Sweet Brown Songs: Everybody's Got Time for That!

Sweet-Brown.jpg

I must be living under a rock, because it was only this weekend that a friend showed me the viral video on YouTube of a woman named Sweet Brown. She escaped an apartment fire and gave an interview to Oklahoma City's KFOR News Channel. With all the charisma of a preacher, she retold her story of how she went down to get a cold pop ("soda" for all you West Coast peoples) smelled something in the air and, in her own words, realized "Oh Lord Jesus, it's a fire!" She went on to speak of spoke inhalation and how, with bronchitis, she didn't have no time for that!More >>

Kristen Bell's Sloth Meltdown Gets Auto-tuned

kristen-bell-sloth-autotuned.jpg
​Pageviews, smageviews. These days, the true indicator of viral success is when a story gets auto-tuned. 

Last week on Ellen, Kristen Bell told the story of the time she found out she'd be meeting a sloth for her birthday. Her giddy tale and the accompanying video footage of her losing her shit was so weirdly joyful that it was watched by more than 8 million people. 

Now, thanks to the geniuses at Auto-Tune The News, the clip has been made into a song that is permanently stuck in our heads. Crying, crying, crying . . .  
More >>

Nilu Madadi, Irvine-Based Iranian-American Singer, Goes Viral With a Nod From Young the Giant

nilu.jpg
facebook.com/nilumusic
Nilu Madadi, a 23 year-old Iranian-American musician based in Irvine, has started the new year off on the right note. The singer-songwriter has been making a name for herself since a YouTube video of her Noise Coalition Live Sessions performance of "Sing for You" was uploaded earlier this month. Madadi's original composition has inspired tens of thousands of views (and counting) with its display of her sultry, Feist-like vocals. She's offered up "Sing for You" as a free download and promises much more in the coming year, including a debut EP release, new website and a follow-up Noise Coalition video.

With all this good stuff going on, the Weekly caught up with the indie-rock/soul musician and asked her a few questions about the video and song that has people talking. Don't be surprised to see more of Madadi in a future Locals Only feature!
More >>

It's Friday, Friday: The Most Viewed Video of 2011

rebeccablack.jpg
Well, well, well. Last week we told you that Rebecca Black was 2011's most-searched subject on Google. Today we find out that the video with the most pageviews on YouTube is, of course, Rebecca Black's "Friday."

According to the Washington Post, the video garnered more than 180 million views this year. YouTube trends manager Kevin Allocca said her video's popularity represents "the idea that anyone can enter our pop culture."


More >>

Rebecca Black Is 2011's Most-Searched Subject on Google

videogaga-852689737-1300124342.jpg
The most-searched subject on Google for 2011 was not Steve Jobs, nor Casey Anthony. Occupy Wall Street? Psh. Didn't even make the list.

According to the Google Zeitgeist, the device that tracks how often something is searched and how fast the search catches speed, the OC's very own Rebecca Black ranks number one for 2011.

Black recorded the song "Friday," written by Los Angeles' vanity label ARK Music Factory, and released the accompanying video on Youtube in February. It received around a 1,000 hits in the first month. But a month later, it exploded.

More >>

Slayer Light Show: Because Your Holidays Could Use a Good Headbanging

Screen Shot 2011-12-09 at 1.54.55 PM.png
It's the most wonderful time of the year. The weather is crisp, everybody's slurping from that mug of good cheer, lights twinkle, and Christmas carols soothe your five o'clock drive.

Sick of all that, Scrooge? Good news. Your neighbor has set his holiday light show to Slayer.

"Slayer Bob," the SoCal mega metal fan, is back with another installment of his now-famous holiday decorations. After racking up over 2 million views on YouTube with his first show in 2009 -- which was set to Slayer's "Raining Blood" -- he came back last year with a Pantera-themed show.

This year, he's back to his roots with "South of Heaven," another Slayer song. We bet Santa stops here first.

More >>

Benni Cinkle, Awkward Backup Dancer in 'Friday' Video, Wants To Make School Appearances

benni-cinkle.jpg
What do you do when you're a part of a video that's gotten 176 million views? 
 
Milk it for all it's worth.

Benni Cinkle, the brace-faced girl who flails her arms awkwardly in Rebecca Black's "Friday" video, debuted a video of her own last week called "Can You See Me Now." Now, according to a press release (yes, she even has a press team), the Anaheim Hills teen has gotten "overwhelming requests and responses," so she has decided to host a Bring Benni to School Contest. Kids can enter by creating a video telling a story about a difficult time in their lives and how they got through it. Cinkle will pick five winners and visit their schools to talk about empowerment.
More >>

Awkward Backup Dancer In 'Friday' Video Now Has Her Own Music Video--and Teen Nonprofit

Oh, Rebecca Black. You're the gift that keeps on giving. Not only have you parlayed your "worst video on earth" fame via "Friday" into a Katy Perry cameo and a VMAs appearance, you've also catapulted your awkward friends into the same kind of fame formerly reserved for Real Housewives and moms of multiple kids. 

And so yes, Bennet "Benni" Cinkle, whom we've talked about before as "the bracefaced girl in pink who flails her arms awkwardly in the back of a convertible as Black sings epic lyrics such as 'Fun, fun/think about fun/you know what it is'" now has her own music video. 
And (surprise!) like Rebecca Black's earnest effort, "My Moment," it's a song with a positive teen message about bullying, believing in yourself, and blah blah blah you get the drift. Called "Can You See Me Now," Black's former Anaheim Hills schoolmate is just as heavily AutoTuned and, well, warbles along just as badly as her cohort.
Apparently, because of all the nastiness that was wrought by the "Friday" video, Cinkle was inspired to launch the That Girl in Pink Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness, involvement, and donations for "causes that affect kids." It seems like a vast chasm of helpful stuff can get fit that description, so while you're mulling that over,  watch the video after the jump.
More >>

Three Best Moments of the OK Go + Muppets Video

ok-go-s-muppet-show-theme-song.jpg

OK Go has always had pretty cool videos (like the one with the treadmill, or the one with the Echo Park geese, or the one with dogs) but their most recen, for their version of the The Muppet Show theme song, is probably the best one ever. Kermit the Frog, Rolf the Dog, Miss Piggy and more are in it. The song is from the released-today Muppet tribute album, The Green Album.

The album features OK Go, Andrew Bird, My Morning Jacket and other artists covering classic Muppets songs. It's a companion piece to the Disney movie The Muppets that stars Amy Adams and Jason Segel coming in November.

Obviously, you want to watch it after the jump: but watch out for 1) an OK Go treadmill scene 2) the grumpy old men scene 3) the ending(s)!!!

More >>

Top Five Funny Kanye West Tumblrs

kanyewest.jpg
via Fuck Yeah Yeezy

Considering the man has long been a meme in his own right, it was only a matter of time before the tumblr community hopped on the Kanye West schtick. And since the whole I'mma Let You Finish thing is pretty much dead and buried, we've tracked down the funniest and most current Ye-related tumblrs on the web. Top Five after the jump.
More >>
Sign up for free stuff, news info & more!

Tools

Links

Browse Voice Nation
  • Voice Places

    Voice Places

    Discover restaurants, nightlife, travel, shopping...

  • VOICE Daily Deals

    VOICE Daily Deals

    Get 50 to 90% off every day on restaurants, movies, massages...

  • Best Of

    Best Of...

    More than 10,000 of the BEST things to eat, drink, and experience

  • My Voice Nation

    My Voice Nation

    Join the Village Voice community and get exclusive deals and info

  • Happy Hour

    Happy Hour

    Your local Happy Hour guide at your fingertips

or

Log in or Sign up

Social Connect:

Use your favorite account to access My Voice Nation.


Use your My Voice Nation account to log in:





Forgot password?
or

Sign Up or Log in

Social Connect:

Sign up for My Voice Nation with your preferred network.


Sign up for a My Voice Nation account:



Privacy policy