New Video Roundup! Scissor Sisters, The Gossip & Rufus Wainwright

New music videos are popping up everywhere, so I think it's time for a quick video round up:

First off, Rufus Wainwright's new album Out Of The Game features production by Mark Ronson is scheduled for a May 1 release. Wainwright mentioned wanting to go for a  poppier, dancable sound but the title track is more alt-country. The song may require a few more listens to really be enjoyable but the video stars Helena Bonham Carter, so it's definitely watchable!




Meanwhile, The Gossip returns at the end of May with A Joyful Noise. Lead single "Perfect World" is glorious Duran Duran style pop, with a fierce chorus and drums. The video stars dancers in a medieval church with the stained glass windows turning like a kaleidoscope.



Scissor Sisters already dropped one single from their upcoming album Magic Hour, the Cazwell-style "Shady Love" The new single, "Only The Horses" is more sleek but equally dancable, thanks to production from Rihanna's cohort Calvin Harris and Alex Ridha. The sound is not a unique as their previous stuff, but it's good so I'll take it. Lyric video:

Soundtrack Of The Day [Freshness Edition]: "Get Sleazy 2.0 (Get Sleazier)" - Ke$ha ft Wiz Khalifa, Andre 3000, T.I. & Lil Wayne

Ke$ha is working on her sophomore full length album but since releasing her debut Animal she's popped out an EP and a remix disc. "Sleazy" was one of the highlights of the Cannibal EP and "The Sleazy Remix" (which featured Andre 3000) was a highlight of I Am The Dance Commander... And I Command You To Dance. So when another rap remix of "Sleazy" released I was a little sleazed out. But this video, which features drag queens, old men and Pedro (of Vote For Pedro fame) lipsyncing for their lives to the ratatat rapping over the dumdum drums I found a new appreciation for the long game of the sleaziest lady we know. Get sleazy, miss lady. Get sleazy.

A New Track & Video From Scissor Sisters? Why, Yes, I Will Listen To That.

 Those New York Sisters who Scissor, and make the kind of filthy/gorgeous music that makes the queer kids dance, are apparently back. "Shady Love" is the new track from a forthcoming album, but it sounds totally different than anything the Sisters have done before. Kind of Cazwell meets latin freestyle, and much heavier dance influence than usual. I'm just not sure if I love it, and I'm really not sure why Azealia Banks (aka Krystal Pepsy) was used on the song for a guy/gal back'n'forth when Ana Matronic is always perfectly perfect.

But it may grow on me, and I'm definitely not counting out this album based on this song. Scissor Sisters' Night Work was one of my favorite discs of 2010 despite the lead single being a snooze. Take a look-see at the video:

The Wanted Are Totes Wankable, "Glad You Came" Is A Pretty Good Single, Too

The flip side to having Sirius installed in my car is all the hot music I can catch that the local stations ignore. The Wanted is a boyband out of the UK & Ireland and 20 On 20 and Hits One have been playing their single "Glad You Came" pretty regularly. It's a really pretty, yet bouncy pop track with a great accordion break a la "Stereo Love" which is right in my wheel house.

Well, while I was searching for yesterday's shitstorm of suck "Pick Up The Phone" I stumbled across the video for "Glad You Came" and almost had to excuse myself to the loo for a quick wank. (They make me all British sounding, in addition to raising my temp!) These lads are stunning, the one with the striped apron above looks like the love child of Puck from Glee and Robbie Williams (i.e. totes boffable.)

Oh, and the song is still pretty sweet.

New Shiz from Lil Mama - "Scrawberry"

Kinda in love with this song!

Nicki Minaj's Fairy Tale Come True...

Nicki Minaj plays the king of her own fairy tale in her new video for "Moment 4 Life" Nicki's solo videos have been sleek, brightly colored affairs with thin but pretty plots. Her samurai warrior in "Your Love" and the angry girlfriend in "Right Thru Me" showed the soft side of Nicki but "Moment 4 Life" allows Nicki to play both her girly Barbie role and that of her Fairy Godmother.
It's a delight. Watch:

Nicki Minaj - New Music - More Music Videos

Florence + The Machine Is "Heavy In Your Arms"

Florence + The Machine really snuck up on me. All the blogs were talking and I wasn't listening at first. But the one woman band wowed me with her "You've Got The Love" and again Sunday's VMA's. But my favorite track is from the Twilight Saga: Eclipse soundtrack, "Heavy In Your Arms", the video for which appeared on the web this week. It's a strange B&W clip with a Paranormal Activity look, with no Twilight clips. But the real reason I'm posting it is because the song is 14 kinds of awesome. The dramatic vocals, the creepy instrumentation and the haunting lyrics combine to rock this single. My favorite line? "This will be my last confession/I love you never felt like any blessing/Whispering like it's a secret/Only to condemn the one who hears it/With a heavy heart"
Watch:

"Alejandro" Is Here! With Dancers In Bowlcuts!

Lady Gaga's videos never fail to be eyecatching, so it was surprise that the almost nine-minute epic clip for her latest single "Alejandro" would do the same. It's a much darker look than Gaga has given us before, her "Telephone" was all bright Technicolor hues and "Bad Romance" was a awash in brightly lit whites.

Taking cues from religious iconography of Madonna, Lady Gaga is alternately a steampunk inspired Borg queen, latex wearing nun and a bra and panty clad dominatrix. Also, Liza Minnelli:

The Fosse, Fosse!

The video has a military theme, with strange erotic training exercises. They also seem to have a monk-ish haircut and an abject love for their queen and fishnet stockings. As you do:



The combined military and religious images with the overtly homoerotic dancing are clearly a commentary on the ongoing prejudice against homosexuality. What that commentary is supposed to say is not totally clear, but it's a dark thrillride. Watch:

Rihanna Plays Professor Slash, Teaches "Rock Star 101"

Rihanna keeps trying to turn out hits from her Rated R disc. After the bright colors and clubby sound of "Rude Boy" took off, the Barbados native returned to the darker looks of her "Russian Roulette" and "Hard" videos for "Rockstar 101."

She goes for the scary/sexy looks from "Disturbia" but keeps it all in black and white, as well as dressing up a guest guitarist Slash, complete with hat, wig, glasses and ax. Watch:

Robyn Keeps "Dancing On My Own" To Sad, Gay Disco Anthems

Swedish pop goddess Robyn is releasing her three-part Body Talk album series this year, and the first video debuted this week. "Dancing On My Own" is a seriously hot track, inspired by "sad, gay disco anthems" (per the press release.) And this very much fits the bill!

Some 80s throwback instrumentation, but mostly very fresh and similar to Robyn's earlier emotronic singles "With Every Heartbeat" and "Be Mine!" down to the slightly stalkery lyrics. Example: "I'm in the corner/watching you kiss her" If it wasn't so sad, it'd be a little frightening.
Watch:

Miley Cyrus Knows Why The Caged Whore Sings

Miley Cyrus has ditched the Madonna/Whore thing she's been rocking of late for the straight up teen-stripper act. Her new album is called Can't Be Tamed and while the album cover has her posing as a baby-faced rock skank the title track's video is craziness on a whore 'nother level.

The song is kinda boring, electro-stamped pop/rock in the vein of Ke$ha, Glambert or Britney's "If You Seek Amy." But the video is trashy greatness. She plays a newly discovered winged creature, Avis Cyrus, and she escapes her confines with a posse of co-ed dancers. She grinds on the boys and the girls, as all winged creatures do, and basically acts like Lady Gaga without the vocal talent. (OH SNAP!)
Watch:

Beyonce Is A '60s Pin Up, So "Why Don't You Love Me?"

Beyonce keeps trucking out videos from her 2008 double disc I Am... Sasha Fierce. Her latest, a send up of 1960s pin ups with her character B. B. Homemaker fixing a car in Daisy Dukes, swigging a martini in her bed and rocking a sexy librarian look while dusting her Grammys. It's campy fun, which matches the retro funk vibe of "Why Don't You Love Me?" The whole thing is worth checking out:

Christina Is Not Herself Tonight. She's Madonna.

I must admit, Christina Aguilera's new single "Not Myself Tonight" is growing on me. The video just released this morning, it's really spicy and totally Madonna. As in, she steals scenes from Madonna videos and just adds shots of the new Christina fragrance and calls it a video. I kinda dig it. Dirrty Xtina is back! Oh, kinda NSFW.

Mariah Carey Presents The Greatest Break Up Metaphor Ever

Since the bomb that was Memoirs Of An Imperfect Angel failed to yield more than one hit, Mariah is back at it with a remix album called Angel's Advocate. It doesn't have a release date (and may never in this economy) but it does have a video! Nicki Minaj from the Young Money crew brings some serious sass and British accents to the new single "Up Out My Face" and the video is amazing!

The ladies dress as Barbies/blow up dolls in nurse's costumes and furs with a red Target commercial theme. But it's the little things that make it amazing, like when Mariah trips or the blond wig Nicki sports. And the song is great fun, including this gem of a break up line: "If we were two Lego block not even the Harvard graduating class of 2010 could put us back together again." LOL.

Did You Know God Hates Lady Gaga In Addition To Fags?

I know, I know. When you report on the fame monsters of the Westboro Baptist Church you give them just what they are looking for. Spare me. But the originators of the oh-so-clever "God hates fags" signs produce a hilarious parody of Lady Gaga's "Poker Face" how does a gay boy resist?

As part of the WBC's new campaign against pro-gay pop star Lady Gaga, the granddaughter of founder Pastor Fred Phelps shows just how must she's studied her enemy by doing a spot-on parody of the Billboard chart topper. The songs been floating around the internet for a hot minute, but the video just showed up on the YouTubes this week. It's hysterical, from the lyrics ("you ain't got no poker face... yeah you just got your whorish face") to the insinuation that another 9/11 will occur due to Lady Gaga's concerts to the way you can tell Megan has The Fame on repeat on her iPod. Seriously, if it wasn't so blatantly hateful, it could be my new favorite song...

Lady Gaga & The Midway State Cover Peter Gabriel & Kate Bush

Canadian rock band The Midway State are so under the radar, their Wikipedia has required clean-up since 2008. Lady Gaga is so over the radar I'm not sure how the two know each other or even what caused them the join forces on a cover of the classic Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush duet "Don't Give Up" (also covered by Celtic pop singer Maire Brennan and Micheal McDonald, and Willie Nelson and Sinead O'Connor.)

But just because I don't know how, doesn't mean I can't enjoy the results of the collaboration. I wasn't that familiar with the original, which is a shame since it is a beautiful song. So without a memory attached to the original, I must say I really enjoyed this version. Plus, it gives yet another chance for the Gaga one to show off her vocals. Watch the video, a homage to the original version:

Lady Gaga Is Crazy. "Bad Romance" Is Just One Bit Of Evidence

Lady Gaga is a pretty crazy artist, her songs are brilliant examples of how pop music can be both a product and an artistic statement. Her videos are sheer ridiculousness, from the house party gone mad in "Just Dance" to a subway crashing orgy on "Love Game" to a mini-movie on the high price (and death toll) of fame in "Paparazzi." Even the more ordinary video treatments of "Eh Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say)" or "Poker Face" come off as high concept fashion photography than run of the mill pop video making.

But nothing in the past has given us warning as what was to come. "Bad Romance" is as high concept as anything Gaga has ever done, with even more costumes and creepy dancing. Apparently in the Bath Haus of Gaga, they grow sex slaves in pods who are then auctioned off. Or something. The plot isn't important, the costumes are! From the diamond encrusted hat/crown thingy to the insane shoes to the polar bear cape, this video say "couture" in all caps.

As a blond pop singer, Lady Gaga has been compared frequently to Madonna. But I think Grace Jones meets Andy Warhol is probably a more accurate comparison. Watch and decide:



In case the video gets pulled, here's the best bits:

The video opens with The Haus Of Gaga Christmas card photo. I think Uncle John's making a funny face in this one, we'll take another just in case.

"Why Lady Gaga, what big eyes you have!"
"All the better to be fierce with, my dear."

"Quick, grab her before she gets away with all the diamonds!"

These close ups, where Gaga is crying, make her look so intensely beautiful.

That cape? Is FIYA!

When The Video Doesn't Match The Song: Snow Patrol's "Just Say Yes"

I loved Snow Patrol's brilliant Eyes Open album, but the singles I heard from their last release did nothing for me. But when I heard this new song from the Irish band's upcoming Up To Now hits collection I was excited again!

The song is synthy pop brilliance, the chorus is very "Chasing Cars" vocally but musically it's a lot more poppy and almost upbeat. I really enjoyed hearing Gary Lightbody's warm and loose vocals over the bed of pop beats and keyboards, it creates an urgency that makes his vocals contrast.

But the vocals of the song stay loose and smooth, warm and beautiful but not urgent or hysterical. So why is Gary pulling diva faces and jumping around in the clip for the single? If he wanted to show us that level of angst and pain, he should have sung it that way. It may have improved the song, it may have ruined it. I don't know. But the faces he's making don't match the voice that comes out, which destroys the integrity of the clip. The song gets a pair of thumbs up, the video is a waste of time:


Snow Patrol - Just Say Yes

Snow Patrol | MySpace Video

ZOMG! The New Madonna Video Is Free On iTunes! (Until Tomorrow)

Run, don't walk. Get thee to a nunnery and borrow their PC to download Madonna's "Celebration" video from iTunes for free. It's far from her best video, but it's a really cool dance-centric clip featuring Madge in thigh-high boots (fucking hot!) and a rhinestone cover dress that looks almost age appropriate yet very sexy.

Madonna's daughter, Lourdes, also appears briefly towards the end of the video. Dancing in a colorful tank and black leggings, she proves she may have the dancing chops to follow in her mom's footsteps one day. She does a back flip at the 3:15 mark, it's really awesome. Madonna also enlists a multi-racial group of dancers to get really crazy with high kicks and flips and break dancing. It's the most fun I've seen the Material Mom have since Music. The embed below probably won't last long, but you can watch below:



That's not all, kiddies! Apparently there will be a second video for the single, which also features Lourdes Maria Ciccone Leon - this time in full-on "Like A Virgin" garb. It almost brought a tear to my eye to see her looking so much like her mom in this leaked pic:

With genes like that, how can't she be a star? Although, based on her impeccable fashion sense, I could see her in design before singing.

Seriously, Cyber-Sex Never Sounded So Nerd-Hot...

Apparently there is this web series called The Guild which is about people who play online role playing games or something. I say apparently, because the only web series I ever watch is that Ugly Betty spin-off Mode After Hours. It's been around for a couple of years and is so popular it was funded by PayPal donations from fans before being sponsored by Sprint. The more you know...

Anyway, why am I giving digital ink to a show I have yet to watch a single second of? Because every blog in the world is posting a music video/commercial performed by Felicia Day on lead vocals and the rest of the cast of The Guild. "Do You Wanna Date My Avatar?" is a sexy Aqua-esque pop jam about dating virtual characters. Even if I knew what half the references meant, I don't think I could love it any more than I do. The video is fucking ridiculous, with crazy faux-Middle Earth costumes mixed with Beyonce/Gwen Stefani-style dancing. The most RPG fun you can have without getting into cosplay.