The new Lady Gaga video with Beyonce came out last week, and I was just now able to sit down and watch the whole thing – the explicit version, which I didn’t know exactly what I was getting myself into by clicking the little play arrow.

I’m still not sure what I think of the whole thing. Shocked, that’s the first feeling that comes to mind. I know MTV no longer plays music videos, and the whole music video idea seems to have faded out to some extent. But what Lady Gaga and Beyonce have done is much more than simply a music video; It’s a short film. It’s nearly ten minutes long to start, and I’m kind of left thinking about their motivation for the project.

Billboard had the following to say about it: “Lady Gaga and Beyoncé unveiled the video for their “Telephone” collaboration on Thursday night (Mar. 11), and it more than measures up to the hype. Directed by Gaga’s “Paparazzi” video helmer Jonas Akerlund, the “Telephone” clip is chock full of intrigue, prison fights, makeout scenes, mass poisoning and plenty of skin-baring versions of what you might call “outfits” (if strategically placed caution tape counts as such).”

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Time Out Chicago have just claimed that a ‘trustworthy industry source’ has given them the lowdown on the Lollapalooza headliners for this upcoming summer’s show. Apparently the main acts will include: Strokes, Arcade Fire, Lady Gaga, Green Day, Soundgarden… and Phoenix.

“Aside from Phoenix, all acts had been previously named by Greg Kot on his blog back in February. The French band would take a major leap to the big leagues if this shakes out. Having seem Thomas Mars and co. thrill a packed Aragon, I can see it happening, despite the knee-jerk take that it is not popular enough.

I’m a fan of Phoenix, and their show at Chicago’s Aragon Theatre was very good. It’s thanks to events such as Lollapalooza that the ‘maybe’ headliners get their time at the top of the bill, let alone how many new bands get their first taste of a US festival. Phoenix, made up of four guys from Paris, have enjoyed huge success with their ‘Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix’ album; it has been hugely popular here with a wide range of fans, and several of the tracks have been deservedly huge hits. Check out some video here…

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John Mayer: what can you say. Personally he drives me nuts and I would rather do almost anything else than have to listen to him. However, in addition to the sound of his voice making me cringe, Mr. Mayer has made a few very public missteps as of late.

“John Mayer did some damage control on his Twitter [recently], apologizing for controversial statements he made in a “raw” interview with Playboy.” (Rolling Stone)

He got explicit with Playboy magazine, using some choice metaphors when speaking about his sex life with Jessica Simpson, as well as some dirty details regarding his preference for white women. He also described a “make out” session with Perez Hilton that he initiated. Enough said about that, though the two kinda seem made for each other…

However, the worst was still yet to come. In the interview that John gave with Playboy he continued on to reference a “hood pass” and renamed it using the ‘N’ word, which did not go over well at all.

It was that last statement and its fallout that had Mayer backpedaling. “I am sorry that I used the word. And it’s such a shame that I did because the point I was trying to make was in the exact opposite spirit of the word itself. It was arrogant of me to think I could intellectualize using it, because I realize that there’s no intellectualizing a word that is so emotionally charged,” Mayer tweeted. He added, “I think it’s time to stop trying to be so raw in interviews… It started as an attempt to not let the waves of criticism get to me, but it’s gotten out of hand and I’ve created somewhat of a monster. I wanted to be a blues guitar player. And a singer. And a songwriter. Not a shock jock. I don’t have the stomach for it.” Mayer also apologized during his concert last week in Nashville, which is available on Ustream.

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It has recently been announced that the wonderful Sia will be stopping by North America and Europe to sprinkle some of her musical magic dust as part of The We Meaning You Tour. Tickets are on sale now, and I am definitely heading along to the Chicago show on April 25th.

Tickets are selling out fast, with only a very limited number of VIP tickets left, so check out the list of US tour dates below and then hurry on over to SiaMusic.net to buy your tickets (EU dates also available via that link).

NORTH AMERICA

Check out the video below for Sia’s fantastic version of You’ve Changed, with her own unique quirky character shining though as strong as her epic voice. If you like what you hear you can also get a free download after the jump…

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Chicago-based indie rockers OK Go caused a sensation with the video for their 2006 song “Here It Goes Again”. The video featured a choreographed treadmill dance routine, and reached nearly 50 million views on Youtube, and inspired scores of remakes. The band became the perfect example of viral marketing in the new music industry.

So, any follow-up would be a tough task, and would need to be a pretty impressive video. “This Too Shall Pass” premiered yesterday, and has received some great reviews so far. The latest project collaborated with Syyn Labs on a two-story Rube Goldberg machine. The machine, constructed in a warehouse in Echo Park, keeps perfect time with the band’s latest single “This Too Shall Pass,” thrashing TV sets, dropping pianos, launching paper airplanes, blasting paint, and much more in spectacular synchronicity with the song. Check it out here at US Music Jobs.

What do you think of the video? Do you see it being another hit for the band? How relevant are music videos in the internet age? This will definitely inspire a further music video post from me, and I would like to hear your views.

Lee Jarvis.

To celebrate the video release, OK Go will be taking part in a concert fundraiser for LACMA Muse. Friday, March 5, 2010, LACMA West Penthouse, 8 pm–12 am. More info here.

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