WATCH: Behind the Scenes of Imagine Dragon's Music Video

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May 23, 2012

by Variance Staff Writer

Earlier Thursday, Imagine Dragons shared a behind the scenes video about the making of their music video for "It's Time," a song which is quickly moving up the charts and iTunes. In the new clip, the members of the band talk about the inspiration for the video, which was shot on a dry lake bed in Barstow, Calif.

"I just feel like the song is about being bigger than yourself, " says lead singer Dan Reynolds. "And I don't think you can get a place bigger than this place."

The video recently premiered on MTV and has acquired more than 500,000 views. "It's Time" is the first single from the band's latest EP, Continued Silence, available now on iTunes via KIDinaKORNER/Interscope Records.

The track has peaked at No. 10 on the Billboard Alternative chart and has consistently moved up in the same category on iTunes, having crept into the Top 10 recently.

Watch both the behind the scenes and the original music below.

WATCH: Arcade Fire Helps 'SNL' Say Goodbye to Kristen Wiig

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May 19, 2012

by Variance Staff Writer

This week's episode of Saturday Night Live proved to be more than just the end of the season. For many fans, it's the end of an era. Speculation had increased over the last few weeks about the future of veteran players Andy Samberg, Jason Sudeikis and Kristen Wiig, the latter of whom acknowledged her departure during the season finale.

The show featured Jagger as host, along with musical guests Arcade Fire, Foo Fighters and Jeff Beck. To his credit, Jagger did a great job throughout his entire performance, but the Oscar-nominated Wiig stole the show--one last time.

During the final moments of the show, the entire cast appeared in graduation caps and gowns with Jagger playing a principal in what appeared to be another sketch. He noted "one particular student who is leaving this summer" before calling Wiig to join him up front.

Members of Arcade Fire played the Rolling Stones' "She's a Rainbow" while Wiig took off her cap and gown and danced with each member of the cast, including SNL creator Lorne Michaels. Foo Fighters and Jeff Beck returned to the stage, along with Steve Martin, Jon Hamm--who was featured earlier in the show. Some of Wiig's former castmates also showed up: Amy Poehler, Rachel Dratch, Chris Kattan and Chris Parnell. As the entire group came together onstage, Arcade Fire transitioned to another Stones song, "Ruby Tuesday," with the line, "still I'm gonna miss you."

It was a rousing send-off for Wiig, closing her seven seasons with the comedy show. Although NBC made no prior announcement of her departure, it comes as no surprise. She starred in and co-wrote the hit comedy Bridesmaids, and has had several notable roles in other films. She has six more in various stages of development.

Meanwhile, Samberg and Sudeikis have yet to acknowledge their status for next season. Lorne Michaels recently said that any cast changes would wait until the summer.

WATCH: Regina Spektor Performs 'Rowboats' on 'Letterman'

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May 17, 2012

by Variance Staff Writer

Thursday night on the Late Show, Regina Spektor performed "All the Rowboats"--the lead single from her upcoming LP, What We Saw From the Cheap Seats. Conan O'Brien and John Mayer also stopped by to see David Letterman, the latter of whom releases his album Born and Raised on Tuesday.

What We Saw From the Cheap Seats hits stores on May 29 via Sire/Warner Bros. Records.

Watch the video below.

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WATCH: Matthew Mayfield Covers Johnny Cash's 'Ring of Fire'

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May 15, 2012

by Variance Staff Writer

If Matthew Mayfield has ever made bad music, it's likely no one has ever heard it. From his original music to his covers, he consistently proves his artistry time and time again. Earlier Wednesday, he revealed a new video in which he covers the famed "Ring of Fire" by Johnny Cash, and it is certainly worth watching.

The video comes ahead of his new album, A Banquet for Ghosts, which is due to release May 29. Mayfield, who works independently, raised funds on PledgeMusic for this latest full-length. He is currently on tour with another very talented musician, David Ramirez, who previously opened for The Civil Wars last year. John Paul White and Joy Williams of The Civil Wars are each featured individually on two of Mayfield's songs from his 2011 LP, Now You're Free.

Watch the video for "Ring of Fire" below.

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WATCH: Preview of Mindy Kaling's New Fox Comedy Series

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May 13, 2012

by Variance Staff Writer

The multi-talented Mindy Kaling is on her way to having a big year. She already has one of the most buzzed-about new series coming this fall to Fox. Ironically, the show was developed for NBCUniversal--home of The Office--but Kaling's home network passed on the pilot, releasing it for Fox to snatch it up. Smooth move, NBC.

WATCH: Explosions' Video for 'Postcard from 1952'

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May 9, 2012

by Variance Staff Writer

Explosions in the Sky recently unveiled their latest create, the third music video from the band's fifth studio album, Take Care, Take Care, Take Care. Directed by Annie Gunn and Peter Simonite, the video for "Postcard From 1952" employs yet another cinematically expansive track that provides the perfect complement to an indelible visual experience.

Gunn and Simonite re-create a series of vintage Polaroid moments with painstaking care to every detail from vintage styling to flash cube lighting for a trip back in time that explores moments before and after these memory fragments were captured. Already the video has earned high praise, including from famed director/writer/producer Judd Apatow.

If you haven't already, watch the video below.

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WATCH: Florence and the Machine Perform on 'Letterman'

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May 9, 2012

by Variance Staff Writer

The British vocal sensation Florence Welch and her six-person backing band, The Machine, gave a rousing musical performance on the Late Show With David Letterman Wednesday night. The group played its latest single, “No Light, No Light,” from sophomore album Ceremonials, which was released late last year.

Watch the video below.

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WATCH: Electric Guest Perform on 'Letterman'

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May 4, 2012

by Variance Staff Writer

Electric Guest, the L.A.-based retro-pop act, performed Friday on the Late Show with David Letterman, making their network television debut.

Fronted by singer-keyboardist Asa Taccone and guitarist-bassist-drummer Matthew Compton, the duo's debut album, Mondo, released on April 24. The album is produced by Danger Mouse, who's had a nice streak of success with previous projects he has worked on (Gnarls Barkley, The Black Keys, Norah Jones).

Electric Guest is featured in Variance's recent edition of FutureSounds.

Watch the video of "This Head I Hold" from the Late Show below.

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WATCH: Music Video for 'My Better Self' by Tennis

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April 29, 2012

by Variance Staff Writer

Treat yourself on this Monday with a little Tennis. Released today is the music video for "My Better Self," off their second studio album, Young & Old, which is available now.

Watch the video below.

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WATCH: Miike Snow Perform 'Paddling Out' on 'Letterman'

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April 27, 2012

by Variance Staff Writer

The popular trio Miike Snow stopped by Letterman on Friday night, performing “Paddling Out” from their recently-released sophomore album, Happy to You. Watch video of the performance here.

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WATCH: Racing Heart's New Video for 'Emma'

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April 19, 2012

by Variance Staff Writer

Racing Heart play indie folk, but try instead to imagine the earnest yearnings of American golden era pop music, the earthiness of the English folk revival and the searching spirit of contemporary Scandinavian indie rock. The ten songs off their new album, To Walk Beside that Ghost (which releases today on Movemounatins), set out to accomplish something, finding themselves somewhere in the soundscapes that many of today’s Brooklyn-based bands are busy exploring, with lush vocal harmonies that lead your thoughts (and your ears) to the 1960’s and 70’s.

To Walk Beside that Ghost was written and recorded by Racing Heart in Brooklyn, with members from St. Vincent and Sufjan Stevens’ bands joining them in the studio. Centred on the soft acoustics of voice, finger-picked guitar, autoharp, upright bass and drums, but embellished and expanded upon by both analogue synthesizers, a string quartet and brass trio (the stated goal always being that each sound must serve the song and not just act as decoration) this album carries with it inspiration from many different musical decades.

Mostly recorded on what is rumored to be Eddie Van Halen’s old 16-track analog tape machine (adding perhaps the ghosts of blistering guitar solos past to the mix as well), simplicity and sense of purpose was key when recording To Walk Beside that Ghost. The music was committed to tape by living, breathing musicians playing as a group in the same room, or huddled around a single microphone when singing background vocals.

Written after songwriter and prime mover in Racing Heart, Mathias Tjønn relocated to New York from Oslo, Norway (with stops in Rome, São Paulo, Buenos Aires, and Boston,) the songs they recorded together are informed by both the struggles and the stolen moments of joy that come from relocating to this equal parts mythical and maddening city, caught in the midst of an economic downturn and the grey-weather days that followed.

Variance reviewed the new album in the April issue, calling it "a soundtrack to life, a tribute to good vocal harmonies, and a blast from the past.” Spin said: “Mathias Tjønn's distant muse feels just as irrevocably lost as Justin Vernon's, though the elaborate wash of harmonies more closely recalls Grizzly Bear, Local Natives, or even Maps & Atlases.”

The album, To Walk Beside that Ghost, is now available and the music video for the track, "Emma," premieres today below.

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WATCH: Gotye and Kimbra on 'SNL'

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April 14, 2012

by Variance Staff Writer

Gotye and Kimbra joined host Josh Brolin on NBC's Saturday Night Live this week. Following the performance, Gotye, Kimbra and SNL were all Trending Topics on Twitter--as the social networking site marked an increase of +800% in the number of people talking about the Australian singer.

Read more about Gotye in the April cover story.

Watch Gotye and Kimbra perform "Somebody That I Used to Know" on SNL.

Watch Andy Samberg and Taran Killam with Gotye in a hilarious Digital Short.

Watch Gotye perform "Eyes Wide Open" on SNL.