Did I miss a memo? Was there a meeting I wasn't invited to? A gathering of music video directors in which they decided most videos released in October 2009 MUST BE SET AT COSTUME BALLS?

Metro Station's "Kelsey," Carrie Underwood's "Cowboy Casanova," and now OneRepublic's "All The Right Moves." Is this a statement about our national identity? Is there an Eyes Wide Shut revival going on? Or are music video directors simply watching Panic! At The Disco's "It's Better If You Do" and then thinking, "I want that." Whatever the case, put a stamp on it and mail it to the Federal Department of Music Video Trends.

"All The RIght Moves" is the first single from OneRepublic's forthcoming Waking Up. It's an uptempo departure after "Apologize," with skittering jams and a huge chorus, wherein the group plays houseband for a party inappropriately hosted by an unsupervised child. I'm sure he'll be protected by Ryan Tedder's angelic vocals and genetic predisposition to crank out monster hits, but really, someone should read that kid a story or something. There are probably child labor laws being broken there.

Watch OneRepublic's brand-new "All The Right Moves" video, directed by Wayne Isham.

"Buddy jogging" is so ridiculously '80s. Also ridiculous? Fall Out Boy's slightly postmodern, totally self-aware new video, "A Weekend at Pete Rose's (Headfirst Slide Into Cooperstown On A Bad Bet)," directed by Shane Valdés.

The viral video -- (obviously it's viral -- they posted it like a hot second ago, and here I am posting it), stars Panic! At The Disco's (Version 3.0) Brendon Urie and Spencer Smith schlepping "dead" Pete Wentz around Hollywood, which is possibly someone's idea of wish fulfillment.

Obviously the video's a salute to A Weekend At Bernie's (no, you don't need to dig too deep nor be a film historian to figure that out), and it's my favorite new video inspired by a movie. (Last week that honor went to  LMFAO's "La La La," but clearly they've been trumped.)

No, Pete Wentz doesn't *necessarily* die in Fall Out Boy's highly hush-hush new video "What A Catch Donnie" and no, "What A Catch, Donnie" isn't *necessarily* their last video.

"What A Catch, Donnie" is all Patrick Stump's Elton John-ian vocal acrobatics (and Elvis Costello's guest vox, don't hurt), set against a misty, wistful Hemingway/ Decemberists backdrop of nautical metaphors. It's kind of like the movie Castaway but with 100 percent better art direction and no volleyball or whatever that busted thing was.

The "What A Catch Donnie" video was shot off the waters of Los Angeles by Alan Ferguson. Speaking of cameos, watch for Panic! At The Disco's (SO... hard to remember whether or not to use the "!") Brendon Urie and Spencer Smith.

Okay, watch "What A Catch, Donnie" now because I don't wanna spoil anything else for you and get thrown overboard.

+ The feud between Mariah Carey and Eminem has just escalated to new levels. Now the rapper is threatening to release nude photos of the megastar, supposedly from when they were together. (US Magazine)

+ Jessica Simpson has a new reality show coming out on VH1 and she's got some people pretty pissed about her extravagant spending habits. (Pop Crunch)

+ Panic At The Disco have finally announced replacements for the two members who left the group earlier this month. (NME)

+ Leona Lewis is pulling out all the stops for her sophomore album due out this fall, working with the likes of Justin Timberlake, Ryan Tedder, Timbaland and more. (Rap-Up)

+ So the story is true: Michael Jackson did get busy with some Norwegian girl and had a son who is now 25 years old. (Socialite Life)

+ Buzzcrush David Archuleta recently covered Colbie Caillat's "Bubbly" and it sounds simply divine. (Neon Limelight)

You know you're in the presence of top-notch marketing when an "ad" not only absorbs you into its highly-produced, trippy video love-in, but the spot also gets away with omitting its brand name. Watching the new Coca-Cola segment -- part of the company's 2009 "Open Happiness" campaign -- I see big-name performers, I see fantastic production, I see a wacky-ass drug trip (whoops!), but I don't see "Coca-Cola" anywhere. Ah, the powers of branding...

Like Coke's legendary "Hilltop" commercial (watch it from last week's "Open Happiness" preview, if you're unfamiliar), this up-with-people number goes far beyond "jingle"; in this case, with producers Polow Da Don and Butch Walker (who co-wrote the "Open Happiness" track with Cee-Lo Green).

Yeah, it's all fun and "happiness" until Travis McCoy gets smacked in the face with a jump rope, isn't it?

OK, that's only one element of this 'toon-time craziness, directed by Alan Ferguson, which you should definitely watch below. Be prepared to follow a zebra-printed Cee-Lo down a yellow brick(ish) road, encountering a Newsie-clad reporter in the form of Panic at the Disco's Brendon Urie, along with Fall Out Boy's Patrick Stump. And last up is crazy-hip schoolteacher Janelle Monae, who gets down with her similarly-coiffed students after her lesson.

You're probably too young to remember this, but in 1971, the "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing (In Perfect Harmony)/ I'd Like to Buy the World a Coke" ad campaign blurred the line between advertising, propaganda, and pop music, and made the entire globosphere DESPERATE for an icy-cold soda. (I'm not old enough to remember it PER SE, and GOD KNOWS if I were old enough to remember it, I'd be running off to my weekly Botox appointment later today.)

Anyway, the songvertisement, also known as Coca-Cola's "Hilltop" commercial, sold over 1 million copies in a year, was donated to the Library of Congress in Washington DC in 2000, and was selected by British TV channel ITV as the greatest TV ad ever made.

Fast foward to now, and "Open Happiness" -- a collaborative Coca-Cola spot recorded by Gnarls Barkley's Cee-Lo Green, Panic! At the Disco's Brendon Urie, Patrick Stump of Fall Out Boy, Janelle Monae, and Travis McCoy of Gym Class Heroes -- could be this generation's "pop" music (excuse the pun) for the offspring of "I'd Like to Buy the World a Coke" set.

Will "Open Happiness" have the same monumental impact of its predecessor? We're about to find out.

Watch a 30-second sneak peek of the "Open Happiness" video, directed by Alan Ferguson, starring Cee-Lo Green, Brendon Urie, Patrick Stump, Janelle Monae, and Travis McCoy, and stay tuned for the full-length video, coming soon.

+ Watch the 1971 "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing (In Perfect Harmony) commercial after the jump!

Read more...

+ and no, we don't mean the 90's band Crazy Town, though that would be amazing. MTV just announced (much to Jordin Sparks' dismay) that they are bringing back hair monster Russell Brand as their host for the 2009 VMAs. (MTV)

+ ...and Taylor Swift will join Muse as slated performers at the big show, which returns to New York City's Radio City Music Hall on Sunday, September 13th at 9pm ET. (MTV News)

+ Speaking of sex, drugs, and stuff, Panic! At The Disco's Ryan Ross had absolutely NO idea that a big plate of chopped-up coke was sitting on the coffee table when he was getting his picture taken with some friends. Honestly! He was just sleeping on the couch and woke up and THERE IT WAS! Right. More like, he never went to bed and THERE IT WAS! Still sitting there from the night before!! (MTV News)

+ Just days before the U.S. premiere of the new Harry Potter movie, star Daniel Radcliffe gives a surprisingly candid (and hilarious) interview about being gay, showing his manhood on stage, and having an affair with Madonna (??). (Moviefone)

+ Amy Winehouse is back in the U.K., stepping out wearing a cute doggie sweater and a fresh set of tracks (that's hair, people. The heroin tracks are covered up by the long-sleeved doggie sweater). (Webster's Is My Bitch)

Pretty odd news coming out of the Panic! At The Disco camp, and it's bigger than the time Panic added the exclamation back in -- guitarist/ songwriter and bassist Ryan Ross and Jon Walker will be leaving the Panic to form their own act. Brendon Urie and Spencer Smith will continue on as Panic! At The Disco.

Here's what was posted on Panic At The Disco's official site today:

Flo Rida's new video "Sugar" -- the second single off his sophomore album, R.O.O.T.S. -- is finally out. You know it's sweet, you know it's sexy, and you know it takes place on a beach, but here are more five more facts you need to know about Flo Rida's addictive new cut.

1.) "Sugar" was shot on Miami's South Beach by director Shane Drake, who also shot "Elevator," as well as a seemingly unending list of other major videos, including Panic At The Disco's "Nine In The Afternoon" and Paramore's "Decode" video. But before "Sugar," Shane Drake directed another beach video -- Shwayze's "Corona and Lime video."

2.) At both the "Corona And Lime" video shoot and the "Sugar" video shoot, Shane Drake took off his shirt, establishing what's basically a pattern -- Shane Drake shoots a beach video, director Shane Drake takes off his shirt. Got that, ladies?

3.) The girl who sings the hook on "Sugar" is R&B singer-songwriter Wynter Gordon, who's written songs for Danity Kane and Mary J. Blige. *Bonus Style Fact: At around 0:11 into the video, Wynter's shown wearing a white enamel necklace by Lia Sophia. Other Lia Sophia fans include Miley Cyrus (she wore Lia Sophia bracelets on Good Morning America), Stephanie Pratt, Audrina Patridge, and Leven Rambin.

4.) Flo Rida samples the song "Blue (Da Ba Dee)," which was an unlikely hit in 1999 by Italian electro-pop band Eiffel 65. Despite the fact that the song was the audio equivalent of waterboarding, it became a #1 hit in 10 countries and earned a 2001 Grammy nomination for Best Dance Recording. Quite unfortunately, it was also covered by Crazy Frog, which never should've happened.

5.) While it's unclear if Flo Rida's a big Ian McCulloch fan, it's not a stretch to assume that Flo borrowed the line "lips like sugar" from the Echo & The Bunnymen hit of the same name.

+ Watch Flo Rida's "Sugar" video below, and after the jump, watch Echo & The Bunnymen's "Lips Like Sugar" video.

Read more...

So-Cal pop-pranksters Phantom Planet go through identities like most bands go through groupies vans. First they were the band with dude from Rushmore on the drums (before he graduated to Coconut Records) and Ashton Kutcher look-alike Alex Greenwald handling vocals. Then they were the band who sang The O.C. theme song ("Californiaaaaa!").

Right now Phantom Planet is going through a very Buzzworthy phase. The band who take their name from a '60s sci-fi flick spent last summer touring the country with the likes of Panic! At The Disco, Motion City Soundtrack, Paramore and Jack's Mannequin, where they found that -- even though they've been around a while -- their sarcastic tweaker-pop is right at home on the new rock circuit.

Watch "Dropped," their hilarious new video that asks the simple question, "I love you, do you love me?"

+ Plus: Exclusive Phantom Planet photos!