Music videos have seen their better days in being able to help a song get a foothold in the marketplace, with only a few recent examples of ones that can be directly attributed with a song’s success (“Single Ladies”, anyone?). In most cases, the videos just seem like an afterthought or a mandatory exercise in futility. That’s why when a video comes along that stands out, it really stands out. Here are two such videos…
– Randy Houser “Boots On” – It’s a country video, so you’ve been forewarned, but the 3 minutes to watch it is completely worthwhile. Pay close attention to Dillon Dixon, the kid in the backseat who is a born rock star.
-Ryan Star “Breathe” – Ryan has opened for the majority of David Cook’s tour this year, and it seems like he’s made a good number of fans in the process. In addition, he was a member of the group Stage, who were signed to Maverick Records in the early part of this decade. Here is his current video “Breathe” from his upcoming debut CD on Atlantic Records, which highlights the plight of actual jobless Americans, acting as a virtual want ad. To check out his efforts to get them jobs, go to breathe4jobs.com.
Mr Hudson posted a video today of a Jay-Z show in London that he showed up at to sing “Young Forever”, 
The most striking thing to me, though, was at the end of the second round, where Hova kicks in to the intro of “Smells Like Teen Spirit”. This happens at every concert…someone segues from their own song into a crowd-pleaser that gets the audience hyped, or maybe they play a bunch of party jams right before the show starts. For Jay, the fact that he can stage a huge sing-along for a song that was considered alternative in the 80s, it becomes a blessing and a curse. On the positive side, there is no question that Jay-Z can rock a crowd, no matter where they are. But does that ability hurt his street cred? Sadly, it does. There’s a double-standard playing here…so much of the rap body of work talks about escaping poverty and making it big. Yet Jay has to deal with the “sell out” tag, amid accusations that he isn’t street anymore. There’s no winning for winning, is there?
We talk about selling out, catering to certain audiences, working with the “right” producer, but at the end of it all, if the listener finds something that resonates, then the music has done its job. As much as I hate the God-and-nation forms of country music, it works for someone, and who am I to deprive them of that. So the same goes for rap music. If you can bridge the gap by speaking the musical language of the audience you are playing to, more power to you.
Popjustice posted 
So Kris, Adam, and Alison have all dropped their first singles, which meant that Danny Gokey’s first offering couldn’t be too far behind. Courtesy of 
– Gary Go – So I 
– La Roux – Oh, Elly Jackson. I am sure you mean well, with your punkish attitude and your mile-high hair. The public loves a polarizing figure sometimes if there is some redeeming quality. Unfortunately, at this moment, there really isn’t one for La Roux in the U.S. (released digitally this month), because while she may have an interesting persona, the music just isn’t where the American public is currently. It’s a really good CD…former #1 dance track “Bulletproof” will lodge itself into your head for hours at a time, and “In For the Kill”, despite certain frequencies of Elly’s voice, is a pretty classy electronic pop romp. The rough part for Elly and Co is that in order to crack the pop charts here in the States, you either need a sound that draws off of something that’s already been a hit, or something that is completely new, different, and impactful. I just don’t see this happening with anything on the current release, but hopefully they develop enough of an underground following that will sustain them through to their sophomore effort.
– Noisettes – I admit it…”Don’t Upset the Rhythm” was not an immediate hit with me. Despite all of the raving that was going on for the track, it just did not fully click with me. Fortunately, there was more to this trio from London than just an all-out funky jam (which is currently in the Top 5 of the Billboard Dance/Club Play chart). “Never Forget You” seeped into my brain, and has made regular appearances for the past month, making it a strong candidate for “Earworm of the Year”. If there is a track that can crack America, it is “Forget”, which has a bit of an Amy Winehouse vibe to it, but with a lot more 60s-era class. This is custom-made for the VH1 set, and it would only take one breakthrough performance on a show like Saturday Night Live (think Adele last year) to bring this album to the masses. Here’s hoping…
Stumble It!
Pop Music Notes 