IN MEMORIAM: Herve Romain 1969 - 2006

Many of us in the music video community are mourning the unexpected death this week of our friend and colleague Herve Romain. It is an understatement to say that he will be missed.

I would like to send my deepest condolences to his family and closest associates, especially at Interscope Geffen A&M, where he worked with utmost dedication for many years.

In lieu of flowers, it is respectfully requested that donations be made on the behalf of Herve Romain to either of the following charities:

American Stroke Association
1 Union St - Suite 301
Robbinsville, NJ 08691
www.strokeassociation.org

Laura Rosenberg Foundation Inc.
73 Crystal Court
Hewlett, NY 11557
www.laurarosenbergfoundation.org

IN DEPTH: Frank Borin on RHCP iTunes Originals

In addition to Apple's announcement of new iPods and a slick new version of iTunes that includes the addition of full-length movies to their store, the company also unleashed the first entirely video edition of iTunes Originals — a series that spotlights bands through exclusive live recordings and interview segments.

The first act to get the video treatment is Red Hot Chili Peppers. A few of the band's official music videos are mixed  with new footage of the band being interviewed and performing their hits.

Director Frank Borin — who oversaw the live performance shoot —  fills us in on the details:

It was shot at Rick Rubin's mansion where they recorded the album.  The concept was simple as they wanted to capture just pure, raw and edgy performance at the place where they played everyday for a year. The requirements were that I shoot HD since that's what Apple finishes on, but they still wanted it to have a grainy super 8 look.  And the other catch was that each song could only be performed once to truly capture that raw live feeling.  So I shot six songs... One take each with 5 cameras.

Visit iTunes for more on the Red Hot Chili Peppers iTunes Originals.

SHOT: RBD - Diane Martel, director

Mexican pop group RBD recently shot a video for this track off their upcoming English language debut album.

artist: RBD
song: "Tu Amor"
label: Virgin
director(s): Diane Martel
production co: DNA

BOOKED: Mims - Dale Resteghini, director

artist: Mims
song: "This Is Why I’m Hot"
label: American King/UBO
director(s): Dale Resteghini
production co: Raging Nation

PHOTO: The Stills and Associates In Science

Partizan director Adam Levite aka Associates In Science (third from left) on the set of "In The Beginning" with The Stills.  -- click photo to enlarge --

BOOKED: Jet - Jamie Thraves, director

Shooting in Austin, TX...

artist: Jet
song: "Bring It Back"
label: Atlantic
director(s): Jamie Thraves
production co: Oil Factory

BOOKED: The Rapture - Ben Dickinson, director

Director Ben Dickinson will be heading to Brooklyn again to shoot another video for The Rapture in support of their album Pieces Of The People Will Love. Set to take place at a massive block party, the video should have a dancetastic edge, thanks to VMA nominated choreographer Tanisha Scott.

artist: The Rapture
song: "Whoo! Alright — Yeah... Uh Huh"
label: Mercury/Universal
director(s): Ben Dickinson
production co: Greencard Pictures

NEWS: mtvU Woodie Nominees

mtvU has announced the nominees for the second annual Woodie Awards, a unique ceremony that lets college students vote for their favorite artists. Winners will be announced at a live event scheduled for October 25 at NYC club Roseland Ballroom, which will then be broadcast November 2 on mtvU A half hour version with highlights from the show will also be subsequently shown on MTV and MTV2.

Categories and nominees are as follows...

Woodie of the Year -- (Artist of the Year) - The artists who made the biggest splash on mtvU and the college music scene this past year.

• Angels & Airwaves (Geffen)
• Atmosphere (Rhymesayers)
• Gym Class Heroes (Fueled by Ramen/Atlantic)
• Panic! at the Disco (Fueled by Ramen/Atlantic)
• The Academy Is (Fueled by Ramen/Atlantic)

The Breaking Woodie -- (Best Emerging Artist) - mtvU is where new developing artists are test driven for the first time by the toughest critics around: college students. One of this year's newest artists will win the coveted Breaking Woodie.

• Arctic Monkeys (Domino)
• Chamillionaire (Chamillitary/Universal Motown)
• Imogen Heap (RCA Victor)
• Lupe Fiasco (1st & 15th/Atlantic)
• Plain White T's (Hollywood)

Left Field Woodie -- (Most Original Artist) - They're genre-busters. They came out of left field and surprised us so much, we'd still have no idea what section of the record store to look for them in. They resist all classification.

• Gnarls Barkley (Downtown/Atlantic)
• Gogol Bordello (Side One Dummy)
• Imogen Heap (RCA Victor)
• Lady Sovereign (Def Jam)
• Wolfmother (Interscope)

Best Video Woodie -- Live Action -- (Best Live Action Video) - The music video that's so incredible, we'd watch it even without the music.

• 30 Seconds to Mars "The Kill" (Virgin)
• Feist "Mushaboom" (Cherry Tree/Interscope)
• Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins "Rise up With Fists" (Team Love)
• Jurassic 5 "Work It Out" (Interscope)
• The Raconteurs  "Steady As She Goes" (V2 - Artemis)

Best Video Woodie -- Animated -- (Best Animated Video) - The music video that makes all of your favorite Sunday cartoons look foolish.

• Against Me "From Her Lips To God's Ears" (Fat Wreck Chords)
• Gnarls Barkley "Crazy" (Downtown/Atlantic)
• Gorillaz "El Manana" (Virgin)
• Mark Ronson "Just" (!K7/Rapster)
• Psapp "Hi" (Domino)

The Good Woodie -- (Greatest Social Impact) - The award for the artists whose commitment to a social cause has effected the greatest change this year.

• Juvenile - Hurricane Katrina Relief Efforts (Atlantic)
• Ludacris - Hurricane Katrina Relief Efforts (Disturbing Tha Peace)
• Pearl Jam - Environmental Protection (J)
• Rise Against - Political Awareness and Activism (Geffen)
• Serj Tankian (System of a Down) - Armenian Genocide (Columbia)

Road Woodie -- (Best Tour) - For those artists who take to the road and never let up, always giving
that memorable live performance.

• Cartel (Epic)
• Hellogoodbye (Drive Thru)
• Nightmare of You (East West)
• Taking Back Sunday (Warner Bros.)
• The Fray (Epic)

International Woodie -- (Favorite International Artist Award) - mtvU embraces musicians from all over the world and honors this year's crop of international up-and-comers, including artists from Jamaica to Australia to the UK.

• Arctic Monkeys (Domino)
• Cham (Madhouse/Atlantic)
• Corrine Bailey Rae (Capitol)
• SIA (Astralwerks)
• The Subways (Warner Bros.)

Alumni Woodie -- (a.k.a. The You're Still OK in our Book Award) - For the artists who've graduated into the wide world of mega-stardom, but who haven't forgotten where they came from. And we're proud to say, "We knew them when..."

• AFI (Interscope)
• Fiona Apple (Epic)
• Ghostface Killah (Def Jam)
• MUSE (Warner Bros.)
• Red Hot Chili Peppers (Warner Bros.)

Streaming Woodie -- (Most Downloaded) - For four weeks, top acts on the college scene go toe-to-toe on mtvU.com, with college students streaming their favorites into the finals. The four artists left standing at the end will battle it out for the Streaming Woodie.

Week 1

• Atmosphere "Say Hey There (Gotta Go to Mexico)" (Rhymesayers)
• Gym Class Heroes "Cupid's Chokehold" (Fueled by Ramen/Atlantic)
• Plain White T's "Hey There Delilah" (East West)
• The Academy Is "Checkmarks" (Fueled by Ramen/Atlantic)
• The Fray "Over My Head (Cable Car)" (Epic)

Week 2

• All-American Rejects "Move Along" (Interscope/A&M)
• Matisyahu "Youth" (Epic)
• Motion City Soundtrack "Hold Me Down" (Epitaph)
• OAR "Lay Down" (Atlantic)
• Taking Back Sunday "Makedamnsure" (Warner Bros.)

Week 3

• Armor for Sleep "The Truth About Heaven" (Equal Vision)
• Death Cab for Cutie "Crooked Teeth" (Atlantic)
• Hellogoodbye "Shimmy Shimmy Quarter Turn" (Drive Thru)
• Imogen Heap "Hide and Seek" (RCA Victor)
• Red Hot Chili Peppers "Dani California" (Warner Bros.)

Week 4

• Arctic Monkeys "I Bet You Look Good On the Dancefloor" (Domino)
• Cage "Shoot Frank" (Definitive Jux)
• Nightmare of You "I Want to Be Buried In Your Backyard" (East West)
• Panic! At the Disco "I Write Sins, Not Tragedies" (Fueled by Ramen/Atlantic)
• The Academy Is "Slow Down" (Fueled by Ramen/Atlantic)

NEWS: Buckcherry Crazy Bitch Video Suit

If you've been trolling the internet for Buckcherry's now infamous "Crazy Bitch" video to no avail, there is a reason why it's gone missing. A lawsuit has been filed against the band, their current record label and other related companies on behalf of a 16 year old girl who claims she was coerced into appearing topless and in various sexual scenarios for the video shoot. According to sources, however, all participants in the video has to show proof that they were over 18 years old and sign a release form further reaffirming their age. Band attorney Skip Miller is quoted in several news stories as stating "This woman filled out a release form with false information. And once it was determined this woman was underage, the video was removed."

Read more at the LA Times, this widely syndicated Associated Press story or almost any music news site.

NEW RELEASE: Kasabian "Empire"

Kasabian
"Empire" (RCA)
WIZ, director | Laura Kanerick, producer | Oil Factory, production co | Tom Townend, DP | Tom Lindsay, editor | Description: There is a World War I poem by the late English writer Wilfrid Owen that ends with the Latin saying "Dolce dulce et decorum est pro patria mori." Roughly translated, it means, "it is sweet and right to die for your country." The poem, however, claims the immortal phrase to be nothing more than "the old lie." [poem and notes at warpoetry.co.uk]. This Kasabian video ends with the same phrase and sentiment. Shot in Romania, the band members are cast as battered and alienated soldiers in a long ago war. After witnessing one too many horrors — especially the death of a young messenger — they decide to take up arms against their own pampered and shielded generals. -- watch "Empire" at a Kasabian video player, or in Quicktime at OilFactory.com (click on the appropriate link under Recent Work)