Video Review – Page 2

VIDEO REVIEW: BRAIDS “Bunny Rose”

Canadian art rock trio BRAIDS collaborated with animator Stephen McNally on a music video for their track “Bunny Rose”, off their record Deep in the Iris, released in April.

It’s impossible not to be entranced while watching the veins of a person gradually metamorphosing from dust to water. The animated likeness of frontwoman Raphaelle Standell-Preston gracefully makes her way through the city before finally making it home in human form. Dense beats along with Standell-Preston’s delicate vocals seamlessly carry the character through the scenery.

The stunning animation conveys the lyrical meaning of the track with ease, which as described by the band themselves, is: “the desire to be loved yet a longing to be whole on one’s own.”

Check out the video here:

VIDEO REVIEW: Dilly Dally “The Touch”

If your band practice doesn’t include hazy shadows, falling feathers, slinking felines and unbridled pain, you’re doing it wrong. Or, you’re just not on the same level as Toronto’s Dilly Dally (which would be admittedly hard to achieve). Led by long-time friends Katie Monks (vocals/guitar) and Liz Ball (guitar), the band has been bursting through unsuspecting earbuds everywhere after releasing their debut album Sore in early October and making waves at New York’s CMJ music festival.

Now they’ve shared their music video for “The Touch,” a song that Monks revealed was written with a very specific, urgent purpose: “I wrote this song for a friend of mine who was having suicidal thoughts… the song attempts to reach him in his dark place, and then lure him away from there.” Monks makes his pain her own in the black-and-white video by yelling, practically swallowing the mic, and holding onto her guitar like a life preserver. In the background, there’s a calming influence via her bandmates, their heads down as they focus on their instruments as feathers float and swirl around them.

As the band plays the heavy, fast beat and snarling guitars, the video occasionally cuts to a figure dressed in black, brandishing a whip: some sort of dominatrix superhero. While Monks sings about healing someone with a “woman’s touch,” she knows that sometimes, a soft touch won’t cut it. Sometimes, it takes a figurative slap in the face.

VIDEO REVIEW: Slim Twig’s “Hover on a Sliver”

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Canadian shape-shifter Max Turnbull, the man behind the moniker Slim Twig, could never resign to making just a music video.

Given his pedigreed rearing in all camps of the art world-musical, celluloid, and illustrative-it’s no surprise that his most recent one is more of a scored short film than a formulaic MTV standard. In fact, the opening credits prove this as they read: “Repulsion Revisited-A video set to the music of Slim Twig’s ‘Hover on a Sliver’ from the album A Hound at the Hem.”

The text tells us a lot actually, namely that Turnbull is one lucky fella surrounded by a trio of talented women known as 3 Blondes and a Camera. As it turns out, these aren’t just any ol’ blondes. Shooter/editor Meg Remy of U.S. Girls is Slim’s wife, director/producer Jennifer Hazel is his mom, and the star of the screen is none other than sister Lulu Hazel Turnbull, who has performed in a handful of U.S. Girls videos as well. All and all it seems like a pretty loving collaboration.

The short itself is less warm and fuzzy than the relationship between its makers would suggest. At first glance we see a projected eyeball squirming on the silk of a nightgown. It glares relentlessly and swooshes to the crescendo of robotic bleating. This opening scene connotes more of the climactic build one finds in horror films, which makes all the more sense when we finally catch sight of Lulu, who is all Hitchock heroine in a frosty coif and peach negligee.

Lulu sketches furiously atop a wall projection, smearing charcoal with the agitation of a stain-scrubbing housewife. These moments of creation are the only in which she seems impassioned and present; she traverses the rest of her life with a far off gaze and tepid neuroticism. It’s the kind of mental diversity one might need while listening to Slim Twig, whose sound ranges from schizophrenic noise to masterly crafted pop.

Enjoy the sweet and sinister video for “Hover on a Sliver” below:

A Hound at the Hem is out now on DFA Records. Be sure to snatch one of the limited pressings on pink vinyl while they last!

SLIM TWIG TOUR DATES:

Thu. Jan. 15 – Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle w/ US GIRLS

Fri. Jan. 16 – Cleveland, OH @ Happy Dog (east location) w/ US GIRLS

Sat. Jan. 17 – Brooklyn, NY @ Palisades w/ US GIRLS, Bottoms

Sun. Jan. 18 – New York, NY @ Cake Shop w/ US GIRLS

Mon. Jan. 19 – Boston, MA @ Middle East Upstairs w/ US GIRLS

Wed. Jan. 21 – Montreal, QC @ Bar Le Ritz w/ US GIRLS

Fri. Jan. 23 – Toronto, ON @ Silver Dolla

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VIDEO REVIEW: Astronauts “In My Direction”

London-based Dan Carney is driving the firetruck of every little boy’s childhood fantasy by growing up to become a musician known as Astronauts.

“In My Direction,” the latest single from his debut album Hollow Ponds is spooky folk-pop with cascading vocal harmonies from Carney complemented by a little help from his friend and fellow sorcerer Michael Cranny.

After what I imagine to be top-secret meetings, the video was conceived and created by Armenia-based production company Manana Films. After an opening that sets your skin on fire with the creepy, crawly, yet beautifully intelligent and composed movement of a colony of ants, it stars Armenian actor Andranik Lavchyan roaming around the capital city of Yerevan. The first shot of Lavchyan on the run is startling; he wears a determined and crazed facial expression that elicits both concern for his well-being along with your own.

Unlike the ants that move gracefully in mass with a preordained mission, which he tramples over unawarely while jogging on pavement, Lavchyan’s movements are jerky and and emanate solitude. He is the awkward human soul that haunts the Astronauts’ creative vision.

Shake up your office Friday afternoon and follow Astronauts to the carnival. Enjoy the video below.

VIDEO OF THE WEEK: The Bulls “Come Unwound”

Happy day after Thanksgiving. Let’s fade away from sweaters and forced family relations and return to head-in-the-blogosphere normalcy with a viewing of Los Angeles duo The Bulls “Come Unwound.” Sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll is a cliché for a reason, the trio go together like turkey, stuffing, with a dollop of gravy. Stick with weed and red wine for this one, as far as this video is concerned sex and rock ‘n’ roll are a delicacy to be savored rather than substance to be abused. Yet speaking of abuse, the bondage-themed video uses shibari (the ancient Japanese form of rope bondage) to illustrate the ethereal sounds of Anna’s voice paired with Marc’s strumming. An anonymous woman dressed in a ghostly white body suit and dominatrix black heels sways to the lovely music as beautifully intrinsic knots tie across her body with bold red rope. Laced through the bondage scenery is Anna, singer and multi-instrumentalist and Marc the guitarist in leather jackets in an empty warehouse that just as easily could have been used for a Kink.com shoot. Like that time I wrote about group sex while wearing a gingham sundress and my hair up in a bun, the video uses (my favorite) artistic technique of meshing the traditionally beautiful with the perversely taboo. In The Bull’s case, it’s a blonde playing the violin with arms tied in scarlet bondage ropes. The soft shoegaze yings as BDSM imagery yangs. Take a break from Black Friday online shopping and watch the video below (then talk dirty in French).

VIDEO REVIEW: Purmamarca “Don’t Need Your Love”

Brooklyn’s Purmamarca self-released their debut album Summer Air // Night, via bandcamp in early 2014. Though it sounds far more lush and expansive, the LP was “recorded in bedrooms, kitchens, and basements on a USB microphone”. Yet the band upped the production value for the video that accompanies gorgeous single “Don’t Need Your Love.” The pace of the track is as deliberate as the video, shot in a former convent in one long take by director Lisa Boostani.

Actors Jessica Park and Scoop Slone look almost cartoon-like, their expressions either exaggerated or non-existent as they move through ambiguous spaces both physically and metaphorically. In an awkward dance sequence, they’re partnered but still feel like islands unto themselves, barely looking at one another or interacting save for their stifled movements. It’s hard to guess what happened to the duo in the past–is the man more invested than the woman? Did a usual lover’s quarrel turn things more sour than they’d been before? Has their time run out in a depressing and draining way? The man appears at turns hopeful, then stressed, splashing water on his face to calm or comfort himself. The woman’s gaze is unfocused and deadened throughout much of the video, though in the last few moments some hint of relief flickers across when she removes the wig she was wearing in one swift motion. It emphasizes the weird play-acting we find ourselves doing in relationships that are long past their prime; stripping oneself of all illusions, as the woman does in removing the wig, is the only way to combat it. It’s a sentiment echoed by the track’s resigned, codependent lyrics: “Don’t need your love to be happy / but to know myself.”

“Don’t Need Your Love” is atmospheric, pretty, and dark, making the dimly lit scenes, vague surrealism, and slow-moving actors fit the puzzle near perfectly. The robot-like mannerisms of the actors call into question the roles that love serves in our lives, and lyrics challenge our ideas of why we feel we need love as well as the delusions we create to hold onto it. Though it is unsettling at times, the clip highlights the essence of Purmamarca’s song with rare grace and subtle truth.

VIDEO REVIEW: Sevdaliza “Backseat Love” (NSFW)

At its outset, “Backseat Love” seems to be the start of a movie montage, the kind of montage where a provocative woman sets out to assassinate her ex-lover. Turns out Sevdaliza was cruising around in her vintage Impala for opposite reasons. Coming out of The Netherlands, the Iranian-born singer’s new video shows her notorious raciness and ample derriere as she connects with both men and women across the city in some cinematic trysts. There’s little left to the imagination as we see candle wax dripping down the small of her lover’s back, provocative poses in black lace lingerie, and close-ups of manicured red nails digging into flesh.

Clearly, “Backseat Love” introduces a different edge for Sevdaliza, as her last two videos “Clear Air” and “Sirens Of The Caspian” focused on elements of nature, with many colors and hues. The scenes in the new video are shot with a mysterious, shadowy vignette that compliments her disco sound. She reigns as a creature of the night, a cool energy burning in her gaze while she smokes a cigarette, waiting for her cue while playing pool. Lyrics “You said I took your free will” can only pertain to way she conducts herself in the video, seemingly taking control of her conquests.

Although Sevdaliza doesn’t have any tour dates for the area lined up, we can appreciate the intimate videos she produces. Check out NSFW vid for “Backseat Love” below and head to her SoundCloud for more jams.

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VIDEO REVIEW: Pet Sun “Gimme Your Soul”

Toronto-area garage rockers Pet Sun released the excellent Feel Like I’m Going Away, their debut EP for Sleepless Records, last September. Now, there’s a new video for “Gimme Your Soul,” equally seizure-inducing and psychedelic.

The video flashes back with 90’s MTV illustration-style bats, flying eyeballs, pulsating brains, and splattered blood. Lasting just over a minute and a half, these Hamilton dudes give us a little look into their rockin’ performance on a roof : high energy, short, nothing sweet, yet a whiz-bang of craziness. “Gimme Your Soul” is a late-night television epileptic fit that makes it hard to look away. Heavy, trashy guitar (courtesy of Sam Rashid Stephane Senecal-Tremblay, who also handles insolent lead vocals), crashing drums from Parth Jain and Nic Arbour’s rollicking bass add to the visual stir of the band as they schlep gear around Hamilton’s streets, shove pizza in their faces, or goof off in the studio.

All in all, it’s a lysergic little window into what it’s like to be Pet Sun right now at this very moment. They are the lively bunch you’d want to bum around with during downtime on their current show streak, much like how video director Scott Waring must have felt. Fresh off a stint supporting Black Lips, Pet Sun are rolling through CMJ Music Marathon as we speak.

VIDEO REVIEW: Yellerkin “Tools”

yellerkinpress — Photo credit: Jacob Wayler

Surrounded by a dark forest and lit by a bright fire, Brooklyn-based duo Yellerkin return to nature in their latest music video for “Tools.” The band, comprised of childhood friends Adrian Galvin and Luca Buccellati, shot the video in the woods of Katonah, New York with the help of director Nicolas Pesce. Add some Pranayama – a form of yoga that focuses on breathing – and mystical effects and the music video becomes the perfect visual companion for the airy, ardent track.

Yellerkin released their debut EP earlier this year with “Solar Laws” as the promo single. Their sound is experimental pop, a mixture of folk sounds and synthpop that’s familiar and pleasant. What will make them stand out from the mass of music talent from Brooklyn will be their ability to tell stories through their music and how attention to lyrics and instrumentation may help differentiate them from their contemporaries. So far, Yellerkin has performed at SXSW in Austin, Texas this year and is prepared to release another EP before the end of the year.

“Tools” is about that resentful feeling the current generation may have when they realize how hopeless and alienating the world really is. But it’s also about finding a way to make things work. The video fittingly reflects this sentiment with Galvin and Buccalleti, dressed in a plain uniform of sweatshirts and loose pants, finding solace in the woods and using their tools to make sense of the darkness. At the start of the video, the men are gathered around a fire and once the song starts, they’re suddenly suspended in air, complementing the floating yet heavy feeling of the synths and percussion.

Even though they sing, “You don’t have the tools to realize that God won’t talk to you,” there are lots of tools used in the video: sticks for a shelter, fire for light, a shovel for digging. Even their bodies become tools to experience the world through yoga and dancing. It’s a Rousseau-inspired solution by minimizing society to the few and a reverence for the natural state of being.

Toward the end of the song, there’s a dynamic shift marked by a brighter, more energetic sound; the movement becomes more frantic, representative of some new understanding that has been reached. On this, the band suggests that even if they feel helpless and overwhelmed by the current state of the world, what they can do is reflect within themselves and use what “tools” they do have to start again.

Yellerkin plays the Wild Honey Pie’s CMJ showcase at Brooklyn Night Bazaar on Saturday, October 25th; it’s free with RSVP.

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VIDEO REVIEW: Caribou “Our Love”

It’s been a few years since we’ve last heard new music from Caribou, the Ontario-based neo-psychedelic brainchild of Dan Snaith. So the release of his new album Our Love on October 7th from Merge Records is an unexpected, but nonetheless fantastic, 41 minutes of twirling synth melodies and the crooning of Snaith’s smooth falsetto. In addition to the new album, Caribou dropped a music video for the title track. Unlike the song, which is a dizzying minimal techno composition, the video for “One Love” is much more somber. Shot in Ireland, the narrative follows an elderly woman as she creeps around her giant and empty estate, interspersed with nostalgic glimpses of a relationship she had as a young girl.

The video’s director, Ryan Staake, who also directed alt-J’s “Left Hand Free” said, “I wanted to create a slow, brooding film that contrasted the seeming limitless of youth with the reality of death in later years.” It’s an odd approach to the song, but it’s surprisingly effective with Caribou repeating “our love” throughout the super romantic long-panning shots. Check out “Our Love” and tour dates below.

Caribou Worldwide Dates:
Oct 08 London, UK — KOKO* SOLD OUT
Oct 09 Brussels, BE — Botanique* SOLD OUT
Oct 10 Cologne, DE — Ewerk*
Oct 11 Hamburg, DE — Grosse Freiheit*
Oct 12 Amsterdam, NL — Melkweg Old Room*
Oct 13 Helsinki, FI — The Circus
Oct 14 Berlin, DE — Berghain* SOLD OUT
Oct 15 Leipzig, DE —Conne Island*
Oct 16 Prague, CZ — Meet Factory*
Oct 17 Budapest, HU — A38*
Oct 18 Vienna, AT — Electronic Beats @ TMuseumsquartier* SOLD OUT
Oct 19 Munich, DE — Muffathalle*
Oct 20 Zurich, CH — Komplex 457*
Oct 21 Lyon, FR — Transbordeur*
Oct 22 Lille, FR — Aeronef*
Oct 23 Liverpool, UK — Liverpool Music Week at Camp & Furnace*
Oct 24 Bristol, UK — Simple Things Festival at Motion * SOLD OUT
Oct 31 Manchester, UK — The Warehouse Project* SOLD OUT
Nov 01 Paris, FR — Pitchfork Festival Paris* SOLD OUT
Nov 05 Dublin, IE — Vicar Street* SOLD OUT
Nov 06 Barcelona, ES — Razzmatazz*
Nov 07 Turin, IT — Alfa MiTo Club To Club*
Nov 08 Reykjavik, IS — Iceland Airwaves*
Nov 10 Montreal, QC — Metropolis (was Le National)* UPGRADED
Nov 11 Boston, MA — Paradise*
Nov 12 New York, NY — Webster Hall* SOLD OUT
Nov 13 Philadelphia, PA — Union Transfer*
Nov 14 New York, NY — Webster Hall* EXTRA DATE ADDED
Nov 15 Washington, DC — Black Cat*
Nov 16 Carrboro, NC — Cat’s Cradle*
Nov 17 Atlanta, GA — Terminal West*
Nov 18 Orlando, FL — The Social*
Nov 19 Miami, FL — Grand Central*
Nov 20 Tallahassee, FL — Club Downunder*
Nov 21 New Orleans, LA — One Eyed Jacks*
Nov 22 Houston, TX — Fitzgerald’s*
Nov 23 Austin, TX — The Mohawk*
Nov 24 Toronto, ON — Danforth Music Fall* SOLD OUT
Jan 31 Brisbane, AUS – Laneway Festival
Feb 01 Sydney, AUS – Laneway Festival
Feb 06 Adelaide, AUS – Laneway Festival
Feb 07 Melbourne, AUS – Laneway Festival
Feb 08 Fremantle, AUS – Laneway Festival
Feb 27 Los Angeles, CA – The Fonda Theatre EXTRA DATE ADDED
Feb 28 Los Angeles, CA – The Fonda Theatre SOLD OUT
Mar 01 San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore
Mar 03 Portland, OR – Wonder Ballroom
Mar 04 Seattle, WA – The Showbox
Mar 05 Vancouver, BC – Commodore Ballroom
Mar 10 Brussels, BE – AB
Mar 11 Paris, FR – Olympia
Mar 12 Berlin, DE — Columbiahalle
Mar 14 London, UK — Brixton Academy

*support from Jessy Lanza

VIDEO REVIEW: Young Tongue “Cat Calls”

There is a lot of momentum behind Austin band Young Tongue. Formerly known as The Baker Family, the band has transitioned to a sound that depends heavily on prog rock energy tinged with jarring varietals of guitar and percussion. The band recently released a video for “Cat Calls,” one such that song that lures you into a dark dream world with its catchy, sing-songy guitar picking whilst steadily and stealthily climbing towards a deliciously sinister finish that may leave you concussed and perplexed. It seems fitting that the video sneaks up on you in the same way.

Created in just 48 hours during Austin’s Music Video Race, which pairs bands with filmmakers in a two day marathon of shooting and editing to compete for gear and other prizes, the videos best moments use subtle imagery to reflect Young Tongue’s lyrics. “The light we follow, that won’t stay over you” becomes a cobwebbed bulb glumly glowing while a translucent spider spins around it. Images are projected on the band, clad in white, morphing along with the actual song as it progresses. Streaks of gold paint appear on the band members’ faces, echoing the lyric “we paint our faces ‘til no two look the same.” These finely drawn visual elements are interspersed with scenes of someone being stalked by people wearing rubber animal masks, adding some major creep factor.

By the time the bridge rolls around, the song and video take an ominous turn as a night walk turns into an initiation of sorts. The image we are left with is our protagonist emerging from a seedy hotel pool in a bison mask, and by the end of it all, the menacing mood falls away and becomes something more like a narrative of a rebellion and transformation, reflective of the band’s own transition toward more invigorating, experimental tones.

Only more good things can from a band with such driving sound and artistic energy. Young Tongue releases their first full length album, aptly titled Death Rattle, on November 11 through Punctum and Raw Paw Records.

VIDEO OF THE WEEK: Chastity Belt “Black Sail”

“Black Sail” is not the typical fare for the ballsy, brazen females of Walla Walla, Washington’s indie rock group Chastity Belt. Nevertheless, their irreverent 2013 debut No Regerts from Help Yourself Records kicks off with the sonorous, uptempo track, highlighting Julia Shapiro’s powerful, pining tone before diving into the cohort’s staple off-kilter gems like “Nip Slip” and “Pussy Weed Beer”, which showcase their more widely known talent for wry, foulmouthed humor.

Don’t get me wrong. I love the smuttiness – bring it on. Some days you just need a good ole sing-along to “Chips and dip, nip slip!” but “Black Sail” happens to be just as delightful a surprise. A driving beat and inviting chord progression carry on through to the end, and catchy riffs scattered throughout blend seamlessly with the round, entrancing vocals. Now, the track can be savored via its new video accompaniment, although, I recommend you don’t savor your dinner at the same time.

Director Maegan Houang paired the uneasy ache of “Black Sail” perfectly with a tale of weather-beaten Oregon Trail pioneers turned gruesome, Zombie-laden slaughter fest. The surprisingly low-budget, non-union shoot in Morongo Valley, CA yielded a finished product of stunning panoramas, poignant performances, and remarkably believable gory effects. Its final moments – when the last survivor must resign herself to an unbearable fate – will never leave your memory.

VIDEO REVIEW: DOROTHY “After Midnight”

Courtney Love. Janis Joplin. Grace Slick. Amy Winehouse. These are names one doesn’t toss around lightly – they represent a cannon of badass lady rockers with true charisma and formidable pipes. Keeping up this grand tradition is Dorothy Martin, the lead vocalist for eponymous rock n’ roll outfit DOROTHY. As head of this L.A.-based four-piece, Dorothy has all the makings of a great rock frontwoman with a distinct style one might call couture grunge, a voice that simmers and pierces and a confidence that makes her seem as if she was born to perform. It helps that her band members know exactly how to support her too; Eliot Lorango plays a heavy bass that matches Dorothy’s gritty vocals, guitarist Mark Jackson knows how to skillfully build from the thundering bass, and drummer Zac Morris provides a frenzied rhythm that lets Dorothy really let loose. Throw in some hand claps and tambourines and their blistering debut track “After Midnight” comes to life, a bluesy rock ode to midnight trysts filled with too many shots and dirty dancing.

The video, like the song, is simple yet stylish; Dorothy dons red lipstick, a luxurious vintage fur coat that she sheds towards the end to reveal a tattered band shirt, and inky black hair she tosses around in a classic devil-may-care manner. Dorothy’s electrifying verses are the main focus, but her band members are equally immersed in their parts – particularly Morris, whose drumming is unhinged and powerful. Essentially, it’s a performance video, but the swing of a spotlight only allows the viewer to see erratic, clandestine moments of the action, making it feel as if viewers are getting a private glimpse of the awakening of a great rock star.

VIDEO REVIEW: Marissa Nadler “Firecrackers”

Though it was released back in February, Marissa Nadler’s stunning sixth album July (on Sacred Bones/Bella Union) is very much rooted in the month it was named for. As she explained during an interview with AudioFemme, the record deals specifically with her personal experiences, lived from July of 2012 when her romantic relationship dissolved as she self-destructed, through her regret and pain to a place of healing and rekindling lost love in July 2013. The record’s emotional centerpiece, “Firecrackers,” deals with that fallout and subsequent recovery with stoic grace, its simple guitar chords nonchalantly lilting around what sounds like a dead-eyed challenge to unnamed “attackers” – it’s me, it’s me, it’s me you’re lookin’ for – but, for Nadler, was more of an admission of guilt on her own part for the troubles she found herself in back then.

Just in time for Independence Day, Nadler has released a haunting, black-and-white clip directed by Ryan Hamilton Walsh. Over the brutal opening lines July Fourth of last year / We spilled all the blood / How’d you spend your summer days? Nadler’s ghostly image performs destructive, if inconsequential actions – smashing glass bottles, throwing her guitar to the forest floor, pouring water from buckets. Everything happens in rewind, the grainy footage recalling home videos, or how we might imagine our memories would look if others could view them. The symbolism lies in Nadler “undoing” her ruinous behavior, and as the clip progresses, overlays of oozing liquid wash away her pointless sins and obscure her devious past. We’ve all been the kid sticking a bottle rocket in our neighbor’s mailbox, and we’ve all been the adult committing crimes we felt were victimless that lead to our own demise. Nadler puts the two on par by juxtaposing the innocuous imagery in the “Firecrackers” video with her real, lived experience in the song’s lyrical content, reminding us that no matter how calamitous our lives, there is no rewinding or rewriting history – all that’s left is to forge ahead.

Marissa Nadler heads to Europe in the fall; she’ll be playing throughout the US this month (see dates below).

Jul 8 – Rock N Roll Hotel – Washington, DC
Jul 9 – Pinhook – Durham, NC
Jul 10 – The Earl – Atlanta, GA
Jul 12 – The Beatnik – New Orleans, LA
Jul 13 – Holy Mountain – Austin, TX
Jul 14 – City Tavern – Dallas, TX
Jul 15 – White Water Tavern – Little Rock, AR
Jul 16 – The Stone Fox – Nashville, TN
Jul 17 – Mike N Molly’s – Champaign, IL
Jul 18 – Rumba Café – Columbus, OH
Jul 19 – Cattivo – Pittsburgh, PA
Jul 20 – The Ballroom at Outer Space – New Haven, CT
Aug 1 – Northern Routes Festival – New Salem, MA

VIDEO REVIEW: Kimbra “90s Music”

kimbra20140604_0036 — A still from Kimbra’s latest music video, “90s Music”.

About a month ago, Kimbra released her latest song, “90s Music” in preparation for her sophomore album The Golden Echo, out Aug. 19 in the U.S. via Warner Bros. Records. The official music video for the track that followed a few weeks later is so loaded with nostalgic imagery and bubblegum goodness that it has taken me this long to process everything into a coherent review that does not just include me flailing about and emitting high-pitched squeals.

To many, Kimbra might be known as “that one girl who was on that one Gotye song that really blew up” but to others, she’s the singer-songwriter from New Zealand who released a stunning debut album in 2011 that was full of retro vibes and soul-pop perfection. Vows showcased Kimbra’s vocal and songwriting prowess and her music videos and live performances revealed her eclectic style and confident yet quirky dancing. The album climbed to the top 5 in charts in both New Zealand and Australia and in the US, it reached the top 20 on the Billboard 200. She was slated to tour with Janelle Monáe, an artist also known for her eccentric style, but it was cancelled after Monáe fell ill. It’s a damn shame that all we have to remind us of what could’ve been is this swoon-worthy promo video for the tour, but we’ll take what we can get.

There’s little anyone can do to prepare for the sensory overload that is “90s Music;” Kimbra’s last single from Vows, “Come into My Head,” shares elements of having a fresh take on soul throwback, with lots of trumpets and funky bass, but is practically minimalist by comparison. On this latest single, auto-tuned references to 90’s pop stars like Aaliyah, Mariah Carey and TLC sound like a cassette tape rewinding several decades, Kimbra’s forceful voice squeezed into a rapid-fire falsetto.

On “90s Music,” there’s little hint of the somebody we used to know, and that’s why I’m 100% in love with this song. It’s a delight to see her pushing musical boundaries, exploring new styles and dabbling in wordplay, and having fun as well. Both the song and the video work well as an homage to a Lisa Frank-ified era, but at its core, we see how absolutely enamored Kimbra is with music, making it, and performing it, and it’s infectious.

The video seethes with an uncontainable energy: all bright colors, animated Trapper Keeper patterns, kinetic dancing reminiscent of Missy Elliott’s bombastic offerings. Kimbra’s crazy wardrobe takes some definite cues from the “Supafly” rapper, her over-the-top outfits paired with vibrant makeup and equally uniquely dressed backup dancers. Not only does this correlation bring out some of the hip-hop influence at work on the track, it successfully references the hey day of the big-budget, blockbuster videos that dominated MTV’s TRL and cast performers as larger than-life superstars, from Biggie and Puff in “Mo’ Money, Mo’ Problems” to Gwen Stefani in No Doubt’s “Spiderwebs” video, to Busta Rhymes in… well, everything. But Kimbra is smart when it comes to stylistic appropriation, updating her brand of nostalgia when necessary, and providing ample shout-outs to her major sources of inspiration. Throughout it all, Kimbra’s carefree spirit, dynamic originality and exceptional talent take center stage.

You can pre-order The Golden Echo on iTunes and get an instant download of “90s Music,” “Love in High Places” and “Nothing But You.” These songs are sure to top every summer jam playlist, but don’t be surprised if the album becomes a critical favorite of 2014.

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VIDEO REVIEW: The Mast “Luxor”

Electronic duo The Mast (vocalist Haleh Gafori and percussionist Matt Kilmer) haven’t had much downtime this year. They began 2014 with the release of their sophomore album Pleasure Island, following it up with a handful of NYC performances and a music video for “Nuclear Dragon.” Now, The Mast share another visual, this time for the vocally multifaceted and musically collaborative track “Luxor.”

Pleasure Island was created whilst Kilmer and Gafori were thousands of miles apart, a true celebration of modern collaboration. Kilmer laid down the beats, then sent them to Gafori, who added her vocals and sent them back to Kilmer, each building on the other’s contributions until the songs felt complete. Nowhere is this dialogue quite so clear as in “Luxor;” the instrumentals and the vocals meld together much like a conversation rather than two separate parts. With Gafori’s intricately affected and mesmerizing soprano vocals constantly interacting with Kilmer’s driving yet nonabrasive beats, “Luxor” is both aesthetically satisfying and musically elaborate.

Directed and edited by Gafori and filmed by Kilmer, the video for “Luxor” again captures the duo’s give-and-take, this time emphasizing a penchant for the exotic and esoteric. The video is a sort of deserted island fantasy. Gafori looks on, licking honey from her fingertips, as a large wooden box washes ashore on an otherwise lonely beach. One by one, three ethereally dressed women (Dina Nur, Iko Shirashai and Alexandra Belle) emerge, dancing hypnotically to the chopped beats of the song. Are the women goddesses? Myths? Just as the title of the song suggests something mystical, opulent, and ancient, these three beauties (as well as Gafori herself) evoke an anagogic awe, twisting and rising as the song crescendos and builds. The video’s visually arresting imagery emphasizes that this is a band who take their craft very seriously, treating it as a precious artifact or historical treasure. And the ambiguous ending gives hints that there’s more magic to anticipate from the incredibly gifted, hard-working pair.

The Mast will play a string of upcoming shows in the Northeast this summer. Watch “Luxor” below and enjoy.

VIDEO REVIEW: Arum Rae “Gold”

Back in April, Arum Rae hit the scene with her debut EP Warranted Queen, which has since met much critical acclaim. The five-song EP gives us a good dose of experimentation with moody sounds from her smoky vocals to the perky electronic drum track that is prevalent on most of her songs. Her eclectic sound doesn’t shy away from the power of soul, and her new track drips with the kind that makes you feel like she’s sucking out your own.

“Gold” is all about voice; the bluesy, barebones backdrop allows Arum Rae to expose herself vocally more than ever before. Invoking a rather creepy soundscape, the song crescendos into a distortion battle between Rae and her guitar, and in the end, her warble wins. By the song’s end, we are left with a feeling of awe and emptiness, as she ekes out her final whispered lines over a rumble of receding reverb.

The video for this track plops us right in the middle of a gray, vast wilderness, faced with braving a world unknown and more terrifying than you can imagine. Stark images of unforgiving cold and vicious canines on the prowl mimic the lone-wolf aesthetic of Arum Rae’s impassioned howls. There aren’t enough gray tones in the world to convey the darkness of this video, but Director Philippe Leonard successfully uses grainy black and white film to achieve its ominous appeal. The ambiguity of certain scenes gives the video a sense of foreboding reminiscent of a horror film shot on 16mm, delivering us in a harrowing landscape that allows the song to ring deeply within the soul. When it all ends, you feel stranded, spent, emptied out – and renewed.

“Gold” captures the essence of Arum Rae’s stunning vocal abilities. She’s currently working on an album to be released later this year, and if this single is any indication of what is to come, we are certainly in for a treat.

VIDEO REVIEW: Phèdre “Karmic Mechanic”

Kids get bored on airplanes. To remedy this dilemma, my sister and I used to play a game while flying to numb our stinging boredom. I now know it as The Exquisite Corpse. It’s essentially a sketching game in which one player draws an appendage belonging to any phylum of flora, fauna, man or machine. The subsequent players then add their own body part to the drawing, and when the game is finished a gruesome and humorous hybrid is left on the page.

I can’t imagine this childhood pastime wasn’t on the mind of animator Leah Gold when she created the music video for Phèdre’s “Karmic Mechanic,” a number off of the band’s sophomore LP Golden Age. Phèdre has no shortage of esoteric imagery in their arsenal of videos. 2012’s “In Decay” boasted Dionysian hedonism with its food-orgy scenes, and “Sunday Someday” concluded with a family being poisoned at their dinner table. It’s therefore refreshing that the band is taking a time-out from overwrought theatrics to bring fans a short, sweet video that is more whimsical than disturbing.

“Karmic Mechanic“ begins with a wash of pale peach that is invaded by collage-like objects in the form of decapitated statue heads, painterly triangles, and a minuscule pony. The shapes flutter away to their respective places in a landscape of colorful trees and dip-dyed clouds, and in stumbles a beast of no particular species. With the limbs of a man, a spherical torso, and a head that resembles a horse-born lion, the video’s central character dances around his two-dimensional world on hinged legs, playing hackysack with an amorphous face.

A whopping 57 seconds of watch time, the visual aspects of the short are consistent with the song’s audible qualities. The track itself is a subdued pulse of electronic drums and carnival-like synths, which are made all the more strange by a kid’s vocal track. The resulting combination of childlike graphics and mythological lyrics yields a video that is equally strange as it is adorable.

Gold, who is a good friend of Phèdre’s founding members Daniel Lee and April Aliermo (formerly of Toronto’s Hooded Fang), occasionally dances with the band and has certainly picked up the duo’s sense of humor throughout their collaborations. Aliermo and Lee often belabor the point that they are simply the base components of the band, and that it is the ongoing contributions by their buddies that enrich the project. This model is proven successful by the creation of an eerily endearing music video.

Check out “Karmic Mechanic” below, and be sure to give Golden Age (out now on DAPS Records) a thorough listen.

VIDEO REVIEW: Weatherbox “Pagan Baby”

For a song about lamentation, a video paying homage to times past is the perfect eulogy for something that is lost. Gearing up adfter a hiatus of nearly five years, San Diego punk rockers Weatherbox recently released Flies in All Directions, and with it comes a video for lead single “Pagan Baby.” If you missed 2007’s American Art or 2009’s Cosmic Drama, “Pagan Baby” works well as a refresher, kicking in immediately with catchy riffing and an upbeat drum section. From there, it’s all angsty, fuzzy agoraphobia beneath sweet overtones of radio-friendly pop punk that ironically beg singing along.

The video for the track, directed by Max Moore, is a throwback to The Replacements’ “Bastards of Young” clip. The Replacements’ video made a huge impression in the mid-80’s by featuring an unbroken shot of a speaker with some vinyls stacked against it. The only listener is an unseen person that sits on a couch just out of frame smoking a cigarette. As a statement piece, it came to symbolize a rebellion against the coming age of MTV and the onset of the elaborate, glitzy music video, all by letting the music speak on its own before the anonymous guy in the video kicks the speaker in.

Similarly, the Weatherbox new video uses a static shot, but this time it begins with footage of the band performing, panning out to rest on a desk and a computer screen on which the action plays out. There’s another anonymous person on a couch, this time drinking a beer instead of a smoking a cigarette. On a basic level, the visual mirrors the reclusive comforts that frontman Brian Warren sings about in “Pagan Baby” (it’s such a nice day / let’s stay inside) by presenting a viewer content to soak in the internet instead of the sun’s rays. But implicit in this very modernized appropriation is the fact that whoever’s watching the actual video (that’s YOU, dear reader) is also watching a computer screen while life goes on beyond it.

In this way, the video’s statement speaks more on behalf of how we experience music thirty years after The Replacements used “Bastards of Young” to shows that music was becoming something that would no longer exist solely in an aural realm. We no longer kick in speakers; instead, we troll comments sections. There’s no emotion or reaction from the listener as the computer screen goes black, and why should there be? Discovering a band is less immersive and far more casual than its ever been, our pixelated rockstars filling blank moments in our lives.

Oddly enough though, Warren seems to be okay with that sea change, arguing as he does in the song’s verses and choruses that maybe there’s value in curling up inside and and “keeping a crooked life,” that sometimes that act is a necessity. Warren’s own mental health is a crucial example of this; he’s suffered near-debilitating delusions for years now, something he’s finally able to spin positively on Flies in All Directions. Though the lyrics are less than sunny, the hooks on “Pagan Baby” are ones you’ll find stuck in your head whether you’re staying home or are out and about.

Weatherbox begins their North American tour in July, see dates below.

7/11 – Atlanta, GA – Drunken Unicorn
7/12 – Charlotte, NC – Area 15
7/14 – Baltimore, MD – Metro Gallery
7/15 – Asbury Park, NJ – Asbury Lanes
7/16 – Philadelphia, PA – The Fire
7/17 – Brooklyn, NY – St. Vitus
7/18 – Albany, NY – The Ice House
7/19 – Copiague, NY – The Wood Shop
7/20 – Boston, MA – Great Scott
7/22 – Buffalo, NY – Waiting Room
7/23 – Toronto, ON – The Cave at Lee’s Palace
7/24 – Cleveland, OH – Mahall’s
7/26 – Chicago, IL – Township
7/27 – St. Louis, MO – The Demo
7/29 – Lawrence, KS – Art Closet Studio
7/30 – Denver, CO – 7th Circle Music
7/31 – Salt Lake City, UT – Shred Shed
8/3 – Pomona, CA – Growing Up Dumb Festival

VIDEO REVIEW: Sean Nicholas Savage’s “The Rat”

If ever in search of a genuine weirdo, look no further than Montreal’s Sean Nicholas Savage. In conjunction with the release of his 11^th studio album Bermuda Waterfall via Arbutus Records, Savage paired up with director Angus Borsos and dropped an eccentric little music video for his song “The Rat.”

In my brief history of listening to Savage, I’ve learned this: to hear him is to love him; to watch him is to ignite an obsession.

The black and white video opens with Sean in a corpse-like pose, weak light flickering on his bare chest and the roar of invisible surf scoring the image. Cut to a split screen of the wide-eyed man himself staring past the camera’s lens, his moniker in bold to the left of him. One would expect a washed-out and dreary ballad from a visual such as this, and yet thumping piano greets the ear instead. I’m hearing more Hall and Oates in this track than the somber dream pop I was anticipating.

A muffled voice croons that ubiquitous line of nearly every eighties pop song: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!

Our eyes finally settle on a direct shot of an alleyway resting between cement walls. Two partial orbs of light illuminate each structure with clinical brightness. The whole scene is as comforting as a coatless winter stroll through The Eastern Bloc. Savage, wearing only a drab pair of drawstring pants, stumbles between the concrete slabs with sloppy flamboyance; his movements teeter between gestures and dancing in the Morrissey tradition of physical vagueness. In fact my first viewing of “The Rat” immediately reminded me of Moz’s 1992 music video for “Tomorrow,” and I can’t imagine Savage has not been significantly influenced by The Smiths front man. He exudes the same boyish magnetism and ambiguous sexuality. His physique is likewise twinkish and emaciated, lending him an appearance falling somewhere between cover boy and malnourished prisoner.

The upbeat melody of the song is at conflict with not only the visual setting of the video, but also Savage’s lyrical content, able to simultaneously evoke sweet longing and bitter sarcasm. His performance in “The Rat” is at once bestial and soft, grotesque and playful. At one point he scales the two walls like a feral little creature and snarls directly at the camera like a belligerent chimp. I guess at this point I’ve narrowly escaped a pun including his last name.

“The Rat” is nothing sensational or groundbreaking in the realm of videography, but its perfect simplicity makes narrative virtually needless. The majority of it is shot in one take and comes off as entirely unrehearsed. Savage appears to be without any apprehension or self-consciousness; there is no forethought, no Ego, just Id. He is aware of the camera but in the same way someone is aware of his own reflection when they dance in front of a mirror. This kind of candid clumsiness is endearing and refreshing from an artist in his twenties; he’s not acting, he’s not trying, he’s just being.

And what a damn fine way to be.

VIDEO REVIEW: Little Children “Impala”

Swedish singer Linus Lutti, known for the lush, orchestral indie pop he makes under the name Little Children, is set to release his sophomore album Walk Within this September. To herald its arrival, Little Children debuted the music video for the record’s second single “Impala.” Consistent with his signature sound, the song features airy vocals, steady percussion, and a grounding piano line. The video features a young boy – presumably in North Korea – with big dreams of space exploration. It’s a universal dream that almost anyone can relate to – at one point in our lives, we all had dreams of exploring the big unknown, of going further. The song’s hypnotic, repetitive feel adds to creating a dreamscape that is expansive and unlimited. It’s a whimsical feature, full of childhood imagination and ambition that matches the song in feeling and pace. The “Impala” visuals were directed by fellow Swedish musician Ted Malmros of Shout Out Louds.

Little Children debuted in 2010 with the full-length album In Silence, showcasing contemplative, melodic sounds reminiscent of Boy & Bear and Bon Iver. Since then, the singer has been steadily releasing music in preparation for his second album. He has enjoyed some exposure in the U.S., playing at festivals like SXSW and opening for bands like Shout Out Louds. His brand of pop music is calm and multilayered; besides his intricate lyrics, there’s also precise instrumentation and husky vocals that add to the dream world created by his music. “Impala” also appears as a b-side on the “By Your Side” 7″ out now on Swedish label Kning Disk.

VIDEO OF THE WEEK: The Vickers “Senseless Life”

A couple months back, Italian group The Vickers put out their Ghosts album, a slow burner of a collection with a generous helping of sixties haze. Everything this quartet creates seems to come wrapped in layers of gauze: the beats are pillowy, the bass line, though too mellow to be show-offish, tugs on your sleeve all album long, and the vocals sound like they’re being filtered in over the airwaves from a far-away alternate reality. Though the group made international headway with “She’s Lost,” the first track off Ghosts, the band has a 7″ and four full albums under their belt. A project that began as a couple of classmates messing around with psychedelic covers of Blur and The Kinks songs has grown into a sound that’s eclectic and uniquely billowing. Listening to The Vickers, you get the sense that you can trust these guys to do more than just repeat the Beatles’ Revolver era.

Given the album’s gentle loopiness, the sun-faded, sweltering video for “Senseless Life” comes as no surprise. From the smudged perspective of a shaky camera, the video takes us at a lazy pace through a sunny day in the country. Its first images are abstract, fading in and out of a picture we can recognize until it settles on sunspots and a close-up shot of a concrete animal statue’s head. We’re in a garden of some kind. The visuals accompanying the song–like the music itself–evoke a soporific idleness that’s so acute you can practically feel the humidity. About halfway through the song’s four minutes, the shot seems to flip around and zoom out, showing a man–the first person to appear in this video–holding a camera to his eye.

Though I’m not sure why, for the first portion of the song, when the lyrics are written like subtitles at the bottom of the screen, it does feel as if many different layers–images over watery silhouettes, sharp text over blurred background–combine to gear “Senseless Life” up to its apex. When that moment comes, with crashing drums and golden rays over a smeared horizon, it seems as if the focus of the video lies in the accumulation of flecks of light that flicker, fade, and resonate with one another. The music is like that, too: echoed and aesthetic-indulgent. Although much of the Ghosts album feels too optimistic to coincide with the “touch of nineties spleen” that The Vickers refer to when they’re talking about the contemporary twist they bring to their classic sixties sound, there is a certain heat-borne apathy that pervades “Senseless Life.” But the effect is more meandering than disillusioned, more directionless than bored.

VIDEO OF THE WEEK: Boyfriend “Like My Hand Did”

This is the way you’d imagine Tina Belcher growing up: she’s an elementary school teacher by day and a raunchy internet rap sensation by night, her inventive rhymes equal parts lewd and literate. Except this isn’t the plot of a long-lost Bob’s Burgers episode – it’s the true story of New Orleans performer Boyfriend, minting a new kind of hip-hop couched in satire, cabaret, and sex-positivity.

Dubbed the “rap game Bette Midler,” Boyfriend takes as many cues from Vaudeville vets as she does from Ke$ha and Kitty Pryde. Clever turns of phrase are as central to her appeal as her painstakingly thrifted wardrobe and Sally Jesse-esque eyewear. The nerdy aesthetic makes her feel somehow more accessible than other artists of her ilk; she owns her quirks rather than trying to come off as something she isn’t. Pushing that honesty to its most candid point, Boyfriend knowingly tackles topics ranging from period sex to masturbation to how to be Swanky on a budget, her wry tone akin to any Broad City punchline.

Boyfriend is known for her outrageous and stylish YouTube clips, a tradition that began with visuals she self-produced to herald the release of her debut EP I’m Your Boyfriend almost two years ago. “Like My Hand Did” is Boyfriend’s latest offering and it stays true to form, giving us lots to look forward to when her full length finally drops later this year. It’s a blistering kiss-off to a partner who failed to please, self-pleasure being preferable to his paltry efforts. The retro clip-art graphics and darker lyrics give the track a creepier vibe than we’ve seen from Boyfriend thus far, hinting that there’s some snarl behind her Granny-panties gimmick.

VIDEO REVIEW: Sylvan Esso “Play It Right”

Sylvan Esso certainly isn’t the first act to pepper electronica with folk undertones but their combination is particularly intriguing to say the least. It is pure and honest while still managing to uplift listeners and make them wanna move. The North Carolina duo released “Play It Right” via soundcloud last year and built a ton of buzz around it, but the song never got a proper video – until now. Ahead of the May 13th release of their debut LP on Partisan Records, the video highlights the simplicity of the song’s elements by echoing the track’s minimalistic vibe. Splashes of light wash over vocalist Amelia Meath, synth wizard Nick Sanborn, and two dancers, illuminating just enough to pierce the darkness of the set. Meath’s exuberant dance moves look hip-hop inspired, yet remain polished and graceful, like that of a ballet dancer; selected scenes employ slow motion to highlight both her elegance and the drama of the song, heightened as the track progresses and the dancers submerge themselves in the music. The visuals are captivating without being over-stimulating, a definite rarity when it comes to music videos. With a track this good, elaborate sets and costumes aren’t needed – Sylvan Esso basking in their own spotlights are engaging enough to grab our attention and keep it there.

Tag: Video Review

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VIDEO REVIEW: DOROTHY “After Midnight”

VIDEO REVIEW: Marissa Nadler “Firecrackers”

VIDEO REVIEW: Kimbra “90s Music”

VIDEO REVIEW: The Mast “Luxor”

VIDEO REVIEW: Arum Rae “Gold”

VIDEO REVIEW: Phèdre “Karmic Mechanic”

VIDEO REVIEW: Weatherbox “Pagan Baby”

VIDEO REVIEW: Sean Nicholas Savage’s “The Rat”

VIDEO REVIEW: Little Children “Impala”

VIDEO OF THE WEEK: The Vickers “Senseless Life”

VIDEO OF THE WEEK: Boyfriend “Like My Hand Did”

VIDEO REVIEW: Sylvan Esso “Play It Right”

Ticket Giveaways

Each week Audiofemme gives away a set of tickets to our featured shows in NYC! Scroll down to enter for the following shindigs.

See you there! xoxo