origin, as teenagers in 2004, and they signed to Hopeless Records four years later. While 2009's A Little Faster earned the band a mtvU Woodie Award for Breakout Artist of the Year, The Verge is the clearest distillation of the band's vision and sound, balancing catchy hooks with grinding guitars.

We've got some interviews and live performances below to get you up to speed on There For Tomorrow. In the first few clips, the band discusses why The Verge was an appropriate album title and how the writing process differed on this album from past releases. Then check out live performances of "Get It," "The Joyride" and "Nowhere Blvd," shot at Orlando's Paint It Black Studios earlier this year.

+ Watch more There For Tomorrow videos after the jump:

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MTV PUSH Artist Of The Week: Young The Giant

Posted 7/4/11 6:02 am EST by Jamie Peck in Celebrity, MTV Featured Artist, Music, PUSH, Videos

Credit: Alex Shahmiri

The five guys who make up MTV PUSH Artist of the Week Young The Giant may, in fact, be young (they're all between the ages of 20 and 22), but their music belies their tender age. Formed when all the guys were still just high schoolers, Young The Giant honed their skills in the rock clubs and dive bars of their native Orange County, California, over the course of several years. "Being that age and seeing how music worked was interesting," lead singer Sameer Gadhia says. "Everyone embraced each other. It was a big community of friends."

The band released their first EP, Shake My Hand, in 2009, and it wasn't long before their sprawling, melodic, indie sound caught the attention of L.A. radio station KROQ. Young The Giant embarked on their first tour shortly thereafter, and signed with Roadrunner Records in August 2009. They then set about recording their debut self-titled LP with producer Joe Chiccarelli, who's worked with rock luminaries such as The White Stripes and My Morning Jacket. (Needless to say, YTG was stoked.)

Their eponymous full-length album debuted and peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Top Heatseekers albums chart, their lead single, "My Body," hit No. 4 on the Alternative Songs chart, and they nabbed a slot opening for Incubus on their upcoming tour. More reasons to be stoked.

To help you get to know the band even better, we've got a bunch of exclusive videos and live performances. First, we've got live in-studio versions of "Cough Syrup," "Strings" and "My Body" from their new self-titled album. Their acoustic renditions of "Cough Syrup" (recorded in last month in L.A.) and "Strings" (filmed in Point Reyes, California, in August 2010) lay bare the loveliness of their songwriting, while "My Body" (live from Sunset Studios in L.A., March 2010), reveal the band as robust, riotous rockers. After that, we've got Young The Giant performing "Apartment," "Strings" and "Cough Syrup" live at MTV in New York in June. And if that's not enough Young The Giant for you, check out our exclusive interviews and behind-the-scenes look at the making of their gorgeous music video for "Cough Syrup," in which they discuss geometry, synchronized swimming, and the viscosity of sound.

+ Watch more Young The Giant videos after the jump:

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MTV PUSH Artist Of The Week: GIVERS

Posted 6/27/11 6:00 am EST by Jason Newman in Celebrity, MTV Featured Artist, Music, PUSH, Videos

With roots in jazz, funk, zydeco, cajun, blues and pop, few spots in the U.S. are more musically diverse than Louisiana. Two hours west of New Orleans, Lafayette quintet GIVERS have channeled these myriad influences to become your MTV PUSH Artist of the Week. Formed by lead singer/guitarist Taylor Guarisco and lead singer/percussionist Tiffany Lamson in 2005, the group's joyful, exuberant pop, filtered through Vampire Weekend-inspired afrobeat, led to a 2009 eponymous EP and the eventual release of In Light, GIVERS' debut full-length.

We've got a number of live performances and interviews to make you a GIVERS expert in minutes. First, get the exclusive first look at the band's official video for lead single "Up, Up, Up," where the group hangs out both on the street and in the clouds.

Then it's time to travel with the band. In Lafayette, the group discusses how they all met and how Hurricane Katrina influenced the band. "Everybody bounces off each other when it comes to music," says bassist Josh LeBlanc about the city. In Austin, Texas, watch the band prepare for their appearance at the annual South by Southwest music festival. "We're living the dream because we're getting to tap into this thing that we love with the people that we love," says lead singer Taylor Guarisco.

Improvisation has played a major role in the inspiration and creation of In Light. (The genesis of "Up, Up, Up" came from the band's second improvised show.) In the final set of videos, learn about how the band's love of spontaneous jamming led to what you hear on the album. And expect to hear a lot more from this band in the near future.

+ Watch GIVERS' "Up, Up, Up" video, and watch more GIVERS videos and interviews after the jump.

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MTV PUSH Artist of the Week: Mac Miller

Posted 6/20/11 6:02 am EST by Jason Newman in Celebrity, MTV Featured Artist, Music, PUSH, Videos

Off the strength of multiple, well-received mixtapes, 19-year-old MC and MTV PUSH Artist of the Week Mac Miller has established himself as a leader of the revivalist strain of modern hip-hop. Eschewing gangster posturing for emotional vulnerability and honesty, Miller's playful beats and fun-loving vibe hearkens back to the mid-'90s Golden Era of hip-hop, when creativity and reflection trumped machismo. Months ahead of the release of his official debut album (as yet unnamed), the Pittsburgh native is already selling out venues across the country, and we've got a slew of videos to bring you up to speed.

Underscoring Miller's nice-guy image, the rapper discusses the universal appeal of the "thumbs-up" gesture, followed by his take on his seemingly overnight, but long-gestating, career ascendancy. The rapper also talks about the need to be true to himself in his lyrics, noting that no matter what he says, someone's going to accuse him of lying.

And like Wiz Khalifa, the other Pittsburgh emcee doing it big, Miller's got a soft spot for his home city and is happy to share what sets Pittsburgh apart from every other American city. Finally, check out a very hyper Miller backstage in Boulder, Colorado, as well as a live performance of crowd favorite "Donald Trump." After checking out Mac Miller's videos, we know who'll be on repeat in the iPod this week.

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MTV PUSH Artist Of The Week: A Day To Remember

Posted 6/13/11 6:00 am EST by Jason Newman in Celebrity, Interviews, MTV Featured Artist, Music, PUSH, Videos

Florida punk-pop/metalcore quintet A Day to Remember have already shown us they can stand up to bullies, but as their MTV PUSH Artist of the Week videos below demonstrate, there's much more to A Day To Remember than just courage. After releasing their debut album, And Their Name Was Treason, independently in 2005, the group was quickly scooped up by emo/hard-core label Victory Records, who released the band's subsequent albums. Last year's What Separates Me From You, the group's fourth album, deftly blended emo, metalcore and punk. The result was their highest-charting album to date, positioning the group as leaders in the metalcore movement.

We've got a ton of videos to keep you updated on the group, including exclusive behind-the-scenes clips from their new video "All Signs Point to Lauderdale" and footage of the band's recent trip to Australia. A Day To Remember already told us all about their die-hard fans, but now we have the video proof. "We have 4,000 people... in Atlanta, and it's going to rain and hail all over," guitarist Neil Westfall says in the first video shot before a recent gig. A minor onstage flood does nothing to deter both the band's and crowd's energy. "That was one of the most fun shows I've ever played in my entire life," says singer Jeremy McKinnon. "We broke amps. We got electrocuted."

After you watch the band hang out with koalas in Adelaide, Australia, check out some behind-the-scenes footage from the group's latest video "All Signs Point to Lauderdale." You can find out where the video was shot, see alternate angles of McKinnon getting (fake) beat up and learn which band member was glad he wore underwear that day. Ummm, it all makes sense in the video.

Finally, we've got a live version of "Lauderdale" involving audience sing-alongs and lots and lots of toilet paper. Young bands, take note: That's how you put on a show.

Watch exclusive behind-the-scenes videos of A Day To Remember on tour, watch A Day To Remember in the studio in Ocala back in December, when they recorded the 7” vinyl acoustic version of "All I Want" for Record Store Day, and watch MTV's "The Truth Below" on Thursday, June 16 at 10/9c to hear "If I Leave" and "Sticks And Bricks.”

Tags A Day To Remember, MTV Push, MTV PUSH: A Day to Remember, PUSH, PUSH: A Day To Remember, video

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