NEW RELEASE: Chamillionaire "Hip Hop Police"

Chamillionaire hits hard with a double dose of surprisingly political raps crossed up with some laugh out loud comedy, making for a sort of hip-hop spin on The Daily Show. The rapper plays himself as the “hassled by the cops” guy once again, but this time makes it clear that he feels it's hip-hop that's under attack and he's ready to fight back. Director Marc Klasfeld keeps the jokes focused and sharp as Chamillionaire plays nearly every roles in the dual clips – including a detective, a pasty newscaster and even himself as a televised talking head in the no spin zone. Guest rapper Slick Rick, brings his lilting sense of narrative as Chamillionaire captures the classic Flavor Flav vibe in the sense that he's cracking jokes while speaking some serious truth to power. The overall feel is joking and playful, but it is clear Chamillionaire is NOT messing around. (review by Doug Stern) --> watch "Hip Hop Police/Evening News" (full screen Flash version)

Chamillionaire "Hip Hop Police/Evening News" (Universal Motown)
Marc Klasfeld, director | Billy Parks, producer | Rockhard Films, production co | Robin Frank Management, rep | Barry Norwood, DP | Richard Alarcon, editor

NEW RELEASE: Babyshambles "Delivery"

The ironic part of the Pete Doherty story to me is that probably only 1% or so of the people who follow his every transgression and fuck-up on Perezhilton.com have heard his music, let alone heard of The Libertines, which could have/should have been the biggest band out of the UK since Manfred Mann (What, were you expecting me to namecheck The Clash or Oasis?). So, it's nice to see the D-Man release something with his new group Babyshambles, even if it's a casual effort in terms of the song and video. "Delivery" is  simple garage rock rave-up, matched with a b&w video that essentially consists of Doherty and crew walking and driving around the streets of London. Added bonus: Video director Douglas Hart was the original bassist for The Jesus & Mary Chain. Cool, right? --> watch "Delivery" below via YouTube

Babyshambles "Delivery" (EMI UK)
Douglas Hart, director | Malachy McAnney, producer | HSI , production co | Tom Townend , DP | Duncan Russell, telecine | PFL (Prime Focus London), post production

BOOKED: Hurricane Chris - Dale "Rage" Resteghini, director

Hurricane Chris and his Shreveport, LA crew take over Hollywood in this follow-up to "A Bay Bay Bay."

artist: Hurricane Chris
song: "Hand Clap" 
label: Polo Grounds/J Records
director(s): Dale "Rage" Resteghini
production co: Raging Nation Films
rep: Yell Productions

BOOKED: The Pack - Dale "Rage" Resteghini, director

artist: The Pack
song: "Ride In My Car" 
label: Jive/ZLG
director(s): Dale "Rage" Resteghini
production co: Raging Nation Films
rep: Yell Productions

BOOKED: Angels & Airwaves - Shane Drake, director

To support the band's forthcoming sophomore album I-Empire...

artist: Angels & Airwaves
song: "Everything's Magic" 
label: Geffen   
director(s): Shane Drake
production co: Red Van Pictures
rep: Labuda Management

note: Shane Drake is signed with Merge @ Crossroads

BOOKED: Red Jumpsuit Apparatus - Shane Drake, director

artist: Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
song: "Your Guardian Angel" 
label: Virgin 
director(s): Shane Drake
production co: Red Van Pictures
rep: Labuda Management

note: Shane Drake is signed with Merge @ Crossroads

SHOT: Plies f. Akon - Gil Green, director

Shot in Miami...

artist: Plies feat. Akon
song: "Hypnotized"
label: Slip-N-Slide/Atlantic
director(s): Gil Green
production co: Picture Perfect
rep: Labuda Management

note: Gil Green is signed with Merge @ Crossroads

BOOKED: Simian Mobile Disco - Ace Norton, director

artist: Simian Mobile Disco
song: "Hustler"
label: Wichita
director(s): Ace Norton
production co: Partizan
commissioner: Jill Kaplan/Skyway Productions

SHOT: John Legend - Neon, directors

artist: John Legend
song: "Another Again"
label: Columbia
director(s): Neon
production co: Partizan

NEW RELEASE: Beirut "Postcards From Italy"

There are really only three kinds of home movies worth watching: 1) Those featuring your own family; 2) Those featuring somebody extraordinarily famous or interesting; and 3) Those featuring spectacular groin injuries that Bob Saget shows you on lonely evenings. That's the essential problem when bands release music videos that are essentially nothing more than home movies synced up to a song. Unless it propels some already established personality or mystique, the video can come across as nothing more than an exercise in lazy narcissism. Director Alma Har'el and her cohort Zach Condon —frontman of Beirut — take a different tack on the form, elevating it to the level of an art project. "Postcards From Italy" consists of footage with Condon and his girlfriend — shot in and around the Har'el's Los Angeles home — that's doctored to be nearly indistinguishable from clips taken off archival home movie reels that the director has purchased over the years at various yard sales and the like. The activities depicted range from simple and beautiful to exotic and desperate, leaving little doubt which films are personal memory tokens and which were meant to impress an audience. As Pitchfork correctly pointed out in their debut of the clip: It's all kind of sad, especially when you realize that these are literally memories that have been sold on the curbside along with other unwanted goods. --> watch "Postcards From Italy"

Beirut "Postcards From Italy" (Ba Da Bing/4AD/Beggars)
Alma Har'el, director/editor | Justin Benoliel, producer | Partizan, production co | Steve Drypolcher, DP