With members from Anthrax, Fall Out Boy, and Every Time I Die, The Damned Things is one hell of a rock n’ roll power house! This afternoon they revealed the hilarious new music video to accompany their first single, We’ve Got A Situation Here. Super snappy tune—get into it!

Debut album, Ironiclast comes out December 14!

Deftones premiere their brand new music video for You’ve Seen the Butcher today, and have absolutely killed it! With the release of Diamond Eyes earlier this summer, and all the deftly-produced videos following, the Deftones have made it very difficult to ignore them. I’ve held a very special place for this band for quite some time, and I’m thrilled to see they are holding strong in the absence of Chi.

If you haven’t seen the other videos from Diamond Eyes, check them all out here.

I’m a huge admirer of Alex Trochut—he’s an awesome designer, genuine guy, and his work is absolutely cutting edge. You don’t see a lot of video interviews with him, but the always-reliable Die Gestalten Verlag has recently published this great and humble interview with Alex, and I’m glad they did because I haven’t heard much from him in almost a year. Good to know he’s still creating work that I’ll be throwing jealousy tantrums over very soon (get a few sneak peeks in the video—are you seeing that work he did for Fila?!)

Disclaimer: I do not take any credit, or claim any rights for the above interview with Alex Trochut. It belongs to, and was produced and published Die Gestalten Verlag. Check them out, they’re awesome.

The Social Net—what?

So listen, I’m not a huge theatre-goer, but I do love great film, and I love Gaspar Noe. I saw his French mind-bender, Irreversiblé in a film class a few years ago, and it left quite the positive impression on me. It was a wild, complicated, over the top contemporary film that pushed the boundaries of conventional cinema and what the average audience can truly handle—and stomach.

With his newest film eight years later, Gaspar Noe takes an enormous step forward.

Enter the Void is more than a movie; it’s an experience. I realize that might sound cliché, but never has a theatre experience inspired me to feel the entire spectrum of human emotion in one sitting. From the blazing opening credits to the final two gut-punching frames, the film analyzes life, family, the separation of family, fear, death, the consequences of death, and a paralyzing look into Noe’s concepts of afterlife. The entire human experience in 150 minutes.

I hesitate to even call Enter the Void a movie, but rather a demonstration. It is unrated because the MPAA would have a field day with the explicitly honest content, but each and every controversial scene of the film is dripping with meaning and purpose. The story is told perfectly, the camera work is the most inventive I’ve ever seen—yes, ever—and I was so pierced to my seat with awe, I didn’t even open my king size box of Junior Mints. And that never, ever happens!

Seriously, not a single Junior Mint. For real.

This movie will leave you absolutely speechless. You won’t even realize the it’s over until the film strip literally comes off the reel. It isn’t for everyone, in fact a number of people left the theatre during scenes that are borderline tasteless. But Gaspar Noe clearly has something to say about life, and he makes his stand loud and clear.

If you are at all curious about this film, I highly encourage a screening before it leaves theaters. Cinema experience of the year, hands down—and that’s an understatement.

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This is by far my favorite television spot out right now, from advertising agency, Team One. I saw it for the first time last night on Hulu, and again this afternoon, and both times I found myself grinning with envy. The 2011 Lexus IS; I won’t be buying you anytime soon—probably never—but I’ll be damned if this isn’t the most clever idea involving a car in a warehouse!

Okay, maybe a close second to the Toyota iQ car font thing…

Below, a making-of clip. Totally caps this whole jealousy thing I’m going through right now.

If not for the hit Lauren Weisberger novel with the same title, The Devil Wears Prada would be a pretty sick band name. And it is a sick band name, I just keep picturing Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway on keyboard and guitar. TDWP’s earlier releases on Rise and Ferret Records never really had me. I gave them each a few listens but the music just wouldn’t sit quite right.

But I’ve got to hand it to this band—because they have grown. With their most recent release, Zombie EP, they demonstrate a remarkably matured sound. Personally, I am relieved they dropped most of the keys/synth that littered past albums, and what keys are on this record blend better with the overall sound than before. But above that, stylistically and compositionally it is evident TDWP are growing and taking major steps forward as musicians.

Conceptually, Zombie EP is intriguing. I suppose you could call the release a concept record, with each track telling a separate part to a greater story. Without researching the lyrics word for word, it feels like a mildly political message; verses of concern for our well being; being outnumbered as a species; taking arms and finding safety.

Standout tracks for me: Escape, Anatomy, and Outnumbered. But honestly this little five-track EP has been on repeat since it’s release. It’s a good one!

The Devil Wears Prada – Zombie EP Promo from James Baney on Vimeo.

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Listen to The Devil Wears Prada on their MySpace.
Pick up Zombie EP here.

Directed by Arev Manoukian,Nuit Blanche explores a fleeting moment between two strangers, revealing their brief connection in a hyper real fantasy. To watch the making of, go here!

For me, a highlight of 2010 so far.

You know those kids at the Apple store that play YouTube videos too loud while you stand in line with your dead Apple product hoping it’s still under warranty?

Well, Nicholi White established a pretty legitimate YouTube following purely by walking into his local Apple store, and recording himself singing and dancing to his favorite tracks without a care in the world. I saw the video above (featuring Pete Wentz, Anthony Raneri, JR Wasilewski, and Vinnie Caruana – I know, right??) and I swear I thought it could have been a hilarious new take on producing an economical viral music video! Some agency needs to hire Nicholi White and pay him a lot of money to continue taking advantage of Apple.

Watch the above video until the end – it comes with a surprising payoff. Then, check out Nicholi’s YouTube page, and the rest of his genius videos here!

Today, Nuclear Blast made me consider doing something I haven’t done in quite a long time: buy a dvd!

Meshuggah has been one of my favorite bands since ’02. They’ve been around for way longer, but that was the year I really got myself into metal. And now, after fourteen releases, we are graced with Alive, Meshuggah’s first ever DVD documentary. Name any current metal band today and I guarantee you they were—and still are—influenced by Meshuggah.

After you watch the trailer above, check out their myspace for a closer listen.

YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES, a thousand times YES! I cannot express how excited I am that Lower Definition has picked up the pieces and are moving forward with a new line up and a newfound sense of confidence. Within the last year they have grown to an enormous success releasing their debut full length on Ferret Records, to hitting a devastating brick wall when their bassist and drummer left the group.

When I first heard they signed to Ferret, I was INTO them—their sound was so fresh, and Matt’s vocals sounded a little like Daryl Palumbo’s which is a huge plus in my book. Then when I saw them perform for the first time, I was INTO it! I had been blasting their album non stop and they definitely lived up to it on stage.

The news of their break hit hard and I was a little more than worried about Lower D’s future considering how new and fragile their career was at the time. But they’re back now, and this little video certainly put me in a fantastic mood.

Listen to Lower Definition here.