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Run the Jewels made a VR music video for 'Crown'
Rappers Killer Mike and El-P teamed up for two albums worth of tracks under the name Run the Jewels. There's also a collection full of remixes made entirely from cat sounds. After creating some of the best hip-hop in the last two years, the duo is now letting fans take a step inside its video for the song "Crown" with a little help from the New York Times' VR app. What's more, Run the Jewels says that this immersive video marks the launch of its virtual reality platform VRTJ. For "Crown," the pair teamed with VR production company WEVR to complete the 360-degree views.
OK Go flies in zero G for its latest music video
Chicago-based band OK Go has released a fun and colorful music video shot entirely inside a parabolic plane. Since a parabolic flight goes up and down like a wave, it induces periods of microgravity and hypergravity (1.8 times the strength of gravity). Space agencies have been using the technique for decades to train their astronauts before shipping them off to space.
Def Leppard uses 'Guitar Hero Live' to debut new music video
Def Leppard is still crankin' it to 11 in 2016, on the heels of a new self-titled album released in October. To debut its latest music video, though, the band is taking a rather interesting approach. The video for the track "Dangerous" will first appear in the game Guitar Hero Live as a playable track. If you missed the revival of Guitar Hero last year, the latest installment pairs gameplay with "live" visuals of artists playing gigs. It includes everyone from Carrie Underwood to Avenged Sevenfold.
NASA technologies star in One Direction's music video
Ah, pop stars. They can be anyone they want in their music videos: spies, goddesses and, in One Direction's case, astronauts blasting off to space. The boy band's latest music video for the single Drag Me Down features a number of NASA tech, which is why the agency's been promoting it in its social media channels. In addition to donning NASA's bright orange suits and shooting at the Johnson Space Center, the boys got a taste of the ISS crew's training using the Partial Gravity Simulator and the ISS Mockup Bike.
Breaking up is painful, so is this vertical music video
If it's been a while since you've had your heart broken, and you forgot the feelings it can provoke, watching the vertical video for Harrison's song "How Can It Be (feat. Maddee)" will bring up that distinct combination of disbelief, loss, regret and nausea all over again.
Bjork out-Bjorks herself with wild 360 degree VR music video
Y'all know Bjork. Besides being the sound that the Muppets' Swedish Chef makes, Bjork is also a super-talented Icelandic pop diva. She made a name for herself with off-the-wall outfits and over-the-top pageantry (looking at you, 1995's It's Oh So Quiet) and did so decades before Lady Gaga even thought of donning a meat suit. Now, Bjork's back and quirkier than ever in her latest "Stonemilker" music video. The song originally debuted back in March, however the only way to experience the 360 degree action was live at MoMA PS1 in Long Island City -- we made the trip -- or the Rough Trade shops in New York and London. But now, the video has finally made its way to the Interwebs. It's currently playing on YouTube, no VR goggles required.
Madonna continues her app tour with a video premiere on Meerkat
Madonna is still determined to hold on to the spotlight by premiering music videos in the internet services du jour. Her next stop? Meerkat. Swing by the livestreaming service at 1PM Eastern and you'll see the Material Girl's video for "Ghosttown" before it makes its way elsewhere. The stunt is undoubtedly going to get some attention, but it also suggests that Madonna is a bit behind the curve -- many of the cool kids have already moved on to Periscope. And what happened to all the juicy exclusives that are destined for Tidal, where the singer is a partner? As unique as this debut may be, it's not the first place we'd go to get some buzz from the younger crowd. [Image credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images for iHeartMedia]
Age ratings for UK music videos start appearing on YouTube and Vevo
Last summer, the UK government said it was working with the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) to bring age ratings to music videos available online. The scheme is intended "to help parents protect their children from some of the graphic content in online music videos," by grading them in the same way movies and video games are -- based on the amount of sex/drugs/rock and roll depicted. As part of a pilot program to see how this might work, the labels Sony, Warner Music and Universal have been running any video they suspect may deserve a 12, 15 or 18 age rating by the BBFC for judgement. And today sees the first batch of ratings being adopted by pilot collaborators YouTube and Vevo.
Your Xbox One now plays Pandora radio and Vevo music videos
You haven't had many choices for streaming music on the Xbox One so far; you've largely been limited to Xbox Music or the occasional YouTube mix. You'll have some proper options very shortly, though. Apps for both Pandora's internet radio service (US-only) and Vevo's music videos (in 14 countries) are reaching the game console this week. The two apps don't have any surprising Xbox-specific features in store, but they'll definitely help if you need some tunes for your next house party. And don't worry, movie and TV fans -- you'll get a few apps as well. Bravo Now and Telemundo Now let American TV subscribers stream shows from those networks on demand, while Popcornflix gives North Americans "hundreds" of free movies. If your Xbox One doubles as your media center, you're in for a treat in the days ahead.
These videos prove that music and science can (usually) mix
Wondering how NASA could make a clever yet groan-inducing music video like "All About That Space?" Really, it's just carrying on a tradition of producing science-themed tunes. A lot of them are cheesy covers -- we've seen scientific riffs on Adele and Psy, among others -- while others remind you why biology, chemistry and physics are such wonderful things. We've rounded up ten noteworthy science music videos to show you how good (or at least, dorky) they can get. And if you've discovered any other cool or kitschy clips, be sure to share them in the comments.
Tidal brings pristine streaming music to nearly every device you own
You can already check out Deezer Elite if you want high-quality streaming music, but it's only available on Sonos devices. That's not very useful when you're away from home, is it? Thankfully, Aspiro has stepped in to fill that void with a far more accessible service, Tidal. The offering brings lossless internet tunes to Android, iOS, the web and seemingly every networked media player on the planet; the company has deals to support gear from 34 home audio companies, including Sonos and Denon. Tidal also has a few incentives to come back besides new albums, including articles, music videos and a Shazam-style song recognition feature. You can give Tidal a spin today, but be prepared to cough up some cash for that no-compromise sound. It costs $20 per month in the US (£20 in the UK), or about twice as much as many run-of-the-mill services.
Michael Jackson's next posthumous act: The music video as tweet
Sony has used all kinds of technological tricks to sell you Michael Jackson's posthumous Xscape album, ranging from streaming music offers to life-size holograms. Its next move is something you're more likely to experience first-hand, however. The company's Epic Records label will premiere MJ's latest music video, "A Place with No Name," in a Twitter post; visit @MichaelJackson at 10PM Eastern tonight (August 13th) and you'll see the late King of Pop's promo attached to a tweet. Yes, it's ultimately a publicity grab for a music legend that doesn't need any stunts to capture the world's attention. With that said, there hasn't been a major music video launch on Twitter before -- it'll be interesting to see if Jackson can lure people away from the cat photos and social updates in their timelines, if just for a few minutes.
The Nostalgia Machine takes you back to the music of your youth
It's easy to get sucked into a nostalgic listening session, but tracking down the songs of your youth can be tougher than you think -- and "best of" medleys on YouTube will only do so much to scratch the itch. Don't worry, though, as The Nostalgia Machine has come to save the day. Pick a year and you'll see an easy-to-digest list of pop music videos that might just remind you of your high school prom or that big college party. It's definitely not an authoritative source -- what, no New Radicals? -- but it also covers a few artists that you might not remember until you hear them again, like Mark Morrison or Sonique. Give the Machine a spin the next time you're eager to revisit the zeitgeist of years gone by.
Pretend it's 1994: music videos now available on Xbox One
The days of true music television may be long gone, but Microsoft has just introduced the next best thing. Xbox Music on the Xbox One now offers more than 92,000 music videos; if a given song has a matching video, you'll see that instead of having to settle for plain old audio. You can also browse music videos if you demand visuals for every track. If you're looking for something to do before the Xbox One's big update hits -- or just want to indulge in some TV nostalgia -- you can check out the Xbox Music update today.
LeAnn Rimes new music video was shot on iPhone and you should really watch it
Regardless of your feelings about country music, LeAnn Rimes' new music video is well worth your time as an Apple enthusiast. The clip for "Gasoline and Matches" off of her new album Spitfire was shot entirely using an iPhone. Combining stop-motion animation, clips of live singing and the haunting eyeliner of Matchbox 20's Rob Thomas, the video is a playful and creative example of just how far iPhone technology has come. It took more than 8,000 pictures to put together the 4:53-long stop-motion extravaganza. In an interview with The Loop, Darrell Brown, the video's co-producer, explained the how the iPhone made the complicated shoot possible. "Using the iPhone camera for the stop motion video made it easy, affordable and portable for us -- because of time factors. I had to get Ian [Padgham] to Dublin to film LeAnn while she was there. I had to get Ian to New York State to film Rob. It was so easy to lug around three iPhones instead of other heavy gear. iPhone to film, iPhone for playback of song and iPhone to document the fun." We don't know which generation of iPhone was used, but given the clarity of the shots, it's fair to guess it's a 5 or above. You can watch "Gasoline and Matches" below. If you're not a fan of country music, or at least this brand of country music, consider turning the sound off and playing another song that's 4:53 seconds long. These visuals deserve a few minutes of your time.
Bing rolls out new music video search, complete with hover-over previews
Bing's just received a big revamp to make scouring the web for music videos a cinch. This is the latest in the website's string of updates, which include adding image collections, highlighting trending social topics and retaining Twitter posts in search results. Whenever you query an artist's name or song in the video tab, Microsoft's search engine now shows a collection of clips from YouTube, Vimeo, MTV and other sources. The most popular music video appears at the very top of the page, along with its info and a list of songs by its artist. What's particularly nifty, however, is the ability to preview videos when you hover over one to confirm you've found what you're looking for. As a bonus, clicking an album title on the right-hand menu will display all its tunes, because you should never listen to Alejandro before going through Bad Romance.
Arcade Fire's 'Just a Reflektor' music video takes cues from your smartphone
Arcade Fire already knows how to immerse its fans in a web music video. For its new "Just a Reflektor" video, though, it's also bringing smartphones into the action. The band's Chrome-based project links a PC to a mobile device through a webcam, turning the handheld into a visual effects controller -- halos, reflections and wireframes in the video adapt to every movement. As the experiment is open source, viewers can even tinker with the web code (primarily JavaScript and WebGL) to build their own masterworks. Whether or not you're a fan of Arcade Fire's indie rock, you'll likely want to give "Reflektor" a look for curiosity's sake; just don't be surprised when the video looks back.
Vidzone music video streaming app comes to PlayStation 3 users in the US
Music Unlimited has long been Sony's preferred musical portal on the PlayStation 3, but for those who enjoy video to accompany their music, there's a new option available to folks in the US: Vidzone. It's an ad-supported music video streaming service -- not unlike the Vevo app Xbox 360 users enjoy -- that's been available to PS3 owners in Europe for years. Now, their US counterparts can enjoy the 55,000 videos in its library and can view them via genre-based channels or build their own custom playlists. Should you prefer content that's a little less produced, the service also delivers artist interviews and plenty of live events, too. And, whenever you find a new favorite video, you can share it on Facebook. Sound good? You can grab the app yourself from the PlayStation Store or install it directly from the XMB's TV/Video Services option.
Vevo music video app comes to Windows 8
Although Vevo has a presence on seemingly every platform, it hasn't done much of anything special on the desktop: so far, it's been either the web or nothing. That's changing -- the company has just launched a native app for Windows 8 and RT devices. The software puts all of Vevo's core music video features into a touch-friendly format, including Vevo TV, live concerts and playlists. While we suspect that many will still be content with the web interface, those who just have to watch Selena Gomez on a Surface can grab the Vevo app for free at the source link.
High Contrast's 'Spectrum Analyser' embraces our glitchy digital history (video)
Forget the rose-tinted view of the early digital era that we sometimes get from chiptunes. High Contrast's new "Spectrum Analyser" music video triggers our nostalgia by embracing the messiness and imperfections of computing in the '80s and '90s -- all while producing the kind of psychedelic journey we'd have expected from the '60s. We almost don't know where to start. The flood of Windows screens? The polar bear fighting game? The endless, purposeful video glitches? There's no one frame that can illustrate just how much 8- and 16-bit history is packed into one space. As long as you're a fan of drum-and-bass, it's best to catch the video after the break if you want a trip down memory lane... just expect a few odd detours.
