This video would have been so much better ...

Had R. Kelly taken my suggestion and made it the theme song for Tiger Woods ... and interspersed images of Tiger and his alleged skanks. Instead, Kells looks like he crashed somebody's spring break freakathon to make this one ... if I had a college-aged daughter, I'd be a little worried. At least it's better than "Echo!" LOL ... check it out!

VV Brown at Ann Taylor Fashion Preview ...

Ann Taylor had a swank party Thursday night at the ACE hotel, and stars like Rachel Bilson and that curvy redheaded chick from "Mad Men" were out to peruse the clothes, jewelry and other accessories that the fashion chain has in store for later this year.

But there was also some music to keep the guests entertained, courtesy of British singer VV Brown, whose debut album comes out in April. She only sang about three or four songs, but she made me curious to hear more ... good thing there was a CD in the gift bags they gave out!

Here's a little bit of her performance (and I do mean a little bit :)

Court Yard Hounds first NYC performance!

Emily Robison and sister Martie Maguire brought their band to NYC on Monday night for an intimate performance at Joe's Pub, which was just perhaps their second or third public performance as the Court Yard Hounds. They are perhaps better known as two-thirds of the Dixie Chicks _ and will be performing with fellow Chick Natalie Maines this summer as part of the Eagles tour.

But their debut CD as the Court Yard Hounds comes out in May, and they proved Monday. that the duo is just not a side gig for them, but a true passion.

Here's a snippet of them performing ...

T-Pain, stop denying your true self!!!

When this video first started, I thought T-Pain was joining the Red One bandwagon and doing something very Euro, hence the arty video. But this is classic, T-Pain, expressing his sexual longings via song much like his idol, R. Kelly. So make a "Trapped in the Closet"-like video, T-Pain! This is way too classy! These models, artistic vision ... so not T-Pain (Although he did get his Nuvo ad in there, ever so discreetly ...).

This song is so not subtle, and kind of crass ... which of course means I am going to put this on my iTouch immediately.

Lady Gaga and Beyonce's new video ... epic??

That was the question put to Concrete Loop readers this morning, and I was surprised that even one person _ let alone 33 percent of folks _ agreed.

I think not. I love both Gaga and Beyonce, but ... I'm not sure I get this one. It's not something I'd ever want to watch again. But maybe that's the point, and maybe, with true art, there is a level of confusion and bewilderment and annoyance after viewing it. If so, this is a masterpiece.

Justin Bieber makes the girls scream ... again

Nickelodeon had its annual upfront showcase to preview the hot projects it has upcoming, including its M. Night Shyamalan-directed movie, "The Last Airbender," and the new TV series about a performing arts high school, "Victorious." But really, who cared about all that when Justin Bieber was in the house?

The teenage heartthrob performed two songs for media, execs, and more important, a gaggle of young kids brought in for the event, and like Pavlov's dogs, they shrieked on cue when he appeared (though, thankfully, not as loud as they did at the Z100 Jingle Ball last year; my ears are still recovering).

Here's video of his performance, and some pictures!

Janelle Monae's New Music Dazzles

So many artists are hyped, but few deliver on all the excitement when their music is finally unveiled. Janelle Monae is the exception. On Thursday night at the Rubin Museum, the pompadoured chantuese showcased the music on her debut album, "Archandroid," out May 18.

She didn't perform, but she did introduce the tracks, looking stylish in a black cape and white pants.

There were VIP's like Lyor Cohen in the packed house to hear the tracks, which are a psychedelic mix of funk, rock, soul with a Disney-esque slant. It's hard to describe, but amazing to hear.

Check it out yourself here! This is one of the first singles, "Cold War."

Forget Ticketmaster. If you wanna see a hot show, the Apple store in Soho is a great bet. They have lots of top names, and on Tuesday, Corinne Bailey Rae graced their upstairs stage, performing to an audience that flowed over their seated area; there were lots of people standing up in the back as well.

Corinne did about a 40-minute set, mainly from her new CD, "The Sea," and enchanted the audience with songs like "I'd Do It All Again." She even had groupies _ well, very eager fans who kept squealing with every move she made.

The performance is going to be posted on iTunes soon, so check it out! This is a pic I shot from that night. :)

New Jack Johnson

Jack Johnson is coming out with a new album in June _ but he came to NYC this week to play some of the music for a few lucky folk, and I was among them!

Jack previewed several songs from the album, titled "To the Sea," and later played a few songs, including "My Little Girl," dedicated to his newborn daughter. It's signature Jack Johnson music, with that beachy, mellow feel ... I'll post new music when it is released!

(note ... this is not a Celeb Clutter photo!)