Nidji

Watch the world premiere of 'Shadows' on Dec 19th here.

Get a sneak peak, behind-the-scenes of 'Shadows' here.

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Nidji are six guys on a mission to spread their music around the world.

Channel [V] is here to make that happen:

First Nidji is our featured Spotlight artist all through december.

Second - you might be the lucky one to take home a special prize too. Win a Gibson Flying V guitar specially designed by Nidji!

Finally - we give you the chance to catch them at AMP LIVE in Kuala Lumpur on Dec 21.

All you have to do to stand a chance of winning these great prizes, is to answer the question below (contest closes on the 31st December.)

.: reference Channel V :.

Spotlight: Nidji!

Rising quickly to the top is our spotlight artist of the month, Nidji. Formed in 2002, Nidji is an Indonesian band who has distinguished themselves from the pack, both musically and socially.

The award-winning, alternative rock band’s debut album, Breakthru, has sold over 500,000 copies and is the first Indonesian album with both an English and Indonesian version. They were first known as an Indonesian version of a British rock band but they became a band of their own when their hit single Heaven was used on the soundtrack for the hugely successful Heroes TV series.

Other than rocking it in the music scene, Nidji is very involved with Indonesia’s social issues as an anti-AIDS ambassador for the Staying Alive program and Indonesia’s very own ‘Friends of World Food Program’ appointed by the UN. In addition, they have created a movement called Nidjiholicare, where they encourage their fans to become more aware of what is happening in Indonesia and make a change for the better.

[V] will be rocking it out with Nidji at the AMP Live show in Jakarta and you have a chance to come along! For your chance to win tickets to the concert, [V] is holding a contest equally as awesome.

Win a Nidji designed Gibson Flying V guitar by clicking here and telling us how you find meaning in NIdji’s songs.

Nidji Live in Jakarta Dec 7th at 7:00pm HK & SIN / 8:00pm MAL.

.: reference Channel V :.

Goodnight Electric

Henry Foundation, Bondi Goodboy and Oomleo, better known collectively as Goodnight Electric, are one of Indonesia's most talked about bands of the moment. As they prepare for their upcoming Malaysian gig at Junk's Impulse night, we stole a moment with Henry who gave us the skinny on synth pop, Jakarta and why Adidas still rules OK.

Great to have you with us! Why don't you introduce yourself?
Hi! Im Henry Foundation.

Could you prep us on how Goodnight Electric came together?
Goodnight Electric was formed by the Henry Foundation in late 2003 in Jakarta. It was a solo project initially but after releasing my debut album “Love and Turbo Action” in 2004, Bondi Goodboy (Synthesizer) and Oomleo (Synthesizer, sequencer) joined as new members.

We graduated from art school and were interested in music, having met at an artist organisaiton called Ruangrupa. We used to work together, doing some art exhibitions and projects. After releasing Goodnight Electric's first album, I asked Bondi and Oomleo to help out with the band's live performance.

In keeping with your stage names, Goodnight Electric is quite an unusual band name - what does it mean?
It was really random. Since we were always working on something during the night, it was essential that we had electricity to keep going. Can you imagine what it would be like if we were to live without it?

Back to caveman times eh? I can't even make a fire. So what’s the battle plan moving forward?
We’re trying to create a solid networking base and eventually distribute our releases to Asia (especially South East Asia.)

Worthy endeavour indeed. We'll help! Tell us, what or whom influenced your music taste?
Mostly 80’s & 90’s electronic music. But I was also inspired by Britpop and Indie pop bands like The Stone Roses, Belle and Sebastian etc

How vintage! And how would you go about describing your sound?
Cheap and cheesy, but it’s good! Trust me.

You just rhymed! Cheap and cheesy is good. Tell us more about your setup – what do you normally use?
For production we’re using Reason and Cubase with some extra plug-in.
Micro Korg, Alesis Micron synthesizer , shure beta 87 and Korg D 16 digital mixer for live performances.

Is there a message you want to get across through your music?
Yes. Don’t be sad, we’re experiencing a new era.

Let's be honest now - Are you guys a booze, drugs, or abstinence band?
If none of the above, which I highly doubt, what are your vices?
None. We’re Synthesizer addicts.

Diplomatic answer.... Fine... I'll grace your response with a more dignifed question. What gets you excited?
Dancing and drinking in other towns or foreign countries and having me as a DJ.

Thought you didn't drink?? Sounds like a party anyway. What, in your view, is success? Is there anything specific you would like to achieve with your music?
We want to be able to do what we wanna do and achieve our goals.
Mostly, we just want people in Indonesia to appreciate what we do.

You first record was called “Suicide Project”, that's a bit morbid isn't it? What's your reasoning?
I never dreamt of making us into a synth pop band. At first I only did it for fun, for recording purposes without performing at all. I released 1000 copies only with my own money. Then, in 2004 everyone was like “rock n roll and emo bands fever”, which, in my opinion was suicide.

What about your follow up - "Electroduce Yourself" - What are the themes and directions of this LP? What sets it apart from your other work?
"Electroduce Yourself" is about re-introducing ourselves. The first album was my solo project, but now I’ve got Bondi and Oomleo as new members, it’s different from the 1st album. They’re bringing their own influences and contributions. We’ve got new sounds; new producers and a new record signed. This album is also dedicated to all the people and media who showed us appreciation and support the entire time.

The nature of such a niche sound is it can be subject to fads and fashions. What are your plans for longevity? Can you see your sound evolving drastically over time?
I don't think electronic music will ever die. Maybe it won’t be as popular as pop or rock music, it might never be on top but it’ll still exist. We’ll keep exploring new sounds and patterns to make good tunes.

Right, favourite gig so far, and why?
When we were performing in Ipoh, Malaysia. The audience started moshing and dancing on our stage. This has never happened to a synth. pop band like us. The Ipoh crowd rocked!

Worst ever gig and why?
Some gigs in Jakarta. We were playing in front of the Radja Band’s audience (a new typical local rock band), literally hundreds of them and no one knew about us. =(

What's your definition of a perfect crowd?
Everyone wearing a pair of durable sneakers, hoodies and dancing away.

What’s your policy on groupies?
As long as they’re dancing and enjoying our show… we’ll be nice to them.

How about the weirdest thing a fan has ever given you?
A white balloon with a strange message on it .

I wonder what it said... Do you have any special preparations or rituals you go through before playing a show?
Yes, wearing an adidas suit, warming up and downing 2 bottles of mineral water each.

Do you have any other band traditions you stick to?
Only if we’re play at a club or a rave party. A Jack D bottle is an aftershow must!

A bunch of boozers afterall... What if we gave you an unlimited budget to buy some equipment, what would be next on the shopping list?
Apple 2 gb G 5 with Intel Quad Core Processor, Roland mv 8800, Moog Voyager, NEC projector.

If you could create your all time favourite festival line up – who would you include on the bill?
The Cure / Depeche Mode / Kraftwerk / The Stone Roses / Jesus and Mary Chain / DEVO / Belle and Sebastian / Happy Mondays

How about describing your perfect day:
Everyone in Jakarta moving to another town for vacation.

So you have loner tendencies...Tell us something about you that we don't know:
I have my own washing machine.

You obviously have limited pairs of Adidas tracksuits then, so what’s your relationship with them?
We’re in love. We have an endorsement from Adidas, we’re one of the Adidas Ambassadors in Indonesia. Three Stripes Original!

Big it up for Three Stripes Original!!! What does your family think about your music?
They don’t know anything about our music. They think it’s stupid.

Tell us more about the music scene in Indonesia at the moment:
At the moment we're at the point where the media and event organizers are open to supporting music of every genre, not just mainstream music anymore, which makes it easier for Indie labels to promote their bands. It started in 1999, there are also some massive yet regular shows in various places to help liven up the indie music scene here.

You guys are playing more out of town shows all the time. How important is it for you to be breaking outside of your home country?
Indonesia is a big and multicultural country. We know it’s hard to introduce electronic music into our country especially with English lyrics. Our audience is used to listening to Indonesian mainstream pop rock bands, which means that we have a slim chance of be heard.

And since we’re using universal lyrics, we hope everyone in other countries can listen to and enjoy our work easier. We’re trying to find other people with the same interests as us.

What are your thoughts on the upcoming Impulse event in KL? What can Malaysian fans expect and look forward to in terms of your performance?
They can start getting excited about it. This is our second visit to Malaysia, and some people already know us and have seen us before. We are still trying to introducing our new albums and give them our best tunes and performances. We hope they like it.

What's the best thing about your home town?
(Jakarta) They really appreciate and support us!

And the Worst thing about your home town?
(Jakarta) The traffic and the pollution.

Look out of your window right now – what can you see?
Our neighbour’s massive rooftop (I’m on 2nd floor by the way)

Who are your favourite local bands then?
Pure Saturday from Bandung.

To round this up, what are you going to do right now?
Turn on "Transformers The Game" on PS2!

.: reference Channel V :.

MTV News Staff Favorites Of 2008: Christopher Smith’s Top 20 Albums From The Punk-Rock Underground

Published by MTV News on Tuesday, December 30, 2008 at 6:03 pm.

We here at MTV News are a pretty diverse bunch, so the views expressed by some in our more official-type year-end lists (like James Montgomery’s Top 25 Albums and Best Songs, and the Mixtape Monday Awards) are not necessarily shared by the rest of the newsroom. So, this week we gave everyone else a chance to chime in with their own lists and explain (or defend) their choices. You’ll find the staff faves of 2008 all together here.

By Christopher “CJ” Smith

2008 Year in Music: Were you listening to the punk-rock underground?

2008 was a year where lo-fi, sh–gaze and weirdo-punk reigned supreme in this formerly straight and narrow-minded indie fan’s life. Fleet Foxes? F— that pretty-boy sh–. TV on the Radio? Been there, done that. Vampire Weekend? LOL.

Every record in 2008 seemingly was an exercise in how not to make interesting and/or exciting music. It was in the bedrooms, basements and garages, however, that musicians WERE taking chances and creating fun new pop landscapes smothered in noise, tapping into their punk lineages, crafting terrific garage rock and, above all, writing hooks that wouldn’t leave your head for days.

These 20 records are a good starting point for a year that was rife with melodies, glorious fuzzy noise and static. They’ve all got MySpace pages, so take a listen to what they’re doing and hear what you may have missed.

And check out our piece from back in May taking a look at a lot of these bands and why they’re doing it themselves. You want punk? This was punk rock at its finest in ‘08.

1. Times New Viking - Rip It Off
2. No Age - Nouns
3. Women - Women
4. Vivian Girls - Vivian Girls
5. Crystal Stilts - Alright of Night
6. Jay Reatard - Matador Singles ‘08
7. Wavves - Wavves
8. Los Llarmarda - Take the Sky
9. Blank Dogs - On Two Sides
10. Abe Vigoda - Skeleton
11. Gentleman Jesse & His Men - Gentleman Jesse & His Men
12. Cheveu - Cheveu
13. Titus Androncius - Titus Androncius
14. Sic Alps - U.S. E.Z.
15. The Hospitals - Hairdryer Peace
16. Carbonas - Carbonas
17. Nobunny - Nobunny
18. AIDS Wolf - Cities of Glass
19. Eat Skull - Sick to Death
20. TV Ghost - TV Ghost

.: reference MTV :.

Miley Cyrus Sings, Dances And Even Raps! Backstage At ‘Miley-Sized Surprise’

Published by Tim Kash on Thursday, January 1, 2009 at 10:45 am.

LOS ANGELES — The “Miley-Sized Surprise” New Year’s eve show is officially wrapped — and it was spectacular! Right now, it’s Wednesday night and I’m in a car on my way to LAX to catch the red-eye flight back to NYC in time to host the “Engaged and Underaged: The Bridal Bowl Special” special for MTV. I had a lot of fun today with Miley Cyrus, the kids of Beckman High School in Irvine, California, and of course the real star of the show: Alison Kaprielian. The entire show was centered around Alison, whose mother was sadly diagnosed with cancer a few years ago. As well as juggling her school work, her social life and supporting her mother through her treatment, Alison volunteered for the Pink Ribbon Club, an organization targeted at teens that raises money for and spreads awareness of the fight against breast cancer. Alison also happens to be one of the biggest Miley fans ever, so when Miley turned up at her house unexpectedly this morning for an intimate and impromptu performance in her kitchen — Alison was overwhelmed, to say the least!

It didn’t stop there. Miley surprised Alison throughout the day with makeovers for her and her mother, and recorded one of those famous YouTube videos with her and Miley’s best friend Mandy Jiroux. We also flew in Alison’s best friend from Georgia, threw a monster surprise party in Alison’s honor and invited the entire high school for the huge Miley performance that closed out the night. And Pepsi made a big donation to the Pink Ribbon Club. It was really an amazing night — Alison and her family were so grateful.

As for Miley, she is without doubt one of the biggest sensations of the past decade, and it’s easy to see why: She’s an amazing character. She’s like a ball of energy who’s always singing or dancing or joking around. She was definitely having a lot of fun on the show, and it was kind of infectious. She’s a lot of fun to be around and undoubtedly one of my favorite co-hosts ever: I’m officially a fan of the girl’s swagger! She’s a mean keyboard player as well, and believe it or not, she’s even experimenting a little bit with hip-hop. Nothing serious — just a bit of fun, but don’t say I didn’t warn you if you see Miley doing the rap thing in the future. And I’ve got to say, her song “See You Again” is bloody great!

So that’s New Year’s Eve in L.A. wrapped. The show was a big success — but no time to celebrate. I’m at the airport now, got to catch my flight and head to good old New York. The clock will hit midnight while I’m in the air. I’ve never been on a plane on New Year’s Eve before, but I guess it’ll be a new experience. Going to try and catch some sleep while I can — I’ve got a show to host tomorrow! Wish me luck — and happy new year!

.: reference MTV :.

Amy Winehouse Topless

Troubled singer, Amy Winehouse, revealed her curves whilst on holiday in the Caribbean paradise St Lucia. She slipped off her bikini and went for a dip. She is looking quite healthy these days, a far cry form her old drug addled anorexic self.

One onlooker commented, “Amy just whipped off her top and dived in to the sea without a care in the world. She was looking a better than she has for a while. A bit of sun is just what she needs.”

Afterwards however she returned to some bizarre behaviour. She was pictured rolling around on the floor and crawling up and down the pavement. The singer merrily posed for photographers who captured images of her strange behaviour, before she eventually left for a music festival where she sat on the ground and spoke to local children.

.: References Channel V :.

Paris Hilton Suspects She Knows Her Burglars

Last week Paris Hilton’s home was robbed. She now claims that she may know the identity of the hooded bandit her broke into her California home. “I think whoever did this, definitely has been there before. We have some suspects that I’m thinking of.” The burglar in question made off with around $2 million in jewelry and other items from her home last Friday.

“All my necklaces, jewellery that my grandmothers gave me that I’ll never be able to replace.” The suspect entered Paris Hilton's home wearing gloves and a hooded sweatshirt. He entered through the front door, and it’s unclear if Paris Hilton's door was locked at the time of the incident.

This isn’t the first time Paris has fallen victim to a burglary incident. “You know, it’s just an invasion of privacy and it’s happened to me before. It’s really scary but they’re doing a huge investigation on this and we’re going to catch this person.”

For those thinking that Paris's home is an easy target, think again. Since the robbery, Paris has beefed up her security big time. “We have three security guards there and a 24-hour guard who is always on my property. We have the alarm on, the dogs we have, the guards with the gun, so, no one is going to be coming into my house.”

Now that she’s secure in her home, Paris Hilton has asked for the return of her goods.

“They just have to anonymously have a taxi drop it off in my front gate in a box with my jewelry and everything they won’t get in trouble,” she said. “But if all this goes on for much longer they’re going to get in more trouble.”

.: references Channel V :.