Vice Launches YouTube Original Channel ‘Noisey’ with MIA Premiere

Vice launched its YouTube Originals channel this month. It’s called Noisey. And it’s the YouTube-distributed (and at least partially funded) offshoot of Noisey.com, which is an offshoot of Vice.com that’s described as “a video-driven music discovery platform, documenting the most talented emerging musicians…bands and music scenes from over 10 countries,” which is a slight departure from Vice Magazine’s traditional coverage of “cocaine, whores, and denim” and Vice Video’s (formerly known as VBS.TV) documentaries about toxic locales, North Korea, Mexican gore tabloids, and cute animals.

The driving force behind Noisey is the desire to give local music scenes an international audience and “music lovers the opportunity to discover great bands.” Noisey

is attempting to fulfill that desire with the help of corporate support from Dell, Intel, and Vitamin Water and by way of a handful of original web series and online video specials featuring indie musicians, people talking about indie musicians and their music, and/or mainstream musicians who are appealing to the indie music scene. The programs include:

• Record Store Dude – Sean works at Rough Trade West in London. He’s the first up in this music review series where Noisey interviews the “nerdiest record-shop clerks in the US and UK to give you recommendations for music that’s actually good.”
• Bandmate – ”A show that incites Yoko Ono-level acrimony by asking bands the sort questions we’re all really wondering.”
• Noisey Talks – Editors and writers of renowned music magazines and publications sit around a table and talk shop.
• Party Pics – “A new show that follows balls-out nightlife photographers as they push their way to the front of the most insane shows and ragers of the week.”
• You Review – The Noisey crew “sources music reviews from actual humans instead of boring music snobs (bodega owners, bankers, firemen, whatever!),” which kinda makes this series like a video version of Yelp for music.

Of course there’s also “behind-the-scenes looks at the making of videos, documentaries, intimate interviews,” and music video premieres from acts like MIA and A$AP Rocky. You can watch and listen to them all out at YouTube.com/Noisey.