NEWS: Video Music Box 25th Anniversary Concert

Any history of music video — and, specifically, rap music video — should have a section on Ralph McDaniels. He is the founder, programmer and host of Video Music Box, the longest running rap show on TV and one of the first to spotlight what was then a truly underground music and movement. "Uncle Ralph" — as he is known to most — has been documenting hip-hop culture since  1983, hosting interviews and playing videos from basically every rap icon that ever mattered. He also produced and/or directed some legendary videos — often with his former partner Lionel C. Martin — and he even has his own custom Nike Air Force One sneaker. Respect!

Now in its 25th year of broadcasting in the NYC area, McDaniels is celebrating all Summer long. The big event is a free Video Music Box 25th Anniversary Concert being held at Central Park Summerstage tomorrow night. (Friday, July 18). Uncle Ralph will serve as MC for a look back at the history of hip-hop with performances by The Sugarhill Gang, Special Ed, Dana Dane, Joe Ski Love, Naughty By Nature, Chubb Rock, Spoonie Gee, DJ Chuck Chillout, DJ Clark Kent, Nice N' Smooth and many other luminaries and some special guests.

Event: Video Music Box 25th Anniversary Concert
Where: Central Park Summerstage (NYC)
When: Friday, July 18, 2008. 7 – 10pm

Video Music Box airs on NYC TV channel 25, along with a show called The Bridge — also hosted by Uncle Ralph — which showcases various gems from the VMB archive.

TUNE IN: FNMTV with Nelly, Slipknot, Jonas Bros and more

FNMTV returns...

The Friday night premieres include new videos from Lesley Roy, Nelly, Schwayze and Slipknot, plus a live performance by The Jonas Brothers.

FNMTV airs 8pm, Friday: mtv.com/ontv/fn-mtv/.

Tune in: There's always a chance Slipknot eats The Jonas Brothers alive.

NEWS: Slamdance Call for Music Video Submissions

The 15th annual Slamdance Film Festival will be the first with a music video program — thanks, me thinks, to the festival's new Executive Director Drea Clark, formerly of the Music Video Production Association.

Submissions to this well-respected and truly independent film fest are now being accepted. The early, discounted deadline is August 25, with a final deadline of October 10. Full details and submission materials at slamdance.com.

The 2009 edition of Slamdance is sscheduled for January 15 - 23 in Park City, UT.

SHOT: Bun B - Mr. Boomtown, director

artist: Bun B f/ Rick Ross, David Banner and Eightball & MJG
song: "You're Everything"
label: Rap-A-Lot/Asylum
director(s): Mr. Boomtown
production co: Raging Nation Films
rep: Yell Productions

SHOT: Hinder - Wayne Isham, director

artist: Hinder
song: "Use Me"
label:  Universal Republic
director(s): Wayne Isham
production co: Merge @ Crossroads

SHOT: Underoath - Walter Robot, directors

artist: Underoath
song: "Desperate Times, Desperate Measures"
label: Tooth & Nail
director(s): Walter Robot
production co: Merge @ Crossroads

WATCH IT: She & Him "Why Do You Let Me Stay Here"

Don't let the birdies and the overall cuteness of She & Him fool ya: This is a morbid little video. Actress Zoeey Deschanel — aka She and the singer of She & Him — portrays a dead bride who's having a grand old time in the afterlife with an animated cast of ghouls and ghosts, while indie folker M. Ward — aka Him — largely hangs in the background and let's Deschanel vamp it up for the camera as if she was Nancy Sinatra and M. Ward was Lee Hazlewood. Basically, if you've wondered what a low budget version of "Zip A Dee Doo Dah" would look like if animated by Marcel Dzama: This is it. --> watch "Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?"

She & Him "Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?" (Merge)
Ace Norton, director | Charles Spano, producer | Partizan , production co | Michael Rizzi, DP | Ghosttown Media, vfx

BOOKED: Ra Ra Riot - Brian Savelson, director

artist: Ra Ra Riot
song: "Ghost Under Rocks"
label: Barsuk (US) / V2 (UK)
director(s): Brian Savelson
production co: Collaboration Factory
commissioner: Jill Kaplan/Skyway Productions
rep: Laure Scott Management

BOOKED: OneRepublic - Christopher Sims, director

artist: OneRepublic
song: "Mercy"
label: Interscope
director(s): Christopher Sims
production co: DNA

BOOKED: Laura Izibor - Liz Friedlander, director

artist: Laura Izibor
song: "Shine"
label: Atlantic
director(s): Liz Friedlander
production co: DNA

BOOKED: Mary Mary - Lenny Bass, director

artist: Mary Mary
song: "Get Up"
label: Columbia
director(s): Lenny Bass
production co: DNA

WATCH IT: Radiohead "House Of Cards"

Much like Dr. Evil was not content with mere killer dolphins, Radiohead take the video for  In Rainbows standout track "House Of Cards" to the next level with some frickin' lasers. No cameras. Just lasers and scanners to capture all the images as pure data that could then be rendered through some visualization software. The shit is technologically advanced, no doubt, so much so that the video was premiered, documented and elaborated on at a special Radiohead House Of Cards section at Google Code, a blog and resource site for developers. You can check out a behind-the-scenes movie, read about the companies that developed the equipment and technologies that made it all possible, and even download and manipulate some of the data to make your own little Radiohead visualization. All that whizz-bang backstory is interesting, but the video works as more than just a nifty experiment. The images jitter between realistic 3-D depictions and totally abstract splashes — as if Thom Yorke and the other characters in the video are fighting to break loose from some sort of technological and embryonic haze. It's a nice match to the same push/pull (or pulk) between the organic and synthetic that runs through much of Radiohead's post-OK Computer music. --> watch "House Of Cards" and a behind-the-scenes featurette, plus learn more about the technology and download the data and more at code.google.com/creative/radiohead/

Radiohead "House Of Cards" (TDB)
James Frost, director | Dawn Fanning, producer | Zoo Films, production co | Heidi Gregory, video rep for James Frost | Aaron Koblin, technical director | Yon Thomas, DP | Nicholas Wayman Harris @ Union Editorial, editor | Geomertric Informatics, 3D real time capture (performance/party) | Velodyne Lidar, 3D laser imaging | 510 Systems, Lidar data processing | The Syndicate, visual effects | click for full credits

SHOT: Ladyhawke - Keith Schofield, director

artist: Ladyhawke
song: "From Dusk Til Dawn"
label: Modular/Island UK
director(s): Keith Schofield
production co: Caviar LA/Streetgang Films
rep: Free Agent UK / Lanette Phillips Management

BOOKED: Bitter:Sweet - Michael Sarna, director

artist: Bitter:Sweet
song: "The Bomb"
label: Quango
director(s): Michael Sarna
production co: Inmotion Entertainment

SHOT: Candlebox - Michael Sarna, director

Candlebox singer Kevin Martin as a candlewick on the set of "Stand." The incendiary (ouch) video will support the band's new album Into The Sun, its first in about a decade.

artist: Candlebox
song: "Stand"
label: Silent Majority Group
director(s): Michael Sarna
production co: Inmotion Entertainment

NEWS: Fundraiser For Margaret Nathans

Production company Rockhard Films is hosting a fund raiser to benefit Margaret Nathans as she battles breast cancer. A longtime friend and collaborator of Rockhard and many other production companies, Margaret provided audio playback on many music video shoots over the past 12 years.

A fundraising festival of Cuban food, drinks and music is being held this evening at La Bodeguita De Pico in Los Angeles. A silent auction will also be held on-site. All proceeds from  A Night In Cuba go to Margaret to help her return to health.

date/time: Monday, July 14, 6pm – 10pm
location: 5047 West Pico Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA
tickets: $75 at the door

Full details and a donation link can be found at JustOneNight.org...

SHOT: Kanye West - Neon, directors

artist: Kanye West
song: "Champion"
label: Roc-A-Fella/IDJMG
director(s): Neon
production co: Partizan

WATCH IT (with caution): Killer Mike "Pressure"

Nobody is safe in this confrontational video from rapper Killer Mike and director/editor Giovanni Hidalgo. Same goes for the viewer, so don't click that "watch" link unless you're ready to be shocked, agitated, offended and saddened by the flurry of utterly horrific news footage that flashes throughout this clip. Most prominently, there's police brutality, acts of terrorism and lots of explicit violence that would garner at least an R rating in a movie — and borders on being a snuff film — so, consider this very unsafe for work or anywhere else, for that matter. KM and Hidalgo also take shots at several wealthy and well-to-do members of the black community, dredge up some rather ugly clips from Hollywood's minstrel past and basically touches upon almost everything that falls under the umbrella of racial inequality. Bookended by speeches by Malcolm X, it's an angry video and song — one squarely in the lineage of Ice Cube, who contributes a verse, but doesn't appear in the video.  This video for "Pressure" does highlight so much that is wrong with society, but it seem awfully content with just barraging you with unpleasantness and leaving you in a state of impotent nausea. Welcome to 21st Century hip-hop existentialism. --> watch "Pressure" (warning: very strong news footage of violence, racism and a whole lot of other shit that will ruin your breakfast)

Killer Mike f/ Ice Cube "Pressure" (SMC)
Giovanni Hidalgo, director/editor | Rock Jacobs, producer | Rush Films, production co

SHOT: Trai'D - Juwan Lee, director

artist: Trai'D
song: "Gutta Chick"
label: Hitz Committe/Atlantic
director(s): Juwan Lee
production co: Triggerhappy

SHOT: Big Kuntry King - Juwan Lee, director

artist: Big Kuntry King
song: "Da Baddest"
label: Grand Hustle/Atlantic
director(s): Juwan Lee
production co: Triggerhappy