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Happy Birthday, Ryan Ross: Wake-Up Video

Posted 8/30/10 8:30 am EST by in Wake-Up Video


A delicious cupcake and a glass of champagne to former Panic! at the Disco songwriter and current the Young Veins frontman Ryan Ross, who turns 24 years old today. Ross first made an impression on the music world as the chief songwriting brain behind Panic! at the Disco, and his theatrical, genre-bending take on pop-punk earned the band a huge following and turned their debut album A Fever You Can't Sweat Out into a multi-platinum smash. The band scored a string of huge singles and even took home an MTV Video Music Award for Video of the Year in 2006 for "I Write Sins Not Tragedies," besting superstars like Madonna, Christina Aguilera, Shakira and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Following a gigantic tour, the band settled in to record their second album Pretty. Odd., which saw the band indulge in a more psychedelic and hook-heavy version of their sound. Dissatisfied with the results, Ross decided to leave the band (along with bassist Jon Walker) in the spring of 2009 to form the Young Veins (who just dropped their debut album Take a Vacation! at the beginning of the summer). The Young Veins eschew the punkier sensibilities of Panic! at the Disco in favor of a '60s British invasion vibe, heavily influenced by early Beatles shuffles and Kinks-ian blues jams. It's catchy, groovy and fun, and the best evidence is the album's first single "Change," which also has a video that tips a hat to old television programs like "The Ed Sullivan Show." Turn it on, crank it up and wish Ross a happy birthday from your own remote part of the world.

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Taylor Swift's 'Mine' Video: A Mature, Evolved Fantasy

Posted 8/28/10 12:00 pm EST by in Music


On Friday night (August 27), Taylor Swift's official video for "Mine" premiered on CMT. The hotly-anticipated clip, which accompanies the first single from Swift's upcoming third album Speak Now, presents one of the more complex narratives of Swift's video career. She once again casts herself as a girl looking for love when she come upon a waiter who catches her eye. The video then shifts into Swift's fantasy world, where the couple meet, fall in love, get marries, have children and even engage in an argument (albeit one that is quickly resolved, just as it is in the song). It's a deeply cinematic clip that contains just the right amount of sweetness and heft, and it should be considered an early favorite for the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards.

The most interesting part of "Mine" is the fact that it seems to zero in on one particular lyric, where Swift talks about the couple not making the same mistakes as their parents. In one recurring scene, a young girl (theoretically a younger version of the Swift character in the video) listens to her parents argue in the next room. Eventually, she runs out of the house just around the time Swift and her fantasy guy resolve their argument and get married.

"Mine" is a fascinating clip with an incredibly mature outlook that suggests that perhaps the rose-colored version of love normally presented in pop music (and indeed in Swift's previous videos) might not be as realistic as Swift once thought. Speak Now promises to be one of the more fascinating (and gigantic) releases of the fall, and "Mine" gets the conversation started on the right foot.

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Katy Perry, Justin Bieber And Cee-Lo's Kiss-Off: This Week's Deep Cuts

Posted 8/27/10 6:00 pm EST by in Deep Cuts


For a lot of the readers of the MTV Newsroom Blog, it's back-to-school time. That can be a downer, as the long, full days of summer give way to classrooms, books and navigating a cafeteria of some sort. However, remember that an education is important, and with school work filling up the week, it makes the weekends all the more sweet. Go if this is your last weekend of freedom before you have to crack the books or your first weekend of down time since slipping back into a desk, enjoy your days off. Sleep in, hang out at your local skate park or read a comic book in public, if that's your thing.

But before you do any of that, be sure to check out all the stuff below that you might have missed at the MTV Newsroom Blog this week, including stories about Cee-Lo's awesome new song, Katy Perry's sweet-smelling new album and Snooki's killer new cocktail.

» Katy Perry dropped her new (and excellent) album Teenage Dream, and we wondered whether it was the best sophomore effort in pop history. (For the record, that album lost to Backstreet Boys' Millennium.

» Also a fact that should be noted: Teenage Dream really, truly smells like cotton candy. Scented album of the year!

» The countdown to the 2010 VMAs continues, and if you need to acclimate yourself to some of the categories, check out these handy guides.

» Cee-Lo dropped an awesome new single called "F--- You" that joined the list of awesomely profane f-bomb-dropping hits.

» Snooki got her own cocktail, but we can't wait until we can sip on the official JWoww drink.
Read More...

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Drake, Eminem, Usher Try To Prove Who Is Best Male: Better Know A VMA Category

Posted 8/27/10 5:30 pm EST by in VMAs


The 2010 MTV Video Music Awards are fast approaching, which means that in only a few weeks you'll be treated to an excellent night of performances and appearances by the likes of Eminem, Kanye West, Justin Bieber, Drake, Florence and the Machine, B.o.B and Deadmau5 (who will serve as the house DJ at the show). While people tend to remember the classic performances and the unhinged moments, the coveted Moonman is the reason why people show up and tune in. This year, there are 16 categories wherein some of the biggest music stars in the universe will compete for the coolest trophy in awards shows. Today, we take a look at the nominees in the Best Male Video category.

Though most every category at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards is absolutely stacked, the list of men competing for Best Male Video might be the most impressive lineup of the entire roster. Each one of the five nominees is a true superstar, lead by Eminem ("Not Afraid"), Drake ("Find Your Love"), Usher ("OMG"), Jason Derulo ("In My Head") and B.o.B ("Airplanes"). Each guy has a case for taking home the Moonman, but only one will reign supreme.

The past winners of Best Male Video include legends like David Bowie ("China Girl," 1984), Prince ("U Got the Look," 1988), Beck ("Where It's At" and "Devils Haricut," 1996 and 1997), Will Smith ("Just the Two of Us" and "Miami," 1998 and 1999) and Justin Timberlake ("Cry Me a River," 2003). Eminem is no stranger to Best Male Video, as he has been nominated for the award a total of seven times, taking home two (for "The Real Slim Shady" in 2000 and "Without Me" in 2002). Usher has also won the prize in the past (he took it home for "Yeah!" in 2004). Drake, B.o.B and Derulo are all newcomers, but considering Best Male Video is the type of prize that tends to announce the arrival of new stars, it's possible that Drake has the best argument for victory. But anybody winning would not only be logical but also a big deal for the artist in question. Who will be declared the alpha male? There's only one way to find out.

The 27th annual MTV Video Music Awards will be broadcast live from the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles on September 12 at 9 p.m. ET.

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The 2010 VMA Countdown: Marilyn Manson Bares All

Posted 8/27/10 5:00 pm EST by in VMAs


The 2010 MTV Video Music Awards are only a few weeks away. The biggest party of the year features nominated clips by Lady Gaga, Eminem, Jay-Z, Ke$ha and Katy Perry and will feature performances by Kanye West, Eminem, Drake, Paramore, Usher, B.o.B and Florence and the Machine (with many more to be announced). In order to properly prepare yourself for what's to come, every day the MTV Newsroom Blog will deliver a classic moment in the history of the MTV Video Music Awards. Today's installment: Marilyn Manson sends everyone home evil.

There must have been something in the water at the 1997 MTV Video Music Awards. Fiona Apple went on a rant, Busta Rhymes hit it off with Martha Stewart, Jamiroquai won a bunch of Moonmen and the list of performers included both Jewel and the Prodigy. When the night came to a close, host Chris Rock introduced shock rockers Marilyn Manson, who were riding high at the time on the back of their huge hit single "The Beautiful People," which came from their hit second album Antichrist Superstar.

The performance began with a marching band leading frontman Manson to a podium, where he delivered a speech in front of a giant modified American flag. "My fellow Americans, I see you all sitting out there, trying your hardest not to be ugly, trying your hardest not to fit in, trying your hardest to earn your way into Heaven," Manson said to the crowd. "Let me ask you: Do you want to be in a place that's filled with a bunch of a--holes?"

With a giant scream, Manson kicked over the podium and tore off his robe to reveal a buttocks-baring corset. His band tore through a loud, angry version of "The Beautiful People" to the general horror of the crowd. It was a bizarre send-off to an unusual show, and Rock summed it up perfectly when the performance ended. "Run to church now!" he told the audience. "Get your ass to church, or you're going to hell!" With that, the 1997 MTV Video Music Awards came to a close and yet another set of moments were added to the permanent collection. What moments will get added this year? There's only one way to find out!

The 27th annual MTV Video Music Awards will be broadcast live from the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles on September 12 at 9 p.m. ET.

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Playmate Kendra Wilkinson Had A Strange Turn-On: The MTV News Quote Of The Day

Posted 8/27/10 4:30 pm EST by in Television


"Soccer was my love. I had a huge crush on my soccer coach. He was like the hottest thing to ever exist. I would totally flirt with him. I would wear shorter shorts than the other girls on purpose. We would have to run, and I would purposely be the last because he would be there behind me going, 'C'mon Kendra, c'mon!' I just loved that. I loved just having my soccer coach just yelling at me. It turned me on."

-Playboy centerfold and "Kendra" star Kendra Wilkinson, talking about the unusual crush she had when she was in high school. Wilkinson reveals said story, as well as a number of other revealing items from her teenage years, on this week's episode of "When I Was 17." The model has come along way from her days as a soccer player swooning over her coach. She first came to the attention of Playboy readers in the pages of the magazine, then became the breakout star of the life-of-the-Bunnies series "The Girls Next Door." She is currently the star of her own reality series "Kendra," which airs on the E! network.

The new episode of "When I Was 17" also features stories from rapper Asher Roth (who talks about his high school hip-hop crew) and heavy metal scion Kelly Osbourne (who had a very public life when she was 17, as she was a star on MTV's "The Osbournes").

(Click here for flashback photos of Asher Roth, Kendra Wilkinson and Kelly Osbourne from this week's episode of "When I Was 17"!)

Catch the brand new episode of "When I Was 17" — featuring Kendra Wilkinson, Asher Roth and Kelly Osbourne — this Saturday, August 28 at 11 a.m. Eastern on MTV.

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Hurricane Katrina Five Years Later: Hope For New Orleans

Posted 8/27/10 4:00 pm EST by in Behind The Scenes


On this day in 2005, Hurricane Katrina made landfall in New Orleans, beginning a cycle of disaster that still affects the city today. Just after the storm hit, MTV News' SuChin Pak headed down to Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge to talk to refugees who were forced to leave New Orleans and volunteers looking to help out. These are her recollections five years hence.

I have not been back to the Gulf Coast since our last time down there. We went back a year after the hurricane to see how things had changed, and the thing that sticks in my memory the most is how little things had changed and in ways how much worse it was. Houses that had been filled with water were now drained but sitting for a year, untouched in the hot Louisiana sun. You can imagine the state of the houses and the kinds of smells that you encountered when walking through the empty streets. It kind of felt like a post-apocalyptic movie where you usually see the zombie creature as you turn the corner.

During our time there, it was the silence that was most deafening. You didn't hear one hammer, one construction truck, one sound that would indicate that rebuilding would come soon. We traveled with a group of high school and college students that were doing the work of retrieving belongings and trying to make a dent in the damage. They were the only group we encountered there ̵ no government agencies, no construction companies, just a small group of students volunteering to try to bring this neighborhood back on its feet. I left mostly feeling angry and confused.

Today, with the oil spill and the economy still in turmoil, I wonder how that neighborhood looks and if indeed, they were able to get back some of what they lost. I certainly hope so.

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Which Song Should Paramore Play At The 2010 MTV Video Music Awards?

Posted 8/27/10 3:30 pm EST by in VMAs


The list of performers who will be taking the stage at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards continues to grow. Kanye West, Eminem, B.o.B, Drake, Florence and the Machine and Justin Bieber will all be there playing some of their biggest hits from the past year and newest jams that you soon won't be able to get out of your head. Two more gigantic names joined the fray on Thursday (August 26), as both Usher and Paramore signed on to play the show.

It's sort of old hat for Paramore, as the band made their first appearance at the MTV Video Music Awards in 2008 (the last time the show was in Los Angeles). They rocked their way through "Misery Business" in one of the show's highlights. At the 2009 show, they didn't play but were present at the festivities (singer Hayley Williams famously tweeted about being "#TeamTaylor" after Kanye West interrupted Taylor Swift's acceptance speech for Best Female Video). With three big appearances in a row (as well as three straight years with nominations), Paramore are well on their way to becoming VMA staples.

But the big question is this: Which song should the band play when the curtain rises on their performance on Sunday, September 12? Their 2009 album Brand New Eyes has offered up a cornucopia of riches as far as options go. "Ignorance" would make sense because it is the song that has been nominated, but "Brick by Boring Brick," "The Only Exception" and "Careful" are all live highlights and would sound amazing on the VMA stage. Paramore are also about to release another Brand New Eyes single in "Playing God," so perhaps they'll use the VMA stage to unleash it on a huge audience.

We will leave it up to you. Vote in the poll below and leave your thoughts in the comments!

The 27th annual MTV Video Music Awards will be broadcast live from the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles on September 12 at 9 p.m. ET.

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Spotted: Katy Perry Sweetens Friday Morning On 'Today'

Posted 8/27/10 2:30 pm EST by in Music


Every day a multitude of stars wander through the halls of MTV News to talk about their latest projects and goof around with our intrepid correspondents. But sometimes we catch stars elsewhere, and that's why we put together Spotted!, a daily compendium of stars in the wild.

This week, Katy Perry released her new album Teenage Dream, and it could not have gone better for the 25-year-old pop sensation. She played an extended set on "The Late Show With David Letterman," unleashed the cotton candy-scented album on the masses, saw the title track continue to climb up the Billboard Hot 100 (next week, she'll likely have both the top album and the top song in the country) and, on Friday morning (August 27), she took her place at the table with the rest of the biggest names in pop music and played a handful of songs on NBC's "Today." Fans camped out for hours to catch a glimpse of Perry, who dressed up the stage in the same sort of "Candy Land" motif as both her album cover and the "California Gurls" video. She played three songs, including "California Gurls," "Teenage Dream" and the hit "I Kissed a Girl" from her previous album One of the Boys. And she still has plenty to look forward to, as her singles will continue to grow and her wedding to Russell Brand is coming up.

She wasn't the only star starting a party in public, as Lady Antebellum performed on ABC's "Good Morning America" in New York and Kiss frontman and reality star Gene Simmons stopped by "Fox and Friends." Click here for these photos as well as the entire "Spotted" archive, which features over 400 candid shots of stars like Britney Spears, Taylor Swift, Jay-Z, Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, Eminem, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Justin Timberlake, the Jonas Brothers, Madonna, 50 Cent and Adam Lambert!

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Ready For The Scares Of 'The Last Exorcism' With Avenged Sevenfold, Beck And Kyuss

Posted 8/27/10 1:30 pm EST by in Music


If you are in the mood for a trip to the cinema this weekend, you have a handful of options. If you're looking for an excuse to return to Pandora in all its 3-D glory, the expanded edition of "Avatar" is back for your viewing pleasure. Want to indulge in a sexy-looking crime fantasy starring some of your favorite music stars? Join T.I., Chris Brown, Paul Walker, Zoe Saldana and Hayden Christensen in "Takers." But if you're looking to get the drop on some big scares in anticipation of the fall horror season, then there's only one option for you: "The Last Exorcism," a low-budget horror flick presented by "Hostel" director Eli Roth that follows an exorcist on his last job. It takes the "found footage" approach, often looking like a documentary gone awry (the man holding the camera becomes something of a character in the movie) and adds a whole bunch of scares, shocks and unnerving images for a fresh, fun take on the genre.

In order to properly prepare yourself for "The Last Exorcism," we have put together the playlist below. It's full of both the devil's music (Rob Zombie's "Demonoid Phenomenon," Children of Bodom's "Smile Pretty for the Devil," Deicide's "Homage for Satan") and songs about old Beelzebub himself (Viva Voce's "From the Devil Himself," The Colour's "Devil's Got a Holda Me"). There's also Avenged Sevenfold's "Nightmare" and Interpol's "Evil" (because of reasons should be self-evident) as well as Beck's "The Devil's Haircut," just for fun.

But we begin with an homage to exorcists everywhere with Kyuss' "Demon Cleaner." Enjoy all the clips and keep clicking, because an idle mind is the devil's playground

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