Train duet with Ashley Monroe for "Bruises"

Just in time for the holidays, Train just premiered the music video as part of CMT's Big New Music Weekend for "Bruises," the third single taken off the Grammy Award-winning pop rock band's excellent and versatile fifth studio album, "California 37." Following the success of "Drive By" and released "50 Ways to Say Goodbye," the new promotional track features country singer Ashley Monroe, who is a member of Pistol Annies along with Miranda Lambert and Angaleena Presley, and puts enough twang in "Bruises" to make it perfect for country radio.
"Bruises" is a country oriented duet with a sweet melody that anyone who has been hurt before can relate to, so basically, that means everyone will feel its power. The song is about two friends catching up about 10 years after graduating from high school. Both of them are divorced, and they've been battered and bruised a few times over the years. But despite the pain, they recognize that their scars make them more interesting people.
The pop rock trio isn't typically considered a cross-over country act, though the frontman Patrick Monahan has worked with Martina McBride in the past. Now that they've teamed up with Pistol Annies' Monroe with call-and-response collaboration, they are making some concrete roads through the country genre. It's the little bumps along the road that make life interesting, or at least that's what Train tries to tell us on their song, "Bruises." Monahan once said: "It could be a really big career song for Train."
The storytelling for the Alan Ferguson-directed video is enrapturing and framed as a long-distance friendship. Though they're thousands of miles apart, the lead characters manage to make it work through their music, and heightening the song's sense of faded love, with Monroe plays a mother of two and enjoying a simpler life at home, while Monahan's strolling around Red Rocks Amphitheater and playing to huge crowds. He wears his heart on his sleeve as he attempts to reconnect with a lost love. The two even end up performing the same song, but on different stages

Grace Potter & The Nocturnals perform "Stars"

After going all "Where The Wild Things Are" for their dark fairy-tale like video for "Never Go Back," Grace Potter & The Nocturnals take a much more low-key approach for their new starkly stunning video on VH1 Storytellers for a deeply personal tune, "Stars," the new single from the Vermont quintet's fourth studio album, "The Lion The Beast The Beat," which promises to be their most eclectic project yet, drawing on influences that range from 60's R&B to 70's rock to contemporary country.
The lead vocalist Grace Potter's signature wail left the crowd breathless as she roared through a set of soul-filled rock-n-roll while performing before an intimate crowd at NYC's legendary Metropolis Studios. She has one of the strongest female voices in rock music, and Potter is also quickly becoming a favorite in country circles. Along with her band, the Nocturnals, they're winning over fans with their high-energy set and infectious tunes.
On her motivation for writing "Stars," Potter recalled it as being about a recently passed childhood idol, who was "really wild and really wonderful," but who "always did take it a little bit too far. It's kind of like when you are a kid and you have a balloon that just sort of slips off your wrist," she said, choked up and with tears in her eyes. "And I wrote this song, because I don't like looking up when I think about this person. I don't like anywhere that I used to know her, used to see her."
In Philip Andelman-directed performance clip, though, Potter does look up. Wearing a sequined evening gown, she plays with her Nocturnals under a dark, starry sky, and surrounded by thousands of stars, her eyes fixed on Heaven's Boulevard above as she sings about how she cannot even stand to look up in the sky since her love left her. It's a contemplative affair, all black-and-white and quiet, Potter at once large against the stars and small underneath the sky. "It's a form of grieving, really, writing songs like this," Potter says.

Phillip Phillips releases striking clip for "Home"

Phillip Phillips continues his journey and gets his first-ever striking clip to support his debut single and coronation song "Home," since he captured the American Idol crown in May. "Home" is expected to appear in Phillips' upcoming contractually obligated album which is yet to be titled. And it couldn't come at a better time, considering this powerful “Home” video has been used as a official theme song for the 2012 US Olympic Women's Gymnastic Team.
With certified gold, it's the most successful American Idol winner's first single since Kelly Clarkson and the Coldplay-esque tune “Home,” is enjoying a second life on the charts thanks to the Olympics since the song's popularity resurfaced when it was used during the Olympics. So the release of the video is both timely and genius of producers. "The triumphant track is easily the coolest, most relevant song ever used as a reality TV coronation song, which have a tendency to be horrifyingly embarrassing.
"I don’t write songs like that,” Phillips told reporters of the track. “It's a very good song and I'm glad people enjoyed it, but I'm itching to do my own stuff." The triumphant track scratches a particular itch for a return to acoustic-based instrumentation and "organic" approach to recording and mixing. That's how the other folk-inspired acts next to rock best-sellers on radio and the charts. There's a demand for vocal-front, melody-front songs with roots instruments that is being met. Phillips may just be poised to break the Idol curse that has plagued several of the past winners.
As for the Joseph Toman-directed video, it's actually a real video and set up like a documentary that combines performance footage of Phillips and general everyday life footage includes some candid moments in homey settings. The fairly straight-forward affair that follows the crooner from Georgia strumming his guitar and looking pensive as he hits the road and travels the country performing in live concerts at various gigs. Phillips is laid back and dressed casually throughout most of the video, and his girlfriend Hannah Blackwell also appeared in the video

Train Comeback For "Save Me, San Francisco"

The best-selling Pop/Rock outfit Train just released a music video in support of their latest single "Save Me, San Francisco," the fourth single and title track from California rock band's returning-to-roots record. It was their first release for nearly four years. The band consider it's a comeback record. "We just wanted to get back to our roots on this record. We wanted to do things a little more stripped-down like our first album and get back to the whole San Francisco vibe, which is were the band originally came from," frontman Patrick Monahan once said.
"Save Me, San Francisco" is a focused record, centering around the theme of a wandering young rocker who falls in love and wants to settle down. The title track opens with an acoustic guitar playing a variation on the classic progression, a snare kicks in, and Monahan's voice is in prime Bob Seger confessional style. A piano and electric guitars enter on "whooo-hooo-hooo" chorus, and it's near-perfect radio rock.
As a wedding crasher, Monahan is left broken hearted when the girl of his dreams walks down the aisle in this newly-debuted music video. He's barging in on a white veil occasion and tries to get his supposedly love interest to back out of her nuptials. The video starts with a red herring of a text message from Mrs. Robinson's daughter, Elaine: "Can't wait any longer. Getting married. Today," the perfect excuse for Monahan to drive around San Francisco for three-and-change minutes.
To be fair, it's hard not to hear the track "Save Me, San Francisco" as a victory lap. And, to an extent, the video treats the song as such. A cliché, sure, but one that holds true in this case. And while there's a girl (there's always a girl in a Train song), she's more notional than actual; the song is about the city. Which is why the text message is a fake-out, and why the whole video is a riff. Monahan drives Benjamin Braddock's car, runs out of gas, and asks directions. But this bride isn't interested in Monahan in the least. And why not? She's gay, of course! Score another point for San Francisco.

Train Professes their Ultimate Love in 'Marry Me'

San Francisco-based rock-poppers the Train have revealed their brand new video for "Marry Me," the third single off their fifth studio album "Save Me, San Francisco." "Marry Me," will release on next Tuesday, follows "If It's Love" and their Top 5 Hot 100 hit, "Hey, Soul Sister." Train professes their ultimate love in "Marry Me," which plays nothing but songs perfect for the newly married couple. It opening with plucky, serene guitar plucking, the stripped-down acoustic ballad features light percussion and later string accompaniment, as soon as frontman Pat Monahan's breathy vocals come in and he croons.
Train was inescapable during the late 90s/early 2000s, when songs like "Calling All Angels" and "Drops of Jupiter" made the San Francisco residents some of America's most popular balladeers. Although formed during the glory days of post-grunge, the group found more success in the pop/rock world, where Train straddled the line between adult contemporary and family-friendly alternative rock. The band, has been relatively quiet in the years until "Hey, Soul Sister" became one of the most overplayed songs of 2009. Don't get me wrong, it's a great track, but when you hear it for the thousandth time, it kinda gets to you.
The "Marry Me" video, which got various couples discussing why they fell in love with another and alas now they're married. It is a very good shot video that fits the song perfectly and captures wonderfully the emotional words of a proposal of marriage. It leaves you a sweet dreamy feeling. "Marry Me" is one of the most beautiful song of this winter. You would not imagine another video. It is simple but effective. In the introduction, couples talk about their marriage proposals following by the story of a proposal with Monahan as main character. The band tell the story. The group is shown in a black grey bottom as high as the beauty of words.
It is a music video many bands should have because sometimes, the videos don't have much sense just saying. It is definitely a recommended buy. Concerning the song, it impacts radio on January, 11. These are sweet words of love that every woman would love to hear and dream. The ballad features a sweet acoustic guitar backed by a nice piano work. It is a love song singing brilliantly and softly by Monahan. His interpretation is great and will attract to you immediately. It is also a nice way to end the year in beauty. Don't hesitate to make it No.1.

Train To "Shake Up Christmas" With Coca Cola

With their popularity on a tremendous rise stemming from this year's hit love song "Hey Soul Sister" and "If It's Love," The San Francisco-based rock band Train has decided to make their mark on the holiday season as well. They wrote another new song for holidays entitled "Shake Up Christmas" which will spread joy and love during hard times. The cool dudes from Train have launched the brand new Video for their new Christmas tune on people.com, and hope to put a smile on the faces of music fans when listening to it amidst the gloomy economy. The Butch Walker-produced track will be released as a single worldwide on December 20.
"Shake Up Christmas," is a jaunty singalong that will appear as a bonus track on the Grammy-winning band's recently released "Save Me, San Francisco: Golden Gate Edition" (a deluxe reissue of their 2009 critically-acclaimed fifth album "Save Me, San Francisco") and if "Shake it up, shake up the happiness" sounds a bit too commercial then you might be on to something, since the song is set to be the soundtrack of the new Coca-Cola commercial campaign this Christmas. Every year, there is always a bid to get a modern tune into the permanent Christmas canon, which is always a bit of an uphill battle. Train's Christmas single "Shake Up Christmas" is probably my favorite of all the 2010 newcomers. It's just happy and catchy!
"The holiday season is one of the best times of the year," said Pat Monahan, the lead vocalist and founding member of Train. He told Reuters the new song is less about commerce and more about wanting to conjure holiday joy during tough times having come across so many people struggling during the economic downturn. "The song 'Shake Up Christmas' is inspired by childhood memories of spending time with family and sharing the happiness and hope that the season brings. Having it be part of the Coca-Cola campaign is a wonderful way to share that sentiment with a bigger audience." He also added that writing a song only for commerce reasons seemed cynical. Approaching a song that way, he said, "you are not going to write inspiring music. I think of what I did with 'Shake Up Christmas' as a 'how can I help' spread some happiness."
Over the course of 15 years, the multi-platinum selling band has traveled a long, successful and sometimes arduous journey. Train has, for all intents and purposes, experienced an epiphany as a whole. Now, with their latest album, "Save Me San Francisco," Train has channeled their early days, revisiting the roots rock sound. "It's really an honor to know that, somehow, our music is affecting people in a positive way," Monahan said. "Shake Up Christmas" provides a fitting backdrop with lyrics that echo the same emotion and Train embraces Santa's spirit for a festive new holiday song that is sure to lift your spirits.

Norah Jones Premiered "Young Blood" On iTunes

The Grammy Award winning singer Norah Jones debuted The Fall's fairly non-rock "Young Blood" at Apple's "Rock And Roll" product conference in last September. Now iTunes offered the world premiere of her music video for "Young Blood" featured on her 2009 release critically-acclaimed, platinum-selling fourth studio album "The Fall" on digitally only. The video was directed by Toben Seymour, a British fantastical director and puppeteer who has also worked with Moby, will.i.am fan site, and Kanye West.
Jones is one of the most popular contemporary jazz and jazz-influenced singers of our time. Unlike the one-woman-and-her-sailing-brownstone vibe of "Chasing Pirates," these frames include Mondrian-like screen divisions populated with plenty of extras and set pieces literalizing the lyrics. The video makes creative use of split-screen storytelling by splicing in footage of Ms. Jones, alongside a literal interpretation of the songs lyrics.
Jones will be making her first-ever appearance on The Ellen Degeneres Show on April 22. A performance on PBS Soundstage will air later this spring. Jones is currently on a North American tour in support of "The Fall," and has been receiving rave reviews all along the way. She has added several major festivals to her schedule throughout the summer including Celebrate Brooklyn, Bonnaroo, and Lilith Fair, as well as a run of European tour dates beginning in late June. NPR Music just simulcast Jones' performance at the Tower Theater in Philadelphia yesterday. The concert will be streamed live, podcast and archived at NPR Music, and will be broadcast live on WXPN.