We’re not sure exactly what’s behind the recent nail art explosion, but as long as it continues to produce amazing pop-culture tributes on a tiny, personal scale, it has our attention. Last week, we brought you the blood-flecked fingertips of a Dexter groupie and some Arrested Development Mr. Banana Grabber press-ons in our roundup of amazing TV-inspired nails. Before that, we went highbrow with literary nail art paying tribute to everyone from F. Scott Fitzgerald to Harry Potter. Now, nail art superfans, are you ready to rock ‘n’ roll? Today’s haul of musician-inspired nail art includes a dazzling riff on David Bowie’s Aladdin Sane, a set of crazy Nicki Minaj claws, and even a perfectly executed Daniel Johnston manicure.

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Wilco’s new video for “Dawned on Me” combines some of the things dearest to our hearts: Jeff Tweedy and old black-and-white Popeye shorts. It’s a clip that’s both fun and visually interesting, not to mention the first hand-drawn Popeye cartoon that’s appeared in the last 30-something years. But Wilco is far from the first band to hit upon the idea of including animation in their music videos. Cartoons in videos stretch back from the days of a-ha’s “Take On Me” through Björk and Radiohead. After the jump, check out ten of the best animated music videos we’ve ever seen — tell us about your personal favorites in the comments.

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Politicians and celebrities are the most photographed people in the world, so it figures that somewhere there would exist pictures of both politicians and celebrities together. Some of these chance encounters are less glamorous or remarkable than they are downright weird. After the jump, in honor of the 2012 campaign season, we’ll take a look at some meet-ups between famous figures that are guaranteed to make you do a double take.

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Today at Flavorpill, we were surprised to find out that fake boy band 2gether of “U + Me = Us (Calculus)” fame would be reuniting for an MTV movie. We thought this indecipherable post by Nick Douglas about our audience in his What Your Favorite Blog Says About You write-up was a letdown. We were beyond excited to find out that David Cronenberg has been writing a novel. We got spooky with this video of a giant air-powered spider. We were curious about this Jim Jarmusch produced movie starring Chloe Sevigny and Mark Webber, written by the Go The F*ck to Sleep guy. We loved Trailers From Hell’s Cary Grant playlist. We got some tips about stocking our pantry. We learned that Michael Jackson was a Benny Hill fan. We discovered this bizarre-o AlphaNail video, thanks to Art Fag City. We wanted to buy one of these Stephen Colbert action figures. We thoroughly enjoyed this Jim Henson robot video. And finally, we debunked 10 popular myths and misconceptions along with C.G.P. Grey. The part about the spiders won’t help us sleep tonight.

Last week, the world was treated to the very first presidential letter to have ever been Instagram’d, courtesy of Zooey Deschanel. The New Girl darling tweeted, “I am SO EXCITED!” upon opening a special envelope from President Obama, who took to some White House stationery to send his warmest wishes on her 32nd birthday. Jealous? Yeah, we are too. Zooey’s not the first celebrity to receive a letter from an admiring president — check out some fan letters, get-well-soon cards, thank-you notes, and party invitations after the jump.

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We all fall down the YouTube rabbit hole every once in a while. Most of the time, it’s an inane abyss, but every once in a while, you stumble upon something that makes your day. That’s exactly how we came upon the treasure trove of music history you’ll find below — a set of notable TV commercials for some of pop and rock’s most popular and influential albums. What makes these clips so interesting is that they were made before the records in question had been sanctified by critics and/or certified platinum, giving us a glimpse at how legendary albums were introduced to the public. See Kurt Cobain give birth, Michael Jackson in neon, and Blondie go disco after the jump.

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Flavorpill favorites Das Racist made their TV debut last night on Conan — and what a debut it was. Those who happen to be familiar with the rappers’ “Michael Jackson” video may not be surprised to learn that they actually brought a (pretty damn convincing) King of Pop impersonator onstage to accompany their performance of the track. What’s possibly more shocking is that Das Racist slowed down their delivery of the song to an opiated, practically witch-house pace. We can only imagine what Conan viewers who have never heard of the band made of a stage full of weirdos in letterman sweaters and mad-scientist coveralls drawling out cough-syrup vocals and shouting out Jhumpa Lahiri while a guy who makes his living pretending to be Michael Jackson moonwalks across the stage. Enjoy the thoroughly punk-rock spectacle after the jump. Read More »

We talk a lot, here at Flavorpill, about our favorite characters from books, film, and TV. And, although we’ve made a habit of compiling mixtapes for everyone from Nancy Drew to Josef K, it isn’t often that we consider the music world’s own fictional creations. After the jump, we attempt to right that oversight with an incredibly subjective roundup of music’s most memorable characters. Add your suggestions in the comments; if we get enough great ones, we might just publish a follow-up post of reader picks. Read More »

Hey, everyone! The new Nickelback album is streaming on iTunes! What’s that? You couldn’t possibly care less if you tried? Excellent — you’ve come to the right place. After the jump, our regular Monday roundup of albums that are streaming for free across the web this week brings together five records that a) aren’t Nickelback and b) are really rather good in their own right. There’s the new Blitzen Trapper album and an exhaustive retrospective on iconic New Zealand label Flying Nun, along with new albums from Mr. Oizo and Hubble… and that weird posthumous Michael Jackson Cirque du Soleil thing. Click through to listen. Read More »

1. The Hangover Part II star Bradley Cooper has been declared People Magazine’s “Sexiest Man Alive,” an honor that has previously gone to actors like Johnny Depp, Brad Pitt, George Clooney, and Ryan Reynolds. His initial response to the news? “My mother is going to be so happy.” [via EW]

2. Mariah Yeater has decided to drop her paternity suit against Justin Bieber. This comes following the news that her lawyers quit the case after the singer’s management threatened her with legal action for making a false claim. [via NME]

3. After a successful debut in New Jersey, Disney has decided to mount a low-budget, three-month run of Newsies the Musical on Broadway this spring. Why are they being so cautious? Two recent big time flops: Tarzan and The Little Mermaid. [via NYT]

4. Today a public art commission in San Francisco votes on whether or not to withdrawal the city’s multiple contracts with artist Tom Otterness, the famed sculptor who shot and killed a shelter dog “for art” back in 1977. Allegedly, they didn’t know about his controversial past when they originally commissioned the works. [via Gawker]

5. Julien’s Auctions has removed Michael Jackson’s death bed from its upcoming auction of items from his final home at the request of the singer’s family, claiming, “we would never do anything that is not in the best interests of Michael’s children, his mother or the Estate.” [via EW]

Bonus Buzz: Donaghy Vs. Swanson Fight Poster