Hulu: You said that you’re really excited to see your videos on Hulu. Do you use Hulu much?
Selena Gomez I do, yes, because I love how clear most of the streams are, and it’s really easy and very simple, so I definitely love going on there. I like to watch some shows to catch up on things, but I never get to watch an actual series. I tend to trail off, but I try to see all the fun shows.

So tell us a little about Girl Meets World.
I did my first Europe tour and I’d never been anywhere besides Canada and Mexico, so I wanted to take my fans on my journey. I got to go to Spain and Paris and London and Germany. I had some time in each individual place, so basically we had the camera crew follow us everywhere, and they captured every moment. It’s kind of very personal — I’d never really let people in that much. It follows me from when I start my day to when I end my day. And sometimes after I end my day, they’re still there. It’s kind of like a mini-reality show, but it was really fun. Now my fans can really see what my life’s like and I wanted them to see Europe, too. It was really fun for me.

You mention this in the first video, when did you know you want to sing and act professionally?
I definitely think that’s what I always wanted to do. I was an only child growing up. I always loved entertaining myself, so I would go to my mom’s work. It would just be me, and I would perform in her office, and I’d be putting on skits and singing everywhere, basically being me. So I feel like that had a big part in it. My mom is also an actor, but she never did television or film. She did a lot of theater, which I loved. I think that kind of worked then. I asked my mom because I really wanted to be a part of it when I was around 7 and 8, and she helped me start the process.

Your breakout role, of course, was on Wizards of Waverly Place. How did you get that role?
I was 11 years old and Disney had this nationwide casting search. They went all around trying to audition different girls in different states. So they rounded up a few people. It ended up being three people that they flew in, and I was one of them. I went to LA for the first time and I auditioned in front of all these people. I got the part in the pilot that they were doing, but it didn’t end up getting picked up. They wanted to keep me in their family, so I guest-starred in a couple of their shows. I guest-starred in Suite Life and Hannah Montana, and then Wizards of Waverly Place came along and I went through the whole audition process again, and they picked me to be the girl.

How has that role helped you with your singing career now?
Obviously Disney Channel has an amazing launching pad. They’ve just been so wonderful to every single person on their network. I feel like they have great taste, and they’re family. I think the Disney Channel is really good on being able to create that family for all of us. I started on the show, and it just really helped me branch out. I was really shy when I was younger, and in comedy you can’t really be shy. You have to be very out there and willing to give a lot of yourself. It’s helped me open up in many ways. They’ve also helped me with my music and keeping other roles. It’s just been a really good thing, being part of the Disney Channel.

How do you think Twitter and Facebook have helped you as well? [Selena has over 3 million followers on Twitter.]
I think the social networks are very important. I think that being part of Facebook and MySpace and Twitter, all of those things, it really awesome. It’s a great way to stay in touch with your fans and let them know what you’re up to. It’s a little scary sometimes because it’s very personal, so I try to use it for what it’s there for. I use it to remind my fans how much I appreciate them and how much I love and care about them, and what I’m doing and what I’m up to and see how they’re doing, and what the response is. It’s very quick and it’s very instant.

Do you have a preference for acting vs. singing?
I just don’t really trust myself. One day, I wake up and I’m so obsessed with my music and then the next day I wake up and I’m just so into my films and wanting to know what’s going on in that world and in my show. So I don’t really trust myself right now. But I think in the future once I get older and I want everything to slow down, I think I’m going to want to be in film.

Do you write any of your own songs?
I do, but the awful part for me — the unfortunate part — would be having to do everything at once, so I can’t give the individual attention that I’d love to give. My studio time is extremely precious, so I can’t go in there and spend, like, two days writing one song, or three days writing one song. I have to go in there and record the song. The fortunate part for me is that I have some amazing producers that know me personally that I’ve worked with before, that have written songs for me about stories that I’ve told them and situations that I’ve been in, and when I talk about my fans. They’ve written things that were very personal to me. Hopefully in the future I’m able to give my music more attention, so I can be more involved.

Later this month, you’re doing a benefit concert for UNICEF. Can you tell me about your involvement with that organization?
I’ve been involved with UNICEF for three years. They’re an amazing organization, and I feel like I’m part of the family. What they do is really beautiful. I’d just started to do one campaign with them, and once I realized what they do, and I was able to witness some of the work that they did, they asked me to be their ambassador. I immediately took it because I wanted to be part of it. I’ve been working with them very closely and just get so passionate about it every year, and I want to do something more. This year is the 60th anniversary of the trick or treat campaign, so I’m doing an acoustic show with my band and we’re gonna raise money through that. Hopefully that will bring about some good things.

Have you traveled with UNICEF at all?
I have. Last year I went to Ghana, Africa, which was really amazing. I was able to do some fieldwork and actually witness what UNICEF is doing to help. I got to be part of it, and it was really beautiful. It was a great experience. I’m planning on doing another trip with them soon.

What are you up to next?
I’m still working on the show, so we’re wrapping up the last season of Waverly and getting ready to do another movie. Then afterward, I will be prepping to do my first actual summer tour, which will be exciting because I’ve done a lot of concerts, but I’ve never done an actual tour that I’m going to be able to create from scratch. I will hopefully be a part of some more films, but I’m not quite sure of that yet.

How does it feel to be wrapping up Wizards?
It’s really emotional. Every week I go in, and even though we’re not anywhere close to being done, I feel like it’s just gonna come on me really quickly. I’m preparing myself but I don’t think I’m going to be prepared. It’s going to be really hard. I will tell you this: it’s a fact, I’m going to be the one that cries the most.

Of course, the band isn’t adverse to travel. After all, many of their previous videos were shot in exotic locales, including China (“From Yesterday“) and even the Arctic (“A Beautiful Lie“). Their last video, “Kings and Queens,” however, was shot in their hometown of Los Angeles, with Leto calling it his “love letter to the city of Angels.”

Although their latest video, “Closer to the Edge,” isn’t as cinematic in scope, it was an epic undertaking, a video documentation of their “adventure around the world,” says Leto, who rocked a pink Mohawk in this video (it long gone now). And while some so-called “road videos” may depict the highs and lows that come with life on tour, “Closer to the Edge” is all about the fans as real kids talk to the cameras. “I picked people out at different shows,” Leto says. “I have 20 to 30 hours of interviews and filtered it down to make this video.” The singer teamed up with a group of five video editors and a pair of cameramen to piece together the video on what they called the “edit bus.” “We’d shoot days and work all night, until 5, 6, 7 in the morning. It was inspiring,” he says.

As for the song’s success, it’s been a bit of a surprise for Leto and his bandmates. “It seems that it has connected with our fans, and the fact that it managed to push “This Is War” to the top of the iTunes charts in Germany — knocking out Eminem, in fact — is just another thing for this modest band to be grateful for.

The band’s tour continues overseas for a few more weeks, then it’s off to Mexico before kicking off their U.S. tour and making an appearance at the MTV Video Music Awards next month, where Leto and his bandmates are nominated for four “Moonman” statues. “We’re happy to be nominated. We found out in New Zealand and it was such a surprise. Winning would be one of those great moments for us as a band. These awards are really just a way to take it all in and show our gratitude to our fans.” — Rebecca Harper (rebecca.harper@hulu.com), Editor

You can launch the live stream from our home page (just look for the HullabaLOU logo in our Featured Content section on the right) or from the player below:

Live Stream Lineup (all times are Eastern):
Friday
2:30 – Hazel Miller
3:20 – Rick Bartlett’s Rockin’ Soul Revival*
4:05 – Blood, Sweat & Tears
5:05 – Exile*
5:35 – Gloriana
6:45 – J.D. Shelburne*
7:20 – Doobie Brothers

Saturday
2:30 – Jimmy Church
3:20 – Kim Taylor*
4:00 – WAR
5:00 – Duke Tumatoe & the Power Trio*
5:45 – Joan Osborne
6:45 – Ben Sollee*
7:15 – Gov’t Mule

Sunday
1:45 – Andrea Davidson
2:35 – Taj Mahal
3:35 – Terry Adams Rock & Roll Quartet*
4:15 – The Black Crowes
5:30 – Stealing Angels*
6:30 – The Avett Brothers*
7:30 – TBA
8:30 – Dave Matthews Band

* Indicates a delayed performance

Enjoy the show,
Rebecca Harper (rebecca.harper@hulu.com)
Editor

Tell us about The Imagine Project — how did you embark on such an ambitious, world-crossing project?
Herbie Hancock: It was an idea that grew out of something that was kind of bubbling in my head anyway, and a suggestion from my attorney. I was thinking about what would be the purpose of making an album — that’s what I do now; I think about what purpose it would serve, what would I want it to be about, what do I want it to do. My conclusion is usually that I want it to address some issue of today. I was thinking about globalization, and my attorney called me at around that same time and said, “I have an idea for you that I think fits into the way you think, and I think it’s pretty compatible with the Buddhism that you practice. How about taking John Lennon’s song,’ Imagine,’ and using it as a centerpiece or springboard to doing a record about peace?”

And when your attorney comes up with a good idea, you can’t say no, right?
Exactly! That’s right. You know, ideas don’t just have to come from me. Wherever they come from is fine. It really did fit in with everything I’ve been thinking about, so we decided to this Imagine Project, which is about peace through global collaboration.

After spending several weeks, maybe even more than a month, thinking about all of the ramifications of it and the possible connections, just getting the details of what it could mean — I want that firmly established, because that’s a foundation that will give me direction, even before writing music. I decided that the best way to establish global collaboration as a means for peace is to honor various cultures outside of my own. How many ways can I do that? One way, which I thought would be a great idea, is to go to these countries. Maybe not all of them, because I was also thinking about the idea of making it a project that’s conscious of the environment. We still wanted to do that, to pay attention to the carbon footprint that we used for flying. We recorded in six different countries and seven languages are represented, with artists from 11 different countries.

I imagine any artist would drop anything would come to you, but it’s great that you went and experienced their cultures firsthand and let that seep into the music, becoming part of the album.
The thing that really struck me because I get to travel throughout the world as a musician, especially a jazz musician, I’ve noticed that on the charts of several countries — and not just European countries, but Asian countries and various others throughout the world — quite a few of the top 10 records really come from American music, but they’re always in English! Even though they sell globally, they’re not really done with a global perspective. I decided I wanted to do a really global record that’s just that from the onset. That’s when I decided that I would have it in multiple languages. One of the best ways to honor a culture outside of one’s own is through language, showing that you have enough respect and are paying enough attention to the culture that you would bother to have their language represented. I was able to do that on this record.

How did you choose some of the cultures represented in The Imagine Project?
While I was still trying to put together the basic purpose and foundation, it actually was already on my schedule to go to India under the auspices of a partnership between the State Department and the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz. We were there with Martin Luther King III and several congressmen to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s first travel to India to study Gandhi’s non-violent teachings. So it was a historic commemoration of that event. We all felt honored to be part of that and to represent America’s cultural art form, jazz. While we were there, we actually did interact with Indian musicians. Since I knew that was coming up real soon, I thought maybe there would be a day off and we could record the first track in India. We hadn’t discussed songs or anything. But anyway, we finally put that together and Chaka Khan, who was actually going over there as one of the cultural representatives, I asked her if she would be interested in making this recording with me and she agreed to it.

We did this first record in Mumbai, and it’s with Chaka Khan singing in English, of course, and an Indian singer named Chitra singing in Hindi. Anoushka Shankar, who is Ravi Shankar’s daughter and also the half-sister of Norah Jones, is playing sitar. We all did that live in the studio in Mumbai and then later on, Wayne Shorter came on the track with his amazing soprano saxophone work. He had never heard the track before — he just wanted us to put the equipment into record and get his first response from hearing it the first time. And that’s what’s on the record. I couldn’t ask for anything more perfect — it’s amazing. That’s almost unheard of, but he did that.

We continued on and recorded in Paris with some groups from Mali, [including] Oumou Sangare from Bamako. She’s on the “Imagine” track and sings in Bambara, which is one the Malian languages. This is the first track on the record, and intro is Pink and Seal. The two of them and me, just the three of us, played this slow intro. This rhythm starts up and it’s a combination of people with a group Konono No 1 — they’re from the Congo, and they play thumb pianos, large ones so they have a deep tone. It’s kind of the foundation for the rhythm. We have a guitarist named Lionel Loueke who is from Benin, West Africa. He’s been in the country for several years — working with me for about four years now. He’s an amazing guitarist. Anyway, India.Arie is singing on top of this rhythm, she’s singing “Imagine” — not as a ballad; it has a rhythm. It has a nice kind of beat. Then Jeff Beck comes in and plays, too. It’s a combination of people; it just moves from one to another.

We also did “Don’t Give Up,” Peter Gabriel’s beautiful tune which he originally recorded with Kate Bush. Pink is doing that as a duet with John Legend. Pink and John Legend — it’s off the hook. It is amazing, the voices are fantastic, the quality of their voices and the way it feels. We also have a track with Dave Matthews and a track with Juanes, who’s a fantastic young Colombian singer — he’s well-known on the Latin circuit. There’s also The Chieftains, who are a traditional Irish group, along with Lisa Hannigan, who is also Irish. She used to sing with Damien Rice, and they were on my record Possibilities. She sings Bob Dylan’s “The Times They Are A-Changing.” Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks also sing Leon Russell’s “Space Captain,” which Joe Cocker made famous.
There’s a young British singer, James Morrison, singing Sam Cooke’s “A Change is Gonna Come.” There’s an artist from Brazil, Ceu. She’s a young, vibrant singer from Sao Paolo that’s one of the hottest new singers on the scene in Brazil. That’s quite a variety of material on the record.

How did you go about choosing which songs were part of the album?
Actually, that was done with a team of people, primarily Larry Klein, who is the overall producer. He did a lot of research to suggest certain artists and certain songs. We all wanted the songs to have something to do with the idea of peace — not just global peace, but even family peace, or peace within the individual. Because very often, we’re conflicted. We’re in one place, but we want to be someplace else. Or we’re doing one job, but we’d rather be doing another job. There are all sorts of things that happen even on the individual level. I looked back and said, you know these are all inspirational songs, inspirational for the human spirit, the human condition, and the day-to-day obstacles that people have to deal with. Like the song “Don’t Give Up” is the perfect representative of that idea. We had a really great time making the record.

What was the idea behind filming all of this and putting it online?
Well, I learned from my record Possiblities.We shot that one and made a film. That film has shown on Showtime or HBO several times, and it was on HDNet. Especially since we were traveling to several countries this time, it’s a journey of what’s in the people’s heart. It said something that needs to be emphasized and can’t be emphasized too much.

America is an immigrant country. We are all not from this country, for the most part. Our ancestors are from all over the planet. Right now, immigration is an issue. If you want to see an immigrant, all you have to do is look in the mirror. Because we Americans have threads of our beginnings throughout the planet, I was just in various countries that contain those threads. Those are really our people, the Indians, the Brazilians, the Africans, the Europeans… that’s really what the album is all about.

Hulu: Before you share your picks, can you tell us a little bit about your new album? What was it like working with Beck?
Gainsbourg: It was quite intimidating at first. I think I was a little shy, but he made everything so that I would be comfortable. We recorded a lot of things in his house. It was very warm and so the whole process was quite amazing for me. To come back and forth, to go back to Paris and think about it, come back, being a different person … so the whole thing was quite incredible for me. And just to watch him invent the songs, to decide on a beat and gradually build it up and think of every instrument … I mean, he was just wonderful to watch. That was part of the pleasure for me, to learn something from him.

Do you have a favorite track from the album, if you could even pick just one?
I have two that are very different — I’ve got “Trick Pony,” which means a lot because my son plays the drums on that song. And I love the fact that it was upbeat and all that, and it came at the last minute. The other one is completely the opposite. It’s called “La Collectionneuse.” It’s sort of a very dark song, which was the state I thought I was in at one point; just about connecting your memories and being overwhelmed by them.

And you’re on tour right now, aren’t you?
Yes, I’ve just started. It’s my first time for me, because on the last album I did, I didn’t feel I had the courage to do it. It’d been 20 years since I’d done anything music-wise, so I wasn’t prepared at all. And also, Air had recorded that album with me. Because they went on their own tour — they’d just released their own album — I felt I needed them to be with me if I was going to perform live. This time, it was a bit different because Beck helped me to find a band and he helped me put all this together. Also, we talked about live shows while we were recording the album, so I sort of got used to the idea that it was something that I would like to do. We had the time to rehearse quite a lot with the crew. Yeah, we started in Vancouver [on Saturday]. [Monday] was Victoria and [Wednesday], Seattle.

And you’ll be at Coachella this weekend.
I’ve never been, so I’m a little nervous of the crowd. Also the people performing are so incredible. It is a little intimidating, but I really want to perform there and also just to listen to Thom Yorke and the Gorillaz and the people that are going to be there.

I always remember the heat.
[Laughs] Yeah, that’s what they said. Unfortunately, I go on at 5:30, which I imagine is going to be boiling hot.

And will Beck be there?
I know he’s coming, yeah. I asked him to come on stage, but I’m not sure he will.

How long will you be touring?
We’re just touring North America first, so the west coast until Coachella and then the East Coast until the 25th of April. Then we take a break in May and start again in Europe June and July.

So it’s going to be a busy summer.
Yeah, yeah, it’s exciting. My children [who are 7 and 12] are going to be able to come with me since it will be the summer, so it all makes it quite incredible to look forward to.

Do you have any acting projects lined up for the future?
I hope I’ll be able to do it, but I should be able to do another film with Lars von Trier next summer, just after the tour in Europe. Then do a film with Yvan Attal, my boyfriend/husband/partner. It will be our third film together with him as a director. It’s a beautiful script. I’m still crossing my fingers because you never know, with financing and all that, if it will really go through. It’s been a long time since we wanted to do this, so I really hope we’ll be able to do it in September.

So what does a beloved actress and musician watch when she’s online? Below, Gainsbourg shares her picks — all found using Hulu’s search tool.

Some Like It Hot
You have a clip where Jack Lemmon is engaged. I love this film. It’s a film that I discovered when I was quite small, quite young. My father used to love this film, and so we watched it together. I can still watch it — I think I must have seen it more than a hundred times, so I know
everything, every bit of dialogue, everything.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
I remember seeing that film and then knowing that Michel Gondry was going to call me because he wanted me to shoot in his next film [La science des rêves]. And I was really excited because I just adored this film. I thought it was the most original piece I had seen in a long, long time.

City of God
Then there’s City of God [link goes offsite], just because it’s a very, very strong film. I saw it not a very long time ago, I just discovered it. It’s just one of those very, very powerful films.

Annie Hall
I’m a huge fan of Woody Allen, and of course especially Annie Hall. [Link goes offsite.] It’s just one of the classics that you can watch again and again and again.

Fish Tank
Then there’s a film that came out quite recently called Fish Tank. It’s difficult, when you love a film, to know what to say about it. You thought that the performances were incredible, the way the filming was incredible. Everything was quite amazing. I think it was when I was in Cannes, I think they got an award. It was very well-deserved.

Neil Young
Then I went to music. There’s a live video of Neil Young playing “Heart of Gold.” [Link goes offsite.] It’s a wonderful clip. It’s Brian LeBarton who’s playing the keyboards in [my] band. Before we started rehearsing live, he said go and have a look at Neil Young singing. He showed me different pieces, but this one was so… He’s such an incredible artist. Just to watch how he can be charming and so easy. And to think of yourself performing, it’s a little overwhelming because you think you’ll never be able to be as obviously brilliant, of course.

Beck
I found Beck [on IFC's] From The Basement. [Link goes offsite.] I think Radiohead did [this show], too. There’s both Beck and Nigel Godrich, who’s the producer I worked with on the album I did with Air — I just love his work. This concept of a TV show that has no [audience]; it’s just done in a basement … it’s just beautifully done. If we could do more recordings like that, it would be wonderful. And then you’ve got Beck and everything I admire about him. His way of performing, again it’s like Neil Young. It’s seems so easy and so natural. There’s something also about his voice. I just remember that when we recorded together, he used to sing the lyrics that he wrote to see if they worked. Just listening to him, I admire his way of singing very, very much. I thought it was a pity not to have him more on the album. I’m happy that we did this duo together, but he has a very, very special way of performing.

Radiohead
Next, Radiohead and the song “2+2=5“. [Link goes offsite.] It’s just an album that I loved, and it’s a song I love. It’s a band that I love seeing live the most, really. It’s the always so intense. Thom Yorke has a way of getting into the songs. His intensity is quite incredible to watch. He’s performing in Coachella with Nigel Godrich; I’m looking forward to that.

Elvis Presley
The last one would be anything to do with Elvis, because I’m a big fan. I can’t say a song in particular. There’s a recording that I have, I’m not sure it was filmed, when he cracks up laughing. Anyway, I’m not sure it was filmed, but the recording was so incredible. What can I say? I’ve been listening to him since I was a child. It’s like Some Like It Hot, it’s one of those things that accompany you all through life. It’s always reassuring to go back, to listen to him. No one really comes to his level. It’s sentimental.

On his movie, Malice in Wonderland:
“The story was taken from my music, from my album. I wanted to make a movie that represented what I was going through when I was making the record, so I put a story together. It’s based on a superhero that I created. His name is Malice, and he lives in a place called Wonderland. Malice wants to overthrow the dictator, whose name is Cain, and bring some peace and some harmony to Wonderland. There aren’t any black superheroes, so I felt like I should step up to the plate and create one.”

On his appearance on One Life to Live:
[Singing] “All that I had … one life to live … I created a theme song for it, too. I love that show. I told them how much of a fan I was of the show, and that I wanted to be on it. I had my people reach out to them and they made it happen. I was kind of like trying to get on that show because I felt like it was a great look for me, and I love the show. It just worked out perfect.”

On being able to visit London now that he’s no longer banned from entering the U.K.:
“Some stuff happened at the airport a while back, and they misunderstood me and just banned me from the country. But the people and the community love me and they got me back in. Now I can finally be admitted over there.”

His favorite show on Hulu:
“Lost. [But he hasn't been able to watch this season.] I’ve been on the move, I’ve got to get caught up.”

Looking for some more Snoop? Catch his latest music videos on his music page on Hulu now.

No. 12: Lean on Me
What’s a high school drama without a rendition of “Lean on Me?” When the gleeks decided to rally about the troubled couple, they chose a cheerful, gospel-twinged version of the standard to let Finn and Quinn they’ll be there to carry their load. Sing it, Artie!

No. 19: Endless Love
Things kicked off with a Rachel-Mr. Schue duet of “Endless Love” (originally performed by Diana Ross and Lionel Richie). It was meant to inspire the other glee clubbers to find a ballad that gets in touch with their emotions and, in this case, it worked too well. “When I’m singing with him, it’s like I’m seeing him for the first time,” Rachel revealed in a voiceover. “And he’s super, super cute!” But this Spanish teacher is no stranger to schoolgirl stalkers: a former student, the aptly named Susie Pepper, downed the world’s hottest pepper when Mr. Schue told her to find someone her own age. She was left in a medically induced coma for days. Freaky!

No. 18: I’ll Stand By You
Meanwhile, Finn was freaking out about fatherhood with Kurt, who encouraged the hunky football player to channel his baby-daddy woes into song; The Pretender’s “I’ll Stand By You,” in particular. But when Finn’s mom caught him singing “Won’t let nobody hurt you…” to a sonogram, the secret’s out. Best part of all this? Kurt used the ballad project as a way to get closer to his crush: Finn.

No. 17 Don’t Stand So Close to Me/Young Girl
Looking for advice on how to handle Rachel’s obvious crush, Mr. Schuester turned to Miss Pillsbury. The guidance counselor sagely advised Will to use song to get his point across, and so he turned to a classic teacher/stalker ballad: The Police’s “Don’t Stand So Close to Me,” mashed up with Gary Puckett and the Union Gap’s “Young Girl.” Only problem is, this lesson didn’t go exactly as planned.

Off the Charts: You’re Having My Baby
This week we’re introduced to Quinn’s parents: boozy, Glenn Beck-loving conservatives; the perfect couple. But when Finn sprung a dinnertime ballad on the family, that façade cracked. It could’ve had something to do with Finn’s choice of song. It left no doubt that Quinn’s been harboring a little secret, and Mr. Fabray wasn’t supportive of this new development: he gave his daughter 30 minutes to pack her things and get out of the house.

Which ballads would you have liked to see on last night’s Glee?

This week also signals the beginning of a new partnership between Hulu and EMI, and to kick things off, we’re bringing you a new page devoted to Norah Jones. It features music videos and concert footage from The Fall, as well as all the essentials from Jones’ previous releases, Not Too Late, Feels Like Home and Come Away With Me; and live performances such as her 2004 show at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, where country greats Dolly Parton and Gillian Welch joined her on stage. But before you dig in, find out what Jones had to say about shooting with Elmo and working with The Lonely Island guys in our exclusive interview below. — Rebecca Harper (rebecca.harper@hulu.com), Editor

Hulu: We’re talking about the new collection of your videos and concerts here on Hulu, but I also wanted to ask you about your new album, The Fall. What’s the story behind the name?
Norah Jones: Well, I just really like that it has some different meanings, so it can be kind of interpreted. For me, it relates to the album with all the meanings. I don’t know, it stuck in my head one day and I couldn’t think of anything else.

And I love the cover. Is there a story behind it? It looks like something you’d see in Vogue.
That’s funny. [Laughs] It was the photographer’s idea. She wanted to use a bunch of dogs because she likes working with animals. I thought it sounded fun. We ended up just loving the Saint Bernard so much that we got some shots with just him. He was so beautiful. So yeah, it’s meant to be kind of playful and theatrical.

What influenced some of the sounds of The Fall?
A lot of different things. I really wanted some heavy drum grooves on this album. Listening to stuff like Tom Waits, but also younger bands like Santigold. I don’t know, I did a song with Q-Tip last year that had me kind of wanting some heavier drum grooves in my own music. Just a lot of different things.

You collaborated with a lot of great people on this album, like Ryan Adams and Will Sheff. How did all of that come about — did you approach them?
Well, Ryan’s been an old friend of mine for a while. We were just hanging out, and I ended up playing him a song that I wasn’t able to finish, that I couldn’t come up with any lyrics to. And he just took it and made it great.

It’s nice to have friends like that.
Yeah, it’s fun. I mean, he’s so quick creatively. He finished the song in like five minutes — he wrote all the lyrics and changed them all around. He’s amazing.

Now that we have a lot of your older material on Hulu, are you planning to go back to look at any of it?
I might someday, but I’ve seen it so much. But yeah, it’s always like walking down memory lane, like a photo album or something.

You know, last week happened to be Sesame Street‘s birthday, and they hand-picked a collection of clips from the last four decades for us. Your appearance with Elmo was among them.
That’s cool. It’s so funny, because having done that, whenever people come up to me and tell me anything about my music that they like, or whatever, more than anything else, I’ve gotten comments about that Sesame Street performance.

What was it like working with Elmo?
It was amazing. It just happened during my first album when everything was really big and crazy. When we got the call to do Sesame Street, it was a no-brainer. Everybody’s grown up on that show. It was so amazing being on the set, too, because it’s exactly the street you remember from when you were a kid. They were so welcoming to us, and they let us take pictures on the set and everything.

This was a little bit of a surprise to me: you collaborated with The Lonely Island [the Andy Samberg-Akiva Schaffer-Jorma Taccone group behind "I'm On a Boat"]. What was it like working with them on “Dreamgirl” one of their tracks?
Oh yeah, I love those guys. It was great. They’re super-nice guys, and they’re just really fun. They asked me if I’d sing on it, and they were super-sweet about it. They’re just funny, you know?

Given that connection, are we going to see you on Saturday Night Live any time soon?
I would love to, I love that show, but you know, they don’t have a lot of bookings — so we’ll see.

We’d even suggest that you should be the next musical act to crossover as a host.
Yeah, right.[Laughs] I would love to do that someday, but I don’t know if I’m big enough for them anymore!

If Taylor Swift can do it…
Well, Justin Timberlake was so good. He’s got a whole other career if he wants it — he’s so funny. I don’t even really know his music that well, but he won me over just by seeing a sketch on SNL.

You never know, you could be next! Thanks for your time, Norah — good luck with the new album.
Thanks!

Creative Differences
Kelly may never officially reveal the inspiration behind “Male Prima Donna,” but she’s more than happy to let “The Office” cameras follow her around as she produces her first music video. The Dunder Mifflin break room is converted into wardrobe — as Oscar’s trying to eat lunch, naturally — so Kelly can do Ryan’s makeup (he likes a lot of blush and eyeliner), and the parking lot serves as an impromptu set for a scene involving a priest and a smoking bride.

The Replacement
While the SubSex girls may have lost one of their video extras, they soon set their sights on a replacement: Andy, a former member of Cornell’s “Hear Comes Treble” a cappella group. What can we say? He had us with his ode to a vending machine.

The Music Video
In the end, the video had room for all the key players: Ryan in a white top hat and cane as Mr. Understood, while the Nard Dog puts on quite the show in the Dunder-Mifflin warehouse. Meanwhile, Kelly and Erin tear it up as they get down to the chorus: “But I can’t help but want ‘cha / I’m an independent diva / But I still kinda need ya” in gold spandex, wedding clothes and pirate garb. Need a last-minute Halloween costume? We think you’ve found your inspiration.

“Halo/Walking On Sunshine”
Meanwhile, the girls — also with a little help from Mrs. Schuester’s “vitamins” — put on a peppy show choir number with Beyonce’s “Halo” and Katrina and the Waves’ “Walking on Sunshine.” In the episode, glee club superstar Rachel declared that the girls’ performance would be better than the boys’ — but if you look at the iTunes charts today, it looks like the boys won.

“Somebody To Love”
Ask most people what their favorite Glee number to date has been, and you’ll discover it’s probably not “Gold Digger,” “Don’t Stop Believin’” or “Rehab.” It’s most likely the club’s version of Queen’s “Somebody To Love.” Take a look and decide for yourself.

“Alone”
This cover (of Heart’s 1987 No. 1 hit) pays tribute to Mr. Shuester’s past. In last week’s “The Rhodes Not Taken,” Will tracks down a former glee club crush to get some help with the modern-day glee kids. As they reminisce about the good old days, April Rhodes (Kristin Chenoweth) and Will start to sing “Alone,” karaoke style. We love the Wilson sisters, but wow, April really brings it home as Will sings harmony.

“Maybe This Time”
Once again, Kristin Chenoweth showed us why she’s a Tony winner in this “Cabaret” montage from “The Rhodes Not Taken:” her character may have been a boozy washup, but she stole the show — and our hearts. (Of course, Rachel deserves double-billing on this one, too.) Since this former “Pushing Daisies” star is between gigs, maybe we’ll get to see more of her in future episodes. Otherwise, get this powerhouse a musical series of her own, stat!

“Taking Chances”
In the “Preggers” episode from week four, diva Rachel decides she’s too big a star for glee club and tries out for the school musical, instead. Her audition piece? Celine Dion, of course. It takes a big voice to pull off Celine, but our Broadway star pulls it off with style. No offense to Ms. Dion, but we may even prefer Rachel’s version to the original.

“Last Name”
“American Idol” alum Carrie Underwood won us over with her No. 1 country hit, “Last Name.” The Glee show choir (and April Rhodes once again) busted out the cowboy boots and big belt buckles as they sang and line-danced away and gave us a whole new reason to love this song. Who needs Rachel, anyway?

“Take A Bow”
The first episode of the first season of Glee wrapped with a sad, sweet cover of Rhianna’s “Take A Bow” by Rachel (Lea Michelle). Full of plaintive glances at her crush, Finn, it provided one of the first moments where we actually found ourselves rooting for the overeager overachiever.

“Bust Your Windows”
Glee diva Mercedes took the lead in this cover, seeking revenge on a fellow “gleek,” fan favorite Kurt. As she takes a rock to his windshield, she delivered this catchy version of Jazmine Sullivan’s “Bust Your Windows.” We don’t know about you, but it’s one we don’t mind hearing again and again on our iPods.

Which Glee songs have you already downloaded?

While the city of Austin was rockin’ all weekend long, the team at Hulu was tuning in to watch our live stream from Zilker Park. We saw a whole range of acts, from the chart-topping R&B singer John Legend and old school soul man (and former Tony! Toni! Toné vocalist) Raphael Saadiq to the indie singer-songwriter Bon Iver, California jam band STS9 and progressive rockers Coheed and Cambria. But, as far as Hulu’s concerned, the festival isn’t over yet. Starting tonight at 9 p.m. Eastern/6 p.m. Pacific, Hulu will be streaming highlights from the Austin City Limits music festival — and these performances will feature some of the headline acts from the three-day event, including a few you didn’t get to see from your laptops this weekend.

Streaming for more than three hours tonight, the highlights show will feature some of the top bands to play at ACL this weekend: Kings of Leon; Dave Matthews Band, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and a very special guest, plus encores of The Dead Weather (with Jack White), John Legend, and Ben Harper and Relentless7. We’ll also reveal the winner of the People’s Choice band.

When the stream starts at 9 p.m. EDT/ 6 p.m. PDT, catch all the acts right here on Hulu or from the Hulu Live app on Facebook.

Rebecca Harper (rebecca.harper@hulu.com)
Editor

There’s one more day of the festival left (let’s hope it’s a dry one), and you can catch some of the performances here on Hulu Sunday. In addition to The Toadies, Passion Pit, and Ben Harper and Relentless7, we’ll have Jack White’s The Dead Weather project and — this just in — Michael Franti and Spearhead.

Here’s a look at the complete lineup. (All times are Pacific. Artists and schedule are subject to change.)

Sunday, October 4
9:45am – 10:30am PDT: Suckers (LIVE)
10:30am – 10:50am PDT: Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears (LIVE)
10:50am – 11:15am PDT: The Dodos (LIVE)
11:15am – 12:00pm PDT: Here We Go Magic (LIVE)
12:00pm – 1:00pm PDT: Clutch (LIVE)
1:00pm – 2:00pm PDT: Heartless Bastards (LIVE)
2:00pm – 3:00pm PDT: Toadies (LIVE)
3:00pm – 4:00pm PDT: Passion Pit (LIVE)
4:00pm – 5:00pm PDT: Ben Harper and Relentless7 (LIVE)
5:00pm – 6:00pm PDT: The B-52′s (On Delay)
6:00 – 7:00 pm PDT Michael Franti and Spearhead (On Delay) (Just added!)
7:00 – 8:00 pm PDT: The Dead Weather (On Delay) (New time)

Tune in here to start watching tomorrow, and on Monday at 6 p.m. PDT, check back for some of the weekend’s best performances.

Enjoy the show,
Rebecca Harper (rebecca.harper@hulu.com)
Editor

Here’s the schedule and complete lineup for Saturday and Sunday (artists and times are subject to change; times are Pacific).

Saturday, October 3
9:45am – 10:30am PDT: The Henry Clay People (LIVE)
10:30am – 11:15am PDT: Alberta Cross (LIVE)
11:15am – 12:00pm PDT: The Felice Brothers (LIVE) (updated)
12:00pm – 12:40pm PDT: Deer Tick (On Delay)
12:40pm – 1:00pm PDT: The Walkmen (On Delay) (updated)
1:00pm – 2:00pm PDT: The Airborne Toxic Event (LIVE)
2:00pm – 3:00pm PDT: Flogging Molly (LIVE)
3:00pm – 4:00pm PDT: Bon Iver (LIVE)
4:00pm – 5:00pm PDT: The Levon Helm Band (LIVE)
5:00pm – 6:00pm PDT: The Decemberists (LIVE)
6:00pm – 7:30pm PDT: Ghostland Observatory (LIVE)
7:30pm – 8:30pm PDT: …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead (On Delay)
8:30pm – 9:30pm PDT: Sound Tribe Sector 9 (On Delay)

Sunday, October 4
9:45am – 10:30am PDT: Suckers (LIVE)
10:30am – 10:50am PDT: Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears (LIVE)
10:50am – 11:15am PDT: The Dodos (LIVE)
11:15am – 12:00pm PDT: Here We Go Magic (LIVE)
12:00pm – 1:00pm PDT: Clutch (LIVE)
1:00pm – 2:00pm PDT: Heartless Bastards (LIVE)
2:00pm – 3:00pm PDT: Toadies (LIVE)
3:00pm – 4:00pm PDT: Passion Pit (LIVE)
4:00pm – 5:00pm PDT: Ben Harper and Relentless7 (LIVE)
5:00pm – 6:00pm PDT: The B-52′s (On Delay)
6:00 – 7:00 pm PDT Michael Franti and Spearhead (On Delay) (Just added!)
7:00 – 8:00 pm PDT: The Dead Weather (On Delay) (New time)

Start streaming here.

Go here to watch. Here’s the schedule and complete lineup (artists and times are subject to change; times are Pacific):

Friday, October 2nd
10:30am – 11:30am: School of Seven Bells (LIVE)
11:30am – 12:30pm: The Knux (LIVE)
12:30pm – 1:30pm: The Avett Brothers (LIVE)
1:30pm – 2:30pm: Dr. Dog (LIVE)
2:30pm – 3:30pm: Coheed and Cambria (LIVE)
3:30pm – 4:30pm: Raphael Saadiq (LIVE)
4:30pm – 5:30pm: John Legend (LIVE)
5:30pm – 6:30pm: Andrew Bird (LIVE)
6:30pm – 7:30pm: Medeski, Martin & Wood (On Delay)
7:30pm – 8:30pm: Thievery Corporation (On Delay)

Saturday, October 3
9:45am – 10:30am: The Henry Clay People (LIVE)
10:30am – 11:15am: Alberta Cross (LIVE)
11:15am – 12:00pm: The Felice Brothers (LIVE) (updated)
12:00pm – 12:40pm: Deer Tick (On Delay)
12:40pm – 1:00pm: The Walkmen (On Delay) (updated)
1:00pm – 2:00pm: The Airborne Toxic Event (LIVE)
2:00pm – 3:00pm: Flogging Molly
3:00pm – 4:00pm: Bon Iver (LIVE)
4:00pm – 5:00pm: …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead (On Delay)
5:00pm – 6:00pm: The Decemberists (LIVE)
6:00pm – 7:30pm: Ghostland Observatory (LIVE)
7:30pm – 8:30pm: Sound Tribe Sector 9 (On Delay)

Sunday, October 4
9:45am – 10:30am: Suckers (LIVE)
10:30am – 10:50am: Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears (LIVE)
10:50am – 11:15am: The Dodos (LIVE)
11:15am – 12:00pm: Here We Go Magic (LIVE)
12:00pm – 1:00pm: Clutch (LIVE)
1:00pm – 2:00pm: Heartless Bastards (LIVE)
2:00pm – 3:00pm: Toadies (LIVE)
3:00pm – 4:00pm: Passion Pit (LIVE)
4:00pm – 5:00pm: Ben Harper and Relentless7 (LIVE)
5:00pm – 6:00pm: The B-52′s (On Delay)
6:00pm – 7:00pm: The Dead Weather (On Delay)

The schedule for the Monday Highlights show is still to be determined. It will start streaming at 6pm PDT.

See you at the show,
Rebecca Harper (rebecca.harper@hulu.com)
Editor

This year’s lineup is impressive. Those who enjoyed the Dave Matthews Band’s live performance from the Beacon Theatre on Hulu in June will get to see the boys again. For White Stripes/Raconteurs fans, ACL will host the sounds of the new super-group The Dead Weather, featuring The White Stripes’ Jack White and The Kills’ Alison Mosshart. And one of my favorite guitarists of all time, Ben Harper, brings his new band, Relentless7, to Austin to perform songs from their new album, “White Lies for Dark Times.”

Those of you who are into neo-soul will get to boogie down to John Legend (who recently killed it at L.A.’s Greek Theatre) and Raphael Saadiq. On the hip-hop side, there’s the always-catchy sibling act The Knux (whose album “Remind Me in 3 Days…” is on repeat in my household), and the party continues with the groove-tacular Thievery Corporation. For something more mellow, you can catch sets from the brooding indie singer-songwriters Bon Iver and Andrew Bird. Finally, if you love jazz improvisation as much as I do, you can’t miss Medeski Martin & Wood.

With more than 20 acts to be broadcast over three days — plus Monday’s highlights show — Hulu and Austin City Limits have teamed up to bring something for everyone. If you’re heading to Texas Hill Country to attend in person, Godspeed, but for everyone else this weekend, fire up Hulu and get ready to rock and roll.

To watch the live feed, click here.

Alex Kruglov (alex.kruglov@hulu.com)
Content Acquisition

You can get a sense for this VH1 “You Oughta Know” artist’s music with A Fine Frenzy’s concert at Guild Hall, courtesy of Live from the Artists Den. “[Guild Hall] is a cool place. It sort of has a circus tent inside, but it also has this old theater kind of a feeling,” the 24-year-old said. “It’s also very small, so it’s not overwhelming at all. It’s very intimate, like a little show. The whole setting is great. The Hamptons are beautiful and there’s such a calm, summery vibe there. It was really neat to experience that.”

Hulu is streaming this episode of Live from the Artists Den well before its TV airdate to mark the release of A Fine Frenzy’s sophomore album, Bomb in a Birdcage. “We’ve kind of evolved on this album,” Sudol says. “I’d say currently it’s like folk-tinged alternative pop rock, I guess, with kind of a cinematic kind of edge to it. I don’t know, it’s very hard to describe music. [Laughs]”

We’re fans of the catchy “Blow Away;” Sudol also told us that “Beacon” and “The Minnow and the Trout” were really fun the night of the Artists Den taping in August. Bomb in a Birdcage is available today, and the Los Angeles-based band starts their U.S. tour in mid-October. We’re looking forward to seeing them in person.

Rebecca Harper (rebecca.harper@hulu.com)
Editor, Hulu