SOUND BITES

I could do a fancy lead-in to this video, but I think it's better if you just hit play instead. Really, though, I have to hand it to OK Go; since a spat over company YouTube embedding policy with Capitol Records nearly two years ago freed them from their contract and turned them indie, they've ridden a constant wave of ingenuity and creative promotion, releasing a staggering eight music videos in conjunction with Blue Colour of the Sky .  This newest is perhaps the most insane, not to mention the highest-profile; this one got props during the Super Bowl .  It's already cleared two million views on YouTube; in fact, their YouTube channel has (as of this writing) garnered a total over 140 million hits.  Since the first video from the current album was released, they've been able to promote that album in endlessly innovative ways for what amounts to eight singles and 27 months (and counting).  When's the last time you saw an album promoted so successfully for such...

It's been a long time since we've heard new stuff from the Darkness.  As you may recall, the UK hair metal revivalists scored an improbable hit back in 2003 with I Believe in a Thing Called Love , a song that to this day remains one of the most fun singalongs you can have if you dare to do so.  After releasing a subpar sophomore album in 2005, they disbanded a year later so that singer Justin Hawkins could get over his coke-and-booze controlled lifestyle.  Reuniting for a handful of shows last year, the Darkness are now nearing completion of their third album and have offered up a free download of Nothing's Gonna Stop Us to whet our cock-rock appetites.  While not boasting the major league hooks of some of Permission to Land 's best moments, the single does a smashing job of lifting spirits.  The video makes for a hell of a watch; as the band embarks on batshit crazy adventures spawned from the mind of a young fan, you can't help but submit to its awesomeness....

News broke this morning about White Stripes/Raconteurs/Dead Weather brain trust Jack White's first proper solo album getting released in April, followed by word that its first single would appear "very soon".  White held true to his word, even in our warp-speed everything-always-now times, as we've already got a taste of Love Interruption for your streaming pleasure.  It's never a bad thing when a song starts off reminding you of Dusty Springfield's Son of a Preacher Man , and Love Interruption did that for me, so kudos. Judging from the lyrics, it sounds like Jack wants love to do some pretty heinous things.  Anyway, the album is called Blunderbuss and will be unleashed via Third Man/Columbia on April 24.

The last we heard of Red Fang, they'd made the most out of a paltry video budget for Wires , one of 2011's best clips.  Clearly, the label liked the results and cut them another check, as evidenced by the new video for Hank Is Dead .  Yet another standout track from their monstrous Murder the Mountains album, the video for Hank Is Dead sadly lacks in gallons of milk exploding.  But it makes up for it with an uncomfortable shower scene, one of the best paper airplane odyssies you'll ever see, and some bitchin' air guitar.  Enjoy (loudly): Murder the Mountains is out now on Relapse, and will rock you in the face.

Apparently, I didn't wait long enough into the day to post new videos, or I'd have led off with the amazing new Wilco video for Dawned On Me .  The video is mind-blowing for a number of reasons, not the least of which being the fact that Wilco haven't released an official video for a single in thirteen years.  It's also a full-blown collab between the band and King Features, creators of the eternally endearing Popeye.  The end result is a truly great music video, as you can plainly see: Compounding the head-exploding awesomeness is the Wilco brand spinach which, according to the image on this website , is "coming soon".  Not that I feel the burning desire to instantly spurt ginormous forearms, but you have to admit it'd be hellacool to have a can of. For those so inclined to pick up the album Dawned On Me comes from, The Whole Love is Wilco's 8th album and is out now on dBpm Records.

I don't like going over a week without posting something, so I promise I'll try harder and hope to appease you with a trio of new videos.  First up is Dry Bone Valley , the new single by Mastodon.  The video's sort of neat, but a little repetitive.  It's got neat animation, but it sort of repeats.  Don't get me wrong, I like it, it's just sort of repetitive.  And yet, I can't watch it on repeat.  Hmmm. We also have a new musical commercial for Red Hot Chili Peppers' third official I'm With You single Look Around , which features each member performing in seperate rooms amid items from their personal collection.  Which explains the Sesame Street mobile and car-shaped bed in new guitarist Josh Klinghoffer's room.  I keeed, I keeed. Finally, the cool, gritty, ball-smashing new animated video for Lamb of God's Ghost Walking , first single from the just-released Resolution album.  No explanation necessary, just know that your balls will b...

A couple of years back, Brit rockers Band of Skulls started their slow ascent with the release of debut album Baby Darling Doll Face Honey .  It took a while, but lead single I Know What I Am eventually became a hit on the strength of its insistent hook and the public's slow realization that the White Stripes were really, truly over. Now, Band of Skulls finally return with their new album, Sweet Sour , on February 21.  I say "finally" because they've been promoting it with videos and single releases since October.  The Devil Takes Care of His Own was actually a moderate hit in Canada, paving the way for releases of the sultry and scorching title track to radio and another brand new video for Bruises , which sees the band get their Radiohead and Big Lebowski on.

From the time he stepped out as bassist for Propagandhi and formed the Weakerthans, John K. Samson has been steadily building a reputation for being a quality songwriter and witty lyricist.  Indeed, the Weakerthans' last two albums (2003's breakthrough Reconstruction Site and 2007's more polished Reunion Tour ) are among the last decade's most enjoyable and intelligent rock platters.  The frustrating part about being a fan of Samson's work is just how it takes to get more of it.  Sure, there are other bands that take a long time between records, but I'm not about to let Tool off the hook for their sluggish pace anytime soon.  With a measly two albums released in the last nine years (and five since the last), one can understand how hotly anticipated a new Weakerthans album has been. Well, we're probably not getting that this year, although Samson has finally amassed enough songs to release his first official solo album.  Although, if we're splittin...

Well, that didn't take long. After a dry spell in rock music news and a new release schedule that started to resemble a dystopian wasteland, 2012 has gotten off to a rather hasty start in the form of a pair of new single premieres. Shinedown released Bully  as a single today alongside word that their fourth album Amaryllis will be released on March 27, and saw fit to declare on their official website, "This is going to be the 2012 anthem! All bullies beware!" Now, I don't want to start 2012 on a downer, but this isn't really a great sign of things to come if this is the one you're calling "the 2012 anthem".  It's standard radio fare, a drop of dogshit in the landfill of generic rock garbage that's stunk up the airwaves in recent years.  Shinedown aren't this bad; over the course of their first three albums, they've amassed a good following and a handful of stellar tracks that rock hard without dumbing it down.  This is trite, ...

I've been purposefully preventing myself to watch the original Swedish film trilogy that starts with The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo ever since I saw first mind-blowing trailer for David Fincher's upcoming remake.  That trailer, in addition to looking freaking awesome, was soundtracked by a most interesting snippet, that being the cover of Led Zeppelin's Immigrant Song by Trent Reznor and Karen O of Yeah Yeah Yeahs fame.  Now, that track is available in full for your listening pleasure below. The film's soundtrack is epic, to say the least.  Written and (mostly) performed by Reznor and Atticus Ross (whose score for The Social Network was pretty amazing in its own right and won a metric shit-tonne of awards), it clocks in at a double take-worthy three hours, and is in reputable record stores (as a 3-CD set) on December 27.  You can snag yourself a six-track sampler by submitting your email address (also below).  Also, if you're into the iTunes thing, pre-or...