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Welcome to Buzzworthy's The Week In Pop, where we round up new album releases, talk show musical guests and appearances, TV appearances by your favorite pop stars and more (so you don't have to).

While the Grammys gave us plenty to discuss around the ol' watercooler to start the week (Nicki Minaj's pope friend, Adele winning EVERYTHING, etc.), but there's a lot to look forward to in musical happenings this week, y'all. The Kills release their "The Last Goodbye" single with The Velvet Underground, Patsy Cline and Marilyn Monroe covers, "Glee" pays homage to the late Whitney Houston on their Valentine's Day episode Tuesday, Sleigh Bells are gonna kick the "Saturday Night Live" stage's ass, and Hollywood Week continues on "American Idol."

Check out this week's album releases and talk show music guests below.

NEW ALBUM RELEASES
Tuesday, Feb. 14
+ The Kills, "The Last Goodbye" four-song single release: Alison Mosshart and Jamie Hince package their lovely "The Last Goodbye" waltz single with three covers.

+ Johnny Cash, Live From Austin TX: The Man in Black lives on through his immeasurable body of work. The 180-gram vinyl release comes with a DVD of the performance.

+ Band Of Skulls, Sweet Sour: The English trio return with a sophomore album wrapped in delicious female-male vocal interplay indie rock with a bluesy stomp. Check out their single "Bruises."

Check out more new album releases and upcoming TV appearances and performances after the jump.

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Tags Adele, Band Of Skulls, Bon Iver, Brandy, Cake, Christina Aguilera, Christina Perri, Dierks Bentley, Erykah Badu, Foo Fighters, Heartless Bastards, Jason Mraz, Jennifer Lopez, Johnny Cash, Kasabian, Kid Rock, Lana Del Rey, Lenny Kravitz, Marc Anthony, Marilyn Monroe, Mark Ronson, Monica, Ne-Yo, Nicki Minaj, Patsy Cline, Richard Marx, Ricky Martin, Rihanna, Robin Thicke, Shearwater, Sinead O'Connor, Sleigh Bells, Tennis, The Civil Wars, The Cranberries, The Dap-Kings, The Fray, The Kills, The Velvet Underground, Wale, Yelawolf, Young Jeezy

The Fray perform 'Heartbeat' and 'Over My Head (Cable Car)' on VH1's 'Big Morning Buzz Live.'

Normally, I get super pissed when someone makes my mascara run before it's even had a chance to set. But The Fray are just so good that I'm not even sure how to get fake angry at them. The Colorado-based rockers were kind enough to stop by VH1's "Big Morning Buzz Live" to play acoustic versions of their tearjerker "Heartbeat" and their very first single, "Over My Head (Cable Car)," and I had to call in late for work because of my cryfest. THANKS A LOT.

Accompanied only by guitars and drums, frontman Isaac Slade sang his little heart out and killed the vocal game dead as he crooned, "Oh, I feel your heartbeat/And you're coming around, coming around, coming around/If you can love somebody, love them all the same/You gotta love somebody, love them all the same/Oh, I feel your heartbeat."

+ Watch The Fray perform "Heartbeat" and "Over My Head (Cable Car)" on VH1's "Big Morning Buzz Live" after the jump!

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Tags The Fray, video

Welcome to Buzzworthy's The Week In Pop, where we round up new album releases, talk show musical guests and appearances, TV appearances by your favorite pop stars and more (so you don't have to).

Die Antwoord releases their 'Tension' album, Katharine McPhee stars in 'Smash' and The Fray release their new album.

Hopefully y'all are recovered from your chicken wing overload (or your group clap-along to Madonna's "Like A Prayer" during the halftime show), but there's a ton of music happenings to pay attention to this week! So listen up! The Fray's back with their third studio album, Scars & Stories, Die Antwoord is hitting nighttime TV (I'm scared), the NBC show "Smash" FINALLY premieres and HELLLOOOOOO, THE GRAMMYS ARE SUNDAY!

Check out this week's album releases and talk show music guests below, and tune in to MTV tonight for the exclusive premiere of the the Black Keys "Gold On The Ceiling" video, followed by a 30-minute interview with the band on MTV.com.

NEW ALBUM RELEASES
Tuesday, Feb. 7
+ A Place To Bury Strangers, Onwards To The Wall: The "loudest band in New York" is back with their special blend of noise rock, featuring the single "So Far Away."
+ Die Antwoord, Tension: The South African Zef lords are more than ready to terrify you again with their second LP, Tension, released on their own label, featuring "I Fink U Freaky."
+ The Fray, + Scars & Stories: The brooding piano rockers drop their third studio album, Scars & Stories. Check out their lead single, "Heartbreak."

Check out more new album releases and upcoming TV appearances and performances after the jump.
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Tags 50 Cent, A Place To Bury Strangers, Alabama Shakes, Andy Grammer, Anthony Hamilton, boyz-ii-men, Bruce Springsteen, Bruno Mars, Cee-Lo Green, Coldplay, Die Antwoord, Dierks Bentley, Estelle, Far East Movement, Jaci Velasquez, Jack's Mannequin, Jessie Baylin, Katharine McPhee, Katy Perry, Kelly Clarkson, Kelly Rowland, LeAnn-Rimes, Miguel, Miley Cyrus, Nicki Minaj, Pitbull, Primus, Rihanna, Shaggy, Sharon Van Etten, Taylor Swift, The Band Perry, The Black Keys, The Cranberries, The Darkness, The Fray, The Kills, The Wanted, The Week In Pop, Tony Bennett, Van Halen, Wale, Walk The Moon, Weird Al Yankovic, Ziggy Marley

Life's a beach for The Fray -- at least in the video for "Heartbeat," the epic first single off their upcoming record, Scars & Stories, out Feb. 7. Frontman Isaac Slade and crew may hail from the Colorado mountains, but they seem totally in their element tearing up the California coast at what appears to be the raddest beach party ever.

Kicking off as the boys in the band ride out to the water and carry their gear down to the shore, "Heartbeat" has The Fray performing bonfire-side for a crowd of crunchy-chic ladies and dudes while scary-huge waves crash in the background. After a great deal of dancing (plus some piggyback rides and sparkler-writing), everyone jumps right into the surf -- bone-chilling Cali waters be damned.

Justin Francis, whose killer résumé includes Weezer, Eminem, The Cure and Modest Mouse, directed the "Heartbeat" video. Shooting on a beach north of Malibu, Francis says he aimed to capture the spirit of a group of people "enjoying a once-in-a-lifetime evening together." Hopefully we'll score an invite next time around.

+ Watch The Fray's "Heartbeat" video.

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It's been a tough couple of years for The Fray die-hards -- the Seattle foursome hasn't put out a new record since their critically acclaimed, Grammy-nominated 2009 self-titled sophomore album. Not that we mind playing "You Found Me" on repeat or anything, but we're happy to hear new tunes from the guys.

"Heartbeat," the first single off of The Fray's upcoming third album, Scars And Stories, finds us revisiting familiar Fray tearjerker territory (way to ruin my mascara before noon). Though it's cleverly hidden beneath the sweeping sounds of orchestral drums and rock guitars, "Heartbeat" is driven by a gorgeous piano melody. Lead vocalist Isaac Slade's voice is in top form, and he demonstrates his massive range while singing about the best way to love someone: "If you love someone/You love them all the same/Oh, feel your heartbeat/And oh-oh, comin' around, comin' around, comin' around/If you can love somebody/Love 'em all the same."

On his moving new song, Isaac admitted, "That song came out of a period of my life when I was trying hard to be open to whatever came my way. I traveled through South Africa and Rwanda with a buddy, and at first it was really hard to stay open in the face of so much pain and heartache. But then I ended up meeting so many cool and inspiring people, and all these ideas for lyrics and melodies just started rushing in."

The Fray's third album, Scars And Stories, is out Feb. 7.

+ Listen to The Fray's "Heartbeat."

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Does Kanye West's "Heartless" emit "cover me!" pheromones? There's Idol winner Kris Allen's acoustic version that, shall we say?, sealed his victory; there's the Lady GaGa live concert cover, along with Ace Hood's "Ruthless" take on the number... The "Heartless" melody and lyrics must strike fellow musicians as somewhat of a non-fit in the dreary, AutoTuned oeuvre that was 808s and Heartbreak, begging for modification. Or else everyone just can't get enough of that effing song.

I'll be the first to say, "Heartless" lends itself to several genres; and The Fray's latest cover -- as an aching, earnest pop-rock ballad -- takes on a solid life of its own. The Fray first covered "Heartless" at Live Lounge,  which begat other fantastic covers, such as Leona Lewis' cover of  Snow Patrol's "Run" (get out the tissues and download that now), but has since released a proper single and music video.

As you might expect, the music video is an extremely bleak and lonely affair: a lovesick schoolboy doodles in his math notebook, and a forsaken, bleeding heart trudges in a defeated journey to nowhere, which instantly recalls Gnarls Barkley's video for "Who's Gonna Save My Soul" as well as Spoon's "Everything Hits At Once" video.

I didn't quite expect this song to work with kids as subjects, but the solitary, cerebral aspect of doodling is somehow painfully sad here - and the video becomes lovely, if a bit disturbing, when doodles morph into elaborate and nightmarish theme-park monsters...

And by the way, Kanye approves. Phew.

Tags Ace Hood, Gnarls Barkley, Kanye West, Kris Allen, Leona Lewis, Spoon, The Fray, video

Denver's Meese take their name from founding brothers Patrick and Nathan Meese, not from multiple mooses (although I believe technically those are called "moose"). Along with Mike Ayars (guitar) and Ben Halay (drums) -- formerly of rival band For The Holiday -- the brothers have become some of the Mile-High City's favorite local rock stalwarts.

After years of paying their dues as frequent openers for fellow Coloradans The Fray, Meese are on the verge of busting out of their cozy Denver scene and into the big, bad mainstream. Their first major label release, Broadcast, is due out at the end of this month. Armed with a rising tide of irresistible pop gems, like "Tell Me It's Over" and "Next In Line," Broadcast looks like Meese's ticket to the big time. Get to know the band on "The 5," sit back, and watch them rise.

Tags Meese, The 5, The Fray, video

In the same way that it's understood that soap operas will have absurd story lines, people expect music videos to be over-the-top dramatic. Bands are generally in the business of communicating really big feelings, and super evocative music videos certainly help to accomplish that goal. And while a person can only handle so much slo-mo and so many sunset mountainsides, it's those unchecked melodramas that really stick in our minds, spawning everything from torrid one-night stands to Scott Stapp's career.

Last week Cage's "I Never Knew You" reminded us just how much a well-executed video can quicken the pulse. As usual, that got us to thinking... Which other videos reach down your throat, grab you by the heart and hand pump it until you think you're gonna pass out? What are the most compelling videos of all-time? In Buzzworthy's slightly comprehensive list below, you'll find the gut-wrenchingest, unflinchingest (and sometimes cheesiest) videos in recent history, so get close to the Kleenex. This list is not recommended for the infirm or the elderly.

The Cheesiest
+ Creed, "With Arms Wide Open" -- It's hard to believe that this video is actually for real. Watching it again now, I keep expecting a "Wipe that s$#* up" overdub to kick in and relieve the insane self-indulgence. Notoriously wack frontman Scott Stapp literally dodges asteroids at sunset and stands on a mountain with his arms spread, as the cameras circle, as if carried by slow motion eagles.

+ Chicago, "You're The Inspiration" -- Can I get away with describing this video as "difficult to watch?" Handily out-sapping those inscrutable Japanese karaoke videos, it's easier to eat a whole brick of cream cheese than it is to watch this video all the way through. That being said, definitely watch it.

The Saddest
+ Soul Asylum, "Runaway Train" -- The '90s invented that thing where tough-looking dudes enjoy music by standing around looking really sad and tuned out. It's no Toni Braxton "Un-Break My Heart," but this Soul Asylum video does help the grungers get into character with a sad slideshow of missing children.

+ R.E.M., "Everybody Hurts" -- Hold on! Stop! Everybody hit your breaks! Get up! Get out of your cars! Come on! Put on your little hats! Come on, do it! Dooo it! Come onnn! Little hats! Put your hands over your hearts! Sad break! Saaad break! Awww! (See also: Radiohead's amazing "Just").

The Scariest
+ Depeche Mode, "Wrong" -- Chicago will clog your arteries, but Depeche Mode will stop your heart. This terrifying video combines the edgy uncertainty of Radiohead's "Karma Police" with the supernatural creepiness of UNKLE's "Rabbit In Your Headlights," and comes out with one of the most disturbing videos I've ever seen.

+ The Fray, "Never Say Never" -- An everyday urban cityscape becomes a furious war-zone in The Fray's metaphorical new video. The violence of the uprising represents -- wait for it, wait for it -- the pain of a break-up! DRAMA!

The Darkest
+ Pearl Jam, "Jeremy" -- If you've been taking your MTV regularly like you're supposed to, you know that Pearl Jam recently released a never-before-seen director's cut of "Jeremy," with a much more explicit finish. See what all of Eddie Vedder's diabolical glares were really leading up to in one of grunge's darkest anthems.

+ Kanye West, "Flashing Lights" -- Don't be fooled by the muscle car, the thong-clad bikini girl or the Miami sunset. Don't be fooled by the cheery title, either. In this dead-serious drama, former Playboy playmate, Rita G, isn't stroking Kanye's ego... She's dispatching it to hell.

The Sexiest / Most Cinematic
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Tags Chicago, Coldplay, Creed, Depeche Mode, Guns N' Roses, Justin Timberlake, Kanye West, Pearl Jam, R.E.M., Radiohead, Soul Asylum, The Fray, Toni Braxton, UNKLE

Ace Norton, who directed the new Fray video, once said "Give me a bucket of blood and a camera and I'm good to go!" Hell of a motto. One that inspired Fangoria (America's horror magazine since 1979) to describe him as "Someone who truly fits the description of Terrifyingly Gnarly."

So, what is the dude who directed Aesop Rock's zombie-fied "Coffee" video doing behind the reins of The Fray's "Never Say Never," a plaintive piano ballad packing the following awww-inducing lyrics:

"You're the queen of everything/ As far as the eye can see/ Under your command/ I will be your guardian/ When all is crumbling/ Steady your hand."

Basically he's turning their next-gen Coldplay into a suburban apocalypse. Norton uses the fall out around a neighborhood disaster as a metaphor for falsetto-singing frontman Isaac Slade's aching heart. Sparks explode from crumpled cars as panic-stricken civilians sprint down smoke-filled streets among soldiers and cops.

Slade walks calmly through the carnage, ignoring the pouring rain and danger, looking for the woman (played by Gary Unmarried's Jaime King!) who brought his world crumbling down as he pleads with her, "Don't let me go!"

"Never Say Never" sounds super dramatic, right? Well, that's because it is.

Tags Aesop-Rock, Coldplay, The Fray

I don't wanna shatter any illusions here, but if you're looking to a professional blogger for advice on anything romantic, you have some serious thinking to do. That's why I'm handing this Valentine's Day post off to a pro. John Vesely, aka Secondhand Serenade has more magnetism in one frosted tip than the whole rest of the Internet combined. Can the Internet play piano and sing with its eyes closed? No. It doesn't even have feelings (or eyes). All it can do is make a heart out of a bracket and a three. Weak. John Vesely was born to tell you he loves you. Stick with him. Here's a special Valentine's Day message and a crazy romantic love-playlist from the man himself:

I've always been a lover, not a fighter which is why I love this time of year. And one of my true loves is obviously music. So to come up with a list of long songs/videos is no problem for a guy like me. It's the time of year where you hear songs you may have heard 100 times before, but you suddenly realize they have a special meaning or remind you of someone close to your heart. So hopefully you can take a look at the videos I decided to go with, and let it remind you of whoever may be that certain someone for you.

+ Jason Mraz, "I'm Yours" - A simple song and a simple video. Both are undeniable.
+ The Fray, "You Found Me" - The video showcases both a great band and a beautiful city.
+ Thriving Ivory, "Angels on the Moon" - These guys are good friends of mine. They went all out on this video.
+ Plain White T’s, "Hey There Deliah" - One of the biggest songs and best videos of a few years back.
+ Katy Perry, "Thinking of You" - I love her retro style, which is overly evident in this video.
+ Kanye West, "Love Lockdown" - Kanye is always evolving and this is a colorful, left-of-center display of his art.
+ Justin Nozuka, "After Tonight" - He's a great new young talent, which is clear as day in this, his first video.
+ R. Kelly, "Real Talk" - Because the video is just as real as the song.
+ We The Kings, "Secret Valentine" - Travis's hair turns me on.
+ Augustana, "Sweet and Low" - I love how the song was written it was written very personally.

Wow ... Thanks, John!!

Want more Valentine's Day playlists? OK. I got those, too. Do you love me yet? Please...?

+ V-Day Playlist: Let Me Count The Ways (Dashboard, Bright Eyes, Beyonce, etc)
+ V-Day Playlist: Love SUCKS (Alanis, Ashanti, Incubus, etc)
+ V-Day Playlist: Celebrity Wedding Songs (Lonestar, Marvin Gaye, Edwin McCain, etc)

<3<3<3

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Tags Alanis Morissette, Ashanti, Augustana, Beyonce, Bright Eyes, Dashboard Confessional, Edwin McCain, Incubus, Jason Mraz, Justin Nozuka, Katy Perry, Lonestar, Marvin Gaye, Plain White T's, R.-Kelly, Secondhand Serenade, The Fray, Thriving Ivory, We the Kings