MTV Buzzworthy Blog › Tokyo Police Club

(Credit: Liebe E.P.)

For once, before we get into the band, let's take a minute to acknowledge how cool the video is. As far as I can tell, "Let Me Drive" by Winter Gloves (directed by Benjamin Weinstein) is as lo-fi, lo-budge, no-tech as a thing can be. And yet it's loaded with special effects. The whole video -- including performance clips, surreal unicorn-lady inserts and dance sequences -- plays out on a series of flipbooks.

Within seconds you forget the thumbs that are making the magic happen, and see only the frame-by-frame animated action. I suppose it's basically the same thing as a regular animated video, but somehow seeing the actual pages flip by makes it that much more incredible.

Moving on. Winter Gloves. Who are they? What began as the pet project of a mysterious guy called Charles F, who kept the lonely out of his Montreal apartment by playing music, has since bloomed into a full band. Now a four-piece, they've toured with Tokyo Police Club, You Say Party! We Say Die! and Beast, to name a few, on the strength of quirky, glitchy singles like "Party People" and "About a Girl." They sound kinda like a much happier, more gregarious version of The Postal Service. Does that sound like something you can get into? Watch the sweet video below and find out!

Tags Beast, The Postal Service, Tokyo Police Club, Winter Gloves, You Say Party We Say Die

Japan, that mysterious international capitol of design, technology, sci-fi-fashion and modesty, doesn't always get the most flattering shake out here in the cowboy West. Just look at the classic Vapors video, "Turning Japanese." It's enough to make Lost In Translation blush (and I gave Nicole Scherzinger hell for her bindi?!?). But that Grand Canyon of a cultural divide that's inspired so much misguided mockery, has also spawned some of the sincerest flattery.

We've got a new video playlist called "Big In Japan" up over at MTV.com, just in time for cherry blossom season. Check out Japanese-inspired videos from Kanye West, Lupe Fiasco, Coldplay, Gorillaz and Gwen Stefani, as well as a handful from artists like Tokio Hotel, Tokyo Police Club and Japanese Motors. (Get it?) It's the opposite of horbs.

Tags Alphaville, Bon Jovi, Coldplay, Gorillaz, Gwen Stefani, Japanese Motors, Kanye West, Lupe Fiasco, The Vapors, Tokio Hotel, Tokyo Police Club, Tokyo Rose

Tokyo Police Club hit you where it hurts most with their brand-new, live-forever video of beautiful young people running through forests, laughing in windy fields and jumping off of waterfalls in their underwear. The Ontario-based indie four-piece could play off-channel radio static over this thing and you'd still wanna watch it on repeat. For real. Total bonus that "Your English Is Good" is a tweaky, chaotic good time with enough pubescent energy to exceed the sunny video. It's a thing of beauty. A complete package. You're so lucky that you can watch it in this actual post without having to do much of anything, you jerk.

"Your English Is Good" is the second single from Tokyo Police Club's much-talked-about debut, Elephant Shell. Watch the video for "Tesselate" -- Tokyo Police Club's first single.

Tags Tokyo Police Club

We're still recovering from that crazy, sleep-deprived time in our lives we like to call the 2008 VMAs (and, more recently, from VH1's Hip Hop Honors bonanza), but that doesn't mean we're not already gearing up for the next big televised awards show. Fortunately, we don't have long to wait, seeing as the mtvU Woodie Awards kick off Wednesday, November 19th.

And whether you're a sorority girl (like Elle Woods!) a pre-frosh (like Serena and Blair!) or someone who religiously watches Hannah Montana, we have a feeling you're not gonna want to miss THE definitive college awards show (where all the nominees are chosen by poor, ramen-noodle-eating university types!) And since the polls are officially open from now through November 7th, here's a painstakingly complete list of the categories and nominees. You're welcome!

+ Lil Wayne, Paramore, Tokyo Police Club, MGMT and Santogold duke it out for Woodie of the Year. Note that as much as we would love to see the nominees breakdance fight, the winner for this category (and all subsequent categories) will be chosen solely on the basis of your votes.

+ We love charity. Just today, we selflessly scarfed down three oatmeal raisin cookies (purchased from a Breast Cancer Bake Sale!) all in the name of good health -- and late-afternoon sugar rushes. Now, cheer on your fave do-gooders as Eddie Vedder, Ludacris, Jack's Mannequin, Mary J. Blige and Emmanuel Jal fight for the right to take home the Good Woodie.

+ Ever heard that song "Video Killed the Radio Star?" Yeah, that's a bunch of bull. So hit the polls to see Adele and Motion City Soundtrack take on heavy hitters like Gnarls Barkley, Vampire Weekend and Erykah Badu for the Best Video Woodie.

+ We've always had a secret soft spot for the New Kid. So we'll definitely be checking back to find out which of these rookies (All Time Low, We The Kings, There For Tomorrow, Lykke Li and Tyga) is gonna walk out of here with the title of Breaking Woodie.

+ You know those amazing can't-live-without artists you never heard of 'til, like, yesterday? Well, you still have three more weeks to choose between No Age, Chromeo, Yelle, She and Him and The Cool Kids for Left Field Woodie.

+ And you gotta give it up for the performers who ALWAYS know how to put on a good show. Or as we like to call them, "the Michael Jordans of music." Yeah, we're talkin' about you, Kanye West, Atmosphere, N.E.R.D., The Ting Tings and Simian Mobile Disco. May the best one win! A Performance Woodie, that is.

****Psssst! Not only can you vote for your favorite artists -- you can also campaign for them on your Facebook/MySpace pages(!!) For more details about voting, campaigning and general Woodie goodness, go to mtvU's official Woodies Awards site. GO WOOD!

Tags Adele, All Time Low, Atmosphere, Chromeo, Eddie Vedder, Emmanuel Jal, Erykah Badu, Gnarls Barkley, Jack's Mannequin, Lil Wayne, Ludacris, Lykke Li, Mary J. Blige, MGMT, Motion-City-Soundtrack, N.E.R.D., No Age, Paramore, Santogold, She and Him, Simian Mobile Disco, The Cool Kids, The Ting Tings, There For Tomorrow, Tokyo Police Club, Tyga, Vampire Weekend, We the Kings, Woodie Awards, Yelle

+ Miley Cyrus, Daniel Radcliffe, the Jonas Brothers and Zac Efron are officially the world's Most Powerful Tween Stars. Crazy! Especially considering Daniel Radcliffe is actually a 19-year-old man. (Forbes)

+ For the last time, people, M.I.A. is a ghetto superstar, not a terrorist. (E! Online)

+ Young Jeezy's new album, The Recession, doesn't drop until September 2, but here's a sample from the title track. "Wish I had me some money/ I'd buy me some better luck," raps Jeezy. Uh, really? We'd go out and buy ourselves a car but hey, that's just us. (MTV)

+ Now that Lil Wayne is finished suing his old label, he's ready to sign with a new one. (XXL Mag)

+ Meanwhile, Weezer has announced they'll be going on tour with Tokyo Police Club and Angels and Airwaves. (Rolling Stone)

+ Aerosmith's Steven Tyler to write his autobiography for HarperCollins. (Crain's New York Business)

+ Nick Jonas will neither confirm nor deny dating Selena Gomez, even though they both coincidentally have the SAME EXACT FIRST KISS STORY. (Usmagazine.com)

Tags Aerosmith, Angels & Airwaves, Angels and Airwaves, Buzz Bites, Celebrity, Daniel Radcliff, Jonas Brothers, Lil Wayne, M.I.A., Miley Cyrus, Music, News, Selena Gomez, Tokyo Police Club, Weezer, Young Jeezy, Zac Efron

Luckily the walls didn't completely cave in when the Jonas Brothers performed live last week on FNMTV. In fact, they left the stage tidy and completely intact for this week's live performance by Toronto indie-rock upstart Tokyo Police Club, who'll perform "Graves."

And while you won't see any members of Slipknot swinging a bat around the stage (sorry maggots!), here's who's on tap -- and the brand-new videos they're unwrapping -- on the next installment of FNMTV:

Tomorrow night's FNMTV artist appearances and video premieres:

Bow Wow - "Marco Polo" (featuring Soulja Boy)

Chromeo - "Momma's Boy

Danity Kane - "Bad Girl" (featuring Missy Elliott)

Plus, Pink ('sup girl!?) takes the prestigious hot seat, Pete Wentz has agreed to come back and host the show again (he had to be lured away from his hackysack -- photos below, and check out the Abe Lincoln beard on Chromeo's P-Thugg! ), and we'll reveal the final VMA nominees for Best Female Video and Best Male Video. And once the show ends, we'll open up the nominee floodgates for Best Pop Video and Best Hip-Hop Video right after the show.

It. Goes. Down... tomorrow, Friday, July 25 at 8pm ET.

Until then, watch last week's video premieres, and check out exclusive behind-the-scenes photos of Danity Kane, Tokyo Police Club, Bow Wow, Chromeo, Pink, and Pete, taken backstage on the FNMTV set.

+ More FNMTV photos after the jump...

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Tags Bow Wow, Celebrity, Chromeo, Danity Kane, FNMTV, Music, Pete Wentz, Photos, Pink, Tokyo Police Club, VMAs

We now take a break from freaking out over Tokio Hotel's new U.S. video and exclusive contest to tweak out over geek-rock unit Tokyo Police Club's new video, "Graves."

Like Tokio Hotel, Tokyo Police Club is not from Japan nor are they involved in any sort of law enforcement -- they're from Canada and specialize in twittery, spastic, guitar-driven indie rock (think the Thermals, or Pavement on speed, dressed like Vampire Weekend). For fans of Death Cab for Cutie, smart boys in thick Buddy Holly glasses, antiquing. (Or, like I said, Death Cab for Cutie.)

Check out their new "Graves" video below, and get more TPC here.

Tags Celebrity, Death Cab For Cutie, Music, Tokyo Police Club, video, Videos

Poor Tokyo Police Club. Unlike 50 Cent, they don't sell like Eminem, nor do they get any groupie love. And despite the connection to law enforcement suggested by their name, the Toronto indie band stays on the good side of the law and favors scruffy thrift store gear over bulletproof vests and ice, also unlike 50. They do, however, share a knack for namechecking themselves. But they're getting lots of our love for their frenetic, swirling, sweetly nasal brand of college-kid indie rock. (Think the Thermals, but not as sweaty.)

Watch Tokyo Police Clubs' new "Discover & Download" interview below, watch their latest video, "Tessellate," download the track here, and we're also throwing in the "Cheer It On" video -- a Buzzworthy fave.

Tags Celebrity, Interview, Interviews, Music, Tokyo Police Club, video, Videos

You know, you try to save a few dolphins for a good cause, and what do you get? Well, if you're Hayden Panettiere and you're splashing around on a surfboard dramatically trying to rescue marine life from hunters in the waters off southwest Japan, you get an arrest warrant. And then you get out of the country, probably never to shop in Shibuya again.

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Tags Celebrity, Hayden Panettiere, Lindsay Lohan, News, Tokyo Police Club, video, Videos