IN DEPTH: Lady Sov "Love Me Or Hate Me"

Despite being hyped as the next big thing, the UK  rap scene seemed in danger of never fulfilling its commercial promise over on these shores. Enter Lady Sovereign. While her massive US deal with Def Jam was initially met with curiosity at best, it's now pretty clear that Jay-Z was onto something when he hedged a big bet on the self-proclaimed Biggest Midget In the Game. Combining just enough authenticity to attract open-minded hip-hop heads, enough of a rebel sensibility for the alternative crowd and the big-time personality to lure everyone else to the table, Lady Sovereign's "Love Me And Hate Me" became the most random — and the funnest — video to hit #1 on MTV's TRL in quite some time. She'll need a lot more hits before the Eminem comparisons are valid  — beyond the sense of humor and, of course, the skin tone — but Lady Sov is off to a hot start.

Director Brian Beletic doles out a few tidbits on the clip:

"Sov has a deep distaste for the color pink. One day before we filmed, Sov wasn’t feeling well and someone sent her flowers on my behalf to cheer her up. Pink flowers. Ooops. Oh well. You may notice there is no pink in the video.

Then MI5 chased the East London sports bottle terrorists through our tech scout. Exciting at the time, but now none of us can take water bottles or lip balm on planes. The garbage man with long hair was in 'Dead or Alive' (You spin me right round, baby right round like a record, baby right round). The overweight Sov was a 19 year old look-a-like. The monkeys were a seven year old and a nine year old jumping on a $330,000 Rolls Royce Phantom. The insurance guy was lured away from set with a pretty girl and a lemonade while we shot this scene."

(see photo above of Beletic, on the right, with the very hairy Sov and two groomers)

--> watch "Love Me Or Hate Me"

Lady Sovereign "Love Me Or Hate Me" (Island Def Jam)
Brian Beletic, director | Ben Sullivan, producer | Smuggler, production co | David Lanzenberg, DP | Maury Loeb, editor | Mass Market and The Mill, effects

BOOKED: Jim Jones - Dale "Rage" Resteghini, co-director

Director Dale Resteghini looks to recreate that classic "Flava In Ya Ear" remix vibe with this star-studded video for  the remix of "We Fly High." Shooting next week in Atlanta, prior to the first annual BET Hip-Hop Awards.

artist: Jim Jones f/ Diddy, T.I., Young Dro & Baby
song: "We Fly High" (remix)
label: Diplomats/Koch
director(s): Dale "Rage" Resteghini & Jim Jones
production co: Raging Nation Films

Resteghini is repped by Yvette Lange of F.M. Rocks

PHOTO: On The Set With Five For Fighting

Not quite as rebellious as Kurt Cobain wearing a "Corporate Magazines Still Suck" T-shirt on the cover of Rolling Stone — I dare say it's the opposite — but kudos to director Todd Strauss-Schulson (fourth from left) for recognizing that I am indeed his proverbial daddy. Strauss-Schulson poses on the set of  the Five For Fighting video "World" with executive producer Dave Lebensfeld,  producer Ken Fanchi, rep Randi Wilens, John Ondrasik of Five For Fighting, and Columbia/Sony Music video commissioner Danny Lockwood.

Todd: Nice work on remembering to put the "i" before the "e" in Gottlieb. Remind me to send you that check.

PHOTO: On The Set With Landon Pigg

DP Yon Thomas, director Steven Murashige and RCA solo artist Landon Pigg on the set of his video, "Can't Let Go." Murashige is signed with The Artists Company and repped by Laure Scott.

PHOTO: P.O.D. & Director Ryan Smith

Director Ryan Smith (center) with P.O.D. on the set of "Going In Blind." The video supports the band's upcoming greatest hits album on Rhino. Smith is signed with Merge @ Crossroads and repped by Labuda Management.

NEWS: Revolver Signs Speedway Films

The Revolver Film Co. has announced the signing of production team Speedway Films. Headed up by Adam Rothlein and Jennifer Destiny Rothlein, Speedway handles all types of music-related productions, but is best known for their live shoots, DVDs, EPKs and behind-the-scenes specials. Speedway will be repped by Justine Smith of Stompbox Media.

BOOKED: Taking Back Sunday - Flourescent Hill, directors

A fully animated video is in production for this perfect song to accompany the coming Holiday season...

artist: Taking Back Sunday
song: "The 12 Days Of Christmas"
label: Warner Bros.
director(s): Darren Pasemko/Fluorescent Hill
production co: The Revolver Film Co.
rep: Stompbox Media

BOOKED: Fantasia - Ray Kay, director

artist: Fantasia
song: "Hood Boy"
label: J Records
director(s): Ray Kay   
production co: Rockhard Films
rep: Robin Frank Management

NEW RELEASE: Danielson "Did I Step On Your Trumpet?"

A series of increasingly elaborate cardboard cut-out disguises roll onto the stage to let Danielson main man Daniel Smith portray all sorts of people in this whimsical lo-fi clip. Accompanying dancers follow the costume changes with props perfectly suited to each disguise. A very fun DIY clip directed by band collaborator J. Christiaan Palladino. -- watch "Did I Step on Your Trumpet?"

Danielson "Did I Step On Your Trumpet?" (Secretly Canadian)
J. Christiaan Palladino, director

NEW RELEASE: Badly Drawn Boy "Nothing's Gonna Change Your Mind"

It only goes to figure that tunesmith Badly Drawn Boy's car is controlled by a piano that stretches across the entire dashboard. Director Dougal Wilson thankfully takes this clever premise and then augments it with additional quirks, such as a fold-out map of the song and a literal tune-up. -- watch "Nothing's Gonna Change Your Mind"

Badly Drawn Boy
"Nothing's Gonna Change Your Mind" (Astrawlerks)
Dougal Wilson, director | Colonel Blimp, production co

NEW RELEASE: Ima Robot "Creeps Me Out"

Director Frank Borin takes a simple idea and perfectly executes it with humor in this video for artsy rockers Ima Robot. What at first seems to be a typical band performance in a school setting turns into a large-scale game of musical chairs, complete with stops in the music that force the participants to scramble for seats. -- watch "Creeps Me Out"

Ima Robot "Creeps Me Out" (Virgin)
Frank Borin, director/editor | Ari Weiner, producer | Joe Pro, DP (video independently produced; Borin signed with F.M. Rocks)

NEW RELEASE: KT Tunstall "Suddenly I See"

KT Tunstall is serious when she sings "I feel like walking the world" in this larger than life video for "Suddenly I See." After taking a taxi and then a train for the first leg, Tunstall makes the rest of her way through a magical, hyper-realistic city that's built on a foundation of music. -- watch "Suddenly I See"

KT Tunstall "Suddenly I See" (Virgin)
Honey, directors | Billy Parks, producer | Partizan, production co | David Michalson, editor

BOOKED: Trail Of Dead - Cat Solen, director

artist: ...And You Will Know Us By  The Trail Of Dead
song: "Naked Sun"
label: Interscope
director(s): Cat Solen   
production co: Partizan
rep: Stompbox Media

BOOKED: Norah Jones - Ace Norton, director

artist: Norah Jones
song: "Sinkin' Soon"
label: Blue Note
director(s): Ace Norton
production co: Partizan

SHOT: Amusement Parks On Fire - Plates, directors

artist: Amusement Parks On Fire
song: "A Star Is Born"
label: V2 UK
director(s): Plates
production co: Plates Animation

MTV Adds for the Week of 11/13/06

Adds:
Ciara "Promise" (LaFace/ZLG)
Drake Bell "I Know" (Universal Motown)
Eminem f/ 50 Cent, Lloyd Banks & Cashis "You Don't Know" (Shady/Interscope)
Snoop Dogg feat. R. Kelly "That’s That" (Geffen)

MTV2 Adds:
Eminem f/ 50 Cent, Lloyd Banks & Cashis "You Don't Know" (Shady/Interscope)
Killswitch Engage "My Curse" (Roadrunner)
Panic! At The Disco "Lying Is The Most Fun..." (Fueled By Ramen/Atlantic) 
Snoop Dogg feat. R. Kelly "That’s That" (Geffen)

MTVU Adds:
Arctic Monkeys "Leave Before The Lights Come On" (Domino)
The Blood Brothers "Laser Life" (V2)
Dan The Automator "Don't Hate The Player" (Decon)
Incubus "Anna Molly" (Epic)
Nightmare Of You  "My Name Is Trouble" (Bevonshire/EastWest)
Oasis "Acquiesce" (Columbia)
Rise Against "Prayer Of The Refugee" (Geffen)
Snoop Dogg feat. R. Kelly "That’s That" (Geffen)
Viva Voce "From The Devil Himself" (Barsuk) 

MTV Jams:
Eminem f/ 50 Cent, Lloyd Banks & Cashis "You Don't Know" (Shady/Interscope)
Snoop Dogg feat. R. Kelly "That’s That" (Geffen)

VH1 Adds for the Week of 11/13/06

Adds:
Incubus "Anna Molly" (Epic)
Johnny Cash "God’s Gonna Cut You Down" (Lost Highway)

VH1 Soul Adds:
Tamia "Can't Get Enough" (Image)

BET Adds for the Week of 11/13/06

Adds:
Snoop Dogg feat. R. Kelly "That’s That" (Geffen)
Young Jeezy "I Love It" (Island Def Jam)
Eminem f/ 50 Cent, Lloyd Banks & Cashis "You Don't Know" (Shady/Interscope)
Lloyd f/ Lil Wayne "You" (Sho Nuff/Atlantic)

Rap City Adds:
Snoop Dogg feat. R. Kelly "That’s That" (Geffen)
Young Jeezy "I Love It" (Island Def Jam)

FUSE Adds for the Week of 11/13/06

Adds:
Diddy feat. Christina Aguilera "Tell Me" (Bad Boy /Atlantic)
U2 and Green Day "The Saints Are Coming" (Interscope)
Ying Yang Twins f/ Wyclef Jean "Dangerous" (TVT)

Oven Fresh:
Arctic Monkeys "Leave Before The Lights Come On" (Domino)
Atreyu "The Theft" (Victory)
Diddy feat. Christina Aguilera "Tell Me" (Bad Boy /Atlantic)
Moby f/ Debbie Harry "New York, New York" (V2)
MxPx "Breathe Deep" (Side One Dummy)
Stefy "Hey School Boy" (Wind-Up) 
U2 and Green Day "The Saints Are Coming" (Interscope)

IMF Adds for the Week of 11/13/06

Adds:
Johnny Cash "God’s Gonna Cut You Down" (Lost Highway)
Snoop Dogg feat. R. Kelly "That’s That" (Geffen)

Specialty Show Adds:
All That Remains "The Air That I Breathe" (Prosthetic)
La Gusana Ciega "Me Puedes" from Mexico

Music Choice Adds for the Week of 11/13/06

Adds:
Aly & AJ "Greatest Time Of Year" (Hollywood)
Band Of Horses "The Great Salt Lake (Sub Pop)
Bow Wow feat. Chris Brown "Shortie Like Mine" (Columbia)
Brian Posehn "Metal By Numbers" (Relapse)
Christina Aguilera "Hurt" (RCA)
Diecast "Fade Away' (Century Media)
From First To Last "Shame Shame" (Epitaph)
Hi-Tek "Where It Started At (NY)" (Babygrande)
Josh Hoge "360" (Epic)
k-os "Electrick Heat – The Seekwill" (Virgin)
Lacuna Coil "Closer" (Century Media)
Lil' Boosie f/ Yung Joc "Zoom" (Trill/Asylum) 
LP "I Know A Place" (Birmingham Entertainment)
Mary Mary "Yesterday" (Columbia)
Mat Kearney "Nothing Left To Lose" (Aware/Columbia)
Oasis "Acquiesce" (Columbia)
Teddybears "Cobrastyle" (Big Beat/Atlantic)
Terror "Lost" (Trustkill)

CMT Adds for the Week of 11/6/06

Adds:
Carolina Rain "Get Outta My Way" (Equity)
Trace Adkins "Ladies Love Country Boys" (Capitol Nashville)

Much Music Adds for the Week of 11/6/06

Adds:
Beck "Nausea"
Bobby Valentino "Turn The Page"
Ciara "Promise"
EleventySeven "Myspace"
Moneen "Don’t Ever Tell Locke What He Can’t Do"
Trick Daddy f/ Chamillionaire "Bet That"
U2 and Green Day "The Saints Are Coming"

SHOT: Taylor Hawkins - Alma Har'el, director

Much like Foo Fighters marked the proper singing/songwriting debut for Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl, Taylor Hawkins & The Coattail Riders is a similar project for the current Foo Fighter drummer.

Director Alma Har'el is seen in this pic giving some instruction to Taylor Hawkins on the set of the video for "Louise."

artist: Taylor Hawkins & The Coattail Riders
song: "Louise"
label: Thrive
director(s): Alma Har'el
production co: Partizan

SHOT: Dashboard Confessional - Jay Martin, director

artist: Dashboard Confessional
song: "Stolen"
label: Vagrant/Interscope   
director(s): Jay Martin
production co: DNA

SHOT: Jibbs f/ Chamillionaire - Jonathan Mannion, director

artist: Jibbs feat. Chamillionaire
song: "King Kong"
label: Geffen
director(s): Jonathan Mannion
production co: DNA

NEW RELEASE: Dr. Octagon "Trees"

How much peril is the earth's environment in? Even the rappers have noticed. Kool Keith aka Dr. Octagon provides "Trees," a snapshot of a bleak future of lost forests, pollution and other consequences of consumption. The symptoms of the earth's problem are mainly conveyed through skillful computer animation, while Octagon rhymes about the chemicals that threaten our existence without sounding trite or esoteric. Don't look for the former Ultramagnetic MC in the video; his vocals are lip-synced by a dancing adolescent weatherman who channels the spirit of Steve Urkel.  This video, which doubles as a PSA, was produced by MTV as part of their think MTV: Break The Addiction campaign. -- watch Trees at MTV or in Quicktime

Review by Craig Belcher, curator of the blog Rap, Lies & Videotape. 

Dr. Octagon "Trees" (OCD International)
George Greville, director | Jere Orlandi & Simon Walbrok, producer | MTV, production co | Pat Donnelly, DP | Rob Campbell @ Click 3X, editor | Click 3X, editor | Steve Tozzi, Mark Szumski & Anthony Filipakis @ Click 3X, design & visial effects

NEW RELEASE: Incubus "Anna Molly"

Director Jamie Thraves does a lot of things really well, but he certainly stands alone when it comes to depicting dread in a music video. This clip for Incubus — their first off new album Light Grenades — lets Thraves have at one of the most effective and universally frightening tropes in all forms of storytelling: The nightmare of seeming dead, but really being alive. Let's hope this young "Anna Molly" (she's an anomaly, get it?) wakes up before the bone saw gets her. -- watch "Anna Molly"

Incubus "Anna Molly" (Epic)
Jamie Thraves, director | Peter Murray, producer | Oil Factory, production co | Shane Kelley, DP | George Manzanilla, editor

BOOKED: Yo Gotti -Dale "Rage" Resteghini, director

artist: Yo Gotti
song: "That's What's Up"
label: TVT
director(s): Dale "Rage" Resteghini
production co: Raging Nation Films

SHOT: Five For Fighting - Todd Strauss-Schulson, director

artist: Five For Fighting
song: "World"
label: Columbia
director(s): Todd Strauss-Schulson
production co: Ingenuity Engine 
rep: RW Media

BOOKED: Sugarland - Paul Boyd, director

Shooting in Atlanta...

artist: Sugarland
song: "Settlin"
label: Mercury Nashville
director(s): Paul Boyd
production co: MotivFilms 
rep: RW Media