It’s here – the official video for “Payphone”! Check out this information from the official news release:

“Maroon 5 have just unveiled the action packed new video for their record breaking hit single, “Payphone” featuring Wiz Khalifa. The video, which was shot by award winning director Samuel Bayer (Justin Timberlake, Green Day, My Chemical Romance), premiered on E! and finds front man Adam Levine on the run after a bank heist.

‘Payphone,’ which debuted at #1 on the Digital Songs chart with 493,000 downloads, broke the Black Eyed Peas’ previous record for first week digital sales by a group. The track is up now on iTunes, and will appear on Maroon 5′s highly anticipated album, Overexposed, due out June 26th on A&M/Octone (available for pre-order).”

Note to readers: This video contains strong language and some fictitious violence (Portrayal of a bank robbery)

Check out this fun tidbit I got in my email this morning:

“Grammy winning Maroon 5 are currently storming Billboard with their new single, ‘Payphone,’ which debuted at #1 on the Digital Songs chart. With nearly 500,000 downloads, ‘Payphone’ broke the Black Eyed Peas’ previous record for digital sales by a group. The infectious single, featuring rapper Wiz Khalifa, also landed at #3 on the overall Hot 100, behind only Gotye’s ‘Somebody That I Used to Know’ and fun.’s ‘We Are Young.’”

If you want to be number 500,001 you can order the single on iTunes now! And if you missed it, check out the video of Maroon 5 debuting the song on “The Voice” last week.

Have you ever wondered how much it would cost to send your true love 12 drummers drumming, five gold rings, and a partridge in a pear tree? Check out this fun video above which adds up the total cost of this classic Christmas carol. You can also visit their website, the 2011 Christmas Price Index for a full interactive version. Something tells me I won’t have the budget to send Jai seven swans a-swimming this year!

Check out this video for “Soul Bigger (The Rosh Hashana Song)”, a fun and inspiring take on a Kanye West tune. This video was created in celebration of the Jewish New Year, which begins on the evening of September 28th; but its positive message will appeal to people of all faith traditions. In “Soul Bigger”, we see how doing one good deed can inspire those around us and create a ripple effect of “Paying it forward”.

The creators of “Soul Bigger” also offer Beginners Services for the Jewish New Year – visit their website for locations and more information: http://www.njop.org/High_Holiday_Beginners_Services_2011.pdf

Singer, songwriter, and Backstreet Boys member Howie D. just finished touring with NKOTBSB, and now he’s preparing to release his solo debut, Back To Me, in November. Contest Corner readers will have a chance to win prizes in support of this release next month, so you’ll definitely want to watch this space! In the meantime, check out this video for “100″, the first single off Back To Me, and be sure to follow Howie D. on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news.

Music is a big part of Contest Corner. We often feature music videos and exclusive artist interviews, and of course, lots of great giveaways of CDs and band merch! As a result, I get emails almost every day with information about new releases and video premieres. This morning I was sent this clip from last night’s finale of “The Voice” that I just had to share – if you follow me on Twitter, then you already know that I’m obsessed with this show! It’s no secret that I’m a huge Maroon 5 fan, and I’ve been a big fan of Christina Aguilera since her debut as well. Seeing two of my favorite artists perform together each week has been a treat!

If you’re a long time reader, you’ll already be familiar with one of the contestants on The Voice – Team Blake’s Serabee was featured on Contest Corner in 2009 with a review of her EP, “Driving Me Stupid”. Above is a video of Team Xtina’s final contestant, Beverly McClellan, who performed a duet with OneRepublic’s lead singer Ryan Tedder. I had the pleasure of seeing OneRepublic open for Maroon 5 during their October 2010 concert at the Tacoma Dome, and it’s fun to watch Ryan Tedder perform.

So tell me, readers: What did you think of the finale? I love all the contestants, but of course I’m on Team Adam so I was very happy that Javier Colon won!

P&G and Walmart recently sent me a movie previewing kit for the upcoming film “Change of Plans”, which airs on FOX on January 8 at 8/7c. I received a selection of goodies to preview the flick with, including candy, popcorn, and a blanket to snuggle under!

“CHANGE OF PLANS” SYNOPSIS

Up to this point, Sally Danville’s life has played out just as she hoped it would. A beautiful and free-spirited musician, she and her fighter-pilot husband, Jason, live life on the go, free of domestic responsibilities. But with a single phone call from Child & Family Services case worker, Dorothy (Phylicia Rashad, The Cosby Show), she learns that things don’t always go according to plan. Sally (Brooke White, American Idol) is met with the news that her best friend from college has died in a tragic accident on a Peace Corps mission and has named Sally the legal guardian of her four kids – 3 of them adopted from third-world countries. Now Sally and Jason (Joe Flanigan, Stargate Atlantis) must quickly learn to parent this instant family and help the kids deal with the culture clash of life in America. The story is both humorous and heartwarming, revealing how fulfilling life can be when you look beyond your own plans and invest in the lives of others.

Thanks to P&G and Walmart for providing me with the fun movie previewing kit in exchange for this coverage!

Tell me, readers: Do you have “Family movie night” at your house? Will you be tuning in to watch this film?

The Goonies 25th Anniversary Celebration took place last weekend in Astoria, Oregon. Goonies fans gathered from near and far to pay tribute to their favorite movie during the four-day event – culminating in a “Goonies Rock Concert” on Sunday night. After performances from Troy’s Bucket & The Whiskey Rebellion, fans enjoyed a special show by The Ataris, performing their album “So Long, Astoria”. The headlining act was Corey Feldman’s rock band, Truth Movement, who performed tracks from their album Technology Analogy, followed by a a special 80′s encore just for Goonies fans! My full review of the show is coming soon, as well as an interview with Corey Feldman – but in the meantime, I wanted to share a selection of photos and videos from the show.

“Billie Jean” Michael Jackson Tribute

“Another Brick In The Wall” Cover

Sean Astin Auctions Off Guitar

Truth Movement Performing Songs From “Technology Analogy”

The Ataris performed at the “Goonies Rock Concert” last weekend during the Goonies 25th Anniversary Celebration in Astoria, Oregon, playing hits from – what else! – their 2003 album “So Long, Astoria”, whose title was famously inspired by The Goonies.

The Ataris

This weekend, I had the pleasure of attending a “Goonies Rock Concert”, a musical homage to the classic 80′s movie held during the Goonies 25th Anniversary Celebration in Astoria, Oregon. The show featured four bands – in this post, I’d like to share some photos & videos from the opening acts, Troy’s Bucket and The Whiskey Rebellion.

Troy’s Bucket

The Whiskey Rebellion