It's No Robbery : LA's See Spot Win Music Video Contest

It's like Reservoir Dogs with a rocksteady beat, and they've heisted the Make A Star banks for $100 by claiming the December Favorite Music Video title from a rich field of 16 contestants!


Music Video director Jay Mack Arnette II has a long resume as a camera operator for American television shows such as Survivor, The Bachelorette, The Surreal Life, America's Next Top Model, Punk'd, and The Henry Rollins Show.


Arnette combined forces with North Hollywood-based ska band See Spot to create the video for "Robbery". See Spot's unique blend of roots ska laced with heavy latin, jazz and big band influences provided the perfect soundtrack for a winning video.


Watch the video for See Spot 'Robbery'


Fronted by vocalist Charles Farrar, the big See Spot band includes members Bradford Pate, Jubal Jones, Wally Caro, Eddie "Chiquis" Lozoya, Tom Cook, Brian Wallace, and Korey Horn. See Spot has shared the stage with many legends of their genre, such as The Skatalites, Justin Hinds, The Toasters, Let's Go Bowling, and Hepcat.


They have frequently performed at such Hollywood staples as The Whisky-A-Go-Go, and The El Rey Theatre. Now with their 3rd full-length album, "THE ROBBERY" in stores now the future looks even brighter as these vets of the stage take up their instruments for their first major tour outside of the United States including Japan and Europe.


The title track from See Spot's 3rd full length CD, "The Robbery", is up-tempo, entertaining ska with a definite Los Angeles flavor. Jay Mack Arnette's video flows along with the song like a matinee action movie you want to watch again and again.

4 Music Videos Crack the Holiday Favorite Music Video Semi-Finals

Check out all the contestants and vote in the two exciting semi-final matches right here: Make A Star December Favorite Music Video Competition


The First Ladies 'Heartbeat'
Boise Idaho's own First Ladies have put out their very first music video with the help of local director and pal Aidan Brezonick. This video is the first of many that Aidan has planned with the band. Thanks to all the friends and fans who helped out by being in the background shots. The band in this video is made up of Joel Smith, Micah Smith, Jojo Hopewell and Glen Lindquist. The main character is played by Evan Sesek. Thanks to Bret Copeland for letting us mess up his whole house. We hope you love it, please tell us what you think. http://myspace.com/firstladiesmusic http://firstladiesmusic.com


The Bed 'Monolith'
This is a music video I made for one of their songs called 'Monolith' using only Mario Paint for the Super Nintendo. http://www.missinghead.co.uk The Bed are an underground band from Leeds that have been around doing a right lot of nothing for a while. http://www.myspace.com/geekstuff


The Lennings 'Section C'
Happenings of an insane asylum.


See Spot 'Robbery'
Directed by: Jay Mack Arnette II. Music Video director Jay Mack Arnette II has a long resume as a camera operator for American television shows such as Survivor, The Bachelorette, The Surreal Life, America's Next Top Model, Punk'd, and The Henry Rollins Show.


See Spot are a North Hollywood-based ska band who bring a unique blend of roots ska laced with heavy latin, jazz and big band influences.

Fronted by vocalist Charles Farrar, this 6-piece group has shared the stage with many legends of their genre, such as The Skatalites, Justin Hinds, The Toasters, Let's Go Bowling, and Hepcat.

They have frequently performed at such Hollywood staples as The Whisky-A-Go-Go, and The El Rey Theatre. Now with their 3rd full-length album, "THE ROBBERY" in stores now the future looks even brighter as these vets of the stage take up their instruments for their first major tour outside of the United States including Japan and Europe.

Meet the 4 Semi Finalists in Make A Star's December Favorite Song by a Male Solo Artist Contest

Felander Felander is from Kennesaw, Georgia. Felander Stevenson is a 20-year old entertainer who brings a genuine sound to music that has been missing for quite some time. In addition, he models and writes his own lyrics. With the perfect combination of R&B, Pop, Soul, Neo-Soul, Hip-Hop, and Gospel, the industry should take note of the latest music sensation. Whether he sings on an upbeat record or soul ballad, he is able to add great expression in every song. At 14, Felander began to write and produce songs for himself and other independent artists around the area. He has created a lot of buzz through the internet and around the South. The song, "My Equal" is basically about a guy who had a major blowout in his relationship and his girlfriend was about to walk out, but he wanted her to know how he felt about her before she left..

kristiAN llupi kristiAN llupi is from Tirana, Albania.

Loc Saint Loc Saint is a singer from Burlington, Washington who combines many different genres together when creating his songs intended for people in all walks of life. His melodic voice combined with compelling and relateable topics make for a truely unquie artist. Not to mention his trigger tongue flow and harmony have grown him an underground following that has dubbed him the "undergrounds best kept secret". was written from alot of sadness. Its a relatable track dealing with the emotion that haunts the majority of the population. Loc Saint says his best friend Eli is featured on a clip talking about his depression in the beggining of the song, but that 6 months after recording "Depression" the singer found his friend dead in his apartment.


Kevin Day Kevin Day is a country singer-songwriter from Grundy, Virginia.

Meet the 4 Semi Finalists in Make A Star's December Favorite Song by a Duo or Band Contest

MNP5 "Comi" MNP5 are from Manassas, Virginia.


Walking Charly "Talk to Me"Walking Charly are from Thousand Oaks, California.


Ejay Ivan Lac feat. Mia J Park "YOU ARE NOT ALONE"
Ejay Ivan Lac is an electronic composer from Bareggio, Italy. Ejay says this song is "dedicated to all the people alone, people that want fight!"


Pixilated Theory "Gliese 581" Pixilated Theory are a band from Calhoun, Missouri. This song is from their album 'Top Secret'. Their official website is www.pixilatedtheory.com

Meet the 8 Quarter Finalists in Make A Star's December Favorite Music Video Contest

Check out all the contestants and vote for your favorites here: Make A Star December Favorite Music Video Competition


The First Ladies 'Heartbeat'
Boise Idaho's own First Ladies have put out their very first music video with the help of local director and pal Aidan Brezonick. This video is the first of many that Aidan has planned with the band. Thanks to all the friends and fans who helped out by being in the background shots. The band in this video is made up of Joel Smith, Micah Smith, Jojo Hopewell and Glen Lindquist. The main character is played by Evan Sesek. Thanks to Bret Copeland for letting us mess up his whole house. We hope you love it, please tell us what you think. http://myspace.com/firstladiesmusic http://firstladiesmusic.com

Lion's Mane Tales 'Cold Wind'
Turku, Finland - Now i'm gonna go where the cold wind blows Treated so harsh all my life While these things rushing down and knockin' me to ground I'll be never coming back Now i'm gonna go where the cold wind blows Running thru the storm What choice do I have after treated so bad A man whose freedom been robbed Now i'm gonna go where the cold wind blows No lord no savior at all Alone I walk and alone I'll be And never be coming back Now i'm gonna go where the cold wind blows Nailing my last nail down Good bye sweet angel, no reason to cry It's your time to fly Now i'm gonna go where the cold wind blows Graceful still I am Farewell my loves and the games you play I'll be never coming back I'll be never coming back I'll be never coming back I'll be never coming back I'll be never coming back

The Bed 'Monolith'
This is a music video I made for one of their songs called 'Monolith' using only Mario Paint for the Super Nintendo. http://www.missinghead.co.uk The Bed are an underground band from Leeds that have been around doing a right lot of nothing for a while. http://www.myspace.com/geekstuff

Chris Murray Combo 'Love Flame'
Produced and directed by: Jay Mack Arnette II

The New Waves 'Kalaschnikov pt. 3'
This is a cool new "band "from sweden. The New Waves is no "band". It was made by laziness, impatientness and unwillingness commit oneself to a ordinary band. The New Waves is a about do whatever you want whenever you want to do it. It only driven forward by ideas that is carried out. There is no rehearsals or jamming behind this. Is not about aiming for goals or success is just about let the intuition take you away somewhere more beautiful.

The Lennings 'Section C'
Happenings of an insane asylum.

Avision 'Sail Away'
This video was a collaboration of the artist and the director in order to gain exposure. The song is about a girl who wants to "get away" this was exaggerated by having them flying through space in a spaceship.

See Spot 'Robbery'
Directed by: Jay Mack Arnette II

8 Duos and Bands Compete for $100 in the December Favorite Song Talent Contest on MakeAStar.com

Listen to all the full length mp3s and vote for your favorites on MakeAStar.com : makeastar.com/contest.asp

CountryCity "Sippi Swag"CountryCity is a new, up and coming duo from Mississippi consisting of female, hip hop mc by the name of ShaDuke and hip hop mc by the name of DeuceBoy. The group says that this is "a party song that is sure to get the crowd rocking!!!"

MNP5 "Comi" MNP5 are from Manassas, Virginia.

Ophir "Center of the Universe"Ophir are from Redlands, California. The song Center of the Universe was written by Holly Lindin and Matthew DeMeritt in 2009 and released on Aloe Records.

Walking Charly "Talk to Me"Walking Charley are from Thousand Oaks, California.

Ice ft. J-Vo "Up In The Club"Ice is from Salisbury, North Carolina.

Ejay Ivan Lac feat. Mia J Park "YOU ARE NOT ALONE"
Ejay Ivan Lac is an electronic composer from Bareggio, Italy. Ejay says this song is "dedicated to all the people alone, people that want fight!"

Ross54 "Perfect day" Ross54 are a band from Milano, Italy. This song is from their new album Fulcrum.

Pixilated Theory "Gliese 581" Pixilated Theory are a band from Calhoun, Missouri. This song is from their album 'Top Secret'. Their official website is www.pixilatedtheory.com

8 Male Solo Artists Compete for $100 in Make A Star's December Favorite Song Talent Contest

Felander Felander is from Kennesaw, Georgia. Felander Stevenson is a 20-year old entertainer who brings a genuine sound to music that has been missing for quite some time. In addition, he models and writes his own lyrics. With the perfect combination of R&B, Pop, Soul, Neo-Soul, Hip-Hop, and Gospel, the industry should take note of the latest music sensation. Whether he sings on an upbeat record or soul ballad, he is able to add great expression in every song. At 14, Felander began to write and produce songs for himself and other independent artists around the area. He has created a lot of buzz through the internet and around the South. The song, "My Equal" is basically about a guy who had a major blowout in his relationship and his girlfriend was about to walk out, but he wanted her to know how he felt about her before she left..

Nigel Nigel is from Columbus, Ohio.

Kevin Seales Kevin Seales is from Winona, Minnesota. "My Sweet Valentine" is a song he wrote for his wife. "I was up late at night, and started working on another song, but that song wasn't coming out right, so I started dabbling on this one, and this is what came out."

kristiAN llupi kristiAN llupi is from Tirana, Albania.

Loc Saint Loc Saint is a singer from Burlington, Washington who combines many different genres together when creating his songs intended for people in all walks of life. His melodic voice combined with compelling and relateable topics make for a truely unquie artist. Not to mention his trigger tongue flow and harmony have grown him an underground following that has dubbed him the "undergrounds best kept secret". His song "Depression" was written from alot of sadness. Its a relatable track dealing with the emotion that haunts the majority of the population. Loc Saint says his best friend Eli is featured on a clip talking about his depression in the beggining of the song, but that 6 months after recording "Depression" the singer found his friend dead in his apartment.

Miikka Asukas Miikka Asukas is from Turku, Finland.

Johnny Gatos Johnny Gatos' song is about lost love.

Kevin Day Kevin Day is a country singer-songwriter from Grundy, Virginia.

December Favorite Music Video Contest Features 16 New Songs!

Check out all the contestants and vote for your favorites here: Make A Star December Favorite Music Video Competition


Preach Jacobs & Denz 'Falling'

The First Ladies 'Heartbeat'

Lion's Mane Tales 'Cold Wind'

KB of Street Military 'Keep On'

The Bed 'Monolith'

Sapient 'Likeness'

Chris Murray Combo 'Love Flame'

Savallace 'Tonight's The Night'

Selwyne 'Mess This Up'

The New Waves 'Kalaschnikov pt. 3'

Ray Damme Straight 'Sixty Minute Man'

The Lennings 'Section C'

E.M.G. 'How We Party'

Avision 'Sail Away'

Sex With Strangers 'New City Anthem'


See Spot 'Robbery'

Protocol and Tim Current are November's Favorite Songwriters!

There were two Favorite Song competitions held in November, and Tim Current, a contestant who submitted some of his other songs in recent months, finally struck gold as his acoustic gem of a song "Hard To Let Her Go" triumphed in the Male Solo Artist competition. Meanwhile, newcomers Protocol shot to the top of the Make A Star monthly charts and added $50 to their pockets with their victory in the Duo/Band competition for their song "Wall of Colors".


Tim Current,singer/songwriter, joined forces with local Vancouver, Washington band (The Martindales) in 2003 to record his first 12 song cd due to be finished in the spring of 2004. They currently have a large library of songs still yet to be recorded in the country/rock/pop/ballad genre.


Easy listening with an edge, its a must hear for fans of The Eagles to Blue Rodeo and everything in between! Here's what writer Jim Cooper had to say about Tim's new album: Why did Tim call this recording Convergence? Perhaps it’s because the songs converge lyrically and musically into radio-friendly numbers that will appeal to listeners who disdain the simplicity of most pop music. And what a convergence it is. Backed by the imitable Martindales, a band whose versatility and rock and roll credentials provide the perfect accompaniment to the rich material, Tim Current’s superb songwriting and vocals immediately capture the ear. From the opening chords of “Living a Lie” to the subtle harmonies that close “Till the End of Time,” you can practically hear the enthusiasm.


Add Kevin Nettleingham’s skillful production to the mix, and the result is an album that will easily withstand the test of time, sounding as fresh twenty years from now as it does today. Although most of Tim’s songs focus on the enduring topic of love and relationships, this album is not simply a collection of boy meets girl/boy loses girl songs. Relationships are never that simple; even the best ones are messy, complicated, and nuanced. Tim’s music reflects that reality brilliantly.


Who can’t relate to the cocktail of loss, bitterness and resignation served in “Living a Lie” or to Tim’s homage to love’s transformative power, “You Set Me Free?” And when, in the hard rocking “She Likes the Way,” Tim sings “She loves it when I tell her she’s so fine / I love it when she slips her little hand in mine,” who doesn’t agree that small gestures create strong bonds? In one of the album’s strongest cuts, “Malibu,” Tim demonstrates the hollowness of luxury without love when he croons “It’s gonna be 85 again and there’s not a cloud in sight / The major train wreck of the day is if the PH level’s right.” The fact is Tim understands human nature, and his ability to express that understanding in words and music bodes well for the discriminating listener. If you’re looking for authenticity and sophistication that transcends typical pop formulas, then you’ve come to the right place.


Listen to Tim Current 'Hard To Let Her Go'


Protocol is a well-rounded rock band from Connecticut. Joe (vocals, guitar, bass) and Tyler (guitar), began writing songs together in 2003. Ryan Laney soon joined on keyboard and mandolin, followed by Matt on bass and Emily on drums (and occasionally bass). Their good friend Nick occasionally plays with the band on baritone sax and vocals.


Throughout their high school careers, Protocol was mainly a recording group, performing a few times at Toquet Hall in Westport, CT, and in their high school's talent show. By the summer of 2007 (the graduating year of the majority of the band's members) Protocol had completed Faceless, their first full album, and by the summer of 2009 they finished work on their second, Verbatim, recording only during college breaks.


Protocol's music reflects its members' backgrounds in and love of both rock and classical music. When asked about their influences, they usually list Aerosmith, The Beatles, Neil Young, Led Zeppelin, Guns N' Roses, and Dispatch.


Protocol has a third album in the works and Joe and Ryan Laney are working on a musical about their experiences in high school as well.


Listen to Protocol 'Wall of Colors'

The Disablists feat. Foreign Beggars Win November Music Video

The number one Music Video on Make A Star’s November charts and winner of the $100 cash prize is “Heavy Rotation” by The Disablists featuring Foreign Beggars – a blast of new British hip hop directed by London based stop-motion animator Lee Hardcastle.


“Heavy Rotation” is a collaborative song featuring the vocal skills of Foreign Beggars, a prolific and versatile UK hip hop collective, and The Disablists, a former jazz trio who evolved into skilled turntablists.


Foreign Beggars’ roots also stem from jazz and classical training that over turn turned into performing hip hop, death/power-metal and drum & bass – an eclectic musical stew that speaks to the varied experiences of the group’s roster of talent - MC's Metropolis and Orifice Vulgatron, Producer Dag Nabbit, Human Beat boxers Shlomo, Uk Beatbox Champion MC Zani and DJ Nonames.


Individually, 'Foreign Beggars' have achieved a range high profile accomplishments, from appearances on Bjork's 'Medulla' album and the Gorillaz single 'Tomorrow Never Comes', to remix production for Amp Fiddler and Corinne Bailey Rae, and touring the States with James Lavelle's UNKLE outfit.


The Disablists are three time UK DMC World DJ Champions who have supported hip hop and Drum and Bass acts such as The Wu-Tang Clan’s GZA, Skinnyman, Killa Kela, Taskforce, Klashnekoff, Sway, AndyC, Pendulum, Friction, Mampi Swift, and Simon Bassline Smith.


Lee Hardcastle is a director, animator, and comic book artist living in London. A fan of the surreal, visually intense work of David Lynch, Spike Jonez, Adrian Tomine and Nintendo, his work can be found on his website www.MissingHead.co.uk


Watch the music video “Heavy Rotation” by The Disablists featuring Foreign Beggars – Directed by Lee Hardcastle