MONEY MARK: Information Contraband

Asian action cinema and Bollywood extravegance is well exploited in this video from the keyboardist and knob twiddle named Mark Ramos-Nishita. The trunk funk of Mark's production is lifted from his Change Is Coming LP while the video is directed by Logan. Watch the video (qt).

KELIS: Bossy

Fourth long player form the defiant rhythm and blues belter is kicked off with the sassy ass single. I've always really liked Kelis for her ability to chart internationally and do diddly squat in America, save for the poledancers anthem Milkshake. Her non-conformity is given a open handed slap in the face with this new single and video. Enlisting rapper Too $hort, further distancing herself from original collaborators the Neptunes and pimping up her image to the current pop fascination with self entitled junior socialites may be a toss back to the middling taste of mainstream American hip hop sensibilities, but at least the video is a stylist send-up-slash-homage to the cult of bling. Watch the video (qt - stream).

JAMIE LIDELL: You Got Me Up

*COACHELLA* A great old school, dusty vinyl funk track from the soul crooner formerly of Super Collider. The video takes a simple everday situation of a man and his cat and humanizes it with a crispy clean animated treatment that breaths life and character by way of a tiny, candid moment. Watch the video (qt).

AVENUE D: USA = #1

New York electrotrash duo release an animated video to support the release of a strangely, possibly ironic, pro-America lyrical love fest. Remarkably, the two electrochicks keep the song relatively clean and vulgarity free. Who knew? Watch the video (qt).

THE KNIFE: Pass This On

Before you get all excited, it's a dude. Swedish electroclash cross dressing nursing home-slash-veterans clubhouse entertainment at its finest. Personally, I like the use of steel drums. It's a nice tropical touch to an anotherwise cold musical genre. Download the video (qt). UPDATE: antville tells us Johan Renck directs.

MARK RONSON: Just

Radiohead gets a funky New York downtown cover with horny horns and the silky croon of L.A.'s Phantom Planet lead singer Alex Greenwald. Not just a one off, there's a whole album full of delicious Radiohead covers ranging from soul boy Shawn Lee, record cutter RJD2, French electronicist Matthew Herbert and Ninja Tune's Cinematic Orchestra. Feel the graffiti. Watch the video (qt).

WE ARE SCIENTISTS: What's The Word

Why am I blogging about these California rockers? Perhaps its because they're good. Or perhaps it's a selfish manifestation for my desire to relocate to sunny California. Or perhaps it's just because. My apologies for my brief absense. Apart from schmoozing with models and fashionistas at Toronto Fashion Week, I have been confronted with a great divide that could see me moving away from my beloved Toronto. I just need to know what's the word. Watch the video (qt - stream).

WHERE IS CLIPTIP?

Dude, it's Toronto Fashion Week. And I'm on the list.

THE RACONTEURS: Steady As She Goes

Jack White + Brendon Benson = The Raconteurs, Detroit's answer to the an all star indie band collaboration. And this is a great single: bluesy, popsy, indsie, and hipsie. But, wait for it... this is the ultimate street cred that has all the indie artstars palpatating: the video is directed by indie film lord of the reel, Jim Jarmusch. See? I just wet my pants. Watch the video (qt - stream).

URSULA 1000: Kinda Kinky

The tiki bar lurking Ursula 1000 is back! While few tiki bars are as memorable as San Francisco's Tonga Room, few play to the retro hip hop fusion that New York based man behind the facade Alex Gimeno so masterfully purveys. While the new third album, Here Comes Tomorrow, is imminent this month, I just has to recall this classic kitty soft porn leisure suit anthem for all to imbibe. This one's from long-player #2 of the matching track name. Watch the video (real).

BETH ORTON: Conceived

Subtly electronic infused come-down queen Beth Orton ditches the blips and glitches and returns to the more organic folk roots on her fourth long player. Pop sensible and brimming with warth, the video also features a menagerie of muppet-like forest friends enjoying the summer sun. Watch the video (real - stream).

THE STROKES: Heart In A Cage

Where has all the hype gone? Still kicking out the garage rock at consistent quality, the New York once darlings seem to have fallen off the glare of the radar screen. Perhaps graduating into the category of "staple" is not such a bad thing. This glorious black and white video captures the stampede hustle of New York City. Watch the video (qt - stream).

BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE: Ibi Dreams Of Pavement (A Better Day)

Tragically overwrought first video from the Toronto revolving door collective. Not the shiniest moment of the third long-player, but certainly one of the howly-est. The video is a kitchen party centred around a picnic table cloth, with band members in various states of presence. I was horrified to see hotpants featured in this video. Male hotpants. Time Magazine uses the BSS as a litmus test of the Canadian collaborative aesthetic to much hipster bally-ho. Watch the video (qt).

WHERE IS CLIPTIP?

Cliptip is gigging at Candian Music Week, including raving about this amazing find from Calgary. The press have been calling them a perfect blend of Interpol and Arcade Fire. Back soon!

THE STREETS: When You Wasn't Famous

Brand new single form the London grime holligan. This marks the impending release of Mr. Skinner's third long player, entitled "Are You Ready For The Relapse?" This video sees Mike lamenting the difficulties of getting famous girls, in various cinematic situational references including One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest and Trainspotting. Watch the video (real - stream). UPDATE: Here's the MP3.

BECK: Hell Yes

The Los Angeles anti-folk hero is about to reveal the inspiration to his seminal "Loser" track with the rerelease of the film "Kill The Moonlight." This latest video which has been kicking around the net is various forms is finally cliptip-able for you viewing. Directed by Garth Jennings, the video features the dancing antics of four Sony QRIO robots. Watch the video (flash).

KASABIAN: Cutt Off

The Leicester four piece faces shark attacks in this video directed by Simon Willows. The Primal Scream swaggered influences are apparent on this single, but that certainly does not detract from the enjoyability of this sixth release off the self titled debut. Watch the video (qt).

THE CARDIGANS: Don't Blame Your Daughter (Diamonds)

Neo goth alt country single from the Swedish popsters. The Super Extra Gravity album's second single is certainly more mellow than the first single and harkens back to their very mellow bluegrass tinged previous collection. The video is a vamped out darkcore vision directed by the brother Renck: Johan Renck, last seen helming Madonna's Hung Up video, and Martin Renck, last seen directing the aforementioned first Cardigans single off the same album. Watch the video (win) or download (mp4).

COLDCUT: Everything Is Under Control

The first single from the London production duo's latest long player is a collaboration with Jon Spencer of the Blues Explosion and hip hopper Mike Ladd. It's a progressive beat ladden rawker hell bent on subverting the establishment, which is not unlike the really old work of Colduct when they first hit the scene with Queen Latifah on their excellent debut "What's That Noise". If you can find this classic album, pick it up, it sounds as fresh as the day it was minted. Oh, and the new record, Sound Mirrors? That's pretty damn good too. Watch the video (qt - stream).

LIARS: The Other Side Of Mt. Heart Attack

The twisted musicality that is Brooklyn based Liars has now further revolved in this latest form. The jagged edges of their previous anti-folk punk to squelching electro-noise rock albums seems to have matured to a twee melody that is more apt to lull you to sleepytime than pierce your ears. Perhaps the most beautiful song they have ever written. Watch the video (real - stream).

SHAWN LEE: Happiness

I'm reviving this sleeper hit from 2000 that made it's way across countless compilations but never crossed over to megawatt success. Perhaps it's because Shawn is a white man with a voice so soulful, you'd swear the colour was off on your television set. None the less, with similar blue-eyed soul acts such as Jamie Lidell garnering some critical attention, perhaps it's time for another kick at the can. Label K7! also seems to think so and is releasing his sophomore album, Soul Visa, which until such time was exclusively available in Japan. Watch the video (real - stream).

YEAH YEAH YEAHS: Gold Lion

Karen O and crew return to the punk forefront with another brilliant screecher of a single. The signature howl is back, although accompanied by a more refined overall sound. The video is directed by Patrick Daughters and sees the revitalization of glam rock metal standards such as gold lamé and pyrotechnics. Watch the video (win - stream).

RES: They Say Vision

The Philidelphia raised cross genre singer never quite make the mainstream leap thanks to the puzzling, how-do-I-classify-this blend of rock, soul and hip hop that format radio would rather ignore. Her debut album is consistently good (her collaborating partner was Doc, formerly of Esthero's debut record Breath From Another) and April sees the release of her sophomore album. Stay tuned. Until then, here's a pretty text book video from the debut. Watch the video (real).

WHERE IS CLIPTIP?

cliptip is hiding... back soon!

PLAN B: No Good

With the much anticipated debut Lady Sovereign album on its way, plus the third The Streets longplayer scheduled for release in April 10th, it sounds like the grime wave is finally happening. Plan B, another top seated grime hopeful which the media is hyping as the British Eminem, releases this debut single. The familiar chorus you hear is also lifted for the Prodigy single of the same name. The stop motion clip is directed by Daniel Levi. Watch the video (qt).

THE PRESETS: Are You The One?

These Australian electro rockers called the Presets? Why did I not know about them? How did this duo of uber sleazy chic freaksters escape my internet eye? Persistent tipster Jordan points me to this video and Marenco NYUB recently played a track on his podcast. For this, I am forever grateful. I really love this band and now I need to find this CD... If I'm not mistake, the director is Kris Moyes, and half of the due is Kim Moyes. Coincidence? Or does creativity runneth in the genes? Watch the video (qt).

SHE WANTS REVENGE: Tear You Apart

Ever since the iTunes new music podcast put onto this band, I've been anxiously awaiting their release. Image my shock when I learned that one of the members was in fact Justin Warfield, who has been a solo rap artist, rock artist, member of the band One Inch Punch and a collaborator with the Chemical Brothers and Bomb The Bass. And this latest incarnation is a Joy Division / Interpol new wave extravaganza. Talk about shape shifting metamorphasis. Whatever the genre, the quality always appears consistently good. The video is a mysterious subtitled thriller directed by celebrity lensman, Joaquin Phoenix. Watch the video (real - stream).

BJÖRK: Nature Is Ancient

It's been a while since I've posted a Björk video, likely because she's just not had any new videos. And for anyone who's seen the Drawing Restaint 9 art film in which Björk appears, you probably don't want to relive the "let's make sashimi out of each other" leg carving scene ever again. Ever. So here is a rare track that appears on her Family Tree compilation with a mutant and fetus-like video directed by digital art collective Lynn Fox. It's odd, but what do you expect from the woman voted as the world's most eccentric artist? Watch the video (qt).

CIRCLESQUARE: Fight Sounds

Stunning and remarkably hooky new single from the Vancouver moody downtempo electronic artist AKA Jeremy Shaw. The video is equally matched with a sparse visual feel, and a synchronized stuttering edit to the syncopated beat. The clip is by perpetual Circlesquare collaborator, director Bienvenido Cruz. video (qt).

DEATH FROM ABOVE 1979: Sexy Results (MSTRKFT Remix)

Thanks to this miracle video from Toronto duo Death Form Above 1979, I am have inexplicably become a expert lip reader. While I actually find the original version of the track superior to the MSTRB8TR... errr... I mean MSTRKRFT version featured here, considering the tickles and giggles of the video, I feel that all is forgiveable. Watch the video (qt).